cold as you ||t. riddle||

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆

24 August 1942

Elena buried her head into the pillow and rolled in her bed for the millionth time that night. If she had foreseen that killing the caretaker would cost her her night's sleep she would've waited until morning. Shortly after she was done with him someone saw the body and decided to wake everyone up to tell them there was a dead person in the garden. The staff were terrified that the little children would see it, so the man's body was left in the garden until the afternoon when he was taken for an autopsy.

She knew they wouldn't be able to trace it back to her, she had found a way around the Trace a few months ago and could freely do magic, even though she didn't choose to. At the orphanage anything she did could reach Dumbledore's ears, so she hadn't let her guard down- the day before was an exception. She had been careless enough to let that man get close to her, but she was glad to have been able to protect herself when she had to.

This is why she was more confident than ever returning to Hogwarts for her fifth year. Tom Riddle wouldn't be a bother to her, despite sharing the same friend group they had managed to interact as little as possible. To Elena he was nothing more than the stuck-up know-it-all who often challenged her for the top spot, and she hoped to keep it that way.

The morning came like it did every day and Elena found herself in the way of a tsunami of thoughts, she had learned to control it fairly well, but at times like this it got too loud. Now, in the dining hall everyone was thinking the same thing.

Are we in danger?

They say it was a heart attack but I heard screaming last night.

Why was she back there?

That last one caught her attention, she tried to focus on it.

If she had killed him then the Ministry would know, no... it can't be her.

Ministry... He was a wizard, so it could only be one person... Elena's knees almost gave out, she looked around for him but in the crowd she couldn't find anyone. This was bad, really really bad. If he knew Dumbledore could know, and so could the Ministry. She had to find him and make him believe it was just a heart attack, or she could do what she had done six years ago.

"Hey," she heard a voice behind her say. "I'm glad to see you made it out safely."

It was Rin. Elena turned around, avoiding looking in his eyes. "Thanks to you."

"I heard the man got what he deserved." He shrugged.

"You didn't have anything to do with it, did you?" Playing dumb, that was her best card. She couldn't give herself away.

"Are you accusing me of murder?" Rin laughed. His laugh brought a smile onto her lips and she felt her cheeks burn. Why was he so calm talking about a murder? "I might have, I might have not. Aren't you glad he's gone?"

"I am." She looked in his brown eyes that were hidden behind his fringe, it was odd seeing such warmth in one's eyes, especially someone at the orphanage. Being one year older than her he was taller also. She couldn't help but want to know what he was thinking.

I should've taken her back to her room.

She laughed lightly and shook her head. Hopefully the people here wouldn't change him, he wasn't too bad for a muggle. "I'll see you around."

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1 September 1942

King's Cross Station was as crowded as ever when Elena walked in through the gates. She was early, though the Malfoys always came earlier than she did. She wandered around the station looking for them, keeping one eye on the clock. Times like these, when she was all alone, didn't really happen at Hogwarts, they belonged to the orphanage.