Broken Wings / tom riddle

Chapter 34 - Leaving

"Give it back you git!" Briar laughed chasing Casper around the common room as he towered over her holding her shirt way above her reach. Casper was a frail boy, but he was very tall.

"Oh yes you need all these fancy shirts for your vacation with Riddle," he teased.

"It's not a vacation!" She protested still jumping, trying to reach her blouse. "He's helping me with something. Merlin Rosier! Give it back!" Finally Casper dropped the shirt and threw his arms around Briar as she bent down to pick it up. He lifted her and swung her onto the couch playfully. They both laughed. A few fourth years were looking at them with funny expressions.

"In all seriousness though, please be careful." He squeezed her hand.

"Casper," she began.

"Look I know you and Riddle have something going on, it's none of my business. But he's still Riddle. Look after yourself and owl me if you need." She nodded slowly.

"Thank you Rosier." She threw her arms around him.

"Ready?" A smooth voice spoke from behind. They broke their hug and turned to face Riddle. He looked at them with a raised eyebrow. "Rosier, you best be off now, wouldn't want to be late now would you?"

Casper walked past Tom and lifted his bag from the ground. "Riddle," he acknowledged him with wide eyes as he passed the dark wizard.

"I wish you wouldn't be so rude to him. He's just my friend," Briar said standing from the couch.

"Friends shouldn't touch each other so much like that."

"Well it's not like you touch me like that Riddle."

"Is that a challenge?" He cocked his head. She made sinful eye contact with him as she lifted her bag. "You're going to have to try harder than that Emeralds."

She strutted over to the boy. "I didn't have to try very hard to get you to-"

"Shh," he raised his finger to her lips. "It's unladylike." She pouted and twirled his curl with her finger. "Stop that." He grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his hair. "We need to leave, come on."

____

Dumbledore had refused Briar permission to leave with Tom for the Easter holidays. However, Tom took it upon himself to speak to Dippet about it. He didn't have any objections. In fact he thought it was a good thing. Tom had told him he recently got in touch with his muggle father and they were going to visit him for Easter. Briar knew his father was dead. He'd killed him, but the headmaster didn't know that.

The train ride was long. Tom and Briar shared the head boy and girl compartment. Tom gave her a bottle of water as they got comfortable, she took a sip. She let out a small chuckle. "What?" Tom questioned from opposite her.

"It's just that, when I first came to Hogwarts on this train I sat in this compartment unknowingly." She smiled.

"Yes, and Black reprimanded you for it," he paused at the end of the sentence as he saw her face fall at the mention of Genevieve. "It was our first meeting. I knew you were going to be a pain in the backside from the second I laid eyes on you." He smirked. "What did you think of me?" he asked.

"That you were the most beautiful man I've ever seen." She gasped and covered her mouth.

"What else?" His smirk grew wider.

"I wanted to run my fingers through your hair." She covered her mouth again. "What have you done to me Riddle?!" She was outraged. "You put Veritaserum in that water, didn't you!"