Disclaimer: I don't own much here, except Jess. If I did, I'd be a heck of
a lot richer and living on something other than Earl Grey and Ramen
noodles. All rights go to the proper people. You know who you * points to
author and publishers * are
Summary: What if instead of Harry Potter, another found Tom Riddle's book?
A/N : This is the first one to be published here. Go me! Many thanks to
moonletters (wickedkiwi) for helping a useless newbie like myself. Anyhoo,
R/R.
' ' is thoughts " " is speech
************
Chapter 2
"Out and About"
Jessica really enjoyed talking with Tom. He seemed nice, if not a little strange. Before, they had only exchanged biographies, talked about trivial things like going-ons in class...maybe the Chamber or Harry Potter a time or two.But after a while, she really started thinking.'What did Tom look like? What did he sound like?' She tried not to dwell on it much, instead focusing on her other interests (mostly plants and genetics). However, one day curiosity got the best of her. Finished the Charms exam first, as usual.
"Tom? Can I ask you something?"
"Try me."
"What do you look like?"
Pause. Professor Flitwick looked turned up from his work...
"Well...I'm tall, with black hair and pale skin...thin build."
Another pause.
"What about you?"
"Uh...I'm kind of short. Reddy-brown hair, green eyes."
Some people were getting out books, others were still scratching away on their parchment.
"Can I ever see you? I mean, with my eyes?"
This was it, she could tell. Why did I ask such a stupid question, she thought.
"There is a way. Difficult, mind you, but possible. It might take a while to prepare."
Maybe it wasn't so stupid after all....
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?'
"Actually, yes, I think I would...."
"To tell the truth...I have been wanting to meet you as well. We'll still be able to talk, but I might be very busy with it..."
"So....when will you be here?"
"Whenever I finish the process....I'll let you know. But in the mean time...carry the diary with you everywhere, just in case."
"Okay...."
The last few people were turning in their papers...Class would soon be over.
"I need to go. I'll see you later."
"Goodbye, then. And remember what I said."
This was definitely a change! Now she'd actually be able to meet Tom Riddle! Jessica was ecstatic, working extra-hard in everything, getting all her work done days in advance, trying to clear her after-hours schedule...Just in case. He always did surprise her like that...Timing was everything. She really hoped it wouldn't take too long to arrange. This was possibly the most exciting (but TIRING!) thing to happen since first hearing about OWLs. All the extra work in History, Divination, and (ugh) COMC would be worth it. 'Somehow,' she thought, 'this will all pay off.'
************
Tom was also very busy rearranging his schedule. He too was forced to give up some of his other pursuits at the moment. This had been exactly what he'd been hoping for! A way to worm his way into her mind, her trust...But something (he didn't know what) bothered him. It couldn't be guilt, could it? He had manipulated much nicer people than her before and not felt a bit of remorse. The ends does justify the means, doesn't it? But how... He was suddenly struck with an brilliant idea! Spectacular... It might take up a bit more time, but it was great. Plus, he could put to use a skill he hadn't bothered with in years. That settled it. He got up to stretch, chuckling to himself as he strided out of the common room.
************
Days went by, Jessica eagerly anticipating Tom's arrival. With no work to be done, as she knew, time would seem to crawl. She busied herself with extra lessons from Professor Sprout on caring for her plants...That seemed to work, because before she could realize it, it was already time for a Hogsmead visit. It amazed her how she got her mother's permission in third year...but not as much as the fact that some slimy second year git, Vincent (what the devil was his name...Crabbe?) wanted to take her into the village for Valentine's Day. She instead opted to visit Honeydukes (Chocolate! Bertie Botts!), buy new robes (with a bit of money nicked from her mother's account), and to go read in a nice coffee shop she knew well. Karen Darvish was there, with some Mister-of-the-Moment. All the love in the air almost made her stomach churn. 'Enough of this,' she thought bitterly, stalking out of the shop and making her way back to school. A weird thought occurred to her, 'I wonder if Tom is single? Gah! Why was she wondering this? It never mattered much before.' She set to digging out the diary, tripping over a group of third year girls...Typical Gryffindors. Always around where they shouldn't be.
Ah well, I'll write Tom later. Might as well get back up to school. Got Remedial Divination at 5:oo today.
Jessica weaved in and out of the maddening crowds of students and village-folk, dreading the coming lesson. Trelawny always was a crazy old bat, and Divination was a bunch of gobshite no matter who taught it. What a waste of a good afternoon. 'So...what today? Am I going to die of a rogue bludger in the owlery because Venus is too close to Uranus?' she thought to herself sardonically.
She made her way to the Divination Tower, wishing more and more that she would've rethought her schedule in fourth year. She consoled herself with the fact that after this year she could drop all the useless subjects she had to take. The other classes where harder, but more interesting. Jessica knew she would definitely NEWT in Potions, Herbology, Charms, and Transfiguration. Eat that, Granger. Another thought passed through her preoccupied brain: Granger. That rotten little berk was not someone she knew well, or even wanted to. She'd seen her name near, if not at, the top of most grade-lists. It was annoying. Jessica had been the best for a long time running, and wasn't about to give it up so easily to a know- it-all-Mudblood. That was another thing. 'Haven't seen dear old mother since she threw me out. What am I going to do about Summer arrangements?' All these thoughts clammered through her head as she opened the door to the smoky-incense-hazy-cloud that usually greeted them. Joel Welshe, Ravenclaw prefect, was already there, as were Jamie Avery and Adromee Cork, her sort- of friends. But she was already annoyed with herself. No reason to feel worse listening to their catty chatter. Sometimes she wondered if the Divination room wasn't really just the school opium den.
"Settle down, class! All this talking will cloud your inner eyes... if you do have one at all." she added, losing her misty tone at that last bit.
"Today, we are reading palms and comparing results with your dream diary meanings."
She continued yammering for about another quarter-hour, then splitting them into pairs, Jessica with some Gryffindor called Teresa Tenenbaulm.They got to work, finding out that Terri (as she would rather be called) would go on a drinking binge and attempt to do a hair-thinning charm on herself, but accidentally jinx herself and that would be her tragic demise. Not really, but that's what they wrote down. Just then Professor Trelawny glided by.
"May I see your hand?"
"Uh...Sure. I won't die next hour, will I? 'Cause we are having an exam today, and with OWLs so near..."she muttered with mock concern. Terrie sniggered.
"You will not die, not today at least," she added, a hint of acid in her voice.
"But you will find what you think you've lost, and discover things you had not yet found...and you will have in your hands what you wanted all along."
Trelawny's eyes iced over. 'Was this a real prediction?' she thought breathlessly. The rest of the class was stunned into a brief silence before Professor Trewlawny collected their parchment and dismissed them all. Jessica couldn't help wonder if the old bat was....could be...maybe...right. She decided to go visit Professor Sprout about her seeds that she ordered a few weeks back...then go to the library for a bit of light reading.
The had seeds come in. It took an hour or so to get them planted, but her lovely little Devil's Snare-Garnetroot-hybrid wouldn't take too long to grow. The book that she'd been looking for, Dark Arts for Dummies had been checked back in. Maybe if she knew more about it, it would help her be able to defend herself a little better, since that moronic teacher was no help. Know your enemy inside and out, right? She checked it out, slightly worried about Madam Pince's close watch on her. Probably thinks I'm mental, about what happened that day back in January.
Jessica scribbled a quick note for Terrie to meet her at breakfast, and went off to the common room. She wasn't aware how late she'd been up, absorbed in the nearly-new book.Good thing she had a pass...Filch was being awful (worse than usual) since Miss Norris was frozen. Up the stairs, password (Wunderkins), onto the big leather couch, open diary. Fix quill, write...
"Alright in there, Tom?"
"Set this book on the floor and make sure no one's around, if you please..."
She did, nervously checking the common room clock. Why would anyone be out this late? Nearly eleven-thirty.
Her thoughts ceased immediately as a bright flash of light filled the room,followed by fizzling and crackling noises...And there he was. Tall, indeed. Slytherin robes with a prefect badge. Short black hair,pearlescent- white skin...but the most prominent feature had to be his eyes. They were this funny red-orange colour.
Kind of scary, really.
"Tom? Is this...you?' She was trying hard not to stutter...
"Yes, Jessica. This is really me."
She remembered her manners, clamping her jaws shut, but she still couldn't stop staring. Something wasn't right...something about him creeped her out. 'Nonsense,' the voice in her head told her. 'You're just imagining things.' Thankfully, Tom saw fit to break the ice.
"I want to show you something...I don't have long, so hurry..."
"Where are we going?"
"Just follow me. I hope it's still here, though."
The two Slytherins carefully made their way to a deserted classroom.("This was for Arithmancy in my day," Tom whispered.) Jessica had to admit, roaming the corridors after hours with no means of invisibility was fun...especially when Tom hexed Filch's grubby old robes into a gross shade of hot pink behind his back. He opened up a window on the far wall and (even though it looked way too small) squeezed through. It led to the roof...and the most spectacular view of the Hogwarts grounds Jessica had ever seen.The Quidditch pitch was illuminated by the moon, as was the Great Lake...
'But why are we here?' She followed him up the roof. 'I don't get it.'
Finally, they came to a stop. It was pretty close to the astronomy tower, so there was a great view of the night sky. She snorted, remembering Professor Trelawny-Major-Crackpot's latest prediction for her--
"But you will find what you think you've lost, and discover things you had not yet found...and you will have in your hands what you wanted all along." Maybe...
Tom whipped out his wand, doing a complicated waving-swishy thingy and mumbling some foreign charm she'd never heard before. Nothing appeared to have happened...He stared at the ground for a minute, then the sky, and...jumped. To her surprise (and relief) he didn't fall to his death, but appeared to be standing on... air.
"How? How did you--"
"Just trust in me."
There it was. The magic words. Screw this up, Tom, and you'll be stuck in that book forever, he thought to himself. Time to shift into full-on Snake- Charmer mode.
"I'll fall and die! I can't exactly see where I'm jumping, mind you--"
'Oh, boy...should've seen this coming...'
"Don't worry! I'll catch you. You're not going to fall."
'There. If that didn't work...'
"Okay. On three..."
Leap of faith would be an understatement. Needless to say, she didn't miss the platform. She didn't miss Tom either, come to think of it...
"See? You can trust me, can't you?" he said, getting up from the heap of robes, books,wands,and Slytherins on the see-through floor.
"Yeah...I guess I can."
That did it. The deal was sealed, stamped, and sent out to mail. Tom bowed slightly as a half-smirk graced his pale features...
"Care to..."
Swish-flick-wave-poke-foreign-charm.
"Dance?"
Soft ballroom music came out of nowhere.
'He can't be serious...'
"I...I'm dead clumsy, never learned."
Jessica suddenly became fascinated with her shoelaces. Tom, however, didn't seem bothered at all.
"I can teach you," he said, assuming the usual position. She was nervous beyond words, but she gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder...
"Look, there's no one to be embarrassed in front of up here." He gestured at the empty grounds. She smiled, and decided to at least give it one go...
"But you will find what you think you've lost..."
Jessica was almost certain she'd lost her 'amazing grace'...but after what felt like hours (but alas, could not have been), she thought she did okay for her first attempt at ballroom dancing. She and Tom made their way back to the common room, surpressing giggles (she stepped on him several times) and the portrait gave them a good scolding ("Honestly! What were you doing up so late?!"). She stopped in the common room, picking the book up off the floor.
"I go back into the book automatically when time is up."
"I see..."
Short, thoughtful silence.
"Th...Thank you, Tom. It was fun, it really was...the most I've had in a while."
"It was for me, too. Haven't done that since the last Yule Ball..."
Another silence.
Well, it's now or never, Jessica thought to herself, leaning up and and feeling his lips on hers and---
***********
Light flooded into the dormitory room. It was early Sunday morning, so not a soul was awake yet...except one. Red hair fell across the pillow in weird directions as she rose. Sitting up to stretch (still in yesterday's clothes), Jessica gave a monstrous yawn and realized what had happened the night before.
'Merlin's Beard,' she thought. 'I've fallen arse over ankles for a fifty- year- old Slytherin boy's memory.'
She smiled wide, grabbing her clothes and heading for the showers.
"...and discover things you had not yet found..."
How ironic....and oh... the diary was still here--
"...and you will have in your hands what you wanted all along."
She stopped dead, pondering the prophecy which she had heard only yesterday.
'Maybe Trelawny's not such a complete fraud,' she thought, traipsing out the door and into the corridor. This was turning out to be a lovely Sunday morning....even Filch was feeling cheery. Maybe that hex did some good after all. Heaven knows the rest of the evening did.
' ' is thoughts " " is speech
************
Chapter 2
"Out and About"
Jessica really enjoyed talking with Tom. He seemed nice, if not a little strange. Before, they had only exchanged biographies, talked about trivial things like going-ons in class...maybe the Chamber or Harry Potter a time or two.But after a while, she really started thinking.'What did Tom look like? What did he sound like?' She tried not to dwell on it much, instead focusing on her other interests (mostly plants and genetics). However, one day curiosity got the best of her. Finished the Charms exam first, as usual.
"Tom? Can I ask you something?"
"Try me."
"What do you look like?"
Pause. Professor Flitwick looked turned up from his work...
"Well...I'm tall, with black hair and pale skin...thin build."
Another pause.
"What about you?"
"Uh...I'm kind of short. Reddy-brown hair, green eyes."
Some people were getting out books, others were still scratching away on their parchment.
"Can I ever see you? I mean, with my eyes?"
This was it, she could tell. Why did I ask such a stupid question, she thought.
"There is a way. Difficult, mind you, but possible. It might take a while to prepare."
Maybe it wasn't so stupid after all....
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?'
"Actually, yes, I think I would...."
"To tell the truth...I have been wanting to meet you as well. We'll still be able to talk, but I might be very busy with it..."
"So....when will you be here?"
"Whenever I finish the process....I'll let you know. But in the mean time...carry the diary with you everywhere, just in case."
"Okay...."
The last few people were turning in their papers...Class would soon be over.
"I need to go. I'll see you later."
"Goodbye, then. And remember what I said."
This was definitely a change! Now she'd actually be able to meet Tom Riddle! Jessica was ecstatic, working extra-hard in everything, getting all her work done days in advance, trying to clear her after-hours schedule...Just in case. He always did surprise her like that...Timing was everything. She really hoped it wouldn't take too long to arrange. This was possibly the most exciting (but TIRING!) thing to happen since first hearing about OWLs. All the extra work in History, Divination, and (ugh) COMC would be worth it. 'Somehow,' she thought, 'this will all pay off.'
************
Tom was also very busy rearranging his schedule. He too was forced to give up some of his other pursuits at the moment. This had been exactly what he'd been hoping for! A way to worm his way into her mind, her trust...But something (he didn't know what) bothered him. It couldn't be guilt, could it? He had manipulated much nicer people than her before and not felt a bit of remorse. The ends does justify the means, doesn't it? But how... He was suddenly struck with an brilliant idea! Spectacular... It might take up a bit more time, but it was great. Plus, he could put to use a skill he hadn't bothered with in years. That settled it. He got up to stretch, chuckling to himself as he strided out of the common room.
************
Days went by, Jessica eagerly anticipating Tom's arrival. With no work to be done, as she knew, time would seem to crawl. She busied herself with extra lessons from Professor Sprout on caring for her plants...That seemed to work, because before she could realize it, it was already time for a Hogsmead visit. It amazed her how she got her mother's permission in third year...but not as much as the fact that some slimy second year git, Vincent (what the devil was his name...Crabbe?) wanted to take her into the village for Valentine's Day. She instead opted to visit Honeydukes (Chocolate! Bertie Botts!), buy new robes (with a bit of money nicked from her mother's account), and to go read in a nice coffee shop she knew well. Karen Darvish was there, with some Mister-of-the-Moment. All the love in the air almost made her stomach churn. 'Enough of this,' she thought bitterly, stalking out of the shop and making her way back to school. A weird thought occurred to her, 'I wonder if Tom is single? Gah! Why was she wondering this? It never mattered much before.' She set to digging out the diary, tripping over a group of third year girls...Typical Gryffindors. Always around where they shouldn't be.
Ah well, I'll write Tom later. Might as well get back up to school. Got Remedial Divination at 5:oo today.
Jessica weaved in and out of the maddening crowds of students and village-folk, dreading the coming lesson. Trelawny always was a crazy old bat, and Divination was a bunch of gobshite no matter who taught it. What a waste of a good afternoon. 'So...what today? Am I going to die of a rogue bludger in the owlery because Venus is too close to Uranus?' she thought to herself sardonically.
She made her way to the Divination Tower, wishing more and more that she would've rethought her schedule in fourth year. She consoled herself with the fact that after this year she could drop all the useless subjects she had to take. The other classes where harder, but more interesting. Jessica knew she would definitely NEWT in Potions, Herbology, Charms, and Transfiguration. Eat that, Granger. Another thought passed through her preoccupied brain: Granger. That rotten little berk was not someone she knew well, or even wanted to. She'd seen her name near, if not at, the top of most grade-lists. It was annoying. Jessica had been the best for a long time running, and wasn't about to give it up so easily to a know- it-all-Mudblood. That was another thing. 'Haven't seen dear old mother since she threw me out. What am I going to do about Summer arrangements?' All these thoughts clammered through her head as she opened the door to the smoky-incense-hazy-cloud that usually greeted them. Joel Welshe, Ravenclaw prefect, was already there, as were Jamie Avery and Adromee Cork, her sort- of friends. But she was already annoyed with herself. No reason to feel worse listening to their catty chatter. Sometimes she wondered if the Divination room wasn't really just the school opium den.
"Settle down, class! All this talking will cloud your inner eyes... if you do have one at all." she added, losing her misty tone at that last bit.
"Today, we are reading palms and comparing results with your dream diary meanings."
She continued yammering for about another quarter-hour, then splitting them into pairs, Jessica with some Gryffindor called Teresa Tenenbaulm.They got to work, finding out that Terri (as she would rather be called) would go on a drinking binge and attempt to do a hair-thinning charm on herself, but accidentally jinx herself and that would be her tragic demise. Not really, but that's what they wrote down. Just then Professor Trelawny glided by.
"May I see your hand?"
"Uh...Sure. I won't die next hour, will I? 'Cause we are having an exam today, and with OWLs so near..."she muttered with mock concern. Terrie sniggered.
"You will not die, not today at least," she added, a hint of acid in her voice.
"But you will find what you think you've lost, and discover things you had not yet found...and you will have in your hands what you wanted all along."
Trelawny's eyes iced over. 'Was this a real prediction?' she thought breathlessly. The rest of the class was stunned into a brief silence before Professor Trewlawny collected their parchment and dismissed them all. Jessica couldn't help wonder if the old bat was....could be...maybe...right. She decided to go visit Professor Sprout about her seeds that she ordered a few weeks back...then go to the library for a bit of light reading.
The had seeds come in. It took an hour or so to get them planted, but her lovely little Devil's Snare-Garnetroot-hybrid wouldn't take too long to grow. The book that she'd been looking for, Dark Arts for Dummies had been checked back in. Maybe if she knew more about it, it would help her be able to defend herself a little better, since that moronic teacher was no help. Know your enemy inside and out, right? She checked it out, slightly worried about Madam Pince's close watch on her. Probably thinks I'm mental, about what happened that day back in January.
Jessica scribbled a quick note for Terrie to meet her at breakfast, and went off to the common room. She wasn't aware how late she'd been up, absorbed in the nearly-new book.Good thing she had a pass...Filch was being awful (worse than usual) since Miss Norris was frozen. Up the stairs, password (Wunderkins), onto the big leather couch, open diary. Fix quill, write...
"Alright in there, Tom?"
"Set this book on the floor and make sure no one's around, if you please..."
She did, nervously checking the common room clock. Why would anyone be out this late? Nearly eleven-thirty.
Her thoughts ceased immediately as a bright flash of light filled the room,followed by fizzling and crackling noises...And there he was. Tall, indeed. Slytherin robes with a prefect badge. Short black hair,pearlescent- white skin...but the most prominent feature had to be his eyes. They were this funny red-orange colour.
Kind of scary, really.
"Tom? Is this...you?' She was trying hard not to stutter...
"Yes, Jessica. This is really me."
She remembered her manners, clamping her jaws shut, but she still couldn't stop staring. Something wasn't right...something about him creeped her out. 'Nonsense,' the voice in her head told her. 'You're just imagining things.' Thankfully, Tom saw fit to break the ice.
"I want to show you something...I don't have long, so hurry..."
"Where are we going?"
"Just follow me. I hope it's still here, though."
The two Slytherins carefully made their way to a deserted classroom.("This was for Arithmancy in my day," Tom whispered.) Jessica had to admit, roaming the corridors after hours with no means of invisibility was fun...especially when Tom hexed Filch's grubby old robes into a gross shade of hot pink behind his back. He opened up a window on the far wall and (even though it looked way too small) squeezed through. It led to the roof...and the most spectacular view of the Hogwarts grounds Jessica had ever seen.The Quidditch pitch was illuminated by the moon, as was the Great Lake...
'But why are we here?' She followed him up the roof. 'I don't get it.'
Finally, they came to a stop. It was pretty close to the astronomy tower, so there was a great view of the night sky. She snorted, remembering Professor Trelawny-Major-Crackpot's latest prediction for her--
"But you will find what you think you've lost, and discover things you had not yet found...and you will have in your hands what you wanted all along." Maybe...
Tom whipped out his wand, doing a complicated waving-swishy thingy and mumbling some foreign charm she'd never heard before. Nothing appeared to have happened...He stared at the ground for a minute, then the sky, and...jumped. To her surprise (and relief) he didn't fall to his death, but appeared to be standing on... air.
"How? How did you--"
"Just trust in me."
There it was. The magic words. Screw this up, Tom, and you'll be stuck in that book forever, he thought to himself. Time to shift into full-on Snake- Charmer mode.
"I'll fall and die! I can't exactly see where I'm jumping, mind you--"
'Oh, boy...should've seen this coming...'
"Don't worry! I'll catch you. You're not going to fall."
'There. If that didn't work...'
"Okay. On three..."
Leap of faith would be an understatement. Needless to say, she didn't miss the platform. She didn't miss Tom either, come to think of it...
"See? You can trust me, can't you?" he said, getting up from the heap of robes, books,wands,and Slytherins on the see-through floor.
"Yeah...I guess I can."
That did it. The deal was sealed, stamped, and sent out to mail. Tom bowed slightly as a half-smirk graced his pale features...
"Care to..."
Swish-flick-wave-poke-foreign-charm.
"Dance?"
Soft ballroom music came out of nowhere.
'He can't be serious...'
"I...I'm dead clumsy, never learned."
Jessica suddenly became fascinated with her shoelaces. Tom, however, didn't seem bothered at all.
"I can teach you," he said, assuming the usual position. She was nervous beyond words, but she gingerly placed her hand on his shoulder...
"Look, there's no one to be embarrassed in front of up here." He gestured at the empty grounds. She smiled, and decided to at least give it one go...
"But you will find what you think you've lost..."
Jessica was almost certain she'd lost her 'amazing grace'...but after what felt like hours (but alas, could not have been), she thought she did okay for her first attempt at ballroom dancing. She and Tom made their way back to the common room, surpressing giggles (she stepped on him several times) and the portrait gave them a good scolding ("Honestly! What were you doing up so late?!"). She stopped in the common room, picking the book up off the floor.
"I go back into the book automatically when time is up."
"I see..."
Short, thoughtful silence.
"Th...Thank you, Tom. It was fun, it really was...the most I've had in a while."
"It was for me, too. Haven't done that since the last Yule Ball..."
Another silence.
Well, it's now or never, Jessica thought to herself, leaning up and and feeling his lips on hers and---
***********
Light flooded into the dormitory room. It was early Sunday morning, so not a soul was awake yet...except one. Red hair fell across the pillow in weird directions as she rose. Sitting up to stretch (still in yesterday's clothes), Jessica gave a monstrous yawn and realized what had happened the night before.
'Merlin's Beard,' she thought. 'I've fallen arse over ankles for a fifty- year- old Slytherin boy's memory.'
She smiled wide, grabbing her clothes and heading for the showers.
"...and discover things you had not yet found..."
How ironic....and oh... the diary was still here--
"...and you will have in your hands what you wanted all along."
She stopped dead, pondering the prophecy which she had heard only yesterday.
'Maybe Trelawny's not such a complete fraud,' she thought, traipsing out the door and into the corridor. This was turning out to be a lovely Sunday morning....even Filch was feeling cheery. Maybe that hex did some good after all. Heaven knows the rest of the evening did.
