Disclaimer: Same as prologue
Chapter 10
So every other day, Aidan and Tom refrained from arguing over a topic and cracked open a book on Runes to do something constructive with some of their time. Not that arguing wasn't constructive but that did not help them during their school time. What could they do about their opinions anyway?
It was a slow improvement for Aidan. Tom, himself, felt frustrated at times with the slow progress but Aidan seemed to never forget what he learnt so it was a tricky situation that would help in the long run. There weren't that many runes anyway. At the rate they were going, they would just be able to go through all of the runes a couple of weeks before the end of the year exams with enough time to revise after that. A truly exciting prospect, note the sarcasm.
Dorea joined them after a couple of weeks. She explained the runes better and sped up Aidan's progress considerably, to the relief of both Aidan and Tom. Soon it was Tom that was simply reading on the other end of the table while Dorea took over Aidan's Runes education, which ended up taking the entire lunch break every day.
It was two months later, after a few more lessons during the evenings after dinner that Aidan was finally at the level of Runes he was supposed to be at that point. Aidan had been exhausted when he got into bed during those nights, not even awake for the daily conversation in the dorm room after lights went out. He dreamt nothing during those months, something he was grateful for. He did not want a dream like the last one again.
Tom, on the other hand, was getting bored. He could not discuss the new conclusions he had formed from the books he read as Dorea did not want him to distract Aidan. That girl was scary when she was angry or didn't get her way, as Tom found out the second day after she had taken over teaching Aidan and he tried to talk to him on the subject of Grey magic. Aidan had sent him an apologetic look while he got a talking down from Dorea, but did nothing to help Tom get out of it. Tom began regretting even asking Dorea to help.
Tom was shocked with himself. He has never had anyone disagree with him just to prove him wrong. He thought he would hate the feeling of being questioned and argued with, but he didn't. It was disconcerting. He did not expect to miss being challenged either nor was it usual to be as open as he was with a person he had known for only a couple months. The boy was truly unique.
When Dorea's lessons were over, both Tom and Aidan felt relieved. The woman was a terror and a hard taskmistress. If she ever did become a professor as she currently aimed to be, they felt truly sorry for all the students that she had to teach.
The day after the last lesson, they met in the library again. After five minutes they realized Dorea wasn't going to come to the library, they heaved great sighs of relief.
'Finally,' Aidan whispered across the table.
'I know,' Tom answered, also whispering. Madame Davis had chosen not to leave the library that day due to the bunch of loud Gryffindors trying to finish the Transfiguration essay due the next lesson a couple of tables over. The noise the Gryffindors were making would easily conceal their conversation but they did not want to risk getting caught talking by Madame Davis in the library. She was currently glaring at the oblivious Gryffindors angrily, they could just make out her fingers twitching towards her wand. No, they would not risk getting cursed by the librarian, after all who knew what spells she knew.
'So what did you want to talk about the day she shouted at you? Sorry about that by the way, it was just the gleam she had in her eye…' Aidan shuddered at the memory.
'Well I definitely learnt never to disturb her again,' Tom said, nodding solemnly in agreement. 'Anyway, you know the …' and they slid easily back into the schedule they had began before Tom had offered to teach Aidan as Aidan no longer needed the help in Runes.
'Aidan Morin?'
The voice cut through the heated debate between Aidan and Tom. They turned to look at the person that had interrupted them. It was one of the younger Ravenclaws, a second year by the look of it.
'Yes?' Aidan prompted after the girl just stared at the two without saying anything for a couple of minutes.
'Professor Dumbledore wants to see you. He says it's not too urgent and it can wait if you are too busy. He's in his office,' the girl squeaked, her voice a couple of octaves higher than it was previously. The girl took off as soon as she had delivered her message, seemingly terrified. Aidan cocked his head to the side.
'Does that happen often?' he asked Tom.
'It does.' Tom nodded. 'I guess it's kinda my fault she took off like that.'
'What? Why would she be terrified of you?' Aidan was curious. Tom didn't seem that scary to him, or maybe it was because the idea of it never scared Aidan. He had never even really been terrified of Tom's counterpart Voldemort.
Tom sighed. 'I'm considered to be the Slytherin Prince because I speak parseltongue, and my group of friend have been dubbed "Merlin's Court" by the rest of the school. For some strange reason or the other everyone in the school seems to listen to us and treat us like … like we are above them or something. No one really knows why they do that, they just do.'
Aidan laughed. 'You're annoyed because the rest of the school treats you like royalty without a reason?' Aidan asked incredulously. 'Unbelievable.'
'Well, we're all crazy in some way or the other,' Tom tried to explain but was cut off by Aidan's muffled laughter. Aidan clasped his hands over his mouth to stop from making a loud noise, slightly thankful for the rowdy Gryffindors for a second. 'What?'
'You do realize that you just called yourself crazy, right?'
Tom looked mock horrified. 'Oh no. Whatever shall I do?'
Aidan was laughing so hard he could no longer make a sound. His shoulders were shaking and tears of mirth were squeezing out of his eyes. 'S-stop i-it!' Aidan said between wracks of laughter. 'M-my s-stomach h-hurts,' he managed to gasp out while holding his stomach. Tom shook his head at Aidan's laughing form.
'How could you laugh over my plight? No one is going to help me defend my sanity now, I've already admitted that I no longer have it,' Tom tutted, only managing to make Aidan laugh even harder than he already was, if that was actually possible.
'P-p-please T-t-tom, I c-c-can't-' Aidan said, his watery green eyes locking on Tom's blue orbs, still shining with mirth. Tom took pity on Aidan when lunch ended and shot Aidan a sobering charm that calmed Aidan instantly.
Aidan gulped in air gratefully. 'That was a good laugh, something I haven't had in a while,' he said over the sound of the panicking Gryffindors as he packed away his ink, quill and parchment into his bag. Tom was waiting for him and they left the library together.
Thank you to everyone who followed and favourited this story so far. :D
Ecila Raveniz Thgilyad: lol if Tom hexes me, Harry will prank him like crazy :D
GinHanelle: It is a happy ending … at least I expect it to be. Thank you :D
rentamiya: If I do abandon the story, you can hunt me down. You have my full permission XD.
