Hogwarts: a school of Witchcraft and Love (Tom Marvolo Riddle x F!reader)

Fourth year: chapter 4

Over the summer, you and Tom got closer. Everything went great. No, even better than great! You were always looking forward to being around him, and were so over the moon that you weren't even upset at the rudeness of Will not sending you a single owl during the two months of not being burdened with the stress of exams.

Your other bestie kept in touch, and it would only be right that you told her all about it, after Tom gave you permission to do so.

Being in a relationship was new. That was why you wanted to get it right from the start. You respected what Tom wanted and what he didn't want. He gave the green light on telling Alyssa if she kept it secret.

It would take some time to get used to her new look—dyed black tips on her straightened red hair—but it suited the almond shape of her face.

She wasn't the only one that underwent a makeover.

Gone were the days where Abraxas had his locks flow down over his shoulders. His light manes slicked back into a ponytail, and he rocked it. Sophisticated, refined, and edgy was a good look on him. Many of the girls back at Hogwarts were bound to think the same.

His height difference to third year helped. Him and Tom were about on par now, with Abraxas overtaking by an inch. It was hard to say when they were sitting apart from each other on the bench seat.

When it was just you the three of you- Alyssa, your lovestruck self and... ahem, your boyfriend-everything was peaceful. Until the gatecrasher made his entrance, inserting himself.

No confirmation needed. Abraxas assumed himself welcome, thinking he was God's gift to the world, and that was that.

Two Gryffindors and two Slytherins put together into one and the same cart could only go bad, but it also could have been worse. Avery and Lestrade were not around which was why you could share the carriage. Had they been here, you and Alyssa wouldn't be.

She would have liked that just fine because she rather swum to Hogwarts than to be in the same vicinity with Abraxas. But her Gryffindor loyality didn't leave you alone with them.

A pause was going on where everyone was withdrawn for their own reasons. Alyssa had a bone to pick with Abraxas for his insult towards Will. She couldn't let it go, even if he had already gotten detention for it. Abraxas was above small talk, Tom wasn't interested, and you were at a loss of anything relevant to say.

For the past hour, Alyssa shot daggers like it was her sole life mission. Not that he noticed, being too invested in Ancient Runes.

She couldn't hold it any longer, firing off the question everyone knew was coming.
"How can you even stand being around him?"

Abraxas smiled back while reading, pretending not to have heard a thing. Typical behavior from someone who saw themselves above others. "Don't you remember what he said to Will?"

You groaned inwardly. This was the very thing that made the feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin unsolvable.

"He's not all that bad." Why you were defending him was a mystery to you. He was a toe rag to anyone below him on the social ladder, and he could tolerate Alyssa, but not Will?

But then, then, Alyssa challenged your defense by bringing up the elephant in the room—compartment?—the elephant in the compartment that nobody wanted to talk about. "What about his supporting of wizard superiority? How can you just ignore that?"

You didn't want to point fingers because it wasn't polite but you felt like you had to. Your point being that Abraxas stood up to Lestrade and Avery. She didn't seem to believe you, but it was true.