A Riddle to be Told (Hermione x Male Reader)

Chapter 9: A Christmas Polyjuice potion & the Suspect Confirmed?

    Just a day after the events in the duelling club, Tom found himself being called upon constantly by his Slytherin housemates.  

  Word about his abilities as a parselmouth had sent a buzz throughout the common room, the boy attracting attention from those who hadn't even looked at him until now. It was weird, but most of all it was annoying -- forced interactions were a terrible fate for Tom. And the polite facade and charm drained his social batteries too.

   And Draco, as usual was the focal point for such unwanted interaction, bringing Slytherins of all years to Tom as he tried to complete his potions homework late in the evening beside the fire.

   'don't bother, Draco' commanded Tom, seeing the boy being tailed by two 4th year girls, as well as Crabbe and Goyle. 

   'they just wanted to speak with you, Tom' Draco said. He'd been capitalising on Tom's newfound fame throughout the school and the Slytherins since this morning. Indeed, to many, it seemed that Tom and Harry were confirmed to be the heirs and openers of the chamber of secrets. 

  Tom raised his head to them, placing his quill in the pot. He smiled charmingly to the girls, turning their cheeks red. 

  'what is it you need?' he asked in a polite tone. They seemed rather nervous, but the girl with the frizzy hair -- perhaps the bolder one -- stood forward. 

   'We were wondering if you could speak parseltongue for us?' she asked.

   Tom kept smiled at them, before staring at Draco who suddenly had a great fascination with a painting off in the distance, pretending Tom was not staring at him. 

   'I am going to kill Draco once you two finally leave me in peace' he said, before going back to his potions homework, picking back up his quill.

   'is that satisfactory, girls?' he asked, grinning. The two girls nodded eagerly, still red in the face, before scurrying away. 

   'Cheers, Tom...They asked if they could see you, you know -- isn't that exciting? you're famous, more famous than Potter for sure!' Draco said

   Tom did not react, continuing to finish off a paragraph about the uses of sliced rat tails. He set his quill down again. 

   'next time you bring anyone to me, I shall not be as kind I was just now' he said, rolling his parchment and taking it with him as he travelled to his shared bedroom.

   Taking off his robe and setting it on his bed, he looked around for Bruna, yet -- once again -- she was no where to be seen.

  Recently she's turned easily scared and rather paranoid, constantly saying 'no' and 'I will not'. She'd be sure to bite anyone who got too close, so Tom was forced to find her. He sighed, before leaving the bedroom once again, passing his fellow Slytherins and leaving the common room, back into the castle.

   Damned be the weekend, for it seemed that every Hogwarts student made it their mission to position themselves like obstacles throughout the castle. You'd think they'd gotten sick of the old castle walls, yet the stone seemed to have an opposite effect; Tom would be inclined to agree.

   But as Tom approached, the lingering masses happy parted -- the heir of Slytherin, after all, was someone to be ran away from. The boy knew himself to be no outward threat to them, but he didn't oppose their assumed fright. In fact, Tom rather marvelled in it. 

   However, people in great numbers paying attention to him were the thing he wished to avoid -- Bruna was never a people's snake. And so it was; he walked toward the room leading out to the greenhouses, seldom seen by students owing to Peeve's recent fancy to the place.