Chapter 6: Chapter 6
And here's the sixth chapter! What do you guys think? Will Tom and Alex make up? Will another argument start? Eh, read to find out!
Also, a little info on the broomsticks (yes, there's Quidditch talk in this chapter). The Comet Trading Company had begun in the year 1929, the first model being the Comet 140. Since it's already the year 1942, I think the Comet 180 would be appropriate, since Draco Malfoy had the Comet 260 in the first HP book.
Broom facts aside, be sure to also check out my new story (yes, I made another one) "Ice Princess". It's an HP, and Rise of the Guardians crossover, featuring Alex, of course.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy!
Thank you for all the great comments and continuous support to my stories, guys! It means a lot!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.
Pairings: Tom Riddle Jr./Alex Potter, mentions of Harry/Draco, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Blaise/Daphne and Past!Alex/Theo
Warnings: Language, Character Death, Adult Scenes, False Twincest, Sadism
"Speaking"
'Thoughts'
"Parseltongue"
"Bloody hell, Alex! Just talk to him!" Blaise whispered in her ear, nudging Alex in Tom's direction, who was lounging on the couch in front of the fireplace, a book in hand. It was late, and Tom and his little followers were the only ones left in the common room besides them. It's been three days since the incident in Potions, and either twin had yet to speak to the other. Blaise had enough of it, the silence was getting them nowhere closer to their goal. "It's not like he's going to kill you."
Alex had to snort at the irony. The man had been hunting her and Harry the moment they had stepped foot in Hogwarts. Then, she shook her head at the thought. Tom and Voldemort were two different people. This Tom wasn't an evil, sadistic psychopath. Yet, the voice in her head nagged, Not unless we do something about it. Was it her or did the voice sound a lot like Harry? But it was right. The other Tom Riddle had spent his life in isolation, never knowing or experiencing love and genuine happiness. She was sent back to keep him from becoming a merciless killer.
It was like teaching Draco Malfoy how to be nice.
"Alex...?" Blaise's voice broke through her thoughts, and Alex sighed.
"Okay, okay. I'm going."
Blaise nodded, and whispered, "Good luck." The, he left for the boy's dorms.
Alex's nerves grew as she drew closer to where Tom was sitting, until she was standing directly behind him. Her heart was pounding so hard against her rib cage, she thought it was going to burst out of her chest any second. Slowly, she placed an arm on Tom's shoulder, wincing when he stiffened under her touch.
"Tom?" Alex spoke, glancing warily at the other boys gathered around her... err, brother. "Can we talk?"
Tom didn't relax his posture. "We have nothing to talk about. Now, aren't you supposed to be in the library with DeAngelo at this time?" Alex frowned. So Blaise had been right? Tom was mad, because she was spending all her time with Blaise.
"No," she answered softly, "I needed to speak with you."
Tom said nothing, merely shrugging her hand of his shoulder as he stood, and moved towards the boy's dorms, but Alex reached for his hand, stopping him in his tracks. Tom glanced at their joined hands, then up at Alex's pleading eyes. "Tom, please." Alex nearly sighed with relief when Tom nodded.
"Leave." Tom commanded the rest of the boys, and they wordlessly complied. Alex caught Abraxas' eye, and he nodded to her in acknowledgement, before disappearing with the rest of the boys to their dorm.
Abraxas was like his grandson in many ways — or rather, it was the other way around. They were snide, prideful, bigoted pureblood heirs that didn't know when to keep their mouths shut, but they had their moments. They were both loyal and protective of people they considered to be good friends.
"So," began Tom, once they were alone, "What did you want to talk to me about?"
"I'm sorry," Alex blurted out, her voice cracking slightly from the nerves she had kept in. "I'm sorry for ignoring you these passed couple of days."
Tom's emotionless mask didn't waver. "Is that all?" he asked stiffly.
Alex's anger flared, "What do you mean 'is that all'? What else do you want me to say?"
"I want you to say that you would stay away from DeAngelo." Tom snapped, his features twisting in irritation.
"You know I can't do that. Blaise is my friend, Tom. What, I can't have other friends, and you can?" Alex bit back.
"You can have other friends, Alex. Female friends." said Tom, "DeAngelo is only going to end up hurting you. He's only using you, like he did that day in Potions."
Alex's glare faltered slightly at his words, "So you're saying that the only reason that the only reason a boy would talk to me is because I would help them with lessons? Is that it?"
"No, that's not it at all!" Tom protested, and let out a frustrated sigh, "Alex... I - I'm sorry... I..."
A small smile graced Alex's lips, and she stepped closer to him, "You're jealous."
"Yes."
"Why?" she asked him.
"Because..." Tom hissed.
"That's not an answer."
"I do not have to answer to you!" Tom snapped, taking a step closer, so he was towering over his twin.
"Nor do I have to listen to you." Alex retorted, "So unless you have a good reason —"
"I don't want you to leave me!"
Alex blinked in surprise at the sudden confession, and the furious but honest expression on Tom's face. Tom was never one to show weakness, but as Alex relived her whole life with him, she had learned to see through his facade. She had already known that he was not the innocent boy he had made out to be. Seeing a whole different side of him was just odd, someone totally different to who she had seen in the memories Dumbledore had showed them.
Alex bit back a sneer at the thought of the old man. She had run into him on occasion, but had never actually bothered to speak to him. He had treated her and Tom like ticking time bombs ready to go off at any moment, ignored them and the rest of Slytherin when they had accomplished something in his class. If that wasn't favoritism, Alex didn't know what it was.
"Tom," Alex spoke gently, lifting her free hand to caress his cheek. It had become a habit of hers, much like when she used to grip Harry's hand whenever either of them was nervous. "I'm not going to leave you alone, okay? I promise I won't." she told him, moving her hand to rest on his shoulder.
Tom let out a breath and his brows unfurrowed as the tension slowly left him. His lips curved ever so slightly as he lifted her hand which was still intertwined with his, gently pressing his lips to her knuckles, all the while staring at her with half-lidded eyes. "Alex... sleep with me tonight?"
Alex's eyebrows shot up, "Excuse me?"
"Sleep with me in the dorms. We've shared a bed before, it won't be any different now." said Tom, and Alex shook her head.
"Tom, what will your dorm mates say when they all wake up to me sleeping on your bed?" she told him, "Besides, I'm certain that Amelia and Eileen would notice me gone. Bloody gossip queens, they are."
"Such foul words. It's unladylike, you know." Tom tutted in admonishment.
"You of all people would know that I am not ladylike in the least." Alex smirked as she stepped away from him, "Now if you'll excuse me, brother, I have Quidditch practice tomorrow, early morning. I'm sure Orion would not appreciate tardiness."
"I see you and Tom have made up." Evan Rosier commented as he trudged down to the pitch with Alex and the rest of their team mates, noticing the girl's lighter mood. Alex glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her mouth curving into a frown as she held her broom over her shoulder, a Comet 180. It had been a gift from Abraxas after she had joined the Quidditch team two years ago. Tom had been furious, of course, and had nearly set the broom on fire in his rage.
"Yes, we have." she answered stiffly, "Is there a problem, Evan?"
"Not at all." Rosier added hastily, "It's just that you and Tom seem to be in a better mood than either of you have been in the past few days."
"We've had a bit of a... disagreement."
"We've noticed." Abraxas commented dryly, "Your brother has been in a right sour mood because of that DeAngelo bloke."
"I share a room with him." said Edmund Lestrange, "He's a pretty nice fellow, though a bit on the quiet side."
Alex hummed thoughtfully, only paying half attention as she spotted Tom in the stands. She raised an eyebrow at him inquisitively as she caught his gaze. Tom only smirked in response.
Bloody overprotective idiot, she mused, mounting her broom and kicking off the ground. It wasn't long before she was joined by the Blacks, Cygnus and Orion.
Cygnus was a year above her, and as far as she knew, was engaged to her dorm mate, Druella Rosier, Evan's sister. Orion was their Quidditch captain, and was two years above her. She had also recognized him to be Sirius' father. The resemblance was uncanny, but his demeanor clearly lacked the playfulness that Sirius possessed.
Sirius... she would save him, along with her parents and Remus, like she had sworn to. Harry would have the family he had always wanted. He would be happy.
"Alex!"
Alex swerved on her broom as a bludger whizzed passed her, missing her head by inches, and glared at the offender. "ROSIER!" she snarled, "Do that again and I promise you a month in the Hospital Wing!"
But what about her? She had Tom and Blaise.
But could she stand to her other half smile, with someone else in her place?
She didn't know.
Alexis Potter is dead...
Alexis Riddle – that's her name now, isn't it?
Blaise set down the large tome he had been reading with a grin on his face, "Well, we've checked nearly every book on Basilisks that we could get our hands on, and nothing says that a Basilisk is invulnerable to Unforgivables."
"Nothing states that they are vulnerable to it either." Alex pointed out, "I don't know about you, Blaise, but I don't want to risk dying in that chamber."
"I don't think it can kill you. You're an Heiress of Slytherin now, remember? His blood running through your veins. You can take bloody control of the thing!" Blaise exclaimed in a hushed tone.
Alex scoffed, "Yeah, but for how long? Once he finds the Chamber, Tom could still set the thing loose in the school without my consent."
"Right," Blaise muttered, his grin dropping. "Ah bloody hell, this is hard. Why did Riddle let the blasted thing out anyway?"
"To kill off muggleborns." Alex frowned, "It makes no sense though. If he hated muggleborns so much, why'd he consider sparing mum even if he knew she was muggleborn? And his little group knows about our blood status. They just overlooked the fact because we're descendants of Slytherin."
"Allie..." Blaise began slowly, "Dumbledore suspected Riddle right after the Myrtle's murder. He knew about Riddle's heritage the moment he met you guys. What if... what if Myrtle dying had been an accident? Or planned?"
"The first Horcrux!" Alex muttered in realization, "Dumbledore wanted Myrtle to die, so Tom could create the first Horcrux!"
"One thing leads to another." Blaise remarked. "Why are you calling him Tom now anyway?"
Alex ignored him, "We have to get to the Chamber first. If we can't keep the Basilisk in there, the least we can do is make sure it doesn't kill anyone."
Blaise sighed, watching his best friend's emerald eyes glint in determination. Merlin help us.
When the duo had entered the common room later that night, Alex's gaze immediately drifted to Tom, who was in his usual spot in front of the fireplace, and scowled.
His followers were with him again, but that isn't what was bothering her. Amelia Parkinson was there, hanging off Tom's arm like a puppy begging for attention. Well, the pug nose was fitting, she supposed. Blaise followed his friend's gaze and chuckled.
"Go already." he told her, "Just don't kill the chit."
Alex stared at Blaise's retreating back in confusion, and shook her head before approaching the group.
"Boys." she greeted them, glancing briefly at Amelia. "Hands off my brother, Parkinson."
The Slytherin boys, with the exception of Tom, attempted to smother their amusement. Whether it was because of the seemingly unconcerned look on Alex's face or the scowl Amelia threw the female Riddle as she pulled away petulantly, they weren't sure. Perhaps both.
Tom looked up at his twin and gave a small grateful smile as she took a seat next to him on the couch, slinging an arm over her shoulder. "Alex. How was the tutoring session with DeAngelo?"
"Productive, as per usual." said Alex, then glancing down at the book she had just noticed was resting on his lap, "Moste Potente Potions? What are you reading that for?"
"Just a little side-project." said Tom as the group fell into silence once more.
The boys had barely noticed as Amelia, tired of being ignored, stormed away from the group in a huff. Alex bit her lip at this, desperately trying to conceal the smirk that was threatening to show.
Yay, they made up! And what's this? Dumbledore's on the move again! The last scene here was just a filler. XD
I'm sorry for the extremely late update guys. I'll try to make the next chapter as soon as possible. I'll be updating my other stories as well, so don't you worry! I'm not abandoning any of them.
~Cassandra