Riddle And Grindelwald

44. House Hunters

Genevieve didn't have much time to worry about who her father was, for she was suddenly overwhelmed with work.
She had Slug Club meetings, Head girl and Prefect duties, Quidditch matches to attend, difficult lessons, and mountains of homework to get through every week.
And since Gellert was ignoring her letters, she gave up thinking about him, and just focused on her and Tom's last year at school.
Genevieve liked walking through the school, feeling like a queen, at Tom's side. Students and teachers alike showed them respect, and she loved it.
But what made her sad, was knowing that it would all be coming to an end very soon, as they would be thrown out into the real world at the end of the school year.

"Are you actually going to help me with this, or just continue reading the Daily Prophet?" Questioned Genevieve, as she looked up from her homework.
Her and Tom was sat at their favourite table in the Restricted section one evening after the Christmas holidays.
"I'm looking at flats" revealed Tom.
"It's a bit early to be thinking about that isn't it? We've still got like 6 months left of school" reminded Genevieve.
"We can't leave it until we finish, because then we'll be left with nowhere to go when we get off the train. And I've heard it can take months to finalise a deal with an estate agent"
"Fair enough. Have you found any nice ones yet?".

"Not yet. The problem is that I don't know what our budget is going to be, until we get jobs, so it's hard to know what to look at" admitted Tom, as he placed the Prophet down on the table.
"Well just aim low, in case we don't get very high paid jobs at first. We can always move into a bigger place once we've got more money coming in" replied Genevieve.
"I don't want you to have to put up with living in an awful tiny flat, when you're used to living in castles"
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Me and Gellert haven't always lived in big houses. When I used to travel with him through Europe, sometimes we'd stay in tiny places. I'm not expecting us to live a mansion the second we leave here".

"But I want to spoil you, and I want us to live like kings and queens, because that is what we deserve" insisted Tom.
"And we will. But you're the one who says we can't disappear once we've finished school. You're the one that wants to get a job first, and earn some money, before we disappear and you drop the name Tom Riddle forever" reminded Genevieve.
"I do want to do that. I have plans I must complete, before I begin my quest for power" admitted Tom.
"Then until that's done, we will have to be content with getting a small flat in London"
"We won't if Dippet allows me to become the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher".

Genevieve sighed, "We both know that he is not going to let you teach yet".
"We don't know that for sure. Dippet really likes me" replied Tom.
"Yes, he is fond of you, but even he won't give that job to an 18 year old who has just finished school. You have to have some experience in the outside world, before becoming a teacher, even if you are the brightest student in the year. Besides, we don't know for sure that Professor Merrythought is retiring just yet" admitted Genevieve.
"She's been teaching for 50 years"
"That doesn't mean she's going to quit this year. Anyway, I'm pretty sure Dumbledore would intervene and stop you getting the job".

"You have no faith in me" grumbled Tom.
"It's not you I don't have faith in, it's the system... Besides, if you did get a job as a teacher, I wouldn't be able to spend as much time with you, for teachers work long hours" replied Genevieve.
Tom sighed, "I suppose that's true. But I still want to ask Dippet for the job, just in case he does decide to give it to me".
"Fine, but since teaching is not really an option, and neither is working at the Ministry, it looks like we are both going to end up getting jobs in Diagon Alley" admitted Genevieve.
"I'd prefer to get one in Knockturn Alley, since it's more my scene. It's the kind of place where dark wizards and witches hang out. So I think it's where we should work".

Genevieve shuddered, "Knockturn Alley is creepy".
"You've been there loads of times before, with me and your uncle though" replied Tom.
"That doesn't stop me finding it creepy. There are some really weird and dodgy people that go there to shop" admitted Genevieve.
"And you are more powerful than them all, so you don't have anything to worry about"
"Where were you thinking of getting a job?"
"Borgin and Burkes would be good, because they deal in dark objects, which is my thing. Maybe I'll even find my next Horcrux in there"
"Well, I'm not working in The White Wyvern, because I hate pubs, and I'm not becoming a barmaid".

"I wouldn't let you get a job in there. I know that drunk men like to make moves on barmaids, and I wouldn't want someone looking at you, let alone touching you" informed Tom.
"There are lots of other dark shops in Knockturn Alley that I could get a job at, like Cobb and Webb's or The Coffin House" replied Genevieve.
"Yes, either of those would be suitable. The Coffin House deals in materials related to Necromancy, so it would be useful for me if you got a job there" admitted Tom.
"Well, we can't apply for any jobs until we get out NEWT results in July. So we might have to use some money from one of Gellert's many bank accounts, to pay the deposit on a flat, until we can start earning our own money".

"You know that I hate you accepting money from him" Frowned Tom.
"We don't have any other options" Genevieve said softly.
"No, I suppose we don't... When you go home during the summer, to get the remainder of your things that you keep there, you can get the money we will need then" instructed Tom.
"Yes, but between then and now we have NEWTs to study for. So, come on and help me with our Alchemy homework, like you promised"
"Fine".