Sparrow: Tom Riddle x Reader

8

"That's Amortentia sir, the most powerful love potion in the world. However the name can be misleading to most as it can't actually create love, but a strong infatuation or powerful obsession from the drinker. It has a pinkish-pearl glow to it and has steam rising in characteristic spirals. The smell of the potion however is different depending on the individual smelling it. as it is based on what attracts them, and what they love. For example I smell... cedar wood, an almost musky smell and... peppermint cologne- well it doesn't really matter what I smell." You finished and looked around the room. Slughorn looked impressed as usual while all the girls looked angrily at you glaring holes into the back of your head, the boys all laughed except Alex who had a slightly saddened, envious expression, and Tom who for some reason was smirking more than usual. Weird, did you get it wrong?

"Excellent, excellent Miss L/N, 10 points to Slytherin. Indeed this potion cannot create real love, but a very strong infatuation, making this potion rather dangerous if used for the wrong purposes. Now in your pairs I would like for you to brew this potion with your potions books laid out in front of you. The best potions will receive 50 house points each. Begin."

You turned to Tom and equally split the workload, you began to drop the ashwinder eggs into the cauldron before leaving to gather the rest of the ingredients.

"Hey Y/N, you're really good at potions. Do you mind lending me a hand?" You looked over to the voice and slowly made your way over to Alex.

"What do you need help with?" You leant up against his desk and Dan walked up to the both of you with ingredients in his hands.

"How many of these do I add?"

"Only a handful of rose thorns, but be careful though. They can be really sharp." He did as you instructed and thanked you after you gave them a few more tips, and left them to figure the rest out for themselves.

"Helping your boyfriend are you? This is a competition I hope you remember, not like we won't win either way, but still." Tom snarkily remarked as he poured in the small bottle of refined peppermint oil. You looked over to where he was gazing and saw Dan nudging Alex playfully while Alex shewed him off and turned, only to wink at you.

"Haha very funny, I didn't know you had a humorous side to you Tom. It's strange."

He began to stir the potion after you handed him the utensils before he stopped, and smirked rather obnoxiously which caused you to raise an eyebrow.

"So we're on a first name basis now? Alright, I'll play along.. Y/N." Hearing him say your name as he leant slightly towards you, saying it directly next to your ear sent shivers up your spine. You didn't know what it was, was it his intricate, pronounced british accent that so frequently enticed you, or was it his oddly alluring and mysterious mannerisms. You were sure you were now a shade of bright red, but hoped it wasn't blatantly obvious and you could play it off as the reflection of the pink light your cauldron was now glowing being casted on your face.

You looked over to your concoction and recognised the discernible rings of smoke that were arising from the cauldron making you smile proudly at obviously perfecting the potion. That was until the smell hit you again. You have certainly smelt it somewhere before, but you couldn't quite place your finger on it.

"You can smell it again, can't you?" You didn't realise Toms face was still only centimeters away from yours, another small smirk still tugging on his lips. All of a sudden a thousand thoughts rushed through your head as you inhaled while still in close proximation with Tom, accidentally taking in his scent. Cedar wood... an earthy musk.... His peppermint cologne..

"Smell what?" You managed to gulp. No. There was no way you were falling for him. Absolutely not. He's the biggest prat known to man, and besides he's incapable of love so there isn't any point anyway. You mentally scarred yourself for thinking this way as he murmured a slight low pitched chuckle. It was oddly attractive.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." Shit- You stepped back and looked him in the eyes determined not to falter at his glare. You didn't like him. You know you didn't so why were you acting like this, why did the potion smell like that? You were about to make another snarky comeback in an attempt to almost prove your distaste for him when Slughorn stood back to the front of the class.

"Ah, that should be enough for you to have completed the potions. As usual I will go round and check them all." Immediately as if on instinct he dashed over to both you and Tom, a satisfied grin was spread across his face as he glanced into our cauldron.

"Perfect, absolutely perfect. Just proves I made the right call in moving you here Miss L/N, I can tell the both of you combined will be unstoppable. As promised as you both completed the task to a more than satisfactory standard, 50 points to slytherin, each." You both smiled and thanked the professor before he turned to check the others. To be honest you wouldn't be surprised if Slughorn was the one to smell Tom in the amortentia considering how much he practically worships the very ground he walks on, but whatever.

It turns out Alex and Dan also had a seemingly perfect potion, everyone else... not so much which disappointed yet didn't surprise the professor, but made you proud as Dan's tutor.

You packed up your things and stood up leaving the classroom, only to be caught up by Tom.

"So did you end up fixing your 'misunderstanding?'" He asked, slowing down to meet your pace.

"Actually yes, kind of. I told him I didn't want him to get the wrong idea, he understood but is still meeting me tomorrow to 'get to know eachother better', whatever he means by that." The cocky smirk on Tom's lips dropped slightly as you said that.

"Wait. You're still going with that prat?" His question baffled you, it wasn't like Tom to take interest into your life.

"Yes. Why do you care?" 

"I don't, I just don't see why you'd go with him if you don't like him. That's all." He retorted almost too quickly.

"Well, maybe I will once I get to know him. Anyway it's very unlike you to even take the slightest interest in my life and you're kind of scaring me so i'm going to leave, see you around." With that you left, entering the common rooms and to your dorm, picking out what you were going to wear tomorrow.