After what Iris told me, I found myself in my room at Hogwarts overthinking. Suddenmy, Tom stepped inside with his usual air of quiet confidence, his presence immediately drawing my attention.
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"Good evening" he greeted.
I glanced up, surprised but not entirely caught off guard. Tom and I were roommates after all and while our interactions were often marked by tension, moments like these still felt unexpectedly intimate. I nodded in respons and watched Tom crossing the room to his side, where his wardrobe stood.
As he opened the wardrobe, I couldn't help but notice his movements. He reached for a black top, pulling it out and slipping off his current one. I couldn't help but steal glances, my eyes tracing the lines of his physique. Muscular and toned, as if sculpted by Hades himself. His skin was remarkably pale.
Caught in my observation, I quickly averted my gaze, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. He must've noticed. He turned to face me, his expression unreadable but his eyes sharp.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice low.
I struggled to find an excuse, my mind racing. "I was... um... wondering if you could explain some potions to me" I blurted out. "The potion's homework is hard to finish."
Tom arched an eyebrow, clearly amused by my flustered state. "Potions?" he repeated with a smirk. "You seem quite curious today."
I nodded quickly, hoping to regain my confidence. "Yes well, I thought it would be... beneficial to learn from the best. I still have some difficulties in some potions."
He regarded me thoughtfully for a moment, his gaze lingering on mine. "Very well" he conceded, his tone betraying a hint of amusement. "Let's go to the library then. We can discuss potions in more detail and I'll see what you can do for me. Nothing's free."
Relief washed over me, grateful for his agreement. "Okay." I said, gathering my things and following him out of the room. As we walked through the corridors of Hogwarts towards the library, the encounter replayed in my mind. Besides, I was so happy that I'll have to spend sometime with him alone without his minions.
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As we entered the library, Tom and I found an empty table tucked away in a quiet corner, away from prying eyes and the soft whispers of other students absorbed in their studies. I settled into my seat, pulling out a parchment and quill, ready to take notes. Tom sat across from me, his posture relaxed. He leaned forward slightly and looked at me with a keen interest that made me momentarily uneasy.
"I've heard stories about you but never had the chance to ask you directly" he began, "Where do you come from?"
The question caught me off guard. We had never ventured into personal topics before and I hesitated for a brief moment, my mind racing to craft a plausible lie. I can't reveal I'm a siren.
"I'm from Greece" I replied evenly, trying to sound casual.
Tom's expression remained neutral but I sensed a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Greece" he mused softly. "That's quite a distance from here."
I nodded, fabricating details about the temple and my parents work, weaving a tale that seemed to intrigue him. "Yes, it's been a big change but Ireland and England are fascinating in their own way." He nodded in acknowledgment but didn't press for more details. Instead, he changed the subject to potions.
"And what about you?" I asked, seizing the opportunity of silence. "Where do you come from?"
His gaze flickered and for a moment, a shadow crossed his face. "I'm an orphan" he replied tersely, his voice devoid of emotion. "I grew up in an orphanage."
I sensed the abrupt end to that line of questioning and decided not to ask furtger. Instead, I directed the conversation back to potions. Despite the layers of mystery that surrounded Tom, I found myself drawn to his intellect and intelligence. He explained to me the properties on each ingredients from every plant and elixirs even though I knew each one of them. Potions have been my specialty even under the sea.
By the time we gathered our belongings to leave, I realized that our conversation had revealed more about Tom Riddle than I had ever expected. His days at Hogwarts, his passion for sorcery but he seemed to avoid anything related to his family or the orphanage.
As we entered our shared room, Tom moved towards his side his thoughts clearly preoccupied. I settled onto my bed with a curious glance in his direction.
"I think my father is a wizard" Tom finally broke the silence. "Dumbledore told me he has never taught any Riddles before. I couldn't find our last name in any record or anything in the castle. My mom... she's probably not magical. She died after giving birth to me, so I assume she didn't possess magical abilities. Now your turn to repay me."
That makes him a half-blood? His revelation shocked me. Whoever thought the slytherin prefect who hates mudbloods so much to have a muggle parent! "How can I repay you?" I asked intrigued.
"I need you to find anything about where do I come from. Anything about the Riddle family." he ordered.
"Of ocurse I'd love to. I'll do my best even if I have to search the restricted section of the library."
He glanced back at me, his gaze unreadable yet tinged with a hint of something softer beneath his usual composed demeanor but he didn't say anything. He went to his desk and opened the black notebook he has been carrying for the past week and started writing. Tom Marvolo Riddle has a diary?
