Don't Smile At Me

Chapter 7 - The Hearing

Chapter 7: The Hearing

Tom Riddle walked briskly down the path toward the ornate doors of the Hogsmeade courthouse. It was Victorian-esque with intricately carved decorations around the many tall, narrow windows, and a few pointy towers, one of which showcased a large clock. It had become a popular spot for pigeons to nest, as there were many small crevices and ledges that provided convenient perches. The grandeur was all lost on him, however, as his mind was running a mile a minute. There were a few last minute changes he had quickly made that he hoped would improve the situation. He was almost to the door when a voice called out to him.

"Riddle!"

He stopped and turned toward the silver blonde man striding towards him. "Malfoy," he greeted Lucius, waiting for him to catch up. As he did, something flashed before his vision. He flinched back, then realized too late what had happened. He heard his companion laugh before he looked down to see the disgusting white glob of bird poop that landed right on the toe of his left shoe. He cursed under his breath.

"How unfortunate," Malfoy commented, though he was clearly still trying to suppress his laughter. "I do hope you have an extra pair."

"Unfortunate indeed." He looked up, trying to catch sight of the stupid bird. There it was, looking right back at him. He glared at it, though it did no good. Looking back at Malfoy he sighed, "I'll meet you back in the courthouse. Everything is in order."

Tom stalked back to his car, fuming. Today of all days, of course. It was a good thing he always showed up much earlier than needed. He rummaged through the glove compartment and arm rest, looking for a napkin, a water bottle, anything that could help clean it off. Then he paused as he remembered. The shoes.

Good gods, there had to be another option. Hermione would never let him live it down if he showed up wearing those vegan leaf nature atrocities. He looked down at the ruined suede of his current pair. Cursing, he opened the trunk of his car, pulled out the shoe box and opened it.

There they lay. Looking, actually not that bad. The vegan leather was perhaps a tad shinier than the authentic kind, but they were otherwise very similar to the ones he normally wore. He replaced his shoes and walked around a few steps, testing them out. They were comfortable.

Feeling mildly disgusted, he tossed his ruined pair in the trash bin as he once again walked up to the courthouse. The hearing would take place in a medium-sized room, meant for events more informal than full trials. There was a long table set up for the panel, a screen connected to a government laptop, a small desk, and a podium. Five or six rows of chairs were set up in two sections facing the panel table. Only the first row and a half were currently filled. Tom walked to the desk and began setting up his material. He pulled out a flash drive and a few sheets of paper, laying them face down.

"Ready to cut down some tree-huggers?" he felt a clap on his shoulder as Malfoy approached him again. He had a cup of coffee in one hand. The blonde looked down. "Nice shoes. Leave it to you to always be prepared."

"Thank you, Malfoy. I'm very optimistic about the outcome of this hearing."

"Excellent. You've never let us down before," Lucius grinned before turning and heading toward one of the seats.

Tom looked down at his papers. He felt a small twinge at Malfoy's statement, but found he didn't really care. This might be the first, and likely the last, time he would disappoint the firm.

He heard the door to the room open and a wave of people washed in. He recognized a few of the people he had seen with Granger at the Three Broomsticks; the ginger siblings, Glasses, and the blonde. They were with others he didn't recognize. He continued searching the crowd until he realized he was looking for Hermione. He wasn't sure how, but she had managed to worm her way beneath his skin without even really trying.