AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was previously titled as THE WALL BETWEEN US, it hasn't been updated for two years but Im back at it now, I removed some chapters to be updated but these are the ones that have been updated and I'm hoping that my readers will enjoy it. Im am terriblly sorry for my delays but thankfully I've grown into a habit of finishing tasks on their due dates...
DISGUISED INTENTIONS
I
"The unbreakable had been proven delicate; I Pebble Grimshaw have conquered Tom Riddle's heart. That's the sort of thing you'd expect to hear at every end of a love story. You can stop reading now if you wish as you already know how the tale will end. How I captured his heart however… now that makes a rather interesting story……."
It was the first of September, the day when Hogwarts reopen their doors after the summer holidays. Platform 9 ¾ was already filled with excited first years and seniors who told their evenful tales of summer. Within that platform, the war didnt seem to exist, everyone had smiles and twinkles of hopes were evident in their eyes. As the last calls were made, the students bid their farewells to their parents who waved with great difficulty.
"Do well in school."
"I will mum, I know Im a bit slow in the head but atleast Im persistent." Pebble smiled before walking away with her small trunk.
Her figure was soon concieved inside the crimson train, the long and narrow corridor seemed like a such a task, by now the all the compartments must have been full. Pebble peaked inside each room to look for her friends, Audria and Beatrice but instead the first faces she saw was that of Constance and Amelia, their eyes locked immediately and before Pebble could calmly walk away the pair stood up and opened the door.
"What were you looking at?" said Constance as she towered over Pebble's small figure.
"Certainly everything but you, how can anyone stand the sight of you." replied Pebble.
"How dare you!" spat Amelia.
"Im the most popular girl in school!" shouted Constance as her anger rose.
"Apparently not for the right reasons," Pebble then revealed her right hand and started counting, "superficial, maliscious, barbaric and not to mention ignorant, in other words, stupid."
Constance's angry face suddenly calmed yet the tone of her voice was more spiteful that ever, "The intensity of you jealousy just seems to grow year by year Pebble Grimshaw... I know you're constantly placing yourself in my shoes- dreaming of everything you could have within your beck and call, the materialistic things you could have and all the attention you long for." She then stepped forward and expressed pity, "Poor little Grimshaw who lives in straw roof cottage, eating the most blant food, wearing the most unfashionable attire. No wonder why your always grim, your life is so miserable."
Pebble wanted to say something but she knew that her words were imprisoned by Constance's insult. For once Constance got under her skin because what she said was true, Pebble's life was somewhat miserable, she did place herself in Constance shoes every once and a while. She was poor, she did eat bland food and her clothes were all old- but she never complained about her situation.
"Cat got your tongue Grimshaw?" laughed Amelia.
"Get out of our sight, we don't have any patience for pretend slytherins." Commanded Constance.
Pebble stood dumbfounded as she watched Amelia and Constance disappear behind the door. She slapped herself mentally for letting them have the satisfaction to belittle her but as soon as she regained her metal state, she immediately walked away from their compartment and thought of the best way to get back to them. After walking past many noisy compartments she found one that was yelling with silence- no one was in it and since she wasn't in any mood to celebrate she quickly seized it, claiming it hers but before she could slam the door shut a force pushed it open. Pebble looked behind and saw the tall form of Tom Riddle, his prefect badge shining proudly on his chest.
"Hello." She greeted plainly.
"Goodmorning." Tom Riddle replied as he walked in, he held his big trunk effortlessly and swung it above his head and onto the overhead trunk compartment, "I suppose you don't mind sharing a compartment with me."
"Its a little bit too late to ask since you already settled in." whispered Pebble as she placed her trunk above her head.
"What was that?"
"I said, its a little bit too late to ask since you've already settled in." Pebble smiled as she took her seat across Tom riddle.
He watched her intensely, he didn't know whether to take that as being rude or plain honesty, after all he did settle in before asking, but why should he ask, she didn't own the train. Perhaps she didn't know him, "Are you new?" he asked curiously.
Pebble giggled slightly, she pulled her prefect badge out of her pocket and replied, "I've been in Hogwarts since first year."
"Im sorry. What was your name?"
"Penelope Bernadette Grimshaw." she smiled, "but people call me Pebble." She found it surprising that Tom Riddle showed interest let alone apologize to her. From what she has witnessed and heard the great Tom Riddle was not someone who would bend his pride, but that moment he did.
"A Grimshaw?" he asked pulling a brow, "I suppose you're a pureblood."
"I am."
"I'm Tom-"
"Don't bother, I know who you are."
"Well it's a pleasure to finally meet you after all these years." He grinned, yet the welcoming feeling that was suppose to be there was not present in his voice, he remained cold and distant.
For a minute there was silence, not because they were comfortable with each other but because there was no other subjects they could talk about, until finally the train started moving.
" I see they've appointed you the prefect duty as well." Pebble said as she watched the shiny badge twinkle under the sunlight.
"Did you expect any less?" he asked as he pulled his eyes away from outside of the train and into the compartment.
"No." She replied with all honesty, "I expected you to get the position, there is certainly no other better person for the job."
Although Pebble didn't mean it to be a compliment, he took it as he thought it to be and so the annoying yet devilishly charming smug made its return on his face, "Why have I not noticed you before?"
She replied dumbfounded, "I don't know... but I'm quite sure that we will be spending more time now that we're both prefect. We'll probably be patrolling together."
"I see... I'm sure it would be pleasurable then."
"I'm sure it would." smiled Pebble.
Tom soon lost interest in Pebble, no wonder why he never noticed her before, she wasnt very interesting except for her praises that seemed to always please him. He gently reached for the book beside him and started immersing himself in its world while Pebble watched him manourved his fingers, flipping the leafs of the book from one page to the next.
Without realising it, Pebble blurted a question she wished she never did, "Is it true that you stay in an orphanage?" and as she expected the neutral air that enraptured them seemed to drop to a temperature that made her shiver.
He looked at her coolly yet full of destest, nonetheless his reply was contained, "Yes I do."
Pebble always wondered whether its easier to stay in an orphanage where adults look after her, feed her and clothe her rather than staying with her familly, trying to support them as well as look after herself and her studies, "Was it hard growing up in an orphanage?" she continued her interogation, unawre of Tom personal feelings towards the subject.
He finally had enough and wanted to end the conversation with his reply, "Why don't we swap places so that you'll experience it first hand."
"I'm sorry-"
Without warning, the compartment door opened, revealing Minerva McGonagall, "Prefect meeting is already in session and I don't see the two of you getting ready for it."
Minerva stiffly turned her back to them and started making her way back to the front of the train. Tom Riddle abruptly stood and without a glance left Pebble behind, straddling as she followed the two.
"Riddle!" she called but he ignored her.
The understanding they had just earlier immediately fell in to ruins, now only his back remained visible to her eyes and the unsatisfying atmosphere that lingered her side was sure to stay with her for quite some time.
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