Lemniscate

Eleven

As we walk inside, I can't help but admire the décor. It's very well thought out, especially for someone with so little time on their hands. I can see that Tom is looking around in awe, though it may well be his mind trying to grasp that this is his home, now. I smile, lightly running my finger up his arm, and he jumps, a sheepish expression crossing his face.
Severus watches us with an amused expression, leading us to a cozy looking living room. Tom glances around, trying not to stare, though I notice his intelligent eyes taking note of everything in the room.
"You two stay here for a while, okay? I'll figure out sleeping arrangements shortly," he give us a curt nod before walking out, his robes swishing behind him.
"You'd think that he's forgotten just who I am," Tom whines, a fake pout on his face. I chuckle, sitting down on the couch in the room. Without thinking, it seems, Tom joins me, sitting as close as he can get without sitting on my lap. Cautiously, I wrap an arm around him, and when he leans into me, I let out a sigh of relief. Who knows just how unstable his emotions are right now?
"This is nice," he says after a moment. I look at him, slightly startled, "Being here like this, with you. Knowing that we're safe, for now. It's nice. Of course, having a body and not having to force myself to keep living is nice, too."
I grin at this, knowing that he's being entirely truthful, and not minding one bit. After all, it was because of me that he came back.
We sit like this for a moment, each of us caught up in our own thoughts, until Tom speaks again.
"What was it like?" his voice is soft, almost innocent. I shiver.
"What?"
"What was the future like?" he asks again, and I sigh. I should have known that he would ask.
"Nothing like this," I murmur, "In the future I lived in, I had been taken in by Dumbledore's trap. I didn't even have time to really think about what I was doing. And I... I killed you," those simple words tear me up inside, as I remember the feelings going through me at the time. Tom looks at me in shock, but stays silent, "That's why I came back. I had to save you. I had to save us. I knew that regular time travel wouldn't work- as my younger self would do the same thing I did- so I developed a way to transfer my consciousness into my younger body. It took the better part of 200 years, but since I killed you, I could not die. I suppose that that was the only truth within the false prophecy. We could only die at each other's hand," I look down, and Tom gently strokes my back. It's very comforting.
"So, we can't die?"
"Essentially, yes."
"That's amazing. And, the fact that you-" he stops as Severus walks into the room, his eyes a silent question. I shake my head, slightly, and he nods in understanding.
"Due to lack of space, you two will be rooming together. How you choose to divide the space is up to you. Your room is just up the stairs. Goodnight," he nods to both of us, sending a small smile my way, and walks into his own room.
Tom looks at me for a moment, then stands up a graciously offers his hand. A light blush covers my cheeks, and I take it, allowing him to lead me to our room.