how it feels to be alive {tom riddle}

thirty-two: rosier

ROSIER

Lucia and Tom quickly dressed and fixed the bed, Lucia chuckling to herself at their impulsiveness.

Despite having put clothes back on, from the sight of them it was blatantly obvious what had happened. Tom's hair was messy on top of his head, his lips swollen and eyes glinting. Lucia had tied her dishevelled hair back into a bun, but this didn't hide the purple marks on her neck and the colour in her cheeks.

"I'm still confused, are you actually going to go to school here?" Lucia asked Tom, smoothing the hairs already sticking out of her bun and casting a quick glamour charm on her neck.

"I have already been enrolled," Tom replied, "But I since I had... other priorities coming here today, I still have to see the Headmistress to be sorted and have a timetable arranged."

"Do you need Polyjuice Potion if we're going to see people?" Lucia queried, now considering that Tom Riddle was likely taught by some of the teachers still at Hogwarts, and his face was a hard one to forget.

"Since using the Polyjuice Potion for Diagon Alley I've actually been researching a variation of both glamour and disillusionment charms which should alter my appearance in a way that means I'll be completely unrecognisable." Tom explained, "I took some components of the potion in mind when I was working out how to do it, but it's much better than having to swallow the revolting sludge."

"Sometimes I forget how intelligent you are." Lucia smirked, ruffling his hair he'd just smoothed down.

Tom shook his head at her praise, but cast the charm on himself. His features warped in a way that he could hardly be recognised, but the way Lucia knew his every feature like the back of her hand meant she could tell merely from his facial expressions it was still Tom.

As they descended the stairs from the dormitories, students were filtering back into the common room after the feast.

"Lucia, how are you feeling?" Lysander asked kindly from the couch, his eyes moving to Tom in his new form, "Oh, I don't think we've met before." He added as he looked at Tom.

"I'm Tom, we met at Diagon Alley." Tom flashed a charming smile.

"Oh, did you change your hair?" Lysander said confusedly, , "I swear you looked quite different when we met." He moved his eyes to Lucia who gave him an I'll explain another time look

"I had dyed my hair lighter when we met previously." Tom spoke carefully, his gaze seemed to be almost daring Lysander to ask anymore questions.

Lysander seemed to take the hint, and abandoned the subject, "I was meaning to tell you Lucia, I nicked a couple of things from Mum's cupboard above the sink, and there's that weird muggle herb you smoke with it." Lysander proposed to Lucia, "We don't really have any use for it, but you like muggle stuff don't you? Do you want it?"

Lucia's eyes shot open as she saw him pull the green herb from amongst the random other objects and ingredients he had scattered in front of him. "Oh my God Lysander, don't go waving that around the common room!" She giggled as she reached forward to stop him from holding it up, "But yes, I will take it if you don't want it. I thought you didn't mind it when we smoked together last year?" Lucia raised her eyebrows at him.

"Trust me, I would obliviate that night from my memory if I could." He chuckled, "Never touching it again."

Tom looked confusedly between them, but didn't dare ask. He wasn't sure he even wanted to know.

"Fair enough, well I'll take it then." Lucia smiled, pocketing the small bag, "We've actually got to go sort out some stuff for Tom's enrolment now, but I'll see you guys later."