Extreme Ways ( A Tom Riddle fanfiction )

Chapter 37

"He refused all offers. The next thing the staff knew, Voldemort was working at Borgin and Burkes.”

“At Borgin and Burkes?” Harry repeated, stunned.

HP6

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The trip to Italy was lovely but short.
Evelyn felt blessed when she finally could bite and swallow some food. And the food was delicious so she ate until she felt she couldn't swallow anything else.
Tom found a lot of interesting places full of history to visit, but they didn't linger too much to enjoy them all.
On the next day they traveled back to England.

It didn't feel like they spent just less than a week away from their motherland. Evelyn felt much more grown up.
The diadem was safe into Tom's bag. He also insisted to keep their good luck snake as their pet and hid it into his bag to protect the diadem.
Tom wore back his black ring, promising to give her a ring more appropriate to a witch's hand.
In London they first visited Evelyn's uncle Caractacus in his shop. Her worries for hiding or revealing their secret was washed away by the rare enthusiast face on the wizard's face.
"Did you hear the big news?" He asked after a quick welcome.
Evelyn laughed to herself for believing for a moment that he somehow already knew something.
"What news?" Tom replied keeping his bag safe on his shoulders.
"Grindelwald is defeated!" Caractacus exclaimed "Dumbledore duelled with him and defeated him. He's locked in Azkaban now. The war is over".
Evelyn gasped with surprise. There were too many good news in few days.
"That's wonderful, uncle" she walked to hug the old wizard.
"Things are going to chance" he announced prudly "This business will rise again".
Evelyn couldn't agree more and gave him the souvenirs taken from Italy.
"These are precious sets for alchemy" Caractacus was soon captivated by the old boxes "Very valuable. How did you find them?".
"Tom has a good sense in finding valuable things" she glanced a knowing look to the young wizard, who smirked.
"How much did you pay for it?" Caractacus kept asking.
"Not much. Surely not how much you can get from selling it".
Caractacus clicked his tongue in anticipation.
"You should hurry to go back home. Your aunt and uncle are worried sick".

The two young wizards left the shop, agreeing that Caractacus was in a hurry to stay alone with his new toys.
Tom had a wide grin at the idea that something much more valuable was hidden into his bag.
He offered an arm to Evelyn and apparated themselves to her house.

Milly's parents didn't ask too many questions, distracted by the biggest news that was shaking the whole wizarding world. The war was over. Everyone started to get high expectations for the future.
Evelyn on the other side had still many doubts. She kept rejecting any job offer from the Ministry, wanting to enjoy at least the summer before taking big decisions.
Tom was in her same shoes, so it helped her being stubborn as well. He got many better choices, but he lightheartedly refused them all. And he wasn't as lazy as she could be, so she wondered what he had in mind for a living.

"I'm not staying here forever. I already reassured your aunt and uncle about it" Tom said laying on her bed next to her.
Evelyn frowned, knowing for sure that she didn't want him to live away from her, not when they were secretly bonded "So where are you going?".
"Somewhere" he shrugged "Diagon Alley? More specifically Knockturn Alley?".
She pressed her hand on his chest, grabbing his shirt, as if fearing that he could slip away from her "And what about me?".
"You can come with me" he said simply "Let's go to live together".
"Seriously?" She couldn't hide her surprise.
"Yes. Why not? Do we have to get married first? I mean, we already got our own marriage in that forest. Do we have to formalize it now?".
She blushed at the idea "No, I'm just caught by surprise".
"We will find some job. We can rent a small flat, then something better. What do you think?".
"Sounds cool" the idea of living alone with him was more surprising than marrying him in a foreign forest all of a sudden.
"You don't look convinced. What is it? Is the idea of living with me?" His eyes narrpwed at her thoughtfully expression.
"It's just something brand new for me. Just let me get used to it" she pecked his cheek "Maybe it's time to pay a visit to my vault at Gringott's".
His face darkened "I'm not going to let you pay".
She rolled her eyes "I'm the one who has money and since now I'm adult and graduated I can finally use it. I put the money for getting a flat, then you will be paying the rent".
Tom pondered the idea, then surrendered "As you wish. Seems a fair deal".
Evelyn grinned and couldn't wait to ask her uncle and aunt for her key.