A baggage of love ( Tom Riddle x Reader )

Chapter 18

Y/n's POV:

" have you been avoiding me?" I'm greeted with, by a better looking Ascot, his face is back to normal other than the bruises all over his face, it makes me feel sick every time I stare a little too long.

" no-I just wanted some space" I reassure him after not seeing him once yesterday.

But then I remember that I would have seen him if he came to find me like Tom did, there was very few places I could have been.

" I thought so, I wanted to give you some time" he then says.

I smile at his thoughtfulness.

" I don't want you to get mad at me for what I'm about to say next" I tell him.

He looks at me like he dreads my next words, a saddened expression on his face.

" Tom is certain he didn't hurt you-"

" oh my god" he says rolling his head back.

" so he recommended we use veritaserum! If you're also certain you're telling the truth then this shouldn't be a big deal" I spit out, explaining myself before he interrupts me again.

Ascot sighs and puts a hand on my shoulder, " of course I don't mind I'm just- upset that it's had to come to this y/n"

I tilt at my head at him with a sympathetic smile.

" I mean you could probably kill someone and I'd still defend you and be on your side" he says and my heart wrenches.

" are yous done?" Tom says with attitude as he suddenly appears in the common room, I jump as I didn't hear him come in. Then I wonder if he had been there the whole time.

Ascot clenches his jaw when he sees Tom and steps back, closer to my side.

" alright, here" I say giving them both some of the potion that they drink from different cups.

Tom clasps his hands together as he sits down getting comfortable like he's ready, " whose first?" He asks with a smug smirk.

They both look at me and I take a moment to myself to think, if I ask Ascot first and I find out he's lying, I'll be hurt and disgusted.

But if I ask Tom first and he admits to doing it I think I will actually vomit and feel overly let down and stupid.

" today y/n" Tom says.

" don't rush her" Ascot says as he sits on an opposite couch, manspreading.

Tom rolls his eyes, " oh shut up" he says irritated.

" stop it" I tell them both.

I look at Ascot, " who really did beat you up that night?"

" Tom Riddle"

I freeze and it's hard to look Tom straight in the eye but I manage as I turn towards him.

" did you beat Ascot up?" I ask, surprised by how easily I'm talking.

" no"

I frown with confusion, " did yous even-" I say as I pick up both of their cups to check if they actually swallowed the veritaserum but they both did and I watched them.

I sigh and put hardly put the cups back down, it makes a loud bang against the table.

Tom and Ascot look at each other with the same frustrated expression.

I shake my head and try to make sense of this as I have the chance to ask anything.

" Ascot, I left you alone in the library that night, what happened after?"

" I told you, Tom walked back in and beat me up"

" that's not true" Tom says but he doesn't sound worried.

" Tom, where did you go when you left us alone?"

" To speak to Slughorn" he answers.

Then I remember bumping into Slughorn and how uncomfortable Tom looked, that's when he spoke to him, it makes sense. It makes sense because it's the truth.

" Ascot, why didn't you report Tom? To Dippet about the beating up?"

Ascot sighs and then blushes.

" because- because I saw how mad and upset you were when I told you... I saw how conflicted you were and I didn't want to do anything that might have resulted in me losing you" he says shyly.

I smile at the ground and I hear Tom snort slightly.

I want to ask Tom why he kissed me yesterday but not when Ascot is around, I'm not sure how he would react. But he's not leaving anytime soon.

" do you hate me?" I ask Tom.

He looks up at me surprised, " no" he says almost straight away.

Again I smile at the ground but this time I feel heat spreading to my cheeks while my heart flutters like it did when his lips were crashed onto mine, I have to stop thinking about the flashback otherwise my blushing will be impossible to hide.

" Did you kill Elliot?" I ask Tom.

" no"

" did you kill Jack?"

"No!"

" did you do anything to them?"

Tom rolls his eyes, " a harmless hex or two"

I turn to Ascot as I know he didn't but it's worth asking.

" did you kill Jack or Elliot?"

" no" he also says.

I grumble with frustration, how could this be possible? How can both of them be telling the truth?

" I give up" I say as I sit down the floor, legs crossed with my hands in my head.

Ascot stares at Tom, to which he notices.

" what are you looking at?" Tom hisses at him.

Ascot shakes his head, " I don't get it, you beat me up! I saw you"

" I did not" Tom responds like he's had enough.

Ascot grows more impatient by the second, " why did you even speak to y/n? You speak to everyone but her it's weird"

" I like talking to her" Tom says bluntly and he stands up, about to leave when I spot something in the chair he was sitting on.

" wait you forgot this" I say picking it up and it's a golden, thick ring.

When I pick the large ring up, there's one singular strand of his curly hair connected to it, I pull it off before handing it to him.

" I've never seen you wear this" I say to him as my fingers brush against his.

" when I scratch my head, it gets caught in my hair, so I take it off" he says and he puts it back on his index finger.

" forgetting things isn't very smart of you, is it?" I joke with him.

He gives me a tiny smile with a silent chuckle, " I forget it quite often"

" it suits you" I say as I look at his hands, the ring matches him persona and is well fitted.

" you'd suit me" he says with a playful smirk.

Ascot abruptly stands and comes between us, " let's go y/n" he says.

Since Tom was leaving anyway, I follow Ascot, expecting a lecture about how wrong and dangerous Tom is.

But all we do is eat cake and tea while he reaches me how to play chess.