"You can come out now. Avery's gone."
My heart started racing at the speed of light. Had he guessed? Did he know I was in here?
"I know you're in there Thorpe. Drop the act and come out right now."
Busted. Way to go Vivian! And thats why you shouldnt eavesdrop on someone. Because sooner or later you do get caught. Anyway, it was futile complaining now, so building up my courage I opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom stall.
There he was. Standing a few feet away from me, like a statue. He was so still, that a shiver ran down my spine. His hands were folded in front of his chest. He stood casually, yet there was nothing casual about him. His dark eyes gazed right through me, permeating into my soul and discovering all my secrets! My ears were turning hot and I felt weak in my knees. I wanted to run but i couldnt feel my legs. And before I could explain my behavior...
"Didnt your parents teach you not to spy onto other people's conversations?"
Silence.
"Cant feel your tongue?" He mocked.
How did you know, genius? I thought. He kept staring at me, expecting a reply. So I decided to give him one.
"This is the girl's bathroom, Tom. You are the one who shouldnt be here."
His expression changed and I instantly regretted my words. His face was colder than ever. He took a few steps towards me closing the distance between us. When he stopped, I could feel his breath on my face.
"No one tells me what to do. Get it?"
With that, he turned in the opposite direction and walked away. I stood there, rooted to the ground. I didnt notice for a couple of minutes that I had my fists clenched. When I released them there were imprints of my fingernails. Jeez! Did he have that effect on everyone, or just me?
Tom and I always had a peculiar way of bumping into each other. I remember once in our first year, he had picked up a fight with one of the Hufflepuff guys from the fourth year. None of us thought he stood a chance, but by the end of it, the guy was the one crying and cursing and Tom? Well, he simply walked out scratchless and with a triumphant smile on his face.
And thats it, Tom Riddle- a first year Slytherin student was the talk of Hogwarts. Even the teachers couldnt hide their surprise. Every one wanted to see him, wanted to know him. And despite the fact that he enjoyed all the attention around him - or atleast I think he did - Tom kept to himself. He never socialized much or hung around with friends. Heck! I dont even remember him calling anyone a friend. He always had bunch of boys around him- Avery, Lestrange and others- but they could be hardly be termed as friends, they were more like his little minions, who followed his orders.
I always thought I was invisible to him. And why wouldnt I be? Firstly, Tom never seemed to take notice of anything or anyone. And secondly, its not like I had achieved something really great! Like beat up a fourth year student, or learn to fly within a day like Will did! Or get straight As in all my papers like Betty did! I was not exceptional in anything.
So when he came upto me in our second year in the library, and spoke to me, I was stunned. As if someone had literally stupified me. He was holding a book and talking to me in a very low voice and I was so lost and confused that it took me a while to come back to my senses. By that time he had already left and the book lay in front of me on the table and I assumed he was trying to say that I must've dropped that particular book somewhere.
I felt so stupid after that incident. I hadnt even thanked him. Its not like he cared, because after that incident he went back to his "loner-world" and even when we ran into each other in the hallway or corridors, he didnt seem to notice me. But I was drawn to him. There was some force always at work which pulled me towards him. Even after five years of Hogwarts, I hadnt quite understood him, and often caught myself wondering about him, even when I was around friends and family.
And see? Once again I was lost in his thoughts. I really have no life, do I? Eavesdropping on other people's conversations, thinking all the time about some broody, self-obssessed loner. I am turning into one of those old muggle ladies in those TV shows, Will talks about, who have no work and all they do is spy onto other people's lives and gossip. Well the gossip part doesnt entirely apply to me. I hardly gossip. Its always Betty coming up with the latest talks of the town. Her brain functions in various ways.
I realised it had almost been 15 minutes since he had left and I was still standing right where I was. Gathering my thoughts and normalizing myself, I walked out of the washroom and headed towards the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Where the hell have you been? I was so worried about you!"
Bethany Adele Roberts - whom everyone referred to as Betty - was sitting on the floor of the Common Room, painting her toe-nails with different shades of nailpaint. She always has a dramatic approach about everything! Sometimes it gets really annoying! I get that she's my bestfriend and she's protective about me but come on! I'm not 5!
I ignored her question. The last thing I wanted was for her to know about the little encounter I had with HIM. So I simply went and sat on the couch on the far side of the room, picked up the Daily Prophet which was lying on the adjacent table and tried to look engrossed.
"That's last week's," She said.
"Uh huh." I replied.
"So why are you reading it?"
"Just like that."
I wished she would stop questioning me but Betty was just, well Betty. The day she stopped questioning would be the day all the juiciest gossips came to an end. And we cant let THAT happen, can we?
"Just like that?"
"Yeah."
She kept quiet, but from the corner of my eyes I could see that she was intently looking at me, trying to figure out what was it, that I wasnt telling her? And when Betty looked at you that way, you just couldnt ignore it. I shifted in my seat and put the paper in front of my face so as to avoid her discomforting gaze.
"Vivian Jane Thorpe. Whats the matter with you?"
"What? Nothing!" I protested. It was scary when she used my full name to address me.
She stopped whatever she was doing and walked upto me.
"Tell me yourself, or I will get it out of you my way. You know I can."
Yes she could. There wasnt one thing Betty couldnt do. If she put her head on something, well that was it. It was fruitless playing the silent character.
"Its nothing really. I bumped into Riddle."
"Riddle?! Tom Riddle?" Her eyes widened with disbelief and she looked like she'd seen a ghost. Dramatic, remember?
I nodded.
She sat down right next to me. "Tell me. Everything."
"Well theres nothing to tell, really..."
"Oh Stop it! Please dont give me that. When it involves Tom Riddle, theres always something to tell." Her eyes sparkled like that of a small child when he gets a present. Betty loved gossips especially if it involved me, since she felt that I was one of the most boring people usually, and second if it involved Tom, since ofcourse he was the most intriguing guy in Hogwarts. And if it involved both of us, well, it was like cheesecake for her!
"He was in the girls bathroom talking t-"
"Hold on a minute. Girls Bathroom?! Kinky!" She HAS to interrupt in between and pass some comment.
"Do you want to know or not?"
"Right. Sorry! Continue."
"He was there with Avery and was talking to him about something. Something to do with a Chamber, I think. Anyway I was in one of the stalls, and he caught me eavesdropping on him and well he just told me to stay out of it..." Okay! So I twisted the facts a bit and skipped the details, so what? She didnt have to know the part about my wobbly legs.
"Woah woah woah! This Riddle guy is really mysterious, isnt he? Chamber...hmm, what could a chamber possibly mean? And you say he told you to stay out of it? Something's really cooking here!"
"Betty, please dont rack your brains too much. I dont really understand Tom and his gang. They're very weird."
"Dont worry darling! I'm good at what I do."
"I know Bet, but still, its a totally different story with them. They're always upto something. I just dont want you to get hurt."
"Hurt?! Dont be preposterous! Why would I get hurt? They cant do anything to hurt me."
"Who're they?" We turned at the direction, from where the voice came. A tall , lean guy stood at the doorway. He had broad shoulders, green eyes, and honey-blonde shade of hair which was messy. He wore the Gryffindor Quidditch outfit.
Betty's face flashed into a broad smile when she saw him, "William! There you are. Guess who our little princess ran into?"
*note from the author*
This is my first fanfiction! Please drop in your reviews and comments! Enjoy :D Peace.
