Moonlit

ii

(a/n: we're gonna pretend the winter break at hogwarts is four weeks long.)

Two weeks later -

It was odd to look at the great hall from the teacher's table, Tom thought. It had been almost twelve years since he had been in the school, and now that he was back, it filled him with a strange sentiment which he refused to acknowledge. Tom Riddle did not feel such emotions. They were beneath him.

Tom watched students enter the great hall, chatting with each other about their winter breaks. Futile conversations, Tom thought. When he was their age, he had already begun working on his goal of world domination.

Tom had never thought he would ever set foot back in Hogwarts. But when he heard the news that the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was seriously ill, he jumped at the opportunity. It hardly fazed him that it was the middle of the term. Hogwarts was where he felt at home, though he would never admit that. Cowards needed the comfort of familiarity, not people like him who were destined for greatness.

A band of girls entered the great hall, their gazes falling upon him, and he tried not to roll his eyes when they burst out in giggles, their cheeks blushing. Such trivial lives.

Tom picked up a goblet of pumpkin juice, bringing it to his lips. But before he could take a sip, he saw someone familiar walk into the hall, someone who had no business at Hogwarts. And definitely not in a student's uniform. His pulse quickened just a bit.

Avani Chaudhry laughed at something a girl had said as they sat down at the Slytherin table. She looked different, he thought. Her hair which was usually styled with perfection was a wavy mess around her head. While in Paris, she always wore impeccable, expensive dresses fitted with perfection, her school uniform was the opposite of it. Her tie was loose, her bottoms undone to the point that it lay on the verge of inappropriate and not scandalous enough to get called out for it. Her skirt was rolled up to be shorter than those of other students. The only thing that stood out in her beautiful hurricane of an appearance were the red lips, edges so sharp and colour so crimson, they resembled a bloodied knife.

That was when he realised he was not the only one with the upper hand in their short fiasco. When he had thought he had her smitten, then leaving her behind on that bridge, Avani was playing her own game. She had made him believe she was someone entirely different, somebody, older and more sophisticated... someone who would catch the eye of a man like him. But there she was, a rebellious little girl who was much smarter than she should be.

A scoff escaped Tom's lips, followed by a little laugh.

She hadn't noticed him yet, and it amused him endlessly as he thought of what her reaction would be if she was to see him.

"Is the juice not good, Tom?" Slughorn asked him. Tom averted his eyes from Avani, turning his head to see his former professor, now colleague.

"I'm afraid I'm full," Tom said, placing back the goblet on the table.

Slughorn finished his own drink, wiping his lips with a napkin. "You know, I always imagined you to work in the ministry, become the minister of magic someday."

Tom clicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek. Him working in the ministry? No. He was going to rule over the whole world. "It's hard to do so when you don't have powerful connections, Professor. I wasn't lucky enough to be born into a powerful family."

It was a pathetic excuse, but he was not looking to impress Slughorn. Tom had so many connections he could have Slughorn thrown out of his position. Hell, he could organise a coup if he wanted to.

"Oh dear, if you wanted connections, you could have asked me. Tell me, do you still aspire to work in the ministry?"

Tom shrugged, then slightly nodded, thinking it would take too much time to lie about why he didn't want to work at the ministry.

"Very well then," Slughorn said, rubbing his hands together. He looked over the great hall, trying to find someone.

"Ah, yes, she's perfect," Slughorn said. "Her father is the head of the magical law department."

Slughorn called the caretaker with a wave of his hands. "Tell Miss Chaudhry to come here."

Tom stopped breathing for a second, watching as the skinny caretaker walked to the Slytherin table, saying something to her.

Avani excused herself from her friends, walking towards the teacher's table, her eyes trained on Slughorn. Tom picked his goblet back up.

The movement caught her eyes and her gaze fell upon him. Colour drained from her face and she stilled in her steps.

She bit back her lip, the white, slightly crooked teeth digging into her scarlet lips. Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath. Tom smiled into his goblet.

"Uh P- Professor Slughorn, you called?" she said. Her voice was the same as he had remembered, somewhat deep with a hint of honey to it.

"Yes, dear, how was your winter?"

Avani's cheeks turned red, remembering the time she had spent in Paris with Tom. "Uh, it was great."

"Good good, I'm glad to hear that. I saw you and I thought I ought to introduce you to an old student of mine. Avani, this is Tom Riddle."

Avani forced a smile at Tom, before turning back to Slughorn.

"Tom was telling me he was considering joining the ministry. Then I remembered that you're the daughter of the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and I thought it would be good if your father and Tom met. Do you mind talking to him, dear?"

Avani looked at Tom again, a hint of sadness and anger bubbling in her midnight irises. "Of course."

"Wonderful."

"Are you going to teach us, sir?" Avani asked, and Tom looked at her surprised, not expecting her to talk to him.

"Indeed. Mr Hawthorne has taken ill, so I'll be replacing him," Tom answered, putting down his half-finished goblet.

"I will be looking forward to tomorrow's class then," she smiled. She flicked her hand forward, the back of her palm touching the goblet and it toppled in his lap. She mocked a surprised gasp.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry, professor," she said. Tom laughed to himself, shaking his head as he muttered a spell to clean his trousers.

When Tom looked back up, she was already down to the Slytherin table, sitting down aggressively in her seat.

It was going to be an interesting year.