GOD KILLERS. Tom Riddle

07. A run in with Juno Baptise

CHAPTER SEVEN
A RUN IN WITH JUNO BAPTISE

THE NECROMANCY WENT WELL, AS AUGUST HAD EXPECTED. And now a month had passed, and August had fitted in quite well, becoming one of the Knights Of Walpurgis, acing his first potions essay and at this very moment in time, trying out for the quidditch team.

Edmund—or Bunny—as the other knights affectionately called him, had woken him up early, his square face, that was normally seen with a short choppy blonde mop on top of his head, loomed above him; he had shaken his body with big hands so roughly that he thought his head could've snapped off, pestering him to wake up in his Midlands accent. All August had answered with was a groan, a groan that vibrated through his body; he hadn't had enough sleep. August had been up all night going through their history of magic essays that were due today.

After a month of being there, August had fallen into the group's residential spellchecker, as well as making sure everyone's essays didn't look either similar, due to their excessive copying (August had tried to stop Reinhardt, the common culprit, from copying, but all the boy could say was; do you want me to fail? and so August would let him copy, begrudgingly) or downright terrible, seeing as no one really studied, they would rather sit around a table and drink cheap wine that Abraxas had pestered his father to send over.

As well as this, Tom had left it to the last minute this time, during his month at the ancient castle, August had found Tom to be rather aloof at times, discarding homework and sometimes even classes, he hadn't understood it.

Tom was the students golden boy; he'd find him wandering the mostly abandoned hallways most days. Some days August would accompany him once he found him, and then they would walk in silence, or sometimes Tom would speak on the book he was reading.

Other days, August would just watch, seeing the boy who thought he was going by unnoticed amused him highly, showing cracks in his persona that might've not been there if he had known August was close by.

So in true August fashion, he did it all for him, often muttering in intervals that Tom was aimless and lacked motivation. Tom had just frowned from where he lay backwards off of his bed— unbothered, with his dark hair hanging off of the edge in waves, like a small waterfall, and as he laid there, August had to remind himself not stare.

As he walked down the stairs of their shared dormitory that morning, leaving Abraxas to snore softly, they both caught up with Reinhardt Lestrange, who sat sprawled out on the sofa, his quidditch gear on, just like Bunny.

"morning, i would say good morning, but it isn't, is it?" Lestrange commented stiffly, looking up at the two. Ever the pessimist, the shortest of the lot was, August had found that out the moment they had their first class together, where he frowned at his divination notes, "I hope I get murdered, that's what I hope this is," he'd commented darkly on his crystal hall.

"why? is it because you woke up?" August retorted with a smile, it was a smile he had mastered from the other boy. He had rarely seen Reinhardt smile, his face would often sport a frown, as if he was in a state of sadness -- or annoyance-- for the whole time.

However, one day, Reinhardt had smiled, it had been a lopsided smile at a stupid joke Henrietta Dubois had said in potions and instantly, August had clung to it, stealing it as his own.

"ha," Lestrange replied back, before flinging himself upwards, he scraped his dark curly hair backwards, then with a swift movement, his wand was wrapped into it, making a bun. "lets get this over with,"

"if you so hate waking up for quidditch," August said whilst they walked up the stairs towards the quidditch grounds side by side, "then why play?"

Bunny smirked and replied for Lestrange, who had happily skipped in front of them, dodging the cracks in the cobblestones, a childish superstition he still believed in. A juxtaposition to his dark outlook on life.

"for the girls,"

From what August could figure out on his own, was that Bunny was Slytherins best player, with his stocky body and large muscles, of course he was; a beater for the team, ready to take as many bludgers to the stomach he could.

Reinhardt was simply terrible at the game, though a great flyer; often whizzing out the way when a ball would fly to him. Apparently it was partly because he didn't want to break his face, somehow he was still on the team as their keeper. However, it was also partly due to the fact that Reinhardt hated going to the infirmary, it was his least favourite place to go, that is why the boy was rarely seen with a ball in his grasp, the fear of falling to his death was far too prevalent than winning, but no one would really hurt him, he was a Lestrange after all, he would never be hurt on the pitch.

Now, as he stood on the quidditch pitch, August frowned, Lestrange had been right about it not being a good morning. The clouds loomed over them, the smell of rain itching at his nose, he crossed his arms over his jumper clad torso to keep himself warm, no quidditch uniform for him— yet.

Bunny had told him of an opening, they needed a new chaser seeing as their old one (strengthening Lestrange's fear) fell to the ground, fracturing his skull. So, August had opted for a try out, and that's what they were doing today.

"oi Goyle! I told you" a voice called, and August turned just as Juno stormed over towards them. He frowned a little, he hadn't spoken to Juno since the moment he'd helped the Knights with necromancy. He didn't know how she'd taken to him ditching her.

"Here comes trouble" Lestrange muttered in a miffed tone. The knights didn't particularly like anyone out of their preferred circle, this included August once upon a time.

"today is Ravenclaws time on the pitch– get off,"

"Sorry sweetness" Bunny replies with a shrug, "gotta do try outs, have you met our soon to be chaser Augustine?" He says nudging August in the side rather roughly. August frowns, he hated being referred to as Augustine.

She stares at him, giving him a once over before replying stiffly, "of course I do, I was his first friend, you don't look like a chaser, did you know that?"

August almost gasped, keeping his rage silent, he was one of the best chasers in Beauxbatons, how could she?

Instead, he resulted to angrily staring at her, before he smiled venomously at the girl, "wow, they're letting girls play now are they?"

Juno's face turned the colour of a beetroot and Reinhardt laughed from besides him, his blue eyes flicker down to her hands, which are currently balled into fists.

"You're a prick, you know that?" She said angrily, "all because you wanted to be best friends with golden boy himself,"

"Don't try it blondie," Bunny cut in tutting, once he noticed August's gaze on her balled up fists, "haven't you heard of his activities with girls?"

August smirked in response when Juno's face drops, suddenly paling, the whole thing had been spread around school, every girl had been scared of him, wondering if the next dead girl would be her, though he would never do it; none of them were remotely interesting, and he had told Juno exactly that, that he wouldn't harm her.

But as she stood angrily in front of him, saying rude things, he thought for a moment, what it'd be like, cutting her tongue out. Maybe then, she wouldn't be so rude.

Then in a moment, she spun around on her feet, calling out; "keep the pitch, psycho," as she disappeared around the corner.

Reinhardt turned to him, slapping him on the back, "welcome to the team psycho,"