Happy Holidays

December 21, 1943

Tom walked through the empty halls of Hogwarts, passing only one or two students on his way to the library. He very much enjoyed the peace and quiet, but wished that Rose could be there with him. It had only been four days since she went home for the winter holidays and he already longed to see her again.

His mind traveled back to the sensation of her lips against his face, a memory he had already replayed innumerable times. It was all he could think of in their last Potions lesson; he had tried fervently to read her emotions the entire class period, but she was as nonchalant as usual. He felt a nasty feeling in his stomach while thinking back to this; surely her indifference signified a nail in the coffin of his hopes to become much more to her.

Still, while he knew it was irrational and most certainly detrimental to his mental health, he couldn't conceive of simply giving up his pursuit. Never before had he been enthralled by a person; thinking of her had become his addiction, an unbreakable habit. He knew that Rose wasn't just a phase that he could shrug off and move on from. As such, it was clear that he needed to change his strategy on how he was approaching her, but he had no idea where to start.

The only way he could distract himself from her now that she was away for the holidays was by pouring over thousands of pages in the restricted section of the Hogwarts library. Entrance into the guarded section of the library was the best part of becoming a sixth year student, in Tom's opinion. He had learned of so many subjects that he yearned to incorporate into his magical repertoire, but he found that legilimency and horcruxes were by far the most intriguing. He had met with Professor Slughorn earlier in the year about the latter, long before his daily distractions in the form of Rosemary Horton.

It felt pleasant to resume his research into after nearly two months of entertaining his obsession with her, but knew that the reprieve would be short-lived. As soon as he returned to his Slytherin dormitory, he would spend the rest of the evening fantasizing about her until falling asleep with a feeling of indescribable, hopeless optimism.

Tom spent the entire day at the library, only deciding to quit reading when he couldn't overcome the hunger pangs in his stomach. After going down to the Great Hall for dinner and seeing only five or six other Hogwarts students, he returned to the dungeons to see that Slughorn's office door was propped open.

Tom stopped and poked his head inside and Professor Slughorn noticed him right away. "Ah, do come in Tom! I'm just packing up to leave for the holidays now that I've finished all my grading. Don't worry, you did excellently on your exam!"

Tom wasn't worried about his grade, of course. There had been very few times that he genuinely questioned his performance on an exam or term paper. He went inside and stood near the fireplace as Slughorn continued to gather his things. Tom figured that it was a good time to bring up something that had been nagging at him for quite some time. "Professor, when does the selection for Head Boy and Head Girl occur?"

Slughorn gave him a warm smile. Tom had made his ambitious nature readily apparent over the years, so his professor surely knew where the conversation would be headed. "Usually the selection committee meets in mid-April and will try to let the students know by May before the end of the term."

"I see," Tom nodded. "And what exactly does the committee look for in an applicant?"

"Well, there is a preference given to current prefects. High marks are also expected and it helps if they are involved in some sort of activities outside of class and regularly participate in events that Hogwarts hosts for the students."

Everything sounded fine until the last part. Tom absolutely loathed attending any sort of Hogwarts social event, including Quidditch matches. The only reason he had gone to any of them that term was so that he could catch a glimpse of Rosemary; when she was dating Markus, she often sat in the Slytherin section to cheer for him.

"I take it that you're interested in applying?" Slughorn raised an eyebrow. "I certainly hope you do. I'd rather you not mention it to anyone, but I will be advocating that they choose you, Tom."

It was somewhat reassuring, but Tom knew that he would have to force himself to go to more school-wide events before the committee met in mid-April. "I certainly appreciate it, Professor. Just curious…who would you choose as Head Girl?"

Slughorn looked rather surprised that he had asked, but said, "Miss Horton, most likely. It's a shame that she wasn't sorted into Slytherin; the house would be nearly unstoppable with the two of you in it. You're quite the team in Potions, you know."

"I suppose we are," Tom said, with his usual cool air of indifference. "Personally, I think it should be her."

"It's rather odd that you say that. You see, Miss Horton came to my office just last week to ask about the Head Girl position. When I told her you were my pick for Head Boy, she said the exact same thing."

It took a moment for the words to register and when they did, he had to try very hard to conceal his happiness. "Quite odd indeed," was all he managed to say. A second passed before he regained his composure and said, "Well, I should be off. Happy holidays Sir."

"Always good to see you, Tom. Happy holidays!" he replied with a beaming smile.

He left Slughorn's office and couldn't help but smile to himself as he walked down the corridor toward the Slytherin common room. Surely, her words meant something more than mere friendship, as his certainly had.

Tom reached his dormitory and stretched out on his bed, letting the feeling of pure satisfaction wash over him. He thought of a million ways that he could look into her deep blue eyes and say the words "I fancy you. Quite a bit, actually." How he wished that she was there now; he finally felt confident enough in her feelings to say what he desperately needed to.

He glanced at his desk and saw a piece of parchment and a quill sitting atop it. Did he dare put his feelings into a letter? Mentally he weighed this decision; if he had to face rejection, it would probably be best for his pride if it wasn't in person. Then again, writing a letter may come off as potentially sappy and overly attached.

Tom sighed and moved to sit at his desk, deciding that he would write her and give another hint of his affections while maintaining a degree of subtlety.

Dear Miss Horton,

I hope you're enjoying the holiday so far. I've spent most of my time in the Hogwarts library-

He stopped writing and scrapped the page. His lack of family and holiday plans was rather embarrassing to him and something he didn't wish to advertise. Indicating that he stayed at Hogwarts over the break would certainly clue her in on that detail.

Tom began his next letter the same way and then tried to sound a bit more direct: Admittedly, I've found myself thinking of you.

Well, it was certainly direct. Besides, wasn't the fact that he was writing her a clear enough statement that he was thinking of her? He groaned in frustration, crumbled up the parchment, and tossed it aside. Why couldn't he simply summon the charisma he used with everyone else when dealing with her? Ever since he realized his feelings for her, she seemed to have the power to render him socially inept.

He tried again and again to write her a letter and ended up with nearly six versions to choose from. From the time he began writing to when he finally chose the final letter, four hours had passed. It was nearly one in the morning as he made his way to the owlery. Thankfully, because of the holidays, there was no curfew in place.

As he watched the grey owl fly into the night, he felt antsy, but excited. But by the time he returned to his dormitory, these thoughts turned cynical and he was wide awake in bed for at least another hour contemplating his decision. What if she didn't reply or thought that it was strange that he had written to her in the first place?

When he woke the next morning, he felt as though he had barely slept, which had indeed been the case. Still, he dressed quickly, wanting to get to the Great Hall for breakfast as soon as possible. He had to know if she had replied.

Tom sat at the Slytherin table, taking small bites of toast. Then he saw the owls begin to enter the Great Hall with the morning post and he pushed the food away, too nervous to continue eating. It seemed like eternity while he waited and attempted to spot the light grey owl he had sent. What if she had seen through his words to his subtle message and this was her form of rejection? More hopefully: what if the owl had delivered his letter to the wrong person?

He sucked in his breath and held it for a moment as an ivory envelope dropped in front of him. He picked it up and noticed that the parchment felt more expensive than the kind they typically used at Hogwarts. He turned it over and immediately recognized her neat handwriting from the way that all of the letters were elegantly connected. It read: To Tom Riddle

Rosemary sat on her bed, fuming silently. She had finally mustered up enough courage to tell her parents about her and Markus' break-up and they reacted as badly as she expected they would.

"What?" her mother had asked her, narrowing her eyes at Rose as if she was challenging her daughter to repeat herself.

"Markus and I broke up. Actually, he broke up with me," she said matter-of-factly, not bothering to fake any sort of grief over the relationship's end.

"May I ask why?"

"He was interested in someone else," Rose said, looking straight into her mother's matching blue eyes.

"Well, maybe you could have tried to be a bit more intriguing to him. Would it have killed you to express any sort of interest in him this summer? You barely spoke to him!" Evelyn sighed and rubbed her temples. "I don't know where we went wrong with your Rose. Perhaps we've given you too much free reign all these years. You're terribly spoiled, you know."

Rose snorted. "Free reign? You're joking, right? You've controlled everything I've ever done!"

"Rosemary," her father said in a stern voice. "Don't speak to your mother that way."

Her father's interjection only served to make her angrier. She continued on as though she hadn't heard him. "What's more, there's nothing wrong with me not wanting to be with Markus."

"What is so wrong with him Rose? Why is he so unsuitable for you?" Her mother's eyes widened and she looked exasperated.

"He's basically related to us! I've known him my entire life and I'll never see him as anything more than a brother or cousin. Not to mention the fact that all he talks about is Quidditch." She nervously glanced to her left at her father, hoping he hadn't taken offense, as Quidditch was essentially the only thing he ever talked about. She didn't want to offend her only potential ally in the exchange with her mother. Fortunately, he seemed rather unfazed by her comment. "I don't think it's too much to ask to be with someone of some substance."

Her mother threw up her hands. "You are unbelievable!" She added with a voice, heavily laden with sarcasm, "I am so sorry that there is nobody worthy of your presence, Rosemary!"

The table was quiet for a moment until her mother spoke again, this time sounding much calmer. "When we attend the Avery's Christmas party this weekend, you'll talk with him and convince him to take you back."

"No, I won't," Rosemary said, heat rising to her face once more.

"Yes you will."

"I won't!

"You will, if you'd like to return to Hogwarts after the holidays," her mother said, her voice reaching that deadly calm tone that Rosemary dreaded. It was always a strong indication that Evelyn wouldn't be willing to give in and lose the argument.

Rose didn't know quite what to say; for a moment, she sat back in her chair in pure shock. "You would honestly keep me from Hogwarts if I don't get back together with Markus?"

Evelyn shrugged. "We'll do what we have to." She looked at her husband for support and Basil nodded reluctantly at his daughter. He was always weak when he came to these situations, almost always siding with her mother because of his dislike of conflict.

She couldn't take it anymore. The anger that had been stewing inside her during the entire conversation came out in a great explosion. "YOU ARE A COMPLETE FUCKING BITCH!"

"Rosemary Alana Horton!" Her father bellowed; he could be a pushover in nearly every other situation, but always put down his foot when she swore, especially at her mother. "Go to your-"

"Already going!" Rosemary snapped. She took one last glance at the satisfyingly shocked look on her mother's face before pushing her chair from the table and storming up the stairs to her room, followed by the obligatory door slam.

It was hours ago; now it was nearly two thirty in the morning. Still, she was too upset to consider sleeping. Her parents were obviously upset with her too; neither of them had come to check on her since their argument. Their house elf, Zisly, came up to her room to bring her some tea, but it grew cold on Rosemary's desk. She opened the French doors that led to her personal balcony and stepped outside to smoke for a fourth time since the exchange with her parents. She looked down at the thin, smoldering tube and wondered how likely it was that they would actually give her cancer; she had seen the news reports, but didn't know how much truth there was to them. It was one of the few Muggle afflictions that Healers could not fix.

A creature flying through the cool night air caught her vision, and she realized it was an owl. She was surprised when it flew directly toward her and perched on her balcony. Rose took the letter it carried and was puzzled by the fact that the envelope was completely blank on the outside. She went back inside and fetched a treat for the owl before sitting on her bed and removing the letter from the envelope.

Dear Miss Horton,

I hope this letter finds you well and that your parents haven't taken your news regarding Avery too poorly. I wish you the best of luck in that regard. I do have some information that may lift your sprits a bit: I recently spoke with Professor Slughorn regarding the upcoming appointment of Head Boy and Head Girl for next year, as I am interested in applying. He mentioned that you were his top pick for Head Girl. I should think that you're interested in the position, especially with the prestige attached. In addition, perhaps letting your parents know of your candidacy will minimize the impact of your news.

At any rate, if I am chosen for Head Boy, I would most certainly rather work with you on a daily basis than some of the other, well, less agreeable alternatives. I do hope you'll consider applying, if you haven't thought about it already.

I suppose much of this could have waited until the term begins again. Mostly I was writing to say "Happy Holidays".

Best Regards,

T.M.R.

Rosemary's heart beat hard against her chest, and the words danced in a flurry around her head as she tried to decide what exactly they all meant. She was dizzy with excitement as she began to pour over his words again and again, overanalyzing every minuscule detail. It was quite flattering that he had thought of her, but it still didn't answer the question that had loomed in her mind for weeks: would they ever be more than friends? It was also rather funny; she had visited Slughorn's office a while ago about the Head Girl position and he had said the same thing about Tom.

The gray owl flew into her room and pecked at her hand impatiently for both a treat and her reply letter. She waved it away and moved over to her desk so she could begin composing her response:

Dear Tom,

Thank you for your letter! I am certainly planning to apply to the Head Girl position and I hope that we're both chosen. I appreciate your concern for the situation with my parents. Unfortunately, it all ended in quite a row, but that was to be expected I suppose. I'm really looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts.

She paused, reminded of her mother's ultimatum. What if they weren't just bluffing and they actually didn't let her return to Hogwarts? The thought alone was enough to make her start crying a bit. If they followed through on their threat, it was likely that she would never see Tom again.

Rose tried her best to push the thoughts of her mind so she could finish off her letter.

I do hope you'll have a good holiday! I'll look forward to seeing you when we get back to school.

Happy Christmas,

Rose Horton

She wondered if her closing sentence would be perceived as friendship or something more, not that it was really that suggestive anyway. It made her nervous for a moment, but she left it. It was time to start giving him some bigger hints regarding her feelings, especially since she had already kissed him on the cheek for Gods sakes. In the past few weeks, she had grown surer of them and knew that she was completely enamored with him. He was the most charming, intelligent, and handsome person she had ever met and was irrevocably drawn to him. She knew that she couldn't simply remain friends with him; it was beginning to hurt more and more.

The next morning, she made her way to her father's study. She had to convince her parents to let her return to school, regardless of her relationship status with Markus. If she were going to reason with anyone, it would be him. In truth, she wasn't really close with either of her parents, but her father was clearly the better option to speak with. Her mother was simply too stubborn and infuriating, not to mention the fact that the word compromise was not in Evelyn's vocabulary. She lightly knocked on the door before stepping inside.

He looked up at her and started sternly, "Have you apologized to your mother?"

"No," Rosemary said. "I will, but I wanted to talk to you first."

He folded up the Daily Prophet and set it on his desk in front of him, giving her his full attention.

She tried to steady her voice, though she was nervous. "I won't be with Markus, nor will I drop out of Hogwarts. I know that you and mum want me to settle down after I graduate and I understand. All I ask is that you just give me a chance and let me find the person that I'm going to have to spend the rest of my life with. If I can't find anyone you approve of by the time I graduate, then you can marry me off to someone. But please, don't keep me from Hogwarts."

Of course, she already had someone in mind. Perhaps it was too early to say that she would be happy spending her life with him, but he was certainly the best candidate at the time. There was something possibly irrational inside her that told her they belonged together, but she couldn't determine if it was intuition or infatuation. Either way, she hoped with her entire being that Tom felt the same way for her. If he did, it would work out well for everyone. Her parents would surely approve of him; she didn't know his family, but judging from his mannerisms, it seemed clear that he came from a wealthy one.

Her father was quiet for a moment until he finally met her gaze. "Okay, Rosemary" he said. "That's fair."

"There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired." – F. Scott Fitzgerald

I hope you liked this chapter! I know that it's getting a little painful, waiting for Rose and Tom to get together...but be patient! In the next couple of chapters you can expect some major progress. Oh, and I know I'm focusing a lot on just these two right now, but once they are together, I'm going to expand on the other characters in the story a lot more. On another note, I've posted picture links on my profile for all of the characters that have appeared in the story so far. Check 'em out if you'd like to see what I envision them all looking like!

I'll be back on Sunday (hopefully?) with another update! Please let me know what you think in the comments section below!