As far as Tom was concerned, the Christmas Eve ball had been a smashing success. Not only had he received overwhelming support for his views on hierarchy within Wizarding society, but he had picked up a few additional tidbits from a rather intoxicated Bob Ogden.

Little Hangleton sounded like quite the quaint little town.

Granted, he had left fairly early on in the evening, preferring the quiet of the library over the jostling crowds, but that's why he had followers. To do all the small, mundane jobs he didn't want to do himself. Instead, he had flung himself straight back into his research, finding out everything he possibly could about the quiet little muggle village that had thus far hidden the only other descendants of Salazar Slytherin.

And he was grateful he had decided to leave when he had. From the moment Aurora had joined his conversation with Lord Nott, Tom's blood had been white-hot, searing through his veins as the anger he only ever felt around her slowly crept through his body.

He had almost convinced himself that his recent bursts of anger had nothing to do with her, even after the incident in the Transfiguration, he had spent hours trying to rationalise it in his head. The theory of conditioning had been thrown out the window, but it was far too muggle anyway. Aurora was by no means a creature of the light, she must have been playing a cruel joke on him.

He had read up on the use of Occlumency and Legilimency for torture, finding evidence of its use dating back hundreds of years. Yet nothing seemed to match up to his description perfectly. Implanting false emotions was possible, but to maintain them at a distance and wordless, let alone wandlessly was far more advanced than any sixteen-year-old should be able to manage.

No. It had nothing to do with her. The more he brooded over the subject, the more power allowing her to exert over him. Tom bowed to no one, especially not Aurora Rosier.

Much like his birthday, Christmas had never been something Tom had looked forward to particularly. Christmas Day at the orphanage consisted of being given presents of socks and toothbrushes donated by the local community and a sub-par roast dinner, fashioned with what the cooks were allocated with the strict rations enforced.

Christmas Day at the Manor was, quite frankly, incredibly overwhelming. He still received socks, but they weren't cheap, flimsy things that wore through within a month of wearing them, they were thick Merino wool. Aurelia Malfoy had spent an outrageous amount of money on gifts, stating firmly that no one left a Malfoy Christmas without being thoroughly spoilt.

When Abraxas had reminded her over breakfast that they were almost considered adults and no longer small children who needed to be spoilt, she had waved him off, saying she wanted to make sure her guests had the full experience before throwing another gift at him. He didn't complain much after that.

Tom had tried to tell the Malfoy Matriarch that access to the library was a gift enough for him, but much like Abraxas, he had been silenced with another neatly wrapped present. By the time the house elves had cleared the table, he had obtained two new sets of robes, an incredibly expensive-looking Eagle feather quill, a first edition copy of the Pureblood Directory (with a note from Septimus reaffirming his support) and his wool socks.

He hadn't received anything from the orphanage, but he hardly cared. He doubted they would have even been able to post anything to the Manor given the extensive muggle-repellant charms that surround the whole estate, and it would only have meant another lie he would have to weave about who was sending him gifts. It had been easy enough to just say him and the fake benefactor had agreed that hospitality was Tom's year-round gift and that it made Christmas redundant.

However, he wasn't the only one that morning who hadn't been sent something from outside the Manor. The moment Aurora had walked into breakfast that morning, she had looked horrific. Her feet dragged along the floor, and her under eyes were a deep purple. She must have not slept at all, and Tom couldn't help but wonder if Raoul was still lurking in her room.

She had graciously accepted all her presents from the Malfoys, receiving a similar haul to him, only instead of socks, she had a pair of black cashmere gloves. The only other gift she opened was from her father, a simple silver bracelet with a brief note apologising for not being able to see her over the holiday. Her mother had neglected to send anything.

She had half-heartedly laughed it off, trading snide comments about the woman with Septimus whilst Aurelia at least tried to look disapproving, the same way she had done the first time Aurora had spoken ill of her mother at the Manor, yet not doing much to allow her own opinions on the Rosier matriarch to go unheard. But Tom didn't miss the way Aurora's eyes would drift towards the window occasionally as though she were waiting for an owl to swoop in any minute. It wasn't sadness on her face, but disappointment.

Tom knew all about familial disappointment.

No. He was not going to sympathise with her or relate to her. He had no interest in her personally, he wasn't going through the trouble of drawing her closer into his ranks out of the goodness of his heart. He only wanted her mind, and he would do good to remember as much.

As would Raoul for that matter. He had watched the boy slowly become putty in Aurora's fingers, yet whenever questioned would claim it was only an act, that she had no real control and he knew it was for a greater purpose. It was funny, Tom didn't know presenting a signet ring to a significant other was such a meaningless gesture.

Yet something had shifted with her since the start of the holiday. Tom only saw her briefly in the days leading up to Christmas. He had been so consumed by research he had barely left the library, relying on the house elves to deliver lunch and dinner directly to him instead of joining the others. The times he did see her however, she hadn't sneered or muttered strings of insults under her breath. It was like she didn't have the energy to speak to him.

In fact, the first time they had spoken was the night before when he had walked in on the rather compromising scene between her and Raoul, only for her to try to bite his head off. Although he supposed it was somewhat justified.

Needless to say, his surprise when she had waltzed into the library late in the evening on Christmas day had been insurmountable.

It was almost midnight, Aurelia having retired to bed just after dinner and Septimus having taken Abraxas off to his study again. The library had been silent save for the sound of the fire smouldering nearby. The click of the lock and approaching footsteps drew his attention immediately.

"Lost, Rosier?" he asked lazily, looking up from behind the book he had been scanning in one of the wing back armchairs next to the hearth.

She didn't answer immediately, her fingers trailing absentmindedly across the spines of the books along the shelves, getting closer and closer to him. The usual conviction she brought to the air around her was missing.

"I suppose you could say that." she sighed when she finally reached him, taking the armchair opposite and grabbing one of the many volumes Tom had stacked on the table in front of him, flicking through the pages examining the content.

"Meaning?" he asked impatiently.

She ignored the question, having stopped on a page and begun to trace the lines with a fingertip, eyebrows raising when she realised what he'd been reading.

"Soul magic?" she didn't sound shocked or horrified, but inquisitive, maybe even impressed.

Tom smirked.

"Extracurricular reading." he offered.

Aurora snorted, but he noticed it didn't hold half her usual snark.

"Liar."

"I suppose you could say that."

Aurora looked up from the book, exhaling deeply before closing it and crossing her hands over her lap.

"Despite what you may believe, Riddle, I didn't come here to argue with you, so if you could stop trying to pick a fight I would be incredibly grateful." her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip as she waited for his reply.

Slightly taken aback, Tom leant back into the armchair, closing his book and tossing it back into the pile on the table.

"Why exactly are you here then? You've made your feelings towards me quite plain the last few months Rosier. In fact, I remember quite clearly you calling me a petulant child. Why would I be willing to be civil?" he challenged.

"You called me a whore. Yet here I am, willing to be civil." she retorted.

Her overall demeanour was lacklustre, no malice in her words. After studying her for a few moments, Tom decided to believe her.

"Touché," he conceded and saw her shoulders relax ever so slightly. Now that was incredibly strange. The last word Tom would have ever used to describe Aurora around him was relaxed. Still, her body held some tension and he wanted to know why.

"Would you like to tell me why you're really here Rosier? Forgive me, but I struggle to see you extending an olive branch out of kindness alone."

"I want to know why every conversation Raoul had last night sounded like he was possessed by your spirit. I want to know why you're so intent on forming hierarchy in our world that you'd get yourself a band of minions for research purposes." her tone was harder now, she knew exactly what she was asking.

"Why though? Are you scandalised by my ideas? Shocked, even, that I think we should for mudbloods and muggles into subservience?" He knew his attempt at baiting her was futile, but it was fun nonetheless.

"You know full well that I'd have no issue with that aspect of your ideas. I only want to know what my boyfriend has got himself caught up in, and-" she took a deep breath, and Tom felt himself lean forward ever so slightly, anticipating her next words, "-I'm rather interested in them myself."

Tom felt a smile creep over his face. Oh, this was fantastic. This was fucking brilliant.

"Are you saying you'd like to join my little group of minions?"

She grimaced.

"And prance around calling you 'my lord'," Merlin, she needed to stop saying it like that, "absolutely not. Think of me as more of a collaborator."

Tom regarded her again, considering her offer.

"And what makes you think I'd want a collaborator? I think I've done rather splendidly on my own thus far."

"I'm pained to agree," she nodded, "but controlling a small group of students is one thing. Controlling an army outside is completely different."

"What makes you qualified to help with an army, Rosier?" Tom asked irritably, unnerved by her nonchalance.

The side of her mouth turned up as she fiddled with the silver chain around her neck, twisting the pendant between her fingers.

"You ask a lot of questions."

"You provide very few answers."

"Have you asked yourself why that may be?"

You have no idea.

Aurora's hand dropped from her chest and she straightened herself up slightly.

"You asked why I was here. I'm here to offer a truce. You've spent days locked up here, and I can't help but feel you need some assistance with research," she gestured towards the unsteady tower of books he had amassed, "Therefore, I am willing to offer my services for the last week in the Manor to help. Are you willing to accept?" she extended her pale hand for him to shake.

Tom looked down, the Lestrange signet ring glistening in the dull glow of the fire, then back up at her face. It was blank and remained so even as he took her hand in his own.

"A truce?"

"A truce."

They shook once, and the air around them seemed to hum. He could feel the magic thrumming through his veins even as she took her hand back, leaving the library without a backwards look.

Merlin, she was something else.

If he was being honest, Tom hadn't expected Aurora to take as much of an interest as she actually had into his plans. Boxing day morning, he had made his way down to the library at 6 am, expecting the door to be locked and the room to be in darkness.

Instead, it was slightly ajar, the fire roaring and illuminating the small figure sat leaning against the armchair of the floor. Tom stood for a moment, watching her slowly turn the pages of the book she held in her lap. Hair hung limply around her face, obscuring it from his vision and she was wrapped in a dark nightgown. Far from her usual picture of sophistication.

His approach didn't falter her attention, she didn't even acknowledge him until he'd sat down.

"You're planning to make a Horcrux, aren't you?"

Tom froze, panic beginning to creep its way across his shoulders. She hadn't looked up from the book, and her voice had been completely neutral, as though merely asking how his morning was.

"What is it to you?" he inwardly cringed at how defensive he had sounded, not at all soothed by the sympathetic smile she fixed him with when she finally put the book down.

"I overheard you talking to Slughorn after his party," she confessed, "that, and the sheer number of Soul Magic books you have here was enough for me to put two and two together."

Tom didn't say anything, his body still stuck in place as the blood rushed past his ears. She sighed, tossing the book to one side and pushing herself to her feet.

"Besides, you're looking in the wrong place." That was enough to shock him back to reality.

"Excuse me?" he asked, incredulous.

"Well, all of those books are about soul bonds and soul magic, which leads me to assume there's a 'Soul' section in these stacks that you've been using, no?" she was making her way towards the corner of the library, candles flickering to life as she passed them.

"Clearly," he drawled.

"Then you were looking in the wrong place," she stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Horcruxes are technically soul magic, however, to be truly classified as soul magic, the purpose of the spell needs to be rooted in good. It's why there's so much discourse surrounding bonds and soul rituals," she paused until the end of the cases, pushing herself up onto her toes to reach an ancient-looking tome on an uppermost shelf.

Satisfied with her find, she made her way back towards Tom, dropping the book in front of him before resuming her place on the floor.

"Whilst they're often used in a dark context, the intent behind them is often to protect or save, putting them in a morally grey area. Horcruxes, however, are inherently evil. There's no way to make a Horcrux without killing someone, and for that reason, they are classified as dark. If I remember rightly, that book has everything you'll need to know. Including the incantation." she smiled again.

Tom's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the dusty leather-bound book, Malevolent Magicks: Most Foul and Evil glaring up at him in gold outline. He immediately cracked it open, eyes scanning the contents, the skipping through to the pages of interest.

Fucking Merlin, she had been right. Everything he had needed to know was right there in front of him. He looked up, his face painted with disbelief. She looked only slightly smug.

"How did you know this would be in here?"

"There was a copy in the Rosier library a few years ago. It vanished after one summer, and I only assumed it had been shipped off to one of the larger, more protected family collections. If it was anywhere, it would have been here or the Black estate."

She stared at the book a moment longer before chuckling.

"It's safe to say my nighttime reading as a child was less than conventional." with that, she scooped up the book she had abandoned on the floor next to her, immersing herself.

Tom didn't press any further, only interested in the book that now sat open in front of him. The day passed in a flash, the house elves coming and going with food for breakfast and lunch.

Early afternoon, Abraxas had joined them, engaging in a hushed conversation with Aurora before settling into silence too, his own book propped in his hands. Tom continued to reread the pages on Horcruxes over and over, not being convinced he had fully taken in all the information until he could recite the incantation from memory.

The delivery of dinner came and went, Abraxas leaving them not long after for the nightly meetings his father had been conducting, teaching him how to manage an estate in preparation for him becoming the next Lord Malfoy.

Before he knew it, the clock above the now smouldering fire ticked closer and closer towards midnight, and Aurora too was making her move to leave. Tom looked up from the passage he had been reciting in his head, taking in the deep purple under her eyes that had only darkened since yesterday morning, and the wince of effort it took to push herself up.

There was so much mystery surrounding the girl. She was an enigma, impossible to figure out and unwilling to divulge anything. Yet she had helped him today, evening going as far as to mention her childhood, something Tom had deduced was something of a sore spot for her.

And she knew about his interest in Horcruxes, had worked out one of his most prized secrets for herself. It put him at a disadvantage, but it was only fair he received something equal in return. She had been uncharacteristically open, and Tom saw no reason to not try and push her a little bit further.

By the time he decided to at least try, she was already halfway to the door.

"Rosier."

She stopped, looking over her shoulder but not turning herself to fully face him.

"I just wanted to say I appreciate your help today. However, this is rather sensitive information, and I believe it would be understandable for me to-" Tom didn't even finish his sentence.

"Want a secret for a secret?" she said, and he could see the small smile forming on her face.

He should have said no. Said that he wanted her to swear to secrecy, even make an unbreakable vow. But who was he to deny her secrets? So he played along.

"Quite. I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from." he closed Malevolent Magicks, sitting back into his chair, studying Aurora's form for any sign of a negative reaction.

She stood in place for several long seconds, before deciding to walk back to the sitting area, perching herself on the armchair she had been leant against all day.

"Of course. You think I know more about you than you about me, and therefore I'll use it to blackmail you, despite the face I called a truce, am I correct?" he nodded in agreement, watching her mouth twitch ever so slightly in amusement, "I suppose I owe you a secret then Riddle?"

Tom could hardly believe her compliance, and couldn't help but feel slightly wary of it, coming from someone who had appeared to hate him up until twenty-four hours ago. Merlin, she was unsettling.

"I suppose you do. What would you like to tell me?" he asked, watching her tongue wet her lower lip again before drawing it back with her teeth. He had noticed her do it several times since last night, always when she was reading a particularly long passage or asking an important question.

"You always have so many questions, surely you have something specific in mind. For all you know, I could tell you my favourite colour and walk out," she said teasingly.

She wasn't wrong, Tom had hundreds of questions. Yet he could only ask one. He mentally ran through his list, filtering out the irrelevant ones, or ones he doubted she would answer honestly, despite the agreement. He narrowed them down one by one until he landed on the perfect question for this evening.

Something he wasn't sure even existed, but all the signs were there. Worst case scenario, she would stare at him, very confused, for a few seconds before he brushed it off and moved onto his next question under the guise of messing with her.

"Your necklace. What does it mean?"

The look of surprise on her face was enough to confirm his suspicions. Her finger traced along the base of her neck, extracting a chain from beneath her robe. Silver, instead of the gold he was accustomed to, and with a triangular charm, rested right where she often placed a protective hand. She looked down at the necklace, before looking back up at Tom, still smiling, but eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Clever. How did you know?"

One of the most obvious things about Aurora was the way her hand always drew up to her chest when she was immersed in something, resting just above her sternum and roughly where a pendant would hang. Of course, he'd seen her wearing necklaces before, but there was always something off about them. They shone unnaturally, reflecting light that wasn't there. It wasn't a simple spot, but Tom knew a glamour charm when he saw one. She was hiding something.

"Call it intuition."

"Liar."

He smirked.

"Are you going to answer the question or not?"

She took the pendant in her hand, holding it up so she could see it more clearly in the low light of the library.

"It's the symbol of the Deathly Hallows."

Tom's brow furrowed as he leant forward, examining the small triangle, noticing the even smaller circle and line that sat within it.

"Deathly Hallows?" he inquired.

"I'm afraid you've used up all of your questions for today, Riddle." Aurora replied, tucking the necklaced back into her robe much to his dismay, "maybe if you spill more of your secrets for me tomorrow, I might consider satiating you."

She stood up once again, smoothing out creases from her robes that didn't exist and signalling that she was done for the day. Tom's eyebrow arched ever so slightly.

"And what makes you think I'll let you in on any more of my secrets, Rosier?"

Aurora considered him for a moment, her eyes boring into his with an intensity he'd never known anyone else to possess.

"Call it intuition," she smiled wickedly.

Tom sighed, "You are possibly one of the most infuriating people I have ever had the misfortune to meet." he said flatly, not wanting to accept defeat but not wishing to ruin the momentary peace between them.

"Strange, I could say the same thing about you. Goodnight, Riddle," her tone was final as she turned and walked back towards the door, her hair tossed over her shoulder robe billowing behind her.

Even after he retired to bed himself well after midnight, all Tom could do was wonder what would come of the next day, tossing and turning until sleep finally consumed him

That next morning, Tom found Aurora in the same position as the day before. Curled up on the floor by the fire with a book already open in her lap, under eyes dark and hair unkempt. Only this time, she didn't look up, didn't make any attempt to speak with him, just continued to read her book as though he wasn't even there.

So Tom sat down quietly, picking up his book from where he left it yesterday. They sat like that for hours, once again having each meal appear at a certain hour before being whisked away, Abraxas joining briefly and leaving when he was summoned, the silence almost companionable.

Almost.

It was dark before either even made an attempt to speak, the fire once again having been reduced to embers that barely provided enough light to see the other's face. In the end, it was Aurora who broke the silence.

"Have you thought of your next question yet?"

Tom looked down at her. She had tidied her book away, her legs crossed over each other as she stared intently up at him from her position on the floor. Her eyes seemed brighter tonight, as though there was a light on this evening that had been previously extinguished. She seemed more alive.

"I can only assume you have chosen yours?" he replied coolly.

Aurora huffed indignantly.

"You can never answer a fucking question straight can you?" her arms crossed over her chest in annoyance, eliciting a deep chuckle from Tom.

"You have quite the mouth on you, don't you Rosier?"

"You aren't the first person to say that," she smirked.

Tom's face scrunched up ever so slightly at her innuendo.

"Don't be so crass, it's unbecoming."

Aurora threw her head back with laughter, sighing deeply and making it clear she found his attempted insult more entertaining than anything.

"Merlin, you sound like my mother."

"I'll take that as an insult." it was a justified conclusion, given the way he'd observed Aurora talk about her mother recently.

"The worst," she confirmed, still smirking, "anyway, you've taken us off track. Are you going to answer a question for me tonight or not?" her playful tone disappeared, replaced with one of complete seriousness.

"I don't see why not," he replied, rolling his shoulders back to release any tension he was unconsciously holding. She mirrored his movement until both were sat as relaxed as they could manage.

"Lovely. Why are you so interested in the Gaunt Family?"

Tom contemplated lying for a brief moment, telling her that it was just a name he had heard on the grapevine and was interested in knowing more about. However, this was Aurora Rosier, and he highly doubted his lie would slip past her once again. Every time he'd recounted the story of the tragic dragon pox epidemic in Ireland, she had glared at him, assumingly knowing it was bullshit. The boys all knew, what harm could come from one more, especially when he was getting something in return?

"My mother was a Gaunt."

Aurora gaped at him. Her mouth formed a small 'o', the disbelief written plainly across her face.

"You can't be serious? I thought Lord Nott said the last female Gaunt died years ago?" her hands uncrossed from her chest, and she pushed herself into a more upright sitting position.

"She did, in childbirth. Almost seventeen years ago, for that matter." he returned monotonously.

Aurora sat silently for a moment, processing what she had just been told. Tom couldn't help but smirk as he watched the cogs in her head turning, working towards a response for his confession

"The Gaunts were descended from Slytherin." she eventually said.

Tom nodded in approval.

"You would be correct, yes"

There was silence once again. The disbelief slowly ebbed away, and she began to subtly nod her head as if she were having a silent conversation in her head and agreeing with one of her own points.

"Huh. I suppose I see it now."

Tom's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"See what exactly?"

"Your want for a purer Wizarding society? It's what drove Salazar apart from the other founders. It only makes sense that you would want to fulfil his wishes." she shrugged.

"And do you think I could do it?" he questioned, trying to read the now completely neutral expression on her face.

She shrugged again.

"I don't see why not." she looked down to her hand, examining her nails as if the conversation bored her, "From what I've seen you have support for the cause already, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to make your way into the Wizengamot to make those changes in the laws."

"What if I didn't want to make the changes from the inside? What if I wanted to take a different approach?" he pressed.

"Meaning?"

"What if I wanted to use more forceful methods?" Tom wondered if she would recall their conversation from a couple of days ago.

The realisation dawned on her.

"You want to build an army."

"Not an army," he shook his head lightly, "a following. A society separate from the Ministry powerful enough to take over control of the Wizarding World."

"My response still stands. With the right tactics, you could take England."

Tom raised his eyebrow, feeling somewhat slighted by her limiting his abilities to just one country.

"And then what if I wanted more than just England?" he questioned.

A beat.

"Well," her tongue traced along her teeth, "that's where you'll run into a bit of trouble."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you want to waste tonight's secret on the answer?" her tone was verging on warning, signalling he was pushing his luck.

"Fine." he resigned, keen to avoid an argument where possible and have his question of choice answered, "Have you ever killed someone?"

Her reaction was hardly what Tom expected. She grinned.

"You know the answer to that already."

"I do, but I want to hear you say it." he dared.

"If you say so." She rolled her eyes, hands raised in mock saute before crossing back over her chest, "Yes, I've killed someone. Did that satisfy you as much as you'd hoped?"

In a way, it hadn't. He'd wanted to see her squirm under his scrutiny, have to confess to one of her darkest secrets. However, she didn't grimace or whisper as though she were ashamed. Her tone was more appropriate for making a comment about the weather than confessing to a murder.

"You're incredibly blasé about it."

"I hardly see you crying over Myrtle," she said bluntly.

"I didn't know my victim." he shot back.

"Neither did I."

When Tom didn't reply immediately, Aurora decided it was time for her to leave. Pushing herself up to her feet, stifled a yawn, wrapping her robe tighter around her body. Tom made no move to leave, sinking deeper into the armchair as he regarded her.

"I suppose asking about the circumstances would breach the secret for a secret deal?" he asked, even though he was certain it was a dead end.

Unsurprisingly, he was right.

"Look at you, understanding your limits," she said condescendingly, the same way the Matron at the orphanage might have done when addressing him as a young child. He half expected her to proceed to pat him on the head and tell him to run along to the toy room like a good boy. It would hardly be out of character.

The fight for anything else would be useless, especially when she was at least somewhat pliable at the moment. He conceded.

"Very well. Good evening, Rosier."

She flashed him a smile you could almost mistake for being genuine, before turning stalking out of the library, disappearing into the darkness of the neverending Manor corridors. The anticipation for what he would be able to weasel out of her tomorrow was enough to create a small sense of warmth somewhere deep within him.

Was it excitement? He couldn't quite tell.

Only time would tell if he was really on track to working Aurora into the follower, not collaborator, that he really wanted her to be.

As it so happened, time told him that he was a fucking idiot for even entertaining the idea that Aurora Rosier of all people would be so simple to lure into a permanently docile state.

On the third day of their shared research, Tom did not find her sitting on the floor of the library, instead, she was pacing the length of the fireplace, hair tied back, exposing her now undeniably sleep-deprived face and the scowl she was wearing.

"Good Morning Rosier," he said casually.

Her head snapped up in his direction, her scowl only deepening at the sight of him.

"Who is your father?" she demanded.

"Feeling rather bold this morning aren't we?" he mused.

"Just answer the fucking question," she snapped, "I'm really not in the mood for your bullshit."

Tom took his seat in front of the fire, picking up his book of choice for the day as she stared daggers at him.

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" he cooed mockingly.

"Riddle." Aurora's jaw tensed as she hissed the warning, her hands curling into fists at her side.

"Fine." he sighed, "I don't know," Merlin did he hate saying that, "Aside from the Horcruxes, it's what I'm trying to figure out, hence my questions to Nott about the whereabouts of the Gaunts."

"You said your family was Irish." she deadpanned.

"They are. The Gaunts are Irish. The Riddles? I'm not so sure."

"How can you even be sure the Gaunt family that Auror visited are your direct relatives? How do you know there isn't another branch of the family still living in Ireland, just as reclusive, that your mother came from."

"I'd say that my middle name was a rather good indicator." a smirk spread across his face at her growing irritation, not being able to help but enjoy it in an incredibly sadistic way.

"Which is?" she demanded, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.

"Another secret, but nice try. My turn now. Why did you kill someone?" Neither of them had a habit of dancing around the questions they wanted answering, and he was hardly going to start now.

"She had information that I wanted. She didn't comply, so she paid the price," her tone was the same as her confession yesterday, completely neutral and uncaring, "Are we done?" she huffed

Tom raised an eyebrow as she didn't wait for a response, flicking her hair over her shoulder and marching towards the door. He twisted in his seat, adjusting the volume of his voice ever so slightly to accommodate her hasty retreat.

"I suppose so, but may I ask why you're leaving so early?"

She whirled around, her eyes finding his immediately. He saw the fire behind them roaring, right as a bolt of heat ripped through his limbs, his hands instinctively grabbing at the armrests to steady himself. If Aurora had noticed his sudden strange behaviour, she for certain made no move to acknowledge it.

"Because I don't feel like locking myself in a fucking library today," she spat, taking a moment to compose herself slightly before continuing "I found you another book I think may be of interest," she pointed towards a small red volume on the table that Tom hadn't noticed when he sat down, "Happy reading."

And with that, she was gone. Leaving Tom quite alone again, only this time with anger festering in his stomach, just another case of his seemingly unprovoked anger.

Despite her parting words, Tom's reading was anything but happy. He could barely focus on the book she'd left, his vision clouding over, obscuring the words across the pages and his limbs shaking with the effort it took to not throw something across the room. His body was seeking an outlet for the anger and he was denying it as much.

Aurora had been the one to instigate it. He had denied it and denied it and denied it up until this point, but there was no running from the fact. She had to be connected in some way, even if she didn't know herself, and that's what stopped him from acting out.

Expressing the anger would force him to admit to himself that she did hold something over him. So he kept it all locked in, discarding her find in favour of any book he could find on magical connections, his sights momentarily diverted from his lust for immortality and power to forming some kind of explanation for what this witch was doing to him.

All he could find was drivel about marriage rituals and soul healing, both of which he immediately wrote off as completely useless to him. One particular book held a rather peculiar title, of Broken Soul Bonds, but it stated that it required those being bonded to both perform the magic required.

Fuming, he tossed the book back onto the table, raking his fingers through his hair. He'd agreed to her deal thinking he would be able to finally get some answers about her, yet every revelation only spawned more and more uncertainties. He accepted he wasn't going to get everything he wanted from her in the short space of time she had given him, and she had been right the day before, he had known she too was a killer, and yet he'd wasted a day on fulfilling his own need to hear her confess.

He had two days left, and he would be damned if he let another day fall victim to his want to see her crack under pressure.

Unfortunately for him, on the fourth day, Aurora didn't show up at all.

Tom had walked into a dim and empty library, found almost exactly how he left in the previous night save for a small, neatly folded note with Tom scrawled across the top. He picked it up, carefully unfolding the pearlescent paper,

Riddle,

Books on Hybrid Magic are in the back right corner, if there is anything else about Horcruxes in this library, they'll be there. Start looking in the Dark Hybrids.

I won't be able to join you today, Aurelia requested I join her in Diagon Alley. Don't think this means you've been given a pass for today's deal, though.

My aunt and her partner taught me both Occlumency and Legilimency from when I could barely walk. I know you've been dying to know.

No need for a formal response, write your middle name on this paper and summon a house elf to bring it to my room.

Happy reading,

Aurora Rosier

Tom's fingers traced over her tidy script as he read, eyes trailing over to the corner she had instructed him to look in, feeling a small pang of something in his chest at her dismissal for the day. He had expected to feel angry at her blatant disregard for him and his own agenda, but that particular emotion never came. It was something deeper, maybe disappointment? As much as he had conditioned his dislike of her, Tom couldn't deny that the help she'd provided over the last few days had been immensely beneficial.

Merlin, she'd practically handed him everything he needed to know about Horcruxes on a golden platter. She was insufferable, but she was just as useful as he had hoped she would be from the moment Raoul had first suggested they recruit her.

Except she hadn't been recruited, had she? She was adamant she would never bend to his will, always the first to remind him that her offer was a one-time thing and that she would never give him something without getting another in return.

Secrets for secrets. Knowledge for the peace between them.

Even when she had been in her foul mood yesterday, she hadn't insulted him or tried to belittle him, she had just snapped before marching out. In fact, only he had attempted to rile the other up, something that was usually a two way game with them.

He stared down at the paper long after he finished reading, going over and over her secret for the day. Her wording was strange, he thought and conjured a plethora of other questions in his head.

The term 'partner' stood out particularly to him. One might assume that it meant a husband or fiancé, yet something in the back of Tom's head told him it wasn't that simple. That first time she had tried to extend an olive branch, Aurora had suggested they become collaborators, and for some reason, his mind told him that it was a similar case with her aunt.

As for the fact she had been learning how to lock away her memories since she was a toddler, everyone knew that she harboured secrets, but to teach a child to protect her mind from unwanted visitors suggested she wasn't just guarding it for herself. She was protecting someone else too.

Finally, he looked over her request for that day. Only Aurora, when presented with someone who had murdered someone, would think to ask only for their middle name. Granted, he had teased her with it yesterday, but he hadn't expected her to care.

Looking around the room for a quill, Tom's eyes landed on a small writing desk near the door. He strode over, opening and closing draws in search of something to pen his reply with. He found a small eagle feather, similar to the one he had been gifted, and a pot of emerald ink in the bottom-most draw, and with steady hand wrote the name just underneath where she had written his surname.

For good measure, he added his first name too, Tom Marvolo Riddle gleaming up at him in the wet ink. Allowing a minute or so to dry, he tidied the equipment back into the desk, carrying the note back over to his place by the fire.

She had further instructed him to use a house elf as a means of delivery, so he did.

"Pippa!" he called into the empty room.

With a loud pop, a small house elf draped in a remarkably clean pillowcase appeared in front of him.

"Young Mister Riddle called for Pippa, sir?" she squeaked, her large eyes shining in low candlelight.

Pippa was Abraxas' elf, his sixteenth birthday present from his father. She was tiny compared to most of the other elves Tom had encountered and she looked a great deal younger. Abraxas had told Tom on his first day at the Manor to use her when he pleased.

"Will you take this to Miss Rosier's room for me?" he asked, passing the note into the little elf's already outstretched hand.

"Pippa would be happy to do so sir!" she said excitedly, bowing deeply to him, "Pippa likes Young Miss Rosier! Pippa takes Young Miss her tea in the middle of the night, she does." the elf announced proudly, tucking the letter behind her back.

Tom's brow furrowed,

"What do you mean the middle of the ni-" but before he could answer, Pippa disappeared with another loud pop, once again leaving Tom to bask in the mystery that was Aurora.

So she wasn't sleeping at all, if she was being served tea in the middle of the night. It explained her recent appearance, not to mention her irritability the day before. Anyone who hasn't slept in as long as he suspected she had would have gone spare long before.

But like almost every other question he had about her, it was something that would go unanswered, it wasn't worth wasting his allotted question on. Deciding that it would be useless to ponder on it any longer, he made his way over to the section on Hybrid Magics, choosing several large books to lose himself in for yet another day.

Maybe she would return tomorrow, maybe she would leave him once again. All he knew for the moment was that she was still trying to help, and he would be a fool to disregard her so quickly.

December 30th, Tom almost gave up hope with Aurora. Once again, he had walked into an empty library, except the note he expected to find from her akin to yesterday's was no present.

He sat for almost two hours, brooding over one of the many volumes he'd plucked from the shelves yesterday. She had been annoyingly right about looking in the wrong section of the library, as most he found yesterday contained at least a paragraph's worth of information on Horcruxes.

By 9 am, he had all but accepted that she wasn't going to show, and doubted she would even have the decency to send a house elf to notify him anymore. That was until the unmistakable noise of heels against the hardwood floors of the corridors began to ring faintly through the air, growing louder and louder and the drew nearer, right up until the door of the library was thrown open.

"Well would you look at what the cat dragged in," he remarked, without taking his eyes off the text.

"Your birthday is tomorrow."

His head snapped up in the direction of the door, watching as she paced steadily towards him, eyes still dark but her hair tidier than he'd seen it in days, not to mention the midnight blue dress she had donned in favour of the day robe she had been sporting.

"Did no one ever teach you how to properly greet someone?" he asked as she sat herself down opposite him, crossing one leg over the other.

"Did no one ever teach you to not be a sarcastic arsehole?" he raised an eyebrow at her jab but didn't actually answer, "No? Thought not. Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday tomorrow?"

He waved dismissively into the air.

"It didn't seem important. How did you even find out-" he began to ask, but she cut him off.

"Not important?" she asked incredulously, "You're going to be of age, you cretin," and to think she'd done so well not insulting him, "that's rather fucking important to most of us! Imagine how much of an idiot I looked when accompanying Lady Malfoy to Diagon Alley, thinking it's just for a spot of shopping, only for her to tell me we're purchasing your birthday gift!"

Tom internally groaned, not out of ungratefulness, but Aurelia's need to mother all three of them became rather overbearing at times. Christmas day was overwhelming enough, H\he could only imagine what she would have in store on his birthday.

"I just assumed Raoul would have mentioned-" he began again, only for her to cut him off once more.

"Why the fuck would Raoul think to tell me when your birthday is?" she demanded.

"Maybe if you stopped interrupting me, you'd know the answer?" she huffed, but gestured for him to continue, "He's arriving at the Manor tomorrow morning, therefore, I assumed you would have known."

There was a beat, her eyes widening slightly in shock.

"Come again?"

"Last I checked, Rosier, you are not deaf." his voice was firmer than it had been before, not one to play along with her forced stupidity when she was so intent on being the smartest person in the room the rest of the time, "I said, quite clearly, that he would be here tomorrow, along with Avery. It appears he did not tell you?"

"He probably thought you would have told me, given that, oh I don't know, I've been in the same Manor as you for almost two weeks?" Aurora retorted.

"He severely misinterpreted our conversational abilities, then." he quipped, folding his arms over his chest and leaving back into his chair.

"Evidently." she snapped back.

Tom sighed deeply, wishing to get to the point of her arrival today. She had made him wait long enough, if she wasted any more time he may inadvertently try to curse her.

"Speaking of assumptions, are you here for your final secret? The deal was technically until tomorrow, however, I've been told that the library will remain locked to prevent me 'locking myself away' as Avery so delicately put it, and I hardly see a moment of privacy for trading secrets."

She brought one hand up to cover her heart, whilst the other came to rest on her forehead, doing her best impression of a damsel in distress.

"Oh, whatever shall I do, with one less nugget of information about Lord Mystery himself?" Tom thought he ought to put a taboo on that particular word, no matter how many times she said it, he could never help but marvel at the effortless way her mouth formed it.

Instead of dwelling on her pronunciations, he moved the conversation swiftly on.

"And I'm the sarcastic arsehole? Seems rather hypocritical." he quirked.

She huffed again.

"Fine. Last question. How did you kill Myrtle?"

It almost made him laugh. He truly never thought he would ever meet someone who could talk about death as easily as Aurora could, let alone someone would be confident enough to ask him such a thing. Obviously, asking his middle name the day before had only been a filler in her absence. The way her eyes gleamed as she awaited a response suggested that she had wanted to ask this in person.

As he always did, the prospect of lying to her crossed his mind, but he quickly pushed it aside. If the boys could handle knowing what he had done, and how he had done it, she certainly could.

"Have you ever heard of the Chamber of Secrets?" he asked conversationally.

"In passing. Don't tell me Salazar left you a pet Dragon or something down there for killing mudbloods?" she chuckled at her joke, and Tom's mouth curved into a smile.

"A Basilisk, actually." he corrected

Her laughing ceased, her mouth snapping shut, and eyebrows furrowing.

"Fucking hell," she muttered, "I was only joking about the Dragon. That fourth year Hagrid got expelled for the murder didn't he?"

"Indeed." he nodded

"You penned a Basilisk killing on a fourteen-year-old?"

"I did."

She remained silent for a moment before her mouth slowly formed a smile too.

"I hate to admit it, but I'm impressed, Riddle."

"I don't need your approval Rosier," he said pointedly, "but it is appreciated."

She rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in surrender.

"Oh Merlin forbid I try to be civil with you." she scoffed, "Get your question over with then."

Tom had thought deeply about what his final question for her would be, yet nothing had quite seemed to cut. One thing, however, had niggled in the back of his head. He knew he was pushing his luck asking, but there was nothing more fun than pushing his luck with Aurora. She wasn't of age, it's not like she could curse him.

Having said that, she wasn't opposed to physical fighting, either. Regardless of the possible consequences, he pushed on.

"It's not so much a question today, more of a request."

"Oh?" her eyebrow inquisitively.

"Teach me Occlumency."

Her eyes narrowed immediately, and he suddenly wondered if he'd made a mistake.

"And why would I do that?" she questioned.

"I'm offering you access to my mind, Rosier, I'd assume that would seal the deal for you immediately." That had been the pain selling point he had been counting on for his proposal, assuming that Aurora would jump at the chance to have complete access to something no one else was privy to.

"That would be exactly why I'm hesitant." she said suspiciously, "Do you understand how invasive any form of mind magic is?"

Talking of her not taking issue with physical aggression, Tom was reminded of the consequence he faced for not understanding sooner.

"The broken nose I sustained after attempting Legilimency on you once gave me a pretty good idea, funnily enough." his absentmindedly ran his fingers over the bridge of his nose

"That was an excellent day." she reminisced whimsically, staring off into the distance and exhaling lightly.

"For you maybe. Now, answer my question."

Her gaze found him again, surveying and harsh. He kept his face completely blank and she continued to study him until she decided on an answer.

"Fine." she said suddenly, " But on my terms. Five lessons total, I'll tell you when they're happening."

"Those are the only terms?" Tom knew there would be more to it than that. This was Aurora, for Merlin's sake. There was always something else with her.

Her smirk confirmed his suspicions

"I'm sure I can conjure up a couple more in the meantime."

"You're incorrigible." he declared.

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

She shrugged.

"Depends how you want to be perceived."

"You consciously try to be an arrogant bitch at all times?"

"Exactly. Is it working?"

"Frustratingly so."

She beamed.

"Fantastic." With that, she was pushing herself up from her seat, brushing down her dress the same way she had done when taking her leave. Not that he noticed things like that, "Now, unfortunately for you, I will have to leave you once again today." Why did he feel a slight pang of disappointment again? "Aurelia needs to pick up a few things from Hogsmede and asked me to join her again. I see you have a few more books than the other day, will those keep you going?" she gestured towards the ever-growing pile on the table in front of him.

"Maybe until lunch." she shrugged.

"Very well, enjoy your last day locked in here," she smirked, flicking her hair over her shoulder, like she always did, and stalking back off towards the door.

"With you absent, I shall certainly enjoy it more," he called after her. Liar.

She tossed a look back over towards him, her smirk only widening.

"And you call me incorrigible?" she teased.

"Goodbye, Rosier," he said with a tone of finality, not wanting to be shrouded by her presence any longer. If today ended up being anything like yesterday, the quicker she left him alone, the better for all of them. She was only providing a reminder of what would be missing from his day.

"Merlin's tits." he heard her mutter before the door slammed closed, the room falling into isolated silence once more.

Author's Note

Thank you to everyone for reading this far! Alongside writing chapter 15 I am going to be going back and heavily editing my first few chapters over the next couple of weeks, as certain aspects of my story have changed quite dramatically since I first started writing! I'll put a note at the end of my chapters when the edits are complete and posted, so if anyone would like to read the revised version they can! :)