Stolen Time A Tom Marvolo Riddle Fanfiction completed

Chapter Sixteen

Cassiopeia woke to the sound of soft snoring next to her. It took her a while to remember what had happened the night before. With slight surprise she realized that the pain that had been so prominent when she had fallen asleep had subsided completely. She was feeling more alert and stronger than ever.

A grin crossed her face. Probably this time she would actually have to thank Tom for being his usual persistent self in forcing her into this ritual she had originally dreaded so much.

She slowly turned to the side and glanced at him, the man lying next to her, still fast asleep. Cassiopeia couldn't remember a single time that he had ever purposely stayed through the night, just sleeping in the same bed, by her side, feigning a comforting normality that regrettably didn't exist. It was a first and she couldn't help but feel a deep happiness. He seemed so relaxed, the way he had rolled to his side, the covers drawn almost all the way up to his eyes, his bunch of dark hair sprawled messily on the pillow. Cassiopeia suppressed a sigh. He looked so unbelievably normal and ordinary.

She knew that Tom would doubtlessly consider this an insult but to her it was far from that. It was rather an illusion which, to make it real, she would be ready to sell her soul for without thinking twice. Living a normal, ordinary life, together with Tom, sharing a bed, sharing a home, maybe, very recklessly, even sharing a family. She had lost track of the number of times she had dreamed about that, so far from reality.

Suddenly she desperately wanted to move closer to him, feel the warmth of his body and the steady pulse of his breathing. She wanted him to take her in his arms and tell her all those things she knew he would never say. The corners of her mouth curled slightly at the thought and she pressed her lips together. It was pointless to be longing for that. After all, this was Tom.

Cassiopeia rolled onto her back again and closed her eyes, biting back tears that were suddenly threatening to spill. A sensation of bitterness crept into her heart. If Tom knew how she was feeling he would surely smirk this unparalleled smirk of his and call her pathetic. But, Merlin, she was only human, wasn't she?

"What are you thinking about?"

Tom's voice tore the silence and Cassiopeia gave a jerk. She looked at him, a slightly haunted expression in her eyes, but didn't reply.

Tom arched an eyebrow. "Now I'm even more curious to know the answer."

Cassiopeia felt her cheeks heat up and inwardly cursed herself for that. "Never mind," she muttered. Without looking at him she knew his lips were shaping into their favourite position.

"You've never been good at lying," he teased. "Actually quite surprising, I would have thought spending so much time with me would have made you improve your skills."

"Actually not so much. I don't like lies. Maybe that's why I'm not good at it," Cassiopeia retorted sarcastically. "But now that you gave me the prospect of living so much longer, maybe I'll start practising."

A grin spread across Tom's face. "Great. I can't wait for it."

"Well, while we're at it, if you want to know what I'm thinking, I can tell you. I want to do something useful with my time again. I'd never thought I'd ever say this but I've grown tired of pointless reading and studying. I want to teach this knowledge to others again." Cassiopeia looked at Tom.

He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. "There's no more need for homeschool teachers and there's no vacancy at Hogwarts."

"I can teach at one of the asylums or at the school for Muggle-borns." Cassiopeia shrugged. "I don't mind teaching Muggle-born children. They are just as inquisitive and eager for knowledge as children from magical families, if not even more so."

Tom's eyes narrowed even further. "You don't honestly expect me to let you share all your knowledge of magic with Mudbloods, do you?"

Cassiopeia raised her eyebrows. "Why not? Are you worried I might teach them how to defend themselves against this unsubstantiated discrimination they suffer under Lord Voldemort and his pure-blooded Death Eaters?" Cassiopeia's voice was slightly bitter. "I will have to make sure to always cover my arm though, otherwise I might appear somewhat devious."

Tom eyed her sternly for a moment. Then he shook his head and said with a firm voice, "No teaching Mudbloods."

Cassiopeia pursed her lips. "That's not your decision. You can't dictate that to me."

Tom smirked back at her. "I don't have to dictate that to you. I'll simply dictate it to the others. I'm pretty sure no one is going to employ you if I want them to reject your application. It just so happens that people mostly don't like being tortured and Lestrange, Rosier, Mulciber and Avery are really very effective. I think I'll have that covered before you can even apply."

Cassiopeia glared at him and clenched her teeth. "And just as always you're not playing fair," she hissed and turned away. "But, of course, that's no surprise." After a moment she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "So what does his lordship suggest I should do then?"

The complacent smirk disappeared from Tom's face and for a moment he watched her thoughtfully. Then he said calmly, "Teach my people."

"What?" Cassiopeia's gaze shot back at him and she eyed him with disbelief. "I don't think there's anything I could possibly teach a bunch of Death Eaters."

"Contrary to you, I think there is," Tom replied matter-of-factly. "Hogwarts only covers basic Dark Arts, not too much, not too deep. After all, it wouldn't be wise to impart profound knowledge to potential enemies, would it? So there's a lot they don't know when they leave Hogwarts. It's all up to their families to show them how to be useful for our cause. I guess you could teach them far more..." His voice trailed away.

Cassiopeia looked back at him, her face expressionless. Finally she said, "I probably could. I'm not quite convinced that I should though."

The smirk crept back on Tom's face. "I trust that you're going to choose to support the right side in the end." He turned towards her and propped himself up on his elbow, leaning over to her. "So now tell me what you were really thinking earlier." His voice was deliberately seductive and his eyes were gleaming darkly.

Cassiopeia looked back at him and narrowed her eyes. "I was trying to determine if I should envy your emotional detachment. But I guess, if anything, I should rather envy your inconsiderateness. Must make life really simple..." Her voice trailed off as Tom pushed himself up on his arms and bent over her.

"You think too much. And you presume too much." He moved closer, his eyes searching hers attentively. "I give you as much as I can, and it's already far more than I ever thought I'd be capable of." He paused before he continued, "I know what you've been thinking, and it's not even necessary to be good at Legilimency for that, because it's written all over your face." He pursed his lips. "Don't blame me for being the way I am." He bent down until his lips touched hers. When he felt Cassiopeia responding to his kiss, he suppressed a smirk and slowly moved closer.

******
Author's note: Thanks for reading!