Motivation ⌁ Tom Riddle ✔

19

I fidgeted in my seat, the girls dormitory cloaking me with a welcoming feeling. Homework was dimming a little and so was the effort required in each subject. We had entered February and the amount of times we were able to go to Hogsmeade was really getting on my nerves. That was all Alison, Emily and Brianna seemed to want to do. The fact that Hogsmeade was now crowded with girls and dresses and boys and tuxedos, it wasn't exactly much fun there anymore.

Alison twirled in her pink fluffy dress. She even had a small tiara. I fidgeted again and cocked my head back a little while I exhaled in boredom. Alison continued to stare at herself, grin, and run her hands down her dress.

"What are your thoughts?" She asked, her grin never ceasing.

"Looks amazing," I smiled.

Alison twirled again and again and again.

"You are just saying that," I could hear the frown in Alison's voice but she still grinned at herself in the mirror.

"No, honestly. It looks good."

"You still need to get a dress, though."

Alison then started to strip carefully out of the pink dress, and she put it gently inside the box it came with. I opened my mouth to speak but never got the chance to. "But do not fret, darling Abigail. Emma, Brittany and I are sorting that out for you as your birthday gift."

I quirked an eyebrow. I didn't want them to have to do that. "Thanks, but I'm sure I can manage without you, Emily and Brianna."

Alison suddenly gasped and turned around quickly after slipping her pants on. "I can't wait to put makeup on you!"

"Ooh, yes--"

"Oh, you'll look lovely, Abigail!" Alison then proceeded to do a twirl with her eyes shut and she almost tripped over a trunk. "Riddle won't be able to resist you once I'm through with you."

∆∆∆∆∆∆

Days passed quickly. Nora, the girl in my muggle studies class who had suddenly turned horrid against me, became more and more angry at me for a reason I was incapable of naming. I didn't know what her problem was. But whenever I had asked her she always flipped her hair in my direction and walked away, swaying her hips.

"Don't worry about her," Stephen told me once in the library as we watched her walk away. "She looks like a goblin, anyway."

I was alone after that, and, being the curious person I was, wandered about the castle again. The thought of getting lost didn't even seem to cross my mind, but the loneliness, however, was really nice.

Until I actually passed Nora and she pointed out that I was a loner.

I exhaled, rolled my eyes, and continued to walk ahead. My ignorance seemed to irritate Nora because she scoffed and mumbled something under her breath.

By the time I sprung out of my thoughts, I had reached a dead end. I stopped at a blank wall, blinked, and turned around. A sudden crumbling noise erupted from behind me, and slowly and curiously, eyebrows furrowed, I turned around and came face to face with a giant, black door with very nice patterns running up and down it. The door looked like steel, and it almost reached all the way up to the roof. I just stood there, gaping like a fish up at the door.

"What are you doing here?" an angry voice gritted from behind me.

I jumped, startled, and whirled around to come face to face with the one and only Tom Riddle, a very furious look on his face. His eyes were giving me the look of a thousand deaths right now, and, even though I wasn't very afraid of him, it still made me shudder.

"I could ask you the same," I said, sounding more confident than I felt. I even folded my arms to further my demand.

Tom, however, acted as if I hadn't even uttered a word. He reached out, seized my arm, and forced me toward him, making me grunt a little. "This area is out of bounds," he hissed.

"W-what? Wait, what are you doing here, then?"

Tom ignored me, huffed angrily, and turned on his foot, dragging me away from the mysterious door.

"This floor is not out of bounds, you are lying!" I said angrily, stomping my foot against the concrete.

"Honestly, Benjamin, must I be acquired to drag you around everywhere?"

"Well, if you let me go, then no."

Tom ignored me again and I gave up and let him assist me away from the door. It was silent, and I noticed Tom glance back at me now and then as he continued to drag me. He looked very annoyed with me.

"So," I said casually, and I felt as if Tom had rolled his eyes the moment I spoke, "I never asked you yet, but what happened with those people after that night in the courtyard?"

"They're alive if that was your actual question." The annoyance in his voice was clear, but I just couldn't stop the questions from pouring out.

"What did you do with them?" I asked quietly. I didn't know whether Tom noticed or not but by now he had slowly released my arm and continued walking by my side.

"Why are you so concerned about those pathetic excuses?" Tom snarled, poison dripping from his lips at the mention of those students. "They were going to harm us. So why, Benjamin, do you care what is done with them?"

I shrugged, biting the inside of my cheek until I could taste more liquid. Tom then crossed in front of me, stalking down a different corridor.

"Hey - where are you going?"

"Keep away from that floor, Benjamin," Tom ignored me, yet again, and continued walking down the corridor without glancing back.

I shrugged again and continued walking until three girls jumped in front of me, looking very content.

"Come - quick! You must come and see!"

"Come on then!"

I was seized by the arm.

"You'll love it!"

Emily, Alison and Brianna all dragged me over to the Ravenclaw common room and quickly forced me into the girls dormitory, where they made me sit on my bed.

Alison crawled under her bed and pulled out a grey box.

"What's going on?"

Alison then opened the box, grinning down at what was inside of it. I sat up on my knees so I could look but Brianna bounced in the way. Alison then came over to me, a silky dark blue dress in her hands. It looked like she was waiting for my reaction.

"Well?" she said. "What do you think?"

"We put our money together and bought you a dress for the ball!" Brianna exclaimed.

"Think of it as a birthday gift," Emily shrugged, half smiling.

I perked up at this and stood up off the bed and examined the dress. It wasn't too fancy of a dress but it also wasn't simple. The straps looked like they'd fall half over my shoulders and the dress wasn't too long nor was it too short. It was perfect.

"Wow, thank you," I breathed, reaching out to feel the material. I gave each of them a sincere smile before pulling them all into a hug.