Sacred Silence | A Tom Riddle Story

2: Slugclub.

Shivs long black robes drifted behind her whilst she made her way down to the dungeons.
She saw her own reflection in the high windows that were covered in slowly dripping rain.
Siobhan 'Shiv' Selwyn had never been able to pass as a muggle. She just had an air of magic around her that she couldn't shake. Luckily for her, she almost never had to.

As she walked down the many steps of Ravenclaw tower, she felt Juno sneak between her legs and walk alongside her. It made her feel less alone.

Shiv thought about her first impression. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to introduce herself. Slughorn was probably gonna ask her to 'Tell something interesting' about herself. Her stomach turned when she thought about it.

Maybe she could mention her brothers? They all worked at the ministry. If that was too political, she could just talk about her father's love for the school. Dorian Selwyn poured so much gold into Hogwarts, Shiv was surprised they didn't own it yet.

The cold autumn air reached her cheeks. She walked across the entrance hall and looked through the big open doors that lead outside.
Crossing the hall, she made her way down yet another pair of stairs.

Shiv heard soft music coming from a room at the end of the hall. She had been here earlier only hours before for a potions lesson.

With her hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath before twisting it and stepping in.

The room was dimly lit. All Slughorns accessories and interior pieces were either black or a deep dark green.
The smell inside reminded Shiv of her father's office.

Forcing herself to hold her chin up high, she smiled friendly at Professor Slughorn. He noticed her from across the room and took a few large steps towards her.
"Siobhan! How very lovely!" The potions master exclaimed. He pulled her into an awkward embrace. After that, he motioned to a couple of empty chairs around a big round table.

6 seats were already filled. Three more remained open. Shiv recognized Milo, Flo's older brother. He gave her a small wave, and she gladly accepted the silent offer when she sat next to him.
Finally seated, Shiv threw her long curls over her shoulders and tucked some strands behind her ears.

It was time to analyze the table. The people she had watched so closely since she found out about the existence of the club.

Across from her sat the two Ravenclaw girls. They looked comfortable and smug, a normal baseline for most Ravenclaws.
Next to them, on Shivs left side, there was a pretty Slytherin girl with short black hair, cut right above her shoulders. The rest were all boys. Two Gryffindor 7th years and Milo, the only Hufflepuf.

Shiv looked at the empty seats while wondering if she should have brought her prefects badge. She was quite proud of it.
The big doors opened once more and three boys walked into the office, laughing amongst each other.

"There are my boys!" Slughorn raised his glass to the three Slytherins walking in. It didn't surprise Shiv that most of the group existed of Slytherins. It was expected for even the best of teachers to have a little bias towards their own students.

The tallest of the three guys pulled back a chair. 'I'm sorry we're late, Professor. Malfoy had to take a little detour.' He gave Slughorn a small charming smile and hit the blonde boy on the back of his head when he sat down next to him.

Before Shiv could properly take in the new people, Slughorn focused the attention of the group towards her.

"Dear star pupils of mine, today another bright mind joins our midst," Slughorn waved an enthusiastic hand towards Shiv and she gave a polite smile around the table.
"Siobhan Selwyn is our first fifth year. She deserves it, though. Her work these last few years has been outstanding. And I haven't even mentioned the contributions her father has made towards this school!"

Shivs stomach gave another twist. She had always been afraid her accomplishments would immediately be linked to her dad.
'I'm very lucky to have my parents' support.' She tried to sound as humble as possible.

The tall boy across the table looked at her with a strange mixture of jealousy and dismissal. Tom Riddle..
The one and only. Future minister of Magic. Leader of his little clan of followers. She hadn't recognized him in his neat trousers and dress shirt. She only ever saw her fellow Ravenclaws in their out of school clothes.

Dinner appeared in front of them. Shiv decided to listen to the conversations going on, without placing herself in a spotlight too much.
She told a little bit about her parents and the work her brothers were doing. The boy who Riddle called Malfoy even asked her if it was true the estate her family lived on was haunted.

As Siobhan finished the last of her green beans, Tom Riddle asked Slughorn if it was true that the school would undergo an inspection from the ministry soon.
'Oh Tom, boy,' Sluhorg smiled with a twinkle of proudness in his eyes. 'Always in the know, you. But my apologies. I can not confirm nor deny your speculates.'
Tom's face didn't change whilst listening to the professor. He seemed to gather the information and store it for later. Shiv was familiar with the process.

She was caught by his eyes when she analyzed his reaction.
It seemed like time turned back and she was 11 again. She was staring down dark brown eyes with her usual stubbornness. He matched her energy by only slightly raising his eyebrows without blinking.

'Flo took it well? Not being invited?' Milo's voice called her back, and she accepted her defeat.
Turning her to look at Milo, she nodded. 'Yeah, she didn't even mention it.'
Truly, Siobhan hadn't asked. She bit the inside of her cheek and planned to check if her friend was still awake when the dinner was over.

'So how are your parents, Milo?' The other Slytherin next to Tom spoke. He had a slight grin on his face.

Milo and Florance were muggle born. She had heard the criticisms of her parents ever since she had first mentioned Florances bloodstatus. Most Slytherins came from families similar to hers, it explained the boys smugness.

'They're doing really well, actually. They just moved towards the coast.' Milo replied unfazed.

'Did they now?' Tom replied with a monotone voice.

Siobhan looked from Tom to Milo. 'I've visited their house this summer. It is truly beautiful, Milo. The view from the deck is amazing.' She directed most of her words at Tom, without making it too obvious.

A sharp pain in her temple made her shift in her chair. Nobody seemed to have noticed.

She carried herself through the rest of the evening without too much difficulty. The Slytherin girl next to her was pleasantly friendly and it turned out Shivs youngest older brother Cillian worked alongside her mother at the ministry.

Tired and with a head full of thoughts, she climbed all the way back up to her common room.
After answering the question at the door, she peaked inside the big circular living room. Flo went to bed already.

As she sank down in a big armchair in front of the fireplace, Juno leapt onto her lap. The cat put its two front paws on Shivs chest.

She fell asleep on the couch with her hands nestled in Juno's fur.

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Little note:
In this story Tom will start his whole horcrux process in his 6th year. It all worked better that way for this story.

Also this will definitely be a dark romance. Like. Really dark. I just wanted to mention it somewhere at the beginning.

Lastly, English is my second language. Hope it all makes sense.

Love,