Broken Wings / tom riddle

Chapter 15 - Slugclub

Tom's skin burned from the impact of her slap. He raised his hand to feel the heat that radiated off of his inflamed cheek. Briar had ran off quickly after she had done it. Good. It showed she was scared of him, and what he might do.

The little witch was becoming a lot more trouble recently and Tom could not stop thinking about her. There was something very odd about the so called "pureblood" girl. She had the etiquette and the jewels that support her high society background story but it was the knowledge she seemed to lack. Uncultured, almost like she had spent her entire life locked away in a dungeon.

Then of course there was the dreams.

The night Briar had touched him, she visited him in his dreams. Tom rarely dreamt, when he would sleep he'd only remember the blissfulness of the black that plagued his mind and vision. But no, that night was different.

She was crying on the floor of the bathroom, surrounded by the bodies of her peers. Her hands were covered with that same tingling black colour that represented her magic, and the bodies lying dead were plagued by it too. When she saw him she simply pleaded for him to take it away, "to make it all stop," and Tom felt a strange urge that repulsed him. He wanted to. He wanted to help her. Do whatever she was asking him to do.

That is why Tom had been so harsh to her today, he needed to hate her. 

____

The common room was empty besides a few first year Slytherins that Briar yelled at to leave. She crouched down next to the large window and fought back the tears that were welling in her eyes. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want to allow Tom to have that power over her, but the truth is Briar felt powerless when she was around him. After the first few sobs had left her mouth, she tried fo keep as silent as she could. She didn't want anyone to see her like this.

Briar felt a pair of strong arms embrace her from behind. At first, the smell of his cologne caused her body to tense up but slowly she relaxed into the boy and turned around to face him. Aleks pulled her in closer for a proper hug. The two did not speak, nothing really could be said, he just wanted to comfort her.

After a few moments, Aleks spoke, "What happened?" Briar pulled a hanky from her robes and dabbed her nose with it.

"I suppose it's rather improper for you to see me like this, all snotty," she laughed through another cry.

"Briar-," he began.

"Nothing happened. Just Tom being Tom as you'd say." She wiped her tears.

"You are under no obligation to listen to me Briar, but I hope that you do because there is something that you deserve to hear," he took a breath, "I am so sorry for what I did to you. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't play Quidditch."

Briar wasn't sure what to think. A part of her still wanted to be angry with him. But most of her new he was just another victim of Tom's cruel ways.

"I cannot say I forgive you Aleks, but I can say I want to try and move on," she held the boys hands in hers.

Aleks' heart was beating loudly from her touch, he still cared for her and he hoped one day he could earn back her trust and they could maybe give things a seconds chance. They were still young, but he thought Briar would make an excellent wife, people like them married young, it was what was expected of them. She was a Slytherin, Pureblood, rich, beautiful, a little clueless on some cultural aspects of wizarding society but that was something she could learn.

Perhaps for once his parents would praise him for bringing home the perfect girl. But then there was also the fact that he loved her, he always thought he'd be married off to someone who he never loved. Briar made him think there was hope for him to have love in his life.

"Slughorn is throwing a Christmas party tonight for some of his best students before we leave for Christmas break tomorrow. I'm invited, god knows why, I'm terrible at potions. But would you care to accompany me? As a friend?" he asked.

"As only friends?" Briar raised an eyebrow.

"Of course! Be ready at 7," he said. And then he left through the door.

____

Briar walked into the potion teacher's office, arm linked with Avery. A familiar behaviour that she had come to realise she had missed. She wore a long black dress made of silk with a black fur throw to keep her warm. The decorations were extreme, Slughorn spared no expense to impress the wealthy heir's and heiress's that he invited. He approached the pair. A part of Briar was a little hurt she wasn't included in this elite group known as the 'Slugclub' but it was probably because she was a nobody at Hogwarts, no one knew her family or her last name so no one really cared about her that much to invite her to fancy parties.

"Ah Mr. Avery! Oh and Miss Emeralds! Looking quite ravishing both of you! Miss Emeralds you must attend the next dinner party I host as one of my guests, not one of Mr Avery's," he laughed and patted to boy on the shoulder. "I should be going now, other guests to greet."

Briar looked at Aleks, "What?" he asked.

"He's only interested in me now because I'm an accessory on your arm!"

"He's old Briar don't let his actions trouble you." Aleks said as he patted her hand with his. "Look there's our friends let's go over," he said gesturing to the group of Slytherin's standing at the back of the party. She wasn't sure if she could call them her friends once again, not just yet. But were they ever really her friends?

"Well well well, isn't this a familiar sight," Gabriel said eyeing the pair up and down.

"We're here as friends," Aleks answered. But Briar couldn't help but notice the look on Riddle's face, he looked almost annoyed but when he caught her looking him, his expression changed back to the expressionless face he wears most days.

"Well if it's just friendship your date won't mind if I steal her away to help me carry some drinks," Gabriel said with a cheeky grin, he held out his hand and kissed the top of Briar's knuckles. He escorted her over to the drink table making jokes to her about Avery. She couldn't help but notice how much nicer he was being towards her now that she was back in their group again, Genevieve's words rang in her ear, we take care of our own, perhaps the Slytherin crew weren't that bad after all. They were just loyal to each other and no one else.

They returned a moment later with drinks for everyone. They chatted a bit, Briar went and spoke to other people at the party. The rest of the Slytherin did not. Instead they stayed near the back exchanging bottles of alcohol discreetly, although Briar was sure she saw some staff watching, but none dared to say anything, not to the young group of elites.

Casper and Genevieve were dancing, Abraxas had headed back to the common room early, and Lestrange and Avery were acting like drunken fools outside. Briar sat alone at the table, wondering if she should just leave, when Tom approached her.

"I finished the assignment, no thanks to your help," he said as he sat at the table.

"Thank you," was all Briar managed to say at first but then she realised she should apologise, "I'm sorry for slapping you," she spat out quickly. He just looked at her and said nothing.

"Going anywhere for the holidays?" she asked him.

"For the first half, no. I'm staying here. But for the second, the Avery's are a throwing a ball so I must attend and then I'm going to stay with them until we return." He sounded like the conversation was boring him. "You?" he asked her a few moments later.

"No, I'm staying here," she replied softly. Tom hummed. She was unsure why, but a part of her wished he would continue speaking, but he did not. He stood up from the table and straightened his suit.

"Don't be late to class tomorrow, we're presenting first," he said and then stood up quickly and left.