Chapter 25:
Tom's arms were crossed amongst his chest as he followed the Prefects up to a blank stone wall. The male Prefect walked up to it a muttered, "Pureblood". The stone wall slid open and the first years were led inside.
The common room was dark and it was dimly lit by the fire in the fireplace and green chandeliers shed off its poor light.
"Your dormitories, boys, are to the left through that door," pointed the male Prefect. "And yours, girls, are to the right. That door over there is yours," He maneuvered his hand to the opposite way where another dungeon door stood. "Lights out at ten o'clock, no later or you will be sent to Dippet." Tom didn't like this Prefect's attitude and smirked to himself.
Tom sat against the back of one of the black leather sofas. He strongly wished he could either be over there with Nessa or have her here with him. Being split up was not what they had intended, but at the very least, they should have at least one class together. Now that he had his hopes up, he couldn't wait till the very next day.
He wandered away from the crowds of Slytherin students and slipped through the door leading to the boys' dorms. When he got inside, he saw the long hall of doors and figured how in the world he was ever going to find his dorm.
He turned to the first door and widened his eyes, shocked. He read a silver plaque that said, "First Years: Arcturus Black, Darrion Lestrange, Abraxas Malfoy, Tom Riddle". Tom groaned.
"Abraxas Malfoy?" he asked out loud to himself.
"Did somebody call me?" called the voice belonging to Abraxas Malfoy. Tom groaned quietly again.
The blonde headed boy with grey eyes appeared next to him, reading off the plaque. "Well will you look at that!" he exclaimed. "Arcturus and Darrion as well? Fancy that…we're going to have an excellent dorm, mate," said Malfoy, resting his arm on Tom's shoulder. Tom glared at him and shrugged it off.
"Sure," he grunted as he walked inside.
Tom found Shadow in his cage next to a bed on the far right. 'Good,' he thought. 'I'll be away from all the others,' His trunk sat in front of the head board of the four-poster bed, which had long emerald and silver draperies hanging from the top. Tom walked over to his bed and sat down, stroking Shadow through the wires of his cage.
"She's not here, Shadow," he said to the bird. "She's not with us,"
"Who's not with you?" chimed Malfoy. Tom glared. "That Mudblood girlfriend of yours?" he snickered. Tom stood and clenched his fists into tight balls.
"Don't EVER say that about Nessa! You hear?" he threatened through his gritted teeth. Malfoy raised an eyebrow and turned away, walking to a bed opposite from Tom's, on the other side of the room. Tom sat back down on his bed and watched Shadow peck at the bars. He noticed the window in the middle of his and the other bed. It was small, but big enough to fit an owl through it.
Tom lay on his bed. All he could think about was Nessa…and Nessa…and Nessa. He wanted to feel the warm presence that shed off her when she was around him. He wanted to feel her arm draped through his as she sometimes did when they walked together. He just wanted to be with her, like they promised each other to do: to stay with each other. Hogwarts was ruining everything and it was all thanks to that stupid Sorting Hat.