Claire De Lune | Professor Riddle AU

Chapter 6

Je lui dirai les mots bleus, les mots qu'on dit avec les yeux

The walk to Ogg's hut stretched longer than its actual distance, courtesy of the relentless questioning from the persistent and impudent French girl. With each unanswered question, her accent seemed to intensify, turning the journey into a linguistic challenge for everyone involved.

She marched beside him, her steps matching the rhythm of her inquisitiveness. "Where are we going? Why do you always wear black? Do you use a potion to make your hair pretty like that? Why is Ogg always hiding in that hut?"

Riddle, usually composed, found himself subtly adjusting his pace to keep up with Alice's barrage of questions. Obstinate to not give in into her little game, Riddle bit the inside of his cheeks. She seemed intent on disrupting people's meticulously crafted image, relishing in the slightest facial twitches that would her grin in victory. He was determined not to grant her that satisfaction, especially after having only interacted with her a handful of times.

Eventually, they arrived at the edge of Hogwarts grounds, near the Forbidden Forest, where the small hut of the Key and Groundkeepers stood. Ogg and his half-giant assistant, Hagrid, were already hard at work in the fields beside their shared residence. The fact that two huge men like them could comfortably coexist in such a narrow house puzzled the professor, but he truthfully did not care enough to question it. Instead Riddle greeted them with a short wave, prompting Ogg to reciprocate, setting his tools aside. The man, not quite a half-giant like his young assistant, still stood tall. Hidden beneath his mustard sweater was the outline of his broad physic, hard muscles cultivated from years of heavy work around the castle. He wore a stubble who only highlighted his rectangular jaw, giving him a gruff appearance. A beast of a man, to say the least. But Riddle knew, if it came to it, with a simple whisk of his wand he could reduce this imposing figure to the same fate as anyone who dared to obstruct his ambitions – buried six feet deep.

"Tom, we thought you'd never come," Ogg grinned, revealing a few gaps in his smile. Hagrid, still towering behind his mentor, peeked over him, somewhat bashful. Riddle returned the smile to the older man, but his eyes lingered on the younger groundkeeper. A knowing look passed between them, unnoticed by the others present.

"Apologies for the delay; Miss Du Jardin seemed to have taken a detour on her way to detention," Riddle explained. Making the hefty groundkeeper erupt into hearty laughter, rubbing his belly with amusement. Tom wasn't sure why he had earned this big of a laugh, but he nodded along nonetheless, as if in on the joke.

Without another word from Ogg, he guided them through the winding path leading them further away from the familiar surroundings of Hogwarts and towards the stables. With a small glance, Riddle noticed the now silent Alice covering her nose, the earthy scent of hay and the natural musk of magical creatures lingering in the air. He shared her distaste, but in an effort to maintain politeness, he ignored it. It had been challenging enough to befriend Ogg, the man being naturally skeptic and closed off. He will not ruin his efforts with an immature wrinkling of his nose. Instead he put on a composed face, and kept it even when the grey head of a Thestral peeked out from the wooden stables, prompting Alice's eyes to widen in surprise next to him.

"Well, here you are. Left the stables untouched for the day, as you asked." Ogg's naturally big orbs turned their attention to the smaller student, wishing her good luck with a grunt as he left them to it. Riddle gave his thanks before shifting his focus back to Du Jardin, who remained fixated on the skeletal-like creatures. There was no fear in her expression; instead, it bore a more melancholic weight. Her usual droopy eyes hung even lower, carrying a heaviness he couldn't quite pin-point. He found himself contemplating the kind of thoughts that rumbled within the thick confines of her skull.