~.+*+.~
"(Y/N)...?"
Tom was horrified. He couldn't attack her, nor hurt her either. But he had to defend himself. So, Tom raised his wand in a defensive position and waited for (Y/N) to strike first.
He couldn't do the first strike. He didn't have the courage to face her.
"Answer me, (Y/N)." Tom murmured slowly, wondering why (Y/N) didn't react at all to his presence. Had the Hunters cursed her?
The answer he got was only a fierce growl. She could not understand him at all. She then pounced, and tried to bite his arm off. Tom dodged, and pointed his wand at her.
"Levicor..."
Tom bit his lip and looked away. He couldn't bring himself to cast a spell on her. All the times she had looked out and cared for him...He didn't want to repay it with a broken bone.
As (Y/N) growled and ran towards him again, Tom raised his wand and went into defensive which was hard to see, because he always was on offensive.
"Please, listen to me." Tom said calmly, as he dodged another one of (Y/N)'s attacks. But (Y/N) whipped him across the arm with her paw and growled lowly, glaring at him.
But as Tom met her eyes, he realised something rather strange. Her eyes were not filled with anger and hatred. Instead, it was filled with love and sadness. She...she didn't want to fight him at all.
She was being forced to.
As Tom dodged a hit from (Y/N)'s paw, he slowly approached her.
"(Y/N). I know you're in there. Please, do not do this. Fight it.."
As the plead left Tom's lips, (Y/N)'s eyes glimmered and she loosened herself and transformed back into a human.
"Tom..! I..!"
"Crucio!"
The curse hit (Y/N), making her scream in agony and drop onto the floor. Tom's eyes widened and looked at the person who casted it. It was a wizard and witch he had never seen before, but he already hated them.
"What did you do?!" Tom screamed in fury, raising his wand in threat. The witch scoffed and looked at him with not even the slightest pity in her eyes.
"Haven't you figured it out yet? It's the Cruciatus Curse. Makes the opponent wither in agony."
Tom looked at (Y/N) who was screaming as she grabbed her neck in pain.
He couldn't bear to look at her. She looked so...painful. He then pointed his wand at the two Hunters and snarled bitterly, shielding (Y/N) who was starting to recover.
"Expulso! Incendio!" he shouted, and he hurried over to (Y/N) as the spells hit the two unprepared Hunters.
"Are you alright?! Can you walk?" There was nothing but desperation in Tom's usually calm voice. (Y/N) looked at him with tired eyes and nodded weakly.
"I..I'm okay, T..Tom.." she stammered, looking into his worried, brown eyes. Tom slightly smiled, looking relieved to see that she could recognize him.
"Don't just stand there, Amanda! Kill them!!" the wizard screeched.
"Glacious!" Amanda shouted. But Tom instantly ran in front of (Y/N) and held his wand out.
"Protego." he said calmly, and a shield formed around them and protected them from the icy spell.
Tom turned to her.
"Where's your wand and your phone?" he asked her, holding her hand.
(Y/N) shook her head. "The witch took it...I-I don't know where it is."
Tom bit his lip, but turned to the Hunters with a monotonous face. He snarled bitterly and glared at them. "Kill us if you can, cowards." He growled, his eyes now blazing in fury.
The Protego spell wore off, and Amanda quickly casted a spell which Tom defended with ease.
"Inefficient." he spat, and prepared to fight the Hunters.
Amanda giggled, amused by Tom's reaction and boldness of calling them names.
"How fun! Let's see how skilled you actually are! Crucio!"
"Expelliarmus." Tom said as he dodged the curse. Amanda flinched as her wand jumped out from her hands. As Amanda searched for the rogue wand, Harry hissed angrily.
"Stupefy!"
Tom dodged and scoffed. "Serpensortia." The snake hissed as Tom spoke to it in parseltongue. "Kill."
The snake lunged towards Hunter Harry and bit his leg, making him shout out in pain. Tom smirked, darkness glittering in his eyes. "Kil-"
"Stupefy!" Tom flinched as the spell hurtled towards him. He had been too engrossed on killing Harry, that he had forgotten everything.
But (Y/N) ran in front of him and took the blow for him.
"NO! (Y/N)!!" (Y/N) got thrown in the air and landed a few metres away from Tom, groaning in pain. She had now fainted, not making a sound. Tom was now hissing in anger, and his fury burst out of the roof.
"Hahaha!" Amanda laughed. "Idio-"
"Crucio."
As the curse left Tom's lips, Amanda fell onto the floor, screaming in complete agony. She then fainted soon after. Tom was slightly amazed. The curse he had casted was much more powerful than Tom had anticipated.
Hunter Harry's eyes widened in shock and he turned to look at Tom.
"H-How did that...teenager manage to cast such a complex curse..?!"
Tom looked at him with a smirk on his face.
"There's a very interesting saying telling you to not to judge a book by its cover. But in this case, by age." he purred, but his voice was cold.
Hunter Harry stared at him in complete shock and horror.
"H-how..?!" Tom laughed a high, cold laugh. "Stupefy."
Hunter Harry dropped onto the ground, moaning in pain. A wand then rolled out of Amanda's hand.
It was (Y/N)'s. Tom crouched down and picked it up, smiling. He then regained himself and turned to (Y/N) with a softened face.
"(Y/N)..?" he murmured softly. "Are you alright?"
(Y/N) opened her eyes and smiled. "Yeah..What happened?"
Tom turned around and saw the snake evaporate. "Nothing of your concern." he said innocuously.
"Everything is alright. Let's escape. Into the light."
(Y/N) nodded and tried to get up, but stumbled. Tom grabbed her arm and kissed her ear.
"Don't be too frantic, my love. I'll carry you."
(Y/N) shook her head. "It's okay. A quick Episkey will patch me up." Tom nodded and handed (Y/N) her wand. He then held up his own and pointed it at her chest where she had been hit.
"Episkey." he whispered. (Y/N) flinched as she heard some of her ribs crack into place. Tom looked at her in concern, but smiled as he saw her get up easily.
He held out his hand and grinned warmly. "Let's go. Together."
(Y/N) nodded and took his hand. "Together." she repeated happily. Tom nodded and the two stood up and found their way to the stairs.
"Expecto Patronum." they said together. Two shining wolves burst out of their wands and lit their way to the exit. The two of them smiled and followed the wolves towards the exit.
As they exited the building they were panting and laughing at the same time. They were both shocked and amused by their life-to-death experience, but it didn't matter anymore.
They were alive. And they were together.
~.+*+.~
"What was your boggart, Onis?"
"Ah, it was a Dementor. What was yours, Lunic?"
"Mine was a Thestral. What about you, Tom?"
"..."
"I don't think he wants to talk about it. And by the way, did you hear about the attacks on the Mudbloods?"
"Yeah, I did. Scary, but fun nonetheless."
"Mudbloods are dying! How fun is that?"
"Indeed."
"Thanks for agreeing with me, Tom."
"..."
"I don't think he's a fan of talking. And also, where did (L/N) go? She was always around him."
"Did you not hear that she-"
"SHUT IT!!"
"S-Sorry...T-Tom..."
~.+*+.~
"Ow! Be more careful.." (Y/N) pouted as Tom cleaned her wound. He sighed and finished off the treatment with a bandage.
"Please, do not leave my side again. Your capture was life-threatening enough." he muttered, cleaning away the blood with a flick of his wand. (Y/N) giggled.
"Were you worried, Tommy?"
Tom's face went slightly red and he then avoided her gaze. He didn't answer her question.
(Y/N) leaned him and kissed him on the forehead, humming happily. "I'm fine, Tom. Don't worry too much." Tom nodded slightly and purred quietly as she started to play with his hair.
He then hugged her and buried his face in her neck.
"Please...be safe. Be safe with me. Don't leave my side...And don't break our promise."
"The promise about never leaving you? Of course~I'll never break it. And you better not break it too." (Y/N) said, playing with his hair. Tom smiled and hugged her more tightly.
She had promised. She had promised to never break their promise. And he believed it.
He shouldn't have.
And fate took pity on him.
~.+*+.~
2023/4/29
1512 Words