Northern Crown [t.r]

Chapter Ten

Delilah held up the ring in front of them as Tom placed the cigarette between her lips, watching her as she analyzed the ancient stone.

He supposed it wasn't completely void of dark magic.

It was a horcrux after all.

His mind trailed back to his diary, which was currently stored away in a trunk at the safe house back in the forties. Parts of his soul scattered across time itself. Tom was curious if his soul affected the stone at all. If the Deathly Hallows were ever meant to be violated in such a way.

He wondered what would happen if he told her, then again she had to have already known. Right? She knew what he would become, so Tom drew the conclusion she knew about his endeavors of seeking immortality. Knew about the extent to which he ventured.

And with her frozen body clock, that voice in his head lulled quietly at the notion they could live forever. They could be gods.

He was also curious to see if she could feel the aura around the ring, if she could see the faint glowing lines of magic that danced around objects that held such power.

Tom had always been able to, even from a young age. Though admittedly at first, he thought it was an eye issue of some sort.

Only it bloomed once he first visited Diagon Alley, even more so at Hogwarts. The threads of magic weaving through the air, some so vibrant that if he focused hard enough, he thought he might be able to reach out and pluck one.

It wasn't overwhelming, as he got older he hardly paid attention. He was able to switch it off. But with some objects - or people - they made their presence known.

He watched her nose twitch as she turned the stone over, long faded freckles dusted over the bridge and her cheeks. She pulled the cigarette away after an inhale, blowing it out of the side of her mouth and handed it back to him.

Tom placed it between his teeth and slid the ring back on his finger.

Delilah glowed a silvery blue. The threads weaving almost invisibly in her hair and in her veins. He noticed it the moment he first saw her, passed out on one of the beds in the Slytherin dormitories. And when she used her runic spells they turned into near bolts of lightning.

Looking down at his hand, he flexed his long fingers and watched how the bones and tendons moved. His threads a deep crimson against his pale skin.

"Harry would go mad if he saw you two like this," Hermione said as she walked in.

Delilah jumped lightly, becoming acutely aware of how she was sitting on one of Tom's legs and his arm was wrapped securely around her waist.

She tried to move, but his hold wasn't budging. All he did was puff out smoke and flip another page.

Clearing her throat, she raised her chin in feigned nonchalance. "How are the translations going?"

Hermione sighed tiredly and grabbed a cup, magically filling it with water even though she didn't have her wand on her. "Slow so far, most of the earlier documents are out of date. Lists of Death Eater bases that we've already raided or they've been long abandoned. Plus I'm working a bit sluggish."

"I think you're doing a remarkable job, considering you're doing it alone." Delilah added, giving her friend a sympathetic smile.

"I could translate a few," Tom said, earning a raised brow from the girl on his lap and a dry laugh from Hermione.

"Sorry, but no one would let you anywhere near those. Take it as a motive of precaution."

He shrugged impartially, snuffing out the cigarette on the table and burning the wood. "Just thought I'd offer help, you all seem desperately under staffed."