The Love Story of Harriet Potter and Tom Riddle

Chapter 100 - Harriet's Trouble

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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The next few months passed by in a blur for the Riddles.

As all the members of the family worked through their grief, they greeted the promise of each new day as a balm against their own sorrows.

Mark leaned on his parents and grandparents.

Merope clung to Tom senior, although he had been bewitched, he was at least someone to talk to, whether he really heard her or not.

Harriet found comfort during quiet moments with her little boy during which they either read a book together or played a game.

The dreaded announcement was made over and over as everyone from Ron and Hermione to passersby in the street noticed that Lady Riddle's figure had changed prematurely, with no notice of the expected new life.

One evening, after a long day of work sorting through documents that promised to herald the beginning of the Children Triplex's expansion, Hermione looked up at Harriet and asked, "Harriet....... Are you alright?"

"I'm a bit tired, like you." Harriet answered as she scowled down at the document in her hands, "But we're nearly done, aren't we? Giving up now would be stupid."

"No, Harriet, I meant......Are you alright?" Hermione frowned.

Harriet glanced up and frowned back as she realized the true meaning of her question.

"I'm alright, Hermione." She said with a resolute nod, "Although I am very......tired. Really, very tired."

The two women worked for another hour before their lengthy task was finally completed.

As they filed the last set of documents away, they both rose from their seats to leave Harriet's office.

It took her by surprise that on their way out, Hermione wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug, but Harriet did not bristle.

Instead, she buried her face in her friend's thick, brown hair and readily returned the gesture.

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The idea of possessing a Time-Turner had consumed most of James' thoughts as summer approached.

Even Lily grew weary of his endless discussions about what he would do with it and how he would use it once such a magical object finally laid in his grasp.

As she sat beside James on the train home, with Hugo and Rose buying a few treats off the trolley out in the hall, she sighed as James went on yet another tirade.

His eyes were wild as he spoke of the vengeful thoughts that waffled around in his mind, "If I can just have one for a day, an evening, even! I'll show her then, I'll show her exactly what she's done, because I'll do the same to her! Wouldn't she like that, Lily? No, she won't! She never likes what she's capable of being done to her. She never-"

"-She never imagined you'd become this obsessed with her, I'm sure." Lily interrupted.

".......What?" James asked, his internal dialogue paused, "What do you mean?"

"James, I know it's been a very difficult few months for you, but surely you've realized since winter break, she's all you talk about now?" Lily frowned.

"That's not true." James grimaced, "I'm doing my best to plot-"

"-Revenge, yes." Lily nodded, "Revenge against her.....Her, her, her, her...That's all you say now! I miss my friend! You say you're going to stop her from taking your family's souls....Well, she's nearly succeeded in taking yours purely because you've let it happen! Stop it, James! Hugo and Rose will get the Time-Turner and then do what you must, but you're letting it consume you!"

James frowned.

"And I can't bear to watch it eat you away." Lily pouted, "Do you remember when I mentioned how beautiful the sun looked yesterday, shining on the Black Lake?"

"I do, yes." James nodded.

"And then the next thing out of your mouth was 'I can't believe she spent an entire summer in the Black Lake. How was that possible?'" Lily sighed.

As her bright, green eyes stare into James, he sheepishly looked down at the floor while he contemplated the accuracy of her complaint.

"You're right...." He said after a moment, "Sorry, Lily."

"It's fine, James." Lily said with another tired sigh as she slipped her hand into his, "I just.....want you back.......I want you back."

"I never left, not really." He said with a dry chuckle as he squeezed her hand and met her gaze with his own.

"What are you two on about?" Hugo asked as the compartment door swung open to let him and Rose step back into the train car.

"We've gotten you each a chocolate frog." Rose announced as she gave her friends their gifts.

"Oh, thank you!" Lily beamed while she took the sweet from Rose.

"Thanks." James nodded at them both while he accepted his gift too, "Nothing, really, we were just....."

".......Talking about summer." Lily finished for him.

"Summer." Hugo said as Rose nodded, "Right, listen, mate," He said as he gazed at James, "I'll write you as soon as we have it and then we'll meet up, yeah?"

"Yeah." James nodded, "I'll be waiting."

As the train pulled along, it relieved Lily to notice that James purposely steered the conversation away from anything to do with Mae or the Time-Turner.

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On the day her eldest son was due to come home from school, Harriet woke to a dreadful feeling.

Tom had already risen and departed for his office, yet she had not been as fortunate.

A pounding headache had prevented her from rising early.

Nausea churned her insides, threatening to send her flying to the lavatory.

As she slowly sat up and swallowed thickly, the prickling heat that crawled up her spine widened her eyes as a very familiar yet unwelcome pang of arousal throbbed somewhere hidden inside of her, deep between her legs.

No.

Harriet wanted to wail in despair.

How could she have another cycle so quickly?

It wouldn't......

It couldn't.....

If Tom found her, she'd.........

With another dry swallow, panic gnawed at her nerves knowing the pheromones she secreted would linger for hours.

Desperate to escape, Harriet hurriedly grabbed a bit of spare parchment lying on the dresser, took a quill, and scribbled a note.

Before Mark, Merope, or anyone else happened to see her that morning, Harriet retrieved her wand and apparated away so hastily she hadn't bothered to change out of her nightgown.

In her wake, the bedroom she shared with Tom sat empty, with only the note she had scrawled explaining her absence.