Star Crossed

Chapter Fifty Four- Some innocence left

I sighed as I stared at the writing on the page in front of me, April was now newly upon us and with it the stress of upcoming OWL examinations loomed over me like a thickening storm cloud and yet I could not focus! This time next month I would be sat there in the Great Hall sealing my fate and the thought of it made me feel sick.
"Feeling the pressure." I looked up to see Tom leaning against the closest bookshelf, I stared at him for a moment we had not spoken since the occlumency lesson just over a week ago... Wiglaf had tried to talk to me about it but each time I had made some miraculous escape if I did say so myself.

"Reading my mind again," I huffed unable to stop myself.
"Amusing but no legilimency is needed to see the desperation written across your face." Tom replied raising his eyebrow at me I looked up at him with a scowl, I was not in the mood for his sarcasm today.
"Tom unless you are going to help me..." I began rubbing my temples in attempt to ease the growing throbbing inside my head.
"Help you?" Tom interrupted bluntly. "I think perhaps you have forgotten the last time I attempted to help you with your studies." his tone was not humorous or sarcastic anymore, I shifted in my seat and returned my eyes to the book before me trying my best to ignore him, hoping he would go away.
"What is this? Grisha is avoiding the conversation? Funy I had you down as a lot of things Grisha but a coward was not one of them." His words stung me like an angry wasp. I felt my defences rise up and he knew it, he knew exactly how to get a rise out of me but as hard as I tried I couldn't help it.
"Coward? Please. I am not the one hiding my past Riddle, I am not the one ashamed of my past. You saw my past, I gave you permission to enter my mind I have nothing to hide. I became exhausted and you of course would show me no relent. It is you Tom who is the coward." my voice trembled as I contemplated my words but something in me drove me forwards.
"You are the one who is so afraid of showing your past, you are the one who tries so desperately to disguise yourself to cover yourself up. Do not ever assume that I am a coward Riddle certainly not before looking at yourself." I slammed my book shut stuffed it into my satchel and made to storm off but Tom caught hold of the sleeve of my robe causing me to stop with a loud sigh.
"You dare speak to me like that." Tom's voice was shaking, I could not recall ever seeing him trying to retain his anger this much before, apprehension began to swirl in the pit of my stomach.
"Yes. Yes I do because you are my friend Riddle and I care about you. I care about our friendship and in friendship you have to be honest with one another and I won't lie to you, I will never hide my thoughts and emotions from you." I stressed my voice become higher than usual.
"You care," Tom scoffed shaking his head causing me to turn myself around fully to face him my arms across my chest.
"You think I don't?" I asked incredulously, "You think after everything I don't care? You know for someone who is so intelligent you really can be thick sometimes." I snapped before storming out of the library without so much as a backwards glance to witness what would surely be Tom's furious expression. My heart raced in my chest as tears threatening to fall down my flushed red cheeks. I was so angry at him, angrier than I had ever been before, how could he insinuate that I didn't care, after everything! In that moment I wished I didn't care...

"Grisha," Lazarus called after me as I walked down the corridor, it was later that afternoon, lessons had just finely ended for the day and I wanted nothing more than to escape to Gryffindor tower for the rest of the evening. "wait," he called, I sighed and stopped turning around to see him jogging up behind me.
"I heard you and Tom got into a disagreement." he whispered causing me to roll my eyes.
"Look I don't know who told you but I really don't want to talk about it."
"Riddle told me." He replied,
"Well I-" I stopped, "What did you just say?" I leaned forward as if my ears had failed me last time and would benefit from the small decrease in distance.
"Riddle told me." he repeated simply.
"Riddle told you that we had a disagreement?" I asked in amazement.
"Yep." Lazarus replied with a smirk. "I know."
"Well what did he say?" I asked curiously.
"I was telling him that Wiglaf had arranged for us to all meet this evening at seven O'Clock in the room of requirement then of course he confirmed that he would be there but he also said that you would probably decline on the grounds that you where disgruntled with him."
"Did he now? Well you can tell him that I am not declining and damn right I am disgruntled with him." I replied crossing my arms across my chest.
Lazarus raised his hands, "I am no owl tell him yourself... so why are you disgruntled with him?"
I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't matter."
Lazarus shrugged looking a little disappointed at my lack of elaboration.