With You

Chapter 2 - New York, New York (dedicated to my fave city!)

*~*~*

I´m looking for a place
I´m searching for a face
Is anybody here I know
Cause nothing´s going right

And everything´s a mess
And no one likes to be alone

Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home
It's a damn cold night
Trying to figure out this life
Wont you take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I don´t know who you are
but I

I'm with you

*~*~*

Sri yawned as the sun outside awoke her from a good night´s rest. The lights of New York City´s Time Square beamed at her as she looked out the window, marveling over how different America was from Great Britain. Sri could smell breakfast on the table close by and she rushed over to the kitchen, finding her Grandma Lelchet making omelets. The elderly witch smiled at her and handed her a plate, letting Sri help herself.

"Today´s the big day, lass. Time for you to have a night on the town. Actually, it just got to be morning right now, so I guess you would call it a day on the town. I hope it´s just as good as it is at night, don´t you?" Lelchet grinned.

Sri mirrored it as she ate her toast. "I want to see the Statue of Liberty, Grandma Lelchet. Pretty please? I want to look at all the skyline at once!"

Lelchet laughed heartily. It was starting to be her trademark. "Why stop at the Statue when you have one of the world´s tallest buildings? They´ve just finished making two giant twin buildings; they call them the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center! 110 stories up! You could see everything for miles on end!" Sri´s excitement was brewing just from the way the witch spoke her words.

"Sure! I´d love that!" She thought a moment. "Then ... afterwards ... could we still see the Statue?" Sri asked modestly.

Lelchet laughed again. "Of course, dearie. I just want you to feel right at home." A red glint tinted the woman´s beady eyes as she looked away from Sri for a moment, eyeing the World Trade Center greedily.

* * *

Sri skipped around the top floor of the North Tower, looking out all the windows and scanning across the horizon of Manhattan. She watched her new grandma as Lelchet took pictures of the view; secretly getting a few shots of Sri as well as the young witch kept gazing out the windows. Sri didn´t notice, she was too excited that she was in the tallest building in the U. S. She sighed as the building closed; some last-minute construction needed to continue. The night grew darker and Allura held her breath as the elevator took a tumbling 5 seconds down to the first floor. She walked around the lobby excitedly and grinned at Lelchet as they walked down Main Street.

"That was wonderful, Grandma Lelchet! Can we go see the Statue of Liberty now?" Sri asked while jumping around on the sidewalk.

Lelchet smiled thoughtfully at her. "Oh, I don´t see why not. We can get a boat to take us there and look at it with all the lights glowing on her crown and torch. That would be lovely." She laughed. "You´ve persuaded me, dearie. Let´s go catch us a cruise!" Sri grinned with delight as she raced her fellow witch to the pier.

* * *

Voldemort drummed his fingers lightly on the desk, gazing at the crystal ball fixedly. That woman looks so familiar, he thought, watching dully as his sister and the woman raced on. It´s beyond doubt that we´ve met sometime before. But when? Tom had forgotten most of his years at Hogwarts by that time, keeping few memories of there in his cold heart. His mind raced to Allura while thinking of his old school, groaning in frustration over the situation. Why did she have to kill herself like that? It´s ruined me more than ever. Nothing will be the same because of her. I owe everything I´ve ever done to her. He looked up at the crystal ball again, glancing at the joy on Sri´s face as she climbed up the mountain of stairs to the top of Lady Liberty.

"Allura," he murmured, sighing heavily. Voldemort moved his gaze from the crystal and covered it, not wanting to watch anymore. He didn´t want an Allura child. He wanted his own Allura as he imaged her: beautiful, fearless, never leaving his side, always his to own. He wanted this dream Allura back more than anything, longed to feel her touch. He would do practically anything to bring her back, even if it meant giving up all his power.

This thought interrupted his daydream. Give up my power just for that sulking bitch? A side of his mind retorted. Then this has been a waste of time trying to conquer the world! Why would I even bother thinking about her?

Another part of his mind made Voldemort think. But you loved her, Tom. More than anything in the world, you loved her. Even more than you desired power, you´re desire for her never lingered. You kept her gaze when you were alone with her in that shack, remember? She was more curious than angry or afraid. It´s just a shame that she killed herself like that; you would have been the cutest -

Voldemort smacked himself, giving that side of his mind a hint to shut up. He could still feel the warmth of her skin on his hands, though he tried to deny it. The Dark wizard sighed defeated, seeing that trying to get Allura out of his mind was no use. He imaged the day she died piece by piece, remembering running after her and cornering her in the classroom. Small parts of the memory flashed out at him suddenly. A Death Eater had rushed by him as two others held Karkaroff, and he turned his head from Allura at the window to argue with them. Then Voldemort had heard screams and he had found Allura falling to her death, watching her drop with blood all around her. Voldemort stood quickly, realizing who that Death Eater really was.

Allura had died before she hit the ground.

He uncovered the crystal ball frantically and the picture of his young sister appeared. She was still enjoying herself; unaware of the danger she was in. Feeling in the mood to be a protective older brother, and to shut up the sensitive voice that had been bugging him earlier, Voldemort apparated from the room immediately, calling an urgent meeting with his Death Eaters.

"Thirteen there are of you with me today, but fourteen there were on the day of Allura Riddle´s death. A traitor has appeared in our midst," Voldemort growled, pointing his wand east. "To New York City, my friends! That traitor will die tonight!"