Greetings and Salutations!

Well...the day is finally here. I admit to putting this off all week because I knew once I posted it...that was it. I also admit that today my Hufflepuff has overridden all other houses inside my head and body. I am a blubbering mess as I post the last chapter on what has become my favorite story.

I want to thank my Coven for all their support and love through the process. I met all of you while writing 'Storm' and 'Secret' and I have been so blessed to have you witches in my life now! Thank you to Moon for asking me to write this as her birthday present. This story has allowed me to write Tom the way I have always wanted to read him on fanfiction and she was the catalyst that started it all.

A special thank you to all of you who have stuck by me while I updated and gave me so much encouragement and love through reviews and PM's as I have gone through the process. Whether I ever write my own OC book or just continue to write fanfiction, I thank each and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart for making this such a wonderful experience for me.

Without further ado...here is the final chapter for my beloved Tomione. I hope you all enjoy it. I normally tell my Coven to bring a fan...today I say...have some tissue cause I cried writing the whole thing...

Always

~Tempest

Walking through the halls of his manor, Tom stopped to gaze out one of the long windows to the back garden. Though he had never taken the time to tend it himself, he recalled many escapades into the wild blooms and the many nights he made love to Hermione surrounded by the gentle smell of jasmine and roses. It was where his sons and one of his daughters had first learned to fly a broom and where they practiced during the summer months to be ready for Quidditch the next year. It was also where every one of his children had asked for the hand of their spouse or been asked for their hand. If the flowers could talk…oh the stories they could tell.

Gripping the book sized journal in his hand, Tom continued down the hall until he reached his study. Opening the door once more he took his time setting up the writing desk near the window in here. The light from outside was bright but with the cloud cover not overly so and he wanted the fresh air as he recorded what he had to say today. Sitting down he opened a bottle of his finest brandy, set the journal down and open to the first page. With his magic he charmed the quill to begin writing everything he said.

His mind drifting back over his life he couldn't help but smile as he thought about all the wonderful moments he had been blessed with. After his oldest had gone off to begin their Hogwarts days, his third child had been born. Emrick Brenin Riddle had come into the world loud and riotous and had never changed. While Rhydian had been placed in Ravenclaw, after being a full ten minute hat stall, and Avery had been placed in Slytherin before the hat could fully touch her head…his youngest son had run head long into chaos, laughter, and Gryffindor as if he were possessed by Godric himself.

His fourth and last child, the angel whose heart was ever so much bigger than her body, Ereyal Nisha Riddle, had been his secret favorite of all his children. Where Rhydian was his eldest and his pride, Avery his most cunning and ambitious, and Emrick his most brave and foolish…Ereyal had been his little love. Like her mother she had been unable to do anything but love him and everyone around her. Unlike her Gryffindor mother, she had loved unconditionally and without temper. Hermione was known for bossing around or scolding those she cared about when they did dumb things. Ereyal had never once raised her voice to anyone and always had a hug or a smile ready when you needed it. It was no surprise to him at all when she was sorted into Hufflepuff though he had been surprised that each of his children, heirs of Salazar Slytherin, ended up being in all four different houses.

Of course seeing where their lives had led them, he now understood what destiny had in store when everything finally played out and he had been bursting with pride to see the bloodline that had almost torn the magical world asunder was the one to fix the cracks and cuts and mend the rifts prejudice and hate had caused.

Rhydian had spent several years getting multiple masteries like his mother and had returned from Europe to apply for a teaching position at Hogwarts. He had been hired on as the new Transmutation Professor and had been made the Head of House for Ravenclaw after his first five years. He had happily married little Mireille Avery the moment he returned and they met again after years of being apart. As promised her mother and father had sent her to France for schooling to ensure she had space from Rhy while she grew. But the moment they had been in the same room he saw what Angel meant by fae just knew. It seemed the mate of the fae did as well, as with Avery, Rhydian had stumbled across the room in a daze, pulled Mireille in his arms and kissed her as if his life had depended on it.

Mireille had applied and gotten the charms position and a year later they had given Tom and Hermione their first official Riddle grandchild. Of course he had had to reassure Noira and Thorn that they were not being replaced now that his own blood children were having children and it had made his heart warm to know they loved him enough to not want to lose his affections. He had always been amazed that he went from not understanding or ever feeling love to having more people to love than he would have ever been able to imagine.

Avery followed her twin every step of the way. She left with him to pursue several masteries as well and had applied to Hogwarts at the same time. Severus took her on as the Arithmacy Professor and promoted her to Head of Slytherin House the same year as Rhy was given Ravenclaw. What caught him off guard was when Draco's younger brother Scorpius had come to ask him for his permission to court Avery. At first he had been thrown at the idea of an older wizard courting his little girl…until Hermione had reminded him of his birth year compared to hers. Taking in to account all of the benefits of marrying a Malfoy, Tom had been unable to find fault with the union and had grudgingly given his consent.

He found out later that night that Avery had been infatuated with and then had fallen in love with Scorpious by the time she had turned fifteen and he had been just as enamored with her for just as long though he had been ever the gentleman in waiting until she came of age to court her. Thinking back it dawned on him that sparkle in Hermione's eye over Avery and Maddix had been because she knew that Avery already had chosen her future…he had just not been privy to it being the over protective father.

Emrick had followed his older siblings eleven years later into two masteries and had taken on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position at the school. Unlike his siblings, he had not married any of the children in their little group but had brought home a beautiful Italian witch, Carabella Lescanzi, who he had married the first year of his apprenticeship. By the time he returned home with his new wife in tow, they also had a two year old son and another child on the way. As he had expected…his Gryffindor son had taken life by the horns and wrestled it into what he wanted it to be. At his appointment to Professor, Severus had seen the same signs that Tom had started to see and had made Emrick the Head of Gryffindor immediately.

All of them had waited with baited breath as Ereyal had completed her Care of Magical Creatures training and her mastery with Neville for Herbology. She started at Hogwarts a year after Emrick and was given the Head of Hufflepuff position on top of being the Care of Magical Creatures Professor. Unlike the rest of his children, Ereyal was too into her creatures and studying and saving as many as she could that she did not marry young. During her tenth year at Hogwarts the school held a Magical Creatures carnival and many exotic creatures were brought in for the children to study and observe. Ereyal met her husband, Traian Weasley, son of Charlie Weasley, when he had brought in some dragon wyrmlings to be viewed. Their love of the magical beasts had turned to long talks over the telephone or by email, both of which had been manufactured to work in the wizarding world by Maddix Potter, and the occasional international port key for a date.

The two had married in a quiet ceremony and though it was very unorthodox, both had agreed to continue with their work. Traian had returned to Romania to work on the Dragon reserve and Ereyal had stayed at Hogwarts to continue to educate young minds on her magical finds. Their daughter was born five years later and spent most of her time with her mother at Hogwarts and both mother and daughter would go to Romania every summer to stay. Many an article were written about the oddity of the relationship but in the end…it had made his baby girl happy and that was all he cared about…even if it meant having a Weasley in the family.

Thinking on his family now, he could honestly say he had never dreamed of having a legacy as large as he now had when he had first stepped foot inside Hogwarts and made his original plan to take over the wizarding world. Now as he let his eyes roam the walls that were covered in picture after picture of his extended family, he couldn't help but thank the gods once more for taking a Gryffindor with the heart of a Hufflepuff and the mind of a Ravenclaw and putting her directly in the path of the heir of Slytherin. His little lion had taken his entire world and remade it for him with just four simple and yet complex words…I love you Tom.

Focusing his mind back to the task at hand, he began to dictate to the quill knowing his family would be here soon to celebrate his two hundred and third birthday. He wanted to make sure his present to all of them was done by the time they all arrived as well. Severus was the only one of his children to know his entire life story and he wanted to be able to share his fortune and luck with them all before the end of his time here on Earth. He could feel it drawing closer and unlike his youthful self…he was ready.

Severus apparated into the foyer of Riddle Manor and after giving his cloak to Mimsy he stalked down the hall at his usual slightly slower billowing pace. Though he had taken to wearing muggle jeans and sweaters under his teaching robes, he still enjoyed the feel of tugging caused when he walked in his wizarding robes and always stayed dressed like the Headmaster to keep his great nieces and nephews on their toes.

There was a lot to finish getting ready for the party tonight as there were several hundred guests that would be attending but he wanted to check on his father to make sure he didn't need anything before he got started giving the staff and elves their marching orders.

Opening the door to his study with a gentle knock, Severus took in the mahogany walls and furniture. Tom always did enjoy the feel of old Victorian wood paneling and furniture and though the house had changed over the years to reflect Hermione's whims, this room had not changed or aged a day since he had sat in here and began to learn from Tom about the Dark Arts and how to become the strongest wizard he could be. Unlike all those years ago however, Tom was not sitting in his usual reading chair by the fire but was leaned back in one of his office chairs in front of the writing desk. A quill lay sideways on an open journal and as the light streamed in Severus realized the silence was deafening.

Walking quickly now for his age he came around to stand in front of his mentor and the only man he could have ever called a father and froze. Though his head was tilted to the side and resting on the back of the chair and his eyes were closed with a peaceful barely there smile on his face…Severus knew that he wasn't sleeping. Kneeling down he took one of Tom's hands in his, his eyes filling with tears as he brought it up and laid his cheek against the soft skin.

Age had been kind to Tom Riddle and even at two hundred and three the wizard did not look a day over sixty and was just as handsome in his older age as he had been as a young man. Everyone had attributed it to having used the potion in the Philosopher's stone and like Flamel he had continue to age slowly on a physical level even after he stopped using it. It had been some years since strangers had started to ask if Severus was Tom's father as he had aged normally for a wizard. He had even wondered if he would go before Tom did and he knew it had been one of Tom's greatest fears…to still be around as his children started to pass on. In this…Severus was glad to see that fear had not been realized.

Turning his head he pulled the journal down and realized it was almost completely filled with Tom's neat cursive writing. Letting his eyes read over the final passage he realized one thing…Tom knew this day was upon him.

As I sit here and let my final words pour from the quill to the paper of this journal, I have no fear or regret. I have lived a long and joy filled life. I have loved and been loved by my beautiful wife, my amazing children, and my loyal and respected friends. I could not have asked for anything more than maybe a few more years with my wife before she moved on. As I bring this story to a close my eyes are not on the journal but stare into a pair of glowing black eyes. A very old friend, one only a handful of people have ever met and lived to tell the tale of, is here to take me to my beloved personally. I have been waiting to see his face for the past fifty years…the same amount of time the stone gave me to stay young and wait for my beloved in the first place. I always knew there would be payment for those extra years and now I have finally paid it. Tonight, though I leave my family behind, I go forth to the loving arms of my wife and the eternity she gave me by saving my very soul from the darkness. If I have learned one thing in all my years on this Earth it is this…there is no greater power in the world then the power of love…be open to it and it will fill you until you are overflowing.

Tom Marvolo Riddle

Closing the journal and setting it back on the desk, he took a moment to focus and cast his patronus. As he sent the raven winging through the air to inform Avery of what had transpired, he let his own tears of grief begin to fall. Being mated to a fae, Avery was now immortal until he and his wife decided to move on together. As Tom's oldest and most trusted friend, Severus knew Avery would not only take care of the party guests who were not family, he would gather the family together and get them all here as quickly as possible. Calling for Mimsy, Severus began to get Tom ready to receive his family…not for his birthday but for the celebration of his life as they sent him beyond to his eternal rest.

Standing he noticed an envelope addressed to him on the desk. Picking it up he turned it over and broke the Riddle seal to pull out a thick piece of parchment. As he unfolded the letter and saw the signatures of not only his father but Hermione, Avery, and the family lawyer on the bottom his heart pounded in his chest.

Severus,

I know even now there have been times where you have worried about your place in our lives and in my heart. As I told you all those years ago…you are my son. I have watched you grow and learn, love and marry, have children of your own and become everything I knew you could be. And I can tell you this…no father has ever loved his son more or been more proud.

As you know the estates have been divided for quite some time among your brothers and sisters, the grandchildren and great grandchildren. Nothing in that has change. As my heir and oldest living son the main Riddle estate is still yours and will be yours to pass down to Thorn when you pass or Noira if you decide to drive your boy up a wall. It's okay to laugh Severus…I did when I wrote it.

I wanted you to know that the forest and land behind the manor is all part of that estate and in the past ten years I have made sure there were plenty of small huts and homes built in the forest for the pack. I know that you always assumed I would give this estate to Rhydian and you were always wrong. He knew from day one that though he may have been flesh of my flesh…you were my heir. And now your son as your heir will have a safe place for his pack to live so he can be closer to his family.

I leave the family in your capable hands my boy and know that I have no doubt at all in that decision. You and your brothers and sisters…you five were the very best parts of me made whole. I will miss you all dearly but I admit I am more than ready to meet my maker and hold my sweet dove in my arms again. Death tells me I will see you again fairly soon so have your affairs in order. I look forward to our talks once again when you join me but until then my son know that I love you with every piece of my heart.

Your father,

Tom

PS-Ask Angel if she will consider an end to their immortality at some point…I am going to dearly miss my brother and friend and would prefer not to spend eternity without him.

Tom opened his eyes to bright light streaming through the trees. The sound of birds filled his ears as the smell of pine brought back so many memories he had to close his eyes. Pushing himself to a sitting potion he looked around. He was in a clearing in a very familiar area. His body no longer ached from age and as he looked at his hands, his youthful skin made him grin.

The sound of a door opening brought his attention back up and as his eyes locked onto the honey brown eyes of his wife, the ache that had resided in his heart since her passing eased and his chest exploded with joy and love. Scrambling to his feet he took in her beautiful face and that smile she always reserved for him. She was once again the young girl he had met in the journal and as he started to move towards her he realized he was the young man she had fallen in love with.

She met him halfway and as he lifted her into his arms and spun her around her laughter was sweeter than any song an angel could have sung. Setting her on her feet, he wrapped his hands in her hair as he kissed her soft lips, tangling his tongue with hers and reacquainting himself with her taste. She was like honey on his tongue and he moaned as he sank into her entirely. Whining as she pulled back from him, he kept his eyes locked on her…afraid she would fade if he looked away.

"Welcome home baby boy…took you long enough."

His laughter bubbled up beyond his control and pulling her against him he held her tightly as the tears fell from his eyes.

"Sorry I'm late dove…I'll never make you wait for me ever again."

Following as she led him into the log cabin that had been a dream of theirs he had never felt more complete as he did in that very moment. With the love of his life in his arms and the knowledge that his family would all be taken care of by their loved ones, he realized he never had anything to fear from Death…not since the moment he had set eyes on a sassy little Gryffindor who refused to take his crap lying down.

The ceremony was done, the funeral over and the guests had all gone home. Sitting in his father's study, Rhydian held the journal that had been one of the many things left to him by his father. He had yet to open it as his heart was bleeding for his loss. He knew being with Mireille, he would never have that afterlife reunion that kept the others comforted unless he asked his heart to give up her immortality for him…something he was not yet ready to even contemplate.

Taking a deep breath for fortitude, he opened the cover and had to wipe his eyes at the very first page.

To my family

May love ever be your guiding light

So that you never walk in the dark alone

Turning the page, Rhydian settled back in his father's favorite reading chair as he started to read the last words his beloved father decided to write. His laugh shocked him as he read the first line and realized this was going to be a tale even he could not have made up about the man.

Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr was not someone with whom anyone wished to fuck with. From the very beginning he was a truly creepy individual. As a baby he was never found crying or upset but was a perfectly well behaved infant. Growing up in the orphanage in his youngest years he was a complete loner, preferring his own company or that of a book over the treacherous children who lived at Wool's Orphanage with him.

~FIN~