He shut his eyes, grabbing at his chest like he was having a heart attack. "Like what?"

"Like you can't stand those words. Like my weakness disgusts you. I disgust you. I know you don't believe love exists – "

"You don't – " He inhaled sharply, letting out a moan of pain. " – disgust me." His body bent over in rigid pain and that was when he started to scream.

Chapter Ten

In his whole entire existence at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Tom Riddle had never once been in the hospital wing. He'd never once visited, not feeling the need to see someone sickly. He cringed at the word. And never before had he been ill or… weak.

The matron shuffled between beds, passing his, already having come over and checked on his an hour earlier. Her heels clicking loudly on the stone floor. She smiled sweetly in his direction as she passed and for the first time he hadn't managed to fake a charming smile back. Exhaustion was a funny thing…

His bones felt like rubber and his body was weak like a baby. But worst of all was the throbbing in his chest that never, despite what he did, never seemed to abate. It was almost as terrible as the searing pain he had endured three nights previous, but this hadn't gone away. Even when he slept… his slumber was infiltrated by dreams.

There was no magical cure to make him feel better. When he had first woken up, he had thought that the ache was… physical. And it was to a point; his heart pulsed with the knowledge that he had created his own problem. It wasn't until his followers had come and visited him, their frantic worries over his state, that he realized they were not who he wanted to see at his bedside.

"Tom," a soft voice said kindly near the foot of his bed. Tom turned his head slowly; magnificent purple robes with fluorescent yellow stars splayed over the hems came into view.

Albus Dumbledore had treated him just like any other student – courteously and kindly but had never trusted him. They had never had contact alone besides those very few encounters after he'd opened the chamber and when he had came to tell him he was a wizard – that he was special. It hadn't been until recently that he realized that everyone at Hogwarts had some amount of special ability or they would not be here.

"I am going," said Dumbledore, adjusting his wizard's cap and robes before sitting in the chair residing alongside his bed. "To assume that you were not expecting me?"

"No sir," replied Tom, glad to finally have his respectful façade back.

"Ah… well, I hope you are feeling up to having a visitor at the moment."

Tom didn't say anything. He didn't even move to look back at the old man. His eyes were trained on the outlines of his feet underneath his blankets. The sneaking suspicion that if he looked Dumbledore in the eye the old man would read his mind – break into his thoughts.

"Yes, sir."

He could hear Dumbledore smile, the air brightened around him and Tom could envision those blue eyes sparkling. Ridiculous old fool…

"Albus Dumbledore was the greatest man the Wizarding world has ever known! You are – you will become nothing compared to him!"

Marie's words reverberated around his head like a muggle sports ball. What did she know! He flushed with anger even thinking about her arrogance to think that Dumbledore could ever compare to what he was going to become. Pain lacerated his chest again as his thoughts turned to…

"I was wondering, Tom, what had happened for you to have such extensive internal – " Dumbledore paused and for a second he thought he saw a flicker of something behind the old man's sapphire eyes. "Injuries…"

"I do not know, sir."

Dumbledore didn't move, his eyes intent on the side of Tom's face. It was, what felt like eternity to Tom, before Dumbledore stood, still staring down at him. "Well, good day then." He swept out of the cubicle, pausing before he left to add – "And I do hope you get better, Tom."

Maybe it was the extra twinkle behind his professor's eye that made him twist with unease. Tom Riddle had the varying feeling that Dumbledore knew exactly what had happened to him. And he was happy it had.

XXX

Marie had snuck into the hospital wing, her heart beating rapidly and so loudly that she would have sworn that anyone could have heard it. She glanced down in the direction of the school's nurse's office. It was shut firmly. No one would hear his death.

A shiver ran down her spine as the words echoed inside her own head. This was it, the moment of truth. All her untimely speculation of whether she would be a killer would be put to the test in the next few seconds.

She took a deep breath and moved forwards, sprinting across the stone floor on her toes to quiet the noise. Now or never, now or never, now or never, now or never… The words kept pounding in her head, over and over again. After she'd brought him to the hospital wing she'd developed a new plan. A plan that would solve all her problems. and afterwards she would devote her life to returning to the future. That was it. The way it had to be.

His bed was on the end; the curtains surrounding it were illuminated in the moonlit glow. It was a full moon tonight, she noted, how ironic. In certain cultures the full moon represented the presence and birth of new life. Her uncle had taught her that. With a pale, shaking hand, she gently pulled back the curtains and stepped inside the squared off "room".

Marie's breathe caught as she raised her wand and pointed it down at the sleeping figure.

Tom was almost – peaceful as he slept. His features were soft, not tight and angry or covered up with that calm mask. He was innocent in sleep. Vulnerable. Child-like. Her wand hand shook violently as she made that realization. She couldn't harm a child. Even one who would become the most evil man in the whole entire world? She had seen his cruelty firsthand and it had made her want to stop him. But there was another side to him that was not the man who had masked himself as "Lord Voldemort".

Oh sweet Merlin…

A small sob escaped her chest as the tearing in the region of her heart continued to pain her. "A-Ava –"

Tom's eyes snapped open; he was always such a light sleeper. For a moment he looked groggy – unaware. But then his senses returned to him as he looked up at her, those sharp gray eyes watching her every move.

"Avada – " But Marie couldn't finish, her wand fell to the floor with a clatter. Tears flooded her eyes, streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't kill him – Marie simply didn't possess the strength to kill the darkest wizard the world had never known.

Tom lay on the bed, completely still as he observed Marie's shaking form. Her wand had fallen after she had tried to perform the killing curse. He hadn't been scared – not for a moment. There was no chance that she would have murdered him. Not Marie. A possessive note crept into his own thoughts… his Marie.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I'm so s-s-sorry…" She dropped to her knees beside his bed, laying her head on his left arm. The strands of her hair graced his skin like silk…

"Look at me," he commanded her. Old habits died hard… the expression finally had merit to him.

It was different to see his Death Eater's – his faithful followers, on their knees begging him for mercy. Marie was one person he did not want to see asking for his forgiveness. It made the constant ache in his chest worsen.

She glanced up, surprising him for once by obeying him. Her tawny eyes shining with fresh tears. "Tom… I have to tell you everything. I'm so sorry." He had already heard her story, though completely unbelievable as it was, it did fit everything. All her silly little slip-ups, her fear of him and the power he possessed.

"Hush," he murmured, pulling her closer towards him. Up off the floor and onto the bed. Another first for him happened, he comforted another living being as she sobbed, soaking his nightgown, into his chest.

It was several hours before she subsided, and one more before she fell asleep, clutching him like a blanket. The crying and sniffling of the weak children at the orphanage had always bothered him, but this… this was different. He stroked Marie's hair, holding her about the waist as tightly as possible. It was a lulling motion that eventually led to sleep…

XXX

The morning came – sun shining through the large windows of the Hospital Wing. It was, Tom thought as he came awake, a wonderful morning. And there were only so many moments when he could truly say that. He felt complete somehow, well you bloody well should, came the grimmer part of his brain, after all your soul just got stitched back together. He grimaced at the reminder of all his hard work being done for nothing. But now he would just have to start again, this time without Horcruxes.

Marie moved, burying her head deeper into the folds of his pajamas, mumbling something incoherent – well mostly incoherent, he did hear something that sounded a bit like "stupid tom". A smile lit his face, and though he supposed it was a crooked, twisted one, it was still a smile.

"Tom, m'boy," the voice startled him, but he didn't sit up. From previous experience waking Marie up was not a very smart thing to do. And Tom was nothing if not smart. "I heard you were in the hospital wing, didn't believe it myself until I could see it with my own eyes," Slughorn said, his bright tone caused Marie to shuffle uncomfortably in the bed.

Slughorn's eyes widened at the moving bed sheets, and for the first time in his life, Tom felt a dull flush begin to creep up his neck.

"Tom, where did I put my wand? I don't remember where I set it… and my robe… where's the rest of my robe." By the time she'd straightened herself out, found her wand, and unconsciously wrapped her more tightly around him did she notice Slughorn. He watched her blink – once – twice, and then she said:

"Hello, professor," she said, an awkward tone in her voice. "I didn't expect to find you here."

Slughorn seemed to have paled, all color erasing from his face as Marie wriggled around his bed, now searching for her shoes. "N-nor I you, Miss Adamms," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Nor I you."

"Well, I should be going now." She stood, re-adjusting her robes with a sweet smile, turning her charm onto the professor. "Have a lovely day, professor." She turned to Tom, leaning down to give him a gentle kiss. "I'll be back in an hour to bring you something else besides the Hospital food." And she left, a slight sway to her hips as she went.

It was all he could do not to laugh.