In our solitude | Tom Marvolo Riddle

Chapter 3

Their common room wasn't very busy, it was evening at the end of class and some first years had been settling in to the common room, noticeably Abraxas and Mia who sat opposite to one another playing wizard chess with Tom, who sat next to the blonde girl, the boy seemed more interested in his potion book than the childish game played by the two blondie next to him. While the common room was rather quiet; only interrupted by the sounds of the young girl groaning in defeat or the gasping of Isadora Blume sitting on a cushion right by the table watching endearingly at their play of wizarding chess.
"You're too good at this for your age, Malfoy." Mia groaned, losing a 1 - 3 game against Abraxas who laughed gleefully with Avery who sat just next to him. "You're just bad at chess Heartstring, It's an easy game if you weren't moving your queen for my knight to take every game."
On the corner of Tom's lips, curled up a smirk over the conversation. 'It's true,' he thought to himself.
"Why don't you give it a try, Isa? I can't play against Malfoy anymore, he's hurting my brain." Mia turnt to her side, brushing her arms over Tom and laying her head on his shoulders, to which Tom responded with a noticeable frown. "You're in my space." He muttered under his space, receiving a comfort tap on the lap by Mia's hand "You'll be okay." she whispered back while watching Isadora turn the Chess set to her direction.
Malfoy threw a cushion down opposite of the table, sitting down on it and proceeding on his first move as the white side of the board.
"I don't find you funny." Tom sneered, getting out of his seat and set to his dorm room.
Mia fell down the couch, considering her weight was on Tom just earlier. She gives Tom an apologetic smile, staring into his eyes that are looking down on her just before he leaves.
"Avery, can you lend me a lap-", "No thank you,", "Please-", "I don't know you that well, Heartstring."
Avery stared at her, a sigh leaving his mouth over the blonde.
"We'll know each other well enough in the future, 7 years of it. C'mon Avery just come, it's just a sooner or later type of thing." Though annoying as she might be, she is also quite convincing.
Isadora only giggled over her friend's tantrum, knowing her for a day already got her to know she'll probably get used to the girl's personality. Wondering how she landed in Slytherin with such a trait.
"You guys are seriously still at it? it's been, what? half an hour?" Heartstring asked, staring at the focused Malfoy and Blume who were still in their chess game.
"It's been 15 minutes, Heartstring." Avery told her, moving pieces of her hair out of her face while he watched the chess show with her. Even if he hates to admit it, Heartstring has a comforting aura around her, just something so accepting about it. Managing to get Avery feel close to her as though he'd known her for longer even within the short amount of time she blabbered over random topics to them. A friendliness so endearing and welcoming it seemed a little too... magical.
Avery wasn't the only one who felt this way, Isadora, Malfoy and the sleeping quiet Lestrange who had been laying there the entire time also felt it, even though they couldn't place a finger on what the case really is, they were too of a slytherin to really take the pride out to figure out the exact reason.

That night in front Slytherin's dungeon door, Mia collected a few bottles of promised magic hair products and a handful of interesting advanced magic books she found in her luggage, one of them being Hogwarts history book that includes information about Salazar Slytherin, if Tom hasn't already found out about his ancestors.
Her owl landed on her arm, settling the neatly folded mokeskin pouch held in its claws. Setting off through the large staircase and off towards the opened sky. In that bag was an apology letter from Mia, for invading so much of his private space. Well; she wasn't actually sorry but it's just the thoughts that counts.
The same night, in one of the boy's Slytherin dorm rooms where Tom stayed with Malfoy, Avery and Lestrange. On one of the beds sat a dark-haired boy, deep in his thoughts while his book opened in his lap. That previous evening when he stormed off through the common room halls, a tug on his chest warmed up heat somewhere in him. One that's warm and unfelt of, something he never knew was a feeling until just now.