Hello! I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed! I would love to hear you opinions on this chapter too. The first part is Tom's thoughts on Adena, just clearing that up ahead of time. They haven't really clashed yet as they are still trying to figure things out. That's all I can think to say right now so enjoy! :)
Disclamer: Anything you recognize I don't own!
Chapter Two
Tom Riddle let out an imperceptible sigh as he listened to Walburga Black complain to his fellow prefect Olive Hornby. He could not for the life of him figure out how she became a prefect, as there were many far more suitable choices as the other Slytherin prefect. It annoyed him to no end to find out that he would be compared to the likes of her as a prefect. He, of course, would be better, but still. He focused on what they were saying.
" And then she said I should leave! She was completely rude to me! I was only defending you two!" Walburga complained.
" Can you believe the nerve of this girl, Tom? She better watch her mouth!" exclaimed Olive.
He merely nodded, not interested, having missed the first part of the conversation. He was interested a bit in the girl though. He wondered if he would be able to use her to his advantage
"…..Don't you think so Tom? … Tom? TOM!" Olive screeched jolting him out of his thoughts.
" WHAT?" he snapped back.
Walburga and Olive looked at him in surprise. He groaned mentally in frustration. He shouldn't have to explain himself to the likes of them, but that's what " quiet Tom Riddle" would do.
" Sorry," he said quietly, " I'm just a little off right now."
They both seemed to accept his feeble excuse and for once it didn't bother him that they were complete idiots. They finally got to their regular compartment much to his relief. He hadn't had time to schedule a meeting with his followers because of patrolling but he would as soon as they got of that wretched train and arrived at school. When they walked in to compartment his eyes fell on the new girl the girls with him had been so keen on talking about for the last fifteen minutes and she was sitting in his seat. His eyes narrowed dangerously, something Abraxas didn't miss. He laughed nervously.
" Adena, this is Tom Riddle, and Olive Hornby." He said
" Pleasure to meet you Miss..." Tom trailed of full of charm.
" Falcore." She said slowly, eyeing him.
" Miss Falcore. I've heard some things about you already?"
" Good things?" she asked smirking at Walburga.
" Possibly."
" Yes, well feeble gossip doesn't bother me much."
" Of course." He said quietly.
She stood up to greet Olive and Walburga.
" You must be Olive, Walburga had mentioned you. Pleasure to finally meet you." She said smoothly as she turned to Walburga. " Sorry if we got off on the wrong foot earlier. It's just I don't take to stupidity very well. But you must have taken my advice and gone up front, hmmmm? It would seem so since you have gotten rid of that nasty sniff?" she said
Again Walburga spluttered and turned bright red. Tom noted that Abraxas had looped his arm around Adena's waist pulling her onto his lap, leaving the seat she previously occupied open. Tom quickly sat and took in her appearance as the two other girls sat down beside him. She was quite a beauty; he would admit that, she was nothing like most of the girls at the school. Her black hair was tied elegantly back with one strand framing her face. The ribbon was a dark blue that complemented both her dress and her eyes. A slight flush colored her pale cheeks; she was even paler than him. Her dress stretched tightly over her bosom and her long legs were crossed gracefully. He wasn't sure why he was noticing these things though, and put it off to the fact that he was a boy and did in fact have certain needs. She seemed intelligent, or at least witty, so he might be able to stand conversing with her. She stopped talking to Malfoy and glanced at Tom. He expected her to be lusting after him like the rest of the female population in the school but did not find any trace of lust in her eyes. He actually couldn't find any emotion in her eyes at all. He sat there barely speaking listening to them converse about their summers in more depth then before. He, of course did not contribute anything about his summer not wanting to speak about his time at the orphanage. He sat patiently as the train grew closer to Hogwarts.
" Adena, do you happen to be related to Adeline Falcore?" Alphard asked her suddenly.
She tensed slightly and narrowed her eyes, though Tom wasn't sure why.
" Well, actually that is my name," she said slowly, " but I would prefer it if you all called me Adena."
" Adeline," Tom mused, " That's a very beautiful name. Why wouldn't you want to be called that?"
He smirked anticipating her reaction.
" You know what I'm rather hungry. Perhaps I'll go find that sweets trolley you mentioned earlier Abraxas." She said rather loudly and left the carriage.
The others were bewildered by her action but quickly got back into the conversation. Olive sat looking smug now that Adena had left. Tom, however, sat no longer listening pondering about Adena as he was the only one who noticed that the wooden door handle had splintered in her grip.
Adena braced herself against the bathroom sink. She ran the water and stared into the mirror. The look in that boy Tom's eye was a look she had seen in only one other person's.
Her father's.
" Are you alright?" a voice asked hesitantly from behind her.
She spun around wondering how she hadn't noticed someone else was there. A girl about her age with frizzy brown hair was staring at her.
" Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking." She replied politely.
" I'm Minerva McGonagall." The girl said holding out her hand.
" Adena Falcore." She said as she shook the hand offered to her.
" What year are you in? I don't think I've seen you before."
" I'm from America. I'll be starting as a fifth year here."
" Oh. Same as me. Do you know what house you'll be in?"
" No. I'll be sorted when the train arrives."
" Well I hope you're in Gryffindor. It is by far the best house there. I'm in it. "
" Maybe. I'm not sure what house I'll end up in." her politeness covering up her indignation at Minerva's attitude.
" See you around I suppose." Minerva said lightly.
" Yes, course."
She wandered around a little bit now looking for the candy trolley. She found it outside a compartment, the witch pushing it serving a young man with black hair that stuck up in different places. He finished purchasing his candy and the witch turned to her.
" What would you like deary?"
" A chocolate frog please," she said looking at the assortment of items on the cart, "and a sugarquill too."
She paid for her items noticing that the boy had not gone back into his compartment.
" Need anything else deary?" the witch asked him.
" No. Thank you." He replied.
" Well if you're sure then." She said and pushed the cart away.
" I'm Charlus Potter." He said smiling
" Adena Falcore." She said smiling back, yet not really interested in meeting another new person.
" You're new here aren't you?"
" Yes. I'm from America."
" Oh. Have you been sorted yet?"
" No. I'm supposed to be when we arrive."
" I'm in Gryffindor, home of the brave and defenders of the weak." He said laughing. " If you are put into Gryffindor I'll be happy to show you around."
" And if I'm not? Say if I was in one of the other houses? Like Slytherin or something, would the offer still stand or would it not because we wouldn't be in the same house?"
His eyebrows furrowed and he was taken aback by her directness.
" Well," he said slowly, " there is some discrimination in the houses, but yes it would still stand."
She smiled.
" Well then I think that we can be friends." she said, " Though it isn't likely that I'll be in your house."
" Why not?"
" Because I'm not like you at all." She said seriously her tone filled with an underlying sadness.
She left him standing there looking at her retreating figure before he went into his compartment.
" What an odd girl." He muttered, shaking his head.
" Get me anything?" Abraxas had asked her the second she walked back in their carriage.
She said nothing but handed him a sugarquill noticing that the compartment was empty.
" You should change into your school robes now. Everyone else has gone to."
" Why haven't you?"
" I was waiting for you."
She laughed.
" We aren't love stuck now are we?"
He flushed slightly.
" No. I just didn't want you to come back to an empty compartment!"
" Very defensive aren't we?" she commented with a smirk on her face.
" You're impossible!"
" Relax Abraxas." She said quietly.
She slipped out of the compartment but found herself face first with a broad chest.
" Coming onto me already, hun?" Ezra Nott laughed his breath blowing into her face.
" No. Not in the slightest. I have no attraction to those who appear to be part troll."
He grabbed her wrists angrily.
" You better watch what you say, you little slag! I don't like people who talk to me like that no matter how pretty they may be."
One knee to his crotch was all it took to have him release his grip on her and her wand to his neck.
" If you lay a hand on me again I'll make sure that you won't have the ability to touch anything ever again." She warned not raising her voice at all.
She stalked off to the bathroom. She paused in the doorway listening to the conversation taking place.
" … I can't believe that girl. She better watch it or she isn't going to make it far into this year." She heard Olive saying, most likely to Walburga.
She laughed softly at the threat. She entered the room giving them both a smile and a nod of her head. The shocked looks on their faces at her sudden appearance and change of attitude were priceless.
" Olive," she called from inside the stall, " I meant to ask this before but where did you get that lovely dress?"
" I- I got it at a local Muggle store near my house." She replied stunned.
" Hmmmm… well it's very beautiful."
Both the girls were utterly bemused.
"Yes, well thank you, but we are going to be heading back to the compartment now." Olive called out not knowing what else to say.
" Of course. See you back there then." She said pleasantly.
She rolled her eyes as they left. She wasn't going to be able to tolerate being nice to them for long. She didn't feel like going back to the compartment right away. Pure luck was the only reason she didn't have to face him before when had went back the first time, but she was going to have to face him eventually. She rushed out of the bathroom when she felt the train come to a stop. She ran straight into someone yet again.
" Sorry!" She exclaimed to the boy she had knocked to the ground.
He raised his head and she groaned mentally. Out of all the people on this blasted train and I had to run into Tom Riddle. She still offered her hand to help him back to his feet. He looked at her hand with an expression of disgust and her eyes hardened.
" I don't need your help." He murmured quietly.
She started at him for a moment and laughed quietly.
" What?" he asked.
" I guess we're even!"
" Even? What do you mean?"
" Well, you ran into me with your cart back at the train station."
He looked at her with a strange expression on his face. She furrowed her eyebrows at him and he shook his head slightly.
" Come on, we are at Hogwarts." He led her quickly back to the compartment so they could grab their luggage. He watched her quietly the entire time as they exited the train together.
Well that was chapter two! Sorry about the vagueness of everything but everything will make more sense further on! Anyways, reviews are most welcome! It rather saddens me when I see that 22 people have read my story yet only two reviewed. You don't really have to say much, you can just say that you like it and that would be fine. Of course feedback and even criticism is welcome because I would like to know what I can do to make the story better for you. But enough about that, there will be much more plot development in the next chapter, it's just that some things are necessary to put in so the story will make sense later. I hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
~EarlyMorningFreak