Title: Wanted

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: If I owned HP and SM, neither one would end up the way it turned out. First of all, my pairing ideas would not wholly be canon. So for those that enjoy canon pairings, be glad that I don't own it!

Tom/Serena. Told from Serena's POV. Romance with a dark out look.

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During the night, with Tom's arms held protectively around me, I lie here and wonder...

Will it always be like this? Will Tom and I be together ten years from now? Five years? Two years? Will we even be together once the semester ends?

The future scares me, and I don't know what will happen. I don't even know what will happen two weeks from now, much less what my career path is ( something that my Head of House is constantly exasperated about).

So I sometimes just lie here with Tom and think about what the future might hold for me. I don't have many goals in my life, but I do have my dreams, and they are what motivates me to keep on living.

I pause and then shift in my position so I can look at Tom - I smile. Tom is one of the reasons why I even bother attending school these days. I'm not top of my class, but one of the worst students of my year - only scraping by because Tom is so patient with me when he helps me with my school work.

"Love, you're supposed to wave your wand counterclockwise."

"Sorry, Tom."

He shakes his head and smirks endearingly.

"Try again?"

I nod, and this time he comes closer, pressing himself close to me and guides my hand through the procession as he instructs me in the Art of Transfiguration.

Sometimes I wonder how I ever managed to become so involved with him, he's too perfect for me - intelligent and witty, and ever so patient. Why would Tom bother with me, when he could have anyone he wants in the whole school? I'm not even as beautiful as all the other girls - there's Amy and Delilah, a Ravenclaw and a fellow Slytherin. And yet Tom chose me.

It's not like I'm a pureblood, being a halfblood myself. Moreover, I'm not inheriting my family's fortune - Sam is going to inherit the Moon fortune. So why would Tom choose me?

I frown and began looking at Tom's relaxed state, wondering if the answer lies on his face.

"Love, you're thinking too much again," Tom says half-asleep and with his eyes still closed.

"How long have you been awake?"

I find it slightly amusing that Tom can always sense this about me. If I'm ever awake before him, and I begin to think about these things, he would somehow know and wake up.

He opens his eyes and stares at me, "Not long."

He reaches out and pulls me closer so that we're a mere breath apart.

"Why me?" I breathe out, and he goes quiet as he stares at me. It worries me a bit, but I force myself to calm down, knowing that with Tom he's the kind to think things through before starting anything.

"...because I wanted you."

I pause and simply stared at the dark-eyed Slytherin, not knowing what to do or say.

Because I wanted you.

"Since the first time I laid eyes on you, I wanted you," he reiterated, rubbing small circles in the back of my shoulder blades.

"That was 7 years ago..."

"Exactly," he hissed and pressed closer to me, dropping a chaste yet possessive kiss on my lips.

It was surprising to find that Tom had spent seven years without acting on his emotions. I didn't know how to respond, and so I simply held him, hearing the steady beat of his heart as I laid my head against his bare chest. Thoughts of his words echoing in the back of my mind, lulling me into a semblance of peace.

...because I wanted you.

"Is there a reason, Tom?" I whispered, my words sounding sluggish even to my own ears as I slowly felt sleep succumb me.

He didn't respond immediately, as always, and I felt sleep tug me even deeper into its depth. However, I didn't fully fall asleep, curiosity eating away at me as I struggled to keep awake.

"I don't think there's ever a full reason where love is involved," Tom answered, his voice even as he pulled me closer in his warm embrace.

"Hmm...I think..."

He began tracing mindless patterns across my skin, making me wriggle in his embrace but before long I gave up and allowed his small ministrations.

"I think I'd like us to be like this for a little while longer," I gave a small smile and snuggled up against him, finally falling completely asleep, my mind at peace.

"A little while longer, love?" Tom whispered in the dark, looking at Serena's sleeping face, an intense expression on his face, "Wouldn't you rather have this be forever?"

She remained asleep, content for that moment to be in her lover's arms.

"I'm sure you do," Tom leaned closer, pressing another chaste kiss but this time on her forehead, "We'll be together forever, for all of eternity."

And with that, he settled comfortably back on the bed, wrapping his arms protectively around his love and settled down to finally sleep. Thoughts of forever, of love, and of want and need circling his thoughts, even asleep.

Neither one knowing that the want, the need, and the thoughts of love and grandeur would break them apart just as much as it brought them together. Because for one - want and love is not enough to sacrifice others' lives. And for the other, want and grandeur overcame love itself.

As much as they would have wanted to remain together, neither one would be willing to succumb to the other's ministrations.

And yet, they knew that deep inside - if they wanted it hard enough - maybe they could have been together...

for a little while longer...

"Try again?"

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I wanted it to end with "wanted" as the title of the one-shot says, but bah! I liked it, I wanted it to be more emotional and sentimental... Unfortunately, it didn't end up that way.

I'll try my hand on making more Tom/Serena and Severus/Serena fanfics, after that who knows? Someone requested a happy Tom/Serena and a happy Severus/Serena (at school), so I'll make those at some point. But I also want another angst/drama/tragedy fic, so who knows what the next one-shot will be about?!

That, and I might not update in awhile - I really want to work on Needed.