Don't Let Me Fall (a Tom Riddle not-so-short-short-story)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

       Rose walked into the Slytherin common rooms later that night, only to be hit by a burst of unbearable pain. Her screams were silent as tears poured down her face. After a few moments that felt like eternity her, the pain stopped and was replaced by a cold voice.

       She recognized the voice of Tom Riddle, "Rose, Rose, Rose. Did you really think I wouldn't punish you for talk back to me like that? I always punish my followers that don't behave." Rose looked up to meet the dark, cold, cruel , green eyes of Tom.

       Rose stood up shakily, "How many times must I tell you Riddle? I am not a follower of yours. I will never follow you. You are weak! Pathetic! I will never follow anyone like you!"

       Tom laughed a dark laugh, flicking his wand, Rose fell to the ground screaming. No one came to her rescue. She knew no one would. Everyone in Slytherin was too scared of Tom. Tom smiled and stopped her torment, "Weak! I am not weak! I am the most powerful wizard in the school! You may claim to never follow me but you heart already does! Soon the rest of you will, even if it means I must imperio you, hurt you, force you to see my way!"

       Rose stood up again, refusing to give in, "You are a coward. I will never follow a coward like you!" Rose quickly used wandless magic to summon her wand, "You are not the most powerful wizard in Hogwarts, Dumbledore is! Expelliarmus!" The spell flew through the air but Tom stopped it just in time.

"You have your wand on you? Hmm. It's getting late. I'm too tired for this." Tom started to leave. 

"Too tired now, are you?" Rose let out a tired yet insane laugh. "Yet seconds ago you weren't too tired to torture me?" Rose smiled and began to taunt him, "Are you too scared? Think I'm stronger than you?"

Tom paused then spun around in rage, "Everte Statum!"

Rose blocked it and responded with, "Endomorphs!"

"Aqua Eructo!"

"Avifors!"

Tom rolled his eyes, "Stop trying to turn me into animals! Baubillious!"

Rose smiled psychotically, "I'm no killer like you! Bombarda Maxima!"

Tom laughed, "That's more like it! Confringo!"

"I'm not here to please you! Diffindo!" Rose responded, her spells becoming more dark.

"Glacius!"

"Ducklifors!" Rose attempted to turn Tom into a duck.

All of a sudden the common room door opened and Slughorn entered, looking angry. That distracted  both Tom and Rose from each other's spells, Tom was turned into a yellow duck and Rose was frozen in ice.

Slughorn saw Tom the Duck quacking angrily at the frozen Rose. "What is going on in here? What are you two doing!" With a flick of his wand Slughorn transformed Tom back to normal and thawed Rose. "I want an explanation right now!"

Tom smiled charmingly at the professor, "Why sir, Rose and I were just practicing dueling, that's all."

Slughorn looked at Rose for confirmation. Rose quickly dried off and nodded, "Yes, just friendly dueling that's all. I'm sorry if we bothered you."

Slughorn waved her off, "It's fine. I was worried I had two students trying to kill each other or cause serious harm. Now it's late. I think it's time for you two to head off to bed, you're the last ones down here! Go on now. Goodnight." Slughorn made sure the two students went their separate way before leaving for bed himself.

Rose laid in bed that night think of Tom, his smooth and comforting voice, his laugh, his green eyes, his perfect ivory skin, his mouth, his nose, his everything. She was in love with him but he did not love her back, he never would. Tom Riddle could never love, but she could, and she loved the one person who would never be able to love her back.

Staring at the ceiling she mummered, "Please don't let me fall in love with him. I can't fall for him. Why can't I love Faolan? Don't let me fall, I beg anyone who can hear me. I can't take the pain."