Aberration; Tom Riddle

XXXIV

E S T E L L E

Two months had past since she had last seen Tom.

Everyday Estelle would stand outside Headmaster Dippet's office, contemplating whether she should tell him that Tom was the reason a student died. Her brain screamed at her to tell someone, however every time she was about to, no words would escape her scathed throat.

Estelle was disgusted of herself.

She should hate him with every inch of her body, yet she caught herself yearning for his presence.

The last words he had spoken to her etched itself into her thoughts.

'Get out and run far away before i change my mind.'

Tom had let her go.

Why would he do that? What if she had told someone about what he did? 

Estelle walked towards her first class and decided that today was the day that she was going to tell the headmaster. How could she unconsciously defend Tom when he had killed someone. She chewed on her bottom lip until she tasted blood- this had become a habit.

She had cut herself off from everyone. Nott, Avery and every single one of them were Tom's closest friends, so they probably knew about it but they had let her get close to him, a murderer.

All of a sudden, Estelle heard his voice. The voice she had missed, the voice she wanted to hate, the voice that gave her comfort.

Reluctantly, she looked around and saw him leaning against the wall. He looked like he had been dragged through hell. Tom was attractive nonetheless but dried specs of blood covered his knuckles, his dark circles were prominent and he looked disheveled. 

Her hands tightened around her book as she forced herself to tare her eyes away from him.

She felt bile rise up her throat and she ran towards the toilets. Estelle dropped to the floor as she threw up the contents of her stomach. With uneven breaths, she stood up and washed her face. Blood dripped down her lips.

"Estelle."

She turned around. "Jas?"

"Please don't block me out."

After the incident, she had even stopped communicating with Jas. Estelle missed her friend so much but she feared that once she opened up her emotions, she would never be able to be the same.

No words came out of her mouth and instead tears cascaded down her cheeks. Jas hugged her as she collapsed onto the floor again. "I'm so sorry..." she repeated while her friend cried with her.

"Don't be sorry. You don't deserve to be sad."

She laughed for the first time in two months. "I missed you so much Jas."

"So did I. don't hate me but I think you have to listen to what he has to say."

"What?"

Jas held her hand. "Nott told me the real reason that Tom has acted out. Of course I don't believe murder was the right choice but I think you should hear him out Estelle, especially because he's slowly losing himself."

Jas had always been honest with her. She gathered up her remaining courage. "where is he?..."

"He's holed himself up in the room of requirement in case you came looking for him."

Estelle hugged her friend one last time before walking towards the room of requirement. She ceased to breathe when she finally arrived outside the large door that appeared in-front of her. With shaking hands, she knocked on the door.