I spent my days in the library. I have always liked libraries. Quiet, they are, and there are loads of books to lose myself in. Books were, are, wonderful. They can bring you to other planets, make you see other worlds. Give you the opportunity to forget things, just for a while; That's a quality of books I have learned to appreciate very much. Very, very much indeed.
I have always been a down-to-earth person. I have always wanted to know and see the truth, and I have always judged people who did not as cowards.
But sometimes, I am a coward myself.
I am not ashamed for that. Not anymore.
But I am straying off my subject again.
I spent my days in the library, because the Gryffindor Common Room suddenly seemed strangely empty and cold without my friends there. So I sat there, hours a day, at what the librarian called "Minerva's usual spot", between all those large bookcases. Usually, I was almost alone there. It was Winter Break after all- and most of the remaining students sat in their Common Rooms, close to the fire. I didn't care, though. I have never been afraid of a bit of loneliness. Sometimes, I even like it.
And then, one day, he was there.
~*~
I entered the library, greeted Madam Mirthson, the librarian, and was about to sit down when I noticed him. He was sitting at my table. At my very special usual table.
"Riddle, you are sitting on my chair." I, quite sharply, spoke. I admit I was rude, but he was a Slytherin, after all… I know it's not an excuse, but it was my reason.
He looked up- quickly, in what I tended to call "his own sly Slytherin way", then, to my great surprise, stood up and gallantly pulled back my chair for me. I sat down, and I think my eyes quite rudely said something like "Go. Away.".
But he didn't. He asked, very politely, if he could sit down at that table as well.
"Well, Riddle, I can't stop you, so do whatever you want to do!" I snapped, focusing on the book before me, determined not to speak one more word to him.
But, and this is an extremely melodramatic sentence and I am ashamed for it, my heart decided otherwise.
~*~
Tom Riddle actually loved reading as well. He knew things. He liked Transfigurations as well. He was about the only person I'd ever met who had read "Hogwarts, A History", and liked it as well! I don't know how or why, but we started talking and for some reason, we kept on talking. There we were: Slytherin Number One and Gryffindor Number One, sitting at one table, talking and… laughing together. I forgot to snap, I forgot to answer sharply. I forgot spitting fire with my eyes.
There was just him… and me.
~*~
He kissed me right after that first day in the library. We had just left the room, and we both had our arms full of books. I shall never forget that moment when he just dropped them on the stone floor, grabbed my shoulders and wildly kissed me. I did not pull away.
That was the only time I have ever dropped books on the floor.
~*~
I realized I loved him.
I also realized that this was something we had to keep secret.
He agreed.
It was not that we didn't want everybody to know, it was just that we knew that no-one would accept it. Nor the Slytherins, nor the Gryffindors.
And for Heaven's sake, we knew we weren't meant to stay together forever. We knew it.
It was all too desperate, too deep, too intense.
We didn't care, though.
I have always been a down-to-earth person. I have always wanted to know and see the truth, and I have always judged people who did not as cowards.
But sometimes, I am a coward myself.
I am not ashamed for that. Not anymore.
But I am straying off my subject again.
I spent my days in the library, because the Gryffindor Common Room suddenly seemed strangely empty and cold without my friends there. So I sat there, hours a day, at what the librarian called "Minerva's usual spot", between all those large bookcases. Usually, I was almost alone there. It was Winter Break after all- and most of the remaining students sat in their Common Rooms, close to the fire. I didn't care, though. I have never been afraid of a bit of loneliness. Sometimes, I even like it.
And then, one day, he was there.
~*~
I entered the library, greeted Madam Mirthson, the librarian, and was about to sit down when I noticed him. He was sitting at my table. At my very special usual table.
"Riddle, you are sitting on my chair." I, quite sharply, spoke. I admit I was rude, but he was a Slytherin, after all… I know it's not an excuse, but it was my reason.
He looked up- quickly, in what I tended to call "his own sly Slytherin way", then, to my great surprise, stood up and gallantly pulled back my chair for me. I sat down, and I think my eyes quite rudely said something like "Go. Away.".
But he didn't. He asked, very politely, if he could sit down at that table as well.
"Well, Riddle, I can't stop you, so do whatever you want to do!" I snapped, focusing on the book before me, determined not to speak one more word to him.
But, and this is an extremely melodramatic sentence and I am ashamed for it, my heart decided otherwise.
~*~
Tom Riddle actually loved reading as well. He knew things. He liked Transfigurations as well. He was about the only person I'd ever met who had read "Hogwarts, A History", and liked it as well! I don't know how or why, but we started talking and for some reason, we kept on talking. There we were: Slytherin Number One and Gryffindor Number One, sitting at one table, talking and… laughing together. I forgot to snap, I forgot to answer sharply. I forgot spitting fire with my eyes.
There was just him… and me.
~*~
He kissed me right after that first day in the library. We had just left the room, and we both had our arms full of books. I shall never forget that moment when he just dropped them on the stone floor, grabbed my shoulders and wildly kissed me. I did not pull away.
That was the only time I have ever dropped books on the floor.
~*~
I realized I loved him.
I also realized that this was something we had to keep secret.
He agreed.
It was not that we didn't want everybody to know, it was just that we knew that no-one would accept it. Nor the Slytherins, nor the Gryffindors.
And for Heaven's sake, we knew we weren't meant to stay together forever. We knew it.
It was all too desperate, too deep, too intense.
We didn't care, though.