AN: Hey, so, I know I don't usually put the AN up here, but needs must. And, unfortunately, I need to say something.
To the guest that gave me this review: "Hmm I wonder where I've seen this story before? oh I know The Lord of Time by Debsthesyltherinsnapefan the amount of similarities it has in the first four chapters alone is outstanding! Very original well done" - Gee, lets see...oh, right, I SPECIFICALLY stated I'd gotten heavily inspired from that VERY story in an AN EXACTLY where this one is in the very FIRST chapter! What, did you not read that before you wrote your review? Obviously not, else you might've thought twice about it! Oh, and if your wondering where that review of yours went...NEWS FLASH, we can DELETE GUEST REVIEWS! Next time you want to flame someone, grow a spine, make an account! That way, we'll have a name to put to your reviews! Or are you just scared you'll get reported? Don't like it? Well I didn't like your review! Deal with it!
Now that that's out of the way, let me restate this one last time so nobody has any kind of confusion or the idea that I'm trying to steal Debs' story - I'M NOT. I was very much inspired by their incredibly good story, and this is the result. I'm NOT doing a straight copy and paste with a few minor edits, I'm writing my own story that just HAPPENS to be similar to Deb's since it was inspired by it! I've read plenty of other stories where Harry goes back in time to the 1930's to 40's to, so its not like I'm stealing some copyrighted theme, either! If Debs has a problem with it, I will happily work it out with them! Likewise, I will happily argue back and forth over PM's about why my story is NOT plagiarized from Debs if you really want to! So far, though, I've gotten NOTHING but this one guest review! Dammit, I like to think I'm a pretty nice person, but things like this just tick me off! I would NEVER just cut and paste someone else's story, thankyouverymuch, and I happen to be of the opinion that, if someone thinks my story is so good they get inspiration from it I'd be flattered.
Anyway, that's it on the ranting. Thanks for listening...err, reading. Anyway, as for this chapter...I just couldn't resist putting in one last bit of light fluff before we get back to Wizarding Britain. Enjoy! Please review - POLITELY, please, or at least constructively. Constructive criticism is one thing, but THAT - see top - is another altogether. And I'm not a fan, turns out.
Tom groans, and mutters "You've got to be kidding…" It's a week until they get their letters for Hogwarts, and…he woke up with the flu! He's had it enough times to know what it's like, to - aches, shivering and hot flashes, the feeling that he wants to be sick just to make his stomach stop rolling, all of it. Merlin dammit, he hates being sick.
"Tom?" He hears Evelynn's soft footsteps make their way over to him, and then an ice-cold hand gets pressed to his forehead. Something that feels so good, he's just discovered. And then she swears under her breath, saying "Merlin, your burning up."
A whine makes its way out of Tom's throat all on its own when her hand leaves his forehead - her hand, being so cold on his skin, felt way too good for it to suddenly leave. And then Evelynn's hand is mercifully back, running through his sweaty hair this time, as she murmurs "No, no, I'm not going far. Just-" She's cut off by the sound of knocking at the door.
Which means its Cole. Only she would be at their door, much less knock. All the other kids are too terrified, after all.
Evelynn curses under her breath, then says "Stay here, Tom."
Unfortunately for Evelynn, nobody gives Tom Riddle orders and expects him to follow them…and he refuses to show weakness of any kind in front of Cole. She may not hate him, something he's learned after seeing how Evelynn's relatives treated her, but he's not going to seem weak in front of her! So of course, as Evelynn's explaining to Ms. Cole how Tom's got the flu, he stumbles over to the doorway - already regretting getting out of bed, his head is pounding now that he's upright. Yeah, maybe he should've swallowed his pride just this once and stayed in bed…
Ms. Cole grabs Tom by the chin and sharply tilts his face up to look at him, turning it this way and that before saying "Back into bed, Tom. Now. Miss Peverell, in light of his illness-"
Evelynn quickly says "Its fine, Ma'am. I can take care of Tom." Tom could swear he senses Evelynn's magic flare for just a moment - not a Compulsion, he thinks, but more something that just started happening and that she learned to do on purpose. A bit like him reading people's minds, he thinks.
To Tom's utter surprise, the strict woman only purses her lips together then says "Very well, then. Just don't fall sick yourself, Peverell."
Once the door is closed again, Evelynn takes Tom's closest arm and drapes it over her neck while saying "Alright, this time stay in bed. That sounds so bad coming from me, but still." Of course, she was never really allowed to be sick either - Merlin forbid Eve Potter was anything other than bloody invincible.
Once he's sitting on the mattress, Tom asks "Did you just do what I think you did to Cole? Convince her to let you stay with magic?"
Evelynn flushes in embarrassment, and says "Maybe. Its not a Compulsion or anything...I think, anyway. I don't usually convince people like that, but…"
Tom quietly asks "But?" Sick or not, he really wants to know this answer. Even if it will make his head literally spin with the confusion it'll most likely bring on top of him being sick with the flu.
Evelynn looks up, and says "But you're sick." At Tom's blank look, she asks "You actually thought I would leave you alone to be sick?" Everyone did it to her whenever she was sick, why would he think she'd do the same to him?
Tom looks up at the honest confusion in her voice, and sees her open expression. Its not an act, she's honestly confused about why he'd think she'd leave him in this room alone to either get better or not. Tom just shrugs, and says "It's happened before."
Evelynn's expression darkens, and she says "Yeah, I bet. To me, to. The Dursleys would lock me in the cupboard to either get better or die. Didn't I tell you that?"
Tom, in his hazy state, thinks he might remember her saying something like that. Maybe. "Perhaps…" How Evelynn went through a life as shitty as she lived and still ended up this kind is an utter mystery to Tom. He certainly didn't manage it, and now he knows hers was worse!
Evelynn lets out a soft breath, then murmurs "Alright then. Lay back down, Tom." One hand goes to his cheek when he doesn't immediately do so, cold against his heated face, and tilts his head to the side gently while the other brushes against where Cole's nails had been digging into Tom's skin. "Least she didn't make you bleed. C'mon, Tom, just lay back for me." Because he's still sitting mostly upright, despite swaying slightly as they made their way back to his bed. After a moment, she puts a hand on his shoulder and eases him back down - who knew Tom would be so stubborn about something like this? Merlin, they really are a lot alike.
Once he's on his back, Evelynn says "I'm going to get some water and a rag, Tom. I'll be back soon. So, for Merlin's sake, don't get back up." Merlin, I never thought I'd be saying that. She was never the one to stay in bed - though, to be fair to her, she had it ingrained in herself that she had to be up at six in the morning every morning to make breakfast and start the coffee, get the paper and post, etc. She was never allowed to stay in bed in the first place.
Tom almost immediately lets out a whine of protest - he's feeling like utter crap, and it's the perfect time to see just how much he can get away with when it comes to Evelynn. Sue him. When he cracks an eye open, Evelynn's giving him an incredulous 'the-world-is-coming-to-an-end' look. It nearly makes him burst out laughing, there's not many things that can really surprise Evelynn. And he delights in finding them.
After a minute, Evelynn seems to catch on to what he's doing because she sighs at him and says "Your just lucky stuff like this tugs at my heartstrings, Tom." He inwardly grins in triumph when she says that, she's not leaving this room at all today then. Honestly, he's not even really sure why he doesn't want her to leave, only that he really doesn't want her to leave. "You're not gonna let me leave the room, are you? Not without guilt-tripping me to hell and back."
Tom chuckles, which turns into a cough. Once he's through coughing, with Evelynn rubbing his back to help him through it, she groans and says "I can't die, so you won't be the death of me, but the point still stands." Before he can retort anything, she waves her hand and a wooden bowl appears on the nightstand next to Tom's head before filling with water. And then…she props him up for a moment before sitting down and putting his head in her lap. Letting him use her thighs as a pillow while she wrings out a dripping-wet rag and puts it on the back of his neck.
Tom feels nothing but shock at this point - he didn't really expect much other than her laughing to herself when she realized how he was trying to manipulate her into staying. He certainly didn't expect this…whatever this is. "Evelynn? What are you doing?"
The rag he can feel goes still for a moment, and she says "Honestly…not a clue. What I would've wanted someone to do for me if I was sick, I suppose."
Merlin, this feels so good… Tom should probably be worried that he's suddenly craving her touching him, but he tells himself it's just because he's got the fever and her hand feels cool to the touch thanks to her magic being so cold and her being so powerful. And that's all.
He's not sure how long they stay like that, Evelynn running a hand through his hair and keeping him company, but he finds himself incredibly embarrassed to note he managed to fall asleep despite everything. Alternating fever and chills, and Evelynn's hand and quiet voice alike. When he moves to sit up, he realizes there's a hand tangled in his hair and another resting on his back.
When he glances up, Evelynn's sleeping as well - sitting up, but leaning against the pillow behind her. And, dammit, she looks a lot younger than she actually is when she's asleep - near-thirteen-year-old body aside, she looks...ten, maybe. And far more relaxed than he's ever seen her when she's awake, he's just now realized - she's always watching everyone, waiting for someone to whirl around and try to Hex her or worse. Even here at Wool's, she's never not watching everyone around the two of them. Why that doesn't apply to him as well - hell, he figures it should apply especially to him! - is something he's yet to ask her. And, this time, he's much more wary of what the answer could be.
An angel doesn't really work for a comparison, Master of Death and all, wait maybe it does… Tom instantly gives himself a mental shake, trying to rid himself of the thoughts - Merlin, he doesn't actually have feelings for her! Not...feelings feelings, anyway! He wants her at his side, yeah, she's breathtakingly powerful and beautiful, but…dammit, she confuses him to no end, even after she's shared all her secrets. She manages to confuse him just by existing, that alone seems to affect him like nothing and no one else ever has before. Plenty of things can get him angry, some furious to the point of seeing red…but only this strange girl that showed up out of another time and made a life in this one manages to confuse him like this, make him want to keep her by him at all times, and…dammit, he can't even accurately describe all the ways she affects him! Which he's perfectly content in blaming on the flu.
He finally gives into the pounding in his head that thinking about it all gives him combined with his flu, and goes back to sleep. Only to wake up to the feeling of fingers running through his hair and the sound of someone humming. He instantly decides the most Slytherin thing to do…is pretend to be asleep and take advantage of the situation, waiting to see what she'll do next. Ok, so, he maaay be a tiny bit touch-starved - possibly to the point that any contact that's even marginally affectionate is wonderful, hence why he doesn't usually let anyone touch him - but that doesn't have anything to do with it! Not at all! Not the slightest bit.
...dammit, its falling flat even in his own head.
Evelynn's voice pulls him from his thoughts, asking "Tom? What's on your mind?" He promptly goes completely still, but that just gets a chuckle out of her.
She stops running her fingers through his hair, and pokes him in the shoulder while saying "Tom, I know your awake." He mumbles a bit and shifts a little, hoping that'll convince her she's mistaken and go back to before.
Now, Evelynn scoffs in amusement, and says "Tom, I could practically see the smoke coming out of your ears you were thinking so hard. Do you want anything?"
Tom finally cracks an eye open at her, giving up on convincing her he was asleep, and grumbles "Not a word…"
Evelynn gets a teasing smile on her face, and says "Oath, remember? Can't say a word of what goes on here unless you say I can." Which he won't, she's completely sure of it. One thing Tom Marvolo Riddle abhors is people thinking he's weak
Feeling satisfied by the reminder, Tom closes his eye…then blindly reaches for her hand once more, burying it in his hair when he finds her wrist. There's a moment when she does absolutely nothing, goes so still that Tom's sure she's contemplating getting up and leaving. But then, mercifully, she restarts carding her fingers through his hair. And murmurs "I can't say I saw this coming." Tom's currently incapable of answering, just an incoherent string of sleepy sounds…which turns into a pleased hum when her fingers move down to the base of his neck and start rubbing circles there.
Evelynn grins to herself when Tom lets out a quiet moan of bliss, despite the case of the flu he's got, and proceeds to systematically turn him into a whimpering pile of moans by giving him a backrub with some magic. Nothing much, but she knows perfectly well how crappy the flu feels. But, really, who knew Tom Riddle was so easy to reduce to such a state? No wonder he doesn't let anyone touch him!
The thought of her former nemesis being reduced to a quivering pile of bliss like this by a simple massage is…well, in all honesty, when you get past the utter hilarity of it…its kinda sad. Tom Riddle was so excluded from society, had never known even a single comforting touch, that something as simple as a massage - not even a professional one by any definition of it - does this to him, that at the first sign of compassion he doesn't know what to do other than mistrust it. And physical affection…well, damn. Were she the type for blackmail…she might be tempted to give him a backrub in the Common Room. Even still, she silently vows to give him more - if he was so starved for any affection that he eventually considered it such a great weakness…well, she can think of one way to change that mindset. And he shouldn't have many objections, considering how much he liked this instance.
And then, much to even her own displeasure, the bell for dinner rings. Tom gives her the worst glare she's gotten from anyone in a few months when she moves to get off the bed, and she says "Tom, listen to me. We slept through lunch, and you need to eat and drink something."
"We've got-"
Evelynn shakes her head, saying "As far as the Matron knows, nothing. Which means I, at the very least, need to be seen getting two trays of food and bringing one back for you. Otherwise someone will come looking, and I'd rather keep our stash of food hidden." For a number of reasons - she brought back enough for the two of them, not the entire Orphanage. Also, all the Potions in there - and the detail that they're all in her magically expanded trunk. Yes, why wouldn't she want to keep the magically preserved food stored in a magically expanded trunk with Potions she brewed secret from the Muggles who know nothing of magic in a time where people were much more strict about things like religion and such? Cole's pretty neutral about them now, but Evelynn doesn't have much faith in humanity these days - not enough, at any rate, to test what the severe woman would do at the revelation of magic.
Tom really hates how even his own brain, some small part of it that's not mourning the loss of her hand rubbing circles into his shoulder blades, is pointing out that she's right. He doesn't relax until she comes back through the door maybe fifteen minutes later, a tray with oatmeal and an apple, along with a bottle of water.
Tom manages to force down half the bowl of oatmeal - since, according to Evelynn, simply Banishing the stuff would not only leave the bowl suspiciously clean but be a waste she isn't willing to make, ergo she eats the rest of the oatmeal herself despite gagging on it a few times - and then sips at the water slowly so he doesn't throw it all back up. The apples, which get magically cut into thin slices, end up getting nibbled away by the both of them after Tom hides them under his pillow just in case while Evelynn takes the trays back to the Dining Hall.
At the moment, he's just glad she's willing to literally Charm the Matron into little things like this - or whatever it is Evelynn did with her magic back then, Evelynn's never really looked it up since it started happening after she went on the run. Letting her take their food into the room, something that never happens ever. Letting her stay with him, when normally the sick kids are isolated to keep whatever they have from spreading to the others.
And then, as the sun starts setting, Evelynn heads over to her own trunk and gets her pajamas out. The sight of her back…Tom's torn between throwing up and murdering whoever dared to touch his entirely-too-strange…are they friends? Really friends? A question for another time, someone dared to practically carve up Evelynn's back! He's never seen anything like it before, and he's seen plenty of things in his life, short as it is. Her back looks like a bloody patchwork, for Merlin's sake. A badly-stitched one, at that. "Evelynn."
Those enchanting green eyes look over at him, as she pokes her head out of the right hole, and she asks "Yeah?"
Tom grits out "Who, exactly, did that?"
Her expression clears after a moment, and she asks "Saw my back, did you?" Yes, yes he did see her back...and the hundred or so crisscrossing scars on it. Tom nods, and she says "I'm going to assume you've never been whipped with a belt before, then."
Tom's sitting upright in an instant, furiously hissing out "What?!"
Evelynn comes back over, murmuring "No, lay back down. It doesn't matter anymore, Tom. They don't even exist yet. Point of fact, we're in school with my grandparents."
It takes every ounce of his self-control not to snarl at her as he grinds out "Who. Did. This."
He lets her ease him onto his back again, and gets rewarded with her quietly saying "My aunt and uncle. Well, my uncle was the one who used the belt. My aunt simply tried to work me to death like a House Elf, along with the occasional frying pan to the head or sharp slap to the face. Now, don't look over again until I say to, Tom."
There's a hint of teasing in her voice at the last sentence, but all Tom can think of is how casually she dismissed her own scars - physical proof of how shitty her life was, what Dumbledore put her through. She was beaten, starved, hated just for existing, and worked like a slave all before being told she was magical and not a freak, that her parents weren't drunks that died in a car crash they died to protect her, and she was a celebrity instead of worthless. And she just shrugged it off, like they were talking about the weather!
He's still furiously obsessing over it by the time he finally drifts off to sleep again, how she can so casually talk about her own childhood - which is seeming a hundred times worse than his, bad as his own is. At least here he gets fed, clothed with stuff that's at least somewhat the right size, and given his own room! And the most the Matron does is use that bloody switch of hers, on everyone to, he's not special in that regard - Evelynn wasn't kidding or being sarcastic when she said she was used to worse punishments.
As much as he loathed living at this orphanage - still does, just not as much now that he's seen worse - nobody's whipped with a belt, nobody's given threadbare castoffs three sizes too big and forced to make do, and everyone gets some food three times a day. He's seen worse, and this...he's living in limbo right now, not great but not terrible either. Cole doesn't single him out, even if the other orphans do, and the place has always been on a tight budget. Food has always been slightly tight, which has gotten worse and worse thanks to the war and the extra orphans they've taken in, but none of the kids have had to make the meals and then watch them get eaten! Something that just seems needlessly cruel, and that's coming from him! Everyone in this dog-eat-dog orphanage is afraid of him for a reason, and yet he wouldn't force someone to cook three meals a day and only eat once every two or three days!