Thanks! Amarantine, DamonSalvatorelover and Rebekah! i feel so happy! :)
I have to say something important... my best friend's reading the story and well, she...
um... she makes "reviews" about it... lol
Recently she was kind of angry with me because of the events i want to write for
chapter 20... thing is... I love Harry Potter... meaning i won't change much the story...
meaning Tom will become Lord Voldemort... meaning Harry will kill him...
I'll tell you now... i am a helpless romantic person, but i really thought this story to be
kinf od tragic too... if you think i should change the gender let me know...
I just cannot picture it differently now... I think that's it...
She totally ruined my mood... but i thought it better to tell you now...
I really hope you'll read to the end... after all one never knows what's going to happen next... ;)
Thank you again for reading...
Disclaimer applied! Enjoy! :)
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10
A lullaby for Tom…
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1945
When the holidays were over Aurelia stopped going to the private classes of divination, she spent most time trying to talk to Tom… in DADA was an impossible task, but in potions it was her best chance, she just needed to put her damn cauldron next to his and talk to him while brewing…
Professor Slughorn wasn't against the students talking while doing what they were supposed to do…
So Thursday morning she bumped into a lot of Slytherin's while trying to get close to him, even a girl named Julianne Crabbe, she glared and was so upset she was about to throw a tantrum when Tom stopped her, not even looking up from his book.
"Let it go, Crabbe… go to another table…" he said. Julianne quieted ad left the table while glaring at her, Aurelia gaped at the girl and turned to Tom…
She placed her cauldron and her books next to him and waited for him to acknowledge her presence…
"You cannot expect me to wait for you to talk to me after the cryptic messages you delivered to me on Christmas…" she chastised. "You need to explain…" she whispered harshly.
"No, I don't have to…" he said not looking up. She frowned and turned to him.
"Look at me when you're talking, Tom…" she whispered and saw the way he stopped moving, he sighed and looked down at her, he was much taller than she remembered him to be…
"You've changed…" he muttered.
"I've learned from the best… didn't I?" she raised her eyebrow.
"Thought you hated me…" he said looking around and returning his eyes to her.
"I did… I do… no… well… you are driving me crazy!" she whispered desperately. Tom seemed serious for a while and then he smiled, one of those rare smiles…
"I am sorry, Aurelia…" he turned to his cauldron. "I heard you stopped your private lessons with Penrose…" he said.
She turned to her cauldron and started to prepare her things as she talked with him…
"Yes I did… I was sick…" she said, that's how she truly felt… knowing, no… assuming she knew what the future held was something tiring… she was sick and weak…
"So… you're quitting your gift?" he asked looking at her out of the corner of his eye.
"It's not as if I could just stop it… I still have dreams… but looking into the crystal bead and knowing what was true and what was fantasy… Well it takes a toll on you…" she muttered and Tom nodded in understanding…
"So… you prefer thinking everything to be a fantasy of yours?" he asked and Aurelia grimaced… she just hoped they'd vanish someday.
"I prefer I could stop them at all… but… yes I think I prefer at some point thinking them to be a dream…" she said…
"What did you see on the glass bead…?" he asked carefully.
"I just got to see two things…" she said, Tom listening intently… "I saw Myrtle's death, I'm sure that was her body lying on the ground in a puddle of blood…" she grimaced at the memory and flinched when Tom's spoon fell and made a loud clank.
She looked up and saw him trying to focus on his brewing…
"Did you see how she died?" he asked.
"No… I just saw her there dead… and someone walking over her…" she said. "And then… I saw something when I fainted last December…" she muttered and Tom turned to her again.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"I… can't remember…" she said remembering what Suzanne said about Tom's death…
"Oh well… maybe it's better that way…" he said blinking rapidly.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, just tired… I'm having trouble sleeping…" he said, but he knew why it was, creating a Horcrux would have many side effects, and honestly, having trouble sleeping was the less important…
"Hmm… you should go to Madam Tofty… maybe she can help you…" she replied.
"I'll see to it…" he said, but he wouldn't what if she noticed the change in his soul or something like that. He was terrified of someone knowing but somehow he wanted to tell Aurelia…
"I missed you…" he snapped down to her and widened his tired eyes.
Feeling his gaze on her she shrugged while moving her brewing…
"Which can't be good, right? You're not what I'd call a sweetheart… not even a good friend… you're bossy and haughty… so… I must be a masochist…" she sighed.
Tom pondered her answer… he was indeed all that… he nodded and turned to his brewing…
"I am sorry, Aurelia…" he whispered and Aurelia nodded in agreement not turning to him…
Days and weeks went by and Aurelia was most surprised with the change in Tom's attitude, he seemed more mature, always somber, but too tired to argue… she couldn't tell if she was happy about it or worried…
Dumbledore had stopped his questions about her divination last time and almost stopped questioning her about other matters; Tom…
She was in the library, which as Suzanne would put it was, counterproductive, since the day was sunny and had a nice weather she should be with her in the Quidditch field watching perfect Orion flying in his broomstick and smirking every now and then at her…
It was amazing how fast Suzanne had recovered from Sloper's break… and at the same time not so surprising, after all Sloper was lame… and Orion was… well he was Orion Black… that's it…
Aurelia sighed after she delivered her last book, the sun coming from the tall windows of the library called for her to go out, but she didn't want to go to the Quidditch field, she wanted to rest for a while she'd just finished her chores…
She was about to leave the library when the letter at the end of the aisle called her attention; Restricted Section; she read…
She walked idly towards said aisle, she was just curious, Tom spent a lot of time there… she peek behind one shelf and scanned the aisle, she saw Tom there crouched on the floor, his back against one shelf and grunting…
"Bloody hell…" she heard him mutter, she frowned and stepped towards him.
"Are you okay, Tom?" she asked squatting in front of him, being careful with her skirt.
Tom looked up with wide eyes and cleared his throat when he saw her, he had dark bags under his eyes and was paler than last time she'd seen him…
"Yeah… just tired… I cannot sleep at all… not in the bed, not even here…" he was angry.
And she knew it was because of the lack of sleep, once you got over your tired stage you'd become bad humored and irritated…
She nodded and decided to do something very bold… she sat next to him with her back against the same shelf and stretched her legs…
"Come here…" she mumbled idly looking at her lap…Tom turned to her and frowned not comprehending… "Lay your head here, Tom… on my lap…" she said kindly.
"I don-"
"I know you don't need it… Just do it, Tom…" she cut him and he blushed.
She waited and after a few seconds he was lying on the floor and letting his head rest on her lap, his eyes looking up at her face, his arms crossed over his chest as if expecting some kind of ritual to happen…
"Try to sleep…" she told him, looking down at his face.
"I can't…" he said through gritted teeth. "I already told you, Aurelia…" he said.
"Just try… should I sing you a lullaby Cedrella used to sing to me?" she asked smiling happily at him.
Tom sighed and closed his eyes…
"Try then…" he muttered.
"Darkened slumbers kiss your eyes…
a smile will await you when you rise…
Now sleep…
Don't cry… I'll sing you a lullaby…
Cares you know not…
Therefore you sleep…
while over you a watch I promise I'll keep…
Now sleep…
Don't cry… I'll sing you a lullaby…"
Somehow she was right he felt his eye lids closing, it was comforting knowing she was there, it was childish, yes it was… but it made him feel… at home…
Aurelia ran her fingers through his longish black hair, and watched his features relax; he was tired; she traced her fingers over his eyebrows and then his perfect nose, his high cheekbones and sunken cheeks, his red and full lips, she saw the way his eyelashes kissed his cheeks and the way his chest would raise and fall with every breath he took…
She knew she was in love with him… somewhere along the road she had fallen in love with him and she couldn't remember the exact moment… was it before or after the first encounter in the library? She really hoped for after…
Tom was a dark person… he was somber and quiet; she understood what Dumbledore had meant to say when he told her about listening to his silence… Tom was suffering, but none was willing to help… and he wasn't willing to let anybody help…
"Let me help you, Tom…" she muttered and smiled when she heard him snore before he turned to her, his nose resting against her bellybutton and his right hand going around her as if hugging her…
Seeing him asleep she couldn't be bothered by the sneaky hand…
She kept running her finger through his soft hair and marveling at his deep breathing, he was so tall it was funny seeing him there lying on the floor with his long legs stretched along the aisle…
She soon fell asleep too and welcomed the dreamless sleep that overtook her…
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Tom remembered it was morning when Aurelia came in the library and… he fell asleep on her lap… he opened his eyes, he felt better… so relaxed and light… she heard a soft breathing above him; he sat up and was face to face with a sleeping Aurelia, her head falling at a uncomfortable angle, she'd be in pain later…
He noticed the faint sunlight coming through the windows dinner was to be served soon…
"Aurelia… wake up…" he whispered as if not wanting to awake her…
She kept sleeping, he tried to lift her head to a more comfortable angle, she grunted in pain and opened her eyes groggily…
"My neck…" she complained.
"Yes… you fell asleep in an uncomfortable position…" he said with hoarse voice from sleeping.
"Damn…" she straightened her back and grunted too. "I can't feel my legs either… how much time has passed…?" she asked looking at the windows…
"Hmm… I'd say nine hours… It's almost time for dinner…" he said standing.
"Ah yes… could you help me up?" she asked extending her hands; he took both of them in his and pulled her up… "Thanks…" she grunted stirring… "Let's go to dinner, then…" she muttered walking oddly to the main corridor…
Tom followed her and scanned the study hall; it was empty since everyone was already in the great hall…
"Thank you, Aurelia…" he muttered loud enough for her to listen…
"Any time…" she said brushing her skirt and trying to fix her hair…
Tom caught up with her and looking to the front while walking he intertwined his fingers with hers; he felt her hand stiffen and relax, she was looking up at him through her fringe…
She decided not to think too much of it… he hadn't even mentioned the kisses, he probably had just done that out of need or want… she felt used…
They got to the great hall and she let go of his hand and walked rapidly to her table, not looking back…
Tom stood there, flexing his fingers, he couldn't shake the warmth from them… he looked behind her, she sat with Suzanne and they started talking idly… he blinked away the thoughts and went for his table…
And of course he didn't sleep that night and not the next one; he was having almost two hours of sleep per day… Two weeks went by until one day he couldn't bare it any longer, he stood from his bed and put his clothes… It was Saturday and everyone was heading for Hogsmeade… he just hoped Aurelia was still in the castle…
He ran down the stairs and saw her eating breakfast, she was chatting happily with professor Dumbledore…
From the door of the great hall he saw her standing and grabbing a book, professor Dumbledore next to her escorted her to the door where he was standing; they both looked up at him and raised their eyebrows…
Aurelia wanted to laugh there he was; almighty Tom Riddle, his hair all tousled and looking disheveled…
"Tom…" Dumbledore saluted looking him up and down.
"Good morning professor…" he said and turned to Aurelia. "I thought maybe you could help me… with something… in the library?" he said awkwardly hoping she'd take the hint.
"Yeah… sure…" she said holding in her giggles… "I'll see you later professor…" she nodded and Dumbledore waved them away.
Aurelia let Tom encircle her fingers with his and drag her out of the great hall to the library, of course it was empty… he almost ran to the Restricted Section and scanned the aisles…
He motioned for her to seat and she did, and seconds later he was laying his head on her lap…
"I'm dying, Aurelia…" he muttered closing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest…
"No you're not… you're just tired…" she said giggling.
Tom felt for a few minutes while she ran her fingers softly through his hair and the warmth coming from her body, it gave him that feeling… the feeling of having a home… as if he could always return to her… return here…
Maybe… just maybe this was what a loved man felt…
"Aurelia…" he murmured with his closed eyes.
"Hmm…?" she smiled down at him.
"Would you sing for me?" he asked.
She saw the blush creeping on his cheeks…
"Darkened slumbers kiss your eyes…
a smile will await you when you rise…
Now sleep…
Don't cry… I'll sing you a lullaby…
Cares you know not…
Therefore you sleep…
while over you a watch I promise I'll keep…
Now sleep…
Don't cry… I'll sing you a lullaby…"
Hopefully that will keep you happy? :)
I'm so nervous... please don't stop reading?
No more chapters for today! lol :)