Imperium - t.r.

Chapter Eleven: Unlikely Friendships

Angelo and Anastasia went up to the castle for breakfast. Even though she had just thrown up all of her sustenance, she couldn't swallow a bit. Juniper and Uriah looked at her in concern. Never had they seen her look so worried or downtrodden.

"Are you alright?" Juniper inquired.

"I'll be fine," Anastasia answered, not being able to get her previous conversation with Tom out of her head. "Just feeling a little off that's all."

"Maybe you should try eating something," Angelo suggested, pushing a plate of sausage towards her.

"No, I don't think I can keep anything down right now," Anastasia answered.

"I think you should go to the Hospital Wing," Uriah said. "You don't look too well."

"I'll be okay," Anastasia smiled, somewhat forced. "No need to worry Madam Rockwell."

"If you say so," Uriah replied.

Over the course of breakfast, Angelo managed to get her to eat some bacon and eggs. When breakfast was over, she groaned, having to face Tom in Potions. Contemplating on whether she should use the free pass, she decided to save it for another time. Sighing, she descended into the dungeons. Tom walked right past her and the sick feeling resting in her stomach quickly turned to fury. Every time she passed one of the purebloods in her house, her blood boiled. Every time she saw the Slytherin crest, her rage rose.

Anastasia spent the period chopping and stirring while Tom wordlessly adjusted the heat and measured the ingredients when need be, like they always did. At this point, they didn't need to tell each other what to do. They just did it. Slughorn walked by and tested their potion, perfect as always.

"Anastasia, dear," Slughorn said to her with a questioning tone. "Are you feeling well? You look quite pale."

"I'm fine," she said. Though the "I'm" came out quite noiselessly, so all that was audible was "fine".

"If you say so," Slughorn replied. "But if you feel ill, excuse yourself to the Hospital Wing. There's no need to ask me."

"Thanks, professor," she answered quietly.

"Did you eat?" Tom inquired.

"Why do you care?" Anastasia spat.

"Because I'm your boyfriend and I'm concerned," Tom replied.

"A bit uncharacteristic for the genocidal maniac," she grumbled.

"Still hung up about that are you?" he sighed. "You're not going to be hurt and even before I knew you were pureblood I would've made sure that you wouldn't have been harmed."

"I wasn't concerned about me," she seethed. "You see not everyone in the world is a narcissist like you."

"Fine, be that way," Tom sighed.

The Potions class ended and Anastasia walked on to Transfiguration, where she was placed far away from Tom. Upon entering the classroom, Dumbledore looked at her in worry.

"Anastasia, are you alright?" he asked her.

"I'll be okay," Anastasia sighed.

"You will be when you pay Madame Rockwell a visit," he said to her, putting a hall pass in her hand. "Go! I won't make you do any makeup work, so just rest for the day."

"If you insist, Professor," Anastasia smiled before heading off. Tom stood up, ready to escort and pick at her more.

"I think that Miss De Meath is capable of navigating her way to the Hospital Wing alone, Mister Riddle," Dumbledore said, making Tom sit back down with a scowl.