Disclaimer: Tom Riddle, Professor Binns and Minerva McGonagal don't belong to me.
FEELINGS YOU CAN'T DENY
Chapter Thirteen: I Need You
Clarissa burst into the library, causing the doors to make a loud bang against the wall. Everyone studying there looked up at her in shock and surprise. She ran across the library, panting, and sat herself opposite me.
"Li--Li--Li--," she panted.
"Finally trying to get a start on the Potions Essay?" I asked, dipping my quill in ink.
"No--no--no," she took a deep breath. "Lina, I need...your help."
I set my quill down and listened to her.
"I was walking to the Quidditch field," Clarissa explained. "See, I had heard that there was going to be practice today. And I thought, hey, I like Quidditch. Maybe I should see if I like watching practice. See, I had always wondered-"
"Yes," I interrupted. "You went to see Rodney. I get it. Continue."
"Well," she breathed. "Rodney was there, you see. He-he plays wonderfully. I can't believe I've never noticed how great he is with that Beater club."
I rested my chin in my hand.
"Anyway," Clarissa continued. "Rodney saw me. How embarrassing is that? He landed and came over to talk to me. And we got to talking about the Hogsmeade trip coming up. And..Rodney...He...asked me if I wanted to hang out with him."
"I told you, I told you," I laughed. "Didn't I tell you he liked you?"
Clarissa blushed and shrugged.
"Anyway," she went on, "I was wondering if you would come with us."
"Oh, no," I insisted. "I don't want to come between two love birds."
"No, no," Clarissa said. "I need you there, for moral support. If it were just me and him, I would surely die of discomfort. If you were there, I might act more myself, you know? Please, Lina!"
"All right," I conceded. "But once you two start getting comfortable, I'm going to conveniently excuse myself."
"That's fine," Clarissa told me. "Thanks, Lina."
"What are friends for?" I said, smiling. "You'd better start on you potions Essay."
"Oh, Lina," Clarissa sighed. "How can I think about Potions when I'm this excited?"
"Why don't you run through the halls yelling that you love Rodney?" I joked.
"I couldn't," Clarissa insisted. "I would die of embarrassment."
I just laughed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The weekend arrived too slowly, and everyone was glad to get away from classes and away from the musty, old castle. Hogsmeade was like a mini-vacation. Clarissa and I spared no time in getting out into the fresh air. The horseless carriages were waiting for us. Clarissa quickly grabbed us one just when I realized something.
"Clar, I've gotta go back!" I called to her.
"What?" She said out the carriage window. "What's wrong?"
"I forgot my money pouch," I told her, heading back up the steps toward Hogwarts.
"No, Lina!" Clarissa exclaimed. "Wait!"
"Where are you meeting Rodney?" I called over my shoulder.
"Three Broomsticks," Clarissa said.
"I'll meet you there," I promised.
Clarissa bit her lip as the carriage drove off toward Hogsmeade. I hurried up to Hufflepuff Hall and grabbed my pouch out of my trunk. It was not going to be fun walking all the way to Hogsmeade, but it was OK. I could use a walk anyway.
As I ran through the holographic wall, I bumped into someone and fell to the ground. I glanced up at Tom. He smiled down at me and held out a hand. I put my hand in his, and he pulled me to my feet.
"Didn't go to Hogsmeade?" Tom asked, running his fingers through his black hair.
"Oh, well," I sputtered, holding up my money pouch. "I forgot this. What about you?"
"I wasn't going to go," Tom muttered, "but since you are, I might as well walk you."
I replied instantly, "If you have something better to do, you don't have to walk me."
"Don't be silly," Tom smiled wryly. "There's nothing I would enjoy more than being in your company."
I blushed. Tom took my hand, and we started off. It was a few minutes before we were out in the open air.
"You know, we haven't had an opportunity to talk," Tom told me.
"Talk? About what?" I asked coyly, knowing exactly what he was saying.
"Well," he began, looking a little embarrassed, "about the other day when I said all that stuff to Clarissa."
"Oh, yes, that," I muttered.
"You haven't said anything about it," Tom reminded. "And I was wondering how you felt about it all."
How I felt about it all? I thought my actions would say enough. I sat next to him in class and we've had polite conversation. I figure my lack of awkwardness would show him that everything's great. But I guess he just couldn't see that. He wanted my feelings straight out which I wasn't accustomed to sharing. I bit my lip, trying to think of how would be the best way to explain it.
"I was very flattered to hear all that," I told him, feeling my skin begin to tingle.
"Is that all?" Tom asked.
"What else do you want to know?" I retorted. "That's what I felt."
"Flattered," he said it like I had said I was indifferent to him.
I wasn't indifferent. And I was more than flattered, but I just didn't know how to express my feelings in the way he wanted me to. Tom didn't say very much after that. We walked for some time in silence. Was what I said that disappointing? I had to make it better. Seeing him sad just made me feel terrible.
"I was relieved," I said finally. "I was glad. You couldn't explain the joy I felt in knowing how you felt."
Tom glanced at me, but I kept from looking at him.
"I was happy you felt the same way I did," I muttered, looking at the ground.
Tom stopped immediately. I stopped too and looked at him. He wasn't smiling, just looking at me intensely. It made me want to look away, but I couldn't. Tom slid his hand up my cheek and directed my lips toward his. The moment our lips touched, this warm feeling burned through me in an instant. I wanted to kiss him forever, but then he pulled away. Tom's eyes scanned my face quickly. I bit my lip to keep from smiling, but I couldn't hide it. I knew Tom could see because he smiled too. His hand made its way back into mine and we continued our walk to Hogsmeade, staring at each other.
A/N: This chapter is based on a converstaion my ex-boyfriend and I had. Very loosely based. Mostly, just the feelings and circumstance of those feelings were alike. The words are complete fabrication. Anyway, I noticed that my Tom had quite a bit in common with my recently ex-ed boyfriend. Maybe if I had been as forward with him as Lina was able to be, I might have saved the relationship. I miss my boyfriend! I miss my Tom Riddle! They always say there are other fish in the sea, but I fear there will be no one quite like him. Anyway, back to Harry Potter. What'd you think of my chapter? Pretty good?
FEELINGS YOU CAN'T DENY
Chapter Thirteen: I Need You
Clarissa burst into the library, causing the doors to make a loud bang against the wall. Everyone studying there looked up at her in shock and surprise. She ran across the library, panting, and sat herself opposite me.
"Li--Li--Li--," she panted.
"Finally trying to get a start on the Potions Essay?" I asked, dipping my quill in ink.
"No--no--no," she took a deep breath. "Lina, I need...your help."
I set my quill down and listened to her.
"I was walking to the Quidditch field," Clarissa explained. "See, I had heard that there was going to be practice today. And I thought, hey, I like Quidditch. Maybe I should see if I like watching practice. See, I had always wondered-"
"Yes," I interrupted. "You went to see Rodney. I get it. Continue."
"Well," she breathed. "Rodney was there, you see. He-he plays wonderfully. I can't believe I've never noticed how great he is with that Beater club."
I rested my chin in my hand.
"Anyway," Clarissa continued. "Rodney saw me. How embarrassing is that? He landed and came over to talk to me. And we got to talking about the Hogsmeade trip coming up. And..Rodney...He...asked me if I wanted to hang out with him."
"I told you, I told you," I laughed. "Didn't I tell you he liked you?"
Clarissa blushed and shrugged.
"Anyway," she went on, "I was wondering if you would come with us."
"Oh, no," I insisted. "I don't want to come between two love birds."
"No, no," Clarissa said. "I need you there, for moral support. If it were just me and him, I would surely die of discomfort. If you were there, I might act more myself, you know? Please, Lina!"
"All right," I conceded. "But once you two start getting comfortable, I'm going to conveniently excuse myself."
"That's fine," Clarissa told me. "Thanks, Lina."
"What are friends for?" I said, smiling. "You'd better start on you potions Essay."
"Oh, Lina," Clarissa sighed. "How can I think about Potions when I'm this excited?"
"Why don't you run through the halls yelling that you love Rodney?" I joked.
"I couldn't," Clarissa insisted. "I would die of embarrassment."
I just laughed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The weekend arrived too slowly, and everyone was glad to get away from classes and away from the musty, old castle. Hogsmeade was like a mini-vacation. Clarissa and I spared no time in getting out into the fresh air. The horseless carriages were waiting for us. Clarissa quickly grabbed us one just when I realized something.
"Clar, I've gotta go back!" I called to her.
"What?" She said out the carriage window. "What's wrong?"
"I forgot my money pouch," I told her, heading back up the steps toward Hogwarts.
"No, Lina!" Clarissa exclaimed. "Wait!"
"Where are you meeting Rodney?" I called over my shoulder.
"Three Broomsticks," Clarissa said.
"I'll meet you there," I promised.
Clarissa bit her lip as the carriage drove off toward Hogsmeade. I hurried up to Hufflepuff Hall and grabbed my pouch out of my trunk. It was not going to be fun walking all the way to Hogsmeade, but it was OK. I could use a walk anyway.
As I ran through the holographic wall, I bumped into someone and fell to the ground. I glanced up at Tom. He smiled down at me and held out a hand. I put my hand in his, and he pulled me to my feet.
"Didn't go to Hogsmeade?" Tom asked, running his fingers through his black hair.
"Oh, well," I sputtered, holding up my money pouch. "I forgot this. What about you?"
"I wasn't going to go," Tom muttered, "but since you are, I might as well walk you."
I replied instantly, "If you have something better to do, you don't have to walk me."
"Don't be silly," Tom smiled wryly. "There's nothing I would enjoy more than being in your company."
I blushed. Tom took my hand, and we started off. It was a few minutes before we were out in the open air.
"You know, we haven't had an opportunity to talk," Tom told me.
"Talk? About what?" I asked coyly, knowing exactly what he was saying.
"Well," he began, looking a little embarrassed, "about the other day when I said all that stuff to Clarissa."
"Oh, yes, that," I muttered.
"You haven't said anything about it," Tom reminded. "And I was wondering how you felt about it all."
How I felt about it all? I thought my actions would say enough. I sat next to him in class and we've had polite conversation. I figure my lack of awkwardness would show him that everything's great. But I guess he just couldn't see that. He wanted my feelings straight out which I wasn't accustomed to sharing. I bit my lip, trying to think of how would be the best way to explain it.
"I was very flattered to hear all that," I told him, feeling my skin begin to tingle.
"Is that all?" Tom asked.
"What else do you want to know?" I retorted. "That's what I felt."
"Flattered," he said it like I had said I was indifferent to him.
I wasn't indifferent. And I was more than flattered, but I just didn't know how to express my feelings in the way he wanted me to. Tom didn't say very much after that. We walked for some time in silence. Was what I said that disappointing? I had to make it better. Seeing him sad just made me feel terrible.
"I was relieved," I said finally. "I was glad. You couldn't explain the joy I felt in knowing how you felt."
Tom glanced at me, but I kept from looking at him.
"I was happy you felt the same way I did," I muttered, looking at the ground.
Tom stopped immediately. I stopped too and looked at him. He wasn't smiling, just looking at me intensely. It made me want to look away, but I couldn't. Tom slid his hand up my cheek and directed my lips toward his. The moment our lips touched, this warm feeling burned through me in an instant. I wanted to kiss him forever, but then he pulled away. Tom's eyes scanned my face quickly. I bit my lip to keep from smiling, but I couldn't hide it. I knew Tom could see because he smiled too. His hand made its way back into mine and we continued our walk to Hogsmeade, staring at each other.
A/N: This chapter is based on a converstaion my ex-boyfriend and I had. Very loosely based. Mostly, just the feelings and circumstance of those feelings were alike. The words are complete fabrication. Anyway, I noticed that my Tom had quite a bit in common with my recently ex-ed boyfriend. Maybe if I had been as forward with him as Lina was able to be, I might have saved the relationship. I miss my boyfriend! I miss my Tom Riddle! They always say there are other fish in the sea, but I fear there will be no one quite like him. Anyway, back to Harry Potter. What'd you think of my chapter? Pretty good?