𝑆𝑜 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔， 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 || 𝑇𝑜𝑚 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑋 𝑂𝑐

six.

"This is what you missed." Vivian pointed at a paragraph on the withering page of the old book.
"That doesn't make sense." Tom looked like he wanted to pick up the book and throw it, but he kept himself still.

"Maybe your small brain just can't happen to comprehend it." Vivian muttered under her breath, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Excuse me?" Tom scoffed. "You heard me." She nodded her head forward. Tom let out a laugh, as if it were unbelievable for Vivian to be comparing his smarts to her own.

"Believe me, my smarts are much more — No. Why should I have to explain myself to someone as low as yourself." His posture held straight again. The girl laughed more loudly than she meant to.

Tom's head snapped around to look at her as he gave her a glare and sneered. "Something funny, Caledonia?" The brunett's eyebrow arched as he shifted in his seat.

"Your lack of intelligence is quite amusing, if I must say so." Tom immediately slammed the book shut. "I don't need your help. I can do this myself." He stood up, placing the book on the table that sat in- front of them.

"Then why did you force me to stay behind when i could've been out with my friends? You clearly need me for something!" Vivian began to become irritated with the boy.

"That boy is hardly your friend." He looks down at the sitting girl. "Who? Markus Weasley?" Tom nodded. "As far as I'm concerned, at least."

"So you're concerned about my life?" She lightly smiles as she begins to jokingly tease Tom. "Your life means as much to me as a quill without ink."

"I'm not exactly a poet, Tom. Care to explain to us who don't live in the library?" She stood up. "Useless. A quill without ink is useless."

"If i'm so useless, then perhaps I'll just go." Vivian attempts to budge past him, but he grips her upper arm, stopping her from taking any more steps.

"You have to help me." He refused to look her in the eyes out of embarrassment. "I don't have to do anything, Riddle. Now let me go."

"If you help me, there will be something in this for you." He squeezed her arm and straightened his posture. "I'm not a prostitue, Tom!" She snapped.

"Excuse me? That's not what i meant." Tom quickly let go of Vivian. "Then what?" She asked. "You'll see." Tom replied nonchalantly.

"How very informative, Riddle." She rolled her eyes and stood a step back from the boy. Vivian sat back down and opened the book. She began to read everything Tom had read before and explained it all to him.

  —꧁꧂—

"It's that easy?" Tom asked. "I wouldn't say it's easy. It's dangerous." Vivian looked over at the boy, she had worry in her eyes.

"I suppose it is." He had a determined look on his face. The way his mouth was slightly curved up in a smirk. "Don't touch magic you can't handle, Riddle." She warned him. "I won't." Tom knew he could handle this dark magic.

The two sat in silence before Tom spoke up. "Perhaps you aren't a quill without ink." His eyes refused to meet hers. "Hm?" She looked up at him.

"You're not as useless as I had thought."
Vivian lightly smiled. "Thank you, I think."

Before they could speak another word, a loud crowd of students came running into the library.

As the crowd set off for their coroners in the library, Abigayle and Mark approached the pair.

"How is your assignment going?" Abigayle smiled as she looked at the table, which only had one book set. "Horcruxes." Markus read it as he picked it up.

Tom stood up and quickly snatched the book off of Markus. "Never you both mind." Tom began to pack up the book. "You're leaving?" Vivian asked.

"I have things to do." Tom left without another word. "He's creepy." Abigayle stared down at Vivian with a dirty look. "He's not creepy." Vivian defended.

"You fancy him or something?" Mark snorted very loudly, earning a glare from the librarian. "No!" She yelled. Another glare was earned. "No. I do not fancy him." She whispered.

"I mean, he's not bad looking." Abigayle smirked at she looked at Vivian. Mark shoved her. "He's not!" She giggled slightly and shoved Mark back.
They both began to giggle and push into eachother.

"If you guys are going to talk about boys, then I'm leaving." He spun around. "I'm joking." Vivian looked at the two, confused. They don't have feelings for each other yet Mark's very adamant about her not fancying another boy.

"Now i'm leaving if you two are going to sit here and flirt." She stands up and begins to walk away. She notices the pair sitting down where her and Tom had previously sat.

As she walked the halls before heading back to her dorm, she bumped into Lestrange, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Sorry!" She said before realising who it was. Lestrange looked distraught and nervous. "Are you alright?" She asked the boy.

He nodded before rudely budging past her and running away. Vivian furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but just shrugged it off.