Elladora Black was the only child in the orphanage that had a whole room herself. Every morning when she woke, she would be reminded of that happy fact. She'd first thought that maybe the other children didn't like her much but her friend, Mary, complained to her that she had nightmares when she slept in her room. About zombies and snakes coming to eat her.

Elladora told her that was silly but Mary refused to sleep in her room. It didn't bother her much, after all, many children wanted their own room but sadly the orphanage just wasn't that big and there would be times where three people would share a room. Which made one wonder why Elladora's room only had one person in it. But her furniture was older than the others. There were a lot of initials and messages carved into the wood of her bed frame. And some more in her wardrobe.

This morning though, she woke up quite early and couldn't fall back to sleep. Irritated, she climbed down the stairs and out to the back garden where no one goes to anymore. The air was quite chilly and Elladora found herself wishing she'd brought her jumper down with her. The smell of last night's rain was still lingering in the air. In the centre of the garden was a stone fountain. Cracked and broken. Under the fountain sat a boy. He was staring intensely at some thing in the grass, concealed in the grass and weeds.

Ella walked towards him wondering what he was doing up this early.

"What're you doing?" she asked. He started and looked up at her. He was quite good-looking and Elladora found herself feeling shy.

"None of your business," he replied shortly and turned back. She stared at his back surprised by his rudeness. Just a bit annoyed, she sat down next to him and nearly jumped back up when she saw what he was studying.

A small black snake was sleeping by the edge of the fountain. Elladora let out a soft gasp. The boy shot her an irritated look.

"She's very pretty," she said, trying to be amiable.

"He is not pretty he is handsome,"

Elladora had never met someone so determined be unfriendly.

"She is not a he," she said like it was a very obvious, having given up trying to be nice.

"He is not a she," the boy shot back now glaring at her. Elladora glared back.

"How do you know?" she snapped. They were both on their feet now, sneering.

"How do you not know?" he said in a superior tone. "Since you're so sure, why don't you ask him?"

Elladora looked at him, baffled. The boy smirked like he'd won.

"Snakes don't talk, " she told him very slowly.

"Don't they?" he taunted. Elladora wondered if he was mad. Then she sat knelt down to snake and (feeling quite foolish) asked:

"Sorry to disturb you but that boy over there," here she jerked her head to said boy, "thinks you're a he, is he right?"

Then she waited. The snake didn't move. Feeling extremely embarrassed to have fallen for the boy's trick, she hurried to her feet about rush back to her room but was halted but a hiss.

" The boy isss right. I am male."

Elladora felt her eyes widen and her mouth fall open. The boy looked as shocked as she felt. He kept shooting looks to her, then the snake. Which was proof that she hadn't just imagined the snake talking. The boy heard it too.

She turned back around to it but it had fallen back to sleep. Elladora stared at it.

"Who are you?" the boy asked warily.

"Just an orphan," she said softly, still looking at the snake.

"No, I mean what's your name?" he asked carefully.

"Elladora…what's yours?" She honestly didn't care but manners had been drummed into her before and during her life at the orphanage. She tore her eyes away from the snake to look at him politely.

"Tom Riddle," he said with an unpleasant look on his face.

"You don't like your name?" she asked, honestly curious now. He had a pretty normal name, better than Elladora anyway.

"There are a lot of Toms," he muttered and gestured for her to sit down with him.

"Well, least you've got two names," she offered sitting down, "most only have one. I've got nine," she couldn't help but add. She was rather proud of the fact.

"I've got three actually; Tom Marvolo Riddle," he stated, "nine, really?"

Elladora was pleasantly surprised that Tom could be nice when he wanted to be.

"Yup; Elladora Anthea Walburga, yeah weird one huh? Bella Dromeda Cissy Alice Lily Black." She finished with a smile. Tom looked quite shocked.

"That's long," he just said.

"Maybe," she smiled. Then she remembered how cold it was and that she was in her nightgown. Her skin felt funny.

"I've got to get my jumper," she muttered and stood up, "bye."

She hurried up the wooden stairs and slammed into Miss Higg.

" Miss Black! What are you doing dressed like that! The others are downstairs already, eating breakfast." She huffed. Elladora started, she hadn't realised so much time had passed.

"Sorry, Miss, I'll get changed right away," she muttered and ran to her room.

~xXx~

When Elladora had finally rushed to the kitchen, there was nearly no food left. Mary waved her over.

"Here, I saved some for you," she said, chewing some blueberry pancake, "where were you? I checked your room and you weren't there."

"Um, I had a weird dream, I think and couldn't get back to sleep so I went to the garden," she said sitting down and taking some pancake.

"Hmm, it's the room, I tell you, it's cursed!" Mary said seriously. Elladora rolled her eyes upward and sighed. Mary and a few other children had the silliest idea that her room is cursed.

"If it's cursed then how come I'm not affected?" she asked, like she always did, pouring some juice.

"But you are!" Mary exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Didn't say you had a strange dream? "

Elladora paused in mid-chew. "Maybe," she said evasively.

Her thoughts went back to Tom. She wondered if he lived at this orphanage too. He must have to if he was in the back garden. She'd never seen him though.

"Hey Mary, do you know a Tom? Around our age?" she asked.

Mary thought for a minute, "Eh, there's a fat Tom….with freckles. Why?"

"Just wondering,"

_

What do you think? :) My first story...