LOTTIE'S POV

I could feel his eyes on me all lesson, like he is studying some sort of specimen in a zoo or something. It made me mad, distracted me from the sadness creeping through me. It wasn't until this morning that what had happened with Gervais settled in my mind, it made me feel so sad, so absolutely crushed that I couldn't help myself. I had to cry. But really, did it have to be in front of him? In front of Riddle? Who would probably exploit it for his own personal gain, the git.

Suddenly I'm jolted out of my daydream by the Professor tapping me lightly on the shoulder, the lesson was finished and he dismissed me with a kindly smile. Hopefully this would mean that Riddle had already left but as I grab my stuff and turn towards the door this little dream shatters. There he is standing all proud and strong, how much I want to be held right now, not by him, by Ab' I want to be held by a friend and be told that everything would be alright. I'm all for barging past him but he sticks his arms out and bars my way.

"Lottie, please…"

It's the tone in his voice that makes my head snap up from glaring at the floor, it sounds so sincere, so absolutely genuine that I couldn't help but let out a frustrated sob.

"Riddle, get out of my way."

"No. Tell me what the matter is."

"It's none of your business. Now move." The venom in my voice trickled through him and he just stands there, fists clenched so his knuckles turn white almost shaking, quickly I shift past him and hurry to the common room where hopefully Ab' will be waiting for me.

Almost running through the corridors, I smile as the door opens to the common room and a rush of warm floods through me. Riddle had Ancient Runes now and she didn't the perfect chance to talk to Ab' alone. No Olive Hornby either so there will be no death glares from across the room. I swiftly take up the empty seat next to Ab' and just as swiftly realise that there's something very wrong. Ab' never sits there mute when I walk up. Never.

"Ab' what's wrong?" I ask, moving some of his long blonde hairs from his eyes which like mine are laced with pain.

"Lottie…" He growled the look in his eyes changing from pain to a dark threatening look, it takes me aback, and I hadn't expected this from him.

"Yes, I'm here, what's the matter?"

I smile at him, masking my own problems; I cup his face gingerly in my hands and force him to look me in the eyes. He doesn't resist me and nuzzles his face into my open palms gently kissing my finger tips. Luckily we're the only ones in this part of the common room and all the other snakes weren't part of the Riddle click. We were safe to talk to each other without Ab' getting punished.

"Why do you torture me like this?" He moans taking my hands from around his face and placing them behind his neck, I could see him nearing my face and my heart races, I don't want to loose another close person in my life right now, not after Gervais and especially not Ab'.

"Ab' oh Ab' I'm sorry. Forgive me."

He rests his forehead on my own and he smiles, laughing a little sending a small wave of air into my face making me laugh too. His warm hands place themselves on my waist and rest themselves there, squeezing lightly.

"I wont make you hurt inside, not like him, not like Gervais. Lottie, Goddamit Lottie I love you."

My breath catches in my throat, this couldn't be happening, not now! Not with everything going on. I take in a deep breath and move myself from being so close to Ab' so I merely smile at him and lay my head on his chest

"I'm sorry Ab' you know what I've been through with Gervais, and now I've got Tom on my back. I really need you as a friend right now. I'm so sorry."

"I knew you were going to say that. Don't be sorry. It's my own fault for falling in love with you, but I'm not the only one. Tom loves you too. I can tell by the murderous look on his face."

"It was scary this morning wasn't it?" I giggle trying to lighten the mood and Ab' places a small kiss on my ear before chuckling softly

"It was scary then and it's scary now. I can only imagine what he's going to do to me but you're worth it."

It takes me a while to click onto what Ab' said, I turn from his chest and look at the entrance to the common room where Riddle stands, his eyes dark and full of a thunderous rage and he is shaking, visibly shaking from here. I quickly stand up and sit across the way from Ab' not like it's going to do much now but I can't help but feel at a loss. My best friend fancies me, my long term boyfriend has cheated on me and dumped me and now I have a creepy stalker. Wonderful. I sit in the leather chair with my head bowed, thoughts ticking around my head like a time bomb waiting to detonate.

"Abraxus. What are you doing?" Riddle growls, anger clear in every syllable

"I'm spending time with Lottie. My best friend. She's upset you…can clearly see."

"Leave. I will take care of it."

"She doesn't want to talk to you."

Riddles voice went horribly low and threatening as he mutters quietly, it's always scarier when they speak quietly "I do not care what you think Abraxus, leave, we would not want anything to happen to precious Lottie now would we?"

Ab's eyes fill with fear he grabs his stuff and places a warm hand on my shoulder before he squares off to Riddle and leaves the room, probably bound for the lake.

He sits down next to me and I feel a warm hand slowly make its way up my back, I don't have the energy to move away I just sit with my head in my hands and wait until Riddle decides to speak to me.

"Lottie?" He asks nervously, I couldn't believe it the man who just scared off everyone in the common room is nervous?

"What?" I mutter

"Please, tell me who's upset you so. I've never, never seen you like this." He coughs, uncomfortable at his show of emotion.

"Do you really care?"

"Of course I c-c-care." He stumbles on the words

"Why do you care? You don't know me; you don't know anything about me, not even my second name. It's disgusting. You hate people like Olive who are all over you but you're all over me Riddle, its suffocation and right now I don't need your simpering." The floodgates are open and I can't help but throw more and more abuse at the man, standing before me and whose eyes I cannot look in but are full of an emotion alien to them, hurt.

"You're ushering away my only real friend with you're obsession with me, I am not in the mood for this now. I don't need it. Especially after Gervais…"

"Who is Gervais?" Riddle asks, his voice small and soft

"Why don't you go and bully it out of Ab'!" I shout and turn on my heel storming up to the girls dorm leaving an emotional Tom behind, unaware to me a small tear wound it's way down his cheek.