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." Tom smiled as he walked through the passing crowd towards the opulently dressed witch.
"Tom." She said, her face beaming against the incandescent glow of her skin. "I hope you've not grown bored of my party already?"
"No, Quite the opposite."
"I'm glad to hear it. Where's Ms. Leroux? Have you left her unattended?" Her eyes danced as they trailed across his face.
"No. She took leave to take a walk through the gardens I believe, she was quite impressed by their beauty."
Madam Celestin smiled as she motioned for him to follow her. "Have you come to ask after your request once more?"
Tom shook his head as he smiled at her and placed his hands behind his back as they walked. "Certainly not, I saw you unengaged and I thought you might be in need of company."
She considered him momentarily and held her hand out. "It is most welcome, however, I'm afraid I've spent most of my time greeting my guests and I find it absolutely tiring that no one has yet asked me to dance."
He let out a small laugh as he clasped her hand and brought it to his lips. "How insensitive of them, shall we?"
"I would be absolutely delighted."
Tom walked her out on the ballroom floor as a slow song started to play softly in the background, the couple's around them dancing in unison. Although she was beautiful, he found that his heart did not race as she touched her hip, nor did his cheeks turn red with heat as she placed her hand into his.
She looked into his eyes deeply as her voice turned soft. "How are you enjoying my city, Tom?"
His eyes followed hers as he responded in the same gentle manner. "I find New Orleans to be...quite different."
"No doubt, your little excursion down Rue du Rouge was rather exciting."
His head jerked towards hers stiffly, "How-"
"I know all, Tom. The streets, they whisper."
Tom thought back to what Lyra had said about the witch and frowned as she continued. "It would be best to avoid that street from now on. The family Germain is still quite upset with you."
Nodding silently in agreement, he looked over her shoulder slowly and caught a glimpse of Lyra, standing alone against the entrance to the garden, seemingly lost in thought. He brought his attention back to Madam Celestin as she continued.
"I know what it is you seek in my city, Mr. Marvolo." His heart jumped slightly at the sound of his false name, pleased with his deception.
"And what would that be?" He asked curiously as they swayed to the music. Her head bowed towards his as she whispered in his ear. "Power."
He chuckled at her and placed his lips against her ear, murmuring quietly. "Yet, I have seen none of it, not a whisper of the magic that I know exists here." Without realizing, he found himself staring past her once more, his eyes settling on Lyra as he watched Cassian approach her again, her beautiful face once more growing upset and angry.
Madam Celestin smiled as she turned around to follow his gaze, her eyes falling upon Lyra before she turned around and whispered once more into his ear. "Your friend is very beautiful is she not?"
The question caught him off guard as he frowned and hesitantly responded. "I suppose."
"There is much darkness in her I fear, so much of it that I'm not sure I will be able to help her." She whispered as he felt her hand slide up the back of his neck. "But I can help you."
Tom watched as Lyra exchanged words with Cassian and suddenly walked out the garden doors, his masculine figure hesitating before following after her. He took a deep breath to shake off the strange emotion that distracted him and turned his head towards her. "How?"
She chuckled as she stroked the back of his neck softly. "What if I told you there was a way la belle amie could be yours forever?"
He let out a small laugh as she finished. "And why would I ever desire that?"
"Come now Tom, don't be so stubborn as to deny yourself the earthly pleasures in life, there is no shame in giving in to what comes naturally to us all. I see the way you look at her. I myself have fallen victim to my body's desires and here I am, still standing before you." She held her head up and stared into his eyes, the smile disappearing from her lips. "But there is also power in numbers as well my dear Tom. Do you think I am the most powerful witch in the city because I rely only upon myself?"
Her words shocked him as he internally struggled with a dawning realization. "Those strange feelings I get around her...could it be something as simple as lust? Could it be possible that what had once started as an irritating fascination has now turned into something else?"
Madam Celestin let out a laugh as she murmured. "You are conflicted. This is normal, for those of us who trust no one...but there are ways to control others without force and violence." She pulled her hand away from his neck and tugged at the long sleeve of her dress, showing him a small dark mark on the flesh of her arm. He recognized it instantly, thinking back to the server who bore the small tattoo as well.
His eyebrows furrowed in thought as he looked towards her. "I don't understand."
"Do we not mark our animals destined for slaughter to keep track of who they belong to?" She said gleefully as she smiled wickedly. "They are no different than people. I provide plenty of aid for those who reside in my city - for a small price. If my help is wanted, the cost is undying loyalty and an obligation to come to my side whenever I call. I have no need of riches, for you see I have more material possessions than I can count. What makes me powerful is the numbers I have at my back."
He considered her offer for a moment, the thought of such a skill invaluable and frowned as he looked towards her. "While what you describe is certainly compelling, I highly doubt I would be able to force -"
"She must do it of her own volition." Madam Celestin said as she smiled slyly. "But I could help you to persuade her."
Tom looked away at the thought, torn between his strange longing and the disdain of being tied so intimately to another. "It is something I will take into consideration."
She narrowed her eyes at him and whispered once more. "There is more I can show you, meet me tomorrow night to fulfill the desires you came here for. I will send an owl to your room with instructions."
He nodded as the song quietly ended, Madam Celestin pulling away from him as he whispered softly. "Why are you offering all of this to me?"
As she turned to walk away from him, a large smile spread across her face. "You possess something that is extremely valuable to me. But I'm afraid our time tonight is at an end, the evening is still far from over and I have guests to entertain."
She nodded curtly towards him and walked away slowly, joining a group of wizards across the great Hall.
Lyra let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned against a pillar of a large marbled gazebo that sat in the middle of the sprawling courtyard.
"Why do you keep avoiding me?"
"Merlin's beard, will he ever go away?!" She thought to herself as she turned around angrily.
"Because I don't wish to speak to you Cassian."
He lowered his voice softly as he stood next to her, leaning against the pillared stone. "It's been two years, can't you put the past behind you and at least talk to me again?"
"I have nothing to say."
He looked down towards the ground sheepishly and murmured. "You never responded to any of my letters."
Lyra rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, resting her hand on her hip. "It's because I never read them."
He looked down towards her and frowned, the arrogant smile gone from his face, now replaced with a pained look. "Do you hate me that much?"
Lyra turned away from him and started walking towards a large pathway, it's tall green walls encased in flowers. Cassian followed suit and walked quickly to catch up, his deep voice pleading, "Come back to work. No one blamed you for Hughes' death. It was an accident."
She tried to lower her voice as her temper flared again. "You're right. It was an accident and I should have known better. But when we returned to work I was vilified and subjected to horrible things, my dignity was stripped - and you of all people didn't defend me. Do you know how that felt? You let them -"
"What was I supposed to do Lyra? Our jobs were on the line and you wouldn't even speak to me. Instead I was met with the same poisonous temperament that you've always shown -"
She remained silent as he continued. " - And then, months after it happened without even a word to me, you disappeared, your office was empty, your resignation papers handed in.."
"I did what was best." She felt the words stick to her tongue like molasses.
"Best for who?" Cassian said bitterly as he looked up towards the sky. "You never let anyone in, you always keep everything to yourself...you always have."
"Cassian, why do you care so much about what I do? Is there nothing else in the world that interests you? Is there still nothing better to do with your time than belittle and torture me? For years you have tried to undermine me and vilify my intellect, my judgment - "
He let out an incredulous laugh as he ran a hand through his dark blonde hair. His deep blue eyes full of disbelief as he looked towards her. "Torture you? Merlin's beard Lyra, we were children, let it go...and yes, there is something that interests me. For years I have tried to grow closer to you because I thought that at some point you might realize that I was trying to get your attention...that you might realize that the only thing I ever wanted in life was you."
She stopped slowly and looked towards him, a wave of nausea beating at her stomach. "Did you ever think that I knew and I was trying to let you down the only way I knew how? I don't feel the same way Cassian"
Her voice dropped to a bitter whisper. "...I never have."
"What does he have that I don't?" Cassian said defiantly, his voice wavering in anger.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play coy with me. You've never spent this much time with another person and I can see the way you look at him!"
"Is he talking about Tom?" Her face turned red at his accusations and stuttered angrily. "I-It's Not - You have no idea what you're talking about."
Cassian stared at her, his eyes full of hurt and longing. "Then prove me wrong and come back...please?" He grabbed her hand gently and she recoiled from his touch, shaking her hand free.
Lyra shook her head and walked around the path, back towards the entrance to the hall. "I can't."
"You can't or you won't?" He asked, his voice rising in indignation.
"Both."
Lyra hurried her pace, picking her dress up delicately and made her way briskly towards the hall, clutching her stomach to quell the acid that rose up within it and noticed a dark figure step out from the ballroom into the moonlit sky.
"Tom." Relief flooded through her, walking eagerly towards him, desperate to end the current conversation, when she felt herself pulled backwards, Cassian's hand firmly holding her arm.
"Let go of me Cassian." She hissed under her breath, searching his eyes as he squeezed tighter.
Tom watched Lyra walk towards him quickly, her dress billowing behind her in the wind, giving her an ethereal-like appearance and scowled when he watched Cassian grab her arm. He grasped his wand firmly, quickly making his way down the steps and into the grass, the ire rising in his chest as their heated exchange reached his ears.
"You've changed Lyra and not for the better. You don't think I see what you've become, the scars you're hiding under all the makeup? I barely recognize you. There's only one explanation for marks like that -"
"My scars? But how can he see them?" A terrifying realization hit her as she tried to pry her arm from his grasp. "The potion...I forgot to take it!"
Lyra whipped her wand out quickly and held it at his throat, her eyes wild with fury. "Let go of me Cassian or I swear I will curse you apart limb by limb."
She felt Tom rush up behind her and touch her back reassuringly, his wand held carefully at his side.
"It's alright Tom, Cassian was just leaving." She spat as she looked towards him.
Cassian let her go quickly, staring at her wand pointed towards his face and pulled at his suit coat in irritation. Tom, unsure of what had transpired between them and unwillingly to draw attention to the squabble, moved closer to her, placing himself between them. He kept his eyes coldly focused on Cassian for what felt like an eternity, until he felt her body tremble, glancing back towards her in horror as he witnessed her eyes suddenly turned black.
"Compose yourself Lyra." He whispered in her ear as she quickly blinked, her eyes returning to their normal mismatched colors. "Perhaps its best if we leave."
"Don't tell me what to do." She said venomously as she turned on him, her eyes filled with an emotion he couldn't place.
Cassian looked towards both of them angrily as he pushed past, walking back towards the hall and the celebration. He glanced over his shoulder before walking up the giant stone steps that led back to the ballroom and addressed her once more. "If you're going to run around and waste your life, then so be it...you've made your choice. Close your heart to me if you'd like, but if you still have any ounce of humanity left in you, you should go pay your father a visit. He misses you more than you could imagine."
His final statement caught her off guard as he stormed away and disappeared into the hall, the words tearing at her heart like claws.
"What does he mean by that? You told me you never knew your father." Tom said softly, an air of confusion behind his voice.
"I don't...but -" She dug through her purse and realized what she was looking for wasn't inside, clenching her jaw in frustration. " - It's complicated."
Tom tried to speak but she held her hand out to dismiss his reply. "I'm leaving."
"Lyra - "
"Please don't follow me...I need to be alone for awhile." He opened his mouth to reply once more, but all he heard was a loud CRACK as she disappeared into the night air, leaving him standing there alone under the night sky.
He walked alongside the river for what felt like hours, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets, the summer breeze rifling through his hair like a misguided hand. The night had indeed proven interesting and aside from Lyra's woes, it had proved most opportunistic for himself.
"You possess something that is extremely valuable to me..."
Madam Celestin's words echoed through his head as he tried to understand what she had meant. "What could I possibly possess that could be of any value to her?"
The riverside was eerily quiet, the scattered street lights from across the city reflecting off the water's smooth surface. Tom made his way down a small bank and sat, twirling his wand absentmindedly in his hands.
"What if I told you there was a way la belle amie could be yours forever?...There is power in numbers my dear Tom. Do you think I am the most powerful witch in the city because I rely only upon myself?"
He frowned at her words and felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. "Her words hold some sort of truth...I can only do so much by myself. Upon my return I will need numbers, even greater than those I left behind to stand with me if I am to succeed. But still…"
The idea of binding himself to another felt self deprecating, a betrayal and violation of his own body and mind. His mind turned towards Lyra and he felt his nausea slightly ease, unsure as to why. "There are worse people that I could be considering. At least she's intelligent and somewhat like minded…her talents have already proven quite useful..."
In the organized chaos of the night, aided by the Madam Celestin's words and observations, he had finally come to terms with his strange feelings and had acknowledged his growing desire for her, something he had tried so desperately to ignore. The realization of this humanity in himself had shaken his core, disturbed him so greatly that he wondered if any of it was worth exploring at all; perhaps it would be better to prune his knowledge, rather than give in to the curiosity.
"Come now Tom, don't be so stubborn as to deny yourself the earthly pleasures in life, there is no shame in giving in to what comes naturally to us all. I see the way you look at her. I myself have fallen victim to my body's desires and here I am, still standing before you."
"She is living proof that such desires don't have to signify weakness...that I could have both and still succeed..."
But what about Lyra? How could he ever convince her to go along with any of this?
At this fleeting question, he felt his heart skip, eager to dissuade himself from continuing any further. "She can't be forced...Celestin even said it herself...and nothing she's done so far would make me think that she would ever agree -"
Tom stopped as he thought back to their dance and how their faces had almost touched, his heart beating wildly as her hand had dropped from his shoulder to his chest, how she had squeezed his hand when it had all ended. He reflected on the numerous times she had saved his life, the small gifts she had given him - without any given reason and the way she had nursed him back to health when she could have easily left him to his fate...
"Could she possibly feel the same…?"
"No." He scoffed quickly, shaking his head to clear the unwanted thoughts.
All of a sudden Tom felt himself grow angry over his plight, his feelings of shame and pride overwhelming him at once. Over the course of night, his lust and his jealousy had surprised him, evoking emotions in him that he thought he had long extinguished. "When did things change? How did this happen? How did I allow myself to fall victim to such weakness?"
He sat there for what felt like hours, the confusion and rage battling on inside his head until he could take no more of it, his anger starting to radiate off him in sickly waves. Without warning, he quickly felt himself grab his wand and scream in frustration, flicking it viciously as he watched the nearest streetlamp suddenly explode, followed by another and another in an explosive chain reaction until the entire bay was left in darkness. Breathing heavily, his mind finally satisfied by the violent outburst he had so desperately needed, he stood up from where he was sitting and ran a pale hand through his hair, his breathing shallow and ragged.
He needed make up his mind...and quickly.
Lyra sat miserably in her room as she raked through a few books scattered across the table, an empty glass of wine at her side as she tried to distract herself from the horrifying events of the evening.
"Serves me right I suppose. I should have spent the night more practically." She put the book down softly as she refilled the glass and smiled thought to herself. "How pathetic I must look."
A soft knock on the door broke her self pity as she watched it open, Tom's handsome face peering at her from the doorway.
"Tom? What are you doing here? I hope you didn't end your night early on my account, that wasn't my-"
"I told you before, I'm also not overly fond of large gatherings. Besides...the only person that I could stand talking to had left."
Lyra felt her cheeks blush and changed the subject. "How was your time spent with Madam Celestin? Productive I hope?"
Tom closed the door softly behind him. "Somewhat." He looked towards her and saw the emerald potion bottle lying on the table and frowned. "You almost turned before my eyes tonight."
"I know. It was reckless of me to forget the vial here, although things might not have gone that way if I hadn't lost my temper." She picked two glasses up from the table and poured them some wine, handing him the cup.
"Your anger seemed appropriate, given the circumstances."
"The night was a complete disaster, if I had known Cassian would be there I would have never gone." She shook her head in dismay.
"Forgive me if I'm being too forward, but why did he follow you into the garden?"
Lyra rolled her eyes in irritation. "He thought if he professed his feelings for me, I would return back to work."
"Would you ever consider it?"
"I told you before I have no interest in him...and after tonight's events I think I loathe him even more."
"You misunderstand me. I meant would you ever consider going back to work?"
She remained silent for a moment and sighed. "No. I'm afraid it's too late for that...and besides I have other, more pressing matters to attend to."
"And after you are finished?"
Lyra sighed and wrapped her arms around herself. "No. I'm not even sure I'll even have a purpose once all of this is over.."
"Why did you leave? The way you were talked about tonight, it seemed as if you were nothing short of a prodigy."
"Aside from my current dilemma...I found myself no longer enjoying the work I did. I made a mistake and I-I found myself unable to deal with the consequences."
"You unable to deal with the consequences? Now why do I find that hard to believe?" He raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I do rather find it curious though that MACUSA has an entire branch of government devoted to Curse Breaking...why is that? It seems with your talents you could have easily had your pick of any department."
The question made her laugh and she looked at him curiously. "In Europe things are different. All the curse breakers work for Gringotts primarily, am I right?"
He nodded in agreement. "More or less."
"That is because your governments see fit to hand everything of value over to greedy little beasts who in turn protect their coin. North America is not the same. Before the colonization of our country there were small magical settlements spread throughout the land, with hundreds of miles between them. These people had very little and did not have treasure or wealth, so there are very few artifacts to be had. But there are curses...old curses that continue to cause problems even now. It is impossible to track all of the places that these communities placed roots, as they moved around frequently and as No-Maj's continue to populate and build their communities upon ancient burial grounds and cursed land, certain phenomena and strange events have threatened our wizarding statutes. North America is significantly larger than Europe Tom, MACUSA takes it upon themselves to assume responsibility for the safety of all."
Tom sipped his wine as he looked at her. "It seems an interesting line of work."
"It is dangerous work...complicated in every aspect. The curses are often complex and very old, their languages foreign and outdated. Sometimes the job is simple and the dangers are minimal, in some instances the curse may be so strong it could disfigure you for life." She pointed towards her mismatched eyes and continued on. "On occasion removing a curse could take years and in some cases...the curse can't be lifted at all."
He watched as an array of emotions flooded her face. "Have you ever come across a case you were unable to fix?"
"Once. The last time I ever went out on a job for MACUSA. In my hubris I underestimated the situation...and the only colleague I had ever respected, died."
Lyra looked down into her glass morosely and Tom, sensing her discomfort, changed the subject quickly.
"Cassian mentioned...your father."
"He is not my father. Nor is he Cassian's. We are not related." Lyra sighed as he paced around the room. "I told you it's a complicated situation."
"After tonight I realized that everything that surrounds you is somewhat complicated." He laughed as he sipped from his glass.
She smiled as she sat down next to him. "Although I think you of all people might understand the circumstances."
"And why would that be?"
"You mentioned the other day that you were born in an orphanage."
Tom clenched his jaw and looked away uncomfortably, Lyra noticed his hands balled in his lap and slowly moved her small delicate hand towards one of his own, placing it gently on top. "I myself was placed in a sort of temporary living situation. When I was barely eight years old...my mother died. I had no father, no other family to claim me and I was placed with a close friend of my mothers, who raised me. While I was living there, he took Cassian in...that's how we met. So as you see...it's complicated."
Tom looked at the small hand on top of his and felt the warmth spread from his fingertips to his body as he frowned. "How did your mother die?"
"I don't want to talk about that...not now." She said softly, her expression distant and forlorn.
"I've asked too much of you tonight." Tom said as he gently rose from the bed, placing his glass down on the table, straightening his suit jacket as he turned to leave.
"Tom?"
He turned around towards her, his hand holding the doorknob.
"Thank you...for your concern, I know the two of us always haven't...seen fit to confide in each other, but tonight..." She paused as if she were looking for the right words to say. "...I appreciated it."
He carefully chose his words and nodded. "I enjoyed our talk tonight...very much. I hope that after tonight you find that you can place your trust in me."
Lyra walked over towards the door, escorting him out and leaned against its frame. A small laugh escaped her lips and she smiled enthusiastically. "We'll see." She watched as he walked towards his room and closed the door behind her, a gentle flush rising on her face.
This was probably one of the longest chapters I've ever written, but I really didn't know where to chop it. I also acknowledge that it came super fast, but I'm trying to write as much as possible before I go back to work and I'm SWAMPED and have less time for writing than I have been recently used to. I had a lot of fun writing this one and I hope you all enjoyed it! Madam Celestin is turning out to be much darker than she appears on the surface, no? And I hope everyone enjoyed the tiny bit of insight into Lyra's life (I promise more is coming but all in due time.) and the tiny bits of fluff in the chapter. Let me know what you think and don't forget to review, favorite and follow if you enjoy it!
Thank you so much KiraCalico for your review! I'm going to try to address your review & break it all down, addressing each point!
Yes, finally uncovered what Lyra did before she met Tom. MACUSA. It's so funny you mentioned Curse Breaking in your review because it's actually something I was planning to address. I think curse breaking in America would be completely different than Europe because of the way our cultures were built. Native Americans did not have much physical wealth as they had cultural wealth and there are always tons of legends/horror stories floating around that are built upon the idea that you don't mess with their ancestral or burial grounds on the basis of them being cursed. I think North American wizards would have a lot on their plates trying to keep their society well hidden. When the History of Magic in North America was dropped on Pottermore, I disagreed with Jk Rowling's interpretation of how Native American magic was portrayed, like some kind of earthy feeble magic. In true history it goes way deeper than that, so I'm trying to find a way to incorporate some more depth into the subject. As for the traditional role curse breakers play in the acquiring of Ancient Artifacts for Gringotts, I tried to keep in mind that most American families were immigrants from other countries and would either treasure their valuables or if they decided to part with them, would sell them to a secondhand shop or interested buyer. There wouldn't be many items of value in the native land to uncover that goblins would necessarily covet, therefore Curse Breaking in America takes on a completely different role. I think because of the vast amount of territory North America covers on the globe, MACUSA would definitely have more departments and roles within their ministry to "lighten the load". I think Lyra went into the perfect profession to help her further her understanding and capabilities of the Dark Arts.
Cassian is definitely a jerk and I'm glad he comes off that way because it is completely intended.
Tom's motives will definitely expand throughout the story and especially in upcoming chapters/series (As it stands right now I'm probably going to end up with one or two additional stories that will stand as sequels to this), right now his purpose is to collect knowledge about forbidden magic around the world and head back to England to formulate his plan and rally the troops. I'm unsure if Tom ever really thought anything was broken in the magical system aside from the admittance of Muggles. His blind hatred towards his father and self-loathing eventually led to his own demis, I find it hard to think anything he did was for anyone but himself. His ultimate motivation was to be better than his peers and to make everyone (Muggles, Half-Bloods and Purebloods) pay for all the suffering he had endured. I think that Tom Riddle and Voldemort are two different identities, but the former's pain inevitably led to the creation of the other.
And last (but not least), I chose Marvolo instead of Gaunt ( and believe me I really did toy with the idea of using Gaunt) because of the company Tom is in. We all know why Tom doesn't want to be associated with his REAL last name in public for two reasons! 1) He doesn't want anything he does to be traced back to him and 2) He's still in the process of trying to shed that name. If Tom were to use the last name Gaunt in the company of the likes of Madam Celestin (who is extremely smart and resourceful) she might recognize it from american wizarding history (Gormlaith Gaunt) and take it upon herself to look into his relations. (For spoiler reasons I can't really go too much into this) Through the name Gaunt, he might be able to be traced by his relation through Merope and if traced even further, to Salazar Slytherin. (Right now he has not yet come out publicly as the heir to Slytherin.) By using his middle name, he remains rather ambiguous.
I always look forward to your reviews!