Hey everyone!

So here is chapter 2 for Volume II... And here we'll have the first banter between Katherine and Riddle... I hope you have even more fun reading it than I had writing it! XD

Thanks to Someone for your lovely review and I hope you enjoy Volume I MrsSomerhalder10!


Chapter 2

Observation

After three months of serious studies and attempts Tom Riddle seemed to have reached his limits in analyzing Katherine Pierce's mystical aura. Normally he wouldn't have been trying so desperately to read someone's aura but this one vexed and fascinated him. Though he couldn't make out what it was about Riddle could clearly sense some sort of power radiating off her aura.

Over the last few weeks Riddle had spent some of his free time in the library and doing some research about Katherine Pierce. He didn't find any information on her or her ancestors in the books about famous magicians or in works about influential pureblood families from Bulgaria – he assumed that she was most definitely a pureblood because otherwise she would never have been sorted into Slytherin.

Next Riddle looked through some of the few yearbooks from Bulgaria's most famous school for wizards - the Durmstrang Academy - the Hogwarts library owned – nothing! Not one student had the last name 'Pierce'. But as he thought about it he found that Katherine's last name didn't sound very Bulgarian… It could be that her father was from an English speaking country and that her mother was Bulgarian. So Tom tried to look up all male Pierces who had ever attended Hogwarts and his search was once again without any success.

Riddle was frustrated at first but he then came to the conclusion that something was wrong with Katherine. He didn't know what her secret was but he was determined to find out what exactly she had to hide!

He was patrolling through the castle as it was one of his many duties as a Head boy. Completely immersed in his thoughts he entered the hallway that lead to the grounds as he almost collided with a dark figure that was coming his way. Thankfully this stranger froze on the spot and prevented a collision.

Still in slight shock Riddle pulled his wand out of his robes and lighted it with a silently muttered Lumos to reveal an annoyed looking Katherine Pierce standing in front of him. "You don't/can't seem to get enough of me, hu? Although we see each other a billion times in class we always seem to meet in every free minute!" Which was kind of true because when she was in the library for example she would almost everytime find him lingering there near the restricted section and reading. Not to mention the many times they walked past each other in the hallways where they had occasional staring contests with each other.

Riddle ignored her mocking comment and said with his cold voice: "I assumed that three months at Hogwarts would have been enough time to get accustomed with the school rules but somehow I find you out and about your dorm after curfew." Katherine mouthed "Oh my god!" before she said aloud: "Well I think I skipped that paragraph of the school rules then. It was a pretty long list, ya know." Riddle could hear her repressed laugh and was slightly annoyed because of her behavior. Normally if he got hold of a student at some wrongdoing he or she was very intimidated because of him being Head boy and every teacher's favourite.

Tom clasped his hands behind his back as he decided to launch an immediate attack on her as to why her family name didn't seem to exist at all. "What is it that you're hiding, Pierce?" If he assumed this would catch her off guard then he was fooled. The brunette tilted her head slightly to the left and watched him curiously. Katherine slowly stepped towards him until they were only two steps apart. Riddle eyed her very suspiciously as she said in an innocent tone: "Do you mean Avery's broom? Damn it, I knew I didn't hide it well!" Katherine had to restrain herself very hard to not burst into laughter at this very moment. "But promise me you won't tell him!"

She was certain if you would hold a match next to Riddle that it would immediately catch fire because of the anger that was surely boiling inside him that she avoided his question. Of course Katherine knew that he somehow must have found out that she was a wolf in sheep's clothing. She just needed to find out what he knew about her. So she allowed a smile to appear on her face and she asked him: "Okay, that clearly wasn't what you wanted to hear but if you want me to answer you precisely then how about you tell me what you want to know?"

Tom had to pull himself together to not attack that little beast right now. Instead he calmly spoke – but still with his merciless ice cold voice: "How can it be that your last name is Pierce" He made a little pause for effect but Katherine already answered in a bored voice: "Merlin, and all teachers call you the mostly talented student at Hogwarts… Maybe I should have stayed at Durmstrang." – Oh yes, you should have!, thought Riddle – "Pierce happens to be my last name because my father's last name was Pierce. Got it?" She said with a voice as if she was explaining this to a three year old.

Tom gritted his teeth and he knew soon he wouldn't be able to control himself anymore if she continued like this. Now his voice was no longer calm; it was filled with rage as he tried to at least keep a polite wording as he said: "If you would have let me finish my sentence, Pierce-" He spat her name with the same disgust he normally said 'mudblood' "-you would have known that I wanted to inform you about the fact that your last name doesn't exist!"

Thankfully Katherine didn't show any reaction on her face while she felt like the ground was pulled away from underneath her feet. Damn! Why didn't she think of that problem? She cursed herself inwardly and tried to think of a good excuse. But as it is in many situations when your brain desperately needs a good excuse very quickly the needed adrenaline rush comes and delivers the easiest way out. "And?" Katherine said as lethargic as possible. "Everybody has some dark secrets. You are the perfect example for that, Riddle!"

She had pushed her luck by letting Riddle know that she had some information about him that no one else beside himself knew and normally she wouldn't have done that but her instincts told her that it was the right move for her to do.

A long silence followed her last words and Riddle simply just stared at her with a slight confused look in his eyes. Katherine saw her chance to disappear so she shot the Head Boy a last mysterious smile and walked past him and down to the Dungeons. She needed to write to Kiril as soon as possible to inform him about this night's events and ask him for an advice.


Let me know what you think of that 'first' meeting of my main characters!