Author's Notes: This is an experimental fic. I randomly had this idea in my head, and this is what came out. I'm not sure I'm going to continue this fic. It depends on the response I get, and what kind of ideas I can generate for this fanfic. With that said, I hope you enjoy reading!

Money Can't Buy My Love

Chapter 1

Harry Potter was a kind, gentle-hearted soul. Everybody in town liked him, and would often invite him into their homes, sometimes for a nice, warm cup of tea, and sometimes for wholesome meals. There was only one problem with Harry Potter.

He was dirt poor.

Living in a shabby, run-down apartment, Harry could hardly afford to pay his rent on his meagre, minimum-wage salary. His diet was also atrocious due to his lack of ability to afford quality, healthy food. Often, he would simply buy the cheapest food at fast-food restaurants, which often included unhealthy, greasy forty-nine cent hamburgers. Given his poor diet, one would think that Harry would be overweight from all the calories and fat contained in his daily meals. However, Harry remained stick thin despite his poor diet and eating habits. Harry attributed his condition to his fast metabolism. He was a young, growing boy after all.

All in all, life had dealt Harry Potter a poor hand, and Harry was dealing with it the best he could while still going to university on a scholarship he'd managed to earn by studying for countless hours when he wasn't at work.

If you asked Harry, he would say he lived a pretty shitty life. However, the fact remained that it was his life, and despite all the hardships he had to endure, Harry wouldn't trade his life for anybody else's. He had gotten used to being poor, and could manage just fine with the few resources he had at his disposal.

Little did he know that his life was about to be turned upside down upon encountering one Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"Oi Harry! Hurry up!" exclaimed Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend. "There's a movie I want to catch that starts at four. If we go now, we can still make it in time to see the previews."

"You know I don't have any spare change to be seeing movies, Ron," said Harry, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and walking out the door of his class with his best friend.

"And you know that I can just pay for the both of us, no sweat," said Ron, who took out his wallet and revealed four twenty dollar bills tucked neatly inside.

"And you know that I hate it when you pay for me," Harry retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I may be poor, but I'm not some kind of charity case, you know."

"I know, I know," said Ron. "But I really want to see this movie with someone, and who better to see it with than my best friend?" Ron smirked upon seeing the expression on Harry's face change to one of tenderness, and mentally cheered at his own feat of cunning.

"Well, when you put it that way…" said Harry, "…I guess I won't mind if you pay for me this one time."

"Great!" Ron exclaimed. "So let's book it and go!" And with that, Ron and Harry caught the bus and started heading towards the theatre.

Upon arriving at the theatre, Ron went to buy their tickets, so Harry waited outside and looked at the posters for the different movies showing. Among the posters, there was one for a romantic comedy, one for a horror film, and one for a martial arts film. Harry wondered which movie they were seeing as he looked at all the different posters.

When Ron returned, Harry discovered that Ron had purchased tickets to see the martial arts film. Harry cocked an eyebrow at Ron's film of choice.

"I didn't know you liked watching martial arts films," remarked Harry, eyeing the title of the film printed on their tickets.

"I love them!" exclaimed Ron, grinning widely at Harry. "The fighting sequences are soooo cool! It's amazing, what those guys can do, and it's all planned!"

"Yeah, I admit it is pretty amazing," Harry agreed. "Now let's find some good seats and sit down."

Harry and Ron entered the theatre where their movie was showing and sat down at the back in the middle of the theatre. Pretty soon, the previews started, then the movie, and Harry watched as the protagonist engaged in a battle of fists and kicks with the antagonist. The whole display was pretty impressive, if Harry could say so himself, and when the movie was over, Harry could honestly say that he wanted to pick up martial arts himself, if he only had the money.

As he and Ron exited the theatre, Harry roughly bumped into a man and immediately paused.

"I'm sorry!" he said hastily, bowing his head down abruptly in apology.

"It's okay," said the man, who promptly walked past him without giving Harry a second thought.

Harry and Ron walked out of the theatre and lingered around at the entrance.

"Well, I guess we should go home now," said Ron. "Thanks for watching the movie with me."

"No problem. Thanks for paying for me," said Harry.

"I'll see you tomorrow," said Ron.

"Yeah. See ya," said Harry, and they parted ways, Ron walking to the left, Harry walking to the right. As Harry walked home, buses passed him by, reminding Harry that if he only had enough money, he could take the bus back home too. But alas, this was not the case. And it was times like these where Harry wished he had more money at his disposal.

The sky grew dark by the time Harry made it half-way to his apartment. Night had settled in, and despite hearing many stories about how one should not be alone at night, here Harry was, walking home alone at night. The cool night air brushed his face as he ambled along at a steady pace towards his apartment.

Upon finally arriving at his apartment, Harry discovered that he was not alone. A man dressed in an immaculate suit and tie was standing by his door, seemingly gazing at the number 'seven' stuck on his apartment door.

"Excuse me," Harry said politely, and the man turned to look at him. "Can I help you?"

"I used to live in this dump," stated the man, "years ago, back when I was still in school. I was piss-poor then." Harry's eyes widened at the revelation. He could hardly believe that this man standing before him, dressed so elegantly, used to live in the shabby shack that was his home.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?" remarked the man, a slight smile gracing his lips. "I wondered what kind of person was living in my old apartment now."

"Why would you wonder that?" Harry asked brashly, not seeing the point of it all. "What does it matter who lives in your old apartment?"

"Maybe it doesn't really matter," said the man, crimson eyes flashing, "but I've recently just bought this whole building and land for a measly two-hundred thousand dollars." The man took out some papers and handed them to Harry. Harry's eyes widened upon reading the papers, which designated the man – Tom M. Riddle - as the rightful owner of the building and land. "I plan to tear this building down and rebuild higher-class apartments on the land."

"WHAT?!" screeched Harry. "You can't do that! I live here! I've got nowhere else to go!"

"Tough luck, kid," said Tom. "You'll have to find someplace else to stay."

"You can't do this!" Harry exclaimed. "I don't have anywhere else to go. Everywhere else is too expensive for me to stay in!"

Tom surveyed Harry for several moments, as if he was contemplating something. Finally, he smirked and said, "Well, I could offer you a place to stay until you can afford to rent some place more expensive."

"It's no good," said Harry despondently, shaking his head in dismay. "I don't have the money to pay you for what is sure to be a more expensive apartment than what I'm living in now."

"Oh, I won't be expecting money from you as payment," said Tom. Harry looked at Tom, confused at his words.

"Then how am I supposed to pay for the lodgings?" Harry asked.

"You'll earn it," said Tom, "by tending to my every need."