Oh, Ophelia | Tom Riddle

Hogwarts 1922

Cordelia Carrow sat alone at the edge of the black lake. She read a book, only lifting her head when a sound pulled her away from the story in her hands. Her brother would surely be dissaproving of the muggle literature she was enjoying so much.

"You're reading it." Said a warm voice from behind her. Cordelia fought down a blush as Nathaniel Marigold sat down next to her.

"Not because of you, Marigold." Said Cordelia, refusing to look up at those stupidly handsome golden eyes.

"Then do enlighten me, Darling, why are you reading it?" He said, and Cordelia felt her heart flutter. He had taken to calling her that ever since she had insisted it was her favourite pet name to her best friend as they walked past.

"I like it. He makes tragedy beautiful." Said Cordelia, rereading Ophelia's death surrounded by flowers.

"I would have thought you would prefer Romeo and Juliet." Said Nathaniel, looking at the brunette witch with nothing but adoration. Her face flushed pinker as she turned to look at him with those big blue eyes that caught him off guard everytime.

"And why is that, Marigold?" She asked, biting her lip as she looked at him. She resisted the urge to kiss him. But that did not stop her gaze from flickering down to his lips. It could never happen. He was a muggleborn. "Any reason I should?"

"You can't keep doing this, Cordelia." Said Nathaniel leaning back to lie on the grass.

"Doing what?" She asked, looking down at him, her perfect eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"You keep making me think that- that you might even," He ran a hand over his face and returned it to its place at his side only sitting up when a warm hand was placed on his. "even," He repeated.

"Even what? Are you alright?" She asked when his face flushed pink, she raised a hand to his face as though to check if he was alright, if he had a fever.

She made to lower her hand from his face but he stopped her and he heard her breath hitch in her throat.

"Like me." He murmured, "Or more than that."

"More than that?" She breathed her hand still on his face,

"Yeah, I think about you like a lot." Said Nathaniel, and Cordelia's eyes widened and he was brethless again. "I just want to be with you, Lia. And I know you can't and I know you probably don't even thi-" He was cut off by her lips pressed on his.

Her hands were in his hair on his chest pulling him closer before finally pulling away. Her eyes were wide unblinking and she looked as though she'd just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"I shouldn't of done that." He heard her whisper as she stood up, she ran a hand through her hair. "I shouldn't of done that." She looked

"Don't say that." Said Nathaniel, picking up the book she'd left on the ground.

"I'm not allowed to to, want, and and you're so so, And my family, because cause you are and I'm, and I feel." She said and he stood up and put his hands on either sides of her shoulders,

"What do you feel?" He asked and her eyes finally met his.

"Everything." She breathed before pulling his hands off of her, "I have to go, my brother he would, I have to go I-I can't do this," She began to walk away,

"Wait please wait," He said as he watched the girl he had had a crush on since third year walk away, her breathing harsh and her shoulders rising and falling quickly. He wanted to make it all better. He wanted to make her happy.