Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Harriet sat by the quidditch pitch with Daisy, breathing in the cold air of autumn changing to winter. Nearby, seven scarlet-clad quidditch players zoomed about the field, practicing their various moves. The two girls could hear the yells from the captain as Daisy tried to finish her homework. She was spending more time predicting what Tom Riddle would say next than reading through her text books.
"I think he'll talk to you during dinner tonight, don't you? Show his friends at Slytherin that he's not afraid of any girl in a different house. Or maybe he'll find a secret place to talk to you! Oh, that would be sooo romantic, Harriet!" Daisy put the tip of her quill in her mouth and thought for a second. "Maybe he'll-"
"Maybe you'll be quiet. He's right behind you," Harriet whispered fiercely.
Coming down the field from the entrance hall was, in fact Tom Riddle. His green and silver scarf was loosely about his neck as if he'd thrown it on without thinking as he left his common room. His eyes were glued to the frosty grass for a while until Harriet gave a quiet cough. He looked up, slowed his pace and eventually stopped in front of her. Daisy blushed in surprise looking down at her parchment quickly. Harriet could see his breath in the cold air but it looked like he was sweating.
"Harriet, I didn't expect to see you out here," He said.
"Daisy's just finishing up her homework," She explained. "What are you doing out here in the cold?"
"I was just looking for a quiet place to read my book," He pulled a small, leather-bound book from his robes. "I see you're doing the same?"
Harriet looked down at the novel that lay open in her lap and nodded.
"Why don't you join us?" Daisy asked sitting up a little straighter.
"If you insist," Tom answered pulling his wand from his robe and conjuring up a stool similar to the ones that Daisy and Harriet sat on. He sat down carefully but he didn't open his book. "What're you reading?"
Harriet blushed and for a second wished Daisy hadn't invited him to sit next to her. "The Legend of King Arthur."
"Ah! That's one of my favorite books," He looked surprised.
He must have been lying. "What about you?" She looked at his book. "Dark Creatures and Poisonous Plants? That sounds like something Hagrid would read!" She remembered the previous year when Tom had found Hagrid's dangerous pet.
"It's just some research."
"Research?"
"Something I'm writing."
For some reason Harriet didn't believe him. "You're not interested in the Dark Arts, are you?"
He smiled and gave a short laugh. "Of course not."
Harriet tried to read in the uneasy silence but she found herself glancing, uneasily at Tom. He didn't turn the page for quite a while. Harriet looked back down at her book. Tom glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She had a troubled look, very hard to read. Everyone was interested in the Dark Arts. Interested in the mystery. She didn't believe him, he knew that. If it was true or not. He looked back down at his book and turned the page, though he wasn't reading.
At about five-thirty, the sun was setting. Tom stood up. "It's going to be dark soon," He said. It was an obvious thing but he didn't know what else he could say.
"Come one, Daisy, we should get back," Harriet said. Daisy was still working on her homework and frowned when her friend suggested leaving.
"Oh, fine," Daisy said. She raised her eyebrows as if she had an idea. "Why don't you go and I'll meet you. I just want to finish this." She smiled sweetly. Harriet blushed. First with anger then with embarrassment. Daisy would usually be quite happy to abandon work of any kind.
"Alright," Harriet said, sounding pointedly cool. "I suppose I'll see you in the Common Room then." She didn't chance a look at Tom but began walking back towards the castle. She could hear him walking next to her.
"Your friend seems quite the scholar," He laughed.
Harriet slowed down. She didn't want to run away from him. "Nothing of the sort. I finished all of that homework ages ago."
Tom laughed some more. "Then she seems quite the match maker."
Harriet's breath caught in her throat but she kept walking as if she hadn't heard him. Maybe he would think the red on her cheeks was from the cold wind. But she couldn't ignore it. "Why would you say that?"
"For one thing, she giggles far too much." Harriet looked at him. He was staring back at her with his sharp green eyes. Harriet had to laugh. She was very giggly. "And she talks fast."
"She talks fast?"
"It just seems the thing that a girl like that would do."
"Oh, of course. Why didn't I notice?"
"No. It might not be that. It's probably just that she squeals like a little girl every time you come near me."
That was inescapably true. "Why, Mr. Riddle, would she want to match me with a goody two shoes?"
He raised his eyebrows and looked rather taken aback. "Maybe because she knows that you can't resist a goody two shoes." Harriet blushed. "But of course, you could just be the type to blush around boys from other houses."
"Well, Daisy must be very good if she can convince a boy from another house to sit with me in class."
They had stopped in front of the stairs to the entrance hall.
"Yes, well, I suppose she did need some outside help there," He said. He seemed to be blushing. Harriet tried not to giggle.
"Well, I don't mind you sitting with me. Actually…it was rather nice." They went up the stairs and into the castle. Two girls from Gryffindor passing by looked at Tom and Harriet and began to whisper.
"Then you won't mind if I do tomorrow?"
"Not at all."
"Well, I'm headed this way. I'll see you in class?"
Harriet nodded and went off in the opposite direction. She went up, through the portrait of the large lady in a pink dress to the Gryffindor Common Room. She left her bag in her dorm and waited five minutes in an armchair by the fire for Daisy.
"So, what did he say!?" She ran straight over to her friend without bothering to remove her scarf or gloves.
"None of your business. If you wanted to know so badly, you should've just come with us."
"But then you wouldn't have a decent conversation! Come on, Harriet!"
"No. Serves you right for leaving me alone with him."
"What did he say!?"
"Just that I was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen."
"WHAT!?" A few students turned to look at Daisy.
Harriet laughed. "He just said he'd like to sit next to me again tomorrow."
"That's all?"
"Well there's not much for us to talk about."
Daisy sighed.
"Where've you been?" Richard sounded rather irritated at the Slytherin table during dinner.
"I was reading."
"You were with her weren't you?"
"Well, I saw her. We had a friendly conversation."
"You like her more than me."
"Please, Richard, I dare not to compare." Tom was about to go on but Dumbledore stood up. There was immediate hush around the Great Hall.
"As you know the Christmas holidays are right around the corner and the Professors and I agree that it has been a long time since we've had a decent Yule Ball. So, we've decided that the day before Christmas vacation begins, there is going to be a Yule Ball." A murmur went around the room. Harriet choked on her drink and Daisy squealed. Richard looked at Tom with his eyebrows raised and Tom looked as though he was deep in thought.
"Harriet! I just know Tom's going to ask you! You're so lucky!"
"Well he hasn't so don't go assuming he will!"
Daisy flared at her friend and then shook her head.
A/N: By the way, I was thinking about the main character's name (not Tom) and I thought "Wow. What a coincidence that I named her Harriet! Because, Harry, Harriet…they sound alike, eh? I didn't even notice that so that's pretty eciting!