DISGUISED INTENTIONS
IV
After almost being cursed by Constance and Amelia, Pebble went straight to her small sanctuary- her bed, she closed the curtains of her heavily decorated four poster bed and and sank herself in its soft sheets. It wasn't long before she drifted off.
"Pebble!" she heard a voice call.
"Leave me alone..." Pebble complained.
"Tom Riddle wants to speak to you." the soft voice called again.
Hearing his name was like being mentally slapped, "Why?" she asked finally sounding awake. She pulled herself from her warm covers and faced the second year Slytherin.
"I dont know." the small figure replied, "He said something about Patrick Lynch..."
Pebble's eyes widened, "What time is it?! I almost forgot, I have to patrol with Lynch tonight!" she said while frantically looking for her robes.
"It's quarter past nine." Pebble's figure calmed when she heard the second year Slytherin reply, "Why, when did you have to leave?" she asked.
Pebble turned to the fellow Slytherin and smiled, "At ten." she finally found her robes on another person's bed, "Thank you for waking me up Imogen."
"I'd rather not take the credit." Imogen said waving her hands, "It was Riddle who told me to wake you."
"Please thank him for me." Pebble said lacking passion.
"You know that I tolerate you Pebble but there is no need to abuse my kindness." joked Imogen as she headed for the door, "Oh and Riddle also said, 'I'll be waiting right here in the common room for her.'"
"Why would he be waiting for me?"
"I have no idea. Are you two involved?" she asked curiously.
"No. So do not go and spread around rumours that we are." Pebble quickly answered.
"No worries Pebble Grimshaw, I would never do such a thing." Imogen smiled before finally walking out. Imogen was like a little sister to Pebble, but she was one of those siblings who would do anything to get any attention, she was devious but tolerable- to an extent that is.
Pebble sat on her bed holding her robes tightly as she waited for the time to pass. Soon girls started pouring into the girl's dormitory hall way and into their rooms. She saw two fifth year Slytherins walk into the same room Pebble was occupying and both acknowledged her with a smile before stepping into the bathroom for a quick wash. Pebble reached for her wrist watch on the the bedside table and saw that it was already half past nine, she stood up and wrapped herself with her thick robes but before she left for the door, she overheard the two girls' conversation.
"Have you seen Constance and and Amelia since dinner?" asked one.
"No. But I heard someone say they saw them with Headmaster Dippet, and apparently the Headmaster looked absolutely disappointed."
"I wonder what happened?"
Pebble immediately ignored the words, she knew exactly what happened. Tom Riddle must have gone straight to Headmaster Dippet to inform him of Constance and Amelia's behaviour. She knew that they were in deep trouble but how deep was a mystery to her. She walked pass the crowded hallway that lead to the corridor, she hoped that Tom Riddle had also gone to bed, but when she reached the common room, she didn't find it surprising when she saw him sitting quite lonesome in the empty common room- his eyes again fixated on a book, Hogwarts a History.
Tom Riddle immediately felt the presence of another in the room, he calmly looked up to see Pebble who stared at him with fascination, "How are you feeling?" he asked coldly.
She smiled in disbelief as she approached him, "Its unusual for you to ask these question, one would not be sure how to answer to it."
"Then I suppose your fine." he retorted before returning to his book.
"What do you want Riddle?" she said as she towered over his sunken figure in the cossy chair.
He peered at her pass his book and expressed a plain face but Pebble knew there was more to what he displayed, "Forget it." she quickly said trying to to avoid the subject of his offer, "I don't have time for this, I have to patrol with Patrick Lynch." she added before walking away.
Before she could walk out of the common room, he stood up and walked beside her and asked, "Are you in the state of patrolling?"
Pebble smilled and bit her lip before she could say anything nasty but instead she contained herself and sounded, "Ofcourse, is there any reason why I shouldn't?" she paused then continued to walk, "Will you stop your irritating questions, and WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME!" yelled Pebble when Tom Riddle followed her out of the common room.
"You may have forgotten, I too am a prefect. And your not the only prefect that is due to patrol on Wednesdays." said Tom Riddle as he walked ahead of her with ease, Pebble blinked, she had forgotten that Tom Riddle was a prefect. "I don't know if it interests you, but my hour will be spent with Samantha Brown, Hogwart's most famous chatterbox." he smiled.
Pebble suddenly felt alarmed, "You're not going to tell her are you?" she asked but before he could answer, laughter suddenly filled the corridor. Pebble and Tom Riddle looked around to find that the corridor was empty and soon they figured that the noise was coming from above their heads, "Good evening." greeted Peeves, his hands holding bucket of dripping water. He smiled cheekily as he watched both prefect's face twist.
"Peeves DON'T!" commanded Pebble.
His mischeivious glance turned from Pebble to Tom, "Stop your foolish games or I will immediately report you to Headmaster Dippet on disrespecting your superior-"
It was too late, Peeves had already poured the water on both their bodies and was already running away.
"Arg!! Peeves, someday I will have my revenge on you!! I swear you will suffer!!" shouted Pebble furiously as her clothes now dripped with ice cold water.
"Sometimes, I wonder why you're in Slytherin," Tom paused, "but now I can definitely confirm why."
Pebble turned to him, and although seeing his ridiculous state, she just merely gave him an annoyed glace and stalked off whilst magically drying herself. Tom followed suit but instead of walking along side of Pebble, he took the lead.
Pebble didn't mind this as she did not want him to see the state of her flushed face. She sighed heavily before finally releasing the question that's been hanging in her for quite some time, "Riddle?" she started but he pretended not to hear.
She sprinted towards him before again calling his name and this time he finally answered, "What is it?"
"You've not told anybody have you?"
"About Constance and Amelia?" Tom reassured.
"Yes, about Constance and Amelia."
Tom faced Pebble, "Not to anyone who needed to know."
"Well don't tell anyone…" Pebble requested. Slowly her lips curved to a smile and said as she realised her foolishness of hiding her weakness, "There's no point hiding, eventually the whole school will know."
"Nobody will know about it."
"What exactly are you saying?"
"Both Constance and Amelia have breached the strictest school rule, in result of this, they are both expelled." Tom stated without a care.
"Expelled!!?" Pebble's eyes shot wide open, "I didn't want them to get expelled, I just-"
"There's no point arguing now, they already left."
There was a long pause, till finally "I could've been fine."
"You were completely helpless."
"I was not! I was about to claim my wand till you showed up." she argued.
"I didn't stop you claiming your wand."
"You distracted me!" she finally admitted.
"Whatever did I do to be such a distraction?"
Pebble stopped when she noticed herself laughing heartily, "Don't act as if you're ignorant to the subject when you practically come across it every hour of the day." she paused looking at his blank face, she smiled, "I cannot believe I'm saying this, but a girl would not be considered normal if she was not distracted by an attractive guy who just walked in the scene."
Tom looked at Pebble still with a blank face but inside he couldn't help but smile, "I admire your honesty."
"Believe me, so do I." laughed Pebble as the two continued to walk side by side.