how it feels to be alive {tom riddle}

forty: slughorn

"Ah! Mr. Rosier, Ms. Cohen, so glad you could make it." Slughorn expressed his glee as he greeted the pair. He had a glass of mead held lightly in his stubby fingers, and from his rosy complexion and carelessness in movements it was obviously not his first drink.

"Us too, Sir." Tom smiled charmingly back, and Lucia nodded in agreement.

"Everyone, gather around please." Slughorn called, hitting his glass rather chaotically with his wand to get the attention of the group.

The chatter of the students faded out gradually, and the piano that was playing all by itself changed to a dainty and quiet tune so as to not be distracting from the man's speech. All attention was now turned to the Potions Master.

"It's a delight to have you all here tonight, the most talented and promising students of the cohort. I see such bright futures for all of you, and I am very excited to have been a part of your journeys to greatness." Slughorn began, adoration for his best students sparkling in his beady, gooseberry coloured eyes.

"We have a new student joining us this evening. Tom Rosier, who has just moved from France and has already demonstrated a wonderful talent for potion making, and from the staffroom chat, an advanced level of knowledge in all his classes so far." Slughorn boasted, putting his hands together for Tom.

Some students looked at Tom with a hint of distaste and irritation, presumably jealousy for the praise that was being directed at him. However, others gave a half-hearted smile and applauded him. Lucia took this as an opportunity to get a glass of champagne from the table for both of them. Tom gave a small smile of thanks to her as she gave him one of the glasses.

"We also have Ms. Cohen joining us today, who has always shown tremendous potential despite her disregard for school rules. Let's not forget she had gotten herself and Mr. Rosier into detention the first night back this year." He gave a deep belly laugh, his drink dangerously swaying to the point where a slosh of alcohol splattered on the ground. He gazed down at it and muttered a quiet curse under his breath before looking up again to continue with his introductory speech.

Some of the other students gave a laugh at his comment about Lucia, and others clapped politely with a certain level of disinterest and almost disbelief.

"Now, enough introductions. The elves have prepared a wonderful spread, so please do enjoy." He smiled, gesturing to the table of food and drinks.

Students began filtering towards the table for the food, so Tom put a gentle hand on Lucia's lower back as they walked to the other side of the room where it was less crowded.

"How long has the Slug Club even been going on?" Lucia asked as they reached the other corner.

Tom left his hand resting on her lower back, the heat from his fingers passing through the thin material of her dress and radiating through her skin and up her spine.

"Well, when I was a member I think it was a relatively new thing Slughorn did." Tom explained, "I would hope it's purpose has changed though."

"How so?" Lucia probed him to continue.

"Let's just say at the start it was just so Slughorn could know as many influential wizards and witches as possible. But from talking to a couple of people here, it seems that after the war, the purpose seemed to take on a more positive spin." He continued, taking a sip from his glass, "It has become more associated with student empowerment and uniting those of promising talent, despite differences in houses, with each other."

"I suppose that makes sense." Lucia acknowledged. She took another sip of her champagne.

"Rosier, is it? Tom Rosier?" A pale Slytherin boy with a mop of straw coloured hair asked with a sort of cold curiousity.

"Yes, and yourself?" Tom responded carefully, moving his sharp gaze to rest on the Slytherin boy.

"Crouch, Tobias Crouch." The boy said with a curled lip.

Tom's eyebrows furrowed so subtly that no one but someone who knew his expressions well could have noticed.

"Pleasure to meet you." Tom said in a kind of frigid polite tone.

"France, you say?" The Crouch boy continued to question Tom.

"Yes, my family moved around frequently though." Tom revealed distantly.

"I didn't know that the Rosier's had family in France." Tobias commented, raising his sharp eyebrows in thought.

Tom didn't reply.

"I wasn't aware you were dating, Lucia." Tobias turned his attention to her, his eyes darting to Tom's hand resting on Lucia's back.

"I wasn't aware you were keeping such a close watch on my life, Tobias." She retorted rather coldly. The Slytherin boy had never been particularly pleasant, particularly towards her. He reeked of misogyny and blood purism, a rather outdated belief that lasted in only a select number of families.

"Be careful dating this one, Rosier." Tobias practically ignored the fact that Lucia was still standing next to them, "Let's just say she's one of the more used brooms in the shed."

"Excuse me?" Lucia gaped, and Tom's gentle movements on her back stopped abruptly.

"I just mean, boys talk in the Quidditch change rooms darling. You might be a good fuck, but nothing more than that." Tobias snarled, "And in case you didn't notice, I was talking to Rosier."

"What did you just say to her?" Tom accused, his tone shifting from reserved to incredibly intimidating.

"Don't get all defensive on me, Rosier. I'm just saving you wasting your time. The last of us on the higher end of society need to look out for each other."

Tom stepped in front of Tobias, due to his height towering over the boy as he looked down at him menacingly. His breath had increased in obvious anger and his hands were balling in fists and releasing by his sides as if attempting to release some of the tension.

"If you ever speak like that about her again, and I mean this, Crouch, I'll use the Cruciatus Curse on you until your brain hemorrhages and blood comes out of your eyes." Tom spoke cruelly with eyes so dark you could have sworn they were as black and destructive as two domineering bludgers, "I don't know what you're trying to get out of talking to me right now, but for your own sake, I think it best that you stay the fuck away from the both of us."

Tobias stepped back, shaking his head with an amused grin, "You're not who I thought you would be, Rosier."

Lucia saw Tom's still accelerated breathing, so grabbed him by the arm to separate the two.

"Let's get some food, he's not worth it Tom." She begged, almost feeling the vibrations of the dark and violent thoughts running through Tom's head at that moment.

Tom tore his gaze from Tobias and brought it back to Lucia, and gave a sharp nod before walking back across the room.

author's note

important announcement: I've uploaded the first few chapters of the new draco fic I was talking about! it's called 'handcuffs', and it's darker, more toxic and a slower burn than this one oops, but it's a nice contrast. I think you'll enjoy, let me know if you check it out!

hope you all liked this chapter, thank you all for your ongoing support <3