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Salt Water

Summary:

Tom accidentally calls a selkie to him as a child. Luckily, being ruthless and possessive has never been a challenge for him.

A romance told in seven-year increments.

Notes:

Attempting a multi-chaptered thing that isn't completely for the lulz. This will likely have four or five chapters, but don't quote me on that.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: I (4)

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

It was Tom’s first trip to the seaside, finally old enough to join the group from Wool’s that took the train out each summer.

He was instantly entranced by the ocean. The power, the majesty, the violence – one day, he would evoke those feelings in others with his mere presence. No one would be able to hurt him or ignore him then.

He found a small section of beach away from the other children, separated by large rocks, where he could let himself stare at the roiling water without the others watching him. 

A shove from behind sent him sprawling into the shallows.

“Ay, Riddle,” a boy jeered from above him, face silhouetted by the dim sunlight. “Think we can soak the freak out of you?”

Tom fought like a child possessed, biting, kicking, and scratching at his assailants, but as the two were older and larger, he was fighting a losing battle. One of them, a gangly, pasty-faced nine-year old named Jacob, had his legs pinned down while seven-year old Billy Stubbs planted a knee on Tom’s chest and forced his head under the water with a firm grip on Tom’s throat.

Unfortunately, it looked like it might be his last trip to the sea, too.

Panicking, Tom inhaled a lungful of sea water, his eyes burning as they remained open, glaring hatefully up at the boy. Tom may not have noticed the bitter tears blending into the salt water around him, but the ocean certainly did.

One.

Digging his nails into the arm holding his head down, Tom pushed with all his waning strength. It didn’t budge.

Two.

He refused to die like this, drowned like a rat – like a nobody. But.

Three.

His power.

Four. Five.

It wasn’t obeying him.

Six.

Please–

Seven.

On the cusp of unconsciousness, it took Tom a moment to realize the weight on his chest and limbs was suddenly removed. He broke through the surface and immediately began hacking the sea water out of his lungs, nose and eyes running. Everything hurt, especially breathing, and his head felt packed with cotton wool.

Looking to see where Jacob and Billy had gone, Tom noticed them scrambling back from the water’s edge. A rock launched from behind Tom at the boys had him spinning around too fast and losing his balance, toppling back under the surf.

“No, no, c’mon, kiddo, stay with me,” a voice said as Tom was dragged up the rocky beach.

“Yeah, run away, ye great cowards!” the voice shouted angrily and moved away, eliciting screams from the boys who’d been attempting to drown Tom. He rolled onto his side and tried to regain his breath.

He heard his rescuer return but couldn’t convince his muscles to move and get away. A hand pounded against Tom’s back, helping jolt the remaining water out of him.

“There ye go, you’ll be alright.”

Tom turned his head to see who he was indebted to and met the most intensely green eyes he’d ever seen. He stared for a few moments before moving on. Wet, shaggy black hair that looked like it would be a mess even dry, light brown skin, and a complete lack of clothes that had Tom’s eyes shooting skyward and him scrabbling back a few feet.

Looking down, the strange man seemed to finally notice he was naked.

“Haaa… Shite,” the man grumbled, face and ears turning red. “Sorry about that.”

Then, with a wave of his hand, a pair of loose trousers appeared, which he thankfully put on.

Wait. 

“How did you do that?” Tom demanded. “ Tell the truth!

The strange man’s verdant eyes widened as he let out a bright laugh. “Oh! You’re a wizard!”

“...I’m a what?” Tom asked blankly.

“A wizard! You can do magic – you just tried to compel me,” the man explained. “Bad form, that.”

Tom grew sullen upon realizing he’d failed. “So there are others who can do magic?”

I’m not special?

“Aye, there’s a whole world of magic hidden away. But that’s impressive – you have excellent control for being such a wee one.”

Choosing to ignore the ‘wee’ comment, Tom preened under the praise. Special after all.

“And you can do magic?”

“I can,” the man confirmed. “I used to be a wizard like yourself, believe it or not. Harry Potter, at your service.”

“Tom Riddle,” he said with a nod. “‘Used to be?’”

“Yep, many years ago. Now I’m a selkie – a seal-person, of sorts.”

Tom stared. “You’re not human anymore? How did that happen? Was it magic? How long ago?”

“Ah, well…” Harry rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little overwhelmed. “It’s a long story, and not likely to interest you.”

Lie.

As always, Tom wasn’t sure how he knew, but something told him Harry had just lied and he was damn sure going to call him on it. “Why are you lying? Why won’t you tell me?”

“Lord, you’re a sharp one, aren’t you?” Harry huffed a laugh. “Sorry, sprog. It’s a tale for a different day.”

Tom perked up a bit. That implied there would be other days. “Can I stay with you? I want to learn more about magic.”

“Unfortunately, no,” Harry said, looking apologetic. “I live in the sea, which is no place for a human boy.”

He fumed at being denied, but Tom’s need for knowledge beat out even his anger. “But, you’re human now. Can’t you just stay that way? Are you like the werewolves in stories, where you transform on the full moon?”

“Something like that,” the selkie hedged.

Tom glared. “Explain.”

“Ahhh, fine,” Harry sighed, eyes distant. “It takes a selfish person to keep a selkie, or a selfless person to love one. We can only come ashore once every seven years, y’see – unless someone hides our skin from us.”

“So if I find and hide your skin, you have to stay with me?” Tom asked, already plotting.

“That’s right, yeah,” Harry nodded. “But a selkie always wants to go back to the sea; even if we’re otherwise happy on land, we’ll keep looking for our skin and leave as soon as we find it.”

He locked eyes with Tom, expression serious. “Could you hide my skin well enough that I’d never find it? And no one else would either?”

Tom shifted uncomfortably. Personal space in the orphanage was nonexistent, and he still had to share his room with three other boys (he was working on changing that). And the idea of having to share Harry with anyone who took his skin was intolerable. “...No.”

Harry nodded again, seeming to expect this. “Well then. Perhaps in seven years?”

He grinned, but it dimmed when Tom’s frown remained. “Will you come back here again?” 

“Yes, Wool’s comes here once a year,” he said warily.

“Well then I’ll see you next year, yeah? Just because I can’t be human again for seven years doesn’t mean I won’t visit you if you call.”

He shrugged. “I’ll just be a seal, s’all.”

“You… you promise? You won’t forget?” Tom demanded.

Harry laughed and ruffled Tom’s hair, despite the boy’s incensed squawk. “Ahh Tom, how could I ever forget you? My little wizard.”

And Tom didn’t protest as the selkie held him close, his chest warming.

The two sat together for the remainder of Tom’s time at the seaside, talking about magic and staring out at the rolling waves.

Notes:

Next up: Tom at eleven.