Lay me to sleep

- ONESHOT -

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, there would be more slash and fewer deaths. So…yeah, since the only slash it's got is Dumbledore's unrequited love story – or lack there of, it means I don't own it:D

I have written this story for 2 reasons. For the "First Kiss" challenge set by Asking Me Where My Love Grows ~ where I chose number 10 and got Lavender as a character & Fred/Luna and James/Lily as pairings – but they didn't appeal to me so much, so I chose to do something with Lavender and pair her up with…dun dun! Our favorite psychopathic killer.

But doesn't he have better taste than a "blonde bimbo"? Well…let's see!

As for the second reason, you'll just have to scroll down and read it after the story:P

My mother hates crowds.

This is why, every year, when we go to Diagon Alley for school shopping, I have to wake up early, when the sun hasn't even risen properly. You see, this year is very important to me. 6th year at Hogwarts is magical, said the seniors in my House – because relationships suddenly bloom everywhere!

You see, I'm a very pretty girl, but I haven't had a single boyfriend until now, and I've never been kissed before. Weird, isn't it? I'm sixteen already, for Merlin's sake. What are these boys waiting for? A written invitation?

Today, my mother was supposed to go with me to Diagon Alley, as we always do. However, after waking me up, she received an urgent message from the Ministry and she left in a hurry, giving me the key for our Gringotts account and warning me against spending too much.

Mum works way too much, and way too hard. I barely get to see her – especially now, that I spend almost 10 months a year at Hogwarts. This day has always been special to me. How dare they take her away? When I voice my objection, she sighs and places a hand on my shoulder.

"This project is very important, I have been working on it since the beginning of the summer, and if they called me now, it means we have problems. Lav, darling, do grow up. Why don't you firecall Parvati and Padma and take them along?"

With that, she turned around, grabbed some Floo powder and she was gone.

I'll show her grown up. I'll go to Diagon Alley and shop for school all by myself.

I slam my purse shut and walk towards our fire place, anger still burning in my mind. I can barely register my right hand taking the Floo powder, and the words leaving my mouth are…what were they?

I don't have much time to contemplate this, because I just landed – in a very dark, scary place. These small, dirty-looking stores with dark items can't possibly belong to Diagon Alley. Oh Merlin – is that a shrunken head?

There are some wizards roaming around, and they don't look friendly. I do the first thing that comes to mind and enter a store, quickly closing the door behind me. I think I just realized where I am.

This isn't the kind of place where a pureblood witch coming from a nice, good family should be.

Nocturn Alley.

I take a look around at the objects on the dusty shelves. They are quite varied and seem – well – harmless, sitting there on display for everyone to see. Besides, I am a Gryffindor and we don't back down from something like that. Oh, I'm so gonna brag about this! Parvati won't believe it!

My curiosity gets the better of me, and I approach the shelves carefully. A mummified hand, some bugs, five books, a pretty necklace that looks a bit dangerous – oh yes, it says here that it killed quite a lot of Muggles, so it's definitely cursed – some knives, a ring – bleh, I wouldn't put my finger in there even if it killed me, and what is that…?

In the middle of the shelf lies an innocent-looking necklace with the words "My Sweetheart" engraved on it. Somehow, "my sweetheart" and "dark magic" don't click.

And so, I reach for it. The minute my fingers brush against it, the necklace starts to tremble. I curse my stupidity a second too late. I'm suddenly surrounded my darkness. My throat constricts painfully in fear, and my breath stops. I can hear my own heartbeat, as my arms reach out into the darkness to grasp something, anything! And then the world explodes in color, and I spin so fast I can only see a blur, and then it stops.

I'm standing on the sidewalk, in front of a mirror shop. I look into one of those mirrors, and I can barely contain a scream. I look different; I am a completely different person! And my clothes! I'm wearing a red dress, and a tight corsage that makes me breathe with difficulty.

Worst of all, a sensation of emptiness hits me like an ice bucket and I shiver. What am I missing? After a few more seconds of contemplation, I realize: it's my magic. Whoever this gorgeous girl is, she is not a witch.

There is a newspaper next to my feet. With a shock, I read the date. 1946.

Mum, when is it okay to start crying? I've had enough of this growing up. I want to go home!

And then I see him coming towards me. A tall, dark stranger with piercing stormy eyes and some red flickers in them. He stops in front of me, and he kisses the back of my hand slowly and gently. I am too stunned to move, as this never happened to me before. Who is this man? And then, just like magic, my mind – or maybe her mind? supplies the answer: "Tom Riddle"

Tom Riddle is the Moon.

He looks 20, and he is wearing a simple white shirt with a green and black tie, and black trousers and shoes. However, he makes such a boring outfit look classy, almost regal! And his touch sends electricity up my spine, such foreign emotions. I wonder if this girl and Tom are lovers. If so, would she let me kiss him just once? Once would be enough. My first kiss should belong to this dark prince.

And then, I see the tip of a wand coming out his right sleeve. A wizard, then. I smile at Tom, and he smiles back. There is something off about him, though. I just have a bad feeling…

He lets go of my hand and straightens himself. And he removes a small box from his pocket.

"For you" he says, his voice smooth and deep, and I feel my heart beating faster all over again.

I reach for the box with trembling hands and open it. There it is! The necklace from that dark shop. "My Sweetheart". I am stunned once more.

"What is it, Julia? Is it not to your liking?"

"…it's very beautiful" I finally find my voice. It sounds hoarse and pathetic. I can't believe I have been reduced to a puddle of goo with only a few simple gestures from his part.

My fingers still tremble while holding the delicate chain.

"Would you like some help with it?" he asks with an air of amusement.

I just nod once, no longer trusting my voice, and turn around. He places the necklace around my neck and I can feel his breath coming in warm puffs. My breath hitches. He then turns me around and leads me away, to someplace only he seems to know. Or perhaps Julia knows it too. I wouldn't. I've never been to Muggle London before.

We arrive at some dark place, a dark abandoned building it seems. Not really my definition of romance, and I suddenly don't feel so well. What do I know about Tom Riddle anyway? I try to turn around, but his arm rests on my shoulder and he pulls me to his chest.

And then he covers my mouth with his own – soft, warm lips against my trembling lips, searching, worshiping – and I burst at the sensation. Oh Merlin, if this is what kissing feels like, I'd do it for the rest of my life! His arms circle around me and crush my already crushed lungs into a tight hug. My breath hitches again, and breathing becomes difficult.

He is licking my bottom lip, and I gasp – and he sneaks his tongue inside my mouth, and it feels strange, all of a sudden – the feeling of another tongue in my mouth, but he is obviously skilled, because I quickly become accustomed to this. And then his manner changes from slow and passionate to hard, demanding – as if he was trying to suck the last breath out of my lungs. Is he…?

And I need air, so I bite his tongue slightly, hoping to get the message across. He abruptly cuts off the kiss and slaps me hard. I fall to the ground while a trail of blood starts to flow from my split lip. Why…?

And then he turns on the light and I see books and potions on the table and runes on the floor.

He wipes his mouth, looking disgusted and I feel like something heavy just settled in the pit of my stomach. I swallow shakily, trying to catch my breath, and the wand slides down from the sleeve and he grabs it with white knuckles.

"Poor Julia" he starts in a mocking tone "you should feel grateful that I chose a tramp like you for this ritual. After all, your existence will finally gain a meaning, you useless Muggle" he hisses. "More so than a few trysts with rich men will ever get you"

"What?" I shout. "What are you talking about? Why are you doing this?"

"Weak. Disgusting. Useless. Just like her. Except, she was a squib" he hisses again. "Crucio!"

I scream. I can't hold it in, Gryffindor or not. It's like hot knives are tearing away at my skin, and it hurts so much, and I just want it to stop, and I turn around to look at him, and he just sits there, wand pointed at me, a cruel smirk on his handsome face.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he stopped.

And he laughed, a high-pitched, cold laugh that gives me the chills, once again. I want to get up and run, but my legs won't obey and my entire body is shacking out of my control.

He is watching me with interest now, wand lazily held in his hand.

I am still lying on my back, trying to push myself up using my elbows, but it just doesn't work! And then something pushes me down again. He has moved from his place and his shoe is pressing down my sternum, pushing me to the ground. It hurts, and I can't breathe again, and I'm so very scared…and he points the wand at me one more time. The tip glows green, and suddenly I know what's about to happen.

And then, I suddenly find myself back into the dark store.

An old, creepy-looking guy suddenly comes in from what seems to be a room in the back. I pull the hood up and thank Merlin I grabbed a dark cloak without the Hogwarts emblem on.

"And what would you be doing here, little girl?" his eyes trail on me and then he sport the necklace. "Oh, that piece – I wouldn't recommend it. The former owner experienced a quite traumatic death, and it seems it's still haunted by her spirit. A Muggle tramp she was, but for some reason, her spiritual awareness was quite high."

Haunting. Just a haunting. She showed me the memory of her death. Tramp…? Tramp, because she was wearing her best dress for him? Her strong reactions to Tom, her sense of danger, everything I felt were actually her feelings, and not my own!

Julia was in love with him, and he killed her.

I touch the necklace again, but nothing happens. So I take a deep breath, calm my wildly beating heart and clear my voice.

"I'll take it"

He wraps it for me and I pay for it. I run out, stumbling along the place for a while, my vision blurred by tears. Somehow, I end up in Diagon Alley, and now I am blinded by the morning sun. The first person I see is my best friend in the whole world, Parvati. I run into her arms, crying, and she is startled. She shares a meaningful look with her mother and sister, and they go ahead without her.

Parvati is so kind. She lets me cry my heart out and she accepts when the only explanation I give is "I accidentally flooed to Nocturn Alley and some dark wizard picked on me and I thought I wasn't going to get out of there alive"

Parvati buys two butterbeers and then she drags me away "to the only store here that will help cure your sadness". Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Ron Weasley is the Sun.

I spend my time looking at all the tools for pranking and toys they made, plus the love potions – oh, what beautiful pink bottles! But my chest tightens as I briefly remember Julia's beautiful face, and her smile.

And then, my attention is drawn away by a boy my age, that has been in my dormitory for the past five years, and his eyes are blue, a warm, kind, light blue, full, and living, and so honest, so different from Tom's stormy ones. I feel like I'm looking at Ron for the first time. His red hair frames a longer faces, and oh my, how did he grow so much during the summer?

His arms are muscled, his chest looks well-toned through the greenish T-shirt. He is scowling at his older brothers that don't want to give him a discount.

His face is open, his manner wild and so Gryffindor-like and suddenly I find myself wanting…

And I swear, by the end of the first term, he will be my Won-Won and I will be his Lav-Lav, and we will kiss, sweet and tender, every day. And his arms will come around me and he will pull me gently against that toned chest, and he will whisper sweet nothings into my ear and I will melt in his embrace.

I will live a true love story for you, Julia – I promise her, in my mind, as I say "hi" to him. And then, maybe you can finally rest in peace.

I leave the store with my pockets full and my wallet emptier, and I head towards a jewel store.

"I'd like an exact replica of this necklace, please", I tell the shop keeper.

I already know what my first gift for Won-Won will be.

Now a bit of information:

The locket horcrux was created in 1946 and the victim was a muggle tramp, or so it is said.

That same year, Voldemort also created the cup horcrux; first the cup, then the locket.

Voldemort actually made 5 of his horcruxes before he turned 20.

And now, the second reason why I wrote this was to shamelessly promote my first HP/LV video that I feel didn't get enough attention on youtube because most of my friends and subscribers are anime lovers. Here's the link:

youtube(dot)com/watch?v=8UJ4VqweF8o

If the link doesn't work, search "Memento Mori, Memento Amor HPLV" or my channel - xSugarHighDD and you'll find it.

Thanks for your attention! Please review is you liked it!