𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 || W.W.

XXVII. Tom Riddle

The One with the Parchment

''Are you free tonight?'' Thalia questions. You wanted to say yes but then something shot through your mind. ''No, I'm sorry,'' you apologise, ''I need to help with the Christmas decorations. Prefect huh?'' Thalia chuckles, ''oh yeah. Right, you are a prefect.''
     ''Who is the other sixth-year prefect anyways?'' she asks while walking you to the Great Hall. ''I thought it was Tom Riddle,'' you say. ''Oh, the one who is always quiet and mysterious,'' she smirks. ''Yeah, that one. Alright, see you later,'' you say, quickly hugging her before gathering with the rest.

With twenty-four prefects, you had to decorate the whole castle. The sixth-years Slytherin gets their own part to decorate, which you and Tom have to do. You both took off towards your spot in silence.
     You draw your wand and start to decorate, just as Tom. Everything happened in silence. You peek at Tom sometimes and end up smiling for no reason. When you focussed on the decorations, Tom examined you short times.
     Once you were done and satisfied with it, you smiled. ''It's great. It's beautiful,'' you say, admiring it. Tom didn't say anything and you didn't expect him to.

After Christmas, the classes started once again. The sixth-years Slytherins sat in their potions class, Professor Slughorn had an unusual surprise. ''Welcome back, everyone. I want everyone to shuffle your seats.'' Professor Slughorn claps in his hands while the students get up and shuffle seats.
     Everyone had already taken their seat except for you. ''That went super fast,'' you mutter and walk towards an empty seat. Which happens to be next to Tom Riddle. Slughorn looks satisfied and starts his class.

You ended up brewing a potion on your own. It happens that the two best potion makers are sitting next to each other. You had finished even earlier than Tom, earning points from Slughorn. Tom tilts his head with a frown on his forehead. You glance at him with a smirk.
     After potions, Tom took off towards the library, which he always did. His mind seemed more clouded than usual. He wasn't used to somebody sitting next to him. He always sat alone.
He sat next to the girl who happened to be a prefect too. Both were paired up to do the Christmas decorations.

This is how the Potions classes were, you and Tom sitting next to each other. You had started to greet him, both in or outside class. Professor Slughorn was obviously okay with it because you two were his favourite students.
     One day, Slughorn had told his class to write a five feet essay. Unfortunately, Tom ran out of parchment and couldn't find more in his bag. Yet, he hesitated to ask you and he didn't know why.

Just ask it, merlins beard. Tom turns towards you and whispers, ''is there any chance you have extra parchment? I'm out.'' You search through your bag and turns to him to give it. ''Here you go,'' you smile. Tom looks at you, accepting the parchment, and gives you a small smile.
     You bent over your work while Tom was still watching. You didn't notice, but Thalia did and she couldn't wait to tell what she just saw.

At the end of Potions, you and Tom were walking next to each other. "What are your plans today?" you ask, looking at him. Before he could answer, Thalia, burst into the conversation.
     She grabs your arm and drags you away, "okay. See you later, Tom!" Tom watches you being dragged away by her friend and secretly has to smile at the scenario.
     "What is it with you and dragging me through the whole castle!" you comment when Thalia finally stops walking. "I saw a certain Slytherin, watching you," she says with wiggle eyebrows. "Okay, so?"

"So?! Don't you want to know who it is?" she asks surprised. "Uhm, yeah I guess then," you say slowly. Thalia's smile found their way back in her lips and clapped in her hands, "great because it is your fellow prefect."
A light blush crept up your face, more because Thalia is so hyped up about it. "Okay," you chuckle, "and?" "And? I have never seen him looking that long at a person."
     "And?" you ask again. "I dunno, maybe you're the first person he shows interest in."