𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒, ᵗᵒᵐ ʳⁱᵈᵈˡᵉ. ✓

032.

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It was a chilly autumn Saturday, and the streets of Hogsmeade bustled with students enjoying their first trip to the village since the start of term. The air was crisp, leaves scattered across the cobblestone streets as they danced in the wind, and shops were filled with the sweet scent of butterbeer, warm pastries, and magical trinkets. The town felt alive with the carefree energy that always came with these excursions—a brief respite from the pressures of their N.E.W.T. year.

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Among the throng of students making their way through Hogsmeade, Daphne Rose walked with a slight skip in her step, her emerald-green cloak billowing behind her as she glanced sideways at the figure beside her. Tom Riddle's posture was characteristically rigid, his steps measured, and his dark eyes scanned the surroundings as if calculating every movement, every interaction.

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He wasn't the type to indulge in idle activities like shopping trips to Hogsmeade, and Daphne knew that. She had practically begged him to join her today, knowing full well that Tom rarely did anything that didn't serve some greater purpose. Yet, somehow, after weeks of pleading—whether out of mild curiosity or simply to silence her persistence—he had relented. "This is going to be fun," Daphne said with a bright smile, tugging at his sleeve playfully as they walked. "You can't be serious all the time, you know. It's just one afternoon."

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Tom's gaze flickered toward her, his expression impassive. "I fail to see how wandering around Hogsmeade, visiting shops full of frivolous nonsense, qualifies as fun." Daphne laughed, a light, teasing sound that seemed to soften the tension in the air. "You'll see," she insisted. "There's more to life than books and perfecting spells. Besides, I need your opinion on a few things." Tom raised an eyebrow. "My opinion?"

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"Yes," she said, stopping in front of a shop window displaying an array of enchanted jewelry. "I've been thinking of getting a new bracelet. Something subtle but elegant." Tom followed her gaze to the window, his expression unchanged. "I wasn't aware that your taste in jewelry required my input." Daphne rolled her eyes, though there was no real annoyance in her gesture. She had grown used to his dry remarks and the distance he kept between himself and everyone else. But there was a part of her that enjoyed chipping away at his aloofness, even if it was in small, fleeting moments like this.

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"You have good taste," she said, turning to face him fully. "You're always so precise about everything—your clothes, your handwriting, even your spellwork. I figured you might have some insight into what would look best." Tom's eyes lingered on her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a slight nod, he stepped forward, peering into the window as if humoring her. Daphne smiled to herself, feeling a small victory in having persuaded him this far. She leaned closer to the glass, pointing out a delicate silver bracelet with tiny emerald stones embedded in the links. "What about that one?" she asked, her tone almost playful.

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Tom examined the bracelet with a dispassionate glance, his arms folded behind his back. "It's adequate," he said finally. "But you could do better." Daphne raised an eyebrow, amused. "Better? You have an opinion on this?" He didn't answer immediately, his eyes flickering over the display once more before settling on a different bracelet—this one with a more intricate design, silver intertwined with darker metal, almost like vines twisting together, with a single sapphire stone at its center.