butterfly effect, tom riddle

07. | past

"I didn't know you were so smart, Vivi-can I call you Vivi?" Ethelle said during dinner, a smile on her face.

I laughed. "I'm not smart, I just read," I denied, although inside, I felt my heart swelling in flattery. "And yes, you can."

"Oh, don't be so modest, Vivi," Ethelle gushed, and I was reminded of Ainsley again-she used to always call me Vivi. "That was really impressive. In no time at all, you'll be invited to the Slug Club! Our little Normy here's already in it."

Apart from the slight blush that blossomed on her cheeks, Norma barely reacted.

"It really was impressive, Viviette," she agreed, sending a kind smile in my direction. "The Slug Club is all right-but, well, a bit horrendous."

"Why? What even is the Slug Club?" I questioned with a slight giggle, although I myself was already perfectly aware of how horrid the Slug Club was. Professor Slughorn initially invited me because my uncle was the notorious Ludo Bagman, but then he started favoring me among the other Ravenclaws for my superb potion-crafting skills.

"It's Professor Slughorn's fan club," Ethelle answered with an amused smirk. "Every month or so, they gather to hang posters of Slughorn around the castle and worship him."

I giggled at that, while Norma rolled her eyes.

"You're so immature, Ethelle," she scolded, before turning to me. "It's a club created by Professor Slughorn that hosts parties every few weeks. Slughorn handpicks his favorite students or his well-connected students and invites them to the Slug Club."

I nodded, and Ethelle added, "Yes, for example, Tom Riddle. He's really polite, but usually doesn't like it when students sit next to him."

She glanced over at me questioningly. "But you guys seemed to be getting along fine."

At that, I released a rather unladylike snort. "Is that what it looked like? We were actually arguing about cockroaches and adder tongues."

"Oh," Ethelle replied, dumbfounded. "Well, still. He's really handsome, so you should go for him, if you'd like."

"Ethelle!" Norma reprimanded, just as I burst into a fit of uncontrollable guffaws. I imagined myself and Lord Voldemort, on a romantic evening date with flowers and candles.

"What?" Ethelle replied innocently, a small smile forming on her face at the sight of me laughing. "You really would look great together, Vivi. Although I was partly joking, because I doubt Tom Riddle would ever date anyone."

My giggles slowly died down, and I raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? Why is that so?"

"Well, like I said, he's incredibly good-looking, but he's never seemed interested in anyone romantically," she clarified. "So many girls have the biggest crushes on him. Some even go up to him and confess!"

She spoke of that as if it was the most scandalous thing to ever exist, and I was about to frown, before I realized that in the 1940s, it was probably uncommon for girls to make the first move.

"But he's never taken interest in anyone," she concluded with a sigh. "Even Rosemary Nott, and she's like, gorgeous! I remember how she was crying hysterically in the common room after being rejected by Riddle, with all of her seventh year friends surrounding her."

"I think that's good of him," Norma said approvingly. "He should be focusing on his studies, not romance! And that's exactly what he does."

Ethelle rolled her eyes at me. "I bet Norma and Tom Riddle would be best friends if they knew each other. They're both the biggest goody-two-shoes ever! Oh my, have I told you that story about our Norma and Mr. Macmillan?"