Looking over the latest news about air raid sirens going off across the British Isles, Tom started to feel his heart beating faster. London wasn't among the mentioned cities, but the fact that the Germans weren't being entirely interested in hitting military targets, as was clear with their activities over Exeter soon after Beltane, made images from two years earlier flash before his eyes, his ears ringing with explosions that he had hoped would remain buried in his mind. Though the papers were ridiculously light on details, his experiences last summer taught him that the British government was keeping the reports of bombing raids to a minimum, even hiding the fact that people were dying.
In a few weeks he would be back at the Orphanage, with even fewer galleons in his pocket to afford staying at the Leaky Cauldron than what he had enjoyed the year prior. Tom flipped the newspaper over and started to think about his alternatives. He had already secured Lilith's aid regarding his inheritance test and, depending on the results, she would be assisting him in getting the necessary lessons in etiquette. As a refugee, her own living situation would likely be at the mercy of a sponsor or through her own family's now limited finances. Asking her to help him out would be an imposition and would place him further indebted to her, which didn't sit well with him, especially after she left the castle to get her latest medical treatment. He looked at the rest of the students across the Slytherin table, all eating their dinner practically without a care in the world.
The Blacks were immediately off the table as candidates. Their political power was too strong and Lord Black would probably not hesitate to use Tom's current weakness and vulnerability to his family's advantage. While the likelihood of a political betrothal didn't seem too unappealing, seeing the effort all the Purebloods went to secure such agreements while the students got to know each other, Tom wasn't willing to endanger his future by having to contend with complicated treaties and a less than willing partner. Even Alphard would be unlikely to provide him with the necessary monetary compensation for his assistance in keeping Lilith and her friends safe and he certainly wasn't interested in thinking about what the boy might ask as payback for such aid. That left him the Malfoys and Notts. Tom had continued his support and acquaintance with both Abraxas and Theodore, yet neither student was particularly close to him or loyal. Of the two, Malfoy likely had the least interest to assist Tom without some great exchange of power or coin. The Malfoys had emigrated to Britain in the late stages of the Napoleonic Wars, using much of their liquid capital to purchase an old estate from an extinct family and to acquire their seat in the Wizengamot as a Noble House. Abraxas himself favored exchanging coins for bets, either concerning the Quidditch games or bets regarding students and their personal lives. The Notts were themselves immigrants from the Scandinavian peninsula, but their time in Britain had been longer than the Malfoys, obtaining political capital through less aggressive ventures. Of the two, Nott would be the safer choice.
As Tom contemplated what he could offer Theodore in exchange for a peaceful summer away from Wool's, a soft hand landed on his shoulders, startling him. "You alright?" The soft tone of Lilith's voice helped Tom relax as he turned around to respond, his eyes landing on two identical green eyes. Wait… no. Upon closer look, Tom could see they weren't identical. The colors, size and shape were correct, but the contractions on the left eye were much faster than the ones on the right. Deciding it was best not to voice that bit of information, Tom did his best to give her a reassuring smile. "I am fine, thank you. I see you are doing better. How's the eye?" Lilith seemed to not believe him as she searched his face, before sitting next to him. Noticing the newspaper, she managed to snatch it off the table before Tom could stop her. "Where did you get this?" Tom blushed slightly. "Mo-Myrtle Warren was kind enough to share it with me." Lilith gave him a soft smile, glad that he was fighting through the habit of calling Myrtle by her nickname. While Lillian had initially believed it was from her time as a ghost, it seemed that the nickname predated her death, an unkind gesture from the Purebloods who bullied the girl to the point of tears. Tom, like many others, had adopted the name as a way to avoid appearing sympathetic and was now doing his best to avoid the term again. Now that the blood purists were in decline, there was no need to be uncivilized, especially when Lilith was quick to reprimand anyone who spoke it within earshot of her. "Oh, that's good. She really is quite pleasant once you get to know her." Tom nodded softly as Lilith took in the headlines. He watched as she placed the newspaper down and turned contemplative.
"Have you looked up the rules regarding summer time outside of the Castle for orphans?" Tom narrowed his eyes. "Wait, there are specific rules for that?" Lilith hummed to herself as she started searching the newspaper. "I had to look them up because of my situation. Anyways, the specific rule stands that an orphan must reside within their registered residence for a total of one week out of the two months, as long as you are fifteen years of age or older. It used to be longer, but the measure was loosened due to Heirs needing time to deal with their inheritances when they turned fifteen, since the law was aimed at limiting the movements of Muggleborn orphans, not those born to Magical families. Heirs would often list the address or property of a patron before focusing on purchasing a future Family property, keeping that address hidden until it could be adequately protected. The week limit was essentially established to make sure that the children were still supervised and could be found within a given time period, that being the first week after Hogwarts term ended. In my case, as I had arrived in Britain before entering Hogwarts, I didn't have to register at all and as a foreigner and Head of House, I can just let the mail reach me directly or have it intercepted by my accountant at Gringotts." Tom thought for a second. "So I would only have to remain at Wool's for a week. Unfortunately, my issue is with what happens afterwards. My funds aren't enough to last me the two months and even then, I would be short on money for food." Lilith rubbed her chin, before turning to him. "I need to send a few letters out. By the time the train takes us back to London, you will have a safe place to stay, I promise." Tom narrowed her eyes. "Why are you willing to continue helping me so much?"
Lilith gave him a soft smile. "Because I believe in you. We can go over more official negotiations about future compensation and agreements once your heritage is secure. Until then, just enjoy the rest of your time at Hogwarts." Tom saw no deception in her eyes or body language, which allowed him to relax fully. "Thank you." Lilith's smile reached her eyes, which Tom could happily say that she looked wonderful now that both of her eyes were visible. The two discussed study schedules that would allow Tom more time to secure what money he could in helping his classmates with their study guides for the upcoming end of term exams, before the students started heading for the common rooms. He did notice that a recently returned Rosier remained seated as the Great Hall emptied out. The young Heir had been seen arguing with the few students that remained loyal to him, often clutching his chest in pain, but now looked utterly defeated. As he walked beside Lilith, who was humming a soft melody to herself, Tom again wondered if the duel had achieved more than what had been seen by witnesses, even though there was no clear indication anywhere. Knowing his partner, there was probably something achieved that only she knew about, with Valerio only discovering it after the fact. He smiled to himself, feeling all the more confident in his pick. He wondered what this summer would be like with her aid. For the first time since arriving at Hogwarts, he looked forward to his time away from the castle.