A/N: This one is very short and kinda fluffy. It's something that had to happen to move the plot onward, though.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Except this really nifty purse that I made. And unfortunately, it doesn't show up anywhere in here. Remember, Harry Potter (and by association, Tom Riddle) belong to Madam J.K. Rowling. Somebody warned me so I decided to put a blanket thing on all my stories (het, slash, gen,) Please, bring an open mind. Remember, everyone's life is not the same.


Levi had just finished cleaning her last bed pan when the door opened. Shibby turned toward the door expectantly; figuring it was Aki and Tai Tagsaknowi coming to apologize. When she realised who it was, she pulled the blanket over her head and tried to disappear.

"Hey, Tom," Levi's softly accented voice bubbled. "What's the haps?" From her place under the covers, Shibby imagined Tom's confused face and almost sighed at the thought.

"I'm looking for Shibby Lindstrom." Tom's voice announced. (Shibby mentally squealed 'He called me Shibby!') "Theodore told me that Tai Tagsaknowi and his sister got in a fight and hit her with something. Some Oriental-looking Gryffindor told me she was in here." (Shibby mentally squealed again at the thought that he was worried enough about her to go to her dorm.) "So...where is she?"

"Can't miss her," Levi said brightly. Shibby heard Tom take a few steps in the room. "Second bed to the right and straight on 'til morning." Shibby burst out laughing. Until Tom threw back the blanket covering her face and head. He pulled a chair over so he was sitting by her bedside and looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds. Shibby noticed Levi sneaking out behind him and put a mental sticky note on her mental fridge to kill her Little Sister as soon as theopportunity presented itself.

"You look good in violet," Tom said suddenly.

"What?" Shibby blurted out.

"Your skin. I like that shade on you. Maybe next time, you can just try it as a shirt or something but..."

"You're mocking me, aren't you?" Shibby said fake-glowering.

"Teasing slightly. Actually...it really does look good on you. Maybe not on your skin or when paired with the green hair but...violet is your colour." Tom glanced down feeling a slight burning on his cheeks. He knew he was blushing, but it was true and he couldn't keep himself from saying it. Tom glanced up at Shibby and noticed that she was looking down and blushing, too. 'Oh God, could she...no.'he thought."So uh..."

"Have you decided what you might study in university?" Shibby asked still looking down at her sheets. Mentally, she was berating herself for asking such a stupid question.

"No...you?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Shibby responded promptly before mentally berating herself again. Everyone knew the Slytherins were deep into the Dark Arts and they certainly didn't care much for people who felt it needed to be defended against.

"Because of Levi?" Tom asked softly.

"No. Levi wasn't touched. Her parents may have been; I don't know about that. I'm thinking more along the lines of my father, God rest his soul. He was a Muggle who joined the British army. He was killed in the Ardennes or Bastogne or...somewhere in France. I don't remember and I'm not going to ask my mom."

"If it makes you feel better, I don't believe in Grindelwald's views. Jews have just as much a right to live as everybody else," Tom said reassuringly as he reached over and patted her hand. When he realised what he had done, he pulled his hand back and blushed a bright crimson. "I should...uh..."

"I should be fine by Wednesday," Shibby said blushing almost as darkly as Tom.

"Good," Tom said, thankful for the distraction. "I guess I'll see you then. Get better." He stood up and hastily retreated from the room. He had learnedan extremely important thing aboutShibby andthere was a slight, slim, minuscule chance she liked him back. Tom glanced around quickly after he had shut the door to the hospital wing. He didn't see the crazy Polish nurse anywhere. Madam Zielinkski came in just as Tom had finished his cartwheel. Both visibly blanched at the sight of the other.

"Um...Madam..."

"I saw nothing," the resigned nurse said as she walked to her desk. "Nothing at all."


A/N: Told you it was short. Please click the little blue button. CONSTRUCTIVE criticism welcome.