Hello lovely readers! In case you were wondering why I've deleted the succeeding chapters of this story; it's because I've been revising them. Worry not, I'll be reposting them soon, but it will deviate from the original take on the story. So expect massive changes in the plot from Chapter 2 and onwards.

I've been experimenting on my writing style lately, and wanted to try a different personality type for Alex. Where in my other stories, she is depicted as a protective, passionate and sarcastic character, here she may be more subdued – more outwardly aloof and internally sadistic to fit the theme of the story.

Other stories in the works include:

*Paying in Blood

*Riddle Me This

*His Witch, Trouble

*Blood Of My Enemy

Those are the main ones for the moment. I currently have a DiaLovers x OHSHC story in draft at the moment, but will not be publishing it until I have completed "Paying in Blood".

Now without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; it all belongs to J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers Inc. However, I do own Alex.

Pairings: Elladora Lestrange/Harry Potter/Luna Lovegood (Triad); Draco Malfoy/Alex Potter/Theodore Nott (Triad); mentions of Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass & Sirius Black/Remus Lupin; and some one-sided pairs and fleeting romances

Warnings: Language, Character Death, Mature Scenes, Dom/Sub Undertones, Sadism and Masochism, OOCness, Dysfunctional Relationships, Character Bashing, Mentor!Tom Riddle

Harry and Alexis Potter were different from other children their age, and they were well aware of it. The Dursleys knew the very moment the two infants had turned up on their doorstep, that they weren't normal. A matching pair of eyes observing their surroundings almost calculatingly – as if they understood what was going on around them. Petunia Dursley had half a mind to send them to an orphanage, but part of her – an extremely small part that still missed her younger sister refused to let her do so. Those bright green orbs gazing up at her reminded her too much of Lily. If anything were to happen to the twins, it would be on her conscience.

However, years later, she seemed to have developed immunity to whatever guilt consumed her when it came to the twins. Harry and Alex began doing chores at the age of five, while their giant lump of a cousin lazed around, and made everything all the more difficult. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia merely pretended as if they didn't exist. They would never admit it, but something about the twins unnerved them greatly.

Harry and Alex were seemingly angelic in the eyes of others. Harry had messy black hair that didn't deter his strong features, though he was a tad bit scrawny for his age and wore round glasses. The Dursleys didn't starve them, so they assumed it had been the genes. Alex had the same sharp features, only more feminine, and straight black hair that fell to her lower back. Both had emerald eyes that often gleamed with an unreadable emotion, and a lightning scar on opposite sides of their foreheads hidden behind strands of hair. They were generally a quiet pair, but possessed a certain aura that could either charm or terrify people.

But that wasn't what frightened the Dursleys. It was the strange things that always happened around the twins. They started out small – turning their teacher's hair blue, and making random objects float. However, as they grew older, things became more drastic.

Summer of 1989

"This is dreadfully dull," nine year-old Alex commented idly as she sat along the sandy shores with her brother; her head rested on Harry's shoulder as he kept an arm securely around her waist. It was one of their rare trips to the beach. The twins' babysitter and neighbor, Mrs. Arabella Figg was ill and couldn't watch them, and the two had been forced to come along as the Dursleys were reluctant to leave them alone in the house.

"It is quite boring, isn't it?" Harry's lips curled into a slight smile, "How about we provide ourselves with some entertainment then, sister?"

Alex lifted her head to look at him with her usual passive expression, "What did you have in mind?"

Harry didn't answer, his eyes trained on something in the distance. Alex followed his gaze, and immediately spotted a figure approaching them, eyes narrowing in disgust once she realized who it was.

David Turner was a member of Dudley's gang. He was a tall, stringy blonde, and the most decent out of the group, the twins supposed. But that didn't mean he wasn't as obnoxious and irritating as the rest of them. In fact, the massive crush that he harbored for the female Potter made him even more of a nuisance in the siblings' eyes.

Harry chuckled as he sensed his sister's ire slowly rising, and smirked when the boy stopped in front of them, only managing to choke out a "Hello."

"Hello David." Harry greeted him, offering the boy an ostensibly welcoming smile.

"What is it you needed?" Alex added blandly.

"I was wondering if I could talk to Alex." David hesitated, "Alone?"

Alex's brow twitched as she fought the urge to cringe away, but nodded. Harry released her waist with a gentle pat of reassurance, and the female Potter stood to follow the boy down the beach – a little farther away from the group, but still within Harry's line of sight. They both stood there silently for a moment, and David fidgeted awkwardly.

Seeing that she wasn't going to speak, he gathered what little courage he had and blurted, "Alex, I – I really like you."

Her curious emerald gaze rested on him, though her expression didn't change, "Do you really?"

"Yes." He answered a little more confidently when she had yet to turn him down.

"I see." She uttered softly, "Then tell me, David, if you like someone, shouldn't you want to make them happy?"

David blinked, then nodded in agreement.

"Since you like me, does that mean you want to make me happy?" Alex implored, her gaze boring into him.

David nodded again, a little more hopeful. "Of course."

"Do you know what would make me very happy, David?" A ghost of a smirk crossed Alex's lips, her eyes glinting with malice as she took a step towards him. David did not notice this, instead his whole face flushed as she leaned towards him to whisper in his ear, "Why don't you go take a little swim for me?"

Go to the water. Drown yourself. The words echoed in David's head as the boy's eyes glazed over and his shoulders sagged. Almost as if in a trance, he began walking straight towards the ocean. His movements were lethargic and sloppy, much like a sleepwalker's.

Alex didn't flinch as two arms wrapped around her middle, and a chin rested on her shoulder. Even if she couldn't see his face, she could tell that Harry was grinning maniacally. No doubt, he had seen the entire exchange play out. Both watched as David walked further and further, until the water was just above his head – and he took a deep breath to let the water fill his lungs. Neither twin reacted when the boy's body floated back up moments later, face down.

"Pity," Harry remarked, "He could have still been useful."

"We asked for entertainment and he provided it." Alex replied flatly, "He served his purpose."

Minutes passed before the rest of the adults started to notice the young boy's disappearance. As they approached, Alex immediately turned to bury her face in Harry's chest, making her shoulders quiver slightly as if she was shaking in fear as he held her. Harry's own expression contorted into one of faux concern. The other parents asked them what was wrong, and Harry pointed to David's body that was now floating motionlessly on the water's surface.

There was an uproar as everyone noticed the dead body. The Dursleys sent the twins an uneasy look, and in turn, Harry sent them a nasty smirk and Alex pierced them with a deadly glare as the rest of the adults' backs were turned. Their green eyes were shone malevolently, so full of sinister promises if they were to say anything against them. No one would believe them anyway. No one ever suspected the charming, innocent Potter twins.

Funny how looks can be very deceiving.

…

One week later…

Five boys surrounded the twins threateningly as they sat together on the swings.

"We know you two did it." Dudley accused them, "You freaks killed David."

Alex stared at her cousin blankly. She was surprised that Dudley even cared, but she was certain that it was more of the fact that he wanted an excuse to beat them up.

Dudley sneered, "You're going to pay for that."

Harry's lips twitched into a smile, a chortle escaping his lips before it evolved to full blown laughter. The cruel sound sent dreaded shivers down the boys' spines and made them shrink. Dudley and his gang instinctively took a step back.

"Are we now?"

Alex was leaning on the edge of her swing in excitement as Harry stood from his spot, and was standing in front of Dudley before he could blink. The look Harry had made his usually angelic visage appear demonic, and what color Dudley had on his face completely drained. "You're going to teach us a lesson then, Dud? How do you plan to do that?"

Dudley raised his fist to punch Harry in the face, only for him to stop mid-punch. A sickening crack seemed to echo, and Dudley cried out in agony as his arm twisted at an odd angle. The rest of the boys scrambled to get away, Dudley tripping as he trailed after them and clutching his broken arm to his chest.

The dark laughter never ceased to follow him.

…

Days before their eleventh birthday, the siblings each received a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the Dursleys were even more terrified than before. The twins' threat still hung over their heads, so they were best left alone if they wanted to keep their lives and limbs intact. Ever since Harry had broken his arm, Dudley ran screaming every time they were in the same room.

On the afternoon of July 31st, their escort to Diagon Alley arrived. A handsome man in robes with pale skin, neat black hair and crimson eyes stood at the door. Petunia tried to shut it in his face, but the man stuck a foot out and held the door open.

"Good afternoon. I am here to see the Potters." he said, an amiable smile on his face.

Petunia paled and squeaked out, "I don't know who you're talking about."

"This is the Dursley residence, is it not? I was told that Harry and Alexis Potter live here." said the man, and Petunia looked as if she didn't want to answer.

"It's very impolite to turn away a guest, Aunt Petunia." Harry spoke as he strode into the room with his sister, making Petunia blanch further. The man took the opportunity to scrutinize the children.

Harry was wearing a knitted vest over a white shirt, and a pair of dark trousers, and dress shoes. His hair was – as usual – tousled, and his hand was firmly intertwined with his sister's. Alex was wearing a casual grey dress and a pair of ballet flats. Her hair was loose on her shoulders, decorated with a thin grey ribbon.

"Who are you?" asked Harry as he spotted the man at the doorway, his tone having the slightest edge to it; it was almost undetectable.

The man bristled slightly in anger. How dare the brat speak to him in such a manner?

Alex stood idly by, though her eyes practically bore holes through the stranger's head.

"That was rude, Harry." She berated her twin softly, giving Harry's hand a small squeeze, her emotionless gaze never leaving the man as she regarded him next, "I apologize for my brother, sir. It's not often that people come to see us. Are you, by any chance, a member of Hogwarts' staff?"

The man didn't show his surprise, despite the fact that he was startled at the contrast in personalities. Clearly, he had been expecting something different. "Indeed, Miss Potter. I am Professor Thomas Gaunt. I will be accompanying you to collect your things."

The twins nodded in acknowledgement.

"Are you like us then, Professor?" Harry inquired, and Professor Gaunt observed them curiously. There was something about them he couldn't quite place.

"Yes, Mr. Potter. I am, what you would call, a wizard. Now, are you both ready to leave?" Again, the twins nodded and were the first out the door.

Just as Professor Gaunt moved to follow, Petunia grabbed his arm. He turned to snap at her, but paused upon seeing her terrified expression.

"Don't let them fool you. They're not as innocent as they look. They're evil, they've killed." she whimpered, before releasing him and shutting the door. The man could only turn to the twins, his shock unmasked. There it was again, that unreadable gleam in their eyes that he seemed all too familiar with.

Tom Riddle, or Professor Thomas Gaunt as he was now known as, was intrigued by the Potters. They were nothing like he had envisioned. The boy was calm and collected and a bit more outspoken, and the girl was basically a blunt, emotionless doll. Neither looked like the type to kill, but Tom knew that wasn't the case. He had caught the look of twisted glee on their faces when they saw how terrified their aunt was of them, but it had gone as quick as it came. How could that be? They were the Children-Who-Lived! The very children who had defeated his other self when they were nothing but a year old.

During the making of his Horcruxes, the process had gone terribly wrong. Instead of splitting his soul, he had split himself into two different people, his snake-faced double much nastier than he was. Imagine Tom's surprise when his all-powerful double had been defeated by two mere infants. Now, perhaps, he could see why.

They were alike; the way the twins held themselves, the way they spoke and how they seemed to charm people with their mask of childlike innocence reminded Tom too much of himself. He couldn't kill them, not yet. There was still a chance for them to turn to the dark, if they weren't already.

For once, Tom Riddle was looking forward to the school year.

Reviews are always appreciated and welcomed!

~Cassandra