Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, blah blah blah. If I did own it Sirius would be forever young, and sexy.
A girl lay silently in her bed, softly tossing and turning under the lavender sheets. It had been a few months since her 7th and final year at Hogwarts had ended, her subconscious longed for the cool Scottish air, the light snores of her roommates, and the sense of safety that only the school could provide. Her house set place in a small village in Wales, so small that if you held your breath, you could drive through it and still have air left. She slept deeply despite her tossing, but she was unaware of the silhouette of a young boy that darkened the glow of the moon on her sheets; she was also unaware of the suffering going on through the rest of the village.
Her mother hollering her name awaked her some hours later; Katie padded down the hard wooden stairs into her small kitchen and took her seat.
"You slept like the dead, love. There was a great fire that took out half the village last night!" Her mother exclaimed. Katie dropped the fork she held poised in her hand. It clattered loudly on her place and settled next to her untouched breakfast.
"What?" Katie breathed, her eyes widening.
"Oh yes, the firefighters couldn't put it out… Such a great tragedy…" Her mother looked down sadly, before disappearing upstairs, probably to go mourn the loss of a few family friends.
Katie let her mind wander, fires that the muggle firemen couldn't put out? Maybe this was the work of some dark wizard… She shook her head at her own silliness and set to work eating up the delicious breakfast her father left her after he went to work.
Tom Riddle spent the next weeks after "that night" in horrible suspense. He longed for all the funeral services to end, he longed to see HIS girl's pained face as she went to visit all the graves. He grinned softly after the last one had come to a close; he stood in the background behind the black iron gates that enclosed the space for the town's dead loved ones. Nobody paid attention to the tall handsome boy dressed in black, the people figured he was a distant relative mourning his own loss as well.
Tom walked in as soon as the last of the people had left, he pulled out a few notes he had written himself and set them on all of the newly dug graves. He wiped his hands on his robes, looking up at the sky. It had started to snow, dark gray clouds billowing in. This was the exact weather his love favored.
Katie smiled at the snow as she traced shapes and pictures on the foggy window. The week had been terrible, people crying, wallowing in their own self-pity. She felt bad, thus she stayed in her own house watching the world pass her by. Her mother didn't leave her room and cried, Katie took it upon herself to bring her trays of food. After a week or so Katie decided to venture out to take a look at the graveyard. She put on her fluffy coat, boots, jeans, and a scarf. She trudged through the snow pulling up her hood and set off down the sidewalk.
The wind had died down, and the sky only produced large flurries that didn't bother Katie much. She had finally made it and was walking down the cobblestone path that split the place in half. She wiped away a few stray tears and held her head up high as she glanced around at the tombstones. Katie walked up to one in particular and traced her fingers around the words carved into the white marble. This one in particular made her heartstrings twist in agony. It was her best friend. Katie let a few tears escape, and looked down. Startled she noticed a small square of parchment. Picking it up slowly she turned it over and read the words. "Be mine forever, Katie." She dropped it and took a few steps back. She walked quickly looking at the other new additions. Sure enough, each one had a note, each with words like "I'll love you until I die." "Nothing can keep us apart." "I'd do anything for you." And the most disturbing: "I'll stop at nothing to have you." Her fears caught up to her. What if this was no accident? What if this was the work of some sadistic wizard? And worst of all, she knew him. She walked back to the stone inscribed with her best friend's name, Katie folded all the discarded parchment into a rose and set it there, along with her own green and silver scarf.
Tom grinned from his place crouching behind a tree. His love looked so sad, so miserable. He loved it. He wanted to wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her tears. He watched her set her scarf down on the muggle girl's grave and he frowned. Why did his girl care so much for a silly muggle? Sure, his girl was a mudblood, but she was a Slytherin above all else. The most beautiful and intelligent Slytherin he had ever laid eyes on… Tom cursed his wandering thoughts and watched her leave. He then got up and walked to the grave and picked up the paper rose turning it over in his hands. Tom set it in the breast pocket of his coat and left.
The boy made up his mind that he wanted to walk around. The sparse forest vaguely reminded him of Hogwarts and he figured it would help him think, and help him formulate more of his plan. He wandered around the trees not paying attention much to his surroundings. His thoughts always wandered back to his beautiful girl, Katie. Her soft brown hair, the way her brown green eyes lit up when she laughed or smiled, the way her face contorted with sadness when she visited the graves. He adored everything about her. She had to be his, no matter the cost. Tom grinned rubbing his hands together. He was resurfaced from the depths of his thoughts by a loud crush and a string of curse words.
Tom walked fast to the sound and stood in awe as his girl was brushing snow off of herself.
"What're you doing here?" He asked, as he walked closer.
"I should be asking you the same thing…" She smiled poked his chest; Tom's blood was on fire. "I grew up here."
"As did I," Tom lied quickly. He reached to sweep off a bit more snow that remained.
"Uhm… Tom, would you like to come to my house? You look cold and I bet you'd like a cup of tea…" Katie smiled, and Tom's heart lurched. He agreed thanking her graciously and smiled. Katie blushed. He followed her along a cleared path to what he assumed was her house. He took off his shoes and handed her his coat, which she hung up along with hers. Katie's kitchen was attached to the dining room so Tom took a seat at the large dining room table and watched her as she scurried around finding the teakettle and putting water in it. He smiled at her childishness, Katie cutely hummed and danced a little bit to whatever song she had in her head.
Once the kettle was on the stove, Katie sat in the chair beside Tom crossing her legs patiently waiting for the water to be done.
"You said you grew up here… That's odd, I've never seen you around…" Katie started a conversation looking deep into the depths of Tom's black eyes.
"I grew up on the outskirts. My parents weren't fond of me playing outside, nor being around muggles." Tom was surprised as to how easily he could lie to her. The lies kept flowing as he told her false stories from his childhood Katie seemed fascinated.
"It's fun imagining 'The Great Tom Riddle' as a child, playing." Katie laughed openly. Tom glanced sideways at her hand that was resting on the table he hesitantly reached out and took it in his own. Her laughter stopped. Tom looked at their hands, and he felt the electricity pulsing through his veins. He looked up into Katie's eyes… she was staring blankly at him. He started to lean closer, his eyes traveling from her eyes to her lips. They were centimeters apart, so close.
The kettle whistled and Katie broke their eye contact by abruptly standing up and briskly walking to the stove. Tom seethed, got up and silently followed her, when she grabbed the pot to move it off the warm burner he set his hand on hers. He heard her breathing hitch, and the way it got slower and deeper. He grinned evilly, turning her around pressing her lips to his own. Katie stiffened and Tom frowned, why was she not responding? An idea crept into his mind, a cold, and evilly masochistic idea. Tom pulled back grabbing her hand roughly and led her upstairs into her own bedroom, silently casting a muffling charm.
Katie felt violated, ashamed, used, and dirty. She was curled up on the corner of her bed, arms wrapped painfully tight around her knees. She was curling into herself, shying away from his touch. In her eyes, he was a monster. He was monster that tainted her innocence, but a monster that she loved with all her heart. Katie didn't want to admit it, but she feel for him years ago. Charm, wit, handsome features, and mysteriousness; all were factors that she looked for in a boy, and all were traits that Tom easily provided in excess. She opened her eyes to examine the bruising that spotted her pale skin… sure enough the dark patches were there along her hips, shoulders, thighs. They all were proof of what Tom had done, but also signs that marked Katie as his.
"Dearest…" Tom started, and Katie shuddered, curling up tighter. "Love, are you alright?" Sure, Tom was trying to comfort her, but only because he couldn't bear the thought of her despising him.
"…Why?" Katie mumbled, turning her head up to look at him. Tom crawled across the bed to get closer to her; he then wrapped his arms around her shoulders cradling her head into his chest stroking her hair.
"Because I love you." Tom then mumbled into her ear. He wasn't exactly sure if it was love, he could only assume. The way she made him feel was unlike any other, he grew angry when he saw her talk to any other boy, his heart would never stop pounding when he saw her, and he never wanted to let her go.
"…I love you too." Katie whispered turning up to look at him. He thanked her with a small kiss placed on her forehead.
"Come live with me." Tom said all of a sudden, he and Katie had finally gotten dressed and were sitting at her dining room table again, the place where it all started. Katie pondered; it wasn't as if there was anything that held her here. Her mother never left her bed due to grief, her father always worked, and she had no siblings to speak of. She agreed, Tom had never felt so overjoyed in his life.
Tom and Katie's house was a large structure built out of stone, it had a gothic, chilling feel to it but Katie dismissed the shivers it gave her. She loved living there, waking up next to Tom everyday, cooking because she wanted to, not because she had to. It was paradise. After a few weeks Tom began bringing people into their home, he ordered them to not talk or look at Katie. She spent most of her days reading, and cooking…Her freedom was slowly becoming smaller and smaller as Tom would vanish with his new "friends" into their cellar, for she wasn't allowed to leave their bedroom while their meetings were going on.
Katie's claustrophobic feelings were always quickly dismissed by Tom, he rid her of them with the way he held her, and the way he would bring her flowers or books. When the others were gone Katie had complete freedom to do as she pleased, she tried to have Tom admit as to what the meetings were about but he always gave her a cold stare.
Over the years things started to change, Katie could wonder about the house regardless of the company that was there. A few regulars had started to occupy the spare bedrooms. Katie was still not allowed to talk to them, but at least she could see what was going on. Sometimes late at night she would hear screams coming from down below, she would always grab her wand and run down only to be sent back up by an awaiting Tom. Katie was worried about her lover, and tried everything she could to get him to confide in her.
One day the sun was shining especially bright and Katie had a good feeling. She rolled out of her empty bed and quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She sprinted down the stairs of her house and out the door shouting a quick "TOM I'LL BE OUTSIDE." She skipped and rolled around the green pastures, smelling flowers and smiling bright. This was the best she had felt in a while. The sun warmed her pale skin, and the fresh breeze tousled her shoulder-length locks. When she finished her skipping she walked slowly down to the ocean that was a few hundred yards from where her house sat. She plopped down on the sand and dipped her bare feet in sighing happily. Katie was removed from her bliss by the sound of steps. She looked over her shoulder to see a tall semi-familiar man approaching. She had seen him around the house, he never left Tom's side.
"So, you're the Lord's whore." Said the man. Katie squinted to get a better look at him. He had light brown hair that was dirty and matted. He wore a brown coat that was patched and frayed in places over dark pants that had mud splattered on them. He looked like a hobo.
"Hello." Was all she said in response, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her mad.
"You're the Lord's whore…" He persisted again.
"And you're Tom's lapdog." The man backhanded her across the face, the large ring he wore slicing open her cheek.
"How dare you refer to Lord Voldemort like that, you little bitch." The man hollered pulling out his wand. Katie froze, she had neglected to bring hers along, she always figured she was safe with Tom home. "You're the reason the Lord hasn't put his plan in motion… You're his weakness; you're the one thing holding us all back. I'm going to make sure you never get in the way again. This world will be better once you're gone." Katie only had time to look astonished as the man muttered a quick 'Avada Kedavra'. The girl fell back, hair spread out along the sand, the ocean water waving up to her knees. The man grunted taking one glance at her before walking back to his Lord.
Tom was sitting in his study, a small gold hoop held gently between his index finger and thumb. He was waiting for his girl to come back from her little trip so he could ask her a very important question. In his other hand he held a rose, he brought it up to his nose and breathed in its sweet scent. It reminded him of Katie, she always smelled like flowers and she always smiled brightly when he got them for her. He frowned when a sharp knocking emitted from the closed door. He shot a quick 'come in.' and turned to see his intruder. It was one of his Death Eaters, he believed the man's name was Joseph. Tom didn't favor him for Joseph was just a pawn.
"M'Lord, your… girlfriend, she collapsed beside the water!" The man breathed, clearly exasperated. Tom stood up and gently placed the ring on his desk and sprinted outside as fast as his long legs could carry him. It seemed hours before he reached his love, he leaned down to her mouth to see if he could hear the sound of air. He didn't. Tom yelled out in fury pulling out his wand, he tried every healing spell he had ever learned. Finally he turned to Joseph who had followed him outside.
"Give me your wand." Tom breathed, holding out his hand trying to keep it from trembling.
"Yes… M'Lord…" Joseph looked scared to death as he held out his pitch-black wand to his master. Tom mumbled a few words swishing it through the air. A foggy vapor came from the tip of the wand and swirled into a silvery orb. Next came the replay of the scene of Katie's murder. Tom watched, eerily calm. "M'Lord… Are you angry with me? I only did what was best for the group! She was holding you back!" Joseph screamed, a look of horror contorting the features of his dirty face.
Tom was smiling evilly surveying his work. The house in which he invaded was unfamiliar, but the magical photos of the family that lived there told him he was in the right place. Tom walked to one in particular and picked it up, it was a younger looking Joseph with his arm around blonde-haired girl. The girl was quite pretty, Tom had to admit, but too bad she'd never smile or laugh again. The truth of that made him laugh darkly under his breath. Upstairs there was a family; Tom had slaughtered them like animals. Laughing, torturing them with the cruciatus curse, made them attack each other with their nails or anything they could get their hands on before he finally killed them with the same curse that took his Katie away. Tom sat on a chair that was near the entrance, anxiously waiting for his little follower. Sure enough Joseph had come.
"Hello. Joseph." Tom grinned.
"M'Lord? What're you doing here?" Joseph was struck with feelings of pride and panic.
"You took away my reason for living, so I took away yours. A fair trade, if I do say so myself. Have a pleasant night." Tom shrugged, walking around Joseph and out the entrance. He counted to 7 before he heard pained screams. Tom grinned evilly putting his want back inside his robe, rubbing his hands together.
Only Tom attended Katie's funeral, he built a small wooden boat and filled it with all of Katie's favorite flowers, roses, daffodils, and orchids. He dressed her in a white silk gown before setting her on the flowers. Tom then set the boat adrift into the ocean, setting it on fire. He watched as the fire got smaller and smaller as it floated down into the distance, and he only shed one tear, which he quickly wiped away. The sky seemed to weep for his loss, dark clouds came into view they shed white, cold teardrops.
Lord Voldemort was sitting in his old house, staring into Katie's old mirror. He looked different; he was no longer the handsome Tom Riddle. He was now Voldemort, with snake-like features that would have frightened his love. He chuckled remembering her reaction when they were but students at Hogwarts. She nearly fainted when she learned about the Basilisk attacking muggle-borns. He ordered the Basilisk to stay away from her, but her reaction was very amusing.
Now Voldemort wasn't in school anymore, he was the Dark Lord of the wizarding world. He no longer got pleasure from seeing flowers bloom in the spring. The only day he truly felt anything was the anniversary of the day his Katie was wrongly taken from him. He stood and walked to the window she used to look out of, his gaze automatically went to the shoreline, and more specifically the place where he had found her dead. Voldemort knew he should be preparing for the battle at Hogwarts that awaited him; he knew he should feel excited because he would finally kill Harry Potter… But he only felt regret and sadness.
"I miss you, Katie…" He breathed, pulling a worn gold ring from the folds of his robes. He set it on the windowsill, then closed his eyes. The only comfort he got despite the cold weather, was a warm breeze smelling of roses.
Oh jeeze, this took me a few days. 6 1/2 pages on a work document, 10 point font, single-spaced. I hope you're happy, Katie.
Inspiration: The Horror Of Our Love-Ludo.
And Adrian.
[: Rate and review, messages are always welcome.
...my back hurts.