holding on {t.r.}

t h i r t y

As much as Alexandra loved seeing Tom's soft side, she had a soft spot for the part of him that lived to impress his peers.

"Which Tom do you like better?" Melissa asked, noticing Alexandra staring as Tom stood before the class demonstrating how to properly perform the spells they had been learning in their N.E.W.T level charms class.

"What do you mean?" Alexandra asked, not looking away from Tom.

"Well, there's intimidating Tom from before you began dating, although, you were never really intimidated, were you?" Melissa asked, losing track of her thoughts for a moment before continuing. "Then there's emotionally confused Tom from the very beginning of your relationship, and confident Tom today. One boy, three very different personalities."

"I don't think he's changed much. I think he's still all of those things today," Alexandra shrugged. "It just depends on who he's around. For example, he still acts intimidating around other students, he still gets confused sometimes when we're alone, and he acts confident when either the four of us are together or when he's around a professor like he is right now."

"And you don't prefer one attitude over the others?" Melissa asked, raising her eyebrow. 

"I suppose I react to them differently in a sense, but that doesn't necessarily mean I prefer one over the other."

"How so?" 

"Well, confident Tom makes me want to brag to the world that he's my boyfriend, confused Tom gives me butterflies and makes me want to hug him to death, and I'm not going to talk about what intimidating Tom makes me want to do," Alexandra explained, leaning back in her chair.

"I see your point," Melissa laughed. "I heard he asked you to live with him after graduation. I assume you agreed."

"I did," Alexandra smiled. "It's a true love story, isn't it? Two emotionally damaged orphans find a home within each other."

"Someone should write a book about you two," Melissa joked. "You two are kind of a mess, though. The plot would be all over the place. It would also have to be written in the third person since both of you would definitely be considered unreliable narrators, and-"

"I get it," Alexandra interrupted.

"What are you two discussing?" Tom asked, approaching the girls as they were dismissed.

"How much money a person would make from writing a book about your lives," Melissa admitted.

"Unfortunately, some of the most riveting moments in our lives have happened in private, so your book would be rather boring," Tom stated.

"That's what my imagination is for," Melissa smiled, walking away from the two to get to her next class.

"We have a break before potions," Alexandra stated, linking her hand with Tom's. "Want to make a pit stop?"

"I promised Avery I would help him with his bloody Transfiguration essay," Tom lied.

"Since when are you so generous? You've been helping him with his work for weeks now," Alexandra stated, seemingly unbothered. "You're a good friend for helping him. I'll see you in potions."

Tom kissed her, letting the moment linger for a bit before pulling away. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Tom cursed at himself as he walked away, wanting nothing more than to turn around and go back to her. He knew he couldn't, though.

As he walked, he couldn't help but notice someone he hasn't noticed in a long time. Dumbledore was standing in his doorway, saying nothing as he watched Tom pass by him with the same old smile on his face and twinkle in his eye.