melody [tom r.] - Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Tom and Melody did not interact further after her detention. Although she could often feel his eyes lingering on her when she left his classroom, she did not communicate with him at all.
But she could sense that something had drastically changed after that evening she spent cleaning his office. Melody did not dislike him that much anymore, instead she felt like they'd get along well. If only he weren't her teacher, she could've considered having a friend for the first time in her life.
It wasn't just because they'd conversed together for a few minutes, but because she figured they were very similar. Tom was very sarcastic and mean when he wanted to be, and she enjoyed watching him torment his students with his snarky comments when they erred in his class. It was quite entertaining until his insults were aimed at her.
Tom was also very intent on making everyone know that he used to be a Slytherin. His ties were all emerald, his office was full of snakes and the creature was also imprinted on his notebooks. As far as she knew, he was obsessed with the green house.
But still, Melody made no effort to even greet him when she walked into his classroom, and no other interaction ensued.
Until one night in late November, Professor Riddle espied Melody Malfoy sneaking out of her Head Girl dormitory after curfew. He'd been in the Chamber, a nightly habit of his, when he saw her walking hastily down the hall. Thankfully, he'd been under the Disillusionment charm, so she had no idea that he'd caught her. After all, no Professor wanted to be seen in an out of order Girls Lavatory late at night. What a scandal it would be.
So because of how curious Tom found the Slytherin Head Girl, he couldn't help but follow her. He wasn't surprised when she took a sudden turn and went up the spiralling staircase of the Astronomy Tower.
He stopped in the stairwell when he noticed Melody come to a halt by the railing. It was extremely windy outside, but she did not seem fazed at all. To his surprise, she reached to her pocket and pulled out a cigarette from her pack, lighting it with magic.
Tom decided to make his presence known, for he almost felt like a creep watching her in the shadows. He made sure she didn't hear his footsteps as he stepped closer, wrapping his cloak tightly around himself.
"Miss Malfoy," he started, studying her as she froze upon hearing his voice. She'd been caught red-handed and there was nothing she could do about it. Not only was she out after curfew, she was also smoking.
The wind whipped at her pale hair, but she managed to move it from her face before speaking.
"Mister Riddle," Melody answered tentatively, the filter still hanging between her lips. She didn't know why he chose to stand beside her instead of throwing a tantrum like any other teacher would do. Melody rolled her eyes inwardly; Riddle was no ordinary Professor.
"I don't reckon smoking is prohibited within school grounds." She scoffed at his words, taking an extra long drag and blowing the smoke near him noisily. She made it clear that she didn't care.
"What are you going to do? Get me expelled?" Melody was perfectly aware that she was being rebellious, especially when speaking to this teacher in particular. She knew, however, that her father had assisted Tom in getting his current job, seeing as the former had plenty of connections around the school. Surely Riddle wouldn't want to disappoint him by getting his daughter expelled.
"It's rude not to offer," he answered, startling her just like he'd done in his office during detention. Riddle always seemed to go easy on her and she wondered if it had to do with his friendship with Abraxas.
Melody narrowed her eyes at him warily, but actually offered him a cigarette from her pack. Tom took it without saying anything. He lit it and inhaled, desperately wanting to contort his face in disgust but decided against it.
She watched him as he smoked, marvelling at the way the fumes tumbled from his lips. "Won't you do anything?"
He raised an eyebrow at her vague question. "About what?"
"I just broke a few school rules and you're not going to do anything about it?" She was perfectly aware that her question was stupid. Perhaps he'd forgotten about it, she'd reasoned. But no, her professor was too clever to simply neglect chastising her when she'd violated several rules.
"Do you want me to?" Tom had an unreadable expression on his face, but it almost looked like a smirk. "It seems you're desperate to have detention with me, Miss Malfoy."
She blushed at his words, and she internally scolded herself for being so ridiculous. Melody rarely ever blushed. She simply never felt that embarrassed or nervous around someone before, and the fact that Riddle evoked all of those feelings in her startled her tremendously.
Besides, why was he speaking to her in a. . flirtatious way? It made her stomach clench and she didn't like that at all. All those feelings seemed so foreign to her, and despite her being eighteen, she'd never experienced anything similar to what she was feeling around him.
"Who would want to bring that upon themselves?" She argued, tapping her cigarette on the edge of the railing. The ashes on Tom's cigarette were accumulating and he seemed to forget the smoke entirely. He still held the filter between his fingers, and she watched him as he brought it to his lips once again.
"I don't know, perhaps you enjoy my company, Miss Malfoy?" His words sent a queer shiver down her spine, causing her eyes to widen.
"Don't get me wrong, professor," she stressed on the last word, just a friendly reminder that he was still her teacher. "But I'd pass the privilege of being in your companionship if it meant that I wouldn't be scrubbing till my arms fall off."
Tom chuckled at her words, and the sound caused a tiny smile to make its way onto her face. She really liked the sound of his voice, it seemed seductive in a weird way. Like he wasn't trying to speak in a sensual manner, but he just had that allure to him at all times; an allure that might bring her to her demise.
The wind ruffled his curls slightly, bringing her attention to the brown locks. "Well, I do have a few new ideas for detention. ." Tom trailed off, and she had a feeling his words were purposely meant to sound suggestive. If only he weren't her professor, Melody wouldn't have tried to hold back at all.
She pressed the forgotten cigarette in her hand to the railing, watching as it folded upon itself before she threw it away. He did the same, and she thought he was waiting for an answer from her, but Melody was left speechless. She didn't want to say something shamelessly flirtatious and regret it later on, especially that he didn't mention anything specific.
But the thought itself sent waves of heat through her body, and she glanced at him when he loosened his tie. He seemed to do that a lot, and it pathetically sent her mind reeling. Merlin was he attractive, and he was totally aware of it.
For the sake of her dignity, Melody pushed her inappropriate thoughts to the back of her mind and plastered a smirk on her face. It was incredibly fake, for she was attempting to hide her inner embarrassment and confusion, but she dearly hoped he wouldn't notice.
"Good night, Mister Riddle. I'll see you around."
His eyes followed her as she walked to the staircase, and suddenly she forgot how normal walking was supposed to be done. Perhaps it was his captivating gaze that made her so uncomfortable, or that she was already very awkward to begin with, but him watching her that way really did wonders to her body.
Melody took a deep breath, cursing her blasted hormones and the things they were getting her into. She'd always been cold and stoic, which was incredibly helpful when dealing with emotional situations. She'd maintained her indifferent facade for years now, and she wouldn't let a stupid crush on a teacher ruin that.