Not Broken, Not Yet | Tom Riddle

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

As I turned my back to him I could barely hold in my smile. I had never considered myself a violent person before. Quite the opposite really, my own experiences on the receiving end causing an everlasting distaste for violence of any sort. Yet, the feeling of my hand meeting with that smug face. The crunching sound of his nose breaking... Oh it was worth the ache pulsing through my still closed fist.

Perhaps it was the petty person in me, but something about imagining Riddle with a broken crooked nose made me immensely happy. It wasn't fair that such beauty would be wasted on someone like him. Someone like him... Arrogant. Manipulative. Cold-hearted. A snake in the flesh of a human.

I was almost tempted to look back. Almost tempted to see the aftermath of my work and the ridiculous expression on the Golden Boy's face. Alas I didn't. I couldn't give him that satisfaction. Not now. Not ever.

The Gryffindor common room was, like always, buzzing with life as I arrived not long after. It smelled like home, with a pinch of teenage sweat and heavy perfume, that is. Every seat was taken but as per usual Aiden, Tyler along with Clara, Mary and one of the chasers had already occupied the couch by the crackling fire. I joined them, scooting in on the red couch next to Aiden and Clara. Almost immediately I had to cover my ears as Clara almost screaming, exclaimed:

"That's just blasphemy Tyler and you know it! There's no way Chudley Cannons could have ever surpassed Kenmare Kestrels even if Bagsmith hadn't fallen off his broom! Kenmare was already ahead with 200 points." She shook her head, the brown curls almost hitting me as did so. "At this point you're just grasping for straws."

Tyler, who sat on the floor leaned against an armchair, sighed, giving her one of his 'I'm going to lecture you now' expressions before opening his mouth. "That's just a blatant lie, Clara." He said surprisingly softly. "If Bagsmith didn't fall off he could have saved enough goals to give Lillywater more time to get the snitch so she wouldn't have had to do that mercykill so early on."

"Against McDaniels, Augustin and Applewood? No way. Not even Bagmith is that good." She said, brushing off his words like they were nothing. She leaned forward, almost knocking me off the couch as she did so. "Maybe against the Harpies. But us Irish have more to us. Mary knows I'm right." She said, glancing at her dark haired friend in the arm chair.

As they continued their discussion I looked to Aiden. "How long have they been going at it?" I asked him.

He chuckled to himself before leaning his chin on my shoulder. The scent of lemon grass filled my nose, I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "The longest five minutes of my life." He told me. "Although I must admit it's entertaining seeing two non Quidditch players argue about something they quite frankly don't know anything about."

As one Clara and Tyler turned towards him. Their looks, ones of irritation and pure indignation were practically identical. I could feel Aiden's wide grin against me as he looked at them and had to endure five minutes of their collective scolding and lecturing. He didn't so much as bat an eye, he simply waited until they finished before yawning. "Sorry, you were saying?"

Tyler snorted and threw a very matted red velvet pillow at him that instead hit me. "Hey!" I exclaimed and straightened up, forcing Aiden off of me.

"Sorry, Amberly, I was trying to hit that parasitic second head you had there for a minute." Tyler said, not sounding apologetic at all as he looked at his friend.

"Well, be my guest." I snorted, moving out of the way to give him a full view of the crook. Aiden flashed me a dashing smile before throwing himself onto my lap. Clara quickly moved out of the way, grimacing at Aiden before joining Mary in the armchair.