Eileen was busying herself in the lab, knowing that there was only a few weeks left of term before it let out for the summer. She wore a simple skirt to just below the knee and a collared blouse, with her hair pulled back in pins and curls that brushed the back of her neck. It was the height of fashion for the times in the muggle world, not that she really cared that she was fitting in or not. She only knew that she was not wearing the robes that she had become so accustomed to as she was washing beakers, and rinsing test tubes and glass pipettes and placing them carefully in the drying rack. The work was quiet, but she was not alone in the laboratory.
A tall young man was carefully labeling and organizing chemicals in a supply cabinet a few feet away from her. His sweater vest tossed across one of the lab benches a few feet away in the warm laboratory, and his tie flung over his shoulder. Every once in a while Eileen would catch him staring at her out of the corner of her eye. The boy was older than her, a junior, while she was just a sophomore. He had a long face, with a long hooked nose, and long shiny black hair pulled back into a ponytail. She really was no one to notice his appearance, the fumes of brewing mixtures by day and experimental potions by night left her with a pallid complexion and a lankness in her locks.
The boy suddenly cleared his throat loudly, shifting in his place before looking at her.
"Are you another one of the fellows?" he asked shyly.
"Yes," Eileen blushed. This is not the first time this year that they had been working a late night together. It was, however, the first time that the professor or any of the other fellows was absent.
"Welcome to the club," he shifted closer to her and reached across with an open hand.
"Thank you."
When Eileen reached out her hand to shake his, he grabbed it, holding it in his firmly, but not too hard. It was like when a prince first meets a princess, and he takes her hand, bowing, kissing it gently. He did not kiss it though, but rather, he looked her directly in the eyes. She was glad that all he did was smile at her before releasing her hand, a year of mild encounters like this and this is the first time that he even bothers to say hello? How dare he hide himself!
"It is a pleasure to get to know you." He had a beautiful smile. Not beautiful in a traditional sense, there was some to be desired there, but it was beautiful because it was so genuine. That was the same with the rest of him. Fierce eyes, that looked into Eileen's soul, the high cheekbones, almost feminine. The impressive lines of his jaw. It was like he was cut out of marble. She had never been one to notice people, classmates, only Tom, really. She was too busy with her studies.
"Likewise" she replied, blushing again as she was finishing off the last of her glassware. "Would you care for some help?"
"No, it is quite alright, it is easier with one person, however, the dry ingredients can use some assistance. I could show you what I'm doing, if you would like."
"Please." Eileen drew closer to him, watching him grab another bottle of stale urine colored liquid.
"You grab a container, check that the description and name on the container matches the credentials in the MSDS booklet. If it does, you top off to the weight or measure listed in on the page. If the label is still legible, then it is fine to go back into the cabinet alphabetized, if not, we make a new label."
"Is the weight approximate?"
"How so?"
"In order to get the exact weight of the materials inside, I would need to put it into a different pre-weighed container before -"
"No, nothing like that, if you can get it close, that is fine. They just have a fill weight or measure because if it is dropped, the professor is fine with that measure being lost rather than going back through cleaning it and purifying it. Here, let me get you a key."
Tobias fumbled with his keyring, searching for a particular key. Finding it, he walked across the room, Eileen close behind him, to the teacher's desk and unlocked a drawer pulling out a key, handing it to her.
"Now you are one of us," he said grinning from ear to ear, laugh lines at the corners of his eyes. It was almost cute. "That will get you into the classrooms, the lab, the supply room, and the cabinets."
Eileen looked around the room, then headed the door between the sink where she was working and the cabinet. She inserted the key, and let herself inside. The room had no windows, rather it was lined with shelves upon shelves of containers, boxes, and other supplies. She stood in awe as she slowly moved about the shelves.
"You look like I imagine Cinderella did at her first ball," the man said from the door causing Eileen to jump. He entered the room, gliding across the cold stone floor. Eileen backed the last few inches into a cabinet, hoping he wouldn't notice. "Would you like to go to the student center, perhaps grab a drink?"
"Sorry," Eileen said. "Don't we need to finish?"
"It is only maintenance. Once the lab is cleaned we are done for the day, restocking is on-going."
"Oh." Eileen turned away pretending to look for something.
"Perhaps we could go to the cinema?" he prodded.
"I'm sorry, I really need to prepare for… finals." Eileen was blushing again. She was not even making eye contact and yet he caused her to blush. What was this feeling, it has never happened before, and she wasn't even sure she liked being so disarmed by a man. Here she was, Eileen Prince, being brought to blushing by a mere mortal man.
"Prepare for finals? Are you worried?"
She didn't want to admit to him that she was she was. She had never before worried about final examinations, or grades or homework, and had always had enough time budgeted for her studies, but now, somehow it was different. A single course load was still weighing her down just as much as her double load at Hogwarts, plus muggle school had, and the examinations themselves made her more nervous than her N.E.W.T.S. did just the year before.
"A bit." She blushed again.
"I'm a year ahead of you, you know. I could help you study."
"Really?"
"Just two things in return," he said cheekily.
"Wha is that?" Eileen asked cautiously.
"One, your name. Two, you come to the cinema with me tonight." Tobias grinned widely.
"My name is Eileen and I would love the break."
"Fantastic." He was grinning ear to ear as he held out a hand to her.
She took it and followed him out of the supply room as he turned off the light. They put the other supplies and binders away, and went to leave.
"And just what is your name, by the way?," Eileen asked, pulling the laboratory door closed behind her.
"Tobias," he said, holding out an arm for her to hold as he escorted her out of the building toward his car.
~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~
Eileen returned back to her dormitory late that evening, escorted right up to the door by Tobias Snape after their evening at the cinema followed by a late dinner. He had been a perfect gentleman all night, opening doors, pulling out chairs, offering her his arm, but never being lewd. It was astonishing even more so when they arrived back at campus when he ran round the car to open her door, led her to the dormitory and escorted her to the door, which he held for her as she went inside, without even hinting at wanting an evening's kiss.
It was exactly like at the cinema with the dapper young man and the exquisite young woman, all that was missing was that kiss. Never before had a boy treated her with such care and kindness, like he might actually like her. Her head drifted cloudily, before she came back to reality. She shook her head violently as she went up the stairs. Pausing at a landing, she could see his car first pulling away. Had it really been a perfect evening?
As she reached her room, she thought of all the things she had yet to do. Homework, the wash, studying for final examinations. She walked up to her desk, and pulled at a drawer, opening it. Inside was a small wooden box. She picked it up carefully, running her fingers along the seam of the opening, before lifting the lid off.
Inside, carefully placed, was the time turner that she so relied on while at Hogwarts. She lifted it carefully by the chain, running her index finger over its contours. No. this was not the time or the place. She quickly replaced it in the box, back into the drawer and shut it firmly before sitting down and taking out her textbooks and getting to work.
~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~SS~
The term sped by quicker than Eileen could have imagined. Tobias met her nearly every day for lunch, and worked with her into the evening after the lab had been attended to. By the time examinations arose, she did not have any fears at all other than her next year courses.
Between evenings of study and picnics on the lawn at lunch sometimes twice a week, she had grown not only accustomed to, but to care for Tobias and it was obvious by the way he caressed her face with his hands when he pushed her hair out of her face that he cared for her, too.
All that was left to do was say goodbye, something she was dreading doing, but unavoidable as she watched him walking toward her dormitory amid the packing students as they all prepared to leave for the summer. She went downstairs and met him at the door, opening it and stepping outside as he reached for the buzzer.
"I wanted to say goodbye before I left," he said, looking slightly sad.
Eileen took his hand and led him to a bench nearby the dorms. Sitting she watched as he looked at the ground, kicking at a loose stone. She put a hand on his lap, causing him to look up. Usually it was he who initiated any contact. He looked deeply into her dark eyes.
"I'll miss you," Eileen said, leaning her head onto his shoulder.
He took her hand in his, clasping his other firmly around it, holding her tightly, not wanting to let go. They sat peacefully like this for hours, soaking in each other's presence. The other students slowly thinned out, the sun setting and casting a glow on their faces as it peaked between some trees.
Stirring, Eileen raised her head, and kissed him on the cheek before standing and leading him by hand to his car. He got in slowly, and rolled down the window.
"I… I lo-," he started to say to her. She stopped him with her lips.
A sweet strawberry taste filling his mouth as she wordlessly showed him how much he will be missed. When she parted, he knew it was time, and slowly drove away watching Eileen as she stood on the curb as he drove out of sight.
Eileen, went back up to her dormitory, and grabbed a book bag from her room, before beginning a walk off campus to a nearby wood. Once there she reached into her bag and pulled out her wand and a cloak. Slipping into the cloak, she disappeared with a loud pop, reappearing in a crowded alleyway surrounded by witches and wizards alike.
Eileen had every intention of seeing Tobias again next year, surprising him with the fact that she will have risen up to his year courses over the summer. The only downfall in taking the extra summer courses was that they were not covered by her scholarship, which means that she needed a job. Luckily enough for her, she was particularly skilled in potion making, and the apothecary in Diagon Alley was in need of an assistant potioneer.
She strode through the shops and made her way to the apothecary in no time. She went to the books and looked over the orders for the day.
"Eileen is that you?" she heard a grumble from the back of the shop. A stout, old, toad of a man came forward.
"Sir?" Eileen replied.
"I need you to go to Knockturn Alley and fetch more flobberworm mucus and nightshade from Mulpepper. Here's 120 Galleons, he already has the order"
"Yes, sir."
She took the money and headed out of the store, straight to Knockturn Alley. In recent years, Knockturn Alley had begun to get a reputation for being seedy, unfortunately, Mulpepper's shop there had some of the best supplies when supplies run short before a large order, much better than in Diagon Alley. It was much worth the stares from others to be able to procure the finest ingredients for brewing prized potions. No one cares where the ingredients came from when it came time to pick them up, they only cared about how well they worked.
She silently slipped down the dark corridors, not really paying attention to where she was going, only thinking about the summer she had in store for her. Would it be so wrong to pull out the time turner to spend extra time in the shop during the summer? If she did, she would have more money for during the year, when she would not be working. More money is more trips to the cinema. More picnics. More Tobias.
More people for her to walk into! She landed right on her bottom, her hair flopping into her face.
"I'm so sorry," she began. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
"Its nothing," replied a slippery voice from under a hood.
The man moved around her leaving her where she fell.
"Tom?" she asked, turning toward his fast retreating back.
The man stopped and turned back to her slowly. She pushed the hair out of her face.
"Eileen." The man removed his hood. Tom Riddle was taller than before, more muscular with a more angled face. However, his eyes no longer had the fire that they used to, no longer had the care. They were dark and cold. His skin was pale, almost translucent. He looked ill.
He walked back to Eileen, who still sat upon the damp ground. Offering her a hand, he helped her to her feet, after which she threw her arms around him in a warm embrace. His body stiffened before he gingerly put two arms around her.
"It has been a while, how have you been?" Eileen said, finally pulling away.
"Well," Tom said curtly. "And yourself?"
"I've been wonderful. I would love to catch up some time. Butterbeer? We could go to the Leaky Cauldron."
"That would be nice," Tom said, a faint smile passing his lips briefly.
"I'm working now, but will get out at 9. Or another day if you are busy," Eileen suggested.
"I can wait. Tonight would be good."
"Great, I'll see you at 9, then."
"9pm," Tom said with a nod. He turned and strolled out of the alleyway, and Eileen proceeded to Mulpepper's shop to procure the ingredients.
The rest of the evening sped by, mixing and brewing, crushing and cutting. Her mind was already elsewhere. Before she knew it, 9pm had already arrived. She cleaned up her station, and said goodnight before heading off to the Leaky Cauldron.
Entering the pub, she looked around, not finding Tom anywhere. Then, in a darkened corner booth sat a cloaked man, much like she saw in Knockturn Alley. Tom. She walked over to the booth and sat across from him. He moved further into the booth, out of sight, and removed his hood. Eileen waved over a waitress and ordered two butterbeers while Tom pretended to be interested in the wooden walls. When their butterbeers arrived, she raised a toast.
"It is good to see you Tom," Eileen said, a warmth in her voice.
"And yourself. I admit, I was surprised to see you in Diagon Alley," he said, clinking her glass and taking a sip.
"Why?"
"You are a big university hotshot now, aren't you?" Tom asked sneering at the word.
"No Tom, not a hot shot. A student. A chemistry student, like I explained before."
"Two years out of Hogwarts and you still haven't realized that-"
"What? That I'm wasting my time?" Eileen said coldly. "I wanted to catch up, Tom, not be judged for my decisions. I thought we were friends. I thought you would understand."
"Understand?" he hissed.
"Yes, Tom." Eileen's voice was firm. " 'Or perhaps in Slytherin, You'll make your real friends, Those cunning folk use any means, To achieve their ends.' I am doing just that Tom. Any means. In the past year I have invented twelve new potions, and made great improvements to the Draught of Living Death."
"And you think it is because you went to university?" Tom's voice was calmer now.
"No, I think it is because Muggles present the information differently than wizards do. We focus so much on the whole and the effects of components that we fail to look further. Fail to look at the why."
"And you are learning that, then?"
"Yes," Eileen said coolly.
"I'm happy that you are finding this experience… educational."
"And what about you, Tom?" Eileen asked. "What have you been up to?"
"Well, right after school let out, I tried to get a job at Hogwarts, but Professor Dippet rejected me."
"Why?"
"He said I was too young, that 18 was too young to become a professor. That I needed to explore the world and round out my experiences. Become an expert in the subject and know myself above all, as he put it." Tom seemed disgusted by the idea.
"So have you? Have you been exploring the world?"
"No, I got a job at Borgin and Burkes right after that, surprised the hell out of the professors back at Hogwarts. Something about me not living up to my potential? Old Sluggy was furious, turned purple when he heard the news and Professor Dumbledore just about stopped talking to me almost instantly, bit of a help there, really" Tom was looking down at the table. Rubbing a hematite colored cube shaped ring on his index finger.
"Borgin and Burkes. That must be… interesting if nothing else," Eileen seemed to be trying to make the best of the situation. "Do you see a lot of historical artifacts, or is it mostly dark arts stuff?"
"Both. Equally actually."
He started fumbling around in his cloak pocket, a metallic clanking sound emitting from it as he pulled something out on a long gold chain chain. He regarded the object carefully, polishing off some brownish black sticky spots with his fingers before passing it over to Eileen.
It was a clunky looking locket. Eileen turned it over in her hand looking at its golden face. A fine serpentine S inlaid on the front in glittering green stone.
"Is this-?" Eileen started, astonishment in her hushed voice as she handed it back to Tom.
"The Slytherin Locket." Tom looked pleased with himself. "Hepzibah Smith came down the shop a just yesterday for an appraisal. She wasn't interested in selling at first, but I persuaded her. Last thing I do for Borgin and Burkes."
"Last thing?"
"I quit today, but I know they were eager to get their hands on the locket after yesterday, so I met with her just after we spoke earlier. I was able to convince her that now was the time to sell, that interest in historical artifacts was high now, but who knows, in the future the buying price might drop. I'll pop down there afterwards. What were you doing down here?"
"I'm working the summer at Slug and Jiggers Apothecary during the night, while taking extra classes over the holiday."
"Nice to see some things never change." His smile was quick. "You are going to be a famous witch one day, I just know it."
"Thank you, I hope so," Eileen said finishing her butterbeer.
"I should really be going now, before they close shop," Tom said.
"Oh!" Eileen was startled. "Of course"
Tom shifted out of the booth, raising his hood again and walked out back to the alley with Eileen, where she took his hand in his causing him to whip around at her.
"I hope I see you again soon, Tom. It was good to see you, you are a dear friend to me."
"Perhaps we will," Tom said coolly, slipping his hand out of hers before disappearing back into the winding, narrow brick-lined streets of Knockturn Alley. Little did Eileen know that this was the last time she would see Tom as she knew him, he would soon slip out of this world never to be seen again.
18