𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇; Tom Riddle

chapter eighteen

knights of walpurgis;

Four weeks;

That's how long it's been since I've spoken to Tom Riddle. Every snide glare we gave each other in our classes would be shut down way too soon, and every time we found ourselves walking in the same direction we'd turn the opposite. Which only brought us together again.

Eventually, I saw Tom disappear from all of the classes we shared together. He was avoiding me, undoubtedly. Instead of catching him staring at me in classes, I eventually never even saw him at all. Why? Was he scared? He betrayed me. That night still haunts me, the way I felt so much power flowing through me. How did I send that man flying without my wand?

"My brother's funeral is in two days, and all this crazy stuff is happening," Katherine says, pulling me away from all my stressful thoughts. "I hate this." she huffed, pulling the nearest pillow into her arms and cuddling it.

"What?" I asked, still assessing the words she spoke, "Oh! I know. I still can't believe he's gone." I frown at the sudden thoughts of him.

"Oh, really? Is that so?" Katherine spoke wittingly with condescend, an unnerving expression on her face. Her mood made me anxious that she knew something.

"Is something wrong?" I asked innocently, though the lack of eye contact made me look guilty. I meddled and played with the ring on my finger, while my hands were in a nervous flutter.

She sighed dramatically - something she did often recently."No, I'm just stressed."

That was weird.

"We should do something fun! Just to lighten up the mood." Kiara enticed, though very oddly changing the subject.

"That's perfect, Kiara," She thought for a moment while staring up at the sky, "We should throw a party in the common room!"

"I was only suggesting something small, not a party," Kiara replied, nudging the blonde with a certain look of disapproval.

"shh." Katherine hummed, a flash of anger braising her face as she eyed Kiara - the secrecy in the air gave me anxiety. "We'll be fine, right Elizabeth?"

I glared between the both of them and knew they were keeping secrets and excluding me from their ring of interest. The mixture of guilt and shame in their eyes told me enough.

"I don't know." I stuttered.

"Wonderful," Katherine said before she pats me on the shoulder and strutted away cheerfully.

"I suppose Katherine is feeling better now?" I furrow my brows at her odd behavior.

"Oddly," Kiara told me, with a twinge of uncertainty in her voice. she then quickly ran after Katherine, leaving me alone.

-

I stood outside the common room door - contemplating whether or not I should dare to enter. The muffled music was enough to get me hyped up with false confidence, though. I then felt validated enough to enter. As I came to, the obnoxiously loud music and chatter invaded my ears aggressively. I stood at the entrance awkwardly, scanning the crowded room for any particular persons.

The room was shrouded in darkness with feeble and dim decorative colored lights. I couldn't see much without my glasses - which I hadn't worn regularly for over a year. I continued to stand awkwardly; until I spotted a familiar face mixed into the crowd. My eyes squinted in surprise, it was Tom. Though he was off in a secluded corner, the thick crowd surrounded him and his gang of Slytherins. I hadn't expected him to show. He wore something casual.