A/N: I apologise for the delay, I was on holiday for five days in the Isle of Wight, camping out in a caravan without wifi. I hope that's alright! :)
J.F.C: She does sorta' fight in this chapter, but it's for all the wrong reasons... That is true, and there will be a reason why Tom so easily rebuffs the girls whereas Tia is easily affected in this chapter :) This time, my delay was down to a residential holiday at the Isle of Wight, so I can assure you, that I didn't stop updating because of anyone :D And it's alright, you really are my faithful one since you're always reviewing in each chapter without fail!
Guest: I'm glad you're so optimistic about my story :) I hope you like this chapter, though I will say that it won't be a Tom/Katherine. I hope I hear from you again, I do love new readers!
" Headmaster?" I queried. Malfoy and the rest were waiting at the foot of the rotating staircase for me. Armando Dippet turned around from gazing outside of the window.
" Hello, Miss Riddle." He answered, his wrinkled features trying to show genuine amiability, but I saw straight through his mask and saw his concerned face.
" What thoughts plague you so, Headmaster?" I asked, going straight to the point. He looked surprised- even taken aback- at the fact that I'd picked up so easily on his thoughts. He eventually sighed, his face releasing its true worry.
" Please take a seat, Mistress Riddle." He offered, dragging out the stool in front of his desk. I swallowed, feeling apprehensive.
Am I going to be expelled? Is this because I constantly got into fights with the other pupils?
" Sir?" I asked, uncertainly. My back felt like it was on fire- and my fists were clenched until the knuckles turned white. I took the proffered seat and settled down, trying to be comfortable but it was all in vain. He walked around the extensive desk and sat down in his armchair, his posture rigid and his fingertips maintaining a slight contact so that a fragile arch was formed between his aged fingers. He cleared his throat.
" You and your brother, to my understanding, are orphans, am I correct?" He asked. I nodded, hesitantly.
" You are not mistaken, sir." I answered. He dragged his fingers through his face, sighing slightly.
" And you are aware of Mister Grindelwald's triumphs as a Dark Lord?" I almost exhaled audibly, my relief causing my poised posture to slacken slightly.
" Yes, sir." I whispered, breathlessly relieved. Fortunately for me, the Headmaster mistook that as fear. He abruptly stood up and paced in front of the large windows, his agitation and self loathing palpable in the air.
" Girl," I almost twitched at the name- not in hatred of the title, but of the way it was said. " There are dark forces encircling Hogwarts. And I fear for your- and the other students'- safety." I knew what he was about to say.
" So you are not going to allow anyone to stay in the school over the Christmas Holidays." I finished. He nodded gravely. I pursed my lips. " Sir, I hope that you are aware of the fact that Tom and I were looking forward to spending our first Christmas away from the orphanage-"
" I apologise, Miss Riddle, but this is for the best." His voice was firm. I clenched my fists around the base of the stool, fighting to keep my anger under control.
He isn't expelling us, but what he is doing is somewhat equivalent to that.
" You do not understand, sir, there is a large amount of political tension between England and Germany- and if-"
" Are you suggesting that a second war may break out?" He asked, his eyebrows raised. " Forgive me for saying this, Katherine, but I believed that a more educated and intelligent student such as yourself would not believe such nonsense and rumours." I fought hard to prevent myself from tearing the stupid man apart. " This Magical War is a more dangerous situation, after all-"
" Sir, please do try to understand the upheaval that there is. Even if no war is to break out, I am quite sure that you are aware of the amount of hatred that our Muggle carers have toward magic or any other sort of 'devilry'- they would likely kill us if we are to return months earlier than we promised them. Mistress Cole believes Tom and I to be demons. Heaven knows what the woman will do to me- and indeed Tom, for he is almost always targeted for making his magic more evident." I argued, trying to remain as polite as possible. There was a good amount of sympathy on Dippet's face, but I knew that I'd lost the debate.
" I'm sorry." He said, his tone gentle but firm. " But you must return. You have a higher chance of survival over there. Now, you're dismissed." I stood up faster than was polite. Dippet frowned. I nodded stiffly.
" I shall relay the message to the other pupils. I am glad that you chose to divulge this information to me- it tells me how much you trusted me." Dippet opened his mouth to speak, but I interrupted him. " Goodbye, sir. I do hope that you are sitting comfortably in the safest place in the world whilst the rest of us fear for our lives and try not to think about how much longer we may last out there in the real world." I said the word 'real' as if though magic was make-believe. Dippet barely flinched, but looked like he didn't know what to say. With that said, ensuring that my face was still unemotional, I turned sharply and calmly opened and closed the door behind me, quiet enough to give an audible 'click'. I stood motionless on the staircase whilst it turned, until I reached the bottom and stepped off to meet Abraxus.
" My Lady?-"
" Do not call me that, Malfoy. My surname shall suffice. Giving me that title insults me." I said, dispassionately. Malfoy bowed his head.
" Of course. If you don't mind me asking, Miss Riddle-
" Riddle only."
" – Why did the Head keep you behind for so long?" He asked. I shook my head.
" 'Tis none of your business. Now leave me."
" But Riddle, my Lord has instructed me to watch over you-" I suddenly grew vexed..
" Do not attempt to bring Tom's instruction upon me."
" My Lady-"
" I said, call me Riddle." I hissed, my voice cold. Malfoy fell to his knees. Seeing him do this before me brought an unwelcome lurch to my stomach.
I felt sick.
" Riddle, I-"
" If it pleases Tom, you may shadow me." I amended, feeling pity for the blonde aristocrat who was reduced to bowing before a Mudblood-hybrid. He looked up, tears of relief in his eyes before grabbing the hem of my calf-length skirt and kissing it. I resisted the urge to kick him.
" Thank you." He whispered. I looked away from his eyes- silver eyes that were brimming with relieved tears.
" Do not thank me. Just- just ensure that you keep out of my sight." My stammer confused me. What was this lurch that made me feel so nauseous? What it pity?-No, for I'd felt something similar when I'd encountered the insane Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop and no such feeling arose.
Was it- dare I call it- guilt?
Did I, Katherine Merope Riddle, notoriously unemotional sister of Tom Marvolo Riddle, truly feel regret for a person like Malfoy?
" Yes, Riddle." He whispered, adoration in his eyes.
A sudden shiver coursed through my body.
How could Voldemort possibly enjoy this?
•••
Sitting in the library and reading about past Dark Lords was becoming frustratingly difficult. It had been a mere hour when I'd instructed Abraxus to stay away from my line of sight; and whilst he was passing off with flying colours as a random student who had nothing to do with me, the boys' hyper alert gaze was putting me off. I eventually slammed my book down and walked up to the boy, who was sitting at a separate table near the restricted section, and tapped him on the shoulder. Abraxus looked up, his grey eyes holding a slight confusion.
" My La- Riddle?" He hastily corrected himself. I sighed.
" Malfoy, I cannot concentrate with you sneaking glances at me every second. I can feel your gaze upon my back and I find it extremely unsettling." He blushed slightly. I rolled my eyes.
" What do you think I should do?" He asked. I walked to my own table, picked up the book and walked back to the blonde before dragging a chair out next to him and sitting myself on it, my posture stiff. I raised an eyebrow.
" Well?" He hastily stuck his head in his book again- good reading choice, Malfoy, I never expected you to read household charm books- and tried to pay no attention to me whatsoever. I opened my tome carefully, remembering the page I was on previously before resuming the material.
Seconds passed.
Malfoy glanced at me again.
I made a noise of discontentment.
" Will you stop looking at me?!" I exclaimed.
" Shhhhh!" The Librarian hissed, her glasses crookedly cast upon her hooked nose.
" Ugh!" I picked up the book.
" Where are you going?" Malfoy asked, his face holding confusion. I pushed the chair hard against the table.
" Anywhere away from you." I answered, my voice furious. Malfoy left his book and jumped up after me before grabbing my arm. I span around, my eyes narrowed. " Get off me, Malfoy." The boy looked down at me, shaking his head.
" I can't leave you. If I do, then my Lord will do something." He responded, his fear palpable in the air. For a second, I contemplated allowing him to follow me again, but I pushed that to the back of my mind.
" If someone is to follow me, then let it be Alphard." The mere thought of that grey eyed boy made me feel, altogether, much more lighter. However, the sight I saw on Malfoy's face almost made me rethink what I'd said. The hurt on his face gave me that same peculiar lurch I'd felt when I'd initially allowed the boy to follow me, but I stubbornly ignored it this time. Abraxus' face seemed to have changed from broken to cold in a second- and I was impressed by the amount of time it took him to school his features and pull himself together.
" Fine." If his former facial expression didn't betray his true feelings, his voice did. I bit my lip and felt another wave of that strange emotion collide with my stomach, that fiery feeling travelling up my back yet again. Abraxus span on his heel and walked away, his shoulders slightly hunched- a mere echo of the pompous boy he was in September. By the time the library door had opened and shut, I was already on the floor, my confusion making me feel conflicted.
" You a'right?" A hand appeared in the line of my vision and I looked up.
Potter.
" Yes." I answered, my voice quiet. The cocky first year held my arm and pulled me to my feet and I withheld my tongue from thanking him.
Everything goes back to Tom... Everything goes back to Tom...
" You looked pretty heartbroken there. Did that ponce leave you?" Potter asked, his hatred for Malfoy clear on his face. I shook my head.
" You have misinterpreted my pain."
" Have I really?" Potter asked, his eyebrow raised. For a moment the Potter heir reminded me of Tom- the only difference being that his eyes were hooded whereas Tom's was large and his eyes were killing curse green where Charlus' were hazel- and add the fact that the boy had a rounder face than my brother. That sudden realisation jerked me to reality. I threw my hand out of Potter's grasp and tried to walk away, but the boy called my name- my first name, Heavens, I do not even allow Alphard to use it!- as if though he were a close friend of mine.
" Kat!" He shouted, for a second time. He jogged slightly to catch up with me- but by then I was out of the library.
" Leave me be, Potter." I snarled, keeping my eyes firmly in front of me. Potter frowned.
" What's wrong?-" I span around and backed the boy up against a wall, ringing my hand around his neck. Potter's eyes widened dramatically and he immediately starting clawing at my hands. I leaned closer to his face.
" When I tell you tell you to leave me alone," I whispered into his ear. " I mean, leave me alone." I let go of the boy and he collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. That strange kick to my stomach started again, but I ignored it in favour of walking away and ignoring the choking boy.
•••
It was dawn on the 10th December that I'd awoken to a rather horrid surprise.
I simply stripped my bed of its sheets and walked briskly toward the kitchens- it'd become common knowledge that house elves worked in the kitchens near Hufflepuff basement- and tickled the pear in the portrait before an elf politely enquired what I'd like. I had passed the bundle of sheets to her and asked for a thick piece of cloth and a new change of bed sheets.
Blinky- the house elf- complied instantly and I found myself walking just as rigidly as I had before toward my dorm and replacing the sheets.
And I tried to forget the image of blood in my mind as I'd stared in horror at the sheets a mere twenty minutes ago.
•••
15th December.
Yet another Slug invite.
Tom was dressed in his usual suit, but this time he was wearing a black bow tie.
" Where did you get that tie from, Tom?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. He gave me a smile reflected from the mirror.
Perfectly healed, now.
" Alphard had lent it to me." The mere thought of the friendly boy made me feel a whole lot more happier. Tom frowned when he saw my small smile.
" What am I to wear?" I asked. He smiled at me.
" Remember the night before you had met Lily?" He asked me. I nodded- though technically it was my second time- and Tom walked toward the wardrobe before withdrawing a hanger draped in a white protective cloth.
" What resides beneath the cloth?" I asked, eagerly. Tom smirked.
" You'll just have to see for yourself." He handed me the corner of the cloth. I pulled it gently, my hand gentle and careful as I pulled it.
A light thump signalled the last of the cloth's impact on the floor.
Lily truly was incredibly thoughtful.
An off-the-shoulder green dress was suspended off a velvet hanger, the hem brushing the floor. It wasn't embroidered or anything of the sort, but the dangerously dipped neckline made me raise an eyebrow, though I did admire the skirt of the dress. It was, all in all, the embodiment of a Slytherin girl's perfect dress- colour, style and all. I touched the silk gently, my disbelief evident on my face. Tom laughed, his face jovial.
" It's-"
" Great!" Tom finished. I allowed a small smile to slip on my face but that was cut off when Tom suddenly lifted me off my feet and span me around. I gave several yelps and exclamations of delight somewhere between my laughter until Tom put me down on the floor. I finally let out a breath and lightly dusted myself off. " I shall be in the Common Room. Get dressed and let me do your hair- oh don't look at me like that, we both know how bad you are with those ebony locks of yours. Ensure that you look presentable." I nodded: I wasn't particularly keen on recreating the scene from the last party. I've heard that there was to be mistletoe- and I hoped to God that I wouldn't happen to be standing beneath an enchanted one before being, essentially, forced to kiss the person closest to me.
" I shall, Tom." I answered. He nodded.
" I'll be taking my leave, then." He left the room and shut the door, leaving me alone and staring at the green wonder before me.
Gosh, if I wore that in the orphanage it'd be torn to pieces before I even stepped through the front door!
However, instead of discouraging me from wearing it, the dress seemed to exude a sense of encouragement- almost as if it were daring me to wear it. I gently slid the dress off its hanger and tested it in my hands. It was heavy- but I could withstand it. I peeled my school uniform off- I'll have to take my vest off also, the dress goes beyond my shoulder- and slid into the dress, taking note of the way that it clung to me.
How did Lily know my size?
Did Tom tell her mine or did she give me a gown from her younger years?
I briefly noted the fact that the Nutritional Potions had already impacted my height- though on a mediocre scale. Tom and I were still the same distance apart- but I now reached the crest of the full sized mirror I was standing before. I took a second to admire my reflected height before noting that the skirt tapered off on to the floor.
I will need heels to ensure that the dress does not cause me to fall; not to mention the fact that it would make me appear taller...
Just as I thought this, I managed to trip over a small obstacle. I held out my hands against the bed post (of which had miniscule cracks all over as a reminder of the spell I'd cast in my haste to save Tom) and looked down.
Today really is my lucky day!
A pair of black two inch heels lay across the floor, a single strap with a button upon the end for securing it. Like the dress, it was simple but it was suitable for the occasion.
It must have slipped off the hanger when I pulled my dress off.
I pulled them onto my feet- yes, Tom must have told her my size- and buttoned the shoes over. I stood up and dusted off the imaginary dirt from my dress before admiring my reflection. Now, the dress' hem only just brushed the floor and the slightly longer back of my skirt trailed onto the floor. It was perfect.
A knock sounded on the door.
" Come in." I called. Tom opened and closed the door before giving me a low whistle. My cheeks warmed.
" Gosh, it feels like only yesterday when we were seven." He commented. I sat down on the wicker chair. He walked behind me, brandishing the brush and the pins he'd gotten from Lily. " It's a good thing you tie your hair back often, Kathy."
" Why is that?" I asked, curious. Tom gave a small smile.
" I am extremely tempted to leave your hair like this." He raked a few fingers through my wavy hair. I frowned. " Add the fact that you do your hair in the same ponytail over and over again..."
" You do know that having waist length hair is a chore, correct?"
" Yes, but..." He dwindled off, his fingers pausing their motion in my hair and I knew that the reason why he made me have such long hair was because the orphanage staff had forced me to cut it short in our younger years, despite Tom having had fun doing our double act as boys. He gently pulled the brush through my hair and ran it through slowly until it reached the end. I leaned back, relaxed.
Just don't make a fool out of yourself again...
•••
I felt a sense of Dé jà vu as I walked through the hallway and up against the door. Last time I was dreading the walk toward the party. This time, however, Tom was with me and holding my hand. And I knew that I would be safe.
" Ready?" Tom asked, standing in front of me with a single relaxed hand on the doorknob. I nodded with a slightly nervous smile on my face. Tom frowned. " Back straight, hands folded in front of you. Keep that ringlet in front of your shoulder, not on your back. And wear a confident smile." I did as Tom commanded, my posture righted and the formerly-wavy-but–now-curly lock of hair over my porcelain shoulder. My smile felt slightly forced, but as Tom said, better a smile than without when fooling someone. Then, reassessing my appearance, Tom nodded and opened the door before holding out an arm. I reached out and held onto it- delicately, as etiquette demanded- and we walked through the arched doorway only to be met with the sight of something different.
The potions classroom- as before- had all the tables moved to one side and was bigger than I remembered it being. However, instead of there being ivy twined around the banisters, there was holly, tinsel and fairy lights wrapped around the oak batons. I could hear a familiar tune- 'Winter Wonderland'- and hummed the crescendo of the song before it started to die away. 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm' then started to play. I was mildly impressed that the Wizarding Community had picked up on Muggle hits, but then it faded when I caught sight of the few Muggleborn seventh years playing on the piano and a girl singing into a ribbon microphone. A few Slytherins had their noses screwed up as if though the music repulsed them. For once, however, I thought badly of them, as the Muggle music brought more familiarity to me than any other song that had been played the last time I was here. Tom cleared his throat.
Everybody turned to look at him.
And the Slytherins dipped their heads slightly.
" Katherine!" Someone exclaimed. I looked up and saw Lily standing at the back. She made her way through the crowd and the people gave way to her as if though she were someone important.
The brunette was holding up her wine red dress (how fitting for a Gryffindor) so that she could walk through and her pearls lay delicately around her pale neck. Her hair was arranged in a chignon bun and she wore black, elbow length silk gloves. Her dress had thin straps and was backless. She was, undoubtedly, the star of the show. A significant amount of males were staring at her longer than was polite- and I noted with amusement that half of those eyes belonged to Slytherins, who were supposed to hate her for her blood. Soon, though, the party was back on a roll and they were ignoring us.
I gave her a genuine smile.
" Lily, I did not expect to see you here." I replied. The girl had finally arrived and had her arms around me. She pulled away.
" You look stunning!" She exclaimed, gently touching my hair. I smiled, though not believing it myself.
" If I were stunning, you would be of mythological beauty." I responded. Lily blushed.
" Charmer."
" Glad."
" It's good to see you both so well acquainted." Tom interrupted with a smile, though his eyes did not seem to hold that opinion.
... Jealous, Tom?
" Thank you, Tom." Lily said. Tom's eye twitched and I noticed that I did not interrupt Lily for calling me with my first name.
" Katherine?" Tom held out his arm. I held on to it, giving Lily an apologetic look. The girl looked a little confused by Tom's cold dismissal of her.
" Sorry." I mouthed. She shook her head, smiling though still a little perplexed- and I knew that she had forgiven Tom and I. Tom led me down the stairs and onto the floor- this was where I'd fallen down last time- before taking me down to Abraxus Malfoy.
This isn't going to end well...
A/N: Dun, Dun, Duuuun!
I hope you'll all allow me an apology for the lateness, again, but I seriously loved the Isle of Wight!
Lots of love,
~ Annika
Remember to read and review!