Lost | Tom Riddle ✔

Chapter 16

Follow your dreams, they know the way!!

#confession: The reason I make so many mistakes is that I write the chapters directly on the editor. Please excuse me for them.

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Alexa woke up late that day, so instead of going to the great hall for breakfast, she decided to go to the first class she had. She pulled out her diary. The diary was enchanted to notify her about the upcoming astronomical events. Her right hand was holding her diary while her left hand was circling the events she wanted to observe. Her head was bent into it.

She was passing by the old classroom of ancient runes. Since professor Malcolm Babbling preferred a classroom nearer to that of Dumbledore's, this part of the hallway was abandoned. She turned a page and was about to go through it when a hand shot out of the room and pulled her in. The door was closed the moment she was in. Alexa dropped her bag. Her book and quill following the suit right after. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand was placed on her mouth. A body pushed her into the wooden door with a force, banging it in the process. A warm breath fanning her face.

Her struggles to free herself were only fueling her captor to tighten his grip more. From the strength, she was guessing it was some boy. She placed her hands on his chest to push him back. The person didn't even move an inch on the impact. Panic filled her features.

"Lumos," a husky voice muttered. Alexa knew that voice very well.

The light emerged in the room just enough for her to see her captor. He was none other than her tutor. She relaxed a bit. It was not unusual for them to meet like that. Her white hairs were now turning back to their original colour. She looked up to meet his eyes. Unlike other times, however, they were burning. She had not seen him this angry ever. She gulped visibly. Something was wrong. Very very wrong.

"How dare you?" he asked her, gritting his teeth.

How dare she what? She was confused. Without giving her a chance to speak, the Slytherin continued,

"How could you put up our pictures like that?"

Now, she was confused. Was the star student out of his mind? What the hell was he talking about? She placed her hands on his hand that was blocking her mouth. Getting her signal, Tom dropped his hand but didn't move away from her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked him, clearly confused.

"Oh! So you don't know, huh?" Tom mocked her.

She took a deep breath. "I don't know what?"

"That apparently, I got a lover who is a badger," Tom informed her.

Her heart skipped a beat. Where was this conversation going? "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, you really don't know?" Tom mocked again, "so you don't remember those banners in the great hall?"

"What banners? I wasn't in the great hall for breakfast today. What are you even talking about?" Panic was laced to every word she spoke.

"Do you remember our first tutoring session, or have you forgotten that as well?" he asked.

A remembrance of the almost-kiss on the cheek was enough to warm her body. Unable to speak, she nodded her head. "Well someone was kind enough to take our picture together and place them right in the great hall," Tom spoke. His every word was showing his anger.

Alexa couldn't believe those words. Her eyes mirrored her inner turmoil clearly. "What?" she asked.

"Yes," he muttered angrily.

She paled.

She was scared.

She was confused.

"And you think I have taken our pictures together?" she asked him, enraged.

"Who else? We were alone that day in the library," Tom screamed.

That was the truth. They were alone in that part of the library the other day. That day they had a Quidditch match - Slytherin vs Ravenclaw. And since, Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors were not so library people, it was almost empty.

"In the picture, I am kissing your cheek. Now the idiotic students in the Hogwarts think that we are together," Tom spat. At the word together, a shiver went down her spine. Her whole body shuddering in the process.

She controlled herself. She wanted to live a peaceful life. She didn't want to attract attention. This was insane. The rumours like that will only give her unwanted attention. She wouldn't let that happen.

After a few moments of silence, Alexa muttered, "No."

"What 'no'?" Tom asked her.

"We can't let this happen. We have to stop this," She said in determination.

"It's not like I am okay with this." Tom snickered. "We can't undo this."

"Why not? We can just go and announce that we are friends," She suggested.

"That won't stop them. Sweetheart, rumours spread that way only," He mocked her again, "it's breaking news for them."

He was right. Tom was a star student, so anything that concerned him was breaking news.

"You shouldn't have done that thing that day." She blamed him.

"You looked completely okay while I was doing that thing that day." He blamed her again, making her blush.

"I- I was not," She stuttered.

"Sure you were not," he continued, "you know what? I think we should pretend to be in love," Tom spat the word in disgust.

"What?" she whispered-yelled.

Tom put on the most-annoyed face "It's not like I have a choice. I don't want to come out as a player. Do you know, how much at stake my reputation is now?" Tom mumbled to himself.

She knew he was right. And god she hated that. No matter what, rumours spread. Even if she pretended to be his friend, people would know that they are not.

While she was thinking, Tom smirked inwardly. After all, he was a mastermind behind all this mishap. It was him who had taken those photos. He had taken them to tease her in the future, but now the situation was different. He mentally patted himself seeing her reaction. He was a consummate actor. He knew she wouldn't agree to this by choice, so he was not going to give her one. When he had seen her the day before with his best pal, he knew he had to take a step, but he was not going to follow a traditional way. She was his. It was time for others to know that. It was time for his sweetheart to know to whom she belongs and he was going to make sure she knew this, willingly or forcefully.

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