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Falling Out
February 14, 1944
It had been rather disconcerting to awaken in their favorite study room in the Hogwarts library instead of his dormitory. He had forgotten that a few hours after returning from the Forbidden Forest, she had fallen asleep on his shoulder in the middle of reading her Arithmancy text. After nearly an hour of gazing at her as she slept, Tom had eventually fallen asleep with his arm curled around her small waist, ensuring that she wouldn't fall off the couch in the middle of the night. He was not at all surprised that the librarian, Madam Belmont, hadn't forced them to return to their dormitories after curfew; there were perks to being the brightest students at the school. One of them was that much of the staff simply left them alone.
He watched her for a long time; the last thing he wished was to wake her. She looked delicate as she slept, her long eyelashes almost brushing the tops of her cheeks. Her mouth hung open slightly in an adorable way and her chest rose and fell with deep, relaxed breaths. Tom wanted to lay there all morning, with her head resting in the crook of his arm as she had for the entire night. He hadn't even cared when it had fallen asleep, becoming tingly and finally numb. As he looked down at her restful face, he wondered if there was anything about her that wasn't absolutely perfect. People as a whole had disappointed him his entire life; part of him thought that perhaps it was just a matter of time until she did the same. But when these sorts of thoughts crossed his mind, he could dismiss them as ridiculous almost immediately. What about this gorgeous, wonderful girl could possibly bother him?
Tom's mind floated back to thoughts of his revelation about the Chamber of Secrets. It was curious how quickly it had settled into his mind as fact and that he could recall all of his memories as though he had never lost them in the first place. He knew that he should feel extreme guilt for what had happened, but if he felt anything, it was some sort of twisted disappointment that the Basilisk hadn't picked off more of the muggle-born in the student body.
A clock chimed in the corner of the room and interrupted his thoughts. Sadly, it was Monday; she would need to be off to Herbology soon, and he to Ancient Runes. He lightly brushed her bangs out of her face and kissed her forehead. She groaned and turned toward him, opening an eye. "Why is it so goddamned bright in here?" she grumbled. She looked grouchy, annoyed that he had woken her from her slumber.
It amused him completely. He smirked and kissed her again, and this time her expression softened and she kissed him back. Their lips parted and she wiped her eyes, looking around the room.
"Why are we in the library?" she asked, looking at him quizzically. "And why are there at least ten bouquets of flowers in here?"
"You fell asleep last night while we were studying," he informed her. "And those are for you. Happy Valentine's Day." He had been sure to wake up earlier than her so that he had time to conjure them.
"Oh, Tom! How sweet!" Rose beamed, suddenly wide awake. She kissed him again, and then leapt from the couch to inspect them further. He sat up, watching her as she bent down slightly to smell them. It pleased him so deeply to see her happy.
"What are these? I've never even seen them before," she told him. "I love the pink and white…"
He was rather relieved that she liked them. He sort of randomly picked them out in a book about flowers he found earlier that morning at the library. Honestly, he hadn't a clue what type of flowers to get her, or if getting her flowers was even the right thing to do for Valentine's Day. It was something Tom had heard of, of course, but didn't know if Rose would expect him to do that sort of thing. Her reaction had at least validated that he hadn't messed it up somehow.
Tom stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He bent his head down to kiss her neck and then told her, "They're lilies. I thought I might bring you roses, but none of them were as beautiful as my Rose."
This sort of thing might have made him gag before, but with Rose, everything felt right. He had developed some integral desire to shower her with gooey, sappy affections. Perhaps it was just because he finally could, after waiting so long to have her. Finally, he could be his smooth and suave self around her and abandon his anxiety. Still there was a key difference between his charm with her and that which he showed to others: when he was with Rose, it was genuine and so very real. It took no effort at all and it made him inexplicably happy.
"You are absolutely the sweetest man I have ever met," she told him, spinning around in his arms and standing on her toes to kiss him again. She must have glanced at the clock behind him because she pulled away and exclaimed, "Shit! I have to get to class and so do you!"
"Yes, we should go," he said, though his insides felt like they were being deflated. He didn't want to go to class and be without her for even a minute.
She pulled away from him and started gathering her things quickly. "I have to go to my room and pick up my Herbology book."
"I'll walk you," he said. "It's on my way to Ancient Runes."
"Do you think I can bring a bouquet of these with me?" she asked him. "They are so pretty!"
"Absolutely," Tom told her.
She chose the bouquet sitting in a crystal vase by the window. Tom gathered his things and carried them for her as he escorted her back to the Ravenclaw Tower. Fortunately, it was close to the library. As they walked, she reached up and stroked one of the flower petals between her fingers. "I'm sad they won't last forever," she told him.
"Well, if they look like they are beginning to wilt, let me know and I'll conjure you some new ones," he told her.
She looked satisfied at his answer, tossing a quick smile over her shoulder as they approached the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. Just as they reached it, Warren Cramer stepped out and grinned as soon as he saw Rose. Even though she was his now, Tom still didn't like the way Cramer looked at her and it made him instantly agitated. "Ready for Herbology, Horton?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," she sighed and then laughed quietly. "I'll be back in a second if you'd like to walk together."
"Of course!" Cramer beamed at her and then looked at him. "Tom," he said, outstretching his palm for a handshake. "Good to see you."
Rose took the flowers from his arms so his hand was free to shake Cramer's. He forced himself into the polite formality. If Warren hadn't shown so much of an interest in Rose, Tom actually might not have minded him. He was a prefect, at least. But unfortunately that wasn't the case and a jealous spark had ignited inside of him that only seemed to worsen the more he tried to control it.
"You don't have to wait for me, Tom. I know you have to get to class," she said. "Warren will walk me."
It bothered him that she seemed so quick to dismiss him and that she was just fine walking with Cramer instead. He forced himself to trust that Rose hadn't actually meant anything by it, but there was a small voice in the back of his mind playing the game of 'what if?'. Tom nodded and she pecked him on the cheek. "I'll see you in Potions."
She went into the common room and Tom hesitated for a moment, watching her go. He didn't want to leave her alone with Cramer, but he already told her that he would go. Besides, he did have to get to class. He gave a slight nod to Warren and allowed a threatening look to flash through his eyes momentarily that said: If you dare to make any sort of advance toward my girlfriend, there will be hell to pay. I can guarantee you that. To his extreme displeasure, Cramer seemed positively oblivious to the look and offered a friendly wave as Tom strode away.
Tom rolled his eyes as soon as his back was to Cramer.
What a complete dolt.
At least he could rest assured that Rosemary would never be attracted to such a half-wit. Unfortunately, by the time he arrived in Ancient Runes, Warren Cramer had yet to vanish from his mind. All he could think of now was Rose and Warren, laughing and joking their way to Herbology. It twisted his stomach in knots and he couldn't seem to sit still in his seat. He leaned forward to peer out the window, watching for them to cross the lawn.
Professor Viesey began to speak, interrupting his sad attempt at reconnaissance. "Good morning, class. Today you'll work on a decrypting exercise in pairs."
Tom was rather appalled at himself for his jealousy; Warren Cramer was no one to be envious of, after all. Especially compared to him. But it seemed as though anything or anyone that had to do with Rosemary Horton had gained potential to occupy his mind as of late. For a while, he had thought that perhaps, if she was his, she wouldn't dominate his mind so completely. Instead, he was filled with a whole new degree of fascination. Lately, he wanted to memorize how she liked to be kissed, every detail of the way she slept, and an entire host of other miniscule details about her. Thankfully though, he could approach at least these thoughts with some relaxation; the anxiety of winning her was behind him now. It was unfortunate that this uncomfortable jealousy seemed to be the trade-off.
"You and your partner are matched up by last name on the board. Get to it!"
Tom snapped out of his thoughts and scanned the list and spotted his name as a feeling of dread washed over him. Right next to "Riddle" read "Hornby", as in Olive Hornby: the same Olive Hornby that he had called a whore just a day earlier. He swallowed and turned around to see her still sitting at her desk, glaring at him intensely.
Of course. Might have thought that one through a bit more…
"So, you and Riddle are official then?" Warren asked her, sounding a bit amused.
"I'm not sure why everyone seems so surprised," Rose told him as they walked to Herbology. "I spent quite a bit of time with him before we started dating, you know."
"Well that's true I guess. I don't know it's just rather strange is all."
"Why is that?" she asked defensively.
Warren sighed and laughed quietly. "I don't know. Forget I said anything. I am happy for you."
"Thank you." She smiled in satisfaction and then nudged him with her elbow. "How about you and Springer? You looked to be getting on quite well at the Ball this weekend…" She wanted to get some information about his feelings so she could report back to Emily that night.
"Yeah, we had a good time."
Rosemary sensed hesitation in his voice, as if he were holding back from saying something he was thinking. She decided it best not to pursue it any further though, it wasn't really her place to delve into their relationship or lack thereof. In any case, they had finally made it to Herbology and took their seats just as Professor Beery began to greet the class.
Class dragged on; she glanced at her watch the entire time, ready to leave and go to Potions so she could see Tom again. It was so nice to look forward to seeing him without feeling anxious. She felt her heart flutter constantly, which picked up speed when she thought back to all of the wonderful memories they had made in just two days of being an official couple. Finally, she could allow herself to fall for him entirely. It felt so damn good.
Though she thought the end of the class period might never arrive, it did. Warren walked with her into the castle, where they parted ways so that she could go to the dungeons for Potions and he to the Ravenclaw Tower.
Tom was already there when she arrived, along with about half of their class. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Faye send her a little wave, but she didn't glance over and return it. She was still upset at her friend's apparent betrayal by acting friendly toward Rebecca.
As Rose took her seat next to him, she fought the urge to kiss him; it wouldn't be appropriate in the classroom. "Hi," she said with a smile.
"Hi," he smiled back at her.
"Happy Valentine's Day, class! It seems only fit that we brew Amortentia today." Professor Slughorn announced. "You'll find it on page three hundred and twenty two in your textbook."
They began in their usual pattern: Tom fetched the ingredients while Rosemary readied the cauldron. When he returned, she snuck him small smiles and he returned them; the simplicity and lightness of it all made her incredibly happy.
"Excellent work you two! I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Professor Slughorn approached their steaming cauldron and looked at it with satisfaction. "Five points to each of your houses! You're free to go and enjoy your Valentine's Day." It was rather funny to hear Slughorn wish them a happy Valentine's Day; it wasn't as though he knew they were a couple.
"Thank you, Professor," Rose said.
Before they left the room, she took one last smell of their Amortentia. For her, it was a divine mix of the way the air smells after a good rain, Tom's aftershave, and scotch. She packed up her things and left the classroom with Tom following close behind her. As soon as they were out the door and rounded the corner in the hallway, she spun around and stood on her toes to press her lips against his. He met hers with zeal and held her face in his cool hands.
"I did not enjoy depriving myself of that all class," she told him, breaking their kiss.
He smirked. "I'm sorry it's so difficult for you to resist me."
"You aren't sorry at all!"
"You're right."
Rose bit her lip seductively, walking backwards until she felt the wall behind her. She pulled on his tie as she walked and drew him near to her. "And am I supposed to believe that it's so easy for you to resist me?" They were so close together that she could feel his breath on her face.
"Can't you tell?" He said playfully, speaking quietly into her ear.
"You two! Just because it's Valentine's Day does not indicate you can just roam the halls snogging while you should be in class!"
The two of them whipped their heads in the direction of the voice and saw Professor Flannigan, the exceptionally strict woman that taught History of Magic, walking toward them. Tom backed away from Rose immediately, turning bright red and straightening his tie. It was the first time she had seen him genuinely flustered. She may have found it amusing if she wasn't feeling the exact same way herself.
When Professor Flannigan recognized them, an incredulous look spread across her face. "Mr. Riddle, Miss Horton? Are you on prefect duty right now?"
"No, Professor. We just got through with Potions; we finished early," Tom said quickly.
"Ah…well I'll let it slide this time because it's the two of you, but don't make a habit of it. It's really against school policy to be doing that sort of thing."
What sort of thing? Rose wondered. Standing close together? She rolled her eyes mentally at the teacher's rather ridiculous allegiance to the rules. Rose didn't even know if something like this was included in the Hogwarts policies.
The couple nodded and she strode away. As soon as she was out of earshot, she turned to Tom and said, "That was uncomfortable."
He seemed to have regained his composure, but still looked rather shaken. "It was…" She started to laugh and after a bit of hesitation, she was pleased that he joined in. He laced his fingers between hers and said, "Come, I'll walk you to lunch."
During lunch and throughout the rest of the day, Rose experienced more jealous looks than ever before. Now, Tom was hers and no one else had even a shot at getting him. Her newfound popularity was both intimidating and flattering. Some of the younger girls in each of their houses had even come up to her and asked for all the details of how he asked her out over the weekend. This presented a bit of a problem; she couldn't exactly tell anyone that he had taken her to the Chamber of Secrets. Nor did she want to reveal the details of their snogging session in his dormitory. But admittedly, Rose rather liked the attention, so she offered an alternative story to entertain them, where Tom and Rose had allegedly kissed for the first time in the Slytherin Common Room while the ball was still going on.
The younger girls weren't the only ones fishing for details, though. When Rose returned to her dormitory for the day, Emily and Loretta were questioning her from the moment she stepped through the door. Both of them seemed quite happy for her; even Emily, which surprised her to some degree. After all, she had loathed Markus and Tom was one of his close friends. Rose asked her about this and she explained that Tom seemed much more polite: a stark contrast to Markus' rather crude nature.
"Just please promise us you won't abandon us like Faye," Loretta said in an annoyed voice. It wasn't only Rose that had been avoiding Faye; Loretta and Emily were a bit miffed at her too for consistently deserting them to spend time with Adam.
"I won't," she promised.
As if on cue, Faye arrived at the dormitory. Rose grew agitated almost immediately; the apparently budding friendship of Rebecca and Faye was a new wound that seemed to get worse and worse, especially because she constantly saw them together on their boyfriends' arms.
"We're heading to dinner, want to come Rose?" Loretta asked. Clearly, they weren't interested in putting in effort to spend time with Faye.
"I'm fine, you two go ahead," she said.
When they left the room, Faye turned to her and said, "How nice of them to invite me."
"They probably thought you were having dinner with Adam," she shrugged, trying to sound disinterested.
"Well, I probably will. But how rude of them, not even bothering to invite me when I'm right here!" Faye rolled her eyes, but then her expression changed and she began to beam at Rose. "Anyway, I haven't seen you all weekend and I have a guess why: his name starts with 'T' and-"
"Yes, I was with Tom," Rose cut her off.
"You're no fun. Did the monthly start today?"
"No."
"Okay…well let's have it, what are the details?! It's all anyone at Hogwarts is talking about. I'm so happy that I can finally gloat about being right about you two. I knew you liked him all along. God knows why, but I'm happy if you're happy I suppose."
"Why do you need the details from me if it's all anyone is talking about?"
"You're my best friend. I want to hear it from you!"
Rose scoffed and said, "I'm not your best friend, Rebecca Orion is." It had come out before she could think about it and regretted it immediately. She realized how immature it sounded, but it was too late to take it back.
"You know that's not true. I'm only being friendly with her because she's always around when I'm with Adam. I want his friends to like me, you know!"
"Weren't you the one giving me shit for the same thing when Tom and I first started talking? Remember, you thought I wanted to impress Markus by acting nice to Tom? Weren't you the one that said it was ridiculous to try to do such a thing?"
"It's different-"
"No, it's not," Rose snapped, her temper flaring further at Faye's denial. "You are such a hypocrite and a terrible friend at that! How can you betray me like this? Orion was sleeping with my boyfriend and made it as obvious as possible every chance she got. We used to make fun of her and Hornby for falling all over every guy in Slytherin!"
Faye looked hurt for a moment, but it turned to anger almost instantly. "Oh, I'm the terrible friend? You're the one who lied to my face for months about how you felt about Tom! Besides, you didn't even care about Markus!"
"I can't believe you!" Rose's voice was rising and soon she was yelling at Faye. "Are you honestly saying what she did is okay?"
"Like you're the shining star of morality," Faye sneered. "Going for the ex's best friend; very classy Rose!
She stopped, feeling tears approach her eyes at Faye's words and forcing herself not to let them fall. Rose wasn't yelling anymore when she said, "You're such a selfish bitch."
"You can think that. I don't really care," Faye snapped and picked up her bag, storming out of the room. When she got to the door, she stopped and turned around to look at Rose one last time. "You know what else? I'm beginning to like Becca quite a bit!"
"Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired." – Robert Frost
Oh, geez. Teenage girl drama...brings me back to the 'ol high school days.
In other news, I had this crazy dream that my mom was using my laptop and found my fic and read it...what the hell? I think this means I'm spending WAY too much time thinking about Tom and Rose. It probably doesn't help that I do nearly all of my writing between the hours of 11pm and 3am (hooray for college life...), right before I go to bed.
I think I'll sleep better at night if you shoot me a review...just saying.(; Hahah, I kid, but I would love to hear some more of your thoughts!
Next Chapter: Slughorn has a surprise Slug Club guest and there will be some lemony action between Mr. Riddle and Miss Horton later in the chapter.