Star Crossed

Chapter Thirty Seven- Assertion

"That's it. I'm done." Lazarus slammed the heavy book closed causing dust to display into the air from the old pages. I looked up from my own book with a smirk. 
"Determination really isn't your strong point is it Lazarus?" I chuckled. 
"I am not a Slytherin Grisha," Lazarus replied animatedly throwing his hands up into the air.  "This is pointless," he huffed dropping his head onto the table. 
"Hmm would it kill you show a little optimism?" I smirk poking the feather end of my quill onto his head which made him lift his head and look at with a sulky expression. 
"That face wont work with me Lazarus Smith write your own essay." I smirked. 
"Fine." he hissed, "I'll remember that when you need me to save your life one day." 
I threw my head back in a laugh, "Well let's hope its not from poison as you never completed your fifth year antidote essay." Lazarus rolled his eyes at me. 
"Why don't we talk about something more interesting?" He smirked lacing his fingers together on top of his book. 
"You're procrastinating," I sang as I continued to read, flicking a my next page over with a smirk. 
"And you're 'pro-activating'" he replied performing air quotes around the phrase, "yeah yeah we get it however I overhead that the Prefect patrols are going well..."
"Hmmm," I replied disinterestedly to focused on the section about bezoars to look up from my book.
"Hmm... Tom had his first one last night with Celia," Lazarus was smirking now tiling his head to the side as he watched my eyes suddenly stop moving from left to right and freeze. 
"Oh did he," I replied trying to hide my curiosity. 
"Apparently they get along very well. I overheard her bragging to her friend Walburga about how much of a wondrous night she had and that she can't wait for the next one."

I had completely stopped my reading now and had looked up from my book staring blankly at Lazarus. 
"What do you mean a wondrous night?" I asked raising my eyebrow as I felt a burning sensation in my gut that was raging inside, fighting to burst forth and devour Celia all the way from the tip top of her blonde locks to the point of her black stilettos. 
"I don't know," Lazarus smirked raising up his hands, "use your imagination," he chuckled. Feeling the beast claw within its cage even more viciously I took a deep breath and looked back down at the book, not noticing Lazarus's raised eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair and watched me. Why did I feel like this? If Tom wanted to have a wondrous night with anyone then he could it was none of my business. 

Thursday 9pm, I dragged my feet all the way to the bottom of the grand staircases where I was to be meeting Tom to begin our very first patrolling shift together and I doubted very much that I would be describing tonight as wondrous. I had not seen Tom since the previous day that I had had the conversation in the library with Lazarus. As I reached the bottom of the staircase I saw Tom leaning nonchalantly against the banister waiting for me, as he saw me he crossed his arms across his chest and smirked. 
"Tut-tut You're late McLaggen," he greeted. 
"A Queen is never late everyone else is simply early," I replied crossing my own arms. 
He raised his eyebrow at me and pushed himself up from the banister. 
"A Queen must be careful, chess has taught me that with one bad move you can lose your Queen." 
We stared at each other for a moment before Tom dropped his smirk. 
"Seeing that we have time to make up we should probably get started, me and Celia usually have started in the right wing." He gestured his hand towards the corridor to our right. I raised my eyebrow, "In that case," I replied through gritted teeth, "we will start in the left wing." I did not wait for him to reply but simply walked past him and towards the left side corridor. 
"You seem tense Grisha," Tom smirked tilting his head as we walked down the corridor together side my side. 
"Well your impeccable perception has for once failed you Riddle because I am fine," I replied staring at the corridor ahead. 
"Your voice betrays you Grisha besides I am never wrong," I could hear the amusement in his voice without even looking him. I felt the rage bubbling up inside and was struggling to contain it, I spun around to face him. 
"You're so sure that you know everything about everyone. That you can control everyone's thoughts and manipulate everyone's emotions, you might be able to do that to Celia but you can not do that to me." I hissed my voice raised, Tom rose an eyebrow and licked his upper lip arrogantly. 
"Something has rattled you Grisha would you care to talk about it?" his voice was calm and collected but it did nothing to calm my own. 
"Oh please," I hissed throwing my hands up into the air, "What do you think it is Riddle because clearly you have a preconception? Do you think it is you perhaps? because if you do your ego is solely mistaken."
"I do not think it is I Grisha for I can not think of anything that I could have done to cause you unease however your behaviour says otherwise. You mentioned Celia am I getting warmer yet?" Tom said with a smirk, he had now crossed his arms across his chest as he leaned back on his heels to look down upon my reddening face. "I am no psychologist Grisha and I do not know what it is that you have possibly heard but I would say that you are perhaps jealous." 
The words struck me like the cruciatus curse raging through me like knives causing me to want to scream out. 

"Jealous! What me? Jealous of Celia because she was with you? Don't make me laugh Riddle." 
"You are jealous for attention Grisha. Just because Daddy isn't giving you the attention you crave does not mean you have to strive to be the center of everyone else's attentions." he smirked silkily. My blood boiled into my veins I could feel my breathing pick up pace, hear the beating of my own heart in my ears I opened my mouth but no words would come. My hand acting of it own accord before I could stop myself, I felt the magic surge from me but Riddle deflected it causing it to hit a tall ornate vase shattering it into pieces. 

"Never project your own feelings onto me Riddle, deal with your own demons." I turned on my heel but he grabbed my wrist. 
"My own feelings Grisha? I have no feelings, feelings make you weak." he looked at me with an expression of pure resentment but I could see the truth behind his eyes, the young boy that never forgave his own Mother and Father.
"Holding a grudge doesn't make you strong Tom; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn't make you weak; it sets you free." I pulled my wrist from his grasp and stormed away down the corridor without looking back hiding the tears that were coming thick and fast down my cheeks and the most painful thing? Tom was right I was jealous but why I just didn't know yet. 

"Grisha? Hey Grisha!" Lazarus called to me, I turned around to see him and Wiglaf walking up behind me. I had hardly slept last night after my patrol with Tom and was not in the mood for the day and was certainly not in the mood to talk to people. 
"How was your first patrol with Tom?" he asked me, I took a deep a breath and I most defiantly did not want to talk about this. 
"It was fine." I replied bluntly.
"Not wondrous then," Lazarus laughed.
"Enough Lazarus what have I told you about this, you should know yourself the damage of hearsay," Wiglaf hissed looked agitated. 
"Now now Wiglaf you sound as if you have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Tom smirked having just suddenly appeared beside Lazarus causing his to curse under his breath as usual looking a little relieved that he had not turned up mere seconds before. 
"Ah Tom what an entirely unwelcome surprise," Wiglaf smirked sarcastically.
"And what an entirely unsurprising welcome." Tom smirked in return. 
"Tom over here," a high pitched voice called across the Hall from the Slytherin table we all looked over to see Celia waving over at Tom a sickeningly flirty expression on her face, batting her eyelashes. I bit the inside of my cheek her very face brought out the worst in me and so I forced myself to look away. Tom however did not display any pleasure at having seen her in fact he looked irritated but her and turned away his face away from her.
"I think someone is trying to get your attention," Wiglaf stated.
"I am sure she can wait a few moments without my company," Tom smirked, Celia had sat down looking expectantly at him with large puppy dog eyes. 
"Besides I just wished to inform Lazarus and Grisha here that we would be joining them in potions this afternoon." Tom drawled.
"We will?" Wigalf asked obviously oblivious to this information. 
"The top potions NEWT students have been asked to support the fifth years in their OWL project and as luck would have it we are supporting the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff class."
Wiglaf looked at Tom suspiciously.
"This is the first I have heard of this." Wiglaf tilted his chin upwards as he considered him. 
"That is because it has only just been confirmed. It was an idea that Rosier had suggested to Slughorn to which Slughorn was most enthusiastic." 
"I bet he was," I muttered costing me a side glance from Tom. 

"Grisha." Tom had called me back to him once we had all left to attend our morning CLASSES, I turned around to face him reluctantly. "I do not expect you to ever speak to me the way you did last night again." he voice was threatening and demanding but I did not feel afraid I felt challenged. 

"I told you last night Tom I won't take your disrespect. Respect me and I will have no reason to speak to you any other way than pleasent." I hissed back at him. 

"Then earn my respect Grisha." he hissed back with a smirk. 

"Respect goes both ways Riddle." I replied flipping my head around and walking out of the hall.