One-shots/Short Stories

Tom Riddle

She Loved Him
The doors to the Mess Hall opened, revealing Mrs Cole and a girl. Mrs Cole was the main lady who looked after the orphans, despite the fact that she didn't really care much about them.
   Everyone watched as Mrs Cole showed kindness to the girl, leading her to a table while speaking softly to her about the Mess Hall. "This is where we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner." Tom heard her say to the girl. His lips twisted into a grimace at the sight of the woman being kind to the girl.

Sickening.

Mrs Cole gave the girl her dinner (stew) before making her leave. Every orphan went back to their business, though every once in a while glanced in her direction curiously. Tom watched her from his lonely table, noticing she was quite different amongst the other orphans he knew.
   She was quiet, and had a look of content on her face. Something you do not see everyday in an orphanage. Maybe she had a bad life before she came here. . .
   His eyes widened when he saw the spoon beside her bowl move around in a circle. . .

Without the girl even touching it.

She's like me, he thought to himself. She can move stuff.
   It was time for bedtime; Mrs Cole came back and started leading the girl to her room. Tom followed closely - but found out he didn't need to sneak, since her room was just a door down from his. When she entered her room, he went into his; his mind thinking up ideas to talk to her about the fact that she moved an object with her mind.

***

Tom saw her watching the orphans play together outside, her small form in a big jacket to keep her warm. When he moved closer to her, he realised she wasn't watching the kids, but was instead watching snowflakes fall to the ground gently. But what gained his interest was the way the snowflakes fell. While they were falling, it would make shapes - animals, people. . .
   Tom sat next to her, and made snowflakes form into a snake before it touched the ground. She turned to him in surprise. "You're like me." was all she said.
   "So it seems." he said back.
   "Amelia Cushing."
   "Tom Riddle."
   "A man is coming to see us." she suddenly said. He turned to her surprised. And he barely ever gets surprised. "I can see stuff that are yet to happen." She turned to him, her eyes distant. He presumed she was looking into the future. "He's an okay man. He's like us."

***

Years later. . .
They were in the middle of their Potion class; Amelia went to get the ingredients when she fell into a vision. At first Tom ignored it since it was not unusual for her. But when she dropped the glass of lizard eyes on the ground (making all the girls scream) and didn't move, Tom knew it was serious. Not only was she frozen, she had a look of horror and fear etched on her face. It was basically a cry for help to him. So for the first time for everyone, they saw the admired boy jump over the working bench to go to her, bringing her into his arms.
   "Amelia," Tom called out, lightly patting her face; snapping her out of her vision, "what did you see?"
   "Death," she whispered, "lots and lots of death. . ."
   "Why?" he asked quietly. "What did you see?"
   "A man and woman in their house. . ." she whispered, her eyes distant. "They're killed from protecting their child. . ."
   "Who killed them?" Tom asked her. She continued looking into the distance, suddenly taking an intake of breath, her face turning pale. "Amelia?"
   "You." she barely choked out. "You did it. . ."
   "Miss Cushing, Mister Riddle?" Professor Slughorn came to them warily. "Is everything okay?"
   "I'm afraid Miss Cushing is feeling unwell." Tom told the teacher, eyes still on her. "I'll just take her to the Hospital Wing." And without another word, Tom lifted her effortlessly into his arms, making girls around sigh in envy and adoration. Slughorn even smiled - and that's because he secretly liked the two together.
   He remembered their first year; they stuck together like glue. When Amelia got sorted into Ravenclaw, Tom into Slytherin, everyone thought that Tom would ignore her like Slytherins usually do to other houses. But surprisingly, the next day at breakfast, Amelia was beside Tom having breakfast. It surprised everyone and thought that the tension between Slytherin and Ravenclaw was now in a truce. It was official when Tom became the role model in Hogwarts. Everyone admired him.
   Everywhere he went, so was Amelia. They were two peas in a pod. Where one goes, the other follows. Even waiting outside the toilets for each other. Girls saw Tom waiting outside of the girl toilets for Amelia - making the rumours fly that the two were dating. When that came out, everyone started making bets - they were together, they weren't, they secretly were, they will in two months. . .
   "Two galleons added to my bet that they will court after this incident!" Slughorn called out. Yells of deals came from a few students in reply.

***

When the nurse walked away, Tom sat on the side of Amelia's bed, taking in the sight of her pale face. She had her eyes closed, concentrated on her visions. He wanted to know more about the vision from earlier.
   "Amelia." he called out to her. "What did you mean I killed them?"
   "It was you, but wasn't you." she whispered, eyes still closed. "You changed."
   "Changed?" Tom questioned.
   "You weren't the handsome man you are now." she lifted a weak, cold hand to his face, gently caressing it. "You looked like a monster. . .with no nose." Tom raised an eyebrow at her answer. "And your beautiful hair. . .gone." He felt a little saddened at that. He quite liked his hair. "Scary. . .so many killings. . ."
   She looked into the distance. "A child." she whispered. "A boy defeated you. All evil gone. . ."
   "Amelia. . ." Tom stared at her warily. "How. . .why. . ."
   "I know what you have been up to, Tom." she told him, pulling her hand away from his face. He forgot that her hand was there. He had grown used to her touch. "And I've seen the future just then. Don't do it. You will fail. Please, I don't want to see you like that. It was bad enough seeing it as a vision. I don't want to experience it."
   Tom looked into her eyes; her eyes full of fear and concern. . .and love. She was concerned for him. She feared for him. She loved him. . .
   "Okay." he whispered, not liking her look of sadness. "I won't look for horcruxes."
   And just like that, the hidden barriers broke. All suppressed feelings came out. Happiness, joy, sadness, fear, love. . .

Tom Riddle was no longer numb.

***

Days later. . .
A line was formed at the Great Hall, everyone grumbling in defeat. They all held five galleons and three shillings for Slughorn - his bet becoming true.
   Amelia and Tom watched the students reluctantly give their money to the happy-looking Slughorn. The rest of the staff and students stared on in amusement. Tom stared at the sight with raised eyebrows, Amelia having already seen it coming.
   "Did you see this coming -"
   "Yep." Amelia continued eating her food. Tom stared at her with furrowed brows.
   "So you knew that we'd -"
   "I only saw them giving the professor money. I didn't know why." She looped her arm with his. "Until now."
   Tom smiled down at her gently, placing a chaste kiss into her temple. He looked up and noticed Dumbledore staring at him with a genuine smile for once. Tom then knew that he did the right thing. Not only did he break the curse on himself, he truly had Amelia at his side willingly.
   And he wouldn't have it any other way.

The End