how it feels to be alive {tom riddle}

thirty-three: joint

JOINT

After walking across the castle, Tom and Lucia finally made it up to the Astronomy Tower.

Lucia swung her leg over the stone parapet, sitting straddling it as she pulled the small bag from Lysander from her pocket. Tom sighed and joined her sitting on the edge.

It was late, and from the highest tower in the school they had a clear view of the velvety night-sky, stars scattered like glinting crystals across its expanse.

"Luna Lovegood is a fucking legend." Lucia chuckled, holding up rolling papers and filters from inside the small bag with the weed.

Tom rolled his eyes, "Trust you to be breaking the rules already. As a previous Head Boy I feel like I should be dobbing you in."

"You wouldn't." Lucia feigned shock, but let a smile creep onto her face as she began rolling with the paper, "As if me dobbing you in wouldn't be a million times worse than a student smoking on the grounds."

"That is true." Tom acknowledged, swinging his leg over to sit opposite her and stare out into the sky.

Lucia pulled her lighter from deep in her charmed extended pocket and lit the joint, inhaling it deeply before letting the smoke drift from the side of the tower up into the clear sky.

She offered it to Tom, who surprisingly accepted it and took a drag as well.

"So now that you're not lying to me..." Lucia began, "You can actually tell me the truth about yourself, and I can ask you questions."

"You are right I suppose." Tom agreed, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Okay... So you're a half-blood, right?" She started, "How does that work? By damning anyone but Purebloods aren't you then damning yourself?"

"First of all, throughout school there was nothing I hated more than the fact that my father was a muggle. It disgusted me, really. Not that my mother was much better," Tom explained, "You have to keep in mind that I am absolutely not the Lord Voldemort you read about. Yes I have indulged in the Dark Arts more than most, but the extent to which my later self has is a completely different level. But to be completely honest, for me, the beginnings of my building of followers didn't necessarily stem from my own beliefs, but instead it was a way to band together people based on their common beliefs. Blood purity is something those people were incredibly passionate about, so by giving them that opportunity for unity and enforcement of it, it was all too easy to get them to put me on a pedestal."

"I suppose that makes sense," Lucia sighed as she took another drag, "And I have to ask... Lord Voldemort? Why the eccentric name?"

"I've always hated the affiliation of Riddle just because of it's link to my father. And Tom... well it's just such a common and unoriginal name. Forgive my younger self for his arrogance, but I always saw myself as unique." He said, chuckling lightly at his childhood.

"I mean I kind of get it, but it seems a bit over the top." Lucia laughed along.

Tom took the joint from her fingers and inhaled from it, "Now my turn for questions." He spoke as he exhaled.

"Fire away." Lucia chuckled, bringing one leg up in front of her and leaning back against the stone behind her.

"Forgive my curiosity, but have you and Lysander... or Lorcan?" He began asking.

"Oh my God Tom." Lucia scoffed, "I'm here asking you about the philosophy behind world domination and you want to know if I fucked one of my friends."