Perhaps it had all just been a dream? Yes. A wonderful, beautiful dream, something that would never happen, ever.

Elodie rose earlier then the rest of the girls in her room. They would normally sleep in until about ten or so minutes before breakfast would start, and then nearly claw each other to death to get to the two good showers in the Slytherin bathroom.

As usual, Elodie made her routine quick. Her shower, no longer then seven minutes, was finished in record time. Time spent in front of the mirror was limited; she did not like what looked back at her. Her nose was small, her lips were a pale pink, and her eyes seemed to light to be brown at times, yet not quite hazel; they did not go well with her hair.

Her genes were cruel, giving her such clashing looks, but she made do.

Tom had pushed her hair to the side the night before, so, for once, Elodie pulled it back into a high ponytail, pulling out a few strands around her head. The final effect gave a certain sloppy look, but it did show off her face a bit more then usual.

She gathered up her bed clothes and pulled a stray strand of hair off her pleated skirt, then hurried back into the dorm room, stuffing her night things under her pillow.
"Oh Mudblood," Denise, a pudgy blonde, cooed as she ran a hand through her bed-hair, "Where are you going in such a rush? We want to hear the gossip from the source!"
"W-What gossip?" Elodie whimpered, still in shock that she was actually being spoken to by a classmate. Another Slytherin girl sat up on her bed, a grin on her face, "We saw you come in with Tom last night... Why was he with filth like you?"
Elodie's heart dropped; she was filth, "I... I don't know. He just walked me back f-from the library."

She wished she wouldn't stutter. It had been happening since she was a young girl, and her parents had taken her to speech coaches over the years, but eventually just gave up. They hoped she could find a spell to make it go away.
"Tom never talks to anyone unless they are important," Denise sneered, "And are you important?"
"No," Elodie sighed, her eyes dropping to the floor. Denise smirked, "Glad you realize it... Now get out... I want to sleep some more."
She didn't need to be told twice. Elodie picked up her book bag swiftly and made for the door, shutting it as loudly as she could, just to spite them.

She sighed; they would be extra cruel to her today.

No one was in the Common Room as she nearly ran through it. The portraits were still asleep, and one barked at her to still her clacking heels against the stone floor. She whispered an apology before slipping out the door, moving along the corridors at a steady speed.
There were a few students in the halls, most heading towards the library, possibly to work on homework for that day. Others were meeting up with their friends and making their way toward the Great Hall, as she was.

Sometimes she wanted to just walk with someone. They didn't have to talk about anything, but there was a sad little girl in her aching for company.
She rounded a corner, too immersed in her own thoughts to watch where she was going, and walked directly into Professor Dumbledore.

"Careful, poppet," he chuckled, catching her wrist as she stumbled back. Her cheeks tinted and he grinned, "I too find it difficult to watch where I am going so early in the morning."
"I'm sorry, Professor," she stammered, "I guess I'll have to watch where I'm walking."
"No harm done," he said gently, "Perhaps I could walk you to the Great Hall... I've forgotten what I needed from office. Funny how things slip your mind when you are hungry."
Elodie looked into his eyes, shimmering with utter contentment, and she longed to accept his offer. However, her Slytherins hated Dumbledore...
"Oh, that's right," he clucked, still smiling, "Wouldn't want to let the others know we're friends. Just between us then."

He patted his nose twice with the end of a thin, long finger, then swept off, humming a soft tune under his breath. Elodie stayed standing still, just for a moment, and looked around, hoping no one in her house had seen her talking to Dumbledore. Her Transfigurations teacher was so wonderfully smart, and actually interesting to talk to, but because of her house, their conversations were limited. She was thankful he understood that.
The Great Hall was slowly filling up as she entered. There were several people from her house there already, but as usual, she took her seat at the end of the table, closest to the door. Atleast that way she could slip away whenever she finished her meals, and she wouldn't need to walk past the whispering girls in her year.
Elodie helped herself to some cooked potato bits, then a boiled egg, and began cracking away at the shell.

"Good morning," a husky voice whispered in her ear. She jumped, and her knife clattered down onto her plate loudly when she dropped it. Whipping back, her eyes widened when she saw Tom standing behind her, his hands nestled in his pockets as he smiled, "My, you do frighten easily."
She smiled weakly and nodded, "I w-warned you."
Cursing her stuttering, she instantly felt stupid. Tom, however, didn't seem to notice, and he glanced down at the rest of her house, all sitting miles away it seemed. He frowned, "Why is it that you never actually eat with us?"
Ashamed, Elodie turned back and pocked her potato gingerly with her fork, "I s-suppose they wouldn't want me sitting by them... May get Mudblood germs on their food."
To her surprise, he wiped his hand down her arm and pulled his hand away, looking at it dramatically, "What do you know... I don't see anything. I suppose those types of germs don't spread."

Elodie didn't know whether to take that as an insult, or a compliment, or neither, but she still smiled as Tom slid onto the bench beside her, helping himself to some bacon and eggs. They sat in silence, and Elodie cast a few looks his way every so often. He just seemed so content to sit with her, not saying anything at all. With a smile, she dug into her meal and Tom reached for the stack of newspapers sitting near them, retrieving one and pulling it back, placing it between the pair.
Every morning, stacks of the Daily Prophet were delivered, orders of Headmaster Dippet, and Elodie enjoyed the fact that she could read the happenings in the wizarding world during her meals.

"Oh dear," he mused, his eyes dancing with amusement, "It seems more people were killed in a raid last night... Pity."
His voice did not sound like he cared at all. It portrayed the exact opposite, but Elodie was too entranced by his company that all she could do was agree.
"Tom?" Denise cooed, her and her clan suddenly behind them, "We're here now... You don't need to sit with her."
"I want to sit with her," Tom snapped, brushing her hand off his shoulder, "And you may either sit here, or leave. I'm trying to read the paper."
Denise sent him a look of hurt, then glared at Elodie before ordering her group to follow her down the table. Elodie groaned, "I wish you had just gone with them."
Both seemed shocked at her words, and her cheeks flushed as he slowly looked up at her, "Well, they're going to say I have you under a spell or something... And that will be the only reason you'd sit with me!"

Tom laughed loudly and went back to reading the paper, "They'd be rather stupid then, wouldn't they? Do you think I'd let anyone hex me?"
Elodie paused, "I... I suppose not."
"Exactly," he chuckled, shooting the girls a look down the table, "I'm sure they'll live without me for a little while."
"A little while?" she repeated before she could stop herself. Tom merely smiled and went on with reading the paper, remaining in silence.
Once she had finished eating, she rose, as usual, and gathered up her things. Tom pushed his plate away and picked up his book bag, heaving it over his shoulder and smirking, "Shall we? The Divination tower is a long way."
"What?"
"The Div-in-ation tower," he repeated, sounding each syllable loudly, "We have that class together."

Oh, Elodie knew. They had every other class together. It really made her day when she discovered it.

But now, as she followed Tom through the hall, she felt queasy. A normal day of Tom watching did not consist of her talking to him, and she had no idea what to say. She knew everything about him; Head Boy, Slytherin Chaser, highest marks in his year...
He stopped suddenly, causing her to walk into him. Quickly, he turned around and caught her gaze, holding her eyes with his, "Why do you walk behind me?"
"I don't know," she answered automatically, waiting for a blush that never came to stain her cheeks. Tom continued to stare, "Do I frighten you?"
"No," she admitted truthfully. He smirked and the eye contact was finally broken as he reached down and caught her hand, "Then walk with me."

The forcefulness in his tone nearly made her knees buckle, and she tried her best to walk beside him, instead of behind him. It was difficult to keep up with him, since his long legs moved so much faster then hers, and when he finally noticed she was jogging slowly to keep up, he slowed.

His hand was warm and soft against hers. She feared her hand would grow sweaty out of sheer nerves, but she felt nothing, and tried not to give anything away about how nervous she really was. She had fantasized this moment, but never really thought of having it in real life.

"Do you like Divination?" he asked suddenly as they neared the ladder to get to the class. Elodie shrugged, "I suppose. It just doesn't seem very p-practical."
"I completely agree," he murmured, "Want to skip?"
Elodie's jaw dropped a little, "Skip? But we'll get in trouble-"
"Not if we aren't caught," he chuckled, pulling her away from the ladder and back down the hall, much to her discontent. Never once, in all her seven years at Hogwarts, had she missed a lesson. They were important...
Well, Divination was a bit of a pointless class, since no one seemed to possess the Inner Eye that her professor boasted.
"And I thought he'd gone mad-"

Adrian Malfoy and Julian Nott's voices sounded loudly from the end of the hall, and Tom suddenly pulled her behind a statue, holding a hand over her mouth.
Of course he wouldn't want to be seen with her. Perhaps he was having second thoughts altogether! Elodie, however, was lost in his touch, as she was firmly wedged between his body and the statue.
"Isn't Riddle supposed to be with us?" Julian inquired as the pair strode leisurely past the statue, pausing.
"I saw him at breakfast, sitting with that Mudblood."
"Wonder what she did to him..."
Elodie whimpered as Tom's hand tightened around her face, his nails digging into her skin.
"Maybe he was just there for the Prophet."
"Why? We had one down at our end..."
"I don't assume to know what Tom does! Come on... Maybe he's in class."
"Idiots," Tom breathed, his hand still gripping Elodie's face tightly. Her hands crept up, gingerly trying to loosen his hold.

"Sorry," he murmured, instantly releasing her jaw. She massaged it, trying to get some feeling back into it, wincing when her fingers grazed the nail marks.
But none of that mattered... Tom Riddle had touched her! She couldn't help but smile, even at the situation she found herself in, pressed between a stone statue and Tom's body.
"S'alright," she squeaked, her stomach turning as Tom gently urged her out from behind the statue, his hands holding her hips firmly.
Maybe her face had just turned red and stayed red, since she no longer felt her cheeks turning from normal to coloured every time Tom looked at her.

It was a start!

*-

Tom looked down at the girl and smirked. Finally she had stopped blushing. It was almost becoming difficult to keep from laughing whenever it happened. Not a cruel laugh, he mused, one of genuine amusement.

"Come on," he urged, grabbing her small hand again and pulling her down the hall, "We have the first sunny day of the month... I really don't think we should waste it sitting around in some stuffy room."

He was moving with her quickly, but he needed to. He needed to make her his faster then normal if his plan was to work.

Not too old, Tom, not too old.

The damn voice in his head reminded him of his haste, and he had learned to block it out, from time to time.
But this girl was different then the rest in his house. Like proper ladies, most were virgins, but would most likely be spoiled by Christmas. Elodie was not like them, she was shy modest. Tom could tell what was beneath those robes.
Rather bulky robes, when Tom took the time to notice. The skirt was a little past her knees, her shirt was too big, and her cloak seemed to swallow her.
Aha, her hair was pulled up today. Perhaps he had more of an effect on her then he thought.

Ever the charmer, Tom, ever the charmer.

He was indeed a charmer, and would not let her forget.
"Didn't I ask you to walk with me?" he asked lightly, and she hurried up to his side, their hands still clasped together.
She didn't say anything until they were completely outside. Many students stopped to gawk as they passed, and while Elodie shied away from it all, Tom merely raised an eyebrow and they scuttled off, whispering and spreading rumours, no doubt.
The air was slightly nippy, but the sun was shining, and it felt good on Tom's pale skin. Elodie too seemed to enjoy it, since a more placid smile replaced the nervous one on her lips, and her grip slackened, easing into a more natural one.
They walked in silence along the dirt path, passing the Care of Magical Creatures class as they fished for creatures in the lake. That was the one class Tom loathed; it was completely and utterly useless. Even a simpleton could understand it... A simpleton could TEACH it, if they wished.

Tom paused at a tree, then sat down, pulling her down next to him and smiling, "See... Isn't it a nice day?"
"Y-Yes," she replied, picking at a loose string on her cloak, twirling it around her finger, "Tom... Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"

He leaned back against the tree, relaxing and staring out across the field. They were building a town just down the path soon, Hogsemeade was the chosen name. Perhaps he would take Elodie there, once the first shop had opened.
She shifted around on the grass, just so her legs were under her and she sighed, "Why did you bring me here?"
He did not look at her, but chose to watch a tiny tuff of cloud billowing across the sky, "Because Divination is boring."
"But... But you have so many friends you could be with," she protested, "Why did you take me?"
"Because my... friends are boring," he stated, somewhat truthfully, "And I would rather be with someone as intelligent as you. I'm sure you can hold a conversation, if you tried."
The last comment seemed to quiet her for a few moments, and Tom was sick of it. He touched her chin lightly with his finger and she flinched, "I've been watching you... You're really quite lovely, you know."

Her cheeks tinted again and she eyes bore up at him, wide and alert. He grinned; it was working.

Compliments for a woman's hand, Tom, compliments for a woman's hand.

He knew.
He inched a little closer, another finger touching her jaw line and forcing her to look up at him, "And... And I want to spend more time with you... You seem like a flower in spring, not quite ready to bloom... What do you say, Elodie? Can I spend my time with you?"
"As in..." she sputtered, and Tom grinned, "Romantically speaking... Nothing less."

Her mouth opened and closed several times; this must have been such a wonderful day for her.
"But what about your friends?" she whispered, her eyes still wide, "None of our house even likes me... Or notices me-"
"That doesn't make a difference to me," he said casually, releasing her and resuming his spot against the tree. Elodie gently touched her jaw, her fingers sliding along where Tom's had once been, "You want to be my... boyfriend?"
"Don't sound so shocked, kitten," he purred, sending her a seductive look, "I'm sure you've always had boys aching for you."

Ha. She needed to fix herself up before anyone, especially Tom, would be aching for her. But he could fix that. He would fix her.

"Boys don't like me," she said, almost childishly, and began to pick at her nails, "You're the first person to say I'm lovely."
"Surely your... father says it to you," Tom spat, a little more harshly then he meant. The whole topic of fathers was a little dangerous in his mind.
"H-He says I'm rather horrid, actually," she mumbled, "W-Wishes I looked m-more like mum."
"Your father must be blind," he said soothingly, touching her leg, "Perhaps a vision impairment?"
She giggled nervously and her eyes wandered down to his hand. It was resting just above her knee, but not too far up. He smirked and began drawing small circles with his thumb, "But Elodie... Don't you think you're lovely?"
"I'm..." she paused for a moment, thinking, "Average."
Rightly said. Atleast she wasn't too full of herself. Sometimes it blinded people.

Move quickly, Tom, move quickly.

He was.

Time passes, Tom, time passes.

He knew.

"Want to walk around the lake?" he inquired. She watched him stand up and he quickly helped her to her feet, "But... But we'll miss another class-"
"So we will," he mused, shrugging his shoulders, "Come on... Don't you want to walk with me?"
"I do, Tom."

Of course she did.