The nervousness building in Harriet's core turned to determination as the dinner progressed. Her initial plan to end Riddle's life hadn't worked, so deceiving his followers was the girl's last chance to prevent two wars from happening.
When a small team of House Elves cleared the table, carrying away piles of dirty dishes with the dinner Harry had barely touched, Abraxas Malfoy's guests rose one by one, like an army of well-trained puppets. Tom Riddle, aware of the conflict in the woman's mind, got up too.
They were the last ones still inside the dining room, and Harriet averted her eyes from him. She didn't want to appear incapable or childish, she had handled the task of pretending to be the perfect pureblooded lady brilliantly, and the act itself had been more difficult than she'd initially imagined it would be. Nonetheless, as much as Riddle dismissed his followers as idiots, they weren't, and the prospect of having to fool all those people again stirred Potter's nerves.
Trying to hide her insecurity from Tom was futile. The Horcrux in her chest served as a conduit between them, turning Harriet's brain into a radio channel he perpetually was syntonized.
''You are much more powerful than you think''. Riddle's encouraging words take her by surprise.
It was unfair that he had that appearance because when the man put all the weight of his attention on Harry, she understood how Icarus probably felt as he flew towards the sun with wings made of wax. The girl saw her own fall reflected in the streaks of red mingling in his eyes. A vivid reminder that even contained, the monster was still there.
Saying nothing, Harriet accepts the arm he offers and allows him to usher her out of the room.
The parlor where the girl would show the ''proof'' of the coming war if they didn't take action was smaller than the previous one and much colder but equally rich. Tom's inner circle and their wives were all standing against the walls, surrounding her with expressions that denoted how eager they were to find out what she knew. There were other people too, whose faces were unfamiliar, but Harry didn't pay much attention to these.
Potter feels she's made a deal with the devil, and in many ways, that's true.
Riddle approaches and takes her by the shoulders, his eyes settling on Harry's face with the same needy eagerness as when he kissed her. He looks at the girl as if he can see a part of her that she herself does not yet know. Tom looks at her expectantly.
Harry knows she's already lost that battle, and Riddle too, as he smiles, and there's nothing elegant about the gesture. His fingers lift the girl's chin, brushing the side of her face so intimately that for a long, terrifying second, she thinks he's going to kiss her again, but he doesn't. Tom merely leans against her body. ''Help me convince them, and all the deaths you've witnessed won't happen.''
His words are more than enough to encourage her, and when Tom walks away, taking his place in the center of the room, she already feels calmer. Harry inhales slowly, closing her eyes and focusing on the memories he remodeled for days. Through occlumency, she could still distinguish the fake from the real, but Riddle's followers could not.
Tom raises his wand and uses a complicated enchantment to pull Harriet's memories and project them into the air for all to see. True to his word, Riddle shows just enough to make them desperate for the answers only he has.
Unlike the reforms Slughorn had made to his own memories, Riddle's manipulated thoughts were perfect, clear, and clean. If not for her rudimentary occlumency shields, Harry could easily have believed they were real.
Through a series of events and news in the Wizarding World, Tom revealed to his inner circle how the sacred twenty-eight families' obsession with ''blood purity'' has brought them to the brink of extinction. Riddle shows the growing number of muggle-borns and half-bloods and how positively these individuals contribute to the Magical society. Tom exposes how the pureblood's disdain for Muggles and the corruption in the Ministry brought the Statute of Secrecy to collapse in Britain, losing them the support of the International Confederation Of Wizards.
Tom shows them the civil war in London, the destruction of the British magical community. Tom shows them young Wizards and Witches, pure-bloods, Half-bloods and Muggleborns, all working together, all working for magic.
Harriet doesn't care so much about the logistics of Tom's lies. She's too busy keeping herself from crying every time one of her friends shows up at the screenings.
In the end, he makes it look like Muggles and Purebloods are the problem.
Harry is not happy with this solution, but she supposes it would be wiser to take it one step at a time. As much as she hates to admit it, Riddle is not as insane as Voldemort.
He will use the purebloods fear towards Muggles as a weapon, but he will not incite a war with them.
She hopes she made the right decision. Either way, she won't know until she does. It's always like that with Riddle.
The moment the little ''show'' ends, the guests quickly vanish, leaving the two alone again. They're just two silhouettes dimly lit by the blue light left behind by Tom's spell. ''You were perfect''. He says. Potter doesn't quite know how to react to that kind of compliment. ''I have a meeting with Abraxas and the others to work out the details of what they saw here, then we can go home. Behave yourself. ''.
Home. Harry thinks and wants to laugh. It's easy to forget how painfully young he is, how alike they are, how desperate for something real they are.
Everything in that world of taffeta and fancy decorations was about connections. Harriet could dismiss Tom as a half-blood orphan who came from nothing, just like her. But for those people, he was already The Dark Lord.
He was already a monster, a monster, who apparently wanted to play house with her.
Would a monster be concerned with preventing a war?. Harry bows her head, wishing she could shut off her thoughts entirely at times.
''I can survive a few hours without you''. Harriet scoffs to push away the discomfort of her own inner monologues and leans in to kiss him because maybe that way, she can forget about her worries.
Riddle's arms immediately wrap around her body, his mouth opens over hers naturally, and everything else turns to white noise. It is impossible to think of anything other than him. When Harry walks away, Tom stares at her with upsetting clamor. He looks at her like he can hardly believe she exists. '' It won't take too long''.
''Okay, I'll stay away from Walburga for the rest of the night. I thought she was going to claw my eyes out when Viola talked about the wedding ''.
Their wedding. The thought wasn't as frightening as it should have been. Marriage seemed a mundane and unimportant commitment when Harry remembered she had a piece of that man's soul intertwined with hers. Riddle hums in agreement, fingering the necklace around Harriet's neck, the chain that brings the feeling of wearing a leash, a public demonstration of what she is, of who she belongs to.
Part of the girl wants to rip the object off and throw it across the room only to show she can, but if her years in war have taught her anything, it's that attack isn't always the best defense. Riddle is a creature of habit. Harriet always knew she would be the sacrificial lamb, one way or another.
''You should ask her to be a bridesmaid''.
''We're not getting married''. Potter protests as they both leave the small room.
There's a band playing to entertain guests in the ballroom, as are trapeze artists dressed in tight, glittery knits. Abraxas makes a short opening speech, thanking his guests for their presence, but most people are busy staring at them as they enter the room. There's something about Riddle, not just the gorgeous looks or the aura of power. It's the way he carries himself, that arrogant confidence in his own superiority. He moves as he belongs there.
When Tom splays a hand at the base of the girl's spine, the predatory eyes of the guests fall on her with curiosity.
Harry is not intimidated. She spent the first eleven years of her life with the Dursleys treating her like garbage and the other six alternating between being a saint or a Dark Lady in construction until the war turned her into an outcast on two worlds. Riddle's sycophants didn't scare her. In fact, she had to remind herself that there were innocent people there too to suppress the instinct to set Malfoy Manor on fire with all the future Death Eaters inside.
The people Potter assumed didn't support Riddle, on the other hand, stared at her with different levels of shock, and when he gently slid a lock of the girl's hair behind her ear, there was almost a collective gasp.
''Are you sure you can survive here without me? ''. Tom conspiratorially mutters.
''They can't be eviler than you''.
'' Fair enough. The worst they can do is bore you to death''.
And by Merlin, he wasn't wrong. As soon as Tom walked away, several people surrounded Harriet, either filling her with silly questions or trying to advertise this or that project. She smiled, praised, and made an excuse about seeing a friend right there so she could escape.
And here was I thinking I'd have a break from the ''Girl-Who-Lived'' bullshit.
She was looking for Viola but ended up finding Walburga and Orion in an empty room. Sirius' father was talking to his wife in a low, furious tone. Harriet didn't like how tight his grip on the woman's arm seemed or the way she was clenching her jaw as if she was restraining herself from shouting at him.
Harry backs away as Orion passes her on the way out, bowing his head. When the girl turned and entered the studio once more, she noticed that tears were streaming down Sirius' mother's beautiful, expressionless face, but her makeup remained intact. '' You came here to brag? Invite me to be a bridesmaid, maybe? ''.
Potter crosses her arms, remembering Riddle's words. ''Would that make you happy? ''.
The same gray eyes she'd seen in her godfather's face glared at her.
Harriet sighed. After a while, the constant fights become tiresome. Hermione was always talking about how Harry should express her feelings more often, so she opted to try to have a civil conversation. ''You are a powerful woman. I would prefer to have you as an ally''.
Walburga wrinkled her nose as if the idea disgusted her. ''We will never be friends. If you want a pet, you should go after Viola. The Parkinsons don't have an ounce of self-respect''.
Potter had to contain the urge to punch her in the face. It was as if she was listening to Draco Malfoy at his worst. ''We don't have to like each other to work together. We are too old to hold a grudge over a boy ''.
''It's not just because of him! I was born to rule and occupy the position that fell into your lap because you bewitched him with your bad manners and insubordination. Orion is an idiot, but he's going to inherit everything because he's a man and I'm just a cunt and a womb that my parents sold to him, even though I'm more Black than my stupid husband will never be ''. Walburga wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was crying anymore, and Harriet, who was never good at comforting anyone, didn't quite know what to do.
She didn't want to spoil the other's dreams by saying that Riddle would never share his position of power with anyone other than her, so she searched her own head for information about Orion, but she didn't have much. To a Black, Sirius father had been a mediocre Wizard.
Walburga, on the other hand, was a force of nature. If Potter could direct all that energy and passion to her own benefit, she would have a great advantage.
''If it's autonomy you want, Riddle can help you with that. You don't have to try to worm your way into his bed''.
''The Dark Lord does no favors''.
''Oh, he does, if he thinks he will get something out of it''.
Lady Black looked at her analytically, considering the way the girl carried herself, the hardened look on her face, and the shadows of war in her eyes. ''He would never have married me, would he? ''.
''I would have chosen you over me if I were him,'' Potter says instead of answering, conjuring a handkerchief and holding it out for the woman to dry her face.
Walburga smiled only a little. ''So your taste is better than his''.
When the two women emerge from the room together, there is no sign of Riddle or his inner circle anywhere. But the ball remains as energetic as before.
'' Let the men handle the boring part. I want you to meet my cousin ''. Walburga says when she catches Harriet scanning the place. '' I think she's some lost relative of yours, from the deadly future you came to us from ''. Despite Black's sarcasm, they had reached a silent understanding during their previous conversation.
Harry rolled her eyes but followed the other woman towards the buffet, where Walburga spotted a dark-haired Witch. Potter knows who the stranger is the instant she turns to face them.
Sirius had always told the girl how much she looked like her grandmother, but Harriet didn't really believe it until she came face-to-face with Euphemia Black-Potter. They both had the same untamed hair, the same delicate chin, and the same almond-shaped eyes. Euphemia was taller and more elegant, but her face narrowed with curiosity when she noticed Potter's appearance.
''Effy, I want you to meet Harriet Potter, now excuse me, I can see Augusta Longbottom over there, and someone needs to say that yellow is not her color''.
Ignoring her cousin's antics, Euphemia smiled warmly. ''It's nice to meet you, but I must admit, you look more like a Black''.
Harry doesn't answer. The girl can barely breathe. It feels surreal to be there, in front of the woman who will one day be the grandmother she never had the chance to meet. Sirius spoke of Euphemia fondly, about how she had welcomed him into her own home and family when his birth parents didn't. Through the girl's silence, Euphemia's complexion softened gently.
''I don't care if you're illegitimate. Family is family, regardless of what others say''. She clearly took Harriet's silence the wrong way.
''Sorry, you took me by surprise''. Harry manages to say. Her hands are shaking a little, and she makes an effort to hide them.
The appearance of a third person saves her from having a very uncomfortable conversation. Again, Potter feels like she's among ghosts, the man who tenderly kisses Euphemia's temple looks a lot like James Potter.
''Riddle actually seems more reasonable. I wonder what happened ''. He speaks, realizing a moment later that he's not alone with his wife. ''And you are…? Ah! Riddle's fiancé. God help you''.
'' Fleamont! ''. Euphemia exclaims, looking embarrassed.
''What? If she's going to marry the bloke, she must know he's no saint''.
That was by far the most bizarre conversation Harriet had ever had. ''He can be a little mean sometimes''.
''A little mean! ''. Her grandfather repeats, finding it hilarious.
Potter saw herself getting defensive. She was feeling almost like Hermione when someone accused Crookshanks of being a cruel monster.
''This is my cousin, illegitimate, that's why you still don't know her''. Euphemia interrupts her husband, shooting him a scolding look, for which Harry is grateful.
''Worse than that, I'm a half-blood and an orphan''.
Fleamont tips his head back and laughs heartily. ''A half-blood Black, you need to come to dine with us. We just got back to England ''. He looks delighted with the idea, and Harry wonders, if her father would look like that had he survived.
Before she can reply to the invitation, Riddle appears to steal her from her grandparents. He greets them politely and says that he would like to dance with his lovely bride, taking her to the center of the room, where couples have begun to waltz.
Harriet is not paying attention to the music. It's the kind of pretentious melody only a Malfoy could have chosen. She does her best to look Riddle in the eye and doesn't mind not crushing his feet with her shoes. He deserves.
Riddle makes her task difficult by deftly conducting the dance. His eyes burn the girl's face. Harry drank too much wine and is afraid of disappearing if she allows herself to be so involved with him.
'' Your grandparents? ''. Tom asks with a hint of interest, she nods.
''They died of Dragon Pox before I was born''.
''They seem like... pleasant people''.
Potter snorts and finds that she doesn't like it when Tom tries to play nice for her. ''Don't pretend you care. You killed your grandparents when you were fifteen.''
The shadow of a cruel smile curves the corner of his mouth upward. ''Yes, Harriet, I killed all of my family members I could find. I'm a monster, and you're getting repetitive, love''.
Harry doesn't respond. Riddle turns her in his arms until they are closer than before. ''You already know that Dragon Pox has a cure. You don't need to lose them this time''. His voice was casual, but Potter knew him well enough to sniff out the hidden intentions. ''We've achieved something big today, but that's nowhere near what I know we can accomplish together.''
''I still don't understand what you're getting at, Riddle''.
''Augusta Longbottom is here, on behalf of several families who oppose me. She wants to talk with you.''
Tom clearly thought that Harriet still had a chance to switch sides. She could feel that he was fearful she would try to do so, but she wouldn't. Dumbledore would shove a goblin-made blade through her chest the moment he discovered what she was. Harry didn't want to risk her Horcrux or leave Riddle.
She sighed. ''Great, my day couldn't get any better''.
Augusta Longbottom was much younger than the girl had expected. With her big doe eyes and sandy hair spilling over her shoulders, she couldn't have been much older than Potter. However, Harry knew better than to underestimate her.
Neville's future grandmother wasted no time in pleasantries. The moment she saw them, she said she was there on behalf of the Longbottom's, Prewett's, Abbott's, Weasley's, Brown's, Macmillan's, Goldstein's, McLaggen's. And, of course, Albus Dumbledore. Although she was clearly speaking to Harriet, her eyes remained on Riddle the entire time, as if she expected an attack at any moment.
Potter and Tom sat in two chairs facing the woman, who tightened her fingers around her wand as Riddle sarcastically smiled at her. Harry arched an eyebrow at the sight of the six Wizards who looked more like bodyguards in Augusta's shadows, but she didn't comment on that. If Riddle invited her to a meeting, she would be paranoid too.
''Well, you can't expect us to believe in all this time travel nonsense. Walburga told me you two are engaged, so I'm going to consider this acting as a plan to give him more power''. The future matriarch Longbottom said, bending her jaw in Tom's direction.
Potter had always admired her for her strength and quick-witted personality, despite Neville's awful childhood. But Harry was also exhausted, and dealing with Augusta's limited mind didn't seem like an attractive prospect.
''Want to wait fifty years and find out for yourself when your only child ends up in the psychiatric ward at St Mungo's permanently? Be my guest! I came from a horrible place and watched the death of every one of the people I've ever loved, so you're going to have to excuse me for telling you to go fuck yourself. And yes, we are engaged. Call it a marriage of convenience if it makes you feel better. I'm nobody's puppet''.
Augusta didn't seem offended by her language, just considered for a few seconds, turning to Tom. ''And you, the aspiring Dark Lord, what do you have to say about that? Do you want me to accept that you are suddenly on our side and not planning genocide with your little gang? ''.
Harriet held her breath. Not even she would dare talk to Riddle like that.
''Dearest wants the deaths to be minimal''. Riddle says, unfazed. He slides his fingers over Potter's hand with a proprietary air that Augusta doesn't miss. ''If it were up to me, I'd rip your tongue out for having the audacity of talking to her like this. Afterward, I would send you in pieces to your husband as a warning, so he would know how to behave when I took five minutes of my time to destroy those ridiculous wards around Longbottom Manor ''.
Augusta's escorts began to move, Harry raised her own wand out of pure instinct, but the other woman motioned for them to remain in place and appealed to Harriet. '' You see? How can I trust him!''.
''This isn't about trust. You've seen what I lived through. Do you think you all can win a war like that with heroes? ''.
''There's no war. This foolishness is absurd, and I'm advising Dumbledore and the others against your nonsense. Riddle's a psychopath, and you're insane ''. Augusta sounded just like Fudge with his ''everything's fine, Voldemort's not back'' speech. Even so, Potter still got up to follow the woman before Riddle decided to kill her or do something even worse. ''There is a mansion in North Yorkshire, a house where your grandfather kept his mistress. The place doesn't even have a Floo Network. It was a family secret. You gave us the property to be a safe house''.
Augusta stops halfway to the exit, trying to mask her own surprise. Harriet takes this as a clue to keep talking. ''You helped me train new recruits at the resistance camp in 1998, we got drunk once, and you told me something no one else knows; you were the one who asked your husband to marry you, as he, according to your own words, was a wimp, but you loved him anyway''.
''What exactly do you want from us? ''.
''Political support. The Muggle-born ostracizing needs to stop, and we can no longer pretend that corruption and incompetence are not destroying the Ministry ''.
The other woman took a full minute to make up her mind, and then, in a more resigned way, she just muttered. ''I can't do anything without a guarantee''.
Harry had already discussed this with Tom as they prepared for tonight. ''How do you feel about a magical contract? ''.
That was not the first vow made that night. To ensure Harriet's safety, Riddle and Abraxas came up with a spell on the invitations and confirmation list that prevented guests from saying anything discussed there for the Ministry.
The future matriarch Longbottom was an intelligent woman and seemed to understand that the contract provided Riddle with the opportunity to manipulate certain things however he wanted. But she also knew she had no other choice, she looked at Tom for a second before reluctantly accepting it.
Harriet didn't need to look at Riddle. She could feel his triumph from where she was.
''We make a good team''. Tom Riddle says, later that night, when the two of them settled down in front of the fireplace in his house.
Harriet removes her high-heeled shoes and sinks into the armchair, closing her eyes in an attempt to eradicate the beginnings of a headache. '' Who would say ''.
''The contract was brilliant''.
It had been, and not just for him. Despite the gaps that Augusta hadn't noticed, Harry was able to secure some assuring things as well. No betrayal, no genocide. Riddle would have to play by the rules and do things legally, well, most of them, but even so, too much praise on Tom's part made her open her eyes. ''What more could you possibly want? ''.
''Why do I have to want something? ''. He responds, his eyes falling on the locket around her neck.
Potter, who didn't even want to start trying to understand the meaning of that, hurried to remove the chain and got up from her chair, pushing the necklace emphatically against Riddle's chest.
'' You didn't like it? ''. Tom questions, looking at her from below with the smile of someone hiding something.
'' No ''. Harry responds and folds her arms over her chest. Her stupid heart started to pound harder because his expression makes her want to kiss him.
Riddle gets up with much more confidence than the girl. In a split second, they are facing each other. Tom moves as if he's afraid to scare her. He strokes Harriet's face and parts her lips with his index finger. Harry knows this is another losing battle when she feels her whole body vibrating with excitement. Heat curls in the pitch of her stomach with the way he's looking at her. She clenches her hands in fists to suppress the urge she has of touching him.
His intentions were never so obvious, his languid movements an opportunity for Potter to escape if she wishes to do so.
'' We can't ''. The girl says, shaking her head to escape the trance.
Riddle responds by lifting her chin. ''I will never force you into anything. You will change your mind on your own. and I have all the time in the world to wait''.
When Potter formulates a cheeky response, he's gone.
Even after the coldest shower of her life, Harriet was still unable to sleep. Things definitely went wrong with Riddle, but when the girl thought more deeply about his words, she wondered if she hadn't already had this same conversation with herself a million times.
Tom Riddle is not Voldemort. Harry thinks as she sits down on the soft mattress, placing her palm to the center of her chest. Her Horcrux is strangely silent, and the girl knows that this decision needs to be made by her alone and no one else.
Cursing in thought, the girl pushes the blanket aside and climbs out of bed.
Her heart threatens to come out of her throat all the way to Riddle's room.
He opens the door seconds after she knocks, and surprisingly, there's no arrogance or nasty comments. He looks calm. He was only waiting for her to make a choice. She finally had.
Tom extends a hand to her, and Harry accepts it.
When the door closes and isolates the two of them in a world that seems parallel, she knows that she entered his darkness of her own free will.
There is something relieving about that.