One-shots/Short Stories

Tom Riddle

His Only Friend
He remembered the first time she came to the Orphanage; she was just a little girl, traumatised by the death of her parents. She had witnessed her parents die in front of her eyes from murder. She wouldn't allow anyone near her, for fear of getting killed herself.

She was just six.

Tom Riddle observed her from a distance, a feeling overcoming him that he hadn't ever felt before; concern. He wanted to take all the negative feelings away from her and just protect her. He wanted to protect a mere girl that was the same age as him.

It was weird.

***

A week later, the girl was being tormented by the bullies of the orphanage; always moving towards her as if they were going to kill her. The girl screamed at them to go away, tears pouring down her face. She was cornered in the room; the people who weren't bullying her just laughing at the scene. Tom Riddle had walked into the room wondering why they were loud, only to see red at what he saw.
   One of the bullies was about to grab the girl when suddenly his wrist was grabbed roughly, soon breaking it. The bully howled in pain, backing away from the girl and her saviour. Everyone was quiet when they realised Tom Riddle, the 'weird kid' had stopped the bully from going near the girl. Fear immediately crept into their bodies at the sight of the boy having an alarmingly calm look on his face - which was weird for someone just six. The girl was looking up at Riddle's tall form in awe, slowly getting up from her crouched position on the ground.
   "No one harms the girl anymore," Riddle said calmly, "or else you mess with me. Am I clear?"
   Everyone nodded, scared that they would be the next victim of Riddle's wrath. They remembered what happened to the other boy; his rabbit was hung up dead from a high place. Despite no proof of who did it, they all knew it was Tom because the boy had bullied him the day before the rabbit incident.
   When everyone left the room, Riddle turned to the girl. "Screaming at them to stop won't do anything," he told her in a monotone voice. "Learn how to defend yourself. Get over the fear of someone trying to kill you."
   "I'm afraid of death," she murmured. Riddle's eyes widened at the similar fear they had. His eyes hardened later and he held his hand out to her.
   "You hang around me and you will no longer fear your death from the other kids," he told her firmly. The girl stared at his hand in fear, before slowly placing hers in his.

Did I also mention they were just six?

***

They looked at the large castle before them, awe on their faces. Riddle and the girl he protected from the orphanage for five years were beside him, holding on tightly to his hand secretly. Riddle squeezed her hand to tell her they were moving again, making her tear her eyes away from the beauty of the castle.
   "It is amazing!" she breathed out, giving him an excited smile. "This is our home, Tom!"
   Tom gave her one of his rare smiles, nodding in agreement. A lot had happened in the five years they've known each other. As Tom promised, no one would harm her if she stayed by his side. No one harmed her ever since, the kids are scared that if you do, you're dead by Riddle.
   Riddle and the girl became friends soon enough, Riddle trusting her in his life more than anyone, the girl sharing the same feelings with him. Together, they were inseparable. Where one goes, the other follows. And luckily, they were both witches and wizards otherwise Riddle wouldn't have been able to look out for her, and she wouldn't be able to steer his thoughts away from the evil.
   All thoughts of taking the world were at the back of his mind ever since she came; it annoyed him but also pleased him. Not ever, had he ever felt such calm in his life until he met her.