Previously on 'The Redemption'... The gang graduates from Hogwarts and Tom Riddle returns home.
Chapter 39 - Inertia
Cho watches Arlene as she putters around the kitchen of her home, searching every cupboard for her favourite tin of tea leaves.
"You've only just moved in, how could you possibly have so much stuff?" asked Cho with exasperated amusement.
Arlene laughed airily, finally locating the tea she was looking for and adding it to a teapot with a strainer, preferring to make tea the muggle way (Cho remembered asking her why once, to which the reply was: "I don't know, it just tastes better?").
"Not everyone could lead such a minimalist life Cho Chang," she mused, "Which reminds me, have you heard the news about Riddle?"
Cho who was used to Arlene's abrupt change of thoughts didn't question the lack of association between the two ideas.
"Why would I have?" asked Cho, her tone carefully neutral "I haven't seen him since graduation."
Arlene cocked an eyebrow at her friend, not at all believing the casual nonchalance. Even though she and Henry didn't know the details of what had exactly transpired between the two at school, she knew there was too much history and feelings between them left unresolved to just leave it alone. Arlene rarely played the matchmaker but with Tom and Cho, there was something magnetic, a feeling of rightness that she couldn't quite shake off for the past few years.
"Well, if you're not interested…" trailed off Arlene, toying with Cho as she watched her friend's expression falter.
"Just tell me," said Cho, surrendering easily "What is Riddle up to?"
Arlene leaned over the counter, sliding over a cup of milky tea that looked like it had more milk than water in it. "Sarah was shopping for fabric in Diagon Alley and she saw him disappear into Knockturn Alley."
Cho knew enough about Knockturn Alley to know it didn't have the best reputation amongst the wizarding population. Just what was Riddle doing down there? Was he out to purchase something?
Arlene continued, "Sarah was curious too about what our illustrious ex-Head Boy was up to so she followed him and you'd never guess what she saw!"
A dozen macabre scenarios flashed through Cho's mind, none of which matched the innocent exuberance in Arlene's green eyes.
"What was he doing there?" asked Cho, caving in.
A smile spread across Arlene's face: "He was working as a shop assistant at Borgin and Bourkes."
"Why didn't you tell me Riddle was back?"
Cho couldn't keep the heat out of her voice as she spoke to Orion who was following behind her as she briskly walked up the corridor of the St Mungo's. They always had lunch together on Thursday afternoons but today was chaotic as a group of children who had thought riding quidditch grade broomsticks unsupervised would be a good idea had all arrived into her ward at once. Most of them had relatively minor injuries like fractured bones and sprains but consoling them while trying to heal them was much harder than expected. She had just managed to finish up with the last of her patients when Orion had arrived at 1.30 PM on the dot.
Orion quickened his steps, his tone mild. "To be fair, Riddle only came back less than a week ago and there's really nothing to report…"
Cho peeked her head through one of the doors, making sure that they were all in bed and resting as the sleeping draughts kicked in before quietly shutting the door behind her and whirling on Orion.
"What about the fact that he's apparently working at Borgin and Bourkes?"
Orion had the grace to look sheepish "Ah that… Well, you can't exactly expect me to report on such miniscule details like career changes Chang, I do have a job to do."
Cho gave him a sidelong glare, "Flirting with delegates does not take up all your time Orion and plus, we both know it's not just a career change."
Orion shrugged, allowing Cho to haphazardly throw on a long coat to cover her horrendously bright green mediwitch outfit before making their way out to the main entrance.
"I know it seems suspicious but there's not much I can do Chang - he barely tells any of us anything anymore. It seems like he just has enough power over most of his followers to make them too afraid to leave and not much else."
Cho frowned, stuffing her hands in her pockets as she walked side-by-side with Orion to their favourite lunch place - an intimate Italian restaurant owned by a lovely muggle couple. They sat down at their usual table by the grimy windowside and ordered before continuing their conversation in a hushed tone.
"I need to see him." said Cho quietly, her fingers restlessly tapping on the red and white checkered tablecloth.
Orion appraised the faraway look on his friend's face, knowing that it wasn't simply to check up on him as a spy. She wanted to know how he was, how he was doing, whether he looked well and happy (or as happy as Riddle could ever be). She never asked him these questions during the last 2 years since they left school but they always lingered in the background, silent and unspoken but as heavy as fog after rain.
"Let me know if you need me to come with you Chang. I heard Mr Bourke is particularly lecherous after a firewhiskey or two."
Cho made a mock face of disgust but it was enough to melt away some of the tension. She smiled softly in thanks, "I'll let you know."
He raised his glass of water towards her, his tone playful but his expression serious, "You better."
It had been almost a month since Tom had started work at Borgin & Bourkes, and while the tasks were mind-numbingly simple and tedious, Tom found that his diligence was paying off quicker than he had anticipated. Mr Borgin and Mr Bourke did not suspect the reason why the Hogwarts alumni with perfect grades was working at their shop - all they saw was how Tom could be an asset to them. He was handsome, polite, hardworking and charming - all the customers loved him, especially the older women who were hesitant to part with their old family jewels. Soon enough, Tom would be able source what he truly wanted with no questions asked….
The brass doorbell tinkered overheard as a gust of cold air blew in, ruffling a few of the papers on the counter. Tom stopped polishing the brass candlestick he was holding, looking up to greet the new customer when the object he was holding almost clattered to the floor.
Cho Chang smiled at Tom, the look so genuinely happy that Tom almost forgot all the terrible things that had happened between them. She looked very much the same - her skin pale and her black hair pin straight but slightly shorter. She was wearing the trademark robes of a mediwitch underneath her coat with a loosely knotted scarf twisted around her neck and Tom felt a twinge of pride knowing that she had achieved her dream.
"Hello Tom," she said, her Scottish accent more pronounced than in his memory "I was in the area and heard you worked here so I thought I'd say hello."
Tom immediately knew that she was not "in the area" but he let it past given his shock at seeing her again. Subtly clearing his throat, Tom forced himself to respond with as much normalcy as possible. He still couldn't quite believe that she was standing just metres from him in a boutique specialising in objects associated with the dark arts in the furthest corner of Knockturn Alley.
This was not how he thought they would see each other again - not that he would ever admit aloud that he was thinking about seeing her again.
"Hello Miss Chang, how have you been?"
Tom's eyes did not miss the flicker of disappointment on her face at his cold behaviour.
"I've been well! Very busy but I love my job - how about you?"
Tom noted that she spoke nothing about her personal life, as though she was eager to shift the attention away from herself. Filing away that little piece of information for later, Tom replied in an equally vague measure.
"I've been well."
Tom silently cringed at how awkward the exchange was, not wanting to share any more pieces of himself with Cho. Her sudden reappearance had once again put a spanner in the works for himself. Even though he had not forgotten her for a single day in the past 2 years, he could have lived knowing that at least she had forgotten about him. He wasn't sure why, but knowing that she thought of him enough to come all the way here made the situation so much worse. He couldn't let himself get more attached, he refused to.
She cleared her throat, injecting another dose of cheeriness into her tone as she suddenly plopped a paper bag onto the counter in front of Tom.
"Well I know you're probably busy so I bought some lunch for you. It's from this Italian place I go to and they make excellent paninis. I thought you might like it."
Tom stared dumbfoundedly at her, perplexed at her gesture and at what in Merlin's beard a panini was. Before he could say anything in return, she stepped away from the counter, winding her scarf tighter around her neck in a nervous gesture.
"I've got to rush back but it was nice seeing you again Tom. Bye!"
Before he knew it, Cho was gone, leaving Tom once more to his own thoughts. Shaking himself out of it, Tom stowed the paper bag of food away under the counter, curious to try it later despite the fact that his nagging conscience was telling him to throw it out or incinerate it.
"And who is that lovely mediwitch that just exited?" asked William, the only other staff worker beside Mr Borgin and Tom that was in the store today. Tom didn't particularly harbour any intense dislike towards him but he did have his moments of being too chatty and curious.
"She's no one." ground out Tom in a low voice, resuming his previous task of polishing and carefully displaying the new trinkets that had just arrived.
William raised his eyebrows, taking enjoyment in irking the usually unflappable Tom Riddle. "Well then, you won't mind me asking her out to dinner then?"
A flash of annoyance crossed Tom's face but he refused to give the irritating boy anything to hold against him. "Do what you will with her, I don't care."
Tom's annoyance deepened and festered as William replied with a cheery "Rightio!" and at Mr Borgin's snort of disbelieving laughter from the supply room behind them.
To Tom's utter frustration, Cho came around to visit every Thursday from that moment on, a cheery smile on her face and some baked treats in her hand that even managed to charm the equally grumpy Mr Borgin and Mr Bourke. Unsurprisingly, the idiot boy William still fawned over her but perhaps due to the vicious glare Tom would send his way, he still had not dared to ask Cho out to dinner like he had originally threatened.
Against all logic and reasoning, Tom had begun to anticipate her arrival. As soon as it would reach around midday, he made sure he was around on the shop floor. Even though he barely spoke to her, he liked seeing her around him and hearing her laugh (even when she didn't bring him those delicious sandwiches called paninis that he had grown to enjoy, much to his own consternation).
Once again he marvelled at how ridiculous he was in her presence. He had made up his mind years ago that he needed to forget her but it was become increasingly hard to ignore the pressure in his chest when she would show up every week with that look in her eye and the warmth in her smile.
It was almost as though she had forgiven him.
And despite knowing that she was still probably a spy for Dumbledore and not to be trusted, the thought warmed him more than he ever realised it could. He hadn't felt that way in so long that his heart clung to it and longed for it, disgustingly desperate and needy.
Not for the first time since she had arrived that afternoon, Tom snuck a glance at her and surreptitiously watched as she made casual conversation about a particularly hideous cursed necklace that strangled it's previous owner to their own demise. Sensing his stare, she looked up at him and smiled conspiratorially as though they shared some sort of secret before resuming conversation.
Turning away hastily, Tom made his way towards the back room, hoping that he could find something to restock.
The tinkle of the bell sounded as Cho swept through the doorway of Borgin & Bourkes, carefully drying off her sodden clothing with a well practiced wave of her wand before directing a polite smile towards Mr Bourke who gave her a small nod. As far as Cho was concerned, that was as close to a smile as Mr Bourke would ever give and seeing it as an invitation, she sidled up to him at the counter.
"Good afternoon Mr Bourke, is Tom in today?"
Mr Bourke grunted, clearing his throat as though it was rarely in use before addressing her: "The boy called in sick today. He's no' usually the type so it must be somethin' bad."
Cho's forehead creased, knowing that even if this job was a front for something more sinister, Tom placed much too high of a value on responsibility to shirk his duties. When she saw him last week, did he look sick? She filtered through her memories, remembering his quiet greeting when she breezed in as well as the barely concealed hint of a smile on his face as she tried to get Mr Borgin to try a new cookie recipe she was working on ("Blimey, sesame seeds in a biscuit. What's next? Flyin' house elves?").
No, he hadn't looked ill but given the temperamental London weather, Cho wouldn't be at all surprised if he had fallen sick.
"Mr Bourke, do you happen to have Tom's address by any chance?"
Mr Bourke looked hesitant to divulge the information but was soon much more agreeable once he spied the bag of cannoli's that Cho had bought and slid across the slightly dusty counter top.
Soon Cho was back out on the streets of Knockturn Alley with a slip of parchment clutched in her palm. She would go there as soon as she finished her shift of the day.
Cho ascended the stairs to the rickety old building, curious as to why Tom was living here. It wasn't that she thought he would choose a life of luxury but he always struck her as someone who valued cleanliness in his private space.
Frowning slightly, she stepped over an old muggle newspaper that lay strewn across the platform that led to the door reading the number 8. She supposed that it blew in from the open window of the hallway. Leaning over, the forcibly slammed down the wooden panel, having to shimmey it down until it finally closed.
Cho took a breath, staring down at the peeling paint of the brass number and summoning her nerves. It had all been well when she visited him weekly in his place of work where he couldn't outwardly refuse her in public but this was his own space, his personal haven. Cho didn't truly believe he would hurt her but she would be lying if she didn't admit that she felt vulnerable.
Tom Riddle somehow always had the knack of getting under her skin, fraying her nerves until she felt raw and exposed. The word 'vulnerable' was perhaps too kind of a way of putting it.
Breathing out, she raised her hand and knocked, listening keenly for any signs of life inside. After a moment of silence, she knocked again, louder and more insistent. Putting her ear against the door, she heard nothing but against the quickly falling night outside, she could see the faintest of light emanating from underneath the door. He must be home. Was he ignoring her? Or worse - was he so ill that he couldn't answer the door?
Stepping back and taking a quick look up and down the hallway to make sure there was no one watching her, Cho untucked the wand hidden in the pocket of her coat and aimed it at the lock. Purple sparks flew from the tip and to Cho's surprise, the door swung open with a creak.
Was it supposed to be that easy?
Carefully, Cho put her hand on the doorknob and swung it open before closing it behind her with a quiet snap. So far, so good. She had more than half expected some sort of trap to be laid but all that met her was an eerie quiet that left her unsettled.
She looked around the small apartment, her gaze zeroing in on the kitchenette that looked mostly disused around to the living area. It was scarcely furnished with a couch, cabinet, a trunk instead of a coffee table and a single chair tucked underneath a dining table. It didn't escape her notice that there were no decorations - not a single trinket left on the table nor a photo frame in the cabinet. For all she knew, this could be anyone's home and Mr Bourke had tricked her into trespassing on some stranger.
The slightest creak of a bed froze Cho in her tracks and she tip-toed her way to the source of light she had spotted from before. The door was wide open and against the orange glow of the lamp, Cho spotted a lump on the bed.
"Tom, is that you?"
The lump didn't respond but the rapid rise and fall of the chest confirmed that they were definitely alive but somehow not hearing her words.
Coming closer, Cho identified that the breathing lump was indeed Tom but the state of him rendered him barely recognisable to her.
Anyone who met Tom Riddle would agree that he was a proud person. He always walked with his head high, his posture straight and his words were smooth and precise. It was really only a handful of times when Cho saw the cracks of his confident exterior appear - once when he had scared her in the hallways of Hogwarts castle and another when she had found out his terrible secret.
He wasn't usually a vulnerable person, but seeing him in front of her now, that was the only word she could use to describe his shivering form.
Shaking herself out of her stupor, Cho lurched forward, touching Tom's shoulder and giving him a gentle shake.
"Tom? It's Cho. Can you hear me?"
He gave a low groan in response but didn't seem to register her words. His pale face had taken on a deathly pallor and he was covered in sweat. The shirt he was wearing was damp with it and dark tendrils of his hair stuck to the nape of his neck and forehead.
Worrying her lip, Cho shrugged out of her coat and scarf and threw it over the back of a nearby chair. It looked like it might be a long night for them both.