You Promised Me→♡•°Tom Riddle°•♡

chapter 8

"ᴹᵃᵍⁱᶜ ᵗᵘᵐᵇˡᵉᵈ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ʰᵉʳ ᵖʳᵉᵗᵗʸ ˡⁱᵖˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ʷʰᵉⁿ ˢʰᵉ ˢᵖᵒᵏᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᵃⁿᵍᵘᵃᵍᵉ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵘⁿⁱᵛᵉʳˢᵉ⁻ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵗᵃʳˢ ˢⁱᵍʰᵉᵈ ⁱⁿ ᵘⁿⁱˢᵒⁿ. "
~Micheal Faudet

☆

"I'm not going back in there." Faith stated as Tom turned to leave the empty classroom. Her cheeks were still burning and there was a knot in her stomach that felt as though her insides were restraining her.

"I don't see why you're letting that oaf affect you so," Tom said, glancing at her inquisitively.

"He's not an oaf! He's my-" Faith's breathing had become uneven and panicked, "He's my friend, and he cares about me, and I hurt him, and I have to get out of here," She continued, hurriedly walking out of the classroom and down the hallway, away from Slughorn's room.

Tom hurried after her, "Faith, where are you going?"

"I don't know..." She really didn't. She searched her mind to find anywhere but here, "The Astronomy Tower."

Tom continued following Faith, mimicking her fast pace, "Faith, the Astronomy tower is out of bounds unless you have a lesson. Remember I am a prefect,"

Faith stopped walking and turned to face Tom, "I don't care, Tom. Turn me in if you want, I couldn't care less."

Tom had never seem Faith like this before: flustered and upset. Her usual contagiously joyful smile was nowhere to be seen, and instead replaced by tired, watery eyes and a worried expression.

"I won't turn you in," Tom stated, his gaze softening as their eyes met, her dazzling ocean blue eyes luminous in the silvery light.

Faith nodded and gave Tom a weak smile, continuing down the corridor. Surprisingly, Tom continued with her, down the dark corridors, casting lumos and illuminating the shadows.

☆

The two didn't speak as they climbed the Astronomy tower's many stairs. It wasn't an awkward silence, however. It felt almost comfortable, like the silence of two people listening to rain; peaceful and comforting.

As soon as Faith reached the top, she instantly ran to the centre of the tower, and using her small bag as a makeshift pillow, she lay down, staring into the stary night. Tom observed her do this, it seemed almost instinctive, as if she had done this many times before.

"And a softness came from the starlight, and filled me to the bone." Faith recited, mumbling to herself mostly. She sighed, a deep, calm, sigh.

"What?" Tom scoffed, sitting next to her. He did not lay down as Faith had done, but instead sat up, watching her, perplexed. Her mood had changed so quickly it was difficult to keep up.

"W.B. Yeats." Faith replied, her gaze still fixated on the divine sky, "He was an Irish poet. His work makes me feel better, I suppose."

"Faith, please don't recite poetry all night. I might have to throw myself off this tower if you continue," Tom laughed, his brows furrowed.

Faith laughed, finally switching her gaze from the night's sky to Tom. "I believe I just made Tom Riddle laugh! An incredible sight," she giggled, sitting up. Her smile had returned, though not as radiant as before.

Tom rolled his eyes, "I was laughing at you Silvers, note the judgement in my tone."

Faith ignored this, continuing, "I made you laugh!"

Tom sighed deeply, shaking his head, amused.

"Also, I won't have any poetry slander from you," Faith replied, narrowing her eyes playfully.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this Faith, but poetry is simply a load of rubbish. Too many metaphors and hidden messages."

Faith laughed, shaking her head, "Says you Tom, you're like a labyrinth of hidden messages."

His voice became slightly more stern than before, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Faith noticed his reserved expression, and spoke quieter, more carefully, as if she was afraid to spook a timid animal. "I'm sorry for what I said in hogsmeade. I didn't mean to offend you or anything,"

Tom raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Oh. You didn't offend me."

"Why did you react so... strangely, then?"

Tom paused for a minute. "I suppose I'm not used to people seeing through me, in a way. I wasn't sure if I should see you as a threat."

Faith looked at Tom, confused. "Why would you see me as a threat?"

"Well, you're the only person that has confronted me like that. I wasn't sure how to interpret it."

"You shouldn't try to interpret it, Tom," Faith replied, speaking softly, "I was simply trying to tell you that I understand. I understand why you put up that facade, why you hide your secrets. I may not know what you're hiding, and I don't need you to tell me, but I understand why you hide."

She spoke calmly, comfortingly, "I hide too. I don't need to be reminded of my past, or the piece of myself that I don't recognise, so I hide."

Tom looked immensely confused. "If you want to hide, why tell me?"

Faith matched his confused look. "I'm not sure... I just feel like you're the only person who could possibly understand. Understand how tiring it can be."

Neither of them spoke for a bit. The silence felt tense; Faith had instantly regretted opening up to Tom. Maybe she was wrong, maybe he doesn't understand.

"I see." Tom spoke, breaking the silence. "I do understand, Faith. It can be so... exhausting. But I prefer that to the truth. "

"Me too." Faith smiled, relieved.

Tom looked unsure. He knew Faith didn't see right though him, his plans or secrets. He knew that she did not intend to discover his secrets: he had used legilimency on her, searching through her mind to find any mention of misleading intent. But having someone, someone as random as Faith Silvers, understand him. Well it was strange to say the least.

"Faith, why did you react so distressed after rejecting Andrew?" Tom asked, half curious, half eager to change the subject.

Faith sighed, breaking eye contact with Tom and staring back into the sky.
"I don't like hurting people, Tom. I've been hurt too many times in my life, the feeling never leaves."

She frowned. "To inflict that suffering onto someone so pure, so noble, so kind, so far from who I am; That is, selfishly, agony for my own soul."