Author's note: I apologise for the delay in this update. Also, please don't compare things with original HP as this an AU and many things will be different. ..like in this chapter Hufflepuff dormitory is not in the basement(like original HP). The common room is in the basement but one has to climb the stairs for students' dorms.

Hope you'll enjoy this chapter :)

Soon it was Christmas break, almost all students had left to celebrate holidays with their families.

Harry was pleased that both of her dorm-mates had left, making her dorm a very peaceful and likeable place. Actually the entire Hufflepuff house was peaceful as only three other students apart from Harry stayed back, but much to her dismay, Marcus was amongst them.

She shook her head as she thought about her ex bestfriend, whom she found following her again that morning, but he changed his direction when she stopped and looked back. She had to do something about him, as his stalking habit began to make her feel more and more uncomfortable.

With a sigh, she started adding colour in the drawing she was making in her brand new sketchbook that she got, along with a new colourbox, from Tom for Christmas. She in return got him a set of green and silver feather quills.

His thought made her smile. Too bad she could not see him that evening because of her meeting with Sirius. And now she was missing his evening kiss, his talks, his ... Merlin...she shook her head.. she was really lovestruck.

KNOCK

She looked towards the window, from where that sound came from, then frowned.

KNOCK

Getting up she moved towards the window, then unlocked it to looked down from her second floor dormitory. She laughed when found Tom standing in the middle of the snow covered ground and gazing up at her.

She folded her arms on the window sill, and she stared at him."What are you doing out here ?"

She frowned as she could not hear his reply, and he signalled her to wait. He started looking around then tranformed one ivy growing against the wall into a ladder.

As he climbed she could help but think of a certain muggle play her aunt used to watch on television. Then with a dramatic face she said, " O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name... uh... Oh I forgot the rest ."

Tom chuckled and said,"Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet."

Then, he took her hand and sat down on the window sill, and said, "I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo."

She laughed and nodded, "Okay you will be called Tommy then. "

He smiled down at her, "You can call me whatever you want sweetheart."

He just stared at her for few seconds.

"By the way I love this nightgown of yours." He said as he gazed at her full sleeved white cotton nightwear, which as per him made her look like a cute angel from heavens in that moonlight.

She blushed at his compliment, then she noticed that he was wearing his travelling cloak."Are you going somewhere?"

He nodded, "That's what I wanted to tell you. I'll be back by tomorrow evening."

She frowned at him, then gestured towards the snow filled grounds and said "Its snowing Tom. You will catch cold. And where are you going around this time? Can't you wait till morning?"

He took her hand, "Sweetheart I am a wizard, my cloak is charmed against cold. And it's something urgent. I just learnt something, and for that I am going to Little Hangleton village."

The name of the village made her froze. Suddenly, she started remembering one graveyard with her surrounded by death eaters and their leader torturing..

She looked back at him shook her head, "NO... You won't."

Her outburst made him concerned, he touched her cheek and said, "Sweetheart don't worry. I can very well take care of myself. I will come back by tomorrow evening."

She just stared at him, her caring and affectionate boyfriend. She knew the trip of that place would effect him and she won't meet the same Tom tomorrow. She touched his hand and with a pleading face said, "Please take me with you Tom. I don't want to be left behind."

He stared at her as tears started filling up in her eyes, and sighed "I am not leaving you alone love. I am coming back."

She shook her head, she knew he would change and started crying, "No Tom. Don't go alone. Please don't leave me. Please Tom I am begging you."

He immediatly grabbed her face and kissed her passionately. Then meeting gaze with her teary eyes, he said, "Don't beg ever. Understand? "

She still kept on crying but nodded. He kissed her again."Change your clothes sweetheart. I will wait."

She grinned teary eyed, then hugged him, "Oh thank you Tom. I'll be ready in two minutes."

He chuckled as she ran towards her trunk to take out her clothes. "I am counting Harry. Fifteen seconds already gone."

She glared at him then ran towards the bathroom to change.

They walked hand in hand, as Tom guided Harry through the dark forest. Salazar told him about certain hidden passageway through the forest which would take them outside the school wards.

"Tom what about professors. Won't they notice?" She asked, as she thought of their absence getting noticed by professors during breakfast as well as lunch amongst few students present.

He shook his head, "It's holidays. They won't notice."

He then stopped near a circle of small rocks."I think this is the place." He touched his wand on the rock lying in the middle of that circle and hissed open in parseltongue. It moved aside revealing a tunnel there.

After about fifteen minutes, they crossed through to the other side of that tunnel, which was near the end of Hogsmead village.

Tom gazed around then wrapped his arm around Harry to apparate them straight to Little Hangleton

They stood there for few minutes, as they stared towards the village which was covered in the darkness of night. Tom looked towards the moon then started observing the surrounding grounds.

Harry kept on holding his hand as she gazed towards Riddle house perched on top of a small hill. She moved her eyes towards Tom and found him to be looking towards the other side of the village.

He squeezed her hand, "Come."

She nodded and they walked on a small path passing through the forest covered area on the edge of that village.

Tom kept on looking around as if searching for something, and after about twenty minutes of walking he suddenly stopped.

Harry stared at him then followed his gaze and found a small run - down shack, surrounded by snow and bushes.

"Harry you stay behind me. Okay?"

She nodded and followed him as he walked towards that shack, which had a dead snake nailed on its door.

He knocked its door, after few seconds it was answered by a man with thick dirty long hair, he just stared at Tom, then bellowed, "YOU!"

He pulled out his knife and looked as if he would attack Tom.

"Stop" Tom said suddenly in parseltongue, making that man freeze in shock.

He stared at Tom and said, "You speak ?"

Tom nodded " Yes I do." Then he pushed that man inside and walked in. Harry just stood on the door as Tom asked her to do earlier.

Tom gazed around then back at that man, "Where is Marvolo?"

"Dead."

Tom frowned,"And who are you?"

"I'm Morfin"

Tom stared, "His son?"

Morfin nodded "Yess."

He kept quiet for few seconds then pushed the hair out of his dirty face. "I thought you were that filthy muggle. You look alot like him."

"Which muggle?" Tom asked sharply.

Morfin spat on the floor and said, "That muggle my sister took fancy to, that muggle who lives in that big house. You look look alot like that muggle Riddle. But he is older than you. "

He swayed a little then added, "He came back. Left her. Serves her right for marrying that filth. Robbed us. Where is that locket? Where is Slytherin locket ?"

Tom did not say anything but stared at Morfin as he shouted about his sister and that muggle, while brandishing his knife in the air. Harry looked at Tom who was standing still while gazing at that mad Morfin, she could not help it anymore and took out her wand then stunned that man. She moved towards Tom who kept on staring at stunned Morfin lying on floor.

"Tom"

He shook his head. "I always thought that my father was dead. But turned out he is very much alive."

"Tom"

"He abandoned my mother. I grew up in orphanage because of him."

"Tom"

"That man made my life miserable."

Harry moved in front of Tom who seemed to be in a different world. She cupped his cheeks, "Tom look at me. You are not miserable. We will make our future beautiful Tom. Please look at me."

He stopped talking and stared at her. She smiled, "I love you Tom."

He blinked, then realised that she just said that for the first time to him. Earlier she only said she liked him alot. He could not help but smile, "You love me?"

She grinned and nodded, "Of course stupid. Why else would I say yes to your marriage proposal then?"

"You have no idea what it means to me." Then he looked down at his stunned uncle. "Give me a moment Harry."

He bent down and pulled something out of Morfin's hand, then hissed obliviate.

"Come on. We are leaving, I can't stand in this place anymore."

She took his hand as he moved towards the village. "Where are we going now Tom?"

He gazed at the big house, his so called uncle gestured, when he spoke about his father. "We are going to meet my dearest father."

She did not say anything but walked next to him towards the Riddle House.

Tom did not bother to knock the door but opened it with his wandless magic with a bang.

"Who is there?" A middle aged man said as he walked down the stairs.

Tom just chuckled as he stared at that man, who looked a lot like him. Harry kept on holding his hand as she stared at the man who was responsible for effecting Tom's life so much.

Riddle Sr stared at Harry then his eyes stopped at Tom, "Who are you?"

Tom smirked and said "Nice to finally meet you Mr Riddle. My name is Tom Marvolo Riddle. Your Son."

Riddle froze in shock, then after few second he bellowed, "You ... son of that filthy witch. Get out of my house."

Before Tom could react, Harry being very concerned about Tom shouted back, "Bastard. You are a filthy pig. Shut your bloody mouth."

She tried to move forward as she wanted to punch that man, but Tom held her back. She looked back at him and found that instead of being upset about his father's reaction, he was beaming down at her.

"Calm down sweetheart. We just came here to say hello to my dearest father."

She blinked and nodded.

He looked towards his father then back at her, "Oh and Harry you are right. He is a filthy pig. Look at him."

She moved her gaze back at Riddle Sr and found a fat pig standing there.

"Is he?" She asked Tom and he nodded.

She could not help and started laughing. "This is the best revenge ever."

"I know. " He smiled then wrapped his arm around her and apparated away.

She expected to see Hogsmeade but found herself standing on a beach next to Tom. He moved in front of her and held her hand.

On meeting her questionable gaze he said "I wanted to give you something special and found it today. I thought this would be the perfect place."

She frowned at his cryptic reply.

He played with her fingers for few seconds then put his hand in his pocket. He wanted to do this properly with her.

Then after taking a deep breath he went down on his knees and took out the ring he just resized as per her fingers, "I know we can't before we turn seventeen and I've already asked you this question. But will you marry me?"

She covered her mouth as he went down on his knees, then laughed and nodded, "Yes yes yes. I will Tom. Do I have to write it down? "

He chuckled then took her hand and put the ring on her middle finger . She looked at that ring which was made of gold with a black stone having some triangular pattern on it.