Merope forced herself not to fiddle with her mask again. She knew it was on right and that all this was was nerves. Mere nerves.
"Merope stop jittering. I don't need to tell you that we don't need to get any more attention on us." Zezolla harshly whispered to her best friend's ear.
"Sorry, I just haven't been around Little Hangleton since," she paused forcing back unwanted memories, "my parents' death."
Zezolla placed a comforting hand on Merope's shoulder. "Let's get some punch, hmm?"
The two cousins made their way over to the refreshment area and each got a cup unaware that they were being watched. Merope focused on sipping her drink and calming herself down. So what if she was technically gatecrashing, or that she would see her longtime crush again? It had been ten years since she had stepped foot back into Little Hangleton. Ten long years since she had been taken in under the wings of her mother's family and sponsored to attend Hogwarts and refinement training during the summer. She was very different from the unruly haired youth that would chase after the Riddle boy, but yet she had kept her fondness and crush on Tom through the years. Silly and rather foolish she knew.
"May I have this dance?"
She spun around and smiled. Giving her hand and consent to the tall, dark man that could only be her Tom.
The next few hours flew by as they danced and walked the length of the gardens. The very gardens she had envied as a child. The majestic hedges and plants forming an abstract heart. While it wasn't anywhere near the grand gardens of her aunt it had been leaps and bounds above her parent's poor excuse for one: three old rose bushes.
She was every bit like Cinderella and Tom was her prince.
"You know M'lady at midnight I will get to see your pretty face." he paused as he held open a gate for her. "why not tell me who you are?"
"And spoil the surprise? Surely you jest dear sir." She teased playfully opening and closing her hand fan. Thankful that she had followed her cousin's advise and came dressed as a Southern Bell, complete with a delicate hand fan. Her grin faltered with her steps when she saw her old home ahead. It had fallen even more in disrepair since she had last seen it. Something she had never thought was possible.
"That is the old Gaunt shack," he began after noticing his companion's interest in the decrepit shack before them. "the family was quite mad. All of them."
"Mad?"
"Yes. The father killed his wife and the son began only talking in gibberish."
At a loss to what to add or say she kept quiet.
Misinterpreting Merope's silence for him to continue, he pushed on. "They say he ended up killing himself in bedlam after the orderlies had captured and killed his pet snakes."
"How sad," she felt the hot sting of a single tear gracing her cheek. She had heard about her brother's passing last year but had not been told how he had died. Poor Morfin.
Tom's snort pulled Merope from her inner musings. "Fitting is more like it. They were all mad and a right nuisance."
Nuisance? "Oh?"
"Father says it was a blessing they're gone. Always refusing to listen to any reason and thought themselves better than there were."
She welcomed the silence as she contemplated Tom's remarks. It sounded so unlike him. Or, did it? It was slowly dawning to her that this man beside her she did not know. He wasn't the same little boy who had defended her against her brother's wrath all those years ago. Not the boy who had offered his hand to her and helped her up from the mud and walked her home. This man was a stranger.
"I think we should head back now."
He blinked, clearly surprise by Merope's request but quickly recovered. "Of course," he bowed and offered his arm to her. An offer that would have had Merope overjoyed not five minutes ago, but now she ignored the offer and led the way back. Her head held high.
"It's midnight," he finally spoke again just as they approached the inner gardens. The chimes of the manor's grandfather clock echoing into the clear night.
"So it is."
Tom frowned and laid a hand on Merope's arm, successfully stopping her. "Please if I have offended you I am sorry m'lady, but tradition is in need of being kept." he whispered before he reached and gently took her mask. His shock expression caused her to smirk. "It's ... you."
"Yes. It is I: Merope Gaunt."
"But, but how?"
Refraining from rolling her eyes she simply sighed. Why had she spent the majority of her life pinning away for him? Clearly madness did run in the family. Hopefully she had managed to overcome it.
"I don't see where it would matter." she plucked her mask back from his grasp and kissed him lightly. Surprised at the tingling of sparks from it. She hand't overcome her infatuation. "I am quite mad you see. Living in fairy tales and make believe."
His brows furrowed. "Fairy tales?"
"Yes. I'm Cinderella and for the longest time I thought you were my prince. Quite silly of me, I know. Leftover childhood fantasizes."
"Not that silly," he murmured, his lips slowly brushing hers.
Merope closed her eyes and tilted her head upward in a silent acceptance of the coming kiss, but he straightened instead. She tried to dash the disappointment that flooded her.
"I'm sorry for my harsh words. You are not mad Merope. I've never thought you were." he paused, a smirk slowly growing. "I might be interested in becoming that prince of yours. Cinderella."
Just as Merope was about to reply Zezolla found them.
"We need to be off," nodding to Tom before turning and whispering to Merope, "we have Transfiguration in the morning, remember?"
"I'm ready," Merope turned back to Tom and offered a curt nod. "Goodnight Mr Riddle. I wish you well."
"Wait," he pleaded taking Merope's gloved hand into his. "I will see you again won't I?" At Merope's frown he pressed, "Please my dear Cinderella."
Zezolla blinked at the odd name. Cinderella? Why hadn't Merope used her real name?
"Perhaps," Merope allowed after a beat.
Tom grinned. "Madam Puddifoot's Tea Room. This Saturday. Noon?"
Both witches blinked and looked at each other in bewilderment. Finally Merope asked, "You know of Hogsmeade?"
"Yes, of course I do."
"But you're muggle. How do you-"
His rich laughter caused her to stop. His eyes danced merrily.
"You're a wizard," Merope concluded dumbfounded at the concept.
Zezolla frowned. "I've never seen you at Hogwarts."
"Private tutors," he explained waving his hand dismissively. "I am heir to the Riddle name. Must not give any hint of a notion of being queer. It would have been talk and unwanted questions if I hadn't attended the old Riddle family alma mater. Hogwarts was not an option."
"Oh," Merope wanted to say more but her senses were still recovering from the unexpected turn of events. Tom was a wizard. Her Tom, a wizard. She didn't know how exactly to make of that revelation.
Tom grinned. "Now let me escort you back to the gates of Hogwarts." he took Merope's hand before they span away into thin air. A small pop being the only thing marking their exit.
"Don't mind me then," Zezolla good naturally muttered aloud before she too disapparated to the perimeter of Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter does not belong to LittleTee, (who shall henceforth be referred to as "The Author.") While the plot of this fanfiction, (henceforth to be referred to as the "Story,") is of The Author's creation, neither the characters nor the locations therein belong to The Author, as they belong to JK Rowling, with the exception of any characters or locations within this Story which have no representation in cannon-these original characters and locations are the property of The Author. This is a work of fiction produced for the single purpose of entertaining fans of Harry Potter, and no Copyright infringement is intended.
Submission for: Fairy Tales lesson 1 assignment over at HSWW forum.
Task: This week's lesson will be to write a minor character, a character that everyone seems to overlook and not give enough love too. Your minor character should have no more than 3,000 stories written for them on the site including mature stories.
Prompts used: Zezolla and "It's ... you."
Required word count range: 300 - 2,000 words.
Word count: 1,268