Making Us~T. Riddle

Chapter 11

She did give it back, although begrudgingly.

It was handed to me in a small wooden box after class. She had said nothing so I had said nothing. People around us murmured "Love letters" and "Amortentia" and "Chocolate frogs"

And I thought no.

Poison.

By now the rumour that I was snogging Cerelia had spread across the school and neither of us were confirming nor denying it. It was easier to let them think we had been sneaking off to share kisses, rather than the truth.

I had a strange feeling that Alatar was seeing someone.

Our nights were usually spent together wreaking havoc at every turn, but those nights had become few and far between. He'd never been much of a one witch type of guy, but I doubted he was snogging someone new every night. Not even Alatar was sly enough to keep multiple affairs under wraps.

It was on one of these nights when Alatar had disappeared that I found myself strolling around the halls of the school.

I thought about going into the forest and looking for something to do when I walked past two fourth year girls. The one had frizzy red hair and horse like teeth while the other had brown hair cropped pixie style. They were both staring at me and giggling behind their hands.

I ignored them but just as I was about to round the corner, I heard them speak a single name. Cerelia's name. My curiosity piqued, but I stomped it down and continued my aimless wandering.

I thought of her then. Her long blond hair and the spray of freckles across her nose. I thought of her wide dear like eyes and her naturally pink tinted cheeks.

Perhaps she would make a good soldier. Her easy-going nature and love for people and animals made her very inviting to crowds. She could help grow my army. My future death eaters. Influence the more reluctant pure bloods to join my cause with her soft edges and pretty words.

The problem was however, she was a half-blood. She wouldn't understand my complex plans and why it would benefit the wizarding world. Her open mindedness towards people would cause her close mindedness towards the future.

I had been contemplating this and wondering when I ever began to think Cerelia would make a good accomplice, like Alatar, when suddenly a hand on my shoulder stopped me dead in my tracks.

It took all my willpower not to grab my wand and hex whoever had dared to touch me.

I schooled my features before glancing over my shoulder to find Professor Dumbledore eyeing me curiously. He let me go, but his intrusive gaze still pinned me in place. He had been keeping an uncomfortably close eye on me since I had opened the chamber of secrets and blamed Hagrid's abnormally large spider friend for the death of a girl.

"Professor?" I mustered.

He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Stuck in your head, Tom? I called out to you quite a few times, did you not hear me?"

I blinked. "I'm afraid not sir, my apologies."

He nodded and made a slight humming sound at the back of his throat while gesturing for me to follow him. I did as he asked and trailed after him rather begrudgingly. We sat down in his office and he poured us both a cup of tea, those twinkling blue eyes never leaving me.

Not for the first time I imagined myself back at the home with Mister Arkin sitting across from me telling me what a man should be.

"Tell me Tom, what's on your mind?"