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.

"You'll have to forgive my children Tom." Sani said as he sat down on the worn blue couch, motioning for Tom to sit across from him. "I'm afraid they don't get along quite as well as I had hoped...Cassian is a victim to his own arrogance and Lyra, well...she can be... unpredictable."

"Unpredictable?" Tom questioned him quietly, his focus unwavering.

Sani sighed and waved his hand towards the old liquor cabinet, waiting patiently as two glasses of fire whiskey poured themselves and floated over gently to each of them. Tom grabbed the glass carefully and winced as he took his first sip, the strong liquor burning his throat as it went down.

"Lyra's always been prone to periods of seclusion and unsettling predilections... I suppose most of it stems from her youth...it was-unconventional to say the least." The old man murmured a spell under his breath as another log of wood flew out from a stack placed neatly next to the fireplace and into the flames.

"I'm afraid to say I don't know much about Lyra's past. She's mentioned that her mother had died, but as to anything else... she's remained rather reserved." He said silkily, looking at the old man with innocent eyes, swirling the amber liquor around in his glass.

"I'm not surprised. Over the years, I've tried to break down her walls, tried to give her what she so desperately needed as a child...but I'm afraid by the time I got her the damage had already been done. There are moments when she lets her guard down but..." Sani shrugged and sipped from his drink, mumbling inaudibly to himself.

"Damage?"

"How do I explain-" Sani sighed and rubbed the stubble on his chin, as if contemplating his next words. "A child needs nurturing...love...guidance. I'm afraid Mara cared for Lyra very much-she was her pride and joy of course-but as far as nurturing went, she was anything but...which of course gave way to all sorts of trouble with Lyra later in life."

Tom frowned and Sani looked at him curiously through his old wise eyes. "You seem skeptical."

"It seems as if you're referring to the old argument of nature versus nurture. I can't think of any example that proves excessive nurturing benefits a child." Tom looked down at his lap and brushed a piece of lint from off his crossed leg. "In most cases I find that when parents tend to coddle their children, they're ill prepared for the world, which we as adults know is filled with vultures and wolves who are all set and willing to devour them. Only those who are naturally equipped tend to keep their heads above water..."

Sani let out a soft chortle and shook his head. "Your point is well spoken, but I'm afraid I don't agree with your opinion. Somewhere along the line a child needs to be taught morals, a strong understanding of what is right and wrong-" He shook his head in frustration.

"And you think Lyra is morally bereft?" Tom said, his voice barely a whisper, but a harsh tone could be heard lingering behind it.

Sani winced in pain as he shifted on the couch uneasily. "Her tastes are somewhat...troubling. Deep down I know Lyra to be generous and kind...but her moral compass leads her astray and her curiosities are-" He paused to think and restarted. "I just fear that one day she'll find someone who might see those interests and will take advantage of her talents."

"Perhaps Lyra knows simply what's best for herself and it would be best if others did not cast their aspersions upon her." Tom replied quietly. He remained silent for a moment longer and stared into the fire, avoiding the old man's strange gaze. "And what of Lyra's father? You speak only of the mother..."

Sani shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "As long as I knew Mara she never mentioned him."

He could hear the soft bells of the wind chimes echoing outside the house as the wind blew them, their noise filling the silence between them. "Lyra made me aware of the wizarding status in North America-" He cautiously proceeded, swirling the fire whiskey in his glass before taking another small sip, trying to feign disinterest. "-which leads of course to assume he was a wizard as well."

"You're asking if she's pure-blooded?" Sani replied, his back straightening sharply in defense. "In this country I'm afraid we don't concern ourselves with the classist standard that you all seem to value so highly in Europe, it's quite unnecessary. I can't imagine for the life of me why-"

Tom, aware that his statement had indeed pressed a nerve in the man before him and raised his eyebrows innocently, cutting him off. "I didn't mean any offense, I was just curious...Lyra made sure to educate me on your strict fraternization policies regarding the non-magical communities..."

Sani looked at Tom suspiciously, his wrinkled face relaxing after a moment and waving his hand over towards the cabinet, the bottle of whiskey floating towards him and refilling his empty glass. He took a large sip and continued. "Knowing her mother as closely as I did, I knew what values she held dear and I could never see her going against Rappaport's law to conceive a child. Mara was many things, but anarchistic was not one of them. No…"

He took another sip of his drink and his face soured as he cleared his throat. "Lyra's father was most certainly a wizard, of that I'm certain. But as for his duty or responsibility to his offspring, I don't believe that was ever an option for him. Mara never talked or mentioned a partner in all of the years that we worked together, her main focus in life was her career. So you can imagine my surprise when she told me about her daughter." Sani smiled, creases forming around his eyes as he let out a soft chuckle.

After his laughter subsided, he rubbed his face once more, his words starting to slur as he continued to sip his drink. "It's not beyond the realm of possibilities that she coerced or paid someone to sire a child with her, in fact I think it's the most logical explanation. Nothing she ever did in her life was without calculation or careful analysis. Lyra was simply created because Mara wanted a child, not because of love."

Sani let out a large hiccup and placed his fire whiskey down on the table before him, wincing as he tried to move his leg, which appeared to be stiff and in pain. "Mara was a charismatic, intelligent person, but as a mother I'm afraid she caused more harm than good when it came to her daughter. Children need their parents to structure their lives, to learn compassion and patience from playing with peers their own age, otherwise they tend to grow up…misguided."

Tom felt his temper flare and spoke softly. "I think perhaps what would seem misguided to you is merely a way of life that is more suited to others-who are not faint of heart, that decide to pursue the endless possibilities before them rather than conform to the standards society has set to keep them in their place."

"A clever way to excuse cruel behavior and unsavory interests." Sani said, his eyes watching Tom carefully. " That brings me to the next topic that demands my attention. What are your intentions regarding my daughter?"

The question caught him off guard and Tom smiled innocently as he took a sip of his drink, trying not to react as the strong liquor burned his throat. "I don't understand what you mean."

"Lyra is beautiful, talented and intelligent...and she has never spoken of or brought a friend home...let alone a man. Don't play coy with me."

Tom placed the glass on the table before him and leaned back into his chair, watching the old man stare at him, wary of his cynicism. "Well I must admit, I'm quite fond of Lyra, but in two days time we will be parting ways, never to see each other again. I escorted her here, mainly to ensure that she arrived safely-she has already told you there are matters she must discuss with you further-but my time in this country has come to an end. I would tell you if I had any intention towards her, but I'm afraid I must sadly disappoint you."

He felt the wizard's doubtful eyes stare at him once more and continued wryly. "I suggest you look towards Cassian if you're concerned about someone vying for Lyra's affection. He is quite...relentless."

Sani let out a choked laugh and shook his head. "The poor boy...misplaced affection if I ever saw it."

"So you disagree then with his advances?"

"What a terrible match it would be indeed...I've discouraged it from the beginning."

"Lyra seems disenchanted by his attention…"

"As she always has. But Cassian has not experienced the same difficulties in life that Lyra has endured. Those two have been night and day since I brought them both home to live with me…"

"I don't understand." Tom said shrewdly, encouraging the wizard to continue.

"About a few months after I had taken Lyra in, I realized I could never give her the company or attention I knew she needed to break out of her shell, so I thought another child in the house might do her some good. It just so happened that another child was in need of a home-you see Cassian's parents had died in an unfortunate accident when he was a baby and he was given to his grandmother. A nice woman from what I heard, but older and after her passing there was no one left to look after him. Word made its way to me and rather than let him grow up in an orphanage, I took responsibility for the boy and brought him home to live with us."

Tom felt a sting of jealousy course through him as Sani continued.

"Cassian was an eager and friendly boy and seemed excited at the prospect of sharing a home with another child his age, but Lyra didn't quite share his enthusiasm...if anything she seemed to look at it as if it were a bothersome inconvenience. If he asked her to play, she would ignore him. If he tried to take an interest in her studies she would simply close her books and retreat to her room. She wanted no part in all the normal things a child her age should have been interested in."

Tom resisted the urge to smile and instead focused on a small photograph that hung upon the wall across from them. A handsome, more youthful Sani stood in the photograph, his long hair dark and braided, his face clean shaven and wrinkle free. Two children also posed inside the frame on either side of him, a boy whose face appeared playful, waving towards them from inside the portrait, seemingly happy and content. The other was a small girl, her expression unreadable as she held a book close to her chest, occasionally looking towards the both of them in annoyance.

Sani continued as Tom ripped his attention away from the old photograph. "She seemed to withdraw into herself further and the two could not grow up to be any more different. I thought perhaps age would bring them together but it only worsened when they both started to attend school. Lyra remained the same...alone, immersed in her studies...a perfect student. Cassian on the other hand made many friends, flourished socially where Lyra could not and was always up to mischief. His popularity only encouraged his confidence and he became her tormentor, teasing her at school, picking on her endlessly. Oh, the fights I had to endure during the holidays and summer months…they were both impossible."

Sani hiccuped and let out another small laugh. "I think perhaps Cassian thought that Lyra might admire him more if she saw that others valued his company, if he asserted himself more openly...but it had the opposite effect I think much to his frustration…" He shook his head sadly. "I don't think Cassian has ever really truly recovered from her rejection of him in their youth. It seems to me that everything he had pursued or achieved in life has stemmed from his desperate need to seek her approval. What has initially started as a sibling rivalry for him turned into an unfettered romantic obsession. It's strange...sometimes rejection can lead to a renewed sense of worth...other times it can lead to an unhealthy infatuation."

Tom remained silent, uneager to break the man's ramblings.

"He's a handsome boy you know, friendly, smart-although his skill set pales in comparison to Lyra quite obviously." The fire crackled softly beside them as Tom continued to sip from his glass, digesting everything the man had told him.

"But soon enough he'll realize his affections are better spent elsewhere." Sani sighed and hiccuped loudly, rubbing his forehead after waving his hand dismissively. "Love is not always an easy thing."

"Obsession can become a dangerous habit. What consumes your mind will control your life." Tom whispered quietly, understanding the feeling all too well. "Sometimes for the better, in other instances for the worst. I doubt love has anything to do with it…"

"You must think me a terrible father, but I've done the best I could." Sani shook his head, sighing as he stared into the fire beside them, it's embers slowly starting to fade. "Despite their shortcomings, I am very proud of their accomplishments, my only hope is that at some point in their lives they'll be able to find a few scraps of happiness where they can…"

Tom watched as the old wizard sighed and tried to stand up from the couch. Sani's efforts proved fruitless as a coughing fit overtook him and he fell to the floor, helpless and out of breath. Tom immediately stood and walked over towards him, extending his hand out for support.

"Here. Let me help you." He said gently as he helped the old man to his feet, leaning him against the side of the couch.

"You must understand that despite my opinions on certain matters, I love Lyra very much. Everything I have done has been to try to help her...I get concerned for her future." Sani said miserably as he stood on his feet. As he loosened his grip to let go of Tom's arm he paused momentarily, staring at the ring mounted atop his finger. Sani gave it a strange look and retracted his arm quickly, standing up on his own.

"That ring...where did you get it?"

Tom looked towards his hand and slowly hid the talisman from sight, his eyes narrowing at Sani in suspicion.

There was no way he could know what it was? Could he?

"An old family heirloom." He replied softly, trying to maintain his composure. "Worthless I'm afraid...but sentimental to me nonetheless. Why do you ask?"

"For a moment I could swear…"Sani frowned as he shook his head dismissively. "Nevermind...too much fire whiskey for one night. I think perhaps it's time for bed." He started to mumble to himself, making his way towards the dark hallway behind them. "Your room is down this hallway, follow it all the way to the end, the last door on the right."

Tom stared into the darkness, his wand held out before him until he heard the quiet sound of a door closing and let out a soft ragged breath. Picking his briefcase up from the chair he had leaned it against, he started to walk down the hallway carefully until he came to the room that had been offered to him and slowly reached for the handle, entering the dark space with caution. He held his hand out before him and inaudibly whispered a spell, watching as the candles started to kindle. The room was small but neat and offered little furnishings save for a single sized bed with an old tarnished wooden nightstand beside it. Placing the case down by the foot of the bed, he sat down and ran a hand through his dark black hair, revisiting the conversation he had just had with the old man.

"You must understand that despite my opinions on certain matters, I love Lyra very much." He shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "Love."

As far as he was concerned love had not saved her from any of the upheaval she had experienced in childhood, it had only proven worse. He began to unfasten his collar, his fingers lingering on the top button when a sudden burn started to rise upon his arm, a sensation he had only begun to grow familiar with. Tom rolled up his sleeve and turned his attention towards the serpent tattoo, his fingers sliding slowly against his skin to trace its dark mark, grinning at the sight of the black ink starting to grow darker. Under any other circumstance it would have annoyed him, the pull towards her an inconvenient and condescending gesture-but at this moment he felt his heart skip with excitement, aware of what it meant.

"Perhaps escorting her home won't prove to be as fruitless a venture as I had thought."

He grabbed his wand and walked out from the room, closing the door gently behind him as he murmured a few protective enchantments, safekeeping the belongings he held so dear that lay on the other side of the door. Tom walked back down the hallway and into the common area, where the fireplace had all but extinguished, its soft embers fading into smoke. He grabbed his coat from the chair he had laid it upon and noticed a small bowl of fruit situated on a side table across from him. Picking up an apple from the top of the pile, he smirked and placed it carefully into his pocket, apparating into thin air.

He knew exactly where she was.

When he reappeared, a soft breeze was the first thing to greet him as his feet touched the solid ground below them, the dirt hard and dry. He looked around at his surroundings and stared out in surprise, the scene before him not what he had expected. The night sky was a swirl of black, indigo and purple, the stars littered across it like a blanket of diamonds, each one crisp and clear. The landscape that could be seen from the top of the cliff he stood upon was immense, the canyons before him filled with deep valleys and gorges that seemed to stretch on endlessly for miles. After the initial shock had worn off from the captivating scene before him, he noticed Lyra's dark figure standing at the edge of the cliff, and made his way towards her, closing the distance between them silently.

"It worked." She said softly, still staring off into the distance before them.

"It did."

"I'm sorry." Her voice faltered slightly as she brushed a strand of hair away from her face, the night breeze dancing around them.

"I would normally have never...I was just curious-"

"It's alright." Tom spoke softly as he placed a gentle hand upon her lower back. She turned around towards him and smiled for a moment before he plucked the apple from his pocket. Offering it towards her, he smiled and placed it into her hand, murmuring softly. "You missed dinner."

Lyra stared at the fruit he had given her and let out a soft sigh. "I shouldn't have left. It was rude of me to leave like that, but I just needed to get away. "

Tom smirked gently and watched as the wind whipped through her hair once more. "You didn't miss much."

"I doubt that." She said softly, her eyes full of apprehension. "And what of Cassian?"

Another gust of wind blew towards them and he watched as she wrapped her arms around herself, her body trembling at the temperature which had begun to drop.

"You're freezing-" He whispered softly. "-here." He took his coat off and placed it gently around her shoulders, beckoning her to sit on the ground with him, the wind dying down as they carefully sat alongside the edge of the cliff.

"Thank you." Lyra whispered, a blush creeping up onto her cheeks as she tried to focus on the apple, taking a small bite.

"Cassian left. He was called back to New York."

He watched as a sigh of relief flooded across her face and she took another bite of the fruit he had given her.

"I feel foolish for how I acted, I should have contained my temper."

Tom frowned slightly for a moment and stared into the star riddled sky, whispering faintly. "He told me about what happened with MACUSA. Why you left."

Lyra stopped eating for a moment and shook her head, her eyes brimming with anger,"He had no right."

"I know."

Sighing, she finished the remainder of the apple and tossed it angrily off the side of the canyon, tugging the coat closer towards her for warmth. "I left because of my affliction-but now you know the rest. The disgrace."

"Hardly." He let out a small laugh. "It's only a disgrace if you let it be."

She frowned and gave him a miserable look. "I was treated like a common criminal. I gave MACUSA everything I had, my intelligence, my devotion and in the end I realized someone like me would never be respected or understood because I was different. It made me question everything about myself."

"Those who envy you will criticize you when they think you're vulnerable. Those who resent your greatness will spread lies and try to blanket your achievements. This is nothing new, it is burrowed deep with human nature to fear and scorn things we cannot fathom or understand."

"Someone died because of my vanity."

"At some point he would have died anyway."

Lyra turned towards him sharply. "That's a cruel thing to say."

"It is reality Lyra. Life is cruel, the world is cruel. There's nothing you can do to change it. You need to accept it for what it is, take that wisdom and learn from it."

Looking at her conflicted face Tom sighed and leaned against the ground, his voice growing soft. "Lyra, there are two types of people in the world. Those who obey orders and those who command them. Which category do you think most people fall into?"

She remained silent at his statement and he eyed her carefully, wondering if his words had upset her.

"I know all too well how harsh reality can be Tom." She whispered softly, continuing to look out into the night sky, her eyes far away and distant. Tom frowned as he looked towards her, irritated with a detail from the story he still could not understand. "The cave...have you not tried to find it again?"

"I tried harder than you could imagine...even after MACUSA abandoned the investigation and stopped digging around through my memories for some hint, some clue that would point them in the right direction."

She winced as her eyes became distant, as though she were reliving the experience. "The trial was the worst of it all and after my name was cleared I was determined to find the cave to see if I could find any clue, any reason-"

"Cassian never mentioned a trial."

"Of course he didn't." She laughed sarcastically. "Because he's a coward. After the incident, many thought I should stand trial for insubordination, for purposely endangering the lives of my peers...and after massive amounts of letters and pressure from coworkers and board members bombarded the department of magical law enforcement, they got their wish."

Lyra looked towards him and murmured angrily "They wanted to take my wand. Can you imagine the humiliation?"

"I can't imagine you allowing someone to strip you of your wand at all." Tom smiled and continued to stare off into the distance. A few moments of silences passed between them before she spoke once more. "I don't hate Cassian because of our childhood or because he's ignorant. I dislike him because he's cowardly. If he truly felt anything for me-as he claims-he would have stood by my side. Instead he chose to watch as I was humiliated and castigated. It's unforgivable."

"Cowards often hide behind silence…" Tom murmured.

"Regardless, I was acquitted of all charges and I walked out a free witch, wand intact. I will never forget the looks on all of their faces or the humiliation I was put through. It was then and there that I knew I could not devote myself to something so unworthy of my talents any longer."

Lyra let out a shattered breath and looked towards him with relief in her eyes. "I think you're the first person I've ever talked to about what happened."

"I didn't mean to pry it from you...I was only trying-"

"No. It's alright...it felt-nice."

She smiled gently at him and let out a small laugh. "So what did you and Sani talk about? He can be quite...eccentric at times."

He considered his words carefully and decided to be as vague as possible, not wanting to provoke her further. "He had consumed quite an amount of fire-whiskey after you had left. Most of it was incoherent rambling, his devotion to you-" Tom looked towards her and added slowly. "-and he spoke about your mother."

A forlorn expression crossed her eyes right before the happiness faded from her face and he watched as her hands once more tugged at the sides of her jacket. "My mother..."

"It seems he knew her quite well before…"

"Before she died." Lyra said quietly. "Yes. They worked together for the Magical Congress."

"I thought you said Sani was a farmer?" Tom said, his eyebrows furrowing. "That he supplied apothecaries across-"

"He does. But it was not his only profession in life. My mother's job often took her to various places and when you're unfamiliar with certain locations, MACUSA will hire a local wizarding guide to help you navigate the territory. Sani was one of those guides...he worked with my mother quite often, they became close friends throughout the years."

"I see. And your mother's profession...?"

Another moment of silence passed between them and she replied hesitantly, tracing the dirt next to her with a finger. "There was a reason I wanted to work as a curse-breaker."

"Like mother like daughter…" He thought wryly. "Why am I not surprised?"

"The way he talks about you, it would seem that you've far surpassed your mother's abilities."

Lyra smiled at him weakly and nodded. "I worked so hard to try to emulate the woman she expected me to be…I tried to live up to her expectations, graduated at the top of my class from school...but I always felt something was missing. Even after I became head of the department, I still felt unfulfilled." She wrapped her arms around herself and looked around them nostalgically. "I remember her job appearing so different to me as a child...more field work...less time spent in an office..."

"She traveled often then?"

"We traveled so much, I didn't know what a home could be until after she died." Lyra said quietly, her voice forlorn and apathetic. Hugging her hands to her knees, she took a deep breath and pulled the coat tighter to her body as another wave of cold air assaulted them. "You know, I always feel at home right here, under the stars...in this exact place. When my mother passed, it was the first place I found on my own...the only place where I felt comfortable in my own skin."

"I can understand why you like it out here, it's quite impressive."

Lyra nodded and looked up into the night sky. "It's quiet."

"Vultur Cadens." He whispered quietly, looking up into the sky, squinting at the stars above them.

"What?" She gave him a confused look, unsure of what he had just said.

"It's another name for the constellation Lyra." Tom said softly as he nudged her and pointed up into the sky. "I'm assuming that's what your mother named you after. It's right up there."

Lyra felt a blush rise up onto her cheeks, looking towards the sparkling set of stars in the sky. "Yes. My mother told me it was the constellation that shone the brightest on the night I was born."

"You're familiar with astronomy then?" She asked him quietly.

"I like to be familiar with the things that interest me." Tom retorted, smiling as he watched the rosy hue spread across her cheeks in the moonlight, the reflection of the night stars against her eyes.

"Lyra...your mother-how did she die?"

She clenched her jaw and changed her focus from the sky into the dark canyons belows them, her reply emotionless and distant. "Unremarkably. I wish I could say it was a terrible curse or something with more bravado..but it was simply a sickness. An incurable, ordinary sickness."

Tom felt something within him stir, all too familiar with the disappointment in her voice. He watched as her small delicate hands balled into fists atop her lap, trembling in anger and without hesitation he placed his hand over her own, feeling them reluctantly relax under his touch. Lyra unclenched her hand softly, her fingers brushing against his as she continued. "You know when my mother died I didn't speak for almost a week and everyone assumed that it was because of my grief-but it wasn't."

Tom looked towards her as she spoke, painfully aware of her hand pressed into his and tried to ignore the heavy beat pounding within his chest. "I was angry. Angry that life could take something away from me that had been so important, that had been the only thing I had in the entire world...I couldn't understand it. Then I became angry, furious with her for being so weak, so unprepared for life...I couldn't believe she left me on my own. And it wasn't until I was older than I realized that I was filled with this rage because I was selfish…and there was no spiritual awakening , no strange moment in which I felt I needed to change that part of me...the realization made me feel no different, I felt no guilt over my vice."

She frowned as she continued. "I've grown up selfish, I pursued all my wants and desires regardless of who I hurt along the way and I still don't feel any remorse for some of the things I've done."

"And this bothers you?"

Lyra let out a bitter laugh and looked towards him. "Shouldn't it? I'm a terrible person."

"According to whom?"

He was met with silence, the wind softly blowing around them, echoing around in the canyons below.

"There were so many moments where I would sit up here and think-wondering when the time in my life would come where I could connect to something, anything that would make me feel justified in the direction in life that I had decided to take.

"There are those out there who would appreciate you for what you are." He said whispered softly, watching the conflicted emotions on her face. "You don't belong here Lyra."

She let out a soft laugh and pulled her hand from his suddenly, tucking another loose strand of hair behind her ear before looking into his eyes. "You know I can't leave."

"Can't or won't?" He asked, trying to disguise the bitter tone in his voice.

"As you so willingly pointed out on the train...I don't belong anywhere." She shook her head miserably and sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway...I suppose in the end, how I feel won't be of any consequence if I can't get to the bottom of all of this. You made me well aware of that as well."

"I didn't mean to upset you...you know perfectly well what I meant."

Lyra let out a miserable snort and leaned backwards onto her elbows looking up towards the sky. They sat quietly, basking in the glow of the night as a soft breeze danced between them. After a few moments, Lyra broke the peaceful silence, her voice soft and curious.

"Do you think it hurts to die?"

Tom looked at her sharply, trying to hide the repulsed look upon his face but realized he could not disguise it from his voice. "That's a ridiculous question."

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. "Have you honestly never thought about it? You speak about others' lives with no semblance of respect, but have you ever wondered if they have ever felt pain or not at all in their last moments?"

"I don't worry myself with such thoughts at all and if I had to be honest, I don't care to bother myself with such triviality."

Lyra wrinkled her nose in disgust and turned her head away from him.

"You disagree with me?" He said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I disagree with your lack of curiosity." She murmured. "Death comes for us all at one point or another. I see no reason that would explain why it's wrong to be curious about something that is inevitable."

"But death will not come for me. I've made quite sure of that…" He thought to himself, smirking at how he had cheated what others could not.

"You speak about death quite openly." He said carefully. "Do you not find it strange that you're willing to embrace something that perhaps could be avoided?"

She looked at him peculiarly and snorted, shaking her head. "It's a nice sentiment but death cannot be avoided Tom, it's impossible. Death can be delayed...but that's all. "

He considered her for a moment and whispered softly. "Of course it hasn't been discovered to be entirely possible yet...but suppose there was a way to cheat death...would you do it?"

"You think it's ridiculous to think about whether death would hurt or not, yet you ask me bizarre hypothetical questions that I'm expected to answer." She laughed.

"And yet you lecture me on my lack of curiosity." He replied snarkily.

"Fair enough." She raised her eyebrows and grinned.

"Well? Hypothetically if you could live forever would you?"

Lyra became quiet as she pondered his question, Tom's dark eyes staring at her hungrily.

"No. I don't think I would." She said softly as she bit her lip. "What would be the point?"

"You would never have to experience the pain you're so curious about." He murmured disdainfully, aggravated by her answer.

She shrugged and looked up towards him. "Without a purpose in life, it would hardly hold any value to me."

He remained quiet at her response and frowned. "What if you found a reason?"

"I suppose my opinion might change." She sighed and rubbed her eyes, shaking her head lightly.

"You're tired." Tom said softly, content with her amended answer. He slowly propped himself up and stood, holding his hand out for her to take.

Ignoring his outstretched palm, Lyra looked out before them and whispered quietly, changing the subject.

"Tom...how long before you leave?"

"Two days." He replied, watching her face filled with emotions he couldn't understand. "But we should head back, you should get some rest before tomorrow, I'm sure-"

"I'd like to sit here a little while longer, if you wouldn't mind, I-"

Her words caught him off guard and before she could finish her sentence, he had sat down next to her once more, fixing the coat around her shoulders that had begun to fall off.

"Tom, I-" She paused. "I know it's late, please don't feel you have to stay on account of me." She mumbled awkwardly. "I'm just not quite ready to-"

"If I didn't want to stay I would have left." He replied quietly as he looked towards her, feeling his heart skip strangely at her body so close to his. Without warning, she moved closer to him and leaned her head upon his shoulder softly sighing. "Tom...thank you for tonight...for everything."

Over the course of his life, he had grown to despise and hate the sound of his name. Too common, painfully unmagical and a daily reminder of the man he had come to hate and eventually kill in retaliation for his cruel abandonment. But out of her mouth, it didn't sound half as grotesque as he had come to think, it sounded different, somewhat palpable.

"If she were to leave with me, of course it would have to change...on my return to England, Tom Riddle must die." He looked down towards her and wrapped his arm over the coat and around her back, pressing her towards him gently. "But I suppose everything in due time.."

Well there it is, hope everyone liked it! Found out way more about Lyra like I had promised and there was even a little more fluff! Really tried hard to keep Tom in character, but it gets hard when you're writing more romantic-esque things for a character who is anything but. I really hope I did his character justice. If you're enjoying it, please follow, favorite or review! The traffic stats on the story are really crazy, so I know a lot of people are reading and of course all these things keep me super motivated! Update next week! :3