Disclaimer: Tom Riddle, Professor Binns and Minerva McGonagal don't belong to me.
FEELINGS YOU CAN'T DENY
Chapter Eight: Where You Are
"It's a shame," Clarissa began as we lugged her trunk through the entrance hall. "I wish you could come to my house instead of staying here."
"If I didn't need to stay," I replied, "I would surely return to my own house."
"What are you going to do here alone?" Clarissa asked, putting her end of the trunk down to open the huge door.
"Study. What else?" I retorted as she returned to her previous position and lifted her end of the trunk.
"It must be horrible to spend Christmas alone," Clarissa sympathized, leading the way out the door.
The over-all mood of the students was filled much with excitement. As quickly as possible, each student loaded their trunks, then crammed themselves into the horseless carriages. It seemed as if they all were in a bloody hurry. I guess I would have been too had it been me able to return home.
"Let me help yeh with tha'," a quite large student offered, taking the trunk from us without strain and placing it in the carriage.
"Why thanks," Clarissa giggled.
I raised an eyebrow and half-smiled.
"Sweet, isn't he?" Clarissa asked me.
I just shrugged.
Glancing around the crowd of students saying their farewells, I found myself quite disappointed. Tom Riddle was no where to be seen. I had hoped to glimpse him, maybe even talk to him, before he left. But I was too late. Tom had probably long gone off. Though I couldn't help but find it unlikely that he would leave without even a wave my way. Why hadn't he waited for me?
"Enjoy your holiday!" Clarissa called from the coach.
Holiday, right! I had no holiday. These two weeks were going to be just like school. I had to take notes, make-up tests and learn several more potions. At least my workload wasn't too large that I had no time for myself as it had been since I arrived at Hogwarts. I had just enough time to miss the company of my fellow students.
After all the signs of witch and wizard life had gone, I found myself standing lone in front of the school. I had not expected to be this lonely. After all, the other students had only been gone a few minutes.
**Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk with
Tell me why I can't be there where you are
There's something missing in my heart.**
-"Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely"
Biting my lip and sighing, I left the solitude of the grounds and entered the emptiness of the school. Determined to drown my sorrows, I set straight to work. To start with, I had a potion to learn which was quite enough work to occupy my brain for an hour or so.
I began carrying my cauldron, containing my books and things, down the stone steps to the Potions room when I heard footsteps below. Frightened and not thinking, I dropped my cauldron and listened painfully as the pot made a loud clang down each of the steps until it made a thump instead. There was a loud groan after that. I'd be in so much trouble if that was Professor Gondec. Worried out of my wits, I hurried down the steps. As I neared the bottom, I saw a person, obviously male and pre-adult, laying on the ground with my cauldron resting on his stomach.
"Oh, I am so sorry," I called down to him.
"S'all right, Lina," he groaned.
Then I noticed that it wasn't just any male student. It was Tom Riddle. I jumped the last few steps and pushed my cauldron off him.
"Are you hurt, Tom?" I asked, resting my hand on his stomach to feel for injuries. I had to note how firm his abs were.
"Hey, that tickles," he half-laughed, half-coughed.
Tom sat up and looked into my eyes. Displaying his devious smile, he asked, "Worried about me, were you?"
I smiled and pushed him back to the ground. He laughed as he stood up. I straightened up with him.
"Where were you in such a hurry to?" Tom asked.
"I wasn't in a hurry," I told him. "You scared me."
"Why, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Tom said, smiling kindly at me. "Still, where were you off to?"
"Potions," I informed. "I have to learn how to make the Sleeping Death."
"Just don't use it on me," Tom advised with an air of humor.
"If I knew where Slytherin common was, I just might," I threatened.
"Hey, I'll walk you to Gondec's," Tom offered.
I smiled in acceptance. Tom picked up my cauldron and we began to walk together.
"I thought you had left," I muttered, looking at the floor. "To go home, I mean."
"Without saying goodbye to my favorite Hufflepuff? Never!" Tom assured me, casually closing his arm around my shoulders.
I liked being referred to as his favorite Hufflepuff, but it would been better had he said I was his favorite girl. How could I honestly hope for that?
**Tell me
You're so into me
That I'm the only
One you will see
Tell me
I'm not in the blue
That I'm not wasting
My feelings on you**
-"Crazy"
"Do you spend a lot of Christmas' here?" I asked to break the silence.
"Yes, actually," Tom admitted, dropping his arms.
"Really?" I asked curiously. "Why is that?"
"Well," Tom began, "I don't much like the place I stay at over holiday."
"Where's that?" I queried.
"London Statford Home for Boys," Tom informed, not looking at me.
"Home?" I repeated.
"It's an orphanage," Tom defined, lagging behind a bit.
"Oh, I'm sorry-" I said without thinking.
"Don't be sorry for me!" he snapped, stopping in his tracks. "Everyone is always feeling sorry for me and I'm tired of it!"
He had never had an outburst like that around me before. I didn't even mean that I was sorry in that way. I was going to say I was sorry for bringing it up. It was too late to make the correction. All I could think of to do was stare at him. His cheeks were flushed and his jaw and fists were clenched. I wasn't sure what to say to calm him down. I tired putting my hand on his shoulder to console him, but he jerked away fiercely.
"I'm all right!" he snapped, starting to walk again.
I couldn't imagine not having a family. Sure, my sister and parents were a pain, but at least I had them. They were there whenever I needed them. I really began to feel homesick at that moment. Poor Tom. He didn't have anyone to feel homesick for. Tom didn't need pity, though. He needed understanding and acceptance.
I quickly caught up to him, saying, "Getting a little ahead of me. You were supposed to walk to me to Potions."
He let out a breath, then looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, Lina. I must have sounded like a real jerk snapping at you like that."
"It's OK," I assured him.
"No, it isn't," Tom insisted, taking my hand in his. "I really shouldn't get all defensive about where I live, especially with you. I never want to hurt you."
I looked up at his blue eyes. They were so sincere and full of pain. I wished there was something I could do. What was there though?
**There you are
Wild and free
Reaching out like you needed me
A helping hand
To make it right
I am holding you all though the night**
-"The One"
A/N: You know, I remember it saying in the 2nd book that Tom lived at an orphanage, right? But in the 4th book, it talks about the Riddles and their only son dying at the beginning. The beginning of the 4th book never really made sense to me. If anyone would explain it to me, I'd be grateful.
FEELINGS YOU CAN'T DENY
Chapter Eight: Where You Are
"It's a shame," Clarissa began as we lugged her trunk through the entrance hall. "I wish you could come to my house instead of staying here."
"If I didn't need to stay," I replied, "I would surely return to my own house."
"What are you going to do here alone?" Clarissa asked, putting her end of the trunk down to open the huge door.
"Study. What else?" I retorted as she returned to her previous position and lifted her end of the trunk.
"It must be horrible to spend Christmas alone," Clarissa sympathized, leading the way out the door.
The over-all mood of the students was filled much with excitement. As quickly as possible, each student loaded their trunks, then crammed themselves into the horseless carriages. It seemed as if they all were in a bloody hurry. I guess I would have been too had it been me able to return home.
"Let me help yeh with tha'," a quite large student offered, taking the trunk from us without strain and placing it in the carriage.
"Why thanks," Clarissa giggled.
I raised an eyebrow and half-smiled.
"Sweet, isn't he?" Clarissa asked me.
I just shrugged.
Glancing around the crowd of students saying their farewells, I found myself quite disappointed. Tom Riddle was no where to be seen. I had hoped to glimpse him, maybe even talk to him, before he left. But I was too late. Tom had probably long gone off. Though I couldn't help but find it unlikely that he would leave without even a wave my way. Why hadn't he waited for me?
"Enjoy your holiday!" Clarissa called from the coach.
Holiday, right! I had no holiday. These two weeks were going to be just like school. I had to take notes, make-up tests and learn several more potions. At least my workload wasn't too large that I had no time for myself as it had been since I arrived at Hogwarts. I had just enough time to miss the company of my fellow students.
After all the signs of witch and wizard life had gone, I found myself standing lone in front of the school. I had not expected to be this lonely. After all, the other students had only been gone a few minutes.
**Show me the meaning of being lonely
Is this the feeling I need to walk with
Tell me why I can't be there where you are
There's something missing in my heart.**
-"Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely"
Biting my lip and sighing, I left the solitude of the grounds and entered the emptiness of the school. Determined to drown my sorrows, I set straight to work. To start with, I had a potion to learn which was quite enough work to occupy my brain for an hour or so.
I began carrying my cauldron, containing my books and things, down the stone steps to the Potions room when I heard footsteps below. Frightened and not thinking, I dropped my cauldron and listened painfully as the pot made a loud clang down each of the steps until it made a thump instead. There was a loud groan after that. I'd be in so much trouble if that was Professor Gondec. Worried out of my wits, I hurried down the steps. As I neared the bottom, I saw a person, obviously male and pre-adult, laying on the ground with my cauldron resting on his stomach.
"Oh, I am so sorry," I called down to him.
"S'all right, Lina," he groaned.
Then I noticed that it wasn't just any male student. It was Tom Riddle. I jumped the last few steps and pushed my cauldron off him.
"Are you hurt, Tom?" I asked, resting my hand on his stomach to feel for injuries. I had to note how firm his abs were.
"Hey, that tickles," he half-laughed, half-coughed.
Tom sat up and looked into my eyes. Displaying his devious smile, he asked, "Worried about me, were you?"
I smiled and pushed him back to the ground. He laughed as he stood up. I straightened up with him.
"Where were you in such a hurry to?" Tom asked.
"I wasn't in a hurry," I told him. "You scared me."
"Why, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Tom said, smiling kindly at me. "Still, where were you off to?"
"Potions," I informed. "I have to learn how to make the Sleeping Death."
"Just don't use it on me," Tom advised with an air of humor.
"If I knew where Slytherin common was, I just might," I threatened.
"Hey, I'll walk you to Gondec's," Tom offered.
I smiled in acceptance. Tom picked up my cauldron and we began to walk together.
"I thought you had left," I muttered, looking at the floor. "To go home, I mean."
"Without saying goodbye to my favorite Hufflepuff? Never!" Tom assured me, casually closing his arm around my shoulders.
I liked being referred to as his favorite Hufflepuff, but it would been better had he said I was his favorite girl. How could I honestly hope for that?
**Tell me
You're so into me
That I'm the only
One you will see
Tell me
I'm not in the blue
That I'm not wasting
My feelings on you**
-"Crazy"
"Do you spend a lot of Christmas' here?" I asked to break the silence.
"Yes, actually," Tom admitted, dropping his arms.
"Really?" I asked curiously. "Why is that?"
"Well," Tom began, "I don't much like the place I stay at over holiday."
"Where's that?" I queried.
"London Statford Home for Boys," Tom informed, not looking at me.
"Home?" I repeated.
"It's an orphanage," Tom defined, lagging behind a bit.
"Oh, I'm sorry-" I said without thinking.
"Don't be sorry for me!" he snapped, stopping in his tracks. "Everyone is always feeling sorry for me and I'm tired of it!"
He had never had an outburst like that around me before. I didn't even mean that I was sorry in that way. I was going to say I was sorry for bringing it up. It was too late to make the correction. All I could think of to do was stare at him. His cheeks were flushed and his jaw and fists were clenched. I wasn't sure what to say to calm him down. I tired putting my hand on his shoulder to console him, but he jerked away fiercely.
"I'm all right!" he snapped, starting to walk again.
I couldn't imagine not having a family. Sure, my sister and parents were a pain, but at least I had them. They were there whenever I needed them. I really began to feel homesick at that moment. Poor Tom. He didn't have anyone to feel homesick for. Tom didn't need pity, though. He needed understanding and acceptance.
I quickly caught up to him, saying, "Getting a little ahead of me. You were supposed to walk to me to Potions."
He let out a breath, then looked at me and said, "I'm sorry, Lina. I must have sounded like a real jerk snapping at you like that."
"It's OK," I assured him.
"No, it isn't," Tom insisted, taking my hand in his. "I really shouldn't get all defensive about where I live, especially with you. I never want to hurt you."
I looked up at his blue eyes. They were so sincere and full of pain. I wished there was something I could do. What was there though?
**There you are
Wild and free
Reaching out like you needed me
A helping hand
To make it right
I am holding you all though the night**
-"The One"
A/N: You know, I remember it saying in the 2nd book that Tom lived at an orphanage, right? But in the 4th book, it talks about the Riddles and their only son dying at the beginning. The beginning of the 4th book never really made sense to me. If anyone would explain it to me, I'd be grateful.