𝐵𝑒̂𝑡𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑟𝑒 ; ᴛᴏᴍ ᴍᴀʀᴠᴏʟᴏ ʀɪᴅᴅʟᴇ

13

"Everyone put your books away. We won't be needing them at the moment." Slughorn said, leaning back on his desk and observing the class in a more serious manner.

"As you know, Professor Merrythought is retiring and has left to go to Romania for a study in dragons. I will be taking the place as the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher until the end of the year starting now. So today, we will be starting our first Defense against the Dark Arts lesson with me." Slughorn said with an enthusiastic tone.

The class had scattered cheers and some just banged their head on their desk.

Lilith looked around the classroom to see Tom with his bangs covering his eyes as he hovered over his diary. There was an empty seat next to him where Abraxas would sit but Abraxas was gone.

"Not quote the reaction I intended but for today, I will require you to work in pairs. But, since I am feeling jolly, I will let you pick your partners. Go on. Off you go." Slughorn let them off.

Lilith still sat at her desk. She barely had any sleep because of the encounter with Tom last night. She spent all night thinking if this made their platonic relationship closer or not.

Someone dropped a book on the table next to her loudly in a way to snap her out of her trance and it definitely worked.

"Dozing off already? Unlikely of you." Tom Riddle said, sitting beside her at the desk with no problem at all as if he had no recognition to who he just sat next to.

"Unlikely of you to even sit beside me." Lilith grumbled, taking off her robes and hanging it on the back of her chair.

"I thought we resolved our little dilemma. Pushed our problems aside to a fresh, new start." Tom said in a peculiar way.

Lilith rolled her eyes and propped her cheek on her elbow, looking at Tom sideways.

"Suppose so." Lilith replied dimly.

"After all, I was right when I said that the two intellectuals of school need to work together." Tom whispered, leaning closer. Lilith widened her eyes and raised her hand to put her hand over his mouth but Tom caught ahold of her wrist and looked at her seriously.

"I know you like to deny it but you know that I'm right. I always am." Tom whispered and Lilith straightened up, maintaining the serious eye contact.

"You may be right but I know that the fact that I have you wrapped around my finger, bothers you. You keep coming back to me like a little bitch dog. You can't get the thought of me out of your insensitive head. You've gone insane for me and I can prove it." Lilith shot back, not wanting to back down to his controversial argument.

"You can prove it to me on the top of the Astronomy Tower at midnight." Tom whispered in a snake like tone before turning back to the lesson about defense spells.

"There is this one quote that I am quite fond of that from The Art of War. It's, "Know thyself, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories." Professor Slughorn paused to look at the class, observingly.

"Everyone has an enemy. You might not have one now but you will. And that enemy does not have to be in human form. It could be a human versus society or a human versus nature. Know their tactics and use it as defense and manipulation. Hence the phrase, 'Know thy enemy'" Professor Slughorn took a lingering gaze at Tom and Lilith and turned back to the class.

"You partnered up to observe this study of the mind and being. You will be studying your partner to understand their tactics. Find their weakness and find their strengths. Now reminder, do not use this against your peers seriously. If you do not have a conflict with them, then do not take it to your advantage. I require you all to take this lesson seriously as it coordinates with our next defensive spell." Professor Slughorn wrote everything he said on the board as the class murmured to each other in boredom while Tom studied it intensley.

"This class is absolutely dreadful. They're shielding everything that's happening away from us only to throw out hints in lesson plans." Lilith mumbled. Tom turned to look at her and understood what she meant.

"They're scared of us. I can see it in their eyes. Fear and vulnerability that some of their precious students aren't who they say they are. No doubt they'd shield it away from us." Tom said knowingly.

Professor Slughorn lectures the class on rivalries and how knowing this will help with defense spells. Everyone was absolutely drained of energy by the end.

Lilith collected all of her books and turned around to see Tom looking down at her.

"Looking forward to seeing you at the Astronomy Tower later. Let's hope you don't push me off." Lilith said sarcastically which made Tom shoot a glance at her.

Lilith left the classroom, walking down the corridors. She felt as if there was a presence behind her, lurking.

A hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her into a bathroom quickly.

Before she knew it, Lilith was pressed against a bathroom wall, beside a boy with blonde locks and a sly smirk.

Lilith breathes heavily as she observed the boy. He wore a crisp, expensive black suit with silver jewelry poured all over him. His platinum blonde hair was messy and out of place. His sharp captivating features enhanced as he smirked slightly, side eyeing Lilith.

"Want to go somewhere?"