how it feels to be alive {tom riddle}

fifty-six: christmas

CHRISTMAS

A thick blanket of white, fluffy snow covered the roads and buildings of Hogsmeade. Many people were milling around the streets wearing large coats and fleecy gloves, getting any last minute Christmas gifts or food.

It was Christmas Eve, and Lucia and Tom stood on the outskirts of the small magical town, feeling well and truly full from the copious feast at Hogwarts.

Despite Tom's apparent dislike for Christmas as a holiday, Lucia insisted on taking him out and away from the castle.

"Close your eyes." Lucia smiled gleefully, looking at him expectantly with slightly red glazed eyes. She was wearing a thick, long black coat with a cream tartan scarf and black beanie, but the ice-cold air still brought a rosy tint to her cheeks.

Tom gave her a slightly concerned look, but shut his eyes in defeat. Lucia took a moment to admire his calm features, the cold bringing colour to his cheeks and the tip of his nose. His knitted jumper and black pants were covered by the dark grey of his coat, a black scarf slung around his neck. Lucia's hand slid into his, lacing their fingers before turning on the spot and apparating.

When the harsh pressure from all directions subsided, their feet landed on the cold stone of the street. As Tom began to open his eyes, Lucia slapped a hand over them. "Not yet!" She whined, pulling him toward the exit of the alleyway and onto the colourfully lit street.

Tom appeared slightly unnerved by his blindness, but a smirk crept onto his lips at the sound of Lucia laughing at him. An array of colours danced behind his eyes, flashing and morphing in a frenzy of chromatics that were almost dizzying.

She finally stopped walking, grasping his other hand in her own so that they were standing face-to-face. "Okay, you can open your eyes now." 

Tom's eyes fluttered open, slightly disoriented from the everchanging hues sashaying across his vision. When his eyes focused, he saw before him a monumental arrangement of Christmas lights, with an absurdly large tree central to the scene. Around the tree, people on ice skates circled hand-in-hand, with small stalls placed on the outskirts of the rink bearing Christmas goods.

When he looked back down to Lucia in front of him, her eyes were focused on him. The kaleidoscopic light was reflected in her irises, light washings of colour illuminating her skin. 

"To be quite honest, I was expecting some club playing bad Christmas music." Tom chuckled, "But this..." His voice trailed off.

"If you want the club, we can go to a club. But I know you are kind of over the partying, and I didn't think you'd ever had a proper Christmas as a child." Lucia explained, giving his hands a squeeze. "I thought you deserved to visit Christmas lights and an ice-skating rink with someone who loves you."

Tom felt that strange constriction in his chest and uncomfortable but pleasurable tingle in his stomach. "Thank you." He said gently, looking around once more at the closest thing to magic in the muggle world.

It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. At the orphanage they were sometimes lucky enough to get a donated meal for Christmas day, and some new socks and underwear to last the year. But when he got to Hogwarts, the magnificent feasts and decorations went almost unnoticed for him, having not seen any point in the celebration.

This was different though, and it wasn't even about the place really. It was that someone had gone out of their way without his manipulation to do something like this for him purely because they loved him.

Lucia leant up to press a soft kiss to his lips before letting go of one hand and pulling him toward the display. Once they had hired skates from a small stall beside the rink, Lucia first went onto the ice. Tom followed her, carefully stepping onto the slippery surface.