Both obsessed/Tom Riddle

First class and schedule.

The castle was still asleep when the pale fingers of dawn crept through the narrow, towering windows of the Slytherin dormitory. The ancient stone walls of the dungeons, though cold, had a certain quiet comfort to them. The usual, unearthly chill that clung to the deep recesses of Hogwarts was less menacing in the early morning hours, though one could never fully escape the sense of the castle's age and mystery. The soft sound of distant waves crashing against the rocky shore beneath the school echoed faintly through the stone corridors.

Ernesh Balcom awoke in the darkness, as he had done for the past several years. It was still early—far too early for most students. Yet, for some reason, it felt right to rise before the sun, as if the stillness of the world were the only time his thoughts could settle. With a quiet exhale, he blinked his large, black eyes—a peculiar trait that made him look like something both human and otherworldly. His gaze was sharp, his eyes dark and glossy like a serpent's, and his skin was pale as moonlight, with a slight shimmer to it, as if light could not quite touch him.

Ernesh was no stranger to being called strange. His appearance alone had drawn more than one curious glance when he had first arrived at Hogwarts just yesterday, but it wasn't just his looks that separated him from the rest. He had a quiet, dangerous aura about him—one that both unnerved and intrigued those who came near. Some of the older students whispered about his resemblance to ancient, mythical creatures, and there were rumors, of course, that his bloodline might not be entirely human.

But none of that mattered. Not now. Not here, in this dimly lit room where the shadows clung to the corners like old friends. Ernesh turned his head slowly, gazing toward the bed opposite his, where the still form of his best friend and "master," Tom Riddle, slept.

Tom's face was calm, peaceful even, a sharp contrast to the sometimes unsettling energy of his presence. His handsome features were marred by none of the peculiarities that Ernesh wore like a cloak—no oddness, no strangeness. Tom was perfect in a way that made others gravitate toward him, even without him speaking. His dark hair, neatly swept back, and his pale skin seemed to glow in the dimness of the room. He was not just Ernesh's friend; he was something more, someone whose power Ernesh had come to revere.

The boy was an enigma, but in the quiet of their shared space, Ernesh had found a strange comfort. Tom's presence was a constant, something Ernesh could always rely on. And today was a big day—the first day of their first at Hogwarts, but for Ernesh, it was the first day he would truly be entering the world of magic with purpose.

He stood up from his bed, his bare feet brushing the cool floor, and moved silently toward the door of the dormitory. The soft swish of his nightshirt, dark as shadow, was the only sound he made. He paused as he glanced once more at Tom, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.

Tom's eyelids fluttered as if disturbed by the faintest breath, and within moments, his sharp eyes snapped open, locking onto Ernesh's figure in the gloom.

"What are you doing?" Tom's voice was quiet, a low murmur like the hiss of a serpent, but there was a sharpness to it that made it clear he wasn't fully asleep. His gaze, however, was almost indifferent, as though he was only mildly curious.

Ernesh felt a pang of something—not fear, but something more, something better—as he met Tom's gaze. There was something in the way Tom looked at him that always made his skin crawl, and yet, it drew him in all the same.

"I'm..." Ernesh hesitated, his words barely more than a whisper. He could feel the weight of Tom's stare, even in the darkness. "I'm going to take a shower."

Tom's lips quirked upward into the faintest smile, one that didn't reach his cold eyes. "At this hour?"

Ernesh nodded slowly, his dark eyes flicking toward the door, and then back at Tom. "I don't sleep much,I wanted to be beside you. You looked so peaceful in your sleep," he said in that same whisper, as though sharing a secret.