Chapter 7

Hogwarts was coming to an end for Skyler and Tom. Their relationship had continued with very low and high points.
One night Skyler was curled up in front of the fire with a book when Tom came storming into the common room, throwing his bag down on the table.
Skyler closed her book and looked up at him calmly.
"What happened?" She asked calmly.

"Damn Winifred Reid is going round telling everyone that I got her pregnant!" He raged.
"You slept with Winifred Reid?" She raised an eyebrow.
Winifred was very annoying and very desperate.
"No! Well..." He dropped his gaze.
Skyler got to her feet, "Really?"
Tom sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I was bored, okay?"
"Have you been bored recently?" Skyler asked, her voice turning icey cold.
Tom was silent.
"Have you?" Skyler walked over to him, frowning.
"No!"
"I don't believe you."
"Why not?!"
"Because... I know about your reputation."
"I'm not like that any more."
Skyler scoffed.
"I'm not!"
She walked away from him and leant against the stone wall, shaking her head.
Tom appeared in front of her and kissed her roughly, pressing her into the wall. He grasped at her milky flesh, one hand in her hair, the other tight on her waist. Skyler groaned and then gasped as Tom grasped too hard and scraped her thigh with his hand.

Skyler pushed him away, wincing in pain. She was bleeding, four groves in her skin where his fingers had dug into her leg.
Tom saw, horrified, what he had done to her. He tried to hold her gently but she pulled away and ran upstairs, tears running down her cheeks, ignoring his calls after her.

Tom gave Skyler some space for around a week then, when she was out practicing on the Quidditch pitch, he came out to see her.
Skyler was a Seeker because of her small, slim build and sharp eyes. She was the best Seeker Slytherin had had in years and beat all the boys who tried to say that she wasn't good because she was "just a girl".

As Skyler soared through the air, she came down a little when she saw Tom. He watched her silently. Her skirt flew up a little and Tom saw the scars of her leg. Guilt touched him, something he was quite unfamiliar too when he hurt someone but it was different with Skyler. Everything was different with her.
Eventually, Skyler caught the Golden Snitch for one final time and swooped down to land on the grass. Tom walked over as she packed away her broom and the Snitch.
She looked up at him and then sat down on the large box of Quaffles, Bludgers and the rest.
"How are you?" Tom asked.
"Fine." She said shortly.
He sat down beside her on the case.
"It's the final in a few weeks, isn't it?"

"Yep." Skyler replied, not looking at him.
"Are you going to be monosyllabic for the rest of this conversation?"
"Yep." She said again.

"Sky, look. I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to hurt you... I just got carried away and-"
"It scared me." She interrupted him quietly, looking down.

Tom hesitated, looking at her, unsure of how to respond.
"You just hurt me so easily... I'm so fragile."

"I would never hurt you, Skyler Nightshade." Tom said solemnly.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
She turned to him and kissed his cheek. He held her hand in his own, weaving his slim fingers with hers.

Another evening, Tom's followers had met in the Slytherin common room. Tom wondered where Skyler was, he hadn't seen her in a while.
She'd been avoiding him while he was with his entourage, she didn't like them.

As she slipped down a narrow, out-of-the-way corridor, a dark figure stepped out in front of her.
She jumped then realised it was Robert Maxwell, one of Tom's devotees.

"Oh, hi." She said, tightening her grip on her books that she held to her chest.
"Hello Skyler." He said in a low voice. It was common knowledge that he liked her. "What are you doing out so late?"
"I could ask you the same question." She tossed her hair.

Robert chuckled and stepped closer.
Skyler looked at him, uncomfortably.

"You're always such a tease..." Robert said.
Before she knew it he had her against the wall and was kissing her with a swift, desperate passion.

Skyler struggled trying to push him away but he was strong, played a Beater on the Quidditch team.
"I love these skirts you were... they're so short. It drives me mad." Robert growled as he lifted her against the wall, his hands going up the aforementioned skirt. He grinded against her soft skin, touching as much of her as possible.

"Robert... no." Skyler tried to say as she wriggled, trying to kick free.
"Stop fighting it. I will have you."

"Don't be so sure." Said a cold voice.

"Tom!" Skyler said in a choked whisper.
He pointed his wand at Robert and flicked it, throwing his against the opposite wall.
He walked over, moving Skyler out of the way.
"How dare you..." Tom said furiously, moving closer to Tom so his wand was at his throat.
"My Lord..." Robert whimpered.
He raised his wand to strike but Skyler cried, "Tom, don't!"
"Why the hell not?" Tom muttered bitterly.

"Because he's not worth it." She placed a hand gently on his arm.
"Fine." He sighed and lowered his wand.

Robert scrambled to his feet and fled.

"Touch her again and you'll be sorry!" Tom called after him.

Skyler crumpled, leaning against him. He held her close to him, stroking her hair.

It was sad to leave Hogwarts but neither of them shed a tear as they got onto the Hogwarts Express for the last time.
The train shook and rattled on the tracks as it zipped through the countryside.

Skyler had noticed Tom's descent into darker magic, unable to stop it. Although he had promised to never hurt her and Tom Riddle had never broken a promise. Especially to her. There were times when he was frightening and unpredictable but she could still connect with him, sooth his anger and his pain.

As they disembarked the train, Skyler dropped her bag to the floor and wrapped her arms around Tom's neck. He touched her waist lightly, surprised. They had tried to keep their relationship a secret from the rest of the school but then, as pupils rushed around them and parents looked on, they kissed in the way that said goodbye, not forever.

But not for a day either. Sweet, romantic and gentle, all the things that Tom Riddle thought he could never be with anyone.

But he could be. If only with his Sky.