News traveled fast.
When she left her apartment for the library on Sunday, whispers followed her around the castle. It was like an incessant buzzing in her ears. Yasmina ignored the group of Slytherins girls who completely stopped to watch her go, murmuring to each other. She knew what they were saying: how come Yasmina Shafiq, a mere ok-looking girl according to them, was able to attract Tom Riddle's attention? Or why was the beloved Head boy spending so much time with a Gryffindor?
Yasmina resisted the urge to curse the sneering girls and turned left in another hallway. She had had enough detentions for the semester.
The Head girl grunted in annoyance. Pureblood wizards were the worst at keeping secrets. They liked gossiping so much that everything that happened yesterday night had already been all around the castle. For God's sake! They had simply been seen holding hands. And flirting. And Riddle's wandering fingers. It was nothing at all. At least, nobody knew they had kissed.
Yasmina shook her head; she shouldn't let her mind be so distracted.
The Gryffindor entered the library and went straight for the farthest part. A few ominous glances were shot in her direction, but she ignored them, finally spotting her friend's table. In this recluse part of the library, they could talk in peace. Loud outbursts or exclamations weren't allowed, but at least soft conversations were permitted, which is why several students were hanging out in here.
"I heard you went to the Pureblood soiree with Riddle," Eve greeted her.
Great. Even if she wanted to avoid thinking about him, it was nearly impossible with a friend as inquisitive as Eve.
"We met there, actually." Yasmina rectified, taking her seat. "But yes, he invited me, as you know."
"I don't feel like we know everything," Eve added with a sly smile. "According to the rumors, you two even left the evening together. Seems like Riddle was very taken with you."
Yasmina ruffled through her bags and took out some books and parchment. "Who have you heard that from?"
"Marion Fawley, you know how much she likes gossiping. Why?"
"I don't know," Yasmina shrugged. "I thought perhaps you would have learned from Hadrian."
Both Thomas and Eve frowned. "He was there? Since when does he attend that kind of event?" Thomas asked, bemused.
The Head girl took a glance around her, looking for Hadrian. Fortunately, he wasn't in the library so she could talk freely. She did, however, meet the eyes of the Slytherin Head boy who was sitting alone near the window. She blushed and looked away, relieved that they hadn't talked since last night. She wasn't ready for that discussion yet.
"Yasmina?"
"Yeah, sorry." She shook her head, getting her mind back on things. "Yes, Hadrian was there and we argued."
"Why? What is wrong with him?" Eve loudly replied, puzzled.
"Nothing's wrong with him," Thomas retorted, quieter. "He's simply jealous because you're spending time with Riddle.
The Head girl glared back. "Well, maybe he could try working on his jealousy and apologize for being a jerk!" Yasmina blurted out a bit too loud and she got a look of reprimand from the librarian.
Thomas softly nodded, pushing his essay away. He seemed to have been waiting for an excuse to procrastinate. "You are right. You are completely right. But he isn't acting rationally and if you want to save your friendship, the ball is in your court now. He has taken the first step towards reconciliation; it is up to you to decide if you want to take the second."
The Head girl stayed silent. Thomas was right, but perhaps her pride and her heart had been too severely hurt to merely nod and accept his apology. She was going to need some time to think about it.
Eve pouted. "So does that mean you had a bad evening?"
"Oh no, it was great, surprisingly great. I danced with Theodore to some old, swing, muggle songs. Riddle and I talked, and we played Truth or Lie with a few people. It was nice."
"What have you talked about?" Eve threw a glance at the Slytherin Head boy before smiling at her.
The Gryffindor avoided her friend's penetrating gaze and lied. "Oh, nothing in particular. We talked about many things, I can't really remember."
When she dared face their gaze again, Thomas had raised his eyebrows high in disbelief and Eve looked at her like she wanted to say: don't lie to me. Yasmina blushed. She would have to tell them one day or another. "We flirted, alright?"
"You flirted back!" Just like Thomas, Eve completely abandoned her essay and stuck her chin on her palm. "What type of flirting?"
"Merlin, Eve, I don't know." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not the expert in flirting, you are."
"Hadrian must have seen you two really close for him to lose his right sense like this," Thomas remarked with a touch of amusement.
The Head girl flipped through her book on herbal ingredients and evasively nodded. She could feel Eve's burning stare on her. "Wait – Have you guys kissed?"
Ugh. Why did her friends have to be so perceptive?
Even though she wasn't seeing them, as she kept her eyes stuck on her parchment, Yasmina could imagine Thomas' mischievous smile and Eve's widened eyes. She turned the page of her book, her mind still focused on yesterday night. She blushed violently. There was no way she could face her friends' inquisitive gaze, especially since Eve repeated her question with an excited, high-pitched voice.
"Not at the party," Yasmina finally opened her mouth, knowing they wouldn't let her alone until she answered, "But when we came back to the apartment. I was annoying him because he had said something stupid and I was angry so he shut me up by kissing me," she babbled.
"WHAT?"
Eve hid her mouth behind her hand, as the librarian shushed them fiercely. Several students had turned their heads in their direction at Eve's loud exclamation. Riddle was one of them, and by the look on his face, he knew exactly what they were talking about.
Thomas was staring at her with cheerful amusement. "So, you kissed? How was it?"
"We didn't kiss. He kissed me. I stood there, taken aback and frozen until he backed away and left. What did you expect me to do? He took me by surprise! My brain started working again this morning."
Thomas laughed heartily but Eve hid her face behind her hands, moaning. "Yasmina, no! Maybe he thinks that you don't fancy him!"
"I'm not worried about that, since he seems to know everything that's going on inside my head."
"So you do fancy him?" Thomas questioned with an impish smile.
"For Heaven's sake, leave me alone, both of you." Yasmina grabbed her quill and dipped it in ink. She corrected a spelling mistake on her potion essay while Eve and Thomas were quietly laughing, teasing her. The Head girl ignored them. How could she explain to them how she felt if she hadn't even thought about it herself?
No, she didn't know if she fancied him. He was nice, sometimes. He could make her feel desired. They could get along if they tried hard enough. Nonetheless, she still couldn't accept the fact that he had called her a freaking "thing". She didn't want to be a damn ornament he would be parading around when he needed it. She also couldn't forget about the explicit threats he had made to her in September.
Thomas and Eve listened to her request and didn't ask any more questions. When she looked up from her essay a few minutes later, she caught them whispering and exchanging a knowing smile. Yasmina's eyes fell back on her paper. Enough. They had talked about him already too much for today. She had given him enough thoughts for today.
Riddle disagreed. She felt him more than she saw him stand up from his seat. Uncontrollably, Yasmina raised her eyes from her parchment and observed the Head boy walking right towards them. The Gryffindor quickly lowered her eyes on her essay, hoping that he would interpret that as an indication to leave her alone.
Her hopes were vain. Riddle was stubborn.
"Good afternoon." His voice was as soft as a sugar quill.
She merely nodded, acknowledging him, but Eve greeted him with evident amusement. "Oh! Hello, Tom!"
He sent her a dazzling smile and the blonde flushed. He took advantage of Eve's dizziness to address Yasmina more directly. She couldn't avoid his gaze any longer. "Are you free for a walk? I need to get out of this dusty library. I thought perhaps you could join me."
"I'm sorry," she apologized, pointing at her parchment, "I have to finish my potion essay. Perhaps another time?"
Yasmina wasn't ready to talk to him and she truly wanted to avoid this discussion for as long as she could. That point of view wasn't shared by Eve, who didn't mind stabbing her in the back. "Oh no! You told us your essay was almost done. Why don't you go? Thomas and I can manage, don't worry." Eve pointed out with a big, wide grin.
Yasmina would have strangled her.
"I really don't know, Riddle. I've just arrived."
He raised a provocative eyebrow. "You don't have to be afraid, it's just a walk."
Riddle was an irritating idiot. She wasn't afraid at all! Yasmina threw a murderous look at Thomas who failed to conceal his laughter in a cough. "Fine!" She snapped, standing up.
"Bye, Yasmina! See you later!" Thomas and Eve said in unison, wearing their most innocent smiles. The Gryffindor stormed past Riddle toward the library door. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed him sending a complicit wink to her friends. They were teaming up against her. So much for friendship!
As soon as they got out of the library, Riddle let out the chuckle he was holding in. He stopped laughing when he met her furious gaze, but his mocking smile didn't leave his face. "With pride as big as yours, Yasmina, you would have had your place in Slytherin. I told you at the beginning of the year, you've been sorted wrong."
"Slytherin? You must be joking." Of course, he was right about her pride. How could he even imply that she was afraid? Afraid… she wasn't afraid. She simply hardly desired to avoid this conversation.
"Don't mistake me, sweetheart, it was a compliment. I find you… invigorating," he charmingly commented with his strong, Londoner accent.
She rolled her eyes but didn't turn her head in his direction. Sweetheart… What was he thinking? She wasn't his sweetheart at all. Yet, against her will, the corner of her mouth rose in a smile. She sped up the pace, resolute at not showing her smile to him. If he knew that a stupid nickname made her react that way, he would use it against her.
Had she had known she was going for a walk, she wouldn't have packed her back so full. The Head boy watched her struggling with her heavy bag for a while before he felt forced to intervene. "Here, let me." With a slow wave of his wand, her bag became as small and light as a galleon. She thanked him as he put it inside her pocket. Yasmina refrained from asking where that spell came from. It wasn't the first time the Head boy impressed her by doing spells she didn't know existed before. She didn't want him to think that she was impressed with him. She wasn't.
The castle park was deserted. The falling snow and the cold wind had discouraged the students from going outside. It wasn't bad; at least they could talk without being disturbed by gossiping giggling girls. Just like he did several times at the party last night, he took her hand in his as soon as they were down the entrance stairs.
The icy wind made her hair twirl in all directions and she regretted not having brought her woolen cap. Air she breathed in burned her lungs, as it was cold and harsh. Even if she had spent all her life in England and many winters in Scotland, her North African skin still wasn't fond of cold weather. The snow, not very deep but present, was screeching under their feet as they approached the lake.
The two Head students walked in silence, absorbed by their own thoughts. Yasmina had so many things on her mind, yet she couldn't formulate any to him. If Riddle seemed calm and comfortable, the Gryffindor was increasingly uneasy.
"OK. This is weird. Are we… courting now?" She pointed at their joined hands.
"You tell me."
"I specifically asked because I don't know." She rolled her eyes. "Everything is so unclear and precipitated."
He smiled charmingly at her. "Maybe if you would have had kissed me back it would have been clearer for you."
The heat in her face contrasted with the frozen wind. Harsh snowflakes were melting instantly when they touched her burning cheeks. "I was taken aback! How was I supposed to know that you would do that?"
"Well, you made it perfectly clear that you wouldn't hex me if I did."
If it were biologically possible, more blood would have rushed to her cheek. She remembered how cheekily she had dared him to kiss her, sitting on the bar. Perhaps she could agree with him regarding alcohol. Firewhisky had definitely influenced her. "Well… Yes! At that moment… I was expecting it then, not… back at the apartment, in the middle of the bloody kitchen."
He shot her a sideways look. "So if I were to do it again, right now, in the middle of the bloody park, you would kiss back?"
Blimey.
The Slytherin stopped walking and so did she. Yasmina unsuccessfully tried to avoid his glance. "I… I… Do you…"
Arg! Why wasn't she able to align more than two words? He was staring at her with those gorgeous dark brown eyes without flinching as if he wanted to read her mind again. He wasn't, though. This was simply part of his charm act. Everything he did was part of his charm act.
And as much as she wanted to keep a clear head and stay alert, his act was indeed effective.
"Stop over-thinking everything." He leaned down and kissed her again for the second time in less than a day. This time though, Yasmina was prepared.
She couldn't expect, however, how strongly he would pull her towards him, a hand on her lower back. She wasn't ready for his heated lips, burning her with their indecency. At least, this time, she kissed back, both hands on his chest.
He left her panting, her almond-shaped eyes widened in awe. For God's sake! How old was she, twelve? She blinked. She hated how neither her body nor her brain was able to keep up with her mind when he sneaked charm attacks on her like this. The worst was that he seemed to be doing it on purpose, well aware of her inability to be rational when confronted with his manipulative charm.
"What? Don't tell me I took you by surprise again?" Riddle teased and she jostled him around in the snow.
How could she express everything that she had on her mind, especially since her brain had stopped working again? This was becoming highly problematic. The only thing she was able to say was: "You are unexpectedly warm, Riddle."
He adjusted his tone to meet the seriousness of hers. "Perhaps you can call me Tom, now."
A smile lifted the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, maybe I can."
The problem was that she didn't know what he wanted. Did he need a mere companion for cold, lonely winter days at the castle? Did he need an escort to Slughorn's soirees and pureblood events? Since when did he need someone at all? Riddle – Tom – was a known solitary. What had happened in his head for him to decide he wanted to spend time with someone other than himself? More importantly, why her? Why spend so much time trying to get to her when there were other girls, more accessible, who obviously wanted to be with him? Yasmina didn't want to waste her time. The Head boy has proven in the past to be untrustworthy and selfish.
"What do you want from me?" she finally asked from the tip of her lips, quietly, half regretting the question as soon as she voiced it.
"I want to spend time with you. I want to walk you to class, eat with you, study with you, read with you." His sudden intensity made her lower her gaze on her boots in shyness, but he raised her chin and met her eyes. "I want to be the first one you come to if anything happens to you. I want to learn everything there is to know about you. I want you to talk to me about your family, your friends, your aspirations, your fears; I want to know you as well as I know myself."
The coldness in his eyes was in opposition with the fire of his words. Attractive were the promises smoothly flowing on his tongue.
Yasmina desperately wanted to believe him. Oh, how badly she desired it.
0o0o0
Yasmina glanced down from the ceiling to the floor in utter admiration. It was the first day of December now, and the Great Hall had been decorated. Christmas trees – a dozen of them – had been disposed alongside the hall. Silver lights, tinsel, and ornaments had been placed around the large windows. Knowing how long and arduous it was to decorate the room, as she had done it in the past, the Gryffindor appreciated the festive decoration even more. It was absolutely magical.
It also meant that the term was almost over and that she could go home soon. She needed that break.
The Head girl went for her table and sat down, waiting for her friends with a cup of boiling tea. In silence, the family owl gracefully landed in front of her, startling her. "Sneaking on me, aren't you? Good morning, Horus."
The tall, grey feathered owl haughtily took a glance around him and annoyingly hooted when Eve sat in front of her. The blonde frowned at the owl in answer. Yasmina smiled at them: she didn't know who between the two had the strongest character. The Head girl detached the letter and the small box Horus had brought with him. The owl then left without ceremony. Eve rolled her eyes at his lack of manners, as owls were usually way more affectionate, but Yasmina didn't care, since she had just recognized the handwriting of the letter.
My dear Yasmina,
How is your last year going by? I still remember when your father kept complaining about the N.E. . I hope everything is going well for you. I can't wait for you to finally graduate, so you'll be able to visit us here.
Your bother left Cairo a week ago. As for your grandfather and me, I am not sure we will be able to leave Egypt for another couple of weeks. You know him… business needs to be done and he's having trouble with some investors. I hope we will be able to make it for the holidays.
I miss you and I am looking forward to seeing you soon.
PS. I took the liberty of sending you dates from home. I know you love them as much as I do.
Love,
Teta.
Yasmina hastened to open the wooden box that Horus had brought with the letter. "Gracious!" The sweet, soft smell of dry dates filled up her lungs, transporting her mind thousands of kilometers away. The purple-ish round, wrinkly fruits appealed to her and she picked one, delicately taking a bite.
For an instant, she would have cried. She missed home.
"Are you alright?"
Eve soft voice her back to Hogwarts. Yasmina opened her eyes, realizing she had closed them an instant before. "I'm feeling nostalgic. I miss the sun and the sand… I long for spices and colors. Scotland is a bit… drab this time of year."
"Are you going to Cairo for the Holidays?"
"Not this year. With Grindelwald's war, my father can't stay away from London. We will spend Christmas at home and New Year at Malfoy's manor as usual."
"I'm sorry."
Yasmina shrugged. "It's alright. I'm used to it, now. I haven't been in Egypt for years."
Eve tried to cheer her up. "At least, you've got dates!"
The Head girl smiled. "Yes! I might devour them in one day. I think I'll go back to my quarters to study. The librarian will never allow me to eat in the library."
"Alright, see you later!"
Yasmina waved at her friend and got out of the Great hall. As soon as she passed the door, a voice called for her. "Yasmina, wait!"
Tom rejoined her with great strides. She stopped, still unused to hearing her name on his lips. He was wearing a dazzling smile and Yasmina wondered for an instant what she had done to deserve the attention of such a stunning creature.
"Are you going up?" he asked, tightening his green tie.
Her gaze stuck to his adam's apple. "Yes, I have to study for the charm exam we have next week."
"Me too, I'll come with you. We can help each other."
He was simply being polite. The Gryffindor knew he didn't need any help, especially not in charms… She looked at her watch. "Don't you have a class?"
"Herbology was canceled because of the weather. I'm free all morning."
"Alright, why not? I need to practice the gouging spell; I'm still unable to perform it nonverbally."
They climbed the staircases and arrived soon enough in the living room of their apartment. She shot him a sideways look as he ran a hand through his hair. She felt the now usual heat take place in her lower abdomen comfortably. Dammit, Yasmina, calm down.
"What do you have here?" Tom asked, curious about the small cardboard box she held so close to her heart.
Yasmina mysteriously smiled at the Head boy "Something precious..."
Her answer only enhanced his interest. Of course, he would be interested in anything that looked a bit out of the ordinary. The Gryffindor slowly opened the box, revealing her treasure, and laughed at Tom's puzzled look. "Dates, from Egypt. My grandmother sent them to me this morning."
He took a closer look. "Dates? I have never seen any."
Yasmina sat on the couch and he imitated her, his eyes still on the content of the package. She stayed silent, as he seemed to be looking for his words. He took several long minutes before he opened his mouth again. She waited patiently. "Perhaps you know I grew up in a muggle orphanage."
She nodded. Of course, she knew. Everybody knew.
"We've been fed with… you know, common British food: bread, potatoes, soup, even meat, on good days. Nothing as frivolous as exotic fruits were given to us. It's been even worse since the beginning of the war."
"Grindelwald's war?"
"No, muggle's war. In London, food has been rationed."
He was opening up. He had never shared such personal details with her before. She felt all her resistance fading away. Perhaps he did mean the words he had said to her in the park two days ago.
"Can I try one?"
"Of course." Yasmina handed him the box and he delicately picked a purple fruit. He stared at it at length, as if he didn't know what to do with it.
"Here, let me show you."
She smiled and picked one too. Yasmina cautiously ripped the fruit in half and removed the core. She then ate one half, her eyes closing again since she couldn't help herself. He mirrored her and when she looked at him again, he was beaming.
"It's unexpectedly sweet!"
"I told you these were precious." She winked.
"I'll have to write to your grandmother so that she can send me a box too," he teased.
She scoffed and shook her head, putting the box away from his reach. "She'll never say yes."
Tom raised an eyebrow and tugged away a strand of frizzy hair that had somehow made its way in front of her eyes. She couldn't conceal the shiver that went through her spine at his touch. He smirked irresistibly.
"Sweetheart, you'll find I can be… very persuasive."
Very, indeed, Yasmina couldn't help but think as she pressed her lips against his. His mouth tasted so sweet that she couldn't refrain from perceptibly sighing in delight. She felt him smile satisfactorily against her lips. Yasmina almost backed away at his pretentiousness, but his hand found its way through her hair to the back of her head, preventing her from doing so. His tongue met hers in a dangerous lustfulness, teasing her, burning her. When Tom sighed, holding her against him, she felt the rest of her sanity flying away.
Perhaps they would study another time.
Tom Riddle would be the end of her.
