A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! Haha, I was really impressed with the number of you who thought that Melanie would become this timeline's Myrtle! I hope that you will enjoy this chapter. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.
Please let me know what you thought of chapter thirty-seven and be on the lookout for thirty-eight soon!
December 5th, 1944
It was a rather chilly day in December when Melanie finally dared to speak with him again. Tom was wondering if this kind of a confrontation was coming, knowing that Melanie just couldn't seem to hold her tongue about things, and she didn't have the best control of her emotions.
He was studying in the library with Edmond and Dmitri, the trio of them being the only ones who had advanced far enough to take their Arithmancy NEWT, but really, there wasn't too much actual studying getting done. Instead, Dmitri was regaling them with the news that his father had selected a bride for him, and he was dreading his return home to Russia over the Yule break to meet her, positive that she was going to be ugly.
Melanie appeared with words on the tip of her tongue, only to hold back when she realized that she might have an audience. "Tommy, may I speak to you in private?" She asked, her eyes sweeping over Edmond and Dmitri, who immediately began chuckling and being juvenile boys.
Tom smirked at them, before rolling his eyes, and looking back at Melanie. "Hello to you, too, Melanie. How are you this evening?" He asked, trying to make the interaction as uncomfortable as possible. He hadn't forgotten the way that she rejected him, and he wasn't going to make this easier on her, just because he was still attracted to her.
"I'm fine Tommy." She said sternly, before letting a little pleading tone bleed into her voice. "Please, can't we just talk one on one for a minute?"
"Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of my friends." Tom said, knowing that she wouldn't bring up their sexual relationship, because she wouldn't want it to get around that she had a reputation. And really, he knew what the conversation was going to be about, and he wanted to put it off as long as possible.
"Fine." She said, her temper getting the better of her. Her nostrils flared and he could see her hands balled into little fists at her sides, trying to keep hold of her emotions. "Did you have something to do with what happened to Ollie?" Oliver Prewett had apparently had a little spill down a moving staircase a few days previous and he'd only just woken up that day. His memory had been reviewed, but they couldn't find anything amiss, such as him being pushed or even thrown down the staircase.
"Now, why would you think that?" Tom said, his voice even and calm.
"Because you were jealous that Ollie took me to Hogsmeade." Melanie said, jutting out her chin further. Her eyes moved back and forth across his face, trying to get a read on what he was feeling.
Tom smirked again at his two friends. "Why would I be jealous of Prewett? And who's to say that anything happened to him? Headmaster Dippet said that he just took a tumble down the stairs. Probably even tripped over his own feet. Salazar knows he's clumsy." He drawled, the picture of boredom.
"Because-" Melanie hissed, bending at the waist so that she could get closer to Tom's face. "It's just like what happened with Jez last year. Tommy, promise me that you didn't have anything to do with what happened to them." She demanded, obvious confusion written on her face. Tom was sure that she suspected him, but that she couldn't quite rectify the conclusion with her own opinions of him. Of course, she liked him, so she couldn't imagine him being capable of it.
"You have a high opinion of yourself." Tom said coldly, unable to forget the way that she'd snubbed him. "If you think that I would hurt every boy that gives you a second look." There was no way that he was going to make that kind of promise to her.
Melanie, suitably chastised, had tears in her eyes, when she turned and fled the library. "You've changed, Tom Riddle." She said, sullenly, to the laughter of Edmond and Dmitri, who found the whole exchange hilarious.
December 28th, 1944
The new Lestrange family first assembled in it's entirety over the Yule break. Despite how in love Radalphus and Hermione clearly were with one another, it was uncomfortable for all of the children to come together for the first time.
Hermione had taken her time showing Tom to his new room. Well, it was new in that it was in a different house, but she'd completely replicated the way that it was at Black Manor, hoping the ease the transition as much as possible. She hoped that being right next to his best friend, Edmond, would help things as well, but in truth it was just a bit odd, if Tom was honest.
She also showed him where her room was (well, the room she shared with Radalphus) and where Delphinus's nursery was as well. He tried to ask her about the sudden marriage, but Hermione had brushed him off, telling him that she and Radalphus would be answering all of their questions over dinner that night. They wanted everyone on the same page.
Honestly, Hermione had been incredibly nervous all day, and the cause was Mercedes. There was no short of parallels between her and Cassiopeia and she could only hope that this meeting would go better than it had with her other step-daughter. To her delight, the younger girl had only made pleasant conversation at the beginning. While she didn't count on having a relationship like she did with Dorea, she could at least be excited that it wouldn't be as contentious as the relationship with Cassiopeia.
Things were tense when they finally all gathered around the table with one another. No one seemed like they wanted to talk first, though it was clear that everyone had questions. Finally, unable to take the tension, Hermione sighed and grabbed her husband - Merlin, she would never get tired of thinking of Radalphus as her husband - and cleared her throat. "I am sure that we all have questions, but before that, Radalphus and I have some news to share with you."
Edmond gave Tom a pointed look, as he was positive that he already knew what she was going to be telling them. The boys had talked about how it was possible that their respective parents had had a sexual relationship before the marriage and that they were expecting a baby.
"Hermione is pregnant." Radalphus said, his voice soothing and proud, carrying with it only a hint of a French accent that Mercedes and Edmond had lost a long time ago.
Silence followed the announcement, but eventually Edmond spoke first. "Congratulations. I can't wait to meet my little brother or sister in a few months." He threw Tom a smirk, very happy to be right, and he was truly excited for his father. He couldn't deny that he'd noticed how much happier his father had been once he'd met the former Madame Black. They did well together and they deserved this bit of happiness.
"Daddy, do you really think that you should be having children at your age?" Mercedes asked, which Hermione thought was particularly funny. Radalphus was about ten years older than her, but he certainly didn't seem like an old man. He was still quick and full of vitality.
Radalphus rolled his eyes at his daughter's cheek. "I will tell you that...my decision to marry Hermione was because I loved her. To be expecting another child is a blessing that I did not expect. But we are both thrilled."
"So your marriage is a love match, mum?" Tom asked, meeting her gaze and not letting it go. He wanted her to know that if anything was amiss in the relationship, that he would support her. He was disappointed that she got married again so quickly, but if Radalphus made her happy...he supposed that he could live with it.
Hermione smiled brightly. "Yes, it is a love match. Radalphus and I have grown...fond of each other over the years, but the thought of a relationship couldn't occur until after I was widowed." She and Radalphus had discussed telling the children about Delph, but they decided to hold off until he was officially adopted, a process they had recently begun. They didn't want any chance of the Black family trying to cause trouble, or news that he was the product of an extra-marital affair to get out to the general public. "We are very happy together and hope to have many long years together."
She did not miss the way that Tom's eyes shifted to his brother for a moment. She hoped that he wouldn't hate her for keeping up the deception a little while longer.
February 3rd, 1945
Hermione was pleased that her relationship with Dorea had lasted even after Cygnus's death and her marriage to Radalphus. Really, there was no solid connection between the women anymore, except for the friendship that they had forged over the years. Dorea often came to Hermione for advice as a young married woman.
Cassiopeia on the other hand had moved back into Black Manor once Hermione and Delph had moved away, insisting on spewing all kinds of bile at Hermione. Cassiopeia held Hermione responsible for her father's death, blaming her for all of the issues in their relationship. She said Hermione had been withholding a child from Cygnus (which to be fair was true), but then later said that her cold treatment of the man had led him to drinking. It made Hermione shudder that anyone should hold her responsible for a death that the man brought on himself.
Still, she was glad that Dorea didn't see it the same way. "I wasn't blind. I knew from the very beginning that you and my father had an unhappy marriage." Dorea said one day over tea, squeezing Hermione's hand in her own. "And I always knew about Irma. Not to mention you are the reason that I got to marry Charlus. I don't want to imagine what daddy would have done to me if you hadn't been there to suggest it."
"I am sure that he would have come around." Hermione said, watching Delph play on the floor with a stuffed dragon that had been Tom's when he was much, much younger. "You know that your father had such a soft spot for you. I am sure that he would have given you anything you wanted." Even though she and Cygnus had not been on good terms when he died, Hermione wasn't going to speak ill of him to his daughter.
Dorea gave her a sad smile and shook her head. "I still think he would have rather I married someone in the Sacred Twenty-Eight." The directory of the best pureblood families had been out for less than two decades, but it had already left such a mark on Britain. It made Hermione want to give Cantankerous Nott a piece of her mind, but honestly, she was a bit scared of the man. "Well, at least Grandmother and Uncle Sirius are always reminding me of that anyway." She pushed her long blonde hair over one shoulder and Hermione noted that even though Dorea was in her twenties now, her looks had only grown more stunning through the years.
"I wouldn't listen to those two more than you have to, Dorea." Hermione said fondly, so glad that she was finally out of their grasp. "If I had a knut for every snide word they had for me, I would be a very rich woman."
Dorea laughed at her proclamation, before her laughter died away and her face was again saddened. "They blame Charlus for the reason that...I am still childless. I long for a baby, mum." Hermione's heart warmed that the girl still thought of her as her mother, though now their difference in age was not so pronounced.
Hermione wrapped the younger woman up in a hug. "Oh, Dorea, I promise you that you will have a baby. I just know that it will happen...eventually." Hermione could do the math, and she knew that James Potter wasn't born until 1960, which meant that Dorea still had a lot of waiting to do. "You saw, it took me many years to have Delphinus. It might take a while, but I just have a good feeling about this."
Dorea smiled, glad for the encouragement. Her eyes dipped to the boy playing on the floor and neither one of them mentioned the fact that Cygnus's name wasn't mentioned in the discussion of Delphinus's conception.
April 17th, 1945
Tom spilled into a seat at the bar, leaving the rest of his Slytherin mates at the table. They were all laughing and rowdy. They all knew not to bother him if he had some "business" to attend to, talking with Professor Dumbledore's brother. Not a single one of them had the sense to figure out what business he had with the man, except to his surprise, his cousin Orion who'd recently joined their little group. Honestly, Tom thought that joining their group was less to do with thinking that aligning with Tom could help him, and more to do with annoying his future bride, Walburga, as much as possible.
"You know, I won't be around forever." Tom said, once he got the older man's attention.
"What do you want?" Aberforth groused, having found the schoolboy equally vexing and helpful through the years. The Hog's Head had never seen as much business as when his little gang started showing up.
Tom gave him a little smirk. "To rule the world of course. And a firewhiskey if you have it." From the way that the old barkeep rolled his eyes at Tom, he knew that he didn't believe him. Instead, he pulled a dirty glass down and filled it with the amber liquid that Tom had requested. He took a big gulp, trying very hard not to flinch from the burn in his throat. "Your brother still has not gone after Grindelwald. More and more people die every day, and yet he hides in the castle."
Aberforth granted. "One of Albus's many flaws, I'm afraid. He thrives on being needed. Only once the wizarding world is begging him to do something will he finally deign to get off his arse." Aberforth made a show of wiping down the bar with a dirty rag, only moving the filth around and around but never really getting anything clean.
"You told me before that Grindelwald and your brother were involved." Tom didn't have any negative feelings against homosexuality, though he knew the rest of the wizarding world could be rather old fashioned - so focused on creating the next heir - that it was usually a well kept secret. But, he wasn't blind and he knew that it went on, in fact even in his own family. He'd been on rounds when he'd caught Alphard kissing a Ravenclaw boy from his year. "Is it possible that he is still holding a torch, and doesn't wish to hurt his former lover."
The older man's cheeks turned bright red under his auburn beard at the word lover. "No, once their relationship was over. It was explosive and it ended in death."
"Death?" Tom said, more than intrigued. The idea that the inscrutable Albus Dumbledore might be involved in an unknown death was almost unimaginable. Tom was always looking for any kind of leverage to use against his Professor.
"Our little sister. Ariana." Aberforth said, his eyes dropping, and Tom could instantly tell that it was something that Aberforth still thought about a lot. It probably still affected him to this day, no matter how long ago it happened.
Tom cleared his throat. "I was unaware you had a sister. I'm sorry for your loss." He said, hoping it sounded like he actually cared. All he cared about was finding something that could take down Albus Dumbledore once and for all, and this had promise. "Well, let's hope that your brother finally does something about Grindelwald before he has another death on his hands." He swallowed the rest of the firewhiskey in one gulp, before stepping away from the bar, returning to his friends.
May 25th, 1945
Before Tom knew it, NEWTs were upon Hogwarts. It was odd to think that this would be the last exam that he'd ever take, and in just a few short days, he'd be leaving Hogwarts the same way that he came in - taking the boats across the Black Lake. He would be graduating as one of the best students that the school had ever seen.
If people expected him to be filled with nostalgia of the days gone by, missing all the childish drama and classes that had failed to challenge him since he was a second year, they'd be sorely disappointed. Instead, Tom was filled with an eagerness to get out into the world and start the next chapter of his life. He hoped to become Minister of Magic in just a few short years, and it would take a lot of hard work and determination to achieve his goals.
Really, he didn't have too much time to contemplate the ending of this part of his life, because he was so busy. Yes, Tom was exceptionally bright, but that didn't mean that he didn't need to study. He wanted to make a good impression on the examiners, and he wanted to score the highest scores the school would ever see. Time that wasn't spent studying was spent brewing calming draughts for his friends or for the highest bidder. He'd also dabbled in creating a potion that would help you stay up and cram.
Stepping into his Charms NEWT, Tom felt extraordinarily confident, while he moved through the required spells, giving the examiner - an older witch - an indulgent smile when she gasped at his casting. Deciding to really give the biddy a good show, he decided to show off his Patronus Charm, seeing as it was not a standard spell that they taught at Hogwarts. He hoped it would show his aptitude for the subject, not just memorizing spells.
It had taken a lot of practicing with his mum over the summer, and he'd been worried that he wouldn't be able to cast it for all of the failures that he'd faced. His mum always made it seem so easy, her face flushed from happy memories. He'd briefly been worried that his using Dark Magic would prevent him from being able to cast it, but of course, he couldn't share his concerns with her. Eventually, though, he'd been able to form a perfectly corporeal patronus, to his mum's delight and his pride.
He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting the form to be, but it was a bit obvious that it was a snake, large and coiling, ready to strike. The examiner was certainly impressed, writing notes rapidly on her parchment, before giving him an appreciative nod. "Very outstanding work Mister Riddle. I am sure we will be seeing more of you soon."
Tom gave her a little half bow, and a broad smile, showing off pearly white teeth. "Yes, I have high hopes for myself." He told her, before leaving the room, off to his next test. That was one down, only eleven more NEWTs to go.