Chaos of Riddles

1 a war of perfection

BEFORE YOU READ: English is not my first language, so mistakes will happen.. This Story contains themes such as Toxic realationships, possesivness, trauma, smut and violence. This is my first story so please be patient with me. (i know the cover sucks but i did my best). This is a slow burn at first but when it burns IT BURNS. The first chapters are to establish a connection between Tom and Elva. Mattheo will show up soon enough.
Im also postin on Ao3 under the same name if you prefer to read there :)

This will be a long story, im planing on uploading a chapter a day for the first week or so:)

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The summer of 1981 brought a nice breeze of warmth, that felt almost too warm for the cold  walls of the castle. Whispers travel faster than owls here, flying through the corridors about who knows what. Yet between everything, lessons were taught, laughter echoes across the great hall and the house banners were still hanging. Nothing ever changed. Good thing it would be summer break soon.

Amongst the students making their way through the castle was Elva Vane. With a bright laugh and a knack for making even the strictest professors pause before scolding her. She seemed to fit anywhere. But popularity was not the same as closeness. Elva, by her own design, always kept a step away. Friends thought she was simply independent. A girl who belonged everywhere yet nowhere in particular.

But Hogwarts had a way of hiding truths in its shadows and Elva carried her own. Behind her smile lies a past no charm could contain. What they did not see, what she never allowed them to see, was the shadow of her name, the weight of her past stitched together with secrets too dangerous to share. Hogwarts gave her the chance to be someone else, someone brighter.

There were rumours about almost anyone in this castle. Well, if you are interesting enough to be talked about. If you were a Syltherin then yes, you were interesting enough. People always needed a bad guy to blame. Maybe that is the reason they are so exclusive. The rumours about the chamber of secrets? The fact Salazar Slytherin could talk to snakes? Yes that was reason enough for most people to stay away. Sometimes even for a Slytherin like Elva herself.

There were many shadows of people in the same house, carved from different families but built to the same crest. One in particular. He was her opposite. A sharp eyed, silent, a boy who's presence made the air feel colder. His words were rare, his expressions hidden and his distance too strong. They never liked each other, for no reason in particular.

Maybe they were just too different. They never even had a conversation. For everyone else they were just two housemates who happen to breath the same air. And yet there were moments. Passing each other in the corridors or a stare that just lingered a little too long. His eyes would find hers in stolen glances, there was something unspoken. Perhaps it was hate, perhaps it was rivalry, perhaps it was even recognition or perhaps, whether they wished it or not, their paths had already entwined in ways neither of them can control.

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The potions dungeon smelled of damp stone and  pickled ingredients.

Elva rested her chin in her hand, already exhausted by the day. She tuned out the tone of professor Slughorn's voice, only snapping back to reality when the scraping of chair legs echoed through the room. Around her, classmates were starting to pair up.

Elva straightened, her eyes scanning the room for anyone who would not actively destroy her good grade. Lets be honest, she was good and she didn't need to carry dead weight.

Before she could target a partner, a sudden movement starteled her. Someone had grabbed the back of her chair, dragging it backward. Elva spun around, a protest dying on her tongue as she met his gaze.