ITS BEEN YEARS. I mean, not really, but it has been a long time and I am very sorry about that. My summer jobs were finishing up and I'm just working one now instead of three so hopefully, hopefully I will not be terrible at updating anymore. I missed this story so much and I am probably more excited that ya'll to be updating lol so I suppose that's a good sign? Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!
January 20th, 1943
"You're going to choke to death if you don't slow down, Thorpe," Lestrange snarked, a trademark sneer plastered to his face.
Abraxas scoffed at him from over his own breakfast, evidently feeling more indigination for Merissa than she did for herself. Her eyes remained trained to her parchment, hardly finding his attack worth acknowledgement. Nonetheless, it couldn't be left unpunished.
"Like that would be any tragedy to you," Merissa replied through her large bite of toast without looking up from the essay she was scribbling. If he was wise he would stop there.
"No, but there would be some irony if you died, you know since I was always the one who was punished during dinner parties for table manners," he tried to smirk, but seeing her expression, he looked back to his eggs. Evidently, he was not wise, but a coward still, and she could live with that.
"Oh shut up Lestrange," Nott snapped from around Merissa's elbow. He too was scribbling down on parchment, although his words were more or less hers, copied in these morning sessions as she had made customary the last week. As it turned out, this small favor seemed to have inspired an ally in him as he retorted further, "She's finally starting to look like a person again."
Merissa's urge to smile grew, though she remained impassive in expression.
It was true. After months of looking far too thin, Merissa was beginning to flesh out again. She was still slender, but the jarring sharpness was gone from her features and she was getting color in her cheek again. She wasn't bothered by Lestranges comments though. Rumor was he was currently dating Olive Hornby, which proved to Merissa that he had no taste.
Mulciber must have been feeling brave because he looked up at her when Lestrange no longer had the courage to, "What are you even doing here Thorpe? Your table is down there."
He indicated the table behind them with a crude jerk of his thumb. Merissa put down her quill and met his glare, making him shrink slightly under her gaze. Even without the threat of magic, when straightened up she was taller than him, and that alone seemed to be reason enough to wince back as if she had thrown a hex in his direction. The lot of them did seem to be conditioned by Riddle's tall stature and abundant power that the two correlated, and while she was in no way tall compared to him or Abraxas this rule still seemed to apply to her. Indeed, none of these boys were wise, but fear made them easier to control than she had anticipated. Tom had been given too much credit for his genius, in this at least. Merissa found their respect to be cheap, not a real won allegiance. But then, she did have plans to change that.
"I think I am one of the majority who prefers not to have their breakfast slobbered over," she said, nodding to her table and returning to her breakfast, not finding her attention necessary to address his question, "Though I'm sure you wouldn't mind a show. Do you want my old spot?"
Mulciber quickly averted his eyes after this, clearly regretting sparking her wrath. There was no question among anyone to what she was referring. The indicated mass of dark hair and reaching fingers had once been two students, but since their official beginning of a relationship, Susan and Alphard had not been seen apart, rarely even to take a breath from snogging. It hurt Merissa more than her liked to admit to see her two ex-friends together, yet she attributed this to knowing Alphard was doing it for the wrong reasons. Abraxas gave her very frustrating looks whenever she mentioned it.
"They are disgusting," Abraxas agreed, giving her another look past his toast. She narrowed her eyes at him before returning to her writing. She had no shortage of distractions with her school work and snooping around Riddle. If Abraxas wanted to say something he was going to have to outright say it.
"Not everyone can be as well bred," she sniffed, ripping a hole in her parchment as she crossed a 't', "I can't expect so much from them."
Nott sniggered, earning a cold look from Riddle, who had seemed to be listening despite his best efforts. His eyes had darted up at her last comment, narrowed, as he knew the intention at once. Well bred would always be a double-edged sword with him, of course.
"I would nearly have called you a blood traitor if I didn't know better Thorpe," Riddle dug. Despite their strides forward, they still bickered often, "I don't know how much you can claim to be well-mannered."
"Luckily you do know better then," Merissa smiled saccharinely.
Riddle stared back, the corner of his lips quirked up to what might have passed as an attempted smile had his eyes not still been suspicious slits regarding her.
"Break it up you too," Abraxas muttered, far too quiet for Riddle to hear him (as had been the point), "Are you almost done, Mer?"
She smiled up at Abraxas, innocently displaying her hands were empty of a quill. Riddle also turned away, no longer held by her eyes and continued his conversation with Avery.
"I'm finished, just waiting for our dear friend Nott to get his inspiration from my work," Merissa defended, gesturing to the sandy haired boy as she took another bite of toast.
"Why does he get to?" Rosier whined from a few places down. He too was scribbling his essay down, but had no one's paper to compare to.
Merissa smiled at him though her cheeks were beginning the ache with effort, unaccustomed to so much acting so early in the morning.
She knew how the system worked in Slytherin house. Nott, Avery and a select few other boys of their year shared essays with each other, each taking a turn to supply the group with material. Lately she had been a source for them, making it easy, however the circle was close knit, unlike Rosier's. Rosier, though reasonably bright on his own shared with Lestrange and that was reason enough for her to cut him off indefinitely.
"If I could share with all of you I would," Merissa smiled at him with what she hoped appeared melancholy, "But unfortunately I am a prefect. I can't have my paper circulating loose. I'm sure you understand."
Rosier nodded slowly, obviously disappointed. It didn't appear from his frantic scribblings that his writing was going so well.
Abraxas, who didn't approve of the study ring she was making, cleared his throat and stood up, "I'll walk you to class, Mer. Better finish up by yourself, Nott."
Nott looked horrified, his head snapping up to address Merissa, "I'm awful at conclusions, Thorpe, take pity."
She laughed, "I'll help you in Arthimacy, just take Thomas' regular spot.
His face broke into grateful relief, "Thanks Thorpe, don't know what I would have done without you."
"You're welcome," she smirked, taking her essay back.
She let Abraxas lead her from the Hall and towards Herbology. She knew he had something to say from the moment he offered to walk her to the greenhouses; he despised the cold more than anyone she had ever known, and this winter was certainly just that. The downpour of water in various states of freezing had subsided to a relatively dry period of pure cold. The landscape was still covered in snow but instead of having a fluffy quality it now was as hard as a rock. As they stepped out onto the steps, the newly formed frost crunched lightly under their boots, a trail already well stamped out by the others making their way to class.
"What were you playing at back there?" he demanded once they were outside, the closest students a pair of Hufflepuffs far out of eavesdropping range.
The cold wind bit into her face and she took a moment to adjust her hood. She frowned at them as she decided how to answer his question, their yellow scarves whipped like flags of sunshine in the otherwise gray landscape.
"I'm making myself useful," she finally admitted. It wasn't a lie and it didn't put him at any risk for accidentally revealing her plan to Riddle either.
"Yes," Abraxas agreed staunchly, "However you're one of the most unhelpful people I've ever met, so why?"
"That is so hurtful Ab!" she feigned offense, "I live to make other's live easier."
"You're a hero to us all," he drawled, entirely unconvinced, "So why?"
She shrugged, pulling her scarf up to her chin, "Insurance. In case Riddle decides I'm not useful anymore. If he wants me dead he's going to have to kill me himself, because they won't be willing to once I win them over."
Abraxas stared at her, not with the usual mild surprise that he generally did but in pure disbelief, "You're collecting favors. . .To avoid being murdered?"
She nodded her head in confirmation, "We all have strengths. I'm playing mine. I've terrified Mulciber and Travelers already, but that's how he works, not me. To beat him at his own game, I can't play by his rules."
"And what, pray you, are his rules, in your mind?" Abraxas sighed down at her, "Pure evil?"
She frowned at the Hufflepuff girl ahead of them again as she quipped back, "No, he uses fear. I would be naive to confuse the two. Lestrange will always fear me, but Avery, for example? I don't have enough influence to scare him into respecting me, but I could make him want to respect me, simply because he likes me."
"I don't-"
"Your friends have always liked me, Abraxas," she reminded him, "They are just scared to since I've been at odds with Riddle."
"That's not enough-" Abraxas attempted to argue again.
"Sure," Merissa agreed, predicting his rebuttal, "But its not as if Riddle is very likable. The way he glares at people at breakfast."
"You do that too!" Abraxas cried indignantly, catching the attention of the pair of girls ahead of them, making them glance back in interest.
"Regardless," Merissa shrugged off his accusation easily, "They're going to love me, especially when I throw another party."
Abraxas raised his light eyebrows in a silent and understood question.
She smirked back, happy she had finally caught him off guard for the better, "This Saturday at the three broomsticks. I've already rented it out."
"How?" he asked, grey eyes narrowing, "What did you do to get that building on a Hogsmeade Saturday?"
She held her hands up in a innocent show of ignorance that he didn't buy for a moment.
"I just mentioned your name," she smiled up at him, batting her lashes, "I'm just that adorable."
"No you're not," he deadpanned, "Please tell me none of the bartenders is missing a nose now."
"Don't be ridiculous," she smiled, "I only needed to say your name. . .and mention a few people who might be upset if it didn't happen."
"Was one of the people you?" he asked grimly.
She frowned, "I like to think I'm not that predictable - That's not the point though. I have guests to invite!"
"Between challenging Riddle almost all year and fighting with Susan you are a social leper at the moment," he pointed out, "How are you planning on getting a crowd large enough to fill the entire Three Broomsticks?"
"I am now," she agreed, giving him a hefty wink, "But Saturday is days away, Malfoy."
Just outside the greenhouse now they could see in the glass doors to the class beginning to assemble and the rumble within had begun, telling Merissa that the professor had yet to enter.
Abraxas must have known that his time was limited though if he wanted to make it to his class on time so he muttered rather hurriedly, so that anyone trying to eavesdrop could not, "Fine, then let's make it interesting. Twenty guests by the end of the day, or I get to pick where we summer next year."
"Deal," she agreed evenly, "If I win, I get Kaddy for a month."
"You can't take my house elf, you have your own," he argued in a furious whisper.
"She makes my tea better," Merissa shrugged, "Anyways," she tilted her head away from the greenhouse, her voice low, "I thought I was a social leper. Even I can't charm my way out of that, right?"
"Right," Abraxas frowned, his arms seemed to move themselves by instinct to cross across his chest as he chided her, "You're being reckless, you know."
"Good," Merissa smiled brightly, "See you Ab."
As she entered the greenhouse Merissa was not only hit with the warm smell of dirt or the humid air, but the realization that many of a the yellow clad students had glancing nervously out at them. Most students outside of Slytherin house made no distinction between the level of danger of the individual members of the most infamous group of boys in the school, holding Lestrange to the same standard as mousy Rosier, something that Merissa generally found hilarious. Abraxas, though well respected because of quidditch still made some students jumpy. Unsurprisingly, the more muggle lineage, the more nervous. Now that they were closer Merissa recognized the pair that they had been trailing to be blond twins that Merissa knew nothing about except that they were muggle-born. They were outright glaring at her.
She sniffed at them as she took her usual seat next to Abby. Some people, she supposed, she could cross off of her list at once. But, she reminded herself, she really couldn't let herself be discouraged.
As class was finally called together and they began the normal rattling of trowels and rustling of pages, Merissa took the opportunity to turn to one of her classmates, Elizabeth Springer, a statuesque girl with a long auburn braid, "I do adore those gloves Elizabeth. They're horn-tail, aren't they?"
"They are," the girl replied warmly after just a moment of being taken aback; Merissa didn't blame her, unsure herself when they had last spoken, "I got them from my grandmother for my birthday a few weeks ago. She knows how I like herbology."
"Handsome and functional," Merissa winked. A general hushing came from their professor, eyeing them from the other end of the greenhouse, "We'll talk later," Merissa assured her after covertly rolling her eyes at the professor, making Elizabeth grin, "Happy late birthday."
"Thanks," she smiled back.
Abby gave Merissa an approving nod as she turned back to their fanged geranium, evidently approving of the pleasantries. And Merissa herself felt good. She had forgotten how naturally polite friendliness came to her, and it was a joke even if that was all it took to undermine Tom Riddle.
/_\
"How many?" Abraxas demanded, making Merissa jump as he swooped down on her the moment he made it into the common room. She had been waiting from him in one of the high backed velvet chairs, skimming the Prophet like she usually did, but today instead of respectful nods on his way from dinner he received knowing grins. What had made him nearly sprint to the dungeon was when a red-headed Ravenclaw girl who he was quite sure he had never spoken to before stopped him in the Great Hall and told him how excited she was for next weekend.
"It's not even the end of the day," she complained looking crestfallen as she folded the paper carefully in her lap.
He stared at her in disbelief until her face broke into a mischievous grin, "I have thirty confirmed. Have you seen Walburga's new bag?" she gestured subtly at her brother's fiancee who was across the room, "It's so elegant."
"That is the ugliest bag I've ever seen," Abraxas drawled without hesitation, "And you hate snake skin."
"I know," she smiled, "But she doesn't. After I told her that, just a few minutes ago she offered to bring a few former Slytherin girls. Very pretty lot, of course," she waggled her eyebrows at him suggestively.
"You're unbelievable," he sighed, still staring at Walburga's bag as if he expected it to come back to life. He sank onto the arm of the chair beside her.
"I'm going to be unbelievably happy witch with perfect tea come June," she reminded him, grinning wider and leaning her head against his chest. They were comfortable enough with each other that keeping up appearances was no longer a chore, and it certainly helped sell the appearance. Druella Rosier let out an audible sigh watching them as Merissa shut her eyes and leaned further back into Abraxas. Really, Merissa was carefully orchestrating her position for when she thought Riddle would burst in, and if she was correct that would be any minute now. He could only spend so long in the library and she had been loitering around the common room all afternoon for this.
Predictable as clockwork she heard the grinding of rocks signifying that the door had opened. She kept her eyes closed, though she could hardly hold back a nervous giggle as she heard the tell-tale furious stomping of Tom Riddle as he entered. Her face kept flat, she listened to the angry footsteps continuing and then stopping abruptly. He had spotted her. And excited shiver went up her spine as she heard him round on them, but she could hear the gaggle of girls in the corner still cooing over her and Abraxas softly so she made no motion as if she had heard anything. She couldn't lie to herself anymore and say that she didn't, in some part of her, enjoy the game.
"Thorpe," a voice snarled from behind her. He was closer than she had guessed.
She peered up through her eyelashes, a confused frown constructed on her brow, taking in a furious Riddle coming towards them. With her eyes now open she could appreciate how full the common room was - she had hoped he would confront her about it in front of as many of his followers as possible, and he hadn't disappointed. Abraxas jumped to his feet on instinct as Riddle stalked towards them but Merissa stayed perfectly still on her chair. She knew it would only serve to make him angrier.
"Yes Riddle?" she asked, as several groups looked around. Nothing fasicnicated them more than the illusive Riddle losing his temper, and she had been a catalyst in all too many of his outbursts lately.
"Why am I hearing about a party you're throwing at the three broomsticks this Saturday?" he demanded. His tone was so severe that Malfoy took a large step back.
"I'm sorry, did you want to be invited?" she asked. It was far from a mocking tone and sounded like a genuine invitation to everyone except him. He glowered at her and some of her resolve fell under the intensity of his glare so she said quicker than she might have before, "I just figured you wouldn't be interested but I always have room for -"
"You already invited me," he seethed, moving towards her aggressively, "Just without everyone else being involved."
She tried to look as little as possible, aware everyone was watching now, hiding her utter delite. He was being a monster, just like she knew he would be. There was no doubt that she was the victim in their eyes.
She began again, allowing some of her residue fear to leak into her voice for effect, "I'm sorry if there was some understanding. You would be more than welcome though, despite whatever-"
"I don't want an invitation to some childish excuse to cancel our plans," he hissed, grabbing her arm. She cried out, pretending it hurt and let tears spring to her eyes. It was a show, but it was a good one, so much so that Riddle hadn't noticed yet.
He didn't see everyone's horror at this, but Merissa did. Most people looked scared, everyone looked shocked. Even Avery who knew long before this what Riddle was capable of was staring, eyes hard with warning at his leaders back, unnoticed. She couldn't have hoped for this to go better. She was a hero after all, throwing a party for them out of the goodness of her heart, and now she was being attacked, unprovoked, by him for it.
"Riddle," Nott said quietly, but firmly from the spot he seemed to be rooted to in his chair, a long forgotten game of exploding snap hovering between him and Lestrange, "You're hurting her."
Tom seemed to finally see the faces of everyone surrounding them. He blinked, the black fury leaving his eyes as she saw him put it together. When he looked back at her, his face was unreadable, "My deepest apologies, Miss Thorpe. Thank you Nott, you're right, I forgot myself."
The silence in the room had never been more definitive.
"Malfoy," he said, nodding curtly as if bidding him goodbye after a long conversation.
Abraxas just stared, eyes wide, as he wrapped his arm back around his girlfriend protectively. As Riddle went, Merissa pushed her face into the blond boy's chest, concealing her smile. A part of her was grateful that it was over, because as much as she would have liked to deny it, he still did frighten her. More so though, she was thrilled that it had worked, that at the very least she had one layer of defense against him.
Abraxas' is grip tightened on her as he stood up and lead her out of the room. Several people reached out as they passed to pat her back or say a small word of comfort. Druella even gave her a hug, stroking her hair gently, "Its okay Merissa," she soothed.
Merissa's body convulsed with a laugh, but she stopped herself and made choking sound instead so it seemed like she had sobbed. Abraxas took her back into the nook of his arm, his eyes glossed over, far away in thought as he lead her the rest of the way out of the common room. When they finally made it outside, he let go of her and she followed a rather trance-like version of himself into a far off classroom, closing the door behind them.
He dropped like a stone in water into a desk and after setting a few standard wards around them she perched on the desk beside it, considering his blank expression as he regarded the wall past her.
"You did that on purpose."
She knew he must have meant it to be a question but his voice was flat even as his continued, "You had an existing meetings with him and planned this party anyways, because it would make you look the hero and him the villain."
"Yes," she agreed.
"This way, if he starts threatening you again, there will be no shortage of people to come to your defense. You're making an army," he furthered, still betraying nothing on his face or voice.
"Yes," she said again. She was becoming uneasy. She had already lost Susan and Alphard this year, she did not know how she's handle losing Abraxas, her oldest friend.
"And you do realize manipulating people by the masses is what he does?"
Her mouth hung open a moment at this, before snapping it shut and arguing, "This is completely different! He is forcing me to protect myself."
"I realize your motivations are different," he nodded. He still wasn't looking at her and it made her feel strange, "I just don't want you to lose sight of what you're doing. You hate him because of how he treats people, but you just used his entire house against him. It's not the same, but it's similar."
She pursed her lips as he continued, "I'm not upset with you, and you're still the best person I know, really. Just keep that in mind."
"That's fair," she admitted, "Thank you Ab," she hesitated, her pride preventing her from saying the next words with as much certainty as she meant them in, "Keep me in check."
"That is impossible," he countered, finally smiling, "I tried for four years."
"Still worth a shot," she winked, springing off the desk. She was eager to put such an uncomfortable realization behind her, "Now walk a lady to her room? Who knows who Riddle might have lurking around after that."
Abraxas agreed and took her arm. As they walked through the dimming castel Merissa considered how true that really was. With what had just happened she didn't expect to have an agreement with Riddle anymore, and she told herself protection she could count on was better than a ceasefire with no real parameters. Still, there was no denying the unease she felt knowing Tom Riddle could be behind any pillar or suit of armor, biding his time in any dark corridor. She flexed her hands uncomfortably and turned her eyes back to the torchlit stairs, those the disturbing thoughts followed her all the way to her bedchambers and lingered there like clouds around her all night.
/_\
However, Tom Riddle was nowhere in the halls, behind any suits of armor or pillars, nor was anyone else on his instruction. He was lying on his bed, a pair of golden birds he had conjured looping gracefully around the rich canopy. In the fading light of the setting sun they were barely visible when they brushed against the high ceiling which made them a challenge to direct, which was half of the appeal of having them sore so high. Until the lanterns were lit for the night and let their ethereal glow light the room he had to depend on his connection to his own magic to make them return in orderly circles beside each other. His dorm mates had been blocked out of the room for a while, though he found it probable that they were be downstairs, whispering to each other as most of his house still was. Even being the talented prefect that he was, there were never so many mouths moving about him at once, and certainly never so many of them male.
Merissa Thorpe had ensured both of them a place on people's tongues for the next few weeks.
She had certainly gotten him today, but he was no longer angry about it, in fact he had not been since he had realized the trap she had laid for him. Maybe his classmates weren't familiar with the spark in her expression when something worked out for her, but watching her on potions made it so even the slight glimmer of it had tipped him off tonight, if it had been entirely too late. His calmness stemmed from an epiphany of sorts that left him feeling assured, if not for reasons that only made half sense.
He had realized what had upset him about Thorpe from the beginning. It wasn't that she had challenged him, necessarily, but that she had challenged him when he thought she was so below him.
But she had turned over half his own house against him in a day. She had beaten him in the round of most recent exams, he had found out. She was translating the impossible pages from Slytherin's journal. She had dueled him, and almost won. He couldn't pretend she was leagues below him anymore.
In fact, she was rather magnificent.
And with this, it was difficult for him to be angry that she challenged him, because he could no longer argue it wasn't worth his time. She was a worthy opponent. She had a right to, just as he had a right to destroy her if she got too out of line.
But for the time being, he was only impressed. He could see why she got so much attention. It was not because she sought it out, like he had thought before, but because she was interesting. More interesting than anyone he had ever met.
To my lovely reviewers:
Ivet: I'm so glad you're enjoying Merissa as a character! She is certainly flawed but I'm happy you find it to be more realistic. In the last few chapters there definitely been more insight into what Alphard is doing with his spare time now that he's not spending any of it with Merissa (hehehe) and within this chapter the conflict arises even more. It will continue to develop, I promise you that. Susan and Alphard are interesting together because they do have a lot in common. I think of them both as sun type characters (warm, passion, morally upright, etc) and with that and similar interests they are rather compatible, even if they are both being awful as of now. I can't exactly tell you where everything will go, but go it will. Merissa and Alphard however are doomed as a couple just because he holds her to a higher regard than she can provide (if that makes sense). In regards to Tom and Merissa they at an interesting place right now because Merissa thinks all bets are off and Tom isn't sure how to feel about the situation anymore. If he thinks of her as an equal its going to be a lot harder for him to try to kill her again. You've made some predictions throughout your reviews that are absolutely correct and I get so excited when I read them and I hope you continue to. I really appreciate your support throughout this process (:
SkittleLuvr.x3: Thank you for your reviews! Back to back made me feel really special (: hahaha yes it sure did take everything working towards it for a long time for them to work together. They make a powerhouse, though they'd never admit it. I'm so glad that you're enjoying the Tom POV because I love writing it(: I'm always tempted to do more and more but I do want to keep some of his motivations unclear for now so I stop myself. Your praise is so kind though! I do my best (: I'm unbelievably flattered that you would stay up reading this and I hope I can continue to pump out chapters like that. As always, thanks a bunch(:
CarolinaFlint: Thank your for your review! I'm glad you liked the sentence I ended on, I'm working on building suspense and am relieved you found it to be actually suspenseful and not tacky. Merissa is certainly growing she still has her doubt sometimes. She still has a long road ahead of her. In regards to the equals idea this chapter is a big bang for that, especially Tom acknowledging it which is a big step for him. Thank you again for reading and giving me such detailed and helpful reviews. I'm grateful to have such a wonderful supporter(:
elyjayne: Hello new reviewer! Thank you so much for your enthusiasm in your review haha. Its always a joy to hear you all are enjoying. It was definitely a big chapter for Tom, just as a character even to admit someone else was on his level. I know exactly how you feel lol I'm a huge shipper and it pains me to put them through all this but lots planned for these two. I'm happy that it made a impact on your night. Much appreciation for the words of encouragement.