Black Riddle


I do not own Harry Potter, I just play around with him sometime ;) Comment's are apperciated!

Chapter 8- Messy reunion

August 18th, 1936


"Professor sir, um are you sure you know what your doing?" Alleria squeaked from the backseat of the electric purple vehicle. Which Albus Dumbledore was totting along the narrow streets of London. Dumbledore chuckled, unfazed by the panic in his young charges voice. He was quite enjoying the smooth movement of the bulky car. They most certainly hadn't had them when he was a boy. As promised Dumbledore was taking her, and Tom to shop for school. They were currently on their way to the orphanage.

Alleria would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous to see Tom again, it had been so long. Though at the moment she was more worried for her life than anything else. Dumbledore seemed to enjoy taking turns at high speeds and hardly paused when merging with traffic.

Alleria glanced down at her self once more to make sure all her bruises and cuts were covered. She wore high waisted trousers with a black turtle neck tucked into them. Her dark hair was plaited and hung over her shoulder. Only one bruise could be seen, a dark band just below her jaw partially hidden by the light sweater. She was roasting but she didn't have much choice. Alleria didn't know how she would feel when she saw the orphanage but she wasn't expecting a lift of glee and a longing for the past. When paused Dumbledore leaned back over the chair to speak to the dark haired child. His eyes twinkling.

"Stay in the car, I'll bring Tom out." Alleria nodded her clasped hands shaking. Even after a week of preparing for seeing her twin again, even she was surprised by her reaction. It was a faint glimpse at first, a tall dark haired boy in the shadow of Dumbledore but then she saw him. It was if the sun had come out again, like everything was right in her world, and it had finally got back into it's right and proper upright position. She flung the door open and like lightening launched herself at Tom. It took a moment but his arms came around her, loosely at first before tightening. She only reached to his chest, and from there listened to his heart beating.

"Tommy!" She gasped holding him tighter. Tom said nothing and they stood there for a moment lost in the sudden snap of their connection realigning. Alleria only broke apart when his grip became too tight. Causing her to gasp. She stepped back trying to appear natural while holding her stomach her eyes watering a bit. Dumbledore watched in silence as the two sized each other up. Alleria saw immediately a distance in his eyes that hadn't been there before. He was so different yet just the same as she had known him. He was handsome even in his drab worn clothes and though his demeanor was so different from hers they both would draw second glances when walking next to each other.

Tom's eyes did not miss the bruise on her neck nor the way his sister held herself protectively. He said nothing though his eyes narrowed, something the older Dumbledore noticed briefly. Tom noticed the fragility that had always been there had increased and something told him he wouldn't like the reason for that. He curbed his irratation at the weakness. Instead of saying anything about it he simply stepped forward and pressed a kiss to his twins cheek.

"It's been a long time Lleri." Alleria nodded.

"Well let's be moving on children." Dumbledore said cheerily, his eyes still wary. Tom allowed himself to be ushered into the car a firm hand on his sisters shoulder as he helped her inside. This surprised Dumbledore. Of course he had noticed the lifted air around the boy the second his sister was in sight. But after their prior meeting he had not expected the boy to be capable of caring. He had been wrong for it was Tom that insisted on holding hands the whole ride to the Leaky Caldron. Dumbledore whistled to himself quietly while seemingly keeping his eyes on the silent twins and the road before him.

Alleria was nervous, watching her every move. She didn't want Tom to know how bad the Huffman's were or that she was hurt. Every time he caught a glimpse of the bruise on her neck his eyes flashed in that dangerous way. The way that made full grown adults weary of even standing near him. His behavior with Dumbledore was strange to her though. Tom had no patience with adults that much was true. However when in the company of them, when not in a state of anger, he was all smiles. He could probably charm the pants off of anybody…well if Alleria even knew what that meant anyway.

Dumbledore parked in a spot which the twins suspected he wasn't suppose to, before he lead them cheerfully down the street to the Leaky Caldron. Tom kept his sister at his side, not allowing her to trail behind like she wanted to do. His hand interlaced with hers in a firm grip that might leaves bruises.

Both showed the awe of the newness in completely different ways. Alleria gaped open mouthed and stuck close to the relative safety of the cheery Dumbledore and her brother. Tom was stoically calm, but his eyes moved quickly taking everything in. The way people or Muggles, as they soon would be informed, walked past the bar that was showing signs of age. Without a clue it was even there. The witches and wizards inside dressed in billowing robes, some shabby some pristine, all were on there way to being drunk out of their minds. Whenever one stepped too close to speak to Dumbledore, which quite a few did to the point they were moving at a crawl, Tom would pull Alleria closer. His arm wrapped protectively around her waist. He was highly aware of way Alleria would flinch when his grip became to strong.

"Why are you acting like that." He snapped finally while they stood off to one side. Watching Dumbledore try to extract himself from the drunken admirers clinging on to his muggle suit. Alleria jumped taking a step away from Tom, her eyes downcast.

"Like what?" She asked innocently.

"Bloody jumping every time I touch you. What does your poor orphan brother disgust you now?" Tom thundered leaning over her. His stoic features breaking into rage. Dumbledore from the center of his mob kept his gaze steady on the Twins, prepared to intervene if needed.

Alleria was taken aback. She had of course, been at the end of his temper before. But he had never once looked at her with so much anger nor pain in his eyes. Over something a little as her jumping when she was touch. It was the pain that decided her, straightening her spine to her limited height. She slowly raised her hands in clear view as if in surrender. Tom watched his breath coming harshly nostrils flared. She continued raising them before wrapping them around his neck, tucking her head underneath his chin. He remained stiff.

"Stop being stupid. Sorry but you know I've always been skittish, just relax. I've missed you too much to be fighting Tommy." Tom allowed the childhood name pass again, only because it reminded him of the past. A war went on in his thoughts before he wrapped his arms around her. Accepting her explanation, even while knowing it for a lie. It seemed it wasn't the reason he suspected, he would only have to wait it out. She would cave eventually.

"I would appreciate it if my own little sister wasn't scared of me." Alleria giggled at the thought she would ever be scared of him and nodded before stepping backwards.

"I can do that." The two shared half smiles.

"Sorry about that children, shall we go." Both jumped before staring up at the twinkling eyes of Albus Dumbledore. Tom hid his startled expression though an anxiousness was apparent. Alleria held only fond admiration as she nodded, she felt greatly drawn to the odd professor and the gentle way he treated her. It made her feel warm.

"Well let's get going before…any more distractions appear." Dumbledore said grimly amused as he leaned down to speak to them, his eyes on the referent gazes on himself. All wishing to know the wizard who had conquered the last Dark Lord and all wondering why he was accompanying two orphan children to their shopping. Usually the gamekeeper took care of that. How very odd.


A/N- Tom's slowly starting to show his temper isn't he, how long can he keep the other side of his personality hidden? Will he find out about the Huffman's? What will he do? Does Dumbledore already suspect something is off from the soon to be golden boy. There'll be more talking between the Twins next chapter when they'll find out some interesting things about each other.