"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool." -William Shakespeare.
It was at breakfast that Tom Marvolo Riddle noticed something was different.
For one, Rose Potter was bundled in a fur coat Narcissa Malfoy had gifted her from her latest shopping adventure. Second, Rose was shivering. Third, the tip of her nose was red and her face was heavily flushed. And if that wasn't enough to clue him in that something was wrong, the fact that she either sneezed or coughed at regular intervals surely did.
"Rose, are you feeling alright?" Marvolo finally asked, after seeing her sneeze so heavily into her toast that a bit of jam splattered everywhere.
"I'm fine, Marvolo." Rose replied. Her voice sounding somewhat like a constipated whale.
Marvolo took out his Yew wand and cast a simple diagnostic charm on her.
"You are sick, Rose." He told her.
Rose laughed, or that is at least what he thought she did. Her voice was practically non-existent and was sounding more and more like a dying goat. "Don't be silly, Marvolo. I haven't been sick since I got the chicken pox in third grade. I'm not sick Marvolo, I am perfectly healthy. Fit as a fiddle, if you would."
"Rose," Marvolo said slowly, making sure she understood. "You have a 102 degree fever. I can assure you that you are indeed very, very ill."
Rose's previously smiling face disappeared. Now, she looked quite angry and stood up from her chair. "I am not sick, Marvolo! Stop trying to convince me otherwise!" She shouted, and with that, she stomped away from the dining room with a dramatic flair and Marvolo heard the door shut with a loud THUD a few seconds later.
"Honestly, she is so stubborn." He said to nobody in particular.
"Really, Master?" Nagini hissed with an amused tone in her voice as she made her way near him from the other side of the room. "Doesn't she remind you of anybody else? I remember the Healer having to spent four hours trying to convince you that you were ill."
"That is different, Nagini." Voldemort hissed at his familiar. "I was being reasonable."
"You Crucio'ed him for dare suggesting that you could contract petty mortal diseases, and I am quoting you on that." Hissed Nagini, and Voldemort was sure that if snakes could deadpan, it would sound precisely like that.
"Exactly, perfectly reasonable." He hissed back, firmly maintaining his stance. "This girl on the other hand is delusional."
"Yes," Hissed Nagini. "It is not like Rose exploded one of your kidneys for saying that she was sick."
Voldemort gave his familiar a look. Nagini, sadly, remained unaffected by it.
"I am going to go and give Rose the Pepper-Up Potion." Voldemort announced. "As much as it pains me to say, she is still my horcrux, and so her health.. concerns me."
"I'm coming with you." Nagini hissed as she wrapped herself around her Master's neck. "Last time I saw somebody tell another that they were ill in this Manor, I saw them being put under the Entrail Expelling Curse. I want to see if history repeats itself."
"You seriously think Rose is going to put me under an Entrail Expelling Curse?" Voldemort asked with a raised eyebrow and disbelieving tone.
Nagini looked thoughtful. "I guess not." She admitted. "Bellatrix has not taught Rose the Entrail Expelling Curse yet. I guess the Castration Charm is much more likely."
-LINE BREAK-
"Rose, drink the potion." Marvolo ordered, his voice serious.
Rose looked at the gross looking potion in his hand before simply replying, "No, thank you."
"I did not ask. Drink the potion."
"And I do not like repeating myself. No, thank you." She replied firmly.
"Rose," Marvolo said with a deep breath as his patience thinned. "Do not disobey me. Do you know who I am?"
"You don't even know who you are?" Rose asked in a sympathetic tone. "Did somebody obliviated you?"
'Do not harm her, she is your horcrux. Do not harm her, she is your horcrux.' Marvolo thought on repeat before counting to ten excruciatingly slowly in his mind.
"Rose," Marvolo started sweetly, as he stood in front of her form, looking directly into her eyes. He was slightly bending down as the top of her head was coming up to just below his eyes. "You will drink the potion I have in my hand willingly, or I will impervious you to do so. Choose wisely."
Rose gave him a sugar coated smile as well. "And how, Marvolo, are you planning to impervious me without your wand?"
Marvolo frowned, confused. "My wand?"
Rose stepped back about two feet before revealing a Yew wand in her hand. "The trick to pick-pocketing is eye contact." She comment casually, as she twirled his beloved wand. "You need to also be able to distract the person and have light fingers. Handy trick, isn't it? Dudley and I used to do it all the time when we had to nick a few pounds from mum's purse after she refused to buy us chocolates. Something about a diet, if I remember correctly."
"Give me my wand back." Marvolo hissed.
"Promise me that you will not force me to drink those god awful potions in any way, form, or shape." Rose negotiated. "Until then, your wand will be in custody of Nagini."
It was then that Tom Riddle realised that Nagini had long slithered away from him and had gone to Rose's side. He watched as Rose handed Nagini the wand, and Nagini coiled herself around it tightly. He gave Nigini a look of betrayal, and he could have sworn that Nagini shrugged in reply.
"Traitor." He hissed to Nagini.
"I believe the correct term is mutiny." Nagini hissed pleasantly.
Marvolo looked at both of them with fury. He knew that neither of them would really hurt his wand. They just needed leverage. Tom Riddle decided that he was going to play fire with fire. If Rose Potter decided that she wasn't sick (which was utter hippogriff dung. She was -quite literally- burning.), then Tom was going to treat her as such.
He was not going to care. Not like he did in the first place. Honestly, the only reason her illness even minutely concerned him was because she was his horcrux.
"Fine." Marvolo replied coldly. "I will not do anything, because like you said, there is nothing to do about this anyway. Give me my wand back. I have to sign some documents in my study." He demanded. The 'and use bombarda maxima on a Rose Potter look-a-like doll's', he felt was better left unsaid.
Rose smiled brightly in victory as Nagini returned Marvolo's wand.
He took his wand with utmost care before putting it back into the wand holster fastened at his waist, gave both his horcruxes a glare and then proceeded to dramatically walk out of the room like the King he thought himself to be.
"You know," hissed Nagini after her Master had left the room. "It once took a Healer four hours at a stretch, to convince him that he had been unwell."
"That sounds nice," said Rose. "But I don't understand what point you wished to make with that statement, considering I am not ill."
Nagini remembered all the stern convincing it took with Marvolo and then looked at Rose's currently determined face, before recollecting memories of trying to explain to her that Magic was real.
"Of course you aren't." Nagini finally hissed in reply.
-LINE BREAK-
45 minutes later:
A knock to the door of his study in the tune of Clair de Lune broke Voldemort from his concentration on the paperwork.
"Come in." He said.
The door opened slowly as Rose Potter stepped in. She frankly, looked a mess.
Her hair was thrown in a lazy, messy pony tail and several strands had already broken free from the hair tie. Her eyes were slightly red, her face and nose were utterly flushed and she was sniffing. She looked so tired. She was wrapped in a blanket that she had dragged to his study with her and she looked exhausted.
"Marvolo," She said in a small, soft and slightly throaty voice. "I think I'm sick."
"Really?" Marvolo drawled. "What gave that away? Your 102 degrees temperature, the fact that you are shivering as one does when they are in Antarctica or perhaps it was me telling you that you are sick?"
Rose gave him a glare. However, considering she looked like an adorable puppy in that moment, it completely ruined the effects of the glare.
"Stop it Marvo- Ackshoo!" She sneezed loudly in mid-speech, using the blanket she was hugging to wipe some of her snot away.
Marvolo looked at that sight, disgusted.
Rose looked at the snot on the blanket with a face. "Like seriously! How can I generate so much snot?"
"And why are you using your blanket as a tissue?" asked Marvolo pointedly. "I did not take you as someone who completely disregards basic hygiene."
"I ran out of tissues four sneezes ago." Rose replied. "Do you still have the yucky potion."
"I thought you didn't want the potion because, and I quote, 'I am not sick.'" Marvolo teased in a horrible impression of Rose's sick voice.
Rose gave him another glare before sighing. "Not now, Marvolo. I'll argue with you later. Now can I pretty please have the potions so that I can hibernate for the rest of the year?" Rose asked tiredly.
Marvolo nodded, looking at her face. She was his horcrux. It was better that she regain her health as soon as possible.
"Go back to your room." Marvolo ordered. "I shall follow you after I tell the House-Elf's to make you soup. I know a few basic medical charms and potions that I shall then give you."
Rose nodded and slowly walked to her room, hugging the blanket tighter to her shivering body and dragging it across the floor.
-LINE BREAK-
"Why are you wearing so many layers?" was the first question he asked as he came to check up on her ten minutes later. She was wearing two winter coats and was now wrapped in both, a blanket and a comforter.
"It's really cold in here." She answered shortly after sneezing.
Marvolo frowned as he cast another diagnostic charm on her. "No, it's not. Your fever went up again. You're burning up."
"I-I'm f-freezing." Rose replied. "I- I think I'm g-going to s-s-sneeze."
"Yes, I think the whole world knows that by now." said Marvolo pointedly. "Did you drink the potion?"
Rose's face twisted cutely. "It was disgusting."
"I honestly doubt it tasted worst than your cooking." Marvolo comment dryly. "Did you finish your soup?"
Rose nodded as she blew her nose on a tissue. "I hate being sick." She said grumpily.
"Apart from being stubborn and sick, you are also a terrible liar." Marvolo said as he looked at the practically untouched chicken soup on the side table. "You haven't even tasted it, have you?"
"I did!" defended Rose. "It tasted more gross than the potion."
"You are supposed to drink it to get better!" shouted Marvolo. "It doesn't have to taste good to make you healthy again! The last time I came to check up on you, the soup was fresh from the kitchen. The soup isn't hot anymore!"
"I wish the same could be said about your temper." muttered Rose, before widening her eyes in horror as she realised what she had said. "I'm sorry!" She said immediately. "Being sick makes me delusional."
Marvolo ignored her. "I will be coming to check up on you in ten minutes. You had better drink your soup by then." Marvolo said sternly and walked out the room, just as he heard Rose dissolve into another coughing fit.
-LINE BREAK-
"How are you feeling?" He asked on his second check-up thirty minutes later, as he placed the flowers he was holding in a pretty vase on a bed side table near the form of the sleeping girl. Nagini had insisted that he bring her some flowers as a sort of 'get well soon' gift and had not let him go until he had done so. He looked at the bowl of soup and was happy that she had finished drinking it.
"Let me put it this way," said Rose. "You're going to get really tired of saying 'bless you' extremely fast."
"I never said bless you in the first place." He said dryly.
"It's the thought that counts." She said, waving him off. "I really need to sneeze, but I don't want to."
"Just don't think about it." Marvolo suggested with a grin. "Seriously, just make sure you don't think about all the flowers here and all the pollen from them floating through the air and tickling your nose."
"Hihh..."
"Don't even think at all about the petals." He continued smugly. "How ticklishly, featherishly soft they are, how they're covered in all that irritating pollen that just always makes you sneeze."
"Wait, you're not hel-hahhh... helping—" said Rose as she sneezed loudly once again. The intensity of the sneeze caused her pony-tail to fly high up in the air before dropping down once again. Rose glared at him as soon as she had done so. "Don't test me, Marvolo." said Rose warningly. "I'm very much tempted to come over there and sneeze all over you."
"You are too tired to come over here." Marvolo replied pointedly. "And I can always body-bind you in a second."
"You can." Rose admitted. "But are you prepared for the stern scolding and looks of disappointment that Nagini will no doubt give you if you do so?"
Marvolo stayed silent, as Rose smiled victoriously.
"I hate being sick." Rose admitted grumpily after a few seconds.
"And so you have repeatedly said." Marvolo commented in a dry tone. "Drink your potion, you'll feel better."
"I hate taking medicine." muttered Rose.
"Is there anything you don't hate right now?" Marvolo asked rhetorically.
"You." She answered in a heartbeat. "But I'm getting there. Nagini is my only guardian angel."
Marvolo mentally rolled his eyes. "I'll check up on you in an hour. You should have been almost better by then." He told her before leaving.
-LINE BREAK-
"I missed you so much!" Rose said in a sing-song voice. She physically looked better. The flush that previously covered her whole face had been now reduced to her cheeks and nose.
Marvolo raised an eyebrow. "I have only been gone for an hour."
"That's a lot in 'sick and miserable people time', okay?" Rose said defensively.
"So," He said as he sat on the edge of her bed. "How are you feeling? Never mind, I know that look- sneeze first, answer when you're ready."
And after about thirty seconds of holding in sneezes and actually sneezing, Rose answered. "I'm feeling a lot better than before." She replied happily. "Nagini stayed with me for about twenty minutes before I accidentally sneezed all over her. After that she refused to come near me until I have gotten over my 'disgusting human habits'.'
"I have informed Narcissa, Draco and Lucius about you being unwell." said Marvolo. "Unfortunately, the three of them are attending a cousin's funeral in France. But Narcissa said that she will be back as soon as possible with some potions and blankets and Draco and Lucius asked me to send their regards and wished you good health soon."
"Alright," said Rose. "By the way, we ran out of tissues again."
"I kind of realised that from the mountain of tissues in the corner." Marvolo replied, before casting the diagnostic charm once again. "That's good. Your fever has come down. Your body temperature is now a ninety eight. You shall be completely fine in an hour or two."
"Thank goodness." said Rose with relief. "The potions were completely disgusting. At least whenever I was unwell in the normal world, mum would mix some honey into my cough drops."
Marvolo mentally rolled his eyes once again. "Alright, feel better. The Elves are going to bring you another cup of soup after approximately twenty minutes. Drink it, and you are good to go."
Rose smiled happily.
-LINE BREAK-
TWO DAYS LATER:
"I blame you for this." Marvolo told Rose with a heated glare as she hand fed him some chicken soup.
"It's not my fault that you decide to take care of me when I was sick." Rose replied as she fed him another spoon of soup. "I guess now that the roles are reversed, it's my turn to take care of you!" She finished brightly.
Marvolo glared at her again.
"Now drink your soup and your potions, and you will feel much better." said Rose in a mocking tone.
"I hate you." Marvolo said simply.
Rose smiled. "And so you have repeatedly claimed." She said. "You know, you looked a lot more upbeat an hour ago at breakfast."
"I could still breathe through my nose at breakfast." Marvolo pointed out as he drank another bit of soup.
"You look like death warmed over." Rose said after a few seconds. "Seriously, white paint has more colour than your face."
"Excellent observation." said Marvolo. "Do you even know what you are doing?"
"I wanted to become a doctor." Rose shrugged. "And even though I am not a doctor now, I know exactly how to behave like the doctors on the telly."
"That does not make me feel better." said Marvolo.
"Of course it doesn't," said Rose. "That disgusting potion that you manipulated me into drinking two days ago, that is supposed to make you feel better. So, drink up!" Rose said with a sickly (pardon the pun) sweet smile.
Marvolo narrowed his eyes at her. "I hate you."
"I know." Rose smiled as she kept the bowl of soup she was holding on the side table and stood up. "I'll be coming back to check up on you in ten minutes. You had better finished drinking your soup by then." She said before leaving.
-LINE BREAK-
"Hello Rosie!" Petunia greeted brightly as she looked at the beautiful and smiling face of her daughter through the two-way mirror that she had been given by the Dark Lord on Rose's insistence.
"Hey mum." Rose said smiling. "Have you and dad had breakfast yet?"
"Yes, dear," Petunia replied. "Are you still coming over for lunch today? Your father won't be able to join us today. Some stupid employee messed up some order for the company, so your father must work on a Saturday to fix that idiotic man's mistake." She said a bit bitterly. "Your father was very upset that he had to miss lunch with you, and has already fired that man." Petunia informed her daughter.
"That's great, mum." Rose said. "But I'm afraid I have to miss lunch this week. Something came up."
Petunia immediately grew worried, fearing the worst. "What's wrong darling? Are you hurt? Do you need medical attention? Do you-"
"I'm fine, mum." Rose insisted with a fond smile. "Honest. I'm as healthy as a horse."
"I hope you are not talking about Snugglelump, dear. Because even the vet admits that he is the most clumsiest horse he has ever met." Petunia said dryly.
Rose giggled. "No, mum. It's just that-"
"ROSE!" A voice echoed, a perfect blend between a shout and a whine. (Not that he would ever admit it).
"Never mind." said Rose with a tired sigh. "I got to go mum. I'll call you back later, that is after I have finished convincing a sociopathic Dark Lord that catching a common cold does not mean that he is dying. I'll see you next Saturday."
"Alright, sweetheart. Love you." Petunia replied.
"Love you too." said Rose as she broke the connection.
