You're My Flower || Tom Riddle

Chapter 14: A Mistake

Jingle Bells.. Jingle Bells.. Jingle all the way.. Oh what fun it is to ride a one horse open sleigh!

"Shut that damn thing up!" Julia screamed and pressed the pillow over her ears, kicking her legs on the bed.

"Fine," Chloe turned off the little muggle recorder, "It's a christmas present from my mom."

"Come on.. Let's go to the Great Hall before we leave tomorrow to Connor's mansion!" Julia hauled her up and dragged her out the dormitory.

Emily ate the chocolate frog silently, when she noticed Rebecca huddled against the bed, looking uncertain at her.

"What's wrong? You looked tired," she crawled to her side, taking her hands.

"Emily- you.. don't know about Riddle's family background, do you?"

She shook her head, "No.. Not really. It doesn't really matter, does it?"

Rebecca crossed her arms, then looked at Emily with her brown green eyes, "It depends on you.. I'd figure out why he doesn't goes back during Christmas. My father's an auror, and  Dumbledore spoke to him about Tom Riddle. Turns out, he's an.. orphan."

"What?" she covered her mouth, wide eyed, "He doesn't have a home or parents?"

"Yes! Which makes it worse, do you know why?" Rebecca moved closer, "He has nothing to lose at all, no one to love... I knew it would come to this. You can start avoiding him, it's still not too late to go to Connor's mansion -"

"No."

"What?"

"No. I won't. I don't care if he's an orphan, Rebecca! Why does it matter after all?"

"Emily! You don't get it! Why would he hide it from you? It's obvious, isn't it? He hides the fact that he's not a pureblood!"

"Tom's not a muggle born, and if he was, it still doesn't matter," Emily said firmly.

"And how do you know that? Once you know the truth you'll regret it!"

"He - he can speaks to snakes. A-and only the heirs of slytherin can speaks to snakes..."

Rebecca was loss for words. "He can - what?"

"He's the heir of slytherin, Rebecca. But don't tell anyone that!"

"Oh all right, like as if I wanted to be killed by Tom Riddle! But do take care of yourself.. Don't say that I told you about this, please, Emily, I'm scared!"

She patted her friend's hands, "I won't."

*******
She was left alone in her room by the time it struck afternoon. Emily was itching to know the truth about Tom, and for the first few days she held herself back, and he was getting suspicious about her actions.

Emily sputtered a lot, and she touched on some topics regarding about his background.

She pulled her cloak on, strapped the flint, gray winter boots on and went outside. The snow was thick so Emily marked her footprints on it and walked near the quidditch pitch.

"Tom! I'm here!"

He had his hands shoved into his coat, staring at the horizon.

"Let's go eat later at the Great Hall. Did you receive my presents? Do you liked them?"

He nodded his head, smiling a bit. He only did it when there was not much people around, and especially when she's there.

"I knew it! After all, you had liked those stuff last year too..." she pondered on the thought and finally asked him, "Tom.. You're an orphan, aren't you?"

He dropped his smile and stared angrily at her, "Who told you that? How dare you know about it without my permission!" he snarled, and grabbed her wrist tightly until it hurt.

"Tom, please, I -" she tried pulling free but his grip was like metal chains.

"Tom! Please! It's not the fact that you're an orphan that bothered me, it's why you never told me! You know I don't care if you don't have a family -"

"Shut up!" he shouted, "You don't know about me. And you won't," he said without hesitation. Emily felt her legs turned like jelly, and she didn't dare to move. His stare felt like hot coals burning through her face.

"I didn't mean to -"

"I think it's quite enough," he laughed coldly, "You can stop coming to me already," Tom pushed her roughly away. There were red marks on the place where he grabbed her.

"Why? I don't despise you! Tom, I -"

"Perhaps you should know better than dig into someone's privacy, you stupid, low hufflepuff."

"Please!"

"You might want to watch what you say from now. I'll be hearing every word you speak- and if I caught you spreading rumors, I shall make the snakes bite you, I'll make you suffer." He turned his back and walked to the doors.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the ground, and watched him went back inside the castle.

*******
Emily felt sick to her stomach. Christmas was already over and her friends had immediately noticed the change in her.

She looked sour faced, lying on her bed with bags under her eyes. Her hair was messy, and she hadn't change out of her nightgown. All the curtains were closed except for a ray of light coming from the half closed window.

"Wake up.. I've been waiting for you outside for nearly ten minutes!" Rebecca shook her shoulder.

"I haven't slept the whole night. I'm very tired," Emily tried to roll over but she caught hold of her wrists and pulled her up.

"Hey!" she wailed and Rebecca had to pat her cheeks.

"Don't act so sad every day! He's just a bad friend that you shouldn't -"

"I'll be ready. Excuse me," Emily made her way to the girls bathroom and changed into her robes, washed her face and tried combing her long hair.

"Come on, you looked better like this.."Rebecca pulled her along the corridors near Charms class when a bunch of slytherins walked at their left.

All his friends were with him and she stopped walking. Emily watched him," Tom!"she finally spoke," Can we - "

He passed by her without looking whilst his friends glared at her. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach and bit her lower lip until every single one of them had gone past.

"What are you thinking? He won't come back to you -" her friend dragged her along as she stood there, paralysed.

"Rebecca. He didn't tried to come back to me. It was just me that wanted to go back. It's all my fault," she said softly.