Chapter 17

You're my mortal flaw

The name of this chapter is from 'Warrior' by Beth Crowly.

N.B.- There is smut in this chapter so ENJOY!

Shock!

Shock was the only emotion Tom felt after that night. All the fury, loathing he had felt about her was replaced with shock by her last statement. He didn't know why he felt such pain when she had said those words.

"I hope this time you can finally kill me."

Would he really killed her, Tom asked himself. The answer came immediately: yes, he would have. But that was before he found her so intriguing. He wouldn't have try to harm her, at least not after he went so close to her. Not after everything that happened between them. Not after that

Kiss

Tom suddenly remembered the feeling of her lips on his own. Those soft lips melting against his own. He remembered the taste of those sweet lips.

A strong emotion welled up inside of him like a huge wave. An emotion he had never felt before. Something he had no name of.

After that night Harlene had kept her distance from him. Tom wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. But he didn't make any attempt to converse with her either. They acted like strangers around each other.

'What happened between them?' Orion Black asked Abraxas one evening. They were sitting in the common room doing their homework.

Abraxas looked up from his Transfiguration home work to find the other teen staring at the other side of the room where Tom was sitting alone at his usual place beside the fireplace, scribbling furiously on his parchment. While Harlene was nowhere to be seen. She was probably in her room.

'I don't know.' Abraxas shrugged. He glanced down to his work, not interested in the conversation. But looked like Orion was very interested to talk about it.

'They have been avoiding each other like plague. Does this mean whatever was between them is now over?' he said far too hopefully, making Abraxas glanced up from his work and scowl at the brunet.

'Why are you so eager to know?' He narrowed his eyes at the other teen.

'Well, no reason really. I was just curious.' Orion brushed it off. Abraxas stared at him for a few moments, then return to his homework only to be snapped back at him.

'But if it is over I wouldn't mind getting to know the lady more closely. If you know what I mean?' Orion said with a suggestive leer in his voice.

'Don't even think about it, Black. Riddle will cut you into pieces and drown your remains into the deepest part of the Black Lake. No one touches what he has already claimed as his own. Haven't you known him enough to understand that yet?' Abraxas hissed at him.

'But he hasn't claimed her as his own. Has he? He is practically ignoring her. So obviously he is no longer interested in her.' Orion said in arrogant voice, 'Beside I doubt any one can ever claim her. Feisty as she is.'

'You're mental. Do whatever you want but don't expect him to spare you when he knows about it. And when he comes after you, I will be there to say "I told you so".' With an irritated huff Abraxas returned to his work.

Orion was true to his intentions and had pursued Harlene. But he made sure to not to let Tom know about it. He would approach her when she was alone in the library or in the hallway. So far he had succeeded in his quest of talking to Harlene. But that was it.

Always he would be the one talking while she pretended to listen, and sometime she didn't even do that.

It wasn't like she was doing it intentionally, it was just her mind was too much occupied. Orion was getting more eager and bolder with her aloof attitude.

Although unlike Orion others weren't so oblivious to her distant behavior, Dumbledore being one of those persons. He noticed quite well how she always seemed to have a distant look on her face.

He was trying to find a way to talk her into stopping Grindelwald. She should be able to defeat Grindelwald very easily. But he was also worried about the fact that she was getting close with some of the Dark wizards like; Orion Black, Abraxas Malfoy but most of all to Tom Riddle.

It was true that Tom had helped in rescuing her, that time Dumbledore had thought that Tom was simply smitten with her. But after witnessing her magical power and finding out her true identity Dumbledore was sure that Tom was showing interest only because of her magic.

He wasn't smitten with her but with her magic. And Dumbledore didn't even want to know what would happen if Tom manage to get his hand on her magic.

Dumbledore was sure that Tom didn't know about her being the Mistress of Death. Actually he was sure that apart from him only Grindelwald was aware of this. Grindelwald had already had a firsthand experience of what she was capable of, so he would try to keep his distant from her as much as possible. Even if Grindelwald had been interested in finding the Hallows he was not suicidal. He was curious but knew better than to try to anger her.

Who knows what she was capable of? He had to talk with her immediately. With those thoughts in his mind Dumbledore left the Great Hall.

After the night when she had showed Tom everything, Harlene was not being herself. She was hardly aware of the things going around her. She sat at the class, watched the teachers but couldn't listen anything what they were teaching, couldn't concentrate.

She didn't think about anything else at that time, but to tell him the truth. It felt like a good idea at the time. But now, not so much.

She didn't think he would react like. Hell! She didn't think at all, she just up and showed him everything. Tom's words had hurt but not as much his silence had.

Inside she had already accepted the fact that Tom will probably kill her. She wasn't scared of dying. She had realized that she wasn't scared of death anymore. She was just sad!

Sad that she couldn't help Tom. She couldn't give him the love that he deserved.

Sad because she had failed once again.

She sat by the fireplace in the Slytherin Common room but her mind was miles away from this place. She contemplated the things that had happened to her. She didn't know what she was thinking when she had shown Tom the memories. Or, if she was thinking at all.

"I guess it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done."

Three days later Dumbledore finally managed to corner Harlene. He had tried to find a way to talk to her in these three days but every time something came up and the opportunity was gone. But this time he will not take any chance.

After dinner Harlene was walking down towards the dungeon from the Great Hall. As usual her mind was pre-occupied so she didn't see the figure standing by the dark corner of the corridor.

The figure came out of the shadows as she walked closer.

'Ms. Peverell'

Dumbledore called out, making her jump from surprise.

'Professor! What are you doing here?' Harlene exclaimed in surprise. Dumbledore took notice that she was very calm for a person who had just been surprise.

"It appears she has a nerve of steel. I wonder if she was born with it or just something that had developed with time."

'Is there something I can help you with, Professor?' She asked him when he didn't answer her previous question.

'Yes, I believe you can.' Dumbledore said with his grandfatherly smile plastered on his face. 'I would like to talk to you about something.'

'About what?' Harlene asked furrowing her eye brows.

'About some of the people in this school. I'm afraid they might try to take advantage of your condition if they became aware of it.' Dumbledore said in a grim tone. The twinkle in his eyes dimmed a little.

Of all the thing she was expecting this was not one of them.

'Pardon?'

'I am worried that there are people in this school who most likely would try to use you for their ulterior purpose.' Dumbledore said.

'And who might those people be?' Harlene asked with an irritated voice. She very well knew who Dumbledore was talking about.

'There are people Ms. Peverel, from Slytherin house who would want to use you. They are very cunning, charming and very manipulative. They can very easily manipulate you into trusting themselves.'

'Professor I hope you haven't forgotten I am also a Slytherin.' Harlene crossed her arms in front of her chest. Her eyes held an icy look.

'I am aware of that but I think as a Slytherin you should be aware of people's intention toward you. After all that would be the most Slytherin thing to do.' Dumbledore replied without missing a beat.

'Hmm, okay. So which particular Slytherin should I be warry of?' Harlene asked, sarcasm barely concealed in her voice. 'If you wouldn't mind enlightening me.'

Dumbledore stared at her for a long moment, trying to figure out how she would react. But her face gave no indication of what she was feeling. So he took his chance and opened his mouth,

'Tom Riddle.'

Harlene jerked her head at that, 'And what made you think that Riddle wants to use me?'

Dumbledore gave a long sigh, 'From the beginning Tom had been a very disturbed child. He took pleasure in stealing and torturing children younger than him.' He paused 'The matron had informed me of his…misdoings when I had gone to give him his Hogwarts letter. He had traumatized the kids at the orphanage. Even here in Hogwarts he has gathered a hoard of followers who rules over the common students. He has an infatuation with power, Ms. Peverell and he will do anything to gain it.'

Harlene finally replied unable to take any more of this, 'He has also been isolated and starved by that said matron. Bullied by other kids when he was younger. He had one pet and they murdered it in front of him.' She scoffed, 'He was beaten by the matrons of the orphanage to eradicate the 'freakishness' out of him.'

Dumbledore's eyes widened, he didn't expected her to have such knowledge.

How did she even know these things? Did Tom tell her? No, that couldn't be it. Then how?

'Tell me professor did the matron informed you that they tried to exorcise him? He was tied up inside the church without any food or water for three days while the priest tried to exorcise "the evil" out of him. He was six then.' Harlene spat out.

'It was wrong of him to steal but it was absolutely right of you to burn an 11 year's old's wardrobe to intimidate him.' Harlene growled out.

Dumbledore was rendered speechless with her outburst. He didn't know what to say. He never thought of his actions in such manner. At that time in the orphanage he had been trying to teach a lesson to the boy. He was trying to keep the boy from wrong path. It wasn't wrong of him to do that. Right?

'Ms. Peverel, I don't know how you are aware of those things but whatever I have done it was for his own good.' Dumbledore tried to defend his action.

'His own good? Tell me professor how is it good to send an 11 years old child to an abusive household? How is it for the "Greater Good"?' Harlene stared at the older male for answer.

In her mind she was not only asking these questions for him but for herself as well. Because only now she can see how similar their life was. How much both of them had been neglected. To what extend both of them were alike.

Before the thought of her and Tom being alike had made her angry, now it just made her sad. Circumstances had shaped their life. They really were the two halves of one coin. Life had turned one into an offender and another into a defender.

'I used to believe everything that was said to me. But life has taught me to use my own brain…or Death has.' She said with a shrug.

'I have learned something very important professor. That evil isn't born it's created. A little show of mercy can bring back someone from the brink of destruction.

If Tom needs me I will be there. But don't even think for a second that I will be used by him. I am not that naïve. Neither am I fool enough to think that this conversation was about warning me of Tom's intention.'

Dumbledore looked sharply at her. He had been too stunned to say something back. But that statement had him reeling back.

'Of course it was about that Ms. Peverel. What else could it be about?' He asked. Dred pooling in his stomach.

'Why, it's about trying to get me to fight against Grindelwald, Professor.' Harlene said with smirk. 'I know you enough to know when you are trying to get someone to fight for the "Greater Good". I have been in this situation far too many time to not to see it.'

Harlene sighed, 'I know you always try to see the big picture and try to make moves to save as many lives as possible. But while trying to destroy the monster you end up creating a bigger one. You use people for the so called 'Greater Good' but at the end of your quest you forget about those people. You don't care what happens to them as long you get what you want.'

So, no professor. I will not become one of your scapegoat in the fight against Grindelwald. It's your war and it's time for you to fight it.' Harlene said in a calm but clipped tone.

'If that's all. Good night, professor.'

With that Harlene left the baffled professor to ponder over what she had said. But what both of them failed to notice was a shadow too moved away from the place.

A shadow of a young man whose heart had finally started to beat in eighteen long years.

Tom sat down on his four poster bed in his room. He was speechless about what he had heard few minutes ago. He was coming back to the common room when he heard Harlene and Dumbledore speaking.

They were speaking about him.

Immediately he disillusioned himself and went to hear what they were saying about him. What he had heard was more than he could take.

Harlene not only knew all about him she had also defended her in front of Dumbledore. His chest constricted at the memory of her defending him. It felt warm inside like someone had poured warm water inside of him.

He fell onto his back on the bed and tried to sort out his feelings. He didn't understand how could see him and not be afraid or…disgusted. She was the one who had been…no will be wronged most by him. Still she defended him!

Why?

All this time he wanted someone to actually see him and accept the real him. Now that someone has that person expects him to kill her?

Tom shot up on his bed. Shock prominent on his face.

"Kill her? No he can't do that. He can't let her go."

The thought of her death brought a gut clenching feelings. He didn't know what this feeling was but he knew one thing he couldn't let her go. He couldn't hurt her.

"She is mine and I take care of what is mine."

The revelation suddenly brought a light feelings inside his chest like a heavy burden had been lifted up. With new found determination Tom got up and out of the room to look for Harlene.

.

Harlene stared at the open book in front of her but she could hardly read a single word. She was at the library after her little (huge) confrontation with Dumbledore. Her head was throbbing from all the tension.

She really needed to know when to shut her big mouth. Oh God! She dropped her head on the book.

Suddenly she felt someone's presence beside the table. She glanced up to find the one person who she was trying so hard to avoid standing right there.

Tom Riddle.

Tom looked like he was in pain. He didn't look at her, but said in a hushed voice,

'Can we talk?'

Harlene shrugged and tilted her head toward the empty chair. But then realized that he wasn't looking at her so she opened her mouth to reply.

'In private?' Tom said before she could say anything. He was looking at her now but his face held no expression.

'Okay' Harlene managed to say as she grabbed her books and stuffed them in her bag. She followed Tom out of the library and toward the seventh floor.

Harlene stepped inside the Room of Requirement as Tom closed the door behind her. The Room was transformed into a cozy parlor with a fireplace. In front of the fireplace was a brown velvet chaise and a side table.

She dropped her robes over the chaise and sat on one side while Tom took the other side. For a few moment no one said anything.

'From the start you have been an enigma to me, Ms. Peverel. '

Harlene's head swiveled at Tom as he broke the silence. 'A puzzle that I wanted to solve. A pawn which I had wished to move at my will.

'I wanted to dissect you to see what makes you tick. I wanted to tear you down and see what's inside you and then put you back together again.'

Tom paused and took a deep breath before starting again.

'I was furious when you didn't fall into line like many others had fallen behind me. It angered me that no matter what I did you always managed to see right through me.

'You so easily could see through my….' Tom raked his hand through his hair 'my facade.'

Harlene's eyes widened, hearing that statement.

'Tom!'

'And at the same time it infuriated and excited me. I was excited to find someone who can challenge me, verbally and magically.' A smile grazed his face as he said that.

'Harlene, when you were taken I was…..I was...' Tom struggled to find the right word.

'Worried?' Harlene supplied to help him find the right word.

'No, I was….afraid.'

Tom said with a frown. Fear was a feeling that he didn't like at all. Fear for his own life had kept him awake in many nights. Fear was thing what was driving him to greatness. But she already knew that. Didn't she?

'I was afraid of losing you.' The words were said in whisper but it rang loud in the silent room. 'Never before have had I ever felt the fear of losing someone. The feeling…it was so overwhelming! I felt like it was consuming me.'

Tom closed his and gave long sigh in frustration. For a while he didn't say anything just sat there in silence.

'I am not a good person and no one knows that better than you.' Tom said without meeting her eyes. 'So why?'

'Why what?'

'Why are you here? Why are you here with me? Why?' Tom asked her, eyes glistening.

'I…' Harlene hesitated, 'Everyone deserves a second chance Tom. Everyone deserves to love and to be loved. Even you. Being conceived by the influenced by a Love potion is no excuse.'

'I guess people only see what they want to see or what they are shown. They don't bother to look beneath, to understand. How easily people forget that a child will learn what is taught to them! They just assume you will be like a normal human child when all your life you have been nothing but a freak. They expect you to have emotions, empathy…love, when no one else had ever shown you any of those.

'Tom,' she looked at him with wide eyes. 'I am here because I understand. I understand the anger, the hatred. Because I've been there where you were and the only reason I came out...different because I had people that loved me for who I am. They accepted me without any prejudice and any expectation.'

Harlene paused before declaring, 'I am here because I want to be that person for you. I am here so that you can learn how to love and…and to be loved.'

Tom's eyes had widen, his breaths were coming out shallow.

"Was he hearing correct? Was she saying what he thought she was saying? Did she really care for him? But why?"

He still didn't understand and he wasn't sure he ever will. But he was sure that he didn't need to hear any further. Something inside of him was stirring and he didn't know what to call it.

He couldn't form any words in reply as she stared at him with open look, pleading him to understand what she was saying. So he did the only that came to his mind.

He kissed her, full on passionately.

He poured all his unspoken feelings into the kiss, begging her to understand them. Warmth bloomed into his chest when she kissed him back with equal vigor.

He wrapped one of his hand around her waist and yanked her on his lap. She gasped at the sudden change in position, giving him the perfect opportunity to plunge his tongue inside of her mouth.

She clutched his shoulder as she moaned into his mouth. Every thought, every contradiction she had flew out of her mind. Right then only thing had mattered was Tom.

Tom's lips that was moving against hers.

His tongue that was dancing against hers.

His hand that was caressing her cheek.

His hard body that was pressed firmly against her own.

Nothing else existed in the world at the moment except for him, and that was okay.

Because right now, she didn't want anything else except for this.

Harlene felt the world tilt around her. Before she knew what was going on she felt herself lying on her back on the couch, Tom on top of her.

They separated momentarily for the new position. But soon they were kissing again. His hands roaming over her side.

They parted with a pop but Tom didn't go far. He ducked down and began kissing and sucking on her neck.

His hand brushed her thigh, just below the hem of her uniform. It caressed her thigh as it tantalizingly slowly crept upward, bunching her dress along the way.

'Tom!'

Harlene gasped at the sensation. She tugged his hair lightly making him groan.

He felt like he could devour her whole. He wanted to tear her clothes off and take her right here right now. A small irrational part of him wanted to give into that but a bigger part of him wanted her to want this as much as he did.

So with great reluctance he pulled away from her. He saw her disheveled look, her half lidded eyes, her flushed face, her kiss swollen lips, her dress bunched around her thighs.

The sight of her almost made him loose his resolve. But he needed to ask her because he couldn't did it without her consent.

'I need…I want to…' Words failed him at that moment. 'Can I….'

It took a little while for Harlene to understand what Tom was asking. She could see how ruffled he was in, hair messed up from his carefully combed state, pupils dilated. Somewhere along the way he had lost somehow his uniform blazer without her knowing.

Heat pooled into her abdomen as she took the sight of him. Words refuse to form in her mouth so she nodded.

At that moment she couldn't have refused him even if she wanted to.

Relief washed over him at her consent. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

.

He ducked down and kissed her, covering her whole body with his own. Soon his hand found itself clutching the hem of her dress. This time he didn't stop, he pushed the dress over her head and dropped it on the floor, leaving her only in the white shirt.

He sat up on his knees, tugged off his jumper. He kept eye contact with her as he untied his ties and dropped it over his shoulder.

Without wasting anymore time he dived down to kiss her on her lips again. He couldn't stay away from her lips for too long. It was like a drug to him.

She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt. She finally managed to unbutton his shirt, pushing them aside, revealing a firm muscled body. She ran her hand over his hard muscle.

He helped her pushed his shirt off of his shoulder. He slowly started to unbutton her shirt and kissing the exposed the skin.

Soon they were both naked and panting. Tom kissed her once more before spreading her thighs and settling between them.

Oh how perfectly he fitted between them!

He kissed her chest, sucked and nipped her nipples, making her writhe underneath him. His hand crept down to her wet folds.

Harlene cursed at the sensation. 'Fuck, Tom stop teasing me and get on with it.'

Tom chuckled, but complied. He stroked his cock once and aligned himself to her opening. But before entering he pulled out his wand from his robe that was thrown over the chaise head.

He muttered a spell waving over himself.

'W-what was that?' Harlene breathed out.

'Contraceptive spell.' Tom replied as he dropped the wand, and bent down to kiss her once more.

Slowly he pushed inside of her, both moaning at the sudden sensation.

She was so tight!

He entered a couple of inch and stopped, waited for her to adjust to his girth.

After she adjusted he thrust inside of her and pushed a few more inch when he felt the thin barrier protecting her innocence inside of her.

He stared at her confirmation, when she jerked her head in confirmation he didn't waste any more minutes and gave a sharp thrust to fully sheath inside of her. She trembled at the intrusion, eyes stinging at the sudden overwhelming pain.
She had been tortured before, endured immense pain but this was absolutely different. He stopped for a moment, shushing and talking sweet nothing to her ears.

'T-tom, please move' Harlene breathed out.

He gave short thrusts at her consent, giving her time for the pain to recede. Slowly the pleasure took over the pain.

Soon they found the perfect rhythm of pushing and pulling. Kissing messily as they made love. The room was filled with their mutual panting and moaning.

Harlene never thought she could feel so much pleasure. Never thought the person that had hurt her the most could also give her so much pleasure. The hand that had tortured could be so gentle.

A single tear shed from her eyes.

His thrust became fast and erratic as they neared their climax. Harlene felt pleasure built inside her abdomen as his thrusts became faster and harder.

One particular hard thrust send her over the edge and she came for the first time, screaming his name on top of her lungs.

Tom rode her through her orgasm as he chased his own climax. He lasted few more thrusts and came inside of her, groaning into her neck.

He collapsed on top of her in exhaustion, both panting heavily as they lay there.

After catching his breath he moved them both so that he was on his back and Harlene lay snugly on top of him.

Shuffling so that he could pick up his wand, Tom performed cleansing spell on them both as Harlene lay boneless. She was already half way asleep.

Tom kissed the top of her head as she snuggled to his chest. Before she fully fell asleep she mumbled quietly.

Tom almost missed what she said. He stilled at once, looking down to make sure he heard it right but she was already asleep by then. He stared down at her a long second before a fond smile formed on his lips.

He conjured a blanket and draped it over them as he too slowly drifted to sleep, smiling softly at her said words.

'Good night, Tom. Love you.'

A.N.- SORRY for the loooooong hiatus. But lots of things happened in my life. I dont bore you with the details but they were horrible enough to land me in a state of depression.

But dont worry now I am baaack. So update will much more regular like one in a month. So stay tuned.

And thank you for sticking around.