my riddle to solve (tom riddle)

thirteen

TW- this chapter has a decent amount of blood and inquiries. Please don't read if you are sensitive to that kind of thing!

Riddle was incredibly skilled when it came to manipulating people to get what he wanted.

He had easily convinced the librarian that he and I were doing a research project for extra-credit, and she happily told us that we could stay as long as we needed. She made us promise that we would lock up after we left the library, before she herself left to talk to the Headmaster.

Riddle and I sat in comfortable silence, both of us busy reading. Every now and then, one of us would find something of interest and show the other, but a solution to our problem never materialized. Even though big words and complicated theories were thrown at me by the book, the back of my mind still lingered on my earlier fight with my friend. I had decided that I had been in the wrong, and that I needed to apologize to him. Although, I wasn't quite sure how I should approach him, and what exactly I needed to say.

Normally, I would go to Adelaide for something like this. But seeing as she was probably all the way in the Slytherin dorms, I figured she wouldn't be much help.

"Riddle?" I asked suddenly. He looked up from his book to address me.

"Did you find something, darling?"

"No, nothing new. Er, can I ask you a question?" Riddle smiled eagerly and turned his full attention towards me.

"Anything you want, love." I raised a brow and giggled.

"You've never called me that before. I think I prefer darling," I said in my best impression of his sultry voice. He glared at me, which only made me giggle some more.

"I do not sound like that. And for your information, I call lots of girls 'love' and "darling .' You're not special," he told me as he pouted.

"Yes, that's exactly what you sound like. And, yes, I've noticed a few of your mannerisms by now. You should really try to break that habit though, people are going to start thinking that you're madly in love with me. You should just use my first name," I teased.

"You're one to talk. The only time you've ever used my first name is when you're drunk," he reminded me. I sighed and playfully flipped a lock of hair behind my shoulder. He was right about that.

"Yeah, well I refer to all boys using their surnames, except for my younger brother and a few close friends," I told him truthfully. Riddle gave me a quizzical look for a moment before speaking.

"What did you want to ask me in the first place?" I felt my own smile falter, my thoughts shifting from a playful state to a more serious one.

"Oh. When you get in a fight with one of your friends, what do you do?"

"They apologize to me and beg for my forgiveness," he said nonchalantly. I honestly couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"But what if you're the one who messed up? What if you did something wrong?" Riddle sighed as he leaned back in his seat, casually resting his hands atop the desk.

"That never happens. Very rarely am I wrong, and even more rarely do I feel as if I was wrong enough to apologize to the person I offended. Why do you ask?" I scoffed under my breath. I forgot that Riddle didn't have friends, he had groupies. I was an idiot for asking him of all people for friendship advice.

"Er, well I think I messed up things with Raymond. We got in an awful argument earlier today, and I think it was my fault. The thing is, him and I rarely argue in a serious way," I admitted. Riddle stayed quiet for a moment, fiddling with his wand as he concentrated on my words.