Star Crossed

Chapter Seven- Schemes and Tea Leaves

    "Really? I can't wait to see that Lazarus, enlighten us all on how you plan to execute such an elaborate scheme," Tom smirked, twirling his wand around his finger as we sat in are usual haunt of the deserted classroom on the fifth floor.
"Don't encourage him Riddle," Wiglaf groaned,
"You two just wait and see! Once I have completed my training, I will be the one who will seek out and bring down Grindlewald!" Lazarus contradicted passionately.
Tom gave one of his rare yet highly infectious laughs, I smiled as I watched on, he was even more handsome when he truly laughed, his eyes crinkled at the corners, his white straight teeth clearly viable. It was one of the rare times it was possible if you looked closely enough for you to see a crack in his usually highly guarded walls. For a moment he looked less tired, less worn down than he had as of late. I frowned a little, since we had last talked in the corridor nothing more had been said about it, he hadn't so much as acknowledged it. I had choose not to tell Wiglaf or Lazarus that I had seen Tom privately consorting with Malfoy, Avery and Lestrange late that evening... they were always so suspicious of Tom as it was, well especially Wiglaf.
"For now Lazarus can we please focus on the smaller matters?" Wiglaf sighed,
"Yes lets. Build you up a bit Laz," Tom smirked, still a ghost of laughter on his breath.
"Oh shut it," Lazarus retorted sulkily,
I smirked at Tom, who winked back at me, returning the smirk.
"It may have come to your attention that Grindlewald is attempting to smuggle spies into and recruit here in Britain and with Dumbledore here, after all those rumours of him being his only match, he is going to be increasingly likely to want allies here at Hogwarts," Wiglaf pontificated confidently,
He was right, all jokes aside Grindlewald was gaining power over seas and it was only a matter of time before he targeted Britain, what with that and the muggle world war that was in full throttle the world was a progressively dangerous place, for both wizards and muggles alike. I could not lie, the idea of taking a stand and making a difference really appealed to my young risk taking, adventurous thirteen year old self and would for quite a few years to come.
Lazarus sat transfixed upon Wiglaf, hanging on his every world. He was almost trembling with excitement, Tom however merely looked bored.
"Am I boring you Riddle?" Wiglaf asked, clearly picking up on Tom's less than interested body language as he sat slumped in a chair, one arm and one leg resting casually over one the arms of the chair.
"Not at all Wiglaf, I am merely waiting for how you intend to act," Tom said the last world mockingly, it was not unusual for Tom and Wiglaf to taunt one another.
"I suppose we are just looking out for any suspicious behaviour," I interjected before the banter could progress to anything further as I saw the vein on the side of Wiglaf's head protrude slightly,
"Well if they are careless enough to visibly act suspiciously then they are not really that dangerous," Tom replied, still twirling his wand in his hand,
I took my opportunity without really thinking about the potential consequences,
Locking eyes with Tom I replied suggestively,
"Well you never know who is watching you,"
Tom kept eye contact with me, narrowing his cobalt eyes, his face instantly expressionless. I quickly ripped my eyes away as I felt the uncomfortable feeling of having the outer walls of my brain prodded for entry. I was nowhere near good enough at occlumancy to battle against Tom's skilled legilimency, not yet anyway.
I very quickly regretted my recklessness, had Tom understood that my comment had suggested that I had seen him and his Slytherin friends acting questionably, or worse did he think that I had actually seen something far more problematic than I actual had and what would he do if he did?
I laughed at myself; Wiglaf was rubbing off on me. Tom was a friend; he would never do anything to hurt any of us. I handled my pendent fondly in my thin fingers.

Now well into March, the weather had begun to ease, the air was much warmer and the gentle showers were usually accompanied by low rising sun and faded rainbows. The birds had begun filling the air with their song and the trees and flowers had started to bud. Spring was one of my favourite times of year, it was like a new beginning a chance to start a new, just like nature was.
The welcomed warmth of the weather had raised peoples spirits around Hogwarts considerably and had made Quidditch practice bearable if not still a little soggy.
It had been three weeks since I had recklessly let slip that I might have witnessed something I shouldn't have and Tom was still piercing me from the corner of his sharp blue gaze every chance that he could.
I was contemplating this one Saturday morning, as I sat in my usual spot by one of the large arched windows in the library trying my upmost hardest to find the motivation to complete a particularly ludicrous essay for divination, before I would have to give up and go down to Quidditch practice. Suddenly I heard my name whispered down my right ear, their breath tickling my hair, goose bumps rose all over my arms as a shiver went all the way down my spine, I shivered and turned around sharply,
"Tom! For Merlin's sake are you trying to shock me to death?" I blurted, still in a hushed tone, as the librarian Mrs Lynch could hear a pixie wing flap on crowded Quidditch pitch. He smiled at me, before taking a seat in front of me. He leaned back and simply surveyed me carefully.
"It's not that I don't enjoy your company Tom but the staring is becoming a little strange," A tilted my head to the side, raising an eyebrow.
"I told you not to waste your time on that outlandish subject," Tom sneered, gesturing to the parchment before me that had many crossings out and blotches all over it.
"Yes you did," I hissed regretfully,
"As did Wiglaf," Tom continued, picking up one of the books as if it was cursed, screwing his nose up at it as he flicked absently through the thick aged pages.
"Are you going to help or are you just going to sit there and gloat that you were once again correct," a grumbled, crossing out yet another sentence.
"Gloat," he replied simply, his characteristic grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Great," I muttered, screwing up my eyes at the parchment before me as if it would help me to better understand the drabble that was written there.
"Tasseography?" Tom asked, though it was clearly not a question as he had already transfigured one of the scrunched pieces of paper into a small china cup and saucer and pulled it towards himself.
"Hmmm," I groaned.
Waving his hand over the cup it instantly filled with hot steaming tea, he then tapped a finger on the side of the cup making a soft tinkering sound and the liquid had vanished leaving nothing but leaves stewing at the bottom of the china. He then slid it gently back across the table towards me.
"Well, read my future McLaggen," He smirked; I look at him for a moment evaluating the situation before sighing and pulling my textbook and the cup closer towards me. It was a complete waste of time the leaves never looked like anything to me, and this was so far certainly not helping me with my essay.
Though at least Tom was still talking to me after I had let slip that I was mistrustful of some of his out of class excursions. I look down at the pile of wet leaves and squinted my eyes, I gasped quietly... could I actually see something, an animal... a wolf? Surely not. I quickly flicked my gaze back to my textbook and scanned my eyes down the various images and their meanings. A cat, meaning a dutiful friend? No it defiantly wasn't a cat. A skull meaning danger in your path, I bit onto the side of my lip, maybe... It was then that I saw it, the image of the head and body of a large dog that was it. I pressed my finger along the text as I read, 'The Grim- The omen of death,' I read it a few more times just to make sure I had read it right, I looked back at the cup to see if I had mistaken the leaves for the wrong image but no, there is was inexplicably clear. "Well?" a bored voice called to me, bringing me back to the present with a thump. I looked up at Tom, sat slouched disinterestedly in his chair opposite me; his arms crossed across his chest, his expression now looked amused.
"You're keeping me in suspense McLaggen; tell me will I find myself beating Wiglaf at wizard chess tomorrow evening? Or perhaps Lestrange will spill his poorly brewed hiccupping solution all over me again,"
I laughed nervously, my face doing being no help in disguising my apprehension at the true reading. Tom noticed this at once, his expression becoming slightly less amused and more incredulous, "What is it McLaggen? You're looking like a true fortune teller over there, congratulations on your theatrics."
When I did not answer but continued to stare at Tom like a deer caught under a lumos spell, Tom lost his patients.
"Oh for Merlin's sake McLaggen," He snatched the cup out of my hand and stared down into it, his face expressionless.
"What do you see?" I asked quietly. There was silence for a moment before Tom did not reply but outstretched his pale hand towards the textbook and seized it, pulling it towards him.
Taking a deep breath I hesitantly whispered, "I see a dog," Tom didn't reply he was still holding the cup and staring into it.
"Death," I continued bluntly, as I stared at him waiting for his reaction. Tom placed the cup down upon the table slowly.
"The grim," He said, his voice steady and slow, I nodded in response.
"What do you suppose..." I began but was cut off sharply.
"As I said before McLaggen divination is a fraudulent art." He hissed. Though I was sure I saw a flicker of unease behind his blue eyes but it was gone as soon as it had appeared.