Life and Limb

Dumbledore had just finished brewing a warm mug of Muggle hot chocolate and was stirring in mini marshmallows with a tiny spoon. Marie had gone cold and silent with shock; the professor really couldn't blame her, to be honest. Finding out that you had killed a girl in your first year at Hogwarts was bad enough, but learning that you had done it to make a Horcrux...it would be too much for anyone.

Dumbledore handed the mug to Marie who took it with shaking hands. She didn't take a sip; she just let it warm her hands.

Not knowing quite what else to say, Dumbledore figured he might as well just talk as if to himself. "You were only a first year, Marie," he said, trying to comfort her.

"Even a first year knows that murder is wrong," Marie whispered. She took one sip of the hot chocolate.

"But not that a Horcrux is. Think about it. Immortality. Having more than one soul. It's a tempting thought, but once you delve into the basics and how to acquire those souls, that's when you realize how dangerous and horrifying the endeavor is," Dumbledore explained. "Not beforehand."

"Tom," Marie said, remembering everything in small snippets, "he kept that knowledge away from me. He only told me what we were doing, not how we were doing it. He said 'immortality' and 'Horcrux' and I said okay. I didn't stop to think...I didn't even research..."

"You wouldn't have found anything on it anyway. All the books on Horcruxes and other Dark Arts are in the Restricted Section."

Marie groaned and her head fell forward, her chin resting on her chest. "That doesn't mean I was totally innocent. Now I know what Dippet meant when he said I'm lucky I wasn't sent to Azkaban. I should've been sent there. I'm a murderer."

"You were young and naïve. That's not a crime," Dumbledore reassured her. "And Tom was manipulative...anyone in your place would've gone through the same thing."

"Why did he need me?" Marie asked. "What made me so special?"

Dumbledore made a low noise in the back of his throat. It sounded like a chuckle, but much less amused. He sounded disgusted in a way. "Tom took a bit of a liking to you back then."

Marie blanched and then turned red. "A liking? Really? How do you know?"

"Even gossip travels amongst the professors here," Dumbledore said with a wry smile. "I heard about it from an older student who knew I was keeping tabs on Tom. Tom got you involved because he wanted you to be involved. He wanted to get closer to you, to know you better."

"He involved me on purpose."

"Yes. He thought the more time you spent with him and learned how brilliant he is, the more you'd come to like him."

Marie was thunderstruck. Dumbledore watched her facial expressions change from surprise to confusion and then finally to anger.

"If he liked me so much, why did he get me expelled?"

"It wasn't on purpose," Dumbledore reassured her. "You looked like the more guilty party at the time. When Miss Grace died, Tom fled but you stayed behind, distraught over the body. Dippet found you and waited for no other evidence."

Marie's cheeks flushed in anger at the thought of Dippet accusing her without hearing her response. "So Tom didn't defend me?"

"How could he? He'd risk getting himself expelled too."

"Sniveling little prick."

Dumbledore chuckled as a knock sounded at his door. Marie cocked an eyebrow in surprise as Dumbledore stood and strode over to the door, opening it swiftly.

"Good evening, Mr. Riddle. I was wondering whether you'd get my message."

Marie sat upright so fast she nearly lost hold of her hot chocolate. Tom was here? Invited by Dumbledore?

Sure enough, Tom Riddle stepped into the room dressed in matching black pajamas; the color really stood out against his pale skin. His pale blue eyes flashed when he spotted Marie.

"Well hello there, Miss Fugazi," Tom greeted her facetiously.

Marie ignored him and looked at Dumbledore. "Why is he here?"

"I invited him," Dumbledore said matter-of-factly. "I think there's a few things you two need to sort out."

Tom grinned at her, again like a Cheshire cat. She looked away quickly as Dumbledore left the room, saying along his way, "I'll just leave you two alone then..." He opened a door that led to another chamber in his office and shut it with a loud bang.

Marie and Tom stared at each other.

"You have some nerve coming here," Marie spat. She set her mug down on the little coffee table and stood up to face away from Tom.

His voice was rough with amusement. "I couldn't say no to a professor's very cordial invitation."

"You think you're so witty and clever."

"Why thank you."

She looked over her shoulder to glare at him. "That wasn't a compliment."

Tom shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll take what I can get at this point. It's only you anyway."

"Only me?" Marie scoffed. She turned to face him fully. "Dumbledore told me how you used me to help you make your Horcrux because you liked me. Is that true?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," Tom answered with a sly grin. "Does it really make a difference?"

"It makes all the difference! Why did you involve me? Of all people...I was in Gryffindor! You hated us!"

"I hated you as a House and as a group. But not you alone." Tom's voice softened as he spoke. The stiff posture he kept seemed to loosen a notch. "You were never one to distinguish between Houses...Gryffindor versus Slytherin versus Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw. You saw people. That's what I liked about you."

"I-" Marie cut herself off in surprise. It was the first real compliment Tom Riddle had ever given her.

"Besides," Tom seemed to be talking aimlessly now, "you never judged anybody. Ever. Not even me, the little weird orphan boy."

"I never thought of you that way," Marie reassured him. She was remembering all of this now, everything from her first year. "You were always just Tom to me."

Tom scoffed and looked down at his feet. "Just Tom."

She frowned. "Well, yes. You can't really expect any more than that, can you? After all, you did get me expelled. And you haven't exactly been the nicest person since."

"I can't expect it, but I can at least hope."

She was stunned. Was he admitting something to her or simply trying to trick her again? She was never able to tell.

Tom sighed and uncrossed his arms. "This was pointless." He turned on his heel and started walking to the door to leave. "Goodnight, Fugazi."

"Wait."

Marie hurried over to his side and put a hand on his arm to stop him. "This wasn't pointless. Dumbledore called you here so we can talk things over."

"There's nothing to talk about. You implied so yourself. I got you expelled, ergo I'm still an untrustworthy asshole who never can and never will change. I get it. Can I go back to bed now?"

Marie, hurt and stunned, dropped her hand. "That's not what I meant..."

"Really?" Tom looked at her, his eyes cold. "Then what did you mean?"

She didn't answer. She didn't need to. He was just messing with her head again, trying to play the sympathy card maybe. What did he have in mind this time? Another Horcrux? Maybe raising a vampire baby in the Forbidden Forest together?

"I know what you're doing. You're just trying to make me feel sorry for you," Marie accused.

Tom feigned surprise and put a hand to his mouth. "Oh my, you've caught me red-handed. That was my plan all along. It had nothing to do with trying to make up for past mistakes, or trying to be a better person towards you. No." He grinned sinisterly and his voice dropped in volume and slowed down. "I just wanted to keep fucking with your head."

"You are such a prick!" Marie shouted at him. "For once, just for once, can you take something seriously?"

"I can. I just choose not to," Tom responded, the veins in his neck standing out slightly. "Life is more fun that way."

"You're one to talk about having fun, you little-"

Before Marie could finish her sentence, Tom had taken a step forward and pressed his lips to hers, shutting her up instantly. Her heart hammered against her chest and her pulse quickened as her face turned hot with surprise. At first Marie struggled against him when she felt his arms wrap around her waist, but then her eyes closed and she fell into his embrace. She had just allowed her hands to slide up to the back of his neck when Tom broke the kiss and stepped back, breathing hard.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I am just fucking with your head," Tom said with a small grin.

He turned swiftly, opened the door to the office, and left Marie standing there, dazed and confused as ever before.

What the hell was that all about?

She touched a finger to her lips. She could faintly taste hot chocolate.