h e r d a r k s o u l

c h a p t e r 3

By the time the winter holidays had come around, he was ready to go mad. Evelyn had not left Hogwarts for the break, to Tom's exasperation. Tom had decided that since he had the entire castle at his disposal he would avoid Evelyn at all costs.

She had decided that she was going to take them being friends to heart because although she didn't talk to him, she had appeared everywhere he had gone. Tom wasn't sure how she knew where he would be, but she always arrived before he had gotten somewhere. It had surprised him at first, but he now had not bothered to even acknowledge her existence.
He had too much research to do about his family and past. He needed to work on his suspicions about the heir of Slytherin and the large snake that lived beneath the safety of the stone hallways.

When Christmas Eve arrived, Tom had snapped three of his quills trying to reign in his anger. Evelyn sat quietly in the Slytherin common room reading a book on Legilimency. He had never seen her in an outfit that was not pressed and perfect, but today, she was in a sweater that looked worn and loved. The sweater was tucked into long trousers. Her dainty feet were swaddled in fluffy wool socks. He watched her from his seat at a table in the corner. She was lounging on the chair, her feet dangling off the side. She had her thumb pressed firmly to her lips and she was quickly reading each page. She didn't seem a bit interested in him– and that's what had caught his attention.

Tom Riddle had been at the library earlier and when he arrived he had tried to avoid looking around so as to not look as if was seeking her out. When he had looked up after noticing how silent the library was, he had found that Evelyn was not there. He had been so distracted by her absence that he had returned to the common room, only to see her lounging by the fire. He watched closely as she swept her blonde hair across her shoulders. He had never seen it down before, and it was aggravating how the little curls brushed against her cheek without her pushing them away.

He narrowed his eyes at the black cat that had curled up under her chair. Evelyn reached down occasionally to run her fingers against its back.

He hated how comfortable she looked when he was so uncomfortable.

He slowly stood and walked over towards her. He sat down in the chair across from her and pulled out his book. He looked up at her quiet laugh.

"I'm sorry Riddle, the common room not big enough for you?"

She hadn't looked up from her book, but her eyes had stopped scanning the page.

"No, I just happen to enjoy this chair," he said, feigning nonchalance.

Evelyn closed her book across her fingers.

"Is that all or do you wish to talk to me?"

Tom quickly shut his book and put it on the table beside him. The flames in the fireplace beside them crackled as she waited for him to speak. Her eyes held amusement, but her mouth never twitched into a smile.

"I was just wondering why all of a sudden you are everywhere I go, when before, I didn't even know you existed. It is like after I realized your presence, I'm cursed by it." Tom took a deep breath, "how come I had never thought about you? Never been impressed by your work in class? Never wanted you so badly to bow down to me?" Tom tried to hide his desperation, unsuccessfully.

Evelyn lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow before opening her book again. "I would say it's more of a blessing than a curse, but you can believe what you want."