His Salvation

"Shh, don't cry," he repeated.

Gabby couldn't help it. Whatever Tom kept calling 'it' had whipped the back of her knees. That's what made her fall into Tom.

The bruise could be gone in a matter of seconds, but she was just so terrified. Tom lit his wand so they could see each other.

"Please, don't cry," he wiped a few tears.

"I was so," she choked back a sob, "scared. It wasn't exciting, it was scary."

"We're okay now, though," he told her.

She looked into his blue eyes.

"Thank-you," she whispered, kissing him softly on the cheek.

He blushed the light illuminating his face.

Gabby got back to the common room okay.

~

"Riddle," Malfoy stormed into his prefect dorm.

"What?" he asked looking up from his book.

"I hear your girlfriend almost got attacked," Malfoy took a seat on Tom's bed.

"She's not my girlfriend," Tom muttered.

"Oh, right. You've got the balls to unleash an ancient evil on all of Hogwarts, but you can't ask a girl out?" Julien snorted with laughter.

"She's not just 'a girl'," Tom said giving him a look, "She's Gabriella."

Julien rolled his eyes. "And you claim you'll be the next Dark Lord. She's a weakness, Tom. You're supposed to get rid of those."

"No, conquer them. And I will conquer her," he said defiantly.

"Just because she kissed you doesn't mean she likes you. It was out of gratitude."

"I know that," Tom snapped. "What do you want anyways?"

"Party in the old house on the edge of Hogsmeade," he said, "Your princess may be there." Julien swept out of his room.

Tom hastily marked the page in his book. He was just scanning over his copy of Julius Caesar by Shakespeare. Tom pulled on a pair of baggy jeans and a baggy blue shirt. He pulled his hooded cloak on overtop.

"Jeez, Tom," Miranda Parkinson looked him over as he joined the rest of the Slytherins. "You look like a bloody muggle."

"You look like a tramp," he spat back.

"He just wants to impress Gabriella O'Brien," Jack Nott told her.

"A Gryffindor?" Jem Bell asked.

"Not just any Gryffindor," Julien told her, "I wouldn't mind being able to shag her anytime I wanted."

"Shut up, Malfoy," Tom hissed through barred teeth, "She may be your queen someday."

They walked into the new house on the edge of Hogsmeade. The owners' for an unknown reason had abandoned it. The house was dark, only lit by a few candles. Loud music came from a far off room. Teens could be seen doing 'together things' in the rooms they passed.

In what must have been the kitchen people were giving out alcohol. Someone shoved a glass of beer into his hands. He drank most of it down. The girls eventually left to go dance.

"Hey. There's Princess Gabby!" Julien yelled over the music.

Tom scanned the room full of sweaty, dancing teens. Gabby had on a short skirt and a green belly top. Tom licked his lips.

"She's with that Quidditch freak, Wood," he told Tom.

Sure enough, there she was dancing with Dennis Wood. It looked innocent enough. He wasn't grabbing her ass or anything.