O R P H I C. [Tom. R × Reader]

45. Nervous?

"Y/n, wake up, sweetheart," Tom murmurs, I feel him brushing my hair from my forehead. Though I startle when I realise what he just called me and my eyes flick open. I'm lying on my back in Tom's bed, him leaning over me.

"What?" I ask, blinking hard as if I could achieve the same feeling of rubbing my eyes without my hands. Why does rubbing your eyes when you wake up feel so good?

"I said, wake up," He replies, still watching me softly.

"No. What did you just call me?" I ask again, looking up into his eyes now. He looks confused and then taken aback, as if he was second-guessing his words. The Tom Riddle, second-guessing his choice of words. What a world this has become.

"Well, you're my girlfriend, aren't you? Are you uncomfortable with pet names?" He mumbles, just barely not stumbling over his words. I flush at his mentioning of our relationship, still not quite believing it myself.

"W-well. Uhh.. n-no I'm not uncomfortable with it," I laugh awkwardly, trying to find the words to tell him that it's not quite like Tom Riddle to exchange soft words, much less pet names, "I like it, it's just odd to hear you using such soft words to another."

"Well, get used to it, darling," He smirks, leaning down further to peck my lips, making me blush even more. I turn over onto my side, facing away from him and bring my hands up to my face, finally using them to rub my eyes.

"Why are you asking me to wake up, anyway? There's no school today for seniors because of the ball," I grumble, following the edges of the frames on the wall with my eyes.

I feel Tom lie back down behind me, then wrapping his arms around my waist, "You don't want to have anything to eat before the ball? It's twelve now."

His breath on the back of my neck shifts my hairs ever so slightly, and I revel in the sweet intimacy of this moment.

My stomach rumbles as I think about what he said. A custard square would be marvelous right now.

"I suppose." I don't really feel like getting out of this impossibly snuggly bed, though.

"I could take you to Madam Puddifoot's?" The tea shop we went to during our first trip to Hogsmeade.

=🌿=

It's now five o'clock, Tom, Abe and I are sitting in the library. Tom had shoved a copy of 'Quidditch Through the Ages' into Abe's hands because he wouldn't stop talking (he's clearly not big on reading), but he actually seems pretty immersed in the book now. Tom is reading one of his weird books that he bought from Knockturn Alley. I'm writing an outline for an upcoming ancient runes assessment into a notebook in my lap.

Tom's arm is around me, resting on my waist, and Abe sits on the other side of him, his foot perched up on his knee.

It seems Abe's has had enough of reading as he opens his mouth again, "So are you guys nervous for the ball?"

I put my quill down and rest my book open on the table for the ink to dry, "Yeah I'm nervous that I'm going to be torn apart by every girl who drools over Tom."

Tom snickers and closes his own book, "I wouldn't let that happen," He smirks down at me.

"What if Tom gets torn apart by every guy who drools after you?" Abe shrugs. Tom lets out another humored noise, and I quirk my eyebrows.

"I wouldn't let that happen," I nudge Tom, "Surely there can't be that many people who drool after me anyway."

"You'd be surprised," Abe raises his eyebrows as Tom lets out a disgruntled sound, which makes me huff at him, poking him in the ribs.

We all stand up and pack our things away and leave the library after returning Abe's book to where it was.

"I hear there's going to be an after-party in Ravenclaw tonight after the ball," Abe says, stuffing his hands in his pockets as we make our way down the stairs.

"That's against the rules," Tom murmurs smoothly, folding my hand into his.

"Who cares?" I grin, swinging our hands between us.

"So is sleeping in each other's beds," Abe quips. Tom stays silent, which makes us laugh.

"Doesn't the ball end at twelve?" I ask, "That's a pretty late after-party."

"I take it you've never been to an after-party before, you drink and party for the rest of the night until everyone is passed out in a puddle of their own vomit. So, really, the party lasts until mid-day," Abe rambles, and a scowl appears on my face as I think about it.

"Is it compulsory to stay until that part happens?" I inquire, considering not going if it is.

"Oh, of course not, N/n. Those who aren't daft enough to drink until they can't function usually have left by three," Abe replies, nudging me.

"I hope I'm one of those people..."