You're My Flower || Tom Riddle

Chapter 19: The Guardian

"Stop it! You're disturbing the silence!" Julia shushed her and worked on her essay.

"Oh Merlin I'm so bloated.. Shouldn't have eat that much just now!" Chloe burped and rested her head on her pillow.

"Yes well, Emily? Your cat is coming near me," Rebecca glared at it, trying to shoo it away with a broomstick.

"Patty! Patty don't scratch the luggage.." Emily plucked it from the ground and set it down on her bed. She stroked its head when she noticed something stuck in its seaweed green collar.

Emily pushed the little piece of parchment out with difficulty, squeezing her fingers until it dropped out and landed on the bed. She unfolded it and her heart raced.

Meet me at midnight outside your dormitory. I'll be waiting near the kitchens..

From,
T.R

"T. R.. Tom Riddle.." Emily gulped and chucked the paper in her pillowcase. She had hidden all the messages from him inside her duvet, as if his words would bring her to see him in her dreams.

********
The clock had ticked slowly, and Emily was trying not to yawn and shut her eyes. She ate her pumpkin pasties, make sure that she didn't go hungry this late at night.

Pulling on her robes, she slipped outside and looked about. There was no one.. Was it a prank by his friend? The last time it happened, she became deaf for twenty four hours..

"I see you're here," Tom lurked out from the shadow.

Emily backed away a little from him, "What is it? Why did you asked me to come?" she said bitterly, still annoyed that he made her stayed up.

He chuckled softly, "Fiesty? Come along," he took hold of her wrist and she was forced to sprint through the corridors, stumbling in the dark.

"Tom! Where are we going?" she hissed, hated being dragged along with no direction.

There was footsteps coming in front of them and Emily was pulled into a column where there were statues at their sides. She almost forgot to breathe, standing so close to him. How tall had he grown? Probably a head taller? Emily could smell his clothes.. Still the same smell, fresher than peppermints, cooler than wind.

Tom waited for the unknown person to pass by and quickly pulled her hand to keep her moving. She stopped abruptly and hit her face behind his back when he paused for a moment.

There was absolute darkness and then, Emily heard something swung open. She was trapped in a room, where the air was stuffy and warm.

"Tom?" she whispered aloud, afraid that someone might caught them. With a snap of his fingers, candles burned brightly and there was green sofas placed near her.

"Where are we?" Emily looked around, surprised.

"The room of requirement."

"How? How come -"

"It's a secret. I discovered it not long ago..."

"What am I doing here?" Emily walked near him.

"Didn't you want to learn the patronus charm? Well I guess your stubborn self had forced me to do it.." Tom glared irritably at her and slashed his wand out.

A smile spread across her face. "You'll teach me?"

"Do you want me to kill you?"

Emily grinned,"I don't want to lay my death on your hands. I'll make sure that it wasn't you who will kill me."

"Enough of that!" he snapped, "Let's do it quick."

Emily tried to focus on all the happiest memories she had, but going shopping with her mom, walking around the streets isn't going to get her guardian to come. She had no great memories of her dad either, when her mind suddenly flickered to the boy near her.

"It's not working, is it?" he shook his head in dismay, "I guess I can't help you then."

"Just one more time!" Emily pressed all her thoughts to him, the joy she felt when he let her tag along, all the tutoring, the letters from her mom, playing cards with her friends, her dead father..

A shimmering light appeared at the tip of her wand and gradually, it turned to the form of a giant serpent. It hissed and slithered on the air, coiling its body.

Tom looked up in amazement, "What did you thought of?"

Emily jumped and clapped her hands, "I did it! Finally!" she looked gratefully at him, "I thought of you." she said softly.

"Me?" he snickered, "Interesting."

It hurt to know that he didn't thought much about it. He didn't knew how much he meant to her, much less felt what she had just felt. Love.

"Why don't you try?"

"No. I don't have any happy memories."

"Surely you have -"

"I don't!" he snarled and crossed his arms, "You can go back now."

"What about you? Won't you accompany me back? Please?" she said, still afraid of the darkness outside.

"I'm going to linger here for a while. Just go. You're not a child anymore," he turned his back.

Emily hunched her back in disappointment. "Okay.. See you in the morning, Tom. Goodnight," she slipped back outside and tried remembering the way back.

Tom sat down at one of the sofas and gaze at the empty ceiling. She thought of him.. Does that meant he was very important to her? What a foolish girl, to think that he could actually like her back, more than just friends. A serpent, huh? If she could do it, then perhaps he could do it too.

He sighed and pointed his wand, "Expecto Patronum.." forcing his brilliant mind into touching, disgusting memories that he shared with Emily, arriving at hogwarts, getting praises from teachers, the fact that he was special in a place where he belonged.

The tip of his wand blasted light blue, and a creature in the form of a serpent emerged out too. He gripped onto the wand, still couldn't believe that it actually worked for him.

Both serpents. He had studied the spell for weeks to know what it meant. Tom would've need to avoid her more than usual again. But he knew fairly well that he couldn't..