Star Crossed

Chapter Nineteen- The brave and the cunning

  'Gryffindor was initially a close friend of Slytherin , but over time their friendship deteriorated.' 

I snuggled myself into far corner of one of the large red fabric sofas in the Gryffindor common room, it was a chilly start to November, as the wind howled outside rattling the large arched windows. I sat staring at the large wooden coffee table and the roaring fire place, my thoughts banging against the inside of my head as if trying to escape, I slowly banged my palm against my forehead as if trying to quieten them down in here. 
"Late night?" Amber plonked herself down on the sofa opposite me smiling, she too had wrapped herself up in a cosy cream colored sweater, black shirt and tights, her hair pulled up into a messy bun, her face clean of the make up from the night before, her freckly complexion clearly visible again. 
I avoided her question not wanting to explain that I left earlier than most and yet not having the will to lie to her either, instead I decided to change the subject, 
"So you and Florian? You are in a cheerful mood so I can only assume that it went well," I smiled, yet truly I had no interest in her stories, my head still much too busy drowning within its own thoughts. 
"Oh it was wonderful we-"
What had Tom been doing? This was the second time I had seen him hidden within the cusp of the forbidden forest surrounded by... 'friends' where they friends? I certainly hadn't called any of my friends 'My Lord' nor had any of them ever called me by 'My Lady,'. And then of course there was that night the corridor where he had threatened Malfoy... there is what Malfoy had said not once but twice now to me... warning me... why... about what? The Grim...
"Have you even listened to a word I have just said?" Amber asked, goggling at me in disbelief. 
I bit my lip awkwardly, I had not realised that Amber had been talking this whole time,
"Erm..." I replied sheepishly, "I heard that it was wonderful..."
"Charming," she huffed, 
"I'm sorry," I confessed, dropping my head in my hands, "I'm just really tired, I'm glad you had a wonderful time and I promise if you can find it in you to tell me all about it again when I've had more sleep you will have my full attention," 
"Hmm well okay your forgiven I guess, why its you. Long story short me and Florian are courting," she beamed, obviously too happy about this news to really stay mad at me for long. 
"That's fantastic news," I smiled, "I'm really happy for you both," and this time I really did mean every word.

The library was rather chilly as it always was in the autumn and winter months. I took out my textbook (if you could call it that) 'The monster book of monsters' by Edwardus Lima, it growled at me, I stroked it spine gently as it began to subdue and then opened it up. Professor Kettleburn had told us to go to Chapter Six before our next lesson and read through the section on Hippogriffs. I turned flicked open the book to Chapter Six with a groan and began to flick through the pages, Limax, Valcore, Thestrals... I froze on the page with the diagram of the skeletal horse like creatures, 'Manifesting as black, skeletal, bat-winged horses, but invisible to all who have never been truly touched by death, Thestrals have a somewhat macabre reputation. Being able to see Thestrals is a sign that the beholder has witnessed death, and gained an emotional understanding of what death means'. Thestrals have been rumored to be used to pull the carriages at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry explaining why the carriages are seen be pulling themselves by many.' I stared at the page before me, reading and rereading the passage before me. I slammed the book shut, all intentions of reading up on Hippogriffs lost from my mind, the book growled and snapped as I roughly stuffed it back into my satchel. Without a backwards glance I strode through the castle, skirting around corners and bounding up staircases two steps at a time, until I came to a halt in one of the third floor corridors. 
'Tom." I called, my voice barely controlled. The tall figure who had been walking nonchalantly down the corridor turned around at the sound of his name,
"McLaggen," he replied, raising an eyebrow at me. I strode up to him, almost stomping. He raised both eyebrows at me now and looked me up and down,
"Is everything... alright?" He asked, still looking at me as if I had come quiet mad. "You have been acting quiet strange since yesterday at the ball, Wiglaf was most concerned," he continued, eyeing my suspiciously,
"We need to talk," I replied bluntly, "now." I added sharply, Tom's face seemed to struggle to hide his shock, but he quickly returned it to a blank canvas as he replied,
"Well I'm afraid whatever it is will have to wait. I am on Prefect patrols as you very well know, I would assume that is how you knew to come to the third floor to find me." he replied, his voice as emotionless now as his expression. 
"I need to talk to you now." I spat, losing my patience now. Tom seemed however to also be losing his patience as his eyes took on a darker shade of his usually crystal blue eyes, his jaw was clenched tight, he did not seem to take kindly to being met with demands, it would seem that he was the only one who could give out demands. 
"And if I don't talk now..." he asked quietly, "McLaggen," he added my name as if sounding it out for the first time. I stared at him for a moment, I didn't know what would happen if he refused to speak to me, I hadn't gotten that far into my plan yet, in fact coming to think of it I didn't have a plan at all.
"If you don't talk to me in private we are going to start discussing it right here and now in this corridor," I hissed, Tom looked to be contemplating me but he made no indication of giving in. I counted to three slowly in my head and when Tom said nothing I rose my voice to a level I knew would carry through the corridors and said,
"I guess you want to discuss it here then, 'My Lord'"I mocked, putting air quotations around the lofty title. Tom's eyes narrowed, his jaw twitched, before I knew it he was mere inches from me and had grabbed hold of my wrist as he dragged me inside of a nearby empty classroom and slammed the door. My breathing hitched in my throat, we were alone now. No one knew we were here and Tom looked more livid than I had ever seen him before.
"Where have you heard that?" He hissed, the air in the room around us was thick. He now had the control and I needed desperately to claw it back, I felt my initial courage starting to fade as I looked into his piecing eyes, but a fire inside my burned, burned for answers. 
"I've heard it more than once Riddle," I snapped, dropping my first name basis for the time being. 
"Have you now," His voice was a mere whisper now, "I asked you where," 
"Twice by the forest from your... I don't know what are they? And once in a corridor to Malfoy you threatened him, why?" I asked, more and more questions flooding out,"What are you up to?" Anger was slowly ebbing away as I shouted out my frustrations and in its place settled exasperation and sadness, my voice cracked slightly, "What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" I asked, Tom looked at me eyes wide and unblinking, I could hear his breathing slow and deep, I could see he was in thought as he looked at me, deciding what it was he was going to say. 
"They are my friends." He replied, his voice cold. "And it is business. It is not something that you would understand." he continued, 
"Business! What business!?" my voice was rising again, 
"It is non of your concern," He replied stonily, 
"What business threatens its 'employees'? And it is my concern, you're my friend, we are meant to be the heirs together!" I shouted, I was restless pacing around the room, yet Tom remained perfectly still. 
"My business is private and has nothing to do with the Heirs," He replied, "Who else have you told this to? " he asked, "No one," I replied, shaking my head.
 "Good, if you have some sense, you will keep it that way," he said sternly,                                             "And what if I don't?" I challenged, battling with myself to keep quiet. Tom smirked,

"Let's not talk about that, you know its best to keep all of this a secret, you know certain people will misunderstand. Just as people would misunderstand the Heirs." his replied calmly.        

"You can see Threstrals," I stated, dropping down into one of the old wooden chairs, my eyes cast to the floor, unable to bring myself to look into his handsome and deceitful face. A moments silence followed,

"Yes." he replied,

"How? Why? When? Just this year?" I looked up, throwing my questions out to him.

"I assume seeing as you have pieced this together that you know how Grisha," I stared at him, had he just used my first name for the first time? I felt a shiver go up my spine at the sound of him saying my name, I nodded slowly at him.

"Who have you seen die?" I asked, "When?" I continued, Tom walked over to me and bent down with a sigh,

"Sometimes the truth is best kept hidden, memories are best left forgotten," he whispered, a single tear spread down my face as I looked into his eyes, there was certainly pain there I think I was perhaps the only one who could ever have seen it but there was something else to, something darker. I stared at him concentrating on his eyes and what I wanted to know, but before I could reach even the borders of his mind I was thrown out with a sharp siring pain.

"Never try to enter my mind again," His voice was threatening now, in a way that I had never heard, "Do you understand?" I nodded, casting my eyes downwards.

"Alas you truly are the Heir of Gryffindor," Tom said, still knelt before me his face very close to my own, his breath causing my skin to burn.

"And you are truly the Heir of Slytherin," I replied,

"Then I suppose we are destined to be either an incredible or dangerous combination," He whispered. 

I knew then that Tom was dangerous, but instead of feeling a need to distance myself, I was drawn in even more closely. Desperately wanting to repair what was broken, to understand him.