The first chapter is here! Thank you to everyone who read, followed, and favorited this story! I can't even begin to explain how much my confidence in this story has been lifted by all of your comments and support. Everyone is so sweet and I'm so happy that so many people are excited for this story!
This chapter is back in the past and gives a little background into Tom. There's a tiny bit of French in this chapter, and please excuse me if it's totally wrong. Blame Google Translate, thank you. Hermione will finally make her way into this story in the next chapter. I have it written out, but I want to take some time away from it and come back to edit it with a fresh mind.
Again, thank you to everyone who's following this! If anyone has any questions, please let me know! I'm going to be answering some things throughout the story, and if I feel like it's something that needs pointed out, but not necessarily written into the story, I'll mention it in the notes. Without further ado, let's get started! (Sorry about the double posting! I found a spacing error and had to fix it!)
December 30th, 1946
The annual Malfoy End of the Year party is still going strong, despite the late hour. It's 11:30 at night and Tom's had about all he can handle of socializing. It's been a long night of watching superficial purebloods flaunt their wealth and position. While interacting with those imbeciles darkens his mood, he knows that he needs their support if he ever wants a future in the Ministry.
He looks around the room for Abraxas to let him know he's leaving. He never saw the appeal of making friends, or rather, he simply never cared to – his loyal Knights of Walpurgis were enough for him. However, Abraxas, being his only follower that he could tolerate to converse with for more than five minutes, ended up being the closest thing to a friend he's ever had.
After he finds Abraxas, he retires up to his room for the night. He's been living in Malfoy Manor ever since a month after he left Hogwarts two and a half years ago. After graduation, Tom started working in Borgin and Burkes, and he was staying in a small, dingy apartment by himself. When Abraxas finally saw his living situation, he implored his parents to invite Tom to stay with them until he could find more acceptable living quarters. Horrified at the thought of charismatic and kind Tom Riddle living in such a state, they insisted on Tom quitting his job and coming to stay in the Manor. Disinclined to accept any form of charity, he started to refuse. However, Mr. Malfoy convinced him to accept by vowing to help in whatever way he could to get Tom into the Ministry.
As he prepares for bed, he remembers that his 20th birthday is tomorrow. His birthday has always been inconsequential in his life; however, to his immense displeasure, Mrs. Malfoy has made it her mission to change that. Although the Malfoy's End of the Year Party is usually on his actual birthday, New Year's Eve, they decided to have it a year early this year due to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy leaving for a vacation to Spain in the morning. He smirks at the thought. Despite being adamant about not wanting any special attention, Mrs. Malfoy always makes a spectacle of his birthday during the party. This year, to Tom's utter delight, she was unable to. He lays down to sleep, content that he doesn't have to suffer through people he doesn't know or care about expressing their false joy over his birthday this year. He falls asleep easily with the thought that his 20th birthday will be quite uneventful.
As the clock strikes midnight, Tom gasps awake. He feels like every single atom in his body is on fire. He's never felt pain this intense. This must be how my followers feel when I Crucio them, he thinks. He screams out at the pain, and once he starts screaming, he can't seem to stop. He claws at his chest, trying to put out the raging fire inside of it.
Abraxas, who was heading to his own room to retire for the night, hears Tom's screams and busts through his door. He startles at the sight that greets him. Tom is flailing in his bed, hands tearing through his shirt at his chest. "TOM!" He yells as he runs to his friend's side. He tries to rip Tom's hands away from his chest and gasps as he sees bloody claw marks covering his torso. He gapes as he looks at Tom's hands and sees talons instead of fingers. "Mippy!"
A pop, and then, "Yes, sir, Mippy is here! What can Mippy be doing to serve?" Mippy, Abraxas's personal House Elf, materializes.
He jerks his head in her direction. "Mippy, go get my father. Now! Hurry up," he shouts to her.
Mippy quickly apparates away and comes back a second later with Lord Malfoy. "What is the meaning of th—," Mr. Malfoy gasps at the scene in front of him. He rushes to Abraxas's side to help him hold Tom down. Tom's screams start to morph into screeches, like a bird, and he starts thrashing harder. "Why didn't you tell me Tom was part Veela?" Mr. Malfoy questions his son while they work harder to hold down the frantic boy in front of them.
Abraxas's eyes widen. "Part Veela? What do you mean? Tom's not part Veela," he exclaims, crying out as one of Tom's talons grazes his arm.
His father scoffs. "Well, clearly he is. Look at him! You know our Veela family history. You've heard the stories. You know what a Veela transformation looks like, and this is it. Today is his 20th birthday, that's when the transformation takes place." The Malfoys have had Veela blood in their bloodline for as long as they could remember. It's well-known that that's where they get their characteristic white blonde hair and beautiful features. Stories about their Veela ancestors are told to all of the Malfoy children when they're young. They all know what a transformation is like just in case they take on Veela traits and transform themselves. They're well-prepared for their possible future. "We'll have to restrain him and let him ride out the transformation. There's nothing we can do to help him through this besides watch over him and make sure he doesn't hurt himself more."
Abraxas is stunned. Tom has never mentioned anything about being part Veela, and he wonders if he even knows. Abraxas and his father restrain Tom, and Abraxas prepares to sit with him for the rest of the night.
His father turns to return to the party. He stops with his hand on the door knob and glances back to his son. "He'll need you when he wakes up, son. This transformation is going to take a lot of his mental and physical strength." Eyes heavy with exhaustion, Abraxas nods in understanding. "Have Mippy come get me if you need me." Mr. Malfoy opens the door and leaves to go back to his wife and guests.
Mippy levitates a chair over to the bed and Abraxas settles there with a sigh. He prepares himself for what he's going to tell his friend when he wakes up from this nightmare.
Tom wakes up slowly to the sound of birds chirping and the feel of sunlight shining through the windows. It was too cheery of a morning for how his body felt. It was like he had been thrown off a cliff, broken every bone in his body, healed them, then broken them all over again. He opens his eyes and groans as he slowly tries to sit up.
"Wait a minute. Be careful." Abraxas appears beside him and gently pushes him back down with a hand on his shoulder. "You've been through a lot these last few hours. You need to relax and build your strength back up."
"What happened last night?" He asks Abraxas. The last thing he remember is leaving the party and going to bed. Abraxas hesitates and looks away from him. Tom narrows his eyes. "Abraxas," he hisses. "Tell me what happened."
Abraxas sighs and turns to finally look at him. "You transformed last night."
Tom's brows furrow in confusion. "Transformed? What are you talking about?"
"You're part Veela, Tom. Veelas fully transform on their 20th birthday. That's what you went through last night and that's why you feel so weak this morning." He says.
Suddenly, Tom remembers back when he was researching his family. He recalls that he did read that there was Veela blood in his ancestry, but that only the females exhibited Veela traits. "That's impossible. Veelas are female, not male. I can't be a Veela," Tom stresses, shaking his head in disbelief.
Abraxas sighs. "That's just a myth. Veelas are in my bloodline too, and it's rare, but there have been cases of male Malfoys taking on Veela traits." Abraxas waits for Tom to explode. He knows that Tom doesn't like surprises, and this is one hell of a surprise.
Shockingly, Tom just sighs, "I need all the books in the Manor's library on Veelas. If this is what I am, then I want to know everything about it."
"Of course, Tom," Abraxas says. He calls for Mippy to bring them any book that mentions Veelas, and he sits down with Tom and they set out to research everything they can.
It's been a month since his Veela transformation. In the last few weeks, Tom and Abraxas have read into everything they could find on Veelas. Mr. Malfoy has been an extra help with anything they can't find in books. While he feels more prepared for this life with the knowledge he now has, he has been living with a feeling of emptiness and longing ever since he first woke up a month ago. Through his research and after questioning Mr. Malfoy, he knows that this feeling comes from his Veela side craving its mate. He tried to be upset upon learning he now had a soulmate that he was supposed to take care of and protect – another person other than himself to think of was never something he wanted –, but his Veela side won't let him be upset about her. Whoever she is. He doesn't know her, and he doesn't know how to find her, but he's starting to realize that if he doesn't start actively trying to find her soon, he's going to go insane.
Mr. Malfoy knows of a Seer who specializes in Veelas that lives in Paris. He set up Tom with a portkey to find her and meet with her. She's located in what seems to be Paris's own version of Knockturn Alley, in a small back room inside of a derelict bar. The portkey took him straight to his location, and he looks around the small, crowded alley. A ragged looking woman dressed in not nearly enough clothing for the cold temperature looks his way as he pops into view. She smiles seductively and sashays over to him. "Salut, beauté. Voulez-vous de la compagnie?" Tom's eyes flash as he sharply turns his head to glare at her. The woman flinches away and jerks back the hand she had held out to grab at his arm. "Désolé, monsieur," she whispers as she bows her head and slowly walks away.
Tom turns back to the bar and walks over to enter. As he steps through the door, he looks around at its patrons. He sniffs in distaste. He only needs one glance at these people to know that they are weak and worthless – not worth his time. No one glances his way as he walks toward the back of the bar in the direction of the only other door in the room. The door creaks as he opens it and saunters through without knocking, announcing his presence to the one person occupying the room.
He walks into the room and sees an old woman sitting behind a small oak desk. She has long gray hair braided down her back and she's wearing clothing fit more for a gypsy than a witch. Without looking up from the papers in front of her, she begins to speak. "Hello, Tom. I've been waiting for you."
He's not surprised she knew he was coming, given the nature of what she is. This actually works in his favor. This way, they can get straight to business and avoid all unnecessary introductions. He strides up to the desk and places his hands on the chair sitting across from it. "Hello," he says. "Let's get right to the point: I need to know where my mate is, and you're going to tell me."
"Not one for pleasantries I see." The Seer smiles and leans forward as she finally looks up at him. "Okay then, come here. Let's see what we can do to find her." He steps around the chair and settles down into it. "I need to do a spell to help me see her, and I'm going to need a drop of your blood. Hold out your hand."
He holds out his hand, and the Seer grabs it as she pulls out her wand. She makes a small incision and lets the blood pool into his palm. Then, she waves her wand over his hand and says a small incantation. A soft blue light glows over his palm and she gasps and pulls away.
"What is it? Where is she? Is something wrong with her?" He's terrified that something is wrong. That he's too late and something has happened to her and that he wasn't there to protect her. "TELL ME," he yells, slamming his fists down onto the desk and leaning closer to her. His eyes open wide and start to glow an eerie silver.
The Seer jumps back and hesitates. A low growl starts to rumble in Tom's throat, and the Seer flinches as she finally reveals, "She's nowhere."
His fists clench. "Nowhere? How can she be nowhere? What do you mean?" He demands.
"She's nowhere. She has yet to be born."
"She WHAT?" He feels a sudden blinding rage. He jumps up and throws the desk to the side. The Seer yelps as he casts an Incarcerous and binds her to the wall behind her. My mate has to be alive. I can't live without her. I need her now. "What do you mean she hasn't been born yet? That can't be possible," he stresses.
Terrified, the Seer quickly says, "But it is. She has yet to be born—" She gasps as Tom tightens the bonds around her. Breathless, she gasps out, "But she will be! I'm unable to see exactly when, but I do know that it will be many years from now. Decades even. And that you will also meet her at Hogwarts."
Decades?! Enraged, he storms over to where the Seer is being held. "How is it possible that she won't be born for decades? I'll be years older than her! How can I protect her if I'm an old man?"
"But you won't be an old man," she cries out. "When a Veela is born before their mate, they stop aging until their mate is born and they are of the same age. This guarantees that the Veela and their mate will be able to spend as long of a life together as possible, and this also increases the time they can procreate."
It takes a minute for her words to sink in, but when they finally do, he relaxes and releases his hold on her, her spent body crashing to the floor. "I'll meet her at Hogwarts? Decades from now?" He repeats from above her.
Hands holding her weak body up from the floor, the Seer gasps in relief. "Yes. It is destined that you shall meet her at Hogwarts."
"Is there anything else I need to know?" He asks.
She looks up at him and intently holds his stare. "You cannot change fate," she declares. "You may feel when she is born, but do not go searching for her. You will meet her at Hogwarts, nowhere else."
He nods, and with this new information, he turns to the door, leaving the old woman panting on the floor. He walks through the bar, ignoring the terrified stares of the feeble patrons. He exits the bar and pulls out the portkey to make his way back to Malfoy Manor.
As he walks through the entrance into the Manor, he calls out to Mippy to ask where Abraxas is.
"Young Master is being in the library, sir," Mippy says.
He nods to her and heads that way. As he walks in, he quickly spots Abraxas seated in one of the many lounge chairs, reading a large tome. He looks up as Tom walks toward him.
He closes his book and sets it down on the table beside him. "So, how did it go?" He asks.
Tom decides to get right to the point. "She hasn't been born yet."
"She hasn't been born?" He exclaims. Good to know he wasn't the only one surprised.
He starts to pace. "She hasn't. The Seer said she won't be born for decades." Seeing the question on his face, Tom clarifies, "She said that I'll stop aging and won't start again until she's born and reaches the same age as I am now." Understanding and surprise lights in Abraxas's eyes. Tom goes on to the most important part. "She also said that I'll meet her at Hogwarts. I need to find out how that's going to happen."
Abraxas hums in thought. "Father mentioned a few days ago that the last Hogwarts board meeting was about needing a new Defense Against the Darks Arts professor. Merrythought is finally retiring. You should apply for that position. That would guarantee that you'll be at the school whenever she starts there. You're NEWT grades were fantastic. They have no reason to not hire you for the position."
Tom scowls. "That might work, if it wasn't for Dumbledore. That old tosser would never let me back into the school. Especially to teach. He'll be whispering into Dippet's ear to reject my application as soon as it reaches his desk. He's never trusted me." Not that he's wrong not to, he thinks. It's no secret that Professor Dumbledore doesn't trust him as far as he can throw him. He doesn't see how he'll be able to get into the school, especially to be hired on as a professor, for as long as Dumbledore is there.
"Well, it won't hurt to try. Father will put in a good word for you, too. Apply, and then if it's rejected, we'll work from there," Abraxas reasons.
Resigned and knowing he has no other choice, he nods and agrees to at least try and apply for the position.
Dear Mr. Riddle,
I have received your application for the position of Defense Against the Darks Professor, and I regret to inform you that, although your NEWTS marks were impressive, I have already decided on other candidates to interview for this position.
Thank you for your interest, and please apply again if a position opens up in the future.
Best,
Headmaster Dippet
Tom crumples the letter in his hands and throws it into the fire. His eyes flash silver. That arsehole, Dumbledore, can't keep me away from my mate. I'll kill him before I let that happen. Enraged and irrational in his anger, he apparates just outside of Hogwart's wards. It's late afternoon on a Wednesday, and classes just let out for the day. As he enters the castle, students scurry out of his way as he stalks through the halls. He's always careful to maintain a calm outward persona, no matter what he's feeling on the inside, but he's too angry right now to be able to conceal it. He bypasses the Headmaster's office and heads straight to Dumbledore's. He knows he's the reason he's being kept from his mate. He wandlessly slams open the office door and strides angrily inside.
Dumbledore is standing by the fireplace in his office. He glances up at Tom's abrupt entrance. "Hello, Tom. How can I help you?" Dumbledore, calm and collected as ever, asks him. His placid attitude angers Tom further.
"You can't keep me from her," he spits out at him.
Dumbledore's brow furrows in confusion. "And who would you be referring to, Tom?"
"My mate. You can't keep me from her! I need to be here. I have to be here when it's time," he snaps. A glass dish full of lemon drops explodes on a shelf, raining candy over the floor. The only sign that Dumbledore even noticed is the slight twitch of his eyes in that direction.
"Your mate?" Tom thinks this is the first time since the day he met Dumbledore that he's seen him startled. If he wasn't so angry, he might have been happy to shock the old man.
"Yes, my mate. I'm supposed to meet her here, but you are keeping me away from her!" He can feel his talons start to stretch out from his fingers, his voice is starting to gain a screeching quality to it, and he knows his eyes are starting to flash a silvery hue.
Dumbledore pauses to examine him. First his eyes, then down to his hands. Suddenly, Dumbledore's eyes start to twinkle, and he starts to smile. "Tom," he says gently, "If I didn't know any better, I would guess that you're a Veela."
He snarls. "Yes, you old fool, I am a Veela. And I have a mate. And you're keeping her from me!" His talons are digging into his palms, blood starting to slowly drip onto the floor.
"Slow down, Tom. Sit down and explain to me exactly what's going on," he says.
He breathes deeply and tries to calm down. He won't be able to reason with anyone in this state, he knows. He slowly relaxes and sits in the chair in front of the desk, and Dumbledore glides over to sit across from him. He begins to explain how he went through his transformation over a month ago, and he ends with his conversation with the Seer. Dumbledore's smile gets wider throughout his tale. Tom should have known that a sob story like this would appeal to the old man. "I need to be here when she starts school. It's my only chance at finding her," he reasons with him.
Tom internally rolls his eyes as that infernal twinkle starts to shine in Dumbledore's eyes. "Tom, I wish you would have come to me right away with this. Of course you need to be here so you can meet your mate. Let's go to Headmaster Dippet's office right away and tell him the situation. It wouldn't be right for us to stand in the way of destiny." Dumbledore stands and ushers Tom to the door. They step into the hall and make their way to Dippet's office.
Reaching the Headmaster's office, Dumbledore knocks and they enter when they hear a soft command to come in. When they enter, Dippet's eyes widen as he takes in Professor Dumbledore and Tom Riddle standing in his doorway. "Albus. Mr. Riddle. Is there something I can help you with?"
Dumbledore explains the situation to the Headmaster and persuades him to hire Tom for the Defense position. Dippet has Tom sign all the necessary paperwork and starts him on the process of being hired into the school. As Tom takes his leave, a smirk starts to form on his face. With this situation dealt with, he's one step closer to meeting his mate.
French Translations:
Salut, beauté. Voulez-vous de la compagnie? – Hello, handsome. Would you like some company?
Désolé, monsieur – Sorry, sir.