A/N: I have gone back and edited the first three chapters of this story. To anyone who read those chapters before the edit (2nd August 2011) please don't feel like you have to go back and re read them, although I would advise it. Nothing major was added or changed. I'm really sorry about this, I know it must be such a pain, but after a lot of constructive criticism from LouiseBlackweather I decided that it would really improve the story if I went back and took more time on the first few chapters. I promise I won't change anything I put up again!

Please review, us authors live for them you know!

Thanks to LouiseBlackweather for the helpful comments and spellchecking!

The festive orange decorations were already starting to appear in early preparation for the Halloween feast, Fey noticed the next morning as she entered the Great Hall. She sat halfway down the Slytherin table next to Hallie Beautreux, a nice girl in her fourth year Fey talked to sometimes and knew casually.

As she buttered a piece of toast, Fey glanced at the Daily Prophet Hallie was holding. The cover story was the opening of an accounting wing at Gringotts. If that was the most exciting thing going on at the moment, things were going well, although the editor of the Daily Prophet might disagree with her on that point.

"Fey."

She recognized the voice immediately, and pretended not to have heard him, developing a sudden keen interest in the piece of toast she was buttering.

"Fey." Lucius Malfoy swung his long legs over the bench next to her. His striking blond hair gained him immediate attention from all the girls, a fact that should have made him an outsider with the boys had it not been for his immaculately pure blooded wealthy family that kept him safe within the exclusive group of friends that Tom Riddle also seemed to be part of. Despite all this, however, he had been annoyingly obsessed with Fey since they worked on a History of Magic assignment together in third year. Fey had been flattered by the attention, and they'd even gone out for a while before she'd seen through the perfect outer skin of this boy to the jumbled, hard mess of a heart he had.

"How are you, Fey?" he asked, a bit of pinkness creeping into his pale cheeks. She noticed a few people around them had turned to look at them, as they always did when they talked.

"Fine Malfoy," she'd taken to calling him by his last name, hoping the formality of it would show him that whatever more they'd had than friendship- and even that!- was completely over now.

"Fey," he reached out his hand towards hers.

"Malfoy!" he cringed back at the harshness of the word.

"You'll regret this one day." he whispered, his words snaked with anger and lust. "That night-"

"That night was a long time ago!" he was cut off by Fey. Fey was about to stand up and walk away, but Malfoy spared her the trouble by getting up and walking away as quickly as he'd come.

As Fey turned back to her toast, she saw Hallie smiling at her, her eyes full of laughter.

"Poor boy," muttered Hallie, and although she nodded in agreement, Fey didn't feel an ounce of pity for him.

The study period that day was right after lunch, so Mara and Fey brought their book bags with them to lunch to save an unnecessary trip back to the room after the feast finished. Once most of the students had left and it was clear everyone was finished eating, the food slowly started disappearing, plate by plate, until the tables were left bare, ready for the students with free periods to get out their books and revise.

Just as Fey's untouched food disappeared, and Professor Slughorn clapped his hands for order, she heard a voice behind her that, like the owner's name, sent shivers down her spine.

"Nervous?" Tom Riddle swung his legs over the bench and swung his book bag onto the table, turning his torso to face Fey.

"Why would I be nervous?" She turned away, letting her waist length hair fall forward, covering her face.

"You didn't touch your food."

Why was this boy making her feel so... anxious?

"You notice a lot." she pulled back her hair and turned to look at him.

"It's a good habit to get into." They shared a moment of silence, both studying each other. He unbuckled his bag.

"Three things to succeeding in classes you don't enjoy. Well, actually, in all classes. Organization. Perseverance. Dedication. You need to organize your schedule, your papers, your things. You need to persevere in your studies and your homework, no studying for hours one day and then not glancing at the books for the next week. And last but not least you need to be dedicated. Dedicated to improving you grades, dedicated to these tutorials, dedicated to all the things I'm going to tell you to do. Are we clear?"

Fey blinked twice. "...yes..."

"Good." Riddle smiled a wide smile that was so famous for making the girls go crazy. "You see, I've tutored people before who think that by just sitting here with me for an hour a week they'll magically start to improve. Your work is what's going to make you improve. I'm just here to guide you."

Fey nodded. Maybe this was what she needed. Someone who would make her work hard. Someone who would guide her kindly but firmly. Someone she wanted to please.

"Good." he repeated softly, looking at her straight in the eyes. Fey didn't look away.

Riddle pulled out a couple of rolls of parchment and some ink from his bag, as well as a quill. Mara did the same. She also got out her wand.

"No, we won't be using wands today."

Mara, surprised, put the wand back in her pocket. Riddle turned to her and smiled.

"Right, let's begin."

They spent the rest of the study period going over Mara's schedule and sorting out where they were going to meet when, as well as a guide as to when she would revise what. According to Riddle, after every class she should write up what was taught, so later she could review it. He gave her lots of tips about staying organized, such as colour coding her diary.

At the end of the period Riddle helped her gather up her papers and things. He turned towards her as he handed them to her.

"Well done." His voice was soft, and he slowly lifted a hand, using his forefinger to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. She smiled, her heart pumped, her blood suddenly seemed to have turd cold, and her arms felt heavy. They both looked away. Riddle grabbed his bag as he stood.

"See you tomorrow." And he left.