"Welcome home."
_Ron, Chamber of Secrets_
Ginevra had never been so pleased to see the Hogwarts Express pull into Hogsmeade Station. She had rarely seen it from this angle, having walked into Hogsmeade to welcome back the few people she knew, but the feeling was the same: a sense of companionship and a feeling of belonging.
"Hello, Tom, Abraxas," she greeted amiably.
"Good to see you, Ginevra," Abraxas returned, when it became clear that Tom wasn't going to reply. "It's a shame we didn't see you in Wiltshire."
"Yes, it is," she said, trying to sound regrettable. "I would have liked to see Stonehenge on the way to my parents' house, or visited Salisbury Cathedral. Really very impressive that it houses the Magna Carta, isn't it?"
"I suppose," answered Abraxas, though now uninterested in the conversation. It wasn't like he knew what the Magna Carta was, after all.
"Anyway," said Ginevra, changing the subject. "What have you boys been up to?"
Tom cast a pointed look at Abraxas, which warned him not to mention 'The Event'.
"I studied," Tom informed her. "Abraxas watched me study. It was wholly unproductive."
Abraxas blushed slightly.
"I didn't just 'watch him study'," he corrected. "I studied with you, Tom."
Tom sniffed, but said nothing more, and the three took a Thestral-drawn carriage up to the castle.
*
Ginevra spent the whole of the Start of Term feast in silence, not even bothering to watch the Sorting Ceremony. Many had now dubbed her as the 'Dead Girl's Friend', which wasn't true; she hadn't been Myrtle's friend, not really, but the nickname had stuck and she even occasionally responded to it when out of sorts. This meant that she had nobody to sit with for the duration of the meal, and was especially relieved when Tom, surprisingly, said he'd walk her back to her common room.
"You must have an ulterior motive," she accused, hands on hips. Tom looked hurt.
"Of course not!" He defended.
Ginevra thought for a moment.
"You want to solve the riddle, don't you?" She asked suddenly.
Tom, though shocked at the guess, nodded reluctantly.
"I should be able to," he said arrogantly. "Also, it looked like you needed some company other than your own."
"True," sighed Ginevra, and they began making their way up the many staircases to the Ravenclaw Common Room.
"I notice that you are so amazingly loyal to Abraxas and I," began Tom, "that you even came down to Hogsmeade to wait for us. Either you were incredibly bored all summer, or you should have been in Hufflepuff. Did the Hat take a while Sorting you? It's been half a year!"
Tom chuckled at his own joke, but Ginevra merely frowned.
"No," she responded, dismissing his quip. "I've always found Ravenclaw to be the most respected house, and as I'm a Half-Blood..." She shrugged imperceptibly.
Tom looked thoughtful and slightly cautious.
"What of Slytherin? They're wise, too," he offered, either hoping for another follower or for at least some inter-house unity. "And we are revered." He puffed his chest out proudly.
Ginevra laughed.
"Cunning wouldn't always be a synonym of wise or witty." Her tone was nearly patronising. "And I doubt that many of your housemates are intelligent; that would be almost a majority in the school, and that's impossible."
"Are you insinuating your wisdom?" Tom cocked an elegant eyebrow. "Or merely undermining mine...?" He tailed off, and to Ginevra it sounded like a threat.
"Of course not," she laughed again, though this time more falsely. "To either," she added quickly. "You seem to be on my level, Tom," she continued sweetly. "If not... higher."
Tom smirked, reminding her insanely of Draco. She felt a pang of loss, but it was soon set aside by the fact that she was currently engaged in a conversation with Lord Voldemort.
"I'm pleased you have such a delightful impression of me," he answered smoothly, his strange reply surprisingly not seeming in the least sarcastic. "We have arrived at last," he bowed, his eyes glittering.
A musical voice issued from the door.
"We will all be phased by shadows during our lives. Some will linger longer, some may never leave us. Like the good contains the bad, the bad contains the good."
Tom looked troubled.
"What is the answer?"
It almost seemed as though he was asking the door, instead of Ginevra, although she was the one who answered him.
"Pride does not always come before a fall," she whispered, glancing at Tom. "But certainly here it does."
The door swung open.
Tom stepped forwards as Ginevra made for the empty doorway.
"How was that a question?" He demanded. She just shook her head.
"I feel I know why you weren't suited for Ravenclaw," was her only parting of ways.
And she heard the door speak again, to Tom, with sadness.
"She's right, you know. Pride's doesn't always come after a fall. So, rather simply, do not fall."
*****
A.N. The whole 'walk to the common room' scene I wrote years ago, so if the riddle is confusing you, I would suggest not to ask me. I was a lot more logical when I was younger, so I'm sure it does make sense... somehow. XD
If you haven't realised, this fanfic does have a lot of implied Tabraxas, and it will also come up more later, although Tomione is the main focus.
In addition, this is at least partially related to The Purist. The allusions to Draco are because she is good friends with him (in The Purist), and later more than friends. So, go and read that if you want to. :)
Thank you for reading, especially if you got to the end of this Author's Note, and PLEASE PLEASE COMMENT!!!