HALLOWEEN
Things had been relatively calm for the first few weeks of classes for the year. Most evenings Tom and Lucia spent getting through the large quantities of homework they'd received. Tom always finished his early, being the teachers pet he pretended to be, but he quite enjoyed watching Lucia study and she in turn enjoyed the company.
Tom had been excelling in his studies, of course, and Lucia had only managed to get one detention for being out after curfew since the previous time, which was a rather good run for her.
They hadn't talked about Lucia confessing that she loved him since it happened, but they'd both thought about it of course. Lucia knew that the concept of love was a sensitive one for Tom, considering he was conceived under a love potion and likely couldn't feel the emotion himself, so she just tried to show Tom how deserving of love he was through her actions.
Finally, Halloween had arrived, along with some very chilly Autumnal weather. The Hogwarts castle had been covered in decorations for the event, a rather impressive sight prepared by the elves. In the Great Hall for breakfast that morning, there were a multitude of bats fluttering above, swooping around the tables like a large black cloud of leathery wings and beady eyes.
The evening feast was heavily Halloween themed, with many pumpkin themed pastries and scary looking treats scattered across the table. Large jack-o'-lanterns floated above, lighting up the hall with a warm orange glow.
The ghosts were especially lively this evening, gallivanting around between the tables and through the swarms of bats shouting out to each other. The Bloody Baron and Sir Nicholas were provoking each other from opposite ends of the Great Hall.
All students were sitting with their houses for the feast, Lucia beside Lysander with Lorcan and another couple of Ravenclaws from their year level scattered around them. Across the room, Lucia could see Tom sitting among the other Slytherins feigning interest in what they were speaking about while biting his cheek.
"Have you guys worked out costumes for tonight? I hear Slytherin isn't letting anyone in not dressed up." The Ravenclaw boy from Lucia's Care of Magical Creatures class named Alex asked the table.
He was referring to the annual Halloween party that the Slytherin's hosted in the Room of Requirement, most times of which was shut down due to some kind of illicit activity being witnessed by a professor. It had been a tradition for many years, thankfully no younger year levels were allowed to attend, because things usually got quite out of hand.
"We've got something sorted." Lysander answered, biting into a pumpkin pasty.
"Yeah, I've organised something too." Lucia assured, a smile playing on her lips.
"Are you and Tom doing a costume together?" Lysander asked out of curiousity, biting into a roast potato.
"Yes actually." Lucia smiled, "Are you guys dressing up together?"
"No, Lysander has ditched me to dress up with a bloody Hufflepuff girl." Lorcan grumbled, narrowing his eyes at Lysander and shoving a fork full of peas into his mouth.
"Well I can't wait to see." Lucia said through laughter, "But more importantly I can't wait to get absolutely plastered."
"Us too, we're bringing a shit tonne of Giggle Water." Lysander agreed, his eyes alight.
***
As Lucia walked towards the seventh floor with Lorcan, Lysander and the Hufflepuff girl she didn't know, the sound of her white heels sharply echoed throughout the hall. It was rather cold in her white slip dress, but she knew she would be hot once more alcohol was swimming through her veins. Of course she had pre-drank with Lysander, but she planned on drinking much more over the course of the night.
Lysander and the Hufflepuff girl had managed to create merpeople costumes that were rather unnerving, and Lorcan had dressed as an obscure and exotic creature Lucia had never heard of.
They approached the tapestry concealing the Room of Requirement, and Lucia's eyes instantly connected with the familiar figure leaning on the wall opposite it.
Tom Riddle was wearing his usual all black ensemble, looking incredibly attractive. But as he approached Lucia, she saw the usual dark brown colour of his eyes was now replaced with a deep blood red, and he was faintly wearing black eyeliner.
His eyes unapologetically dragged down Lucia's body, taking in the small white dress she was wearing and what little it covered, the feathery snow-coloured wings attached to her back and the gleaming silver disk she'd levitated above her head.
A devil and an angel, perfectly opposite but eerily similar in so many ways.
"Lovely to see you, gentlemen." Tom said politely to Lorcan and Lysander, obviously not having looked hard enough to notice the other girl with them.
He walked over to Lucia and snaked a hand around her waist, leaning toward her ear to mutter, "I like this dress a lot," then pressed his lips to her temple.
It was eerily quiet outside of the Room of Requirement, but when they stepped inside, they were instantly met with a wave of loud music with intense bass, and colourful lights flashing wildly around the large space.
"I'm going to get something to drink." Lucia spoke loudly above the booming music, detaching herself from Tom's grip much to his dislike.
In the far corner of the room was where all the drinks were located, an area where the music wasn't as loud and the lights weren't as blinding. The table was covered in glass bottles of various spirits, some Lucia had never even heard of. She took a shot of a random clear liquid before pouring herself and Tom a large cup of firewhiskey each, but grabbing an extra cup of another spirit for herself so she didn't have to come back so soon.
"Who let you in?" A masculine voice sounded from behind her, a hint of sarcasm and distain dripping off the words.
Lucia turned around to see Tobias Crouch, and instantly rolled her eyes. "I don't want to talk to you Tobias." She huffed and attempted to walk past him, but he sidestepped to block her way.
"Is that any way to talk to one of the hosts of the party?" He pretended to be hurt by her words, but his eyes remained stone cold.
"What do you even want?" She sighed, leaning back against the table, as she could see he wasn't letting her go anywhere.
"So, you and Rosier huh?" He quirked an eyebrow.
"What about it?" Lucia retorted, rather exhausted of the conversation already.
"I'm just a bit surprised. I didn't think you were one to date, given your history." He spoke rather judgmentally.
"Well, people change Tobias. I suggest you do the same." Lucia rolled her eyes, and once again attempted to push past him, but was met by his arm in her way, pressing against her waist a bit too forcefully to be harmless.
"Don't speak to me with that tone, Lucia." Tobias's words were laced with poison, "Don't think I will hesitate to tell Tom what his sweet, innocent little angel was like before she started pretending to be someone she's not."
"Tom knows exactly who I am and what I've done, he just respects me enough to not let that change anything. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to him." Lucia spat, "And don't fucking touch me." She added, looking at his hand on her waist with disgust.
"Wouldn't be anything I haven't done before." Tobias smirked, his tongue darting out the side of his mouth, before finally releasing his grip on her and letting her disappear into the crowd away from him.
When Lucia found Tom, he was standing alone toward the side of the room. His hands were in his pockets as he leant against the wall, watching drunk teenagers stumble before him.
"What took you so long?" He said harmlessly as she approached, taking the cup she extended to him.
"Just got caught up talking to people." Lucia smiled, not seeing the need to anger Tom with her conversation with Tobias, "I think I sobered up on the walk back here though." She took a large gulp of the liquid in her cup.
"Just don't go overboard." Tom chuckled, reaching to slide his fingers under the thin strap of her dress, his eyes admiring it, "This dress is making me want to do very dirty things to you, Lucia."
"You're from such a classy time, yet your thoughts just always seem to be in the gutter. Whatever will I do with you?" Lucia laughed, "I must say though, I'm thoroughly enjoying the eyeliner and red eyes."
Tom smirked, taking a sip of his drink, "Of course you do, it seems you're into the evil type."
"You'd be right about that." Lucia acknowledged with a chuckle, and downed the rest of her firewhiskey and moved onto the next cup she held.
"Lucia!" A voice sounded from behind her, and she turned around to see Victoire Weasley sporting a stunning smile, her blue eyes glassy from intoxication. She was dressed as pixie, wearing a sparkly ocean-blue dress that matched her eyes, small wings that fluttered by themselves attached to her back.
"Victoire! I didn't expect to see you here." Lucia smiled back at the Gryffindor girl.
"Dance with me!" She called over the music, and Lucia looked to Tom to see if he would be okay alone for a bit, and he just gave her an approving look.
Victoire took her by the hand and lead her onto the dance floor, Lucia downed the last of her other drink as she went. Her head was already spinning, but it was a delightfully familiar feeling.
author's note
I'm so broken why do I find tobias hot lmao
it's nye and I'm so excited to say a big fuck you and fuck off to 2020 lol
alsoooo would y'all actually listen to songs if I made a playlist chapter for this story? I listen to a lot of music while writing that relates to the themes in this, so you could listen while reading (or just in general lol)
anyways... see you next year! <3