my riddle to solve (tom riddle)

nineteen

a.n- the picture attached to this chapter is how I've envisioned the Sterling's manor. :)

As soon as we stepped off of the train, my face was hit with wisps of cold air. Like always, the station was filled with loud and excited shouts. It was around six in the evening, which meant it was already starting to grow dark.

"Oh! There's my parents. Come on, Alcott, I'll introduce you!" Adelaide pulled her boyfriend over to her family, leaving Raymond and I alone.

I scanned the crowd of bodies, looking for my mother. My father almost never came to pick me up, and this year appeared to be no different. I spotted my mother standing about twenty feet away, accompanied by the twins. I reached down to grab onto Raymond's arm, tugging him away from the train. I caught Sage's eye first, and she happily bounced over to me.

As soon as I pulled her into my arms for a hug, she started talking.

"Ophelia! You won't believe what happened to me yesterday! We were in Diagon Alley with Mother and Father, and two ladies had a duel! It was brilliant, one of them grew elephant tusks out of their nose!" I smiled to myself, and pulled out of her tight grip to get a good look at her.

She looked almost the same as she had back in September, except her hair was a bit longer, and the lack of sunlight had made it a shade or so darker.

"That sounds like a crazy story, Sage! Tell me more?" asked Raymond. Sage shrieked with joy and jumped into his arms. She absolutely adored Raymond, and he felt the same way about her.

"Hi, Ophelia!" my little brother beamed as I bent down to hug him. He had grown a few inches, and he was now taller than his twin sister. I bet she absolutely loathed him for that.

"Is that a chocolate frog?" he asked with a wide grin, taking note of the package still in my hand. I smiled and pressed it into his hand.

"I hope that you didn't bring them too many sweets. They haven't had their supper yet," said my mother. I forced a smile and shook my head.

I knew that I was going to have to be somewhat civil with my parents. More for the sake of my siblings than myself. I had gotten into this whole fiasco with Riddle to protect my sister, and I would do anything possible to continue doing so.

"No, just a few small things." I let her pull me into a hug, and I was happy that she kept it brief. Raymond was now high-fiving Aspen, attempting to re-create a handshake that he had taught him over the summer.

"Raymond is going to be staying with us for a few days, until his parents get back from Rome."

"Oh, alright. You should've written to me beforehand," she reprimanded. I shrugged and turned to speak to my sister.

"Sage, could you help Raymond carry his owl's cage?" My sister nodded, and carefully grasped the top of Oscar's traveling cage. She had quite a fondness for animals, always making little houses for frogs and bugs that she found in the mud.

"Where's Tom? It would be rude of us if we didn't say hello," my mother pressed.

"There's no need for that." She frowned and lowered her voice to a harsh whisper.

"Ophelia, you are his finacée. I don't want rumors to arise as to why our family wouldn't even speak to him." I let out a frustrated sigh and turned around to view the platform.

Unfortunately for me, Riddle hadn't left hastily like I would've expected. He was standing near a light pole with Julian Black, in the middle of what looked to be a serious conversation. I reluctantly set my trunk down and sulked over to them.