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

Chapter 2-02

You nearly stumbled over your own feet on the way out, thinking about the conversation you had just had. As you prepared yourself to leave the negativity behind you, Abraxas Malfoy seemed to come out of nowhere. "Why the long face?"

You hadn't even noticed him lurking by the door until now and were surprised by his sudden interest in your emotional state.

Feeling emotional after the conversation with McGonagall, you hesitated to answer at first. But something about Abraxas' concern made it impossible to ignore him longer than a minute.

You glanced back at the closed door of McGonagall's classroom, feeling a flood of emotions overwhelm you.

"It's nothing," you muttered weakly while trying to force a smile on your face, despite tear stains marring it instead of laughter lines.

Abraxas sensed there was more. "It can't be homework related. You're a smart witch."

You weren't used to receiving praise from someone like him, however genuine or not his words may have been. Maybe your expression could have come close to looking grateful if it weren't for the confliction that was smudged all over it.

You didn't know how to respond to the compliment, feeling embarrassed and vulnerable in front of someone you weren't super close with seeing you like this. However, Abraxas seemed genuinely concerned, so you didn't blow him off.

He didn't say anything either, but he offered his arm to you, gesturing for you to take it. His high-class exterior faded momentarily and made you comply.

As the two of you walked in silence through the corridors, an unexpected sense of comfort enveloped you. You broke out into conversation as he started pointing out some of the intricate details of the castle's architecture, sharing stories and fun facts that you had never heard before.

You found yourself listening to him with a new kind of curiosity, and even chuckled at some of his jokes.

Eventually you made your way outside towards a serene spot overlooking the Black Lake, where Abraxas sat down beside you on a grassy knoll, waiting for what you had to share next. He felt no longer intimidating but approachable instead.

"Gosh! It sure is impressive how much you know about the school!" You gushed while taking deep breaths of fresh air, staring intently at your companion's profile.

"It's expected when you're born into a family like mine," he gazed downwards briefly to where he wriggled his shoes up and down, then peered up again. It was a humble brag covered as an explanation.

"Oh... That sounds like a lotta stress..."

Being raised with high expectations must be stressful. But despite all the pressures placed on him by society due to the recognition his family's name held, there seemed no signs indicating any anxiety or stress from Abraxas himself.

Maybe because he was too young yet to understand fully what obligations were ahead for him?

The boy stopped the moving of his feet and glimpsed at you. His hair shimmered in the sunlight with the movement of his head and he looked at you like that was the first time anyone said something thoughtful to him.

He was casual about it. "It's nothing new. What about your family?"

You turned your face towards the lake. It looked just as beautiful during the day as it did during the night, the dark surface reflecting in a multitude of colors like an old oil painting.

You answered after a while. "I don't know 'em."

"You don't? Why not?"

You shrugged helplessly. "They left me at the orphanage as a baby."