The dim light in Tom's dorm room flickered gently as you sat on his bed, a book resting on your lap. The quiet rustle of pages was the only sound, apart from the soft scratching of Tom's quill as he scribbled notes at his desk. After a few moments of silence, you spoke, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Tom, can I ask you something?”

Tom didn’t bother looking up from his notes. “If you must.”

You hesitated, biting your lip. “Remember everything I told you about with Theo?” That made him pause. His quill stopped mid-sentence, and he glanced over at you, his dark eyes sharp, already knowing exactly what you were referring to. He didn’t say anything, waiting for you to continue. “I-I want to do something to make him jealous tonight. At the Slytherin party,” you murmured.

Tom raised an eyebrow, finally turning in his chair to face you fully. “Something to make him jealous?” he echoed, the curiosity evident in his tone.

You felt a wave of uncertainty wash over you, your hands fiddling with the edge of your book. “Like, I want someone to kiss me in front of him or something.”

Tom’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes flickered with something unreadable. “Kiss you?”

“Yeah, but…" *you continued." "I don’t know who I’d even ask—”

Tom didn’t hesitate. “I’ll do it,” he said, then cleared his throat, shifting slightly in his seat. “I want to do it… to help you.”

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, and for a moment, you were stunned into silence. Tom Riddle, the cold, calculating, ever-distant Tom, was offering to kiss you. You studied his face, trying to figure out if there was something more behind his offer, but as always, his expression was perfectly composed.

—

Hours later, the Slytherin common room was filled with music and laughter, the party in full swing. You stood near the fireplace, your heart racing as you scanned the room. Theo was there, leaning against the wall, chatting with a few other Slytherins, completely unaware of what was about to happen.