Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter character's or anything related to the works of J.K Rowling. I do not own 'Hamlet'-William Shakespeare does. I also do not own the classical music pieces listed in this chapter. I only own the plot and any original characters you might notice.

I have no beta-reader so if you noticed any errors, please let me know so I can fix them as soon as possible. This chapter is a long one, so I hope you all enjoy it. I promise to update as soon as I can.

Hopefully, you guys enjoy the chapter. I want to say thank you to those readers who leave reviews and favorite and follow this series. It shows me that people are interested in Ophelia's life and it lets me know I should continue her story. Please,please,please leave some reviews if you can! Thank you!

December 12, 1943

"Please?"

"No."

"Please!"

"No."

Ophelia frowned and huffed tried again. "Please, please, please,please. Please! Please!"

William Zolotov frowned and huffed back with more energy than his friend. " Pipa. Now or never." He tossed the scrapbook they had been working on most of the afternoon into Ophelia's hands. "Go, give it to Margo and talk to her while you're at it."

The muscular young man, while he had a fun time chattering about with Ophelia, William didn't want to end up cycling back to 'what if so-and-so hates me because of 'this-that-and-another-thing.'

"Fine!" Ophelia twirled some strands of hair with her finger; she was unsure how to start off a conversation with Margo after not talking to her for some time. "Should I go in with an apology or just go in all casual-like?"

"Casual-like." William answered quickly. He sloppily slapped on a bright pink ribbon on the cover of the scrapbook, nearly knocking Ophelia in process as the book was still in her arms. "Go on then- off you pop, Pipa."

Ophelia groaned at her friend. "Fine!"

William settled comfortably in his bed, napping was his main goal at the moment. "Close the door on the way out, please and thank you."

I ought to slam the door on you. The brunette gently closed the boys' dormitory door to a quiet shut.

Ophelia wandered off to the girls' dormitory and laid down on Margo's bed, she placed the scrapbook her and William worked on for the past three hours on a nightstand by the bed.

A song by Doris Day played softly in the brunette's head and Ophelia hummed along. Sleep unintentionally crept on the half-blooded witch.

"Pipa doesn't like olives." Margo told Edmund as her and Peter rummaged through one of the many shops in Hogsmeade. The trio were in a little book shop off in a corner; Margo wanted to find a muggle book on wedding traditions and another book by a man of the name William Shakespeare.

Edmund nodded along but thought the information that Margo gave him was useless. "Okay then?"

"Oh!" Margo nearly shouted as she found a book on muggle wedding dresses; it started on the English Renaissance to the very current and modern 1943. It reminded the blonde young lady of something. "Music! Pipa loves music, Frank Sinatra is her absolute favorite."

"She knows how to play piano, too." Peter added a aisles away from the half-siblings. "Not at an expert level but she knows how to read the notes and everything."

Music? Edmund felt his heart leap in his chest as the mention of that. A smile that sourced from a sudden feeling of luck played on the French pure-blood's face. I know where to find a piano.

Peter wandered through the many book aisles, looking for the book Margo stressed she needed for 'forgiveness purposes' whatever that meant. He was more impressed with the fact that Margo managed to be so civil towards her half-brother. The male with ashy brown hair stopped in front of a section labeled 'H'.

"Hamlet, was it?" Peter asked as he pulled the book off the shelf and walked over to Margo and Edmund. "Was that book you needed, Margo?"

"Yes!" Margo smiled and yanked the book out of the Elwood heir's hand. "Hamlet, that's the one!"

Edmund was starting to realize his half-sister had a constant habit of constantly being loud. Almost like a banshee, Edmund thought. "Why do you need that book for?" The Ravenclaw was referring to the book by Shakespeare.

Margo rolled her eyes as she went to go pay for her two books. "For forgiveness purposes."

Edmund opened his mouth to ask a follow up question, but a weak grip feel on his right shoulder. Peter had clasped a hand on Edmund's shoulder, the boy with ashy brown hair shook his head at the blonde male.

Edmund caught the hint and stood silently by Peter; an idea for a plan concocted in the Ravenclaw's mind for him and Ophelia.

"Does Ophelia like candle lights or chocolates?" Edmund asked in a whisper towards Peter.

It took Peter no longer than three seconds to answer. "She hates candle lights and only like chocolate in the form of hot chocolate or cake."

Edmund found that more useful than her dislike of olives. "Thanks mate."

Peter nodded along. "Best of luck."

Margo led the way as they finally ventured away from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts. She had the store clerk wrap the newly bought copy Hamlet in a pastel yellow gift wrapping paper. The pure-blooded blonde was nervous; would her best friend take this specific gesture of apology?

Ophelia awoke at the sound of a door closing to quick click and footsteps rushing over to her bed. For a groggy second she forgot why she fell asleep on Margo's bed.

Margo. Ophelia thought as she sat up from her nap and grabbed the scrapbook off of the night stand.

Unintentionally, the blonde and the brunette both spoke at the same time. "I need to talk to you." Even though the two young ladies could be completely, there were times they were in sync with each other.

Silence crept between the two young ladies, but a childish yet shy grin was on their faces.

Ophelia was the first was to speak. "William and I made this for you and Peter." She handed the scrapbook over to Margo. "I also wanted to add in, that I am sorry for, uh, not talking to you the few days. Ophelia sighed, "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did just because you…."She tried to think of a polite way to say it.

"No-no-no!" Margo interrupted her friend and handed Ophelia the book in yellow gift wrapping paper. "Look, Pipa, I know I acted terribly and there is no excuse for it. You're not in the wrong for acting how you did…" Margo then added, "I got you this a gift, because I wanted to give you something that had your name it...and also because I wanted you to forgive me."

Ophelia automatic knew what it was, she ripped the gift wrapping paper apart and saw a new copy of Hamlet. The gesture was well meant, so the half-blooded witch took the gift with a smile. "Thank you, Margo."

Margo smiled as she looked through the pictures of the scrapbook; the pink ribbon was left alone. The Blaine witch loved how the pictures were chronicled and how they were carefully matched to different colors on each page. "I've also been meaning to tell you something, by the way."

Ophelia had only cracked her new book open. "Go for it."

"Edmund Campion is my half-brother. His mother and my father had a fling and then shortly after he was born, then after that, I came along."

Ophelia slowly looked away from the first few sentences printed out in front of her. A look of complete and utter bewildered meant overtook Ophelia's face. "What the fuck?"

Margo blushed but explained the whole situation to her friend. It took about nearly an hour by the time Margo hashed out all the details; she did find it nice to let Ophelia in on something that she had hid from her for a long time.

"And that's why I was so cold towards Edmund," Margo finished off.

Ophelia sat there quietly as Margo explained everything to her. Quietly taking all the details in and trying her best to not speak out of turn. "I see." It slowly all started to make sense in the half-blooded witch's mind. Edmund and Margo look similar, I suppose.

"So, yeah." Margo couldn't tell if Ophelia was mad her. The pure-blooded witch never did like short responses or silence very well."You aren't mad at me, are you?"

Ophelia shrugged, to be honest, she didn't care about who Margo's father shagged or who Margo was related to. Margo was Margo, and Margo was simply her friend. Ophelia shook her head, "You daft thing, why would I be mad at you over that."

However, Ophelia was concerned about something else...Margo had gone out of her way to confess something to her that she otherwise would have no clue about. Maybe it was guilt that made Ophelia Darwin concerned, because honestly, if one were to sit down and think on it: now would be the perfect time for confessions, wouldn't it?

Ophelia felt the guilt spread from her chest to her arms with a slight heat . The world suddenly seemed heavy, as if that guilt alone because its own little universe that decided to settle on her shoulder.

There would be no point in telling Margo anything, right? She'd already told Dumbledore how terrible Tom Riddle was, right?

Right? I did do that? I am sure I did. Though with Dumbledore gone the past few days, Ophelia wasn't even sure. Anyways, why should Ophelia inflict that information on Margo? There was no way Margo would keep her mouth shut with information involving the true side of Tom mostly everyone else had been safely starved from.

No, Ophelia thought as the heated guilt crept up to her face. If keeping a secret, not any regular secret, meant feeling like every fiber of a human body was on fire-Ophelia was already covered in gas. I'll spare Margo a confession. She just had to keep the secret in until the rest of her natural life and that alone would cause the spark to start the fire.

If anything, if the fire didn't start that way, Ophelia was sure Tom would be there, holding the match to help the flames along the way.

"Are you okay?" Margo carefully reached across and patted Ophelia's hand. "Pipa? You've been quiet for a while now?"

Ophelia nearly winced away from her friend; but she had gotten better had resisting the urge to flinch away. "Sorry." Ophelia tried to shrug off the heavy feeling on her shoulders. A little white lie in the form of a question bubbled on her tongue. "I was thinking how you knew to get this book? How did you know my name is in here somewhere?"

Margo smirked. "I wrote to Wendy!"

Ophelia did however flinch at that. "You wrote to my Mum?"

"I've written to her a couples time, actually." Margo stated calmly. "Lovely woman, you need to write to her often. She worried you're not making enough time to connect with family while you are away."

The brunette had to roll her eyes at that. "I cannot believe-."

Margo easily interrupted her friend. "Well, I needed to tell your Mum I wanted you to come to my engagement party over holiday." The blonde dead-panned . "Besides, if you asked Wendy would have probably said no. If I asked she'd say yes."

Ophelia blinked at her friend, although Margo was damn well and correct with that statement it stunned her. "So?" Ophelia asked. "Did my Mum say yes?"

Margo smiled her brightest smile that was strong enough to blind a dragon. "Yes!"

Ophelia couldn't help but laugh, mainly because she couldn't believe it. Her? Ophelia Mae Darwin, rubbing elbows and mingling with the pure-bloods of the wizarding society.

Now that alone sounded magical and terrifying all at once. I ought to tell Tom about that! He'd wouldn't believe it!

A small jolt of honest hopelessness filtered through her and it caused her laughing to stop.

Why was it Tom who she thought to tell first?

"Now your laughing is done and over with," Margo chimed as she pulled out her new book on muggle wedding dresses. "Please come and look at these with me."

The two young Hufflepuffs were back to carrying on like they always had, as if days of no communication between them had never happened.

Tom Riddle was content to wait in the Ravenclaw common room. He didn't mind it terribly, Ravenclaws were a smart bunch. The only thing that he did mind terribly so, was the fact that hanging about in their common room meant one and only thing: Selene Sharpe.

Honestly, Selene Sharpe was stunning. From her red hair, to her steel blue eyes,to her curves: she was physically perfect. That's where the perfection of Selene ends in Tom's opinion.

Tom found he hated her cocky attitude; her demanding nature; and how Selene Shape acted like she knew everything. Most of all, the heir of Slytherin hated how comfortable the red headed beauty was with him.

The young lady had no shame! None! Selene Sharpe had practically paraded him to the rest of the females in her house, making a show of how: 'Tom you cannot keep doing this! Either you want me or not, I am getting tired of this cycle we do!'

Ophelia had good and sound mind to feel shame when shame was aching to be felt. Tom rolled his eyes but he went along with it. All it took from him was a boyish grin and genuinely heartless apology.

"Have you seen, Campion by any chance lately?" The heir of Slytherin sat on the common room couch. He had to restrain his automatic response of scooting away from Selene as she settled in close to him.

Selene was nearly sitting in the handsome teen's lap. "Campion?" Her voice was sultry and soft, "Why? What do you need him for?"

"Slug club reasons," Tom easily lied.

"How odd." Selene was confused. "Do we have a meeting with Professor Slughorn soon? I must have missed the memo."

Shit. Tom paid such little attention to red-headed teen, he'd forgotten she was in Slug Club as well. The heir of Slytherin easily came up with another lie to solidify his first lie. "No, it has to do with Slug Club members who are also in Advanced Potions."

Tom knew for a fact Selene was not in Advanced Potions with him. He also knew for a fact Selene probably knew shit all about Campion's classes.

Selene was going to open her mouth and Tom sure she would say something to try to get him into her bed but thankfully, Selene never got to speak a word.

"Riddle?" The French pure-blood arched an eyebrow at the Slytherin male in the common room. It took Edmund aback, the sight of Selene Sharpe so close to Tom Riddle. Though he supposed it was better than a particular Hufflepuff being nearly on the Slytherin's lap. "You look comfortable."

Selene giggled. "I kept him company while he waited for you. Something about Advanced Potions and Slug Club."

Shut up, Tom thought bitterly as he stood up.

Selene was almost thrown off the couch at how abruptly Tom got up. "Tom, careful please."

Edmund narrowed his eyes at the sight in front of him but he held his tongue. In Edmund's personal opinion: if Tom didn't care for Selene the way she obviously did, Tom shouldn't have been leading her on.

Tom ignored Selene and held a steady and stony glare at Edmund. "Campion, would you mind if you and I exchanged a few words?"

Edmund shrugged, "Sure, what's on your mind."

A dark look quickly flashed on Tom's face, but no one picked up on it, "Perhaps we could talk somewhere private? You know between us lads?" Tom's voice was that perfect and signature calm and smooth tone.

Edmund shot a look at Selene, he saw her usual happy and perky demeanor had fallen. They never had much conversation, but they were civil towards each other. "Is that alright with you, Sharpe?"

Tom held a bitter response in his mouth and bit down on his tongue. Much respect for Miss Sharpe you have, Campion. Tom Riddle wasn't an idiot, he knew that Edmund Campion was trying to get Selene Sharpe involved in the conversations so they wouldn't have to speak one-on-one.

Selene hesitated before she answered but she had an linking as to what Tom wanted her answer to be. "Of course." The beautiful teen threw a kind smile at the Slytherin prefect. "Whatever you want, Tom."

You poor thing, Edmund thought as he felt immensely pitiful towards Selene.

"You heard the lady," Tom threw a coy smirk towards Selene and he was sure he made the red-headed girl feel special. "She's fine with it."

Edmund took a steady breath and quietly let it out. "Alright then, follow me." It wasn't a really chatty invite towards the Slytherin but the French pure-blood directed him to a secluded nook in the common room. He wanted to get straight to the point. "So what brings your around here?"

"Straight down to business," Tom was impressed that the Ravenclaw wasn't one to beat around the bush. The heir of Slytherin found that rather noble of Campion. "I respect like-minded individuals such as you."

Edmund Campion didn't know why, but that didn't feel like a compliment coming from Slytherin's golden boy. "Really what did you want to talk about, Riddle?" Edmund found himself leaning against a bookshelf and craving a joint to calm his slowly growing annoyance towards the young man with black hair. "I doubt it was so you could compliment me."

You could have been a competent accomplice. Tom opened his mouth to speak. "Ophelia passed her potions test today." It really was a pity Edmund was a pure-blood who took a liking to someone he shouldn't have. Tom figured he left Campion alone and alive due to the fact that Tom didn't want to waste perfectly fine pure-blood.

"Of course she did." Edmund tried his best hide the smile that bloomed on his face at the mention of Ophelia. "Darwin's a brilliant witch." The Ravenclaw was planning to talk to the Hufflepuff after dinner, he wanted to take her to the Room of Requirement where Edmund was more than certain a piano could be found there. I can congratulate on a job well done while I am at it.

Of course Edmund didn't know Tom was able to perform Legilimency with such ease and perfection.

Tom was not going to let Edmund anywhere near Ophelia if he could help it. "Yes, she is." Tom agreed through half-way gritted teeth. "By the way, you don't need to worry about getting Ophelia caught up for exams." Tom kept his cool as best as he could. "You've been cutting into my time with her."

"Excuse me?" There was a slight tone of aggression in Edmund. "I am cutting into your time with her?" The French teen had to scoff at that. "I don't know about you Riddle, but I've been hanging out around Darwin only if I know she wants me around her. I don't force her into spending time with me."

"What makes you think I force her into spending time with me?" Tom questioned. "Last time I checked, she only hung around you because some teachers told her in order to get her grades up she had to study with you."

A little bit of Edmund's ego crumbled at that, but he remained calm. "With that being said, Riddle, when was the last time you got to be alone with Darwin?"

Tom's reply was quick. "I can't tell you the last time but I will tell you this: she'll be with me tonight."

"You going to force her?" Edmund was making his distaste for the Slytherin prefect more and more obvious.

Tom on the other hand revealed nothing. "I'll let you think what you want, Campion." He smirked at his fellow sixth-year classmate. "Have a good rest of the day."

The Slytherin ignore Selene Sharpe on his way out.

"I guess he wasn't in the mood today." She sighed with a hurt tone.

Edmund Campion didn't know how to comfort the beautiful witch properly so he said something he thought as nice. "You really could do better than Riddle, you know that right?"

Selene Sharpe chuckled at that, a very subtle hint of blush flushed to her cheeks. Edmund didn't take notice of it.

By the time dinner rolled around Ophelia, Margo, and Peter all gathered at the Hufflepuff table in their usual formation. Margo and Peter sitting next to each other and Ophelia sitting across from them.

"Peter did you not care to wake William up for dinner?" Margo scolded as she reached for some leafy greens and other vegetables set out on the table.

"You try waking a bear up during hibernation," Peter retorted as he poured some tea into a cup for himself. "William doesn't wake up until he is good and ready to wake up."

Ophelia went in for a slice of honey ham and mashed potatoes; she added a crumpet to her plate. "More food for us then. Not only does he sleep like a bear, he eats like one."

"Oh no!" Margo paled and snapped her gaze straight onto Ophelia. "Pipa, do you think he'll eat like that at my engagement party?"

Ophelia looked to Peter for an answer. "I'm not sure. Peter, what do you think?"

"No doubt he'll have gruesome table manners at your party, Margo." Peter then added another statement before the blonde witch could freak out about their friend's eating etiquette. "Though everyone will be focused on you, not William."

Ophelia couldn't help but smile. Peter always knew what to say to Margo to calm her down and put things into perspective. Maybe one day I'd have someone who will do that for me…

About an hour later Margo, Ophelia and Peter began to head back to their cozy Hufflepuff house for the night. They didn't notice the male who sudden cried for Ophelia's attention.

"Ophelia!"

All three friends froze, Peter being the gentleman he was ushered the two females behind his shoulders until the voice yelling for Ophelia showed their face.

"Ophelia." Edmund popped through the crowd with a serious expression on his face.

"Hey, look." Peter teased at Margo. "Your favorite brother is coming this way."

Margo leaned into Peter for a whisper. "He is my only brother."

Ophelia smirked and let a quick tease towards Margo out of her mouth as well. "That you know of."

Peter got a good laugh out of that.

"Oh hush!" Margo said with a huff.

"Edmund, hello." Ophelia said with a kind smile. "How are you today?"

Edmund smiled at Ophelia, "Good, are you busy right now?"

Margo answered for Ophelia, she wanted her friend to know she was turning over a new leaf. Margo also wanted Peter to see her be the person he thought she could be. "Pipa's completely free right now." The blonde witch pushed the brunette towards her half-brother before grabbing Peter's hand and jolting away with the Elwood heir. "You two crazy kids have fun! Have Pipa back to her room by ten tonight!"

With that Margo and Peter took off and left Ophelia standing alone in front of Edmund.

The Hufflepuff female focused on Edmund. "As Margo answered on my behalf: no, I am not busy at the moment."

The handsome Ravenclaw gave Ophelia a rather shy smile as he reached for her hand in a careful motion. "Follow me, s'il vous plait."

So she did with her heart beating sporadically in her chest. Her heartbeat in a quick, irregular rhythm with her hands in Edmund's all the way to the Room of Requirement.

Riddle isn't going to do a damn thing, Edmund figured as he looked over his shoulder towards the Slytherin table. Edmund couldn't even spot the prick.

There, off to left hand side of the room, pushed in a position that was neither centered or crooked was a square grand piano.

Ophelia couldn't help but giggle. "Edmund, are you going to play me a song?" She rushed over to the piano and pressed her finger on a key that played a G flat note. "This is delightful, really."

Edmund sat down on the bench in front of the piano and gestured for Ophelia to join him. The brunette practically jumped down in the spot next to Edmund. The Ravenclaw felt something tightness in his chest while also feeling like he was floating on air when he saw the bright smile on Ophelia's face.

He saw how Ophelia's fingers fidgeted in her lap, she wanted badly to play.

"No." Edmund leaned in to whisper softly into the pretty witch's ear. His breath tickled against her ear, and he was pleasantly met with that lovely cinnamon scent. "I heard you could play piano, so I thought since you did so well on your potions test, we could celebrate by having you play out a song or two."

"Really?" Ophelia wondered if there was another word to describe happiness. If there was it wasn't something that could be described directly with one word,it must have been a sensation that was only felt. She was so happy and so enthused that Edmund, someone she hadn't known too long, went ahead and thought to do something for her this sweet,

It was in that instant Ophelia and Edmund shared a second kiss; a much deeper kiss than their first one in the library. She wrapped her arms around Edmund's neck while Edmund allowed his hands to rest on her hips. This particular kiss lasted for close to three minutes.

Edmund pulled away when he realized his pants suddenly felt tight. He easily played off cool by placing a gentle peck on Ophelia's lips then coaxing her to play a tune on the piano. "Come on, Ophelia. Play a song, please?"

"If you insist, Edmund." Ophelia positioned her hands over the key of the square grand piano. "Any requests?" She got her fingers ready to start playing the few opening notes of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker:Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. It was her mother's favorite to hear around the winter season.

"Play me something fun." Edmund leaned close to her, one hand gently on her hip still. "Or play something you love to play."

Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin came to Ophelia's mind and immediately her fingers quickly fired off on the piano keys.

Edmund enjoyed the music that flew from the piano and to his ears; even when Ophelia hit a bad note or three as she played, he loved how she went along still playing.

Ophelia was almost done with the song when a harsh voice cut into the music, causing the piano player to freeze in a millisecond.

"What is going on here?" Tom Riddle crept quietly into the Room of Requirement without the notice of the witch and wizard at the piano until he felt ready to be noticed. He should have jumped out and made his presence know when he saw Ophelia and Edmund press their lips together for a kiss. Tom couldn't, the sight he saw then had froze him on the inside and it left him stunned until he was able to properly find rage to warm him over.

Immediately, Ophelia just knew Tom had been there the whole time. The happiness and excitement that bounced around in her body was erased the minute she turned around and saw the expression on Tom's face.

Edmund stood in front of Ophelia, he acted as a protective barrier for Ophelia because he wasn't going to let anything happen to her. "Riddle, she's only playing a song." He took a step closer to Tom. "There's no rule stating Darwin cannot play a tune on the piano."

Edmund...Ophelia shut her eyes and grabbed him by the back of his robe. "Please, Edmund, stop." Her throat felt dry, she wasn't sure if the words even came out of her mouth loud enough for the Ravenclaw to hear.

"No," Edmund ignored the Hufflepuff's please. "I don't know who you think you are, but you don't own her."

Tom's eyes flashed towards Ophelia, her eyes shut in fear and hands tightly gripped on Edmund's robe. Fine, Tom thought bitterly, keep your eyes shut darling.

Edmund Campion was a brilliant and talented wizard, but he didn't stand a chance against the likes of Tom Riddle. All one could say was that at the very least, the Ravenclaw was lucky the Slytherin prefect wasn't too keen on spilling pure-blood at the moment.

Ophelia's heart drop at sound of Tom's voice and even more so at the curse that flew from his mouth.

It happened too fast for Edmund Campion, he didn't have time to draw his wand.

"Imperio." Tom didn't even hesitate when it came to uttering curses.

"Tom!" Ophelia screamed. Why do you ruin everything! Tears streamed down her face, she was terrified of what Tom would do to Edmund all the while the reminded that there was a blank memory somewhere in her mind floated into her thoughts. It added to her fear. "Stop it! Tom! Please, stop!"

Tom ignored her. "You really are a child, crying because you don't get your way." He stepped in closer to the Ravenclaw who stood calmly between Ophelia and him. Tom stared right into Edmund's gray eyes. "You, Campion, are getting off easy."

"Tom...stop…" Ophelia found the courage to stand up but she hadn't found the courage to move away from behind Edmund.

"You are going to walk to your room, all the way in the Ravenclaw tower. Then you are going to point your wand to your head and use 'Obliviate' on yourself. After that, Campion, you are going to bed."

Ophelia held her breath. She was waiting for the worst part of Tom's command but he ended it on that.

Without another word, a totally calm and relaxed Edmund Campion walked away leaving Ophelia alone with Tom.

"Edmund…" Ophelia cried as she tried to reach after him. "Edmund! Come back!" She couldn't reach him. Someone got in her way.

Tom said nothing as he moved in on the half-blood he was so certain belong to him. His strong and steady arms wrapped Ophelia into a tight and surprising welcoming hug. He brushed a few stray strands of hair out Ophelia's face; he was being gentle as possible with her.

"Why?" Ophelia cried into Tom's chest as she weakly tried to push him away from her. "Why do you do this to me?"

Because I refuse to let another wizard have you. Tom rubbed his hand along Ophelia's back as a response to her question. For a brief second he even made some 'shushing' sounds to calm Ophelia down as well.

"If you don't love me-no." Ophelia's voice was hoarse from the crying. "Tom, if you don't even like me-why won't you let me have the chance to be with someone who makes me happy."

Tom didn't know if he loved Ophelia, he wasn't even sure if he liked her all that much. All he knew was that Ophelia was his. The heir of Slytherin carefully placed his lips against Ophelia's without any warming but he took her lips because he wanted to re-claim them as his.

Tom's kiss added confusion to all the strong emotions that took up space in Ophelia's mind and soul. It was one of those gentle and chaste kisses he gave her-the kind that seemed like there was no word to describe how he felt for her.

Nothing would ever be able to describe how Tom Riddle felt for Ophelia Darwin. That was as much Darwin's plight as it was Riddle's.

The Slytherin heir brought his wand to the side of the Hufflepuff's face, who only tensed and grabbed onto his wrists tightly.

"Keep your eyes closed, Ophelia-darling." The tone Tom used was neither sarcastic or viscous in nature...It actually sounded sincere.

"Tom...don't do this to me...Please." Tears were stinging Ophelia's eyes. The brunette hated how both her and Tom knew she wasn't a match for him,

"You'll sleep fine tonight." Tom insisted, he placed a sickeningly soft peck against her cheek. "I promise."

Ophelia shook her head in protest as a scared whimpered escaped her lips.

Tom whispered his spell like a parent would whisper a lullaby to a child; he gracefully caught Ophelia so she wouldn't collapse to the ground.

The heir of Slytherin felt no remorse about his actions as he carried Ophelia away to the Hufflepuff house. Why should I feel bad? Tom thought to himself. I am the one making sure she is getting back to her room safe and sound.

Ophelia Darwin would wake up the next day, terribly groggy yet rested at the same time. Details of that moment between her, Tom, and Edmund would only seem like a foggy dream she wouldn't want to really want to make sense of.

It blurred her senses a slight bit more.