After their little late night encounter, Tom didn't seek out Alina's company; in fact, he barely spared her a glance. She expected that he would want more, to take things further, but he acted cold and distant, as if nothing had happened between them.

At first, Alina thought that staying away from him would be for the best, as it scared her to realise how strongly Riddle affected her. She had always prided herself in being independent and allowing nothing to distract her, but it seemed as Tom could easily get under her skin. It bothered her, because it used to be the other way around with boys: she could wrap anyone around her finger and use them to her own liking. How could he sweep her off her feet so effortlessly?

Beside losing focus on her goals, Alina also feared that perhaps, Tom had other plans with her. He said he liked having fun, and apparently, she was the fun he decided to have. She wouldn't have minded if it was only about pleasure, but she had a hunch Riddle had something else in mind. There was a mystery around him; he was a walking puzzle she couldn't solve, and she was afraid she might fall into his trap.

But as the dull days at Hogwarts dragged by, Alina found herself thinking more and more about that night with Riddle. She craved his firm touch on her, the intoxicating feeling of his soft lips on her neck, his solid body pressed against hers. She missed the way he made her melt, the sound of his low moans, his skilled fingers that played so deliciously between her thighs. Alina reminisced about his wet kisses a lot when she couldn't fall asleep, but her desire often changed into frustration in no time. Anger, even, remembering that Tom got the nerve to ignore her after all of this. He seemed to enjoy himself, too, so what was his problem?

And there was nothing she could do. She wanted him, and she would've done many things to feel his hands on her again, but running after him wasn't one of those things. She wasn't going to be one of those desperate girls, when clearly, Tom should be the one kneeling in front of her.

On a gloomy October morning, Alina joined her housemates on the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. Students at Hogwarts were allowed to visit the all-wizarding village nearby the school every so often, and Alina was more than up for checking it out for herself. Even though six years at Durmstrang taught her a lot about magic, it didn't change the fact that she was raised by muggles —hence, she still had a lot to learn about the wizarding world. It was interesting to see a village where witches and wizards could use magic so openly, inside every shop and pub and even out on the streets, not having to hide. That was exactly how it should be, in her opinion.

She spent most of the days with Walburga and Eleanor. The girls bought some very expensive dresses and jewellery, and showed Alina the most popular shops in the village. Later, when their feet were sore from walking around all day, they joined their housemates in the Three Broomsticks. The inn must have been very well-liked, because there wasn't an empty chair left in the entire room.

"Is it always so noisy?" Alina asked as Rosier made some room for her, between him and Lestrange. As she unfurled her emerald scarf from around her neck, her eyes met with Riddle's who sat right in front of her. She wished there was another place to sit, because like this, it was impossible to avoid those dark, piercing eyes.

"Yeah," Walburga said. "But it's either this or the Hog's Head, and I would rather not risk drinking from those cups. And, at least, the Butterbeer is amazing here."

Alina didn't speak, but she watched with curious eyes as the woman placed a tray full of mugs down on their table. Her confusion must've been showing, because Felix asked,

"Have you ever had a Butterbeer, love?"

"Not yet."

"Go on, then," he said, pushing a mug closer to her.

Alina didn't need to lean closer to smell the drink: its heady scent filled her nostrils as everyone around her had the same beverage. She took a small sip, frowning slightly at the taste. It was thick and sweet, so sugary it nearly made her teeth ache, but the drink spread a pleasant warmth through her from head to toe.

"A little too sweet for my taste," Alina said, as a few of her housemates still waited for her reaction.

In answer, Felix chuckled. He had his hair slicked back today and there was a light stubble over his sharp jaw, which made him look a couple years older than he was. It suited him well, but Alina still couldn't get used to the hungry smile he always wore.

"You've got a little whipped cream there…"

Alina reached for a napkin, but even before she could lift her hand, Lestrange wiped the foam away with the pad of his thumb, above her lips and the corner of her mouth. Involuntarily, her eyes flickered to Tom. He looked calm, his gaze blank, but for a moment, he clenched his jaw so hard she thought his teeth might splinter. Alina didn't plan on making him jealous; didn't think he would care, but his reaction filled her with satisfaction.

"So what do you people drink at Durmstrang?" Felix asked, leaning back in his chair. "Days get quite cold in Russia, don't they?"

Alina took another sip from her Butterbeer to warm herself up. "Durmstrang isn't is Russa."

"But you are from Russia, aren't you?" Eleanor asked this time. "I thought there was a wizarding school there."

"There is one, yes," Alina replied. "I grew up in St Petersburg, and I got my letter from Koldovstoretz when I turned eleven, of course, but the Headmistress of Durmstrang didn't want to let me go there. My entire family went to Durmstrang for centuries. I'm pureblood. What on earth would I have done in Koldovstoretz?"

There was a few seconds of silence, which Eleanor broke. "What does school have to do with blood status?"

"Durmstrang doesn't accept mudbloods."

"No wonder why my father wanted to send me there," Rosier said while there were a few appreciative hums around the table. "More schools should take that step."

"They didn't even need Slytherin's heir to get rid of muggleborns, huh?" Felix noted with a grin. Alina didn't miss the short glance he threw at Riddle. "So where's Durmstrang, exactly?"

"In Norway," she replied. "But I'm not allowed to say the exact location."

"You speak the language, then?" Eleanor asked, impressed. It didn't surprise Alina; she'd learned that most native English speakers only spoke one language.

"I speak Russian, Norwegian, English, some German, and French."

"Oh?" Lestrange leaned close enough that his knee now was brushing against hers. " Où as-tu appris le français?" (Where did you learn French?)

"Je l'ai appris d'un parent éloigné." (I learned it from a distant relative.)

Lestrange's deep blue eyes sparkled. When he spoke, she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. " Votre prononciation n'est pas mauvaise, mais je pourrais vous apprendre une chose ou deux, ma belle." (Your pronunciation isn't bad, but I could teach you a thing or two, beautiful.)

"Ugh," Walburga groaned, drawing attention to herself. "You two either shut the hell up, or go and get a room before I throw up."

Felix chuckled. "Jealous, love?"

"In your dreams, Lestrange."

"Well, Miss Belova? Would you like to go for a walk with me?"

Once again, Alina's gaze wandered to Tom. He watched her almost unfazed, but there was a challenge in his eyes, as if silently asking, "What are you going to do?" Alina could tell he was a hundred percent sure she was going to turn Felix down, and that's why she said,

"I'd love to."

Riddle's stone-cold facade faltered for a second, but he said nothing.

Alina wished she could say that making Tom jealous was worth it, but in truth, spending time with Felix turned out to be throughouthly boring. When he wasn't showering her with empty compliments about her looks, he was talking about his family and their wealth. Even though Alina believed blood and history was important, she also thought it meant nothing if the person did nothing to maintain the reputation.

An hour later, when Alina lied that she was cold and exhausted, they walked back to the castle. Lestrange tried to convince her to stay with him a little longer in the empty common room; she was quite sure he was about to kiss her, but she excused herself before he got the chance.

After that rather eventful day, Alina went to bed early, hoping she could get some decent sleep. Her roommates kept asking her about her walk with Felix, convinced there was something going on between the two. It bothered Alina, knowing that now everyone thought they were seeing each other.

"Come on!" Walburga wiggled her eyebrows. "I mean, Lestrange is kind of a prick, but he's easy on the eyes. No one would blame you if you couldn't say no to him."

Alina scoffed. As if. "I can do better than him."

Her words clearly surprised the girls, because they fell silent. The name Lestrange had its power, and most girls would feel the luckiest if they got a chance of getting married into their family. Alina cared little about these things, as her name held great prestige, too.

Long after the girls fell asleep, Alina was still wide awake. She tossed and turned in her four-poster bed for hours, getting more and more frustrated by every passing hour. When she was sure she wasn't going to get any sleep that night, Alina slipped out from under the covers. She pulled on her skirt and her white shirt, but left her tie and robes in the dormitory as she left the dimly lit common room.

Alina knew it was forbidden to leave the common room after curfew, but she also knew Tom Riddle was somewhere out there, wandering around the castle. She promised herself she wasn't going to run after him, but she was tired of lying to herself, and she wasn't going to stop until she got what she wanted. She walked with fast, firm steps, and soon enough, she found the Head Boy patrolling the long third-floor corridor.

"I could put you in detention for that, you know," Riddle said calmly, wand in hand to make some light. He didn't even glance back over his shoulder, and Alina wondered whether he even knew it was her or not.

"And are you going to?"

"Depends," he replied, turning around. "Can you explain to me why you are wandering around the castle hours after curfew?"

Alina stood three steps away from him, gazing into his darkened eyes. The light of his wand illuminated his pale, cold face. Her fists curled into balls and she squeezed her thighs together to stop herself from walking closer to him. She wanted to say something smart, but nothing came to her mind.

"I…"

"Yes, Alina?" Riddle asked, but Alina was speechless. How could she explain to him that the reason she couldn't sleep was him? That the memory of that night burned a hole into her heart? Should she tell him that heat washed over her each time he looked at her, remembering how his lips felt against hers?

"You're such a bad girl," Tom continued, stepping closer until there was only the length of his wand between them. "Trying to make me jealous, then following me around so late at night."

"I didn't —"

"Don't lie to me." His voice was firm, anger flashing through his eyes. "Come with me," he said, and she didn't even think twice; she followed him down the corridor. Alina thought he was going to lead her into another empty classroom, but they walked back to the deserted Slytherin common room.

Riddle plopped down on the sofa, resting an arm on the armrest, but Alina didn't take a seat.

"You know," he said quietly, watching her. "I'm not impressed with your behaviour. Flirting with Lestrange in front of everyone, especially after what happened between us the other night... Did you let him touch you?"

"What?" Alina asked, fury washing over her. "No, Tom, I—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Riddle grabbed her arm and yanked her closer, then pulled her down so she lay across his lap. She yelped, struggling in his grasp, but he pressed his arm firmly down on her lower back.

"Perhaps I should teach you a little lesson."

Alina went silent while Tom caressed her bare tights, brushing his palm up and down on the back of her legs. She had been craving his touch so badly that now, when she finally felt his skin against hers, she immediately felt herself melting against him. Before she could completely relax, however, Riddle hiked her skirt up, and without any warning, he brought his hand down hard enough that she gave a loud yell.

"You might want to keep quiet, darling," he said, caressing her aching bottom.

Alina didn't have the time to say a word; she didn't even have time to think about anything at all. Tom slapped her butt again, once and twice, painfully enough that it brought tears into her eyes. She squeezed them shut, biting her lips to bite back any noise that threatened to escape. They were in the common room, after all, and students were sleeping just a door away.

"Tom," she gasped out after another slap, squirming in his lap. It wasn't only the pain that made her cry, but the shame she felt by being so exposed. "That hurts."

"You should've thought about that while you've been acting like a slut," he snarled, slapping her buttcheek again. "Or is that what you want? You want Lestrange and Rosier and everyone in our year to fuck you?"

"No," she said, tears running down her face from the humiliation that washed over her after his words. "Tom, please. Stop it—"

"Shut up," he hissed, followed by another slap. "Disobedient whore."

"Please—"

He slapped again. "I said shut up!"

Alina didn't answer. She lowered her head, biting into the back of her hand, silently taking Tom's punishment. When she squirmed in his lap, she felt his hard erection through his pants, pressing into her. She wasn't sure what turned him on: causing her pain, being in control, or perhaps both? Alina wanted to stand up and spit into his face, but she froze in his arms as he pulled on her underwear, down to her knees, then slapped again.

"You're hurting me," she sobbed quietly.

Tom seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then, just as she thought he was going to let her go, he slipped his hand between her legs.

"Then why are you so wet?"

Alina went speechless. His cold fingers felt like heaven in the heat between her thighs, and in no time, she had to fight to restrain her moans.

"Look at you," Riddle whispered, pulling his hand back. "You'd give anything for another little touch, wouldn't you?"

Alina bit into her bottom lip. She wanted him to touch her, of course, but she didn't want to say it. He'd already thought she was desperate, and perhaps that was exactly the truth, but she was clinging to the little dignity she had left.

But as Tom rested an idle hand so close where she wanted it, she couldn't help but squeeze her thighs together and press down against his boner. A quiet sigh left his lips, before he said,

"Come on, sweetheart," Tom said, his right hand sneaking around her neck. He caressed her jaw with her thumb as he said softly, "Just say it."

"Please touch me."

Alina heard his low chuckle, waiting with bated breath. He moved his hand then, from his butt down to between her legs, slipping two fingers deep into her. A silent gasp left her mouth and if it didn't feel so damn good, Alina would've felt ashamed for getting so wet from what he had just done to her. His skilled hand worked like magic, pulling soft mewls out of her despite trying her best to stay quiet. Riddle's movements were slow, his long fingers touching her most sensitive parts. She wanted to bury her face into the couch to cover the sounds she was making, but Tom's hand was still wrapped around her throat, keeping her up. She bit her tongue instead, but she couldn't stop the loud moan that escaped her when the tip of his fingers touched a spot that made her whole body shiver—and Tom stopped immediately.

"I've told you to keep quiet, have I not?"

Alina huffed out an annoyed breath. "That's not really fair, you know?"

She had realised she made a mistake the moment the words left her lips, but she wasn't prepared for the hard slap that came down on her butt. It made her yelp, but the sound came out in a choked sob as Tom squeezed her throat harder.

"You're going to do as I say," he said with an edge to his tone that sent a shiver down her spine. "Because, perhaps, I'll stop right now and leave you unsatisfied again." He paused for a moment, relishing in the way she whimpered. "Or, maybe, I'll make you come again and again and again, until the whole castle knows what a little slut you are. Which one do you want?"

As Alina didn't reply, Tom slapped her butt.

"Answer me."

"I—please, Tom. I'll do anything you want."

"Anything, huh?" He said, caressing the back of her thighs. He teased her a little longer, then plunged his fingers back into her pussy. He slightly hooked them, pressing against that spot that turned her into a moaning mess in no time, desperately bucking her hips against his hand. Tom didn't slow down, but he leaned down to whisper into her ear, "Quiet."

Alina came hard and with silent gasps, surprised but glad she didn't wake the entire tower up. The moment Tom released her throat, her head fell on the sofa, and he kept running his fingers through her long, flaming-red locks. She felt dizzy, shivering from head to toe a minute later still while she tried to catch her breath. Then, when she felt herself strong enough, she slowly sat up, and the moment they locked eyes, he kissed her hungrily.

"Now," Tom said as he pulled back, brushing his nose against hers. "Get on your knees."

Alina hesitated only for a moment, before she lowered herself, kneeling between his legs on the carpeted floor. He unbuckled his belt without any hurry, keeping his eyes on her. Alina bit her bottom lip as Tom pulled his cock out of his pants, heat flushing her cheeks. She knew what he wanted her to do, but she had absolutely no idea how to do it. The girls in the dormitories talked, especially back at Durmstrang, but it was entirely different listening to their stories and actually doing it.

"It's okay, darling," Tom said, as if reading her thoughts. She didn't feel him entering her mind, but perhaps it was written all over her face. He grasped her chin, gently caressing it with the pad of his thumb. "I'll help."

Alina gave a small nod and leaned closer, opening her mouth just enough so he could slip the tip on her warm tongue. She took him deeper, then drew back, repeating it a couple times. Alina wasn't sure whether she was doing it right or not—Tom was as silent as ever, and when she glanced up into his pleasure filled, intense eyes, she immediately had to look away.

"Since when you're so shy, Alina?"

That question, somehow, set fire inside her. She looked up at him, wrapping a hand firmly around his length while she took him into her mouth. A satisfied smile curled his lips up, and when Alina heard his first, trembling moan, she knew she would do many things to hear more of it. She swirled his tongue around the tip, sucking hard while her hand moved up and down on what she couldn't fit into her mouth.

"That's it, sweetheart. You're doing so good," he praised, resting his head on the back of the couch. He let her have her way for a while, but then he cupped her cheeks between his hands to keep her head steady, and drove himself deeper into her mouth. The tip of his cock hit the back of her throat and she immediately pulled back, pushing him away.

"I'm going to throw up."

Tom smiled. "You won't. Just keep breathing, okay?"

Once again, Alina hesitated, but when he cupped her cheeks, she let him drive himself back into her mouth. She braced herself on his clothed thighs, squeezing her eyes shut while he pushed himself deeper with every thrust.

"Look at me," he ordered, and Alina did as he said so. Tears welled in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks, but he wiped them away with his thumb.

Alina's jaw went sore soon and despite constantly feeling like she couldn't breathe, she quickly decided that hearing Tom's low moans was worth it all. She wished they were somewhere more private, so she could experience how he would sound when he wasn't holding back.

"I'm close," he whimpered deliciously, bucking his hips, before he drew himself back just enough so his angry-red, leaking tip was resting on her tongue. Alina went to pull away, but before she could, he grabbed the back of her neck, jerking himself into her mouth. "Oh, no. You're going to take it like the good little slut you are."

And Alina stayed, staring into his lust-filled eyes while Tom came into her mouth. It was warm and salty and even though the taste wasn't unpleasant, she considered spitting it out. Instead, she decided to swallow it all down.

"Good girl," he said, wiping cum from the corner of her mouth, then offering it to her. She licked his thumb clean, then he leaned down and kissed her gently.

With legs feeling like jelly, Alina stood up, before slumped down next to him. Riddle was still panting slightly, buttoning back his pants while Alina rested her head on his chest. She half-expected him to shoo her away, but he didn't. Instead, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, brushing his palm up and down her arm.

"You see, I can treat you very well if you play by my rules."

Alina considered his words, then looked up at him. "And if not? You're going to spank me again?"

Dark shadows ran across his face.

"Darling," Tom said quietly, brushing a loose strand of hair out of her face. "Do you really think that's the worst I can do? I'm not a monster. You just made one mistake." He paused, then his features hardened. "But if you keep disobeying me, I won't be so gentle next time."

Would that be so bad? The question crossed Alina's mind before she could stop the thought, and she was sure Tom peeked into her mind, because a smile appeared on his swollen lips. Still, Alina stood up from the sofa.

"I've told you. I'm not going to be your toy. I don't know who you think you are, but you're not going to order me around like I'm one of those pathetic friends of yours."

Riddle watched her with a blank expression on his face, eyes flickering between hers. She wished she could see what was going through his head, that she could get a little peek too, but Alina knew she stood no chance.

"Of course, Alina," Tom said softly, standing up. He cupped her cheek with a hand, tipping her face up. "You're used to people following you, aren't you? You're not going to bow just to anyone."

Alina held his gaze. "That's right."

Tom was silent for another few seconds, then said, "I'll be the exception, then."

The nerve of that boy filled her with fury, but Alina couldn't deny: she was eager to see what he had in store.