"Do you guys see Tom?" Aubrey asked the next morning as the girls entered the great hall for breakfast, "I really need to talk to him."

"Talk to him?" Ana asked.

"Mhm" Aubrey answered, scanning the many heads at the Slytherin table for the handsome Head Boy. Her search was unsuccessful however, as Tom Riddle was nowhere to be found inside the hall. Although disappointed, Aubrey was not surprised as she rarely saw Tom at meal times. She wondered when, if at all, he ate.

"What do you want to talk to Riddle for?" Ana pressed on, once the girls had reached the table.

"I wanted to tell him, or…show him, rather" said Aubrey bashfully, "that Stretton won't ruin this for us."

"That a girl!" Elle beamed, fixing herself a bowl of cereal and pouring over the headlines of the morning's Daily Prophet.

"Morning!" a cheerful voice boomed as its owner sat down next to Aubrey. "So, the whole school now knows about you and Tom, Aubrey!" Celinda said brightly, motioning to the rest of the students crowded in the great hall. Aubrey looked and noticed that girls from all four of the other tables were starring at her, shooting her disgusted looks before speaking in hushed whispers to their neighbours.

"Oh no" Aubrey groaned, turning back towards the table.

"Oh yes!" Anastasia exclaimed, "this is good Aubrey! They're all jealous. You should love it, I know I would-"

"Well" Celinda interrupted, "there are a few people who aren't pleased that you're going with Garridan Smith, Ana."

"Who? Malfoy?" Elle asked, sounding skeptical.

"Yes, but there were some other girls who had their eye on Smith, too" Celinda continued.

"Ooh, really!" Ana asked, looking desperately around the great hall to see who might be glaring at her.

"We should go to class" Aubrey said, rising from the table and feeling eager to leave the hall. "So are you ready for the dance, Celinda?" she asked, trying to change the subject as the four girls left for History of Magic.

Despite keeping a keen look out, Aubrey hadn't seen Tom Riddle at all that day, in exception of just before dinner, where he was deeply engorged in a conversation with the Head Girl. Later that night, Aubrey went to the library to retrieve the Defence Against the Dark Arts book that she had forgotten about due to her awkward encounter with Tom the night before. She was walking back to the common room and had just given up hope on finding Tom when she heard oncoming footsteps. A tall, well built figure strode down the hallway in the moonlight. His walk was strong, powerful and Aubrey's spirits instantly lifted as she recognized the handsome wizard stepping closer towards her; she had finally found him.

"Aubrey?" his smooth voice called out.

"Tom!" Aubrey shouted, running closer towards him, "hi!"

"Hello" he said curtly, a look of amused uncertainly forming across his face.

"How are you?" Aubrey asked, smiling up at the handsome wizard and trying desperately to appear in a more cheerful mood than last night.

"Fine" Tom replied politely, "and you, Miss Knight?"

"Great!" Aubrey said enthusiastically, "I was just coming back from the library" she finished, holding up her Defence Against the Dark Arts book.

"Ah" said Tom, leaning in to scan the text's title, "nice choice, it's a good book."

"Good!" she nodded ,and there was a few moments of silence between them as Aubrey temporarily forgot why she had wanted to speak with Tom, allowing herself to get caught up in the excitement of finally finding him.

"Well Miss Knight, you'll have to excuse me as I'm on patrol duty" Tom said, motioning to step around Aubrey.

"Wait!" Aubrey practically shouted, her senses coming to her as she reached out and grabbed Tom's arm, "I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Tom asked, raising his eyebrows as Aubrey's fingers latched onto his forearm.

"I just wanted to apologize for yesterday" Aubrey said, "for last night...for" and Aubrey trailed off, not wanting to finish her words with "for letting Stretton get the better of me."

"It's no worry" Tom said politely a few moments later, when Aubrey failed to finish her sentence. He said his words calmly, but Aubrey swore she heard strain and anger laced in his words.

"No it's not" Aubrey protested, stepping closer to Tom, "I told you I was fine, and I want you to know that I am."

Tom didn't say anything but instead looked straight at Aubrey, who was now just inches away from him, an unimpressed look forming on his features.

Aubrey's heart sank. This wasn't what she thought would happen, and she wondered why Tom wasn't saying anything. She gazed up into his silent face, searching for some explanation. With her brow furrowed she sighed heavily before rising up onto her tip toes and pressing her lips to Tom's.

He did nothing.

"What's..." Aubrey stammered, pulling away from Tom, "What's wrong?"

Tom pressed his lips together, as though he was weighing his thoughts and upcoming words carefully.

"Why won't you kiss me?" Aubrey said impatiently, tired of waiting for Tom's response.

"Is that..." Tom stammered, "Is this what you want?" There was awkwardness to the way Tom asked the question. It reminded her of the time when Tom said the word "please". It was as if he rarely asked the question, and was uncomfortable doing so.

"Yes!" Aubrey cried honestly, "kiss me!"

No sooner had the words left her mouth that Tom Riddle's lips were pressed hard against Aubrey's, making her drop her book and causing a loud thud on the corridor floor. With his hands on her face, Aubrey felt the familiar tingle shoot up and down her spine that formed whenever Tom Riddle kissed her. As Tom's lips slowly opened and closed, his tongue slipped inside her mouth in soft, circular motions, Aubrey closed her eyes allowing herself to get lost in Tom's kiss, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

In a swift movement, Tom enclosed his own arms behind Aubrey, sweeping her into the far corner of the hallway and pushing her against the wall. He didn't pull his lips away from hers, instead continuing his hard, intense and passionate kisses. Beginning to feel the coldness of the stone wall against her, Aubrey allowed her hands to explore Tom's body, as she stroked the nape of his neck and ran her fingers through his dark, black hair. Tom's hands ran lustfully up and down Aubrey's back and neck, brushing her hair out of her face, allowing him to deepen his kiss. Aubrey could feel Tom's muscles flex and tense through his collared shirt as she let her hands feel his back and arms locked around her. She could feel his chest rise quickly as he took sharp intakes of breaths in between kisses.

Tom rested one hand on the stone wall to support his weight while placing the other on Aubrey's hip. His fingers moving to tickle Aubrey underneath her clothes, Tom's hand began to rise slowly upwards, away from her hip. As his hand crawled higher, memories of Stretton invasively overwhelmed Aubrey's mind.

"No" she thought to herself, "I won't let him do this, I won't let him ruin this."

Tom's fingers were now seductively playing with the buttons on Aubrey's shirt, slowly moving downwards.

"This isn't Stretton!" Aubrey thought to herself defiantly, trying desperately to push the Professor from her mind once more.

Tom broke away and starred at Aubrey, his one hand still on her back, holding her near, and the other hovering above her chest. His dark eyes met hers for a moment, and Aubrey felt as though he was waiting for her to do something.

"Just do it!" Aubrey continued thinking to herself, "show Tom you can do this!"

Aubrey forced a slight smile before pressing her lips firmly back onto Tom's, kissing him. A low growl escaped from Tom in between breaths, and he allowed his hands to wander up and down Aubrey's body, over her hips, stomach, back and breasts. She moaned under his touch, resisting the urge not to squirm over the shivers of pleasure that shot up and down her spine, and finally pushed Professor Stretton from her mind.

A few moments later, sounds of laughter came bouncing off the stone walls from further down the corridor and Tom instinctively pulled away from Aubrey, breaking their kiss. With his weight still pressed up against her, they each turned toward the direction of the oncoming sound, listening.

"First years" Tom scowled, listening to the conversation full of giggles, "let's get out of here" he finished, grabbing Aubrey's hand in his and leading her out of the corner towards the empty Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Tom looked up and down the hallway before slowly opening the heavy, wooden door and peering inside.

"After you, Miss Knight" he said suggestively, motioning for Aubrey to step inside the dark classroom.

She stepped inside and Tom quickly followed, gently sealing the door behind them before leading Aubrey to the end of the desk at the head of the room. Tom pulled Aubrey into a tight embrace and sat her on the edge, resuming his passionate kisses. He began to run his slender fingers over her thighs and up to her waist and chest before motioning for her to lie down. Aubrey slid herself up higher onto the table as Tom climbed on top of her, his knees supporting himself between her legs. Aubrey again wrapped her arms around Tom's shoulders, pulling his face in closer to hers. He kissed her long and deeply before pulling away and littering her neck with kisses and soft bites. His hands continued to roam, feeling up and down the curves of Aubrey's body.

Aubrey ran her hands over Tom's chiseled chest that hovered above her. She could see his sculpted muscles rise and fall quickly underneath her hands and feel the heat of his skin radiate through his close. Her hands moved to Tom's sides, running teasingly up and down his stomach, before latching onto his clothing; she tugged gently. Tom broke away and kneeled up, towering over Aubrey. He quickly loosened his tie and began to pull off his grey sweater and collared shirt. Aubrey starred, lust stricken, at the handsome frame that kneeled above her. Tom held out his hands which Aubrey placed her own in and he pulled her up into a sitting position. His hands reached for her sides and ran down to the hem of her shirt, quickly pulling it off over her head and laying her back down against the hard wood of the desk.

Their hands continued to roam as their kisses grew deeper, fingers trailing seductively over each other's bare skin. Tom fingered the straps of Aubrey's bra before sliding all the way down to her legs and inching up underneath her skirt. He adjusted his weight rest on his side, still hovering over Aubrey and trapping her between himself and the desk beneath them. She could feel his quickly climb up the length of her thigh and continue over the folds of her vagina.

"Tom!" she whispered loudly, pulling away from his kiss.

"It'll feel good" he replied in a low, husky voice, "trust me" he finished, returning to kiss her. He did not move his hand away but instead began rubbing it back and forth over Aubrey's panties. It was a wave of pleasure that Aubrey had never experienced at the hand of another before, as Tom's fingers slid up and down the folds of her, rubbing circular motions on her clitoris. Aubrey moaned and watched the face of the handsome wizard touching her; he looked to be in deep concentration, his gaze shifting rapidly from Aubrey's own face and back down to his fingers, placed delicately between her legs. Aubrey began to rock in rhythm with Tom's touch, part of her unable to comprehend what was happening and the other wishing that he touch her more, beyond the restrictions of her underwear. Her fingers slid down his chest and rested on the buckle of his belt. She looked into Tom's dark eyes and a small smirk formed across his lips. He adjusted his weight and pushed Aubrey's skirt up high, over her waist, exposing her now sensitive area. Still smirking seductively, he slid his fingers over her vagina one last time before curling them around the inner band of her panties and Aubrey cried out in pleasure as his fingers finally touched her swollen skin. Tom pulled the fabric away from Aubrey's body and, in casting it aside, exposed Aubrey's dampening lips.

"Of course Professor" a voice suddenly came from outside the classroom door, "it's an excellent manual, let me just grab it for you."

Tom and Aubrey looked up instantly, their bodies still entwined on Professor Merrythought's desk, listening to the approaching footsteps.

"Thank you so much, Galatea" a voice that Aubrey instantly recognized as Professor Slughorn's boomed through the solid wooden door.

"Shit" Tom mumbled, sliding off the desk and pulling Aubrey with him.

"What are we going to do!" Aubrey whispered, scrambling to her feet and searching frantically around the room. There was no escape as the Professors were just outside the classroom door and there was no other exit from the room.

"Over here" Tom said, slinging their abandoned clothes over his shoulder and pulling Aubrey to the far side of the room. She couldn't help but admire how calm Tom seemed, he didn't panic but instead remained cool and collected. It was as if teachers walking in on him about to ravage a fellow student didn't bother him the least, it was as if this happened all the time. Aubrey frowned, wondering if this did happen to Tom Riddle all the time.

"Try to stay quiet" Tom said as he led Aubrey behind the side of a large cabinet. She was pressed firmly against the wall, snuggled in between the stone and Tom, who leaned firmly up against her. "Try not to breathe" he continued, his gaze directed toward the classroom door.

Aubrey closed her eyes and waited for the Professors to enter the dark classroom. As the door creaked open and footsteps entered, Aubrey held her breath, praying that her heartbeat wasn't nearly as loud as it sounded in her head. Tom turned his face away from the door and pressed even harder into Aubrey, shielding himself behind the heavy cabinet. He hung his head low and stared into Aubrey's eyes, listening.

"I think I put it over here..." Professor Merrythought said brightly, unaware that she and Slughorn were not the only people in the room. "Lumos" she muttered, and streams of light illuminated from the tip of her wand.

"Ah yes, there it is" she continued a few moments later, after having walked to a bookshelf at the other end of the room.

Aubrey heard a heavy book being pulled from the shelf and footsteps back towards the door.

"Here you are, Horace."

"Thank you again, my dear lady" Slughorn beamed gratefully.

"It's no worries" Merrythought continued, "now are you sure you don't want that other book? I don't mind searching for it, I think it's just in the cabinet over there..." the Professor continued, and Aubrey heard the start of footsteps head towards her and Tom.

Her eyes frantically gazed up into Tom's, who still looked calm and undisturbed.

"Ssshh" he mouthed silently, placing a long, slender finger to Aubrey's lips, motioning for her to stay quiet.

"Honestly Professor" the Potions master said, causing the footsteps to stop, "this is more than enough, the manual alone will do just fine."

"Are you sure?" Merrythought pressed, and Aubrey grew increasingly frustrated; Slughorn said it was fine, so why weren't they leaving.

"Quite certain" Slughorn beamed, and Aubrey heard Merrythought sigh before stepping towards to the door. A few moments later there was a light thud as the door closed and the faint sounds of footsteps walking away from the classroom. She and Tom were alone.

"Merlin!" Aubrey sighed once the footsteps began to fade, "that was close."

Tom smirked gave a slight chuckle, before grabbing onto Aubrey's hands and pulling her into him, kissing her again. A few moments later, and to Aubrey's surprise, Tom pulled away.

"I should get back to my patrol" he said solemnly.

"Oh" Aubrey replied, trying to hide her disappointment, "okay then."

"Your shirt" Tom said, pulling the abandoned piece of clothing off of his shoulder and handing it to Aubrey.

"Thanks" she replied, grabbing her shirt and turning away from Tom, suddenly realizing that she was nearly half naked in front of him and feeling very self conscious.

They each dressed in silence and made to exit to the classroom, Tom carefully checking the corridors, with his wand drawn, to ensure they could escape unseen.

"I'll escort you to the common room" Tom said once Aubrey exited the classroom, "and here's your book" he finished with a wave of his wand, sending the book hovering gently over to Aubrey's awaiting arms.

"Thank you" Aubrey muttered, and the two began their walk down the dungeons in silence.

"Have you got your dress, yet?" Tom asked some many staircases later.

"Pardon?" Aubrey asked, taken aback by the sudden break in silence.

"Your dress" Tom said, a smirk forming on his face , "girls usually wear those to the ball."

"Oh!" Aubrey cried, "right...no not yet-" but her sentence was cut short by the interruption of a cold, shrill voice behind them.

"Tom!" Abraxas Malfoy called out, stepping briskly toward he and Aubrey with a younger third year boy in tow.

"What is it?" Tom asked politely, though Aubrey noticed that his kindness was laced with annoyance. She couldn't help but enjoy it as her first impressions of Malfoy since arriving at Hogwarts were not positive, especially because of the way he behaved towards Anastasia.

"Caught Abbott here out of bed past curfew" Malfoy said arrogantly, pulling the boy by the scruff of his collar.

"Perhaps it was due to an emergency, Abraxas" Tom said coolly.

"N-no, sir" the third year quivered, encouraged to speak after Malfoy had jostled him.

"Very well" Tom said, "then I'm afraid its detention. I'll alert your head of house, Abbott. Now, back to you common room" and Malfoy and the boy continued in the opposite direction.

"You enjoy handing out detentions, do you Riddle?" Aubrey said teasingly, noticing the small smile that formed across Tom's lips as the two resumed walking.

"I enjoy exercising power" Tom replied, his smile growing wider.

"Over defenceless third years?"

"It's certainly easier" Tom replied again, now looking sideways at Aubrey, who smiled and shook her head.

"Here you are" Tom said a few steps later when he and Aubrey had reached the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Thanks" Aubrey smiled, "you really didn't need to walk me back..."

"Its fine, Aubrey" Tom said, stepping closer towards her. He bent his neck and placed a cool hand to her cheek and kissed her lightly.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight"

"Goodnight, Tom" Aubrey replied, watching the handsome wizard walk away before slipping inside to the common room.