𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐱 » 𝐭.𝐦.𝐫

41.

"She has me." Tom smiled, pulling Cerys into his side. Just barely, the two heard Reinheard snort, but he smoothly covered it by acting as though he choked on his drink.

Cerys scoffed. "Yes. Out of all the people in the world, I've been bestowed with the honour of having Tom." Said boy gritted his teeth in annoyance while Reinheard pursed his lips behind his glass, doing everything to hold back his amusement. Tom glared holes into the younger Lestrange's head, hand tightening around Cerys' arm.

"Oh, what a kind boy you are." Mrs. Lestrange gushed.

"Yes he is. Such a gentleman." Mr. Lestrange added.

"So, Tom." Mrs. Black. "How do you think of the party?"

"It's lovely Mrs. Black. Speaking of which." Tom said, nodding to the centre of the room where a few couples had started dancing to the music. "I was just planning to take Miss. Graham for a dance. If you'd allow me..."

"Oh, of course." They all said one by one in sync. Reinheard said, simply rolling his eyes at his parents and the Blacks. As if Tom needed their permission. Cerys' mouth opened to protest, but before she could Tom whisked her away.

"Smooth, Riddle. Real smooth. Ordering me in front of them so I couldn't say no, huh." Cerys said, glaring at him.

    Tom grinned slyly at her remark as he placed his hands on her waist. "Are you complaining about dancing with me?" He said, feigning offence.

Cerys rolled her eyes. "You are so full of yourself." She said.

"Or maybe you're just lacking common sense. Anyone would be happy to dance with me."

"Like I said before, you're full of yourself, Riddle."

The pair danced for fifteen minutes, bickering as they moved across the dance floor, more couples joining in. From the corner of her eye, Cerys could see Rosier looking about every now and then, and she knew for exactly who. She felt awful. She remembered the second Fabula told her of her sudden arrangement with Lestrange, her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. How could they? The poor girl explained how she told them of her relationship with Evan, but they had showed no joy whatsoever. For the first time in her life, they were disappointed in her. They expressed how Rosier was not a serious boy, and she couldn't possibly have a good future with him.

They had chosen Lestrange for the very reason that he was not like Rosier. If only they knew that Lestrange was just as unbothered and careless but decided to show it in a much different way. But they didn't listen. They claimed their daughter needed a strong young man at her side, not someone like Rosier who couldn't speak to someone without blushing. It aggravated her, hearing what the Bulstrodes has to say about the young boy.

   "Grahamm? Can you dance with me properly for once? You either zone out or can't stop complaining." Tom grumbled, earning a roll of her eyes from Cerys.

   "Oh, I'm so sorry, my lord, that there are much more important things than you in this world."

    "I hate you."

   "Then stop dancing with me. You were the one who dragged me here."

   "Well, it seems like a mistake."

   "Well, you can fix this mistake by letting go." Cerys went to take a step back, but she was stopped when Tom didn't let up on his girl. Glancing up at him, she saw that he was looking behind her at Alphard, who was now approaching them.

   "By is Black coming here?"

    The answer was soon known when Alphard smiled boyishly. "Do you mind if I steal Grahamm back from you?"