Flicker Through Time

Chapter 9: The Grim Truth

WARNING: 

This chapter hints at mental health issues, such as depression, and contains mentions of the bombings of London during WWII. If either of these trigger you, please skip this chapter and message me for a summary excluding whichever of these things that bother you.

        Dahlia was just getting feelings back in her toes when her view of the ceiling suddenly shifted. The vaulted ceiling of the infirmary became the green bed drapery of the Slytherin dorms and the feeling of the bed sheets tucked around disappeared as the sensation of her vest strangling her took over. A few seconds later and her shirt gave, tearing a little on the side seams. Her relief at being able to breathe was short lived as a hand on her throat soon took over the job of choking her. Leave it to her to shift straight into the bed of a homicidal maniac while still being paralyzed by the basilisk.

          Whoever was currently choking her must also sleep with their wand because the light of a lumos was soon blinding her as well. A moment later and the hand holding her then lessened its hold on her throat and the person instead started repairing and enlarging her clothes to fit her larger body. It was about the time that her assailant was straightening her tie that Dahlia's eyes adjusted to the light. It was Tom, a very furious Tom who hovered over her and glared!

          Dahlia's initial thoughts were, "Oh, thank Merlin! It's not a murderous psychopath" Then, she registered the looks he was giving her. "Well, okay" she amended in her head, "He's not a psychopath at least." A moment after that thought Dahlia felt Tom knock bruskly at her mental wards. With little thought the witch allowed her best friend entrance to her mind.

          In a Dahlia's mental reconstruction of the Gryffindor common room, a furious and definitely murderous Tom Riddle demanded to know who had petrified her. It was there that Dahlia told him about the basilisk attacks, his diary self, and what their future selves had planned.

          Riddle had actually chuckled at the last part. As he sat down beside her and pulled her onto his lap he asked, "So not only did you remove suspicion from yourself by getting petrified, but you also made that fool look ridiculous for his suspicion of you?"

          "Yes. And don't forget, we also saved your diary from destruction via basilisk." Now it was Dahlia's turn to glare at him. "But I still can't believe you would willingly put part of your essence near one of the very few things which could destroy it, Tom."

          Tom sat in still silence for a moment before saying, "I suppose it was an oversight on my future self. Though I suppose even a mind as sharp as mine can become cloudy after fifty years of solitude."

         "True" Dahlia agreed. "It's fortunate I was there to help you."

          As Dahlia leaned against her friend's chest, Tom pulled her even tighter against him. "It seems I will have to just make sure you're always by my side, Dove. After all, in chess the queen is the most invaluable piece to the king."

          Dahlia snorted softly as she fought the pull of sleep. "A queen, huh? If I am to be the queen and you the king, then where are our knights and our subjects?" Tom didn't answer as he was already lost in thought, but he did withdraw from his friend's mind as she began falling asleep.

          Now in the physical world, Tom pulled his best friend against him in the bed. As she shifted around in his arms, Tom whispered, "Happy Christmas, Dove." Dahlia might have mumbled a reply but Tom wouldn't have known. He was already planning for the future. He needed to find out what exactly he made his diary into so that he could replicate it and obtain immortality for himself and his queen. He also needed to get started on making that band of knights Dahlia mentioned. As his partner slept on, Tom stayed awake and plotted how he would develop and secure his future as an immortal ruler with Dahlia sitting forever at his left side. In all his planning, he never thought to ask Dahlia if she even wanted immortality.