Author's Note: Had this one ready for a while, so a quick update. Enjoy!
Chapter Two
The sky was still dark when Tannis brought her trunk down the steps into the kitchen. She found her grandfather sat at the table, as had become his habit, but his maps, journals, bits and bobs were now packed neatly away, safe inside his faded canvas rucksack. He was stirring coffee in a chipped yellow mug, sat close to the hearth, and when he heard her approach, he smiled. She returned it as best she could, and took the seat across from him, warming her hands by the fire.
"You're all packed, then?" she asked. The wizard nodded.
"I am," he confirmed. "I'll be off by midday. Still got to protect the house—I have some Russian warding charms in mind that should do the trick."
Tannis cocked a brow at that. "Anything I should be worried about, when I come home for Christmas holiday?"
Her grandfather did the same. "You think you'll be back for Christmas?"
The witch shrugged, staring off at the view of the wolds and the river through the kitchen window, feeling suddenly downtrodden. The thought of the bastle empty, bathed in snow, felt unnatural, surreal. The thought of a Christmas without the wizard's (admittedly lackluster) Yorkshire pudding, even more so.
"I don't know…I suppose it wouldn't be the same, with you away. It'd be lonely, wouldn't it?" mused Tannis.
"Might be that it would," he replied. Noting the glum expression on his granddaughter's face, the man continued, "Well, I'll figure something out, whatever you decide. Should be easy—didn't win the Angus Buchanan back in the day for nothing, did I? Don't want my granddaughter's hand to catch fire when she goes to turn the knob."
Tannis smiled a little. "Are you excited?"
"Perhaps I am," the wizard admitted with a small grin. "It's been quite a long time."
"You promise you'll be careful?" she asked.
"I do," he replied. "I've been preparing for this for longer than you know, girl."
"I'm very jealous, you know," Tannis teased. "When I was little, you always promised you'd take me somewhere exotic."
"I won't be gone forever," answered her grandfather. "I'm barely 60, aren't I? Plenty of time for adventures, once you're done with school."
Tannis hung the kettle over the fire, standing to fetch herself some tea and toast. "You'd better mean it, old man."
"Haven't lied to you yet," he said. His dark green eyes fell to the trunk at her back, then to her face. Standing there, smiling slyly, he thought she looked not unlike her mother. "Should I come with you to King's Cross, for old time's sake?"
The witch shook her head. "No, best not. I don't want you to miss your portkey. Besides, given my luck, I'll lose my head on the platform and start bawling in front of everyone. I have a reputation to maintain."
There was a twinkle in her grandfather's eye. "Wouldn't want to tarnish your good name."
She smirked. "Not mine—Darley's. If I embarrass her in front of that boy, I'll end up spending the feast in the hospital wing."
"Please come!"
"Darley, he asked to see you," Tannis reminded her friend, nose buried in a book she had stolen from her grandfather's collection. Over the final week of the summer holidays, Darletta had informed her ecstatically with a mouthful of cauldron cake, Brycus Avery had unexpectedly asked her to be his girlfriend. He had apparently insisted she make the journey to school with him and his friends, so Darley had spent the last twenty minutes of the trip begging Tannis to go with her for support.
Tannis looked up over the top of the book to see Darletta pouting like a child. "Don't you think he'll be disappointed if he sees me tagging along?" she asked.
Darletta rolled her eyes. "Come on, Tan, it's not like we'll be on a date. I told him you'd come along, anyway, and there'll be other people in the compartment, so—"
"Other Slytherins in the compartment," Tannis clarified for her. "And they're all older, besides. I don't know any of them."
"I know," her friend conceded, sounding defeated. "Why do you think I don't want to go myself? I only know Brycus, and some of his friends are so intimidating... Like Lestrange—do you really want to leave me alone with Lestrange?"
"Wasn't your argument that I shouldn't worry about being left alone with Lestrange?" Tannis asked pointedly. Darletta shuffled her feet, looking miserable. Tannis sighed. Never one to deny Darley, she rose to her feet begrudgingly, closing her book in a huff. "Fine, fine. This had better be all right, Darley, or I swear—"
Darletta squealed and made a little jump in the throes of her excitement. She pulled the petite girl to her, squeezing her in happiness. "Oh, it will, it will, I promise! We'll be at school soon enough, anyway—you don't even have to put up with it for long. I just…gosh, Tan, I can't believe he asked me—"
"I know, I know," jested Tannis. "It's a miracle, a fairy tale."
As Tannis opened the door to the hall of the train, Darley gave her a little shove in retaliation for her teasing, causing her to tumble helplessly into a severe-looking Gryffindor girl with ginger hair. Darletta barked out an embarrassed laugh, covering her mouth in shock, and Tannis apologized, blushing madly, before glaring over her shoulder at her friend, who stepped out giggling into the corridor, taking hold of the smaller girl's arm. The Gryffindor girl said nothing, but looked down her nose at the pair of them, smoothing out the front of her sweater as she retreated.
"You won't regret it, Tan, swear," Darley insisted earnestly, once the girl was out of earshot.
"I regret it already," she answered. "Do you even know what compartment—"
"Yes," insisted Darley. "Avery said they would be in the Head Boy's compartment."
"Head Boy?" asked Tannis. "Who is it? Certainly not Lestrange."
"Tom Riddle, I expect," replied Darletta. "Brycus didn't say, but it must be, right? He received that award last year after all that nasty business with the Muggleborns, poor Myrtle, bless her… and he is a prefect, after all. Docked me twenty points for coming late from Hogsmeade last term, even though I'd just forgotten my scarf at Honeydukes 'n told him as much."
"It must be, then," Tannis agreed. She shuddered softly and thought, as she often had this summer, about Myrtle. Myrtle Warren had been younger than Tannis and Darley—too much younger to know her very well, but the girl's death had left a solemn rift in the Ravenclaws' collective consciousness, as well as the rest of the school's. To make matters worse, Myrtle still lingered as a ghost in the lavatory where the monster had killed her, and she had changed in the process. Warren had never been the most amicable girl, but in death, her heart had seemingly been torn to shreds, and she was fundamentally different from the girl she had been in life, unpleasantness aside. Tannis did not pretend to be the most well-adjusted person when it came to matters of human mortality, but the thought of spending eternity like that made her blood run cold. Darley, she noticed, had gone silent too, but whether that was from old or present worries was difficult to say.
They arrived quietly at the compartment in a few minutes time—it was tucked away at the far front of the train, at the opposite end from the Head Girl's. The glass on its door, unlike those of the other cabins on the train, was frosted, and emblazoned with an ornate golden 'H' at its center. Apart from some faint shadows, there was no way to see inside. Tannis could hear muffled chatter, but heard no voices she could recognize.
The girls looked at each other soundlessly for a moment. Tannis nudged the other forward, nodding her head in the direction of the compartment, and Darley, ears quickly turning pink, took a deep breath in preparation, closing her eyes. Fidgeting, she rapped on the frosted glass, then stepped back, playing anxiously with a lock of her flaxen hair. Tannis had never seen her like this. All over a boy? she wondered.
Abruptly, the door slid open to reveal Asterion Lestrange, who eyed the girls with plain suspicion. He presented an imposing figure to Tannis, towering over her by a head and a half, perhaps more, but stood at a height with Darletta, who immediately dropped the bit of hair she'd been toying with.
"Yes?" asked Lestrange, his tone one of disinterest, right brow raised in obvious disdain.
"I'm, er…" Darletta started, standing a little taller than normal in an attempt to appear less flustered than she was. Tannis had seen this tactic before. "I'm looking for Avery. He's expecting me."
Lestrange blinked at her for a moment before his lips curled into a smirk, the realization of who she was and why she was there finally dawning on him. Looking over his shoulder into the compartment, the boy called, "Oy, Avery. Your girl's here."
There was the barest commotion inside—one boy whistled, to more muted laughter—and in a moment, Brycus Avery appeared beside his friend in the doorframe, leaning on one arm up against the wood. Darley hadn't been lying—he was tall, well over six foot, and Tannis could see what the other girl saw in him, if only physically. He was meticulously neat, already dressed in his freshly pressed uniform, with luxurious golden blond hair that was smoothed into a orderly side part. He kissed the girl's hand, not missing a beat, appearing summarily a perfect gentleman. The seventh year smiled at his new girlfriend beguilingly, and two handsome dimples appeared before the hollows of his cheeks. There was something decidedly boyish about him, still, but given a few years time… No wonder she won't shut up about him, Tannis thought. Surrounded by these elegant figures, she was suddenly very conscious of how petite she really was, to her discomfort. She wasn't used to feeling small.
Darley had been standing tall before, playing tough in front of Lestrange, but as soon as Avery took her hand, she positively melted, and lost a good two inches from her height. Lestrange scoffed and retreated into the cabin, but not before giving Tannis the once-over, leaving her feeling even more self-conscious than she already had.
"You look beautiful, Darletta," said Brycus. He had a somewhat high voice, but a molten one. He sounded like some kind of prince. "Thank you for coming. I was worried you wouldn't." The girl blushed becomingly, as if she would ever dream of it, and when he released her hand, she cradled it delicately, obviously in complete awe of him. He then directed his handsome, mechanical smile at Tannis, who returned it with her best effort.
"I don't believe we've met," Avery said.
Tannis glanced over at her twittering friend briefly before politely offering her own hand to the boy, standing as tall as she could. "We haven't, no. Tannis. Tannis Killiken. Charmed."
"Of course," replied Avery. Rather than shake her hand, he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze; Tannis found herself grateful he hadn't kissed hers, too. "An absolute pleasure, Tannis. Brycus Avery. Darletta mentioned you."
"I do hope you don't mind I brought her along, Brycus," said Darley. "I was—well, a little nervous."
Avery simply continued to smile. "Not at all. I'm just happy you came. Would you like to come in? It's quite spacious in here."
"We'd love to," Darley replied, grinning to her friend at her side. "Right, Tan?"
Tannis smiled what was not truly a smile, but it seemed to please Darley regardless. "Sounds…lovely," she agreed. "Thank you, er—"
"Brycus. Please," he beamed, standing aside and opening the length his arm to beckon them into the cabin. Inside sat five Slytherin boys: Lestrange, Owen Rosier, two boys she recognized, but didn't know by name, and, of course, Tom Riddle, his shiny Head Boy's badge pinned proudly to the lapel of his blazer. Riddle was propped against the far wall of the carriage with one leg stretched out before him, taking the entire bench for himself, a closed book clutched in his hand. It was true what Brycus had said, however; the cabin was spacious, much larger than any of the others she'd seen on the train, with plush velveteen benches lining the compartment perimeter. The other boys were sat quite comfortably in the space that remained. I guess this is what you get when you kill a beast for the staff...
As Avery shut the door behind them, Tannis was suddenly very aware of the boys' appraising stares. The talking she had heard from outside the compartment had ceased altogether, and the silence that replaced it hung heavy. Tannis wasn't usually one to be uncomfortable around strangers, even boys, but…even amongst Ravenclaws, Tom Riddle and his friends were infamous. He'd avenged Myrtle, after all, and the group had always had an undeniable air about it that preceded them, even before last year's events. She had seen them all before, at Slug Club functions, in the halls, but she'd never been introduced to them formally, until now. They were quite a different force in close quarters, she thought, and she found their scrutiny quite uncomfortable.
Avery came up beside them—between them, rather—and put his arm around Darley's shoulders, who at once went simultaneously rigid and wobbly-kneed at his touch. "Boys," he started, breaking the icy quiet, "allow me to introduce Miss Darletta Foxing-Lessons, and Miss Tannis Killiken, of Ravenclaw house."
The boys all uttered their hellos but for Riddle, who simply continued to stare, smiling politely. Soon, though, the Head Boy straightened in his seat, turning inward to sit in it properly. As Avery guided Darletta to sit beside him near the window, Riddle gestured at the newly open space on the bench beside him, still smiling at Tannis congenially.
"Would you like to sit, Miss Killiken?" he asked, dark eyes trained on hers. He was even more handsome up close, she thought before she could help it, but the realization did little to ease her discomfort.
"Thank you," she answered. She pulled at her skirt and sat beside him, crossing her legs at the ankles. She stole a glance at Darletta, but she and Avery were speaking quietly to one another, already seemingly in their own world. I really well might as well be here alone, she thought. She felt very alone, indeed.
"Tom Riddle," he introduced himself, as if she didn't know who he was already. He reached out to shake her hand, and she was struck by the elegant quality of his hands. Is every inch of him good looking?
"Pleasure," Tannis replied.
"Your grandfather's famous, eh, Killiken?" asked Rosier eagerly, oozing Slytherin ambition, as he leaned forward a bit on his elbows. Tannis hoped she wouldn't blush—she hated when people brought up her grandfather so quickly.
"I suppose so," answered Tannis. "To me he's just grandfather, though."
"Isn't he some kind of blood traitor?" asked another of the boys, one of the pair she didn't know. He had a brutish sort of face, and although they'd just met—and barely—he already left Tannis with a bad taste in her mouth. Beside her, Tom Riddle was watching her closely, as were the other boys. Even Darley and Avery had paused in their canoodling, awaiting her response. This time, she did blush.
"I suppose some of his opinions are a bit…well…fringe," answered Tannis.
"That was quite rude, Mulciber," interjected Riddle smoothly, giving his friend a cross look. Mulciber immediately lost his edge, sinking back into the seat cushions, and Riddle looked at her sympathetically. "I apologize, Miss Killiken. Mulciber has no manners."
"I can see so," she replied, pretending to be nonplussed. Lestrange, Rosier, and the other boy chuckled at their friend's expense; even Riddle smirked, and Tannis released a breath she had not known she was holding. Poor Mulciber's face was the color of a candied apple, his arms crossed across his chest.
"He's not a 'blood traitor,'" Darley intervened indignantly on her friend's behalf, leaning aggressively inward. "He's written about Muggleborns, sure, but that doesn't make you a blood traitor. 'Sides, you'd have to be really thick if you think that's all he studies. He's quite well known."
Mulciber sneered at her, obviously the sort of thick Darletta had described. "Yeah? What's he study, then?"
For a moment, Darley opened her mouth as if to respond, but no sound came out—Avery's arm had once again snaked itself around her shoulders, and she suddenly appeared as if she had forgotten all about her little row with Mulciber and again only had eyes for Brycus. Tannis swore she caught a hint of something uncontrolled in Avery's eyes as he looked at his friend, but Mulciber only scoffed and looked expectantly at Tannis.
"His specialty is arcane magic," Tannis said, choosing her words carefully. "The bulk of his work focuses on ritual traditions—folk magic, some would say. He dabbles, though."
Riddle seemed intrigued at that. "What sort of rituals?"
"Fertility, empowerment, divining," replied Tannis. "Some Dark things, as well, but he's never let me near any of it."
"'Near' any of it?" asked Lestrange, leering at her again like he had earlier in the corridor.
"He's a collector," she explained, a bit hesitantly. He wouldn't like me running my mouth, she thought, and caught herself. Grandfather's collections were more vast than anyone knew, and much of what he'd learned he kept hidden away, never published. "He keeps—artifacts, grimoires… He's begun to catalogue it all, since he doesn't travel as much, in his old age, and I help him with it now. Some stuff he doesn't trust even me with, though."
"Why wouldn't he trust his own granddaughter?" Riddle asked.
"I used to…experiment," she replied carefully after a momentary pause. "Got myself hurt, a couple of times; you know, little girls getting into things they shouldn't. Besides, some of these objects are inherently dangerous, and I certainly don't know how to handle them all." She did her best to sound nonchalant. Riddle was watching her with an unreadable expression that was not exactly comforting, but he did not press her for details, for which she was grateful. Don't want Darley's new friends to think I'm a nutter, Tannis thought. Darley would sooner kill her than forgive her, and the less outsiders knew about what grandfather kept in the cellars, the better. Subconsciously, she placed a hand atop the scar on her forearm.
The train sounded its horn, which was uncommonly loud, at this end of the train: they'd be arriving at Hogwarts before they knew it. Tannis glanced at her lap, saw the color of her jumper, and realized with a start she was still wearing her own clothes. She stood, once again smoothing the length of her skirt under the boys' persistent examination, and Darley's lovelorn trance was once again broken by her friend's movements.
"Where're you off to?" she asked before Tannis could excuse herself.
"I can't very well show up wearing this, can I?" Tannis reasoned. Darletta was already wearing her uniform, so she said, "You don't need to come, if you'd rather stay with Brycus."
Darley furrowed her brow. "Are you sure, Tan? It's no—"
"I think I can manage, Darley," she insisted with a smile. "I'll see you later on."
Avery grinned winningly at the blonde, and ran a hand down the crest of her upper arm. Darletta snapped her head around to face him with stars in her eyes.
"Stay, Darley," he urged. "I won't see you until after the feast..." Darletta melted once more, smiling dreamily at Avery, then back at Tannis.
"I'll see you at supper, Tan," she said, to which Tannis nodded in response. She turned to leave, but was stopped by a voice, at which she turned to look back over her shoulder, hand still resting eagerly on the handle.
"Pleasure meeting you, Miss Killiken," said Tom Riddle, who was again watching her with the same polite smile as before. "I'm sure we'll have the honor of your company again soon enough. I hope you'll trust me when I tell you that Mulciber isn't always so…inquisitive." His dark eyes held hers, like her own had held the doe she'd seen along the Water, and despite herself, she felt herself bite nervously at the inner flesh of her lip.
She nodded with a perfunctory smile, and Darletta mouthed the words 'thank you' at her soundlessly as she exited the Head Boy's cabin. Sliding the glass behind her safely closed, she exhaled, relieved to be finally free. Of all the boys at Hogwarts, Tannis thought, shaking her head, she just had to pick one of them.
Tannis started briskly down the corridor, thinking about deer and green fire. Inside the compartment, Tom Riddle stared for a minute at the empty doorway, and reopened his copy of Death Among the Inca, by Acamar Mauritius Killiken.
