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.
The room was still and quiet around her as she disrobed, wincing as the fabric slid down her hands. Placing a cloth into the warm basin she slowly began to clean the dirt from her body, her touch becoming gradually more abrasive as she began to scrub, her skin raw and red from her aggression. Realizing what she was doing, she loosened her hold on the rag, dipping it back into the water, starting to pick and pry the earth lodged underneath her fingernails. The day had drained her, her thoughts racing from the moment she had woken up until now and she searched desperately for any way to calm her anxious mind.
Leaving the past behind her, although a welcome change, still held frightening possibilities and even as she convinced herself of the bright future that lay ahead, she still remained wary. She knew that there was wisdom in Tom's ideas, the world in which they lived was indeed broken and suffocating, but her place in it still seemed unclear, the determination and certainty she had felt earlier had now dwindled and she now wondered if perhaps her confidence in her new ambition had been overinflated.
"I agree that our society needs to change...but am I really the right person to help push it along?"
She bit her lip, absent-mindedly scrubbing her fingers, her hands screaming out in pain as she continued to vigorously assault them.
"Tom seems to think so." A small voice in the back of her mind chimed.
"Tom's not always right. You've already witnessed a few of his mishaps."
She quickened the pace of her motion, quickly rubbing the cloth against her hands, ignoring the burning ache that started to spread across her skin.
"You're not perfect either."
Without warning a sharp pain burst from her fingers, the blisters that had only just healed had now reopened and she pulled them out the water quickly, trying to stem the blood that dripped down her hand. As she reached quickly to grab another clean cloth, the basin fell from the desk, exploding against the hard wood of the floor, propelling broken glass and water across the floor.
Lyra cursed loudly and sat down upon the bed, holding her hands in agony as she closed her eyes.
"You think too much." She scolded herself, exhaling slowly as she tried to regain her composure. "You'll drive yourself mad if you keep overanalyzing everything. Take your problems one step a time, how can you think about the future when you need to stay grounded in the present?"
She pursed her lips bitterly and thought back to the cave, narrowing her eyes. "The cave is my last hope. Despite Tom's optimism, I doubt there's anything in the world that can fix this…if the cave is a dead end, then it's best to prepare yourself for what needs to be done. That is the only future you should concern yourself with."
Thinking back to what he had said to her in their moment of passion, his promise to help and his determination to stay by her regardless of the situation, she felt a blush start to rise in her cheeks.
"Don't let pretty words fool you." She reprimanded herself.
Ignoring the strange emotions it invoked the best she could, she began to feel her mind start to drift away, her thoughts swirling around in a hopeless fog. "It will become a burden, regardless of what he says. There might come a point in time that I lose myself completely...to the point where I don't change back. I can't live like that…I refuse to. This matter needs to be discussed."
She looked down at her hands carefully, unwrapping the cloth that she had bound around them and felt relieved to see the bleeding had stopped. Placing the rag aside, she turned towards the clean clothes she had laid out earlier and carefully started to dress herself, wincing as she went. She raised the black dress over her head and slowly wiggled into it, the fabric clinging tightly to her body, leaving little room for imagination as she smoothed the wrinkles out with her hands. Glancing down at herself, she nodded quietly, pleased with her choice.
Her wardrobe had left her few options and she couldn't help but think that regardless of what she had chosen, all of her pieces were the same. Sensible, form fitting and dark. She had always despised the frilly dresses and bright colors she had been forced to wear as a child and as she grew older, her taste had not changed. Black was her first and only choice, the color crisp and practical, appropriate for all situations. Wearing it disguised her emotions, for it could neither betray her feelings of anger or happiness and protected her from prying eyes of the outside world.
Fixing her hair meticulously, she pulled out a small mirror from her purse and applied her lipstick, taking one last glance at herself before stuffing it back into her bag. "I need to find Tom."
Lyra quietly exited the room, suddenly aware of how quiet the house seemed now that Sani had passed, the clatter of dishes in the kitchen and strange noises the house had made throughout her childhood had finally ceased, leaving nothing but an uneasy silence. She tried to muffle her footsteps, unwilling to alert Cassian of her presence - the day had already presented her with enough trouble and the idea of being besieged with more uncomfortable chatter was more than she could handle. Approaching the old wooden door that led to Tom's quarters, she felt her heart start to beat heavily in her chest and she raised her hand quickly, knocking on it's worn surface before she could change her mind.
Minutes began to pass, the door still closed as she waited patiently, her heart pounding harder with each fleeting second.
"He's not here…" She thought dejectedly, pulling her hand back to her side. "Perhaps he knows he made a mistake earlier…"
Lyra felt the thoughts in her mind darken, her stomach slowly tying itself into knots inside her as she turned to leave. Without warning, a small click met her ears and she turned around in relief, watching the door open silently, Tom's handsome face staring back at her.
"Tom."
"I didn't expect you." He said softly, opening the door and gesturing for her to enter. She nodded stiffly as she walked past him, her heart pounding in her ears.
"I - I needed to talk to you."
She looked around her anxiously as he closed the door behind them and tried to avoid his gaze, the look upon his face impassive and aloof. He walked across the room and leaned against the desk, his dark chocolate eyes focused on her.
She felt herself start to question her reasoning for coming and instead decided to start with an easier topic, one she had meant to broach with him earlier.
"You don't have to come."
He tilted his head curiously, his eyes boring into hers curiously as if he did not understand what she meant.
"Come…?"
"To the burial."
He furrowed his brows. "Why would I not? Or is that you would you rather I not attend-"
"That couldn't be farther from the truth." She interrupted him. "It's just that...you only knew Sani for such a short while, I don't want you to feel like you were obligated."
"He meant a great deal to you."
"He did." She responded quietly as she felt her anxiety start to subside. Her heart was no longer racing and her stomach had started to settle.
"Then I feel it is only right that I attend."
"Tom…" Her voice cracked as she let out a soft sigh and raised her eyes to meet his. "It's unnecessary."
"Perhaps. But I think given the current company I should be there."
She felt her shoulders relax and caught a glance at the familiar stacks of books upon his desk, motioning towards them with a quick nod. "Sani's books. I remember reading them when I was younger...his culture is fascinating."
Tom looked towards them and ran a hand through his hair, picking up a book from the top of the stack. "They were certainly...different. I was reading them in hopes of picking up where he left off, but I'm afraid I haven't made as much progress as I would have liked."
Lyra's face softened as she looked at him, her eyes trailing his hollowed cheeks and jawline, moving slowly downwards towards his lips and felt herself blush when she realized her heart had started to quicken its pace once more, this time for different reasons.
"It's a shame that I have to leave them behind."
"Why is that?"
She let a soft sigh. "It's tradition. In Sani's culture - unless it is specified otherwise - the belongings of a deceased person are either buried with the dead or burned. Sani never dictated to where his belongings should pass to upon his death so...they'll have to be disposed of."
"Seems wasteful if you ask me."
Lyra shrugged as she walked over to him, taking the book gently from his hands. "It's not up to me. I just know it's what Sani would have wanted."
Tom narrowed his eyes towards her as he picked another book from off the stack and opened it carefully. "You said Sani had no plan for these books after his death...but why is it that every book I have read has had your name written inside it's cover?"
Her eyes widened in surprise as she opened the text in her hands and trailed the familiar script with her fingers, a smile tugging at her lips. "I don't believe it…"
"Seems like he at least thought of who should be in possession of these…"
"He always knew I loved books more than anything else in the world…" She whispered as she closed the cover gently. "I just never thought…"
Tom watched her face carefully, pure joy flickering through her eyes as she looked at the small stack of books. Placing it gently atop of the small pile, he watched as her body stiffened, the emotions she had shown just moments before vanishing from her face. She slowly turned her head towards him, her eyes far and distant, as if her thoughts were elsewhere.
"Lyra?"
Disharmonious eyes finally met his stare as she let out a soft sigh, frowning as she struggled to speak. "I came to see you for another reason."
As the tone of her voice changed his body stiffened, the eyes that had watched her so hungrily had now shifted, their expression no longer dripping with eagerness and curiosity, replaced instead with a strange trepidation.
"Why is he acting so strange? What is he afraid I'll bring up?"
Ignoring the change in his disposition she continued and started to pace the floor. "Earlier...I agreed to come with you. I listened to your proposal and I complied…"
"Yes." He responded, his jaw clenched tightly, making his already sunken cheekbones more prominent, a feature of his she had grown fond of over time. Averting her gaze and trying to distract herself from the uncomfortable shift in his face, she turned her focus towards the small piles of books once more.
"I realized now that before agreeing to it I should have made a small request of my own."
"And what would that be." He asked suspiciously, the tone of his voice no longer, soft and gentle, but cold.
"If there is no cure to be found for my condition or if it consumes me completely before one can be discovered …I need your assurance that my suffering will not be prolonged." Lyra raised her eyes to meet his and watched his shoulders relax, feeling her stomach settle at his reaction.
"I'm unclear as to what you want me to promise." Tom said softly, the tone in his voice abandoning whatever rancor it had previously held.
She steeled herself and looked him in the eyes, her determination fueled by his evasive response. "If I no longer am myself, if the burden becomes more than what either of us can handle...I want you to promise me that you will kill me."
"It won't come to that." He spoke calmly, ignoring her concern as he walked past her, picking up the few scattered parchments that lay across the desk and placing them neatly into his case. Angered by his dismissal of her concerns, she whipped around quickly and placed her hand on his arm, squeezing it tightly.
"It might. And I need you to assure me you will do what needs to be done. I'll have no peace of mind until I have your word."
Tom looked towards her hand and pried it from his arm, rubbing her fingers gently before releasing them. "And if I refuse?"
"I will remain here. And despite what I promised, I would have to insist that you leave at once." She wrapped her hands around herself and turned her back towards him, trying to hide the somber expression that settled upon her face. "Living like this gives me no lust for life, no attachments, no hope. If I am to remain like this, if the condition were to worsen...I would rather it come to a just end than continue on..." Her voice cracked, the tone behind it pleading with him to agree. "I would be as useless to you as a quill without ink."
The silence between them lasting for what felt like an eternity until his voice finally broke the void between them, his reply barely inaudible.
"Fine."
At his response, a strange calm flooded through her and she closed her eyes in relief. Its effects on her mind were short-lived however as she turned around and noticed the disgusted look upon his face. "Tom?"
He ignored her as he turned away, his dark hair blocking the unreadable expression he worn plainly for her to see.
"Do you understand why I need this from you?" She whispered quietly, her mind racing trying to figure out why his demeanor towards her had changed so suddenly. His voice broke through her thoughts once more, although this time it sounded harsh and bitter.
"If death is what you desire, then who am I to stand in your way?"
"You misunderstand me Tom. Death is not what I desire, but if things keep going the way they are...it's the only release I have." She said softly as she closed the distance between them, her hand reaching towards his. "And I would rather it come from a familiar hand than that of a stranger…"
He stepped aside quickly, avoiding her touch and made no acknowledgement of her words, instead motioning towards the small stack of books. "You should take these with you."
Confused by his rejection, she gently nodded, knowing that nothing she could say would ease the tension between them in that moment.
"In time he'll understand. He won't have a choice."
Her mood sank even further as she heard the door open behind her, his dark frame looming quietly next to it.
"You should go. I have a few things to attend to."
Lyra gave him one quick glance as she slowly exited the room, trying to calm the sea of unease in her stomach. Feeling the door close softly behind her, she let out an exasperated sigh and made her way to her own quarters, her mind swimming with conversations they had had before.
"If you could live forever would you?"
She remembered what he had asked two nights ago and placed the books down gently on the desk, slowly opening her purse as she waved her hand in irritation. The texts flew into its mouth, disappearing from sight as she began to pack her belongings up around her, new and old alike.
"What a ridiculous question."
Her mind raced as her newfound emotions assaulted her all at once and she suddenly felt unsure if she should be touched by his reluctance or troubled by his reaction.
"No one can live forever Tom...despite the discomfort the idea seems to bring you, you'll learn in time to grow past it. Death takes from us all and neither you nor I are exempt from that fact. Accepting your fate with dignity when the time comes is the only thing you can do…and I've always liked to think I'm responsible for the outcome of my own fate."
Standing quietly in her bedroom, now free of the old books and small reminders of her past, Lyra walked over to the small desk and picked up the old photograph that sat atop its surface, alone and forgotten. Running her fingers over its frame gently, her face remained expressionless as her mother smiled and waved from inside the photo, her captured happiness too much for Lyra to bear. Without hesitation she quickly stuffed it into her purse, taking one last look around at the old room before she shut the door quietly behind her, for the final and last time.
The sun had reached its highest peak in the sky, shining brightly over their backs as they stared into the large crevice in the ground, Sanis dressed body lying there peacefully.
"I couldn't have picked a more appropriate spot myself." Cassian said quietly as he placed his hand over his brow, blocking the sun from his eyes. "It's really quite breathtaking up here."
Lyra nodded quietly as a gust of wind blew through her hair, the clouds starting to descend into the canyon.
"You should have let me help you." He murmured quietly as he looked towards her. "You shouldn't have had to do this on your own."
"I owed it to Sani to do this..." She said quietly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "...and after our talk I thought it best you took some time to yourself."
He pursed his lips grimly and ran a hand through his dark blonde hair.
"About that…"
"It's not important." She said quietly, dismissing his apology before it even happened. "Right now we need to mourn."
She approached the grave slowly and pulled a small photograph from her pocket, the same that had lived by his bedside for so many years and stared at her mother's face as she placed it gently atop his body. Earlier that day she had known that it would be impossible to bury him with any belongings and even if there had been a chance to do so, she suspected there was nothing that he had treasured in this world more so than this. A simple man, with minimalist ideals, it seemed only appropriate.
Cassian nodded stiffly and stood next to her, following her gaze towards the deep hole that housed Sani's remains. "I can't even begin to think of how to repay him for the kindness he showed me."
Lyra opened her mouth to reply, but heard a familiar voice behind them, feeling her heart leap.
"A few kind words perhaps." Tom said quietly as he apparated onto the cliff, taking his place behind her. She acknowledged his presence awkwardly and turned away, in fear she would be forced to look upon the disappointment still etched onto his face.
"Eloquent speeches were never quite my forte…" Cassian mumbled in annoyance, trying to ignore him.
"You'll know what to say." Lyra whispered reassuringly, staring ahead of her, refusing to look at either of them.
Seemingly persuaded by the encouraging words, Cassian walked closer to the grave, rubbing his chin in thought for a moment before finally speaking, his voice solemn and somber.
"The mark of a great man is one who places his own self interest aside to help others. Sani did that more times than he should have, he took on two children without families, without pay or compensation, for no reason other than kindness."
Lyra nodded in approval, motioning for him to continue. The emotional moment between them felt both awkward and unconventional and she could not recall another point in time when either of them had been supportive of the other.
"You raised us as your own, showed us love, nurtured and looked after our well being. More times than it was necessary you were shown the difficult task you had undertaken being our father, but you never complained, never showed remorse for the decision you had made. You tried to instill important values to us as children, taught us that we should respect character over pedigree and to look for the good in every person – that it still existed when we ourselves couldn't see it. You taught us that failure is part of living a full life, but that we were never to be defined by it, instead showing us how setbacks could only strengthen our resolve. We lost not only a father today, but a friend and although your time in this world has come to an end, your kindness, your spirit, your legacy will live on through all of those who have been lucky enough to have crossed paths with you."
Lyra watched as he placed the shovel into the ground and scooped the first mound of dirt into the grave, the waves of sunlight shining down upon his dark golden hair and the shadow of stubble that had started to grow on his sun kissed skin.
She stood by silently until all but the last shovel of dirt had been thrown upon the grave, pulling her wand out of her pocket. Cassian stepped back as she walked towards the mound of earth and soil, murmuring slowly under her breath until a small mist of yellow and white started to protrude from the tip, settling into the earth around where he had been laid. With a final thrust, a loud spark soared out from the tip of her wand and landed upon the ground, the pile of dirt slowly morphing and changing into a beautiful amber slab that seamlessly blended into the earth's surface around them.
"My final gift to him." She said softly, lowering her wand. "Now not even time can touch him."
Cassian looked towards the large golden stone in the ground, its honeyed glow reflecting in the bright blue pools of his eyes and he looked towards her longingly. "Where did you learn to do that?"
"Studying." She let out a soft sigh and looked up towards the sky, trying to ignore Tom's silence. Throughout the entire service she could feel his eyes upon her back, boring holes into her skin. "Alchemy has its uses."
"I'm afraid I never took my studies that seriously to have even been considered for such a course in school." He laughed bitterly.
She smiled slightly and smoothed out the fabric of her dress. "Sani would have been touched by your speech."
Cassian shrugged as he looked towards the grave once more. "It seems like such a pitiful gesture compared to what he's done for us."
She frowned as she looked towards him, unaccustomed to his strange display of anguish. "Perhaps Sani's death hit him harder than I thought."
Walking over towards him, Lyra placed her hand uncharacteristically on his shoulder. "Sometimes what we consider to be small gifts are those that are the most important. Your speech was perfectly worded, you should be proud of it."
Cassian nodded as she quickly removed her hand and looked back towards Tom.
"Now there's only one last thing to take care of." Lyra said quietly, her eyes examining his face for any signs of emotion, but there were none.
"Lyra…" Cassian called out softly from behind her, a nervous look hiding behind his cerulean eyes.
"Yes?"
He walked over to her and grabbed her hand delicately. "When all of this is over, I thought perhaps you would like to accompany me back to New York...to stay with me. The inheritance my parents left me, along with my salary has afforded me luxuries I didn't have before... I know you don't want to return to MACUSA but I can at least offer you a safe place to rest and reflect on what it is you want to do with your life…"
"Cassian…" She started, uneasy with the words that she intended to say. Under normal circumstances she would have found herself frustrated with his persistence, bluntly refusing him once more, but today was different and she found herself unable to express such cruelty. "As kind as your offer is...I'm afraid it's unnecessary."
"Unnecessary?"
Lyra looked towards Tom quickly, her eyes darting back to Cassian as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, whispering softly. "I'm leaving."
"Leaving? When?"
"Soon."
"Will you be coming back?" Cassian's voice started to shake.
"I don't think so."
"I don't understand - "
"This country holds nothing for me anymore. Now that Sani's gone, I have no reason to stay…"
"You have me."
Lyra let out a soft sigh and shook her head. "You don't need me Cassian. You have so much out there waiting for you."
He remained silent for a few moments as he backed away from her, shaking his head. "I suppose this is goodbye then…"
"I'm assuming then you will not help me attend to our childhood home?"
Cassian turned his head and motioned towards Tom, the warmth leaving his voice. "I think you have all the help you need."
"I see."
"I need to go back to New York. I've already been away for too long."
Lyra nodded silently, her voice barely a whisper. "Goodbye Cassian."
He looked back towards her momentarily and she could see the regret in his eyes, the remorse that danced behind his expression and the pain of knowing he would never set eyes upon her again. Cassian stood there for what felt like an eternity until he suddenly vanished, the sound of his disappearance echoing through the canyon.
Woof. Had to cut it off somewhere, but I hope you guys enjoyed it! Despite the kiss in the last chapter, it seems like Lyra and Tom still have a few wrinkles to iron out between them and things have taken a little bit of a tense turn. Tom fears death, he thinks that anyone who doesn't share his feelings towards it, is weak. The one flaw of Lyra's he can't get past is her acceptance of death and he struggles with his attachment to her bc of it. Lyra of course is angered by his denial of her condition and is starting to acknowledge his fears, chalking it up to immaturity, telling herself that he will get past it in time. (Boy is she wrong.) It also seems as if both of them are trying to ignore or forget what had taken place earlier in the morning for their own reasons and it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.
Sani is finally placed to rest and both Lyra and Cassian do what they can to honor him, finally parting ways in the end. More to come in the next chapter! Don't forget to add this story to your favorites if you've enjoyed it so far and follow and review if you haven't done so already, I love all the feedback!
Now onto reviews!
sssalvatxre:
Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Hearing things like that totally make my day!
Guest
Thank you so much for your review! I hope I'm doing some justice to the character of Tom Riddle! Hang in for more updates!
Forbidden Moons
Thank you so much! I tried to do something different without having Tom be OOC. I tried so hard for such a long time to find fanfiction of Tom's missing years and I couldn't find any really, so I wrote my own! Glad you're enjoying it!