Ticking every few seconds met her ears, her quill tapping the table in sync. She would give anything to go back to Valentine's Day, that was probably the least stressed she's been in months.

Elio had taken her down to Honeydukes and got her a large basket of pepper imps, they also strolled along through the rest of the village and popped into some smaller and less known shops. After that they had dinner in the kitchens and put on a funny little show for the elves.

Delilah had tried to teach Elio a few lines she memorized from Julius Caesar, but it didn't go as well as planned, it looked more like a drunken parody of the play.

But now there she was, stuck in the library working on an essay for a class she didn't care about. Her grades didn't really matter to her at this point. The only classes she tried in was Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfigurations, the latter of which she only tried so as to not disappoint Dumbledore.

The sound of footsteps disrupted the silence of the library. Tearing her eyes away from her half blank parchment, Delilah caught sight of the last person she wanted to be in the same room with.

He muttered a few greetings as he wove his way between tables, all the while Delilah shrunk down in her seat. Hopefully he wouldn't see her, considering the large stack of books acting as a blockade around her table.

After waiting a moment, she peered around the stack and found him sitting at a table about fifteen feet away, his eyes already skimming through a book as he made quick notes.

Delilah let herself observe him, seeing as she rarely got the chance to do so. She analyzed how he acted when he thought no one was watching. His shoulders were a bit more relaxed and his focus was solely trained on what he was reading.

But perhaps he was still acting? Tom rarely ever let his guard down. She never knew when he was being genuine, it was frustrating to think on whether he was a great liar or actor. As she watched him bite his cheek for a moment, she supposed there wasn't really a difference.

What if she got up, right in that moment, and told him what he would become? Would he even listen? Or wave her off as nonsense. Even worse, what if he didn't mind the creature he becomes?

No, she couldn't do that. Doing that would probably be the most idiotic thing she could ever do. That would disrupt the timeline catastrophically.

Nonetheless she couldn't help but wonder; if he knew what the future held, would he change anything?

As she looked back at the clock, it hit her how little time she actually had. She needed to do something to smooth over the little mess that had dropped around her feet before summer arrived.

Rubbing at her eyes in frustration, Delilah took a deep breath before standing up. Standing still for only a moment, having a final mental debate, she forced her way over towards Tom.

As she rounded herself to the back of him, her whole brain kept screaming at her to just turn and run out the door. But before she knew it, her feet stopped about a foot short from his chair.

Now or never.

Twirling her necklace, Delilah cleared her throat, "Riddle."

He visibly stiffened and his eyes froze on the book he was reading, which of all things was The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Straightening his back, Tom slowly turned around, not quite sure if he was hearing things or not. Why on earth would she be speaking to him?

As soon as his face was turned towards her, Delilah looked away, she couldn't bare it. Part of her was scared she'd see crimson in his eyes, even though it was far too early in his timeline.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, Delilah was struggling to find her words and Tom was surprised she was even standing in front of him. He also had the irrational worry that if he so much as blinked, she'd disappear.

Biting her cheek, Delilah wished she could be anywhere but the library. Why wouldn't Dumbledore do this himself? But alas, she knew he couldn't. Tom wouldn't listen to him. "We need to talk."

Looking her over for a brief moment, he nodded and stood up, and Delilah took an instant step back. Tom tried to ignore the odd shift he felt at her action and began to walk down an isle, gesturing for her to follow.

They stopped in a far off corner of the library, before Tom could open his mouth Delilah started, she didn't know how long she could be around him. "Alek's brother can get us in, I'll go over the plan later when we round everyone up. But he needs a date and time. When will we be back from France?" Her words rush out as she picked up a book and flipped through it aimlessly, she couldn't look at him. Not up close.

Tom simply stared at her, both in disbelief and curiosity. She was acting like nothing happened. Well, not completely. Delilah was looking anywhere but at him and she felt stiff, like a glass bubble was around her and she was afraid a sudden movement would shatter it.

"Why?"

Delilah picked up another book, "what?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

He plucked the book out of her hand and shoved it half heartedly on a shelf. "Why are you so..." He didn't know how to put it, which was strange for him. He usually always knew what to say. But when it came to Delilah he seemed to have a loss for words. "You're still coming along? After everything that happened?"

She bit her cheek and nodded while humming a yes. Tom narrowed his eyes, what was wrong with her? "So you're fine?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Delilah."

Why now of all times, did he finally start calling her by her name?

Running her fingers lightly over the titles, she dropped her arm and let out a breath. "Personally, I want to punch the living shit out of you and never look at your stupid face again. But the more rational side of my-"

"You have a rational side? I wasn't aware."

"Shut up."

His lips titled slightly and she hated how easily they fell back into each other.

It shouldn't be this easy.

And in that moment she hated herself. She hated that small part in her chest that missed this. This... this thing that was between them. And she shouldn't.

He should be the last person on earth she should ever miss talking to.

But she did miss it and she hated herself for it. Throughout the past few days Delilah found herself missing the smell of cigarettes, how his hair fell just above his eyes, and his quick wit.

She hated herself so much to the point where it nearly burned because the boy standing in front of her was going to be responsible for so many deaths.

He was the reason Harry didn't have parents.

What would Harry even think if he saw her now? If he saw what she's been doing in this time, mucking about with the creature who wanted him dead. Would Harry even recognize her? Coming to think of it Delilah didn't even recognize herself.

Ever since she's been in the 1940s it's like she became a completely different person. One she wasn't even sure she liked.

But as her eyes glanced over to the other shelf, his form a blur as she did so, she had to accept that Tom didn't even know who Harry was. He wouldn't for many years to come. How can she hold him accountable for something that hasn't even happened?

And in that moment it didn't even matter that Tom was going to be the one to kill her.

She didn't matter. She never did.

It was always Harry, always. Even if Voldemort did recognize her, his endgame was always Harry, Delilah merely got in the way.

She didn't matter. Not to Voldemort, and clearly not to Tom.

And that revelation seemed to numb her to the crushing weight of who he would become. Who he might already be.

She didn't count. She was just another face in his list of soon to be kills. So why did any of this matter? She was nothing to him, and Delilah was going to have to be okay with that if she wanted to go home. She needed him for the Ministry break in. Dumbledore even said so.

If he did recognize her, that did mean she somehow left this time. That meant she left him. And that gave Delilah her final shove.

"I," she began slowly. She really didn't want to say it, but she'd have to, if she did he'd be too arrogant to refuse. Tom was her insurance home. Back to her old self. "I need your help."

He raised a brow and looked down at her, distracted for only a millisecond by the smudge of ink on her left cheek. "Breaking into the Ministry? I thought this was already settled. We'll leave for France after graduation, and work out the kinks with Eques' brother."

"Yeah, but I thought," Delilah finally looked at him. She was momentarily caught up in the circles under his eyes before she saw the glimmer of confusion. Had he not been sleeping? He's never looked so exhausted. And why was he confused? He was Voldemort. She would think that nearly choking him to death and tossing him about like a rag doll would make him a bit unwilling to aid her.

"Thought what?" His voice cut into her thoughts and she blinked.

"Why are you still willing to help me?" Currently, she didn't trust Tom further than a Giant could throw him.

His confusion only seemed to deepen, and the longer she looked at him, the more prominent the purple under his eyes became.

Tom should be asking her that question.

Why would she of all people want his help? He betrayed her trust, her privacy, their friendship. If they even ever had one. Tom wasn't sure. He never really considered himself to have friends. But he supposed Delilah had fallen into the category of someone he could actually rely on.

That was new for him.

But after what he did? He didn't think she'd ever want to see him again. But low and behold, there she was. Standing right in front of him. Smelling of peppermint, petrichor, and almost what could be resembled as a sea in a storm.

After everything he did, Delilah was still there, here, right in front of him.

She never did stop surprising him.

He couldn't help but be confused with himself, which was foreign territory. Did he really want her there?

Why was he willing to help? Why did he want to? He never helped unless it got him something. Was it as an apology? No, that would be ridiculous. Part of himself was just glad to have her back. Have her around him.

He wouldn't admit it, but refusing her wasn't even a thought that had occurred to mind.

A glimmer of silver caught his eye and Tom nearly grimaced at the sight of Elio's necklace. Delilah caught him staring at it and she dropped her hand, halting her movements and shoving her hands in her pockets.

She couldn't forgive him for what he did to Xan and Kat.

But she also knew she couldn't blame him for something that he hasn't even done yet. Which was beyond difficult to come to terms with. Tom Riddle wasn't responsible for the deaths of thousands.

Voldemort was. That thing was to blame. Not the person standing in front of her.

They both hadn't realized they had been staring at each other for about three minutes until someone else in the library dropped something, the sound of a book hitting the floor echoing off the walls.

Tom looked down at her, his head tilted, biting his cheek, but there was something else.

He never thought he would meet someone so complex and enriching and exciting. No ones ever excited him before. Not since Dumbledore walked into that blasted orphanage and told him he was a wizard.

But Tom didn't fail to recognize how self destructive Delilah was being. The moment she had found out what he'd done, she should've turned and ran the other way. Merlin knows how she would react if she knew the people he's killed, including his own father.

And in a way, he killed his mother too.

Finally Tom spoke, his tongue feeling like sandpaper in his mouth. "Delilah, I think you should be extremely careful who you give second chances to."

It wasn't a second chance, was it? But maybe subconsciously this is exactly what she wanted.

"I know who I'm giving it to."

"You really don't."

"Trust me, I really do."

"Even after everything I did?" He finally came out with it because he couldn't understand why. Tom didn't like it when he was left clueless. That led to too many bad things happening with no means of preparation.

Delilah screwed her eyes shut. If only he knew how much more complicated this actually was. "No, I... not that. Not ever that. You'll never be forgiven for that."

There was a pause. He felt something jab in his chest at the 'never' but he suppressed it, he knew it was deserved but that didn't mean he wanted to confront the feeling threatening to arise. "Fair enough."

"There's ways you can make amends, though." Maybe this could be the one good deed she could help him with. Just one good choice in his life. It wouldn't necessarily cancel out all the destruction to come, but the act would still be there. He still would've done something right.

Tom raised a brow.

"Look, I know apologizing isn't really your thing. I get that, I do. But do this for me, just this one thing. And maybe, I don't know."

"What?"

"If you do this for me," her hand raised to mess with her necklace, but she froze halfway and dropped her arm. He clearly didn't like when she did that, god knows why.

"Maybe everything will be alright. Everything would fix itself. Me and you, back to the way we were supposed to be. Before anything changed and went wrong... wouldn't that be nice?" Delilah let out a small laugh, but it pained her as she saw genuine relief fill his features. Tom thought she meant back before he ever used legilimency on her, before he marked Xan and Kat.

Delilah meant before she ever met him.

She was a mistake in this timeline, a fluke. She shouldn't be here. She needed to leave. And Tom would start down a path with no return, with no light to guide his way back.

And she'd be thrown right back into another war.

One that he himself started.

"That does sound rather fetching."

What she saw next, growing on his features like a flower in spring, nearly made her double back. Tom Riddle was smiling, actually smiling.

Not his smirk. Not his stupid looking grin when he got smug. Not his faux one he threw on to sway people. A good, proper smile that was more charming and wonderful than anything she's ever seen.

His features had relaxed into one of someone his age, a simple eighteen year old. Tom's eyes crinkled at the edge and there were slight dimples in his cheeks. His teeth were pearly white but his bottom teeth were slightly crooked, but really that added to it.

And again, a hatred for herself struck like a chord because she found herself loving that smile.

Why couldn't he be somebody else. Anyone else. Someone ordinary, and easy, and not him. Of all of time and creation, of all the people to have or yet to exist. It had to be Tom Riddle.

But of course it had to be. The universe would settle for nothing less. The real monsters never look like monsters, do they? Evil is in the eye of the beholder, and it was staring right at her. In that moment she didn't see evil, however. Anything but. Which made this so difficult.

Looking into those dark eyes of his, it was like she was falling through space and she never knew when she was going to land. She didn't know if she wanted to.

There was so much more life could offer a person like him, so much more. With his talent, ambition, and charisma. Everyone loved him, if he walked into a room, people's eyes would light up with the want to talk to him. Or even just to be near him. Tom was magnetic in that sense. No one knew whether to be intimidated by his presence or be in awe. Maybe even both.

If he had the right goals in mind, Delilah believed he could've changed the world for good, if he wanted to. People would listen to him, they already do.

But Tom was going to destroy any chance at a life like that. And there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

Delilah desperately wanted to ask why. Why start such a path? What could've possibly compelled him? What was his initial goal? If he succeeded, what were his plans for after?

But she knew she couldn't.

"Yes, quite fetching."

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"Gentlemen," Her voice rang out through the empty common room, making each boy whirl around in their seats. Each gave her a timid smile and eyed her warily, Elio went to greet her but she held up a hand, halting his movements.

She might as well just come out with it, there was no need to prolong this conversation. One she didn't even want to have in the first place. "Look, I don't really know what to say that will encompass everything." Delilah gestured with her hands, not knowing what to do with herself as she stood in front of them.

"I'm not gonna ask why, because I won't understand," and she didn't want to. "And I'm not here to forgive you." Pyrrhus went to open his mouth, but with one glance from her he shrunk back slightly. Her eyes were cold.

"But I don't want to go through the rest of my time here, at Hogwarts I mean, alone and hating all of you."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of platinum blonde shift. Abraxas stood up to go and hug her, or simply touch her arm, she didn't know, but Delilah backed away out of instinct and hit the mantle of the fireplace.

"Please don't."

Hurt flashed across his face but he masked it with a smile. Abraxas hated that she was now afraid of him. But little did he know how different everything actually was. He thought it was because of what happened with how he marked Xan's back. Which, she supposed was a part of it.

But Delilah couldn't help but think of those dreadful months she was kept at his manor, being tortured. He physically had nothing to do with it, she knew that, but his own son and grandson; Lucius and Draco, just stood by and watched as she was treated like an animal. And his damned portrait. Hanging up on the wall, above the bloody scene that was her near demise, stared onward apathetic to her screams.

She knew Abraxas would be a death eater, one of the first. But it was so difficult to comprehend because the Abraxas she knew now seemed incapable. But he was, he'd already done something dreadful. But there and now, she saw regret and remorse. What could've changed? What made him into a monster? He was the man to raise Lucius, after all.

The most painful thing was that she couldn't help. She couldn't help any of them.

Clearing her throat, Delilah stepped away from the mantle and smoothed down her skirt. "Meet in the Room of Requirement tonight at eleven, Abraxas knows where it is."

The boys watched her go with looks of concern yet slight relief. They never realized how much Delilah had actually impacted them both as a group and individually. She was a heaven sent in a hell bent environment.

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Pacing a few times in front of a wall, Pyrrhus' mouth went slightly slack as a door started to appear from stone in front of Abraxas. "Seven years I've been here and no one has bothered to tell me this existed?" He glared at Abraxas but let out a small yelp as Elio pushed him forward.

"What would've you used it for? A snogging cupboard?" Cain snickered and quickly jumped to the side, avoiding a hand flying his way.

Their laughter slowly fell away as they entered the room. It was a wide expanse with high ceilings and large windows, letting a pale blue light filter into the room. There were a multitude of dummies lining the walls that were used to practice magic on, as well as a few mats laid out incase anyone got knocked back.

Towards the back of the room were three people, standing in front of a large mirror with numerous clippings adhered.

"Quite the space you've got here." Elio called out and grinned as Delilah whirled around. She gave them a small smile and her eyes flickered around the room. When she asked for a safe place to practice, the room had modeled itself after the area they had used for Dumbledore's Army.

"Right, now that everyone's here," Aleksander clapped his hands together, sending an echo bouncing off the walls. "Here's the plan-"

"Do you think if I asked for a liquor cupboard it'd just appear?" Pyrrhus muttered, eyes dancing around the room curiously. Aleksander was about to start again, but a delighted laugh left the raven haired boy's lips as a full on bar appeared on the far left wall.

He turned to his friends but cleared his throat when he saw the look they were giving him. "Now is not the time for your drinking habits, Lestrange," Tom spoke dryly, making Pyrrhus settle his features and straighten his back. "Right, yes. Sorry. Continue."

Aleksander looked at him for a moment before cracking a small smile. "Anyway, here's the main basis of the plan. After we return from France, we'll need to get into the Ministry no later than nine in the morning. Now simply getting into the atrium won't be difficult, but getting past basic security and getting to the lift is something else entirely. A group of seven teens isn't exactly subtle. Which is why only two of us can go down to the level right above the Department of Mysteries. Which is where my brother will be waiting."

He ignored the two sets of eyes burning into the side of his head. Delilah and Tom's gaze shot towards him the moment he said only two could go down. No that wouldn't do at all, for both of their plans. "Why can't we just go down in intervals, surely that would be discreet enough."

Aleksander sighed and rubbed at his eyes, "maybe taking the lift, yes. But again, seven teenagers frolicking about in the Department of Mysteries? That'd be idiotic."

Delilah bit her cheek, he had a point and her mind raced at how to fix this. If only they had Harry's invisibility cloak. Turning to Tom with a brow raised, a silent way of asking 'what do you make of this?' He only glanced at her before gesturing for Aleksander to continue.

"He'll meet the two who decide to go down, and there he'll lead you to the Department. He said he'll stand guard but you'll only have a window of fifteen minutes to retrieve whatever you need. After that, he'll take you back up to the lift and see you out."

There was a brief pause over the group before Abraxas turned towards the boy, "who's going down?"

"I thought it best I go."

Tom and Aleksander spoke at the same time and they stared at each other for a moment. "Well that settles it, Tom and I-"

"No." Delilah cut in, trying her best to keep it together. She needed a way to work around this whole 'only two' people being able to go down. "I'm coming. It was he and I who originally even planned this out." She gestured to Tom and he nodded his head once, "the lady has a point." A brow raised at him calling her 'lady' but she ignored it.

"But wouldn't it be wiser if I attend? Seeing as he is my brother, it would look far more discreet should anyone pass by us. They'd think we were just having a little family get together."

Why'd he have to talk sense? Delilah bit at her cheek but stopped herself as she noticed Tom doing the exact same thing. "I don't see why one more person can't go," Pyrrhus called from the bar, pouring himself a glass of Irish whiskey.

Looking at Aleksander, he sighed for a moment and appeared to be mulling it over. "Fine, okay. I'll owl him-"

"Even if your brother doesn't agree, Delilah and I are going to the Department, whether you're in attendance or not."

Delilah felt an uncomfortable shiver roll down her spine at Tom's tone, it wasn't cold, but it was nearing it and he left no room for argument.

Aleksander looked like he wanted to punch him but he simply rolled his shoulders. "Might I ask what you two are even after? It would be helpful, that way my brother could lead you directly to the right section."

Before Tom could open his mouth, undoubtedly to tell Aleksander no, Delilah beat him to it. "That won't be necessary." Everyone turned to look at her for an explanation but she waved them off passively. She didn't have to explain herself to them. She knew her way around the Department, she just hoped it hadn't changed too much in its lay out.

"By the way Lolita is coming along," Cain spoke suddenly and the group stared at him incredulously. He quickly continued as Tom looked like he was to give him a telling off. "She's my fiancé I couldn't just tell her to sit home while I'm off having a holiday in France."

"Yes you could."

Cain gave Pyrrhus a dead panned glare, "no, I couldn't. But I'm going to try to get her to stay in France while we're at the Ministry. By the way, what will the rest of us be doing while you three are off breaking the law?"

"Well while we head to the lift, distract any staff or guards. And in the meantime, wait patiently and don't draw attention to yourselves. We should only be about thirty minutes. Five minutes down, fifteen minutes in the Department, five minutes back up."

They all nodded but then Cain shook his head again, "that'll be difficult, have you met these two idiots? The drunk and a Malfoy. No one is going to overlook his snowy white locks."

"Then I suggest Malfoy, you wear a hat... Olive isn't coming along is she?" Aleksander asked, he looked worried and Delilah furrowed her brows. "No, but I can ask her?"

"No, no. I don't want her coming."

The boys shared glances and Tom looked bored out of his mind, not seeing why an important meeting had turned into such mundane conversation.

Aleksander flushed and scratched at the back of his neck, "if we by chance get caught I don't want her to, y'know."

"But you're okay with the rest of us taking the fall?" Pyrrhus said after downing his third glass. Aleksander's face fell and he shook his head, "What? No, I-"

Pyrrhus clapped him on the back and offered him his own glass of whiskey, "I'm only joking, mate. Besides, prison sounds quite exciting, no? Think of the adventure, what a story to tell the kids. I got locked up for assisting a break in into the Ministry!" He laughed and looked at them all, who by which were trying to contain their own laughter.

He waved his glass at them, his face suddenly serious and he clicked his tongue, "you'd all be my bitches."

Delilah choked out a small laugh before grabbing his glass, "alright enough of that, go sit down."

_________________________________

After the meeting, no one was ready to leave quite yet so they had dispersed into their own little groups. But Tom of course separated himself and took to leaning against a column.

However, when he saw Aleksander make to leave, he pushed away from the wall and easily caught up with him. "A minute of your time, Eques?"

"Well, actually-"

"Splendid." Tom gave him his tight lipped smile and led him off towards the back mirror, well away from anyone else. He looked around for a second before settling his eyes on the boy he despised, "what are you getting out of all this?"

Aleksander furrowed his brows, "what do you mean?"

And Tom just stared at him, his gaze unwavering. His eyes were so dark that one couldn't even see his pupils, so they appeared to be bottomless pits that leeched onto anyone who dared make direct contact. Aleksander felt the hair at the back of his neck prick up, how did he do that?

Tom ticked his jaw, his eyes then becoming like a black liquid pooling into an abyss. "Don't lie to me," his voice was calm, echoing loudly inside Aleksander's mind to the point where his ears felt like they were ringing.

"Don't ever think you're capable of that."

Straightening himself, Aleksander raised his chin to show he wasn't scared of him. After all, he was only an eighteen year old. What could he possibly do? "Tom-"

"Riddle." He corrected. Aleksander didn't have the jurisdiction to call him by his first name. No one did. Well with the exception of... no. He blinked once to clear his thoughts. Why must she pop into his head at the most inopportune of times.

He then laughed dryly, taking Aleksander even more off guard. "What I can't seem to grasp is why you're even here. There was no need for you to come to Hogwarts. I know your family, Eques. You could've found asylum from Grindelwald anywhere. But here you are, you just dropped out of the sky."

Aleksander was silent for a moment, but he wasn't backing down. He was annoyingly resilient, Tom thought. "And what about you, eh?" He went to straighten Tom's tie but he caught his wrist, his grip abnormally strong. A dull ache shot up Aleksander's arm and restrained himself from wincing.

"What are you getting out of this? It has to be something." His eyes trailed to the mirror and landed on Delilah's reflection, "you certainly aren't doing it for her, at least not solely. I know you, Tom, you don't do anything unless it's for your own gain so tell me, what is it?"

"That doesn't concern you," there was a shift in Aleksander's wrist that was rather painful and he couldn't help but let out a hiss.

"And Eques, word of advice, don't parade yourself around like you know everything. Because you don't, and it's a tad embarrassing to watch."

Tom dropped his wrist and began to walk away, but turned and stopped so he was shoulder to shoulder with Aleksander, who eyed him warily.

He leaned in towards his ear while his eyes were stuck on the reflection of a particular golden haired witch. "Don't bother trying to convince Pontmercy that I have an ulterior motive." He dragged his eyes away and raised a hand, restraining a smirk as the boy flinched.

Tom straightened Aleksander's tie before shoving his hands in his pockets and began to back away, "she already knows everything, unlike yourself."

Aleksander swallowed dryly as he watched Tom walk off. He watched as his demeanor changed around Delilah, it wasn't too visible, but it was there.

Delilah didn't know everything, she may think she does, but she doesn't. Even now she was blind to what was now standing right in front of her, in the form of a six foot two eighteen year old with dark eyes and brown hair.

Aleksander shook his head and looked away, god help her when she finds out. "Lestrange, I'll take that drink."

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VOTE & COMMENT if you enjoyed!!!

Sorry this took so long, I'm not dead I promise lol. But for real, I'm so excited to get to the Ministry chapters but sadly we must be patient.

In the mean time I made character studies!! I'll be posting those next.