Hogwarts: a school of Witchcraft and Love (Tom Marvolo Riddle x F!reader)

Second year: chapter 2

Tom didn't just lock you out of his room that morning.

He locked you out of his life.

It was meant to be an innocent question, one that shouldn't have stirred such a deep silence. Days at the orphanage had been problematic up until then but with Tom's presence it was bearable, until the night you let yourself get too comfortable with him. It was as if time suddenly stopped when you asked him about his parents. He had locked himself in a space of his own, never to open it again for anyone, not even you.

From then on, the walls of the living space felt like those of a prison. You could feel his presence everywhere but somehow, it only made his absence stronger. The stifling atmosphere unsettled you and soon enough, summer break ended on the day September 1st arrived.

The first day of your second school year forced you to reunite upon sharing a carriage on the Express, and while you were relieved to leave the orphanage and were thrilled to see your friends again, you couldn't stop wondering why he was ignoring you. During the day, there were many moments where your eyes lingered on each other with familiarity, but he seemed to keep an even greater distance this time around.

It wasn't like you didn't try to talk to him. For days, weeks even, you waited for some kind of response or contact, but nothing came. When you met in the halls of Hogwarts before the annual start-of-term feast began, the dynamic between you changed. Despite your usual attempts to engage him in conversation it seemed that there was now an invisible wall around him and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't reach him. Not in the way you used to.

No matter what you said his reactions stayed cold. And so every time you passed each other, he was just another face among many others walking through the school's corridors, barely giving any signs of recognition or acknowledgement towards your presence.

It was heart breaking because he had made you promise you wouldn't ever ignore him again after he requested his help to find the Chamber of Secrets, and now he was doing the exact same thing he forbade you to do.

So was that it? Did that mean he no longer cared about you? Was your friendship with Tom Riddle over?

One evening, while wandering around the school premises alone, you stumbled into an empty classroom. As you entered the room, you saw Tom sitting in front of a large bookshelf filled with ancient books.

He looked up at you and for a moment your eyes met. But before you could say anything, he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Tom," you pronounced his name sadly, like a little child talking to their parent after understanding they had done something wrong. "Please talk to me."

But he didn't even turn around as he closed the door behind him. You were left standing there on your own, and that was the moment you threw in the towel. You needed to put the memory of the boy completely out of your mind if you were to enjoy your time at the school, and not let his distant behaviour drag you down.

You had been captivated by flying from the moment you laid your eyes on a broomstick, and as a second year you decided now was the time to focus all of your energy on mastering the art. To that end, you devoted every free moment to practicing in the air, and it wasn't long at all before your skills were noticed.

You just got off your broom and took the time to brush out your messy wind-tangled hair. Flying really was amazing, it made you feel so alive. You felt the rush of adrenaline long after you landed. As you started to collect your things, you heard a voice call out to you.

"Hey, you there!" The voice belonged to none other than Gillian Warmslay, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was known for his tough demeanor and strict training methods. But before you could even say hello, he saluted you with a casual two-finger wave tapped against his shaven head. "You've got some serious skills up there."