Tom watched as Hendrix slipped out the common room. When she exited, the peace left with her, leaving behind a harrowing sense of urgency as he turned back around and stormed to Lestrange's room. He slammed open the door to reveal Xavier sitting on the edge of his bed, his head buried in his hands and his shirt still fully unbuttoned. When Tom burst in, Lestrange jumped a bit before his eyes landed on his friend and they eased up once more. "Bloody hell, you nearly gave me a heart attack."
The entire room reeked of alcohol. How Hendrix managed to spend so much time there was beyond Tom. It wasn't messy-- which was surely Rosier's doing-- but there were bottles and bottles of expensive liquor strewn everywhere. The bookshelves were devoid of a single book, in their place stood only wine glasses and an assortment of flasks. Tom made sure to shut the door behind him before he narrowed his eyes on Xavier. "Well?"
Xavier reached into his back pocket and whipped out his flask, raising it to his lips begrudgingly as he stared at Tom and raised an eyebrow. "Well, what?"
Years of being in Lestrange's presence had not made it any easier to control his temper around the blithering fool. Tom took in a deep breath before he snarled, "You've been pursuing Hendrix for two months now and what do you have to show for it? You've given me no information. Everything I know about her, I had to learn myself."
"I'm working on it," Xavier grumbled.
"Are you? Or are you just working on getting her into your bed?" Tom asked, snatching the flask out of Lestrange's fingers and tossing it to the floor, earning an agitated huff of annoyance in return.
Xavier's lips tightened as he clenched his jaw, growing increasingly angry yet knowing better than to dare speak up against Tom. "It's not as simple as you think. She's a closed book."
"Because she isn't a simple girl. We knew that from the start. And if you're not capable of getting her to open up to you, then I see no reason for you to keep pursuing her when others could be more successful," he said, his voice threatening.
"Others?" Xavier scoffed. "Surely, you can't mean yourself?" When he noticed Tom's unwavering expression, he shook his head in disbelief. "She hates you."
Something flashed across Tom's face, but Xavier couldn't quite pin the emotion. "And yet she's given me more information while she despises me than she has given you after you've pined after her like a fool for two months."
"I'm not a fool," Xavier said, his voice struggling to stay level. Tom could see him getting defensive, and that only made Tom grow angrier, himself. "I just can't rush things."
"Where was that excuse when you bed half the school after taking them on one date?" Tom asked, and Xavier's eyes darkened. A sudden realization struck him and Tom bellowed out in a cold laughter. "Don't tell me you've grown fond of her."
"I haven't," Xavier protested half-heartedly.
"No?" Tom asked, a devilish smile creeping onto his lips. "The dress, the diamonds, the flowers... those are all part of your plan then?"
"I just-"
"You're allowing yourself to be blinded by your emotions. I thought even you would be beyond that," he scoffed.
"I am not being blinded by anything," Xavier argued. "I know what I'm doing."
"What you're doing is growing weaker and weaker with each passing day. How many times must I remind you? Love... is... weakness," he hissed. "So get your head on straight and do your bloody job."
Xavier said through gritted teeth, "I told you, I'm working on it."
"Well, it isn't working, is it? So, perhaps it is time I step in."
"Don't-"
"Why?"
"I'll get it done. I just need-"
"Give me one reason I should continue to allow you to pursue her when you have failed at the one thing I-"
"Because she's mine!" Xavier shouted, the anger in his face suddenly disappearing as a flash of panic glistened in his eyes. He had not meant to yell at Riddle, though masking his emotions was not one of his strengths.
As Tom stared coldly at him, Xavier shrunk in his bed, avoiding the demonic gaze of the towering Prefect standing before him. He sat there in a tense anticipation, waiting to see how Riddle would react to his outburst, but Tom only watched him, shaking his head as a light-- yet hollow-- laugh escaped his lips. "Your first mistake was being foolish enough to think you could own someone like Hendrix."
"I-"
"She cannot be bought with dresses, jewels, or flowers. I know you're used to paying for whatever you want, Lestrange, but that isn't going to work for you this time. The only way to truly get Hendrix to open up to you is by understanding her mind... her values. You need to be intelligent enough to decipher her," he said, his voice a low growl. "And, unfortunately, intelligence is one thing your money can't buy."
Xavier opened his mouth to speak, but decided to opt for silence, merely watching as Tom made his way over to the exit. He put his hand on the doorknob, but before he left, he said, "I will allow you one more opportunity to prove to me that you are worthy of my orders." He paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes meeting Xavier's when he said in a chillingly calm voice, "And if you ever dare raise your voice against me again, the only thing you'll be getting out of Hendrix will be a eulogy."
Without another word, he opened the door and walked out of the room, leaving behind the speechless heir with nothing more than a paralyzing fear and an urgency to prove himself.
-------
Avalon and Zelda stuffed their belongings into their bags as Transfiguration came to an end the next day. The room was filled with the chattering of their peers discussing the Yule Ball, assignments, and Quidditch. Avalon's eyes met her professor's and he offered her a subtle smile, which she half-heartedly returned.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't still irked at Dumbledore and his incessant need to run metaphors out of his mouth every time she spoke to him. Sometimes she wondered how Harry had put up with him all those years.
As she began to walk towards the exit, she felt someone grab her wrist from behind and raise her arm over her head, spinning her around playfully until she landed into his hold and the familiar scent of wine and cologne tickled her nose.
"Hello, darling," Xavier cooed as his lips left a lingering kiss on her cheek. He turned his attention to Zelda, a grin on his face as he winked. "Hey, Shacks."
"Hey, Strange," Zelda replied with a roll of her eyes.
"Mind if I steal your roommate?" he asked.
"I don't think you'd listen to me either way," she replied.
"Right you are," he chuckled, tugging Avalon away despite her light protest. His fingers intertwined with hers and he dragged her out the door before she could utter a final goodbye to her laughing friend.
"Xavier," Avalon whined, though he merely ignored her pleas. "Xavier, where are we going?"
"I planned us a date," he replied proudly as he wove them through the crowd amassing outside.
"I was planning on going to the library with Zelda," she complained.
"I'll only take a few hours of your time," he grinned, lifting their laced fingers to his lips and pressing a kiss against the back of her hand.
"Will you at least tell me what we're doing?"
"And ruin the surprise?"
She couldn't hold back the laugh that slipped from her lips. Xavier was many things-- plenty of them aggravating-- but to deny his charm was near impossible. That much she would admit.
He led them all the way to the edge of the Great Lake before he finally stopped. The air was crisp and she looked around at the red, orange, and yellow leaves, wondering to herself how autumn had crept up on her so quickly. The warmth of his hand slipped away from her grasp as he walked away from her and towards a large boulder, pulling a picnic basket out from behind the rock before he walked back to her with a lazy smile on his lips.
Bending down to open the basket, he reached in and whipped out a black blanket, opening it up and draping it onto the ground. Avalon watched him curiously as he began pulling out an assortment of chocolate-covered strawberries, scones, and sweets and laid them atop the setup before he extended his hand and motioned for her to sit by him. Her eyes glanced at the pile of scones, searching for lemon-blueberry, but all she saw was raspberry.
He pried out a bottle of champagne and two sparkling glasses, popping the cork and pouring each of them a drink. She let him take a hold of her hand and smiled as she laid down beside him, propping herself up on her elbows with her glass at her side. When his gaze met hers, there was something different about how his eyes were focused on her. She couldn't quite understand what it was, but it made her uneasy. "Is everything alright?"
"Of course, darling," he smiled, the dark glint in his eyes disappearing as soon as he spoke. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"I don't know," she said. "I just-"
"I'm here, in a beautiful place," he said as he picked up a chocolate strawberry and held it before her mouth, "with the most beautiful girl," he watched as she took a bite, his eyes glued to her lips before he leaned in for a kiss, smiling to himself when the lingering taste of the berry hit his tongue, "watching a beautiful sunset. Everything is more than alright, love." She let out a sigh and he put a hand on her cheek, stroking her skin softly. "How could I be anything else when I am with you?"
And, he was back to his normal self. His normal, charismatic, adoring, self. So, she leaned into his touch and smiled, feeling rather at ease as the sun draped them both in its dying golden rays.
He looked almost angelic. The way the sun illuminated the high points of his contoured face, he was cast in a heavenly aura, his hair framing his features in perfect brown waves. His green eyes glimmered in the wake of the sunset and he watched her with the same romantic longing that she had grown used to since getting to know him.
As she caught herself locked in his gaze, she couldn't shake the creeping feeling of guilt in her stomach. There was no scenario in which she and Xavier could end up together, and she knew that. Either she was going to kill Riddle and return to her own time, or she would die trying. In no possible future would she stay here and be with the boy before her, and deep down, she knew that leading him down this path was only taking him towards his own heartbreak.
Though, she hoped it was not all for nothing.
She wanted Xavier to live a better life. She wanted him to do better, to be better.
He was not a lost cause-- at least, she didn't think so. Xavier was unlike Tom. He had grown up in privilege, with a family who fed him with evil ideas, evil thoughts, and evil beliefs. He was a product of upbringing, and she wondered if he, like Avery, could one day see the light. Perhaps, if she spent enough time with him, he could be saved from a future of darkness.
Riddle, however, had nobody to blame but his own corrupt mind. He had an empty soul. There was nothing to save, nothing to fix, nothing to change.
That's what she thought.
That's what she had to believe.
She couldn't think about the moments when she saw glimpses of humanity within him. She couldn't... or else she would stay awake all night staring out her window at the expansive darkness outside and try to tell herself that she was doing nothing wrong by being here. She was only doing what had to be done.
She was here because she was the only one who could do it... the only one who would do it.
There was a faint sound that her ears barely registered, and as she slowly came back to her senses, she noticed Xavier's lips had been moving the entire time. "Sorry, what?" she asked, cutting him off.
He rolled his eyes, laughing. "I said... there's a party this Friday in the Slytherin dormitory. I want to see you there."
"Another party?" she asked. "I really shouldn't. I'm drowning in work and I had promised Zelda that we would go to the library together all weekend."
"You have to go.".
"I can't-"
His fingers gently lifted her chin up so she'd be level with him as he leaned down and laid a soft kiss on her lips before muttering into her skin, "Not even if it's for my birthday?"
She pulled away, her jaw dropping as she pouted at him. "Your birthday? Why didn't you tell me sooner!"
"I'm telling you now!" he chuckled, throwing his hands up in defense.
"I won't even have time to get you a present, you moron," she groaned, gently slapping his arm.
"Why would I need a gift when I have you?" he asked, kissing her pouting lips until a smile found its way onto her face. "I'm already the luckiest one at Hogwarts."
They melted into one another's touch, eating, drinking, and stealing quick kisses as the seconds turned to minutes turned to an hour. The sun hid behind the horizon, in its place leaving the moon floating up high and casting them in the subtle glow of the night sky.
Her head rested atop his stomach as she stared up at the stars, her thoughts pleasantly fuzzy after the two of them had drained the champagne. His fingers had found a home in her hair, softly twirling her dark locks around his touch, softly grazing her skin with the pads of his thumb as he watched her quietly.
The feeling of his gaze made her shift, tilting her head to meet his eyes, which softened as soon as they met hers. "Merlin, you're stunning." He let out a deep breath and smiled, his fingers tracing the outline of her lips before returning to her hair. "I want to know everything about you."
"What do you want to know?" she asked.
"Everything," he admitted. "I want to know about your life at Durmstrang... your friends... your family... your hobbies... your favorite memories," he said, his voice airy. "I want to know more about the girl who has captured my heart."
"Well, I've already told you I grew up living with my aunt," she started, choosing her words carefully. She thought about her hobbies, but her mind came up blank. It had been quite some time since she had afforded the luxury of spending her time doing something she enjoyed, rather than either hiding from or battling in a war. "I'm quite good at chess," she finally said, thinking fondly of the many times she had beat Ron in the game, leaving him crestfallen and moping for the rest of the day.
"Why am I not surprised that you enjoy the one game that feels like an exam?" he chuckled.
"It's fun!" she insisted. "I used to play with my friends all the time... but, they started to refuse to join me because I kept winning," she laughed.
"Your friends... tell me about them."
She paused for a moment, thinking of each of them in turn. The mere thought of them filled her heart with a bittersweet nostalgia that made her heart swell and sink at the same time. They were her saving grace. They were why she was here.
"My friends," she started, but her words trailed off.
"What are they like?"
"It's hard to say... they're all so different," she said wistfully. "Some were quiet, others louder than the crowd at a Quidditch match. Some of them studied day and night, others would forget about exams and show up late... all of them were strong. Brave. Good," she said, lingering on the last word. "Better people than I could ever be."
"Have you kept in contact with them?"
A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "It's quite difficult to."
"I'm sure you could send an owl," he said. "If you'd like, my owl travels quite quickly. The old bloke is faster than the best broom on the market."
"Perhaps one day," she said, smiling.
"Who are your best friends?"
She smiled, but her eyes were ridden with a soft despair. "Two twins named Fred and George. I spent most of my time with them. They're my friend Ron's older brothers, but I grew quite close to them over the years. We did nearly everything together," she laughed. "We would pull all sorts of pranks on our friends... and then there were Hermione and Luna. Two of the brightest witches I have ever known and hearts of gold to match," she said, finding it hard to stop speaking. She hadn't realized how much she had missed talking about her friends until now. It felt good to let it all out. "Hermione is like a walking encyclopedia. Luna is practically a Seer, I swear. I can't tell you how many times she has read my mind and told me exactly what I needed to hear."
"And Harry?"
Her heart sank.
"What?" she asked, her body tensing.
"Harry? You said his name in class that one time you dueled Riddle. Is he your friend, too?"
She sat up, her brows furrowing at the similarity between her conversation now and the one she had with Riddle earlier. "Why would you ask me that? Did the way I cried out his name imply that it was something I wanted to talk about?"
"I-"
"Did Riddle put you up to this?" she asked.
His eyes went wide at the accusation, and he propped himself up, too. "I'm sorry if I struck a nerve," he began, his words slow. "I was only trying to-"
"Did Riddle put you up to this?" she repeated, cutting him off.
"What? No," he said, shaking his head. "No, of course not. Why would he?"
She stared at him, her eyes scanning his face for any signs of lying, but he was hard to read. He reached out and took her hand in his, lifting it to his lips and pressing a delicate kiss on her skin. "I'm sorry, love. I shouldn't have asked," he said, his voice soft as his gentle eyes met hers. "I can't help it. I only want to know everything there is to know about you." He could see her brows begin to return to their natural state and her body ease up, so he cupped her cheek and smiled. "Can you blame me? I'm head over heels for you."
He leaned in and his lips met hers, and her worries melted at his touch. Though, when he pulled away, she took in a deep breath before saying, "Perhaps we should head back to the castle. It is getting late."
"Must we?" he asked, staring into her eyes as his lips left a trail of kisses along the side of her jaw, lingering on her neck as he gently swept the collar of her shirt to the side and revealed the purple love bites he had left the night prior, his eyes darkening at the sight. "What if we just stay here?"
"I told you I have to study tonight," she said, putting a finger under his chin and prying him away from her with a light laugh. "But thank you... for the picnic."
"Anything for you," he said, though she could sense a hint of annoyance in his words when she stood up and brushed herself off.
As the two of them worked on packing up the remnants of the picnic back into the basket and began making their way back to the castle, one was staring at the stars above, pushing the last bit of unease out of her mind, while the other was filled with a looming sense of dread as he thought of what relentless anger he would face when he would eventually have to report his lack of findings to his impatient friend.
~Author's Note~
You all did NOT leave 500 comments last chapter!!! That's INSANE! Holy COW! Thank you all so much!
I honestly was hoping to get this chapter out yesterday as a thank you for how many comments y'all left, but I started texting my ex like the stupid hoe I am and got sidetracked so you can blame me for being dumb. But, hey, still. An update in two days isn't too shabby!
ALSO: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if you have not already read the chapter titled "Cast & Disclaimers" please go and read that! There are trigger warnings in that chapter that apply to the entire story and I really would appreciate it if you all read the trigger warnings before we go forward. Many themes and scenes that could potentially be triggering to some people will soon be delved into and I want to make sure you are all comfortable with the content that will be discussed. So, before reading on, please make sure to go and read that update. It should be listed as the first chapter in this story!
As always, thank you so much for the love and support. I'm sorry I can't reply to every comment you all leave, but just know I read literally every single one and it makes my heart swell each time. Thank you thank you thank you! Sending you all love and, until next time, xoxo Daffy