All Is Fair ~ Tom Riddle AU

Chapter 15

-------------------> LIKE ALWAYS, THEIR PREFECT PATROLS BEGAN IN SILENCE, as they walked along the dark corridors only scarcely lit by the torches of fire and down the never-ending, ever-changing staircases. 

Tom was quiet by nature, even when he spoke he did so softly as if they were in a library. It was as if he thought that his voice was a privilege for them to hear, and they should be the ones to strain their ears to hear him speak rather than him raising his voice.

Meanwhile, Artemis' thoughts were centred around her career counselling with Professor Flitwick. She had no idea what she wanted to do. She would be an actual adult in less than two years and she didn't know which career path she wanted to take up. She needed to decide on something now. She needed to have a goal to look forward to and complete.

Her blue eyes glanced sidewards to Tom Riddle and it dawned to her that like herself, he too was top of the class. Maybe she could find out what he wanted to do and do something close to that?

With that enlightenment, she started their conversation for the night. "Hey, Riddle-Who-Can't-Solve-A-Riddle?"

Tom Riddle scowled at her choice of name. "Can you please not call me that?" He asked, irritation clear as day in his voice.

"No thank you," Artemis smiled prettily before continuing, "Did you have your career counselling today?"

Tom shook his head. "We had ours yesterday." He paused. "Why?"

"What do you want to become?" Artemis asked him instead, ignoring his question entirely which prompted him to raise an eyebrow.

Nevertheless, he answered her question. "A professor." He said, making her look at him with surprise. "Professor Merrythought is going to be retiring soon, so I'll send in my resume to replace her."

Silence enveloped them for a few seconds before Artemis' voice tore it. "I can't really picture you as a teacher." She admitted.

Tom gave her a sharp glare. "You don't have to, but that is what I'll be."

"I think you'd make a better politician, though," Artemis told him, discarding his words. "After all, you have the charisma, the drive and the silver tongue."

"Those aren't the only things that make up a politician if your father is anything to go by," Tom said snidely, but she shrugged in reply.

"Yes, he does have a tendency to be quite dramatic and blunt, doesn't he?" Artemis mused, not taking any offence to his words. "You know, when I was five, I went to my parent's room because I thought there was a dementor hiding under my bed -don't judge- I was five." She glared, at his amused look. "Anyway, my dad kicked me out of his room because he couldn't risk the dementor following me to his room and sucking out his soul." She narrated, prompting him to laugh, making Artemis smile. He should really laugh more, it sounded like a choir of angels singing.

"Your childhood must have been very entertaining with Lord Potter as your father." Tom stated with a chuckle.

"That's an understatement," Artemis said as her eyes glazed with nostalgia and a smile spread to her face. "My childhood was highly entertaining. There was never a minute when I wasn't having fun- whether it was due to my parents or brothers. We travelled a ton when I was little since dad was a delegate in the International Confederation of Wizards also initially before retiring from the post and solely focusing on the Wizengamot; so I was fortunate enough to experience many cultures and heritages with which I have very fond memories over." She told him, "What about you? How was your childhood?"

A frown adored Tom Riddle's handsome face. "It wasn't as lovely and colourful as yours. The orphanage didn't take us out much."

Artemis faltered at his words. Professor Slughorn had let it slip a few times during class that Tom Riddle was an orphan, and given the scowl he wore whenever the topic was brought up, he clearly didn't like talking about it. She felt awful for basically bragging about her perfect childhood and amazing parents in front of a boy who didn't have any. She also didn't know how to take the conversation forward at his statement, having a very sheltered childhood and not having met anybody who was an orphan, leaving an awkward silence between them.

Luckily for her, Tom spoke. "Tell me more." He said suddenly, making her look at him questioningly. "Tell me more about how it felt to have Lord Potter as your father. It must have been hilarious."

Artemis hesitated before nodding. "Oh it must have been to outsiders, but to us, his children, he was quite cruel when we were little."

Tom nodded in encouragement for her to elaborate as they patrolled the empty corridors.

"Well," Artemis began, "we have a Christmas tree in our house all through the year. We heard about the muggle holiday when we were in the colonies, and the idea that we would receive many presents during the 25th of December truly excited Charlus, Fleamont and I. So anyway, my parents used to buy a bulk of presents on New Years Day and keep them under the tree and put wards around them, to tempt us to steal the forbidden fruit although knowing we won't."

"What type of wards?" Tom interrupted curiously.

"Mainly just age-related ones, you know, the ones that won't let you cross the circle until you are an adult- seventeen." Artemis answered before continuing, "So anyway, the age wards were there so us children couldn't cross them to steal the presents. And to our parents, it wasn't just enough to tempt us but whenever either I or my brothers misbehaved, mum and dad would take a present and throw it into the fireplace in front of our eyes. So as you can probably guess, we rarely began to fight, argue or disobey them." She told him. "Later though, when Charlus became seventeen and could cross the wards that my parents hadn't bothered updating, we learnt that the ones he threw into the fire were fake presents- basically different sizes of wood wrapped- but still, it was a very traumatising incident for a child as young as us." Artemis finished with a scowl, prompting him to laugh.

"Do you have any more?" Tom asked with amusement as he finished laughing.

Artemis grinned, she liked seeing him laugh. "Oh, plenty." She said with a sigh, launching into yet another tale of the epic parenting techniques of Lord Henry Potter.

And by the time Tom had gentlemanly walked her to the Ravenclaw Tower and scowled when she asked him -almost mockingly- to try to answer a riddle prompting him to reward her with a sarcastic smile before bidding her goodnight and leaving, it was then that Artemis Potter realised that she still had no clue as to her career choices.