Rose & The Riddle || Tom Riddle Story

Chapter Twenty-Five - Amends

Rose once again walked down the dark hallway. She followed the voices as she did almost every night. She entered the room and joined the hooded figures kneeling, waiting for their master.

"My dear followers," said the leader, wearing dark robes with a hood. "Thank you for being here tonight."

The creature's long, pale fingers pulled the hood off of his head. Rose was not startled this time, as she was used to this face haunting her dreams. All of the followers had their heads bowed, except for Rose. She looked the man dead in the face. His red eyes bored into hers and she did not feel afraid.

"Miss Davies," said the man.

Rose waited for him to say something else, but he did not. He just repeated her name.

"Miss Davies," he called louder.

She refused to call him "My Lord." She looked around the room. No one else had looked up.

"Rose!" shouted the man, so forcefully she practically jumped out of her skin.

"WHAT?" Rose shouted as she awoke. She looked up and saw Tom Riddle standing over her. He had one eyebrow raised and was staring at her questioningly. She was in the Slytherin Common Room on the leather sofa in front of the fire. The room was glowing green as the rising sun reflected off of the Black Lake.

"Is there a particular reason you have moved out of your dormitory and into the common room?" he asked as he eyes flitted to the floor that was littered with her belongings.

Rose looked around and knew he was referring to her books, assignments and clothes sprawled out across the floor and the coffee table. She had been sleeping in the common room since returning from the holiday and up until now she had been rather successful.

"Is your room unsatisfactory?" he asked as he picked up a shoe he had accidentally stepped on.

"I haven't moved out per se," she said as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I just prefer to sleep here."

Students began filing out of their dormitories and into common room dressed in their robes headed to breakfast.

"If you're trying to prove a point Miss Davies, I think there are better ways to go about it," said Tom.

"I'm not trying to prove anything," she lied.

"Really?" he challenged. "You aren't sleeping out here because you're avoiding Miss Carrow and Miss Nott?"

"No," she lied again. "I'm sleeping out here because it's more comfortable and peaceful."

"Yes, I see that," said Tom sarcastically. "I'm sure it offers much more privacy as well?"

Everyone stared at Rose as they walked through the common room.

"I just like it better out here."

"That may be, but unfortunately for you I'm going to have to ask you to clean up your mess and return it to your dormitory."

Rose sighed. It was worth a shot.

"It's childish to run from your issues," said Tom quietly. "You're giving your friends control over the situation by acting this way."

"Well they want nothing to do with me," she replied.

"I'm not sure what that has to do with your sleeping arrangements," he quipped.

"I just don't feel comfortable in my room with them," she said. She stood up from the couch and began gathering her thinks and stuffing them into her bag.