The winter sun is streaming through the windows and it seems they are the only people awake in the whole castle, let alone in the library. She would have thought it would be more crowded with an exam coming up in only a few hours, but perhaps most students have abandoned hope by now, resigning themselves to the marks they've earned over the term rather than trying to eek out every small improvement they can.
She is jotting down a few final things to memorize, small conjugations and twists of meaning she knows will make all the difference when it comes down to what really matters - whether she or Tom will place first in this exam.
Cain is next to her at her usual table, pouring over the runes notes she's shared with him one last time. Honestly, its a small miracle even he is awake for this. Normally, if he was up this early, it would only be to get his daily exercise in if there wasn't a chance to do it any other time. Perhaps he's started taking his studies more seriously all of a sudden. More likely, she thinks, this is an effort at an apology for their little fight the day before. Well, as close to a fight as they ever get.
"What's this one again?" he asks, pointing to a spot on one of the pages.
She leans over to look, jotting notes down on the paper as she explains, "Sorry, it's a little messy. This one's ice and this one's water. So hail. Or you could just use this one instead of those two, since it means the same thing, but technically we haven't covered that yet."
"Got it. Thanks, Cass. Where would I be without you?" he says, lifting his face from the paper to look over at her with a grin.
"Not taking Ancient Runes, I'm sure,"she teases, about to turn back to her work. The feeling of a hand crawling up her thigh stops her. She raises an eyebrow, "Is this really the best time for that, Cain?"
"It seems like we could both use a little stress relief, so why not?"
"We're in public."
"We're in the back corner of a section of the library hardly a soul ever wanders to, let alone at eight in the morning. Come on, Cass. Just one kiss."
"I know better than to believe that when you have that look on your face."
"Fine, slightly more than one."
She looks around, noting the quiet and confirming that there's no one in sight. She turns back to say, "I'm too nice to you."
He responds as she leans in and he comes forward to meet her, "And I very much appreciate that, darling."
They kiss until they are both nearly breathless, cheeks flushed red, a few minutes passing in the blink of an eye. She finally pulls away when she feels the heat spreading, knowing the temptation will only become harder to resist if she lets this go on. His hands find her hips, fingers gripping them. His strong arms pull her from her seat into his lap.
"One more," he whispers before she can resist, his twinkling eyes and soft voice convincing her not to. "Please, Cass."
It's nearly intoxicating to be looked at like that, to be so revered, so wanted by someone who seems so perfect. Sometimes she faults herself for not being more stubborn in these moments, but how could any merely mortal women withstand being treated like a goddess?
"Slightly more than one," she mouths back against his lips, heart beating a thousand miles per hour as she feels him pull her impossibly closer.
Tom shoves aside the others, wondering why they have stopped walking. A question immediately answered by the scene he sees upon reaching the front of the group of boys.
Before he can do anything, Nott howls out a whistle and Cassandra turns, making eye contact with him straight away. Tom minds his expression, trying not to show Cain's little stunt has worked.
"Early morning, huh?" Nott quips as the boys walk forward to take their seats.
"What are you all doing here?" Cassandra asks, eyes narrowed, while she stands from Cain's lap and smoothes down her skirt.
Tom's eyes flit from her flushed face to the triumphant smirk on Cain's. He almost just tells him to tell her. After all, there's no way that Cain has forgotten, between last night and this morning, that Tom had ordered them all to meet here at nine to review before the exams that day. But he won't give Cain the satisfaction of seeming bothered, or allow him the chance to lie to her about it.
"Studying, as one typically does in a library," Tom answers brusquely, about to pull the chair across from hers out. He pauses to grab her notebook off the table first, curious as to what she could still be concerned about getting correct. "I'm sure there's somewhere more well-suited for what you two are doing since you seem unconcerned about your exam performance."
She rolls her eyes, standing across from him and crossing her arms, "If you're so concerned about my exam performance, why don't you hand me back my review notes?"
He tosses them back after another quick glance, noting which she's put a star next to, "You're wasting your time trying to impress with Dalecarlian runes. They're practically useless, Amorim hasn't even studied them. Where did you get the silly idea to research them?"
"Thank you so much for the tip, Riddle," she spits, picking up the rest of her things. "Well, then, I think I am done here. See you all later. Good luck."
He shouldn't have let his annoyance slip out at her like that. He is about to push the chair back in and stride after her when Cain stands as well, leaving his things behind as he mutters before following after her, "I'm going to get some fresh air."
Tom purses his lips and sits down quietly, opening his own notes.
Of course, everyone waits until their footsteps have faded before speaking again. Mulciber is the first to blurt out his reaction, "You owe me 100 galleons, Nott."
"Just because we caught them snogging, doesn't mean Malecrit is actually his girlfriend."
"Really? What else could it mean?" Lestrange chimes in.
Nott shrugs, "Maybe he won a bet or something. Maybe he started crying about how he's a virgin and she took pity on him. Who knows. Who cares."
"Oh, is that how you get girls to snog you, Nott?"
"Why, looking for some tips?"
"Anybody asking you for dating advice would have to be truly desperate."
"Or simply well aware of my track record."
"For leaving girls in tears? Yes, I'm sure you've set a record there."
"Better to leave them in tears then not to have them at all like you."
"You assume too much, Nott. Just because not everyone goes around bragging about their conquests like you, it does not mean they do not exist."
Nott scoffs, "Come on, as if you - "
"Don't you think Lestrange may have a point, Nott?" Avery interrupts - a purposefully well-timed interruption on his part, Tom thinks. "They did seem quite… familiar with sleeping in the same bed."
Mulciber chuckles, "Do you think that's why they both went off? To finish what they started? Seems like we shouldn't return to the dorm for - "
Tom looks up from the paper where he is copying down the symbols she was studying, leveling them with a cold stare, "You are distracting me. Are you here to study or to gossip? I am fairly sure I gave clear instructions as to which of those you all were supposed to be doing this morning, but perhaps a reminder is needed?"
They fall silent and look away, fumbling for their materials instead of daring to meet his gaze.
There's only four days left in the term but Tom knows it from the second she walks into lunch. She's avoiding him again. Or, more accurately, them. Probably just hoping that all of their so-called friends will forget about the little incident if she doesn't see them for long enough. How silly.
She looks at their group, catches his eyes, then turns around and walks out.
He moves to follow her but Lestrange calls out to him, rushing to ask a question about what classes they should take next term. An unnecessary question, given that the deadline to change anything had been weeks ago, so Tom obviously would have told them if he had wanted them to. He rolls his eyes and answers before pulling his bag the rest of the way up and rushing out to the hall, but the familiar golden glint of her hair is nowhere to be seen.
This dance repeats itself what must be a dozen times that day. At one point, Tom thinks of casting a spell on Lestrange to make him permanently mute and having that be the end of it. But Cain is nothing if not creative. He is sure he is the one behind this, and he is sure he would find another way.
The pattern repeats itself again the next day. No matter, they won't be able to keep this up over the break.
That is what he thinks until he sees her in the common room on Saturday morning, her trunk floating beside her as she ascends the staircase from the girls' dormitories. He rises to confront her. It is only then he sees Druella following behind, her own trunk next to her, and hears them chatting about the season's festivities schedule. He blocks their path by standing in front of the door, demanding as politely as he can manage once they reach it, "If you would excuse us, Rosier, I need to speak to Cassandra about prefect duties."
He steps to the side to allow Druella to leave but instead the girl looks uncertainly between them before muttering back, "Sorry, Tom, I think we're going to be late for the train. Perhaps you can join us on the walk instead?"
"Perhaps you read the timetable incorrectly. The train does not depart for another hour according to the schedule I received from the Head Boy."
"Oh, I meant for the time we agreed to meet the others at the train. I think they are already waiting for us, so - " the girl stutters nervously, probably trying her best to keep some promise to her brother to help keep them away from each other.
"Why don't you walk ahead and Cassandra and I will follow a few steps behind? That way both of our needs can be met."
"That sounds like a marvelous idea," Cassandra chimes in. "Lead the way, will you please, Dru?"
Druella still looks uncertain as she steps through the hole that opens up in the wall, taking one last glance back. Cassandra does not say anything more to him as she follows suit, her steps slower than her previous companion's. They finally gain enough distance from Druella to have privacy only once they are outside, sound muffled by the falling snow.
Tom gives her a minute to explain before giving in and saying simply, in as neutral a tone as possible, "I thought you were staying."
"I can't."
"Your parents wouldn't let you?"
"It's not that," she says, looking off to the distance.
"So Rosier wouldn't let you?"
"Cain does not have the authority to tell me what I can and cannot do."
"It certainly seems like he does."
"As I said, I have to leave the castle during break. For reasons that have nothing to do with you, and which I do not feel obligated to explain to you."
"You made me a promise, Cass."
"It wasn't a promise. Plans change."
"Plans change when Cain Rosier would like them to, you mean."
"On second thought, perhaps our time apart should be extended even longer. You are becoming quite insufferable again."
He wants to point out that when she reacts like that it just makes it more obvious he is correct, but he holds his tongue.
"When will you be back?"
"When the new term starts, of course."
"That's a shame," Tom spits out with a bitter chuckle. He tries to play on her sympathy to change her mind. "I thought I would finally get to spend a birthday among friends. Well, a friend, but it wouldn't have made a difference to me."
"Your birthday?" she asks, blinking as she finally looks over at him.
"December 31," he answers, taking the opportunity to stop walking before they have to end their conversation prematurely.
"That's funny. Mine is January 1."
"Ah, then I suppose this will have to double as a Christmas and birthday present for now," Tom says, fishing a small rectangular box out of his jacket pocket. He's not sure why he's been carrying it around, but the fact that he has sure is coming in handy right now. He holds it out to her, "You can open it now, if you wish."
She takes his offer, clearly wary of what is inside. There is an obvious look of surprise when she sees it is a white gold ring in the shape of a snake, its heard curling over its tail in a spiral. It is delicate but not insubstantial, the kind of thing that wouldn't be tacky but would be sure to be noticed - sure to draw enough of Cain's attention to make him wonder who it is from. Some girl had given it to Tom as a present last year, and he'd cast a resizing spell on it to make sure it would fit her.
"Thank you," she says softly, looking back up at him.
"May I?" Tom asks politely, reaching out for the box again. She nods and he removes the ring from its cushioning to slide it onto her finger, saying while he does, "Consider it an official acceptance to the house."
She laughs, "Do you have the right to say something like that?"
He smirks, thinking of his secret, "As much as, if not more than, anybody else."
There is a blush on her cheeks, maybe from the cold or maybe from embarrassment or - he has the gall to think for a second - maybe from his touch. She says a second later, "I'm sorry, I didn't… I'll bring you something after."
"It will be my pleasure to accept. I will be waiting, Cassandra," he says, forcing a small smile. After. Another delay in his plans. What's he going to do about getting the book? Would it be too forward to ask for it as his present now? Of course it would be, after how she'd reacted last time he'd brought up the subject.
A new question comes to his mind, shoving his way into his train of thought despite his efforts to suppress it. What's he going to do alone in this bloody castle? He'd counted on her. He'd already built out a schedule in his head, of reading and dueling and potions experiments and other things he'd tried his best not to imagine. Other things he'd only let himself imagine when he was alone at night with his bed curtains drawn and a picture of her he'd nicked from one of Cain's photo albums in one hand, always telling himself afterward that it was just a side effect of being a teenage boy and nothing more.
"If I had known - " she starts, breaking him from his thoughts. Just as he's getting ready to say she can still change her mind there is a call of her name from the distance. Cain and Lestrange come trudging over from the direction of the train station. Tom feels a weight drop from his hand and suddenly realizes he was still holding hers.
"We thought you may have gotten lost," Cain says, walking up to her and throwing an arm over her shoulders. He grins over at Tom, tone as warm as could be while his eyes look like they could stab daggers into him. "Hello, Tom. Did you come to say bye to somebody?"
"Yes, I did," Tom answers, smiling back. "To Cass. I would have thought your sister would have mentioned it when she arrived."
"Oh, she ran off to join her friends so they could get a good compartment on the train. Speaking of, its leaving in a few minutes. We should go, if you two are all done."
"Yes, I think so," Cassandra says with a polite smile. "Have a pleasant break, Tom."
"Same to you. And to you as well of course, Rosier and Lestrange. I will see you soon."