my riddle to solve (tom riddle)

thirty-four

"Remind me once again why I am wasting my day here?" Tom grumbled as we continued down the path. We had been walking for about twenty minutes now, and the edge of the village was finally visible. A few other groups of students trailed behind us but they kept a decent distance away.

"Because I have been attacked by two different groups of Grindelwald's men, and both times I was with you. Cian is much closer to his father than I am with mine, which means it's easier for him to pick up bits of information." The boy next to me let out a breathy sigh as he twirled his wand between his fingers. Every time the wood brushed against metal rings, it made a strange clinking noise. I was wearing the serpent ring on my thumb, solely because I liked the way it looked on my hand.

"Darling, you really shouldn't be bothered by all of this. I doubt your father would put you in harm's way," he said.

"I suppose that he wouldn't, but that isn't my main concern. I'm the eldest child, and I do not wish for my family name to be on the wrong side of history. You Slytherin's are all obsessed with image, so certainly you must understand?"

"Image is only important so far as it benefits you. Do I support Grindelwald? No. He's too obsessed with the Muggle world and his idea to dominate it will not benefit the magical community. But I will admit that he does a wonderful job of portraying himself as a good guy, so much so that many people believe him to be one. I would rather be feared than adored." Tom was wearing a dark cashmere scarf today, which made his skin appear even more pale than usual. Slush and dirty snow covered the ground, making me regret wearing my most expensive pair of boots.

"Why is it that both the Ira and the Numus do not like you? Surely they have more important things to do than uphold rivalries with a seventeen year-old wizard?"

"There are a multitude of reasons, the main one being that I have refused the service of myself nor my Knights to their cause. I come from a line of wealth and power, you would be surprised how sought after I am," he told me with a slight curve of his lips.

"Yes, yes, my mother has reminded me of that many times. How it was such an honor that your family agreed to a union between us. Well, I wonder if our failed engagement has disgraced me in the eyes of others?" We were now inside of the village's parameters, although we avoided the crowded shops. Neither of us had any interest in browsing for quills today.

"The engagement has yet to be officially called off, Ophelia. Everyone knows that you are still mine. Did you happen to notice that not a single boy asked you to Hogsmeade? It most certainly was not because of your looks, although perhaps you are a bit too headstrong for most." His compliment was incredibly backhanded, but I chose not to focus on that.

"I am not your property, Riddle. The only reason I do not have suitors falling to their knees before me is because everyone is afraid to cross you," I snapped. Tom chuckled to himself as he lit a cigarette. Seeing as we were off of school grounds, he could smoke without any reprimand.

"Believe that if you wish, my love. Anyways, I have been meaning to mention that I finally received that parcel you had promised me. I was incredibly pleased to see that you managed to spell my name correctly," he teased. Tom was referring to the leather-bound diary I had ordered from a bookshop for him. I paid extra to have his name engraved into a silver tag on the back, and I was happy to hear that he appreciated it.

"Riddle? What are you doing here?" Head-girl Lucille approached us suddenly, her arms weighed down with a multitude of shopping bags. The blonde girl was accompanied by Eileen Prince, and the two of them seemed rather displeased with my presence. I knew that Lucille had a younger sister named Lilliana who was playmates with Sage.