O r p h a n ● Tom Riddle [Harry Potter Fanfiction]

➑ Huit - Wonderful World of Sugar & Fur

I scanned the room and immediately bounded for the booth in the far left corner that had it's own window and currently seated Dumbledore and a tired looking Tom Riddle.

I sat down next to Tom, right opposite from professor Dumbledore who was lost in the menu. I was bubbling, but admittedly tired as I'd felt like I'd had had more than enough excitement for the day, but even then I welcomed the idea of devouring a pretty glass cup of ice cream as I picked up one of the menus from the table. Tom seemed disinterested, and more focused on the view of the passersby's from the window than the prospect of ice cream.

Dumbledore finally closed the menu shut and placed it down onto the table,

"I think I'd like the Lemon Lime Splendid Surprise. What about you, Mr. Riddle? Care to share a few of your favourite flavors? I quite like Licorice Lemon myself, but I always find myself going for the Splendid Surprise!"

"But surely it's not much of a surprise if you know you're always going to go for it, Professor?" I smiled, looking up from the menu, still having not made up my mind.

"Ah, but listen here, child, there's a reason it's called a Splendid Surprise, but I'm not going to tell you what it is, as I don't quite know myself. But you see there's a secret ingredient added into every scoop! So no one scoop is the same, but always equally splendid, and quite a surprise! Imagine tasting a bit of candy drop in one, and then tasting a bit of bitter butter in the other. But of course, there's always lemon lime. Lemon Lime Splendid Surprise! "

"That sounds horrifying! What if you end up tasting Lemon Lime with some Salt Slime? It can't always be splendid, can it?"

"My dear, that's the surprise! The surprise itself is splendid. You look too much into it, child. A surprise, whether good or bad, is another bit of excitement in your life. Is the unexpected simply not splendid in itself? Dear Ms. Rosewood, you choose your fate, and I have chosen that any surprise in this delectable lemon lime ice cream will be splendid."

I let that piece of strange wisdom sink in, though I could hardly comprehend it, I decided to take with it what I could, and perhaps one day I'll actually be able to understand his words.

I noticed Tom had actually been listening and paying attention to the conversation, as he was now staring at professor Dumbledore with a questionable look. Tom shook his head, and surprisingly turned to face me for the first time since I had entered the store. "He's crazy." 

*** 

Professor Dumbledore had hailed us a cab back to the orphanage; he seemed to trust the driver enough to leave us unaccompanied for the trip back. The Professor had told us that he had some private matters to deal with and as such, he would not be able to accompany us "home", but promised that the driver, who he introduced as Mr. Finnegan Tumblewinter, would bring us back safely.

As soon as we sped off, Tom turned to face me, "The man acts no where near respectable, but listen to this: everywhere we went he was greeted with obvious respect. People would always run up to us and try to give us a helping hand. It was disgusting, honestly. I had never been so sick of smiles as much as I had today! This day has been tiresome, but look-"

He reached into a leather pouch that he'd attached to his belt and pulled out a long thin wand, which had what looked like a bone as a handle, "My wand. Impressive, isn't it? Perhaps you might have gotten one too had you come along, but you left me with the old fart! How is it you knew where you were going, hm? You never told me you had knowledge of this... this world. I expect to be informed, Vivienne."

I scrunched up my face in disgust. I had always hated being ordered around, and found that my natural instinct was to lead than be led. But I kept calm, and replied with a smile, "I had a map, that's how I knew where I was going. That, and I had some help along the way when I needed it. So with that, it wasn't too hard to get everything done. Besides-"

I pulled out my wand out of my pocket, to the disgust of Tom who seemed intimidated by the elaborate carvings on the handle, "My wand was made and given to me as a gift on my eleventh birthday last year. My parents were witches, Tom, and so were yours, and that's how you and I have these abilities and the opportunity to even have these wands or see the things we'd seen today"

Tom took everything in, and calmed down. He shifted back into his seat, now facing ahead, he was quiet for a while, and all seemed peaceful as we crossed back over the bridge. Mr. Tumblewinter, the driver, told us that the fare had already been paid, and to be careful as we got out. By the time we got back, the sky had turned dark.

Stepping out of the taxi, I tidied up my dress a bit before bounding up the steps leading to the large double doors of Wools Orphanage where Tom stood, waiting for me to reach his side before heading in.

Just as I reached the landing, Tom grabbed the door handle, but made no effort to turn it. I was a bit confused, and wondered if there was something wrong. "Tom?" I asked, gently tugging on the corner of his grey jacket.

"Tom, aren't we going in?"

He paused, and before I knew it he'd turned around. He took in my worried face for a moment before forcefully grabbing my arm, and dragging me to the side. I was jerked forward and almost lost my footing at the steps before Tom tugged my arm in again. There was a thing layer of ice at the ends of the steps, and he'd positioned me just a bit over the edge so that'd I was pretty much dangling as my shoes kept slipping off the edge of the steps, desperately flailing and trying to find my footing. "Tom! What are you doing?!" I was afraid.

"Vivienne, I will only ask this once..."

His grim face was barely lit by the light of the street lamps,

".....Tom" I was so very afraid.  

"Tell me about your enchanted book, where did you get it?"