Lord Of Time

23

Chapter 23

Tom packed everything neatly into his trunk, for the first time actually leaving it all out until the morning they were due to head off on the Hogwarts express. Usually at the orphanage he had everything packed all the time, he just didn't trust his things around the other orphans.

Especially not his magical items, those were the most precious things he'd owned...until a few weeks ago that is. He hadn't taken the locket off since he got it; it was definitely his most cherished possession.

Grabbing his robes he added them to the corner in a neat bundle nodding in satisfaction that everything was in place. His bag was already packed as well, with a change of uniform and a book to read for the journey and of course a box of food.

"That's the room been paid for and the keys returned," Harry told Tom as he quickly gathered his own things, there was someone already in the room cleaning it up for the next occupants. Tom hadn't been happy that Hadrian had let her in, but she was currently keeping out of their way in the bathroom sensing Tom's frustration at her.

Of course Harry had just laughed out his amusement as he went down the stairs to pay Ross what they owed. "I'm glad the check-out time was so late, saves us from having to wait around for hours." he added before shrinking Tom's trunk and watching as he put it in his bag.

"You are the impatient one," Tom commented dryly, "I on the other hand wouldn't have cared." zipping the bag back up.

"Yeah...for now," Harry muttered quietly as he left the room.

Tom narrowed his eyes, giving Hadrian's back a speculative look before smoothly slipping his bag over his shoulder and following him out of the room. They had waited until the last possible moment to catch the train, since Hadrian was going to Apparate them straight to the magical platform.

How he planned on doing that without at least a few of their fellow students seeing them was anyone's guess. After all he was illegally Apparating, and you could end up with a fine.

He just got to the pub when Hadrian gestured to him to come, so he made his way over, giving a tense smile when someone bumped into him and apologised. None of his real thoughts of feelings appeared on his face.

"Close the door and let's go," Harry said his hand out waiting.

Tom closed the door and grasped a hold of his arm, not accepting his hand. The feeling of being sucked through a pipe evaded him before he knew it; he was standing at the platform beside a beautiful Scarlett train, steam bellowing from the chimney, as a whistle sounded, either indicating that it was the last call or five minutes to go. Considering there was nobody around, with the obvious exception of the parents waving, they realized that the train was in danger of leaving without them.

Tom grabbed Hadrian and bolted towards the nearest door, which was thankfully still open, he had just propelled them both in when the doors began to close. "That was close." Harry commented, his green eyes sparkling with vitality. The adrenaline rush was just...so familiar that he loved it. "It's a good thing our trunks were already shrunk."

Tom just huffed out in bitter sardonic amusement; go figure Hadrian was enjoying this. That was something else he could add to the list, he was an adrenaline junkie. Personally he found nothing amusing about risking ones own neck for the sake of amusement or fun. "Let's just find our compartment."

Harry sniggered as they began walking through the train, he peered in each compartment, replying to the various hellos' he and Tom both received from the students.

That was another thing, he had known Tom was brilliant, part of him had also known that he was liked but just how popular he had been - that had been unknown to him. But of course he could get absolutely everyone to adore him - wrap them around his bloody fingers.