Author's Notes: Hi everyone, I'm back with another chapter! I'm not so sure it works with the summary and the beginning of the fic, but it's what I've got right now, so I'm posting it for now until I see fit to make changes. I hope you enjoy!
Off My Radar
By heeha
Chapter 2
Tom has many admirers. From Slytherin to Hufflepuff, girls and boys fawn over him everywhere he goes. People confess their undying love to him at least once a week, hoping that they'll be the one Tom chooses to be his boyfriend or girlfriend. However, as far as I know, Tom has turned every single admirer down, boys and girls alike. Why, I'm not sure. It's not like everybody who's confessed to him is unattractive or stupid. Hell, Cho Chang confessed her feelings to Tom a year ago, and even she got turned down.
With his track record of rejections, it's not hard to predict how future confessions will go. Yet the confessions still keep coming. Like right now.
"Please, Harry? Do this favour for me just this once, and I'll never ask you to do this again. Pleease?" pleads Lavender Brown, clasping her hands together and bowing her head in begging.
"Why are you asking me to deliver your love letter to him? It's not like I'm great friends with him or anything," I say.
"He likes you," says Lavender unabashedly. "He'd be willing to accept anything from you because he's fond of you. He'd never take it from me. I'm categorized as one of his many fangirls, insignificant to him by all means. But you, you're different. He might read my letter if you're the one delivering it."
"How do you know he's fond of me?" I ask skeptically. This is news to me. I've never known Tom Riddle to be fond of anyone, least of all me.
"Because he goes out of his way to talk to you," says Lavender. "Usually, people have to go up to him to talk to him. But he initiates conversations with you and your group. I don't think he'd do that unless he enjoyed your company. " Damn, I think she has a point. "Please, Harry? I have to let him know how I feel, even if I do get rejected in the end anyway. I can't hold back my feelings for him any longer."
With a sigh, I hold out my hand for the letter. "Alright," I say, "but just this once. And don't tell anyone I'm doing this for you. I don't want to suddenly become Tom's love letter messenger for everyone."
Lavender flashes me a dazzling smile. "Thanks Harry! I knew I could count on you! Here's the letter." She hands me a sealed pink envelope. I take the envelope from her hands and head out of the common room, shoving the envelope into my pocket. It's then that I realize I have no idea where Tom is. But dinner is starting soon, so perhaps I'll catch him in the Great Hall, or catch him leaving it.
I head towards the Great Hall, keeping a lookout for any sign of Tom. I don't see him anywhere though, so hopefully he's in the Great Hall, waiting for dinner.
Sure enough, when I arrive at the Great Hall, I see Tom unusually sitting by himself at the Slytherin table. Where are his friends?
Oh well. The less people that see me delivering this letter, the better. I head towards the Slytherin table, coming to a stop beside Tom. He looks up from the table at me and raises an eyebrow.
"Well this is a pleasant surprise," says Tom. "What's so important that you need to visit me at the Slytherin table, of all places?"
"I have a letter for you," I say, taking the envelope out of my pocket and holding it out for Tom to take. Tom makes no move to take the envelope, however. Instead, his lips dip into a frown as he surveys me. Oh no. Maybe he thinks the letter is from me!
"It's not from me," I hastily clarify. "It's from Lavender Brown, my housemate."
"Let me guess," says Tom. "She sought you out to give the letter to me, hoping I'd accept it if you were the one who delivered it to me." I nod my head in affirmation. Tom sighs, tearing the envelope and letter in two. "Don't bother giving me these letters anymore. I'm not interested in any of my admirers."
"Practically the whole school is in love with you. If you're not interested in any of your admirers, who are you interested in then?" I ask, curious.
"Do you really want to know?" asks Tom. I nod my head. He beckons me closer, so I lean down until my ear is level with his mouth. Hot breath tickles my ear as I wait for him to tell me who he likes.
"The messenger," he says into my ear. I stand up straight, furrowing my brow. Who's the messenger?
I voice my thoughts aloud, staring at Tom quizzically.
"Are you serious?" says Tom, looking at me like I'm stupid.
"Hey, it's not my fault you choose to talk in riddles. How am I supposed to know who 'the messenger' is?" I say in my defense.
Tom sighs. "You're hopeless. Who else could the messenger be?"
"How should I know?" I say. "You probably get tons of letters delivered to you daily. That means you have many messengers. How am I supposed to know which messenger you're talking about?"
"It's all about context, Potter," says Tom.
"Context?" I repeat. What context is he talking about? In this context? But in this context the messenger is...
"Me?" I say incredulously. He likes me?!
"And he wins the prize," says Tom, smirking. He likes me?!
I stare at Tom, wide-eyed. He seems entirely too calm for someone who just confessed his feelings.
"It's customary to tell the other person how you feel after he's confessed his feelings for you," says Tom, looking at me expectantly.
What am I supposed to say? I've never considered anybody in that way before, least of all Tom. I don't know how to respond to him.
"Umm...I don't know?" I say. Tom frowns.
"What do you mean you don't know?" he asks.
"I mean, I've never thought of anybody like that before," I say, placing my hand behind my head in embarrassment. Honestly, I don't even know if I'm straight or gay, but I'll admit that I think Tom is handsome, if that counts for anything.
"I suppose we'll have to run a test to see if you're attracted to me," says Tom. I raise an eyebrow.
"What sort of test?" I ask.
"A simple test," replies Tom. "It shouldn't take longer than ten minutes max. Meet me in the abandoned girls' washroom after dinner. We'll do the test in there so that we have some privacy."
"What about Moaning Myrtle?" I ask skeptically. "Won't she see us if we do it in there?"
"She won't be a problem," Tom replies swiftly. "I'll charm her into leaving the washroom for a while so that we have some privacy."
"Alright," I say. "I'll see you after dinner then." I walk away from the Slytherin table, heading towards the Gryffindor table.
Once I arrive at the Gryffindor table, Lavender walks up to me.
"Well?" she says eagerly. "How did it go?"
"He ripped the envelope in two once I gave it to him," I reply honestly.
"Oh," says Lavender. She bites on her bottom lip, her eyes becoming watery. Oh no. I think she's about to cry.
"Don't feel too sad," I say hastily. "He's rejected everybody else too. You're not the only one he's turned down."
Lavender sniffs. "I suppose you're right. I just wish he would like me back. I'd be the best girlfriend he'd ever have!"
"I'm not so sure he's into girls," I mutter to myself, remembering his confession only minutes ago.
"What'd you say? I didn't hear you," says Lavender, cupping her hand behind her ear.
"Nothing!" I say hastily. "Anyway, dinner's ready, so I'm going to sit down and eat with Ron and Hermione, okay?"
"Alright," says Lavender. "Thanks, Harry. I appreciate it, even if I did get rejected."
"No problem, Lavender," I say before leaving her and walking to the other end of the Gryffindor table, where Ron and Hermione are sitting. I greet them before taking a seat across from them. As soon as I sit down, food appears before our eyes. I arrived just in time.
I eat silently, half-listening to Ron and Hermione talk, and half-wondering what test Tom is going to do to see if I like him or not. All too soon, dinner ends, and I excuse myself from my friends, saying I need to look something up in the library. I leave the Great Hall, making my way slowly towards the abandoned girls' washroom. When I get there, I look around to see if anyone's watching me. Seeing no one, I push open the bathroom door and walk inside.
As soon as I'm in, I see Tom leaning against one of the sinks, watching me. An awkward silence rises between us, so I break it by clearing my throat and saying, "So what's the test you're going to do?"
"Come stand in front of me," orders Tom. Obediently, I do as he says, walking over to him and standing in front of him.
All of a sudden, his hands clamp around my wrists in a vice-like grip, so that I cannot pull away no matter how hard I try.
"Hey!" I exclaim. "What's the - mmph!" Tom cuts me off by pressing his lips firmly against my own.
Oh. My. God. He's kissing me! I can't believe it! Tom Riddle is kissing me! I open my mouth in surprise, and Tom's tongue slips inside, caressing the walls of my mouth. When his tongue rubs softly against my own, I cannot help the moan that escapes my lips.
When he finally pulls away, we're both left breathing heavily. A smirk graces Tom's lips as he stares at me in the aftermath of our kiss.
"You liked it," he states smugly.
"Just because I liked it, doesn't mean I like you," I retort, crossing my arms. "That was a stupid test. I thought you were going to do a spell of some sort. That would have been more appropriate."
"A spell is not necessary to reveal what the body knows. Attraction starts with the physical, after all," Tom says.
"Attraction may start with the physical, but it ends with the heart. And my heart is not yours," I say firmly.
"Not yet, it isn't. But I will possess it in time," he says, so arrogant and sure of himself.
I cross my arms in front of my chest. "Keep dreaming, Riddle. That's as close as you'll get to having me."
Tom raises an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"
"It's a statement. And a very true one at that. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my common room." I turn on my heel and walk towards the door.
"I'll have you, no matter what it takes," I hear Tom say as I leave. "Mark my words, Harry. You will be mine."
As the door swings shut behind me, I inwardly shiver at his words, which sound so full of promise that I almost believe him.
