A/N: To all our readers, thank you so much for commenting, and to our new readers, we are so glad you are all enjoying it. Well, here is the next chapter. We are sure the title should give an indication to what happens ;) ALSO: be sure to check out the previous chapter as it has been edited. :D

Disclaimer: No for the seventh time, as much as we wish, we do not own harry potter. Or Tom Riddle for that matter.

Chapter 7- Twenty Questions

It was safe to say her mission had completely flopped. Ever since the defence incident, as she now called it, Riddle had been avoiding her like the plague. Every single time she tried to start a conversation he either gave a single one word answer and left or just turned away and pretended he hadn't heard her. She reluctantly dragged herself down to Transfiguration; first lesson of the day. School was, to put it in a word, boring. Absolutely boring. What point was there learning stuff she had already learnt? She knew every single charm, potion, and spell…everything they learnt. It was pointless.

She took her regular seat beside Noah Bennett. They had become friends since the...ahem 'incident'. Noah was a nice boy, albeit quiet and shy but she would much rather hang out with him then the girls in her dorm. As she approached him she saw that once again, his body was arched over his precious drawing. Jesus, Elena thought, he was so protective over his sketches; he NEVER showed them to anyone. One day, I will steal his sketchbook, she thought with an evil grin.

"Why are you grinning evilly?" he questioned.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," she winked.

"Why am I getting a very bad feeling about this?"

"Because I am evil," she smirked.

He raised an eyebrow and reprimanded on her language. She simply shrugged and took out her text book. It was a while till Professor Dumbledore entered the classroom.

"Forgive me class, I misplaced my favourite pair of socks and it took a while to find them in my messy room."

Elena stared. Well, she knew Dumbledore was strange but she thought it was an act to humour his students…it wasn't. His usually white hair was red. Yes, DUMBLEDORE was a REDHEAD. And his beard was much shorter than it was in his portrait. Well, portraits couldn't shave could they? Well, if the fat lady could sing…

"Now class, we are going to do a quick review of what we learnt last year. I am sure you all remember the 'geminio' charm to create an exact replica of an object. Now, this year, instead of trying it out on inanimate objects we are going to have to start applying it to small animals. It is going to be much more difficult as you have to not only duplicate its physical image but also its internal structure."

Been there done that. Elena thought lazily.

"So Grey, do you want a frog or a rat?"

"I don't really care, as long as you get it," she replied.

"So I can get anything?"

"Yeah." Go away so I can look at your sketchbook.

"Hey, bring a frog please," she called out after his retreating back, "I'm deathly afraid of rats."

He brought two rats.

Even before she had a chance to open his book.

Go figure.

She stared at the…creature…in revulsion. Hamsters and guinea pigs she could deal with; they were cute. But rats, they…HAD A TAIL it was a-a thin pink thing covered with fur that wriggled like a worm. It sickened her.

She quickly cast the charm without hesitation and duplicated the rodent.

"Ahh, well done Miss Grey, that was quite some remarkable wand work! Perhaps you could move on to larger animals, you could work over there in the corner with Mr Riddle."

"Sure." This was her chance to somehow finally befriend him. Fat chance seeing as he was ignoring her. Sure, she hated him but she was on a mission here and she knew she would hate him even more in the future. She had to keep in mind that she couldn't let her emotions get in the way and she couldn't let him know he was affecting her.

She grabbed a particularly fully white cat that looked really annoyed (if cats could look annoyed) and walked over to Riddle.

"Hey Riddle"

Silence.

"So, are you going to ignore me?"

More silence.

He quietly faced the wall working on his wandwork. She instinctively jabbed him in the back with her wand. He turned facing her, his expression murderous.

Elena you idiot. You just poked the future dark lord with your wand. He could like avada you any second.

"WHAT," he glared.

"Hi," Elena grinned.

"Hi," he replied bluntly.

"So, are you going to say anything else to me?" she tried.

"I don't know, am I?"

"Are you?"

"We should work on the charm."

"Pshh, the charm, you and I both know we don't need any work on that Riddle." She casually cast the spell, creating a perfect imitation of the fluffy white cat.

"Fine then. What do you want to talk about." He looked really impatient. Like he would burst any second if he didn't rush to the loo.

"I don't know, stuff"

"Stuff?" he raised a perfectly arched, aristocratic eyebrow. Stop rubbing it in my face that you have nice eyebrows, you minger.

"Ok, I know, let's play twenty questions."

"Twenty questions?"

"Are you going to repeat everything I say and add a question mark?" She retaliated, angry.

"Maybe," He gave a faint chuckle. BLOODY HELL. Did TOM RIDDLE just smile? No, it must have been a trick of the light.

"Ok, well it's like a game…"

"I really couldn't have guessed that."

"STOP INTERRUPTING!...ok so it's like this game where we each take turns asking the other questions about themselves until we reach twenty and we have to answer."

"And why would we play such a futile game?"

"Because we have nothing better to do!"

He seemed satisfied with her answer but didn't say anything. Elena thought she would make the first move.

"So, uhh, my go, so I ask you, what's your favourite colour?"

He blinked, taken aback. He obviously expected a much harsher question.

"I don't have a favourite colour."

"Come on, EVERYONE has a favourite colour!" She couldn't believe it. I mean, who didn't have a favourite colour. It was like this natural human instinct, to have a favourite colour. Everyone had one.

"I just don't, it's not obligatory to have one," he challenged.

"Ok, fine, don't get so touchy."

"I wasn't getting touchy"

"Ok fine you don't have a favourite colour, your turn."

"You obviously seem very well versed in all your subjects although your attitude and vocabulary prove otherwise. You can't possibly have had a tutor who taught you so much that you would be ahead of every class. I want to ask, who was this remarkable man who taught you this?"

Oh shit, shit, he suspects something. Anyone could have caught her out but him. She wanted to bury her face into the cold, hard table. But that would make it even more suspicious.

He was waiting for her answer.

"Who says it was a man?" Yes, that was my genius reply

"Was it?"

THINK QUICK ELENA

"It was my uncle, he's actually my godfather and he lived with us, he tutored me sort-of as payment for living in our house and…" She blurted out quickly.

Now that's what you call a good cover story. Kudos to you my brain!

Thankfully, he believed it.

"Ok, what's your favourite food?" she asked.

"I don't waste time on such frivolous rituals. Food is merely a basic necessity to keep us alive, why bother having a favourite one, you know where it ends up."

Ok, that had to be THE SADDEST thing she had ever heard. So he ate just for the sake of eating? What fun was in that? No wonder he was so thin. Seriously, how could anyone not enjoy eating food? And he thought SHE was pathetic?

"I can't believe this."

"Believe it."

"THAT'S IT. This evening, you are coming with me, to the kitchens and I really don't care whether I have to force feed you but you NEED to eat chocolate chip waffles and ice cream. It is going to be the best thing you will ever taste."

"Whatever," he said, in a tone that scarily resembled hers.

"ARE YOU MOCKING ME?"

"Class dismissed," Auburn haired Dumbledore said.

After sending one last fuming glare towards Riddle, Elena walked out of the room. He just got on her nerves SO MUCH. UGH, there were times when she wanted to throttle him…but unfortunately, there were also times where she wanted to jump on top of him and…you probably don't want to hear the rest of the sentence. (She would never admit it though.)

"three o'clock, three o'clock…" she riffled through her bag, picking up the schedule (which she was still not familiar with). Perfect, a free period. She could head over to the dorms and rest a little bit and cool that hot head of hers.

She expected to enter a room full of peace and silence where she could go to sleep. What she didn't expect was a room fool of giggling teenagers…who stopped silent the moment she entered the room. She had a very bad feeling they had just been gossiping about her.

"So, you and Riddle, is it?" Lucy (obsessive Riddle stalker) asked, the pent up anger leaking out into her voice.

"Um, no? Why are you even assuming this?"

"Oh come on, we all saw you talking in transfig"

"Exactly, Stanton, we were TALKING. Talking is a normal social skill, you should try it sometimes, maybe you would finally get a boyfriend."

Ok, maybe that was a bit nasty. Ok fine, it was really nasty. Elena felt worse when she saw the look of hurt flash across her face.

Oh no, I'm going to make her cry.

"It's alright Lucy, you really are a lovely girl," Beth consoled.

"Look, Lucy? I'm really sorry. Trust me, there was nothing going on between me and Riddle, we were just talking, like how we're talking now."

"The thing is Grey," Kate cut in, "Riddle doesn't talk to anyone, let alone girls. For the first time in six years, he's actually having a proper conversation with someone; you can't say no one would assume anything."

"Well, didn't you think that maybe it was because no one made an effort to talk to him? Or were you guys too scared to actually walk up to him and carry it off. You know, he is just a normal guy."

Kate snorted.

"Ok fine, he's not…!"

This was the reason why he became such a horrible person, Elena thought to herself, because he had no friends. Because everyone put him up on some imaginary pedestal like he was god or something. It was natural his ego would blow up. He probably never felt accepted or a part of anything.

"Well, I think Elena and Riddle would make a lovely couple, don't you think?" Charlotte giggled.

To Elena's absolutely shock and disgust there was a murmur of agreement across the room.

Come on, she and Riddle looked horrible with each other. He was an evil dark lord and she was somewhat a rebel. He hated food and she loved food. They would NEVER be able to go out without biting each others heads of. Nope, not possible, never possible.

"Not happening," She said firmly.

"Ooh, I think someone's in denial"

"Shut up!"

Later that evening she searched the entire school for Riddle. Every time she made a promise, she stuck to it. There is no way anyone can resist waffles. She would change his mind, that was certain. She searched and searched and searched; searched every nook and cranny of the castle and he was no where to be seen.

But to her surprise she did bang into…

"Noah?" she gasped, steadying the body that just slammed into her. One day, her body would break from all the bruises she received from crashing into so many people.

"H-Hey, Elena, why are you out so late?"

She took in his flushed cheeks and messy blonde hair. And the fact that he was gasping for air.

"Alright Noah," she eyed him up smirking, "Who-uhh, What, have you been doing?"

"N-nothing"

"That doesn't sound very convincing…so, who's the lucky dame you've been snogging."

Noah spat out a mouthful of pumpkin juice. Ok, fine he didn't because he didn't have any in his mouth. But if he did, he would have totally spat it out. His jaw dropped to the ground, figuratively of course.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Your shirt is on inside out."

"What?" he gawked, quickly glancing down his shirt…which was on perfectly straight and was indeed the right way out.

"Sucker! You checked it."

"So, that doesn't mean anything, you could have cast some non verbal spell on me. I know you're very good at those. And what does sucker mean?"

Damn, I need to stop using words I hear in those American television programmes.

"Never mind, but I also know some very good mind reading spells…"

She nearly burst out laughing at the terrified look on his face. "Noah, chill, you don't need to tell me who she was. It's really fine…unless she's a Slytherin…she's not a Slytherin is she?"

He was silent.

"OH MY GOD, WHO IS IT!"

"I, uhh really…"

"Ok fine, but you will tell me one day"

"I will," he promised…and walked off…hopefully not to receive more of…whatever he was recieving.

Well…that was unexpected, Elena reflected, very unexpected in fact for someone as quiet and shy as Noah to have a girlfriend. Well, good on him, if he did! But if that girl was anything like Marquisse Flint…

Elena sighed. She was never going to save Tom Riddle. She would never make it back to her own time…although she was unsure whether she wanted to return at all. She actually felt like she belonged here. She felt a jingle in her pocket as she took a step.

Wait a second.

She pulled out a small vial filled with a golden liquid. This was it. This was her answer. She just needed a little luck in befriending Riddle and everything would come in place. She pulled open the cork and tossed back the whole potion, and waited for the effects to take place.

A/N: Free chocolate fudge cupcakes if you review! meanwhile enjoy this delicious picture. http:/img.p h o t o b u c k e t .com/albums/v77/marlena_ (without spaces of course) By the way, the part about Noah snogging a slytherin will become an important subplot in future so be sure to store that in your minds. ;) Any guesses on who it is?