Unraveling Riddle

3. Trepidation

Friday, September 14th, 1945

Undeniably, there was something strange about Tom Riddle. That night, Annie felt more unnerved than she had felt during her duel with the head boy. More unnerved than the time she got lost in the Forbidden Forest in her fourth year. More unnerved than the time she had returned home for summer break, and found Maggie had stopped talking altogether because of their father's abuses.

There was something about the way Riddle pushed her, insistent on making this bet, as if Annie was a game he was determined to win. The way he came so close to her after their duel, and whispered, before Alby could catch up to them.

Or maybe it was the way he had grabbed Lucy, in order to stop Annie from leaving the dining hall before she could agree with him. There was almost a threat in the way he stood, staring.

What could he possibly want from her?

"I wish you'd just let me decide for myself," Annie hissed, as she pulled a check mate on Lucy. The two girls had stayed up well past curfew, practicing chess for Friday night's big tournament.

The board sat on the floor between them. And they each leaned against their single beds. Annie was wrapped in a wool blanket, and Lucy was hugging her knees to her chest, more bored than ever.

Lucy yawned, "I wish you'd let me sleep."

"It's your fault that he challenged me to chess, and, if I have it my way, it'll be your fault that he loses. I can't very well practice chess on my own, so we're going to keep playing until I can't improve further."

"You're far too Slytherin sometimes, even for my liking. It might not be so bad if Tom wins. He'll probably just make you duel Milenus or something," Lucy pulled her wand and used a simple incantation to rearrange the pieces on the board, so they could play for a fifth time.

"Nott seems to think I'm everything but Slytherin."

"Yes, well," Lucy giggled, "Nott's been drooling after you since your tits grew, fifth year. Of course he'll find any way to get on your nerves"

Annie tossed a pawn at Lucy with a gasp.

"You start," Lucy huffed, "You know he's going to make you start, so you best get used to it."

Annie hesitated, glancing at the board, and then stood and tossed off her blanket. "We've been up all night. I should let you sleep. I just hate the idea that he can take whatever he wants from me. Because I really thought I had him this morning. He's deceptive."

"He's not deceiving you. He's just good at dueling, how could you expect any less?" Lucy stood as well, and balanced herself on the frame of her bed. "There's a reason he's head boy."

"I wish people would stop talking about him being a bloody head boy. That's no reason to trust anyone. Grindelwald was one of the best students at Durmstrang, and I wouldn't be caught dead trusting him."

Lucy scoffed, "You're really going to compare Tom Riddle to Grindelwald. Imagine. You really do need sleep.".

"You should have seen the way he held my wand, after the duel. He was about to take it. And he spoke like he knew we'd have a bet, before the dinner even happened," she turned briskly and faced Lucy, furrowing her brows, "I think he put that idea in Lestrange's mind, to suggest it. There's something that he wants from me."

Lucy wiggled her eyebrows.

"No, not like that. It's just scary, because I can't read him," Annie hissed.

After a moment, Lucy pulled back her covers and crawled into bed, turning to look at her friend once more. "You won't need to read him, Annie. You're head girl at chess, and, if anything, he should be worried about what you'll take from him."