You Promised Me→♡•°Tom Riddle°•♡

Chapter 24

"Axel, what do you want?" Faith asked angrily. She really was not in the mood for her obnoxious brother today.

Axel rolled his eyes, "Trust me Faith, I don't want to be here either." Faith crossed her arms impatiently as Axel took a letter out of his robe pocket and held it up to her.

"What's that?"Faith asked warily.

Axel sighed deeply, "A letter from our parents."

Faith momentarily widened her eyes. She was also really not in the mood for her parents.

"Apparently, you haven't been reading their letters." Axel raised an accusatory eyebrow.

"No, I haven't. Why should I? All they ever write about in their letters is how disappointing of a daughter I am, and how I should be more like you." Faith narrowed her eyes at the letter in her brothers hands.

"Well," Axel sighed,"as you refuse to be sensible and read their letters, they wrote to me, and informed me that you are required to come home with me for christmas."

Faith widened her eyes with protest, looking Axel in the eyes. "What? No!"

Axel rolled his eyes, "Stop whining, Faith. They will be hosting the usual christmas party this year, and have decided it's about time you participate with your family, instead of embarrassing us all."

Faith's anger subsided, leaving her expression pained and sad. The last thing Faith wanted was to go back home for christmas. Too many memories. Too much solitude.

"Axel," Faith spoke quietly and sadly, looking her brother in the eyes, "You know better than anyone why I hate it there. I can't go back there. Not yet."

Axel looked at his sister, his teary eyed, tired sister, and for a split second, Faith saw his expression soften slightly with sympathy. He quickly returned to his old self, stony faced and cold,

"You'll manage, Faith. I'll see you back at home."

With that, Axel walked away, leaving Faith staring at his back, frozen in place.

Faith couldn't deal with this now. She'd have to find a way out of this, but for now, she had a detention to go to. Composing herself and taking a deep breath, Faith walked to the door again where Tom was waiting, his brows furrowed.

"Is everything-" Tom started.

"I'll tell you later," Faith gave him a weak smile, kissed his cheek gently, and entered Mcgonigal's office.

☆

The detention wasn't as bad as Faith had expected. Professor McGonagall and Professor Slughorn were waiting for her in the office, and informed Faith that she was to clean the trophies for tonight and report back to McGonigal's office once she finished.

Faith walked into the office where McGonigal was waiting for her, as she marked papers at her desk.

"Ah, Silvers. Please, take a seat."

Faith took a seat opposite her teacher compliantly.

"After hearing other accounts of what happened in the library this afternoon, Professor Slughorn and I have decide that you are to report to his office for the rest of the week, and assist him in cleaning the cauldrons."

Faith was slightly taken a back at this, she'd expected her punishment to be far worse, "Only a week, Professor?"

"Are you requesting a longer punishment, Miss Silvers?" McGonigal raised an eyebrow at Faith.

"Oh, no no, not all," Faith assured.

McGonigal smiled slightly, continuing, "After hearing Mr Riddle's account of what occured, it was clear you were simply defending a friend. Now, of course, violence is absolutely never the answer, but your head of house and I agree that you were acting somewhat nobally."

Faith widened her eyes, smiling to herself. Tom stuck up for her.

"I will excuse you now, Miss Silvers."

"Thank you Professor," Faith smiled, getting to her feet and leaving the office and closing the door behind her.

And there he was, as promised. Tom was leaning against the wall, head buried in a book, and looked up at Faith as she approached him.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Tom," She smiled at him, taking his hand in hers.

Tom smirked in reply, putting a hand on the small of her waist and bringing her close to him, kissing her.

"Let's get you to the room of requirement," he whispered as he pulled away from the kiss, walking down the corridor.

Everything that had happened that day, the distress and worry, seemed to dissolve into nothingness as Faith looked into Toms eyes.