Before He Was Voldemort (A Tom Riddle Fanfiction)

Chapter 25: Slightly Different Turn

December, 1943

Having now returned to Hogwarts after the short and disastrous day-and-a-half visit back home, Corinne was thankful for the sense of normalcy the school offered, which assuaged the memory of the events from days before. She hoped to put it all behind her and move on with her life. But that was easier said than done.

The first night back at school, Tom had offered to let her sleep on the sofa in the Room of Requirement. Corinne found this surprising and totally unlike him, but did not refuse. Hogwarts was bone-chillingly frigid that night, and the warmth of the room from the roaring fireplace was much too comfortable to leave. Of course still in a state of distress, she was not able to obtain a wink of sleep. It did not help knowing in the back of her mind that Tom was sleeping just a few feet away in his bedroom area, which he'd magically curtained off for privacy.

The next three nights were the same routine. Corinne continued to sleep on the sofa without having to ask, and Tom didn't have to offer a second time. As if sleeping in the same room was completely proper and natural for them. They were also breaking a number of school rules by doing this, which Corinne found kind of invigorating.

Now it was the fourth night, Christmas Eve, when things took a slightly different turn.

* * *

It wasn't long after Corinne fell asleep that nightmares came alive in her dreams. She stirred and whimpered as she dreamt of her parents yelling while beating her, with her siblings- even Cyrus- joining in on the heinous act. Grandfather Scovell also made a brief appearance, his dead corpse rotting in the background while Corinne was being tortured senselessly by her own family.

"Corinne."

A cold hand lightly touched her bare arm, startling her awake. Her body flew upright with a start, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath. A cold sheen of sweat plastered the fine hairs at her hairline to her forehead and her pajama shirt to her back. Her eyes darted wildly around until she found Tom sitting directly beside her, causing her to let out a yelp. His hand was still wrapped around her arm, his cool fingers icy against her flushed skin.

"It's just me," Tom whispered, his thumb beginning to rub smooth circles on her arm. Quickly, he realized what he was doing and abruptly withdrew his hand, scooting away. "I heard you crying out in your sleep, so I came to..."

"Check on me?" Corinne supplied, giving him a small grin.

Tom nodded, not meeting her gaze.

Boldly, Corinne shifted closer to him, lifting her hand to set it on his shoulder when she froze, staring at his entirely bare arm. Her eyes raked over Tom's appearance, studying his choice of nightclothes. He wore a sleeveless white tank top that revealed his surprisingly muscular arms, the fabric clinging to him in a way that displayed the slopes of his chest and stomach, and also had on dark blue striped pajama bottoms. Corinne brought her attention to his arms again, each one corded with taut, sloping muscles. Bulging veins snaked down from his biceps to his wrists, stark blue against his ivory skin.

So that's what's underneath that bulky school uniform he always wears, Corinne thought. She lasciviously wondered what Tom would look like if he weren't wearing the tank top...

"You're staring at me," he suddenly remarked, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "And thinking very indecent thoughts about me."

Corinne flushed deeply, horrified. She frantically shook away her borderline lustful thoughts, feeling as though Tom could read right through her. "I-I was not thinking that way about you," she stammered, letting her hair fall on either side of her face to hide her reddened cheeks. When she heard Tom let out a low chuckle, she huffed in frustration and threw her head back. "Why do I even bother lying to you? Have you looked at yourself? I mean, you're practically throwing yourself at me!"