To Answer A Riddle [Tom Riddle Era / Harry Potter]

Entry #17

Tom and Elliott had mastered the skill of finding empty rooms or places to be in to be alone. In a school as big as Hogwarts, it was easy, but lots of places were already occupied or weren't isolated from the other wizards.

This time, their hiding space wasn't one which was very complicated: they were simply in their dorm room. Their roommates all had something else to do in this late evening. Elliott was reading his divination book, sitting on his bed, while Tom practiced simple charms in the middle of the room.

It had been two days now since they had made Tom's diary into a horcrux. Tom gave no symptom of any tiredness or sickness, and it was instead Elliott who got tired and almost sick. He still couldn't get any rest, being haunted by his knowledge of the future. Sybill had been of no help and Elliott still had no idea what he was going to do to change the future.

The book Tom had been transfiguring suddenly morphed back to its original form and he grimaced. He let the book go and sat on the bed opposite to Elliott's.

"What is it?" asked the blonde, looking up from his own book. His friend looked irritated.

"I can't concentrate," he answered with a frown. "I keep thinking about the Winter Ball. I can't believe that the professors thought that it was a good idea to have it this year."

"You don't like balls?" asked Elliott with surprise.

"I hate them." Tom seemed really mad. "They are useless. We could use all this time to study or practice new spells, maybe make another horcrux or something! But no, we gotta take freaking dance lessons and lose a whole day for the event. It's ridiculous."

Elliot said nothing and looked back at his book. He did like Balls, but he was not going to tell Tom when he was as angry as he was. It wouldn't help the matter and they would both get irritated.

"I don't want to get a date, I don't want to dance. Why did they think it was such a good idea? I'm seriously thinking about not going. What about you?"

Elliott looked up at Tom. He had to be careful. Measure his words carefully.

"I think I will go," he simply said with a careless tone. He saw Tom frown.

"Why?"

"I... I have a date."

Tom's eyes widened in surprise. Incomprehension showed on his face. Elliott tried not to grimace. He knew he shouldn't have mentioned it...

"With whom?"

"Sybill..."

Elliott was expecting confusion and maybe some surprise but he only received a long laugh for Tom. He was puzzled by his friend's reaction.

"Why is it so funny?" Elliott was slightly insulted. Was he laughing about him, or about Sybill? Either way, it was incredibly mean.

"You..." Tom managed to stop laughing. "You're going to go out with her?"

"What do you mean, her?" Elliott couldn't believe it. It was something to laugh at your friend, but mocking someone you didn't even know...

"She is a very nice girl. She asked me out, and I said yes. What was I supposed to answer, Tom? She's my only girl friend, I like hanging out with her, and there isn't any other girl that I am interested in!"

"Still..." Tom had stopped laughing and was only smiling. "You could have chosen someone less... boring."

"Boring? How is she boring? Care to enlighten me on that perspective?"