Hogwarts: a school of Witchcraft and Love (Tom Marvolo Riddle x F!reader)

Chapter 0-05

Today. Was. The. Day.

September 1st had come quick and swift and your departure from the orphanage had been just the same. When the day had come for you to leave, you were already at the door before Mrs. Cole was properly dressed.

It wasn't that you didn't like the children. You did. But the chance to introduce yourself to people who didn't already know everything about you? You had the chance to decide who you were and as a result, the friends you were going to make would know you as just you.

You bid most of the them farewell, telling them that you were going to miss them and that you'd be back during the Holidays. The only two that you didn't get two hug were Amy and Dennis, both of whom never really were the same after the trip to the beach. They behaved so... Broken almost, like their personalities had been sucked out of them and all that was left was two empty husks. Their change freaked you out.

Mrs. Cole obeyed Dumbledore's instructions down to the letter, having promised she was going to deliver you safely to King's Cross Station, the largest train station in the whole of London, heck, maybe all of Britain. Your heart beat a steady and quick series of thump, thump, thumps as you did your best to keep up with her. It wasn't the first time you've been at a train station, but the amount of people present easily doubled or tripled the amount you had seen in Diagon Alley. At least there you still had space to move.

The same couldn't be said here. The crowd was so tightly packed together you were afraid you'd lose sight of Mrs. Cole or Tom if you looked away for even a second.

"Stay with me (Y/N)! Tom! Keep up!" She shouted firmly, her voice almost lost in the sea of noises, but you were close enough to hear her and obediently stayed on her heel. Mrs. Cole was pushing your cart forward while Tom was pushing his, and you clung onto her arm like her limb was your new favourite teddybear while trying to avoid a few umbrellas that threatened to hit you.

"I hate this," Tom murmured tonelessly. You nodded, sharing the sentiment. Seeing so many people tower over you and surrounding you made you feel nervous, but at least you were in this together and could stick together.

You continued to walk, passing the many boards and checking the people around you. A small child nearly ran into you while you listened to an announcement made for a train on platform 9. 9. Not 9¾-which was the one you needed to be at-but 9.

Taking a right, you tailed behind the matron and looked to the side, there where an old gentleman was sitting on one of the benches with a newspaper over his face, low snores bouncing across the concrete station floor. You passed several large brick pillars which were all connected to a bridge above you, believing to be going the right way when more occasionally, you spotted younger boys and girls dressed in the same clothing as you, talking to their guardians. You were heading in the right direction, your arms meeting with various people as they pushed their own desired way forward.

After another minute of walking in a brisk pace, you slacked a sigh of relief when a large white sign showed that you arrived at platform 9. So that meant the next had to be 9¾, then? You thought so, but were proven wrong when Mrs. Cole continued onwards, only to find that your conclusion was off. That was platform 10.

Every now and then you saw Tom peering around in that observant way of his.

"Stay here," the older lady ordered before she addressed Tom. "Watch over each other. I'm going to find someone to assist us." It didn't even take a second before her lanky figure was swallowed up by the crowd, leaving you and him to your own devices.

You saw an abundance of children gathered by the stone pillar opposite you. You nudged Tom in the side and pointed into that direction.

"Psst! Look there!"