Infatuation - Tom Riddle

Twenty Seven

  "Morning, Ms. Waters."

  An older house elf greeted Merida as she entered the dining hall for brunch. Everyone else was already seated, but Merida knew she hadn't interrupted anything. It was quiet enough that one could hear a pin drop from upstairs.

   Abraxas pulled out the seat next to him for Merida, which she graciously thanked him for before sitting down and placing a cinnamon roll on her plate. Tom was watching her from across the table, eyes darting back and forth between her and Abraxas.

  A stray hair atop her head stood up straight, no one else seemed to notice but him. He bit his cheek to keep himself from smiling.

  Merida looked up from her food, meeting his gaze, and looked back down quickly. He had some sort of affect on her and she hated it. She took a sip of water to keep herself from heating up. His ruffled hair looked flattering in the morning, and it made her stomach turn.

  She wondered if he would ever make the move to talk to her. She knows its partly her fault, well, all her fault, that they aren't on speaking terms, and she hates herself for it. But she has too much pride to go crawling back to him. He can't know he has her wrapped around his finger.

  "So," Corvus awkwardly coughed out, "what are our plans for today?"

  Abraxas smirked, eyeing the boys one-by-one. "We will be racing today. On the field."

  Corvus and Oliver's eyes lit up alongside Abraxas, eager to get on their brooms. Tom scoffed, resuming his meal. Merida didn't understand how they could be so comfortable, especially Corvus, after what happened at their first game. Water under the bridge now, she figured.

  "I suppose I'll be stuck in the house with Waters then, right?"

  Merida gulped. Spending the day alone with Tom? Perhaps she could avoid him, the manor was massive. But she didn't want to. Her body tingled with excitement, this was the moment she was waiting for.

 "I don't bite Tom, don't sound too on edge." She teased him from across the table, straightening her posture, a smirk present on her blushing face. She wasn't the meek girl he expected her to be.

  He missed her. He couldn't care less about the idiots he surrounded himself with, forced to be around every day. Nothing was too much when it came down to Merida. He missed her.

  The other members of the group got up to go get dressed, leaving the pair alone at the table.

  Tom's eyes widened for a moment, looking back at her with wonder. "Truce?"

  She pretended to contemplate it. Merida nodded with a smile, finally.

  "Don't break it this time."

  "I'm guessing you grew bored of Abraxas?" Tom ran his fingers over the endless shelves of books in the Malfoy library, a smirk present on his face as he heard Merida quietly step into the room.

  She rolled her eyes.

  "Like you care."

  Tom paused to turn and look at her. His eyes held sincerity, an emotion rare to him. "I always cared about you."

  "You confuse me, you know?" She stepped closer to him, holding her breath as if to ask for permission. He granted it with a nod.

  "I know," Tom sighed, "I do apologize for the trouble I caused you."

  "You? Apologizing to me right now?" Merida smiled playfully. Her energy transferred over to Riddle. She was like a flame, catching onto anything and anyone she could. He couldn't get enough of it. If he was being truthful to himself, the only reason he didn't hex Abraxas on the train ride to the manor was because he knew it would upset her. Since when had that been a concern of his?

 "I, I have hated everyone I've ever met. But for some reason, I can't seem to hate you. I tried getting you to hate me, to make it easier for myself. But I don't want that."

  Tom was moving closer to Merida as he spoke, as if a magnet was pulling him towards her. His eyes were glossing over, he inhaled sharply to keep the water in.

  "I still want you Merida. I need you."

  Merida gasped as he reached out, cupping her face in his large hands. She felt his tears fall onto her cheeks as he pressed his lips against her own. His kiss tasted salty now, she felt as if she were touching a weeping angel.

  Perhaps that was what he was. An angel that's fallen a little too far too fast.

  Their lips molded together, Merida ran one hand through his hair, the other holding onto his tie. She held her breath as they kissed, worrying that even the smallest change in movement would push him away. She couldn't have him separated from her again. She craved him.

  Tom was the first to pull away. He looked at her intently, faces merely centimeters apart. The pair were stood in a corner of the large library, engulfed in the scent of old books and peppermint, there was a slight breeze from the open doorway, yet Merida felt she was on fire.

 Another tear rolled down Tom's cheek. Without any hesitation, Merida gently wiped it away with her thumb, looking up at Tom and sucking the saltiness off her finger with her mouth. He pulled her close to him again, kissing her with more desperation than before. They stood like that for little while longer, before the sound of squeaking footsteps running down the halls caused them to pull apart.

 Merida smiled softly up at Tom again, cheeks flushed. "They're back."

 He hummed in agreement, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "To what concern of ours is that?"

  Merida rolled her eyes, "I don't want to deal with them right now. I've defended you quite a lot you know."

  He pretended to be surprised, raising his eyebrows jokingly, "I am eternally grateful, you are very brave for that."

 She pulled away from him slightly, ready to head back into the foyer to talk to the other boys about their little game of quidditch, before Tom roughly tugged her back into his arms, kissing her on the forehead gently and then letting her go.

  "My brave girl."

  "Tom," she whispered as they were about to leave the library, now darker due to the sun setting over the property.

 He paused, waiting for her to continue.

  "I don't care what happened in the past with you," Merida smiled up at him once more, "just be good for me, okay? no more secrets. No more accidents. Just me and you, like you said you wanted before."

  Tom smiled genuinely at her, gently intertwining his pinky with her own. "As you wish, darling."