So, here I go again. First, I'm starting to work tomorrow and have to attend sort of a holiday camp for children for TEN WHOLE DAYS. A dream come true. However, I'm getting paid, right? That means that I won't be able to update, so I'm doing that now and first thing when I'm back again. Or rather the second, third, or... well, I'm going to hurry ;)
Thanks to all those who read, alerted and especially to those who reviewed. On we go.
"You need to speak to him again, eventually."
My eyes suddenly focused on Lydia. She was sitting next to me while we listened to the Professor elaborating on a very uncommon Rune. I decided it was not worth paying attention.
"I don't need to do anything, actually."
I felt the ring underneath my clothing, touching bare skin. I had taken it back, of course. It was a part of Tom's freaking soul, after all. Despite that, I refused to talk to him ever since he had told me.
"But you love him! And he loves you!"
I sighed heavily. Was she that naive? Still too young, too inexperienced to get that it was not simple, not rainbows and unicorns all the time? Or was it just not...not obvious?
"It is not that easy."
"I don't get it. See, when Adrian and I get into a fight, we just have to..."
"That's not quite the same!" After all, her pitiful excuse of a boyfriend didn't want to create horcruxes.
She flinched a little, obviously hurt.
"I'm sorry, Lydia, I just... I don't quite know what to do about it and I don't want to talk about it."
"Yeah, right, I get that. Why don't you just try and make it up?"
How? He had given me a part of his soul and hadn't bothered to tell me in the first place. "As I said. It's not that easy."
"Please, Lorraine, please, just listen... oh come on!"
He ran and suddenly appeared right in front of me. I froze and looked at him questioningly.
"Please just let me explain."
"What's there to explain?" I looked around and luckily the corridor was empty. "You split your soul and you created this hor-whatever by murder. You murdered them on purpose so that you could live forever! That's simply evil."
"There is no good and evil. There is only power and those too weak to seek it."
I shook my head and wanted to move past him, but he caught my arm and held me back.
"Where do you have it? Is it safe?"
My eyes fixed on his. "It's where it always was."
His slender fingers touched my neck and then he pulled on the chain until he could see the ring. "Why do you still wear it if it's making you have these dreams?"
"It's alright as soon as I put it off. I don't sleep with it no more. I just wear it during the day. For safekeeping," I added bitterly.
Before I could even blink, he had pushed me against the wall and his lips were on mine. I didn't really know how it happened, but I gave in, melting into his touch. His tongue softly trailed over my bottom lip and I allowed him to deepen the kiss. After a few moments he pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. "Will you ever forgive me?"
I sighed heavily. "Probably."
"Hey there," I muttered. "Is that seat still free?"
He looked up at me, puzzled at first and then he grinned. His expression changed at once, though, as he glared at Nott, who at once moved out of the way.
"Thank you, Nott," I barely whispered as I sat down next to Tom on Slytherin table.
"So?" Malfoy asked from across the table. "Did you come to make amends?"
Tom just glared at him and his gaze dropped to his plate at once.
"Hardly," I answered, finally finding the courage to speak up. "But I wouldn't discuss that with you, Malfoy."
"I'm quite pleased by the sudden change of mind, though," Tom whispered in my ear. "Why?"
I shrugged and let my eyes fix on Lydia and her petty little boyfriend. Weren't they just cute?
More than anything, I had needed my old life back. When I didn't speak to Tom, I didn't only lose my boyfriend. I lost my best friend, too. "Time heals all wounds."
He scoffed and leant away. "What a stupid thing to say when your life can easily end just the next moment."
I glared at him. "Well, that's the beauty of it, actually."
His followers – excuse me, friends – seemed confused by our conversation and I realized he hadn't told them. He hadn't even told Abraxas, when he had brought me the ring, that it in fact contained a part of his soul. I wondered. Why didn't he give it to me himself then? Why did he let me have it, after all?
He looked curiously at me, as if he couldn't understand me at all.
"Hey! Hey, Riley, wait a sec'!"
I turned around and saw Malfoy coming towards me. "What is it?"
"I need some advice from you."
I frowned. "You need some advice? From me?"
"Yeah right."
I turned again and I started walking again. Malfoy kept my pace. "Do you know that girl?" He pointed at a rather plain girl in a group of fifth-year Slytherins. "Irene Yaxley. I... well, how should I put it?"
I rolled my eyes. "I got it. If you need some advice on how to lure a girl into your bed, go ask Tom. He's got expertise in the matter."
He grabbed my wrist. "No. I don't want... well, I don't only want to have her in my bed, you see? I really like her. She's..." He sighed, his eyes locked once again on Irene Yaxley. "Ain't she a beauty?"
The fact that she was in fact rather average convinced me that he was serious.
"Alright then. What did you do until now?"
"Paid some compliments. But she didn't seem to like that."
"Well, she probably thinks you just want to..."
"But I don't!"
"Right, right, I got that."
He fell silent while his eyes lingered almost shyly on my face.
I sighed heavily. "Look, Malfoy, this is what we are gonna do..."
I sat in the library with Tom, discussing Charms homework. He was absolutely not of my opinion and actually we had some kind of fight on how much water a simple Aguamenti-Charm could produce.
We were finally interrupted by a cheering Abraxas Malfoy who fell down on a chair across the table. "It worked! It actually worked; she agreed to go to Hogsmeade with me!"
I smiled at him, acknowledging his success. "Tell me more."
"Oh – I asked and... she smiled. And she actually blushed."
"Told you more subtle compliments would flatter her more."
Tom had leant back in his chair and eyed us with amusement.
"I still need your help, though," Malfoy continued. "I really don't want to ruin it."
"Ah, no problem. Just don't rush it."
I started explaining about how he should behave - gentlemanly gestures and stuff - and Malfoy sucked in every single word. It was most fascinating.
He took off in a hurry after I finished and I turned back to Tom, who smirked at me.
"You know. Not every girl wants a gentleman. You for instance would only laugh at me if I held the door up for you."
"We are quite a different case, actually. But she's that kind of girl. I mean – seriously. She's not that pretty; she's never the centre of attention. This is why she'll simply love it if she's being treated like that."
He smirked, leaned in and quickly brushed his lips over mine. "You really are a wicked witch."
I sighed. "I'm just helping a friend."
"Abraxas Malfoy? A friend? I remember that first Potion class back when we were in our first year."
"Yeah, well? That was long ago, wasn't it? I hang out too much with you guys, Merlin, I start befriending with Slytherins."
He smirked. "You've done far worse than just befriending a Slytherin."
I scoffed. "You and I were friends before you even knew what Slytherin was."
He growled and something flickered in his eyes. For one little moment I believed his eyes turned red. I was going insane.
"What? What did I say to upset you, huh?"
"I just don't like being reminded of... well. Everything that links me to the muggle world."
I leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Trust me. I know no one who is less a muggle than you are."
I'm tired of asking for reviews. Makes me seem real desperate.
