Burning Obsessions : Tom Riddle

8: His Suspicion and Her Secret

[author's pov]

Riddle had tried to ignore Victoria's absence for the rest of the day and assumed she was ill. As much as he suspected she was up to something, he couldn't deny he was afraid that she'd find out what he was plotting. He didn't dare to go through her bag, as he figured she wouldn't be carrying her secret around with her. Let alone, leave it in the restroom for it to be found.

Where could she have gone? He caught himself in the thought during dinner hour. Yet, he wasn't in the great hall like everyone else. He preferred to spend time alone somewhere quiet. The Astronomy tower was a spot for the lustful, the Slytherin common room had been too crowded, and you'd never know who you would come across in the halls.

So when everyone was feasting in the great hall, he sat alone in Slughorn's classroom. He felt it was ordinary of him to eat the average meals like everyone would, but like all predators–they needed to survive somehow. And so he would suffer with the slim sandwich and cool sip of water that would suffice until he had achieved his goal to be unordinary.

He paused when a pair of footsteps rushed past Slughorn's door and grabbed his wand, ready to take his leave. But the footsteps died down, not returning.

Those footsteps belonged to a worried Serenity Viridian. Since Defense Against the Dark Arts, Victoria had not returned to the class or common room. And her bag had disappeared, but Druella remembered she had taken it with her when she had excused herself.

"She probably went to the hospital wing," Druella said when Victoria didn't show up in class.

But something was wrong, she would've at least let them know she was sick, Serenity wondered. She had been looking for Victoria all over the school, including the hospital wing.

Then she remembered Victoria was supposed to go on a dinner date with Theodore Nott.

"Perhaps I should wait in the common room and see what Theodore has to say," Serenity decided. She headed for the dungeons defeatedly and for the rest of the way, overthought where her best friend could've been

She spoke the password and made herself into the common room with a surprise. Sitting on the stairs was a slouched Theodore Nott.

"I thought you were supposed to be on a date?" Serenity questioned him and he looked up at her.

He looked annoyed and said, "I thought I was too. Looks like I got stood up."

Serenity began to get worried and he could tell. He stood up, questioning her.

"Where is Victoria anyway," he asked. "I didn't see her in Herbology or Potions. Is she alright?"

The two of them didn't know the answer though. The common room began to get crowded, meaning dinner hour was coming to an end. Among the crowd was Druella and Cygnus Black.

Druella's smile dropped when she saw the concerned look on Serenity and Theodore's face.

"Victoria still hasn't shown up?" Druella asked. "It is Halloween, perhaps she's playing a prank on us-"

"No," Serenity answered.

"What do you mean still," Theodore asked. Though he hadn't known her long, he felt like it wasn't like her to disappear without a word.

As her friends filled Theodore in on what happened during Defence Against the Dark Arts, Riddle swayed past them without his presence being noticed. Victoria's bag was tucked into his own. She didn't carry much for someone who was so busy with school work.

He made his way upstairs before anyone could bug him and he snuck into Victoria's dormitory, quickly tossing her bag on the nearest bed. It's not like he cared whose was whose, but he got it out of his hands. But he paused and had a good look around and thought to himself, It seems she's not here either.