"Where's the cake?" Julia grumbled as she opened the dormitory door again, waiting impatiently.
"I'm sure Connor's delivering it any minute. The three of us are going back for Christmas, are you sure you're gonna spend the weekend with Tom Riddle again?" Chloe asked her.
Emily smiled a bit, "Yes."
"Yes," Julia mimicked her, "You're even happy to do so! But why? I told you he - had many girls.."
"I know. And at the same time I don't -"
"Cake's here!" Rebecca shouted and Connor's head poked out from the door as he made his way through the heaps of clothes.
"How'd you get in the girls dormitory?" Emily asked, baffled.
"I used my broom," he winked.
"That's - that's -"
"Amazing?"
"Absolutely disgusting," she corrected him,"How could you do that when we need our privacy?"
"Sorry," he smiled cheekily and sat down. They sat around a circle, and Rebecca lighted some candles to get the scent hovering in the room.
"Alright, let's make a Christmas wish!" Julia exclaimed and adjusted the cake. It was chocolate, coated with vanilla and little reindeers were perched on the top.
"I wish that I'll get the snitch again," Connor laughed and blew out a candle.
"I wish that I'll marry Tobias," Chloe grinned widely at the thought of it.
"Excuse me, what?" Julia stared incredulously at her, "That's an adult wish!"
"I don't care."
"Well then, I wish that I make it to the team this year," Rebecca sighed.
"Well don't worry - once I become captain then you'll be in the team. I'll train you!" Connor encouraged her and blew out another candle.
"I wish.. That I'll have a good Christmas with Tom," Emily smiled and picked on her fingernails.
"Yuck," Connor said in disgust,"Why him? Why won't you go back to Christmas? I'm sure that arse would've plenty of girls by his side..."
"I'm sure he would. But - you don't get it," Emily tore her gaze at his annoyed face and helped slice the cake with her wand. She was getting better each day. Her results were improving marvelously, more faster than she had imagined.
**********
The snow filled up the ground outside her window, and the circular room was dark. There was very little light, and the only source of it was a candle that was going to melt.
Emily was still wide awake. It was Christmas night, and she couldn't sleep a wink at all. Her mind was wandering about, and she had already missed her friends and family.
Emily shivered as she curled up into a ball, the sheets covering only her body. There was just too many thoughts that was making her more confused and tired. She knew she couldn't stay like this all night.
Scrambling out of bed, she put on her shoes and took a muggle book with her. It was a special edition of children's fairytales, and Emily had read it four times before. She still found them interesting.
I'll go see Tom, she thought to herself. Surely he'll wake up and talk to me...
The dungeons were freezing. Emily had thought that she'll turn into a block of ice when she reached the bare stretch of a stone wall.
Whispering the password, it creaked open and she made her way up to the slytherin dormitory.
"Tom.. Can I come in?" Emily pushed the door open and peeked inside. He was sitting on his bed, studying the same sort of old books.
Tom looked up, a bit surprise, but he nodded and she made her way to him. She had brought her yellow sheets with her because this was literally the most coldest place in Hogwarts.
Emily crawled next to him. Thankfully it was a big bed or she'll have to squeeze herself into the little space left.
"Tom I can't sleep.." she moved closer.
"Try sleeping," he shrugged her off and darted his eyes at the open book he was reading.
"Could you read me to sleep?" Emily pleaded, holding onto his robes.
"No. If you annoy me again, I'm throwing you out," he said coldly, not saying a word after that.
"Please? It's not like you've done this before.. Just this once.." her fingers trembled and she hugged herself tighter.
Tom peered down at the girl. Her eyes were full of sadness, like someone had broke her soul. He didn't like seeing her this way.
"Fine.." he shut his own book and placed it on the dressing table. She gave him a dry smile and handed the muggle book to him.
"I'm not reading this. It's muggle stuff," he threw it back at her.
"Just this once.. My dad used to do this to my mom. But he's not here anymore, Tom.." Emily whispered quietly.
Tom had almost slapped himself for feeling sorry. He had never done this to any of the girls. All they do was cling onto his arm and kiss him. It was very annoying, but of course he hadn't told them that. He had responded politely if he didn't want to, even if Tom had wanted to shut them up.
"Alright," he scowled at the book and touched it carefully as if it would bite his hands.
Emily smiled a little and moved closer to him, holding his arm. Tom liked how she did it. Her hands were small and fair, like a young girl's one. The small fingers gripped onto his dark green sweater tightly.
He flicked opened the book, and read the title aloud : Snow White and the seven drawfs.
Ah yes. This annoying story that the orphanage kids liked to listen. He had burned a couple of that fairytale books in delight.
"Once upon a time, there was a king that lived in a far off land. His wife had wished for a child, its hair as black as raven, skin as white as snow.." Tom paused. The story is starting to make him feel very disgusted. Muggles like to feed on lies, don't they?
"What's wrong?" Emily scrunched her eyebrows. How cute she looked. Her hair was still long, which she didn't cut it since last year and those sparkling blue eyes..
"Nothing," he briskly replied, "Lips as red as blood.. One day, the queen died and the child was born. She had her dying wish, and named her Snow White."
Emily released her fingers on his arm and traced it down. She entwined his fingers with his and smiled to herself. Hadn't she tried to do this when she first arrived at Hogwarts? It all felt so familiar.
He rambled on with the story and slowly, Emily felt so tired. She snuggled herself closer and rested her head on his shoulder.
By the time Tom finished the Cinderella story, she was fast asleep. Finally, he thought to himself, and tried to pull her hand away but she clutched onto him so tightly even if she was in her dreams.
Tom rested her next to him and pulled up the covers to her chin. He gently stroked her hair and touched her face. She was very beautiful. But that wasn't exactly the reason he liked her. Emily stuck close to him even if he had pushed her away, even if she saw his true colours, the way he was absorbed with power. She was very loyal.
"Connor... Connor.." she whispered softly after hours had passed. He was still awake, watching her like a predator.
That angered him a bit. Why is she calling that stupid hufflepuff?
"Don't.. Don't push me... Don't push me please..." beads of sweat trickled down and she kicked aggressively.
Tom had forced her to stay down. She started to kick him and jolted up, crying and breathing heavily.
"Tom.. I.. I There's... He.. Push.. In - the" she mumbled, wiping her tears away.
"It's okay, it's just a dream.." he hugged her and she fell asleep again on his shoulder, using him as a pillow. He carressed her back, thinking of what he just said.
"Of course.. It's a dream, Emily, but if you haven't noticed, you've been living in a nightmare. The only difference is that you can't wake up in this one..but I'm here. I'm here with you and that's all that matters, right?"
Emily hummed a bit in her sleep.
"That's what I thought," Tom smiled at her as she slept on him like a child. He hadn't tried to move her away and spent the night holding her. That was all he wanted for Christmas, after all.