"Althea, you haven't spoken a word the entire time we've been on our rounds."

The chorus of I'm the better person was practically shrieking in her head to prevent her from putting Tom in a chokehold. Also stopping her was the fact she'd be cursed into oblivion if she ever attempted to put him in a chokehold.

He'd been silent for the first half of their rounds even though his curiosity was practically spilling out of him, and she wasn't daft, she could feel it from where she walked beside him. Best to give him something before his patience wore out to reveal irritation.

"So observational. Five words now."

Tom let out a huff, why'd she choose today to be like this.

Althea started a silent plea, please just let me be today.

"Why weren't you in classes today?"

"Wasn't feeling well."

"You look fine to me."

"Well I'm feeling fine now."

"Why aren't you telling the truth?"

"I am."

"I'm not an idiot."

"No? News to me."

"Why won't you just tell me what happened today."

"Drop it, Tom."

"Why don't you want me to know?"

"It has nothing to do with you!"

"Then what does it have to do with?"

"I just don't need the entire school knowing."

"And why would you think I'm going to tell the entire school?"

"Again, not about you. The portraits are fucking gossips."

*drags her into closet*

"What are you doing!?"

"There's no portraits here."

"Are you really that nosy? You're going to pull me into a bloody broom closet just to find out what happened?"

"Well, are you going to tell me or not?"

"Will you leave me the hell alone once I tell you?"

"Most likely."

"I visited my mom in the hospital."

"That's all?"

"Tom. Unlike you not everyone is a prying git who somehow knows things they shouldn't. To the majority of the school my mom's dead."

"Hm, still. You really could've said that one by the portraits."

"I don't need people knowing I'm a half blood lying about pureblood status."

"You're in Ravenclaw, they don't care about blood status."

"You're not in Ravenclaw, you have no clue... Actually, now that we're away from the portraits, I was wondering something."

"Yes?"

"Do you happen to know anything about the injured muggle-born incidents happening this past week?"

"Not much, Dippet's trying to keep them covered up."

"Really? Because I heard from Ariella that signs and traces of legilimency were found in them"

"Careful with what you're insinuating, Althea."

"You're one of the only students that is a legilimens and would do something like this."

"Is that so? Well, regrettably, you have no proof."

"You fucking prick, I know it was you. This is exactly why I can't have people know my mom's alive and a muggle, because of pathetic blood purists like you."

"Oh? I'm pathetic? Althea really, out of the two of us I can assure you I'm not the pathetic one."

"How can you be so selfish and self absorbed but have no sense of who you are and what you do? You're the one hurting people for-for stupid shit like if they have a muggle parent!"

"At least I take action, I have a plan, I will achieve more than you and your entire family tree and anyone in the wizarding world ever has. What are you doing?"

"What am I doing...? What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean, Tom? I think it's better to do nothing than to be a horrible person."

"Althea, all you do all the bloody time is feel sorry for yourself. You sit around, and you cry. About what even? Merlin you have nothing to complain about with your perfect little life!"

"My perfect little life, huh."

"Why are you unhappy!? You have your perfect family and your big house and your huge bank vault and your happy little friends and you're a prefect. How in Merlin's fucking name are you not happy?"

"..."

"Figured you'd have no answer. You have no reason to be sad all the time and do nothing, so don't talk to me about not being self aware."

"You think I choose to be sad?"

"I do."

"Why the fuck would I choose to be sad. I don't fucking know why I'm sad, if I knew why I was sad, I would've done something about it by now you dense fucking wanker."

"Then figure it out Althea, don't just let yourself be sad. That's what's pathetic."

"I'm trying, Tom! Don't you think I'm fucking trying! Merlin I... I don't want to be sad, I know I have no reasons to be sad, I've tried so bloody long to figure it out!"

"You're clearly not trying hard enough. And besides, if you can't be happy, why not just feel nothing instead of sorrow."

"Oh yeah, because that's such a great fucking idea. Let me just turn off my feelings! That's what you've done and look how well you've turned out."

"You're saying it sarcastically but it's the truth. Look at how well I've turned out and how much greater I will still become."

"Fuck you Tom! Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. How fucking messed up in the head are you that you think hurting people is the right path to go down? And you won't be great! You won't."

"Right, thankfully I don't need your faith in me. We have more productive things to spend our rounds on, so unfortunately I will be ending this lovely exchange."

"Expulso."

*tommy tom reflects it with wand or whatever*

"Let's not get all riled up, shall we? That curse can get you expelled, and you wouldn't want that. Besides, if I wasn't the better wizard out of the two of us, you'd now be just as horrible as me. I believe you should reflect on who here really is the worse person for a while."

"And I think... you should reflect on why you, as a half blood, are hurting other half bloods in the name of blood purity."

"That's ridiculous Althea. You really think that I, out of all people, am a half blood?"

"Oh, no Tom. I don't think so, I know so."

"You have no idea what you're saying."

"I don't?"

"Where did you even get this from?"

"You want to know how I found out you're a half blood?"

"I want to know what ignorant git is spreading falsehoods about me."

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Yes I bloody would Althea so tell me before I investigate into your mind and do it for you."

"Let's not get all riled up, shall we?"

"Althea, I'm giving you a chance to be honest with me, right now."

"Thank you Tom, but I think I'm going to keep it to myself."

"Wrong choice."

"Ow, Tom! Fucking git, stop trying to get into my head you evil bastard!"

"Since when have you known Occlumency?"

"Since when did you think it was ok to use Legilimency on me?"

*random ass head boy who walks in*: "Althea, Tom, you're supposed to be doing your rounds not doing... whatever you were doing."

"We weren't doing anything! We weren't doing anything we were just-."

"We thought we heard noises coming from in here but it was just Peeves, we were about to continue our rounds. Sorry Prewett."

"Right... well go on, get out of here then. Don't let me catch you doing this on your rounds again."

"Yes of course, we really weren't doing anything though, Caius, I promise."

"Yeah, just go do your rounds."

*tom and girly pop oc walk off*

"This is all your bloody fault Tom."

"You were the one that fired the curse alerting the whole school."

"Merlin you are so infuriating!"

"And you're an incessant bother, glad we regard each other in a similar light."

"I'm going back to my dorm."

"Have a grand time slitting yourself open."

"I'd have a better time slitting you open!"