Two days after Christmas Riddle and I took a bus out into the country. It looked beautiful in the snow and we made deep tracks in it as we walked through frozen fields. It was so peaceful and picturesque that was until Riddle grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at me, laughing hysterically. In return he received a face full of the stuff and I laughed wildly.
"I leave after new years" he said after we had finished our fight.
Things never lasted forever and I sighed heavily deciding to change topic "isn't it your birthday on New Years Eve?"
He blinked turning to me "how did you know that?"
"I asked the others" I replied truthfully.
"Well that's unfair I don't know when your birthday is" he smiled cheekily.
"I guess then you will have to get it out of me" I giggled jumping to my feet and throwing snow at him.
He automatically threw another bit at me before jumping upon me and we both tumbled back down upon the snow. Our laughter slowly died and I stared up into Riddles face.
"You're a dead weight" I smiled.
He grinned "now that I have you pinned and you can't move from under me; when is your birthday?"
A cheeky smile spread across my face "and you think pinning me down will make me talk? Ha! You're going to have to do better than that!"
He leant really close staring intently into my eyes and my smile disappeared instantly as a grin ran across his "how am I doing now?"
My mouth opened but no words came out instead I made strange little squeaks as I felt all colour drain from my face and my breathing quickened significantly. Riddle moved one of his hands so that it rested at my racing heart and he frowned "why do you get so afraid?"
I shifted uncomfortably beneath him, whispering "I don't know"
He smiled resting his head upon my chest listening to my heart "when is your birthday? Or am I going to have to force it out of you?"
"Alright, alright" I muttered "the second of May"
"How old will you be?" he asked slyly.
"Old enough" I replied innocently.
A small silence followed this as he just laid upon my chest listening to my heart thump against its rib cage. Both of us were lost in thought then finally Riddle spoke sounding slightly cold.
"I thought you were my best friend, why can't you tell me your age?"
"I will be twelve" I answered casually.
He sat up his eyes full of anger "tell me your real age! I have a right to know!"
I too tried to get up but he pushed me back down holding me firm as he leant into my face, "you should know what I am like when I am angry; believe me I can be very persuasive"
"You should know me too!" I cried "I am not afraid of you! Threaten me all you want! I am not going to tell you!"
He leant closer to my face and I tried not to be afraid; his eyes bored into mine "I like you Bethany a lot"
Utterly confused I frowned at him "what's that got to do with it?"
"It means that I don't care how old you are nothing will change how I feel about you" he admitted.
"What if I said I was one thousand two hundred years old?" I asked watching him closely.
"Then I'd say I don't care" he replied also watching me.
"Well now you know how old I really am" I huffed still trying to get up but Riddle still had me down.
"I don't want you to leave here angry with me" he whispered it reply to my questioning looks.
Struggling to control my anger I reluctantly laid back down in the snow. Riddle rested back against my chest somewhat satisfied with himself. This made me more angry.
"Why is it you have to know everything and be so cruel about it!?" I snapped angrily.
"I don't wish to know everything I am merely gaining an advantage over those much weaker than I" he chose his words carefully but I saw right through them.
"Have you always been cruel?" I blurted.
He sat up and again met my gaze "when have I-"
Quickly I cut across him "before you say 'when have I been cruel?' I am going to remind you of our first meeting and what you tried to do to me in the cave"
A small smile flickered across his face "if I told you the answer to that question you would think me evil"
"What if I said I liked you the way you are?" I asked.
His smile faded "then I want it to stay that way"
I frowned not understanding his words and before I question him further he rested back down upon my chest changing the topic. We spent the afternoon discussing things like what we were going to do tomorrow and all the things he hadn't told me about Hogwarts.
Yet still I couldn't shake what he had said. What could be in him that was so evil that would make me dislike him?