complicity [tom riddle]

ii.

8th September 1944

That night the moon opened its way through Heidi's lacey curtains into her room along with the wind howling and creatures of the forbidden forest wailing. Weather-wise it was a tragedy, a beautiful one at that. The kind of night that made her miss Tobias Nott and their old fourth year shenanigans. Reading, analysing, and gossiping over a shared fag.

Fuck it, she said in her head.

Heidi slipped her feet out of bed and slid on some thick grey socks, a pair of shorts, and an oversized Slytherin Quidditch jumper she had bought from the school merchandise shop in Diagon Alley. She pulled the sleeves up of the jumper so that they rested just under her fingers and crept out her accommodation.

The door shut behind her without a peep and she cast, "Lumos."

Her wand dimly lit the corridors just enough for her to be able to sensibly navigate her way through to the boys side. She had to remind herself that Tobias shared a room with Rhydian Lestrange and Charles Rosier, they weren't the kindest but were certainly the better half of the six. Truthfully, the ones that had really taunted her for years were just Abraxas Malfoy and Judias Avery. She used to always conclude it down to the fact that they were sexually repressed and that's why they were so callous and cruel to girls but that eventually became a void of an explanation when they started fucking girls left, right, and centre in third year.

In fact, she could argue that they became even nastier afterwards. Power-hungry. Knowing they could just have sex with girls, girls they had even bullied in the past made them feel almost entitled to give out snide remarks, like treats.

Whatever you're into! She laughed to herself.

Once she had reached the door she presumed to be his, she cupped her ear to the large wooden door for precautions. She heard Tobias' familiar voice muffled behind. Never heard of a Muffliato charm, huh? She said a silent prayer before knocking three times and waited, chewing away like an infant at her nails in nervousness.

A warm light beamed through the crack in the door as it opened and a familiar face poked through.

"Heidi?" Tobias exclaimed quietly in surprise, confusion appearing on his face.

Heidi's visage went blood red and she found her hand scratching the back of her neck in nervousness, wondering if this was a stupid, stupid idea. She bit her lip, in the same place that has just been healed, like an idiot, and began to pick at some loose threads at the bottom of her jumper. She brought up the strength to look him in the eyes despite the fact she was visibly very nervous. Visibly nervous.

Tobias could see this and he stepped out of the room and shut the door softly behind him. "I've not seen you in the longest time. Why are you here now?" He asked patiently.

She smiled meekly, "You could say, I missed you?"

He broke eye contact and he, himself started to look a tad nervous but that was hard for Tobias. Although he's well-educated and benevolent he has a tough exterior, craning over everyone else and keeping to himself. Rather out of the ordinary to see him experience a hint of mere nervousness.

I shouldn't have come, she thought.

"I thought you hated me." He spoke.

"Hated you? Why would I hate you?"

Eye contact formed strongly between them again. His attitude started to turn into a sense of tempestuous guilt. He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"In fourth year, back when we were friends...I realised that Judias and Abraxas' picking on you was getting harsher by the day, from tiny remarks to physical violence. That's when you stopped talking to me," The right corner of his lip curved up to a half smile, "I don't blame you, I never did anything to stop them, it. I understood."