Change → Tom Riddle

23

"It's so weird sharing a common room with him," Olivia told Gabriella. Eve was currently somewhere with her brother. "I don't know what it is, it's just... I guess he's more sociable? Until someone else comes in, that is." Olivia knew why she found it weird, but she couldn't tell Gabriella that. 
"Maybe he's in love with you?" Gabriella suggested. 
"Dios, you're such a romantic." Olivia threw a sofa cushion at her; they were currently in the Head's Common Room. Gabriella giggled. 
"Okay, listen. I can't read into his mind. But I don't think he's good with emotion and I think you make him feel... emotion," Gabriella put it. Olivia sighed. "I think you feel emotion for him, too." Olivia snorted. 
"We're calling it emotion from now on. Eve!" Olivia called, as her friend walked in with Andrew. "We're calling love 'emotion' now." 
"Cool." 
"Hi, Gabriella, Olivia," Andrew greeted. Olivia nodded and Gabriell replied with a 'hi'. "Have you seen Tom or Abraxas or Evan?" 
"Yeah, they're upstairs," Gabriella told him. 
"Thank you." Andrew smiled and dashed off. Gabriella sighed dreamily, and so Olivia threw another sofa cushion at her. 
"You're feeling emotion!" 
"I know! I can't help it," Gabriella added as an afterthought. 
"What if he feels emotion for you back?" Eve suggested. Gabriella's head snapped over to her. 
"Does he? Does he? Does he? Eve?" 
"I don't know." 
"Eve. Eve."  Eve shrugged and mumbled some more; this time, Olivia threw the sofa cushion at her.

By the time the other two girls had gone, it was quite late at night; near the dead of it. Olivia hadn't retreated to her bedroom, but was instead reading on the sofa. The fact was she didn't really want to sleep- the dreams about Tom were reoccuring, and quite frankly, they frightened her a little. Alas, she would spent as long as she could downstairs, making sure Tom was in his room before going up herself. She had thought about a Sleeping Drought, but she was extremely allergic to lavender, which left it out of the equation. Tonight, however, it seemed to be different. 
"Olivia," Tom called. She turned to see him at the top of the stairs. "Why aren't you in bed yet?"
"I'm not tired," she replied simply, returning her focus to her book. 
"It's midnight."
"Lo sé," she answered. "I can read the time." Tom smiled. Oliva had known him long enough to tell his real smile from a grimace. 
"Go to bed," he advised. Olivia sighed. 
"Do you need the common room?" she inquired. "Because I can go. A simple 'please' and 'thank you' would suffice in return." Tom looked at his feet. 
"That would be so kind of you," he replied. Olivia smiled. 
"That is all you had to ask." Olivia stood up, bookmarked her book and made her way up the stairs. Before she made the journey to her room, Tom stopped her by grabbing her waist. 
"Olivia, is there a reason you stay up this late?" he questioned, brushing her hair out her face. "Are you having trouble sleeping at night?" 
"Maybe," Olivia said vaguely. Tom cupped her face so she was looking at him, but it was only for a second. He let her go. 
"Buenas noches, Tom."
"Buenas noches."

Olivia had been lying in bed for what seemed all night (really, it had only been an hour); tossing and turning, unwilling to force herself to sleep but compelling herself to do so anyway. At this moment in time, she was facing her window, away from the door, watching the candle on her bedside table cast flittering light onto her curtains. She believed, for a minute, she heard the door creak open, but disregarded it, assuming she imagined it. What Olivia didn't imagine was someone get into her bed and wrap their arms around her. Olivia rolled over, wand in hand, ready to cast a hex, only to see Tom. 
"You sleep with your wand in your hand?" he whispered. 
"You sneak into girls' beds whilst they're sleeping?" she retaliated. 
"Fair," he replied. 
"Why are you doing this?" Olivia asked. Tom didn't reply. He kissed the top of her head. 
"Vete a dormir," he told her. 
"Spanish. Nice," she mumbled, and then she closed her eyes. 

"Okay, Liv, I'm just going to say it. He definitely feels emotions for you," Eve said. 
"Ha!" Olivia exclaimed loudly. "Sure. Tom Riddle does not feel emotions for anyone." She waved her fork about, sending bits of her torrija flying. "Sorry, John," she added, as some landed on him. 
"Liv, Eve's right," Gabriella defended. 
"Thank you," Eve said. "But more to the point, not any guy just helps any girl sleep if they don't feel emotion. Especially without sex." 
"Hey, John, James, Alex," Gabriella called. "Would you sleep with a girl you're not in love with? As in, actual sleeping?" 
"No," John answered. Jame shook his head. 
"Maybe if she was my sister," Alex suggested. The other two boys nodded. 
"Thanks! See? Point made and proven," Eve told her. 
"But Tom's not any normal guy," Olivia pointed out. 
"Exactly!" Eve exclaimed. "That makes it even more obvious. You even call him 'Tom'. No one does that." 
"Another correct fact," Gabriella agreed. 
"Okay, I love you both, but you're both wrong," Olivia claimed. 
"Why are you fighting it so much?" Gabriella enquired. "You'd be such a power couple. You were such a power couple!" 
"She's making the correct facts now," Eve said. Olivia sighed. 
"You love him. Don't you?" Gabriella asked softly. Olivia looked away. 
"There might be a teeny tiny possibility-" 
"Ha!" The other two girls pointed at Olivia, who dropped her head into her hands. 
"We knew it!" Eve called out. 
"You owe me two galleons!" Gabriella squeaked at Eve. Olivia's head darted up. 
"You bet on it?"

--

Lo sé - i know that

 Vete a dormir - go to sleep

torrija - a Spanish breakfast, similar to French Toast