the devil's redemption [tom r.]

18|| Attractive Tutor.

She only knew some things she usually saw in her visions. Something of the far future, meaningless and convoluted to her at that moment.

So she remained silent, struggling to accept the fact that Tom knew everything about her, when she knew nothing at all regarding him.

"See, don't let him fool you, Rosalind. Don't let him treat you like all the other cheap girls." Willow was packing her handbag by then, trying to ignore Rosalind who sat still in her place. She tucked her wand and a few galleons, along with a few other efficiencies.

Willow's thoughts were kind of true and untrue at the same time. When she was closer to him than any other person, he was also as distant as any stranger. His god-complex personality and convoluted ways of thinking weren't much of a good deal either.

And then she decided, despite all the feelings she experienced around him, she should draw boundaries to their relationship. She would distance herself from him, so much that she becomes just another stranger to him. But little did she know how hard that would be.

***

The ancient walls of Hogwarts' library were lonelier than ever when Rosalind walked in that morning. Only a few lingered around during Saturdays, especially when they had permission to Hogsmeade.

The all too familiar scent of the old books and parchment filled her nostrils as she glanced around, looking for Riddle. She walked towards the far corner, expecting to find him there, but as she reached her usual claimed territory, Tom was nowhere to be seen.

She looked around one more time, amused by the fact that the perfect Tom Riddle was actually late.

Soon after she sat down, Tom arrived, taking a seat right on the bench beside her. She was curious as to why he didn't sit across from her like one would usually do, but she dismissed the fact and prepared her Advanced Rune Translation book, parchment, ink, and two quills.

"Do you have Spellman's Syllabary with you?" Tom asked after examining their books, keeping his attractively straight posture as he looked around the stuff she'd spread over the table.

"Good morning to you too, Tom," He rolled his eyes at her first statement, "And no, I don't have that book."

"Get one," He muttered, opening his Runes book and checking the pages.

With a wave of her wand, a book shot out of one of the shelves and right into her hand.

"What is this examination in Salazar's name?! I'm really surprised you didn't get Troll on that," Tom muttered as he flipped the pages of his book, scanning the examination at the same time.

He didn't even glance at the correct answers in the book. Only with a look of his eye, he'd determine the mistake and it's correction.

"Alright, alright. I wasn't able to study for that exam. That's why I almost failed," She explained quietly, although they were completely alone and the librarian had probably fallen asleep.

He was still occupied with the parchment as he muttered: "Just admit that you're daft, Bonaccord."

"You know very well that I'm not."

A few moments of silence passed, Tom writing on his parchment and her watching through the foggy window beside their seat. The sun made a glorious appearance finally, shining across the walls of the ancient castle.

Grey clouds masked the dull sky, which was juxtaposedly yellow and amber-tinted.

"You're going to decipher the Runes that I draw here." She averted her gaze to the boy seated beside her, and watched as he bit his inner cheek in concentration, the waves of his midnight-dark hair falling over his forehead.