Second to last chapter. Sorry it took me so long to update.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!
Remember HARRY DOES NOT WIN. IN FACT HE DIES A HORRIBLE DEATH AT THE END.
Life had settled into a new pattern. Tania now lived at Riddle Manor as did Draco, Hunter, and Justin. Several Squads of her NDE were always stationed at the House, the rest living with other Death Eaters, like the Malfoys.
Tania and Tom shared the Master Bedroom and a connecting room served as her workshop. For all intents and purposes, she was Tom's wife, though they hadn't actually gotten married yet. She sat in Council with him, helped plan attacks, and was obeyed by all.
Tania was curled in a chair by the fire one evening, reading a new Dark Arts book Tom had gotten her. Or at least that's what she was intending to do. In reality, she was staring at the flames, thinking. Things weren't exactly the way she hoped they would be.
She had thought that things would be very similar to the way they were at school, where Tom showed one face to the world, but another to her when they were alone. It was like that, but different. Outside their rooms, he was...not the same. He was harder, colder. He appeared to listen to her, but she could see that he was humoring her.
And sometimes, she thought she saw a flash of anger when she gave Draco or Hunter or Justin orders. Or when they would accept his orders, but subtly glance at her for confirmation. She had tried talking to Tom about it, but he had denied it and had distracted her.
When they were alone, she forgot all her misgivings. He was exactly the way she remembered, gentle and sweet, possessive and passionate. Behind closed doors, he was attentive to her every mood and wish. He put her first, whatever she wanted, she got. But that was only when they were alone. Once they were with the world again, he seemed to put this wall between them.
Gentle hands touched her shoulders and slid down her arms. She felt a feather kiss at her temple.
"You are very far away tonight, my dear." Tom's voice whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck. She smiled up at him, closing her book.
"Just thinking, Tom dear." she said. He pulled her to her feet, then sat down in her chair and pulled her onto his lap. She leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck as he slid his arms around her waist.
"They didn't look to be pleasant thoughts. What's the matter?" he asked.
"I was just thinking about some of the differences between how things were before and what they are now." She moved one hand up to entangle her fingers in Tom's hair.
He frowned, briefly. "What's different? Tell me, I'll fix it." he promised.
It's YOU!! she wanted to scream. "I'm just adjusting to merging the memories I had of my friends, like Lucius, with the men I know now. I-I'm sure it will all work itself out." she smiled, feeling the fakeness in it and sure that Tom could see it too.
A frown flashed across his face, again. Then he kissed her, pulling her close. His fingers pulled her hair free of the braids she had been wearing, sending the locks pooling around her shoulders. Her worry started to fade, as it always did.
A knock sounded on the door. She pulled away from Tom. He sighed in annoyance and went to the door. There was a few moments of whispered conversation. He turned back to her.
"There is a minor problem with discipline. I will return shortly." He bowed to her and left. Tania sighed, all her worries pouring back into the forefront of her mind.
She tried to return to her book, but found she couldn't after a few pages. Her vision blurred and a throbbing started at her temple. She stood and found a simple pain potion. But it had no effect. Her cheeks started stinging and the throbbing increased.
She hugged herself, feeling as if she were being attacked. Her fingers brushed her Mark and the pain intensified. This wasn't her pain, but one of her people. She concentrated, trying to sense who it was.
"Draco! Something's happened to Draco!" she said out loud, ran to the door and flung it open.
A Slytherin Second Year stood there. She saluted. "Please, My Lady, you are needed in the Main Hall."
Tania slid her feet into slippers and followed the Slytherin down the stairs. She rushed into the Hall, and a gasp escaped her lips at the sight in front of her. Draco stood surrounded by her Death Eaters, all of them pointing their wands at the other figure in the ring, Tom. Draco was bleeding and had bruises forming on his cheek.
"Draco, Let us!" Justin called from the edge.
Draco shot Justin a hard look. "NO! I said hold. No one is to do anything." Tania pushed her way through the troops.
"What, By Merlin, is going on here?" she demanded. Tom turned to her, fury on his face. She inwardly flinched at the intensity of his gaze, but didn't back down.
"Draco is refusing a direct order." Tom said, cold. "I cannot tolerate disobedience." Tania took a few steps closer to Draco, gently touching his wounds. He flinched, but didn't move away.
"Draco?" she asked. "Are you refusing an order? He saluted.
"Yes." he said shortly.
She frowned. "Why, Draco?"
"Because it contradicts on of your standing orders." He stood at stiff attention.
"Which one?" she asked.
He licked his lips. "Do not, under any circumstances reveal any knowledge of the Friden Potion or allow anyone to have access to it. Allow no one to use the Potion on anyone." he quoted.
She looked at Tom. "Why do you need the Friden Potion?"
"I need it for a plan I am devising. I cannot finish the plan until I have the specifics of the Potion." He spoke calmly, but Tania felt as if he were humoring her again.
She became angry. "And why did you not just ask me? Especially when Draco said he couldn't tell you."
Tom placed a hand on each shoulder. "I didn't want to bother you. You seem to have a lot on your mind lately, and I thought to just get it from Draco. He is a loyal Death Eater, isn't he? Isn't that what you promised me?"
Tania felt the world spin. This wasn't the way things were supposed to be. She and Tom should be working together in perfect harmony. That's the way it was. There should be no question of the loyalty of any of her Slytherins. But Draco had done as ordered. Tania knew that Draco would have died before telling Tom what she didn't want anyone to know. Why were she and Tom so out of sync? This never would have happened in the past.
"Yes," she whispered. "Draco is loyal. Draco did nothing wrong. He obeyed orders. For over a year, Tom, I have been representing you to them. Loyalty to me has meant loyalty to you. They aren't used to you actually being here. Standing orders need to be changed, but Draco did nothing wrong. You should feel secure that Draco will never reveal anything that we don't want revealed. For future reference, just as standing orders do not apply to me, they do not apply to Tom. Remember that serving Tom is what we've been working for all year. Medics, tend to Draco."
Exhaustion filled her voice as she spoke. "I'll change the rest of the standing orders tomorrow. I'll show you the potion tomorrow, Tom. Just......wait until tomorrow." Tania turned and slowly made her way back up the stairs. This time there seemed to be twice as many stairs as there used to be. About halfway, she felt herself being picked up and inhaled the sent of Tom. He held her close against him.
Soon they were back in their room and he was putting her in bed. Tania curled up and used all her will power not to start sobbing. Nothing was right. Part of her wished Tom had never come back. Part of her wished she had never come back to the future. What had occurred downstairs should never have happened.
She felt Tom slide into bed. He pulled her to him, resting her head on his bare shoulder. She could hold back her tears no longer. They silently fell down her face, hitting Tom's bare skin.
"Shh." Tom whispered. "What's wrong? You've been so distant lately. Tell me what's wrong." Tania slowly spoke through her tears, telling Tom everything that had been bothering her, except the fact that it had been him who was distant, not her. He hadn't listened before and probably wouldn't listen now.
It was like being back in the Chamber of Secrets. Here is was just the two of them. Tania finally stopped crying and fell asleep. Tom was awake for several more hours, thinking about all she had just poured out to him.
Voldermort slammed his goblet down onto the table, sending shards of glass everywhere. He threw the roll of parchment he had been reading aside and stormed out of the Council room. He strode toward the stairs. This was infuriating.
He had been trying to get a key piece of information for a month now and still, despite all his best efforts, including sending Draco Malfoy and Justin Cromwell, it was eluding his grasp. He needed distraction, something to get his mind off this. Then a solution might present itself.
Voldermort smiled, Tania. Tania was always the perfect distraction. That girl still worshiped him, only needed the sight of his younger body and a smile to melt. Tania was still his soul-mate, but needed experience and time to be his equal again. Both he was willing to give her. He had taught her many things in the past and would continue those lessons, as soon as things settled a little.
He finished climbing the stairs and opened the doors to their suite. Sunlight poured in from the open windows and Voldermort smelled the familiar scents that told him Tania was working in her lab next door. He touched his Mark, allowing her to feel his presence near by.
He removed his cloak as she came in from her workshop, smiling. Her hair was floating around her like a aura, her eyes bright with the joy of her work. All of Voldermort's fury and annoyance swiftly turned to passion and desire. He grabbed her and roughly kissed her.
She tensed, placing her hands on his chest. He pushed her against the wall, kissing her again, hard. As he broke off the kiss, he caught her lip with his teeth, causing her to bleed a little. He licked it away, pinning her hands to the wall. He trailed kisses down her neck.
"Tom, no!" she struggled to free herself. What was he doing? He had never acted like this before. "Tom, NO!" she repeated, panicking a little as he seemed to ignore her. Voldermort was ignoring her protests. This was Tania. Tania denied him nothing. She was his most faithful follower, giving him what he wanted, when he wanted it. She would never really say no to him.
Fear had now replaced the panic. What was wrong with Tom? He had always been gentle, considerate. Tania had to get away from him. She stomped hard on his foot, and when he took a step back in surprise, she shoved him back with her now free hands. She ducked away from him, moving to the other side of the room, pulling her wand out.
She faced him. Tom was looking at her a mixture of outrage and confusion on his face. Tania was pale, and trembling. She pointed her wand at him.
"I-I don't know what's gotten into you." she paused. "Don't follow me." She Apperated and was gone.
Voldermort stared in shock at the place Tania had been moments before. She had left. She had pointed her wand at him. She would have only done that if she felt threatened. He had obviously scared her. He had never seen that look on her face before, and he was filled with a sudden panic that she would never come back.
He had to get her back, for personal reasons, as well as power issues. Draco and the NDE would never follow him, if she called them to her. They were the backbone of his operation. Voldermort took a deep breath and thought. He could easily find her. She was Marked by him and he could trace where she Apperated to.
He closed his eyes, touching his Mark. It took only a few minutes to find her. She wasn't far away, just in the village below the Manor. He Apperated to the room she was in. She was sitting at a table, sipping a drink.
"Tania," he said softly. She leapt to her feet and whirled, knocking the chair away. She was trembling and had tear stains on her face. She had her wand out again.
"I told you not to follow me." she ground out. "And I meant it!" she Apperated again. Voldermort sighed. This might take a while.