Months had passed since the incident regarding Flint. Not one single word was exchanged between the pair and even Veronica had to think it was slightly odd considering there had been plenty of open opportunities for Flint to goad her but he had resisted and even more so, he had taken to acting like she didn't exist. Although Veronica was slightly grateful that he had recovered well enough not to dare pester her again, she was still concerned for her own well being and that if Flint wanted to, he could quite easily tell Dippet that she was the cause of his fractured ribs. Still, she wasn't at all worried if Flint had actually remembered anything for if he had, maybe then he would realise that there was no sexual attraction between the pair what so ever and he would leave her alone for good, she had been warning him for long enough.
But if Veronica could be so sure about her none existent feelings towards Flint, what could she possibly feel towards Tom? In her heart she knew she could never love him nor care for him romantically but as much as she hated to admit it, she had formed some unspeakable bond with him and all because of that moment of weakness. The minute she had let down her guard she was then to be subjected to the effects of allowing someone past that protective barrier she had always held up. She had soon since noticed the tiny aches and twinges her body would produce whenever he was close by, and the craving to be pinned against a wall by his toned frame as they once did that night again and half hoping things would be taken further but she fought incredibly hard to ignore them. She had to carry on with life as it once was and forget about the enigma that was Tom Riddle. No good would ever come of her admitting she might have developed some form of attraction towards him.
The thing she perhaps hated most about this situation was that Tom had managed to get inside her head. Every nagging thought, every day dream, every irrational notion that toyed within her mind always resulted in something that would make her cheeks flare up bright pink in colour. She needed to know if it was deliberate or by coincidence that he would show up in her thoughts and dreams and begin to undress her, was it a twisted fantasy she had developed or was she losing her mind? It was crazy, she hated him. He had caused her so much pain, how could she possibly doubt her own her hatred for him?
If that wasn't bad enough to be worrying about, she was now fretting over the forth coming N.E.W.T.S (although she had to constantly remind herself they were a year away from now). She had spent the majority of her time with her nose in a book or jotting down various notes in hope that somehow the information would stick in her mind. She needed any form of escapism whenever she was granted it. Her mother and father had wrote to her a couple of times, constantly complaining about her disregard for her heritage and blood line but she had refused point blank to respond to the letters until she had to leave Hogwarts at the end of the year, she would only deal with the problem if it was really necessary and if she couldn't put it off any longer. When she wasn't studying though she was then hanging around with Mildred and Alphard who had, oddly enough, became inseparable.
"She's not even listening to me is she?" Mildred laughed as her and Alphard sat, cross legged by the roaring fire of the common room watching Veronica, who was sat in an emerald green arm chair before them, head down trying to absorb as much information as she could from her Potions book.
Alphard looked at Veronica before cracking a smirk. "Oi! Little miss ignorant. Are you even going to speak to us or what?" He joked as he flexed his arms slightly before laying back onto them.
Veronica peered up briefly before returning her eyes to the page. "Sorry." She mumbled as she then curled the bottom corner of the page she was reading before closing it and slipping the book into her bag. "What were you saying?" She asked as she forged a calming smile towards both Mildred and Alphard.
"It doesn't matter." Mildred replied as she peered up at the clock that sat plainly above the fireplace. "Are you not patrolling tonight?" she inquired with an arched eyebrow.
Veronica ran a hand through her tousled sliver waves before letting out an exhaled breath. "Nope. I have the night off, thank god." She smiled weakly. "Going to spend my night productively and have a good long soak in the Prefects bathroom."
"By the looks of things you look like you could do with it." Alphard sniggered which caused Veronica to frown. "What? Look at you Ron, you look like a complete wreck! Not to mention you've worn yourself out with all this studying malarkey." He remarked as he pointed to her creased blouse that had a rather large spot of ink spilled onto its front.
Mildred slapped Alphard's knee lightly. "Alphard that's horrible."
"Yeah, thanks Alphard, your compliments are what every girl needs in their life right now." Veronica spoke in a dull monotone.
"I'm just saying it's a little silly how you're stressing over something that doesn't bare thinking about for at least another year. I wasn't being an arse." He said defensively.
"You could have fooled me." She laughed sarcastically. Suddenly feeling eyes upon her, Veronica peered up to find Rufus Lamb, who had taken to seething about his break up with Mildred in the far corner of the common room, giving Veronica a look that could only be described as a false look of admiration (well that's what Veronica thought anyway). "Here Milly, " She began as she lowered her voice. "How are things between you and Rufus now?"
Mildred twiddled her fingers shyly before looking round at Rufus who then immediately turned away. "Need I say more?" She asked as she gestured to Rufus with her thumb. "He won't even acknowledge my existence anymore. I don't even know what I've done wrong, all I wanted to do was break up because I didn't feel the same way as him anymore and then he's treating me like this." She said with a half gloomy expression.
"He's a prick Milly, you deserve a lot better." Said Alphard as he rubbed Mildred's leg attentively.
"You're right, I do." She smiled confidently.
"Do you want me to go and talk to him for you Milly? I mean I could try and get you on speaking terms again if that's what you want." Veronica asked.
Mildred almost immediately snapped out of her half lust-filled daze with Alphard and quickly refused. "No no no! Just leave it Ron, I really don't want him in my life anymore, I've realised a while ago he wasn't worth it."
Veronica gave a puzzled expression before asking once more, "Are you sure?"
"Ronnie I'm sure, seriously he's better off moving on with whoever he wants if that makes him happy because I'm going to do the same. If he can't stand to see me happy then he obviously isn't worth the effort. Trust me; I refuse to grovel when I've done nothing wrong."
"Here, here!" Alphard joined in with a mock salute.
Veronica couldn't put her finger on why this situation was somehow 'odd'. It wasn't like Mildred to dump someone she cared about so carelessly and it wasn't like Alphard to care for anyone other than himself. Yes, something odd was definitely going on but already feeling drained from worry and stress, Veronica refused to think things further.
She slowly withdrew from the squashy armchair and gave her limbs a quick stretch.
"Are you going now?" Mildred asked.
Veronica picked up her bag before slinging it over her shoulder. "Yeah, I really could do with need some 'me' time." Alphard sniggered loudly which caused Veronica to roll her eyes. "You're such a perv Alph." And as she gracefully stepped past the pair she gave Alphard's temple a light hit with her bag deliberately.
She could hear Alphard and Mildred laughing in the distance as she neared the common room door but her attempts of a swift getaway were to be all in vain.
"Ronnie have you got a minute?" Exhaling loudly, Veronica turned around briefly to find Rufus stood remarkably close to her.
"You'll have to make it quick Rufus, I'm a little busy" She said as she glanced back up at the clock on the mantel piece.
"Well it's nothing important…" He began. " I just wanted to know if you're okay that's all." He spoke nonchalantly.
Veronica gave a confused expression as she tried to decipher Rufus' new found interest in her well fare. "Yeah… Why wouldn't I be?" She laughed nervously as she hitched the strap of her bag further up onto her shoulder.
"I dunno'" He chuckled shyly as he scratched his head. "Will you be going Hogsmeade anytime soon?" He asked hopefully.
Veronica faulted slightly; she had inclining where this could be going. "I'm not sure, why?"
"I just wondered if you wanted to go to the Three Broomsticks with me sometime. It's completely up to you of course if you don't want to." He said as he scuffed his shoe lightly against the stone floor as he awaited the outcome of Veronica's answer.
She paused a moment, trying to carefully choose the right words as to not offend him. "Rufus, what about Mil-"
"Don't, " Rufus interrupted. "don't mention her please. She's made it pretty clear that she doesn't want me in her life."
Veronica couldn't be sure if she had unintentionally upset Rufus and a part of her wasn't bothered by it, but the other 'humane' part of her conscience knew she had done wrong and for that, she had to feel slightly guilty. "Sorry." She said with a small shrug.
"There's no need to be sorry, you did nothing wrong." He said optimistically. "Let's just forget about it okay?" Veronica nodded. "Now, what about that trip to Hogsmeade?" He smiled.
Veronica's stomach dropped as she now faced the prospect of having some form of 'date' with her best friend's ex boyfriend. "Can I get back to you on that? It's just that I've been quite busy lately and I have no idea when I'll be free."
"Oh…" Rufus said as his face dropped slightly. "Okay well let me know soon if you can or not because I'd love it if you could come, it'd be a laugh." He smiled.
Veronica felt incredibly uncomfortable at how this situation was panning out, if only she had kept her guard up and fought the urge to be sympathetic at Rufus' desperate attempt to ask her out she might have avoided the awkwardness. "I – er - I better get going." She said as she inclined towards the door to the Common Room. She saw slightly (or more so, 'assumed') that he was attempting to lean in and hug her but before such a thing could happen, she lunged at the door and left within record time.
After speaking the password to the statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor; Veronica was soon granted access to the beautifully decorated bathroom. Within the centre was a deep set, swimming pool like bath tub complete with many taps surrounding it, on one side stood many toilet stalls whilst on the other stood the shower stalls.
She had to admit she was slightly gutted that she wouldn't be able to enjoy a relaxing soak on her own as it seemed the huge bath had been taken up with a couple of Head Girls and Boys and one of the shower stalls seemed to emitting clouds of steam which could only mean that it was in use.
She was in too minds about turning around and leaving but she chose to grin and bare it, but only because of the way Rufus was acting was lingering freshly in her mind and she really didn't want to return back to that at any time soon. Sighing, she ploughed on towards a vacant shower regardless of the condescending stares she was receiving from the Head Girl from the Slytherin house.
Once safely behind the closed door of the stall, she was then able to strip down to her bare essentials and only then, being able to engulf her body in warm droplets of water. Instant euphoria exploded within her as she ran her hands over her slick body. This was her favourite way of release, all daily stresses and strains could be easily eradicated so long as she had a warm bath or shower to step into. The sound alone of the water splashing could block out everything that she didn't want to care about: Tom, Her family, School, Exams, Everything.
She poured generous helpings of expensive Vanilla body scrub over her body as the water lathered it into a thick foam. Closing her eyes, she opened her mouth to playfully catch the water in before spitting it out again. The water definitely brought out a more playful side of Veronica which she half thought was heavily suppressed. But being this relaxed did have its disadvantages. Her mind would often obtain its own freedom and like always, start fantasizing about things she'd rather ignore.
She could feel her body heat up and her cheeks flush when she'd imagine Tom's hand to be running up her inner thighs. His lean toned body would be pressing roughly against her spine as his heavy arms draped over her frame, feeling and grasping at her porcelain skin. The warm water would continue to shower the intertwining bodies as the sound of it all would mute out everything around them. A part of her, deep down within herself, wanted it to be real and it scared her. After everything that Tom had done to her, she still craved him as a lover and for what reason? Was she somehow attracted to his dangerous appeal? Was it a turn on to be flirting with (quite literally) danger? But no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she couldn't deny that her body craved him.
Shutting off the water, she soon realised the bathroom was empty which in some ways was a relief. She quickly wrapped a white cotton towel around her body as she scuttled across the heated stone floor towards the sinks. Waving her hand against the condensation on the mirror before her, she stared hard at the reflection of herself. "Why am I thinking like this?" She groaned as she ran a hand through her sodden tresses. Tears started to prickle her eyes as she looked herself up and down, only stopping at her chest where the pinkish scars what Tom's wand gave her had turned white over time. "I need to get a grip." She sniffed as she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. Finally composing herself, she then began to untangle her hair feeling slightly silly at her pathetic attitude.
The door to the Prefect's bathroom creaked loudly and Veronica jumped violently at the sound. Her heart pounded as she looked over her shoulder at the stranger and felt slight relief when she saw it was only the Hufflepuff Head Girl she had saw from earlier before.
"You haven't seen a necklace around have you?" She asked as her eyes frantically scanned every crevice of the bathroom.
Veronica rolled her eyes. "I don't particularly keep my eye on left over jewellery." She sneered bitterly as the red haired girl dropped to all fours patting the ground.
The Hufflepuff looked up and returned an equally sarcastic look at Veronica before returning to her feet. "I don't care what you do or not, I just need to find my necklace. It's my Grandmothers."
Veronica idly pretended to ignore the girl's feeble attempt at persuading her for help and by doing so, resorted to tweezing her already well groomed eyebrows. "I don't care if Merlin himself gave you your necklace, I haven't seen it."
Exhaling a hard breath, the Hufflepuff girl stared at Veronica's back, half hoping that Veronica would actually see the seriousness in the situation and agree to help her but she was more or less greeted with Veronica's total disregard for anything other than herself. She didn't say anything else. She gave the floor one last scrutinizing look before agreeing to leave.
Veronica continued to deeply gaze into the mirror as she groomed herself. Satisfaction flooded within her as she heard the door slam shut behind the door, but her relief was to soon be cut short when she heard the door re-open again. Irritated, she called over her shoulder once more. "There isn't a fucking necklace in here!"
Half expecting to hear a young female's voice return the equally bitter tone, Veronica was startled to say the least when she heard a low and oddly charming voice reply with, "I can't say I was looking for a necklace if I'm being honest, Bennett."
I am literally so sorry for the time it's taken to update with this chapter. I was hoping to have it out to you for Christmas Eve but things got quite busy at home and it's been hard trying to get past the writers block. I'm not too sure what I think about this chapter, I'm in two minds about it so there could a chance it gets revised slightly.
As for the next chapter, I'm not going to be evil and skip Tom and Veronica's meeting in the bathroom, so I guess there could be potential lemons in the next chapter. ;)
As I always say, please review. I'm having a hard time trying to update this story but knowing that a lot of you are still interested in it makes me want to continue writing this (I actually contemplated deleting the story).
Oh and here's a new graphic I've made for the story. The link is: (Just be sure to remember to take out the spaces!)
h t t p : / / i39 . tinypic . com / 10376rq .jpg
Much Love,
Kawaii Thirteen.