A/N: I've been doing a lot of thinking and decided that since I am stuck for inspiration for my other stories that I would redo this one. I know I keep changing and updating this story I have been stuck for inspiration so im going to clean this up to help with my other stories.

Even If

Introduction

In December of 1926 a child was born to a Pureblood witch of Slytherin decent. He was the child of a Muggle man, Tom Riddle Sr. didn't want anything to do with Merope and so she dosed his with love potion. After she was pregnant, she stopped giving him the potion. As fate would have it, drugged men do not enjoy being controlled and drugged, and he left her. Merope died shortly after birthing a healthy baby boy. Tom Riddle Jr. was placed into the care of Muggles: Muggles who owned and ran an orphanage.

Chapter 1.

Tom had always known who his parents were. His mother was a pathetic excuse for a woman who couldn't live long enough to be of any use, and his father was a pathetic man. Though Tom had to admit without the two he would cease to exist.

Tom had been at the orphanage for eight years when Ailis Stevens came. She was pretty for an eight-year-old. Her parents had died in a car accident a few days before; she had no other family that had wanted her. She was just like him because he was mostly alone. He didn't care about the other kids at the orphanage since they were all so childish.

Tom liked to spend his time taunting Ailis, he found great enjoyment in it. One day when they were nearly 11, he had been taunting her like usual It wasn't about anything specific. She'd finally had enough, she was angry. At last, he thought, he watched as her face became red and she began to shake. Next thing he knew, he was sinking into the floor. Quick sand, she'd turned the floor into quick sand. Needless to say he was impressed

After that they became friends… well almost friends.

He could make animals obey him without training them, he could read peoples thoughts, and he could talk to snakes. She could make clouds form above your head, have them follow you around and make it rain. "What can I say," She would say in her nearly grown up voice, "I'm raining on you parade." she could also make the shadows dance. She could make them pick things up, and move things around. It was quite impressive. Cats would find her; much like snakes would find him. They didn't speak to her the way the snakes would speak to Tom.

When Tom was 11 Dumbledore came to see him at the orphanage. He said he was going to take him away to a school, a school for people like him; A school for wizards.

Tom had asked about Ailis, would she be coming too? He wouldn't make her stay behind would he? He had said it was for people like him, wasn't she like him?

Dumbledore had promised that Ailis would have the same education as his. He need not worry about her being left behind.

"I'm not worried," Tom had said, "It wouldn't be fair to her. I mean not that she's my friend or anything."

Dumbledore hadn't responded, so Tom was semi-worried about Ailis. That was a good sign.

When they started school in the fall of 1938, they were sorted into separate houses: Him into Slytherin and her to Ravenclaw. Slytherin and Ravenclaw never had classes together, so they only ever saw each other in the library, mostly on Wednesdays and Fridays.

They tried to convince headmaster Dippet to allow them to stay at school over breaks. It never happened though; they were shipped back to the orphanage over Christmas and summer vacation. All in all it was very unpleasant.

Up until 4th year, everything had gone relatively well. You see Tom had never realized that Ailis was Muggle-born. He had overheard her admit to another Muggle-born that her parents were non-magical; after all they had died in a car accident when she was 8. She wasn't bitter about it, she was very understanding, "they are in a better place," she had said to the boy when he had asked how they had died, "they wouldn't want me to be overly sad about it." Tom had watched as the boy sat confused at the desk in the library, it had never occurred to him to ask about her parents, he felt like a fool.

Things were never quite the same between them after that. He started to avoid being alone with her, mainly in the library. They had stopped studying together, well it was more of a "he stopped" doing kind of deal.

During 5th year Tom opened the Chamber of Secrets, to finish the noble work of Salazar Slytherin. There was more than one student that was hurt, but none of them were worse for wear until the end of the year when a girl name Myrtle was killed. She had looked into the eyes of the monster, and died. Tom hadn't intended for her to die; she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In order to keep from being caught he framed Rubeus Hagrid, who was in turn expelled. Hagrid being expelled saddened Ailis, she considered him a close friend. She didn't believe for a minute that he had let loose a monster that would hurt innocent students. Ailis never knew how to leave things alone, and was always sticking her nose where it didn't belong. This was probably the only time that she had kept her opinions to herself on the matter.

Even though headmaster Dippet was certain that everything would be fine, Ailis wasn't so sure. She was scared; and rightfully so, considering the circumstances.

In 6th year Tom and his gang (that's what they were, he couldn't call them friends) clung to him for safekeeping. So they named themselves the Knights of Walpurgis. Muggle-born and half-blood students would disappear for a few hours at a time, usually at night when no one would know they were gone; minus a few dorm mates. They would return not knowing where they were, or what had happened to them. They were removed of their memories, so they couldn't tell anyone what had happened.

Several of the Knights, thought that it was Ailis's turn. Tom was a bit reluctant, he had become close to her those years they spent together at the orphanage. Although she was Muggle born she had pretended that none of it had happened. She was still unfailingly kind to him, well to everyone really.

"One who wished to concur the world must strike out their heart," Malfoy had said, "lest your enemy strikes it out first."

"Love is just another form of weakness," Avery said approvingly, "even though we all love her."

The Knights had thought that she was wonderful; although they had suspected her of knowing what they were doing she had kept silent. Perhaps she knew, perhaps she didn't; it hadn't occurred to anyone to ask her if she had known of not.

"Even though we have all been helped by her at one time or another," Nott said, "she's still a mud-blood."

After everyone had said his or her peace, the meeting was adjourned for the evening, to meet again at midnight in the usual place. Tom set off on his mission to find tonight's prey. He knew where she would be, so he wouldn't have to look long.

On this particular night she was studying in the library, she was sitting back in the corner studying for a potions exam. The thing was she really hadn't needed to study at all. She was the smartest student in her year, after him of course.

Walking up to her, trying not to startle her any more that what he had to, he spoke. "Ailis," Tom said, "can we talk?"

"Is something the matter?" she asked right off the bat, it hadn't mattered to her that he hadn't talked to her in ages, or that he only talked to her when he was in dire need of something she could assist him with.

"I'm sorry," Tom said, "please don't hate me."

"Why would I hate you?" she asked.

"For what I'm about to do," he said.

"What are you about to do?" she asked.

He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, she was surprised. She doubted this was what he had wanted to apologize for. Although the kiss was nice she knew there was something else.

"I really am sorry," he said, she looked up at him confused before everything went black.

When she woke she was bound and gagged in the middle of a room. She was bound so that she could sit upon her knees. She knew what was happening, she was about to be tortured. No doubt they wanted to send across a message to the other Muggle born students that there was no favouritism with Muggle borns. She tried very hard not to become distressed; it wasn't easy. The room they had her in was dark and sinister looking.

When the Knights came into the room they were holding him in, Ailis thought they looked like they were flying. She thought that she might like to learn how to fly like that. Then Tom came into the room, and she had to admire the way he looked in his robes. She couldn't tell who anyone was, they were wearing long black robes and wearing masks.

"You know why you're here," was all that Tom needed to say. He turned to his Knights and started talking. Somewhere in the middle of his speech she had tuned him out. GET ON WITH IT ALREADY! She screamed in her head. She hadn't realized that he had heard her until he pushed a thought into her brain. It was a very subtle 'ready yourself'.

Tom aimed his wand at her and crucio'd her, and she screamed. She screamed a scream that made their blood boil, and the hairs stand up on the back of their necks. Tom released her for a moment before he hit her with it again. Then they started taking turns hitting her with spells and curses, and then they started hitting her at the same time. Her body felt like it was going to explode. At one point it felt like she had been on fire. She was covered in cuts and welts, after that they took to physically beating her, it had hurt so badly.

They watched as she laid on the floor letting out strangled sobs, she didn't want them to see her like this. She tried to control herself but she couldn't stop the tears and she couldn't stop trembling.

"You will speak of this to no one," Tom commanded, "or the consequences will be worse than this." Ailis wasn't sure that anything could be worse than this, but she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. So she kept her mouth shut, and nodded. If Tom was upset, he hid it very well.

She was then untied and let go; she rubbed her wrists and struggled to stand. Her legs felt like lead weights; it was hard to stay up on her feet. She walked as well as she could manage, well it looked more like stumbling to the Knights. She managed to make it out of the dungeon without tripping. She wasn't sure if she should try to go to the infirmary or to head back towards the Ravenclaw common room. She collapsed somewhere in between the dungeon and the Ravenclaw common room at 2:00 in the morning. She was later found by some Gryffindor students on their way to breakfast, and was immediately taken to the hospital wing where she laid unconscious for three days.