1
Kylera Drae stared out of the towering window in front of her, tuning out the chatter that filled the Great Hall. All around, her fellow Hogwarts schoolmates were busy chattering and filling in one another on what they had done over the break. It was the first day of the school year and everyone sat together in tight-knit groups, eager to see one another again. Yet she was conspicuously alone, the chairs surrounding her left empty.
This was what she preferred. After years of glaring at and ignoring her Slytherin peers who tried to inject themselves into her personal space, and some well-deserved hexes aimed at those who tried to bully her, she was glad they had learned to leave her alone. She knew that as much as her housemates could try to portray a sincere, friendly exterior, they were all hiding their real selves and presenting only a carefully curated mask. Slytherin relationships were just long-term power plays. One wrong word, a secret carelessly revealed in passing, and this nugget of information would be tucked away safely to be used to their advantage when the time came. It was too tiring to pretend to be friendly with them and constantly watch her words, so she rather enjoyed being on her own.
She had a few friends in the other houses, where her peers were more trustworthy, but none would ever think of joining her at the Slytherin table. Similarly, she knew she would not be welcome at the other houses' tables.
But today, she had other forms of entertainment anyway. It was a good thing that the Slytherin table was at the far right side of the Great Hall, not smack in the middle where she would feel even more trapped. As she continued staring out of the window, she caught a flash of lightning streaking across the sky, followed almost immediately by a deafening crack of thunder. The storm was upon them. She had always loved lightning storms, appreciating the beauty of lightning as it forked and branched amongst the clouds, before arcing towards the ground. Contrary to the electrifying power it held, it gave her a sense of serenity and calmness. Listening to the thunder and the patter of rain brought her to forget about her surroundings, forget that she was in a crowded hall. As absorbed as she was, she did not notice that a set of eyes had settled on her, and was watching her curiously.
...
The pair of eyes belonged to the new Potions Professor. He had been working at Borgin and Burkes for the past four years after graduating from Hogwarts. He had applied for the Defence Against Dark Arts Professor position back then, but was denied as Headmaster Dippet had told him he was too young. Now, four years later, he was offered the Potions Professor position, which he gladly accepted. He was looking forward to the start of the new school year.
Not much had changed since he graduated, yet everything looked different from the Professor's table, raised at the front of the Great Hall. His seat was at the far right in a corner, which he appreciated, but what he did not appreciate was who he was seated next to. Uninterested in engaging in conversation, his eyes had wandered. He could see everyone, and everything, from this vantage point. Some of the students were in the lower years when he had attended Hogwarts, and he recognised some of them, but those he had been closer to had all graduated. Fresh from the break, they spoke in animated voices, catching up with one another.
He glanced over them, but as his eyes passed over a girl sitting alone at the Slytherin table in front of him, he paused. She sat alone, her eyes focused on the window in front of her. Following her gaze, he was bemused to find that the window had been charmed to not reflect any light, allowing the viewer a clear view through the dark window and beyond. No doubt, it was her handiwork.
"Riddle!" The voice cut through his thoughts, and he realised from its raised tone that he had not noticed the first few times he had been called. With slight annoyance, he pulled his attention away from the girl, and turned to look at his neighbor.
"Professor Dumbledore," he nodded politely at the Transfiguration Professor.
"Welcome back!" Dumbledore responded in an overly friendly tone, and fixed him with a piercing gaze, as if trying to look into his soul. "What have you been up to? I heard you were working at Knockturn Alley."
"Yes." He replied simply. He did not have to bother to charm Dumbledore. After all, Dumbledore had always known who he was deep under his mask of politeness and diligence. He was also not keen to reveal any unnecessary information to Dumbledore. He knew it was Dumbledore that encouraged the headmaster to hire him as a Potions professor, in an attempt to keep a close eye on him. Headmaster Dippet had always been very fond of him, so it would not have been a difficult task.
Even so, this still offered him a great opportunity. Having access to these young malleable minds, he could stand to build an even greater following. After balancing the risks and potential benefits, he had decided to accept the job offer. While hiding his plans and actions from Dumbledore would be tricky, he was confident he could pull it off. Also, keeping the enemy close worked both ways. He too could keep an eye on Dumbledore, whom he was extremely wary of ever since Dumbledore had defeated Grindelwald in a duel a few years back.
After a few more attempts engaging him and receiving one-worded replies, Dumbledore finally gave up and turned to speak to Professor Merrythought, who was sitting on the other side of him.
Finally left alone, he returned to his musings on the girl. For some reason, she intrigued him. In such a setting where every student sat together with their friends, someone sitting alone like her should have appeared to be an outcast. However, she seemed at peace and comfortable in her own skin. Waiting for the Opening Ceremony to begin, she had propped her chin on her hand, leaning towards the side. The ease and quiet confidence with which she carried herself captivated him. She was objectively attractive, even from this distance, and as she shifted, her long dark brown hair cascaded over her slim back. It was clear that she was alone by choice, as in normal circumstances, he would expect to see guys falling over themselves to talk to her. Even though she looked old enough to have attended Hogwarts with him, he did not remember her. He couldn't help but think to himself, who is she?
The clinking of a glass interrupted his thoughts, and he saw that to his left, Headmaster Dippet had stood up for his speech. He started off by welcoming the students back, and followed up by the usual list of student rules.
...
Kylera heard the headmaster start talking, but she did not bother to turn around. Year after year, he had been saying the same thing, followed by the first years' sorting. But this year, there was something new.
"And now, as you might have noticed tonight, we have a familiar face seated up here with us. I am pleased to announce that Professor Riddle has joined us this year as the Potions Professor. Those who have attended Hogwarts together with him will no doubt remember him as an exemplary student, who was Prefect and Head Boy, and even received the prestigious Medal for Magical Merit. We are excited to have him back with us to impart his knowledge and shape your bright young minds!"
She looked up at the High Table, surprised. She had been in her second year when Tom Riddle was Head Boy. As a young student still relatively new, she did not have much to do with him. In fact, she had never even spoken to him before, only seen him in passing in the Common Room, or around Hogwarts. She had often heard the older students talk about him though, mostly in reverential tones, speaking about his accomplishments, intellect, charisma, and from the girls, his absolutely dashing looks. Even after graduating, he was remembered to be the most brilliant student Hogwarts ever had. She did not think she would ever see him again.
At the High Table, Riddle had stood up, and he looked over at the students with a slight smile. As much as she was not one to fawn over some guy, she could not help but appreciate his strong handsome features, his sharp jaw and high cheekbones. He held himself confidently and proudly, and without saying a word, he had captured everyone's attention, male and female alike. After acknowledging the headmaster with a small nod of the head, he sat back down.
She heard a group of girls nearby exclaim excitedly that they were glad that they had chosen to take Potions this year. While she tried to look disinterested, she had to admit to herself - she too was looking forward to seeing him in class.
A/N This is planned to be a short story, mainly focused on the interactions and forming of the romance between the two main characters, with the necessary setup. The timeline is a bit different here compared to canon. Here, Tom Riddle has not become Voldemort yet, he has yet to kill anyone. However, he is well on track to becoming the dark lord. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! If you'd like to support me, please leave me a review or a Kofi ( /chameleonphoenix, link in my profile), thank you!