By the time they had eaten two full meals and wandered through every corner of Hogsmeade, Astoria was utterly exhausted.
Her delicate frame was not built for this kind of outing , her steps had grown lighter, slower, until her pale cheeks glowed faintly pink from the effort.
When they stopped at Honeydukes to pick up the massive pile of sweets she had ordered earlier, Tom could tell she was at her limit.
He reached for her hand, ready to Disapparate them back to Hogwarts in a heartbeat, when he suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve.
"Tom…"
Her voice was soft , sweet as a whisper of sugar. When he turned, she was looking up at him with those luminous silver eyes, the corners of her lips curved in a pleading smile.
"I want to see the scenery," she said. "Can we… walk back?"
Tom hesitated, brows furrowing slightly. "I don't mind walking. But you, "
"Then you can carry me."
She said it so naturally, so innocently, that for a second he wondered if he'd heard her right.
"Carry you?" he repeated.
Astoria nodded, her expression brightening into something between a giggle and a dare. "Please, Tom. Just this once?"
Tom couldn't help but laugh under his breath.
The usually reserved, cautious Astoria Greengrass was tipsy with happiness today , her shy composure melted away, replaced by a mischievous warmth that made her seem younger, more alive.
"All right," he said, crouching down without another word. "Come on."
Astoria's delighted little hum was followed by the light pressure of her hands on his shoulders. Then, softly, she settled against his back , her weight barely there, her warmth immediate.
She was feather-light, almost ethereal. Tom rose easily, taking the first steps toward the path leading back to Hogwarts, the rhythm of his stride steady and sure.
Behind them, Hogsmeade's chimneys puffed lazy clouds of smoke into the afternoon air. Ahead stretched the snow-dusted road, winding up toward the castle.
Astoria's cheek brushed against his shoulder, and her breath fanned against his ear, warm and ticklish.
"Tom," she murmured, her voice dreamy, "someday, I want to see more places… not just Hogsmeade. I've never even been outside the country before."
Tom's lips curved faintly. "Then when you decide where to go, I'll take you there."
Her arms tightened gently around his neck, and then , with that sudden spark of teasing only she could manage , she whispered, "Will you take everyone? My sister, Hermione, and the lovely Miss Delacour? Think you can handle all of us?"
Tom chuckled. "That's an excellent question."
He paused deliberately, glancing up toward the horizon as though pondering some great philosophical dilemma.
"I suppose," he said after a moment, tone solemn but eyes glinting, "if you insist on having me all to yourself, I can make time for that too. Once in a while."
Astoria's laughter rang like wind chimes in the cold air. "Promise?"
Before he could answer, she raised her pinky , that childish, utterly disarming gesture , and waited expectantly.
Tom sighed, half amused, half defeated. Normally, he'd have dismissed something so silly. But today, with her hair brushing his collar and her laughter still in his ears, resistance felt impossible.
He hooked his little finger around hers. "Promise."
That single word , simple, binding , made her beam brighter than any spell.
…
By the time they returned to the castle, the sun had already begun to set behind the towers of Hogwarts, gilding the stones in pale gold.
Daphne's temper, as expected, ignited the moment she discovered what her sister had done , sneaking off with Tom behind her back.
Fortunately, Tom was well-prepared.
A new set of fine robes, an offer to plant her favorite flowers in the greenhouse, and the promise of a "next time" , just the two of them , was all it took to soothe her into a haughty but satisfied calm.
At last, he could focus on real work.
When he reached his dormitory, a small parchment letter awaited him on his desk , sealed with a familiar crest. Rosier.
Tom broke the seal and scanned the contents quickly. The message intrigued him enough to grab his quill.
[Tom: You're saying those families were just the knife , someone else is holding the handle?]
He leaned back in his chair, tapping the quill against his palm.
In this world, silence wasn't neutrality , it was a statement. And he was watching closely to see what kind of statement Rosier would make.
He didn't have to wait long. Barely a minute passed before neat script began appearing on the enchanted page.
[Vinda Rosier: Yes, my lord. Yesterday, Vogler captured a descendant of the Vernai family. Under Veritaserum and the Imperius Curse, he confessed , there's a hidden hand at work. A force uniting these old families against you.]
Tom's eyes narrowed. A sharp gleam, cold as steel, flashed across them.
What was supposed to be a trivial incident , a bounty, a petty grudge , was unraveling into something deeper.
Someone was pulling strings in the dark.
And whoever they were, they had just earned Tom Riddle's attention.
He stared down at the letter for a long time, the candlelight reflecting off the golden ink like flickering fire.
In the quiet of his room, his lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile.
"Let's see," he murmured softly, "how far this web really goes."