"And Helena of Athens look thou find:
All fancy-sick she is and pale of cheer,
With sighs of love, that costs the fresh blood dear"

- 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'- Shakespeare

Not A False Turned True

'Tom is so lovely- so handsome. He's so… unbelievable, isn't he? Where is he? I must find him!'

'You're not going anywhere,' Malkin said flatly, guarding the door to their dorm, her wand at the ready.

Muriel giggled.

'I fail to see what is so humorous about this situation,' Augusta said drily.

'Well, didn't the potion spill on Tom also? Surely he's in his dorm, trying to find a way to Selene now?'

'No,' Malkin said, shaking her head. 'It didn't do anything to him. He just got up and left. Well, he tried to, I should say. Selene was sort of all over him and started hexing everyone who tried to free Riddle.'

Muriel bit her quivering lip.

'All over him?'

'Yeah, she kept trying to snog him. It was sort of funny… given that he's Riddle.'

'Riddle! Tom! I love Tom Riddle! Why are you talking about my love? Is he coming? Where is he?'

They all sighed and Selene got off her bed and started rummaging through her trunk. She pulled out a ball gown she had worn for the previous year's Yule Ball and started putting it on.

'What are you doing, Selene?' Augusta asked apprehensively.

'I'm wearing my best dress. Tom and I are getting married.'

'No, no, you're not. Look…'

Selene looked up at them, her face darkening uncharacteristically.

'Yes,' she said, her tone threatening. 'And you're not going to stop me.'

Malkin shook her head.

'You're not getting past this door,' she sighed exasperatedly as Selene started blotting lipstick on her lips.

Selene regarded herself in the mirror and then smiled at them innocently. In a split second, she had snatched Augusta's broomstick from her bed and had kicked off, flying out of the window.

'Shit!' Malkin groaned, running to the window. 'I forgot about the window!'

'Selene Asteria,' bellowed Augusta, 'You get back here right NOW!'

But Selene was no where to be seen and they all exchanged horrified looks at what Selene might do now.

'Fuck. Okay, we have to go find him,' Malkin said apprehensively.

They all nodded and tore out of their dorm.

'Refreshment, sir?'

Tom shook his head and continued to stand on his own whilst the others in the Slug Club walked around and 'mingled' with each other. He was trying to figure out why the amortensia had no effect on him. He knew his mother had given it to his father, but did that make him immune to the love potion altogether?

It had definitely affected Selene very strongly.

His eyes widened as he saw her at the door of the room. She was wearing a white ball gown, her long, wavy brown hair flowing down her back as she entered the room. He became rigid as he realised that he was noticing her beauty, but then decided that it was the amortensia finally kicking in. It probably just had a much weaker effect on him because he had a stronger mind. He was satisfied with this conclusion.

'Oh no you don't,' he whispered as she spotted him and walked up to him purposefully.

But, in a flash, she was in front of him.

'Tom,' she said seriously, her hazel eyes watching him searchingly.

He stiffened as she reached out a hand and touched his face. Her eyelids fluttered close as she touched his skin and her red lips twisted into a smile.

'Tom, tell me we'll never be separated. Tell me you love me,' she whispered.

Tom looked around for a way to escape without drawing attention to himself. The last thing he wanted was for all his peers to see him fraternising with a mudblood.

Looking around carefully, he quickly pulled her behind the curtain. Selene giggled breathlessly.

'I didn't like the party anyway,' she giggled. 'I much prefer here, with you, in private…'

She leant forward to kiss him, and Tom moved back. He wondered how he could get around his situation.

'Selene, can you do something for me?'

She opened her eyes, blinking dreamily.

'Only if you kiss me first,' she smiled, leaning forward again.

'I'll kiss you later,' he lied. 'Surely you love me enough to do something for me?'

Her eyes widened.

'Of course! Of course! Anything for you!' she said dutifully.

'Selene, someone is trying to separate us. They're trying to take you away from me. Can you go back to your dorm and wait there for me? Go quickly and don't tell anyone anything. Say nothing about how you love me—just go back to your dorm.'

Selene's lip quivered.

'Someone wants to… separate us?' she said, her voice wavering.

Tears slid down her cheeks and Tom felt disgusted as he saw the effects of the potion. It was so obviously fake- how could his fool of a mother be so deluded into accepting it?

'Yes,' he said, chewing his lip. 'I need you to go to your dormitory where you'll be safe. I'll come and get you tomorrow morning and we'll escape then.'

'And get married?' Selene asked hopefully.

He forced a smile.

'Yes, and get married.'

'Oh Tom!'

She launched herself at him, hugging him to her closely. He shifted uncomfortably as he felt her breasts- which were mostly bare in her ballgown- pressing against his chest.

'Tom, I can't wait until tomorrow,' she breathed in his ear huskily. 'I can't wait until then, Tom. Please- no one can see us now- please Tom…'

'Please what?' he asked uncomfortably, trying to push her off him.

'Take me. I'm pure, Tom. Pure for you, only.'

Tom swallowed thickly, his hands shaking. Love was one feeling, but lust was something completely different and, for one short moment, he found it hard to breathe as he became overcome with the emotion.

He felt her drawing the bottom of her dress up and screwed his eyes tightly.

'No,' he said firmly, holding her wrists.

Selene looked up at him, looking pained.

'But Tom,' she pleaded. 'I need you. I feel like I'll suffocate unless I feel you inside of me.'

He tried to cover his ears.

'Look, just go,' he said through gritted teeth.

He opened his eyes suddenly as he felt her kissing him lingeringly. He had never been kissed by anyone before and it was strange—wet, but also warm and…

It felt like some kind of electricity. It was addictive.

He closed his eyes, sighing as he felt the tip of her tongue tracing his bottom lip as she kissed him more purposefully.

'Selene,' he groaned against her lips. 'Just…go…'

It was the amortensia. There had to be no other explanation for it. Normally, he was cold, detached—a killer.

He had killed.

He kept trying to think of all the murders he had committed, but these disappeared from his thoughts hazily as she moved and trailed burning kisses down his neck.

'It's not real,' he muttered to himself. 'It's not real…'

He screwed his eyes up and pushed Selene away from him. She looked at him, shocked.

'Did you not like that, my Lord?'

His breath caught and he felt his heart rate quickening.

'What…What did you just call me?' he whispered huskily.

'My Lord,' she said, looking confused. 'You want me to call you Lord Voldemort, don't you?'

Something inside of him squirmed pleasurably at hearing her calling him that and he felt his resolve slipping again.

He pulled her to him.

'Go and wait for me in the dungeons,' he said raspily in her ear.

She looked terrified.

'But what if they find me?'

'Who?'

'Those people who want to separate us,' she whispered.

He shook his head.

'They won't.'

'How do you know, my Lord?'

There it was again.

'Just go,' he whispered urgently. 'I'll be there in a minute.

She pulled him to her one last time, crashing her lips on his, but then quickly pushed him away. With an affected sniff, she disappeared.

Tom exhaled unsteadily and sunk to the ground, running a shaking hand through his hair.

'You can't do this,' he muttered to himself. 'You can't. It's not right.'

He snorted.

'Since when did I care about right and wrong?'

But something else bothered him—it was the fact that he was doing exactly what his mother had done to his fool of a father.

'But I'm surely under the influence myself,' he thought. 'It's not my fault. My foolish mother had a choice—I don't have one, now, do I? If I wasn't under that damned potion, I wouldn't be feeling this…'

He stood up slowly and walked briskly across the ballroom, ignoring everyone else, and went out to the corridor. His legs walked him all the way down to the dungeons, where she was waiting.

Allowing himself to accept that he was under the influence, he decided that it was allowable for him to notice how beautiful she really was as she leant against the door, the moon's light shining upon her smooth, ivory skin.

She was almost glowing.

'My Lord,' she whispered, walking forward to meet him.

Her lips were so red, so plump… all he wanted to do was kiss them again.

And that was acceptable, because it was the Amortensia, not him.

He reached forward and cupped her cheek in his hand, marvelling at how smooth her skin felt against his fingers. She shivered, and smiled.

'You're so cold,' she whispered, taking his fingers in her hand and kissing his fingertips.

Tom groaned, his desire for her becoming more urgent.

Slowly, he leant forward and kissed her. Again, that warmth which only came from her lips spread through his body- all the way to his finger tips. He broke away, his breath ragged, and she leant forward and kissed him urgently.

'I need you, my Lord,' she begged him. 'I need you.'

He needed her too. His body, all his senses needed her as well. His thoughts had no place in this situation, and even if he wanted to gain control, it would be futile. The potion had seen to that. It was the strongest love potion in the world. There was no way he could fight it.

He pulled her to him roughly and crashed his lips on hers. She groaned into his mouth and he hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he stumbled through desks until he finally sat her roughly on Slughorn's desk.

They separated for a moment. Her chest was heaving and all he could look at was her round breasts as they rose and fell, covered only by her white gown.

'Tom…'

He didn't need any further invitation. He closed the distance between them and kissed her lips again, before moving down to her neck, and then her breasts as she hurriedly pushed it down to her waist.

'So beautiful,' he murmured.

He saw her nipples hardening and then was then overcome by a strange urge to suck them. She moaned and her head fell back against the table.

'Tom, I need you,' she whimpered, tugging at his pants.

He helped her undo them quickly and she made him lie on the table as, with nimble fingers, she undid the buttons on his shirt and trailed kisses all the way to his navel.

She lifted the skirt of her gown and sat so that she was straddling him. Tom let out a guttural growl as he felt his erection straining against his boxer shorts, her own entrance so close to him.

She leant forward and kissed him softly, her nipples grazing his chest as she did so.

'Tell me you love me, Tom,' she whispered against his lips.

Tom took a sharp intake of breath as she slipped a hand inside his pants.

'Tell me!' she whispered, looking into his eyes desperately.

He swallowed thickly, finding it hard to speak with her hand was pleasuring him as she was.

She frowned and removed her hand. He groaned at the loss of contact.

'Don't you love me, Tom?' she whispered, glassy tears beginning to form in her eyes.

He faltered. Surely the potion meant that he would say it easily.

She shook her head at him, tears spilling down her cheeks and leant forward and kissed him again, fervently. Hot, searing kisses down his jaw, neck…

'Tell me!' she sobbed into his groin. 'I love you so much, Tom. So much. Please, please tell me, or else I'll die…'

But he couldn't say it at all, because he had too much control of his thoughts and actions. He bit his lip and sat up, lifting her so they were eye-to-eye.

Her breathing was ragged and her eyes wildly desperate.

'My lord,' she said. 'My body is yours. Please, take me. Please say you'll love me.'

'SELENE!'

Selene stopped and sat very still. She then looked to Tom, her eyes wide.

'It's them!' she whispered, terrified. 'They've come to take me away from you!'

Tom didn't say anything and she clutched at his shoulders desperately.

'Please don't let them take me away!' she begged, tears spilling down her cheeks again. 'Whatever you want, I'll do it. Just don't let them take me away from you!'

Tom said nothing and she pushed him to lie down on the desk again, wiping her eyes hurriedly.

'If you take me, then you'll love me,' she said desperately. 'Then, you won't let them take me.'

She hurriedly tried to rip her dress off her, but ended up becoming stuck.

Tom slid from beneath her and zipped up his pants again.

'Sh,' he said softly as she thrashed about in the white silk and chiffon of her dress.

She stopped, and he gently fixed the dress so that it was on her properly.

He chewed his lip as he looked as he watched her hazel eyes welling up with tears, and she hugged him to her, sobbing in his chest.

'I love you,' she whimpered.

Tom lifted her chin so that she could look at him and kissed her soft lips again. She calmed down a little.

'Selene,' he asked, his voice becoming hard. 'What do you feel like at the moment?'

'I feel nothing but love for you, my lord,' she whispered. 'It's running through my veins…'

She took his hand and put it to her breast.

'Do you feel my heart?' she whispered. 'It's beating for you. Only you, my Lord.'

Tom screwed up his nose and turned around, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was all wrong.

She was under the influence. The only influence he was under was Butterbeer, and that didn't count.

'SELENE!' someone called, approaching where they were.

'Selene,' he said through gritted teeth, 'Come with me.'

'Where are we going?' she whispered, going to kiss him again.

'We're going to escape,' he spat, wrenching her arm as he pulled her out of the classroom. He spotted Malkin down the corridor and dragged Selene over to her.

'My Lord,' she said, her tone quavering with fear as she dug her heels and refused to keep walking. 'She wants to take me away from you!'

'Malkin!' he called.

Malkin spun around and breathed in relief as she saw Selene.

'Oh thank Merlin, there you are!'

Selene screamed and hugged Tom tightly.

'She wants to take me away! Don't let her,' she screamed into his chest.

Tom tried to push Selene off him.

'SELENE!' Malkin shouted, trying to pull Selene away.

'NO! Go away! I hate you. You want to take me away from my heart.'

Tom felt sick.

'Get off me,' he ordered, his tone becoming cold.

'No! No!...'

'Selene!' he ordered her.

She looked up at him, her eyes red.

'Let go of me. You love me, don't you?'

Slowly, she let go of him.

In a split second, he had his wand out.

'Stupefy.'

He caught her before she hit the ground.

'What did you do that for?' Malkin shouted at him.

Tom glared at her.

'You were doing a terrible job of looking after her. Evidently, you needed a little extra help.'

Malkin looked at him coldly, but then quickly looked away as she conjured a stretcher and tried to lift Selene onto it. Tom sighed and flicked his wand. Selene rose off the ground, onto the stretcher.

'See that she doesn't find me again whilst she's like this,' Tom said to Malkin, storming off.

He broke out into a run as soon as he turned the corridor.

'What was that?' he muttered to himself. 'What was that? I thought I was under…'

His eyes widened.

'No, I would never, not of my own accord…'

He paused as he saw that he was at Slughorn's office and quickly summoned a packet of iced pineapple.

He needed to do something to cement his commitment to his future. Tonight had scared him—how easily he could slip into mere mortal normalcy. Murder evidently wasn't enough.

He needed more.

--

Everyone was sitting lounging around when Tom returned. Silently, he took his seat amongst the other boys of the group.

'Where have you been, Tom m'boy?' Slughorn boomed, noticing Tom's return.

Tom smiled cordially.

'I forgot—I had bought this for you. I believe it is your favourite.'

Tom got up and went to the winged armchair which Slughorn was lounging on.

'Crystallized pineapple!' Slughorn beamed. 'Thank you, m'boy!'

Tom forced a smile and sat back down on his own chair.

'Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?' he asked.
'Tom, Tom, if I knew I couldn't tell you,' said Slughorn, wagging his finger reprovingly at him, though winking at the same time. 'I must say, I'd like to know where you get your information, boy; more knowledgeable than half the staff, you are.'
Tom smiled; the other boys laughed and cast him admiring looks. He ignored them.
'What with your uncanny ability to know things you shouldn't, and your careful flattery of people who matter – thank you for the pineapple, by the way, you're quite right, it is my favourite –'
Several of the boys tittered again.
'- I confidently expect you to rise to Minister for Magic within twenty years. Fifteen, if you keep sending me pineapple. I have excellent contacts at the Ministry.'
Tom merely smiled as the others laughed again. He despised them for looking up to him so much—it showed just how weak they were. And yet, he knew he wouldn't have it any other way.
'I don't know that politics would suit me, sir,' he said when the laughter had died away. 'I don't have the right kind of background, for one thing.'
A couple of boys around him smirked at each other. Again, Tom ignored them.

'Nonsense,' said Slughorn briskly, 'couldn't be plainer you come from decent wizarding stock, abilities like yours. No, you'll go far, Tom, I've never been wrong about a student yet.'
The small golden clock standing upon Slughorn's desk chimed eleven o'clock behind him and he looked round.
'Good gracious, is it that time already? You'd better get going, boys, or we'll all be in trouble. Lestrange, I want your essay by tomorrow or it's detention. Same goes for you, Avery.'
One by one the boys filed out of the room. This was Tom's chance, and he knew it.

As Slughorn heaved himself out of his armchair and carried his empty glass over to his desk, Tom went and stood behind him. He started upon seeing him.

'Look sharp, Tom, you don't want to be caught out of bed out of hours, and you a prefect ...'
'Sir, I wanted to ask you something,' he asked tentatively.
'Ask away, then, m'boy, ask away ...'

Tom swallowed. This was what he had to do—he had to, to show his commitment to himself. He had been too lax as of late. Too kind…
'Sir, I wondered what you know about ... about Horcruxes?'
Slughorn stared at him, his thick fingers absent-mindedly caressing the stem of his wine glass.
'Project for Defence Against the Dark Arts, is it?'
'Not exactly, sir,' Tom said easily. 'I came across the term while reading and I didn't fully understand it.'
'No ... well ... you'd be hard-pushed to find a book at Hogwarts that'll give you details on Horcruxes, Tom. That's very Dark stud, very Dark indeed,' said Slughorn.
'But you obviously know all about them, sir? I mean, a wizard like you – sorry, I mean, if you can't tell me, obviously – I just knew if anyone could tell me, you could – so I just thought I'd ask –' Tom said casually, carefully to keep the flattery in his tone.
'Well,' said Slughorn, not looking at Tom, but fiddling with the ribbon on top of his box of crystallised pineapple, 'well, it can't hurt to give you an overview, of course. Just so that you understand the term. A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul.'
'I don't quite understand how that works, though, sir,' said Tom, trying to control his excitement.
'Well, you split your soul, you see,' said Slughorn, 'and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But, of course, existence in such a form ...'
Slughorn's face crumpled.
'... few would want it, Tom, very few. Death would be preferable.'

Tom dismissed this thought. Death was for the weak. He only wanted to be immortal—to be far greater than everyone else. And, for that, he would have to go this far.

He was no longer reluctant at all—this was exactly what he wanted.
'How do you split you soul?'
'Well,' said Slughorn uncomfortably, 'you must understand that the soul is supposed to remain intact and while. Splitting it is an act of violation, it is against nature.'
'But how do you do it?' Tom persistent, impatient with Slughorn's hesitance.
'By an act of evil – the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: he would encase the torn portion –'

Tom's breath caught. He had already committed murder.
'Encase? But how -?'
'There is a spell, do not ask me, I don't know!' said Slughorn, shaking his head like an old elephant bothered by mosquitoes. 'Do I look as though I have tried it – do I look like a killer?'
'No, sir, of course not,' said Tom quickly, realising he had let his flattey slip up. 'I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to offend ...'
'Not at all, not at all, not offended,' said Slughorn gruffly. 'It's natural to feel some curiosity about these things ... wizards of a certain calibre have always been drawn to that aspect of magic ...'
'Yes, sir,' said Tom. 'What I don't understand, though – just out of curiosity – I mean, would one Horcrux be much use? Can you only split your soul once? Wouldn't it be better, make you stronger, to have your soul in more pieces? I mean, for instance, isn't seven the most powerfully magical number, wouldn't seven -?'
'Merlin's beard, Tom!' yelped Slughorn. 'Seven! Isn't it bad enough to think of killing one person? And in any case ... bad enough to divide the soul ... but to rip it into seven pieces ...'
Slughorn looked deeply troubled now and Tom could now tell that he was regretting entering into the conversation at all.
'Of course,' he muttered, 'this is all hypothetical, what we're discussing, isn't it? All academic ...'
'Yes, sir, of course,' said Tom quickly.
'But all the same, Tom ... keep it quiet, what I've told – that's to say, what we've discussed. People wouldn't like to think we've been chatting about Horcruxes. It's a banned subject at Hogwarts, you know ... Dumbledore's particularly fierce about it ...'

Tom nodded reassuringly.
'I won't say a word, sir,' he said. 'Thank you, sir,'

And with that he left. As he did, he felt wild happiness engulfing him. It was like ecstasy, running through his veins as he realised that he was so close…

Before long, he would be immortal. His eyes widened as the smile spread widely across his face.

He was finally back on track.

Ladida… I had fun with this chapter. Did you?

Thanks, again, to Sarah for sending me the 'Slughorn' scene.

Now, your quote—

'And I'm your lover! Don't you care how I feel? Always being cast to the side- made to pretend that I hate you?'

Who is that? I'm not telling… also, a bit more sexytime next chapter, but I'm not saying who.

So, remember how we were talking about that warm fuzzy feeling? You guys did quite well with the last chapter and, seeing as this was quite the eventful chapter, I'm sure you'll have lots to say!

Much love,

Anya