Author's Note: Alright, you lot. So it's the witching hour and pouring rain and not a Thursday or Friday(which is when you seem to all get interested in actually reading. Yeah, I'm obsessed with the stats page.), but I'm posting this anyway. I am over the hurdle, ladies and gentleman, I have surmounted the gates of Mordor! That's a sleep deprived way of saying things get better from here on in because my characters have finally decided to DO SOMETHING. Oh, Luna's grand aunt makes another appearance(I think I'm going to keep her for a little bit), and everybody's favourite and faithful Fortunate, Rafe. The plot thickens and I'm pretty damn proud of this chapter, but see what you think. Review please, or I'll turn you into flobberworms…to tired for exclamation points and happiness…Really love the three dots, just in case you haven't noticed…(yay, pauses for dramatic effect).
"Kisses are a better fate than wisdom." ~ e. e. cummings
Headmaster Armando Dippet was not pleased. He shuffled around his desk to stand in front of it, just to prove that he was serious this time. Improperly dressed for the chastisement of students in his pin-striped nightwear, but he was determined that austerity would prevail where suitability of wardrobe could not. He just had to be firm this time, there needn't be cause for any punishment. Riddle was his favourite student, after all, and certainly the most gifted in the entire castle. Other students were just jealous of the boy and that was why he was implicated in all this trouble. It was disappointing that children would vindicate such an unfortunate soul as Riddle.
This business with the Sinclaire girl was worrisome, however. She'd been missing for hours from nearly all of her classes. To make matters worse, it didn't seem as though professor Merrythought could remember Tom being in his class for the final period of the day. It was just too suspicious that the missing girl would be found with Tom Riddle. Really, it isn't the boys fault, he cant help it if he's popular with the young women. Thought Armando, who like to think of himself as being such a chap himself in his younger days. His much, much younger days… But it really would help his case considerably if he was less of a heartbreaker…No, he mustn't make excuses for him this time, though! Riddle had been caught red-handed, whether he wanted to believe it or not. He needed to remain firm and resolute, take Riddle aside and give him a stern talking to that he did not condone such loose behaviour…
Just then, the door to his office burst open as though a small, explosive device had been deployed just on the other side of it. Dippet jumped and dropped his wand, fumbling to snatch it off his desk as the two rule-breakers were unceremoniously frog marched into his office by that tall, strapping Ravenclaw head boy who he'd completely forgotten the name of. Their captor-what on earth was his name? Gatsby?- looked extremely pleased with himself as he stood directly behind them like a prison guard and kicked the door shut with a loud slamming sound. The headmaster's attention turned to the faces of the errant pair. Riddle bore an expression of careful complacency, as though he were trying very hard to be polite in company that was less than welcoming. The Sinclaire girl looked utterly exhausted, her shining golden hair hanging lank around her drawn features. She looked directly into her Headmasters eyes with an expression of desperate pain and pleading; her shoulder's tossed back awkwardly, like a bird's pinioned wings. What on earth is that poor girl standing like that for…On closer inspection, Dippet noted with great horror that the boy had bound their wrists.
"Here they are, Professor. I caught them skulking around in one of the fifth floor hallways-" The Ravenclaw preened, puffing out his chest like a young cockerel. Something black and angry flickered in Riddle's eyes and his lip twitched. This small and incriminating expression was lost on Dippet as he struggled to contain his outrage at this
"Yes, that will do, boy! Dear Merlin, you would have thought they'd committed high crime…that's no way to treat your fellow witch or wizard!" Dippet waved his wand at the bonds and they immediately dissipated. Tom's taut posture relaxed immediately and he set about rubbing his wrists to restore feeling, as unruffled as the wizard had ever seen him. Armando, however, did not notice as Maeve swayed on her feet and the remaining blood drained from her already peaked cheeks.
"Now, Riddle, if you'll just sit here…You can go back to your common room," He added to Graphman, considerably more charitable now that he was faced with the suddenly daunting task of disciplining Tom.
"Sinclaire, you can-" There was a loud 'fwoomp' as Sinclaire collapsed to the marble like a marionette with her strings cut. Riddle jerked in a movement so quick that it would have startled Dippet all over again if he hadn't been preoccupied by the fact that the girl had just fainted. The Ravenclaw-looking alarmingly smug-acted quickly, gathering the damsel into his arms.
"Merlin's beard! Oh! Put her here…yes, that's right, gently." Frantic, Dippet conjured a couch and the young man set her down.
"Excuse me, Professor, but might I suggest the hospital wing-" Tom began, his voice as cool and polite as ever. Dippet's hands fluttered and he groaned internally, where was Dumbeldore? He said he'd take care of this…
"She's fine, Riddle. Does this all the time after a hard Quidditch practice, she just has a weak constitution. All she needs is a litle cold shower-" He prepared to cast a spell and Dippet made a desperate waving motion and grabbed the wand out of the boys hand.
"Orpheus Grisham!" The boys name crashed through Armando's subconscious and he glared at him. "Do not use a battering ram where using the door-knocker would suffice, boy! Let her revive at her own pace! Yes, give me that-" He snatched another wand out of the boy's hand, much to Grisham's frustration. The lad has wands coming out of his ears…no, that one must be Riddle's. Where is-
Even as he thought this, the owner of the lost wand was waking up. Maeve winced and pushed herself up on her elbows, her body trembling with the effort. Dippet breathed a sigh of relief and handed the young woman a goblet of water to drink. She nodded a quick thanks and gulped it down as greedily as though it were butter beer. Coughing slightly, she set it aside on the corner of his desk and sat up, a bit of colour in her cheeks.
"Professor, none of this was anyone's fault but mine. I got lost on my way to divination because I was trying to avoid him-" She made a careless gesture toward Gisham, whose mouth dropped open in shock. "Then I got lost back by the portrait of sir Wimpleton. It was dark and I just, well, I'm terrified of the dark…then I lost my wand. It was a good thing Riddle found me, sir, or I don't think I ever would have gotten out of there."
"That's not true!" Raged Grisham, looking beside himself with fury. Dippet stared at the three students, flabbergasted. Sinclaire had a reputation for being an extremely gifted student, in fact, more than one professor had described her as being Riddle's female equivalent. She was rarely in trouble and known to be an introverted but honest sort of girl. So how on earth had she managed to end up between Grisham and Riddle?
"What evidence do you have to the contrary?"
"I-you can ask anyone, sir! Riddle's been after her since the beginning of term and I found them together-" Orpheus spit out the word like it was a disgusting swear. "And you don't believe me!?"
"Sinclaire and I were doing nothing beyond the bonds of friendship, Professor." Riddle answered smoothly, his scholarly posture relaxing a notch as he turned his eyes on the girl. "However, Sinclaire is much more than merely pretty and as you can see by Grisham's impassioned defense, I'm not the only one to have noticed. The fact that I am attracted to her notwithstanding, we did not even share so much as a chaste kiss between the time that I found her and Grisham attacked us."
"Yes, well, if you can all find witnesses to verify your accounts-" Dippet squirmed uncomfortably behind his desk. He hated dealing with these kind of situations, he truly did. Just then, a saviour appeared and the door to his office(much abused in the past half hour) was opened peacefully and professor Dumbledore entered, followed by a small contingent of prefects.
"I believe I can provide those witnesses, Armando." The Transfiguration professors eyes were exceedingly sharp as they glanced at Riddle. Tom calmly took stock of who was here to defend him:
Rafe was clearly struggling not to fidget to much in the presence of such a sworn enemy as Dumbledore as he stood next to Zahara, who gave a lazy wink when she saw Riddle looking. Hattie Lovegood stood beside them and looked profoundly out of place, staring bemusedly at a portrait on the wall. Caoinin stalked in last, her eyes wide and her bottom lip pulled into a demure pout. O'Brien's attempts to look non-threatening had always made Tom laugh, it was something akin to watching a spider attempt to look cuddly. Now, it just irritated him and set him on edge. What was she doing here?
"Lestrange, where was Mr. Riddle from the time of two o'clock to five today?" Rafe's swiveled around and he opened his mouth to answer when Zahara interjected, her voice smooth as silk:
"I can answer that, professor. Riddle was with me in the common room during my free period, tutoring me for advanced potions. Slughorn can confirm that, if there's any doubt. I might add that I saw Sinclaire rushing down the hallway at about…oh, what was it, Maeve? Lunch time?" Zabini lied with a practiced ease, her gaze sliding lazily to Maeve's.
"Er…Yes, I think." Maeve muttered, cataloguing the half-truths in her head.
"Is this when you were supposedly evading Mr. Grisham?" Dippet asked her, but it was Caoinin who spoke.
"Oh no, sir. That was when she was running from Yaxley. Riddle asked him to keep an eye on Sinclaire and little Miss perfect couldn't stand it so she ran away. I can vouch for him being no where near Sinclaire all day." A long and uncomfortably tense near silence permeated the office. The only thing that disturbed it was Hattie Lovegood's absent-minded humming as everyone absorbed the implications of Caoinin's words.
Armando Dippet, for the first time since the Christmas pantomime disaster two years previously, wanted to cry. The answers had all seemed obvious until the girl presented an argument that was equally as realistic as the first innocuous theories. Either way, these students were trying to pull one over on him. Yet another reminder that he was in dire need of retirement. Helplessly, he looked at Dumbledore. But the man had eyes only for the terrified and trembling young woman, who looked fragile and alone in the sitting in the middle of the couch and wrapped up in Riddle's robes.
"Is there something you wish to tell us, Maeve?" Albus Dumbledore asked softly. The shivering became a violent shudder that wracked her frame. Then, she went rigid, coming to a decision. She raised her head, green eyes full of tears.
"Yes," She croaked in a barely audible voice. And then again, this time more strongly. "I just don't want him to be in trouble…"
"What is it, Maeve? What do you need to tell us?" Dumbledore's voice took on an edge and he knelt beside the girl. Everyone waited with bated breath, some in jubilation and some in horror for what she would say next.
"I just…I don't feel safe in the hallways anymore, professor. Tom goes to such trouble just to keep me safe, and I know Yaxley and Lestrange have much better things to do then baby-sit me." Maeve looked up at Riddle with an expression of blind trust that was almost too convincing.
"I'm sorry?" Dumbledore looked nonplussed.
" So that's why I was trying to get away from them. But he's always stalking…but I know you don't mean to be frightening-" Maeve looked up at Grisham and shuddered more violently, tears leaking down her cheeks. "But…I don't know what I'd do if they weren't there! in the common room it's awful I just cant get any studying done! I'm just so nervous all the time and-"
"That's a lie!" Caoinin shrilled, startling everyone from their reverie. "You lying, cheating cockroach!"
"Miss O'Brien, restrain yourself!" Dippet exclaimed ineffectually, to shocked to discipline her.
Several things happened at once after that. Firstly, Caoinin lunged at Maeve, her wand forgotten on the floor. Tom leapt up from his chair but Rafe got there first.
"STOP!" Dippet cried as Lestrange made a running tackle. There was a sickening crunching sound as they both crashed to the floor. Maeve jumped off the couch and retreated, sobbing desperately.
"Oh! You mustn't punish Grisham! See how furious she is? Caoinin, we could be friends-" Maeve appealed, holding out a hand to the enraged slytherin. The girl swore and struggled and spit like a thing possessed. Grisham marched forward with purpose-
"Petrificus Totalus." Dumbledore said in the calmest voice he could muster. The only thing still moving was the blood streaming from Rafe's broken nose. Dumbledore flicked his wand and the flow stopped, the bridge of his nose jerking back into place with an unpleasant crack.
Maeve's heart thundered and she struggled to keep up the tiny whimpering sobs. She could not believe that her lie was working, nor that O'Brien had acted in precisely the way she expected. And Grisham, Merlin, she'd been dieing to punish Grisham for ages. The way he treated her as though she were a piece of his property simply because they came from the same house and she was on his quidditch team. She felt empowered by the sheer might of her will, it was just so easy to manipulate them into believing her. She felt exhilaratingly, terrifyingly alive; like the night in the bathroom, when Tom had been so close to her. That plummeting, swooping high of life! This must be how Riddle felt all the time…it was hard to act so pathetic and subservient with the thrill of the ruse singing in her pureblood veins.
She felt a hand on her waist and one on her shoulder as Tom gently guided her against his chest, enfolding her in his embrace. The skin of his neck felt cool against her own and she shuddered gently, leaning into him. This was the second time tonight that Riddle had been so close to her and she was starting to relish it. Tom Riddle could give her this feeling, in his presence, she could share his freedom. She'd lied to the headmaster and Dumbledore, she'd virtually stood up to Grisham! Something deeply buried and venomous stirred in her breast, flicking it's forked tongue to taste dawning victory.
"I think that Sinclaire's been traumatized enough for one night, don't you, headmaster?" Riddle's velvet voice was like cool water over Maeve's fevered skin and she relaxed.
"Albus, perhaps we should let this alone until morning-" Dippet murmured worriedly, Sinclaire's eyes had taken on a glazed over and zealous look to them.
"In a moment, Armando, let me just speak to our last witness. Miss Lovegood?"
"Yes?" Hattie looked up for the first time, moving past a bored Zabini.
"Is what Ms. Sinclaire says true?" Dumbledore looked over his shoulder at where Riddle was holding Maeve close. It couldn't be described as a gesture of comfort, it was more like a chess player claiming his piece. The cold gray eyes were wide with feigned innocence, the expression infallible.
"Yes, you could say that. Orpheus fancies Maeve and he follows her enough to be quite annoying. He's always finding an excuse to be alone with her…Yes, she's telling the truth. Can we all go to bed now, professor?" Hattie yawned and smiled dreamily at Riddle and Maeve, waving to them.
"Armando, this is your decision…" Dumbledore sounded resigned as he waved his wand and released the three paralyzed students. Rafe scrabbled to his feet and got as far away from Caoinin and Grisham as he possibly could, a wild look in his eye.
Dippet wrung his hands and his shoulders sagged. He'd been hoping Dumbledore wouldn't say that…Agh! He'd become such a milksop in his old age! Come on, Armando, bite the muggle bullet and get this over with!
"I'm leaving it to your heads of house to decide your punishment. At the very least, it's a detention for you Grisham. And a serious talk about the…issues you seem to have with Sinclaire. If I hear anymore about this stalking business, well, be sure that Atlanata will hear about this. O'Brien, I'll be telling Slughorn about your attitude. Riddle…try to set an example as head boy, please. Yes, take your wand. We'll have to find a temporary replacement for yours, miss Sinclaire. Let this disaster be a lesson to you not to wander the hallways. Bed, all of you, before I change my mind." Dippet muttered in a defeated voice, running a hand over his bald head. There was the dull patter of feet as they trudged out of his office. Dippet had a sudden terrified thought and lifted his head, shouting to them: "And if any of you starts a dueling match in the corridor, you'll be expelled before you can catch your breath!"
The door had barely shut behind them before Dippet was reaching for his secret stash of Firewhiskey. In his history of long nights, this had been one of those that fell in the highly unpleasant category.
~*~
"I think that went rather well."
"Oh, shut up, Lovegood!" Grisham sulked viciously, his arms folded over his chest. Caoinin marched along beside him, an expression on her face like she'd just been forced to suck on a lemon.
"I'm inclined to agree with her, Orpheus. After all, things could always be worse." Tom Riddle's smile was elated as he helped Maeve stagger down the hallway.
"Worse?! Worse-"
"He means you could be in a lot of pain, or dead. Those can still be arranged, though, if your not satisfied…" Rafe murmured, his voice still mildly nasal as he mopped at the drying blood on his chin.
"Keep on like that and I'll break something else," Spat Caoinin. "And this time it'll be important."
"What would your mother say, O'Brien, if she knew you were dating a mud blood? I hate to think…I'll I'd have to do is tell my mother and you know what good friends they are-" Zabini began, their squabbling voices slowly fading down the hallway. Riddle gently guided his exhausted charge into an empty classroom and shut the door behind them. With a casual flick of his wand, the lock clicked.
"Thank you." Were the first words she said as he turned around. "I-"
Riddle took one stride forward, cupped the back of her neck deftly in one hand and her waist in the other…and kissed her. Ah, her lips were marvelous, even better than he'd imagined. Soft, sumptuous and perfect. She'd never kissed before, that was obvious. But if he just shifted the angle a little and varied the pressure of his mouth on her's-There we are! Her mouth softened and followed his lead as he had hoped it would. He never knew with Sinclaire, she was a constant surprise. But it was comforting that even she couldn't resist the tried and true methodology of a good kiss. After that nightmarish run-in, Riddle needed this as much as she did. He felt her melt, her body slackening against his as the grip on his shoulders became more pronounced. Gently, he leaned her back against a desk; tipping her head back gently with a hand so he could feel her supple frame against his own.
He pulled away and then kissed again, drawing her lips up to follow his. Opening his mouth a little wider with each kiss, just to tease her until she was completely and utterly soft. He smiled as he pulled away for a final time and she followed him unconsciously, eyes still shut and yearning for the next touch of his lips. At the sound of his chuckle, her blonde lashes fluttered open, revealing those mesmerizing emerald eyes.
"Your welcome, Sinclaire. Advance praise for a kiss is always appreciated." Oh, he was absolutely keeping this one. Intelligence, beauty, guile and(if properly cultivated and encouraged to blossom accordingly)pureblood ambition. She even has personality! She took a deep breath and blinked several times as though she were waking from a deep sleep.
"That was my first kiss."
"That was the first time anyone's lied for me without my commanding them to beforehand." Riddle replied simply, brushing a silken lock of hair from her eyes.
"I'm amazed that they believed me," Maeve murmured, trying to look down. Riddle's hand at her jaw stopped her and he frowned.
"Lesson one: Keep your head held high, Sinclaire. You are proud of your blood status, are you not?"
"I-" Maeve was thrown by the change in topic but recovered quickly. "Of course I am!"
"So act as if you are proud. You need to-" Tom paused as she yawned, her mouth stretched in a small adorable 'O'. She realized quickly her error and clenched her teeth against another.
"I'm sorry!"
"No, no. You must be desperately tired. I'll walk you up to your common room, Pringle's bound to have extinguished some of the torches…" He took her hand, his fingers wrapping around her slender hand to grip it. She did not grasp his, however, but kept her fingers straight and stared at their hands dumbly.
"Yes? Is there something wrong, Mae-Sinclaire?"
"I just keep expecting you to laugh at me, I suppose. I don't know…your right, I'm exhausted." She yawned again and swayed on her feet, throwing out a hand to catch herself on a desk. Riddle rolled his eyes and gently nudged the back of her knees with his foot, she collapsed and he caught her, lifting her into his arms.
"Here. If we go at your comatose pace we'll reach Ravenclaw tower in time for breakfast." He carefully crept out of the classroom and started down the hall, her arms around his neck and her eyelids drooping.
"What does this make us, Riddle? The kiss…?" She mumbled, one hand sliding down to grip his tie. Tom considered this for a moment, searching for the right word.
"Allies, very close allies. A king and a queen sort of thing."
"Hmm, that's nice. Goodnight, Tom." Her smile stayed even as she drifted away on a sea of warm, happy sunset thoughts. Very distantly, so far away she was sure she imagined it; she heard his voice:
"Sleep well, Maeve."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
What's this?! An End Note?: Damnation, I lost all my special paragraphs(which is code for 'formatting', I suppose.). Oh well, its not important. Alright, what did you think? Like the kiss, dont like the kiss? Personally, I had a mental FINALLY! SOMETHING INTERESTING AND BORDERLINE YAY HAPPENS! But that's just me. Yes, Tom's pov on kiss might be diappointing but when I tried to write what Maeve got out of that it was like a brief flatline on the heart monitor and we're back to cryptic mind gibberish. Ecstatically joyful, but not very readable/coherent. Hence, I picked the character who was still capable of thought to explain. Do you like the sweeter sided Tom? Because he was three days beating down nasty Tom with hug attacks before I could write this...goddess, I'm really not making any sense...I'll stop now before I hurt myself.
P.S. If anyone's interested or just really bored, my other fic is related to this(kind of like how munchkins and donuts are related.). I'd love a few more readers..please dont make me beg...I get all muddy when I grovel and beg...
