"~Parseltongue~"

Considering I've lived in an orphanage for ten years of my life, this place wasn't as bad as it could be.

It was much larger than the orphanage I had stayed in but everything else was okay. It was pretty well kept, and there was always a bully. Here it was Billy Stubbs.

The first time he met me he instantly started flirting. At least I think it was flirting. Had he been a guy from the future he would have been one of those who said "If you were a tree, you'd be a good tree." So in other words, he sucked.

At first I had ignored him but he was persistent. After a short while I tried walking away from him but he just followed close behind. My silence seemed to bother him and he slipped in front of me to block my path. I was very tempted to punch him in the nose, but before I could Riddle had appeared out of nowhere and acted as though he had been looking everywhere for me.

The look on Billy's face had been rather priceless. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera.

At the moment I was sitting in a windowsill overlooking the yard where all the children were playing. I was absently turning the books pages and wondered when I would be able to get my drivers license. I was sixteen now, my birthday having been back at the end of spring.

A commotion from outside drew my attention and I looked to see Billy Stubbs grab hold of Riddles shirt, lifting him from the ground. I knew Riddle would easily have taken care of it, had he been able to use magic. Without it he would be forced to fight the muggle way, and with Stubbs being twice Riddles size I knew who would win in that fight.

I stood from the windowsill and ignored the book that was now sitting on the floor. I raced through the building and made it outside in time to see Stubbs punch Riddle in the nose.

Riddle stumbled back with a hand over his nose. When he took it away his hand was covered in blood and it was running in rivulets down his chin. The children who had surrounded the two were cheering Stubbs on.

I pushed passed the children until I was in the middle along with Riddle and Stubbs. I forcefully pushed Stubbs out of the way and pulled Riddles hand away from his face. I touched his nose and winced along with him when I realized it was broken.

"Look here. It seems Riddles girlfriend has come to save his sorry ass." Everyone around us laughed.

I looked into Riddles eyes and mouthed sorry, knowing this was probably a blow to his pride. His eyes reflected his acceptance of my apology.

Holding my head up high I turned to face Stubbs and calmly told him, "I am not his girlfriend. Only an acquaintance."

Stubbs snorted in disbelief, "Yeah, whatever." He cracked his knuckles in what would have been a threatening manner, and it probably would have been if I hadn't hardened myself to the fact I was in a battle with Grindelwald, also killing one of his men.

"Move aside girly, I don't want to hurt that pretty face of yours."

"No." He had obviously expected me to move aside like he demanded me to.

"I'll ask you one more time." This time he took a step towards me.

I was in the same boat as Riddle. Without magic to help me out there wasn't much I could do in a fist fight. Maybe I would be more successful than Riddle, but I still wouldn't win in one.

Tucking my hands into my sleeves nervously I felt my original wand strapped to my right arm. I desperately wanted to use it, but if I did the trace on my wand would pick up that I used underage magic outside of school.

On my left arm I felt the grooved wood of the Elder wand. Feeling that wand made me pause. The trace was in every wand sold, only breaking when the wizard/witch turned seventeen. The Elder wand couldn't have a trace because it's been around for centuries, on top of that it's supposed to be a part of a story.

Wrapping my hand around the top of the wand, I prayed to any listening God that this would work, even if I'm not holding it by the handle.

My silence was enough for Billy and he advanced towards me. He took two steps before I brought up my arm and pointed it at him, keeping my hand hidden in my sleeve.

His steps faltered and he looked at my arm warily. When nothing happened he continued towards me, and I whispered Expelliarmus under my breath. To quiet for anyone else to hear.

The blue spell shot out of my sleeve and hit Stubbs directly in the chest. He was immediately flung back into the kids behind him.

Glad that it worked I grabbed hold of Riddles clothes and dragged him over the fallen children. I continued until I finally brought him up to his room. Now technically ours since Mrs. Cole never gave me my own room.

I sat him on the bed and pulled out the Elder wand, locking the door and making sure nobody could eavesdrop.

"You shouldn't have done that." I looked up at Riddle and raised a brow in silent question. "You will get in trouble for using magic outside of school."

"No I won't."

"Why–AH!" Riddle brought his hand up to his nose and gently pressed it, only to feel it was no longer broken. With another wave of the Elder wand the blood was removed from both his face and the small amount on his clothes.

"I won't get in trouble because the Ministry trace is on every students wand until they reach their majority. Considering this wand is centuries old, it wouldn't have a trace." I explained.

Riddle examined the Elder wand with interest. "Wasn't that Grindelwalds wand?" He raised his eyes up to mine.

I nodded in agreement, "It was."

"Then how is it that the wand works for you?"

"Well, to wield this particular wand you have to win its allegiance. Because I defeated Grindelwald in that duel the wands loyalty transferred to me." I returned the Elder wand to its holster.

While Riddle was busy looking at the place where I returned the Elder wand I grabbed onto his arm and tried to drag him from the room, but he stayed sitting on the bed.

"What makes you think you can just drag me around?" I looked back at him to answer, but closed my mouth when I didn't have one. Riddle smirked at me, "I thought not." I shrugged unapologetically.

"Where did you wish to drag me off to anyway?"

"Diagon Alley."

He raised a dark brow, "Why would you bring me there?"

"Because I want to go, is that so hard to believe?"

All he did was hum in response to my question. "And how were we going to get there?"

I honestly had no idea now that I thought about it. We both had a mutual agreement against using the Knight Bus ever again, and neither of us knew how to apparate or where to find a Floo.

"I have one idea." When i paused he waved for me to continue. "Hatty?"

For a while nothing happened and Riddle looked up at me like I was insane. "Who?"

As soon as he asked, a loud pop echoed in the room. "Good evening Mistress!"

I smiled both at Hatty and the astonished look on Riddles face. "Hey Hatty. I was wondering if you could take Mr. Riddle here and myself to Diagon Alley?"

Hatty happily nodded her head, "Of course Mistress!" Hatty held out her hand and I waisted no time in grabbing it, and after some coaxing from Riddle I got him to grab onto her other hand so we could disappear with a pop.

When we showed up in the Alley I waved Hatty of with a thank you and watched her pop away.

I noticed Riddle look from where Hatty was once standing then over to me. "A house elf?"

"It worked didn't it?" he had no argument for that.

With no set destination in mind we simply strolled around they Alley until we came upon what looked like a pet shop. With my love for animals I entered the shop, not caring if Riddle followed me inside or not.

The annoying sound of screeching owls and hissing cats was almost enough to make me walk right back out, not to mention the smell. But I forced myself forward and looked at the owls.

I remembered what Minerva had said about writing to her, and wondered if it was time to get myself an owl. Although Basil might not be too happy about it. She was currently residing in my trunk. It would have been hard to keep her hidden under my clothes when in the muggle world.

None of the owls caught my eye and I looked around to find Riddle in the very back of the store. I wandered back there and joined him.

"~Hello beautiful~" the sudden comment surprised me, but I realized he was talking to one of the snakes.

"~A speaker~" from the voice I could tell the snake was amazed to be talking to a Speaker.

"~I am. Why would one as beautiful as yourself be stuck in this horrible shack~" I rolled my eyes. Even when talking to a snake Riddle was polite. Only with the snake he seemed more sincere.

"~Riddle what are you doing?~" both Riddle and the snake looked over at me as I stood next to Riddle.

"~You are a speaker as well?~" if it was possible the snake seemed even more honored now that there were two speakers instead of one.

"~I forgot you were a speaker as well~" I looked over at Riddle and just shrugged.

"~My name is Danielle little snake. What is yours?"

"~I was never given a name~" the snake confessed.

"~Would you like us to give you one?~" I asked her.

She grew excited, "~It would please me greatly~"

The three of us descended into silence until Riddle spoke up "~Nagini~"

Hearing the name and seeing the snake agree with a pleased hiss made my stomach clench. Naturally we find the Voldemorts future pet snake when we go out on a spontaneous outing.

Riddle suddenly removed the lid of the tank holding Nagini, and I watched as he allowed her to slide around him. "What are you doing?!" I hissed at him, in English.

"How else am I going to take her when I have no money?" He asked me this as if I should have already known what he was doing.

I huffed and dragged him up to the front counter. "How much for the snake?"

The greasy looking man behind the counter paled at the sight of the large snake. He stammered out "Fifteen galleons" and I waisted no time in throwing the required money on the desk.

As soon as we left the store Riddle turned on me, "Why did you do that? I don't want you to be buying me things as if I'm a charity case!"

Before I could say anything back a loud booming noise sounded throughout the Alley. Terrified screams soon followed and everyone started running in the opposite direction. Bolts of different colored lights were flashing into existence from where the boom had originated from.

Riddle suddenly grabbed my arm, "Come on!"

It was my turn to be dragged and he waisted no time in bringing us towards the flashing lights. "Are you crazy?! Shouldn't we be going away from the danger? Not towards it?!"

"That was a rather Slytherin thing to say!" Riddle shouted back to me over the panicked screams of the surrounding people.

"Well you are making a rather Gryffindor decision!" I shouted back.

He ignored me, and as we continued on I found that the flashing lights weren't lights at all, but they were spells. Spells being thrown by men wearing rather familiar robes. "Why is it that every time I go out, Grindelwalds men are there?" I complained.

Riddle pulled me into a side alley to dodge a stray spell. "Can we be Slytherin and run away now?" I asked hopefully?

"Where is all of that Gryffindor courage?"

"It left me back in December when I fought Grindelwald, and I hope to God he isn't here today."

Looking out of the alley I was thankful that I haven't seen any sign of Grindelwald. Said relief soon left me when I saw none other than Charlus Potter dueling against one of the robed men. The teenager was obviously loosing against the robed mans darker and larger knowledge of spells.

I was not about to let the grandfather of Harry Potter be killed right in front of me. We never talked much in Hogwarts, but that didn't mean I couldn't do anything.

Jumping out of the alley I raced over to Potter, but before I could make it the robed man shot three spells in quick succession. Charlus easily deflected the first one and dodged the second. Leaving him unprepared for the green curse rapidly approaching.

Just from the color I knew exactly what the spell was, and by the panicked widening of Potter's eyes he knew it too.

Pushing myself to run even faster I called out Potters name, but the blood roaring in my ears prevented me from hearing it.

I knew Potter heard me when he turned to see me running straight for him. His eyes widened but that was all he was able to do before my body rammed his to the side.

Looking down to see Potter had fallen to the ground we made eye contact and I had enough time to give him a small smile of acceptance. I saw Potters horrified eyes before a flash of green clouded my vision and a comforting darkness replaced everything around me.

Charlus watched as Danielle's lifeless body fell to the ground. He couldn't believe that one second he was about to die, and the next Danielle slammed his body to the side, giving up her own life to save his.

As he sat on the ground, pure rage began coursing through his veins. He looked up and glared at the man responsible in time to see him about to cast another spell towards him.

He rolled out of the way and threw every spell he knew at the robed man, but it still didn't seem like enough.

The robed man seemed to begin gaining ground until another person joined Charlus in fighting him off. He looked over to see none other than Tom Riddle ferociously sending spell after spell at their opponent. In his anger Charlus chose to ignore the slew of dark spells and continued to throw his own light spells.

It wasn't long before Charlus had the man disarmed and Riddle threw a dark purple curse, making the man start screeching in absolute agony. Charlus didn't know what the spell did at first, but when small tendrils started flowing under the mans skin before catching on fire, Charlus realized it caused the blood in your veins to catch on fire.

Both boys were panting as they stood over the man they had just killed. Looking up at each other Riddle spoke first, "We will keep this between us." As soon as Charlus agreed that he wouldn't speak a word about this to anyone, Riddle swiftly turned and walked away. He looked all the more menacing with the large cobra draped over his shoulders.

Turning away Charlus looked at the ground around him but saw nothing. He could have sworn there was something there that had caused his anger towards the robed man, but there was nothing.

Shrugging at the odd occurrence he brushed it off as a bought of anger. It was reasonable considering he was a dark lord supporter.

Trudging through the rubble Charlus eventually found the Leakey Cauldron where he was thankfully able to Floo home and tell his parents everything that happened in the Alley.

When he did tell his parents about his one-on-one duel with the robed man, he would tell them how he shielded one curse, dodged the other, and when he dodged he slipped on a loose rock causing him to fall to the ground and allow the Killing curse to pass harmlessly over him.

All thoughts of the blonde and purple eyed girl missing from his memory.

AN: *evily cackles* yes I did just kill Danielle, and before anyone yells at me there will be a sequel! Soon.