"Merlin Aubrey!" Elle cried the next morning as the three girls made their way down to breakfast and Aubrey was filling Elle and Anastasia in about her night prior.
"I can't believe you did it in a classroom!" Ana shrieked, a look of mock disgust forming on her face.
"We didn't do it" Aubrey protested.
"But Stretton didn't bother you at all?" Elle asked, "you didn't think of him?"
"At first I did" Aubrey admitted, "but I just tried to push him from my mind...and after a while I sort of...forgot."
"Forgot?" Ana asked.
"Yeah, I just stopped thinking" Aubrey continued, "about everything."
"Morning" Gabrielle beamed as the girls stepped into the great hall and were seated at the Slytherin table, "I've put together a study group for Potions tomorrow night" the red head finished, looking at Elle and Aubrey.
"Fantastic" groaned Elle, "what time?"
"Right after dinner, in the library" Gabby finished, "you'll be coming too, Aubrey?"
"Yes" Aubrey muttered. She needed to attend this study group. Next week would be the first big exam in Slughorn's Potions class since the year started, and Aubrey had been struggling more and more with the material as time pressed on.
"Excellent then!" Gabby beamed before skipping off down the rest of the table.
"I'm so glad I'm not taking Potions" Ana said, flicking her long, platinum hair over her shoulder while she skimmed the Daily Prophet.
"Glad you're not taking it?" Elle said, disbelief in her voice, "Ana, your grades wouldn't allow you to take sixth year Potions."
"Whatever, Elle" Ana said defensively, "at least I don't have to worry about studying right before the dance."
"True" Elle shrugged, grabbing a glass and pouring herself some pumpkin juice.
"Are you Aubrey?" a voice said overhead, causing Aubrey to turn in her seat.
"Yes..." Aubrey replied.
"And you're the one who's going to the dance with Tom Riddle?" the new voice continued.
"Yes" Aubrey said once more, looking up into the eyes of the girl glaring down at her. Though she had never learned who she was, Aubrey recognized the girl from some of their classes together. She was stunning, Aubrey thought, with long brown curls that fell to her shoulders, bright red lips and long, perfectly curled eyelashes that framed her dark blue eyes.
"What do want, Caroline?" Ana sneered, looking up from the paper.
"Nothing that concerns you, Harrow" the girl replied sweetly, but sternly. Aubrey noticed the blue and bronze coloured tie that hung around her long neck; Ravenclaw. She assumed that this girl had to be Caroline Foster, the one who supposedly went out with Tom Riddle last year.
"Then why are you at the Slytherin table?" Ana pressed, "shouldn't you be running off, back to your little nest?" and she motioned to the long table at the other side of the hall. Aubrey diverted her gaze and noticed a large group of girls sitting at the Ravenclaw table, huddled together in a little group, watching the Slytherins intently.
"I just wanted to see to see who Tom's new girl was" Caroline said brightly, taking a seat beside Aubrey on the bench, "there's quite the talk about you around the school, Aubrey. It's hard to believe a new student could make such an impression so quickly!"
Even though Caroline was friendly in her delivery, there was malice to her words. It was similar to how Tom spoke and Aubrey thought right then and there they would have made the perfect couple. They were both beautiful, smart and had an eloquent, yet equally demeaning, way with words. Aubrey began to hunch in her seat, feeling suddenly insignificant next to the pretty witch.
"Jealously getting the best of you, Foster?" Elle asked, grinning.
"Not at all, Elle" Caroline replied pleasantly, "but like I said, I just couldn't resist coming over to meet Riddle's next fling."
"Fling?" Aubrey said dismally.
"Oops" Caroline frowned sympathetically, "well...surely you've realized by now Aubrey that Tom Riddle doesn't have girlfriends...aside from me, of course. We practically dated all of last year-"
"Funny how Riddle never confirmed it" Ana interrupted.
"That's neither here nor there" Caroline continued, "I don't need all of Hogwarts to acknowledge the connection me and Tom have."
"You're so deluded, Caroline" Elle said from across the table, rolling her eyes.
"Quiet Lacroix!" Caroline snapped before turning her attention back to Aubrey. "I just wanted to give you a heads up Aubrey, you know, a little friendly girl to girl advice."
"Right" Aubrey stumbled, her mouth still slightly ajar.
"Anyway" Caroline said brightly, rising from her spot on the bench, "you have a nice time at the dance Aubrey. See you later!" she beamed, before skipping back to the Ravenclaw table.
"Ugh she is such a slag" Ana groaned once Caroline was back at her table and the three girls were alone.
"Do you really think I'm just Tom's next fling?" Aubrey asked, despair laced in her voice. She knew from everyone else that Tom had never seemed to have had a steady relationship before, but a part of Aubrey couldn't help but hope that she might be his first. She hoped that all the effort Tom had seemed to go through for her would result in more than just a short fling.
"Erm..." Elle stammered, trying to speak as her mouth was ajar but no words came out.
"You do!" Aubrey cried, letting her face fall into her palms. Of course she was just a fling! Riddle was used to getting whatever he wanted, and would put in whatever effort necessary to get exactly what he wanted.
"I didn't say that, Bree" Elle protested. "I don't know what you are. It seems like a lot of work to go through on Tom's behalf just for a fling...but he's never behaved around any girl like this before. It's hard to tell."
"I would just stick with it" Ana said, "stay with it, and see what happens."
"I don't want to get hurt" Aubrey mumbled quietly, embarrassed that she was finally admitting her fear to both herself and her friends. Riddle could have any girl at Hogwarts, what could he possibly want with her?
"He likes you Bree" Elle continued, "that's clear enough, I mean he's asked you to the dance. Tom's never gone to a ball before...not even with Caroline Foster. I think Ana's right, stay with it, at least till after the dance, and see what happens-"
"And remember" Ana interrupted "if you play him as much as he plays you, you have control in the relationship as well."
"That's true" Elle agreed, "and besides, as odd as Riddle is...he's still a boy, and they're so difficult to read sometimes."
Aubrey smiled meekly and the girls rose from the great table and headed for the exit towards their first class. "Keep your guard up" Elle continued "but don't let Caroline bring you down, Aubrey."
"No, I won't" Aubrey sighed, trying to push her thoughts of Caroline and her doubts of Riddle from her mind.
"Well done class!" Dumbledore beamed brightly the following day in Transfiguration, "that's it for today, you may be dismissed."
"Meet me tonight" Tom whispered in Aubrey's ear, sending a series of shivers up her spine as she gathered her books.
"Tonight?" she replied, gazing into the dark eyes of the wizard who had remained silent for the entirety of Dumbledore's lesson.
"Yes, tonight" Tom continued calmly, now gathering his own belongings. "You can meet me in the library after dinner."
"I can't tonight" Aubrey said quietly, as she now followed Tom out of the classroom and into the corridor.
"Do you have plans, Miss Knight?" Tom said sarcastically, raising his brows in Aubrey's direction.
"I do" Aubrey said, stopping to face Tom. "I'm studying with Elle and Gabby for potions tonight."
"You can study with me" Tom replied.
"I can't..." Aubrey protested.
"Are you challenging me, Miss Knight?"
"No" Aubrey answered, "but I already said I would work with them." Tom raised his eyebrows and pressed his lips together, staring at Aubrey intently. "I have a free period now" she continued.
"I have patrol duty now" Tom said, "but we can meet during dinner."
"During dinner?"
"Yes."
"But" Aubrey stammered, "what about...dinner?"
"You don't need to eat" Tom replied curtly, causing Aubrey to frown and cower, suddenly feeling very self conscious.
"What I mean" Tom said in a low whisper, "is that you'll want to skip this meal, Aubrey. I'll meet you in the Slytherin common room this evening" Tom winked before quickly striding off for his patrol.
"How's your brother?" Aubrey asked Elle hours later as the two girls sat in the Slytherin common room.
"Engaged!" Elle shrieked, thrusting her newly opened letter into the hands of Aubrey, "Russell and Sarah are getting married!"
"Awe, that's fantastic Elle! Congratulations!" Aubrey beamed.
"It is good, isn't it?" Elle smiled, "they've been going together forever!"
"Do you like Sarah?" Aubrey asked, recalling how fond Elle is of her elder brother.
"Yeah..." Elle hesitated. "I didn't at first...none of our family did...she was a Gryffindor...and a half-blood. She's grown on me though, and she's good to Russ."
"That's good then" Aubrey smiled, suddenly realising why Elle had always seemed more sympathetic towards half-bloods and muggleborns that some other Slytherins, like Anastasia. She was about to have a half-blood witch in her family.
"There you two are!" Ana cried cascading down the large, stone staircase. "We should get going, the hall will be packed."
"Let's head out then" Aubrey said, hauling herself up off the sofa as the girls exited the common room. She had given up on meeting Tom in the Slytherin common room as he had yet to show up and dinner had already started. As feelings of sadness began to invade her, Aubrey couldn't help but remember her encounter with Caroline the day prior and all its associated feelings of uncertainty.
"I was supposed to meet Tom here" Aubrey sighed as the girls exited through the stone wall.
"In the common room?" Elle asked, "Now?"
"Yeah, he said during dinner" Aubrey confirmed.
"What for?" Elle asked, winking.
"He didn't say" Aubrey blushed.
"I think you're going to find out, Aubrey" Ana said, motioning to a tall figure walking towards them down the hallway, and Aubrey's heart instantly lifted.
"See you in the library later?" Elle asked, "for potions?"
"Yeah, I'll be there" Aubrey replied, stopping to let Elle and Ana fade further down the hallway as Tom stepped closer.
"Evening, Miss Knight" he said as he approached her. Tom looked the same as he had earlier in Transfiguration. His hair was neatly placed, his tie hung perfectly under the collar of his white shirt, and his grey, woolen sweater covered his strong, muscled arms.
"Good evening" Aubrey said quietly, taking in Tom's good looks, "how are you?"
"Fine, Aubrey. You?"
"Fine."
"Good" Tom said curtly, "shall we go in the common room then?" he asked, motioning and stepping towards the stone wall Aubrey had just emerged from.
"Pure-blood" Tom muttered quietly, and the stone wall gently slid aside, granting entrance back into the dimly lit common room.
"How do you know the password?" Aubrey asked, never recalling seeing Tom in the Slytherin common room before.
"I'm a Slytherin, Aubrey" Tom said matter-of-factly, and Aubrey turned a bright shade of red. "Just because I'm head boy" Tom continued, "doesn't keep me from the communal areas the rest of you gather in."
"The rest of us?" Aubrey echoed as Tom led her into the room and towards the leather couches near the grand fireplace.
"The rest of you" Tom winked, before turning his attention to the large marble fireplace. "It's the middle of dinner service" he said quietly, motioning to the little clock that sat on the fireplace mantle, "we're probably alone in here."
"I hope so" Aubrey said in a barely audible whisper, stepping closer to Tom.
"Me too, Miss Knight" Tom said in a low voice, before grabbing Aubrey's hand and pulling her closer towards him, slamming her against his body. There was no time for Aubrey to react, and before she knew it Tom's lips were pressed against hers, his tongue dancing with her own, and his hands running up and down the sides of her body, pulling her closer. Aubrey felt the sharp rise and fall of Tom's chest as she clung to him and could feel his hardened muscles as she ran her hands up his back before latching her fingers into his dark hair, pulling herself deeper into his kiss.
"Merlin, Aubrey" Tom said breathlessly as he broke their kiss, moving his moistened lips across her cheek and down her throat before settling on her neck where he kissed and nibbled lightly. Closing her eyes and tilting her head completely back, Aubrey fell further into Tom's touch, trying hard not to squirm at the pleasant tingling feelings that shot up and down her spine as Tom nibbled from her neck to ear lobe.
"Walk" he whispered, urging Aubrey to step backwards towards the couch. Still in his embrace, Aubrey fell back when she felt the cool leather against the back of her knees with Tom falling on top of her.
"This way" he said seductively, motioning Aubrey to lay down on the long sofa, positioning himself in between her knees as she did so. As Aubrey laid down, she gazed up into the face of Tom Riddle, admiring his handsome good looks. He looked serious, as though deep in concentration, but Aubrey couldn't help but notice how Tom's now tussled hair and heavy lidded, smoldering eyes gave him a new level sensuality she could hardly comprehend.
"Alright, Miss Knight?" Tom asked as he leaned forward, his nose now millimeters away from Aubrey's.
"Yes" Aubrey replied a little too quickly, realising that Tom had caught her gawking.
"Good" Tom smirked before pushing his lips back on to Aubrey's, continuing to explore her mouth with his tongue. Moments later Tom broke the kiss and Aubrey whimpered as Tom pulled away, kneeling up above her.
"Let's continue from where we left off, shall we?" he winked, and instantly ran his fingers underneath the hems of Aubrey's sweater and shirt, pushing them high up across her stomach and over her breasts.
"Mm, that's better" Tom smiled, as he ran his fingers in a straight line up from Aubrey's navel all the way to the centre of her breasts. Aubrey turned a bright shade of red as Tom leaned forward and ran his fingertips along Aubrey's bra line, stroking her exposed cleavage. In a swift moment seconds later, Tom's fingertips darted inside the right cup of Aubrey's bra, and he quickly pulled it down, releasing her breast. He teased her nipple with his fingers, rolling it between his forefinger and thumb before finally tracing circles over it with his tongue and putting her entire nipple inside his mouth, sucking hard. It was a feeling Aubrey had never experienced before, and she let out a low moan as she tilted her head back, arched her spine and shut her eyes before Tom moved onto the left one.
"Ah" Aubrey sighed once Tom released her left nipple and kneeled above her once more, now moving to push up her skirt. His fingers, which felt so warm and soft against her skin, now travelled up her thighs and across her vagina, reaching for the seam of her underwear to pull and stretch them aside. Unlike their last encounter in the empty classroom, there was no teasing this time with Tom Riddle, as he wasted no time getting right to touching Aubrey.
"Seems you're in the same state as when I left you, Miss Knight" Tom winked seductively as he ran his fingers up and down Aubrey's folds, slowly stimulating her clitoris. Aubrey gave a small, awkward giggle and turned an even darker shade of red. She couldn't help how Tom made her feel or how turned on she became by his touch.
"Exactly the same" Tom muttered once more, his gaze locked on his own fingers as he gently slid one inside Aubrey for the very first time.
"Ooh" Aubrey cried out as she felt Tom's finger slowly slide in and out while his thumb massaged her now swollen clit. Her breathing became heavy and uncontrollable moans began to escape from Aubrey's lips as she rocked her pelvis back and forth, enhancing Tom's rhythm. She could feel a warm, pressurised feeling build in between her legs, as Tom's touch took her closer to the edge. She envisioned it as the summit of a great mountain she was climbing as Tom's touch, and the feeling his fingers created, was the climb and Aubrey knew if he just went a little further, she would soon reach the peak.
"Mm" Tom moaned and he now focused his stare up onto Aubrey, taking his gaze off his own fingers and their work for the first time. Staring deeply into Tom's eyes, Aubrey suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable. Here she was, half naked in the Slytherin common room with the Head Boy!
"Not yet" Tom whispered, as Aubrey slid her hand up reaching for Tom's belt buckle, trying to take some of the attention off of herself.
"Not yet, Aubrey" Tom said more sternly after Aubrey shot him a puzzled look, and continued to fumble over his belt buckle. She was confused, was he not turned on by her in the same way she was him? Did he not want her to touch him?
"Relax" Tom said firmly, rising up and hovering above Aubrey, his lips just centimeters from her own. "Don't think so much. I want you to get lost in me, Aubrey" Tom finished, just before pressing his lips back down hard against hers. As his tongue slid her lips apart and invaded her mouth, all questions of Tom's refusal for her touch escaped her, and Aubrey fell back into the rhythm of Tom's fingers, focusing on conquering her peak.
As Tom's fingers moved in gentle circles inside her, and his mouth placing gentle bites across her throat, Aubrey ran her hands up Tom's free forearm, across his shoulder blades and up the nape of his neck. She knotted her fingers in his hair, and noted that his dark locks were thick and cool to the touch. Aubrey's fingers were continuing to comb through Tom's hair she heard the heavy stone wall begin to slide open, and the sounds of voices entering the common room.
"Damn it" Tom scowled as he reared up to peer over the back of the sofa, still laying outstretched on top of Aubrey, his fingers deep within her.
"Dinner's over already!?" Aubrey gasped, sitting up and pushing against Tom's wrist to free herself from his fingers.
"Apparently so" Tom smirked, "but I don't know that we're done here yet, Aubrey" he whispered, and pushed his fingers back into Aubrey, continuing his sweet, building pressure.
"Tom, please" Aubrey whispered, glancing up over the sofa for the soon to be oncoming students, and frantically pulling down her shirt and sweater to cover herself.
"Please what?" Tom teased, winking at Aubrey.
"We have to stop! " Aubrey whimpered, again trying to push Tom's hand away. "Please Tom!" she continued, pulling down her skirt and making a move to push Tom off of her.
"Aubrey?" a female voice called out from the entrance of the common room, "are you here?"
"Elle!" Aubrey said way too brightly, bolting upright from the couch and causing Tom to come with her. "I was just about to come find you!" she lied.
"I bet" Elle smirked, before adding "hi, Tom."
"Miss Lacroix" Tom acknowledged Elle politely as Aubrey scrambled to escape from underneath him, continuing to tug at her clothing as she rose from the couch.
"We should go study!" Aubrey said awkwardly, turning a bright shade of scarlet as she straightened her hair.
"Only if you want to Aubrey, I can tell the others you'd rather stay here" Elle teased with a laugh, causing Aubrey to turn even more red.
"No, I should study" Aubrey said sternly, scowling at Elle. "I'll see you later?" she asked the cool and collected Tom who remained seated on the sofa, looking completely unaffected by the embarrassment of the situation.
"Of course, Miss Knight" Tom said quietly, rising from his seat. "Study hard" he added as he tilted his head down and planted a swift kiss on Aubrey's lips.
Aubrey nodded, a feeling of regret that Elle had interrupted swept over her for the first time. "See you" she whispered quietly, before leaving Tom and regretfully joining Elle to head to the library.
