AN: sorry for the short pause, I was quite busy with other things and other stories. You should totally check out my "Just a bit, while it lasts" fanfiction if you haven't already done so. It's also Tom/OC, however, I have a different approach on that one.
Time passed. The very first snowflakes were falling down the sky as Lorella looked out of the windows in the Great Hall. It was a nice morning, the air smelled like cinnamon and oranges, Lorella felt fuzzy. If only the sickening thought of betrayal wasn't rushing through her body - for the longest time, she did not know who she was. It was not in a sense of having been the victim of a foul memory charm, no, it was more in the sense of feeling numb, inwardly numb, feeling unknown to the own soul that wanted to scream and break out, wanted to be free.
"What are you thinking of?" Tom asked, glancing at the girl.
"Oh, not much." Said Lorella, looking to him. She rested her head on her elbow while she watched him sipping on his cup of tea, reading something in a book. Almost nobody was in the Great Hall, it was a quiet Saturday morning.
"Holly." Tom then called out to a Hufflepuff. Lorella looked up, realizing it was the same girl she saw at Slughorn's party. She walked up to Tom.
"Yes?"
"I want you to patrol the third corridor tonight. Clarson got injured, he can't do it. So you will."
"Okay." Said the girl, then walked out of the Great Hall.
"Why are you allowed to give them orders?" Asked Lorella, looking up to Tom, who smirked at her only faintly.
"Because I am not only a prefect, I am also head boy, my dear." Said Tom, kissing her cheek. "That allows me to control all prefects and give them orders." He explained, then continued reading while Lorella thought of some things.
"Tell me. What are your plans for the future." Asked Tom suddenly, closing the book. Lorella raised her head, looking at him in thoughts. She did not expect this question, still yet it was the very same question that kept her mind busy for some time.
"Well...I've got two ideas, actually. I could imagine coming back as a teacher for Divination. Plan B is to get into the ministry of magic and work at the Department for International Magical Cooperation. Like my father. I find it to be very interesting and exciting." Smiled Lorella.
"Hm." Murmured Tom, sipping on his tea again, narrowing his eyes in thoughts.
"You really don't want to get into the ministry, do you?" Lorella asked. "Slughorn and everyone else thinks it's suitable. You have top grades in all courses."
Tom glanced at her, then ahead again. "Those things bore me." He said, putting his cup down before his eyes turned to her.
"But Tom..." Lorella frowned. "What is greater than proposing ideas to shape the lives of witches and wizards into the better?"
"Simply doing it." Tom said shortly.
Lorella glanced away. "You can't step on everyone just for your own benefit all the time..."
"I did not ask them to be weak." He said, his hypnotizing gaze starting to bore through her very soul.
"Yeah..." Sighed Lorella and turned her face away bitterly. "Ridiculous..." She murmured.
"What was that?!" Hissed Tom suddenly, turning his face towards her. Lorella shook her head.
"Nothing." She murmured. "I'm sure you'll do whatever you want anyway."
"Right you are. They have no orientation. That's why my ideals...shall be introduced to the whole wizarding community soon..." He murmured darkly, then frowned when Lorella had gotten up.
"Where are you going!"
"Library. I need to research for an essay for Divination."
"Bring the books here that you want to use."
"What? Why?"
Tom looked at her intensively at that question.
"Because", he started, "I do want to know and see what you're writing. We will do it together - as always, Lorella" he said firmly. Lorella stood there and watched him, but he put his cup down, clicked his tongue and got up from the table, wrapping his hand around her elbow as he led her towards the library.
"You really rub me the wrong way today, girl." He whispered into her ear. Lorella looked up to him shyly when he said that, then suddenly turned around to him and kissed his lips only to laugh and run off. Tom stood there as if talked to in a language he couldn't understand, blinked and watched Lorella disappearing around a corner. She peeped her head back around, looking over to him, giggled, then ran away again. Tom just shook his head, still not knowing what to do, but he marched after her while sighing.
"Lorella!" He shouted when she ran ahead of him and away, the amused giggles echoed in the corridors. As the girl rounded another corner, hoping for a place where she could hide, she stepped back and frowned when there was a door in the wall. Lorella tilted her head to the side and stretched her hand out as if the door could bite and she wanted to make sure it was tamed first. Curiously she opened it and her eyes widened at what she saw. A large room, cathedral-like, completely stuffed with things of sorts. Lorella walked inside cautiously, scanning the different areas with her eyes. What an enormous-
"Eeeek!" Squeaked Lorella, turning around to the the person having their hand on her shoulder. Tom raised an eyebrow at her, the corner of his mouth twitched up.
"You found the room." Said Tom with some sort of surprise in his voice.
"What is this place? We walked by this corridor a couple of times, I've never seen this door"
Tom chuckled. "There are students that pass by for years and leave the school without knowing the room exists. What did you think of? A place to hide?"
"Y-yes" Frowned Lorella, wondering why that was so important, but then she understood.
"So the room only appears when one thinks of something they need?" She said and walked around curiously when Tom nodded. "What are these objects? Do they belong to somebody?"
"Did. Their owners tried to dispose of them." Said Tom. "Students, staff, whoever thought of a place to hide something."
"Did you ever hide something here?" Lorella asked with a giggle, looking over to Tom who smirked and shrugged. "Maybe."
"What did you hide?" Asked Lorella, walking over to him. Tom just seemed even more amused, shaking his head at her. "Aren't you curious." He grinned, kissing down her neck. His hot breath tickled her skin and he pulled away from her after a moment.
"The room becomes whatever you want it to be. I could see us using it in various ways..." He purred.
Lorella, still smiling, suddenly frowned. Her head turned to Tom. "So if somebody were to look for a place to study dark magic..."
"Then the room would grand them a place to study dark magic." Said Tom nonchalantly but with a smirk playing across his lips.
"There's so much more in this castle that you don't know of, sweet Lorella..." He murmured, not able to suppress another soft grin. Lorella looked at him, still curious and unknowing.
"But do not worry." Tom said. "I'm always by your side, am I not?" He sighed, then leaned against a shelf with crossed arms as he observed Lorella strolling around. He watched her bending and stretching, elegantly moving to the left and right, carefully poking things. And this urge crept up to him again. He wanted to hear her scream; wanted to make her tremble. Her scared face, he missed it, longed for it. Could he, perhaps...
"Lorella." Tom said. "Come here to me."
Lorella turned around and walked over to him. "Yes?" She asked while he stared into her eyes intensively. "Kiss me", he demanded.
Lorella, slightly taken aback, tiptoed up to him and kissed him softly. Tom wrapped his arms around her, deepening the action before he let go, breathing against her bottom lip heavily. Not yet.
"Let's get done with your essay." He then purred, grabbing her hand and walked off.
A couple of days passed and Lorella was currently sitting in the common room, glancing up when Tom and his gang entered as well.
"Hey." Smiled Lorella.
"Since when are you here?" Tom frowned, sitting next to her on the couch, his hand resting on her thigh.
"Divination was cancelled and I didn't know where you were so I came here." Said Lorella with a hearty yawn that caused Lestrange and the rest to yawn as well, much to Lorella's amusement. Tom, without the slightest of facial twitches, simply pulled the girl into his arms, his mouth straight and calm as always. "By the way", he started, "Slughorn's next party takes place the 23rd of December. He told me to let you know, he didn't send out invitations this time."
"Probably didn't want anyone to know that he would continue any of his parties after the last incident" grinned Mulciber as he sipped on some Firewhiskey.
"At least I wouldn't have thought to receive another invitation after being so troublesome during his last two..." Lorella sighed softly and the others chuckled when everyone's eyes turned over to the entrance that closed again; Nott walking inside, handing over a letter to Tom that Lorella glanced at but resided with sketching around on her paper pad.
"Who's it?" Asked Lestrange curiously.
"Dolohov." Said Tom. "He'll be out of the hospital as well, soon." He added. This stirred Lorella's curiosity.
"Why were the three of you, Nott, Rosier and this...Dolothing boy in the hospital? What happened?"
Tom looked at Lorella, pinching her cheek. "Curiosity killed the cat, my precious." He muttered while Rosier and Nott chuckled as they watched Lorella pouting; she disliked not knowing these things.
"Where are you going now?" Asked Tom with a frown when Lorella got up yet again.
"Library."
"What for? You've done all your assignments." Said Tom with a raised eyebrow.
"I just want to read a bit." Sighed Lorella, walking out of the common room. Tom merely glanced at the entrance, narrowing his eyes, but someone else said what he thought.
"As if." Grinned Lestrange and stretched up. "I'll go after her, it's my turn I guess" he murmured.
Tom nodded at him. "Don't get caught. I need to know what she's up to. Because she is up to something."
When Lestrange walked up into the library, he found Lorella in the very back of the room, curled down on some pillows, a book in her hands. She glanced up to him once she spotted Lestrange leaning against the bookshelf with a raised eyebrow.
"What is it you're reading?" He asked.
"History of Divination." Shrugged Lorella, yawning. "And I thought Tom would've stopped sending people after me...how wrong I was." She sighed. Lestrange walked over to her, an unreadable expression spread on his face as he sat down. Tom rubbed off on everyone.
"He's just scared that something will happen after such troublesome times." He patted her head while Lorella just stared at him.
"As far as I recall it, you guys aren't exactly innocent in shaping these, how did you word it, troublesome times" she frowned.
"We have learned our lessons. As have you", chuckled Lestrange. "But tell me, why sitting in the library, you could read that book in the common room."
"It's quiet here. At least I hoped it to be" she raised an eyebrow at Lestrange, clearly remarking the irony of his presence. Lestrange chuckled, but nodded.
"I got it, I got it. So you're not up to some foul business, are you, Lorella?"
"Can these eyes lie?" Lorella batted her eyelashes at him and Lestrange grinned, patting her head before he got up.
"Fine then. I'll pick you up for lunch", he said, then walked off. Lorella chuckled to herself, shaking her head at him, then pulled out a piece of parchment and her quill.
12th of December 1944
Dear Athan,
how are things going? Do they treat you well at Durmstrang? I've heard about their affiliation with the Dark Arts, is that true? I do wonder about that. Anyway, there's nothing special going on here. Did I tell you that Tom is going to be with us during Christmas? My father invited him over after "capturing" you. I want you to know that I never truly believed you (voluntarily) gave me the Draught. Tom's gang surely has something to do with it, I'm not stupid. I think it's outrageous that a student gets expelled because of that. Sure, the Draught is usually used for drugging young witches but it was Halloween. Saying that it was a stupid prank was enormously helpful - did Dumbledore tell you to say that? He's unbelievable. And he has seen through Tom a while ago - probably from the start. I can't do much, can I? I just hope that Tom will get bored of me soon, until then, I have to play the sweet and innocent girlfriend. Are you spending your holidays at home? Hope to hear from you,
Lorella.
As Lorella closed the book with the letter inside, she did not notice the pair of eyes behind her, watching every bit of her movement.
Lunch was oddly tense. Tom stared at Lorella with his omniscient stare that caused her to feel enormously uncomfortable while eating.
"What is it?" She then whispered to him. Tom shook his head, no muscle twitched in his face when he shoved something to eat into his mouth.
"We will take a walk after lunch, Lorella." Said Tom then. Lorella frowned, glancing to the left and right.
"I...wanted to go into the library again." She said quietly. Tom smiled at her.
"Why, you surely want to visit the owlery, do you not?" He asked, stroking some strands of hair behind her ear. Lorella's eyes widened a slight bit, not expecting this.
"H-ow?" She asked, but Tom shook his head with a deep sigh. "You can't hide anything from me." He said softly. "So let us try it the kind way, shall we? You will give me that letter without any objections and there shall be no consequences for whatever you've been writing, or you will watch what happens in case you will not give me that letter." He looked into her eyes. Lorella glanced away, then back at him.
"Can't I simply tell you what I wrote?" She asked. Tom chuckled.
"Excuse me, dear. Are you under the belief that I would let you send that letter to Mr. Cooper?" He asked amused. Lorella gulped again, then sighed and simply shoved the letter into his hand without further commentary. Tom put it away under his cloak, then sighed and shook his head.
"I really hoped we could have started over new, Lorella. But you leave me no other choice but to resolve in how it used to be, do you?"
"No!" Lorella suddenly hissed, causing the rest of the Slytherins to look up curiously, then away again when Tom glared.
"I'm sorry." Said Lorella. "Let's not fight..." She whispered. Tom glanced at her curiously, then grinned, bringing his lips to her forehead, but did not answer, leaving Lorella in a state of painful insecurity.
"We will talk about it later" he then said - and that's when Lorella knew she would be in trouble, no matter which way she looked at it.