I just want to be wanted
I could use a little love sometimes
I just need to be needed
Like to know I'm crossin' someone's mind
~Wanted by OneRepublic
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IT HAD BEEN A few weeks since Tom and Rosalind's relationship was publicly confirmed. And since then, the news spread like a wildfire throughout the school.
Rosalind blamed it all on Tom's popularity, until she realised that she was not so unpopular herself. She was the mysterious pretty transfer that got everyone to like her –teachers, students, everyone– in the blink of an eye. She was also an undeniably talented witch, that managed to get the one and only Tom Riddle 'wrapped around her finger'.
It was a Saturday, and Rosalind was seated with her two best friends, as usual, during dinner. They hadn't questioned her too much about her relationship with Riddle, but they understood that no matter how much they detested him, Rosalind loved him and that was more important.
". .So, Evan and I were just talking on our way to Herbology, you know, just getting to know each other," Oliver winked exaggeratedly before continuing on with what he claimed to be the most 'ridiculously hilarious' story that ever happened to him.
"But then, Reign Zabini decided to stop by, asking me on a date this Saturday, meaning today. And you know, I got all flustered and nervous," Rosalind and Willow laughed at that, trying to cover their full mouths with their hands.
"What? Did you just expect me to tell her 'Hey Reign, you're pretty and all but I'm gay'?!" Oliver asked incredulously, making a face as both girls nodded.
Reign Zabini was in fact one of the prettiest girls at school. She was second on Rosalind's 'Top Five Prettiest Girls at Hogwarts' list. With her amazingly dark complexion, long brown hair and pretty hazel eyes, she was a goddess that roamed the castle. Oliver must've been very lucky to have her attention.
"I mean, what else would you do?" Rosalind asked, munching on a mouthful of blueberry pie.
"Anyways, when she thought I would reject her, she immediately added that we can go on a double date, with, guess who? Correct! Seraphina and Evan! Can you guys even imagine that? Seraphina Lovegood and Evan Rosier, what a match!"
Willow smacked his arm jokingly, "Hey, don't be mean!"
"I'm not, but honestly, it's just funny. Anyways, we agreed. And you should've just seen their faces when we showed up to The Three Broomsticks, and made it clear that Evan and I were the couple," The girls couldn't help but laugh, even though quite aware that what they purposefully did was not good at all.
"Dear Merlin! That's not nice at all, Oliver. I knew you shouldn't be seeing a Slytherin!" Willow scolded, while Rosalind just shook her head. She wondered what Tom's reaction would be, if he found out that one of his Knights was going out with a Ravenclaw 'mudblood'.
"Hey, it's nothing official yet. Besides, at least we apologised and told them that we genuinely thought that this was a gay double date. Let's just say that Reign has been giving me dirty looks all day," Oliver added, receiving another scolding from Willow.
"Bad Oliver! Bad!" The redhead groaned, slouching in her seat. "Am I the only sane one for choosing a Hufflepuff?"
Rosalind's jaw dropped, "Wh-what do you mean?"
"Isn't James Diggory just the charmer?!" Willow sighed dreamily, twisting in her seat to glance at the Hufflepuff table. When she sat back properly, a rosy blush coloured her cheeks.
"He's looking, he's looking! What do I do?!" Willow rambled, trying to busy herself by examining a goblet. She was too shaky, however, and the goblet dropped into her lap, spilling the pumpkin juice all over her pants.
"Shit! Now I look like I peed myself!" Willow exclaimed, getting up and leaving the Great Hall as quick as possible.
"Willow, wait!" Rosalind tried, but the redhead was long gone. "I could've just dried it with magic."
"Leave her be, she's just daft like that," Oliver chuckled, taking a bite of his sandwich.
Rosalind frowned, "Hey, don't think I've forgotten yet!"
"Forgotten what?"
"That I'm always the last to know about everything!"
***
The french blonde was seated in one of the couches in the Room of Requirement, along with the rest of the Knights. They were waiting for Tom to arrive at midnight, only after ten minutes.
She was sat by herself, unwilling to interact with any of the revolting Slytherins. Well, that was until Druella Rosier decided to acknowledge the french blonde.
"So, Rosalind, tell us how you and Tom started dating!" Her question seemed to attract the attention of the rest. Rosalind raised a brow, her eyes calculating the faces of the Knights.
It didn't occur to her why Druella would care to know about Tom and Rosalind's 'relationship' details. Part of her considered that the Slytherin brunette was suspicious of the genuineness of their relationship, but another part was convinced that Druella was too dumb to figure out something like that, and was merely asking because of her jealousy.
"Neither Tom, nor I would like you interfering in our personal romantic matters, Druella," Rosalind answered with a tight smile, her green eyes boring into Druella's brown ones.
"Romantic matters?" Druella laughed humourlessly, "I bet you can't suck an ounce of romance out of him."
"I'm sure she's sucked other things, though," Walburga butted in, her eyes glaring at Rosalind with a gleam of amusement.
If she'd been in a bad mood, she would've just put the girl in her right place, with a few curses that would ruin her pitifully pretty face, that mismatched her personality. But words hurt more than actions.
"At least I'm not desperate enough to screw my own cousin, who's also three years younger than me," Venom was laced within her words when she replied, just how she liked it. A blonde brow was arched, her luminescent eyes challenging each and every one of them. "No offence though, Orion."
The third year only shrugged. "None taken."
"I'm so up for a girls' fight right now," Mulciber whispered to Lestrange, although the rest could still hear him perfectly. Rosalind only rolled her eyes, while Druella and Walburga were too busy glaring daggers at her.
"Yeah well, not when it has to do with Tom's girl. You know it would end badly. Very badly," Lestrange answered back, remembering his own experiences with the outstanding girl.
Rosalind ignored the boys, and went on. "And, I bet you're just jealous that no matter how hard you try," She sent a scrutinising look at Walburga's outfit, "You couldn't impress Tom, and you never will."
"And what did you impress him with? Your traumatising psychotic childhood? Or your pathetic excuse of a family?" Druella piped in. Rosalind was seething, although she knew that Druella was only making things up to anger her. There was no way in hell that snake could find out about her past. She was just trying to say anything that would possibly offend the Ravenclaw. But Rosalind wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
"Oh honey, I'll leave that to you. At least I don't have a mind with the functional capability of a brick," Druella wanted to argue back, but was pathetically silenced when Tom walked into the Room of Requirement, and sat in his usual chair.
***
"Druella and Evan, stay here," Tom ordered just after finishing with the meeting. He nodded at Rosalind, signalling that she should also stay.
The siblings stared wide-eyed at each other, both wondering what they could've possibly done wrong. Rosalind perfectly knew, however.
Tom waited until the room was empty, except for the four of them. He started pacing, while the three of them remained seated in their places.
"The last thing I expect, is for a Slytherin, let alone one of my Knights, to be seeing a mudblood. The Dennington boy? Are you out of your mind, Rosier?" For a second, Druella thought Tom was addressing her, but then noticed that her brother had gone three shades paler.
She gaped at him, her face holding a flabbergasted stare. "A mudblood, who's a boy?!"
Rosalind tried not to attack both Tom and Druella for talking about her best friend that way. And for a split second, she seriously thought that Druella suited Tom more than she did.
"Oh no, dear Salazar! Mother and father will be so disappointed, Evan! They've always wanted you to marry into a pureblood family, and have children that will carry on the Rosiers' name!" Druella was rambling, her face buried in her hands. Tom just watched, an unamused expression dancing on his features.
"Look, I'm only going to be merciful on you because of you and your sister's loyalty to me. Now, if I'll ever hear that you are seeing a mudblood, Evan, the consequences will be severe," Tom threatened, while Rosalind watched silently from her seat on the couch.
"Oh, and I don't give a damn if it's a boy or a girl, just not someone so filthy."
"Tom!" He ignored her, dismissing the siblings after his speech.
She sighed, standing up from her seat when the Rosiers left.
"You can't just talk about him like that, Tom! Will you ever stop with that shallow thinking?!" She waved her arms around, arguing like a madwoman.
Tom rolled his eyes, choosing not to respond to her. Instead he only stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her as close as possible. He smirked when he noticed the blush on her face.
"No one's around, you can cut the act now," She whispered, trying to unclasp his tight grasp on her waist.
"I'm not acting," He mumbled back, with a look in his eyes that she couldn't quite decipher.
"So you're just doing this to stop the argument?"
"Is it working?" He smiled, a smile that took her breath away. He probably knew the effect he had on her, and was taking advantage of it.
"No," She replied, holding her head high as his eyes searched her face. He looked very amused.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded, "Don't think you can easily get out of this, Riddle. You're-"
She was cut short when Tom kissed her, his lips sparking a familiar feeling in her chest. It was pleasant, and soft, and slow. She smiled during the kiss, her hands holding his face close.
This was the first time he'd kissed her since a few weeks. The last one was in the Great Hall, and no matter how fake it was, every kiss left her yearning for more.
He knew just how to make her addicted to him. He was always hot and cold, once kissing her, flirting with her, then going cold all of a sudden. It always left her coming back, wondering how he would act each time.
This was his evil technique, so that she was never bored of coming back to his arms.
"How about now?" He asked after breaking the kiss. He was breathing heavily, but so was she.
"Hmm, not so much," She whispered, unable to hide the smile growing on her lips.
His thumb touched her bottom lip for a second, their eyes meeting once again.
He kissed her again, and he wondered if he was the one addicted to her. Maybe they both were addicted to each other.
Or maybe it's just love. A tiny part of him whispered in his head, and he almost believed it when her lips moved against his.
It was dark meets light, chaotic perfection.