Chapter 10: Back in the chamber of secrets

He kissed her again and sighed.

"Come. I'll show you something", he answered and pulled her along with him.

"Tom where are we going?" she worriedly asked after a while.

"You'll see", he told her and made a turn at the second floor.
He opened the chamber of secrets and motioned for Melinda to jump, which she did after a slight hesitation. Tom jumped after her with another sigh.

'Man, she could really be such a pain in the ass sometimes.'

He landed half a meter away from her and helper her to stand up before asking her to walk with him. After a while, he turned into a different passage.
Suddenly, you could hear a slithering sound and Melinda gave a jump and squeezed Toms hand even harder.

"It's okey", he whispered and gave her a light kiss. She nodded, still not certain, and gave another jump when she heard the slithering again.

"When I tell you, you have to promise me to close your eyes. You understand?" he said and let go of her hand. "Wait here." Melinda nodded but did not let go of him.

"Please don't go. I'm scared."

"There's nothing to be afraid of, sweetheart", he said and she let go of him.
He continued a bit further, until he entered the room where he had left all of his papers. The slithering sound returned, now sounding from behind him and he turned around.

"Melinda, close your eyes!" he yelled.

She screamed as well and he was by her side in no time.

"What happened?" he asked, now calm, and hugged her.

He could feel her shivering.

"I felt something touch my leg", she said and started crying.

"It's okey. Nothing's ever going to happen to you as long as I'm here. You understand?" he comforted her. "We have to keep going."

He pulled him with you into the small, dark room and locked the door behind them.
In the middle of the room, there was a fire, which cast a green light in the room. It had taken Tom weeks, but he had recently found a way of making it glow for as long as he needed the chamber.

"Have a seat", he said and gestured her to sit down into what looked to be a pretty new armchair.

She did what she was told and he conjured a cup of tea for her.

"Drink this and you'll feel better in no time", he said and gave it to her.

She nodded before taking the cup and took a sip.

They were quiet for a long time, before Melinda opened her mouth.

"What was it that you wanted me to do again?" she asked and put the cup down.

"Right", he said, clearly abstracted and gave her a piece of paper.

She noticed her glancing threw the paper before giving it back to her.

"For you, then", she answered, before rising up with teary eyes.

"What now? Are you sad?" he asked her and removed he tear falling down her cheek.

She shook her head, but now knew she lied. She was clearly devastated. He didn't need legilimency to see that. He hugged her, before taking her out of there. They exited the chamber at a secret passage, which could only be used if you wanted to get out of the chamber. They walked back to the castle hand in hand and Tom knew that once this was over, he wouldn't be able to let go of her, and neither was she.

At once when they returned into the common room, Melinda and tom were separated.

"Where the hell have you been?" Cygnus wondered when he returned from the dormitory.

"How come you always are so curious?" Tom said, just as sarcastic as Cygnus had been.

"It's a gift", he replied with a casual voice.

"Ever heard of the saying Curiosity killed the cat?" Tom asked, and with that he finished the conversation and Cygnus left with a grin.

"What's the matter with him?" Tom asked and Abraxas sighed.

"New girlfriend", he said and stood up.

"Wait a minute. How? When? Who?"

"Since about", he looked at his watch. "Three hours. It was his date on the Halloween party."

"Druella Rosier?" Tom interrupted.

Abraxas nodded and left tom with his thoughts.

Tom threw himself at the bed and screamed as loud as he could into the pillow before the dormitory door opened and Cygnus and Druella entered, kissing intensively. Tom sat up in the bed and stared at them. They hadn't been together for more then 24 hours and already acted like they had dated for at least a year.
Tom hawked and the kissing stopped immediately.

"Don't you guys ever knock?" he asked and they shook their heads in shame. Druella knew better then to question him. She had experienced what could happen if you were disobedient during his first year. Since then, they hadn't had very much contact. Sure, she had done a bit of his homework occasionally, but nowadays he usually did them himself. It was only if it was so easy that he already knew the whole text by heart. Then he told someone else to do them, usually Abraxas or Cyngus, but sometimes they had too much homework on their own that he just asked someone else to do it instead. Not that the amount of their homework mattered to him, but sometimes he pitied them.

He left Cyngus and Abraxas alone in the dormitory and sat down next to Abraxas in the common room. They young Malfoy boy bowed his head to greet his master and kept reading his book.

"What are you reading?" Tom asked and removed the book from Abraxas lap.

"Hogwarts, A history, he answered and reached out to grab it.

"Really, what have you found out?"

"A lot about Salazar Slytherin and the other founders and how they built the castle and some other fun stuff. Have you read it?"

"Are there any book at Hogwarts I haven't read?" Tom stated with a snort.

"Tom!" a voice almost screamed and Melinda came running. "You have to come quickly."

She sounded very frightened and Tom got out of the chair along with Abraxas who followed.
They followed Melinda down to a secret passage.

Suddenly sounds of beating became louder. Someone apparently had chosen this hiding place to pick a fight. Judging by the sounds, it seemed to be pretty bad.
They turned around a corner, just in time to see a Slytherin boy hit a Hufflepuff girl. He got ready to hit again, but Tom wasn't going to allow that.

In less then a second Tom was beside the Slytherin boy who was just ready for another punch. Before the fist hit the girl, Tom grabbed it and twisted it hard enough for the boy to groan in pain and pull back his hand.

"Abraxas take her to the Hospital Wing and explain to Madam Hopkins what happened." Abraxas nodded, brought the girl and left.

The boys friends left as well and left Tom alone with the boy. Melinda was of course there as well, but she wasn't counted as dangerous.

"What were you thinking?" Tom asked with an unnatural calm in his voice.

"She's a mudblood", he said and shrugged. "What does it matter if she gets hurt?"

"It does matter, because even if you're from Slytherin, it's not a way to treat a small girl and you know it", Tom said in a harsh voice.

"I can't believe that's coming from you. Treating people like nothing", the boy spat.

"What I do is none of your business", Tom said and grabbed the younger boy. "Come on."

He turned around, noticing Melinda still standing there.

"Thanks honey", he said and gave he a light kiss before taking the boy to the Headmasters office and knocked at the door.

"Enter", a voice called out and Tom opened the door.

"Tom, my boy, what has happened?" Dippet asked when he saw the boy that Tom was holding.

"He assaulted a girl from Hufflepuff and called her a mudblood, sir", Tom replied and pointed at the boy, who was now smirking.

"Thank you for bringing him here, Tom. Fifty points to Slytherin, but now you have to go. Good night Tom."

"Good night, sir", Tom said before turning back to the common room where he met Melinda.

"Tom we have to talk."

"Sure", he said and kissed her neck.

"I'm not sure I can handle this, Tom. It's so hard."

"I know sweetheart, but if someone can handle it, it's you", he said and kissed her again.

"Thank you", she said and answered the kiss.

"What are you thinking me for?" he asked very surprised. "You have nothing to thank me for."

"For having such an understanding boyfriend, of course", she said as if it would be the easiest thing in the world. "I love you."

"Me too. I have to go now."
She nodded and kissed him one last time before returning to her dormitory.

Tom had to get out. Get some fresh air. He had a strange feeling. One that he could not place anywhere. He had never felt like this before. Could it be love? He wasn't sure. He had only planned to use her, but it had become so much more then that. The more he thought about it, the more certain were he. He didn't want this to be true. It wasn't what he needed now.

Suddenly it occurred to him that someone might had given him a love potion or something. He had to check it up back in the castle later, but until then, he would just enjoy the last sun.

All of a sudden, a branch cracked and Tom turned around.