Sacred Silence | A Tom Riddle Story

54: Questionable decisions.

Shiv just shrugged and took a bite of a sandwich. Alexander waited another few awfully long seconds before he mumbled a goodbye and strode off again. She bit back a grin as she watched him disappear. Would a rumor spread? Tom would be left with a choice that way. It would be interesting to see that play out.

'Well..' Flo smirked when he was out of ear shot. Then she turned to face Shiv, eyebrows raised. 'You're seeing someone?'

'Tom once said I was off limits for everyone else,' she shrugged. 'His own words. He can live by them if he wants.'

-

Shivs footsteps bounced off the walls and echoed behind her as she walked through the dark dungeon hallways. She had to speak with Professor Slughorn before dinner, and secure herself a spot in his extracurricular class for next year. She was pretty sure she did very well on her O.W.L. earlier that day, but it never hurt to do a little extra flattering, especially with a teacher so gullible for things like that. Her hand was tightly holding a box of crystallized pineapple.

When she reached the door to Slughorns classroom, the door was slightly ajar. She frowned, then heard muffled voices from the other side of the wall. Standing there, only a few feet away, she couldn't help but stand still and listen in.

Slughorns voice. He sounded a little nervous. 'Of course, this is all hypothetical, what we're discussing, isn't it? Purely academical?'

'Yes, of course, sir.' It was Tom. His voice was charming and polite. She could almost hear the smile that hung around his lips in moments like these.

'But all the same, Tom- keep it quiet, what I've told you. People wouldn't like to think we've been chatting about horcruxes. It's a banned subject here at Hogwarts, you know. Dumbledore is particularly fierce about it,' Slughorn muttered, sounding troubled.
Shiv felt the blood drain from her face. What the fuck had Tom told Slughorn. Why was he trusting that bumbling idiot with information this sensitive?

'I won't say a word, sir,' she heard Tom's muffled reply.
Footsteps were making their way towards the door now. She spun on her heel and ran to hide behind an old beaten looking statue of a grindylow a few steps away, biting the inside of her cheek so hard that it drew blood. Somewhere behind her, a soft click let her know Tom had left and closed the door behind him.

Shiv let out a shaky breath and leaned the back of her head against the stone creature behind her. Wrong move.
A piece of its face, as large as an apple, broke off and fell onto the ground. No. No no no no-

'Who's there?' She heard Tom's cold voice.

There was no way he wouldn't find her. Slowly, she stepped away from behind the statue, hands up in an almost sarcasticly defensive way.
He looked her up and down, eyes trailing around the edge of her skirt for a second before he met hers again.
'What are you doing here?'

Shiv lowered her hands and walked up to him slowly. 'I came to drop these off,' she said, holding up the box of pineapple. 'You left the door open. I only heard you two saying goodbye.'

He narrowed his eyes a little, looking unconvinced. 'Nothing more?'

It took a few seconds for her to decide what she was going to say. Then, she put her hands on her hips and sighed deeply in defeat. 'Slughorn? Really? How much did you tell him Tom?'

Tom's expression remained unfazed. He shrugged and said, 'I needed some more information I couldn't find anywhere. Books in the restricted section are starting to disappear, if you ask me, it is..'

'..Dumbledore's doing.' She finished his sentence. He looked at her, a hint of a small smile on his lips.

'Maybe some of the books left should.. disappear before they get thrown away. You know, to prevent waste,' she added, swaying back and forth on her heels a little.