Motivation ⌁ Tom Riddle ✔

13

Emily and I returned to Slytherin after Slughorn's party in silence, though she kept looking at me questioningly, as if she wanted me to explain what had happened with Avery. The common room was contained with a few Slytherin's who had just returned from Slughorn's dinner party, including Tom's group. Avery didn't look up as I passed him, only glared straight ahead as he listened to Lestrange talking so low that I couldn't make out one word.

"Well, that was fun," Emily said, breaking the silence.

The feeling of something grasping the back of my cardigan halted me in my tracks. I couldn't move. Oh no, I thought. Not here in the Slytherin common room.

Bright light flashed past my eyes as I stared straight into Emily's concerned silver eyes. The light got brighter, and Emily's face eventually disappeared into the light.

A scene paused in front of me. It was a blond boy with long hair and a girl with dark blonde hair. I noticed those silver eyes. It was Emily and Abraxas Malfoy! They were holding hands. Malfoy leaned over with a soft smile on his face and he whispered something in Emily's ear. He laughed quietly to himself, and Emily looked over at him with a soft look when he looked away from her. She put her hand under his chin to move his face towards hers, and she leaned forward and planted her lips onto his, taking him by surprise. The bright light took over the scene once more, and the tug on my cardigan broke free.

A loud gasp left my mouth as I felt like something had just dropped me onto the floor. Emily was now standing in front of me, shaking me and saying my name over and over again. I breathed in and out deeply, blinking up at Emily. I must have fallen to the floor because I Emily was now towering over me when she was trying to snap me back into reality. A few faces were looking over at the scene with curious eyes. Emily glared at everyone and then helped pull me up to my feet, my legs wobbly and my head throbbing with pain because of the effects the future had on me.

"What's this?" Emily asked, bending down to pick something up off the ground.

I looked behind me at Malfoy, who was squinting at Emily and I. He was so unaware of what he and Emily would become and a sense of unknowing washed over me. It was his unknowing. My eyes suddenly locked onto Tom's, and he was staring at me as if he knew what just happened. I quickly looked away. But when I turned back to Emily, she was holding my diary in her hand. Just as she opened it, I snatched it out of her hands. Emily stared at me with a gape.

"That's mine."

Emily threw her hands up in surrender. "Sorry, Mrs Secretive. But, what just happened? Are you all right?"

"I don't know," I lied. "But, I'm OK now. Let's go check on Brianna."

Emily nodded and I walked with her into her dormitory. Brianna was lying flat on her stomach on her bed with a book in her hands. She jumped when she saw me and Emily walking in, and she tossed the book aside and scrambled off the bed.

"How was it?" She asked eagerly.

"Boring," I answered glumly. "I do not understand why you are so eager to go."

Brianna shrugged, pouting slightly. "I am left out of a lot of things," she said in a sad tone. Emily walked over and wrapped one of her arms around Brianna's shoulder, and smiled softly at her. "But, do not fret, my lovelies! For I just nicked two nobel prizes!"

Emily frowned and removed her arm as Brianna crawled under bed and came back out with two bottles in her hands. Firewhiskey. Something my mother had drowned herself in for years since my father's death. I had always wanted to join her, but, of course, she never let me. Emily squealed excitedly and began to ask where Brianna had got them from.