RIDDLE ME THIS

2

"Riddle me this," i read off the parchment i'd found on the train.

"i hate these," Matteo groaned.

"the rich people want me, wise people know me, the poor people need me, and kind people show me. i can be an asset, a weapon. a weakness and a strength. i can envelop and consume and kill a person."

"money, obviously." Tom rolled his eyes.

"kind people don't show money," i re-read the words.

"they might," Matteo shrugged. "seems like a good answer to me."

the wall i leaned against was cold against my back.

my robes were comfortable enough, but i could tell that my brothers didn't like them from the way they itched at their collars.

"stop it, will you." i adjusted their shirts and suppressed the urge to strangle them with the cords of their cloaks.

"i can't help it, these robes are shit!" Matteo reached for his collar again.

a hit him hard in the stomach, causing him to double over, his uncomfortable robes forgotten about.

"what are we meant to be doing?" i turned to Tom, who stood on the stone bannister.

"wait here until the doors open, then go in and get sorted into a house." he held his arms out for balance.

"get down, you'll fall." i sighed.

he flipped me off, then wobbled dangerously.

i returned the gesture as he jumped down, the sound of his shoes echoing around us.

"what are we going to do if we don't get into Slytherin?" i asked my brothers.

they grinned at me.

"did you just ask that?" Matteo draped an arm around my shoulders.

i leaned into his embrace, dropping the parchment.

"we'll get in, Lola, don't you worry." Tom folded his arms.

i reached out to him and he rolled his eyes, joining in the group hug. 

"now get off," he said a second later. "the doors could open at any minute. do you really want the whole school to see us hugging?"

"i don't really give a fuck." i eyed the large doors.

"i do," Tom huffed.

i pressed my ear to the wood, listening to what was going on inside.

"ladies and gentlemen, quieten down!" a man yelled.

there was immediate silence.

"we have three new students joining us today," he said.

we positioned ourselves in front of the great wooden doors.

Matteo was on the left, Tom to the right, me in the middle.

"ready?" Matteo gave us one of his lopsided smiles.

"never been readier." i brushed an invisible speck of dust off of his shoulder.

"please give a warm welcome to Thomas, Matteo, and Lolita Riddle." the man boomed.

the doors creaked open.

hundreds of pairs of eyes focused themselves on us.

i raised an eyebrow as we stalked forwards, towards where Professor McGonogal stood at the front of the hall, the sorting hat in her hands.