Extreme Ways ( A Tom Riddle fanfiction )

Chapter 7

"You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue - resourcefulness - determination - a certain disregard for rules"
HP2

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Evelyn was immensely excited to go back to Hogwarts. The forth year was the middle of the school career, she felt she wasn't too much young nor too much old.
She was sure she would have loved that year.
At the first occasion, she dragged Riddle to her tower and made him stand in front of the door of her common room, where the doorknob said its usual riddle.
"I spit like bacon,
I am made with an egg
I have a backbone but lack a good leg
I peel layers like onions but still remain whole
I am long as a flagpole yet fit in a hole
Who am I?".
Riddle smirked, saying confidently "A snake".
She giggled "Exactly!".
"It was easy" he said a bit disappointed.
"Yeah. I got this riddle and it reminded me of you" she explained pushing him far from the door and down the tower.
"How sweet" he gave her a defiant smile "I guess it wouldn't hard for me to sneak into your tower sometimes".
"You are smart enough to be a Ravenclaw" she confirmed.
They walked together to their Transfiguration lesson.
"How your holidays had been?".
"Awful" she said with a bad face.
"Same as mines. The opposite of what your cousin claims".
"Yeah, she had fun. But all I wanted was to come back here" she said with satisfaction.
Riddle smiled and reached his seat while she joined her housemates.
It was nice to be back home, with all those students and professors And her goal was to astonish them all.

Professor Slughorn thought that it would be great to start he new year with a Potion tournament, without realizing that it sounded like it meant starting with the final exams.
Evelyn wasn't good enough in that subject and the word Tournament was driving her insane.
As if he read her mind, Riddle stopped next to her while she was desperately reading the new Potion book.
"Slept well?" He asked lightly.
She eyed him sceptical "When did you start to care about how I sleep?".
He smirked opening his mouth to reply but the arrival of the teacher silenced him.
"Burke and Riddle, perfect" professor Slughorn moved towards the other students to match them.
Evelyn widened her eyes, turning to see the boy who silently stepped closer.
He slightly winked at her shocked face, inhaling in a cocky way "Ready to work?".
She rolled her eyes but she accepted the challenge "Sure, Slytherin".
"Awesome, Ravenclaw".
They had to try to make some Veritaserum.
It was a long and complicated job, but the result was also dangerous.
Riddle started to work like it wasn't a group project and she complained.
"I prefer to operate alone" he simply explained.
"I can tell the same for me" she searched for the professor, who was busy at his desk.
"You can fetch the ingredients" Riddle said, writing down fast some lines.
He handed her the piece of parchment. She admired his elegant handwriting, but frowned seeing that he changed the doses of each ingredient.
If he was trying to make her fail, he was about to fail as well. So she shrugged without complaining and went to pick the ingredients.
Then they prepared them together, but she noticed that he wasn't respecting the doses.
"It says two drops" she complained fearing that the potion was now wasted and they had to start over.
"The citrus is a catalyst. It will speed up the reactions, so we'll have to hurry a bit" he added a third drop. The potion bubbled louder.
"If this crazy idea of yours will make us fail and humiliate in front of the school, I swear.." She hissed against him.
"What?" He turned his face towards her, coming so closer that she felt his breath on her skin.
"You'll be in big troubles" she menaced.
"What if I'll make us succeed?".
She glanced at the cauldron "Focus on the task. You said we have to hurry now".
He kept working while she surrendered to their destiny. If he made them fail, she would have never forgive it to him. And it was nice to imagine how she would have teased him forever.
Instead the result was totally unexpected.
Professor Slughorn tested the final result and slapped his hands with enthusiasm.
"Excellent! It can't be more perfect. Fifty points to Slytherin and other fifty to Ravenclaw".
Nobody else reached a good result as theirs.
Evelyn was speechless, but she learned not to distrust Riddle's weird ideas. She had to know that he would not make himself fail.
"Congratulations, Slytherin" she whispered to him with a smile.
"Same to you, Ravenclaw" he replied with a grin.
Slughorn approached them again, saying in a confidential tone "You're both invited to my next private parties. I should have made you join earlier. But you are more than welcomed in all the future suppers".
When finally the bell rang she was already leaving the room in a hurry, being the first to leave.
Joining the Slugclub was her last wish.
Suddenly a hand wrapped around her wrist making her abruptly spin and bump against the chest of a tall boy.
She gasped struggling away from the grip "What the...".
"How did you know when exactly the bell rang?" Riddle asked with amusement.
"I counted the seconds?".
"We had a conversation suspended. I made us brilliantly succeed. And since I'm not in troubles... What's my reward?".
She scowled at him "My compliments. What else do you want?".
"We could be a good team, Burke. But be careful. There's something different in you. I don't know how to explain it, but I fear you'll get soon into troubles".
"Is that a menace?" She was getting nervous because other students could see them together and spread bad rumours.
"No, but you know how your evil cousin loves you".
"I know. And I'll deal with her".