Most Wanted

April 6, 1945

Tom hadn't been in the sitting room for more than ten minutes when the self-loathing began to set in. He hated being put in his place – even when he was wrong, even when it was Rosemary that was doing it.

Tom began to pace around the small room, quickly growing restless. He could understand her being upset, he really could. But not talking about it wasn't going to fix anything – wasn't not talking the entire reason she was upset in the first place?

He sighed. Although this wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he thought they were getting back together – at all – surely he could suffer the blow to his ego if it meant having her back for good. It was worth it…right?

Bloody hell, listen to yourself…Don't you have a shred of self-respect?

Clearly, love had made him weak – too weak.

And anyway, it seemed a bit hypocritical that she was blaming him for not seeing her as an equal when she was the one who had shut him out of his own dormitory like a bad dog. How dare she?

A few more seconds of this passed and he simply couldn't take it any longer. He strode to the door and gave it a gentle knock. "Rosemary," he purred in the smoothest voice he could muster given his irritation. "You've made your point."

"Go to bed, Tom." She sounded particularly exhausted.

But he wasn't going to give up that easily, of course. He tried the doorknob and his lip curled up into a smirk when he realized it was locked – as if she thought that would actually stop him. He'd play along, though, if only to appease her. "Open the door," he coaxed her. "Let's talk this over."

"I don't want to talk," she replied resolutely, though her voice sounded much closer this time.

"Isn't the failure to communicate what got us here?" He simply couldn't help the irritation that dripped from his words.

"Well it's certainly what got you here. Or there, as it were."

Tom gritted his teeth. "Don't make me force my way in there, Rosemary - you know I will. Remember earlier this year?" Then he smirked, thinking back to the time that he had nearly destroyed her door just because she wouldn't let him in.

"Have at it." Then she tapped something twice against the door. Something that seemed light, and also made of wood –

He reached for his wand in the pocket of his cloak where he always kept it and froze, growing immediately hot in rage. "Rosemary – what the fuck?"

"Sorry Tom, but I figured you would do this. I lifted it from you when we were arguing. But you'd be pleased to know that I've taken your advice and have improved my door-locking charms markedly," she sneered.

"You little…You have some nerve," he seethed. Even considering his natural aptitude for wandless magic, Tom felt a bit naked without his prized yew wand. She said nothing in response and he could hear her walking away from the door. "Rosemary!" he shouted after her angrily.

Tom sighed in exasperation and knelt down in front of the lock. He had yet to use wandless magic to break an advanced locking charm, but he supposed there was a first time for everything. He sat there for about an hour muttering every possible incantation he could think of, all the while reeling in complete disbelief of what she had done.

He didn't know what he was going to do when he finally got in there. Even though it was Rosemary and she was upset, surely he couldn't just sit back and allow her to get away with such behavior.

But whatever it was that he planned to do, he would have to figure it out quickly. He smirked in satisfaction as the lock clicked open.

Tom let himself into his (which was apparently now their) pitch black bedroom. "Accio wand," he whispered.

Though his anger subsided considerably as he was reunited with his wand, he still felt compelled to repay Rosemary for her little stunt. But the part of him with irreparable softness toward her took over as he stood above her sleeping form. It was in this moment that he realized he couldn't bring himself to do anything that would jeopardize her return to him.

"Just leave," he heard her say into the pillow. Apparently she wasn't asleep after all.

Tom couldn't help but laugh as he lit a fire in the fireplace to bring some light into the bedroom. "You come here, declare yourself my new dormmate, and you want me to leave? Merlin Rosemary, listen to yourself…"

She sat up abruptly and glared at him. "Have it your way – I'll leave, then."

Tom smirked and sat down next to her on the bed before telling her quite matter-of-factly, "No...You will not leave, because you don't actually want to." Her glare intensified as he continued in a silky voice, "You're here for one reason: you want this – us. You want me."

Her face grew soft first, but then immensely sad. "I know. I just…I don't know how to get over this."

"I should have said something…But I needed to be absolutely certain that I could trust you." He brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed them. Tom was rather impressed with how easy this was to say given his typical abhorrence for admitting that he was in the wrong. Then again, Rosemary drove him to do all sorts of things that took him by surprise.

"You can always trust me," she said and leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek.

In his relief at the softness of her voice, he was tempted to jump on her right then and there and begin an overdue session of snogging, but somehow managed to restrain himself. If he knew what was about to come next, however, he wouldn't have hesitated for a second.

"But for the record," she started again, "I've thought about it and I don't agree with you, Tom. I think that what you did was awful."

His stomach dropped upon hearing these words come out of her mouth. This was his worst fear: that she wouldn't end up accepting what he had done. Perhaps she wasn't the girl he thought he loved…had he been that wrong about her?

"I want to hate you for it. I truly do…And I should..." she continued.

In his head, he was screaming at her to stop. At this rate, she was going to ruin things between them all over again…

"But they were mudbloods!" he protested incredulously, hoping that she might see the blatant error in her thoughts. "You loathe mudbloods just as much as I do."

"It's murder, Tom. Are you completely mental?"

She sounded genuinely concerned. Ah, so that was it – she was worried about him getting caught!

"There's no reason to be concerned. The Knights wouldn't dare cross me," he assured her smugly.

But apparently he was mistaken judging by her appalled look. "They were kids, Tom. You're not even a little remorseful?!"

Any more of this and he would most certainly be ill. "No," he said coldly. What point was there in lying? Clearly she didn't accept him as he was anyway.

'I want to hate you for it. I truly do.'

Tom suddenly understood exactly how she was feeling; he wanted to hate her for disapproving of what he had done just as much as she wanted to hate him for doing it in the first place.

But he couldn't – and neither could she. It didn't matter how in the wrong either of them were (and Tom was positively certain that it was her) because what they had transcended all of this; the two of them, together, was just too right. It was pointless to deny such inevitability.

Besides, if anyone could corrupt her in this regard, Tom knew it would be him.

Rosemary stared at him for a long time until a few tears fell down her face and she finally moved to swipe them away. When she was finished, she didn't look into his eyes again. Instead, she pulled the bedding over herself and laid down with her back to him. "I need some time, Tom," she began finally. "I'm yours, but…This – all of this…it's just a lot to take in." He heard her take a long sigh before repeating, "I need some time."

Tom joined her under the covers, sidled up against her, and inhaled the scent of her hair in hopes that it would drown out his profound feeling of disappointment. "I know," he told her, while attempting to hide the disgust in his voice.

Rosemary had done her best to avoid him all weekend, making sure that she was awake before he was in the morning and asleep when he came in for the evening. But there would be little avoiding him now: it was Monday morning and the Ministry investigation of the murders was slated to begin that afternoon. As Head Boy and Head Girl they would be expected to assist however possible, which inevitably meant that she and Tom would be spending the week together.

Of course, she knew that Tom was also irritated with her for her failure to understand. Rosemary had no idea how to move past what had happened, but she desperately wanted things to be normal between them…whatever 'normal' was for Tom and Rose.

Besides, maybe she had overreacted. After all, Faye hadn't seemed particularly concerned with what happened. Nor had Adam or Markus. Clearly, Tom had changed them – changed all of them. It was really quite amazing. If he could influence that many people, there had to be something behind his words. Maybe she just hadn't listened carefully enough…maybe if he explained…

Explained what? It's still murder.

That was the mental roadblock she couldn't seem to move past.

At least one good thing had come from all this: classes would be cancelled all week, giving her more time to study for her upcoming Defense Against the Dark Arts exam – as ironic as the timing may be.

After a lengthy stint in the library that allowed her to temporarily ignore her thoughts of Tom, she made her way upstairs to Headmaster Dippet's office where the Ministry officials would soon gather. Tom, always the prompt one of the pair, was already there when she arrived, as were the Heads of Houses and, surprisingly, the Minister for Magic himself.

Normally, she would have taken the Minister's presence as move of public relations to convince the parents that the Ministry was highly devoted to the investigation. But while there had certainly been an outcry of concern after the murders, most of the parents that did so had been Muggles. Given their lack of connection to the wizarding world and therefore The Daily Prophet, it wasn't as though they would even receive news of Minister Spencer-Moon's presence anyway.

It made her wonder if there was something else – something bigger, if that was even imaginable – going on. The exhausted look in Dippet's eyes as he spoke in hushed tones to the Spencer-Moon seemed even more telling.

"Good morning, Rosemary," Professor Slughorn greeted her. "Would you like tea? Maybe a biscuit? Help yourself to anything on the spread."

She briefly glanced at the table of refreshments and wished she was hungry; she hadn't eaten all weekend and the revival of her appetite seemed to be nowhere in sight. Perhaps Tom was aware of this, because a flicker of concern appeared in his dark eyes when she slid into the open chair next to him.

"The others should be along shortly," Professor Dumbledore said. "Ah, speaking of…"

The door to Dippet's office opened and a few more men filed into the room, most of them sporting Ministry badges. However, Rosemary's eyes widened in surprise to see Healer McHughes among them as well. What did he have to do with the investigation? He gave a nod in her direction and she returned it while Tom gazed curiously between the two of them.

"Right, well let's get on with it, I suppose," Minister Spencer-Moon said after the newcomers settled. "As I have already informed Armando and Albus, the investigation of the five students will be postponed until further notice."

Of all the shocked expressions that appeared throughout the room, Professor Flannigan's was the most profound. "But Sir, the parents…surely we owe them a thorough investigation at the very least."

"They will get one," Dippet nodded. "But something has come up that we must attend to first."

It appeared as though Professor Viesey was about to join in with support for Flannigan's insistence when Spencer-Moon said, "Pennifold - your report from this morning, please."

It wasn't until she heard his name that Rosemary recognized him as the Head of the Auror Office.

"Yes, Sir." Pennifold stood. "An informant of Grindelwald's regime came forward this morning with potentially devastating news. Before I go on, I feel obligated to say that it is absolutely essential that this be kept quiet until we can fully assess the situation." After a few hesitant nods, Pennifold continued, "A few weeks ago, we received word that Grindelwald and his followers were plotting a Ministry takeover through non-violent means – most notably through the development of some type of curse or other method that would essentially accomplish the effect of a mass Imperius Curse."

A chill ran down Rosemary's spine. Grindelwald seemed unstoppable.

"From the information we received this morning, it is now believed that this method involves the utilization of an increasingly prevalent illicit substance – a temporary brain altering potion – known commonly as ECB."

The simple act of breathing suddenly seemed exponentially more difficult and Rosemary briefly wondered if she would faint. She felt Tom's careful gaze on her. Despite the fact that they weren't on the best terms, his presence was comforting – even more so when he discreetly moved to intertwine his fingers with hers.

"As we've regrettably seen in our students, the drug is extremely addictive. It was reported this morning that Grindelwald developed a complex enchantment that would seize the minds of anyone with ECB in their system. Unfortunately, based on preliminary data from Healer McHughes team at St. Mungo's, just one dose can remain in the body for as long as a month. And overall, the usage statistics are staggering. According to some estimates, as many as half of the wizarding population of Britain may have tried ECB in the last month."

Her panic went into overdrive at this point and it was all she could do to keep her face unreadable.

"His plan is invariably tied to Hogwarts – ECB use began here before anywhere else. It is now believed that it was being tested on students to establish a stable version with few side effects, in order to encourage widespread adoption and use."

This was her fault – all her fault. The downfall of the wizarding world order was going to be her fault.

"The Ministry investigation of the students' murders must be postponed – the Ministry will need as much manpower as possible to eliminate this threat. There are too many lives at stake if this is truly Grindelwald's plan."

Well, at least Tom would be pleased with this news.

"We have identified a former student as one of the main distributors of ECB – Jasper Donohue. Unfortunately, Jasper Donohue has been reported missing for the last twenty-four hours. There is a chance that this means Grindelwald already knows about the whistleblower and is now helping to hide Donohue."

Did Faye know about any of this?

She worried that she would be ill and in an attempt to distract herself, she focused all of her attention on the feeling of Tom's thumb stroking her wrist.

"However, as far as we know now, we currently have an advantage over Grindelwald. If we work quickly and quietly, we may manage to circumvent his plan of attack. The Auror Office has devised several strategies to do so. The majority of this is known only to a select group of Aurors, but there are two components the Ministry would truly appreciate your cooperation with."

"Of course," Dippet nodded. "You have the full support of Hogwarts in this matter."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Pennifold continued. "First off, we have agreed to allocate a small task force of Ministry officials to Hogwarts in order to identify, thoroughly question, and quite possibly convict all of the ECB distributors within the school. Your assistance in questioning would be most appreciated."

Dippet and the Heads of Houses nodded and muttered their support.

"Secondly – Blair, if you could describe your part in this…"

Healer McHughes stood and cleared his throat. "This morning I organized a team at St. Mungo's to develop an antidote to ECB that, when the timing is right, will be distributed free of charge and without punishment throughout Britain. Professor Slughorn…Miss Horton…we were hoping that you would be willing to come to London for the week and work with us, given your knowledge of the drug."

Rosemary almost laughed out of sheer disbelief. In any other circumstance, this opportunity would have been a dream come true. But this was a nightmare.

"Of course, Healer McHughes," Slughorn said instantly. "Rosemary?"

She nodded, as she didn't trust herself to say anything.

"It's settled, then. Miss Horton, you'll leave for London with Professor Slughorn tomorrow morning," Dippet nodded. "And Mr. Riddle can assist us with the inquiry here."

"I'm sure you all have hundreds of questions," Pennifold began again while glancing down at his watch. "Armando and Albus should be able to answer the majority - but we really must be getting back to the Ministry."

The meeting adjourned and the Minister for Magic, along with the various Ministry officials, began to trickle out of Dippet's office. McHughes gave her a wave and a small smile in his departure and Rosemary just barely managed to smile weakly back. Rosemary stood from the table and let go of Tom's hand in the process, but regretted it immediately when she realized how comparatively secure she had felt with his touch.

It appeared that her Professors (with the exception of Dumbledore and Headmaster Dippet) were equally as shocked as she was, though she knew this was for a different reason entirely. "Bloody terrifying," Viesey was muttering under his breath as he left.

"Mr. Riddle, the Ministry official that will be leading the inquiry will be here at three this afternoon," Dippet said. "We'll be meeting in Albus' office at that time."

"Yes, Sir."

"Miss Horton, please prepare to leave for London in the morning. You and Professor Slughorn will travel together. In the meantime, please ensure that the Prefects are conducting their rounds properly."

"Yes, Sir," she echoed Tom.

As they left, she felt numb from her shock – so much so that she felt almost resigned to the fact that she would eventually be found out. It occurred to her that she had no idea where she was going at the moment…all she could do was follow Tom in an attempt to cling to that sense of security he had given her.

Tom watched her carefully as he closed the door to their dormitory behind them. She was terrifyingly pale and looked rather dazed. Out of instinct as well as a lack of anything to say, he put his arm around her and pulled her against him. She was shaking.

"Did you know about this?" he asked her calmly.

"That I was brewing the potion that would eventually lead to Grindelwald's takeover? No – that seems like something I would recall," she said dryly while glaring up at him.

He smirked despite himself; the fact that she hadn't lost her feistiness was a good sign. "I suppose that you'll be a bit more careful when selecting your next hobby, at least."

"Merlin, I'm so fucked," she ignored him and then shook her head with a sigh. "Perhaps I should turn myself in...When criminals do that, the Wizengamot usually gives them an easier sentence."

"Don't be ridiculous…You're not going to turn yourself in and you are not a criminal." Tom rolled his eyes and then let out a short laugh. "Jasper Donohue, on the other hand…"

"I don't know…" she shook her head and looked up at him. "I don't think he would drag me into this if he knew Grindelwald was involved…"

"Well I never trusted him." That wasn't entirely true. In fact, Tom didn't have much of an opinion at all of Faye's older brother until that morning. But he did love sounding as though he had been right all along.

"But how could he possibly brew that much? I was only sending him my modifications. The number of batches that it would take to supply half of Britain's population…there's no way he has the equipment to do that. He had to be working with someone else."

It was then that it all clicked in his mind. "MAGI," Tom breathed.

She gave him a curious look.

"That's how it is all connected, Rosemary….MAGI." He felt compelled to explain following her concerned gaze that followed, as if she worried he had gone completely mad. "Think about it – they mass produce dozens of potions already. Clearly they have the resources to do the same with ECB."

"That still doesn't prove anything."

It didn't, he knew that. But there was a powerful feeling of intuition within him that told him he was right. Or was that just his arrogance?

A few seconds of silence passed between them before Rosemary sighed. "What am I going to do, Tom?"

In his mind, there had only ever been one solution. "We are going to find Jasper before the Ministry does. We're going to see how much he knows and whether or not he has spoken to anyone about your involvement. And by 'we', I mean 'I'. I'll leave tonight - at midnight," he told her without hesitation.

"What are you talking about? I'm going with you!"

"No."

"Tom, this is my mess," she argued stubbornly. "I have to get myself out of it."

"No," he repeated. "You will be staying here."

Here, where you are safe.

"Why not?" Rosemary asked hotly as she placed a hand on her hip. "Do you think that I'm incapable of holding my own?"

"Of course you can," Tom scoffed automatically.

"Then what is the problem?"

"I-"

This is too dangerous. If something happened to you, I would never forgive myself…

She glared at him expectantly and he sighed. He knew, given her profound stubbornness, she would follow him anyway. He was also quite confident that he could protect her if things really came down to it.

And perhaps this was just what they needed to normalize things between them again.

"Fine," he told her. "We'll leave at midnight."

"I remembered a definition of chivalry I'd heard once: a man protecting a woman against every man but himself." ― James Anderson

Hi all! Thanks so much to all of you that have read, favorited, and followed this story! And thank you to those of you that left reviews on the last chapter: Blerb, TigerInTheMoonlight, RosiePosie15, Mrs. WaylandOdinsonBlack, MissVolturiKingsfan, gr8rockstarrox, ecl123, x2leoj, marly4077, Lady Ravanna, MissingTriforce, Oksanallex, Bleahyyyy, CharlotteBlackwood, and two guest users!

I hope you're all ready for some Tom and Rose badassery! :D