AN: This is inspired by some prompts and a fairy-tale. As to not be spoilery the details are at the bottom of the story, if you want to go see that first.
Many thanks to my beta KaGoGoGadgetMe.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
It was nearly midnight. The December skies were as clear as they got in the London smog, an ideal night for fireworks. Tom shivered as he washed his hands in the near freezing water. In just a few minutes he would be back in the playroom with the other children listening to the fairy-tales Mrs. Cole was reading. They would be annoying, childish and loud but the playroom was warm. And maybe, if he was lucky, he could press birthday boy privileges and choose a second story.
One finger at a time, he dried off his hands trying to rub some warmth into his fingers. When he opened the bathroom door a blast of cold air hit him. Lights off, he hurried the familiar path along the hallway and down the stairs. He was most of the way down the stairs when a giggle froze him in his steps.
"Shut up, he'll hear us." That was Dennis, too old to be adopted and always ready to torment Tom. Or anyone younger really.
"So? It's not like he can escape." Nick, happy to follow the older boys example.
"No need to tip him off."
They fell silent. Tom stood still, the cold of the stairs creeping through his socks. Last time his bullies had caught up to him had not ended well, but there was nowhere to hide upstairs. The silence stretched on until Tony's curly haired head peered around the corner.
"He's on the stairs!" Tony exclaimed, spurring Tom into action. Blood rushing in his ears he ran down the stairs, jumping down the last few steps to get past Tony. Nick stretched out an arm to grab him but Tom, now in full sprint, dodged around it. He thrust open the door on the far side of the staircase, rushed through, and slammed it closed behind him. Leaning against the door Tom forced himself to breathe deeply, the blood rushing in his ears calming. Any moment now one of the matrons would come to see what the noise was about.
"There's nobody in there, Tommy," Dennis said from the other side of the door. Tom jumped, his heart rate spiking again. "You should come out and join us. We wanted to test out the spell the sea-witch used in that fairy-tale. You believe in magic, don't you? Want to see if cutting your tongue out will turn you into a mermaid?"
Tom stayed silent, leaning against the door with all his weight. Spells would never work for someone that wasn't special like him. But that didn't mean that getting caught wouldn't hurt.
"Better come out now Tommy. Before we come in," Dennis said.
On silent feet Tom snuck to the first matron's room and tried the door. Locked. Heart beating loudly in his ears he tried the next door. Locked. He crept to the next door. Light flooded the hallway. Tom bolted.
"Come on now, Tommy," Dennis called from the door, "It'll be fun."
Nick snickered and Tom didn't need to look back to know that Tony would be the one holding the knife. He dearly wished he could make the boys leave him alone. Hurt them as much as they were planning on hurting him, had hurt him in the past. But even more than that he wished he could get away. There was only one door that wouldn't lead to him being locked in a room with his tormentors. Focusing his anger at the situation Tom stared at the door willing his special ability to help. The door to the garden jumped open at his approach, letting Tom run through and then slamming closed behind him.
Within seconds his socks were soaked and his feet freezing. The grass muffled his steps aiding the dark in hiding the direction he was running from his pursuers. The night air bit into his lungs as he sprinted past the playroom. The shadows drew closer to protect him from the pockets of light spilling past the curtains. At full speed he took the corner around the building towards the dining room and kitchens. His foot slipped and Tom fell against the wall of the orphanage, bricks scraping his shoulder.
Ignoring his now throbbing shoulder Tom ran along the wall wishing hard that one of the windows here may be open. Cold crept up his legs and the icy air blew past his jumper stinging his shoulder as he raced from window to window. He could barely feel his feet anymore. He hoped his pursuers felt the same. Like with Billy and the rabbit, Tom would get back at them for this. Just as soon as he was safe.
One of the upper kitchen windows was tilted open. Tom saw it two windows away. A burst of speed and he was in front of it clambering onto the windowsill. Fingers stiff with cold he gripped the frame with one hand and with the other unhooked the mechanism keeping it open. He lifted the window up to lean his head into the kitchen. Letting the window rest on his back he gripped the bottom of the frame with both hands. Grunting with effort, he pulled himself sideways through the window, his shoulder protested as he grazed the window frame.
He dropped down onto the counter only to stare straight into Tony's eyes on the other side of the glass. Tony smiled cruelly, brandishing his knife. Tom dearly wished Tony would cut himself with that knife. Preferably such that he wouldn't be able to chase Tom anymore. The window slammed down onto Tom's fingers making him yelp and driving tears to his eyes. Hastily, he pulled them inside and forced them to move so he could lock the window closed.
Tom scrambled down the counter and out of the kitchen into the entrance area where Nick was blocking the path to the playroom. Dennis's shadow was a dark silhouette, in the light spilling out of the matron's hallway and Tony was outside. Which left Tom with only one path: up. Evading Nick's grab Tom darted past him and up the stairs. Dennis and Tony wouldn't be happy with Nick for failing to catch Tom twice, Tom thought, grimly satisfied.
Every slam of Tom's feet made him wince as pins and needles shot up his legs and his toes burned. Nick would tell the other two where he was. He fervently wished that his tormentors would feel what he was feeling, but more. Like that princess in the fairy-tale, feeling like she was walking on knives.
There wasn't anywhere to lose his pursuers up-stairs so he went for the only place he felt moderately safe: his room. Breathing heavily, he glanced around the room, dismissing beneath the bed and behind the curtains as bad hiding places. He would be exposed as soon as anyone turned on the light. That only left the closet. Tom knew that he was the only one of his roommates that kept the bottom of his closet free of clutter, so he folded himself into the tiny space, ignoring his protesting shoulder, and pulled the door closed.
He leaned his head against his knees and listened for any indication that Nick, Dennis and Tony were approaching. Slowly his breathing evened out, anger growing as he listened. How dare they treat him like this? He was special. It was his birthday. He wanted them to feel as bad as he felt. He wanted them to be scared away for a while. The rabbit incident obviously wasn't doing its work anymore. So, this time it would have to be worse. Something they wouldn't be able forget so quickly.
His bedroom door opened.
"Come out Tommy," Dennis sing-songed, "It's time to test out the sea-witch's spell."
Burning anger overcame Tom, chasing away the cold.
"No," Tom slammed the closet door open and stepped out. His vision had narrowed to his three tormentors, his entire body tense as he pulled himself straight.
Tony brandished the knife and Dennis laughed, "There is nothing you can do."
"You will feel like you are walking on knives," Tom snarled focusing all his anger into willing it to happen. Dennis just continued laughing and Nick snorted derisively. Tony took a step forward, knife pointed at Tom, and howled in pain.
"Tony!" Nick and Dennis shouted in alarm; all laughter forgotten. Both of them moved towards their friend only to also shout in pain. Tom smiled at them coldly, satisfaction curling in his stomach.
"What did you do?" Dennis snarled, but his hands were shaking.
"Don't you believe in magic?" Tom asked still smiling.
"M-m-monster," Tony hissed. Tom's expression did not change. Maybe they would think twice before targeting him next time. His smile grew as the three bullies backed away, grimacing every step but unwilling to take their eyes off Tom.
When they were out of the room some of the tension released from his shoulders and his smile softened a little as he thanked his special ability. Humming to himself he checked the bruise forming on his shoulder and changed into a dry pair of socks. Then he went back to the playroom just in time for the matrons to announce it was time to get ready to go see the fireworks. Dennis, Nick and Tony were nowhere in sight. Still humming, Tom pulled on his shoes and coat with the other orphans and followed the matrons outside into the crisp night air. As the clock struck twelve, fireworks rose into the sky in an explosion of color celebrating the end of Tom's birthday and the beginning of a new year.
Prompts from V. Sourweather's Packets of Prompts Challenge: (era): Tom Riddle, (occasion): New Year's eve, (restriction): no good characters
Fairy-Tale this is inspired by: Hans Christian Andersen's "The little Mermaid"