~ Immortality unveiled ~Tom Riddle x Reader 🐍🌶

Chapter 3/4~ Games ~

*UPDATED: Sep. 13th.2024*

~Tom's POV~

Who is this woman, disrupting my plans with Slughorn? I scowl inwardly, my thoughts as dark as the shadows clinging to the corners of the room. I should have ended her existence the moment she stumbled into Borgin and Burkes. That would have been the simplest solution. But now? Now it's too late. She's embedded herself here—become the new professor. If anything were to happen to her, people would ask questions. And I despise questions.

As I sit here, feigning interest in Slughorn's endless ramblings, I catch her watching me from across the table. Her gaze is sharp, focused, as if I've stolen something precious from her. Does she know? No—she couldn't. Not yet. She's no threat. At least, not in the way she might think she is.

Still, she never takes her eyes off me.

Curious, I admit to myself. There's something different about this one. She has a strange mind—her knowledge of wizarding history is far more extensive than I anticipated. I wasn't even aware of the founder of Hogsmeade, but Miss Eva? She rattles off historical details as though they were common knowledge.

How quaint, I think with a scoff. The past is for fools who dwell on the failures of others. I have no use for it. History, to me, is a series of mistakes waiting to be corrected. The wizarding world is full of inconsequential people clinging to the relics of those who came before. But Eva... She looks for meaning in everything, in everyone. Naïve, really. She's like a child who hasn't yet realized that the world is a far crueler place than she imagines.

Yet despite myself, I find our conversation lingers longer than I anticipated. Usually, I feel the urge to escape these pathetic social gatherings—people bore me with their endless drivel about mundane matters. But tonight? I remain, speaking with this woman, Eva Orlov, who has somehow piqued my interest, if only slightly. I don't feel the usual revulsion I do with others. Perhaps her usefulness has yet to reveal itself.

But it will, I remind myself. Everything and everyone can be useful to me if I play my cards right.

As the evening draws to a close, we rise to leave Slughorn's chambers. The buffoon is too far gone in his drink to notice our departure. His lack of attention is no surprise—he's always been oblivious to the bigger picture. A mistake I will never make.

Eva walks ahead of me, and in a sudden, clumsy movement, she bumps into me as we step into the corridor. Clumsy woman, I think with irritation, but my hands move reflexively to catch her. I grip her shoulders—tighter than necessary, my fingers digging into her skin for just a moment too long.

Her eyes widen in surprise, and I catch a flicker of fear. Good. She should fear me. I could crush her if I wanted to. But instead, I offer a practiced, charming smile and an apology that tastes bitter on my tongue.

"I'm sorry," she stammers, her voice soft. I say nothing for a beat, letting her discomfort hang in the air, enjoying the way her eyes dart away. She looks as though she's considering fleeing, but instead, she straightens up and offers a flustered explanation.

"No need to apologize," I say smoothly, though my mind screams at the absurdity of this exchange. Why am I wasting my time with her? But I maintain the facade. There's no harm in keeping her under my spell for now.

"Good night, Miss Orlov," I murmur, my voice as soft as silk.

But she surprises me. "Eva," she corrects gently, almost shyly.

My smile falters for a fraction of a second. Eva. She dares to use my name so familiarly. "Good night, Eva," I reply, keeping my voice low, though my mind seethes. I hate that name. The false name that ties me to this world of fools.

She doesn't seem to notice my irritation, and I watch as she turns and walks briskly down the corridor toward her private chambers. Her footsteps echo in the silence, and for a moment, I wonder if I've miscalculated. No. She's no threat. Not yet.

But she could be useful.

As I stand there, watching her disappear into the shadows, I know one thing for certain: I will bide my time. I will maintain my charming smile, my polite façade. Her knowledge could prove valuable, and if it does, I'll use it. If not, I'll dispose of her as I do with all useless things.

I turn on my heel and make my way to my own chambers, the corridors of Hogwarts whispering in the silence around me. There's a smile on my lips now, but it's not for her. It's for me. For the power I possess, for the secrets I hold, and for the inevitable victory that awaits me.

Miss Eva Orlov may suspect that I'm not all that I appear to be, but she has no idea how far I've come or how deep my ambitions run. She will never know the full extent of my plans until it's too late for her—or for anyone else.

As I slip into the darkness of my chambers, my smile deepens. The game is far from over.

It's only just begun.

And the pieces? They are falling into place perfectly.

Victory is within my grasp, and I will stop at nothing to claim it. The game doesn't end until I decide it does.