Author's Note: I hope that you will still like what I wrote, even though what I wrote here makes a few upsetting changes.
It was the fall. Another year of Hogwarts was about to begin. This time, Tom Riddle and the rest would enter their sixth year. The whole summer, Tom had spent his time doing much work. He, who had become romantic and all, studied hours of poetry a night. He would take out books from the school library, and read poetry outside under the starry blackness of the sky, leaning against a tree. He would even memorize it, sometimes, it naturally came to heart. By the near end of the summer, who had already written some poems of his own. During the day, he would research up on magic, wizards, and spells. He would read about two books a day, making notes, practising spells, brewing up potions, etc. By the near end of the summer, he had grown even more powerful than he ever was. His knowledge had expanded to a great extent. Before, he was already great, but now, he was even more so. He learned more than a hundred spells, more than thirty potions, and learned about the great wizards and witches in magical history.
He was ready to surprise Lily with his romanticism, and couldn't wait for the first day of school just to see her. They had sent letters by owls to each other back and forth. She would tell him about the miserable muggle things that she did, and also the fun and great muggle things that she did. He would tell her about his day, what had happened, and that he was practising spells. He had kept his poetry reading a secret.
It was the first day of the new school year. There was a celebration in the Great Hall and Tom caught Lily's eye there. They didn't have a chance to meet yet. They were each seated at their own table while first graders were being sorted into their houses by the hat.
When the festivities were over, Tom and Lily met in a secluded corner nearby the Great Hall. There were changes between the both of them. At first, their positions felt a bit awkward. But if they loved each other, should there be no awkwardness? Lily was even more beautiful than before. Her eyes were just as green but her cheeks were more crimson, her wavy hair had grown even longer, and she was almost an inch taller than before Tom had last met her. Lily noticed that Tom's hair was a bit longer than before too, and its length produced nice long waves. He was a almost an inch taller too, and he too, his cheeks were more crimson.
"Tom," she managed, but only in a soft whisper.
"Oh Lily, I didn't think you could be any more beautiful than I've last seen you," his voice pronounced richly.
She blushed and looked away for a second. "It's been so long."
"It's only been two and a half months."
"Only? I mean, we haven't seen each other in two and a half months! Every day is long without you, Tom, so two and a half months feels like forever."
He stroked her left cheek with his hand and gazed into her eyes. They seriously entranced him. "Let's go to my room and have a nice talk, shall we?"
"Oh yes, we have much to talk about."
They were both seated on his bed that night conversing about their events in the summer.
"So what else have you done besides shopping and watching movies during the summer?" Tom asked.
"Well, I also went to the beach. There was a boy who asked for my number. I think he thought I was attractive or something."
Tom laughed. "Well, that's no surprise. You truly are beautiful."
Lily blushed once again. He leaned over and kissed her. They continued kissing on the bed but something was not right. She gently pushed him away. He looked at her funny, curious and confused by her action of pushing him away.
"I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" he asked.
"No, I'm the one who's sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. It's not you. It's me."
"How so?"
"I just...I just don't feel like it, alright, Tom?"
"I thought you cared about me."
"Oh I do! I do! But I don't have to make out with you everyday to prove it, do I? I love you, whether we're physically close to each other or not. I will always love you, Tom, and you know it." She reassuringly put her hand over his cheek and looked at him with sad puppy eyes.
"It's just been so long that we've kissed," he sighed.
"I know, but it shouldn't be done too soon. I have to go, Tom. It's getting late."
He didn't even look at her. His eyes were glued to the covers of the bed the whole time. He felt somewhat hurt and insulted even though she had no such intentions. She got up and kissed his forehead before walking out the door. As soon as she was out of sight, he lay back down in bed and decided to immediately sleep for the night, but he couldn't. There were too many thoughts running in his mind. This always happened. Why was Lily so uncomfortable about kissing him? Had she changed over the summer? Did she meet a new guy? Did James finally convince her that Tom was the one who unleashed the Basilisk? Was there a wall between Tom and Lily? Was there awkwardness? Are things changing int heir relationship? There were way too many questions unanswered. They needed to be answered, they must be answered! Tom was so frustrated with all these questions that he shut his eyes hard and tried with much difficulty to fall asleep, but without success. It took about an hour or two for him to completely fall into deep sleep.
The next day, Lily was walking to Potions class when James Potter grabbed her arm and dragged her into a dark corner of the hallway.
"James? Let go of me."
"No," he said.
"Just leave me alone."
He let go of her. Before she could walk away, he asked, "Do you still love him?"
She looked at him with a pained expression on her face. "Yes. What makes you think I would stop loving him?"
"You don't really want me to answer that, now, do you?"
"Be quiet! It's over, James. It was nothing. You know it was nothing."
"That's not what you said."
"I didn't say anything! But we both know that it meant absolutely nothing."
And she walked off to class, with him trailing behind her.
After school that day, Tom led Lily outside to the tree where they first kissed and where their love bloomed. He sat down leaning against a tree, and she sat down in front of him, with his arms wrapped around her waist.
"This place is so special, you know that?" he said to her, a pleasant smile appearing on his face.
"Is it because it's where we first kissed?"
"Yes, and it's also because it was where I sat, gazing the stars, enveloped by the darkness of the sky." Really, it was also where he practised his poetry.
"And what about those dazzling stars, Tom?"
"Well, they remind me every bit of you. They looked so small from here, so small and precious, like you, yet they shine with so much brightness and strength, just like you. In reality, they really are fierce and grand, and you, my dear, are fierce and grand."
Lily giggled happily. She absolutely loved the expressive compliments he was showering upon her.
"Oh my god, you are so romantic," she breathed.
"Would I be even more romantic if I were to have studied poetry the whole summer just so I could tell them to you with all my heart and meaning?" he asked.
She turned her head, and was surprised. Her mouth was wide open, and her eyebrowes were raised. "You mean...you mean to tell me that you've studied poetry just for me?"
He kissed her cheek and put his chin on her shoulder. "Perhaps."
She immediately stood up to face him. "Are you...serious?"
Then, he began reciting a beautiful poem, about how lovely she was. She was hit with so much shock and happiness that she stood still and frozen.
"Do you love it?" he asked.
She sat on her knees facing him, and hugged him. "I love it almost as much as I love you."
And he smiled, with pride, and at the fact that he could make the love of his life happy.
Little did he know that she was feeling a bit guilty when she hugged him. Little did he know that she, Lily Evans, the woman who truly did love him, cheated on him.
FLASHBACKIt was in the middle of July, blazing hot and humid, people walking around in shorts, skirts, and t-shirts. It was about seven pm, and Lily was sitting on a park bench, in a grand beautiful park that held all types of trees and a nice pond with ducks and ducklings. She was sad. She had just ran out of her house after having a large fight with both her parents. They found out, because of her nasty sister Petunia, that she had a wizard boyfriend whom she was deeply in love with. She had also brought home gradually decreasing grades from Hogwarts, which caused her parents to think that Tom Riddle was the reason for this mess.
"You are too young to understand love," her mother told her quite firmly.
"You are too young to get hurt this way, Lily. The boy is going to leave you, and your heart will break. Not only did he affect your grades, but he's also a wizard! Sure, I have nothing against wizards and witches, but it will do you good to stay with a muggle. And that would have to be when you come of age, not at the silly age of sixteen," her father stated.
She cried out in protests, and she broke into sobs. Petunia had watched this fight with so much pleasure as her lips formed a nasty grin.
"You will no longer see this boy," her mother said.
"How will you be able to stop me?" Lily demanded.
"If your grades will continue to descend, and will not improve, we can do things very easily. We WILL, and mark my words, young lady, we will send you to another school, no matter how great a school Hogwarts is."
At this, Lily's eyes widened. "No!" she shrieked. "No! You can't! You can't!"
"Well then, improve."
At that, Lily ran out as far as her legs were able to carry her, and she brought herself to the park. She was seated on the bench, tears streaming down her soft ivory toned cheek, wiping them away with a tissue paper. She could not bear think of losing contact with Tom. She wouldn't allow that to happen. No way. But in her letters to him, she never mentioned her parents finding out, or her parents' threat.
As she was sitting and sobbing silently, surrounded by both young and old couples promenading the park, she saw James walking alone as well.
"Oh god," she prayed silently, "please don't let him see me."
She sat still, attempting not to stir, attempting not to catch anyone's attention, especially not his. But it was too bad. He turned his head and saw Lily, and decided to walk over to her. If she got up and ran away, it would have been awfully rude, and if she turned around, it would have been obvious that she was trying to escape him.
"Lily? Lily Evans?"
He was standing in front of her now. He noticed her red eyes and her tears.
"Lily? What's wrong?"
"Um, nothing," she whispered.
He sat next to her and tried to look into her eyes but she avoided his gaze. Her eyes were set to the ground.
"C'mon Lily, look at me. What's wrong?"
"Nothing!"
"I know you're lying, Lily. There's no use in doing that so please, tell me the reason."
She looked up at him.
"It's got something to do with Tom Riddle, doesn't it?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Did he...dump you?"
She was taken aback. "Of course not! He would never do such thing!"
"Then what is it?"
"It's my parents. They found out. They're threatening me about it."
"Oh god, Lily, I'm so sorry."
"Sorry?! Ha! You'd be glad if I stopped seeing him!"
"Perhaps."
"Oh, you repugnant pig!"
"It's not that, Lily. I fancy you. I always have. I can't help it, you know that?"
"Why do you have to fancy me?"
"Because," he explained, "you're such a great person. You're beautiful, you're kind, you're helpful, you're good..."
What he said was partly true. Lily used to be kind and helpful and good but not so much anymore. She was too influenced by Tom. She would do anything, even if it meant hurting other people, just to please her Tom, just to be with him, just so she can love him. And only then did she realize she was no longer good, that she had changed ever since meeting Tom.
"No," she said, shaking her head, "no, I'm not. I'm not good at all."
"What are you talking about? Of course you are, you're just a little changed because of Tom."
"Don't put the blame on him, James, alright?! It's because of me. It's because I chose to change."
"And you've made this decision because of him."
"It's still not his fault. Leave him out of it."
"Fine, I will. But can you not see? You were the one who changed me. I used to think I was so cool, that I had so many friends, that what I was doing was right, as long as I was able to impress people. But it's because of you that I now know what I've been doing was wrong. What I've done to Severus Snape was a mistake. I shouldn't have tormented him in any way. What I've done to Ferdinand Buckler was also a mistake, as well as his best friends...It's because of you that I've realized what a bad person I have been my whole time at Hogwarts. You changed me, you know that?"
"I couldn't have. I'm not capable of doing such-"
He shook her shoulders. "You are, Lily, you are capable of it!"
She tried to look away but couldn't. She stared into his large brown eyes, hidden behind those geeky glasses... But there was something about his eyes, that seemed to beg her, that seemed to convince her that she was the one who changed James after all. There was a kind of truth in there, a kind of innocence, a kind of hope, hope for good.
Their faces moved closely together, their lips touched, and they embraced. But she realized that what she was doing was completely wrong in so many ways, and she instantly pushed him away and stood up, shocked at what she had done.
"No, that wasn't supposed to happen!" she yelled.
She broke into sobs again and ran off back home, which seemed to be safer, more welcoming, and more comfortable than the park that she had earlier escaped to.
END FLASHBACK