How to Solve a Riddle || Tom Riddle x Reader ||

Chapter 7

And the long speech from Dumbledore begins. His voice is droning, boring. You hate it.

You look across to the Gryffindor table from the Ravenclaw one.

James gives you a small wave, you offer one back, and then lets your eyes travel towards Marlene. With Marlene is Lily Evans and some others you didn't know.

Marlene meets your eyes and smiles. You smile back.

"He sure does talk a lot, don't you think?" Pandora asks. "I'm never completely sure what he's even talking about either."

You turn your attention away from the Gryffindor table and turn back around to sit correctly in your seat.

"I don't think anyone ever is." You reply to her. She sits in front of you.

She giggles, "perhaps he would make more sense if-"

"Don't trash talk Dumbledore!" Another Ravenclaw interrupts. A guy.

"We're not." You say. "Simply commenting on how he speaks."

He frowns, "yes but the way you say it is quite showing of what you might think of him."

"Perhaps, but we are not trash talking him, thoughts and words are different."

And he pauses and tilts his head as a slow smile finds its way across his face.

"Xenophilius Lovegood." He offers instead of continuing.

"Y/n Black."

"Pandora Llewelyn." Pandora adds, "you're very pretty." She tells him.

He coughs, "pretty? What an odd compliment."

"Odd? Women are called pretty all the time." You argue.

He nods, "Indeed, but men are usually not."

"Fair." You agree.

"Did you not like the compliment?" Pandora asks.

"No, no! I did, thank you." He assures. "You are," he pauses, "pretty as well."

She smiles, "thank you."

You lets your eyes travel to the Slytherin table whilst the storing begins and Pandora and Xenophilius begin a conversation.

You easily find Riddle, he's already staring at you.

And you can still feel his gaze as you look away. 

~~~<>~~~

Classes begin the next day.

Potions goes first.

Assigned seats. Slughorn's... odd.

Front. Merlin. You had learned in your first year to never sit in the front of potions.

"Where are you sitting?" Marlene pops up in front of you.

"Front and center."

"Ouch. That's the worst seat, I'd say. And we're not sitting together this year." She frowns.

"Yeah, it looks like I'm sitting next to..." you trail off as you read the name. Tom Riddle.

"Tom Riddle?" Marlene asks, "bloody genius, I hear, but also a massive stuck up and a Slytherin."

"There's nothing wrong with being a Slytherin." You counter.

"Well, I guess, but usually it means they're-"

"Usually." You say, pointing out the specific word.

"Fair." She agrees. "Well good luck with him... and being up front."

"Thanks, hopefully we'll be partnered at some point, yeah?" You say, lightly patting her arm.

She looks at where your hand is, causing you to quickly remove it.

"Yeah." She agrees. "I better get to my seat now."

~~~<>~~~

Tom Riddle is silent. The entire class. He is just so silent. It's infuriating for absolutely no reason.

And a few time accidentally, you'd brush against each other. Like your hands reaching for the same thing or you turn to James and hit his leg with yours. Things like that.

And every time it made the silence more awkward.

James sat, also up front, next to Tom Riddle.

The tables are in twos, he is at the one next to you and Riddle, but unfortunately; he isn't at a table directly next to you, making it harder to communicate.

'How's sitting with Riddle?' He mouths to you.

'Boring.' You say back,

'Well-'

Riddle's face suddenly blocks your view of James.

"I'm sure you both can speak outside of class, yes? It's quite distracting, and I'd hate to inform Slughorn."

You frown, "you're no fun."

"Classes are not meant to be fun, they are meant to make you learn." He points out.

"But they can be fun." You argue. 

He simply does not reply.

~~~<>~~~

At dinner Tom's eyes are on you again. You wonder if they ever truly leave you?