Back To Better A Tom Riddle Fanfiction Sequel

Chapter 12

Cassiopeia was standing in Tom's study. So much time had passed and it simply didn't feel right, none of it. Cassiopeia felt tired and exhausted. Her gaze fell on the book that was still on Tom's desk, covered with a layer of dust. The Tales of Beedle the Bard. A sad smile tore at her lips when she slowly reached for the book and with a quick movement shoved the dust away. She had just grabbed the book when she heard Tom enter the study behind her.

Cassiopeia didn't turn around. She didn't have to look at him to know that he was looking almost as tired as she did and that for quite some time now he had also lost this sparkle that had always been burning in his eyes, that had always made him look so beautiful.

Cassiopeia's voice was low and barely a whisper when she finally said, "Why have we ended up the way we have? We've had so many good times, why did we wreck it all?" She sighed and looked at the book in her hands. "You have the Elder Wand, you have the Resurrection Stone... there would have been a time when you would have set out to find the Cloak of Invisibilty, trying to find out all the magic behind it and it would have made you happy. But instead we ended up here, not aging but also not living, being imprisoned in a life that doesn't feel like ours anymore."

She took a deep breath and turned around. Tom was standing next to the door and  suddenly Cassiopeia couldn't help feeling he looked utterly sad and somehow... lost. For the first time ever and despite his features not having aged a day she felt that he looked... old. Cassiopeia walked a few steps closer.

"I miss who we used to be, Tom. I miss the way we lived before all of this started to... to go wrong, don't you?"

Tom didn't reply but she could see that he agreed.

"We have been stuck in this for far too long. It simply doesn't feel right. I can't think of a way where this could turn to, I can't think of things to say or to feel. I don't know where we should take this. I used to love our story, I used to love all we had. But look at where we are now. It's a mess."

Tom continued to look at her, his face by now showing a strange mixture of slight amusement and true curiosity as to where this conversation was leading.

Suddenly, there was a sparkle in Cassiopeia's eyes that hadn't been there in a very long time when she said, "So if you don't like this outcome either, tell me, what would you change if you could start all over again? Where or when would you make a difference?"

Tom looked at her for another moment and then slowly went to his desk, taking a seat. He leaned back in his chair and cocked his head. "That's quite a good question. Actually I have been thinking about that a lot lately. I guess I would never waste my time on all those fools again. I would just do what I like, I would just... do what we did in Albania. Magic to all extents without ever giving a damn about others. They simply don't matter enough to waste so much time on them." He looked at Cassiopeia and a genuine smile spread on his face. "You remember Albania? We had a great time there, hadn't we? It was just us and magic... so much magic."

Cassiopeia felt her heart beat a little faster. Yes, that time back in Albania after their graduation from Hogwarts that had certainly been the best time they had ever had. She drew another deep breath. "Then why don't we go back there?"

Tom raised an eyebrow. "I guess you're aware that everything is a little bit different nowadays... and that's not so easy..."

"Not nowadays," she interrupted him. "I mean, go back.... back there." She walked to the desk an leaned on it. "You still have it, don't you?" There was excitement ringing in her voice. "The time turner... You used it once, why not use it again?"

Now it was Tom's turn to draw a deep breath before he slowly shook his head. "No... Albania... that's been way too long ago." He pursed his lips. "It already was a very, very long wait last time... living in the shadows, watching my younger self living my life, being in all the places I should have been in. I really don't need anyone but that long time was too much, even for me. I wouldn't want to do it again."

"I don't say you should do it." Cassiopeia looked into his eyes. "I say we should do it." A look of surprise crossed Tom's features. "Let's go back together. Let's change the course of time and be together while we're waiting to be in a better future again. It's not as if we had anything to lose, is it?"

Tom gave a short laugh. "You honestly suggest we should leave all this behind and travel several decades back to watch our younger selves live their lives?" He paused when he realized that this was indeed what Cassiopeia was suggesting because she was looking back at him, deadly serious. For a moment he thought about it. To be honest, she was quite right after all. Right now, there was nothing to lose... well, almost nothing. "What about Grace?" Tom asked.

Cassiopeia's heart skipped a beat when she realized with a feeling of complete warmth that finally, Tom actually was ready and able to care for another human being. She smiled. "You know, I'm absolutely certain that her soul will find us again in a different timeline. Maybe, if you are true to your word, even much earlier and under much happier circumstances than this time around."

Tom crossed his arms. "You are absolutely determined about this, aren't you?"

Cassiopeia nodded. "Yes. Absolutely. I have been thinking about this so much. I have been thinking where we could go from here and no idea came to my mind. There were fragments at best, but none seemed right. None did us justice. We deserve a happy ending. We deserve some luck. But this life here is not the way for us. Come on, there's nothing left here to lose. You changed time once and made it better, give it another try and make it even better this time!"

Cassiopeia watched Tom closely and she could tell that her words had some impact on him. She felt a wave of excitement rush through her body when he slowly bent forward and opened one of the desk's drawers with a flick of his wrist. When she saw the tiny object he retrieved from the drawer, some memories shot through her head, memories of better times and memories of difficult times but yet at least memories of being alive.

Tom leaned back again and carefully fumbled with the time turner in his hands. "So, where or when do you suggest we start this new project of making our world better again?"

"Well, if you say you had better never started spending your time on these fools again, then I'd say I know where to go..."

"Well then," Tom got up, "then let's finally go back to better."

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Author's note: Thanks for reading! I apologize for the long wait, but I simply couldn't think of a way for this story to go. Whatever I tried, writing it seemed weird. I really want Cassiopeia and Tom to have their happy ending at last and I'm sure this way I'm able to give it to them - and me and all of you who have been waiting for it...