FIC: Riddle's "Little" Problem ~ 9 ~ R ~ LVTR RWHG GWHP TRHP

[batsutousai]

Title: Riddle's "Little" Problem
Author: batsutousai
Beta: Me. *smiles innocently*
Rating: R
Pairings: Voldemort/Tom Riddle(non-con), Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Tom/Harry
Warnings: Rape(non-graphic), physical violence, serious death threats, war, slash, het
Summary: An accident has separated Tom Riddle from Lord Voldemort. What will the Dark Lord do now that he's free from Tom's conscious? How much will Tom have to suffer at the hand of his other half? And what can Harry Potter do to help?

Disclaim Her: There once was a little Miss Weasley - who quickly learned not to piss off the Boy-Who-Lived... XD

-~/\~-

Voldemort Who?

-~\/~-

"I've already told you, Poppy, nothing you do is going to make it heal any faster!" I groan as the mediwitch continues trying to get me to show her my arm.

"That's what you think, Mr Riddle," Poppy shoots back evenly.

I glance over at where Hermione, Ron, Pot-Harry, and Minerva all stand, looking on with smiles. "I could use some help, you know."

"How do you expect us to help?" P-Harry asks teasingly. "I mean, come on, Tom. This is Madame Pomfrey we're talking about."

Poppy straightens and turns on Harry with a dark look. "Now see here, Mr Potter-"

I slip around her and hurry to hide behind Minerva.

Poppy scowls. "Get back over here, Mr Riddle."

"Not on your life," I inform her, then hurry for the door.

Poppy lets out an angry sound as Ron, Hermione, and Harry push me from the hospital wing. "Perhaps you shouldn't have left, Tom," Hermione murmurs.

I shrug. "Nothing for it, Hermione. Nothing she does will heal it any faster. In fact, potions and spells are more likely to make it worse. I refuse to take that chance."

"You never mentioned that," Hermione cries.

I glance over at her and sigh at the pain-filled look on her face. Ron and Harry don't look much happier with my revelation. "Look, if she'd actually tried anything, I would have informed her. I just didn't see the point in having to explain myself." I scowl back towards the hospital wing. "I'd like to think that people would trust me to know about these things."

"Sometimes, mate, we don't like remembering who you used to be," Ron replies stiffly. "Just 'Tom' has very little to do with Voldemort and we like it that way."

"Perhaps you should stop deluding yourselves," I respond just as stiffly.

"Please don't fight," Hermione whispers, looking close to tears.

I turn away. "I have papers to grade and you three should probably be in bed."

"You guys go on," Harry's voice says as I walk away. Then his hurried footsteps sound until he's walking at my side.

"What do you want, Potter?"

"To talk. Do you mind?" He glances up at me with quiet eyes.

I look away. "Fine."

We continue to my office and I sit behind my desk as Harry takes up a standing position before me. We stare at one another for a long moment.

"Take a seat," I murmur, looking away.

Harry leans over my desk and picks his paper from the top of the pile. "You haven't graded it yet?"

I snatch the paper back. "I got called away before I could."

Harry's lips curve up into a cold smile. "But Ron's is already partially graded."

I slam his paper back on top of the pile and glare at him. "If you have something to say, then say it. I have more than enough papers to grade without you leaning over me."

Harry lets out a sigh before falling back into a chair. His gaze catches mine again and I am nearly knocked breathless by the cold fury in the green gems. "If you ever, ever sacrifice yourself like that again, I'll kill you."

I sneer. "I wasn't aware you cared, Potter."

He slams his palms down on the arms of his chair. "Of course I fucking care! You're one of my best frien-"

"Did it ever occur to you that perhaps I don't wish to be your friend?" I inquire coldly, narrowing my eyes. Friend isn't enough, for some reason. Why can't he just let me be?!

Harry looks for a long moment like he's trying not to hex me before he lets out a hiss of air. "This is about Ginny, isn't it?"

I grab a quill and turn my attention to his paper. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A hand snatches the quill from me and I'm left staring dumbly at the paper. "Tom, look at me." I start reading over the paper. Looks like another O. "Tom, I mean it." I might give him and E, though, just because he stole my quill. "Dammit! Tom Marvolo Riddle, would you fucking look at me already?!"

I glance up at him, careful to keep my face blank. "I'd like my quill back, please."

Harry scowls. "Look, I understand that Ginny has issues with you from back in her first year, but what's your excuse?"

"If you think that's the only reason she hates me, you need to learn to pay more attention to details," I reply evenly. Just give me back my quill. Give it back and leave me alone.

Harry sinks to his knees in front of my desk and I purse my lips. "Tom, I don't understand," he whispers, eyes filling with sadness.

I can't look at him, so I glance back at his paper. The paper that's missing its O. Give me my quill and let me rot alone, like I'm supposed to. Like I deser-

"You don't!" Harry shouts suddenly and my head shoots up so I can stare at him in shock.

"Don't what?"

Harry stands quickly and he's next to me before I can think. And then he's hugging me and I'm too shocked to pull away. 'You don't deserve to be alone. You don't deserve to be hated by others or to be thrown in Azkaban. You didn't deserve to be tortured by Bellatrix and Lucius or to be abused and raped by Voldemort.' He pulls away and forces me to look at him. "You. Did. Not. Deserve. Any. Of. That. Shit."

"I-"

"Goddammit, Tom! You're not Voldemort!"

I remember Hermione saying the same thing months and months ago, but it seems so much more real coming from Harry's mouth - as if he is God and it's only his judgement that will count in the end. Only his words will make the difference - will free me from the chains I'd shackled myself with all those many decades ago.

Why is it that he's always saving me?

-~/\~-

I wake in my room, on my couch. How did I get to my rooms? The last thing I remember was breaking down in front of Po-Harry. Dammit.

"Tom?"

I sit up so I can glance over at the door to the bedroom. Harry stands there, looking like he's half-asleep and not wearing a shit. Double damn. "Go back to sleep, Potter."

"Are you su-"

"Sleep. Now." I point behind him at where I can see the end of the bed.

With a tired smile, Harry turns and walks back to bed.

I lay back down and stare up at the ceiling for a long moment. The stone walls can gets so tedious sometimes. Pity paint doesn't stick to them very well.

My bladder lets itself be known, so I get up and brave the cold floor to the bathroom. After relieving myself, I search out some real bandaging materials. Then I sit down on top of the toilet and gently tug my former sleeve off my wound, wincing as the scab pulls apart and blood once again begins to flow. It is a nice rendition of my Mark, I just wish it weren't on my arm.

"Maybe that wasn't the best bandaging idea you've ever had," a voice suggests from the doorway and I glance up at Harry. His hair's all over the place and he still looks like he's only just awake, but at least he's got a shirt and his glasses on.

"There weren't many choices at the time," I point out quietly, glancing back down at the wound. The blood's sliding down my arm and onto my already blood-stained robe.

The water runs beside me for a moment, then Harry kneels before me and gently uses a soft washcloth to wipe at the dripping blood. "Do you know if Muggle stuff would agitate it?"

"I'd rather we not try and find out," I reply dryly.

"Fair enough." He sets the bloody washcloth to one side, then grabs the clean gauze I'd pulled out and starts wrapping my arm back up.

I watch him take care of me, feeling strangely detached. Why am I not fighting him? Why does his touching me suddenly not bother me? "Why am I not bothered by you touching me any more?"

Started green eyes look up at me as his hands freeze. "I don't know." He returns to his work with the gauze. "I'm not complaining about the change, though."

I stare down as his fingers, moving in a practised motion to fix up a wound the Muggle way. Did something happen last night? Was it when I cried? Or, no, maybe it was his words? That I didn't deserve it? That I wasn't Voldemort?

He secures the gauze with a conjured clip, then pulls away to stand. "All better." He smiles down at me.

I stand up before him, then draw him into a hug. I let my eyes slip closed as his arms slip around my waist. "Thanks."

"Of course."

I pull away. "I need to..." I glance down at the drying blood on my robe. "I should change."

"Probably a good idea. And then we should go to breakfast."

I nod, then wander out of the bathroom. I hear the door shut behind me and step into my bedroom and over to my wardrobe. I pull out a random robe, then smile when I find that it's the African robes I'd bought with Hermione and Ron. I've never once worn them - they're a bit too flashy for my style.

Perfect.

When I step back out into the main room, Harry grins. "You look smashing."

I shrug, biting back a mad grin at his praise. "Thanks."

Harry holds out a friendly hand. "Come on. Let's go to breakfast."

I allow myself a faint smile and take his hand. "Don't want our friends thinking we've killed one another, now do we?"

"Not particularly, no," Harry agrees, leading me out into the hallway. "Although that would certainly be a good April Fool's joke."

I snort. "Alas, it won't work much longer."

Harry shoots me a smirk. "It doesn't have to, silly. We've only got a couple more weeks, after all."

"Really?" I shake my head. "This year's certainly flown by quickly, hasn't it?"

"Yeah." Harry lets out a wistful sigh. "What are you going to do next year, have you decided yet?" He glances over at me again.

"No, not really. I suppose I'll come back here to teach."

Harry grins. "At least I know I'll be able to find you, then."

I offer him an amused look. "And you?"

"Auror training."

I let out a chuckle. "Haven't you had enough of dealing with Dark Wizards?"

"I've had more than enough of Voldemort, but," Harry shrugs, suddenly looking uncomfortable, "fighting Dark Wizards is all I know."

I frown at the approaching doors that lead into the Great Hall. "I'm sorry."

"Tom..." He lets out an exasperated sigh.

I smile over at him, then reach out and ruffle his hair. "Yeah, I know."

Harry rolls his eyes.

As soon as we enter the Hall, I see three people stand from the Gryffindor House table and run over to us. Miss Weasley is in the lead and she hugs Harry tightly, successfully separating our still-clasped hands. "Oh, Harry, I was so worried!"

Ron and Hermione roll their eyes at the girl's theatrics, then grin at me. "Love the robes, mate," Ron teases.

"I felt the need for something a bit different today," I reply easily.

"You look like a freak," Miss Weasley offers coldly, still hugging Harry.

"Ginny!" Hermione and Ron call at the same time.

"Ginny, that was uncalled for," Harry says quietly, pulling away from his girlfriend to frown at her.

"Strangely, Miss Weasley, your opinion doesn't bother me," I inform the sixth year. "However, just as a matter of principle, twenty points from Gryffindor."

"You can't do that!"

"Of course he can. He's a professor," Harry offers, giving me an amused look.

I ruffle his hair again, give the grinning Hermione and Ron a wink, then make my way up towards the Head Table.

"He shouldn't even be in this school! He's Voldemort, for Heaven's sake!" Miss Weasley's voice calls from the doors as I round the end of the table, where Slughorn is seated. I have to reach out a hand and steady myself on my old Potions professor's shoulder, who shoots me a concerned look.

"Ginny, that was uncalled for!" Ron says angrily. I can hear him up at the Head Table only because the Hall's gone dead silent.

"Uncalled for?" Miss Weasley turns chilled brown eyes on me. "Excuse me if I don't want a murderer for a teacher!"

I feel my face drain of all colour and only Slughorn's hand, gripping my arm steadily, keeps me from collapsing on the spot. All the eyes in the Hall turn to stare at me.

"One hundred points from Gryffindor and two weeks' worth of detentions." Minerva stands from her place in the centre of the table, glaring down at her student. "Such slander is unacceptable in this school, Miss Weasley."

"Slander?" Miss Weasley gives the Headmistress a disbelieving look. "It's the truth, Headmistress! Surely you're aware that-"

The sound of skin-on-skin cuts Miss Weasley off and, before she could do anything more than stare at Harry, whom had been the one to smack her, Hermione and Ron have grabbed her arms and are already dragging her from the Hall.

Harry glances up at me. 'Will you be okay?'

I nod once, quietly, and allow Slughorn to help me into the chair next to his. Chatter slowly refills the Hall as Harry slips out after his girlfriend and best friends.

"Drink something, Tom," Slughorn urges me quietly.

I grab a goblet of pumpkin juice and take a few sips. "That was certainly different," I rasp after a moment. Slughorn just shoots me a worried frown.

I feel eyes on me and offer smiles down the table towards Minerva and Hagrid. Neither look particularly reassured, but both return to acting like nothing's wrong.

I go back to sipping my pumpkin juice. "You should eat something too," Sinistra offers from my left.

"My appetite seems to have magically disappeared," I reply.

A sausage is set on the plate in front of me and I offer the smiling Sinistra a scowl. "If you don't eat something now, you'll regret it later," she points out.

"Blast it." I set down my goblet and spare the sausage with my fork, then start nibbling on it. When I finish, I glance down and find that my plate has been filled with some eggs and fruit as well as a couple more sausages. I turn to give Sinistra a cold look, but she just smiles innocently in response and holds out a slice of apple that she's in the process of cutting up for herself.

I give in and take the offered food. Women.

-~/\~-

"Ginny has been," Ron confides in me before the seventh year Defence class starts, "shoved into the Vanishing Closet."

I glance over at where Hermione is standing over Harry, making sure he brought everything, as he's been kind of out of it ever since the show this morning, from what I've heard from other students. "Who shoved her in there?"

"Harry, actually." Ron grins. "He's awful protective of you, mate."

I feel my cheeks begin to heat up. "Shut up, Ron."

Ron lets out a laugh, then turns towards the rest of the class. "I bring you proper evidence that my sister is mad. Ladies and gentlemen, we all know You-Know-Who would never blush, and look at our favourite pro-"

I lean forward and smack Ron upside the head. "Go sit down."

Ron grins at me over his shoulder. "Right away, mate."

I snort as he hops over to his desk next to Hermione, then glance back at my class. Most of them are watching me warily - just as the third years I'd had before them had been - and I let out a heavy sigh. "Alright, let's hear your questions." I sit back in my chair and rub at the bridge of my nose.

Before anyone can speak, a chair scraps on the ground and I glance up to find that Harry has stood. "Look. Everyone in this room knows that I have this odd thing with Voldemort where my scar hurts when he's near. I mean, I always know where he is and what he's doing. I can tell you - no, I can swear to you, that Professor Riddle is not Lord Voldemort. Yes, he's met the man. Yes, he knows a few Dark spells. Yes, he's killed a few Death Eaters. Guess what. Those same things can apply to myself or Ron or Hermione, or even Ginny." Harry glances around the silent room for a moment, then locks gazes with me. "Could we please just drop this whole thing?"

I nod to him thankfully and he sits back down. "Well..." I clear my throat, then force a smile for the class. "I believe we were to start on the defence for the Blood Boiling Curse?"

Life slowly returns to the room as I start lecturing.

-~/\~-

"How are you doing, Tom?"

I glance up at Minerva. It's my free period before lunch and I'm in my office, grading papers. "Better," I reply honestly.

Minerva smiles and closes the door before taking a seat before my desk. "How so?"

I tap my lips with my quill. "Harry came in here last night, after I escaped from Poppy, and we kind of had one of our old chats, but this time we actually got past the whole fighting part." I shrug with a faint smile. "I don't know, but I'm not so uncomfortable any more."

"That's wonderful!"

I glance down at my quill. "I suppose."

Minerva lets out a snort of amusement. "Now, really, did you have to put up such a fight with Poppy last night?"

I look up at Minerva seriously and see her own gaze turn serious in response. "To cast a spell or use a potion on this particular wound would have only made it worse. It was made with a cursed knife."

Minerva's eyes go wide in understanding. "So it has to heal on it's own?"

I nod grimly. "The Muggle way, yeah. One of the worse spells I ever came up with." I run a hand over the bandaging with a frown. "Times like this I wish I hadn't been such a genius."

Minerva lets out a sad little laugh. "Is it bothering you?"

I shrug. "I've had worse." I glance up to meet her eyes, then look away - quickly - from the sadness I see in them. "It will heal, in time, and become nothing more than a scar and a memory. Perhaps not a particularly pleasant memory..." I let out a bitter laugh.

Minerva lets out a soft sigh and I fall quiet. "Do you have any truly happy memories, Tom?"

I frown thoughtfully, then shrug. "No, not really. The few happy memories I have are over-shadowed by other things that aren't quite as pleasing."

She sighs and stands. "We'll have to fix that, then," she informs me firmly before turning and walking to the door. "I'll see you at lunch, Tom."

"Indeed." I watch her go with a smile.

-~/\~-

-~\/~-

A/N: Happy now, you vipers? Ginny's out of the way.
*fully intends to throw another wrench in the matter next chapter, just to spite everyone*

GoF OPENS TONIGHT!!! *squees happily*

Reviews = FOOD!!!
~Bats ^.^x

Chapters:
1 - A Little Potion Accident ||| 2 - The Spectacles ||| 3 - The Last One
4 - Failure? ||| 5 - Seventh Year Begins ||| 6 - Hogsmeade Surprise
7 - In the Aftermath ||| 8 - Trouble in Paradise ||| 9 - Voldemort Who?
10 - Kiss ||| 11 - Wizarding Media - Friend or Foe? ||| 12 - The Unlucky Man Who Saw Voldemort Naked
Epilogue - Just a Little Case of Paradise

.

Comments

[aethrin.livejournal.com]

As I mentioned in our AIM: understand and do.

Scoffs. Yes, Ginny out of the way. Locked in a box. Granted, she deserved it for her scathing [sp?] words.

I hope you get to see it ... :3 hugs.

[batsutousai]

^.^

LOL!!!

I did! I did!! *exstatic*

[order_of_chaos]

Viper: *is happy!*

[batsutousai]

*crackes up*

[sakitokun.livejournal.com]

OMG! Ooh they hug. So sweet lol.

Uh one question though...

I sit up so I can glance over at the door to the bedroom. Harry stands there, looking like he's half-asleep and not wearing a shit. Double damn. "Go back to sleep, Potter."

Do you mean shirt? I am not trying to be picky, I just wanted to knowif you meant he is not wearing any shit or shirt.!

Meh still good lol. I don't know if this has been already mentioned because I am reviewing with no comments showing right now.

[batsutousai]

^.^

*stares* I should hope he's not wearing any shit!!! *looks a little ill*
I think I need to go to bed... -.-

[sakitokun.livejournal.com]

*laughs*

Hehe yes you should!

*crap, I forgot to ask you if it was ok if I can use my naked men icons on here (if you don't mind that is)* It's pretty explicit.

[noagirl.livejournal.com]

*sniggers*

Truly? I could care less. Ask me again in the morning.... *falls over*

[sakitokun.livejournal.com]

Your still not in bed??

Well, it's morning for me!! Don't mind do you??

[batsutousai]

I wasn't then, no. I think I got all of three hours of sleep last night. Think I should head to bed early tonight? LOL

*sniggers* No, I still don't mind.

ICON LOVE!!! *dies*

[sakitokun.livejournal.com]

Wow, me too. Then it was a snowday here so I had to get up early for nothing. I am glad though to have more time off from school.

KK, yeah I took one down but I found better icons.

^.^ Thankies. I found it today so I used it. There are a lot more.

[cookie2697.livejournal.com]

*slaps Ginny*

Yeah, she may be out of the way, but as a non-Ginny fan you just gave me another dozen reasons to curse her existence - or maybe just kill her off fast in the fic I'm toying with writing. Hmmm...yes. I'll use this chapter as inspiration to piss me off when I write that part ;)

But yay!! She's out of the way!! And we had some sweet H/T stuff! Yay!!

And wow - I loved the scene in class and how Harry just stood up and told them how it is. ****loves Harry****

Can't wait for more :) Thanks for writing :) And Happy GOF day!!!

[vampsarecool.livejournal.com]

I almost missed this AGAIN. Damn Friends list with people doing intresting things and me getting sidetracked. Anyway great chapter. *huggs*

[ladyphoenixia.livejournal.com]

Yay! DIE GINNY, DIE!!!!!!

*cough* No, am not that evil. Still, am glad that the Harry/Tom is coming... it's inevitable, really... *gets excited*

Also: I adore your Harry. Sticking up for Tom like that... *grins* And yay for Ron, too :D And all the proffesors, really.

[mystical-maiden.livejournal.com]

Ah. It felt so good to read that not only did Harry slap that little b... cow... but he shoved her in the vanishing closet too! I had to read it twice just to make sure it was true! *laughs*

Although... poor Tom, that must have been hard for him... however if it pushes Harry and Tom together even more than i believe it will be more than worth it!

I loved the chapter... but that little note at the bottom about making more promblems has me veeeeery worried... guess i'll just have to wait and see. *smile*

[yangchencen.livejournal.com]

Woo-hoo! Die Ginny! Go Harry/Tom! And YAY you!

*feed you chocolates*

[flosspyromaniac.livejournal.com]

Don't you dare do anything else to poor Tom! Bless him... yay for reconsiliation (Sp?) And Ginny in a closet... so emotionally satisfying. *pouts* I'm not a viper!! K, fine I am...
I have yet for French to do and redo so I understand *sighs*
Update whenever, I can wait ;P
Floss

[(Anonymous)]

I do hope that Tom gets a happy memory soon - him and Harry kissing, or something like that :)

[lady-kareth.livejournal.com]

I feel the need to express this story in interpretive dance:

~LK

[shicat.livejournal.com]

::mind breaks::

[lady-kareth.livejournal.com]

AHahahaha It's crazy leik wh04, isn't it?

~LK

::dies::

[batsutousai]

*falls over laughing helpessly* I love you so much right now.

....and bed's looking better and better.... *dozes* lsadkjfhlsknclknx

[myamalfoy.livejournal.com]

OH. MY. GOD. That is hilarious!!! Sorry, I know you will probably never read this, or even know I replied, but I had to say that this is one of the most ingenious graphics I've seen in a minute. Thanks for the laugh!

[eaivalefay.livejournal.com]

How can Harry not realize that Ginny dislikes Tom because he wants to be with Harry, and vice versa? How can Harry not realize he is in love with Tom too? (Because he so IS in love with Tom. *prays*)

Tom hugged Harry! I think this is the most exciting thing since sliced bread! *bounces*

Ginny must die. *glares at her* (How is Harry still even dating that horror?)

*giggles* I love how everyone else is so utterly concerned for Tom though. He does have a tragic air about him, doesn't he?

GO HARRY! I am glad he shoved Ginny into the Vanishing closet. Though I am worried she'll come back worse than ever before. *worries* And what do you mean, you're throwing another wrench into the next chapter? *worries even more*

Excellent chapter! I hope Harry realizes his feelings for Tom soon. *pokes him*