Zealous (Tom Riddle)

Chapter 7

"We'll be going now," Tom snapped, attempting to leave. Elizabeth went to follow but the lady grabbed her arm harshly.

"I'm also going to Hogsmeade," she told her, waving a hand over her coat and snowboots.

Tom and Elizabeth were clad in similar attire - whilst he wore a lengthy black coat and matching black boots, Elizabeth was sporting a pair of almost identical black boots and a deep crimson coat.

"Okay," Elizabeth said. The woman's eyes were on Tom again.

Elizabeth took Tom's arms in hers. He was about to pull away abruptly when he saw her glare down the woman as they walked past her.

Once they got away, Tom checked back to make sure the woman was out of earshot. She was a good twenty feet behind them.

"You can let go now," Tom announced frustratedly, trying to rip his arm from Elizabeth's death hold.

"No I can't," she replied simply, "That woman is still behind us. If she thinks we're..."

"What?" Tom asked, genuinely confused. He thought he had no emotion, so he didn't understand the concept of a woman's protectiveness.

"...together, she might hold back from trying to lure you in," Elizabeth said. Her cheeks were frosted a light pink but Tom pinned that as the snow's fault.

Only, it clearly wasn't.

"I see," Tom responded coolly, a casual look clouding his usual angry or completely neutral features.

They continued to walk in silence. Tom was unaware of it but he grew comfortable with the way Elizabeth's cheek rested lightly on his shoulder and the way her small, cold hand was close to being in his.

They reached Hogsmeade quickly and efficiently. Tom turned back subtly. The woman was approaching them - well, not them directly. Tom pretended to take Elizabeth into one of the closest shops, but soon exited as the woman passed them.

"What's her name?" Elizabeth inquired.

"If I read her tag correctly, it's Mary," Tom shrugged, shoving his freezing hands in his pockets. They stepped lightly so they were less likely to be heard and walked down the sides of the streets, pretending to look in the shops every now and then.

"You don't think she'll notice us?" Elizabeth asked, "I mean, she's going a pretty long way."

"She hasn't turned around yet, has she?" Tom whispered, "We're out of the main part of the village. She would've looked back ages ago."

Eventually they got to a bar right on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. They watched through the window at the side, acting as though they were just having a normal conversation.

They waited for a while, Elizabeth still attached to Tom's arm. It provided them both warmth, so neither complained.

At one point, Elizabeth thought Tom pulled her closer to him by moving his arm. But when she contemplated it, she realised how ridiculous it sounded. Tom Riddle!

"She's out," Tom said in a hushed voice. Elizabeth's head slowly turned and sure enough the woman began leading a man out of the pub.

"Do we follow her again?" Elizabeth questioned.

Tom scoffed, "Of course."

So they repeated their actions again until they reached the path back to the village where the inn was.

"Can we stay here for a bit longer?" Elizabeth asked, looking at her silver wristwatch. It was only half past three.

Tom looked unimpressed but agreed nevertheless. They began to walk back through the crowds of a Saturday afternoon, studying the shops here and there.

"I haven't been to Hogsmeade for a while," Elizabeth admitted, squeezing Tom's arm subconsciously, "I'm always too busy studying."

Tom chuckled under his breath but visually showed no signs of amusement, "Your grades will be lower if you don't take breaks."

"Ah, maybe I shouldn't from now on then. Considering the similarity in our grades, I'd likely throw you off your pedestal," Elizabeth joked, although there was an element of truth to it.

"As if," Tom replied. He knew she was incredibly smart but he still had a high dose of self pride.

Elizabeth peered in a shop window, distracted. She was looking at a silver necklace with butterfly hanging a little haphazardly from the chain.

"Do you want to go get it?" Tom asked, puffing out air and watching as it came out pure white. To Elizabeth, it came across as though he was being disrespectful but he was just experimenting.

"Yeah," she said dreamily.

"You like butterflies?" Tom asked as she picked it up from the table near the window.

Elizabeth's face lit up, "Yes. I remember when I first found out that my patronus was a butterfly..."

Tom's interest in the conversation was sparked, but he couldn't help but zone out. He watched Elizabeth. She was just like a butterfly. She was strong and independent, graceful and beautiful.

Of course, those weren't all his thoughts. He did, however, see her as adaptable to change just like the butterfly was and she was sensitive without overreacting.

They left and since it was reaching five, they decided to go back to the inn.