Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Twenty One

Biting the inside of her thumb, Delilah's foot shook incessantly as she leaned against the far wall in the common room. Her mind reeled at the outrageous 'plan' Dumbledore suggested. Hell, it wasn't even a plan. The man wasn't an idiot, but just walking into the Ministry?

Snapping out of her thoughts, Delilah focused on the large crowd in the common room. It was fairly late and storming outside, though they couldn't really hear it due to them being in the dungeons. All was quiet, except for the crack of the fire, the white noise of the lake, and one girl's heavenly voice.

Lolita was sat on the armrest of Cain's chair, he had an arm wrapped around her waist as she sang St. James Infirmary Blues. Her voice was almost like honey, everyone quiet and watching as her fingers played with her fiancés hair.

Something shifted next to Delilah and she involuntarily flinched at the closeness of Tom. When did he get there? He was leaned against the wall next to her, hands in his pockets and head slightly tilted. His dark eyes seem to glow an almost auburn due to the fire reflecting in the pools. The smell of cigarettes was a bit more prominent, suggesting he just got done with having a smoke.

"Folks, I'm goin' down to St. James Infirmary
See my baby there;
She's stretched out on a long, white table
She's so sweet, so cold, so fair."

Delilah was partly surprised Lolita even knew the song, considering it's muggle. As her eyes danced around the room, the rest seemed unaware of the fact. She wondered if they knew, would they listen? Now that she thought about it, Delilah barely knew anyone in Slytherin, besides her friend group.

No one ever really tried to talk to her, albeit she didn't try to socialize either. Perhaps they saw her as unapproachable? Her friends were considered the more 'popular' and Tom is a bit intimidating, though for some reason he was loved by the whole school.

"Let her go, let her go, god bless her
Wherever she may be
She will search this wide world over
But she'll never find another sweet man like me."

Her eyes then trailed to the boy next to her, he was biting at his cheek again, an indication he was thinking. A thought suddenly occurred to her. Was Tom clever enough to break into the Ministry? And if so, how would he go about doing it? Part of her wanted to ask, and say it was all theoretical of course. The idea seemed so daft, Delilah was sure he would think she was kidding.

"When I die, bury me in my straight-leg britches
Put on a box-back coat and a Stetson hat
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So you can let all the boys know I died standing pat."

Come to think of it, why couldn't Dumbledore just go get the time-turner himself? Surely he had connections, he was Albus Dumbledore for fucks sake. He couldn't just walk in, she knew that, the Ministry was already hesitant with him considering his relations with Grindelwald.

Delilah huffed slightly at the thought, but still, surely he had to know someone who could go get it. Why send a teen girl? If Delilah got caught, that'd be the end. She had no records in this timeline, she doesn't exist. And Merlin knows what the Ministry would do to her.

"An' give me six crap shooting pallbearers
Let a chorus girl sing me a song
Put a red hot jazz band at the top of my head
So we can raise Hallelujah as we go along."

A soft breath suddenly fanned her cheek, it was warm and made her spine give a slight tingle. Tom had leaned over, his gaze still trained on Lolita, but his words aimed at Delilah. "Why would he be singing to his dead girlfriend?" Lolita's voice was mesmerizing, but Tom's slightly rasped voice completely invaded Delilah's mind.