Stop running from me (A Tom Riddle Story)

Threatened with Fire

Only an hour ago the blackness was absolute, but now mist was visible, silvery. Against this backdrop the trees were silhouettes, still as an oil painting and darker than the ravens. The sunlight slowly began to creep through the arch window, lying on the tiled floor like sweet honey. It was almost as if the sunlight were pulling itself up from the depths of the dark earth, the tendrils of light wrapping itself around the windows, heaving upwards so it could breathe again.

This is what Esmeralda awoke to. After staring out the window and letting the heat of a new day wash over her, she glanced at the grandfather clock that sat in the far corner of the dorm.

Six o'clock.

The girls had told her last night that breakfast started at seven and finished at eight. Esmeralda quickly and quietly got out of her bed and made her way to the bathroom, where she proceeded to have a quick bath. Washing all the grime of yesterday from herself, she thought about what the coming day might hold.

She'd have lessons, meet the teachers... she would also see Tom. Shaking her head at such childish thoughts she drained with bath whilst drying herself off. Once dressed in her Slytherin uniform, she stood before the mirror and peered at her reflection.

Her bright auburn hair sat in ringlets around her shoulders and upper back. The sea green of the uniform contrasted with it nicely. The skirt she wore hit just above the knee, which in Esmeralda's opinion made her legs look slightly large but she didn't think it was that important. Staring at her eyes she titled her head to the side.

Her right eye was blue like glacier melt water, pale with an iridescence not easily forgotten. If you looked closely, green could be seen around the pupil. The mixture of the apple green and sea blue melded together in harmony – This was the eye Esmeralda loved.

The other, she didn't hate, but she wasn't the biggest fan of it.

From a swift glance it was a soft yellow but the more you stared, the more fire was visible. It was a striking frenzy of red, orange and yellow that danced together. Hypnotizing and twisting. It seemed to burn like the beauty of running water so unearthly. Yet it had a dangerous beauty.

Esmeralda was used to them by now but they unnerved a lot of people. She felt glad that her new friends seemed to love it like it was her unique quality, which she supposed it was.

Walking out of the bathroom, she found Grace, Lilah and Remi all sitting up in their beds. Seeing her Grace jumped up and made her way to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Es, why are you so pretty?" whined Remi.

Esmeralda smiled at Remi. The nickname had caught her by surprise but she rather liked it. It was a lot easier to say.

Once all the girls were dressed, they made their way down to the common room, where to Esmeralda's surprise, four sixth year boys were waiting. Remi instantly ran to Cygnus Black who took her hand and smiled at her. Lilah, Grace and Esmeralda walked behind them with the other three boys – Abraxas Malfoy, Edward Lestrange and, of course, Tom Riddle.

Tom was watching her again and Esmeralda felt slightly annoyed by it. Lilah was talking quite cheerfully with Edward, they were clearly good friends. Grace and Abraxas seemed to be talking as well but not quite as spiritedly. This left Esmeralda with Tom, and she wasn't sure if she liked that.

"Why did you transfer?" Tom's voice echoed in her head and she turned to look at him.

"Who said I was a transfer?" she replied watching in amusement as his face contorted into a frown.

"Where do you come from then?" he asked in a more sharp and demanding tone.

Esmeralda sighed.

"If I knew I'd tell you."