A Riddle of Love Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Tom Riddle, Hogwarts, or anything else that J.K. Rowling does. I do own Harriet, Daisy, James and a few other things that J.K. Rowling doesn't own. I think you can figure it out because I've confused myself!
A/N: It only took one person to change Tom Riddle's life. That was his father. Now, someone else needs to change him or his love is doomed. And so the Story unfolds…
"He was staring at you."
"What?"
"Tom. He had his eyes on you all through dinner."
Harriet Percival and her best friend Daisy Elbridge were in their dorms. It was dark outside but the candles provided enough light for the seventh year girls to change.
"No he wasn't," Harriet said, sitting on her scarlet four-poster bed.
"I'm sure of it! He didn't look at anything else! Not even his food," Daisy lowered her voice at the last sentence. She had finished brushing her short brown hair and sat on her own bed. "I think he fancies you…"
"Do you think?" Harriet was excited with this idea.
Daisy nodded. "Imagine! Tom Riddle fancying my best friend!"
"I had a dream about her."
"Who?"
"That girl. The one in Gryffindor."
"What happened, Tom?"
Tom Riddle remembered the previous night. His dream. He could see every detail…but he couldn't relate this to Richard. Richard didn't understand his feelings. "Nothing," Tom decided to lie, "she was just in my dream."
Richard nodded sleepily and put some eggs on his breakfast plate. "You're really obsessed now, aren't you?"
"It's not obsession, Richard. Really, you use all of the wrong words! She just very-"
"You think she's beautiful?"
"I didn't say that, Richard. I think she's attractive."
"Why don't you go talk to her then?" Richard suggested. He'd been suggesting it since Tom started talking about that girl. He was sick of hearing Tom's romantic ideas. Tom never stopped when he was like this. Actually, he never stopped when he had any ideas but most of them were much more interesting than some redhead in Gryffindor.
"You continue to suggest that and, again, I have to say no. It's awkward. Whenever I see her."
"Why don't you sit next to her?"
"What?"
"In history of magic, today. You should sit with her."
Tom thought about this for a moment. "Richard, that's a very good idea."
"I try," he sighed.
"No, really, that's brilliant."
"Will you stop talking about her then?"
Tom Riddle left the Great Hall early to get his books and hurry towards potions class. He stopped for a moment by a statue of Sir William Foxwood and pretended to search through his bag for something. He went on like this for a few moments until she passed him.
Harriet and Daisy were going to their first class when Daisy pointed towards a statue. "Look! It's Tom! I bet he's going to talk to you today!"
"Daisy, shhh! You keep jumping to conclusions!" She pushed her friend into the classroom. They found a table with two chairs and Harriet sat down with her bag on her lap, fishing for parchment and a quill. Daisy put her bag on the desktop and stood next to it looking for a bottle of ink in every corner of fabric. Daisy felt someone standing right next to her and gave up the search to look.
"Can I sit here?" Tom asked placing his bag carefully next to Daisy's.
"Er…" Harriet looked up at her friend who was frantically nodding her head. "Sure." Daisy let out a muffled squeal and went off to find another seat. Tom looked at her as though she was mad.
"Don't mind her," Harriet blushed.
"I won't," Tom said sitting down.
Harriet felt very nervous all of a sudden. She wanted desperately for him to sit there next to her and to speak to her but now she was worried. She was bound to say something that made her look like an idiot and she didn't want to risk that. She decided it would be best if she only talk when he said anything to her. Harriet took notes silently.
"You have very nice handwriting," Tom whispered.
Harriet jumped a bit and looked over at him. Did he really think that or was he just saying that so she would talk? "Thank you." She looked over at his parchment. His words were written out neatly in perfectly straight lines. "Yours is very neat."
"No it isn't."
"Of course it is."
He looked down at it and smiled a very small smile as if it reminded him of what she'd said. "It isn't, really. I-"
"Mr. Riddle, do you have something to say?" Professor Binns* asked from the front of the classroom. Everyone's eyes were on him and a few girls whispered to each other, no doubt about who Tom Riddle was sitting with. Harriet blushed a deep red and looked down at her parchment.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I was just asking about the notes."
"Well…just don't let it happen again," Binns said deciding that Tom Riddle needed no reprimanding, being head boy.
"Sorry," Tom whispered to her after noticing her fierce blush.
"Oh, it's not entirely your fault."
Class ended soon after and Tom put his neat parchment away. "I suppose I'll see you later?" He asked. Of course he would see her but Harriet knew what he meant. He would want to talk to her.
She nodded and smiled at him briefly trying to make sure he knew she wanted to see him. Harriet put away her things and turned for the door but Daisy pulled her by the sleeve of her robe.
"What did he say?" She asked excitedly, eyes wide.
"What do you mean what did he say?"
Daisy looked at her friend with an expression that said 'come on!' "Professor Binns stopped class just to yell at Tom! What was he saying?"
"That I had nice handwriting," Harriet said. Now that she was repeating it, it sounded rather pathetic. He must've meant it or else he would've thought of something better to say.
"You're a liar."
"No. He said that I had nice handwriting."
"That's all?"
"Well, before he left he said he would see me later…if that means anything." Harriet knew it did and she could tell Daisy did too because she squealed again and seemed to bounce instead of walk.
"Oh! I bet he's going to sit with you in the rest of your classes!"
"I hope he doesn't. That was so nerve-wracking! And what about you? I feel terrible pushing you out of your seat like that!"
"Oh, don't worry about me!" Daisy reassured. "As long as you're sitting with Tom, I'll find somewhere else. But I won't be sitting with Abigail Monk again! She talks to herself. And, her ink was moldy." She shivered at the thought. Harriet looked at her in disbelief.
"I think you're seeing things."
*I must add that Professor Binns, being a ghost, may have (and probably was) a teacher in Tom Riddle's time.
A/n: So that's the first chapter! Hope you liked it! Pleeeease review and don't be too harsh but constructive criticisms are welcome. I'll put up Chapter 2 as soon as I finish it. (Don't worry. It gets better!)