Heart of Darkness

Chapter One

Fifth Year

I was walking down the corridor to Slughorn's room when a seventh year knocked my books out of my hands. "Dunglicker." He growled as he walked by.
"Excuse me for advocating equality, asshole." I said, half to myself as I started picking up my books.
Tom came up and started helping me. "When I rule the world, you'll be a queen." He said.
"Weird Sisters tickets too?" You laugh.
"You'll have all you can want and more." He kissed my hand as we both rose.
I couldn't help but smile. "Why are you so nice to me?"
"Because you're nice to everyone else. Somebody has to do it back to you." He smiled.
I had yet to see what Professor Dumbledore was talking about when he told me to be careful. Tom was nicer to me than anyone else had ever been.
Well, I guess Al was pretty nice. At home, at least. He didn't particularly care about what our parents said too much. At school he was kind of a jerk, though. But it was okay.

I fell asleep on the couch that night, leaning against Tom.
I woke up to him shaking me. "Hey, Angie. Think it's time for bed." He whispered.
"I'm sleeping." I mumbled sleepily. I moved my hands to grab onto his arms so he couldn't let me go. I liked his arms around me. Nobody loved me, not really, but Tom did, even though he wouldn't say it. I actually felt loved with his arms around me.
"You probably should go to your room, though."
"Eh."
"Do you feel safe sleeping out here?" He asked. My eyes were closed, but I could hear the curiosity in his voice.
"You're here, aren't you?" I asked, too tired to even think that I shouldn't have said that.
"Come to my dormitory, then. I don't feel safe out here."
"Why not?" I mumbled.
"Sleeping is vulnerable."
"I'll stay here. You go. Goodnight."
"Come with me. I don't want to leave you out here."
"I'm not moving."
"Are you really going to make me carry you?"
I nodded.
There was jostling, and then he picked me up, carrying me away. I hadn't thought he'd actually do it, but I'd take it. A little bit later, he laid me down on a bed. The bed shifted as he laid beside me. "Goodnight," he whispered.
I mumbled a goodnight and snuggled closer to him. His arm slipped around me.
When I woke up, Tom was already up. He was sitting beside the bed reading a book. "Morning." He said when I sat up, rubbing my eyes.
"Good morning."
"Lucky it's Saturday." He said, flipping the page.
"It is? Goodnight, then." I laid back down.

"My parents died when I was young." Tom told me on the way home for summer break. "I've been in an orphanage as long as I can remember. Merlin, I hate it there."
"I'm sorry, Tom." I reached out and put my hand on his arm.
He looked at me, his eyebrows furrowed.
"What?"
He shook his head.
"You could come stay with me."
"I couldn't intrude."
"My parents wouldn't mind." I said.
"I'll be fine."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what? Oh. Like that. That was weird, wasn't it? Sorry."
I laughed a bit. "It's all right."
"Everyone at the orphanage things I'm odd." He said, looking at me for a second longer before turning to stare out the window.
"I don't think you're odd. Come stay with me."
"No, I'll be okay." He turned to look at me again. "May I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why are you... Why do you... What are we, exactly?"
"The lines are a bit fuzzy." I admitted.
"Would you... What would you like? Would you like to... you know..."
"Make it official?"
"Yes, that." He cracked a nervous grin.
"I would, yes." I smiled.
"Sounds good to me."
"Was that your question?"
"Not really."
"What was it, then?"
"Why are you dating me? Like... Why would you put up with me?"
"You aren't that hard to put up with. It'd be better for me to ask you."
"You're the only one who willingly puts up with me."
"Everybody likes you."
"No. They're frightened of me. Are you?"
"No."
"You aren't?"
"No."
"You probably should be." He said quietly.
I leaned forward and kissed him.
"Can I stay with you?" He asked breathily when I pulled away.
"'Course. If you kiss me again."
So he kissed me again.
The compartment door slid open just then, of course. "Ew, gross! Paws off my cousin, man!" Al said.
"Sod off." Tom shot him a grin, but pulled away.
Al came in and plopped himself down between us. "Ahh, isn't this a nice little ride?" He said after a while.
"For who?" I asked.
"All of us, of course."
"For you, maybe, Mr. Overdramatic."
"Me? Overdramatic? Never!"