How to Solve a Riddle || Tom Riddle x Reader ||

Chapter 9

"I fancy someone." James confesses.

"I know you like Lily." You reply, absentmindedly; distracted from your first kiss.

"Not her... it's someone else."

"Who?"

"You- you can be mad, okay?"

And that finally catches your attention.

"I don't know why I'd be mad, but go ahead."

He looks around; making sure no one's around.

"It's, uh, your brother."

"Sirius?!" You ask, "but-"

"Not Sirius!" He cuts you off, "your other brother."

"Regulus?"

He nods.

"You, uh, you like my little brother?" You ask.

"Yes. Please don't be mad!"

"I'm not, but it's not like I'm going to set you two up or anything."

"I didn't expect you to, I just needed to tell someone."

"I'm glad you told me." You lightly kick his feet from under the table.

He grins and steps on yours in response.

It quickly becomes a battle on who gives up first, both of you laughing.

~~~<>~~~

The news came about on a Friday. News that a student had been found, mysteriously completely frozen.

No one knows what happened.

~~~<>~~~

"Tom! M'boy." Slughorn says, "come up, come up! I want you... to write the steps to Felix Felicis."

Tom stands without a word, taking a piece of simple chalk to write on the blackboard.

And you recognize the handwriting almost immediately. Your eyes widen. Tom Riddle is the person who had been sending you notes for years to help you on assignments; sometimes other conversations as well.

He meets your eye and you can tell he knows you know and you can see the slightest glimmer of a smirk make it's way onto his face, disappearing so very quickly.

He doesn't seem to smile much, you realize.

And when he sits back down, you light tap his foot with yours. He looks at you.

"Yes?"

"So it was you all these years. But why?"

"I am not sure I know what you are talking about."

You roll your eyes, "right. But if a little note came explaining to me why you'd do that, it'd be great."

"Ravenclaws are also so curious, aren't they? Never can be just grateful it seems."

"I am both grateful and curious. So thank you, but I'd like to know why. I didn't know you."

He doesn't reply this time.

And the note never comes.

~~~<>~~~

You've decided to be a bit more brave this year.

Starting with Tom Riddle.

He's been sending you helpful notes for years, you had to find out why.

So that's why you stopped your walk.

Sometimes you'd take walks around the campus. No one knew you so no one ever cared and it's not like you ever had other things to do like people to keep you company and now you have... friends and it was a bit different.

You still liked taking the walks, just not as often.

Today was a wonderful day to take a walk. It's sunny, but not hot.

And so you had started one.

When you reached the Black Lake, you stopped; because there sat Tom Riddle and his little group.

And he sat silent with a book; the book you had given back to him a couple days ago.

You suddenly wonder why he suggested it to you through a note if he had been reading it.

And you walk up to him and sit in front of him.

He looks up, "yes?"

"Do you like that book a lot, then? You're on the same page as when I took it from you."

"I am not-"

"Page 174?"

"Why do you remember the page number? And you called me odd for knowing you were a prefect."

"It's different. I just notice little things. You are a stalker."

He frowns, "a stalker? Is that what I am?"

"Absolutely. You've clearly been watching me for years with all the notes. Listening to things I've said; it's a stalker behavior."

A laugh, but not from Riddle. "Notes?" It's Malfoy. Disgusting boy. "Riddle's been sending notes~" he teases. "Do you fancy her?"

And he's silenced by a simple look from Riddle. How odd.

"I do not. And I have not. Clearly you are not feeling well if you believe me to be sending notes to you. I have much more important things to do."

You let out a breath, perhaps being braver this year was not going to work out.