September, 1944
"𝐈 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 overreacting, it'll be fine!" Gabriela tried to reassure the hyperventilating witch. "Plus, girls always overthink the date way more than the guys."
"It's not a date!" Daisy snapped. "It's a tutoring session between two people who have not spoken to each other in 4 and a half years!"
"Maybe he's not as bad as he seems anymore," Anika spoke up, brushing the blonde's hair as a soothing gesture. "Maybe now, he's actually a very sweet guy who is just friends with the wrong people?"
"Or maybe he's still brooding in dark corners and plotting world domination," Gabriela quipped, then apologised as she realised she was not helping.
Unfortunately, the next day had come, and Daisy had to go to the Potions classroom during her free period to meet Tom. She honestly did not know what to expect. Would he yell at her? Not show up at all?
And as much as her friends were trying to help, as she sat on her bed contemplating her life's decisions, she really wished she could speak to her older sister.
Until the age of 11, her sister had been her soundboard, her person of comfort, the one she could say anything to, without judgement. Every time she was in trouble, or had done something stupid, or didn't know what to do next, she would go to Mackenzie.
She pitied the people who didn't have that kind of relationship with their older sibling.
But now, she was one of those people.
She hadn't really spoken to Mackenzie since her first year, which was a very long time ago. After her older sister had gotten into Hufflepuff, like all the Kennedys in their family, it was a big disappointment when Daisy had managed to end up in Slytherin.
She couldn't help but let her mind wander to the day she had been sorted.
September, 1938
"Clap, Tom!" the 11-year-old blonde hissed at the raven-haired boy.
"Why? The hat's song wasn't even that good," Tom replied dryly, but at her look, sighed and clapped.
"Now we're going to get sorted into the houses!" Daisy squealed, jumping up and down with excitement.
"I hope I'm in Slytherin," Tom puffed out his chest with hope, having read multiple books on Hogwarts in the past month.
"But then we won't be together.."
"This is the only way it's going to be," he explained logically. "You do not fit the Slytherin description, and there is no way that I will be in Hufflepuff."
"Why not?" Daisy took offence. "What's wrong with Hufflepuff?"
"Only that they're weak, soft-bellied, pathetic, li–" at the look on her face, his voice faltered. "Erm, nothing, I just wouldn't belong."
"Kennedy, Daisy!"
"Oh my gosh, that's me," she whispered to Tom. "What if I don't get into Hufflepuff? What will my family think?"
"You're family won't care because they're all dead."
"Tom! I still have my sister, and she's in 3rd year!"
"You'll get in, now go," Tom rolled his eyes at nudged her forward.
With shaking legs, the blonde walked up to the stool, on which the wrinkled brown Sorting Hat sat, drooped probably with the exhaustion of thinking so hard about each student. She picked it up, sat down, and placed it on her head.
Hmmm, what a complex mind you have for such a little human....Oh yes, you used to be a very happy little girl and now all that cheeriness is mostly for show. You would have been an excellent candidate for Hufflepuff a few years ago.....
"Wait what?" she whispered. "I still am!"
Mmmmm, no. You're not.
You have a deep darkness growing within you...and try as you might...you will not be able to stop it. Slytherin is the best chance for you to learn to harness it.
"No, please please don't put me in Slytherin."
I'm not forcing you to do anything, I'm only reading off of what you really want, and what would be for you, my dear.
"No, plea–"
"SLYTHERIN!"
Daisy barely heard the applause over the drowning sensation that roared in her ears. Her eyes frantically searched for her sister's face in the Hufflepuff crowd, but she couldn't find it. She vaguely heard a professor telling her to get up and walk to her table, and she just barely did so.
Right before she reached her table, she caught her sister's eye. It was filled with disappointment, confusion, and judgement. The one thing she could count on her sister not to give her. It was the worst look Mackenzie had ever given her.
Biting her lip to prevent the tears, Daisy joined Tom at the table and vaguely heard him congratulate her.
"You must be more wicked than I thought," he joked in an attempt to cheer her up, but only worked in the opposite, causing her to feel even more ashamed.
She would not let Slytherin turn her wicked. She would speak to her sister and prove to her that this had been a mistake.
Focus on the positive, she told herself, like always.
Even if her relationship with Mackenzie was being tested, at least she would always have Tom.
September, 1944
"Hello!" fingers snapped in her vision. "Earth to Daisy!"
"Okay, so your hair and outfit are set. You are good to go!" Gabriela smiled brightly.
"Why are we doing this again? Why would I even try and impress him? We never had any kind of romantic relationship at all."
"But did you ever want to?" Anika raised a brow, her full lips pulled up in a smirk. "I mean, I won't lie, he is very nice to look at."
"That's besides the point," Daisy replied calmly, earning an exited exchanged glance between her two friends. "He hates me."
"Hated," Gabriela interrupted. "Who knows about now."
"We were best friends for 3 and a half years," Daisy pointed out. "I think if he got over his hate for me, he probably would have talked to me at least once since. It's a miracle we weren't ever paired up in any classes!"
"Okay, you're going to be late. Go go!" Anika pulled Daisy out her chair and pushed her towards the door. "And tell us how it goes!"
"WHY? IT'S JUST A TUTORING SESSION!"
"STILL!"
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When she got to the classroom, he was already there, sitting very properly in a chair with his back straight, his long fingers paging through a textbook to pass time.
She stepped in and cleared her throat, not sure how to announce her presence. What should she do now? Smile at him? Say hello, long time no see? Or just give him the finger and run back out?
"Good, you're here," he said, his tone even and smooth. He gestured for her to sit. "Let's begin Ms. Kennedy."
She almost spat in surprise. Ms Kennedy?
"What is it that you find trouble with in class?" he asked, barely looking at her as he continued flipping through pages.
Finally finding her voice, Daisy professed, "I struggle with the actual practical part of potions. I'm fine with all the papers and theory."
"Alright, let's start with something standard and make a Polyjuice Potion–"
"Wait, doesn't that take ages to make? You have to stew the lacewings for 21 days and pluck the fluxweed at full moon," she supplied, eager to show that she wasn't as stupid as she seemed.
"Well, Ms Kennedy, since this is a school, we already have those ingredients on hand and prepared for us," he enunciated slowly, making her feel small.
"Right," she smiled awkwardly. "Of course."
They spent the next 30 minutes pouring over the instructions together, meticulously memorising each step. He gave her certain tips at steps in order to make the ingredients bend more fluently. He then stepped back and let her make the potion, occasionally jeering at the brutishness in which she handled the knife.
All in all, she felt like a big savage lump who kept messing up.
Finally, the end approached, and Tom inspected the potion, wrinkling his nose at the foul odor.
"Not bad," he commented, and at the sight of her perking up, added, "But not good either. You will need definite improvement in order to pass."
He then started packing his bag in a fast manner, as if desperate to get away from her. He probably was. But she couldn't let him leave without addressing the awkward elephant in the room.
"Wait, Tom," she called out as he was walking towards the door. She saw him stiffen his shoulders at the first use of his name, turning around expectantly. "Are you seriously going to pretend like this? With me?"
"I have a class in a few minutes," he muttered in frustration, sweeping his long black locks out of his eyes. "I don't have the time to speak about nonsense."
"This isn't n–"
The door shut violently in her face as he disappeared, the sound of his footsteps the last thing she heard.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
Anika Patel loved food. It was a wonder she wasn't fat or diabetic.
Food was the perfect solution to when she was happy. When she was sad. When she was stressed.
Currently, she was enjoying a nice cold glass of pumpkin juice at the Hufflepuff table. She was also eating a delightfully wonderful lunch of pasta carbonara with extra bacon. However, this was devastatingly interrupted when an angry blonde crashed into the seat next to her, snatching the plate and stuffing her face with a bite of bacon.
"Oh god it was worse than I thought!" wailed Daisy, ignoring the looks the girls around her gave. They didn't particularly get along with Slytherins.
"There there," Anika tried to comfort her, though it was no use. She subtly slid her plate back in front of her. "Let's please not eat my food as a way to solve this."
"I felt so stupid!" she raved. "And I'm not stupid Anika, you know I'm not. I mean, for crying out loud, I get better grades than you and Gabriela in every class except potions! If anything, it's you that's dumb compared to me!"
"Gee thanks," the dark-skinned girl replied dryly.
"Oh sorry, I guess that could have been hurtful."
"It's okay. You're having a moment."
"Thanks."
"Did he act like he knew you?"
"No! That was the worst part. It was like I was a stranger, and not particularly one he liked!" Daisy complained, flushing at the thought of it. "God! I can't believe I was ever friends with him!"
"Yeah...Gab and I think that every day," Anika admitted. "You two are polar opposites. Maybe it wasn't meant to ever work out."
"I guess. But I still have to got for another session next week," she groaned. "And the week after that, and after that."
Anika didn't know how to soothe her about that, so she just offered her friend another bite of bacon which Daisy gratefully and somewhat ravenously accepted. Daisy thanked her and left, having to go to another class.
While the day had been a bad one, she had finally gotten closure on what kind of boy Tom Riddle was now. And she had decided that she didn't like it. Daisy Kennedy didn't feel hate often, but if she did, she would hate Tom Riddle.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
A/N: Thanks for reading, you guys are awesome! :)
Also, if you guys notice any editing errors, please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments! I type so fast that I don't always see them lmao