Of Monsters and Men- Tom Riddle x OC

5

"You know you've become too old when your favorite pastime is watching the night sky."

As always, Albus had sensed her approach before Animo had announced herself. The pale girl allowed herself a grim smile as she studied the man's silhouette, his form a light contrast among the twilight of the Astronomy Tower.

"Be careful, Al," Animo nodded towards the thin railing, which shifted slightly in the breeze. "One of these days you're going to fall off."

Albus chuckled, the gold of his spectacles glinting as he studied her with his brilliant blue gaze. There was a sheen of sorrow in his eyes and Animo knew that he understood why she had come. "I have a feeling Hogwarts will find its way into good hands. Minerva will never admit it, but she's been after my title for years."

Letting out a small laugh, Animo's gaze danced at the thought of the shrewd professor she had often watched stalk the corridors. "You have lived awfully long. She's been patient."

The headmaster turned back towards the Scottish highlands, scanning the reflection of the moon in the Black Lake, the waters wrinkling with the breeze. "That she has." He unclasped his hands from behind his back before he tucked his fingers into the folds of his robe, removing a long gold chain from his pocket. Animo's breath caught in her throat. "Have you made your decision then?"

She swallowed thickly, forcing her sudden panic down. This was the right choice. "I have."

"Thus, I must urge you to leave soon," Albus's expression twisted as he extended the Time Turner in her direction, the hourglass glinting in the light of the stars. "The times are darkening ever so quickly, Ani."

Taking the necklace between trembling fingers, Animo looked up into the elderly man's gaze. "Albus, wouldn't you know if I had gone back?" She bit the inside of her cheek, pondering what had been bouncing through her brain. "You would remember me in 1944?"

A bemused smile creased Albus's cheeks and his eyes lit up as they often did whenever he stumbled upon a particularly tricky question. "Ah, but time knows no bounds. I do not remember you because you had not yet decided to travel back until this moment. Therefore, your fate had not been sealed. Now?" He tilted his chin downwards, "I suppose as you make changes, I will begin to recall them. Until I no longer can determine this present from the new."

Gulping once more, the intensity of what Albus was suggesting began to truly sink in. Animo shook with another pulse of fear. "Albus, I'm terrified."

"You would be a fool if you weren't." The headmaster shrugged, the tassels of his magenta robes shifting with the movement. "But the fate of the world does not rest on your shoulders alone." He placed a light hand on Animo's arm and she closed her eyes. "There are many fighting alongside you, even if you cannot see them."

There was a slight pause before Animo nodded tentatively, ducking her head as the weight of the chain settled about her neck. She couldn't yet tell whether it resembled freedom or a noose. As she wrapped her hands around Albus's neck, a slight sob burst from her lips. "I'm going to miss you, Al."

To her surprise, the headmaster returned the embrace, being one who was usually rather restrained with physical affection. Gellert was the only person Animo had seen make Albus truly come alive. "I will miss you as well, my dear, although I daresay you bear the easier farewell." His blue gaze held a mischievous twinkle as they parted. "You will be seeing me shortly."

"But it's not the same you," Animo pointed out softly, a few tears trickling down her cheeks.

Albus raised an eyebrow. "We all possess the same soul, do we not? You may simply need to give me a few kicks in the rear. I'm afraid I was rather detached during this time." He twisted his fingers, his silver rings glinting in the light of the moon. "Fifty-five turns should do it, although I do suggest a bit of a boost to spare your hands some pain."

Animo forced a grin as she sucked in a deep breath and twirled her wrist, making the hourglass lurch into motion. Instantly, her surroundings began to ebb and she felt a brief stab of loss. Maybe she should have given a longer farewell, but she had been afraid she would never again summon the courage to go. Animo looked up at the blurring form of Albus. Her dear friend and brother.

"Do you think I can really change him?"

In that instant, Animo locked with his gaze and knew that Albus understood exactly who she meant.

There was a beacon of hope in his smile that paired with the tears welling behind his spectacles. "Who can say? But by all means, you must try."

It was with these words that the elderly Headmaster disappeared entirely and Animo hurtled back through the boundaries of time, her surroundings becoming a cacophony of sound and images. She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to be sick. This was so much worse than apparating with Albus.

Then, everything was still.