Ok, this is my first fanfic in English, so patience please. Anyway I had this crazy idea so I hope you like it... or not. I just though it would make an interesting story. Lets see how it goes.


CHAPTER I

There was barely anyone inside when Abigail opened the door. A couple eating by the window, a group of friends chatting near the back and a man drinking a cup of coffee at the counter seemed to be all of the customers that night. True, it was almost 10 o' clock, much later than the hours when she usually went out with Petunia, but she was still surprised at how little people there was inside. Anyway, it looked like a decent place, and it was raining outside and she was tired and really, really needed to escape, if only for a couple of hours before returning to the hotel room to pretend that everything was well.

Collecting her thoughts, she stepped inside and closed the door. For a couple of seconds she stood in there looking for a suitable place before making a decision and choosing the second chair next to the one the man was sitting in. The reason, being next to the wall it could barely be seen from the door or the window and the man sitting at the corner provided a good cover in case that William returned early and decided to look for her.

After ordering a cup of tea she sat to wait, looking around to entertain herself until her eyes stopped at the man sitting almost next to her. He could certainly be called handsome with that clear skin, dark eyes and perfectly combed black hair giving him the appearance of a fairy tale prince. Besides, while he looked older than her, he couldn't be more that thirty five and given that his clothes looked neither too expensive, nor to shabby, it was obvious he was probably an office worker with a well paid job. She sighed thinking about the lucky woman waiting for him at home because there was no way someone with a good job and as well looking as him would still be single. Then again, looking at his gloomy expression, she wondered why was he sitting all alone instead of being at home with his wife and his family. Not that she could say anything to that given how she had ended in there herself.

"Is there something wrong Madam?" a charming voice, very much becoming of his charming owner interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, no! Sorry," she answered very much embarrassed by the fact that he had caught her looking at him. "I was just thinking. I am terribly sorry for bothering you Mr..."

"Tom Riddle, madam." he said extending a hand to her after a few seconds, "And you are?"

"Abigail Evans. Very nice to meet you Mr. Riddle." She answered wondering why was she suddenly acting more like a teenager instead of a married woman. "I am very, very sorry for bothering you." Having said that she turned to look at the clock on the opposite wall, trying to calm herself down and hide the rising blush on her cheeks. Really, why was she acting like this? She was a married woman and just because William...

"If you don't mind, may I ask you what were you thinking about that made you look at me with that intensity?"

She blushed once again and had to cover her cheeks with her hands to hide it.

"It is alright. I wouldn't want to make you feel uncomfortable madam. You don't need to answer if you don't want to."

"Oh, no, it does not bother me. It is just that... it was such a silly thing." she turned to look at him, not wanting to make him feel bad just because she was acting like a little girl.

"Don't worry about it. I was just curious, that is all."

He returned then to his coffee leaving her to her own thoughts that, it has to be said, were all over the place at that moment. Then in a tiny moment of courage she moved one seat closer and softly touched his arm.

"Do you promise not to laugh?"

"You have my word Mrs. Evans." He said leaving his cup back on the counter and turning to look at her.

"Very well." She took a deep breath. "I was just thinking that you looked so gloomy and wondering if maybe... If something had happened for you to be in here all alone instead of at home with your family."

The young man looked at her for a moment, looking a little troubled and probably thinking about the best way to answer her question. "I am afraid I have no family to go to Mr. Evans." he finally said with a soft smile on his face.

"I am so sorry, I didn't meant to..."

He laughed nonchalantly and waved his right hand. "Don't worrry about it. What I just meant was that I grew up at an orphanage, that is all. You don't have to feel bad about it. Now, may I ask you the same question?" He pointed to the ring on her left finger. "Won't your husband be worried?"

"He is out tonight." Abigail left a sight escape as she caressed her ring, then turned to look at Mr. Riddle who seemed to be concerned about her. "We actually live in Cokewort, you know? Is just that he had this important event and I came to surprise him because our baby had gotten ill and I had stayed with her until my mother offered to take care of her and... We had this huge fight and..." she laughed to hide the tears in her eyes, but apparently did a poor job because she then saw Mr. Riddle moving his hand to his pocket.

"Don't cry Mrs. Evans. Why don't we talk about something more pleasant? It wouldn't do to make such a pretty lady cry."

Abigail laughed for real this time. "It is alright, I am feeling better already." She refused the handkerchief her hand. "And what is it that brings you to this little cafeteria in the middle of London, Mr. Riddle?"

"Work issues, Mrs. Evans." he answered as he put the handkerchief back in his pocket. "Things have not being going very well this days and same I you I felt I needed to escape for a little."

"Was it very bad?"

Mr. Riddle shook his head "Not at all," then took a sip of his coffee, "but I was feeling a little too overwhelmed, that's all."

"Yes, I see what you mean."

"Then, how about talking for a little longer to forget about our troubles?" He said, taking the cup of tea from the old waitress and passing it to her.

She smiled. "I would like that very much Mr. Riddle."

-o-O-o-

It was early in the morning when Abigail returned to the hotel, expecting to find anything but an empty room. True she had hoped that William would not find her out, but it was even more disappointing to find that he had not come back at all.

She sat on the bed and sighed. It wasn't as if she could complain anymore, after all she had spent the night with another man. Not that she repented. They had talked for hours until the cafeteria had closed and the Tom had been so charming and so caring and it had been such a long time since the last time she and William had... She couldn't help smiling at the memory. It had been fun and a good memory, but that was all. She still loved William and leven if he kept getting one woman after another, it didn't meant she was going to do the same. Still, she sighed, it was a little disappointing to come back and discover that he had not cared at all.

She was so stuck in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the door opening, nor noticed that a man had come into the room. The next thing she knew was that there were two strong arms surrounding her and a man holding to her as if his life depended on it.

"You are well! Thank God you are well!" He repeated again and again.

"William, are you alright?" She asked, barely able to talk with how strongly he was embracing her.

"I love you so much," was his only answer as he let her go. Then he took her head between his hands and kissed her forehead. "I am so sorry..."

"But William..."

"It is alright. I don't care where you were, what you did, I am just happy that you are safe."

"William, what happened?"

"I saw you at Kensington Gardens, but at first I thought I was imagining things. Then I came back and they told me there was someone waiting for me and I knew it was you, but when I came you were not in here. Then I went to the reception to see if you have left a message and I heard that a woman with the same hair color as you had been run over by a car. I was so scared. I went to the hospital and they told me she had died and I thought that... but she wasn't you and then I came back and you were here and I am so sorry. I am so sorry..."

Abigail smiled looking at her husband -with tears in his eyes and undeniably worried about her- before standing up and embracing him as well. True, last night had been fun, but she preferred her family after all.


Alright, this is obviously AU, so just imagine Tom is still not as crazy as the one we know. Tom's POV in the next chapter.