Before He Was Voldemort (A Tom Riddle Fanfiction)

Chapter 12: Routine Rendezvous

November, 1943

"Same time tomorrow night."

Little did Corinne know that by saying this, it would lead to not just one more midnight rendezvous with Tom, but multiple ones. Somehow it had come to be routine. Neither of them had expected it to happen; it simply just did. At first they usually met once a week, then Tom suggested two days a week, then Corinne suggested three. They had taken turns requesting to see each other more, as though it were some sort of game.

One thing the two of them had discovered they had in common was that they both despised losing and watching the other gloat their victory. For instance, whenever one of them reluctantly asked to meet an extra day during the week, the other would take pride in the fact that they were missed. Unsurprisingly, Tom Riddle was a champion of this amusing game. Not that he seemed to mind, really. Corinne definitely didn't.

Eventually, the two lost count in who won or lost, focusing more on the overall prize, which was sneaking out after curfew nearly every night to meet by the Black Lake. The same time each night. This became as natural to Corinne as waking up every weekday morning and attending her lessons. Sure, she lost a couple of hours of sleep each night due to the meetings, but in the long run, it was worth it. She could finally call Tom her friend again.

They discussed the most random of topics during their meetings. Everything from their classes, professors, favorite spells, least favorite spells, and even students. Occasionally, the pair worked on homework together. Tom was the reason Corinne's Transfiguration and Potions marks were drastically improving. He really was an excellent tutor.

Although these secret midnight trysts meant a great deal to Corinne, she couldn't help but wonder why Tom Riddle, of all people, chose to spend time with her. Even if they used to be friends when they were younger, she was well aware that she wasn't dealing with the same boy anymore. Present Tom and past Tom, in Corinne's opinion, were entirely dissimilar beings. Besides, he wasn't the type of boy to seek any type of companionship with anyone, especially girls. She doesn't even think he's been in a serious relationship with one before.

So why was Tom so eager to develop a real, genuine bond after so many years of being alone? He even admitted that his "followers" were not his friends. It didn't make much sense, but then again, neither did him. In a way, Corinne found that to be one of his most magnetic qualities. Frustrating, yes, but appealing.

Just thinking about him seemed to ignite the apples of her cheeks.

Pinpointing Corinne's exact feelings about Tom was a lot like trying to describe a color without naming it. It always left her head whirling. Sweeping the topic under the mental rug in her mind couldn't be the solution forever. Somehow, it ended up creeping into her thoughts as she tried to sleep. She had to make sense of what was happening in her heart.

The flutters in her chest only grew stronger and more evident each time her eyes laid on Tom. She sometimes swore she could hear how hard her heart was pounding during their midnight meetings. I wonder if Tom's heart is beating as much as mine, she had wondered several nights ago. But that was probably impossible. Tom was highly trained in the art of equanimity and control.

Unlike me, Corinne thought negatively. I still don't know what he sees in me. If he sees anything in me at all.

Corinne lost track of the amount of wasted minutes she'd been absentmindedly brushing the feather of her quill across her cheek, trying to complete her Potions essay, when her thoughts drifted elsewhere. Elsewhere meaning Tom, to be exact. That tended to happen a lot lately, as much as it brought her shame to admit. If she could just concentrate on anything else...