Inception: Rise of the Heir
After the murder of Hepzibah Smith, Tom Riddle disappeared for ten long years. He sank deeper into the Dark Arts & pursued knowledge that others could only dream of, consorting with the darkest members of wizarding society. With his eyes set on North America, he has no idea that the magic he so desperately seeks will shape his life & his inevitable future for years to come. TomxOC
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except for my o/c's and my own storyline.
Madam Celestin
joyfully invites you to attend
the annual ball in celebration of
St. John's Eve
on the twenty third of June
at eight o' clock in the evening
Manoir de la Fleur , New Orleans Louisiana.
Lyra read the scrawling script on the invitation in her hand and stared at the long black dress hung delicately before her. She had pulled it from a large wooden drawer in her wardrobe and frowned at its sloppy appearance, wrinkled and rumpled from years of neglect. Pulling her wand out from her pocket and waving it over the garment, she watched as the imperfections disappeared from the smooth sparkling fabric and smiled. Running her hand along it gently, she reached back into the drawer, pulling out a long train of transparent black chiffon and hung it neatly over the dress.
"I can't remember the last time I even wore something as nice as this." She mused as she crossed her arms around her, tapping her fingers absentmindedly. "What occasion could I have purchased this for?"
Yesterday, when they had gotten back from their meeting with Madam Celestin, she had spent the remainder of the night pouring over books, determined to find her own solution should her ventures in New Orleans prove fruitless. In her zeal she had completely forgotten about the proper dress attire she would need for such an event and that morning had dug around ferociously in her wardrobe in hopes there would be something appropriate for her to wear.
"Aha! I remember now...the charity ball in Savannah. I purchased this and never got to wear it because I was called away for work...The irony. The only formal event I had ever agreed to attend and I ended up not going anyway…"
She let out a small laugh and shook her head. "Oh well, at least it will finally have a purpose."
As she went to push the drawer back in, a neatly pressed pair of pants caught her eye and she opened the heavy dresser a bit further to uncover what else laid inside.
"I wonder." She thought as she bit her lip, running a hand over her discovery.
Tom paced around the room anxiously, the night had been long and he had found himself unable to sleep, filled with anticipation of the events that would ensue later on in the day.
He stared at the stack of open books he had read all night about New Orleans magic and the dark tales of spells and rituals that had once stemmed from it's nefarious underbelly. One passage in particular stood out to him and he found himself fascinated at its description.
"Falling under the branch of Necromancy, there is little known about the subject of the Inferi. It has been assumed in the ancient and dark ritual of creating Inferi, that after a series of complex spells have been performed, that a witch or wizard may control a corpse's body even after it has been parted with its soul. Once made into an Inferi, the body could be reanimated at the whim of its creator and may be used to carry out any deed at its master's behest..."
"If I'm only to walk away from this country with this particular knowledge I will count my travel here as a complete success. In the future it could prove most useful, with an army of Inferi behind me there would be little anyone could do to prevent my ascention to power."
He rubbed his chin in thought and smirked at his good fortune. "I only hope that this Madam Celestin is as competent in the dark arts as Lyra claims she is."
Tom frowned as he thought back to the snake and the strange exchange that had passed between them. "Something still sits strange with me...only after our little exchange in parselmouth did she see fit to entertain the both of us. Before it slithered away into that back room, our efforts seemed wasted. The more I think about it, the less of a coincidence it seems-"
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on his door. He let out a sigh of frustration as he slowly opened it, peering outside to find Lyra standing in the doorway, a small bundle in her arms.
"May I come in?"
Tom stared at her for a moment, clenching his jaw in annoyance and opened the door, gesturing for her to enter.
"Did I interrupt something?"
He stared at her irately for a moment before speaking. "No...nothing of consequence."
"I trust you're prepared for tonight."
"I am."
She tilted her head at him curiously and looked around the room. "I'm sorry if this comes off a little rude, but I was curious as to what you planned on wearing tonight."
He frowned and gestured towards the clothes he was wearing, irritated by her question. "I'm sure you have more pressing matters to attend to than worrying about my choice in clothing."
Lyra raised her eyebrow as she held out the small bundle towards him. "Normally I wouldn't care, but since tonight is of the utmost importance, I felt that it would help if we both looked our best. I found this in my wardrobe amongst my things...You're welcome to it if you'd like."
Tom unwrapped the small bundle, looking at the suit he held in his arms and gave her a strange look.
"What?" She asked
"Do you normally keep men's clothing on hand?"
"I kept it for polyjuice purposes. It's better to be prepared for all situations-" She sniffed as she turned away from him. "But if you'd prefer to be under-dressed for the occasion-"
He smiled as he watched a red blush creep onto her cheeks and spoke softly. "I didn't mean to offend you. I appreciate the gesture, truly."
Aware of the growing color on her cheeks, she looked towards him quickly and nodded, walking towards the door. "The ball starts in a few hours, meet me in my room at a quarter to eight and we'll depart together…"
He watched as she left the room and grinned to himself, placing the suit gently on the bed.
Lyra stared at the opulent black dress as she sipped on a glass of wine, dread creeping over her as the time for their departure grew closer.
"I hope it goes well tonight. I know something as trivial as a ball shouldn't give me so much to worry about, but my gut instinct is telling me to be on my guard."
She let out a sigh of frustration as she placed the glass down and opened her purse, summoning a large mirror and waving it towards the wall where it hung itself neatly. Narrowing her eyes at her reflection in the mirror, she looked towards her purse and summoned a few beauty products from the pouch.
"I suppose considering the importance of the night, I should try to look a little more refined than usual."
Lyra looked towards her hair and frowned, waving her wand elegantly above her head and watched as her curls softened into perfect waves, her part slightly deeper than normal. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small hair pin, adorned with an array of small sparkling stones that were fashioned into the shape of a small flower and slid it into her hair. Nodding in approval, she looked towards a small bag of cosmetics and started to apply the makeup, swiping a dark red lipstick across her lips.
"I suppose this will have to do." She thought as she finished applying a small amount of rouge to her cheeks, stepping back to admire her reflection. "I've forgotten what it feels like to actually have time to spend on my appearance. I'm lucky if I have a minute every so often to just reapply my lipstick."
She looked towards the dress for a moment before slipping the black chiffon trains off from the hanger and laying them gently down on the bed. Disrobing slowly, she waved her wand towards the dress and watched as it floated towards her and hovered above her head, sliding over her outstretched arms and eventually over her slender body. She held her wand over her shoulder and pulled it upwards quickly as the zipper of her dress closed, her fitting complete. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she smiled at how the dress fit and sparkled, the halter top that crossed around her chest and looped around her neck dropped into a deep neckline that accentuated her delicate pale shoulders and her full bust. She fastened the clasp behind her neck and grabbed the chiffon trains waving her wand as they fastened themselves to the back of her dress.
A knock on the door disrupted her as she broke herself away from the mirror, quickly slipping on a matching pair of shoes.
"Come in." Lyra said softly, her heart suddenly beating nervously in her chest.
Tom fastened the top button on his suit as he pushed the door open gently, the anticipation of the night weighing heavily on his mind. He paused in the doorway, taking a deep breath before looking up from his jacket, staring silently as Lyra turned around to greet him and for the first time he found himself unsure of what to say. Upon their initial introduction he had acknowledged her beauty and along their travels she had never been anything less than well dressed and neat, so naturally, he had no reason to think that tonight she would have looked any different. But his assumption had been wrong and as he looked at the woman before him, he realized how truly beautiful she was.
Her dark midnight like hair flowed over her pale shoulders and her skin seemed to glow incandescently against the dark dress that adorned her body which sparkled and reminded him of the night sky. Long trains of black chiffon trailed elegantly behind her and he watched as her dark red lips parted in unease.
"You look…" He felt the words tumble out from his mouth involuntarily and trailed off as he noticed her tremble.
"Is it too much do you think?" Lyra asked nervously as her fingers began to fidget. "I-I've never worn anything so-"
"Beautiful." Tom said softly as he closed the door behind him and pulled on his suit jacket.
"Thank you." She said gently, feeling a flush rise in her cheeks. "You look quite handsome yourself, I'm glad the suit fit you."
He casually shrugged as she walked towards him. "I clean up well occasionally."
Lyra tried to contain the warmth in her cheeks and the fluttering in her chest as she walked over towards the table and picked up the elegant invitation.
"Shall we?"
Tom nodded and opened the door, letting her pass as he closed it behind them and felt a warm sensation rise up in his chest as she looked back towards him. She held her hand out gently as he grabbed it and with a large sudden 'CRACK' , they disappeared.
They reappeared quickly outside a large mansion which sat atop a lush, heavily gardened landscape that seemed to go on forever in the distance. Large lamps illuminated the great stone path that led up to the house, filled with bustling activity. They watched as other witches and wizards apparated around them, walking towards the enormous estate as large winged horses flew down from the sky, pulling large ornate carriages behind them as they landed on the long graveled pathway. Tom marveled at the sight before him and Lyra raised an eyebrow as she looked towards his eager face and whispered "I told you it was an honor to be invited, the balls held in New Orleans are far beyond anything you could ever imagine."
"So I see."
Lyra frowned as an fleeting, uncomfortable feeling rose up in her stomach and smoothed out her dress nervously as they started to walk up the drive. She tried to ignore the crowds of people that congregated in small groups on the lawn, laughing and talking to each other loudly as she passed, the sights and sounds assaulting all her senses at once. She paused as they reached a large fountain that sat in the middle of the walkway and took a deep breath, her insides shaking.
"It'll be fine Lyra, there's nothing to worry about. It's just one night...what could go wrong?"
"Are you alright?"
Realizing that Tom had noticed her discomfort, she took a short breath and nodded, trying to brush her apprehension aside. "Yes...I'll be fine."
Steeling herself, she followed Tom around the fountain and up the large stone steps, entering a large brightly lit foyer. It was heavily decorated, white and blue ribbons hung delicately from the walls, loose flowers adorned either side of the hall lavishly, directing them towards a large ballroom at the end. Two sprawling staircases above the ballroom were lined with candles, giving the hall a wonderfully decadent and elegant glow.
As they entered the ballroom, a small group of wizards stopped talking amongst themselves and turned their attention towards Lyra, eyeing her in a fashion that Tom recognized all too well. Discomforted by the stares, he carefully steered her away, quickly passing a well dressed witch who smiled at him bashfully and turned away, her face red and flushed from the encounter. To his amazement, the ballroom was decorated just as richly as the foyer, large flower garlands hung from the ceilings, while a band played softly in the background off towards the other end of the ballroom. To their right, he observed tall walls made of a frosted glass with large columns that framed a giant arched doorway that lead into a lush and private garden that seemed to go on endlessly.
The room was alive and buzzing, house elves and servers walked around with trays of hors d'oeuvres and drinks, while large banquet tables of food lined the other side of the ballroom, the smells enticing and delicious. Couples danced to the music in the center of the room as the band played soft and romantic melodies, their bodies swaying back and forth in unison.
"Refreshments?"
Lyra looked towards a server dressed in a blue suit and nodded as he handed them two glasses of wine. As he withdrew his hand, the sleeve of his coat pulled back to reveal a small dark mark upon his forearm, which when he noticed, he quickly concealed, pulling the cuff of his waistcoat over it. Tom narrowed his eyes curiously as he turned towards his companion who seemed to take no notice, sipping her wine slowly, anxiously observing the room. She relaxed slightly as he caught her eye and shook her head towards him.
"I'm sorry if I seem somewhat uneasy, I don't think I've ever been around this many people at once." She smiled faintly as she took a sip of her wine and nodded towards him, continuing, "You seem relaxed for someone who claims to dislike parties-Have you been to many balls like this before?"
"A few. None as extraordinary as this though…"
A young wizard and witch passed them and Tom smirked as the wizard ogled Lyra, his date pulling him in the other direction angrily as she noticed.
"I'll be perfectly content if this is my first and last." Lyra said irately as they walked over towards a gap in the crowd, finding sanctuary near a group of small tables against the ballroom floor.
Tom smiled in amusement as he stood next to her watching the room buzz with excitement when suddenly their isolation shattered, a familiar voice calling out to them from behind.
"I do believe every woman is looking at you in this room, green with envy." A deep voice said as Lyra felt her stomach drop.
"Merlin's beard, not again." She thought furiously as she grasped her glass, her knuckles turning white.
Tom watched her face fall as Cassian appeared next to them, dressed handsomely with a glass of wine in one hand and a haughty looking witch standing beside him.
"I highly doubt that." She said coldly, trying to look anywhere but at the man next to her.
"I thought it would be another two years before I saw you again." He smiled as he stood next to her, rolling his eyes as the young witch next to him nudged him angrily. " You of course remember Arabella from The Office of Magic Relations?"
"What are you doing here?" She asked flatly, sipping from her glass as she nodded at the witch, turning her attention towards Cassian.
"Well I was here on MACUSA business as you know and as a thank you for my services to the city, Madam Celestin extended her gratitude...and yourself? If I recall correctly, you were never an admirer of large gatherings."
"I invited them personally."
Madam Celestin appeared before them, elegantly dressed in a flowing white gown, her hair braided elegantly atop her head as she nodded.
"I trust you are all enjoying the ball?" she said, raising an eyebrow towards them.
"Tremendously." Tom said as he smiled politely at her.
"I'm sorry, Lyra I don't think you've introduced me to your friend." Cassian said as he turned towards Tom, the arrogant smile plastered across his face as he continued to sip his wine. "I would hate for him to think that all of us Americans are rude and unfriendly."
Tom stared at him coldly as Lyra spoke, her voice trembling slightly as she tried to suppress her anger. "I had hope to avoid useless introductions, but seeing as you keep showing up in unexpected places, it appears I've been left with no choice. This is my friend, Tom R-"
"Marvolo." He interrupted her silkily. "Thomas Marvolo."
Lyra gave him a strange look, but let it go as she sipped her wine uncomfortably.
"Cassian Barrett." The young man said as he grinned arrogantly and held his hand out. Tom ignored it as Madam Celestin laughed and turned towards him.
"Ahh so just Tom has a last name." He smiled as her eyes lingered on him, sparkling in amusement.
Cassian scornfully pulled back his hand and addressed Tom once more, his voice dripping with disapproval. "So Tom, how do you know Lyra?" He swirled the wine in his glass around as he continued to stare.
"I'm here on personal matters and she's been kind enough to show me around." He said, forcing himself to politely smile.
Cassian's handsome features soured for a moment before he laughed and nudged Lyra. "I see. Perhaps once you're done with being a tour guide you might consider returning to MASUCA then?"
Tom turned his head towards her sharply and narrowed his eyes. "Return to MACUSA?"
Laughing incredulously, Cassian placed a hand on her shoulder and moved himself in between them, his blue eyes twinkling in delight. "She never told you? Lyra's one of the brightest and most talented witches in the country. The youngest witch to ever become head of a department in history."
The young witch as his side rolled her eyes enviously as she nudged him again and whispered. "Cassian I'm rather thirsty could you-"
He waved her away irately, as he scowled. "There are drinks being served wherever you look, go fetch one yourself if you're in such a hurry."
Arabella sucked her teeth and gave him a filthy look as she walked away, while Lyra could feel the weight of Tom's unwavering gaze and judgement upon her and shifted her feet uncomfortably.
"What department did you work for?" Tom asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lyra gave Cassian a venomous look as she replied. "The Department of Curse Breakers..."
"I'm sure they were some of the best years the Department ever had." Madam Celestin said softly as she smiled at her. "Your prowess at MACUSA was often the topic of many conversations, pity you've left it behind."
"The only thing I've left behind is my certainty." Lyra said as she smiled slightly, sipping from her glass. "Sometimes the best way to force yourself forward in life is to burn the bridges behind you."
"Well spoken." Madam Celestin said as she raised her glass towards her.
"Your talents are sorely missed, I'm sure everyone would welcome you back with open arms if you decided to return." Cassian said as he sipped his wine, his gaze trailing over her body inappropriately.
"I'm afraid I've moved past such things." Lyra said flatly, trying to ignore his lustful eyes.
"Well of course you wouldn't be going back to your original position, since I now hold that title but the Magical Congress would be delighted to at least have you back in some capacity -"
Lyra shot him a filthy look as Madam Celestin cleared her throat, interrupting him quickly before the music grew louder in the background, as if she were looking to escape the awkward conversation. "Forgive me, but I need to attend to my other guests. Enjoy yourselves and continue on." She smiled and bowed her head gracefully, before walking across the room to engage with others, her long white dress trailing behind her.
Cassian finished his glass of wine and set it down on a table, offering his hand out towards Lyra. "I know you're not one for sentiment, but one dance for old times sake?"
She looked at his outstretched hand repugnantly as she tried to refuse, a look of disgust spreading across her face as she stammered. "I -"
Tom watched the discomfort and anger spread across her face and acted quickly, stepping between them. He placed his hand on her back gently as he smugly grinned at Cassian. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid Lyra's first dance is already spoken for."
She felt her anger subside as an overwhelming sense of relief flooded through her and she blushed as Tom's hand gently found hers.
"Perhaps later then.." Cassian stiffly nodded at them, his jaw clenched angrily as he walked away. Tom silently led Lyra out to the dance floor until they had found a vacant spot on the floor among the sea of dancing couples and he smiled at her reassuringly.
Lyra felt the heat in her cheeks rise as she felt his right hand gently rest on her waist, the other wrapped softly around her own and she raised her eyes to meet his, her free hand finding its way to his shoulder.
"Thank you...for that."
His eyes stared into hers intensely as a small grin tugged at his mouth. "You're welcome...although I'd be lying if I said my intentions were entirely chivalrous." He nodded in the direction of Cassian's looming figure, watching them angrily as he dismissed Arabella from his side once more, the young witch throwing her drink at him as she walked away. "I think I've gotten under his skin."
"I think you have." She laughed as she looked down, her smile fading.
He bowed his head closer towards hers and spoke softly. "So...how long did you work for MACUSA?"
"I'd rather not talk about it."
They danced in silence for a moment before she gave him a curious look. "Tom Marvolo?"
"I'd prefer the people acquainted with myself remain at a minimum."
Lyra nodded and leaned her head closer towards him, her heart skipping a beat as he followed suit, their faces almost touching. "Madam Celestin was very interested in you tonight. After this dance ends, you should use this ball as an opportunity to get closer to her."
"And what will you do?"
She shrugged. "Maybe take a walk in the garden, it doesn't matter. If I could do anything to further our interests I would, but it seems like she's far more enchanted by you than me."
He nodded as they continued to dance, his heart beating uncharacteristically fast as her hand moved from his shoulder to his chest. He glanced around at the couples around them, watching in amusement as the surrounding men stole glances at Lyra.
"I think that if you wanted to find another dance partner, you'd find that most of the wizards in the room would happily oblige you."
She laughed as the music came slowly to a close and squeezed his hand gently. "I highly doubt anyone could prove a better dance partner than my first...No, I think a little walk in the moonlight will be just fine for me."
He let go of her slowly as she motioned for him to turn around and pointed towards the regal woman in white walking alone as she departed from yet another group of attendees. "Madam Celestin is alone, go now before someone else engages her."
She smiled reassuringly at him and watched him depart, eventually turning around to catch the attention of a nearby server carrying a tray of drinks. Tom looked hesitantly over his shoulder as he stole one last glance, witnessing another wizard approach Lyra as he handed her a glass off the tray. He watched as they talked for a moment before she politely smiled and shook his hand, a slight grin tugging at her cheeks. Feeling a stab of jealousy rise up in his chest, he turned away and tried to ignore it, placing a false smile on his own face as he approached Madam Celestin slowly.
Hope you guys enjoyed this one, the next is coming soon! I don't have too much commentary on this chapter, but I did promise that it would have a bit more about Lyra's past. So there ya have it, she worked at MACUSA. More about that in chapters to come. Why a curse breaker? I feel like everyone's attentions are always fixated on an auror's job being the "most dangerous, exciting and important" part of working for a magical ministry, but if you read up on what curse breakers do, that job seems WAY more difficult and exciting...and who would be more talented at that job than someone who is VERY knowledgeable in the Dark Arts. Things are also getting a wee bit more romantic huh? A few more fun "behind the scene" inspirations to this chapter for you guys:
-The estate was actually based on a real museum & historical home in New Orleans, Longue Vue House & Gardens. Absolutely Stunning.
-Lyra's dress description was inspired by Jane Russell's ballroom dress from "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" One of my favorite on screen dresses EVER, her hair was inspired partially by Rita Hayworth in the movie "Gilda". Much like how Fantastic Beasts reflects the roaring twenties and the fashions and hairstyles of the day, I also tried to have Lyra's description match that of what a woman would look like in the 1950's. Completely useless information, but fun nonetheless.
To my reviewers:
Guest - thank you so much for your kind review! I'm so happy you enjoy it, I'm trying my hardest to make it not only enjoyable for everyone but also canon-compliant which I tend to gravitate towards myself when reading others fanfiction.
Kiracalico - I always look forward to your reviews! Yes! We finally meet Madam Celestin who will play an even larger part in the upcoming chapters. New Orleans is so extraordinary, it's unimaginable! I really hope I'm doing it justice. As for Tom and Lyra, things are going to start to get interesting! I'm glad you're enjoying :)
Anyways, thank you to all the new followers! And for anyone new don't forget to review, fav & follow! Thank you all for giving me the motivation to keep this going! Xxx