Trapped in the Past (Tom Riddle x Reader)

15 - Storms on the Horizon

Time lost meaning and you keep feeling shit.
Your body barely obeys to you and muscles ache.
You open your eyes seeing all white and blurred.
You moan, trying to roll on the bed you're lying on.
"Careful" someone warns, stopping you.
You widen your eyes when you recognize him. You've never seen him so disheveled, so you must be dreaming.
"Tom? What are you doing here? Where am I?".
He clenches his jaw "What's the last thing you remember?".
"I was... celebrating with Ellie. Oh Merlin, did I drink too much?" you'll never try firewhiskey ever again.
"It seems so".
You gape at him, incredulous that he confirmed it.
"Someone dropped some Draught of Living Death in your drink" he explains patiently "For a moment we thought you were dead. Luckily I tried an antidote and it worked".
"Living Death?" you repeat, struggling to make your mind wrap around the news.
"Yeah, that awful potion".
You blink at him. He's here with you. He's not angry.
"So you saved my life?".
"You were just sleeping" he stresses out.
"But you thought I was dead. You saved me" you insist.
He brushes a hand on his messed hair
"From being buried alive, yeah".
Damn, that's one of your phobias.
"You deserve another shiny trophy".
He doesn't agree "I've been so close to be very bad".
You can't imagine him be that bad, although you know he is capable of anything
"Was it Myrtle? She loved spying on you".
He is irritated "She's restricted in her bathroom. She can't harm you from there. It was Bellatrix. But you don't have to worry about her anymore".
It wasn't so hard to guess it was her. You want her dead and she almost managed to kill you first.
But what happened to her?
"What have you done to her?".
He's quite amused by your shock
"I didn't punish her that bad, even if she deserves that. I've been very clear that next time she harms you, she'll be expelled".
You relax a bit on the bed.
Belltrix is not dead. She's not expelled.
But how she already contributed to her awful reputation.
"The things people and ghosts would do for you" you tease Tom.
He doesn't smile back at you. He still looks anguished.
But he takes your hand and there's something tender in the gesture.
"I should have protected you better".
"Dumbledore was warning me to be careful, that ingredients were stolen. He said I should never be alone, but even being in a crown wasn't safe" you reveal.
Tom closes his eyes shaking his head
"I'm sorry. I thought he planned to harm you, not to help you".
"I forgive you" you truly do "Shouldn't you be leaving? I don't want you to miss the train and be stuck here for the holidays".
He looks at you like you're speaking nonsense, the explains patiently
"The train is gone. Today is Christmas".
You startle "What? Why you stayed? I'm sorry. What a mess".
He huffs a laugh "You're sorry? Do you think I'd leave you alone here after what happened? Do you think I'd enjoy the holiday alone in that flat? Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same for me, if our roles were switched. Your friends left presents for you anyway".
"I would have killed anyone who would have hurt you" you blurt out.
His smile is worth dying for "Glad to hear that".
The nurse interrupts you and makes you swallow some potions that make you fall back to sleep.

When you wake up, it's still Christmas day and you are allowed to leave the infirmary.
You're told that Tom has left a bit earlier and you don't mind, since he deserves to enjoy the day how he prefers.
Instead you spot him on your way to the Great Hall.
He's standing in the courtyard.
Snow is falling and the contrast with his dark hair and dark robes is so sweet. Just like his pale skin blushed under the cold.
Snowflakes caress his hair.
The view would resurrect even someone truly dead.
He catches you staring and moves to reach you.
"No. Stay there" you stop him, joining him outdoor.
"How are you feeling?" he asks with disapproval because you're not wearing a coat.
You grin "Alive".
He takes your hands before the cold can feeeze them and his touch is better than any glove.
You improvise some steps, inspired by the dancing of the snowflakes around you.
You'd never dare to ask Tom Riddle to dance with you, not when you're at Hogwarts and not in the private rooms of his flat.
But he looks amused and makes you spin few times, until he stops you
"Let's get inside. I don't want to hear you caugh for the rest of the day".
You pout but obey.
If he hasn't stopped you, you would have ended playing snowballs. Would the perfect Head Boy have enjoyed being turned into a Snow Man?
He doesn't look annoyed by your company so you stick together until the night falls early.
The dinner party doesn't appeal to him much, so he insists on leaving early. It persuades you to focus on the desserts instead of have a proper dinner.
"If you're planning to go to sleep early on Christmas Day I'm afraid I can't join you" you say when Tom takes the stairs leading to the dungeons.
"I'm not going to sleep. Do I look sleepy?" he narrows his eyes at you.
No, he doesn't look sleepy, but there's some suspicious light in his eyes. Something that makes your legs feel jelly, yet they follow him anyway.
"You're up to no good if you think I agree to follow you in your dorm" you say when you see where he is going.
"It's not like you've never been here before. I'm the Head Boy and I want us to be free like we would be if we now were in Diagon Alley as we planned".
Does that mean...?
You don't know what to think, but when he doesn't stop in the Slytherin Common Room, but drags you in his dormitory, a sense of anticipation overwhelms you.
"Lestrange, get out. I need this room for us tonight" Tom orders when he finds his roomate in their room.
Lestrange jumps up from his bed without complaining
"Yes, s-. Tom".
He collects the presents he was unwrapping and you feel guilty that he has to leave his own room because of you, the real intruder.
"Glad you've recovered" Lestrange only says to you, before fleeing from the room.
You turn to Tom, jaw dropped
"Are you out of my mind?".
"Yes. I am. How dared you making me feel like I lost you?" he steps closer to you, towering you, and you feel like you're not going to get out of the room -his room- alive.
Well, you've almost died and he saved you. So it feel legimate that he can do whatever he wants with you. Almost legimate.
"Tom, is it my fault now?" you tilt your head at him.
"I don't care. I want to be rewarded" his hands grab your waist to pull you against him.
You look down at his possessive grip, then glance at his flawless corner of the room, at his tidy bed, his few presents and few belongings.
"I thought you hated me" you blurt out.
He is eager for your attention and grabs your chin to make you focus on him, his lips shutting you up before you can say something more.
"Do you call this hate?" he hisses on your lips, letting you catch your breath and all you can smell, all you can inhale is him "I don't want to share you with anyone else, that's the problem. And I don't want you to befriend Dumbledore too much. Understood?".
And all you want for Christmas is him.
Your blood boils in your veins with the need of him, after the long abstinence caused by his nonsense jealousy.
"Hmm, yes?" you say when he's clearly waiting for an answer from you.
You already forgot what he asked you.
"Now, enough talking. You're mine tonight" he states taking the lead to a very long night that makes you truly feel like you're resurrected.