Extra Ordinary (Riddle Era)

Chapter 21

Tom made sure to pull a face in answer to the stares and raised brows that met his and Steele's approach to the Slytherin table. He also made sure to angle that face away from his companion. He had no interest in giving her fuel for whatever mad conclusions she thought she could jump to. Right now - and always, really, but especially right now - Tom wanted to keep the focus of Steele's sharp mind and unfortunately accurate intuition firmly on his housemates. And very far away from himself.

Thankfully, he suspected that, whether they knew it or not, his housemates were going to help him with this goal. Certainly, at the moment, all of them were staring at Steele, each with a mix of displeasure and distrust poorly hidden in their smiles that told Tom this was either going to exactly according to plan or else be a horrible disaster. So with a breath and a smile, Tom used those last steps towards the table to brace himself as best he could.

"You all know Lucy Steele," he introduced as he reached his housemates, waving vaguely at Steele and making sure none of his satisfaction with their responses bled through in either his voice or his face. But Merlin, their reactions were satisfying. Or rather, the fact that these reactions were focussed squarely on Steele was satisfying. And boded rather well. For him, at least. He suspected Steele wasn't overly fond of the tight smiles and mumbles that met her, but she simply inclined her head and smiled with a grace that told him not a single one of their faux-friendly expressions was fooling her.

"It's nice to see you all again," Steele said primly as she sat down, tucking the ends of her skirt carefully beneath her legs as she settled on the bench next to Tom, hands folded in her lap and back straight, like she was holding some formal meeting. "I hope you'll all give me the chance to make up for last time," she added, her eyes flicking to Olive, who was the only one outright scowling, before jumping to Rosier and Lestrange on Olive's left and Avery on her right and Nott on Steele's left and finally to Mulciber, who sat on Tom's other side.

"Make up for last time?" Hornby repeated, her brows seeming to inch higher with every word until they practically disappeared beneath her bangs.

Steele tipped her head and gave Hornby a look. Tom knew that look. That looked meant this plan was going swimmingly so far. He had to fight to keep his face impassive as he speared himself some meat from a platter on the table in front of him as though he wasn't paying all that much attention to the conversation starting between the two girls.

"Well yes," Steele said after a moment, her tone light and easy. To anyone not paying attention, Tom supposed it sounded almost oblivious.

And perhaps Hornby wasn't paying attention because the next thing she did was turn to face Tom instead, her glare icy. "You don't actually expect me to deal with this do you?" she demanded.

Tom blinked. Well. That was fast. So much for swimmingly. But, of course, Tom had expected this. Had spent every step of the walk here from library planning for this. So he smiled, politely, with an edge of something tight he made sure she could see.

"Olive," he began carefully, trying to decide whether the best thing for this was to agree with her or dismiss her or try to find some polite way to remind her that he wasn't about to run around being as rude as she was.

It was a mercy Tom wasn't sure was intended when Steele interrupted, a smile in her voice as well as on her face. "No, it's okay," she said simply and Tom caught her gripping her hands tightly in her lap as she watched Hornby with an intensity he thought ought to have at least slightly scared his housemate. "I'd hoped you might be willing to give me a second chance, Olive," Steele continued. "But I understand if that's not possible. I know not everyone is predisposed to forgiveness and I wouldn't hold it against you if you didn't want to sit through a dinner with me."