Catharsis [Tom Riddle]

Chapter Fifty-Two

 Tom and Avalon glanced up from their schoolwork sprawled out on the table before them when they heard the door to the Room of Requirement open.

Orion and Clara walked in, Orion's hands covering both his own eyes and his girlfriend's as he asked, "Are you both dressed?"

"We're doing our homework, for Merlin's sake," Avalon said, rolling her eyes.

"I had to be sure," he chuckled, lowering his hands. "You never know with you two."

In the last month since Tom had shown Orion the Room of Requirement, the two couples had spent a great deal of time together there. They would meet up after class and work on their assignments together-- the three Sixth Years finishing their homework while Orion forced Tom to help him with his despite being the oldest of the bunch.

Avalon smiled as Clara sat down beside her, looking at the book about magical plants in front of her. "Are you researching for our Herbology project?" she asked.

Avalon nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm going to try and grow Devil's Snare."

Clara's eyes widened and she let out a nervous laugh. "That's quite an... interesting choice."

Avalon laughed, her attention turning to Orion when he excitedly exclaimed, "You guys will never guess what Clara gave me for our anniversary!"

"Charmed seeds?" Avalon said.

"No, seeds that are charmed to- wait, how did you know?" he said, looking between the two laughing girls. "They're incredible. I want to plant one of them by the edge of the Forest so one day when we're all older, we can come back and see how much it's grown."

"What are they charmed with?" asked Tom curiously, his interest peaked.

"They essentially never die. She found a way to make the plants live through all sorts of weather, seasons, and climates. I'm telling you, she's brilliant," Orion smiled, kissing Clara on the cheek before plopping down on the couch behind them.

"How did you charm them to never die?" Tom said, trying to hide how impressed he truly was.

"I researched a few different charms and combined them to create a process that would allow for plants to survive all types of terrain. It was quite easy, actually," Clara said, motioning for Tom to join her as she pulled out a book from her bag and opened it up. He sat beside her, peering over her shoulder as she began showing him different chapters in the book that had helped her come up with the idea.

Avalon quietly stood and went to sit beside Orion on the couch. "What kind of seeds did she give you?" she asked.

"Sycamore," he replied, a look of pure adoration in his eyes as he watched his girlfriend. "I told her a while back that there are a ton of them on the grounds at my house but they look rather dreary during the wintertime. Merlin, she's perfect, Ava," he breathed out quietly.

She smiled, nodding her head. "She is. Have you put any more thought into telling your parents about her?"

He dropped his voice to a whisper, making sure Tom and Clara wouldn't hear. "She seems to think we should hold off for a bit. I can't say I agree with her, but I do see her concern. Perhaps she will change her mind, though-- I really do want to tell them," he said.

"In time, you will," she said, reaching out and giving his hand a slight squeeze.

He nodded absent-mindedly before his eyes lit up and he said, "Did you hear Axel is proposing to Rosalie tonight?"

"No way, that's so exciting!" she gasped.

"I can't wrap my head around it," he laughed. "I've known the wanker for as long as I can remember. It's mental to think the kid who used to be afraid of my bloody pet cat is going to be engaged soon," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm happy for them, though. They belong together."