"Kate!"
More than slightly dizzy, Kate threw out a hand to steady herself and ended up banging it into a doorjamb. She'd forgotten how annoying traveling by Portkey was.
He didn't come.
"Honey? Are you okay?" A man not unlike her father in appearance gazed at Kate with concern.
He didn't come.
Seizing the wall, Kate came to her senses somewhat. Her mind was still ringing, not so much from her trip but from the surprise—no, the let-down—of Tom just. . .not showing. . . . No, Kate, snap out of it.
"Hi, Uncle Roderick," she said warmly.
"Bit of a trip, eh?" Her uncle grinned. "Welcome to Brazil!" He gestured to the room around then, which was mostly the same as a hotel room. Beige walls, beige carpet, a double bed, a desk and several potted tropical plants surrounded them. On the walls hung brightly painted pictures of birds, who chirruped pleasantly (as well as a large myna bird in the corner, who looked at them and proclaimed, "smells like squid!").
"It's great, thank you so much," Kate said, reveling in the fact that she was to have her own room for the first time in years.
Uncle Roderick frowned. "You look a little peaky, Kate. Tired? Hey, what happened to your friend?"
"He didn't come," she sighed, looking down at the floor. Her voice dropped low. "He didn't even show up to say good-bye."
"Huh! That's odd. Are you worried about him? We could send his parents an owl or something---"
"No, it's okay," Kate said. For some reason, she didn't want to admit that he hadn't formally accepted her invitation. "Actually, I'd just like to rest for a while, if that's okay---"
"Sure it is! You have a nice nap or something, I'm on the third floor, room 312, if you need anything. Oh, and don't let my secretary turn you away. She's a pretty mean old witch---but I bet you can take her."
Kate smiled. "Gotcha. Thanks a bunch, Uncle Roderick."
"No problem!" he said, and with a jaunty wave, left her alone in her new room.
Kate promptly flopped on the bed. Why am I so tired? It's only three in the afternoon. . . . God, why didn't he say if he was going or not?"
"Well, you did leave it kind of open," that reasonable voice said.
Grr, shut up. I'm in no mood to talk to myself.
"Best fall asleep, then."
It was only a few minutes before she did.
When Kate woke a couple of hours later, it was with a slight shock, thanks to the myna bird in the painting shrieking, "smells like squid! Smells like squid!"
"QUIET!" she yelled groggily, fumbling for something to throw at it. She managed to pull of her shoe and hurl it, with no great accuracy (or care, for that matter).
She never heard the "thud" that would mean it had landed.
"Damn, you have tiny feet," Tom Marvolo Riddle said.
Kate opened her eyes, then sat up in surprise. "Tom! What're you doing here!"
"I thought I was invited," he said, feigning insult.
"You were---you are---why didn't you take the Portkey?" she babbled, trying to conceal her delight.
Tom shrugged, still playing with her shoe. "I had some stuff to take care of. Besides, why didn't you just Apparate?"
"Oh---that," Kate said. "Well, I---I haven't exactly passed my Apparition test yet, if you must know."
"But why?"
"I'm too afraid," she explained, trying not to feel so idiotic. "Terrified, really, that I'll splinch myself and part of me'll go missing or something---"
The boy laughed out, much to Kate's annoyance and embarrassment. "What? What's so funny?"
"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I just never thought of that---here, have your shoe---but really, you must admit it's rather funny---"
"I don't have to admit anything," she snapped.
Tom looked taken aback at her waspish tone. "I didn't mean to offend you, Katie," he said, quickly becoming serious. He clasped one of her hands in both of his. "I'm sorry."
There goes all my righteous anger, dammit, Kate thought. She looked at his hands. They were nice hands, strong, with long fingers. You could tell a lot about a person by their hands.
"I know," Tom said, straightening up. "You can let me make up for it. I'll take you out to dinner. I know this great restaurant just down the street---"
Despite herself, now Kate laughed. "Sure you do. Spend a lot of time in Brazil, do you?"
"No, really," he said. "The reason---well, one of the reasons---I was late was I had to go see this old wizard here about teaching me, and while I was there I said, 'by the way, do you know somewhere I could take a beautiful girl to dinner?' and he told me about this place. Come with me, Katie?"
There was a pause, but Kate's mind was already more than decided. Like I'm going to say no? He called you beautiful, did you catch that? What are you waiting for?! Gooo!
"Of course," she said, standing up. "Of course I'll come."