The Golden Age of Hollywood . Tom Riddle

Chapter 4

            And yet, one mystery down, several others remained. For example, Norma. He couldn't think of an excuse to talk to her, and didn't want to make Malfoy hold back the news about her for no reason any longer.

Norma never ceased to amaze him. The more he observed her, the stranger things he found out. She was a kaleidoscope, a puzzle without end- she was full of new revelations, always joyful, amused by smallest things. Her carelessness annoyed him, but now he noticed it was carefully measured, allowing just the right amount of risk and fun to her life. Something, he had to admit to himself, he had never had guts to do. He made a very unpleasant conclusion- he needed her. To find out more about her, merely curious, and nothing else.

Winter had almost ended and he had grown so impatient, for the first time he couldn't wait any longer. He had to get all answers. Now.

"We need to talk," he said flatly as he grabbed Norma's forearm and pulled her into one of the unused classrooms and locked the doors. Then, he still tried to keep up his usual façade, but couldn't think of any way to start the conversation.

"Well," Norma began softly, as if conversing to a toddler, "it must be something important, right?"

He hated it. Her voice, she was toying with him. Suddenly, he got an idea.

"You didn't thank me for letting you in the Slug Club."

"Don't expect me to be thankful for something I could have achieved myself," said Norma. Surprisingly, her voice wasn't angry this time. Nor oddly calm. She was just chatting with him.

"Slughorn would have never invited you," said Tom stubbornly and immediately cringed inwardly. For some reason, he had just ruined all the progress made with her. Now she will get angry again. But Norma laughed sincerely.

"Why do you want me to be stupid so badly?"

That was an odd question. He didn't answer. He didn't know.

"You want me to depend on you, just like every other person. But I'm a free woman, Tom, I'm fine on my own."

Of course, Americans and their freedom.

"No, you're not," he said bluntly and this time actually closed his eyes in embarrassment. What the hell was wrong with him? He could lie to everybody all the time and not slip, but now he just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Norma didn't laugh this time, but as he looked at her, she didn't appear angry.

"Why do you want me to depend on you? You have plenty of followers. Maybe, you're afraid I'll run away?"

He had never thought about that. But indeed, every time Norma strayed away from him, he felt uneasy and insecure. He just didn't know why.

"Are you interested in me, Tom?"

He wanted to kill right on the spot. Tom Riddle, swoon and salivating over some girl? How could she even think that? And yet, he stood still.

"I can't tell what you think, but my guess would be you feel curious and fascinated." She fell silent and watched him some more. Then added, "I'll admit it, I became interested in you as time went on. Your obsession with me awakened my curiosity and allowed to see you in different light." She walked up closer to him, her hand in her robes' pockets. "That's why I sent you that diary. I wanted you to talk to me. But you've held yourself well, almost as if nothing happened. But I saw, during Slug Club- turns out, you've been thinking about it all the time. And now, you didn't even think of a plan for this conversation, so desperate you were for answers."