Soulbound : Tom Riddle

5: Darker Beyond the Pages

Just like Victoria said she would, she made plans to go see her father a week after the quidditch match. The October air blew as she brought Druella along to Hogsmeade to shop before visiting. As they entered a shop, a Hufflepuff first year accidentally bumped past Victoria, making her drop her shopping basket.

"Sorry," he said quickly and left without fully acknowledging his mistake.

Victoria sighed under her breath but watched as the first year walked away with what looked like paranoia in his eyes. Perhaps even fear as he disappeared down an alley.

"What're you going to be for Halloween?" Victoria asked Druella as they entered the spooky boutique of costumes. "A witch?"

Druella laughed and shook her head. "If that were the case, I'd just need Cygnus' broom to call it a day. But I'm thinking about something more creative."

"I haven't got the slightest clue about what I want to be," Victoria said as her fingers fiddled past a few dresses down the racks. There were costumes in all sizes with shelving units of things from "Matilda's Magical Hair Dye" to "Mustache Growth."

"I was thinking about choosing a fictional character," Druella said with a grin. "Do you think that's too childish?"

"Who cares what I think, if you feel like it's what you want, it's decided," Victoria responded with raised brow.

Druella smiled as she pulled out a puffy red dress with black lacing. "The Queen of Hearts. From Lewis Carol's-"

"Alice in Wonderland," Victoria realised with a grin. "Yes, I remember that tale very well."

Druella picked up a box of "one-night red hair dye" and found herself face to face with a golden colour. An idea came to her mind as she faced Victoria. "What if we matched?"

"What do you mean?"

"How do you feel about being Alice herself?" Druella asked with a hopeful grin.

Seeing as Victoria hadn't dressed up for Halloween since she was seven, she wanted her decision to be the best one. And after all, she was already playing the role of Alice in Wonderland.

"I can't imagine anything better," Victoria said with a grin as she picked up the golden hair dye and found herself a silk blue dress with white tulle under, along with a dainty white apron.

As soon as they finished their runs around the boutiques they wanted to visit, it was time for them to make their way to her house. Just near the end of the street was the lovely cottage and cobblestone entryway. As they entered the little gate, Druella summoned water from her wand to freshen the crisp flowers on the lawn.

"Do you reckon your father is home?" Druella asked Victoria, as there was a certain time they spent waiting for him the entire afternoon until it nearly reached curfew.

"I asked him, he should be," Victoria said as she knocked on the door. Just then, the door opened and her father smiled broadly with a warm welcome.

He hugged his daughter before leading them into the living room, which had piles of news and letters that she had sent him from the previous month. Druella grinned as Aberforth apologised for the chaos state of the living room.

"I love it," Druella said. "It's a truthful reflection upon what lies in households."
Victoria grinned at her insight as they all sat down, a cup of tea being conjured before their eyes.

"Well seeing as you don't need a remedy, how's school been going for you both?" Aberforth asked as he mixed some lavender petals into his tea, exactly the way Victoria likes hers.

Druella immediately began to tell Aberforth how she's fitting into the right crowd. "You should've seen her at the first Quidditch game, it was spectacular!" Druella exclaimed.