Tromedlov - A Tom Riddle Love Story

9 - Midnight Lessons

After I'd left his dormitory, I endured another night of restless sleep, and all of Sunday he seemed to have disappeared out of my sight.

Tom appeared back on Monday, but hardly gave me an opportunity to be around him.

I figured he needed some distance after everything he confided in me, so I let him be.

It was in Thursday's midnight Astronomy class that he decided to start interacting again.

After an hour of trying to locate all the moons of Jupiter to jot down on my star chart, I grew tired of being hunched down so decided to step away from my telescope for a stretch.

In doing so, I managed to step on my own cloak, causing my shoes to get tangled and was about to fall on my back when arms came around me and pushed me back up.

I turned around and met brown eyes, but another voice distracted me.

"Miss Klane, best be careful! Quick thinking Mr Riddle! Take five points."

I groaned "Yes Professor," and faced a smug looking Tom, who turned back to his telescope behind me.

"You know for a witch, you're extraordinarily unbalanced. Perhaps you should give more thought to your cushioning charms."

My eyes grew wide.

"It's my cloak! I keep stepping on it... I don't understand why it's so long," I shot back defensively.

He came up from his telescope and looked down at my body, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks.

He stepped closer towards me, but no one noticed as they were further away on the tower.

He gently grabbed the hem of my robe near the collar and ran his hands down it, careful not to touch me.

"You mean my cloak."

"Wha-" then realisation hit and I looked down.

Now that I actually thought about it, this cloak was longer and bigger than what I normally wear.

I must have grabbed it accidentally when I was running late.

"Oh, I forgot I still had it."

I went to remove it when he grabbed my hand with his cold one.

"Leave it. You'll get cold."

I nodded, not meeting his eyes and went back to star-gazing.

Our lesson finished half an hour later and I took my time packing up so Tom could leave with Abraxas and the others. 

Once done, I turned around however to see Tom and I the only ones left.

"Ready?"

I nodded.

We started walking and just as we were about to descend the stairs, he glided his hand into mine and pulled me closer, causing me to look up.

"Wouldn't want you to fall again because of my cloak."

We walked back to my dormitory door, hands still entwined when I turned around.

"Goodnight Tom."

He kept staring at me and didn't let go.

I started tugging my hand away but his grip only tightened, causing him to smirk.

"This isn't funny! I'm tired..." I gave up.

He unexpectedly pulled me, so that I almost bumped into him, but my free hand went up to hang onto his shoulder just in time, though it wasn't needed as he put his arm around me.

We were so close now that I could see the black pupils of his eye.

"It seems that you have taken a liking to my possession Rana," he said, seductively?

"Right..." I breathed out, distracted by how close to his face I was and the intensity of his eyes.

I seemed to stop breathing altogether when his spare hand came close to my face and gently tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear.

"The Hogsmeade visit is next weekend, and you will be accompanying me," his minty breathe tickled my face.

I snapped out of my trance.

"Is that your way asking me?" I remarked rather loudly compared to his whisper.

He almost rolled his eyes.

"As a companion."

"Oh..." I looked away, confused by my dejected voice and sinking heart.

"Now if you would let go Rana, I would like to get some sleep."

"What?" I snapped back to look at his eyes, then realised that his arm was no longer around me but my hand was still hanging onto his shoulder.

"Sorry."

"For what?" With that he turned around and walked off.