Always You [Tom Riddle]

eleven

Juliette woke up on Tom's chest. She knew he was still sleeping. She could hear his heartbeat, chest pumping up and down. She snuggled deeper and hugged him tight.

Tom was awake now. He groaned softly. For a moment he forgot that Juliette was there with him too, sleeping on his chest. He opened his eyes and found juliette hugging him. He smiled, then stroke her hair gently.

Juliette looked up to him and their eyes met. He smiled first then greeted her good morning. Juliette did the same.

For a while, they stayed like that. Devouring the sensation of belong to somebody else. It was Juliette's first time sleeping with a boy. She felt like a grown up already, it was silly. She loved the feeling of being in love and being loved. Even it terriffied her at first, and now still, but she wanted this feeling for a long time. She wanted to feel this forever.

After lunch, she and other students would leave Hogwarts, the place that they called home. The place that holds millions of memories and dreams. After that, they would continue with their own lives. The thought scared her. She hadn't planned anything with her life. She wanted to be successful. She wanted to make her parents proud.

Tom and Juliette still hadn't talk about them. They still hadn't figure out what to do next. Where this relationship would take them.

"If i ask you to live with me after this. Will you?" Tom asked.

It was beyond Juliette's expectation. She imagined it, living with Tom. She would wake up next to him everyday. She would make breakfast for them. Maybe, she could have a little garden on the backyard. And then she imagined further. When they got married and Tom became her husband. Maybe they would have two kids running around the house.

The thought made her smile. She couldn't wait for a life with him.

"I'd love to. But i don't have the money to buy a house."

Tom chuckled. "We don't have to, darling. I have this old family cabin. It will need a little decoration but it's still nice enough for us to stay."

"Why don't you come home with me and meet my parents today? Then we can discussed it. They will love to see you."

"If you're okay with that then let's go."

Juliette wrote a letter for her parents, to let them know that Tom would come over and they would have a talk together.

All the students must gather in the great hall, one last time. Professor Dumbledore share a few gratitude words and a few farewell words. The words made Juliette and Pansy cried a little bit. She couldn't believe it. She had to say goodbye to the place she loved the most, the place she felt like home. If she could hug Hogwarts, she would. Hogwarts saved her. Hogwarts made her life worth living.

They all walked outside, full of people crying and hugging. Some of the students already left. Some of them are saying goodbye to their friends. Juliette, Tom, Pansy, Josie, Blaise, Draco, Astoria, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron. The eleven of them walked together. It was their last time together at Hogwarts, but certainly not their last time of friendship. They were group hugging. Tom joined them even though he hated group hugging.

Suprisingly, Higgs was there standing behind them. Waiting for Juliette. She turned to face him. His face was still bruised. Far worse than Blaise. She was still hurt, but his bruising face made her heart weak. She felt bad for him.

Blaise and Tom was ready for a fight. They both stood beside Juliette. But she told them to stay.

"Hi, Juliette. Probably, we won't see each other again. So i have to say this now. I'm very sorry for what i've done. I don't expect you to forgive now, or ever. But you need to know that i'm really sorry. I like you, it wasn't a lie. But i shouldn't have accepted their bet. I wasn't thinking straight."

Juliette didn't want to hold grudge. It would made her life miserable. But the pain was still fresh. She was still scarred. It was hard for her to forgive him. "I appreciate that, Terence. Really, i do. But i need time to really forgive you. And even if we won't see each other again, i want you to know that someday, i will forgive you eventually. So don't be so hard on yourself." She smiled.

Higgs wanted to hug her and say thank you. But hugging hear means a death sentence. So he smiled and leave her be with her friends.

Juliette turned to face their friends again. Blaise was asking her if she's okay and she was. She was okay. It was more than okay. She needed that last conversation with Higgs. She needed peace.

One by one, she watched her friends go. First, Harry and Ginny. Followed by Ron and Hermione. Draco and Astoria followed. She hugged him so tight that she could even hear him crying even when he tried so hard to hold it.

Pansy hugged her for a long time. They cried on each other's shoulders. They didn't break the hug. They didn't even say anything. Just standing and holding each other's body. Juliette cried the hardest with Pansy. Every girl needed their girl best friend. And Pansy was her girl best friend. She was the best. She was always there for her. She was always supported her through everything. She loved her a little too much.

Pansy placed her hands on Juliette's cheeks gently. She stared at her for a while. The she wiped the tears away from Juliette's face. They both chuckled. "I don't know why are being dramatic. We would still be talking tomorrow. It's not like the end of the world."

Juliette laughed. "I know. Goodbye's always give the wrong impression. Talk to you tomorrow?"

Pansy nodded. "Talk to you tomorrow." And by that, she left with Josie.

Blaise was the last one. He didn't cry, didn't even shed a single tear. But his heart was broken. He was terrified of leaving her. He was terrified he wouldn't see her again. But he knew that she loved him just as much as he did. He pulled her to his chest. He could hear her muffled cry. He wanted to talk, but afraid that he would cry too. So he decided to hug her tighter. "Don't forget me, Juliette. Okay?"

Juliette laughed. Her voice breaks. "Even amnesia can't make me forget you."

They didn't say goodbye, or see you soon, or talk to you later. They just couldn't. And Blaise couldn't hold his tears any longer. And by that, he left.

It was only Juliette and Tom left. He took her hand. Juliette looked back at Hogwarts for one last time. She smiled, and by that, they both left Hogwarts.

♡