Title: Just Tom
Author: Razberry
Genre: Romance/Angst
Rating: PG... will go up
Disclaimer: Sure, I own Harry Potter. Actually, I'm really JK Rowling undercover. This is going to replace Order of the Phoenix as the fifth book (this summer guys!) if people like it enough. And if you believe this, you're dumber than I thought. Also, I do not own the name Lyra Silvertongue. I got it from the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I do however, own THIS Lyra and the character Caleb Burns. Oh yeah, I own Garnet Grey as well. If you actually wanna use them (yeah right), please ask.
Warnings: None for this chappie... unless you count a bit of angst.
Summary: Response to one of QueenStrata's challenges. Harry is staying at Hogwarts over the summer, and finds a really nifty mirror that shows whoever looks into it the person that is most like them. Now Harry has to overcome the challenges of getting along with his so called "match"... The only problem? It's none other than Tom Riddle. And what does Dumbledore have to do with this?!
Notes: *squeals* OVER 100 REVIEWS!!! Oh my God, guys, you have no idea how happy this makes me. This is the highest number of reviews I've ever gotten. Thank you sooo much! *hugs reviewers* I just want to say that I'm sorry again for the wait. Semester exams really had me swamped. Glad they're over though. *wipes brow* All those study sessions... I've never spent more time on schoolwork in my life! And then, of course, I had to get sick. -_-" Oi, writing chapters while under the influence of 4 different medicines is NOT a smart thing to do... *goes into coughing fit & passes out from lack of oxygen* X_X
Also, if you see a number in a set of these [] that means I have an explanation for that word or phrase at the bottom of the chapter. And since ff.net does not seem to appreciate italics, the character's thoughts will be in /these/. All annoying inner voices will speak in \these\. And since some characters have telepathic abilites, anything that is thought-spoken will be in these. Everyone got that? If not, here's the simplified version for all you idiots out there(j/k).
[] - I have an explanation for that word/phrase at the end of the chapter.
/ / - Peoples individual thoughts
\ \ - Those cute inner voices everybody loves
- Telepathic speech
" " - Regular speech
Okay, well, I think that's it. Now get on with the fic!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Harry woke up with a splitting headache. Groaning, he rolled to the side and buried his face in the pillow. What had he been doing? The last thing he remembered was... oh.
Tom.
He had been fighting with Tom... Snape must have stunned them and taken them back to their rooms. Mentally, he thanked the grouchy professor for stopping the fight before it escalated into an all out war.
Raising himself on his elbows, he noticed a tray of ham sandwiches sitting on the bedside table. It was then he realized how hungry he was. Harry snatched a sandwich and scarfed it down, before reaching for another and treating it in much the same manner.
A few minutes later, the plate was empty and Harry's stomach was satisfied. Rolling out of bed, he winced as his right foot hit the floor. Something was wrong with his leg. The Boy Who Lived peeled off his sock and found the problem: there was a long(but shallow) gash running from the middle of his shin to his ankle.
Looking over himelf, he saw that the rest of his body was in much the same state. There were several small cuts and brusies, along with some larger ones that would do no lasting damage, but hurt like hell all the same.
"Damn," Harry muttered, fingering one of the cuts on his hand. "Well, at least I gave as good as I got... I think."
"Trouble with that Slytherin scum, Harry?" Godric had just come back from a card game with Sir Cadogan. Frowning, the dark haired founder seated himself on a flame in his red and gold wall hanging. "Want to tell me what happened?"
"I don't really remember HOW the fight started," Harry admitted, "Just that it did. I can't seem to help it. I know Dumbledore says he's good, and that the evil half is still out there, but... it's still him," the Boy Who Lived finished lamely. Godric nodded in sympathy.
"Slytherins tend to have that effect on people, don't they?" he said.
"What are you telling the boy now?" Rowena entered the room frowning. "Go on, shoo. You're not going to help. He needs the advice of a motherly figure. Not to mention someone who is unbiased."
"Hey it's my tapestry!" Godric protested. Rowena leaned over and whispered something in his ear. The dark haired man blushed and scowled, stalking out of the room.
"There, now that he's out, why don't you tell me the problem?" the brown haired girl asked, her blue eyes softening as she took in Harry's state.
"I hate him," Harry muttered. "I hate him so bad, he's my enemy, he killed my parents. But now everything is wrong! Everyone is suddenly telling me I *have* to work with him, I *have* to like him, hell! They're telling me that we're soulmates, destined to be, or some other shit like that!"
Rowena gazed at him sympathetically.
"You don't *have* to do anything," she told him. "What you do is your descision alone. But you need to consider what you *should* do. Let me ask you this... Have you even really given this other boy a chance? Gotten to know him?"
"I don't *need* to get to know him," Harry replied scathingly.
"And why not?" Rowena asked calmly, not in the least affected by Harry's hurtful tone. "If what Albus says is true, as we both know it is, then this Tom Riddle is completely different from the one you know."
"But it's so damn hard!" Harry cried in frustration. He knew she was right. "Just looking at him makes me want to punch his lights out!"
"I'm sure the headmaster would settle for a lack of open hostility[1], if you can manage it," Rowena said. "Now why don't you go to the Hospital Wing. I'm sure the nurse has been told not to heal either of you, but if you're quick about it, you might be able to sneak out some healing potions." The brown haired lady winked and left.
Harry sighed and slowly began to change into a more comfortable (and less torn) set of clothes. Rowena was right, and after all, what's the worst that could happen?
*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, Tom was still asleep... and dreaming. He was eleven, and back at the muggle orphanage where he grew up. He and the other kids were cleaning the mess hall after lunch. Some were laughing and goofing off, others were working dilligently, trying to finish before the adults came back. He was in the latter group. Suddenly something large and wet hit his head. A sponge. He growled and turned to his attacker.
She was a tiny pale girl, only coming up to about the middle of his chest, even though they were the same age. Her light brown hair was fine and straight, and fell limply down to her shoulders. It was kept away from her face by a violet headband that matched her eyes. She was, like everyone else, wearing old patched up clothes that had been donated to the orphanage by other families.
"Oh lighten up, Tommy! Have some fun!" she giggled.
Tom frowned. "Don't call me that, Lyra."
He remembered this. This was the day he got his Hogwarts letter. One of his fondest memories.
Lyra laughed again. "Why not? Tommy sounds much better than Tom. Tom sounds so... grown-up."
"Maybe I want to be grown-up."
The dream went on, Lyra still trying to coax his younger self into joining the sponge fight the older years had started. They bickered and teased each other a bit more, until Tom finally gave in and joined the fight. The dream then skipped to that night, while he was sitting on his bed with his roommate, himself holding an all to familiar letter that was yet to be opened.
"Watcha think's in it, Tom?" Asked the boy.
"I don't know yet Caleb, I haven't opened it," Tom replied, rolling his eyes.
"Well then, get ta openin' it!"
Caleb was a few inches taller than Tom, and had shaggy dishwater blond hair that looked in bad need of a trim. His warm brown eyes were covered by a pair of large, round, wire-rimmed glasses that looked like they needed a good cleaning and he spoke with a heavy accent, though Tom was unsure of what kind it was.[2] Caleb reached out with one dark tanned hand to grab the envelope.
"Hey! It's mine, and I'll open it when I feel like it!" Tom said indignantly, though he wanted to know too. Eagerly he opened the letter and read it, grinning from ear to ear.
"Man, ya gotta be 'ta luckiest kid alive ya know it Tommy-boy? I wish I could go ta a magic school an' learn spells an' stuff."
"I know." Tom smiled. It was then that he felt the dream fading and himself waking up.
And that was when reality kicked in.
"Ugh, I feel like shit," he groaned, rubbing his bruised arm lightly. There was a chuckle from the tapestry.
"Well, you look like shit," commented Salazar, "So it makes sense."
"Gee, thanks," Tom muttered. He limped over to the bathroom to examine the damage done to his beautiful body[3]. Looking in the mirror, he gasped. There was a large bruise over his left eye, and numerous cuts on his arms, neck, and face. Tom rolled up his pants legs to see his ankles and shins in much of the same state.
"Damn it, that bastard really did a number on me," he growled. If only he knew some healing spells! Now he would have to go all the way to the Hospital Wing... if it was even in the same place. He hoped it was. He also hoped that the current nurse would be willling to heal him.
"You might want to get that gash on your stomach looked at," Salazar said when the other boy emerged from the bathroom. "I think Professor Snape missed that one. He did heal your broken wrist though." The blonde indicated the still slightly swollen appendage with a nod.
Tom nodded and left the room, entering the main hall, where he was met with a most unpleasant surprise.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"You," Harry spat as he saw Tom enter the hall. "What do you want?"
"I expect the same thing as you, to head to the Hospital Wing. You nearly cut my stomach open with that chair edge, bastard," Tom said, hoping the other boy would leave it at that. He was too weak to fight again.
Harry gave a noncommittal grunt and headed toward Madam Pomfrey's office, favoring his hurt leg. The raven haired boy was determined to take Rowena's advice and merely ignore the Slytherin heir. Tom took his silence as a good sign and followed, albeit at a distance.
However, neither boy got very far, as they were stopped by Sirius.
"What are you doing out of bed, Harry?" the animagus inquired. "Dumbledore told me that you two got into a fight during Snape's," Sirius winced at the other's name, "lesson today."
"Yeah," Harry replied, momentarily forgetting the presence of Tom. "I think Snape healed most of the really bad injuries, because I'm sure I broke a finger or two, but my leg is still pretty rough. I was going to the infirmary to see if Madam Pomfrey would heal it." He rolled up his pants leg to show his godfather the gash on his shin.
"Ouch," Sirius winced. "Yeah, I think that's worse than Snape thought it was, but the nurse is out buying more supplies." He then turned to Tom, who had been quietly listening to the conversation. "I assume that's where you were headed too?"
Tom nodded but said nothing.
"Well, like I said, the nurse is out. I would help you guys, but I really suck at healing spells," Sirius admitted sheepishly. "I failed Medical Magic twice before I finally dropped it."
Harry smiled and gave a light laugh. It was great to have Sirius around, even if he also had to put up with Tom. The animagus' presence could almost make him forget the other boy was even around. The two Gryffindors chatted for a bit more, Tom watching silently from the side.
"Well, it was really great to talk to you Sirius, but if you don't mind, I think I might go lie down," Harry said.
"Oh, right! I shouldn't have kept you standing for so long. Do you need any help?" Sirius inquired worriedly.
"If you could, thanks," Harry answered gratefully. The animagus grinned mischeviously and suddenly swung his godson over his shoulder.
"Hey!" Harry yelped. This really wasn't what he meant, but it DID take the weight off of his leg...
Tom frowned and followed the two Gryffindors back to the Founder's Wing. He suddenly wished that he had someone to laugh with, to talk to, someone who would swing ~him~ over their shoulder like a rag doll... someone who cared. He quickly shook off the feeling. There wasn't anyone he could even get along with in this time, and it was useless spending days pondering over hopeless ideas and wishes. If only Lyra and Caleb were here... wait.
"Um... Mr. Black sir?" Sirius turned around, surprised at being addressed by the young Riddle boy so politely. "Do you think... is there a muggle phone book around here anywhere?"
If Sirius was shocked by the boy's politeness, he was utterly stupefied by the question.
"Uh... er, probably. Dumbledore might have one, he likes to collect that kind of stuff. Uh, you know where the headmaster's office is, right?"
"Yes, thank you sir," Tom said. Rushing off as fast as he could without injuring himself further. Reaching the stone gargoyle, the ruby eyed boy realized he had no idea what the password would be.
"Uh..."
"Was there something you needed?"
Thank God. Headmaster Dumbledore had the best timing ever, Tom decided.
"Yes, do you have a recent muggle phone book anywhere?" Dumbledore seemed unfazed by the question and smiled cheerfully.
"As a matter of fact, I do! I'll get it for you, if you'll wait a minute." The headmaster then spoke the password ("Pixie stix") and went up to his office. He returned a few minutes later with a large yellow volume.
"Thank you, headmaster," Tom said gratefully. He quickly flipped to the "S" section.
Sandweg, Sells, Silverman... Ah! Tom gave a triumphant grin. There, at the very bottom of the page, was the name "Silvertongue, Lyra"[4]. Next to it was her phone number and... her address. Just what he had been looking for.
"Headmaster?" Tom glanced over to where Dumbledore was watching him.
"Yes, Mr. Riddle?"
"Do you think I might be able to pay a visit to one of my old friends? You know, from my time?"
"I think that's an excellent idea, Tom," Dumbledore said. "I haven't heard from Ms. Silvertongue in several years... nearly twenty, as a matter of fact."
"You mean you knew her?!" Tom exclaimed. As far as he knew, Lyra was muggle and had no connections with the Wizarding word.
"Oh yes, many things have happened Tom, that you do not know of. I can assure you though that you will find out. But for right now, let us concentrate on the present. I see no reason why you can't see Lyra tomorrow afternoon. I assume you wish to travel alone?"
Tom nodded. "If that's all right."
"Well, now that that's settled why don't you head back to the dorm. I believe you need some rest after that little ordeal with Harry," Dumbledore said sternly, though there was still a familiar twinkle in his eye.
Tom beamed. "Yes sir!" He dashed off to the dorm as fast as he could. Finally there was a bit of silver lining in this dark, confusing cloud.
*~*~*~*~*~*
To Be Continued...
Notes: *tears up* I'm so sorry I was late with this! But I really do have a good excuse! I've been grounded by my parents and am only allowed on the computer for a short time each day ~if~ they think I have earned it. And you can imagine how often that is... they starve me from the computer until I'm on the brink of insanity (in other words, every few days) and then they only let me on for about an hour. *cries hysterically* Not fair!!! So I hate to say it, but this might be the last for awhile... like, until late March. Please don't kill me...
EXPLANATIONS & DEFINITIONS
[1] Gee, this quote seems awfully familiar...
[2] Ok, for all you Yu-Gi-Oh fans out there, think of an accent kind of like Joey/Jou's but a bit different. I believe it's kind of a Brooklyn accent, isn't it? But I'm not sure, as I'm from the midwest and only hear Kentucky accents from where I live. ^_^"
[3] Voldemort DID say his younger self was very vain, if you'll recall. And anyway, Tom really DOES have a beautiful body. ^_~
[4] Lyra Silvertongue is a character from the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I admit taking the name. But THIS Lyra is a different one than the book character.
*~*~*~*~*~*
And now to thank my wonderful reviewers...
elven_girl13 - You're absolutely right. I suppose it's just the way that I wrote it that made it sound all funky.
Nox
frizzy - Longer chapters? I'll try, but I usually just stop whenever it sounds good.
... - You are absolutely right. It never said his name was Thomas, and I didn't even realize I had typed that until you mentioned it.
Tigris-Blue - Why were you going to flame me? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you didn't, but I'm curious as to why. Glad you ended up liking the fic though. And if you're twisted for wanting to write a Vol/Harry rape fic, am I twisted for wanting to read it when you do?
ForeverYoung - I would be HONORED if you would put this up on your site, just be sure to give me the link. I am glad you enjoy this so much, and once again, I apologize for not updating more.
tima
catsncritters - Yes you do have a lot of nicknames... I'm glad you think that I keep the characters so well in character, that was my goal, after all! ^_^
bad-ass-Cinderella
nptrenko
*blank* - I'm aware that I'm not spitting out chapters left and right, but that's because I actually put time and effort into them. And I'm "barely better than those that publish a chapter one every 2 or 3 months"? ...Was that supposed to be a flame? If so, it was pretty pathetic. If you're going to attempt to hurt my feelings, at least do it right and have the courage to leave a name.
Sime Fireblaze - Yep, sure have! ^_^ *hugs her Zechs & Treize plushies*
kandra
PinkDevil - It never actually said in CoS what color his eyes were, I've scoured the book through and through. The only thing it said about them was that they appeared to flash red for a moment, and since Voldemort's eyes were red, that's what I used. Anyways, it sounds cool. ^_^
adrina skywalker
QueenStrata - Guess what? The dream sequence confused me too! ^_^ Which is pretty bad considering I wrote it. *sighs* Oh well. And yeah, Harry is acting meaner than I meant him to.. but that's ok! ^_^ Wow, I am so hyper tonight... must be becuase I went out to see Daredevil (which kicks @$$ by the way) with a couple of friends... too much popcorn and candy... yep.. that's it...
*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, that's all for now! Gotta jet, folks! *runs off to English class to goggle at the Elijah Wood duplicate in her class* Wow... *drools*
Author: Razberry
Genre: Romance/Angst
Rating: PG... will go up
Disclaimer: Sure, I own Harry Potter. Actually, I'm really JK Rowling undercover. This is going to replace Order of the Phoenix as the fifth book (this summer guys!) if people like it enough. And if you believe this, you're dumber than I thought. Also, I do not own the name Lyra Silvertongue. I got it from the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I do however, own THIS Lyra and the character Caleb Burns. Oh yeah, I own Garnet Grey as well. If you actually wanna use them (yeah right), please ask.
Warnings: None for this chappie... unless you count a bit of angst.
Summary: Response to one of QueenStrata's challenges. Harry is staying at Hogwarts over the summer, and finds a really nifty mirror that shows whoever looks into it the person that is most like them. Now Harry has to overcome the challenges of getting along with his so called "match"... The only problem? It's none other than Tom Riddle. And what does Dumbledore have to do with this?!
Notes: *squeals* OVER 100 REVIEWS!!! Oh my God, guys, you have no idea how happy this makes me. This is the highest number of reviews I've ever gotten. Thank you sooo much! *hugs reviewers* I just want to say that I'm sorry again for the wait. Semester exams really had me swamped. Glad they're over though. *wipes brow* All those study sessions... I've never spent more time on schoolwork in my life! And then, of course, I had to get sick. -_-" Oi, writing chapters while under the influence of 4 different medicines is NOT a smart thing to do... *goes into coughing fit & passes out from lack of oxygen* X_X
Also, if you see a number in a set of these [] that means I have an explanation for that word or phrase at the bottom of the chapter. And since ff.net does not seem to appreciate italics, the character's thoughts will be in /these/. All annoying inner voices will speak in \these\. And since some characters have telepathic abilites, anything that is thought-spoken will be in these. Everyone got that? If not, here's the simplified version for all you idiots out there(j/k).
[] - I have an explanation for that word/phrase at the end of the chapter.
/ / - Peoples individual thoughts
\ \ - Those cute inner voices everybody loves
- Telepathic speech
" " - Regular speech
Okay, well, I think that's it. Now get on with the fic!!!
*~*~*~*~*~*
Harry woke up with a splitting headache. Groaning, he rolled to the side and buried his face in the pillow. What had he been doing? The last thing he remembered was... oh.
Tom.
He had been fighting with Tom... Snape must have stunned them and taken them back to their rooms. Mentally, he thanked the grouchy professor for stopping the fight before it escalated into an all out war.
Raising himself on his elbows, he noticed a tray of ham sandwiches sitting on the bedside table. It was then he realized how hungry he was. Harry snatched a sandwich and scarfed it down, before reaching for another and treating it in much the same manner.
A few minutes later, the plate was empty and Harry's stomach was satisfied. Rolling out of bed, he winced as his right foot hit the floor. Something was wrong with his leg. The Boy Who Lived peeled off his sock and found the problem: there was a long(but shallow) gash running from the middle of his shin to his ankle.
Looking over himelf, he saw that the rest of his body was in much the same state. There were several small cuts and brusies, along with some larger ones that would do no lasting damage, but hurt like hell all the same.
"Damn," Harry muttered, fingering one of the cuts on his hand. "Well, at least I gave as good as I got... I think."
"Trouble with that Slytherin scum, Harry?" Godric had just come back from a card game with Sir Cadogan. Frowning, the dark haired founder seated himself on a flame in his red and gold wall hanging. "Want to tell me what happened?"
"I don't really remember HOW the fight started," Harry admitted, "Just that it did. I can't seem to help it. I know Dumbledore says he's good, and that the evil half is still out there, but... it's still him," the Boy Who Lived finished lamely. Godric nodded in sympathy.
"Slytherins tend to have that effect on people, don't they?" he said.
"What are you telling the boy now?" Rowena entered the room frowning. "Go on, shoo. You're not going to help. He needs the advice of a motherly figure. Not to mention someone who is unbiased."
"Hey it's my tapestry!" Godric protested. Rowena leaned over and whispered something in his ear. The dark haired man blushed and scowled, stalking out of the room.
"There, now that he's out, why don't you tell me the problem?" the brown haired girl asked, her blue eyes softening as she took in Harry's state.
"I hate him," Harry muttered. "I hate him so bad, he's my enemy, he killed my parents. But now everything is wrong! Everyone is suddenly telling me I *have* to work with him, I *have* to like him, hell! They're telling me that we're soulmates, destined to be, or some other shit like that!"
Rowena gazed at him sympathetically.
"You don't *have* to do anything," she told him. "What you do is your descision alone. But you need to consider what you *should* do. Let me ask you this... Have you even really given this other boy a chance? Gotten to know him?"
"I don't *need* to get to know him," Harry replied scathingly.
"And why not?" Rowena asked calmly, not in the least affected by Harry's hurtful tone. "If what Albus says is true, as we both know it is, then this Tom Riddle is completely different from the one you know."
"But it's so damn hard!" Harry cried in frustration. He knew she was right. "Just looking at him makes me want to punch his lights out!"
"I'm sure the headmaster would settle for a lack of open hostility[1], if you can manage it," Rowena said. "Now why don't you go to the Hospital Wing. I'm sure the nurse has been told not to heal either of you, but if you're quick about it, you might be able to sneak out some healing potions." The brown haired lady winked and left.
Harry sighed and slowly began to change into a more comfortable (and less torn) set of clothes. Rowena was right, and after all, what's the worst that could happen?
*~*~*~*~*~*
Meanwhile, Tom was still asleep... and dreaming. He was eleven, and back at the muggle orphanage where he grew up. He and the other kids were cleaning the mess hall after lunch. Some were laughing and goofing off, others were working dilligently, trying to finish before the adults came back. He was in the latter group. Suddenly something large and wet hit his head. A sponge. He growled and turned to his attacker.
She was a tiny pale girl, only coming up to about the middle of his chest, even though they were the same age. Her light brown hair was fine and straight, and fell limply down to her shoulders. It was kept away from her face by a violet headband that matched her eyes. She was, like everyone else, wearing old patched up clothes that had been donated to the orphanage by other families.
"Oh lighten up, Tommy! Have some fun!" she giggled.
Tom frowned. "Don't call me that, Lyra."
He remembered this. This was the day he got his Hogwarts letter. One of his fondest memories.
Lyra laughed again. "Why not? Tommy sounds much better than Tom. Tom sounds so... grown-up."
"Maybe I want to be grown-up."
The dream went on, Lyra still trying to coax his younger self into joining the sponge fight the older years had started. They bickered and teased each other a bit more, until Tom finally gave in and joined the fight. The dream then skipped to that night, while he was sitting on his bed with his roommate, himself holding an all to familiar letter that was yet to be opened.
"Watcha think's in it, Tom?" Asked the boy.
"I don't know yet Caleb, I haven't opened it," Tom replied, rolling his eyes.
"Well then, get ta openin' it!"
Caleb was a few inches taller than Tom, and had shaggy dishwater blond hair that looked in bad need of a trim. His warm brown eyes were covered by a pair of large, round, wire-rimmed glasses that looked like they needed a good cleaning and he spoke with a heavy accent, though Tom was unsure of what kind it was.[2] Caleb reached out with one dark tanned hand to grab the envelope.
"Hey! It's mine, and I'll open it when I feel like it!" Tom said indignantly, though he wanted to know too. Eagerly he opened the letter and read it, grinning from ear to ear.
"Man, ya gotta be 'ta luckiest kid alive ya know it Tommy-boy? I wish I could go ta a magic school an' learn spells an' stuff."
"I know." Tom smiled. It was then that he felt the dream fading and himself waking up.
And that was when reality kicked in.
"Ugh, I feel like shit," he groaned, rubbing his bruised arm lightly. There was a chuckle from the tapestry.
"Well, you look like shit," commented Salazar, "So it makes sense."
"Gee, thanks," Tom muttered. He limped over to the bathroom to examine the damage done to his beautiful body[3]. Looking in the mirror, he gasped. There was a large bruise over his left eye, and numerous cuts on his arms, neck, and face. Tom rolled up his pants legs to see his ankles and shins in much of the same state.
"Damn it, that bastard really did a number on me," he growled. If only he knew some healing spells! Now he would have to go all the way to the Hospital Wing... if it was even in the same place. He hoped it was. He also hoped that the current nurse would be willling to heal him.
"You might want to get that gash on your stomach looked at," Salazar said when the other boy emerged from the bathroom. "I think Professor Snape missed that one. He did heal your broken wrist though." The blonde indicated the still slightly swollen appendage with a nod.
Tom nodded and left the room, entering the main hall, where he was met with a most unpleasant surprise.
*~*~*~*~*~*
"You," Harry spat as he saw Tom enter the hall. "What do you want?"
"I expect the same thing as you, to head to the Hospital Wing. You nearly cut my stomach open with that chair edge, bastard," Tom said, hoping the other boy would leave it at that. He was too weak to fight again.
Harry gave a noncommittal grunt and headed toward Madam Pomfrey's office, favoring his hurt leg. The raven haired boy was determined to take Rowena's advice and merely ignore the Slytherin heir. Tom took his silence as a good sign and followed, albeit at a distance.
However, neither boy got very far, as they were stopped by Sirius.
"What are you doing out of bed, Harry?" the animagus inquired. "Dumbledore told me that you two got into a fight during Snape's," Sirius winced at the other's name, "lesson today."
"Yeah," Harry replied, momentarily forgetting the presence of Tom. "I think Snape healed most of the really bad injuries, because I'm sure I broke a finger or two, but my leg is still pretty rough. I was going to the infirmary to see if Madam Pomfrey would heal it." He rolled up his pants leg to show his godfather the gash on his shin.
"Ouch," Sirius winced. "Yeah, I think that's worse than Snape thought it was, but the nurse is out buying more supplies." He then turned to Tom, who had been quietly listening to the conversation. "I assume that's where you were headed too?"
Tom nodded but said nothing.
"Well, like I said, the nurse is out. I would help you guys, but I really suck at healing spells," Sirius admitted sheepishly. "I failed Medical Magic twice before I finally dropped it."
Harry smiled and gave a light laugh. It was great to have Sirius around, even if he also had to put up with Tom. The animagus' presence could almost make him forget the other boy was even around. The two Gryffindors chatted for a bit more, Tom watching silently from the side.
"Well, it was really great to talk to you Sirius, but if you don't mind, I think I might go lie down," Harry said.
"Oh, right! I shouldn't have kept you standing for so long. Do you need any help?" Sirius inquired worriedly.
"If you could, thanks," Harry answered gratefully. The animagus grinned mischeviously and suddenly swung his godson over his shoulder.
"Hey!" Harry yelped. This really wasn't what he meant, but it DID take the weight off of his leg...
Tom frowned and followed the two Gryffindors back to the Founder's Wing. He suddenly wished that he had someone to laugh with, to talk to, someone who would swing ~him~ over their shoulder like a rag doll... someone who cared. He quickly shook off the feeling. There wasn't anyone he could even get along with in this time, and it was useless spending days pondering over hopeless ideas and wishes. If only Lyra and Caleb were here... wait.
"Um... Mr. Black sir?" Sirius turned around, surprised at being addressed by the young Riddle boy so politely. "Do you think... is there a muggle phone book around here anywhere?"
If Sirius was shocked by the boy's politeness, he was utterly stupefied by the question.
"Uh... er, probably. Dumbledore might have one, he likes to collect that kind of stuff. Uh, you know where the headmaster's office is, right?"
"Yes, thank you sir," Tom said. Rushing off as fast as he could without injuring himself further. Reaching the stone gargoyle, the ruby eyed boy realized he had no idea what the password would be.
"Uh..."
"Was there something you needed?"
Thank God. Headmaster Dumbledore had the best timing ever, Tom decided.
"Yes, do you have a recent muggle phone book anywhere?" Dumbledore seemed unfazed by the question and smiled cheerfully.
"As a matter of fact, I do! I'll get it for you, if you'll wait a minute." The headmaster then spoke the password ("Pixie stix") and went up to his office. He returned a few minutes later with a large yellow volume.
"Thank you, headmaster," Tom said gratefully. He quickly flipped to the "S" section.
Sandweg, Sells, Silverman... Ah! Tom gave a triumphant grin. There, at the very bottom of the page, was the name "Silvertongue, Lyra"[4]. Next to it was her phone number and... her address. Just what he had been looking for.
"Headmaster?" Tom glanced over to where Dumbledore was watching him.
"Yes, Mr. Riddle?"
"Do you think I might be able to pay a visit to one of my old friends? You know, from my time?"
"I think that's an excellent idea, Tom," Dumbledore said. "I haven't heard from Ms. Silvertongue in several years... nearly twenty, as a matter of fact."
"You mean you knew her?!" Tom exclaimed. As far as he knew, Lyra was muggle and had no connections with the Wizarding word.
"Oh yes, many things have happened Tom, that you do not know of. I can assure you though that you will find out. But for right now, let us concentrate on the present. I see no reason why you can't see Lyra tomorrow afternoon. I assume you wish to travel alone?"
Tom nodded. "If that's all right."
"Well, now that that's settled why don't you head back to the dorm. I believe you need some rest after that little ordeal with Harry," Dumbledore said sternly, though there was still a familiar twinkle in his eye.
Tom beamed. "Yes sir!" He dashed off to the dorm as fast as he could. Finally there was a bit of silver lining in this dark, confusing cloud.
*~*~*~*~*~*
To Be Continued...
Notes: *tears up* I'm so sorry I was late with this! But I really do have a good excuse! I've been grounded by my parents and am only allowed on the computer for a short time each day ~if~ they think I have earned it. And you can imagine how often that is... they starve me from the computer until I'm on the brink of insanity (in other words, every few days) and then they only let me on for about an hour. *cries hysterically* Not fair!!! So I hate to say it, but this might be the last for awhile... like, until late March. Please don't kill me...
EXPLANATIONS & DEFINITIONS
[1] Gee, this quote seems awfully familiar...
[2] Ok, for all you Yu-Gi-Oh fans out there, think of an accent kind of like Joey/Jou's but a bit different. I believe it's kind of a Brooklyn accent, isn't it? But I'm not sure, as I'm from the midwest and only hear Kentucky accents from where I live. ^_^"
[3] Voldemort DID say his younger self was very vain, if you'll recall. And anyway, Tom really DOES have a beautiful body. ^_~
[4] Lyra Silvertongue is a character from the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. I admit taking the name. But THIS Lyra is a different one than the book character.
*~*~*~*~*~*
And now to thank my wonderful reviewers...
elven_girl13 - You're absolutely right. I suppose it's just the way that I wrote it that made it sound all funky.
Nox
frizzy - Longer chapters? I'll try, but I usually just stop whenever it sounds good.
... - You are absolutely right. It never said his name was Thomas, and I didn't even realize I had typed that until you mentioned it.
Tigris-Blue - Why were you going to flame me? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you didn't, but I'm curious as to why. Glad you ended up liking the fic though. And if you're twisted for wanting to write a Vol/Harry rape fic, am I twisted for wanting to read it when you do?
ForeverYoung - I would be HONORED if you would put this up on your site, just be sure to give me the link. I am glad you enjoy this so much, and once again, I apologize for not updating more.
tima
catsncritters - Yes you do have a lot of nicknames... I'm glad you think that I keep the characters so well in character, that was my goal, after all! ^_^
bad-ass-Cinderella
nptrenko
*blank* - I'm aware that I'm not spitting out chapters left and right, but that's because I actually put time and effort into them. And I'm "barely better than those that publish a chapter one every 2 or 3 months"? ...Was that supposed to be a flame? If so, it was pretty pathetic. If you're going to attempt to hurt my feelings, at least do it right and have the courage to leave a name.
Sime Fireblaze - Yep, sure have! ^_^ *hugs her Zechs & Treize plushies*
kandra
PinkDevil - It never actually said in CoS what color his eyes were, I've scoured the book through and through. The only thing it said about them was that they appeared to flash red for a moment, and since Voldemort's eyes were red, that's what I used. Anyways, it sounds cool. ^_^
adrina skywalker
QueenStrata - Guess what? The dream sequence confused me too! ^_^ Which is pretty bad considering I wrote it. *sighs* Oh well. And yeah, Harry is acting meaner than I meant him to.. but that's ok! ^_^ Wow, I am so hyper tonight... must be becuase I went out to see Daredevil (which kicks @$$ by the way) with a couple of friends... too much popcorn and candy... yep.. that's it...
*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, that's all for now! Gotta jet, folks! *runs off to English class to goggle at the Elijah Wood duplicate in her class* Wow... *drools*
