The past few days have been going well. Tom didn't manage to slip up in any of his classes, and he had processed most of what Dumbledore told him.

It haunted him. To know that he was a product of a loveless union.

A mistake.

But, he wouldn't let that fact define him. None of it was his fault, he didn't choose to come into the world in that way.

Besides, he had a family that loved him. Which had an actual union.

But one thing did worry him.

He hadn't seen Myrtle for a few days.

Since their last talk when he was on prefect patrol, he didn't even manage to catch a glimpse of her. Anywhere. That was especially odd, since Tom knew all of the secret pathways that Hogwarts had.

Even the ones no one thought existed.

She couldn't be hiding in the Ravenclaw common room all the time, she had classes to attend to.

Well, enough was enough. He was going to look for her today.

,,Are you really going to go looking for that mudblood, Riddle?"
,,Even after she left you?"
,,How low you have sunken."

Tom tried his best to ignore this voice. It wouldn't end like that. He'd find her, and every thing will be alright.

Nothing special happened in today's class, and Tom wasn't assigned some extra duties.

Perfect, now he had more time to look for Myrtle.

But... where would he look?

Apparently, she had a speciality for hiding, Tom noted. She was probably some where that was out of Tom's reach. Either the girl's bathroom, or the common room. There were multiple bathrooms in Hogwarts, checking every single one of them would be a ludicrous idea.

And it would resurface some unwanted memories.

So, the only thing that was left was for him to go to the Ravenclaw common room. And stand in front of the entrance? On second thought, that would be a little suspicious. He would find a better place to camp at where he could just as well see her if she passes by. But first, he would have to go to his own common room to drop off his things.

He quickly speed-walked to there, and began his search soon after.

While walking to the Ravenclaw common room, he still saw no trace of her. Well, he'd find her there, he reassured himself. There were loads of students chatting in the halls, so it was difficult to walk through, let alone catch a glimpse of Myrtle. Luckily, he was almost out of there, now he would reach his destination a lot faster. He started to walk faster after getting out of the crowded area. But, suddenly, he felt something.

A tightening grip around his wrist.

,,Come with me, Tom."

He didn't have to turn around to see who it was, since it was obvious. He was just glad that he found her. Or rather, that she found him.

,,Where are we going?", he asked her.

,,I have no idea.", she replied.

They were probably going to some secret corridor or room. If there's anything that Hogwarts has, it's those spare rooms and hallways that no one thought ever existed. Like some sort of liminal space. Apart from that, Myrtle was still holding him by his wrist, almost dragging him along the way. He didn't bother protesting.

They walked for about ten minutes with no apparent pattern or direction as to where they were going. Well, she did say that she had no clue where they were going. At least the number of students in the halls dropped significantly.

There wasn't a soul in sight.

Myrtle finally stopped.

Apparently, they were in some sort of dark hallway, only lit by the light from the windows in it. It didn't matter, Tom was already here once. What mattered was the reason as to why he was here.

Myrtle slowly turned around to face him.

,,So", she began,
,,I guess I owe you an explanation. For all of this."

Tom could see that she looked really nervous. She was looking down, trying to avoid eye contact.

,,First of all, I'm sorry that I avoided you. It's not that I don't want any friends, pretty much the opposite. It's just..."
,,I-"
,,I'm just scared.", she admitted.
,,Ever since I got here, things only went downhill for me. It was very different before I went to Hogwarts. I had a class that loved me, accepted me for who I am, even looked up to me. After I got my letter for Hogwarts, I was pretty excited. I always loved fairytale books and mystical stuff. And to think that all of it was real shocked me, in the best way possible. Leaving my class was pretty hard, I'd certainly miss them, but I could always see them after I finished my school year. But, after I finally did go to Hogwarts, everyone started treating me poorly, because of no reason."
,,Calling me names that I didn't even understand what they meant.", her voice quivered.
,,I-i was too "muggle-like" for them."

,,Are you really going to listen to this mudblood's pity story, Riddle?"

,,Most of the bigotry came from Slytherin. Almost everyone of them didn't tolerate anyone that wasn't a pureblood."
,,But then, you showed up."
,,I was so happy that there was someone willing to listen, someone willing to be friends with me."
,,But."
,,You were also a Slytherin."

Her voice started to get shakier and shakier.

,,I-i was so scared."
,,I thought you would also be like them, that you would also abandon me."

She began to clutch her hands, her face forming an angered look. Tears began to form in her eyes.

,,Like everyone else in this damned school!", she screamed.

And that was when the dam broke. Tears began to rapidly fall down her cheeks while she wailed loudly. She put her hands on her face, feeling embarrassed that she broke down this quickly.

Tom's eyes widened at the sudden reaction. He expected that this conversation wouldn't exactly be cheerful, but this caught him off-guard. Never mind that, what mattered was how he would respond.

But how?

He wasn't exactly the best person to go to when asking for comfort. But now, it was important that he choose the best words he could think of.

And he'd have to do it fast.

But, before he could do anything, Myrtle hugged him tightly.

He froze in place.

,,I'm so, so sorry, Tom.", she said in between her sobs,
,,It was so wrong of me to assume those things."

After a short pause, she continued speaking.

,,Please, forgive me.", she said in a quiet, desperate voice.

A small smile tugged on Tom's lips. This really was happening. He wouldn't be left in the dark, after all.

Tom slowly returned the hug.

,,It's okay."
,,Most of the Slytherins are pureblood supremacists. I don't blame you for assuming."
,,But."
,,I can assure you that I'm not one of them.", he responded with a soft smile.
,,I forgive you."

,,Thank you.", she responded with tears in her eyes.

As much as he appreciated this moment, this damp hallway wasn't the best place to be in.

,,Let's get out of here, it's pretty gloomy.", she said, as if she read his mind.
,,I'm sorry that I couldn't find a better place to talk at."

,,You're right, let's leave.", he said.
,,Besides, dinner's about to start soon, we better get there quick."

It was quite astounding to see how much the castle's atmosphere changes when it's dark. This area in particular was only lit up by the windows. There weren't any torches nearby, which indicated that they were far away from anyone else.

Meanwhile, Myrtle wondered why Abraxas called Tom a mudblood. Weren't muggleborns not allowed in Slytherin? Maybe that's why Tom didn't hold a grudge against them. It was because he himself was one. Well, she'd still ask him to find out.

,,Tom"
,,Are you a muggleborn?", she asked.

Tom had already been confused for a muggleborn more times than he could recall. Well, it wasn't for no reason. He had a muggle name and surname, he lived in a muggle orphanage, and now he was adopted by muggles. He hated when that happened. But now, he didn't really care. It was all the same, after all. Muggleborn, halfblood, pureblood, half-breed... nothing indicated that one was superior than the other.

,,I'm not.", he said,
,,I'm a halfblood. Muggle father, witch mother."
,,Although, it wouldn't be hard to believe that I was one."

,,Oh."
,,Then why does Malfoy call you that slur over and over again?", she asked.

,,Well, you see, that word could be used for halfbloods, too."
,,It just means that magical blood has been tainted with."
,,Either way, it doesn't matter. It's just a cover-up used by purebloods to make up for their idiocy."

,,I know, right? Those pureblooded bigots in my class make a ruckus every chance they get! It's getting pretty annoying."

,,Same thing in my class."
,,You should of seen Abraxas' face when he nearly melted himself in 4th grade potions class. I'll surely never forget it.", Tom replied with a smirk.

,,Aw, what a shame, I would of loved to see that foul grin wiped off his face! I can only imagine it...", she said with a disappointed face.

The lights in the corridors were starting to get more and more frequent. They would surely reach the great hall soon.

,,Dinner's starting soon, I'll tell you more after."
,,Do you want to go to the astronomy tower? I think that would be an upgrade from the damp hallway we were in.", he said.

,,That sounds way better.", she said, sad that she couldn't think of a better location.
,,Alright, I'll met you after dinner. Bye!"

,,Bye!"

Around ten minutes have passed since they arrived at the great hall. Nothing of interest happened, apart from the fact that Myrtle and Tom continuously gestured to each other from their house tables. It earned them a lot of confused glances, not just from their house's tables, but everyone of them. What they were trying to do was find a time where both of them finished their meal. It was rather chaotic. Just as one thought the other finished, they would find something more to eat. This went on for a few minutes before they finally synchronized.

Finally, with people glancing from all directions, they left the great hall.

,,What's up with those weird glances?", she said.

,,No idea, they're probably surprised that I found a friend.", he replied nonchalantly.

,,Well, if that's the case, I probably double the effect.", she giggled.
,,Now we have to walk all the way to the astronomy tower. I swear the stairs to the tower will be the end of me."

,,It's not that far away from the great hall, we'll be fine.", he reassured her.

After a few minutes, they arrived at the dreaded staircase that would lead them to the top. It was difficult to get to the top after a full day of classes, after all.

After a dozen huffs and puffs, they finally made it. It felt as if they climbed to the top of a very tall skyscraper.

,,We... did it.", she said in between gasps.

Not wanting to talk while out of breath, he waited a little until his breathing returned to normal. They were currently standing by the door that led to the top.

,,Let's enter.", he said.

They stepped out in the moonlight covered tower. The sky was unusually clear tonight, making the many stars above visible.

,,Nice view from up here, shame that they took all the telescopes inside.", he said.
,,I've always admired stars. They've reminded me of magic back when I wasn't aware that I was a wizard."

,,Like those little sparkles when you cast a spell? I can see the resemblance. Personally, music reminds me of magic, I thought of it as the closest thing to magic. Well, before I knew that magic existed.", she said.
,,It feels really nice listening to music, but it's even better when you play yourself."

Tom never really payed much attention to music, especially the muggle kind, but ever since he heard his mother play the piano, he couldn't help but become interested.

,,What kind of music?", he asked her.

,,The only one worth listening to."
,,Classical!", she smirked.

,,And what type, exactly?", he asked her.

,,That's a bit of a broad term. You have symphonies, sonatas, operas... whatever suits you best. I prefer sonatas and symphonies, since I play the violin, especially the ones from Mozart. I just love his works!", she said, her eyes gleaming.

Tom was even more confused now. He hadn't really paid attention to the composer of the piano pieces he heard, he only briefly learned about them while he was still in muggle school. Still, he knew what drew him. Some dark, powerful music.

,,I don't know anything about classical music, since I never got the privilege to listen to it before. Could you please tell me more details about it? I'd love to learn.", he said.

,,Oh. Well, there are a lot of periods in classical music. Baroque, classical, romantic... and then there's this new era taking place right now, I didn't really do a lot of digging on that one. Baroque was the period where they really liked to compose with loads of voices at the same time, which is called counterpoint. Think Bach or Handel, they did the most in that period. After that came classical music, which is my personal favorite. They liked to compose cheerful music, for the most part, but also composed more dramatic works, don't get me wrong. Also, Mozart is from that time period, which is probably why I favor it more than the other periods. His cheerful music often makes me forget my problems in this school and in general, ahaha...", she nervously laughed while fidgeting with her hair.
,,Sorry, I'll continue. After the classical period came the romantic period. The one who had a big influence on it was Beethoven. He was the one who poured out his emotions into his pieces, inspiring the others to do the same. His music had a dark tone to it, and it often makes me feel powerful."

Tom noted those words.

,,As for the period that takes place right now..."
,,I have no idea what to tell you. We'll just have to wait, see what they dish out next."

Tom was perplexed. He didn't know if what she just said made things all the more complicated or clearer. From what he heard, the music that drew him in was probably by Beethoven. Well, he'd find out more by himself. His lack of knowledge on some subjects made him embarrassed, and he wouldn't let it stay like that for long.

,,Confused, huh?"
,,Well, I tried to keep it simple. I have a book about the history of music, I'll give it to you tomorrow, if you want to read it.", she offered.
,,I am a bit surprised that you don't know much about it, since I heard that you always know the right answers in class and what to do next..."

Tom was a little offended. Well, she probably didn't know that he didn't exactly have the best childhood, being in a muggle orphanage. It seems like magic isn't all there is to learn about.

,,Before I got adopted, I was in a muggle orphanage. They rarely took us out of there, we went on a field trip once a year. I was only recently exposed to music after I heard my mother play the piano. So no, I don't know a lot about music.", he said.

,,Oh.", she exclaimed, regretting what she said earlier.
,,I'm sorry, I didn't know. That sounds awful, I'm glad that you got out of that place. Well, I'll be your personal music teacher, if you'd like."

,,Thank you, I would be glad.", he replied.

This little talk made Tom realize how much he didn't know about other topics. No matter, he'd make up for it. But now, talking about things he was good at would be preferable.

,,And how do you stand with magic?", he asked her after a short pause.

Myrtle's face went red and she became nervous. Great, now she'd be the one getting embarrassed.

,,G-good enough?", she muttered.
,,I follow the things we learn in class, execute them quite well..."
,,I also practice hexes and jinxes in my spare time, it's quite fun."
,,Is that enough...?"

,,It is good enough for an average performance, but why stop there?"

She could do better. It was only a matter of will power.

,,Maybe I could, it's just that I don't..."
,,Try hard enough."

,,Why not?", he asked her.

,,Because I don't like it that much. This school didn't give me the happiest memories, after all."

Tom was a little shocked.

Who in the world didn't like magic?

That seemed impossible to him. But, on second thought, she didn't feel inspired to continue after all of the discouragement around her. Guess she took it differently than him.

,,You're adept at hexes and jinxes, correct?", he asked her.

,,Well, not exactly. It's just a hobby of mine."

,,Could you show me some?"

,,Um...", she looked away.
,,They're mostly directed at people, I don't think I should do it."

He should of guessed it. Eh, it didn't matter anyway, no hex nor jinx could do him any harm.

He put his wand aside and spread his arms.

,,I know every counter curse there is to know."
,,Show me your worst.", he smirked.

,,If this ends badly, don't blame me.", she said nervously.

And so, she took her wand out of her pocket and waved it in the air with all her might.

Exactly five hexes hit Tom square in the chest, and he fell backwards. He had the bat-bogey hex cast on him, all his bones removed, horns growing on his head, pimples on his face, and to top it all off, the tickling hex, which made him giggle. He layed there motionless for a few moments, just because of shock. Myrtle was starting to get nervous.

Then, he removed all of the hexes and sat up, as if nothing happened. If she cast those hexes on anyone else, who knows what would of happened.

,,You liar...", he muttered.
,,Are you aware that this could send anyone to the hospital wing?"
,,Don't you dare doubt yourself ever again."

Myrtle dashed to him, carrying a big smile on her face. It was the first time that somebody complimented her on her magic, apart from teachers. And to think that it was from Tom Riddle himself made it all the more better.

,,I hope it didn't leave any lasting effects.", she said as she helped him up.

,,It didn't, but some people wouldn't be as lucky.", he smirked.

They talked for what seemed like for ever about various topics, and the stargazing added a neat atmosphere to it. Tom had to admit he liked Myrtle. She was cheerful, talkative and bubbly, but she could also be a little brash, easily offended and could hold grudges against people for an extended period of time. It appeared that they were two polar opposites who complimented each other.

Among the things they talked about, he never remembered the thing that worried him the most.

What happened in the forest that one night?

It felt like an abrupt change of topic from their recollection of Abraxas' misfortunes, but he had to ask.

,,I'm sorry for ruining the mood, but..."
,,Could you tell me what happened that one night you got sent to detention?"
,,I hope nothing severe."

,,Oh, I forgot about that one, that was daaaaays ago.", she said.

As she talked, some moonlight reflected off of Tom's watch. He never payed attention to the time, did he?

It was currently 12:05, which meant he should of been at his patrolling duty five minutes ago.

He quickly became very anxious, so much so that Myrtle's words didn't even get to him.

,,I-I apologize for cutting you in the middle of your speech, but I really have to go."
,,My prefect patrol already began five minutes ago and I could have grave consequences if I don't show up.", he said as he made his way to the door.
,,I'll meet you tomorrow. Again, I'm sorry."

,,Bye?", she said with a confused glance.

His words were now practically just echoes in the hallway. Myrtle felt confused at first, but then it quickly turned into disappointment. No matter, they'd meet again tomorrow.

,,Sometimes it's nice not being a prefect...", she thought.