𝕬 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖎𝖘 𝕭𝖔𝖗𝖓 | 𝑇𝑜𝑚 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 |

Chapter 62- You and I

What the hell are you doing? Why are you bothering to stick around and lie? Just get out of here!

He ignored the little voice in his head, without the faintest hint he'd been hesitating at all, "It's been seven years since you saw me last. Of course, I probably look a little different."

"Your eyes..." Frankie muttered, with a slight flash of fear in her own. He looked the same as ever, apart from his eyes. They weren't the same ones the Tom in her memories looked at her with. Cold and cruel at times, but also filled with a longing desire and utter adoration. They were now an unsettling dark reddish color. She didn't know where, but she had seen him with eyes like that before. A more piercing and sharp red, however, they'd been there, nonetheless.

"I'm just a little overworked. They'll be fine later," Tom answered, shielding them with his hand like he had a bad headache. He didn't want her to see them and quickly went through a dozen different spells in his mind of things he might do to make them look normal again. "Honestly, don't worry about me."

"So, what brings you back to Hogwarts after all this time?"

"I heard about your dear 'big brother' Rodger Day going missing and thought I would come back to try and apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position again."

Voldemort had something to do with that ill-fated accident, actually. Tom's visit hadn't exactly been as spontaneous as it looked. He needed the job position free, and Rodger Day was in his way. Voldemort used his various channels of information and insights to discover where Rodger Day spent his summer holidays. It was difficult to find him out of Hogwarts. Tom couldn't blame him for wanting to stay when the school had many perks, but Voldemort reckoned that Dumbledore had pushed him out in order to investigate a new dark wizard rumored to be in the shadows. They met up in Paris. Rodger had some ties there, however, Voldemort didn't really care enough to look further into personal matters.

So, Voldemort ended up making a temporary base and allowing himself to be caught there. Of course, he immediately recognized Tom Riddle. Compared to Rodger, he looked like a rotten little boy in a throne way too big. Rodger begged for him to stop all this 'madness' and return to the sanctioned wizarding society. However, that wasn't an option Tom could take, even if he wanted to. By that point, he was too far into the darkness. He had the power and a growing army, why on earth would he want to go back to a world in which he was just no one?

Then, Rodger tried bartering Frankie, saying he would make sure that she knew exactly what he was. He was practically begging for death, attempting to use that girl to threaten him. He did however make Tom realize his face, although handsome and charming, was too recognizable as the boy he once was. He had to erase that boy from existence, so if he ever did come face-to-face with Frankie again, even she wouldn't recognize him. Not to mention, with age, he now saw that wretched bastard of a father staring back at him more than ever. Obviously, he was still working on it. He thought he still had some time, and it wasn't like he was going for something as easy as dying his hair a different color.

"I see. Will you be taking the job then?" Frankie inquired, with a hopeful rise in her voice. It was clear to see she wanted him to stay here with her and Tom wouldn't admit that the thought of walking with her through these halls again would make him feel somewhat good.

"Unfortunately, Dumbledore doesn't believe I'm the right man for it. So, I'll just be taking my leave—"

"No!" she yelled, desperately, grabbing onto his right sleeve. It was as if she thought if she didn't hold onto him, he would slip away again. Which wasn't exactly wrong. He earnestly smiled at her childish desperation. She really hadn't changed.

"No? Oh, I'm sure you want me to stay a while and catch up with you. All you had to do was ask, my dear," Tom laughed, charmingly, putting his arm around her, "That is, if it's alright with the headmaster, of course. It's getting rather late..."