He spent the next couple days biding his time in Knockturn Alley. He got a
room at the little hotel they had there and stayed cooped up in there all
day except for at meal times. Then, after he was sure that Courtney had
gotten a room at the Leaky Cauldron, he crossed into Diagon Alley and got a
room there as well.
This time, instead of staying in his room, he wandered aimlessly around the Alley, looking at things that seemed like they may be interesting, sometimes pretending to be looking for a job or something. He went back to the pub for meals, and sat in the darkest corner he could find. He would sit in his corner and eat by himself, watching Courtney when she happened in. Then, on the Monday before her mum was supposed to be there, Tom followed Courtney out of the pub after their evening meal and kept behind her by about twenty feet. She did much the same thing as he did, wandered around, but Tom figured that it was more likely that she was looking at stuff for real, rather than just to pass time.
Courtney didn't enter a single store, but looked in windows instead. She seemed to sense that somebody was following her because she would glance behind her ever so often and try to see if anybody was back there. She also, apparently, seemed to know that to find out who her follower was, she was going to have to lead him to a place where they could be alone. So she did. She didn't realize that could be the worst mistake she had ever made in her life.
Tom followed her into a dark side street on the outskirts of Diagon Alley. She walked onto the street and leaned against a wall, obviously prepared to wait out her stalker. She was impatient though, and soon started fidgeting. Finally, after only ten minutes, she called out, "Who are you? I know you are there! Please, come out." Her voice was ringing with fear. Tom chuckled to himself. This was it.
"It is just I, fair maiden. Be not afeared," he said, using weird words so that she wouldn't recognize him by voice and know that her time had come.
"And who are you? 'I' can't possibly be your name, now, can it? Please, come out and let me have a look at your face."
"Oh, I think not, dear. And, I think, you know who I am, deep in your heart. Think."
"I don't know who yo-Wait. I think I might. But it isn't possible. You died a year and a half ago."
"Did I, Dear One? I fear I don't remember dying. That must be a different somebody you are thinking of. Try again." Tom, who had donned a dark cloak with a hood, stepped out of the shadow just a little, but enough for her to see that there was somebody there.
"If you aren't who I thought you were, then who are you?"
"Dear, you do know. I am your biggest fear. Think about it." Tom took a step closer. She was only about ten steps away from her. He just had to keep her still and thinking about it.
"My worst fear? How would you know what my worst fear is? My worst fear is- " She stopped suddenly and went quiet.
"What is your worst fear, O Fair One? I promise you that it is none other than I." Tom let a hissy sound into his voice, to make it scarier, as he took another two small steps toward her.
"My worst fear is none of your business! That is what it is! Go away!" Courtney about choked on the last couple words, so thick with fear were they.
"Go away? Is that how you would talk to me? Not such a smart idea, Girl." Another couple shuffling steps.
"Leave! I will call out for somebody to come help me! And don't think I won't!" she spat at him ruefully, her tone threatening.
"No you won't, Miss. You know how I know?" Another step.
"I will. Come any closer, and you will regret it. Now, leave! I demand of you, leave me alone!" She was shaking with fear now, and Tom could tell that he was really scaring her. But he only had to stall for a few minutes longer. Only a few more steps now.
"What will you do, Miss McRaven? What will you do to one such as I? The most powerful sorcerer in all of England?" Three more steps. Almost there.
"The most powerful sorcerer in England? I doubt it. What would you want with me?"
"Think about it. You need only go back to January; just a couple months." One more step. Three or four to go.
"January? What happened then that..." she trailed off, deep in thought.
"Yes, Courtney, go back to January. What happened then? What?"
"I was on Christmas Break for the first part of the month. Then I came back to-to-to that bastard, Tom, and he revealed that he had found a way to become Immortal. Then, I read that damn book of his that told him how and-" She stopped suddenly, eyes wide.
"And?"
"Get away from me, Tom! Go away! You won't have me without a fight!" Courtney took a deep breath and sniffed. Tom realized suddenly that there were tears pouring down her face.
"A fight is it? So be it. Take out your wand, Courtney."
"I hate you Tom! I hate you! Leave me alone! Find somebody else to kill! If you think about it, you don't love me either!" She stopped for a ragged breath. Then repeated, her voice full of tears now, "You don't love me either."
"Yes, I do love you, Courtney. I do. And for that, you must pay."
"Tom! Please don't! I don't think you can do it. You aren't strong enough. You can't be."
"Take out your wand, girl. Take out your wand and fight me, since you don't want to be taken without a fight."
Courtney pulled out her wand obligingly. "Tom, if you need me to, I will find you somebody else to love. I will. I promise, just don't kill me."
"Now, we fight. Not duel, fight. To the death."
This time, instead of staying in his room, he wandered aimlessly around the Alley, looking at things that seemed like they may be interesting, sometimes pretending to be looking for a job or something. He went back to the pub for meals, and sat in the darkest corner he could find. He would sit in his corner and eat by himself, watching Courtney when she happened in. Then, on the Monday before her mum was supposed to be there, Tom followed Courtney out of the pub after their evening meal and kept behind her by about twenty feet. She did much the same thing as he did, wandered around, but Tom figured that it was more likely that she was looking at stuff for real, rather than just to pass time.
Courtney didn't enter a single store, but looked in windows instead. She seemed to sense that somebody was following her because she would glance behind her ever so often and try to see if anybody was back there. She also, apparently, seemed to know that to find out who her follower was, she was going to have to lead him to a place where they could be alone. So she did. She didn't realize that could be the worst mistake she had ever made in her life.
Tom followed her into a dark side street on the outskirts of Diagon Alley. She walked onto the street and leaned against a wall, obviously prepared to wait out her stalker. She was impatient though, and soon started fidgeting. Finally, after only ten minutes, she called out, "Who are you? I know you are there! Please, come out." Her voice was ringing with fear. Tom chuckled to himself. This was it.
"It is just I, fair maiden. Be not afeared," he said, using weird words so that she wouldn't recognize him by voice and know that her time had come.
"And who are you? 'I' can't possibly be your name, now, can it? Please, come out and let me have a look at your face."
"Oh, I think not, dear. And, I think, you know who I am, deep in your heart. Think."
"I don't know who yo-Wait. I think I might. But it isn't possible. You died a year and a half ago."
"Did I, Dear One? I fear I don't remember dying. That must be a different somebody you are thinking of. Try again." Tom, who had donned a dark cloak with a hood, stepped out of the shadow just a little, but enough for her to see that there was somebody there.
"If you aren't who I thought you were, then who are you?"
"Dear, you do know. I am your biggest fear. Think about it." Tom took a step closer. She was only about ten steps away from her. He just had to keep her still and thinking about it.
"My worst fear? How would you know what my worst fear is? My worst fear is- " She stopped suddenly and went quiet.
"What is your worst fear, O Fair One? I promise you that it is none other than I." Tom let a hissy sound into his voice, to make it scarier, as he took another two small steps toward her.
"My worst fear is none of your business! That is what it is! Go away!" Courtney about choked on the last couple words, so thick with fear were they.
"Go away? Is that how you would talk to me? Not such a smart idea, Girl." Another couple shuffling steps.
"Leave! I will call out for somebody to come help me! And don't think I won't!" she spat at him ruefully, her tone threatening.
"No you won't, Miss. You know how I know?" Another step.
"I will. Come any closer, and you will regret it. Now, leave! I demand of you, leave me alone!" She was shaking with fear now, and Tom could tell that he was really scaring her. But he only had to stall for a few minutes longer. Only a few more steps now.
"What will you do, Miss McRaven? What will you do to one such as I? The most powerful sorcerer in all of England?" Three more steps. Almost there.
"The most powerful sorcerer in England? I doubt it. What would you want with me?"
"Think about it. You need only go back to January; just a couple months." One more step. Three or four to go.
"January? What happened then that..." she trailed off, deep in thought.
"Yes, Courtney, go back to January. What happened then? What?"
"I was on Christmas Break for the first part of the month. Then I came back to-to-to that bastard, Tom, and he revealed that he had found a way to become Immortal. Then, I read that damn book of his that told him how and-" She stopped suddenly, eyes wide.
"And?"
"Get away from me, Tom! Go away! You won't have me without a fight!" Courtney took a deep breath and sniffed. Tom realized suddenly that there were tears pouring down her face.
"A fight is it? So be it. Take out your wand, Courtney."
"I hate you Tom! I hate you! Leave me alone! Find somebody else to kill! If you think about it, you don't love me either!" She stopped for a ragged breath. Then repeated, her voice full of tears now, "You don't love me either."
"Yes, I do love you, Courtney. I do. And for that, you must pay."
"Tom! Please don't! I don't think you can do it. You aren't strong enough. You can't be."
"Take out your wand, girl. Take out your wand and fight me, since you don't want to be taken without a fight."
Courtney pulled out her wand obligingly. "Tom, if you need me to, I will find you somebody else to love. I will. I promise, just don't kill me."
"Now, we fight. Not duel, fight. To the death."