The Love Story of Harriet Potter and Tom Riddle

Chapter 15 - Family Matters

Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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"I want to know everything, Mother." Tom said as he tapped his tapered fingers against the small dining table.

His dark gaze bore into Merope while he explained, "I want to know exactly who my father is and why......How did you meet him? How did you know him? Is he dead? Is he living? I want to-"

"-I don't know where your father is now, Tom!" Merope cried as she held up a hand to silence her son.

He frowned and watched her draw a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

Merope had spent every day since Tom's birth dreading that exact conversation.

Although ideas about what she would say had tumbled around in her mind for years, as she found herself trapped and unable to flee from the discussion, she realized she still didn't know how to proceed.

Should she lie?

Should she tell the truth?

"I'll know if you give me a falsehood, Mother." Tom scowled warningly.

Silence passed between them for a moment before Merope smirked at him as she asked, "......Will you?"

Tom's scowl eased as he momentarily lost a bit of his confidence.

"I know you better than you know yourself, my dear boy." Merope chuckled as she crossed her arms, "Was it not my womb in which you were formed?.....Was it not my body that brought yours to life? If you're this involved with researching your ancestry, then surely you don't think you gained the talents you possess from a mere twist of fate."

The arrogant anger fell away from Tom's expression completely as his mouth slipped open.

"Go on, then." Merope challenged her son, "You think you can learn my thoughts? Go ahead! Learn them."

Merope nodded at Tom as he blinked in disbelief.

"Do it, Tom!" She shouted.

He started at the unexpected noise of his mother's cry before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand.

"A letter will come, Mother." He frowned, "The Ministry will ask questions....I'll be expelled."

"I am still a witch." Merope scowled, "And I will happily tell the Ministry I cast the spell on you myself when you showed up unannounced from school, distraught over an argument with a friend........Do it.....Tom.....Do it."

Tom grasped his wand in his hand remorse passed over his handsome face as he pointed it at his mother.

"NOW!" Merope shrieked.

"LEGILIMENS!" Tom cried.

Tom felt the familiar whirling sensation he knew whenever he entered Harriet or anyone else's mind.

A part of him shamefully looked forward to needling his way through Merope's thoughts until a black wall appeared and threw him out of his spell with a gasp.

His wand shook in his trembling hand.

Tom's dark eyes widened as he stared at his mother's smirk.

"That's impossible!" He cried, "How could you possibly block me out?! You can barely manage any magic at all! You can-"

"-I can use the gifts of my inheritance quite well, my darling Tom." Merope grinned, "Legilimency, Occlumency......there's only so much of those rare talents that can be learned in a classroom. I may have been raised in squalor but the poor decisions of a few generations does not negate the nobility of a bloodline, let me assure you of that."