Hogwarts: a school of Witchcraft and Love (Tom Marvolo Riddle x F!reader)

chapter 3-02

You had seen your fair share of spells and potions, but nothing could have prepared you for what you were about to see.

The entire reason this happened was because of your accidental discovery of what Tom had cleverly named the Room of Requirement, more or less two weeks ago. And ever since then, his knowledge on it had increased. The room had the ability to transform into whatever you needed-a private study space, a place to catch a nap between classes, or even a dueling ground.

"Fancy a duel?"

The last time you were locked into combat was in your first year when Priori Incantatem happened, and Dumbledore warned you both about the dangers of using too much magic on each other.

"You know we can't." The protest left your mouth right before your resolve weakened. The fun of another showdown was tempting... You had a wish to prove yourself against him, since your previous duel ended in a draw.

You were almost nose-to-nose to him. Or rather, nose-to-chin, considering his recent growth spurt. "You should know by now that you don't need to be scared when you're with me."

He promised a great time. This would be just a special secret, something between the two of you, just luke that night you dabbled in Dark Arts spellcasting without knowing what it really was.

"I'm not afraid!" Why did it always feel like he could press your buttons with just a few well-chosen words?

Before you knew it, you had your wands at the ready, with a safe distance between you. You squared your shoulders, your wand held in your dominant hand just like Dumbledore taught you. Your feet were positioned shoulder-width apart, providing a base to (hopefully) withstand the magical force that was about to come your way.

Equally calm, if not more so, Tom matched your posture, his wand arm raised slightly higher than yours. It didn't even matter that this was an informal wizarding duel. The rules were the rules and he urged you to follow them before using your first spell.

The start of the battle went normal enough. He showcased his skills by starting off with a textbook counter curse he learned over the summer. Clicked off balance by its speed, you retaliated with a stunning spell. Spell after spell you went until something felt off. It was as if he was holding back. His spells were precise and almost perfectly executed, but they lacked the power and force that characterized his whole persona and approach to magic in general.

Even so, you poured all of your energy on the battle. But as it went on, his lack of seriousness never went away.

"You're improving. I've been holding back since I know a lot more spells than you do." He wast just so... Nonchalant about it.

You were hoping for an exciting battle against your best friend, not a half-hearted challenge from someone who didn't take you seriously.

Bummed out, you were capable of so much more. But then again, Tom meant well. He didn't want to hurt you, and so you put on a brave face and pretended everything was fine, even though your confidence had taken a blow. This caused you to request that he fight you with all he had.

And he granted you your wish, switching gears.

With a twirl of the wand, you could feel the difference right off the bat. He upped the pace and his spells had a lot more oomph behind them. You could keep up until his wand emitted a bright, dazzling light, blinding you for a few seconds. When your vision cleared, a lion stood in the center, prowling towards you. You panicked, fumbling to remember how to defend yourself, but before you could even think of a spell, the illusion disappeared.