i am lord voldemort • Tom Riddle

VII

Tom's tone was icy, but not nearly as bone chilling as the look he fixed upon them, brimming with barely concealed rage. He directed his attention first to the unfortunate souls restraining Ophelia against the wall.

"Did I not tell you last time we spoke that that was enough of your foolishness?" He took a step closer, suddenly seeming far more dangerous barehanded than all four of the wand-wielding Slytherins before him put together. "I'm sure you're not defying me on purpose, friends. You are much too smart for that."

The smarter of the two retreated back several large steps, making as though he hadn't just been caught red-handed. "Of course not, Tom. We were only playing. No harm done."

The less smart of the two shot this friend an incredulous look, no doubt wondering what his definition of "no harm" included being slammed against stone.

"Your presence is being missed in class," Tom ordered, deciding he'd deal with them later. They were hardly worthy of his attention anyway. "Leave."

"Who are you to give us orders?" Walburga sneered, her uncharacteristic silence broken at last. "You're no better than that filth over there."

She nodded to Ophelia, who kept her expression pointedly blank, pleading to any god that would listen to have not let Tom realise that she'd been midway through rifling through Fenella's head.

Fenella, not so subtly, stomped on her friend's foot.

Walburga Black had never been one to cave into the will of others, a trait Tom might have respected were they not constantly at odds. Despite all he'd done to prove himself, she insufferably thought herself his better. If she only knew the blood that ran the rough his veins...

Many days Tom wondered if he might despise her.

"What can you do?" Walburga said, brushing off Fenella entirely. "Give me detention? Take away house points? Do you forget I'm a prefect, too? You can't touch me."

Tom smiled at her misguided confidence. "How's Orion?"

Her sneer momentarily slipped, taken aback at the seemingly unrelated subject change. His implication hung freely in the air for a moment. When at last it filtered through her mind, however, a flicker of fear registered on her face, until it was squashed by the usual haughty disdain.

"We're leaving. Come Fenella," She turned on her heel, her robes flapping exaggeratedly at the movement. "Watch how you speak, Riddle. You won't always be safe within these walls."

"As always, it was a pleasure, Walburga," Tom said, his dangerously disarming smile not faltering. "I look forward to spending more time with you and your cousin."

Fenella looked hesitantly at Walburga's retreating back,  then at Tom, then back to Walburga again.

Tom sighed. "I must admit, I expected better of you, Femella. I'm disappointed."

"Tom, I-"

"Don't peddle me your excuses," he said. "Just get out of my sight."

She bit her lip and Tom got the impression she was fighting off an onslaught of tears, but she left to go chase after Walburga before any could fall.

Really, Tom thought, What does she have to cry for?

"You should go a little easier on her." Ophelia stared off after Fenella, looking troubled. "I went after her first."

"It doesn't matter. She knew I didn't want you targeted. She disobeyed me. She deserves far worse than a mere scolding."

Ophelia shook her head, grimacing in immediate regret at the jarring movement. "I find it hard to believe that you'd take the high rode if I cursed you into a wall right here and now."