Fallen Angel
Arriving back at her dorm, Scarlett worked to put on her new dress and, with a wave of her wand, she cast Crinus Muto, transforming her locks into a sophisticated half-up and half-down hairstyle. Looking into the mirror, a stunned smile spread across her face at her reflection. She looked dazzling. Her hair, elegantly styled, added a touch of glamour.
A nudge on her side from Crainer broke her out of her daze. She adjusted her hair by letting loose a few small pieces to frame her face. Looking through the bag, she took out Hogwarts: A History, gently placing it on her desk with a light thud. Her gaze landed on the mysterious envelope she had taken from her godfather’s drawers and she moved to grab it when a knock on her door had her attention. She slipped the envelope in the pages of the book before making her way to the door, swinging it open to Tom waiting for her.
Her heart fluttered at the sight of him clad in a black suit. He was incredibly breathtaking, looking even more attractive than usual when dressed in completely all-black. Her gaze lingered on his devastatingly handsome face, which was adorning a soft smile as he looked at her. Like a fallen angel, she thought, flushing as the thought came seemingly from nowhere.
Tom slowly took her in, his gaze lingering on her flushed face a little longer than usual. “You look exquisitely beautiful,” he said, unable to take his eyes off her. “Not even going to compliment me?” he teased, noticing her silence.
“You look devastatingly handsome as always. Like a fallen angel.” she slapped a hand to her mouth, face burning. Looks like the truth serum hasn’t worn off yet. She wondered how much of it her godfather had slipped into her drink earlier.
His mouth quirked up, amused. “A fallen angel? I didn’t know you were well-versed in poetry,” he said, taking in her blushing face.
Scarlett struggled against the truth serum as she tried to think of logical arguments to fight the truth serum. But Tom’s appearance was distracting her. Her lips once again moved without her permission. “I’m not. The thought just came to me,”
Tom observed her closely, his lips drawing down into a frown. “Veritaserum,” he said, as she averted her gaze, embarrassed. “Say, how did it end up in your system?” he demanded, obviously prepared to murder the person who had a hand in this.
Scarlett was going to tell Tom everything anyway, except for the part about Veritaserum. He was protective over her and she didn’t need her godfather to mysteriously go missing the next day. A frustrated look took over her face as the truth serum forced her to spill the words. “My godfather spiked my drink with it,”
Tom’s frown deepened at the revelation. “Your godfather,” he echoed before continuing. “He’s a dead man.”
She looked at him in disapproval as her lips drew down into a frown as well. “Thomas, no murder,”
Tom sighed, looking as if he was about to say more but Scarlett moved on. “We should get going now if we want to make it in time for Slughorn’s dinner party,”
Scarlett exited her room with Tom following behind, going down the stairs and out of the Slytherin common room, making their way to Slughorn’s office. Tom turned to watch her as they walked, tilting his head to the side as he seemed to contemplate something. “What’s the name of your godfather?” he asked in a nonchalant tone, but the tone did not fool her.
“Thomas, give it a rest.” Scarlett sighed. She was doing devil’s work, preventing a murder. Her untrustworthy godfather at that.
He didn’t look happy at her insistent behaviour of protecting her godfather, but he let it go for now.
Arriving at their destination, the pair was greeted by an enthusiastic Slughorn. “Tom m’boy, you made it! Miss Malfoy as well, it seems as if you’ve found your family,”
“Yes. It came as a surprise to me as well,” Scarlett said, noticing the potion professor’s surprised look
Slughorn gave a light chuckle. “I’m glad you found your family, Miss Malfoy,” he said, eyes gleaming with interest, most likely at the thought of adding another child from an influential family to his collection. The potions professor looked at her and Tom with a knowing look as he added “I hope you and Tom will enjoy the party,”
“Thank you, Professor,” Tom responded for the both of them before they stepped over the threshold of Slughorn’s office.
The duo made their way to the refreshments table when they were stopped by an energetic Abraxas. “Scar! Is Riddle your date this evening?” he asked in a teasing tone, looking at the two with an expectant look.
Scarlett looked at the blonde in betrayal. “I wish,” The two words fell out of her mouth and Scarlett turned red as Tom smirked.
Her cousin looked surprised by her bold words, confused by her look of betrayal. “Veritaserum,” she mumbled, looking irritated. It was exhausting having to filter her words while under the influence of the truth serum and she thought she wouldn’t have to be on her guard with the two people she trusted.
Abraxas’ amusement faded away as he processed her words. “What happened?”
“My godfather happened,” Scarlett said, looking bitter.
“What? That bastard,” her cousin snarled, getting a few concerned looks from nearby people. “Your father will hear about this,”
“Quiet down, you dimwit! Are you always this dramatic?” Scarlett hissed at her cousin as Tom sent death glares to the people staring at the commotion.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, the blonde had a proud look on his face. “Yes, I am. I’m a Malfoy. It’s in our nature to be dramatic,”
She looked exasperated by her cousin’s antics. “Brax,”
“I’m being serious, Scar. Your father will hear about this,” Abraxas said in a stern tone, making her sigh.
“Yes, you will do that. Now go away and quit stealing my date.” Tom intervened, making Scarlett blush at the last sentence.
Abraxas narrowed his eyes at Tom, before he smirked, making Tom raise an eyebrow. “You got your wish, Scar, Riddle isn’t denying you as his date,” Abraxas said airily, turning to go chat with the other people invited without waiting for her response, leaving a red-faced Scarlett at his wake.
She didn’t look at Tom as she muttered “Not a word,”
She could feel him sporting that stupid smirk on his handsome face. “I wasn’t going to say a word,” Tom’s husky voice beside her ear made her flinch, startled.
Scarlett looked up from the floor, taking a step back at his sudden proximity.
His eyes softened at seeing her nervous. “Do I make you nervous, Scarlett?” he asked in a soft tone, making her shiver at the use of her name. The way he said it was doing things to her.
Her mouth moved against her will and she cursed the Veritaserum in her bloodstream. “Yes,”
At her truthful answer, a smile broke onto Tom’s face and Scarlett watched, entranced. Tom, noticing her dazed expression, his smile grew wider if possible. “Yes?”
“You have a beautiful smile,” she blurted out, glaring at him. He knew full well what he was doing.
Tom grinned from ear to ear. He linked their hands together and led her to the refreshments table. He passed her a butterbeer before grabbing one for himself.
Scarlett stared at the drink in her hands with an apprehensive look, wary of taking drinks she hadn't seen being made with her own eyes after what happened earlier. The Veritaserum still hasn’t worn off.
A hand took the drink out of her hands and she looked up to see Tom looking down at her with understanding. “Follow me,” he said, setting the butterbeer back on the refreshments table, grabbing her hand as he led her out of Slughorn’s party and back into the halls.
Scarlett frowned in confusion. “What about the dinner party?”
Tom didn’t respond, only looking at her with a mischievous look as he led her to a spot under the Great Hall, where there was a painting of a bowl of fruit. A pear giggled as Tom tickled it and turned into a green handle as Scarlett watched with curiosity.
Tom turned the handle, the secret door without protest and he gestured for her to enter. Crossing over the threshold, Scarlett watched in awe as it revealed the Hogwarts kitchens and the busy house elves preparing feasts for the school’s staff and students.
Turning to Tom, Scarlett beamed at him. “How did you discover this place?”
He shrugged, looking nonchalant, but she could see he looked pleased with himself, satisfied with her reaction. “I know every secret passage in the castle, remember?”
Scarlett nodded, looking impressed. She then tilted her head to the side, looking adorably confused. “But what are we doing here?”
Her only response was a smile before Tom made his way to a counter, the house elf moving out of his way. Scarlett watched him take out sugar and a glass cup from a cabinet as the house elf returned with a butterscotch, cream soda and butter extract.
Tom rolled up his sleeves and she found herself staring at his arms in fascination. A smirk tugged at his lips at her reaction before he brought his attention back to the task at hand, pouring the cream soda into the glass cup.
Her lips parted in awe as she realized he wasmakingbutterbeer. After he noticed she had reservations about the refreshments on the table, he took her to the Hogwarts kitchens so she could watch as he made the drink himself.
Scarlett watched him with admiration as he seemed focused on whisking some ingredients together in the glass. Tom’s attention never strayed away from his task, intent on making sure the drink was made perfectly.
She took a seat on the table nearby, propping her arm on the table and leaning her chin on her hand as she continued to watch, entranced.
He topped the drink with whipped cream, drizzling more butterscotch on top before turning to her, and placing the glass on the table in front of her.
“Thank you,” Scarlett said softly, looking at him with stars in her eyes.
Tom didn’t reply, only watching her with warmth in his eyes as she took a sip of the butterbeer he made.
“I didn’t know you knew how to make butterbeer,” she remarked, happily taking another sip of said drink. “You’ve mastered Occlumency and Legilimency. You also know how to make butterbeer. What else are you capable of?” She added, eager to know what other talents Tom has.
“That is for me to know and for you to find out,” he responded in a cryptic tone, looking pleased by her attention.
Scarlett smiled. “That, I will.”
The two didn’t return to Slughorn’s dinner party, spending the rest of the evening happy with each other’s company.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
The next day, Scarlett found Abraxas at their table in the library. “Are you going to the Yule ball hosted by my parents at the second Malfoy Manor?” She asked by the way of greeting.
Her cousin looked up from his book, closing it as she took a seat beside him. “My uncle had been disowned, remember? My family wouldn’t want to associate with him. Plus, I have to be present for the festive dinner that is hosted by my parents.” he explained.
Scarlett nodded in understanding. “If your family doesn’t want to associate with my father, then how come they allow you to go visit him?” She asked, curious.
“Ah,” Abraxas leaned, lowering his voice as he explained. “That would be because they don’t know of my visits to Uncle Draco.”
Her eyes widened at the revelation.
At her wide-eyed expression, Abraxas continued. “My family is a pureblood supremacist. Always obsessing over blood,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “I’ve never agreed with their ideologies and when I found out I had an uncle who had been disowned, I made contact with him and formed a relationship.”
“So you’re a rebel,” Scarlett said lightheartedly, making him grin, which she counted as a win.
“Yes, I guess you can say I am a rebel,”