AU: Tom and Harry are in Wool's Orphanage at the same time.
History may hate us, but they'll never forget our names.
How wonderful; how strange. To be loved by something that hates all else.
Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, b...
The Death Eaters were quiet for the next nine years, slowly gathering numbers among the Dark Pureblood Families, mastering the Dark Arts (one of which caused an accident that made Tom's eye color permanently red, but could be hidden by glamours), and continuing to build their alliance with the Vampires.
Many Death Eaters had jobs in the Ministry of Magic and other important buildings, but to Dark Nobles were on a quest of their own: to find all the Dark Artifacts that remained outside of the Ministry's hold.
And what better way to find Dark Artifacts than to work in a pawnshop in Knockturn Alley called Borgin and Burkes.
In their job, Lord Voldemort and Lady Tenebris made several house-calls to purchase things for their employer, Mr. Burke (since Mr. Borgin had passed away and his son was too young to work there) and on this occasion Mr. Burke was sending them to an old woman named Hepzibah Smith to negotiate the deal for goblin-made armor for the fifth time.
***
Harry and Tom —both nicely dressed in black suits— quietly walked up the small stone pathway into Hepzibah's home.
Harry reached up to knock on the door when they heard shouting inside, "Hurry up, Hokey! Tom said that he and Harry would be coming at four, it's only a couple of minutes till and they've never been late!"
After a few seconds they heard, "How do I look?"
"Lovely, madam." The house-elf, Hokey, most likely lied as Harry knocked on the door
"Quick, quick, they're here, Hokey!" Hepzibah cried and they heard little feet scarring towards the door
"Welcome, sirs." Hokey politely greeted, opening the door, taking their coats and leading them into the living room
The living room was so crammed with objects that it was difficult to see how anybody could navigate their way across it without knocking over at least a dozen things, but Tom and Harry had a job to do, so they bared it.
The couple made their way through the cramped room, Tom then bowed low over Hepzibah's fat hand, brushing it with his lips, "How do you do, madam?"
"We've brought you flowers." Harry smiled, summoning a large bouquet of roses
"You naughty boys, you shouldn't have!" Hepzibah squealed, though both Harry and Tom noticed that she had an empty vase standing ready on the nearest little table, "You do spoil this old lady, boys...sit down, sit down...where's Hokey?"
Hokey then dashes back into the room carrying a tray of little cakes, which she set at her mistress's elbow.
"Help yourself, boys," Hepzibah offered, "I know how you two love my cakes. Now, how are you? You both look pale. They overwork you poor boys at that shop, I've said it a hundred times." Harry and Tom smiled mechanically, nodding along
"Well, what's your excuse for visiting this time?" Hepzibah asked, batting her lashes
"Mr. Burke would like to make an improved offer for the goblin-made armor. Five hundred Galleons, he feels it is a more than fair-" Tom started before being interrupted
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