slytherin boys react - II

tom riddle: trying to stop them from leaving for hogwarts

you stand at the front door, a knot tightening in your stomach as he gets ready to leave. he looks back at you, expression unreadable, and silence fills the air between you. you want to say something, anything, to make him stay, but the words catch in your throat. instead, you just stare, hoping he can see the plea in your eyes. he gives a slight nod, then turns, reaching for the doorknob.

the second his fingers brush the cold metal, a wave of dread overwhelms you, and before you can stop yourself, you close the distance, wrapping your arms around him from behind. he tenses, surprised, but then relaxes, letting out a soft exhale without pulling away.

"don't go," you whisper, pressing your face against his back, clinging to him. "please, don't go."

for a moment, he stands there, silent. then, he sighs and slowly untangles himself, turning to face you, his expression as unreadable as ever. "i have to go," he says quietly, each word piercing through you.

you want to argue, to say something to keep him here, but he shakes his head, gaze steady. "there are things i need to do, things i can only do there."

you know exactly what he means. you've had this conversation before. yet it hurts just as much as the first time. "what things?" you plead. "what's so important that you have to keep leaving?"

his face hardens. "i've told you. i have plans."

you scoff, frustration slipping into your voice. "your precious plans. your grand schemes and ambitions. i hate them. i hate that they matter more to you than anything else."

he watches you, studying your face, as if waiting for you to continue.

"but more than that, i hate that each time you walk out that door, there's a chance i'll never see you again." your voice breaks, and you swallow hard. "is it really worth it? all of this, your stupid magic?"

his eyes narrow. "don't call it stupid," he replies, his voice cold. "you don't understand."

anger bubbles up inside you. "then make me understand. explain why you have to keep leaving me behind for this... this madness."

his jaw clenches, irritation flashing across his face. "you wouldn't get it," he says flatly. he steps closer, gaze intense. "i am meant for great things. i have ambition, drive, a vision you can't comprehend. i'm destined for more than this ordinary life, and i won't let anything, or anyone, hold me back."

he reaches out, fingers brushing your arm, his tone soft yet sharp. "you are a distraction," he murmurs. "a hindrance. and i can't let you keep standing in my way."

he tilts your chin up, his face inches from yours, his words final, leaving you standing in the silence that follows.

"the world is changing," he murmurs, voice soft but intense. "and i will be the one to shape it. a new order, a better world, i'll create it. i have a vision for the future, and nothing will hold me back."

he leans closer, his voice dropping like he's sharing a secret. "when the day comes, when i've achieved everything, i'll come back for you. but until then, i can't let anything tether me."

you look up at him, hurt pooling in your eyes. "you're lying," you whisper, voice shaking. "if you cared about us, you wouldn't leave me behind."

you grab his arm, your grip tightening, desperate. "why can't we build a future together?"

for a moment, something flickers in his eyes, regret, maybe even pity, but it vanishes as quickly as it appeared. "we have different paths," he says firmly. "you're holding me back. you don't understand what i must do."

you grip his arm even tighter. "and what do you see for me?" you ask, voice soft but defiant. "what's my destiny if not by your side?"

he stares, then lets out a harsh, bitter laugh. "your destiny?" he scoffs, eyes cold. "you're nothing but a mere mortal. your future is insignificant." he brushes your cheek with an almost mocking tenderness. "you could never understand what i'm trying to accomplish."

his words cut deep, and your hand falls from his arm. "do you even love me anymore?" you ask softly, voice trembling.

he sighs, stepping closer. "i will always love you," he murmurs, touching your cheek. "but love cannot hold back my ambition, my vision."

you open your mouth to protest, but he places a finger on your lips, silencing you. "don't make this harder than it already is," he says, voice gentle yet unyielding. "i must go, and you must stay. it's how it has to be."

"please," you whisper, voice breaking. "don't leave me."

he looks at you, expression unreadable, and for a moment, you think he might relent. his hand trembles on your cheek, his gaze softens. but then, with a sigh, he steps back, hand dropping to his side. "i have to go," he says, his voice flat. "there are things more important than us."

"please," you plead, desperately. "we could get married, start a family, build a life together. we don't need to be apart."

he looks at you, impassive. "i can't. my path doesn't allow for such... distractions." his fingers tighten around the doorknob.

you reach out, placing your hand over his, stopping him. before he can react, you pull him down into a desperate kiss, pouring everything you feel into it. for a moment, he's still, shocked, then his lips move against yours, almost hesitantly, as though he's fighting to hold himself back.

for that fleeting moment, he forgets everything, his plans, his ambitions, lost in the feel of you. but all too soon, he pulls away, the walls between you snapping back into place. he looks at you, eyes guarded, one hand still clutching the doorknob.

"don't do that," he says quietly, voice hoarse. "don't make this harder than it has to be."

he takes a steadying breath, forcing his emotions back. "you are a distraction," he says, voice firm. "you always have been. my path is my own, and it doesn't include you."

he watches you in silence, as if memorizing your face, then gently brushes a strand of hair from your cheek. "i'm sorry," he whispers, his voice barely audible. "for everything."

he leans down, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, lingering for a second too long. when he pulls back, his gaze meets yours, softened for just a moment.

"maybe in another life," he says quietly, almost to himself. "maybe then, we could have been something more."