Title: Young and Aspiring
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Tom Riddle Jr., Ronald Weasley
Prompt: 011: Red
Word Count: 699
Rating: PG13 just incase.
Summary: Ron's nightmares of the war have returned
Author's Notes: We learn about another character here, I suppose she's an OC, I don't know. She's not a mary-sue though. If she was, I'd kill myself.
Oh yeah, angst meter has risen to 41 XD

The dreams had started again. Ones that made his skin crawl and his insides churn at the disfigured faces that greeted his closed eyes every night. The worst part was when the crimson red eyes flashed before him as pale soft pink skin turned a slimy grey. It was during this part that he would jolt awake with terror and look over for his lover but only find the bed empty.

The dreams, the nightmares had been carrying on for the past five days, endless, sleepless nights falling one after the other so that he was late for breakfast and the bacon was gone. He had more than once asked for a potion that would induce dreamless sleep but each request had been ignored and Ron would face the image of his lover turning into the monster he had come to fear and hate.

Waking up to find Tom gone and his side of the bed already chilling only made things worse. That and each day he was becoming encompassed with fierce jealousy. Jealousy that would make him do something horrible. He already knew what he was capable of and Tom was so fragile. Ron knew that he could break the young boy, knew that he could crush him without a moments thought. It frightened him even more than the dreams.

Tom noticed early on the change in Ron, noting the sore red eyes and tired smile that greeted him in the mornings and later on in the evening. He also noted the shortness that came across whenever somebody else was around or too close to him. Which seemed to be most of the time.

Tom sighed and decided not to dwell on his lover until later when he was alone with the basilisk and had time to think. After all, potions was already a hard enough class as it was, not being able to concentrate on it would only make it worse.

Paula Parkinson had a reputation of being a woman who got what she wanted at any price. No one had ever rejected her and many were quick before they were to bad mouth her in front of anyone as she had fast reflexes and a quick tongue. One that would get her into much trouble later on in life if she didn't learn how to control it.

She was a strong young woman, fast in learning and quick to read someone. She knew which buttons to push and knew which levers to pull to achieve her goal and her sixth sense hadn't failed her yet. She had many targets, conquests, and many ways of attaining them. Nothing stood in her way, until she decided to dig her claws into one orphan, Tom Marvolo Riddle.

He was young, innocent, fresh, and fragile. Something she could grasp and crush with the simple snap of her manicured fingers. At least, that was how he seemed. But she soon noticed something much darker and deeper behind his cold coal eyes. No life had truly shone behind them. Huger for something greater, yes, but life, true pure lustful life had not been seen in his eyes. Until the arrival of a certain teacher.

Oh yes, Paula had noticed the lustful stares, the death glares, the secret smiles and touches when both thought no one had noticed. She also knew that the transfiguration master had seen these incidents also. Paula only thought of this as a new challenge. She would break two birds with one small stone.

She sat at the slytherin table, rubbing her stocking foot up Tom's legs with a coy smile and a soft giggle. She noted the looks of envy at the boys that surrounded her and noted the bob of Tom's adams' apple as he glanced over at his lover, who sat with a heat glare as he watched. She leaned over, keeping her cold blue eyes on the professor as she whispered lustful things in Tom's ear. She bit at it, teasingly, smiling as Tom only sat still and Ron slammed his cup down on the table. Her smile grew as she noted that the professor's ears were just as red as his hair.