Lost | Tom Riddle ✔

Chapter 77

Heavy breaths were the only source of sound that broke the usual silence in the room of requirements.  In their heated staring contest Alexa had forgotten why was she caged between Tom's arms and the smooth wall behind her in the first place.

*a little earlier*

With hurried steps, Alexa found herself near the rumoured location of the come-and-go room or in more official terms the room of requirements. The room was named so because it showed itself to those in its dire needs with their dire necessities. Her sources had informed her that Tom was found spending a lot of his time in the said room those days. And that was the reason why she was going there in the first place. Her steps halted when she looked at her cousin coming out of the said room and shutting the door behind him. His movements were cautious, but his eyes danced in pleasure. Like he had just taken one step towards his accomplishments. 

This puzzled the girl. Baffled, she hid behind the nearest pillar.  The stones of it hid her lanky cousin, yet they couldn't mute out a soft tune that he was humming. Alexa froze as she realized that the tune was quite similar to the one her aunt used to hum when she was happy. Like mother like son. A bitter smile twitched the corner of her lips.

During the weeks her boy had been busy avoiding his girl, she had found herself spending a lot of time in the school library. One such visit had arranged a fortunate meeting between the Winters cousins.

*flashback*

With her head bent in the book, Alexa was getting fascinated with Philosopher's stone and its creator Nicholas Flamel. The book was so dramatic that she was vicariously doing all the adventures the alchemist himself had done. She enjoyed reading about Alchemists and their discoveries thoroughly. 

"Hey!"

Her eyes narrowed and her lips turned into a frown when someone interrupted her apparent journey to immortality. She looked up ready to tell the person off. Hufflepuff or not, she was not ready for anyone to bother her at that moment. Her throat, however, dried when she saw the other Winters. 

"May I?" The boy gesticulated towards the seat opposite hers. 

Still having not recuperated from a sudden loss of her voice, Alexa nodded her head. Dumbly. She was not prepared for this. She knew she had to face him. After all, she couldn't just look after him from a distance forever. But the girl preferred later than sooner. 

Adrian sat in his seat. They sat there. Not speaking, not even looking at each other. The awkwardness ran through their blood as the silence around them become uncomfortable and unbearable.  His fidgety fingers and sudden moisture on his forehead screamed that he was beating himself over his choice of seating arrangements.  Perhaps, he was regretting this even more than the girl. And unintentionally, Alexa imputed herself for it. She was an elder. She was supposed to act like one. He was, after all, a son of the woman who partially raised her. Her awkwardness wavered a little when she smiled nervously at the boy.  Talk about being an asocial person!

However, the poor attempt did soothe Adrian for he smiled a lot smoother than the girl. It was clear than between those two, he was more gregarious.

"You might not even remember me, but my name is Adrian Winters."

 To make matters worse, he was named after her father. Gulping vicarious water in her throat Alexa tried to smile again. More sincerely than before. 

"I do. We share the last names after all." She tried to recover from this sudden blow. She knew Adrian would be curious about them sharing the names. She knew this was the big deal for anyone who grows up with people who don't. She knew from the moment Tom had introduced them that she should expect this meeting any moment, but then again she wasn't prepared. Perhaps she would never be after realizing the boy suffered because his mother was busy catering to the needs of his cousin. A shudder coursed through her body as guilt consumed her soul.