Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Forty Four

"It's alright."

Delilah scoffed, playfully flipping him off and she walked towards the stair case on the left, "come see the dorms." He went to follow her, however the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw that resided directly under the dome caught his eye and he froze.

The diadem. It was the lost diadem. His chest burned. It wasn't the tiara, but now he actually knew what it looked like. A part of him yearned to reach out and touch it. There were whispers that it was hidden somewhere in Albania, he wondered if-

The sound of Delilah calling his name snapped him out of it. What lied ahead of them was so much bigger, so much more than them. He'd had a fixation on horcruxes for what felt like so long. The dark magic had invested his mind, his whole life was driven towards their purpose.

Then Delilah seemed to drop out of the sky, tearing down his world. For once, Tom wasn't directly concerned for his own well being. She was there, and he'd protect her. From whatever he could.

  What if you have to protect her from yourself? The thought rang in his head loudly and he shook his head. He was better now, he could be better. All of the years of him climbing up the ladder for power, he wouldn't sit by idly and watch as another man would let the world burn.

  Delilah took him up to the highest level, the seventh year dorms. The tall windows filtered in light, it was airy and he could see the peaks of the mountains in the distance. The view was wonderful. She opened a window, letting the summer breeze waft through.

  Tom came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms around her and she leaned into him.

  "Are you sure about this?"

  She nodded her head once, taking a deep breath as burnt wood, parchment and cigarettes greeted her nose. "More than anything."

  "You'll get to see your family again." He worried that once she returned back to her time, she'd never want to leave. Of course, there was the option of him staying with her in the nineties but... he just didn't know if he could leave everything behind. Delilah was willing to for him.

  Could he do the same?

  Turning in his arms, she rested her hands on his chest, giving him a reserved smile. "I know what we have to do. Whatever it takes. This is bigger than the both of us. What we want doesn't matter."

"Whatever it takes," he muttered and she turned back around to look out at the forbidden forest.

  What they wanted didn't not matter, not completely.

She's pressed into the back of him, heat radiating from their bodies. The cool wind coming in from the window making her hair dance. Running a hand along her skin, he brushed her hair to the side and placed a chaste kiss to her neck, lingering there for a moment and she sighed in content.

  They've gone through hell together, and she was glad for a moment of calm before they entered next level.

Tom pulled her closer, if possible, his hands bunching the fabric of her dress as his lips left a heated trail of kisses from the nape of her neck down to between her shoulder blades. The shudder that over took her body vibrated through him. She reached up an arm, looping it around his neck as if she'd hang there.

As Delilah's neck rolled to the side, Tom's mouth found purchase in the crevice of her clavicles. He could feel the power churning around her, through her, and right into him. Teeth nipped gently at her skin and the gasp that left her mouth was a ballad to his ears. Turning in his arms, he took in the sight of her mouth, the welcoming color of dark red, like over ripe cherries since she had been biting them.