The Dark Lord, The Witch and The Time-Portal

XV - Starting a new friendship

Holly cried over Tom's chest as he kept her in a protective embrace, running his long and slender fingers through the locks of her wild hair in a soothing way. He didn't say a word even when she calmed down a little only letting out a few sobs. Holly was in a quite strange position, so close of Tom Riddle's body, feeling his warmth and even hearing how fast his heart was beating inside his ribcage. The weirdest thing of all in that situation was how much she felt at peace and comfortable in the arms of someone who she mostly knew as an enemy and a cruel dark wizard.

'Only a few more seconds', Holly told herself inwardly, as guilt started taking over her emotions. As one part of her felt oddly normal to be so close like that with Tom Riddle, the other part screamed danger, reminding her that Voldemort was manipulative and a very good actor, also, Dumbledore said to her in the past that Voldemort was incapable of actions of love or affection and unable to understand even the mere concept of friendship.

She felt utterly stupid as she wished that Dumbledore was wrong and that Tom wasn't faking anything right now. Holly was aware that was foolish to believe in him even if just a little bit, though the way he caressed her hair as she settled against his body only felt natural, as if she truly belonged there.

Her tears started pouring on her cheeks all over again with her self-deprecating thoughts cursing her own weakness, so desperate of being loved that she threw herself at the arms of the most dangerous person she knew of. It didn't help that Tom tightened his embrace on her and whispered gentle words near her ear of how completely safe she was there with him. Her heart almost broke of so much guilt. Holly was playing with fiendfire and was aware that the chances favored her being burn until nothing was left.

When Holly calmed down for real it felt awkward to continue embraced with Tom like that, but as she motioned to pull away from him, he kept a firm grip over her, not allowing Holly to move an inch.

"Can't we stay like this just a few more minutes?" Tom asked softly, threading lazily her hair with his fingers. Holly only nodded in response and rested her head under his jaw, feeling trapped but not coerced to oblige him, as if she was a bird inside a cage with an open door, remaining there just because she didn't want to leave yet.

The minutes stretched as they remained there in silence, Tom still playing absentmindedly with Holly's hair as she stayed cozy with her body pressed against his, enjoying the false sensation of security as much as Tom's warmth and his scent. He smelled clean and plain, as basic as his name. No fancy colognes or perfumes, he used the shampoo and soap offered in Hogwarts that every other student could use, though it also had something distinctive that was just his. And she liked it pretty much. Before she lost herself even more in thoughts of Tom Riddle, he finally broke the silence between them.

"This dark wizard who hurt you—"

Holly quickly interrupted, pushing his chest to maintain certain distance as she raised her head to meet his eyes. "I've already said to you that I can't say much about him, Tom," She scolded.

Tom huffed and rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to ask if he's Grindelwald,"

"No, he's not," She said with a frown.

"Was him the only one who hurt you or there is someone else?"

Holly bit her lip as she pondered his question, self conscious that even though they were slightly apart right now, Tom still had a firm hand placed on the small of her back. "They're all gone for now, even the wizard who killed my parents," Her voice sounded nervous and hasty on her own ears. "But there's still a possibility of him coming back and he can always find people who'll follow and obey him,"