The Riddle Never Ends

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝓱𝓻𝓮𝓮: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓖𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓞𝓷𝓮

My eyes fluttered open to see a very tall curved ceiling with chandeliers hanging. There was a faint sound of someone rummaging around in the distance. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is the sorting ceremony. I lifted my back off the bed to sit up. As I looked around the room I saw a lady walking towards me. She was carrying a metal tray.

"Oh! You're awake!" She exclaimed before rushing to my side.

"I'm sorry, who are you? Why am I here?" My head began to pound as I tried to remember just what happened.

"I'm Poppy Pomfrey. My dear, you fainted. McGonagall rushed you here right away." The nurse brought her hand up to hold mine. her eyes held true purity and worry. "I believe you had an anxiety attack,"

That would explain everything, the sickness, the lack of memory. It all made sense now, but sadly my memory coming back, so did the anxiety.

"Miss Pomfrey, do you think you could get me some water?" Poppy stood up quickly, giving me an approving nod before taking off towards a room in the back corner. The anxious feeling only worsened as I tried to calm my breathing. My heart acted as if it was ready to burst out of my rib cage, pumping blood harder and faster than I could've ever imagined.

The hospital wing doors flew open with a bang, causing my body to jump in shock. In walked Draco with two other guys following close behind him. Why is he here? Out of all people why him?

"So you're a Riddle? Well isn't that fitting?" he scowled as he stood at the foot of my bed. I breathed out harshly, trying to rid the feeling inside of me. I crossed my legs in front of me.

"Oh no, is Draco Malfoy scared of - Voldemort?" a smirk grew upon my face, keeping the anxiety at bay. His scowl only grew larger as his friends looked between each other.

"Scared? You wish, Mercury. You see, now that I know you're name, you won't be able to hide from me. I'll be everywhere you go, two steps behind -"

"Someone has a crush," my voice interrupted, sending Draco into a taken aback stage, just like on the bus. His friends choked back laughter. Just as quickly as he showed his emotion, it was gone. A completely blank expression settled on his face before he stepped to the side of my bed. His hand grasped the collar of my shirt.

He brought his face to my ear before whispering, "Don't get your hopes up, dear. You've got the great looks, but the only reason I'd date an abomination like you is for the reputation."

The words felt like sandpaper running across my skin. They echoed throughout my head while Draco took a step back, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Speechless, love?" he and his friends began to giggle. Anger bubbled inside me as I slid my legs off the side of the bed. I stood to my feet, stumbling the slightest but it didn't bother me. I was about to show Draco just why you shouldn't pick at my open wounds.

Draco was clueless as to my body standing right behind his as he snickered with his friends, but the two followers caught glimpse of me quickly. Their worried expressions caused Draco to turn around with frustration.

"I'm not your love," my fist swung firmly into his jaw. Draco fell to the floor, holding his jaw in pain.

"What have you done!" he whimpered, pushing his body away from me. I merely smiled back at him on the floor before turning away.

"Play stupid games, you get stupid prizes, Draco."

. . .

Pomfrey dismissed me from the hospital wing shortly after my encounter with Draco. She told me all my stuff was settled into my dorm and my dorm mate would be waiting for me. As I made my way to the Slytherin common room I had many people stop to watch me like I was a lion in a field full of zebra. After my incident with Draco, I didn't care what they were saying or thinking, I just wanted to get into my dorm and go to bed.

Although, that wouldn't happen as quickly as I pleased. In front of me was the infamous Harry Potter, striding his way towards me. From the look in his eye, I knew this wasn't going to be a nice, welcoming interaction.

"Just who do you think you are, coming to Hogwarts after your father's caused mass destruction? Did he send you to do his dirty work for him? To kill me?" he spat. Who I guessed was Ron and Hermione came running up behind him a few moments after.

"Oh my," I chuckled lightly, looking around us and taking in the crowd that had started to form. "Harry, I'm sorry, but you need to stop thinking everyone's out to get you. I came here for an education and to change the hatred that has been put upon my name, not kill your self-centered paranoid self."

The crowd around us cheers and gasps while Harry and I don't disconnect our eye contact. I wasn't going to back down to him, I never would. I felt sorry for what my father put him through, but I wasn't going to show him pity and sympathy when he attacked me out of nowhere. I wouldn't back down to him, I wouldn't feed his ego. He didn't scare me.

Harry never broke eye contact either. It was a battle of who was the most patient, and I wasn't going to give in.

"Alright, enough!" Hermione's voice yelled as she pushed Harry and me away from each other. "This is ridiculous Harry!"

"No, what's ridiculous is that she thinks-"

"I don't think anything bad of you, Potter! I'm simply just trying to get to my common room and go to bed!"

Harry took a few steps back, breathing heavily. His eyes broke from mine and gazed around the room. There was an even larger crowd surrounding us now. Harry turned his back towards me and stormed off the way he came from.

"I'm so sorry Mercury," Hermione's voice soothed me as she stepped closer. Ron had already disappeared to chase after Harry. "I tried to stop him, I really did. He just-"

"My father's caused him a lot of pain, I know, Hermione. I understand how he's feeling, but what he needs to understand is that I am nothing like Voldemort, I came here to learn, not sabotage."