Tomarry Same Age AU
Merope was never one to delude herself. Years of her family's verbal abuse had forcibly instilled a fierce sense of pragmatism.
So, aside from the one, hormone-fueled debacle with Riddle Sr., she'd kept a fairly level head throughout her life. She'd go about her daily business in a reasonable manner and save the dreams for any remaining time left over.
That motto was the very reason why Merope was currently sitting in the shade of the Burrow's old oak tree, scribbling away in a worn notebook.
The Weasleys were good friends of hers, as they were neighbors and had sheltered her when she first ran away from Riddle Sr. Now, they let her drop by whenever she wanted, and the Burrow had become a sort of safe haven for Merope. It was here that she indulged in her favorite pasttime- an escape from reality.
Fanfiction.
She would never admit it aloud, but she found the concept of writing fanfiction about real people to be so very liberating. Merope's favorite muse was her own son.
Tom Riddle Jr. was a fascinating child. He was everything Merope was not; handsome, charismatic, intelligent, powerful, and aloof. She loved her darling son beyond measure, but sometimes he could be quite a handful. Particularly when it came to a certain classmate by the name of Harry Potter.
She's become accustomed to Tom's countless rants about the Potter boy. The moment he came home for the hols, he'd immediately launch into another irritated tirade, complete with emotive gesticulations. Such as:
"Mother, you wouldn't believe what idiocies Potter was up to yesterday." (It turned out that Potter had tripped and face-planted into Tom's dessert.)
"If you're wondering why my hair's singed, it's because Potter set it on fire." (Tom kicked Potter in the groin for that, apparently.)
"I hate Potter. I hate him. He refused to join the Knights of Walpurgis. Does he think he's better than me?" (That definitely wasn't it, but Merope nodded along anyways.)
"I know Potter's definitely cheating. Did you know he somehow cheated his way into beating me at Defense?" (Merope perked up at that; Tom must've been furious that his perfect top-student-marks had been marred.)
More recently, though, Merope noticed that Tom's complaints had begun to take on a different tone.
"Potter shouldn't be allowed in public. I detest his stupid flouncy hair, his hideous green eyes, and his ridiculously happy smile." (Merope had shook her head sympathetically, but once Tom's back was turned, she smiled secretly.)
"Just the other day, Potter ignored me when I tried to be civil to him. He ignored me! And then when I was minding my own business, he pinched my cheeks! Who does he think he is?" (Merope inwardly marveled that the Potter boy was able to keep his hands intact after that.)
Thus, Merope watched and listened patiently, knowing that one day, her son would finally realize his feelings for what they were. And so what if she wrote about Tom’s possible futures? There was nothing wrong with indulging in a little bit of fun every now and then.