Star Crossed

Chapter One Hundred and Eight- Rescued

I spluttered as air forced itself back into my lungs, the freezing air biting my skin. My nose and throat burning painfully I tried to open my stinging eyes but quickly squoze them back together. I couldn't hear properly all I could hear was water but it sounded so far away. I slowly became more aware of the two strong arms wrapped around my waist as the last few moments came back to me, the cliff face, the fall, the water... had I really blacked out? 
I coughed causing water to sputter from my mouth as I tried to take in a ragged breath, it felt as if a fire was raging within my own lungs. I wiped my face with my hands pushing my drenched hair out of my face and rubbing my eyes I managed to crack them upon still coughing to catch my breath and clear my throat of the salty liquid. 

My eyes immediately met Tom's, as blue as the ocean itself reflecting the ripples of the water surface as he stared at me. His pale skin dripping, dark hair even darker as it clung to his scalp and hung in front of his eyes. His white shirt almost see through as it clung to his slim, well formed build. 
"Tom," I gasped but he did not reply he just continued to hold me, hold me up above the water, the only sound of that of the waves and our own laboured breathing. For a moment I wanted nothing more than to... but Tom quickly averted his eyes as he repositioned me against his own hip holding me tight with one arm as he began to drag me along as he swam towards the shore. How humiliating... I hung my head in shame and exhaustion. I would never forgive Father for not teaching me how to swim! It was then that I wondered how Tom knew how to swim?
I was brought back to reality as I felt my feet stumble as the came into contact with the sea bed, with shaky legs I began to wade the rest of the way up the shore Tom's arm still supporting my waist. It was only as we were a few feet onto land that Tom realised he was still holding me as he quickly let go and backed away from me. We looked at each other for a moment in silence, a strange tension hanging in the air between us. 
"You threw me off a cliff." I breathed as the realisation of what had happened came back to me. 

"And you're welcome." Tom replied a slight bitterness to his tone.
"Welcome!?" I gasped in disbelief. "You could have killed me!" 
"Could have but didn't." he snapped. I paused for a moment letting a sigh escape my lips.
"You're unbelievable," I muttered. I shivered pulling out my wand I waved it above my head causing a draft of warmth to flow over me from my head to my toes drying me instantly. And yet there was a strange heaviness in my stomach... was it guilt? 

I stared at the back of Tom's head as he knelt down fiddling with something. He had jumped in after me? He had saved my life... but then it was his fault I was drowning in the first place! 
I huffed walking towards him and looking down at what it was he was doing. As I drew level with him he glanced up at me as if finished tying his shoelace he straightened up.
"Your little family never taught you to swim?" Tom asked raising an eyebrow at me. The way he so flippantly talked of my late family stung me causing a surge of anger to bubble in my gut. 
"And how did you learn? I'm guessing no one took the time to teach you." I snapped before I could even stop myself. Tom scoffed his eyes flickered away from me before returning to stare right into my own. 
"I taught myself. I've never relied upon other people, something we don't have in common." he replied coldly. 
"Whatever you say Riddle." I smiled widely at him. Tom looked as if he wanted to say something else but his face soon became expressionless once more. 
"Grayson." he stated simply. A sinking feeling hit my gut as I remembered why we where even stood in this situation, the plan had failed. 
"Dam it." I hissed clenching my fist in frustration. I glanced at Tom to see that he was smirking. 
"What?" I snapped, annoyed by his attitude. 
"I find it amusing how you automatically assume failure." He replied, I froze.
"What you mean?" I asked feeling the tension go in my fist as my hands uncurled themselves. 
"If you would have let me finish. Grayson is waiting for us." he smirked extending an arm towards me, hesitantly I took hold of it. I was used to the uncomfortable sensation. 

As we stopped spinning my eyes adjusted to my surroundings. We were back in Tanner's living room and Grayson, his son, Tannor and group of thugs were magically bounded and sat slumped upon the floor. My brain whirled... how... when.... 
I looked from them to Tom not bothering to hide my shock and confusion. 
"Their all yours." Tom grinned gesturing to them. I didn't say anything I couldn't help but continue to stare upon mouthed at Riddle. 
"What's the problem McLaggen forgotten your own job?" He asked tilting his head to one side. 
I forced myself back into reality and began to drag the men to their feet. 
I turned to Riddle. "You can keep Tannor here just get rid of her memory." Tom did not reply and so I continued to bind the men together before taking a tight hold of them and disapparating. 

I walked down the now all too familiar street and towards his front door, I needed to talk to him. I knocked loudly on the door, I huffed when it did not immediately open. When I was finely granted access I stormed up the stairs jumping a few at a time before throwing upon the door to the main living area. My eyes scanned the room before falling upon Riddle. He was sat in his armchair a book on his lap as always. He looked up lazily as the door clicked shut behind me. 
"What is it now?" Riddle asked a smirk upon his face. I paused for a moment contemplating what I would say. I had actually not thought about what it was that I was going to say when I did speak to him. I walked towards the sofa and uninvited took a seat staring into the fire, the hands fidgeting in my lap. 
"I... I want to know how you did that." I whispered turning my eyes upon his, his glistening blue eyes reflecting the red flames of the fire giving them a bloody look. 
"How I did what?" He asked smugly, it took all of my self control not to roll my eyes and dismiss the conversation. 
"How did you manage to bind them all and send them to Tannors in the split seconds before... before...."
"Before rescuing you." he finished for me the same smug look upon his face. 
"A good few years of practice and general pure talent." he replied with a smile. 
I scoffed looking down at my hands, what more had I expected from him? It was then that the realisation of Riddle's own words dawned on me 'before rescuing you'. 

"Why did you 'rescue' me?" I asked making sure to emphasise the word rescue with over exaggerated air quotations, Tom however did not reply his face was expressionless... was he just ignoring me or was he thinking of something to say?
His eyes flinched before he gently closed his book with a sigh. 
"Because when I start something I like to finish it. If you had died how could the mission have been completed? All of my efforts would have been for nothing." he replied coldly. "And I do not like to waste my time and skills."
I felt my chest ache a little as I tried to repress the feeling. I had learned over the years to repel this feeling and yet here it was creeping back like a persistent disease. What had I expected him to say? He had been the one to throw me off the cliff in the first place. Had I expected him to admit that he had jumped in after me in regret? In panic? That he had saved my life because he cared about me? That he didn't want me to die? 
"Right well..." I murmured brushing myself up and standing. "I guess it's finished." 
"Yes." Tom replied simply, his expressionless face staring up at me. 
"Goodnight then." I breathed turning my back on him I made my way towards the door but stopped at Tom's voice broke the silence. 
"She'll die at the hands of her dead Father." I froze before spinning back around to face him. 
"Grayson's words." Tom explained resting his chin upon his hand as he considered me calmly. 
"What?" I breathed, my mind spinning in all directions. What did that mean? 
"I think..." Tom paused for a moment. "That you should keep your guard up." 
Why was he telling me this? He had made it quite clear that he didn't care. 
"You believe there is any merit in what he says?" I asked raising an eyebrow at him. 
"Do you?" He asked raising his own eyebrow in return, I didn't answer him. I didn't want to admit the answer to myself out loud. Instead I turned back towards the door to leave. 
"Take care McLaggen." Tom called quietly as I stepped through the door letting it close behind me, leaving behind the only person I had left and being once again alone. I had thought that handing over Grayson and restoring my reputation would have made me happy but instead I just felt an emptiness... a Tom Riddle sized hole in my life once more. What was it with him that I just could not replace? He was smug, arrogant, aggressive, manipulative... and yet I was always drawn back to him, drawn to what others could not see in him, drawn to what even Riddle could not see in himself.