Life and Limb

Marie found him sitting in their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom a half hour early. He was reading from the middle of the textbook, which was far ahead from where they actually were as a class. Merrythought wasn’t even there yet when Marie plonked her bag down in the seat next to him and pulled out the chair to sit down.

Tom didn’t even look up when he said, “You’re here early, Fugazi.”

“As are you, Tom.”

He smiled at the use of his first name. “Finally getting back into friendly spirits, are we?”

“You could say that.” She sat down in the chair next to him and gazed at the open book he was reading. “Do you like reading ahead?”

“I just like the subject. It’s interesting, isn’t it? Using magic to defend oneself against more magic. It’s like magic is unbiased. It can be used for good or evil. It all depends on the witch or wizard using it.”

“I guess...when you look at it that way, sure, it sounds interesting.”

Tom’s lips curled into a smile. “You don’t sound interested.”

Marie couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m not as easily amused as you are.”

She found it strange how easily she was talking to him now. She hadn’t forgotten the night before of course, not with him slamming her into the wall and nearly cracking her skull open, but for some reason that moment seemed lightyears away. That was Tom then, and this was he now before her, and the two Toms seemed so vastly different. The Tom now was easygoing and almost enjoyable to talk to.

Marie nearly gagged at the thought. Enjoyable? Talking to Tom Riddle? That was going a bit too far.

She snapped back to reality when Tom shut his book with a snap and turned in his seat to look at her. “So tell me, why are you here so early?”

Marie shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t really know.” She paused. “I guess I wanted to see you in your natural habitat.”

“A classroom?” Tom raised an eyebrow.

“Alone,” Marie corrected. She waved an arm around, indicating the empty classroom. “Whenever I see you, you’re always alone.”

“That’s not true. I only ever see you at meals and in class, and I’m always with other people in the same room,” Tom said, trying to be funny. “Unless, of course, you’ve been following me elsewhere...” He cocked an eyebrow. “Have you?”

“In your dreams,” Marie said, shoving his elbow lightly.

Tom laughed a little. “You’re more upbeat today,” he observed.

“I got a good night’s sleep,” she lied.

He nodded once and glanced over his shoulder at the door to the classroom before leaning in closer to Marie. At first, she thought he was going to kiss her (again) but instead he stopped an inch from her face.

“I didn’t hurt you last night, did I?” he whispered. His eyebrows were furrowed in deep concern and there wasn’t a trace of a smile on his face now.

Marie shook her head. “No, you didn’t. But...” she paused, wondering if she should dare continue, and then did so anyway, “why do you always do that?”

“Do what?”

“Become like two different people? Here you are now, talking to me like normal, but last night...” she trailed off. “Last night you were...animalistic.”

Tom chuckled. “Animalistic. Now that’s an adjective I haven’t heard used to describe me before.” He stopped and picked at a loose thread in his robes. “I’m sorry if I come off as harsh sometimes. I’m not used to...”

He stopped there. Marie waited for him to go on, but he didn’t.

“Used to what?” she asked.

He sighed and then laughed nervously. “I'm sorry. I'm not used to this. I don’t go around telling people my life story. It makes me sound like a self-loathing bastard.”

“Really?” Marie asked. “I mean, if someone were to ask you about yourself, there’s nothing wrong with telling them...”

“I personally have a problem with it.” He stopped there and his knuckles turned white as he tightened his hands into fists. “I don’t like it when people delve into my past.”

“Something to hide?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” He looked at her knowingly. “You of all people should know.”

Marie brushed off the light insult and said, “The difference is that up until a few weeks ago, I couldn’t tell people about my past even if I wanted to. I was made to forget everything.”

“And now?” Tom’s eyes were shining. “Now, if people asked you about your past, would you tell them?”

“Of course not.”

“Well then.”

“But you and I are different,” Marie added quietly. “You didn’t murder anyone.”

“No. I didn’t.” Tom looked at her, and for the first time Marie thought she saw real sorrow in his eyes. “But I helped you, and that’s just as close.”

“You mean I helped you. You’re the one who wanted to...to make the thing.” Marie caught herself before Tom could bash her head in again. “I was just a pawn.”

“A pawn that I blamed for murder,” Tom corrected. He began tracing patterns gently with one finger on the back of Marie’s hand. “I am sorry for that, you know. I didn’t know what else to do at the time...you must understand, we were both eleven and I panicked when the girl died. I ran for it.” He looked up at her and caught her eyes. “You stayed behind.”

Marie swallowed hard.

“Why did you stay behind?” Tom asked. It sounded like the question had been burning in the back of his throat for years, itching to come out but never having the chance to do so. “You could have run off, you could have claimed innocence, or blamed me. But you didn’t.”

“Everything happened so fast,” Marie said, her memories becoming clearer as she thought back to that fateful day. “At the time, I was so sure I had been the one who killed Charlotte Grace. I was the one kneeling over her...with her blood on my hands and pieces of her skin in my hair...” Marie could feel the tears pricking her eyes but willed them not to fall. “When they found me, I didn’t think that far ahead. I just knew one of us had done it, and you were nowhere to be found so...so I took the blame. I still take the blame.”

“You have no right to be carrying that burden by yourself,” Tom said softly. “I was the one who roped you into my plans in the first place.”

“Because you liked me.”

This was the first time Marie brought it up straight to his face, but she knew it was something that had to be addressed. Tom’s face flushed red for an instant but then he regained his composure.

“Yes. That was my original intention,” he admitted at last.

“Show me how smart and brilliant you were and I’d fall in love with you?” Marie said with a giggle.

“It’s funny to you now, but at the time it was a completely serious notion,” Tom argued. “I didn’t know how else to grab your attention. I tried flirting with your friend Victoria a few times to see how you would react, but you didn’t. So I tried to be more adventurous.”

“And look how well that ended up,” Marie said sarcastically.

Tom leaned closer to her and his breath ghosted her face lightly. “Haven’t you ever wanted to live forever, Marie? Be invincible? Be able to live life without fear of death?”

Marie frowned. “Those are strong convictions for an eleven year old.”

“I was mature for my age.”

“I’ll say.”

“You must understand. I had great plans at that age. It was all I could do to not jump for joy when you started helping me with my dream.”

“Of being immortal?” He nodded. Marie sighed. “You never even told me what it was we were making. You just said it would benefit the world.”

“It would eventually.”

“How?”

Tom shook his head. “I’ve said too much already.”

Marie gaped at him. “You’re not still planning on making more of those, are you?”

“If I was, I promise not to get you involved again,” Tom swore. He jerked away from her and turned forward in his seat. “I won’t ruin your life twice. I promise.” He sighed and his head fell forward into his heads. “It’s hard enough with you here again.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Marie asked.

Unfortunately, they were interrupted by the sudden incoming flow of students just arriving for class. When Merrythought walked to the front of the room and began her lecture, Marie knew the spell between her and Tom was broken for now. She hadn’t learned much, but at least he now felt comfortable enough around her to talk like a normal human being.

That was a start, wasn’t it?