By the time I realized it, I was on time loop number 53. I killed Tom 5 times, I self destructed 8 times, I killed Abraxas 27 times, and Tom killed me 12 times. Today was my birthday and I couldn't even remember how old I was, but it was probably way past my 70's or 80's, and I was pretending to just turn 11. They gave me parents this time, as they had done about 18 times before, but this time I was a baby when I regressed and I was given a new name and everything.
I was now Layla Downing and I was a half blood. My Mum was a pure blood witch and my Dad was a muggle who was obsessed with her. I have three older brothers, none of which are wizards.
"Happy birthday, Layla," Mum said, "Blow out the candles." I blew out the candles and made a wish that this would be the final time loop.
"What did you wish for?" Martin, my eldest brother, asked, "Another bow or dress?" I elbowed him.
"No, something better," I said.
"But aren't those your favorite?" Caleb, my second brother, asked.
"I never said that they aren't," I said, "I have something I want even more than those two combined."
"What could you possibly want then?" Jasper, my third brother, asked. Just as he said that the mail arrived.
"That's weird," Dad said as he went to go retrieve it, "It's a letter for you, Layla. Hogwarts." Mum gasped. Dad handed me my letter and I took it with a smile.
"This is exactly what I wanted," I said as I opened it, "Mum, aren't you glad I'm a witch too?"
"O-of course," Mum said, "I can't wait to take you to Diagon Alley and get all of your things." Dad frowned.
"You didn't tell her?" Dad asked.
"Of course not, dear," Mum said, "I didn't think she'd be a witch, so I didn't want to say anything until it was a 100% certain."
"Why put it off?" Dad asked. Mum sighed.
"Layla, Mummy has something to tell you," Mum said, "Can we go talk in your room about it?" Mum took me to my room before I could answer her. "Layla, I have to be honest with you. Before you were born, I was told that I would never have a magical child."
"But I'm your child and a witch," I said.
"No, you're my niece," Mum said, "Your Mum, my sister, died when she had you. She was a single Mum and refused to say who your Father was. And my sister was a Squib." I frowned and tried to understand what she was saying. It just meant that I was an orphan who was adopted by relatives, right?
"But why?" I asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I didn't want to break your heart," Mum said. I sighed, I was too numb to cry about it.
"Please don't say stuff like that, Mum," I said, "I'm 11 now, I can handle myself without crying like a baby."
"I never understood why you were so mature for your age," Mum said, "You barely even cried even as a baby."
"So, why would me going to Hogwarts be a problem?" I asked.
"I haven't stepped foot in the wizarding world for 20 years," Mum said, "Your Mum and I were disowned from our families around then so we only have Muggle money."
"I have a key to what I believe is a vault at some weird bank," I said as I took out the key I had used the past 52 times in Gringots. I had gotten it on my last birthday with a letter that said 'Happy birthday, moron. Use it wisely or you'll never see your daughter again.' and then burnt to ashes when I finished reading it.
"How did you get that?" Mum asked.
"It was birthday present from last year," I said.
"From who?" Mum asked.
"I don't know," I said, "I got it with a letter that burnt to ashes when I finished reading it. It didn't say who it was from, just 'happy birthday' on it."
"That's odd," Mum said.
"Dear!" Dad shouted, "The boys want to eat the cake! Can the both of you come down?!" Mum and I quickly went back downstairs and we all ate the cake together. I opened my presents and saw that my brothers had each gotten me a new bow and Mum and Dad got me a beautiful new dress in burgundy.
"I sewed that dress myself," Mum said, "I hope you like it."
"I love it," I said, "Thank you."
"We'll go to Diagon Alley tomorrow," Mum said.
"Thank you," I said.
~*The Blood on My Hands*~
Our trip to Diagon Alley was nice, except for Mum almost fainting when she saw the fortune that awaited me in Gringots and a few people glaring at Mum.
By the time it was time to board the train to Hogwarts, I thought I was perfectly ready, but then I bumped into Tom, who was exactly as he was the last few first meetings.
"Hello, I'm Layla Downings," I said to Tom, "And you are?" He looked at me and scoffed. "And you are?"
"I'm Tom Riddle," Tom said after I repeated myself eight times.
"Well, aren't you Mr. high and mighty himself?" I asked, not realizing I said it aloud.
"What did you just say?" Tom asked.
"I just said something?" I asked, still not realizing my mistake.
"Yes, you did," Tom said.
"Please just kill me now," I said, "This is so embarrassing." But I didn't die, in fact, I would go on to live through 27 other mistakes too.
~*The Blood on My Hands*~
In just 4 months at Hogwarts, I felt like whoever was watching me had given up. On the other hand, Tom seemed to be rather obvious in his gazing at me that he was curious about me and I wasn't even a Slytherin, but a Hufflepuff. It was only my second time not being a Slytherin, the first time I was a Ravenclaw, but I died about a week in, self destructing over something I said to Tom.
"You're strange, Downings," Tom said, "Why are you hanging around me when you're a harmless Hufflepuff?" I frowned.
"Whoever said Hufflepuffs were harmless?" I asked, "Who knows, I might become the next dark lord."
"You mean dark lady, Downings," Tom said, "Because you're a girl."
"Then, Riddle, find me a spell that would turn me into a man," I said.
"I doubt one even exists," Tom said. I laughed.
"Of course not," I lied, "I was only joking." I had already made one, but it was a potion, a permanent potion. He accidentally drank it after I had drank my share to test it and was about to get rid of the rest. He noticed the change in me before he noticed himself and he killed me for leaving the fantastic smelling potion out and not telling me it wasn't for him to drink.
"What's so funny over here, Mudbloods?" a familiar voice asked, I turned to see Abraxas Malfoy looking at us with curiosity.
"We were discussing whether or not Hufflepuffs could become dark lords or ladies," I said.
"What a ridiculous notion," Abraxas said, "Also, you do realize that you're in the Slytherin house, Hufflpuff?"
"Of course," I said, "But I didn't come uninvited. A few of the girls from our year invited me, but then disappeared after Tom arrived, leaving the two of us to talk. And besides, I was adopted by my blood Aunt who is a witch, so I'm at least a half-blood, I just don't know who my Father is."
"But isn't Downing a muggle name?" Abraxas asked.
"My Uncle is a Muggle," I said.
"Wait, you're an orphan too?" Tom asked.
"My Mum was a single Mum," I said, "But she died in childbirth."
"That sounds like my story too," Tom said, "Except I wasn't adopted by relatives."
"Why are you ignoring me?" Abraxas asked, annoyed.
"Because you're selfish and rude," I said, "You'd be much more pleasant to be around if you just shut your stupid mouth."
"There's no need to be that rude," Abraxas said.
"I think she's actually being affectionate," Tom said, "She's not very good at showing how she really feels." Abraxas blushed.
"Are you serious?!" Abraxas asked. I rolled my eyes.
"Riddle is just being ridiculous," I said, "I said something stupid on accident and then suddenly we got really close, so I think it's the opposite. It's Riddle who is like that."
"But you're rather pretty for a Mudblood, Downing," Abraxas said. I would've cried if I wasn't so numb.
"I don't want to be called pretty by someone like you," I said, "I'd rather Tom say something like that." Tom looked at me with curiosity in his eyes. "Sorry, Riddle, I momentarily lasped in judgement. You don't mind, do you?"
"I don't," Tom said, "But I didn't realize that you felt that close to me that you wanted to call me by first name or that you wanted me to call you pretty."
"This is so embarrassing," I said, "But yes, I'd like to call you Tom, if you'd call me Layla."
"Oh, and I'm not part of your group?" Abraxas asked.
"Stop it, Malfoy," Tom said, "Can't you see that you're unwanted here?" Abraxas stomped away in a huff. "You are very beautiful, Layla."
"Thanks, Tom," I said, "We'll talk more later. If I don't leave now, my head of house would be asking for me again. They always say that it's no fun being a know-it-all." Tom frowned.
"You mean being with a know-it-all," Tom said. I laughed.
"You're sweet, Tom," I said. If only my husband had been this sweet, but I barely even remember his name or face at this point as it had been so long since I last saw him. But I would never in a million years forget Abigail.
"Come here, Layla," Tom said. I walked over to him and he whispered, "I'm glad we have so much in common." Then he did something out of character and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Good night," Tom said.
"Good night, Tom," I said. I left, but once I left the dungeons, I did a happy dance. Then, I got to the Hufflepuff common room to find the Hufflepuff prefects standing in the middle of the room with their arms crossed.
"Layla Downing, is it true that you're seeing a Slytherin boy despite both of you being first-years?" one of them asked.
"He isn't my boyfriend," I said, "And the only thing we did was hang out in his common room. And he only kissed my cheek today for the first time, so I haven't a clue as to why you're so worried."
"We don't want to have to see you leave Hogwarts early," another prefect said, "You have too much potential."
"What?" I asked, "I'm not going to have a baby anytime soon."
"Just because you say that now doesn't mean anything," the first prefect said.
"Then I'd be doing it just to spite you," I said, "But I don't think it'll happen."
"Just be careful," the second prefect said.
"Okay," I said.
~*The Blood on My Hands*~
Four years past and Tom and I kept sticking together like glue dispite us being in different houses. We actually started dating officially the day after the prefects gave me a talking to.
"Layla, can we deepen our relationship today?" Tom asked, "It's our 4 year anniversary."
"I'm only 15 for another 3 months and you just turned 16," I said, "I don't think it's a good idea just yet."
"When would it be a good idea then, Layla?" Tom asked. I honestly felt terrible that I had kept him all to myself for as long as I did, but I guess it was time to either break up or give in.
"Just give me a week," I said, "I'll figure out it all by then."
"Wait, you want me to wait a week for you to decide when?" Tom asked, "Isn't that a bit ridiculous?"
"No," I said, "The week is for me to decide if I'm ready or not. If the answer is yes, we'll do whatever it is you want then. If the answer is no, we might have to... You know, go our separate ways." Tom didn't seem very happy with the second option.
"Why isn't there a third option for maybe?" Tom asked.
"Because if I said maybe you might have to wait even longer for me to be completely ready," I said, "And I'd rather we just break up instead of that otpion because you seem like you're ready right now."
"I don't want to break up," Tom said, "This relationship might've started out as a joke, but I'm serious about you, Layla. I've always been. Sure, you did call me 'Mr. high and mighty himself,' but I thought it was silly and endearing. I love spending time with you. I can see my reflection clearly in your eyes, which I can't in others. The way you laugh until you start wheezing and coughing makes me laugh too." Was it just me or was the version of Tom completely different from his usual self?
"For the record, Tom," I said, "I never meant to call you that aloud. I just sometimes voice my thoughts aloud by accident. It was an old habit that I've tried to get rid of multiple times, but it stuck with me. It is because I have so many thoughts going through my head that I only remember the ones I say aloud."
"You've done it since then, too," Tom said, "You said something about rubber duckies being the preferred bath toy 12 times, you called Malfoy a ferret pretending to be a human at least twice, and you said that you'd rather be a Prince than a Princess because then you could be King on 18 separate occasions. Not to mention, you said that bad boys are great until they try to kill you. I'm slightly concerned about the first three, but highly concerned about the last one. Can you please explain why you thought that?"
"I kept having nightmares that someone did," I said, "It was terrible."
"Is that why you say 'just kill me now' whenever you say anything you deem embarrassing?" Tom asked.
"Yeah," I said.
