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Vera )1945( "We are all very proud of you, Master Riddle-Dover." Headmaster Dippet patted him on the shoulder. "Your Head of House assures me that the children will miss you as Head Boy." "I'm sure that my replacement will be more the adequate." Get to the point, he thought you doddering old fool. His friends were waiting to take him out for a night to remember. Avarus had promised untold debaucheries, which were most likely figments of the other boy's overtaxed imagination, but tantalizing nonetheless. "You're probably wondering while I brought you here." Not really, I simply love sitting in this hideous office when I should be getting good and drunk. "I was wondering, you see, what you planned to do now." "It is in my record that I plan to go to work for the Ministry." Make your move, old man. "I was wondering if I could cajole you to take on a position here." Here?! "What position?" "I was thinking as a general assistant teacher. We should have a more permanent position opening up in a few years and by then you'd be adequately trained." It would be a good job. Comforting and familiar. Unchallenging. "I already accepted my position.." "The Minister is a friend of mine, I'm sure he'd understand. Besides, doesn't your family already leave in Hogsmeade?" He could live near Harry. Live with Harry again. It was a thrilling, seductive thought. He'd been planning to move into a small flat in wizarding London. "No. We just have a shop there." No, no, no! That was the whole point of moving on. He was not going to live with Harry anymore. He needed to get away. To live, to forget his silly, sick fantasies and find some nice bloke or bird to settle down with. "I think you would be very happy here, Tom." He'd be miserable here. He was made for the Ministry, the delicate maneuverings and hard work would sear from his brain any extraneous thoughts until he was ready to move on. Power suited him. Leading. Not teaching. "Thank you for your kind offer, Headmaster, but I must decline." "Ah well. I told Professor Dumbledore that you'd say no, but he did go on so." Thank bloody Merlin he hadn't said yes! Was that man behind everything? Tom said his goodbyes and beat a retreat. The relief he felt was disproportional to the ensuing events, he was sure. When he glanced back over his shoulder, he was sure he caught sight of Professor Dumbledore in one distant window, watching him. Barely suppressing a shudder, he tried not to run back to the shop. The man disappeared from the window and went to meet the Headmaster in his study. "I don't understand it, Albus. The boy is definitely Salazar's heir?" "Oh, it's him." "Does he know that?" "He should. He has all the clues at his disposal and no one doubts his intelligence..." "But the Chamber remains closed." "It does. And you say he had no interest in staying?" "None that could be traced to the castle itself in any case." The Headmaster sighed in relief. "It looks like we might be spared after all my good friend." "Indeed." Albus smiled back, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Lemon drop?" "No thank you." The Headmaster shook his head. "You shouldn't keep offering everyone sweets all the time, you know. Makes one think you're going to drop bad news on them." )1947( The tiny restaurant was nearly empty. A few couples dined together in the fading light as the waiters cleaned up from the lunch rush and prepared for the dinner crowd. The Ministry was exhausting and he was only now getting his lunch break. "They're working you too hard." The voice startled him out of his mindless reverie of his teacup. Obviously his heart was paying better attention as it started to rattle unevenly in his chest long before his brain caught up. "What are you doing here?" "I can't be concerned about you?" Harry slid easily into the other chair, eyes bright with some mischief. "Nothing to be concerned about. " "That's not what my eyes and ears tell me." "You've been spying on me?" "How else would I know what you're up to?" Messy black locks fell haphazardly into the beloved face. Tom fought to keep his fingers twisted in his lap. "I haven't seen you for more then an hour or so this month." "I've been..." "Busy, I know." There was no accusation, but a sort of hollowness. "You broke up with Helena?" He guessed and almost screamed when Harry nodded dully. He'd thought just maybe Harry had come to see him instead of ragging on about another worthless tart. "Two months ago. This is what I mean, it's like we're not even on the same continent. It's not the same without you around." Harry shifted uneasily in his chair, unaware of how happy he'd just made his ward. "The promotion..." He trailed off. "I guess I could come around more often." "They aren't going to strip your rank for not working every Saturday." "I know, I know. Is the store still in tatters from that stupid fifth year?" Lunch passed all too swiftly for him. It was so good to sit and talk again that he almost lost track of time. Almost. "I have to get back." He rose, wishing that he could stay, knowing it was better that he went. The longer he stayed, the more likely he'd do something beyond stupid. Before he could escape entirely, Harry pulled him into a hard hug, patting him roughly on the back. ~Your so tall...you're a man now. I promise to remember that.~ ~Good, then you can tell Minerva to stop spying on me.~ ~All right, all right.~ ~You promise?~ ~On my life.~ )*( "Please, Professor. I'm not going to tell you anything more personal about Tom." Minerva blew out a stream of irritated air. "It's not fair to him and it's wrong of you to put me in this position." "I'm only worried about his welfare. He's a very powerful wizard and he's doing desk work..." "Work that could easily lead to him becoming a very powerful politician." She sighed and turned back to the tests. Sometimes, she wished Tom had taken the job offer. It wasn't that she had other things lined up, but it would have forced her to look a little harder. Be a little hungrier. "I fail to see the problem." "He should be inventing new spells! Reaching the heights of magical research!" "Why does it matter to you so much? He's not your student anymore." Frustrated, she pulled at her hair and much to her dismay it all came tumbling down out of its neat bun to cascade over her shoulders. "You're right." Was that a hitch in the Professor's voice? She looked up to catch him staring at her. "He's on his own now." She thought about Puck, Avarus, the Slytherin good ole' boys' club and most of all of Harry. Did the Professor think that being away from school was being on your own? Tom would never be without the supports he seemed so desperate to shrug off. "He's strong enough to stand on his own. Was there anything else I could do for you Professor?" "No, no. That's really all. Thank you for your help Ms. McGonagall." "You're most welcome." She hesitated. "Would you like some tea?" "I would love some, thank you." In the little office, with all the books and parchment gathered around, it was downright cozy. Minerva fought the urge to pin her hair back up and luxuriated in the warmth that suffused her corner of the world. next part last part << |