Zealous (Tom Riddle)

Chapter 17

Tom waited patiently for Elizabeth to come down the stairs. He was wearing his usual Saturday attire, a black shirt and trousers.

Finally, she appeared. Elizabeth was wearing a casual black dress and she grinned as she saw Tom.

"So, what's the plan for today?" She asked, smirking.

"I don't know," Tom admitted, "I just thought we'd do something more productive if we got changed."

"Oh, I'm hurt," Elizabeth said with a laugh, "You weren't enjoying sitting with me?"

"I did, very much so," Tom commented shyly, looking away from Elizabeth briefly before meeting her eyes again, "I wouldn't mind continuing that sometime."

Elizabeth laughed, but she had a constant thought. Why was Tom acting like that all of a sudden?

And there was only one answer to Tom - power. The reason behind this was that he didn't understand love. He didn't understand that his obsession with Elizabeth's company was because he loved her; he just thought he relished being with her because each time he did, he felt closer to power.

He was. He inched closer to power but not in the way he thought he was - he was gaining the strength of love.

"Perhaps we should study," Elizabeth suggested. She knew nothing of Tom's interests, so she couldn't propose anything more exciting.

"We could do that on a school night," Tom replied airily, focusing on the morning sky.

Elizabeth and Tom conferred no more about where they would go, but they eventually ended up next to the Black Lake. The pair watched as the Giant Squid created ripples across the water.

Elizabeth giggled as Tom was splashed with some of the lake's liquid, courtesy of the squid's tentacles.

Tom, on the other hand, gave an intense sigh before waving his wand. His clothes dried instantly.

"You're brilliant," Elizabeth commented idly, her eyes drifting to the forest around them.

"Don't flatter me," Tom responded as he watched Elizabeth's eyes light up when a butterfly crossed her line of sight. "Magnificent creatures," he added.

"I suppose they are. But then again, my patronus is a butterfly. So isn't it obvious?" Elizabeth leered.

Tom didn't retort for a while. He was unsure of whether or not Elizabeth would be displeased at what he was about to ask. The words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them, "How did you find out what your patronus is?"

Elizabeth smiled, sadly, "My parents were targeted by dementors ever since I was little. Fortunately, I was able to fend for them when they attacked once but they died in the hospital as a result of another attack."

"Oh," Tom said. He didn't know how to comfort Elizabeth, so instead, he just reached his fingers into the space between them. The girl beside him noticed this and she linked her fingers with his in a swift motion.

They fit like puzzle pieces. They were both like puzzles that had been almost completed but had that one part left - and they were each other's missing piece.

Elizabeth began to smile cheesily and Tom frowned of her, undecided on whether to question her or not.

"Thank you, Tom," she announced, answering his questions for him, "I just haven't been this happy in a while, you know?"

Tom felt unnerved. He didn't know whether he was the real reason for her happiness or whether it was something false he'd created in his image of his immortal life.

Tom had never really cried. His inability to feel emotion completely ruled out that option for any time he did feel in the slightest upset - but as soon as Elizabeth was on the scene, Tom felt as though he was going to sob uncontrollably like she had the night before.

Tom's grip on Elizabeth's hand tightened and he pulled on it. The brown-haired girl fell onto the ground next to him, laughing. She lifted herself up and sat closer to him.

"If you wanted me to be closer to you, you should've..."

Tom hushed Elizabeth with a 'shh' as he placed his finger to his lips. Lestrange and Malfoy were in the distance and Elizabeth saw Tom's curiousity. She quickly cast a spell and their voices became crystal clear.

"Aren't you getting a little fed up of him?" Malfoy groaned, and Elizabeth and Tom could see him slap a sweaty hand against his forehead.

"To be honest," Lestrange began, "Yeah. He controls us. He thinks he's our Lord! How sad is that?"

"Then there's all that Voldemort crap. If he wasn't so powerful, I wouldn't look at him twice," Malfoy told his friend, the satisfaction of slagging off Tom clear in his voice.

"Voldemort?" Elizabeth whispered. She stared at Tom with a disappointed look. They both knew Malfoy and Lestrange were talking about him.

"It's nothing," Tom snapped. He stood up, ready to pounce on the pair when Elizabeth grabbed his hand and forced him back to the grassy floor.

"Is that really sensible?" Elizabeth said, raising an eyebrow.

"Why isn't it?" He hissed back, "You know they're talking about me, as do I."

"So what?" Elizabeth retorted as quick as a cheetah, "It doesn't matter, Tom."

"I am their leader!" Tom yelled frustratedly, "Don't you understand, Elizabeth? Without me, they are nothing!"

"I suppose I am too, aren't I?" Elizabeth shouted back, fired up with rage. Her brown eyes were blazing; ready to strike at Tom.

"No," Tom became quieter and his features softened, "Anyone but you."

Elizabeth sighed, "Fine. I'm coming with you and you are to act completely normal."

Tom wasn't prepared for that response. "What?"

"You're not going to go up there and fight with your friends because you heard petty idle chatter, are you? They're probably just saying it for the sake of being rebellious, Tom," Elizabeth suspired in and out as calmly as she could, "They're loyal to you."

"Loyal? After they said that?" Tom argued.

"Like I said, I can tell they don't mean it!" Elizabeth almost screamed, angry at Tom's inability to realise what she was getting at.

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Tom said, his cold blue eyes confused.

"Just think on it overnight, okay? Don't go back to your dorm with them," Elizabeth suggested, shrugging, "You'll only get mad if you do."

"Can I come to yours?" Tom asked. The inquiry wasn't intended to be of any suggestive content. He felt that Elizabeth kept him grounded; sane. He was prepared to go to any lengths to keep his followers now that she'd made him calm down.

"I'll think about it," Elizabeth smiled, "I'll see if Hazel and Eloise can go elsewhere for the night."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to, Tom. If I can help you, I'll do anything I can," she spoke softly, taking his hand in hers again. Tom breathed in deeply.

Tom Riddle was not one for feeling safe. He constantly felt as though he was being followed, watched. But when Elizabeth Marin held his hand, he felt as if he were locked up in a room with no windows. He was safe.