CHAPTER 1: The Meeting Eyes

I sit at the back of the class. Watch my classmates gather around the stout man, Professor Slughorn. When its time for him to explain I finally walk and stop near a girl, Jessica. She's a Hufflepuf while I'm a Ravenclaw. I'm just an ordinary girl with an ordinary life these past years. I hope it will stick that way.

"For the fifth years, I'm going to partnered up each one of you in this class" the professor starts talking. I don't really know how to work in group, usually, I just get along with it. Never be the leader.

"Tom. Who is going to be your partner?" Of course the professor starts with his golden boy. I never really know Tom Riddle. The things I know is: he's genius, prefect, teacher's lovely boy and famous. I never want to get to know him as he is always have something unusual around that I can't placed what.

"Why don't you work with him," I admit that it quite shocking as the girls give me death glares and I just stand there, do nothing until Jessica asked me to go to his table.

I pack my things and walk to his table and sit. The professor starts his talking back and I am having this uneasy feelings as I know he is looking at me intently like he never see me at this school before. That is not very wrong, I might quite well-known in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuf. Just few know me from Gryffindor but Slytherin, I don't think so.

The professor asked us to examine the ingredients and hand to him at the end of the class. I just look at the ingredients and do no effort to try and do it first. And he also done the same thing. Until he gives up and talk to me for the first time.

"Why don't you examine the roots first. By the way I'm Tom Riddle" the way he spoke was polite and there's no other meaning in it. As I take the roots, he keeps talking and this time, he makes me surprise.

"You are Isabella Knight right?" he asked me as he takes the crunched leaves to study it.

"Bella. Yes. Bella Knight" I answered. I'm not a girl who talks easily. I don't know much how to communicate as I prefer to keep my thoughts on myself, alone.

"You are not a talkative neither the girl who wore her heart on her sleeve" he look at me amused. Maybe he thinks I will be swayed by him as the other girls does around him including Jessica.

"Definitely. I am more to suffer in silence type" I said and look at him for the first time. He is searching my eyes. He seems to figure out something but failed.

"Your eyes are hazel. With a little bit of gold. Golden hazel." he said with a small smile. He is the first one ever that can point out the gold colour in my eyes.

"Guess it is" I said and look away. I just feel relief when the bell finally rings.

When I sit at the Great Hall, Alphard Black, the only Black in Ravenclaw sits beside me. That is nothing bizarre. As our friends, if I have one and he is definitely has a lot, have known very well that he is always with me and I don't know why. I asked him once and he just said, "I like your company." I just accept his reason without any argument.

"I heard you were paired up with Tom Riddle" he started the conversation with the fact. I am quite surprised that the story could spread that fast.

"Yes I am" I replied and drink my plain water. I don't feel like I want to eat anything today. Just don't have the appetite.

"Look at me and listen" he said seriously to me for the first time. I laughed a bit at his seriousness.

"Do not laugh at me. This is important" he spat with a vere angry face. I was shocked and speechless. I started to focus on him.

"You don't know Tom Riddle much right? One fact that you need to know, he is dangerous and manipulative. My pureblooded friends, if I have to call them friends, treat him like he is a leader and they are very scared of him. Even Abraxas Malfoy said once that he could make you scream in pain if you do not obey his rules. And I want you to go to Slughorn and asked him to partner you up with someone else. I don't want anything happen to you," he ended his speech with a whisper.

I was thankful by his concern and everything but I just don't feel right to judge a book by its cover. I mean sure enough some people said the best of him and some like Alphard, said the worst of him. I don't really want to believe it hundred percent as I just know him for 40 minutes. And I thinks he is not that bad.

"I don't know Alphard. Thank you for your concern and I keep that in mind. But I'm not going to ask Professor Slughorn to change the partnership. We've done the work half through and I don't want to cause any trouble" I said softly and touch his arm. I know he likes it when I look at him like I truly focus on him and touch him softly. After years of friendship, I know how to stop his argument before he starts any.

"Fine. But promise me. If he do anything to you. You'll going to tell me straight away" he asked me with the same amount of seriousness in his voice. I just nodded and asked him to continue his meal.

As I look around I see a pair of eyes are looking at me. He just nodded and smiled. I just give him a small smile of mine.

"Wow, Bella. It looks Tom Riddle is interested in you" Mia said and giggled with her other girlfriends and I don't have to look at him as I know Alphard Black is glaring at me.

TO BE CONTINUED...