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

Chapter 2-12

There was something wrong with you.

At first, the fluttering feeling in your belly was easy to dismiss. You brushed it off as a passing sensation, blaming it on various mundane reasons like expired food or maybe becoming sick. After all, being an orphan was challenging enough without adding the complexities of feelings to the mix.

Maybe it was just the nervousness you felt whenever you were forced to sit with the other orphans, only to realize that the feeling—which was by no means a bad feeling—would not be there with other people. It was only ever there when Tom was around.

You told yourself to ignore these unfamiliar sensations, hoping they would fade away if you paid them no mind.

They didn't.

They simply refused to go anywhere. Tom's growth seemed to mirror the intensity of these feelings. Around the age of twelve or thirteen years old, boys underwent significant changes and his were impossible to overlook—from his cheeks taking on a more defined shape to his lips becoming fuller, and even a slight curl in his neatly combed hair that hinted at future waves yet unseen. Every glimpse at him sent your heart racing as if it was trying to catch up with what was happening inside you.

Even the slightest accidental touch from him sent electricity shooting through you from your head to your toes. These sensations were completely foreign to you, yet you wanted to know why you were feeling that way. You began to see Tom in a different light, through the eyes of the people who were so attracted to him.

Previously, he had been nothing more than your best friend, someone with who you shared laughter and trouble. Sure you had your struggles, but all friends did. You made up and moved on. But this inexplicable heap of emotions now made it unbearable to be in his presence without shying away. Even though he didn't smile as much, you still sometimes caught sight of one and when you did, you saw only one drastic solution:

You ran away.

In your innocence, you believed that physical distance would somehow lessen your conflicting feelings. That by evading him you could run away from your rampant emotions.

But no.

You couldn't.

And the worst part of it was that Tom knew something was going on with you. How could he not? It was hard to miss when you did everything in your power to avoid him in order to try go back to how things were because you didn't want your interactions to change.

And then came the breaking point. You needed to talk to someone, anyone and there was only one adult at the orphanage, which was why you were staring at the walls of Mrs. Cole's office, looking at faded pictures of past orphanage residents as you prepared to share what (or who) you couldn't stop thinking about.

When you spoke, your words stumbled out in fits and starts.

Mrs. Cole heaved out a weary sigh as you vented to her, as if fighting with the task of going into the depths of frivolous matters. "Very well, let's analyze this. Do you spend a lot of time with Tom?"

"Yes." You were relieved that the woman seemed to understand what you were saying. "We do. We read books and he watches me draw."

Mrs. Cole sat stiffly. "And have you noticed any changes in your relationship with Tom recently? Anything different about how you interact or how he treats you?"

You thought about it. "He's just... Uhm... Sometimes protective, I guess."

Mrs. Cole's rigid exterior momentarily thawed. "Friendships can evolve and change over time, especially during adolescence. It's possible that what you're experiencing is the natural progression of your relationship with Tom. These new feelings may be an indication of a developing romantic interest."