Scotland, Hogwarts 1943

Weeks had gone by since Tom Riddle last spoke with the new girl.

He'd seen her during the classes they shared - which was almost all of them. But as soon as she left the classroom he couldn't find her anymore. Sometimes he thought that he'd seen her out the corner of his eye but when he turned around she wasn't there anymore.

Whenever he saw her at meals - which wasn't very often - she sat at the other end of the table and left quickly.

He wondered if she intentionally avoided him. But he didn't understand why she would do that. She had no reason to stay away from him. When he carefully inquired about her strange behaviour it quickly became clear that no one else really saw her after classes.

The only person Maélys d'Avaugour apparently talked to was her roommate. Tom has never had a conversation with Louisa Travers and he didn't know a lot about the brown-haired Slytherin girl.

Throughout the years he hadn't noticed anything special about the girl. She was shy and an average student. The only noticable thing about her was that her family was considered to be one of the "Sacred Twenty-Eight".

The boy sighed and turned to his peers who discussed this evening's party. Every year Professor Slughorn threw a party to mark the beginning of the Yule season and he invited many powerful and famous guests for his students to meet.

Tom knew that he was the potion master's favourite student and although the boy thought that his teacher was overbearing most of the times his parties helped Tom's cause.

In contrast to Slughorn's dinners once a month, the students were asked to bring dates to the Yule party. Tom sneered when Slughorn had told him that. Last year he had asked a Ravenclaw girl that he knew was a smart girl but as soon as he started making meaningless small-talk with her she turned into a sputtering mess.

So, this year he didn't make the mistake to ask a girl.

Distracted, he let his eyes wander to the window. Younger students were building snow men and made snow angels. Owls flew over their heads and students sat on benches drinking hot beverages.

When he thought he saw Maélys d'Avaugour he first didn't want to look closer in case he imagined it again. But he still saw her and therefore he turned to her direction. And truly, there she was.

She was walking with her roommate Louisa Travers along the lake shore. Sun strays danced in her blonde hair making it shine golden. He saw her smile and laugh at something the other girl must have said.

Wasn't she cold?, he thought as he looked at her attire. She was only wearing her school uniform, no cape or anything that could've kept her warm. She must be freezing. Baffled he watched her walk in the snow like it was a warm midsummer afternoon.

As if she had felt his gaze on her back she suddenly turned her head and looked right at the castle.

Impossible, the boy contemplated. It was impossible for her to see him from where she was standing at the lake shore while he sat in the library.

But still she looked into his direction as though she was looking right into his eyes.

And she smiled. His blood ran cold. She shouldn't be able to see him.

Then she turned back to her friend as abruptly as if nothing had happened.

Shaking his head he directed his focus back to his books. He had a Charms essay and star charts to finish before Slughorn's party.

Tom was one of the first guests to arrive. He liked to be early and leave a good impression with his teacher.

"Ah, Tom, m'boy!", exclaimed Professor Slughorn as soon as he saw his star student walk through the door.

"Good evening, Sir", Tom smiled, "Thank you for your invitation."

The potion's master laughed at that: "Of course you're invited! You're one of my favourite students."

The boy thanked him as charmingly as he could and gave his teacher the gift he brought with him.

"I found a nice little shop at Hogsmeade and immediately thought of you, Sir", he said, "I hope that you'll like them."

His professor opend the small box: "Thank you, Tom. You're quite right. Pineapples are my favourite! How did you know?"

Tom smiled: "Intuition, Sir."

"Oh, how wonderful!"

For the next half an hour, Tom watched the guests arrive and talked with the people Professor Slughorn introduced him to.

"A drink, Mister Riddle?"

Tom turned to the fifth-year Hufflepuff who was one of the waiters for the evening.

"Yes, thank you."

The young man wanted to take a sip from his glass of Champagne as the doors opened again and he watched Maélys d'Avaugour walk into the festive decorated room. And he wasn't the only one who noticed her arrival.

Many heads turned into her direction and people began to whisper. The young woman was truly a sight to behold. Tom had seen many gorgeous women in Hogwarts and while Maélys d'Avaugour was beautiful she couldn't be called gorgeous.

But there was something in the way she walked and held herself with grace that was absolutely intoxicating.

"Ah, there you are, Miss d'Avaugour! I feared that you got lost in the dungeons."

Slughorn hurried to his guest and Tom couldn't see her anymore.

To distract himself he turned back to the conversation between the newly appointed head of the International Magical Cooperation Eddard Lufkin and Richard Skeeter, a reporter for the Daily Prophet.

But he still kept watching the girl out of the corner of his eye. Professor Slughorn lead her in a circle through the room and introduced her to his guests.

It was only when Apollyon Pringle, the caretaker, whispered someting in the professor's ear, the older man left her side. And to his pleasure Tom observed her excusing herself from the conversation and leave to find Louisa Travers by the food table.

Tom knew that the shy brown-haired girl was only invited because her father was Torquil Travers, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement .

The boy watched as the two girls ate scones and giggled about something the new girl had said but he was standing too far away to understand them. This peaked his interest. He knew that Louisa Travers was the only person Maélys d'Avaugour talked to but he hadn't been aware of the fact that the two were more than roommates.

But he did see them walk together by the lake shore this afternoon, he remembered.

"Mister Lufkin, Mister Skeeter, good to see you!"

Professor Slughorn came up to them and greeted his two guests.

"Oh Tom, why don't you go and have fun with your peers? The dance floor opened just now", his teacher nodded two him.

"Of course, Sir. I'll excuse myself."

Tom didn't want to leave because he knew that when he turned around he'll find Cadmus Mulciber and Evan Rosier drunk by the tables. Clenching his teeth, he made his way to his two followers. In passing he nodded to Abraxas Malfoy and Cantankerus Nott to help him.

"Take the two back to their dormitories and make sure to give them pepper-up potions. I don't want them to be hangover tomorrow."

Disappointed in his two followers he watched them getting dragged away from the party. He will need to talk to them about their alcohol consumation the next day.

"Tom, m'boy, there you are! I see that you aren't on the dance floor."

Professor Slughorn stopped in front of him. Tom wanted to protest and tell his teacher that he wasn't a great dancer but the potion master wanted to hear nothing of that.

"Miss d'Avaugour", he called, "Please come here for a moment!"

Smiling the girl broke away from her friend and walked towards them: "Yes, Sir?"

"Miss, are you already aquainted with Tom?"

"Yes, Sir. Mister Riddle introduced himself to me a few weeks ago", she answered.

"Oh, how wonderful", Slughorn clapped his hands, "Well, then I'll leave you two alone."

With those words he rushed away. It was quiet for a moment as none of the two said something.

"How are you this evening, Miss d'Avaugour?"

Tom was the first to break the silence.

"Very well. And you, Mister Riddle?"

"Spendid. Would you care for a dance?", the boy asked, extending a hand.

"I'd love to."

Maélys slowly took his hand andTom lead her to the dance floor. When the next song began he was glad that he'd watched enough people dancing to know the basic steps. He never had the privilage at the orphanage to learn the classical dances.

Maélys on the other hand danced like she was born on the dance floor. Tom got angry at that as she bested him at something again.

Why does she have to be good at everything she does?

"Is Hogwarts to your liking? Are the other students treating you well?", Tom did his best attempt to make small-talk when he felt like he wouldn't step on her toes.

"Hogwarts is wonderful", she answered, "And everyone's been so nice to me."

"I'm glad to hear that. I wouldn't want anyone to mistreat such a lovely lady as yourself", Tom tried to charm her.

But he was once again surprised by his dancing partner.

"Mister Riddle, please don't try to flatter me when the flattery is insincere."

Tom was speechless for a moment but he quickly caught himself again.

"I apologize, Miss, I didn't mean to insult you-"

"I'm not insulted", she cut him off, "But I don't appreciate being lied to."

This girl is infuriating, he thought.

"Have you found any friends yet?", he tried to steer their conversation in another direction.

"I'm not one for many friends but Louisa helped me find my way around the castle and get used to the school. She's a gem."

"Yes, Miss Travers has always been kind and helpful", he tried to keep their conversation going.

"Oh, so you know her? She's never mentioned you."

The boy did his best to not let his annoyance show: "I've never talked to her but I've noticed her ... benevolent behaviour in the common room."

"Ah", was all the girl said.

It was once again silent and it was once again Tom who broke the silence: "Do you have any news from your hometown?"

"I've heard that Grindelwald's followers still wreak havoc in the area and it's not save for me to return yet."

"What about your parents? You surely cannot be the only survivor of the attack."

Maélys didn't answer him immediately. Her eyes focused on something behind his back and she seemed to stare at something no one else could see.

"Miss? Miss d'Avaugour, did I upset you?", he tried to gain her attention back.

She shook her head as if to get something off her mind.

"No, Mister Riddle. I'm fine", she tried to assure him with a smile.

The girl never answered his question and Tom was smarter than to press her for answeres. He'd have to get them another day. But that was not a problem for the black-haired boy.

He was patient.

***