The Seven {tom riddle}

Chapter Six

Hera woke Evelyn in plenty of time for breakfast. Tinted sunlight poured in through the arched window, falling gently on mossy carpet and velvet coverlets.

Their third roommate, Tori, was also awake this morning, sitting up in her bed with sleep tousled hair and a frown as she looked upon the two girls.

'I'm Tori Parkinson,' she said, in a lightly Scouse accented voice. 'I see you've already fallen in with our resident Gryffindor.'

Hera sighed, moving off to the marble bathroom. 'You're the only who still calls me that, Victoria. Most people stick to Her Majesty!' She called over one shoulder, closing the door behind her.

'Bloody Slytherin Princess this, Slytherin Princess that. Merlin's bloody underpants.' The girl muttered, before dressing and promptly leaving the room, closing the door behind her with a snap.

Evelyn shook her head at their rivalry, and used the time alone to dress, studying herself in the mirror. She was unused to the look of the 40s uniform, it seemed all the girls wore skirts with tights or long socks, and a rather stupidly tight button up blouse. She was just doing the last few buttons when Hera came out of the bathroom, slamming the door with dramatic flourish.

'Merlin, Evelyn! That is the most beautiful bra I've seen in my entire life. It's so much more risqué than anything I have! Is that French? Is it La Perla?'

Evelyn looked down at herself. She didn't think it was especially risqué, but maybe the 40s had rather different standards of such things. It was just black lace, fashioned in the shape of feathers, and half cup as supposed to the full cup she guessed 40s girls were used to.

'You should see the matching bottoms,' she winked, looking at her friend through the mirror. Hera giggled, pulling on her own uniform.

Something about her was so polished, she made even a school uniform look expensive. Her blouse was soft silk rather than the pressed linen of Evelyn's, and her striped skirt considerably shorter. She wore it belted with what looked like alligator, and a thick gold buckle. Her white socks were lace trimmed, stopping at her knee to reveal a considerable length of creamy skin, and her tie and headband were of the same leafy green.

She walked over to the mirror, looping gold and pearl earrings into her ears and a triple banded pearl necklace around her long neck, from which a gilded pendant hung in the shape of an H. Heavy gold bangled braceleted each of her delicate wrists. She looked every part a princess, just as Tori had called her.

'Come here,' she called to Evelyn. 'Let's spruce up that uniform.'

△⃒⃘

20 minutes later, the two of them were seated at the long breakfast table. Hera had dressed her nearly identically, transfiguring instead her jewellery to silver and sparkling peridot, claiming Evelyn's olive complexion suited the pale green so much better. Around her neck on a heavy chain was a beautiful 'E', inlaid with the light green stone, and Hera had absolutely insisted she keep it, claiming she'd take a 'beautiful brassiere' in return. She'd even charmed her hair to fall in sleek, smooth waves down her back.

Riddle was the first of the boys to join them. His eyes alighted quickly on her neck, and he made an obvious effort not to look any further down as he dragged his gaze up to meet hers.

'Sleep well?' He asked politely, teeth gritted in a semi-smile. He seemed fixated on keeping up some semblance of politeness, even pouring her a coffee, though Rosier was the one to add cream and sugar to it.

She gave an equally false smile, turning instead to speak to the others, much relieved that they had arrived.

Evelyn found comfort in the fact Hogwarts breakfasts did not change over 50 years. There was still an abundance of her favourite things— honey glazed cinnamon rolls and sweet orange soda, and she piled her plate with them, much to the amusement of Orion.