Death's Daughter || Tom Riddle

An offer | 6

She groaned loudly and tried to get up and quickly escape Riddle but it was as if he read her mind. He quickly got up and blocked her path. She shoved him out of her way, only to have him hold onto her wrist tightly and firmly. She winced from the sudden pain but did not let any other emotions show. "What?" She asked rather harshly while she tried to get him to release his hold on her wrist which was starting to turn red. "Sit." He said firmly and that was all he said before he let go of her wrist and sat in his previous chair. He gave her a stern look when she didn't move so she obliged to his command and sat opposite of him.

"What do you know about the Deathly Hallows?"

"Why do you want to know about them?"

She wasn't going to give up on the information she was holding onto and she wasn't even going to give it up to him if the world was being sucked into a black hole-

"I'll give you anything you want in return for the information." He suddenly said cutting her out of her thoughts.

Anything?

She was tempted by his offer and had completely forgotten about the vow she had made earlier. For the outsiders, they might have taken her for someone who was living her life with unlimited happiness, a bright future, and nothing to question or worry about. But in reality, there was one thing on her to-do list that was starting to weigh heavier on her shoulders every day. To meet her father again.

There was no denying the fact that she missed her father dearly even though she had only met him once, when she was an orphan, lived in the orphanage, and had witnessed her weak 'sister' take her final breath before departing. She watched the life leave the girl's body and oddly, she felt warmth and a comforting feeling when instead, she should have felt numb and cold like the other children.

She blinked and brought herself out of her deep thoughts and turned her attention to Riddle whose offer still stood.

"Anything?"

"Anything."

Once he saw her drone out, he knew his plan was working. He knew she was contemplating on taking the offer. How naive she was to think he was to give anything.

As he watched her deep in thought, he was tempted to perform the Legilimency spell on her. He wanted to know what was going on in that mind of hers. He knew she was a skilled witch but he wasn't sure if she was skilled enough to know Occlumency and be able to perform it. But he was playing safe and if he was to penetrate her mind right now, she might turn down the offer and he'll never get the chance to ask for the information he wants so badly again.

Anything was what he said.

She knew he was charming, brilliant, and most importantly, manipulative. She knew he wasn't going to exactly keep to his word so she was going to have to tread carefully, she was going to have to be alert of everything he does.

If he was going to manipulate her and cheat his way out, she was going to play his game too.

Two can play a game.

"Deal. What do you want to know?"

~—————————————————~

She had left the library to attend her next class after Riddle had asked his questions, (too much to her liking,) and now, she had finished all of her afternoon classes and had returned to the cold, wet, and gloomy common room of hers. She didn't go up the stairs to her dormitory but went over to a couch occupied by Caelum and a Slytherin boy with black raven hair she knew not of sitting near the warm fire. She made her way over to the pair and sat in an empty armchair that was positioned skewed to the raven-haired boy.

She looked at the anonymous boy for a moment, studying his looks, features, and mostly the emotions he was displaying at the moment. It took the pair on the couch a moment to realize the dark-haired girl sitting in the green armchair nearby. "Oh hey," Caelum greeted her with a wide smile while she only gave him a small smile back in return. She then turned her gaze from Caelum to the boy beside him and raised her eyebrow questioningly.

The raven-haired boy seemed to have just realized the attention of the two diverted to him so he awkwardly stumbled out a "hello" to her. Caelum then introduced him to her saying he was a fifth year, a year below them, and he and his parents were good friends and that they wanted the two boys to get along. She also learned his name to be Zayn Shafiq, he was awkward around new people and is looking forward to this year's Christmas break for an unknown reason. She didn't talk to the younger of the three much but she concluded that he was a bearable company and she wouldn't mind hanging around with him in the future.

When the clock struck six pm, she excused herself from the two boys who were now playing wizard's chess. Caelum didn't respond to her and nor did Zayn but she didn't mind.

She was making her way up the dungeons to head to the Great Hall when she heard a whimpering sound coming from an unused potions classroom. She hesitated on whether she should just mind her own business or open the door to reveal either a disgusting scene or a depressed student. She chose to open the door since her curiosity got the better of her and pushed the heavy doors open. The classroom was nice and normal but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the robes of a Gryffindor from underneath a table.

She now had a good look at the person and assumed that they were a boy. He was sniffing loudly and continuously whimpered like an injured cub. She was about to turn her heels and leave the boy alone when he suddenly turned his head to her at the sudden sound of her shoes hitting the ground loudly. It was at this moment she saw his face. It was Hunter Grooves, the boy she was so annoyed with yet she couldn't help but pity him upon seeing him in the state he was in.

He started to frantically wipe his tears away and slowly stood up from the cold, hard floor he was sitting on earlier, and having his head bumped into a table during the process of getting up. He gave her a bright smile even after she had witnessed him breaking down. "I'm alright. Let's go have dinner." He said his voice oddly strong but a bit raspy from having been crying for who knows how long. She didn't say anything but walked with him up the stone stairs and every now and then she would slightly turn her head towards him to see his face and the emotions he was showing. She was impressed by how well of a facade he was holding. No tears. Only happy smiles but his red eyes gave away the truth.

They arrived at the Great Hall and Hunter was just about to leave her side to join the Gryffindor table when she unconsciously grabbed onto his arm. "You're not alone." She didn't know why she said those three words but it seemed to have made the boy feel better. He gave her one last smile and turned away.