holding on {t.r.}

f i v e

"Welcome back," Tom stated, greeting Alexandra as she took her seat near him in Divination rather than where she usually sat with Melissa. This actually benefited Melissa, in a way, because it forced Avery to sit beside her, and Melissa has fancied Avery since third year. She only introduced Alexandra and Tom in hopes that their acquaintanceship would bring her and Avery closer together, and it seemed to be working. Alexandra noticed this upon entering the classroom, and she was secretly happy for her friend.

Tom glanced at Alexandra's journal lying between her stack of books, and his curiosity easily got the best of him.

"May I see what you've been writing?" He asked. Alexandra hesitated, but decided to give it to him. It was the moment he opened the journal that she suddenly remembered the page she had dedicated to dreams surrounding Tom, and she began to panic.

"You mean nothing to me!"

"Actually, I'm going to need that back-"

Tom shushed her, reading her words as they explained her most recent dream. He read the passage a number of times, unable to shake the familiar feeling that this event has happened before.

"Is that a dream journal?" The professor asked, approaching the pair's table. Tom cleared his throat, closing the journal and attempting to hide the book in his lap. Alexandra turned red as their professor ripped the journal from Tom's hand and began examining the writing. "Who does this belong to, Mr. Riddle?"

"I found it on the ground," Tom lied. The professor looked at Alexandra who simply shrugged.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to hold onto this until the true owner is discovered."

"Brilliant," Alexandra whispered as the professor walked away. "At least now I don't have to bring it to Dumbledore."

"It's not true, what you wrote," Tom stated. He took the teacup in front of him, drank the liquid and slid the mostly empty cup towards Alexandra, quick to change the subject. "I suggest we begin the assignment."

Alexandra did the same, drinking her tea and passing the cup to Tom. She knew by his tone that he wasn't going to discuss the matter further, but she wasn't sure of exactly what writing he was referring to.

"I believe this is supposed to be a club," Alexandra said, squinting as if that would help her see the shape better.

"Yours resembles a sun," Tom told her.

"You'd have to be a bloody fool to believe these," she scoffed, sliding the cup away from her. The chance of both an attack and great happiness in the future seemed unlikely for the both of them.

"You don't believe you'll find happiness?" Tom asked. Alexandra crossed her arms and sat back in her chair.

"The happiest I've been is when I took that bloody love potion, but nothing I felt was real," she frowned. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you don't want to listen to me whine."

"It's not the worst thing in the world, I suppose," Tom stated, playing with the teacup in his hands. "This class might be."

"I feel like I've learned all of this already. It's a bloody waste of time," Alexandra sighed. A journal was dropped in front of her, but it wasn't hers, and it was empty.

"Leading into our next lesson, dream interpretation, you are all required to record your dreams in this journal for the next thirty days. No exceptions," their professor explained, causing Alexandra and Tom to both quietly groan in annoyance.

"I really can't get out of doing this, can I?" Alexandra stated, causing Tom to chuckle. Alexandra looked at him and chuckled as well, thankful for the very short moment of relief.

Melissa watched from afar, her heart breaking as she imagined her friend living happily so easily without her. To make it worse, Alexandra was living happily with Tom, and Melissa didn't trust a bone in his body. She knew bringing this up to Alexandra now would only make things much worse, so she ultimately decided to keep her mouth shut at least until there was evidence that could prove her theory.

After what felt like hours, class ended for the day. Upon exiting the classroom, Alexandra felt a tug at her robes. She turned to see Tom who gestured for her to follow him, but she hesitated.

She made eye contact with Melissa, hoping to speak to her, but frowned when she noticed Melissa was preoccupied with Avery. Having nowhere else to go, Alexandra gave in to following Tom. They waited silently in a corner of the corridor, waiting for the students to clear before continuing their journey to where she assumed would be the Room of Requirement. She was correct.

"What are we-" she started, quickly interrupted by Tom taking her journal out of his robes. "How did you-"

"We will spend the evening working on your memory," Tom stated, interrupting her once again. "Neither of us trust Dumbledore, so it is important we do this alone. Nobody can hear of our progress or lack thereof, do you understand?"

"Why do you want to help me?" Alexandra asked, genuinely curious as to why he seemed to suddenly care. Normally, Tom was very reserved. She was lucky to hold a full conversation with him at times, let alone see him smile or chuckle for any reason other than to suck up to a professor.

"I'm sure you know by now that I dislike a large number of people," Tom began, straightening his posture. "You, however, are not one of them."

Alexandra smiled, seeing this as an achievement. Tom Riddle, the man who has told her on multiple occasions that he only keeps her around for academic reasons, has actually admitted to not entirely disliking her.

"This does not mean I like you. It does not mean I trust you. It means I tolerate you," he stated, quickly downplaying the situation. Still, he was being truthful. "Therefore, if you disrespect my orders, there will still be consequences. Do you-"

"I understand," Alexandra stated, her smile fading slightly but still evident.

"Good. Let us begin, then."