evelynn | t.riddle

16 | CONVALESCENCE

Tom groans and mutters, "You've got to be kidding..." It's a week until they get their letters for Hogwarts, and...he woke up with the flu! He's had it enough times to know what it's like, too - aches, shivering hot flashes, the feeling that he wants to be sick just to make his stomach stop rolling, all of it. Merlin, dammit, he hates being sick.

"Tom?" He hears Evelynn's soft footsteps make their way over to him, and then an ice-cold hand gets pressed to his forehead. Something that feels so good he's just discovered. And then she swears under her breath, saying, "Merlin, you're burning up."

A whine makes its way out of Tom's throat all on its own when her hand leaves his forehead - her hand, being so cold on his skin, felt way too good for it to leave suddenly. And then Evelynn's hand mercifully runs back, running through his sweaty hair this time, as she murmurs, "No, no, I'm not going far. Just-" She's cut off by knocking at the door.

Which means it's Cole. Only she would be at their door, much less knock. All the other kids are too terrified, after all.

Evelynn curses, then says, "Stay here, Tom."

Unfortunately for Evelynn, nobody gives Tom Riddle orders and expects him to follow them...and he refuses to show weakness of any kind in front of Cole. She may not hate him, something he's learned after seeing how Evelynn's relatives treated her, but he won't seem weak in front of her! So, of course, as Evelynn's explaining to Ms Cole how Tom's got the flu, he stumbles over to the doorway - already regretting getting out of bed, his head is pounding now that he's upright. Yeah, maybe he should've swallowed his pride just this once and stayed in bed...

Ms Cole grabs Tom by the chin and tilts his face up to look at him, making Tom wince as he feels a stab of pain at the sudden movement; turning it this way before saying, "Back into bed, Tom. Now. Miss Peverell, in light of his illness-"

Evelynn quickly says, "It's fine, Ma'am. I can take care of Tom." Tom could swear he sensed Evelynn's magic flare for just a moment - not a Compulsion, he thinks, but more something that just started happening and that she learned to do on purpose. A bit like him reading people's minds, he thinks.

To Tom's surprise, the strict woman only purses her lips together and then says, "Very well, then. Just don't fall sick yourself, Peverell."

Once the door is closed again, Evelynn takes Tom's closest arm and drapes it over her neck while saying, "Alright, this time, stay in bed. That sounds so bad coming from me, but still." Of course, she was never really allowed to be sick either - Merlin forbid Eve Potter was anything other than bloody invincible.

Once he's sitting on the mattress, Tom asks, "Did you just do what I think you did to Cole? Convince her to let you stay with magic?" And let him go, too, he thinks.

Evelynn flushes in embarrassment and says, "Maybe. It's not a Compulsion or anything...I think, anyway. I don't usually convince people like that, but..."

Tom quietly asks, "But?" Sick or not, he really wants to know this answer and why she'd stay at his side even when he's sick. Even if it will make his head spin with the confusion, it'll most likely bring on top of him being sick with the flu.

Evelynn looks up and says, "But you're sick." At Tom's blank look, she asks, "You thought I would leave you alone to be sick?" Everyone did it to her whenever she was sick. Why would he think she'd do the same to him?

Tom looks up at the honest confusion in her voice and sees her open expression. It's not an act. She's honestly confused about why he'd think she'd leave him in this room alone to either get better or not. Tom just shrugs and says, "It's happened before." Especially to him. Some kids sneak in to see their friends if they're sick, but Tom had no friends before Evelynn arrived. Nobody ever snuck in to see him, not that he would've wanted anyone to see him weak anyway.