I felt myself involuntarily smile as I entered the library. It had been a while since I had come here, especially since I had left a month early last year, and with all my prefect duties weighing me down, I had never really had a chance to focus on my homework and prioritize my reading.

I headed towards the back, past the tall shelves of books, and arrived at my usual table. It was tucked away in the back corner of the library, near the restricted section.

However, as I got closer, my smile faltered. I saw a lean figure stretched out in a green armchair, legs crossed and eyes scanning the pages of a book, some advanced Potions book.

Damn. I had completely forgotten that Tom Riddle sat near me. I didn't really remember who had started sitting in this back corner first, but all I knew was that his chair was extremely close to mine. Now, normally, I didn't reeeally mind, and I just tried to ignore him, even though I could often feel his eyes on me, the way you can a spider crawling on your skin, uncomfortable and tense, but I would try my hardest to forget he existed.

However, my feelings towards him were different now. Before I didn't trust him, but now I didn't like him. I didn't want to be near someone who had gotten one of my younger friends expelled. I didn't want to be near someone so snotty and stick up. I didn't want to be near someone who I was scared of.

Still, I tried to calm my racing heart and put my books down, carefully taking a seat, trying to ignore the fact that I knew he was watching me. I let my hair fall forward to shield my face, and started writing out an essay for Herbology, letting a book on healing plants lay open before me.

I almost finished the essay.

Unfortunately, when I was coming to my conclusion, Riddle decided to speak.

"Good summer, Carnell?"

Stunned, I slowly raised my head up to look at him. He was still casually flipping through the pages of his book, but when he lifted his gaze to meet mine, I could see the faintest bit of amusement glittering in his eyes.

I forced myself to answer in a neutral tone. "Mine was good. You?"

"Fine." He spoke casually, so I thought that was the end of it. I turned back to my essay, ready to write out the last line.

In conclusion, the Hyperian Violand Plant is the key remedy to-

"I trust you've heard that the castle is safe now, so you no longer need to worry." My hand froze.

Ignore him, Melissa, ignore him, I silently chanted.

"Yes, I did," I said, struggling to keep calm. I just have to finish the sentence, I thought. Just a couple more words.

Then Riddle responded.

"Shame, really, how kids so young can turn out to be so evil. I mean, how dark do you have to be to kill someone?" He let out a light chuckle of disbelief and flipped another page of his book, but his words pushed me over the edge.

I abruptly stood up, chucking my quill on the table.

"As a matter of fact, Riddle, I do not believe that Rubeus was the one who killed people. He was one of the kindest, most innocent souls I've ever met, and the fact that you turned him in as the Heir of Slytherin, was one of the foulest things I've ever seen anyone do. Rubeus Hagrid does not have an evil bone in his body, and you must be a horrible, revolting, shameful person to try and frame him. Yes, Tom, I know you framed him. And that is why you disgust me. You loathsome, hideous, cockroach," I spit at him.

The, gathering up my books, I quickly hurried out of there, my head whirling, my eyes ablaze, not wanting to hear what Riddle had to say about me.

"All right, what's on your mind," Zeke said, interrupting me of my thoughts. We were all seated at the Ravenclaw table for dinner, yet my plate remained untouched. I was still thinking about my confrontation to Riddle, but I didn't want to let anyone know about it.

"Nothing," I muttered, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear. Zeke raised an eyebrow.

"Don't give me that. You haven't said a word this entire time. We've been talking about Quidditch, which is one of your favorite things to talk about, seeing how you're Captain and our star Chaser, and yet you haven't piped in." He turned my face towards him, keeping one hand on my cheek, and said in a low voice, "What's going on." I stared into his eyes, which were a dark, Slytherin green, and sighed.

"Nothing, Zeke, I'm just stressed that we've been back for one week and I already have four essays due." He stared at me for a second longer, then let out a breath and dropped his hand. I immediately turned back to my uneaten food, and brought a spoonful of soup to my mouth.

My eyes flicked over to the Slytherin table, and collided with Tom Riddle's. He was staring at Zeke with a look of utmost hatred, but when his eyes met mine, they narrowed to slits. I choked on my soup, and immediately Zeke and Aly were patting my back, crying out in concern.

"I'm fine," I said waving them away with my hands while coughing. "I'm fine." I quickly composed myself, and gave Aly and Zeke a thumbs up and a smile, before looking back at the Slytherin table. Riddle was no longer looking at me, but was deep in conversation with Abraxas Malfoy.

I bit my lip nervously. What if they were talking about me. What if Riddle was mad at what I had said? Well, that's not even a question. He's probably furious. What if he's planning some sort of way to get revenge? He's probably gonna look up any minute now and shoot fire at me with his eyes. Worrying even more and more, my hands started playing with the tablecloth, turning it over and over in my fingers.

Just then, Tom Riddle looked up at me again. My breath caught in my throat, but, determined not to react, I simply glared back at him, using my "fire eyes" as my friends called it.

Tom Riddle smiled.