Thank you so much for 510K+ reads and 19.2K+ votes my lovely readers. We came a really long way, didn't we? It still feels unreal.
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Tom had always taken pride in himself for being clear in his ambitions and definite in his decisions. He knew what he wanted when he was young. He was highly perceptive of his surroundings. That gave him an edge over his enemies. He was like that predator who stalked and consumed his prey until there was nothing left. He knew his worth was more than those around him even when he had no idea about the magical world. He always knew he was special. His record was free of any tarnish from confused and unsure decisions, until...
Until, of course, Alexa's supposed confession.
F**k! He cursed his mind.
She had that effect on him even before that.
Tom contemplated how she had confused him, subconsciously, since day one.
The meeting in the library, she had left him a question of her identity and those hypnotizing violet eyes.
In that closet, she gave him a name for her face but left him questioning her metamorphmagus ability. Being a human who grew up with a lack of power, he appreciated that.
In an abandoned classroom where he had tried to blackmail her into being his lover for the first time, she had spilt that she had some clue about his identity. That day he questioned her reach and motives. Her cunningness was sexy.
When he had followed her to the forbidden forest, she revealed that she was hybrid, yet confused him by protecting him against that blood-sucker. He still had no idea why she did that. Why she risked her life for his. What he knew was the fact that no one had done that for him before. So... it mattered to him. It mattered a lot. Something changed in him that night. The change was subtle, but it was there for sure.
Their kisses ignited an inextinguishable fire within him. The turmoil of emotions her every action created in him burned him from within. And he couldn't care less. Like a moth and a flame. He knew she was dangerous for him, but he couldn't keep away. And that frightened him. An unquenchable desire to have her in his reach, forever, was frightening yet inevitable.
She had intrigued him day one. She had been intriguing him every day after.
Her confession should have acted like cold water. Instead, to his horror, he felt the warmth. And satisfaction. And happy?
Only he knew of his struggle during those eight days. Eight long days of her confession. A big part of him was offended on himself for acting like a pathetic fool who let his emotions hinder his judgment. That big part was angry at the other smaller part. The one which found her confession flattering. Tom felt like all those idiotic females from the romance novels - that Mrs Cole used to read to the kids in his orphanage - who couldn't stop giggling at the proposals of their so-called beloved. He was not a maiden who needed a damn knight in shining armour. He was the king of his own world. And he wanted it to stay that way alone.
Damn! You idiotic -
His cursing ceased and he was brought back to the Slytherin common room as a loud thud echoed. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, so not many of his housemates occupied the Slytherin dungeon. It was just Tom and his gang, minus Rosier and Malfoy. He looked up to see the remaining two devils barging in. His eyes narrowed as he observed both boys sporting completely different expressions.
Rosier looked annoyed and grumpy. Malfoy, on the other hand, looked like he could cry any second that passed. Tom, couldn't figure though, which of them looked sadder. The Slytherin Prefect threw a quick glance at Anthony to reassure that he was not seeing the things. To his relief, he saw concern flashed across the features of elder Avery. From the corner of his eyes, Tom also noted how Benjamin suddenly placed his bag beside him on the sofa that was resting on his lap till then.
"I warned you. A lot." Abraxas spoke in a broken voice. "I told you this was a bad idea."
"You are blaming me as if I knew the consequences." Rosier bellowed. His frustration drummed in a suddenly silent room.
Evan and Abraxas had a tendency to fight. Always. What made this encounter different was the intensity of emotions that marred their sharp and beautiful faces. The scowl they threw at each other and the way their hands suddenly sneaking in their wand-pockets bared the fact that whatever was the issue between them was beyond the normal quarrel they shared.
Sensing the severity of the situation, surprisingly, it was Mulciber who interrupted for the first time.
"What is it now?" Marcus placed his feet on the ground as he sat on his sofa from his relaxed, lazy position. Completely alert.
Abraxas looked down. A silent sob left his lips betraying his resolution to not break until he reached the safety of his dorm. "My parents arranged my wedding... with Evanka."
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For those of you who forgot, Evanka is Evan Rosier's younger sister who is homosexual. Abraxas only dated her because of Evan's insistence. Refer to chapter 27.
Other references:
Library: Prologue.
Closet: Chapter 2.
Classroom: Chapter 16 and 18.
Forest: Chapter 29-32
Kisses: Too many to refer to.
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