I like villains because there's something so attractive about a committed person - they have a plan, an ideology, no matter how twisted. They're motivated. - Russell Crowe
Eleanor had been uncertain about how Tom would react to her words, but she could feel him grin into her shoulder. He would never let her see how happy he really was – Tom preferred not to directly state or show his feelings, though he often found that control slipping around her. He held her hand all the way back to the castle before they walked into the Great Hall.
She stared at the decorations hanging from the ceiling and the Christmas tree in the corner, "What's going on?"
"Christmas is in five days," Tom reminded her. Noticing the worry on her face, he asks, "What's wrong?"
"I haven't bought you're presents yet!" she yells out, frowning.
"I already told you I don't want anything Ella," he commented as he lead her toward the Slytherin table. They sat down and he poured them both hot chocolate. Seeing as there were only a few people scattered at the other tables, she rests her head against his shoulder as they sit.
"But I want to get you something," she says, pouting.
"You know I can't get you anything," he says self-consciously.
"I don't care," she tries to reassure him, "I still want to get you something. Do you need anything?"
"No."
"Tom..." she says, as if she's ready to argue with him. A few seconds pass before her eyes begin to glint with an idea, "I guess I'll just surprise you."
Tom woke up on Christmas morning to find a note by his bedside. Eleanor was gone, which was odd because he was usually the one to wake her up.
Merry Christmas. I won't be seeing you at breakfast today, but don't panic. I'll see you once you get through all of my surprises – the next note will be waiting for you in the Great Hall.
At this point, he would have much rather heard Eleanor say "Good Morning. Merry Christmas." to him in that throaty whisper she had when she first woke up and rolled over with half-open eyes to stare up at him. He didn't really care about any ruddy surprises or Christmas celebrations. He got dressed with reluctance, in a more foul mood than usual, and trudged down to breakfast.
Sure enough, there was a note in the place next to him where she usually sat.
Good morning Tom,
I know I've greatly disappointed you by skipping out this morning. I apologize for not waking you, but that would have ruined the surprise. I've got something special planned for today - 12 gifts await you, each with a clue to the next. And don't try to skip out of this and go looking for me, because you'll only be able to find me by following all the clues. Good luck.
Love, Eleanor
Attached to the note was a green piece of paper. He wanted to ignore it so he could just go back to the common room and read until she was bored of this latest silliness, but his curiosity overpowered his laziness, so he unfolded the paper.
Next, you will find a set of tools of a different kind, used to create symbols and rhymes, in a spot you frequent where you will find many of their kind.
Tools that created symbols. Symbols like in Ruins. Like letters. Letters made up books, and books were in the library. He finished eating his breakfast before walking up to the fourth floor. There was a present wrapped in silver paper floating in the air a bit to the left of the door to the library. He snatched it out of the air to see another note on top, which he quickly tucked into his pocket before opening the gift. It was a set of new quills with a few rolls of parchment, probably enough to get him through the school year. Though he would still much prefer to go into the library and test out his new tools, he decided that he better continue the hunt. So, he unrolled the next clue...
Nearly ditched me to go read, didn't you? Well, once you find the next clue, you'll have something new to occupy you're time. Venture further north, to see all that awaits you.
Books always occupied his time, so that must be the next gift. North...so probably a tower. Which tower did you see things from? The Astronomy Tower. He walked up the staircases, getting more and more impatient as he waited for them to change. He held his breath as he waited for the last staircase to move over, only letting it out once he saw another wrapped box set on the railing of the Astronomy Tower. He unwrapped this one more quickly, once again tucking the note away in his pocket. A new set of the The Secret Book of Spells, along with a few other books, including A History of Hogwarts. He tore the note back out of his pocket, reading through it quickly.
The next present will also occupy you're time, though this may be a little more violent. Go back to a familiar place, somewhere you've already been once today.
He knew Eleanor would never have risked getting caught putting another present in a place he had already found one, so he decided the only other place she could have known he'd been in today was the Common Room. At least this would give him a chance to put all of this away before continuing the hunt. Within ten minutes, he had nearly ran down to the common room. He found another present sitting in the armchair he usually occupied when they were inside reading. Before opening it, he put the clue on top down on to the table. This time it was a Wizarding Chess set. He'd only played a few times before, but he supposed it was a good enough hobby. He grabbed the next clue.
Now, a way to use those quills. The next clue will be easy to find for you.
Cryptic. He couldn't think of anywhere that the clue hinted at, and for a moment was so overcome with frustration that he nearly gave up. Instead, he sighed and walked up to his dorm to put the presents he had already found away. He was shocked to see that there was another wrapped box, smaller this time, sitting on his bed. Of course the only location he hadn't been able to figure out had been the simplest one. He set everything down on his desk before walking over to open the new present. It was a small black leather bound journal, his initials carved in gold on the right corner. His fingers ran over it before he finally set it down and reached for the next clue.
A present to help you keep time, hidden at the base of the timekeeper itself.
Itself. Not a person. Keeping time. Had to be a clock. The clock tower. Tom was calmer as he walked this time, knowing that more people would be out in the hallways since an hour had already passed. On the ground floor of the clock tower, he found another wrapped present – a silver watch with a black dial, as he had suspected. He put it on before snatching the next clue from the remains of the wrapping paper.
The next gift may not be magic, but it can transfigure your appearance.
Tom sighed. He was getting a bit tired of this hunt. The act was sweet, but he just wanted to see Eleanor. Why did she have to put so many obstacles in his way? When he finally reached the Transfiguration corridor and found a box covered in green wrapping and silver bows, he snatched it out of the air, impatiently tearing at the paper as soon as he stuffed the note in his pocket. Three new sets of school robes sat in the box, and for a moment he wondered how she had managed to get his measurements. It seemed an odd thought that she cared about him enough to plan all of this – and moreover to listen in at Madam Malkin's for his measurements. For a moment, he thought he didn't deserve such kindness from her. Even though he tried to block them out, the memories of how he had hurt her so many times, in some many different ways, came flooding in. He tried to get rid of them – Malfoy wouldn't be a problem now, and she was happy with Tom, and there was no reason he would have to hurt her again. Tom turned his attention back to the crumpled note.
An exotic material among exotic specimens. A piece of fabric made from a living thing, hidden among living things.
Tom carried the box with the robes in his hands while he walked toward the greenhouses, knowing that was his best bet for finding the next gift. She had said there were 12 – that meant he still had five more clues until he found her. Indeed, there was a box floating in front of the door to the Herbology classes. He was even more rushed as he tore it open, hastily stuffing the dragon hide gloves inside the box into his pocket before reading the next clue.
Near the north pole, you'll need something to keep you warm.
North pole? What the hell could that mean? Pole...a pole was tall, a tower was tall. The North Tower? He ran, this time hardly caring about the people staring at him as he passed. He'd been on the hunt for nearly two hours. His legs were tired, and he wanted to find Eleanor before lunch. He had to go up the staircase of the North Tower, finally spotting the gift floating just within reach halfway up.
He tore it open as quickly as he could, but had to pause to admire the scarf inside. It looked hand-knitted, and he wondered whether Eleanor had really done it herself or if she had just used magic or if she'd even just bought it somewhere. He liked to believe she had learned to knit just so that she could make it for him, and the occasional dropped stitch or row slightly out of place supported this. The scarf was made of an iridescent silver yarn, with black and green strands sown in two vertical lines in the middle. Though it was certainly messier than the store-bought version, he smiled as he lopped the scarf around his neck. She had made him something. With her own hands and hours of work. She had learned to knit just so she could make him this.
He swore he would kiss her as soon as he found her, even if she would probably pull away from him within seconds. His left hand continued to toy with the yarn of the scarf as he pulled open the note.
Sugar, honey, butterscotch...you'll find you're next clue where you can find all these things.
Tom was sure he looked like even more of a loony, running through the castle with a smile on his face, scraps of green and silver paper clinging to him. This did not stop him from reaching the kitchens in under five minutes. The house elves all looked at him like he was insane as soon as he entered. He skidded to a stop before saying, "I'm...there's supposed to be something for me here."
One of the elves stepped forward, "Puffy, give him that box the girl told us to take care of."
Tom stood impatiently as one of the elves walked around the room. It felt like minutes before the box had been found and was in his hands. He stepped out before grabbing the note attached to the top of the present. He read and walked at the same time, going back to the Slytherin common room to once again put away his latest things.
At the entrance, something that opens to reveal a long-held memory.
Tom stuffed the note in his pocket after resolving that the next location was the Entrance Hall. He rushed up to his room, ready to put away all the robes and the latest present. Just as he was about to leave, it occurred to him that he hadn't even opened the last gift yet. He had to push away his impatience and force himself to return. He ripped away paper impatiently, until he saw that it was an assortment of candy and chocolate from Honeydukes. He smirked. She would probably end up eating most of this.
This time, he walked to the Entrance Hall, still toying with the scarf around his neck. The second to last clue was waiting for him, floating in the middle of the hall right in front of the staircase. He noticed several other students try to touch the present, but they moved their hands away as if they had been shocked. He smirked at the incredulous looks from the students milling about when he snatched the box out of the air. He opened it before he read the clue this time. His brow furrowed at the music box inside. Normally, she would know not to get him such a non-practical gift. Curiously, he opened it – immediately recognizing the song that played as the lyrics to an old lullaby she would hum to him whenever he was too anxious to fall asleep. He smiled and closed his eyes for a minute, letting memories of their childhood flood back, before he realized he was in the middle of the Entrance Hall, and people were staring. Tom finally pulled the clue out of his pocket, eager to finish the hunt.
In a room full of portraits of the famous, a set of visuals of a less well-known kind.
He immediately bolted towards the Great Hall, going into the antechamber without even looking around to see how many professors were there watching him run about like a madman. He found the gift floating in the middle of the small room and snatched it, ripping it open before even looking for a clue. He paused as soon as he saw the gift inside: a photo album. He opened it to see it was filled with pictures of them – moving pictures she had been taking as a new hobby of hers, which he had usually brushed off. He smiled now as he looked down at them. This time, the note fell out of the album.
I'm sure you're gifts will leave others green with envy. The last surprise awaits you in a den of silver.
Green and silver. The common room again? He gripped the album tightly as he calmly walked back to the common room. As soon as he stepped inside, he was perplexed. There was nothing there but a note hanging in the air right in front of him.
Go and put you're gifts away.
He figured it was best to follow instructions, though he had no clue how he would find her without the next clue. For a moment, he suspected she would be in his room, but he was disappointed as soon as the door opened. He unceremoniously dumped the presents onto his bed before stomping down to the common room, in a foul mood once again. Where the hell was Eleanor?
His question was answered as soon as he turned the corner from the boys staircase. There she was, lounging on the couch in front of the fireplace like usual, as if she hadn't just sent him running around the castle for more than two hours.
"Merry Christmas," she said with a smirk.
He raised an eyebrow, "You're my last present?"
"You get whatever you want from me until midnight. Which is why you should have found me earlier. I got quite bored."
He smirked as he approached her, "Have you been following me this whole time?"
She smiled, "Not exactly. I bribed some first years to look out for you at each place, and then waited in the library so that I could place the next clue as soon as you found one. Though your running did make it considerably harder to get away without you seeing me."
He chuckled, "And your hiding from me made my running necessary."
She suddenly sat up and asked, "Did you like your presents?"
He leaned in closer to her, trapping her against the couch with an arm near both of her sides. His heart beat faster as he realized that his face was only inches from hers, and he was still wearing the scarf she had given him. The corner of his lips twitched while he tried to restrain a grin, "I liked the last one best."
Her smirk reappeared, and he could have sworn she blushed. She looked down before he could verify this, her fingers going to the scarf around his neck and laying it flat, "Do you like it?"
"Of course I do," he responded, his lips meeting her forehead briefly.
"I was afraid I was horrible at knitting," she answered quietly.
A smile tugged at the corner of his lips again, "I didn't even know you could."
"I learned this summer. It take me nearly two months to finish this scarf," Eleanor admitted.
He let his smile out, "You shouldn't have bothered just for me."
She returned his smile, finally looking up at him again, "I don't have anyone else to bother for. As long as you like it, it was well worth the time."
"I love it," he answered sincerely, unable to keep his eyes from focusing on her lips.
"Good," she said resolutely. He tried to lean in to kiss her, but she suddenly pulled away, "Let's go then."
"What?" Tom asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"It's still only 10! I have to eat breakfast," Eleanor explained.
That worried look was back on his face, "When did you wake up?"
She shrugged, "Around 7."
"And you haven't eaten for 3 hours?" he inquired.
"Never found time," she said, avoiding eye contact.
He looked at her disapprovingly, "You could have fainted."
"But look, I'm fine," she pointed out, trying for a reassuring smile and failing.
"Come on," his worry was justified as soon as she stood up. She wavered on the spot, swaying a bit as the blood rushed through her body and she felt dizzy for a second. He reached out automatically, his arms wrapping around her and puling her to his chest to support her.
She let out a raggedy breath as she stopped swaying, looking up at him and muttering, "Don't you dare say anything. I am fine."
"Ella, you can't trick me," without another word, Tom lifted her up, his arms swopping under her knees and back as he carried her toward the Great Hall.
"Tom, people are staring," she pointed out as they trudged through the Entrance Hall, her eyes darting between the crowd of Ravenclaws and the group of Hufflepuffs that were raising their eyebrows at them.
"Ella, you're going to pass out if you don't eat soon. I don't care if people are staring," he said. He only set her down once they had reached the Slytherin table. He was the one to pull a plate towards him and start pilling it with french toast after pouring her a cup of Earl Grey tea with two sugar cubes.
Her head lay against his shoulder, watching him curiously, "How is it that you know exactly what I eat for breakfast?"
"I've had breakfast with you for over 10 years," he says calmly.
"But still, I have no clue what you want for breakfast. Let alone how you take your tea."
"Coffee, not tea. And black."
She nods, "I'll try to remember that."
Eleanor sighed as they sat in the common room. It was already after lunch and, except for the brief break to eat, Tom had been reading all this time. She looks over at him and comments, "I let you basically have me as a slave for twelve hours and all you do is make me sit here watching you read?"
He smirked, "Are you asking me to exploit this opportunity?"
"You could at least act like a regular bloke for once!" she said, a joking tone still in her voice, "Go out and play quidditch or run around in the dirt or chase girls or something. Anything fun."
Tom set his book down on the table, focusing his dark eyes entirely on hers. There was something about them that made her shiver – something serious, yet mischievous at the same time. His voice sounded rougher than usual as he said, "Fine, I'll act like a regular bloke. And any regular bloke would very much like to take advantage of you right now, so..."
He stood up, and it seemed like within seconds he was leaning over her. She froze in the couch, only her eyes managing to move as they scanned the room, her lips parting to let out a thankful breath once she verified that there were no onlookers. How odd would people think they were then?
She expected him to bridge the gap he had left between them, but instead he sat down on the opposite end of the couch. She turned back to the book she was holding, something about goblin history, but before she could even finish a page, he pulled her toward him. She found herself laying on top of him, her legs between his, her head on his chest. He groaned as she accidentally placed an arm against his chest in an attempt to pick herself up. A second later, he snatched the book out of her hands and threw it down on the floor.
"Want me to be a regular bloke?" he teased, his breath against her neck as she finally managed to pull her upper body up by using her elbows on the seat as leverage. Tom caught her eye and a chill ran through her. She wanted to say no, but she knew she had already given him permission to do literally anything that day. And besides, she didn't want him to laugh at her for being scared.
He didn't really give her the chance to object, somehow managing to push her under him and press his lips against her necks, leaving fresh marks for Davies to look at. Tom had noticed the Ravenclaw glancing at her across the hall. Thankfully, she had kept her promise not to speak to Davies – that still didn't stop Tom's watchfulness.
"If I was a regular bloke, any guesses on what I would do with you at my mercy for the next few hours?" he mumbled.
"Some," she whispered.
"Aren't you going to tell me to stop?"
"Then I would be taking your gift away."
He smirks, "So, I get to do absolutely anything I want?"
She swallows before answering, "Yes."
He presses his lips against hers immediately, channeling everything he's been holding back for the last few days. He regrets the fact that his hands are occupied making sure he doesn't crush her, so he rolls over to his side and keeps her pulled close even when he senses some reluctance. Tom's left hand wanders down to her waist, enjoying the dips of her well-defined shape. He smiles into the kiss when she reaches up and runs a few fingers through his hair.
His lips separate from hers for only a second before he whispers, "I love you. I love that scarf you made me. And the pictures. And everything else."
She laughs, a happy laugh that resounds around the room, before responding, "I love you too Tom. You're my best friend."
And there were those words again. Best Friend. It was like saying, I love you, but I won't ever be in love with you. I love you – like an old friend, like a big brother, like someone I will never be attracted to. But Tom stuck around anyway, because this was all he was ever going to get. She wasn't going to commit to him. To a relationship. Especially with someone like him – someone who had crazy mood swings and was protective and wanted nothing more than to spend an entire day with her just reading. Someone so awfully boring who was always in a foul mood and who didn't know how to have fun.
He tried to brush past it, tried to pretend that was what he meant too, tried to pretend he was only kissing her to prove a point. Since last year, he had become infamous for being a womanizer because of his good looks and the number of girls who had crushes on him, despite the fact that the only girl he had ever kissed besides Eleanor was Lucretia, and that had been only as vindication. They could overlook the kissing – or at least the feelings behind it – they could pretend this was just casual and physical and he could pretend it wasn't hurting his heart more and more every second to feel her lips moving against his but lacking that utter passion and need that drove him.
He could pretend – yes, that would work. He wouldn't tell her he loved her again. He would only get the same reaction. He would pretend they were only friends. He would pretend he didn't feel or want anything more. He would pretend the kissing and hand holding and arm around her waist was all just casual. That nothing he did had meaning. That he only wanted to protect her from those boys. That he wasn't jealous out of his mind whenever she even looked at someone else.
Tom didn't want to feel that pang of rejection again – to realize that she wouldn't fall for him. So, he would just pretend. They would be friends, like they always were. But, for today, he had free license to do whatever he wanted, and he would use it. Today would be the last day that he would admit, even to himself, that he loved Eleanor Jouteur. Today would be the last day of his trying to charm her and being nice and sweet even when he knew he should be mad or being angry when he knew he shouldn't care if she fancied some stupid boy. Today would be the last day he would be able to touch his lips to her skin, so he kissed her more fervently, wanting so badly for her to say something that would change his mind.
But why would she? To her, being attracted to Tom Riddle was as odd of an idea as being attracted to a sibling.
"I just want one thing for Christmas. One little request really," she begs as they sit in the common room around midnight.
"And, judging by the amount of desperation I'm sensing, this thing will not be little or a real request," he drawls, setting his Charms essay down so he can look at her, "What do you want? Or rather, what are you going to force me to concede to?"
She smiles slyly, "Well, I was just thinking that it may be a good idea for me to branch out a little. Everyone knows you and everyone knows you're brilliant, but nobody knows who I am except for, 'that girl who's always with Tom Riddle'. And I would very much like to be known without having to be put in context with you."
He shrugs, "Avery, Carrow, and Dolohov know you."
"As you're friend," she interjects, "You know, at some point, I'm going to need to be able to have my own life. Please let me have a little bit of a social life. I want to go out and be normal – go to parties and quidditch games and talk to people. Would that really be so bad?"
He looks reluctant as he says, "Do I really have a choice?"
She smiles slyly, "Only if you don't want to make me deliriously happy."
Tom concedes, thinking this phase of hers will pass once she realizes being normal isn't so fun either, "I'll grudgingly allow you to have a bit of fun, as long as you still spend time with me."
She jumped up, hugging him tightly before placing a kiss on his cheek, "I really didn't think it would be that easy."
A phrase began to beat in my ears with a sort of heady excitement: 'There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.' - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
A/N: OMG, I finally learned how to do single line breaks! I am such a failure. By the way, I stayed up until 4 AM just to finish this! It's a few hours late, but considering I started writing it today, I think that's still pretty good. More sweet Tom, and I've finally advanced the plot. Did you like the Christmas surprise Eleanor planned?
I will be gone next week with very limited internet connection. Will be checking email, but no updates. Next chapter will be feature a small time jump. I've written a bit of it. Conservatively, I'm going to say it will be up around September 24.
Since I had so many good reviews last chapter, I feel I need to show how thankful I am.
Review responses:
DarkLordFollower: Thank you! I have a thing for possessive guys too, which is why I have a weakness for Tom and didn't want to immediately cast him as evil. I will work on detail, because in general as a writer I lean more toward dialogue. Any suggestions on where exactly in this chapter I needed more detail?
Rue Dawn: I was surprised you didn't review right away, but thank you for being so loyal – you were one of the first reviewers to really drive me to keep the story going. I had a feeling you would love this chapter, since you've been rooting for Eleanor/Tom all along. I feel really bad because this story is definitely going to have an unhappy ending, so I'm thinking of making at least a one shot branching off from the story with a happy ending. I love that line too, but you can see the inherent irony.
Happy Feet: Thank you! I've read a ton of stories with good writing but lack of plot, so this gets rid of some of my worries. I worked really hard to think up all the twists and turns and fit them into the ending I already wrote.
Antigona: The story is only going to go up to a point before Tom tries to kill Harry, right after his return from Albania in search of the diadem. There could be a possible sequel dealing with the second wizarding war, depending on how popular this story is and how much time it takes me to finish.
Foryourentertainment6: Thank you! I was worried the last chapter had too much text and too little dialogue.
Anonymous: "He's so sweet..." exactly what I think, before my sister reminds me that he threatened to push her off a bridge earlier in the chapter. It's those minor details that get you.
DamonSalvatorelover: On an off note, I also love Damon! She still has a few years before she figures it out. I mean, in my head, she already knows but is in denial because that's her best friend and it's hard to accept such a change in the relationship. Plus, she's kind of oblivious to feelings in general. Let's just say there's a reason she's in Slytherin.
Wizziewoo123: I love jealous Tom too! He will be prominent in the next chapter, so at least you have something to look forward to.
Thank you for reading :) Please review if you have any questions/comments/kind words. If you can, please tell me whether the chapters are too long or just right. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews!