Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter belongs to the ever-brilliant J.K. Rowling.
A/N: I figured I could post the scene I wrote for their meeting although this one isn't supposed to be a multi-chapter. Many thanks to anumij for reviewing!
Kriya had only just begun contemplating how best to locate Tom Riddle when a hand grabbed hold of her waist, throwing her off balance. "Don't move," the voice whispered silkily against her ear.
She couldn't have moved anyway, for Kriya couldn't see a thing.
"That's better. I've been looking forward to this..."
Sensing that it might well be her last chance to escape, Kriya panicked and pushed her assailant hard, blasting him out of her way. Still blinded by whatever spell her attacker had cast upon her eyes, she groped around wildly for her wand, which lay a few meters ahead of her on the floor.
Tom, who had tailed Kriya out of the library, watched open-mouthed as he saw her perform wand-less magic with her eyes effectively closed. In all his years at Hogwarts, he hadn't seen anyone perform this level of magic before – Tom himself had only just begun to channel his spells non-verbally through his hands, and so it was shocking to witness this level of skill in a mere sixth year, who obviously was unaware of her growing powers.
"Help?! Anybody?! Please..."
The witch had managed to stand now, but still looked like she couldn't see a thing. Moving swiftly, Tom managed to steady her, saving her from a nasty fall.
"Who are you?" she asked, fear sharpening her features.
"I'm Tom Riddle. And before you blast me out of your way, it wasn't I who attacked you."
Tom didn't know if it was him, but he felt her body slacken slightly against his with relief. Uncomfortable with their closeness, he detached himself from her and walked over to identify the poor soul who had tried to attack her, albeit unsuccessfully.
A familiar sight met his eyes. What the hell was Devlan Rowley doing here?
Throwing a quick look back at the witch, who was still busy fiddling with her wand, Tom hurriedly performed a disillusionment charm on the unconscious figure of Devlan.
Apart from being a fellow housemate, Rowley was also on the Slytherin Quidditch team, and Tom didn't want him getting into trouble before their kick-off match on Saturday. Although he wasn't on the team, Tom wanted to win the House Cup at all costs, and that meant beating the blasted Gryffindors at each game; they had almost lost the cup last year because of their talented Seeker; and so although Gryffindor had won the final match, Slytherin had won the House cup by a slight margin.
Bringing his attention back to the now-frantic witch, Tom flicked his wand, removing her temporary blindness charm.
"Th-Thank you."
"I've done nothing. You're obviously capable of holding your own," Tom replied. It wasn't a lie. She did have impressive skills, even though they resembled much the accidental wand-less magic known to occur during childhood without the caster's knowledge or control.
"Did you manage to see your attacker's face?" Tom asked in a voice he hoped was neutral. He had to ensure that she hadn't somehow managed to catch sight of Rowley's face. Otherwise he'd have no option but to resort to a quick, but handy obliviate.
"No. He, or whoever it was that attacked me, attacked me from behind, and put that blinding charm on me before doing so. And so, I...I didn't have a chance, to be honest," she replied meekly.
Excellent, Tom thought with a sigh of relief. He'd have a good, long chat with Rowley afterwards – the kind that would ingrain into the thick skull of his, for once and for all, that he ought not to mess with the workings of Tom Marvolo Riddle. This witch, whoever she was, could, potentially, prove to be handy in his plans.
Looking at her now, he took in her profile. She looked calm, and wasn't fidgeting around anymore.
"Thanks, once again, Tom" she said, a small smile playing on her lips at the mention of his name.
"You're most welcome, Miss-"
"Kriya Kaul."
"That's a unique name," Tom commented thoughtfully. Her smile widened at that.
"Oh, and I apologize for my rudeness earlier at the library. I've been a little out of it lately," she clarified sincerely.
Tom brushed away her apology, and gave her a rare smile. "No big deal, Kriya. Happens to the best of us."
He hadn't meant for their first meeting to be like this, but Tom was satisfied all the same.