Riddle's Plea

Forgotten Plans*

(T.M.R. October 31st, 1943)

    The Great Hall was filled with giggling children and squealing ghosts, causing me flinch at the noise as soon as I entered. Halloween had always been chaotic at Hogwarts, the year before Peeves had caused all of the floating pumpkins to explode and Headmaster Dipett forced the Bloody Baron to deal with him. I glanced around the noisy room, trying and failing to spot a flash of white hair. I had gone to the Hospital Wing this morning, planning on checking on Vienna for some unknown reason, but she had already snuck out according to the Matron. My eyes scan for the Ravenclaw girl and quickly spot her sitting with a group of her friends and chatting wildly. I take purposeful strides towards her and It's not long before I'm standing right behind the girl. "Matthews." I clear my throat at the end of the sentence to hide my smirk at the girls reaction. She had jumped halfway off her seat, and would have fallen to the floor if one of her friends hadn't caught her. Matthews looks up at me, eyes wide and cheeks filling with color. "Hello." She says shyly, glancing around at her gaping friends in shock. "I was wondering if you've seen Vienna today?" I ask politely, shooting her a fake smile and watching her cheeks gain even more color. "I saw her this morning." She says, glancing around the room herself and eyes growing concerned when she doesn't spot her. "I tried to visit her this morning, but Madame Ducane had said she had snuck out." I say to her, and her eyebrows rise in surprise. "She hates the Hospital Wing. I can understand why." She glances around the room once more before she meets my gaze again. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" She asks, gesturing towards the door to the great hall, and standing up at my nod of approval. 

    We make our way to the entry way, and Matthews starts rubbing her hands nervously on her dress. "I'm worried about her." She states, not meeting my gaze, and eyeing the lingering students. "Why do you say that?" I ask her, shooting a first year Hufflepuff a glare when he gets too close and causing him to run away in fright. "She's been acting odd lately." Matthews sighs, and her shoulders sag. "Acting odd?" Matthews nods her head feverishly before speaking. "She's been so distant. I catch her all the time starring off into space. When I saw her this morning she said she was going to bed because she had nightmares all night." She takes a deep breath after talking and meets my gaze again. "I know she wants space, so I didn't question it. I figured after what happened yesterday..." She trails off and I nod my head in understanding. "She doesn't talk about it a lot. Her past. She almost acts like she's holding onto a big secret, and I just feel like if she talked about it then she'd feel better." She sends me a guilty look and realization dawns on me. "You want me to talk to her?" I ask, and she nods her head slowly. "You're in the same house, and since you saved her life yesterday...I don't know, I just think it's worth a try." She gives a tight smile. I sigh at the thought about talking to Vienna about her....feelings.

    I eye the Ravenclaw girl in front of me, her eyes were full of un-shed tears and face full of concern. "Fine." I say eventually and her face breaks out in a wide smile. "Thank you." She waves quickly and scurries away back into the great hall. This is a bad idea. Feelings tend to make me angry and an angry Tom means somebody's getting hurt. I begin walking towards the dungeons, my hunger leaving me as soon as Matthews asked me to talk to Vienna. Isn't this what you wanted? To get her to trust you? Yes. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. I sigh loudly as I come upon the portrait door to the Slytherin Common Room. "Salazar." I state, stepping away from the swinging door before making my way inside. I glance around the room and find my footsteps halting. 

    Vienna sits in front of the fireplace, her face pale and her eyes wide and unfocused. For a split second I panic, thinking that the girl had gone and gotten herself killed again, but breath a sigh of relief when I notice her body is trembling. My face turns into a look of confusion as I take cautious steps towards the obviously frightened girl. "Vienna?" I ask her, trying to gain her attention but failing. "Vienna?" I shake her gently, causing her to jump back away from me with a hand on her chest. "What?" She asks, her breathing heavy and eyes questioning my motives. "Are you alright?" I ask her, tilting my head to study her and taking note of how dull her eyes and hair look. "What's wrong?" She sighs at my questions, and runs a hand over her forehead. "Nothing, I just got lost in my own thoughts." She says, not meeting my gaze and playing with the pendent around her neck. "Vienna..." I begin, resting my elbows on my knees and leaning towards her. "I know you're lying. You look like you've just seen a ghost." She rolls her eyes at my statement and sits up straighter. 

    Her gaze focuses past my shoulder into the fireplace and I sigh when I realize that she wasn't going to talk to me. I stand cautiously and make my way over to my favorite armchair. The clock rings out, signaling the end of dinner, and it wasn't long before the Slytherin students begin piling into the Common Room and start heading to bed. Vienna doesn't move an inch at the loud and noisy students, and I shake my head at Malfoy who approaches her worriedly when he sees her. He sends her a tentative glance before making his way up to the dorm room, and my gaze lands on the girl again. She had stopped trembling, but was still staring wide eyed at the fire, her breathing still heavy and her fingers still playing with the pendant she wore. I take a glance at the clock, and realize that I had business to attend too. Tonight, I would be opening The Chamber of Secrets and releasing the beast within it into Hogwarts. The thought of the school being free of all the mud-blood's brought a smile to my face, and I stood quickly and began towards the door. 

    "I envy you Tom." Her voice was like a whisper, and it caused me freeze. "What?" I ask her, not turning around to look at the girl on the couch, and having trouble believing what I heard. "I envy you." I find myself sucking in a breath as I slowly turn around to face Vienna, she doesn't look at me, and her eyes are slowly glazing over. "Why?" Curiosity is propelling me forwards, and I take a few tentative steps towards her. "I'd give anything to not know my parents." She states, causing my blood to turn cold and anger consume me. "Why would you say that?" I spit out, striding over and resuming my spot in front of her on the table. I resist the urge to shake the girl out of what ever this was. "I was three when they were murdered." She says, causing confusion to overcome me. "I saw everything." The breath leaves my body with her words, and the anger goes with it. "I see it everyday. I hear it everyday. The monster that killed them..." She shudders and my hand reaches out on it's own accord and touches her knee. Her gaze meets mine, and a tear falls down her cheek. I watch it as it falls, it was almost graceful, and the tear itself looked like it could hold a million emotions. "I see him in you." She states, bringing me out of my daze and I look at her alarmed. "You have the makings to be an amazing wizard Tom. You're charismatic, charming, and handsome." I feel my cheeks redden at her words. Was I blushing? I shake my head quickly of the feeling, and meet Vienna's gaze again. "My point is Tom," she begins, laying a hand over mine on her knee, "I envy you because I have to remember my parents everyday. I have to remember their smiles and the sound of their laughter. I have to remember all of the hugs and family dinners. I don't want to remember them, but I do. If anybody should grow up to be involved with dark magic, it should be me, because I want justice. I want the monster who took them away from me dead. I want him to feel the pain and the torture that he put them through. I want it all for him." Another tear is released, but this time I don't follow it. "I want you to be good Tom. To think about our different circumstances, and really see how knowing my parents affects me. I'd rather not know them at all, because not knowing means less pain." She finishes, taking her hand away from mine and wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. 

    I find myself standing abruptly, my head racing with all of the things Vienna has just said to me, and glancing around the room. I take another look at the girl on the couch, who has gone back to starring at the fireplace, her eyes unfocused and wet. I take a shaky breath and bolt away from the things that she has erupted inside of me, throwing myself onto my bed in the boys dormitory, and pulling the curtains around me tightly. I close my eyes, rubbing them to try to erase the look on Vienna's face out of my head, and the sound of Vienna's voice echoes around my head. I lay awake all night, contemplating the things she told me, the truthfulness of her words and completely forgetting about my plans to open the Chamber. Isn't this what you wanted?