how it feels to be alive {tom riddle}

forty-five: halloween

HALLOWEEN

Things had been relatively calm for the first few weeks of classes for the year. Most evenings Tom and Lucia spent getting through the large quantities of homework they'd received. Tom always finished his early, being the teachers pet he pretended to be, but he quite enjoyed watching Lucia study and she in turn enjoyed the company.

Tom had been excelling in his studies, of course, and Lucia had only managed to get one detention for being out after curfew since the previous time, which was a rather good run for her.

They hadn't talked about Lucia confessing that she loved him since it happened, but they'd both thought about it of course. Lucia knew that the concept of love was a sensitive one for Tom, considering he was conceived under a love potion and likely couldn't feel the emotion himself, so she just tried to show Tom how deserving of love he was through her actions.

Finally, Halloween had arrived, along with some very chilly Autumnal weather. The Hogwarts castle had been covered in decorations for the event, a rather impressive sight prepared by the elves. In the Great Hall for breakfast that morning, there were a multitude of bats fluttering above, swooping around the tables like a large black cloud of leathery wings and beady eyes.

The evening feast was heavily Halloween themed, with many pumpkin themed pastries and scary looking treats scattered across the table. Large jack-o'-lanterns floated above, lighting up the hall with a warm orange glow.

The ghosts were especially lively this evening, gallivanting around between the tables and through the swarms of bats shouting out to each other. The Bloody Baron and Sir Nicholas were provoking each other from opposite ends of the Great Hall.

All students were sitting with their houses for the feast, Lucia beside Lysander with Lorcan and another couple of Ravenclaws from their year level scattered around them. Across the room, Lucia could see Tom sitting among the other Slytherins feigning interest in what they were speaking about while biting his cheek.

"Have you guys worked out costumes for tonight? I hear Slytherin isn't letting anyone in not dressed up." The Ravenclaw boy from Lucia's Care of Magical Creatures class named Alex asked the table.

He was referring to the annual Halloween party that the Slytherin's hosted in the Room of Requirement, most times of which was shut down due to some kind of illicit activity being witnessed by a professor. It had been a tradition for many years, thankfully no younger year levels were allowed to attend, because things usually got quite out of hand.

"We've got something sorted." Lysander answered, biting into a pumpkin pasty.

"Yeah, I've organised something too." Lucia assured, a smile playing on her lips.

"Are you and Tom doing a costume together?" Lysander asked out of curiousity, biting into a roast potato.

"Yes actually." Lucia smiled, "Are you guys dressing up together?"

"No, Lysander has ditched me to dress up with a bloody Hufflepuff girl." Lorcan grumbled, narrowing his eyes at Lysander and shoving a fork full of peas into his mouth.

"Well I can't wait to see." Lucia said through laughter, "But more importantly I can't wait to get absolutely plastered."

"Us too, we're bringing a shit tonne of Giggle Water." Lysander agreed, his eyes alight.

***

As Lucia walked towards the seventh floor with Lorcan, Lysander and the Hufflepuff girl she didn't know, the sound of her white heels sharply echoed throughout the hall. It was rather cold in her white slip dress, but she knew she would be hot once more alcohol was swimming through her veins. Of course she had pre-drank with Lysander, but she planned on drinking much more over the course of the night.