Catharsis [Tom Riddle]

Chapter Twenty-Four

"I'm going to murder him," Avalon grumbled. She looked around the room, trying to shy away from the countless eyes that were currently glued on her. Her eyes landed on Xavier's group of friends, sitting at the Slytherin table. All the boys were howling with laughter as their friend suavely pranced atop Ravenclaw's table, his green eyes scanning the benches for Avalon. Even Riddle had an amused smirk on his lips when she caught his eye a moment before hiding her face in her hands as Xavier made his way closer to where she and Zelda were sitting.

When his eyes finally landed on her, a bright grin lit up his face and he raced over, accidentally kicking a cup of water into a nearby first year's lap, though he paid it no mind and instead stood on the table right in front of Avalon and her roommate. "Avalon Hendrix! Darling, will you give me the honor of being my date to the Yule Ball?" She stared at him, speechless, as he awaited an answer. "Don't keep the people waiting, love," he chuckled.

"Merlin, you're unbelievable," she sighed.

"Is that a yes?"

"Fine."

"She said yes!" he yelled out, the entire Hall erupting with applause as he extended his hand out for her to grab. She shook her head, her eyes widening, but Zelda shoved her shoulder and Avalon reluctantly took Xavier's hand as he pulled her up onto the table with him a moment before he conjured a bouquet of red roses out from thin air and gave it to her. She shook her head, but a smile had found its way onto her lips and he just chuckled as he dipped her down and gave her a kiss on the lips, his fist triumphantly rising into the air behind them as his friends hollered from their nearby table.

He kept his lips pressed against hers for a few more moments before pulling away and grinning to himself as he ran a hair through his unruly brown curls. Avalon looked around the room, her face flushed with an uncharacteristically rosy embarrassment as her flustered gaze once again landed on Riddle. His previous smirk had succumbed to nothing more than a cold stare as he watched her. When their eyes met, he looked away, instead taking a sip from his cup as he avoided her gaze, but she could see his jaw clenched as he drank.

"Mr. Lestrange," Headmaster Dippet said, clearing his throat from the podium and silencing the entire Hall. "While your display was... entertaining... you have still left me no choice but-"

Xavier rolled his eyes and cut him off, "Yeah, yeah. Detention. I know the drill," he said as he jumped off the table and grabbed Avalon's waist as he guided her down after him. He laced their fingers together and began dragging her off towards Slytherin's table. She sent an apologetic look towards a still-cackling Zelda before following him over to where his friends sat.

He sat down in a space between Riddle and Avery and pulled her down beside him, kissing her on the cheek. She set the bouquet of roses on the table and turned to face Orion with a raised brow. "Tell me you didn't know about this."

"For better or worse, I was entirely unaware," he chuckled.

"You really outdid yourself, mate," Mulciber said, shaking his head amusedly at Xavier.

Rosalie turned to her boyfriend and said, "If you dare ask me like that, I swear I will make you go to the Ball alone."

"Noted," Axel laughed.

"What goes on in your head when you come up with these ideas?" Kyra asked, disbelief in her voice. She was sitting on Riddle's other side, opposite from Axel and Rosalie.

"Nothing goes on in his head," Rosier answered. "That's the problem."

"Is it crazy, or is it genius? I personally lean towards the latter," Xavier said, shrugging.