Don't Let Me Fall (a Tom Riddle not-so-short-short-story)

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A week had passed since Tom found Rose asleep in the corridor. Rose was avoiding Tom as much as possible, trying to smother the feelings she started to develope for him. Her Gryffindor friends were happy that she was spending so much time with them instead of with her fellow Slytherins. Students from all the houses enjoyed hearing her stories about her old school, Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Rose was becoming quite popular and much loved by the staff and students of Hogwarts. The more friends she made the less time she spent with Tom, and that made him mad.

Rose was spending her free period by herself at the tree by the lake when Tom found her. He sat down next to her and watched her read.

After a few minutes Rose grew annoyed, "What do you want, Tom?"

"To talk," Tom replied, still watching her.

Rose sighed and put her book down and turned to look at him angrily, "What do you want to talk about, hmm? How about how you read my letter then lied to me and expected I would believe you? How about how you plan to release the monster in the chamber to kill muggle-borns? No? Then how about how you plan on never dying by turning to dark magic and killing people?" Rose's voice rose into a shout, "Oh I know! You want to talk about how you plan to make me fall in love with you and trust you and help you take over the fucking world? Tell me Tom Marvolo Riddle, what do you want to talk about?"

Rose stood up abruptly and started to walk away. Tom spoke calmly to her as she headed to the school, "You won't tell anyone that for it would change the future," Rose stopped walking, "You're scared that the future will change so much that you won't be able to stop me. You're not mad at me, you're mad at yourself for loving me. You don't like Dumbledore anymore because he wishes to stop me. You are scared. Scared of caring for me, of turning evil because of me. That is your biggest fear afterall."

Rose turned around and looked at him before laughing, "You're right Tom. I am scared but not of you." Her face grew serious, "You are the reason I never met my older brother. He was only 11 when your followers killed him in the future. My father was a Gryffindor at Hogwarts and so was my brother, before he died. After my brother's death my father moved to America where he met my mother and had me. I never got to meet my brother but he died fighting you. I am a Slytherin and I will do everything in my power to save my brother even if that means I will never be born.

"I am scared I will fail and he will die. I am scared that I will cause the deaths of so many people that otherwise wouldn't die. I am scared of myself, not you. I will not tell Dumbledore your secrets. I will pretend to be your friend but trust me, the minute my family is threatened, my friends, I will turn on you, I will destroy you. So go fuck yourself Tom." Rose spun around and stalked off fuming, leaving a stunned Tom alone at the tree.

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"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I am so fucking stupid!" Rose muttered to herself, banging her dead on the wooden table of the library.

"Why are you so stupid?" came a scottish accented voice from behind her.

Rose looked up to see a tall Ravenclaw prefect sitting across from her with an amused look dancing in his dark blue eyes. "I may have exploded and said things that I shouldn't have. It doesn't matter, I just let my emotions get the better of me. Who might you be?"

The ginger boy laughed, "I'm Faolan Aitken, a 6th year like you Miss Green."

"You know who I am?" Rose was surprise. She did not know that she was so well known around the school.

Faolan laughed, "Of course I do. Everyone knows who the first transfer student to come to Hogwarts. Plus I am a prefect and like to know what is going on around school."

Rose laughed softly, "I had no idea I was so well known."

Faolan smiled, "I was wondering if you would like to join me down at Hogsmeade this coming trip."

Rose blushed, "I would love to!" Her face grew serious, "Don't let Tom find out. He will not be happy."

Faolan's smile dropped, "I know. I've notice him scare of potential suitors. Are you two dating?"
"No! He doesn't want me to chose the opposite side. He has been trying to play with my emotions and I know that. He thinks he can control me if I fall in love with him. He's wrong. Love may make people do stupid things but I refuse to fall in love with that monster of a man!" Rose started to get worked up.

"Calm down! I was just curious. I will not let him stop my pursuit of your affections now that I know you are not with him," Faolan's calm voice soothed Rose's anger.

"Sorry for getting angry. I hate how Tom thinks he can play with a woman's heart to get what he wants. I hate how it is working," Rose hung her head ashamed.

"You wouldn't happen to be from the future, would you?" the prefect asked.

Rose's head snapped up in shock, "W-what do you mean? Me, from the future, pff, as if. Is that even possible?" Rose tried to brush of the question.

"You are very bad at lying. I only wanted to know because you are different. My aunt, who's a seer, gave a prophecy about a girl from the future. It goes like this:

Across the sea through time.

A girl age 16 will find

Herself stuck in another's time

A man of evil will play

A game of hearts and minds

To live forever and rule the world

With the help of the girl of the future

Only she can decide

Who will win the war this time

Two shall fight over her

One for her knowledge

One for her love

The side she's on will win

Let the games begin