unhinged ↠ 𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞

four

Wouldn't she?

I shake my head at the absurd thoughts as I slip on a small backpack over my black trousers and black t-shirt I got from my friends in America, and grey tennis shoes.

I am going to go to the library without getting caught. I am going to the library without any mess ups. I will make it back here.

That's right. Manifesting queen over here.

The cold makes me shudder as I step out of the common room portrait hole, promising myself things I know will probably not happen. I learned from other Gryffindors that if you are put into Gryffindor, you are automatically the brave wizards and witches. Maybe that makes us arrogant, proud people. Maybe it made us stupid, being brave all the time.

Maybe that's why I am sorted into Gryffindor, because I'm an idiot.

I mean, it's a fair bet.

Is there ever a time where we are aloud to be scared? Because, whenever I hear a slight noise in the halls, I flinch, sure I am going to be caught by a professor or a prefect, and it makes me feel like...well, no offense to Hufflepuff house, but it makes me feel like a poster-Hufflepuff, always clinging onto someone's sweater in fear of what lies ahead.

My footsteps make slight noises as I head down the hallway I know the library will be there. I smile at the irony at all this. One would think I would be the person hexing my ex over breaking up with me, and them sneaking to the restricted section to figure out a way to get me to stop, but no.

No, Sam had to leave the 'baby' work for me.

Note the sarcasm.

I finally reach the library, opening the door, which seems to creak like every horror movie door's noises put together. I step into the library, shutting the door behind me and taking off my hood shielding my face. I breathe out a tiny sigh of relief and pull out my wand.

"Lumos."

My wand glows, showing a path towards the restricted section. I make my way over to the books, crossing the rope that tells me that I shouldn't be here, that I shouldn't be doing this, that I am going to be caught and expelled.

Oh well, back to pew pew school shooting town it is.

My hands, the soft colour of the night, skim over the books, not really knowing where to start. My watch glares at me, reading 12:03AM.

I have lots of time.

I brush my bushy, extremely curly black hair out of my face, mildly amused over the fact that my own skin tone blends in with the darkness.

Most London kids could never.

I am one of the few African-American kids in Hogwarts, as most of the other kids come from places like London. The others have less vitamin D in their skin, therefore their skin tone is usually lighter, and because everyone has light skin, the genetics get passed on from parent to child.

Though I do have the best hair out of everyone, in my opinion, it being curly, mid-chest length, and poofy all at the same time.

I skim through the books, and one blue, shiny book catches my eye. I am about to pull it out when a hand grabs my own, flipping me around to where my back is against the wall of books and my wand knocked out of my hand. A hand clasps my wrist, dubbing me immovable. "Hey-"

"Shh," A voice says. I can tell by the shivers running down my spine from the familiarity of the voice who it is.

"Tom?!" I hiss. A hand slides over my mouth.

"What did I say about not talking?" I desperately try to pull my hands out of his grip, but he is much to strong. "I'm not going to hurt you, Hadlee. Stop moving." I try to slow my breathing and stop wiggling around.

"I knew you were going to be here, you know," His voice slices over me, cool and collected, in that sly manner of his. "I knew because you're... different. You're onto me, I can see it in your eyes. When I was rude to you, you didn't back down because of my status.

"You know things others don't. You know about my facade. This only made me wonder...what are your secrets, Kitioma Hadlee? Are you going to tell me what I need to know, or am I going to have to force it out of you like all these others?"

What. The. Actual. Fuck. Is. Going. On.

His hand slips off of my mouth a small scream escapes my lips over the pain of his grip on my wrist. "Ok, look, hold on, what?! I don't know what you're talking about! Secrets? Facade? I mean, yes, you act different, kind of like a bipolar person, not that that's a bad thing of course, but I don't know what 'secrets' you want!"

Tom chuckles. "Oh yes, you don't know what I'm talking about. But you do know there's something...off about me? Is that how I word that? I could see the moment I looked into those green eyes of your's that you were her, the one I've been needing. I've been searching for power like yours for years..."

"What?! Are you going to sacrifice me to some hookah cult or something?" I say, desperately wanting out of this situation, out of Tom's demanding grip.

"What the- no, I'm not going to sacrifice you. Why the hell would I-" He sighs a long, disappointing sigh. "Anyways, Hadlee, you have something that I want," He says, and I can feel his eyes travel down my body.

Of course, when someone is a underaged female, being in close captivity with a male is scary enough. With a completely psychopath?

Only one thought comes to my mind, and it is out of pure fear.

Oh my God, is he going to rape me?!

As if he can hear my thoughts, his face twists into a scowl. "That sounded...no. What I mean is that what you possess is powerful, and I need it to rise to power. You can see through my schemes, can't you?"

It seems like he's taunting me, that he knows that I'm just one girl who can't tell the school about this potentially dangerous threat in front of me. His words are true.

"I suspected your nature, but not your motives. What do you want out of me? Money? Heritage? Secrets, I presume," I laugh slightly. "Everyone thought you were some teachers pet, but you...you slipped up like a little-"

"Don't finish that sentence, Hadlee," He spits.

"What do you want?!"

A slow smirk spread across his face. "Your past. Now, be a good girl and tell me the secret to your blood or I'll-"

Maybe it's the Gryffindor inside of me acting arrogant, or maybe my own fear is to blinding, but I shoot back, "Or what? What are you going to do Tom Riddle? You've tricked everyone else, and I'm the only one left, aren't I?" My voice lowers into a heated whisper. "Is that it? Are you doing to kill me, Riddle? Because I won't spill the secrets of my past that you obviously so desperately need?"

Now it's my turn to taunt, because I have something that he wants. My past.

I should have guessed it would have been someone as manipulative as Tom Riddle trying to figure it out. Sure, I've only met him once or twice, but obviously, he is onto me just as much as I'm onto him. Obviously, he is smart.

To smart for comfort.

He knows how to wrap people around his finger.

I should have known.

My arrogance turns to fear.

I should have run.

"You won't kill me," I sneer. "You're a coward."

"Don't be so sure, Hadlee." His hand moves from my hands to my throat, wrapping around it. I'm to weak to claw at his hands, and his lips get closer to my face. They brush my ear and he smiles a cruel, sinister smile I didn't know could pass lips that I thought were so...monotone. "Because maybe I will, Princess. Maybe I will."

My vision goes dark.

_________

When he chokes you <3