Burning Obsessions; Tom Riddle

1: The Beginning

[victoria's pov]

The wait was over, no longer burning. The wind was starting to blow and the summer heat was coming to an end, but I couldn't wait for the first of September to arrive, which was only less than a week away!

I couldn't stay in this place anymore: Feathering's Orphanage. My only safe Heaven in this place was my room.

It was loud and noisy twenty four-seven, there was barely any privacy, and my best friends weren't even allowed to keep me company. Druella Rosier and Serenity Viridian have been my best friends since our second year at Hogwarts. They were the only people who hadn't abandoned me.

Druella was a natural blonde, but because of the "dumb blonde" jokes, she always coloured it to be black. Her and her mother lived with Druella's grandparents, and her mother refused to ever bring up her birth father.

In fact, the whole family hated him. Even Druella didn't speak about him. I never figured out why. Nor asked. She seemed to fancy Cygnus Black, I've noticed.

Her skin usually turned a pale pink whenever he was near–but whenever they talked, she pretended she couldn't stand him. I didn't want to assume things before asking. I could see them in a relationship, as there wasn't anything to prevent that since she's beautiful and a Pureblood–Cygnus' preference.

Serenity had natural wavy hair that was cut to her shoulders. Her deep brown, almond-shaped eyes were my favourite feature about her. Her family's one of the richest and well-respected in the Wizarding World. Probably because her parents are Purebloods and are ancestors of those who helped fund Gringotts Bank. She had thin brows and eyes that held a trademark smile.

But when she gets upset, she could be intimidating. She never showed interest in anyone, but that didn't mean she didn't find anyone attractive. She was someone I looked up to, I'd known her longer so I'd say I'm closer to her than I am to Druella, but that didn't keep me from loving both of them.

I was reading my book Tales of Beedle the Bard when I heard a loud motor outside squeal. Setting my book down, I peered outside curiously. A plain grey bus had just pulled to a stop across the street. The children from Wool's Orphanage had just gotten back from their trip.

I watched as the youngest children got off, one by one. I couldn't help but notice the sky was greyer than usual as I got lost in my train of thought. The front view of my window was not very interesting. Everyday I looked out, was the dull image of parentless children. It was then when I spotted a peculiar boy--or, rather a young man.

A raven haired gentleman with spectacular green eyes got off the bus rather lazily but with some form of elegance. Even a trip to the sunny coast couldn't make his pale skin tanned. He seemed to have a satisfied smirk on his face as he walked towards the gates. I questioned the fact of him smiling since that was rare, then I saw a petrified girl and boy walk out of the bus from behind him.

I knew the children. They were the town's biggest jerks. Amy and Dennis were their names. They were both siblings and orphans, just like me. That was the only thing we had in common. They typically committed the usual crimes like pick-pocketing, vandalism, and bullying the elder folks in a neighbourhood nearby. Usually, they had a sinister look of pride and glory on their faces. But today, they looked horror-struck; As if they had been forced to wash Hepizibah Smith's (an elderly woman who lives nearby) feet, but worse.

I spotted the pale man looking back at Amy and Dennis to see their faces. His smirk turned into a wide grin that made his eyes sparkle. He shuffled inside Wool's Orphanage and disappeared out of sight. Now, if I didn't know him, I would've thought he was having a good day. And I probably would have found his smile a little attractive. But the thing was, I did know him.