Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!

—————————————————————

Although Tom had been wounded by a muggle weapon, the severity of his injury dictated the need for several magical treatments.

His bones that had been cracked by the bullet had to be mended with a dose of Skelegrow.

His torn flesh had to be repaired and the massive loss of blood he had experienced created the requirement for several days of bed rest and regular doses of a blood-replenishing potion exactly every two hours.

Tom's professors were kind enough to bring his assignments to him so that he could continue his studies during his recovery.

By using the special Portkey Dumbledore had granted her in light of the unique and tragic circumstances, Merope came to the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts each day to visit her son.

Tom asked little about his father, though, he was too comforted by the sight of his favourite ladies to care much.

Unless class was in session, Harriet stayed at his bedside.

Her meals were brought with Tom's.

She slept in the chair next to him and woke with a stiff neck each morning, but as soon as she saw the handsome smile form on his lips at seeing her there once his dark eyes cracked open, Harriet forgot about her discomfort.

Madam Pomfrey always shook her head as she made her rounds and observed the loving devotion Harriet showed Tom.

It wasn't her place to judge, but Madam Pomfrey hadn't been as accepting of the news reported in The Daily Prophet as other members of Britain's wizarding world.

She kept a close eye on her patient as the days passed.

Tom Riddle junior struck Madam Pomfrey as many things, but certainly not as an innocent victim.

—————————————————————

Towards the end of Tom's recovery period, Harriet sat one weekend afternoon, free from the obligations of an academic day, and held his hand in hers as they gazed at each other.

"It disgusts me to be seen like this, sweetling," Tom said as he flashed Harriet a handsome smile.

"Like what?" Harriet blinked, "You've been injured, Tom. Of course you had to recover."

"Alphas should not be the ones lying in bed while their mates tend them." Tom snapped as his frown faded, "You'll never find me like this again, Harriet Potter. Do not worry about that."

Harriet sighed as she pushed Tom's pride aside and answered, "You're human, Tom. Illness and injury is unavoidable."

Tom cast her such a deep scowl that she frowned.

Harriet furrowed her brow as he glared at her as if the truth she had spoken angered him.

"...What's the matter?" Harriet asked after a tense moment passed.

"Nothing, sweetling." Tom shrugged quickly as he slapped a pleasant smile on his face again, "Sorry…..my thoughts wandered onto other topics."

"Other topics?" Harriet blinked, "Like what?"

"Like what comes next after I get out of here." Tom replied with a weighty sigh, "I have much to do."

"About your father, you mean?" Harriet asked.

"Yes…..and no." Tom shrugged, "I suppose he and mother will enjoy their reunion for a time, though I am anxious to learn more about my heritage and stake my official claim to my birthright…….You'll have to visit Riddle Manor soon under more pleasant circumstances, sweetling."

"Thanks, sure." Harriet nodded. She deftly chose her words, wary not to incite Tom's anger or suspicion as she asked, "Odd, wasn't it? How you went to visit your father, then your uncle found out….Its awful that he wound up murdering your grandparents and doing this to you."

As Tom stared at Harriet's disbelieving frown, he found himself faced with a detestable choice.

He could blatantly lie and forever break their bond or he could….

He could…….

He could face his fear and reveal the worst of himself to Harriet.

She watched as Tom reached out and took her hand.

"Sweetling?" He asked.

"Yes?" Harriet pouted.

"I'm going to give you two choices…..I want you to tell me which one you prefer." Tom said quietly.

"...Alright." Harriet nodded.

"Would you rather be insulated by a lovely lie? Or burdened by a hideous truth?" Tom asked very seriously.

Harriet blinked at him for a moment before her expression relaxed as she sighed and said, "Tom, I know you killed your grandparents."

Tom's dark eyes widened in shock, which caused Harriet to chuckle as she went on, "What?...Don't look at me like that, I'm not that thick. Why would your uncle show up out of nowhere to murder your grandparents but leave you and your father alive? Why was he not still in the house when we showed up?"

"Because….." Tom spat, "Because he couldn't find us in the house! He was jealous of my father's money! He was angry about what happened to my mother, after I reminded him! He…..He….."

"Your uncle didn't do anything, Tom." Harriet sighed again. She threw him a bittersweet smile as she went on, "You went to your father's house….probably seeking his acceptance, but you didn't find it. Someone shot you in the shoulder, though I haven't quite figured out who yet……and then you did a terrible thing…Two terrible things."

Tom swallowed as he clenched his jaw, visibly irritated that he had failed to fool his darling completely.

"...Do you hate me?" Tom hesitantly asked Harriet.

"No….Would I have done all this if I did?" Harriet replied, "I wasn't there, I don't know what really happened. I assume one of the murders was in self defence…I can't blame you for that one, but the other……Tom, if you did harm someone in cold blood, you have to promise me that you'll never do that ever again, do you understand? The next time I hear of that happening, you and I are finished."

Tom cracked a nervous grin as he rubbed the back of Harriet's knuckles with his fingers and asked in his most charming voice, "Surely you don't mean that sweetling…?"

"I do." Harriet snapped as her green eyes glinted fiercely.

Tom threw her a glare as she continued, "I'll forgive you for this one, since I'm not entirely sure what happened or how it happened, but never again, Tom, not for this. Do you understand?"

"Of course, sweetling." Tom nodded, "I understand."

As Harriet nodded, he raised her hand to his lips and gave it a delicate kiss as he whispered, "I couldn't bear to live if you were no longer by my side."

"There's something I can't quite explain though…." Harriet mused as she ignored his sweet statement of sentiment.

"What's that?" Tom asked, glad that she moved on to another subject of discussion besides his misdeeds.

"Your mother and father……they make no sense." Harriet said as she shook her head.

"What do you mean?" Tom frowned, eager to erase Harriet's curiosity.

"Well……they've been apart for so long….You've never really said much about your father, it's just…..it's mad that they finally found each other again, I suppose." Harriet shrugged.

"Sweetling!" Tom chuckled as he stroked Harriet's hand and smirked, "A love like theirs cannot be challenged or changed. I'm sorry, I thought I told you……my grandparents pulled my mother and father apart because they didn't approve of their match. My father has spent my entire lifetime looking for my mother and I. He's finally found us again, thanks to me!"

Harriet blinked.

Tom carefully continued his act to make his claims plausible.

He raised a hand to his head as he let out a weighty sigh and frowned, "I……I don't think I'll ever forget the screams of my grandparents…..or the way you're looking at me right now…You don't believe my innocence and I can accept that, but can you at least believe my pain, sweetling?"

Harriet frowned as she gazed at Tom and spoke, "If there's anything I can do, you know I'll be here, by your side, through it all."

Tom looked up at Harriet with an innocent frown on his handsome face as he reached towards her and asked, "Do you think you could…..Do you think you could give me a kiss, sweetling? I can't fathom a better comfort right now than feeling your lips on mine."

Harriet nodded before she eagerly rushed forward and took advantage of Madam Pomfrey's turned back to plant a deep, loving kiss on Tom's lips.

He struggled not to growl into their affection as he contemplated his true desires.

Tom Riddle wanted more than Harriet's lips but he understood that he had to regrettably settle for what he could get, at least until he secured a release from the Hospital Wing.

While their stolen kiss continued, Tom smirked against Harriet's lips before she quickly pulled away before Madam Pomfrey turned around.

He cleared his throat to wipe the smug expression of victory from his face before Harriet became suspicious.

Although he hated deceiving his beloved, Tom saw his embellished tale as a benefit to Harriet.

Tom thought that having a perfect family, a noble, esteemed, wealthy family would make him an even better alpha.

—————————————————————

Family, past and future, continued to be an important goal for Tom Riddle, a boy who had grown up with only his mother's love while they struggled through poverty.

The rest of the academic year flew by once he had completely recovered from the….incident.

Rumors of every kind swirled around the castle about Tom Riddle, but he only grinned as he walked through the stone corridors and watched the other students eye him suspiciously.

His innocence had been officially proclaimed and accepted by the Ministry, but many were doubtful.

Whether out of fear for his suspected dark talents or respect for what some felt he had suffered, Tom Riddle became a boy shrouded in mystery.

Harriet watched as her love climbed his way up in the world.

With his father and mother reunited, it came to light that Merope and Tom senior had never actually been legally divorced.

At Tom senior's insistence, Merope quit her jobs.

She moved from her apartment to Riddle Manor, with Asherah in tow.

Tom spent nearly every weekend during the last month of school at his new home, exploring and calculating just how grand of a palace Riddle Manor would soon make for his future bride.

One Saturday afternoon, Harriet and Hermione spent a minute relaxing in their dorm after one of Harriet's Quidditch games.

Hermione frowned at her friend as she watched Harriet stare blankly out the arched window.

"Are you going to do it, then?" Hermione asked.

"Am I going to do what?" Harriet asked.

Hermione made a noise of irritation before she gestured with her hand and said, "Accept the Riddles' invitation, Harriet!...For the summer?"

Harriet blinked until Hermione nodded over at the letter that lay on her nightstand, stamped with the Riddle family seal, from Tom senior and Merope, which Tom himself had gladly presented her with the day before.

"Oh……" Harriet frowned, "I…..I dunno, Hermione. I suppose I'll have to go at some point, but I don't think I will for the entire summer, no."

"What's up with you two lately?" Hermione frowned.

Harriet glanced over at her and blinked, "What do you mean? Tom and I love each other."

"I know." Hermione nodded, "You've just seemed a bit…off, lately. Shouldn't you be happy to spend time with his family? To meet his father outside of a crime scene?"

"Yeah." Harriet sighed as she continued to stare out the window.

A pout drifted over her face and Hermione's frown stayed while she worriedly watched her friend.

Harriet had believed Tom, she really had, but something about his sudden comeuppance as the Riddle heir, his father's return, and his parents' great love still struck her as unignorably odd.