I wake up to the sound of chirping birds. The sun was shining on me and my bed. I barely could remember last night. I just remember feeling needed and cared for.
I look over to my right and I see no sight of Madame Ellen. I look to the left and still don't see Madame Ellen, but on the chair next to my bed sat a boy. Riddle.
His eyes were shut and he was sleeping in a what looked like a very uncomfortable position, while his right arm was resting on the right side of my bed.
I instantly was put in a good mood just by seeing him. But why? He was, after all the one who casted the 'crucio' spell on me! Also the murderous beast that I was trying to warn Dumbeldore about...
But my main confusion is why he is even doing all of this. Why? What will he gain that he doesn't have right now? He's already rich, has friends, great wizard, and handsome What else does he want? World domination? Ha!
I pull over my sheets to stand up and as I do Tom quickly grabs my arm and pulls me back.
"What the he-" I start but get cut off.
"Shh. I'm not even supposed to be here." he says.
"So why are you?" I ask arrogantly.
"I just wanted to see if you were alright...thats all." he says smoothly.
"Okay then. As you can see I'm fine, Madame Ellen said I could leave as soon as I'm up on my feet. And I am." I say as I turn to go.
"Wait, I want to make it up to you, I really didn't mean to hurt you, just to only stop you that night... I didn't know this would happen. So would you like to eat lunch with us? Actually more like a 'you will eat lunch with us, so be there'." he says.
"Well, as exciting and fun as it sounds, I will be eating with my friends at lunch." I reply.
"Friends?! You call them friends? None if them tried to come see you when you were ill! None of them care about you and you call them friends?" He scoffs, "You sure know what sort of people to surround yourself with."
"You know? I think you're right. Why do I waste my time trying to help you through this, when all you're going to do is place an unforgivable curse on me. Mr. Riddle, you make a very good point."
I turn to leave feeling a little but broken inside, for have talking to him like that. He needs care and love, he was even trying his best to make it up to me! He even stayed with me throughout the night!
And with those thoughts, I came to one conclusion: I'll eat lunch with him, and give him a chance.
-------------------------------------------------------
I looked at myself in front of the mirror in between Amber and I's bed. I looked OKAY. I had a bit of dark circles under my eyes and I looked awfully thin. My cheek bones were even showing. In second thought, I look like a disaster!
I look over to my bed and see the boxes of chocolate that Amber, Angelica, Jocelyn and Alex probably brought me. The second I got them back from Madame Ellen I couldn't stop stuffing my face with them. I'm still shocked there's still a couple left!
I exit the Gryffindor common room and I enter the enormous dining hall. I quickly scan to make sure no one sees me. Nope, no sign of my friends, good. I soon realize that barely anyone is there and so I walk back out into Hogwarts grounds that surround the castle and I spot a group of Slytherins talking down by a tree, in a small circle.
They seemed a bit focused and also a bit routy as well. I see that Tom was with them, so I walked along to them and joined their circle.
"Hi everyone," I say.
They looked at me strangely as if I'd done something terribly wrong.
"Who are you?" says a very scary looking girl with a mischivious smile which makes me feel like I want to run away from them. They're so not my type.
"April," I reply.
The girl laughs and her dark, thick, curly hair sways back and forth...just like a maniac.
"Her? HER?!" she looks at Tom and says, "This is her?! Hahahaha! She looks like an ant compared to us, my lord. How could she ever EVER have what it takes to serve you?! A death eater? Her? She'll be asking for her mummy to come help her! She's no death eater material!!" says the rude girl.
I was taken aback by this.
"Bellatrix, calm yourself. Don't dare to interfere with your masters plans and decisions for you are lower. If this happens again, expect some punishment. As for you-" he satrts as he looks at me.
"What is all this?! Death eaters? Serving you?! THEIR lord?! Tom what is all this madness?!" I say abrubtivly.
The wild, insane girl, Bellatrix, quickly jumps in front of me and her eyebrows twitch and she speaks to me in the most frightening voice possible. "HOW DARE YOU CALL HIM WITHOUT USING 'MY LORD' OR 'MY MASTER' ?! WITH WHAT AUDACITY CAN YOU SPEAK OF HIS FIRST NAME, YOU DISRESPECTFUL, UNGRATEFUL LITTLE RAT!"
Who does Tom think he is gathering all of these people and telling them to overly respect him, and follow him, and dedicate themselves to him? Is that what a death eater was? WAS HE EXPECTING TO BE ONE OF THOSE?!
A look of disgust comes onto my face.
"Bellatrix! Get back now," he orders firmly.
She quickly releases her grasp on my cloak and steps back immediately, following through what he had said.
I scoff and say, "These are your friends? Wow Tom."
Then Bellatrix says in a loud, raspy voice, "My lord, the absurd girl dares again to speak of you like that. May I finish her my lord?!"
"Not so loud Bellatrix! We must move onto a much more secure spot, people will hear us, my lord!" says a boy with blonde hair.
"Yes Lucius, you are right. Let's go, and bring April!"says Tom.
"I'm not going anywhere with any of you!" I say as I pull back from the grip of Bellatrix and Lucius.
I suddenly feel Tom's hands grab my waist firmly. My body tenses as he whispers into my ear, "Shut up and move, before I hex you."
I couldn't do anything but continue walking, still experiencing the shock from Tom's touch.
"Lucius, watch her for me." He tells the blonde boy and Tom heads to the front of the group as we head to the forbidden forest.
Bellatrix skips to Tom's side as Lucius and I followed behind them within some space, and around us four were six other "death eaters". We were just entering the forest when I noticed Bellatrix's maniac like laugh.
"What shall we do then my lord? Haha!" she says to Tom as she nudges his shoulder several times. This sort of bugged me. I did not like the fact that Bellatrix was "touching" Tom in any way. I didn't trust her. "What ever is necessary, but for now, keep on charge of the rest, keep yourselves out the way, and don't get caught."
"This place is dangerous!" I blurt out out of no where. Why did I just do that?!
Tom looks back at me and smirks. Bellatrix jumps toward me and says, "What? Little April is scared?"
Tom chuckles and says, "There's nothing to worry about, you know, since you're with us. " He pauses. "And if it makes you that nervous, you can travel in the front, with me."
I reluctantly give in and walk to the front as Bellatrix transitions to the back. Then we proceed through the forest.
------------------------------------------
"Tom?" I whisper to him as we walk through trees and mysterious fog.
"Mhm?" he says.
"Can I hold your hand?" Now, if he's going to invite me to this creepy forest, he should have thought about this part. I don't even care what he's trying to get to, but I'm scared and he forced me into this! I have a right to demand holding his hand.
He gently slides his hand out of his pocket and attaches it to mine.
The deatheaters behind us gasp but Tom doesn't do anything.
"Could you tell me where we're going?" I ask after a few minutes.
"It's a small little house guarded by one of my loyal snakes." he responds.
Snakes. Yay, I always wished to die by being suffocated by snakes.
I stopped asking questions and continued walking as more fog took over.
After fifteen minutes or so we reached a winding road which lead to a small shack. Tom stopped walking and commanded everyone to do the same.
He then took his wand out and pointed it forward. I took a few steps back and I tripped but Tom grabbed my arm right before I hit the ground. He helped me up and asked, "Not afraid of snakes, are you??"
Without hesitation I lied and said, "No, absolutely not." I try my best to look brave and fearless but my heart still pounds of nervousness of not knowing what to expect next.
Tom looks back at me and smirks. I just take in a deep breath as he looks back toward the small shack and starts whispering "My dear old friend, I give you my permission to rise... let the true witches or wizards proceed and demolish those who are not."
A big head rose from the ground. A snake's head. It's head was up in the clouds and it's scaly body rose higher and higher. My grasp on Tom's hands tightened.
The head of the snake slowly depressed from the sky and as it hissed, it became face to face with Tom and I.
"Who wishes to pass master?" It whispered as it made eye contact with Tom.
"We do." Tom said. Then the snake shifted aside and directed us to a winding path to a small little shack.
We all walked toward the house. The wind was hitting my robe and I thought about Hogwarts. Don't they notice that we've been gone for like what? And hour? How are we going to get back? By the time they let me go it'll be way past lights out hours.
Tom pushed the door and it opened gently and inside the shack was a fireplace and a small round, wooden table in the middle with chairs and all.
They all walked in and sat down. I just stood there by the door not wanting to take another step.
"Have a seat." Said Tom.
Though I did not want to sit and I just wanted to run back even though the risk of being eaten by the snake was high, my legs sort of moved themselves as they walked me to a chair and I unwillingly sat down.
The door of the shack shut and a fire was started in the fire place and plates of food were on the table.
Tom was sitting in front of me, and all his death eaters sitting around him.
"So you have been welcomed here tonight, to be offered a deal." says Tom.
"I thought this was going to be a normal lunch period..." I mutter.
He ignores my comment and continues, "I will speak to you in private about this, but, I would like to announce this to everyone."
"April, I see you have a bit trouble remembering your past. I am overly willing to help you, I can do the same that Dumbeldore is giving you with a heavy price. I on the other hand, will give it to you for no cost, other than your loyalty to me, and your alligence to this very death eater, yet to become, army." he finishes and sits down.
So basically, the question here is which side I want to join.
I never really liked his friends and I doubt they're good wizards. I don't trust them, and most importantly Tom. His eyes were sparkling as he was talking. It sounded like part of his plan to keep me on a close watch.
I must refuse.
"I'll think about it." I finally say.
"You have till tomorrow evening. Alright, meeting adjourned." he says as quickly after we're all out of the shack past the snake and into the forbidden forest.
As we make our way back to Hogwarts, Tom and I travel in the back of the pack as the rest speed walk forward.
"Tom, how come back there, when we were just entering the shack grounds, you had to tell the snake to let us through? I heard you say that he was your "dear friend". What was all that about?" I ask him softly as I look up to see his face.
His facial expression sort of tightens. He shuts his eyes and re-opens them. Then turns to me and says, "You-you understood? This must be a mistake." He pauses then starts again to answer my previous question, "April, some questions are better not answered. Now moving on."
He still didn't answer my question. Instead he just changed the subject. Oh Tom, out of all the confusing events that have happened to me this year, you're by far the most confusing, but yet one of my favorite.
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Hello my lovely readers!
Thank you for reading this far and I'm so happy you enjoy it!
I haven't started writing the next chapter yet so please be patient and I'll try my hardest to get the next chapter out and we'll be one chapter closer to the end! :D you know you're nervous for what's going to happen... ;) I know I am! Still deciding on how to end it though.
Anyway! Don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT if you'd like to keep me motivated to write more. (srsly tho...)
And thank you to all who HAVE BEEN voting and commenting. It means A LOT. :)
On other matters, HAPPY SUMMER!
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