Eternal | Tom Riddle

II

I walk through the Faculty Tower, dressed in my beige skirt and black sweater. I'm dressed casually considering it's late at night.

I see Tom Riddle in the distance, speaking with the Ravenclaw Prefects. He looks stern, no emotion present.

The female Prefect turns toward me and nods, acknowledging my presence.

She breaks away from the conversation with the guys to address me. As she walks to me, I catch a glimpse of Tom eyeing me after he watches the direction in which she's heading.

".. so you'll be patrolling the lower Central Hall, Bell Tower, North Hall, and the Dungeons this evening.. Y/n?"

I turn my attention toward her, acting unaffected by his stare. I had only caught the last bit of her sentence.

"Mhm, got it." I smile at her and nod my head.

"Really? Then what did I just say?" She asks me, shifting feet and crossing her arms. Really she is such a bitch.

I'm hoping to become Head Girl this year, at least I wouldn't have to deal with her bossy attitude.

"Bell Tower, North Hall and Dungeons. We'll be there." I grow annoyed with her. Tom seems to finish his conversation with the Ravenclaw Prefect and is walking our way.

She follows my stare. "Hmph." She turns back around. "Good luck." I glare at her while she walks away.

Suddenly Tom is right before me, his dark eyes delving deep into my own. My mind flashes back to the dream I had last night, with him staring down at me while I was on my knees for him. "Good." He had said.

I quickly snap myself out of the intrusive thoughts. I'm too full of pride to let him see me this flustered, catching me stealing looks at him today was more than enough.

Tom and I stand there in silence, staring each other down.

It's not normally this tense for me to be around him. We usually say very few words, go our separate ways for making rounds and say goodbye for the evening.

After last night, what I felt for him.. and making eyes at each other all day. The air is thick around us.

"Well then, we should be going." I brush past him to start heading to the Central Hall, towards the Bell Tower.

A strong grip stops my arm, keeping my body in place entirely. I glance down to see a hand holding my upper arm firmly.

The same hand from my dream, the veins of it travelling up that toned forearm.. it sends shivers through my body.

I glance up at Tom. "Wrong way." He simply states.

I yank my arm free of his hand, pointing my nose in the air. "Right."

I turn in his direction and walk past him towards the stairs, leaving the Faculty Tower.

We walk through the dimly lit halls, shadows dancing on the walls around us and light playing on our faces.

We're about 7 feet apart from each other, to each other's side. There's a silence between us, not uncomfortable but.. intense.

Tom is the first to break it, walking with his hands clasped together behind his back. "What are your thoughts on tonight's patrol?"

I aim to continue my unbothered act around him. He's used to either women swooning for him, or men intimated by his presence. I'd like to show him neither, as I was before this mess of feelings started for me.

I slow my pace, angling my body towards him. "It is quiet tonight, isn't it?" I simply respond.

Tom reveals a small smirk, one I'm not used to seeing. "Very quiet, indeed." We continue on in more silence. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his eyes roaming over my body then back to my face again.