Oh, Ophelia | Tom Riddle

Rounds

Ophelia walked to her meeting spot after dinner ten minutes early and of course Riddle was already standing there. He leant against the wall as though he had been waiting there for her for hours.

"Marigold." He addressed, "you're damp." She had never taken the time to dry her hair.

She waved her wand over her hair, "Keen observation skills, Riddle." Once her hair was completely dry, she looked back at him, raising an eyebrow, "Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." He replied as they began walking around the school.

"How early do you get here, Riddle?" Asked Ophelia, having to speed walk to keep up with his longer strides.

"Does it matter?" He asked as though completely agitated by the question.

"Well yes, because I will get here earlier so you don't have to wait around so long." She said and he turned to look at her. Yes she didn't like him very much but she was a Hufflepuff god dammit.

Why couldn't he be ugly? Helga, the boy was gorgeous like some god had created him specifically to impress.

"You could also just arrive later, but I've known you a while and I don't see that happening." Said Ophelia as he looked away from her.

"I get here fifteen minutes early." He replied.

"Why?" She asked.

"We don't need to fill these silences, Marigold." He said.

"You're a smart boy I'm sure you can think of something to say." She sniped and he actually almost looked shocked.

"You've gotten ruder over the summer. You used to be tolerable in small doses." He replied. "Must be your family."

"Riddle does it ever cross your mind to be pleasant when a teacher is not around?" She asked, he shrugged.

"No. I'm not a puff." Said Tom passively.

There was a broom closer a few paces away that was moving in a way broom closets did not naturally move. Ophelia drew her wand and gestures for Rom to open it.

Rabastan Lestrange and Dottie Carrow fell out both half dressed.

"Twenty points from Slytherin." Said Tom as they collected themselves.

"Each." Added Ophelia and Tom rolled his eyes. "Dot, honestly you could do much better." She whispered, to the girl who was covering herself in her robe.

"The heart wants what it wants, Lia." Said Dottie, Giggling a bit. "Besides it's fun to snog. You understand. Or shall I bring up the ba-"

"I suppose, but look at that beard, wouldn't it be like snogging a billy goat?" Asked Ophelia, as Dottie began walking away.

"I don't think about it." Called Dottie as she walked away.

Tom looked back at Ophelia who had already begun walking again.

"Cousins." She said before he had a chance to ask.

"I see." Said Tom, falling into step beside her. "I never knew."

"Well my blood traitor family was never good enough to look into was it?" Asked Ophelia as she frowned at him.

"Did you have to take away forty points from Slytherin?" He asked, and she rolled her eyes.

"You would have taken an even hundred off of Gryffindor. I am far more fair than you." Said Ophelia.

"You just say that because your imbecile brother is a Gryffindor." Said Tom, scowling at the thought of Henry Marigold. The seventh year Gryffindor Quidditch captain.

"He is not an imbecile, a dumbass but not an imbecile." Said Ophelia in defence of her older brother.

"Whatever you need to tel yourself, Marigold." He said.

"So tonight we've covered my house briefly, my family are you going to be for the hat trick? Or is that all you will insult tonight?" She asked.

Amusement flickered over his features for a brief moment before he spoke, "Your friends are also dreadful."

She pulled her long honey hair up into a pony tail.

"Yours aren't exactly peachy Riddle, so why judge mine?" She asked.

"Peachy?" Asked Tom in a tone of absolute disappointment. "I wouldn't want my friends to be described as peachy anyways."

"It's like you've all got the same stick up your-"

"Careful what you say, Marigold." Said Tom, his tone dangerously low.

"Hearts." She finished, crossing her arms over her chest and feeling her ponytail sway behind her as she walked.

"We've all got sticks up our heart?" He mocked, his expression blank.

"Except you Riddle, you know why? Cause you don't have a heart. At least not yet." She said, walking quickly to keep up with him.

"Meaning what, Marigold, do you think I'm going to fall in love?" He drawled.

"You're just the kind of character who typically gets a redemption arch." Said Ophelia, shrugging. "And don't act like it's so impossible."

Tom said nothing for the rest of their patrol until their paths split, "life is not a storybook, Marigold."

"Goodnight to you too Riddle."