"Those
Who
Are
Heartless,
Once
Cared
Too
Much."
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Music was all around the room. It was definitely not like the pixie music Tom and I danced to, but it was close.
I closed my eyes for a quick second to take in the exciting setting.
"You did such a great job!" exclaimed Amber.
"Yeah, it looks nice." remarked calmly Zach.
"Thanks," I say as I smile to both of them.
We were one of the first people there so we just lightly chatted as we watched more and more people enter.
Angel and Joci were pointing at all the cute guys and rating them, while Alex and Zach chatted in the corner.
Meanwhile Amber and I stood next to Angel and Joci also rating guys from scales of 1-10, because hey, we had nothing better to do as we waited.
"Oh definitely a 9..." Whispered Angel as she pointed her finger toward a tall, slim blonde guy who had just walked in through the big wooden doors.
"Eh...not anything more than an 8.5." whispered Joci back.
I squinted to get a better look at the boy who was surrounded by a bunch of chatty Ravenclaw girls and I tapped Amber's shoulder immediately.
"Hey Amber, we know him! It's that Ravenclaw prefect!" I exclaimed.
The prefect who's name was Max, the prefect who had caught is an brought us to Dumbeldore's office that night we were checking out the old potion's classroom.
Amber looked over to the direction I was pointing to.
"Max!" she said as she smirked at me.
I immediately returned the smirk to Amber.
We stand around for about five more minutes and the hall was completely packed. McGonnagal announced for everyone to find a dancing partner as soon as possible before the ball officially began.
My eyes searched the room for Riddle, but he was no where to be found!
I was on my tippy toes and my head was tilted back, as I tried to spot Tom Riddle, and suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I slowly turned around to see a tall, skinny boy with blonde hair. His hair was neatly combed, and he looked well groomed.
"Hey, if it isn't Miss April? You look quite exquisite tonight," he says with a soft laugh.
'Actually, it's Aurora. But no need for you to know, you handsome, nosy, teacher's pet.' I say inside my head.
"Nice seeing you too Max," I reply smoothly making sure my tone was as slick as possible.
"Woah, how did you know my name? And yes, I suppose it is nice for you to see me again." He replied as he looked down at me and then smirked.
Woah. Cocky much? This guy's ego is greater than I thought.
"I'm not stupid, " I said in defense as I placed both my hands on my waist.
"Never said you were," he said cooly as he stared into the distance. Then He rubbed the back of his head, looked down at the floor, then back up at me.
I opened my mouth to speak again but I was cut off.
"Hey anyways, I was going to ask you if you wanted to dance with me." He says as he holds his breath till I answer.
I peek from the corner of my eyes to see what my friends were doing, to see if anyone would rescue me.
Not that I don't think Max isn't a good person...but Dancing with him wasn't what I planned...thats all.
Everyone, including Amber and the rest was already paired up with someone, so I basically I was left stranded, all by myself.
"Erm, yeah, sure," I nodded.
He let out his breath and smiled from relief.
I returned his smile and we started walking toward the front where everyone else who had a partner stood.
I felt the evil glares from the girls who were surrounding him earlier. I felt their eyes stay on the two of us. Yikes.
As our elbows were linked, I noticed how firm his arms were...this could only be result of exercise and fitness...and maybe a bit of the nerves. I looked at him and innocently asked, "Do you play quidditch?"
"Uh...yeah... I used too. Why?" He said with a hint of concern.
"No reason." I said as I turned to look at McGonnagal again. So 'Mr. Big ego was an athlete...how charming.
Soon the room went from single persons to pairs and everyone was laughing and smiling. For some whatever reason though, even though all my friends were around me and I had linked arms with a total hottie, and I should feel amazing.... I felt so...alone.
My head was foggy and I felt my stomach rumble as it turned and twisted.
'Why isn't Tom here?'
'Did something happen?'
McGonnagal spoke none audible words, and almost immediately after ballroom music sprang into the air.
Max turned to me and we quickly connected as he swung me around.
We were swaying back and forth as our feet glided along the marble floor.
The whole time my mind was preoccupied on Tom. As my the tip of my chin rested on Max's shoulder my eyes were searching through the crowd as I looked for him with no sign of him.
"Are you alright?" He said with a hint of concern.
"Yeah, just thinking that's all. Why?" I lift my face to look at him on the eye.
"Nothing you just... you're awfully quiet." He replies.
"Oh, sorry." I say as I snap out of trying to look for Tom. I mean, if he wanted to dance with me he would have showed up right?
'He doesn't care about YOU'
'He cannot love, why can't you understand that...just give up'
Says the annoying voice in my head.
I shake those thoughts away as I ask Max another question.
"Hey Max why did you want to dance with me?"
"I don't see why it could matter," he says uncomfortably.
"I mean look at all the girls from Ravenclaw who were crowding around you and I'm sure they're not the only ones. Why did you choose me over them? I mean you barely know me!" I gasp.
"Well, I needed a date and you seemed to be looking for a date as well so I asked you." He said still rubbing the back of his head adorably.
"Oh ok," I end the conversation but he starts another one.
"So... you seem to be friends with Riddle, is that right?"
Is this what all this is about?
"Well we're not really friends- wait, where did you get that idea?"
"I don't know, you know you guys worked on the ballroom after all... so I supposed you knew him. You do know him? Right?" he questioned.
"Yeah, I know who he is."
"Well, if you haven't been warned yet, I just wanted to tell you, he's not friend material. You can't trust him. Sure he may be the magnet that attracts everyone but he has schemes up his sleeve. He's not normal."
At that I got furious.
"No one is normal." I say gritting my teeth.
"True, but that's not what I meant, you have every right to not want to listen to me, but know I just want you safe-" I cut him off.
"Listen. I can take care of myself thank-very-much. And I don't need you to watch over me. Plus I know what I'm doing!" I protest.
"Alright, no need to get angry."
We continued dancing as the song came to an end, and there was a few minutes of rest.
I felt a fire at the pit of stomach. Who does he think he is?! Telling me who to befriend and who not to!
Max and I head for the drinks.
"Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to upset you back there. You're right, you can take care of yourself. I should 't have said anything. Please don't be angry with me."
I laughed softly at his apology.
"Yeah it's all chill, I just, you know... I kinda get angry sometimes when-" he cuts me off as he touches my arm, smiles, and says in a handsome voice, "I know." I smiled back at him.
At least he's understanding.
"Hey no more frowns, let's go enjoy this ball!" he says to me.
"Yeah!Lets go. Hey have you met my friends yet?"
We strut over to a little circle of people who were chatting away.
"Hey guys!" I cheer as I wave.
"Who's that?" asks Alex.
"This is Max everyone, some of you may already know him," I wink at Amber.
"Hey my name's Angel," Angel sashays over to greet him.
Can this girl ever let an opportunity to flirt get passed her?
As everyone introduces themselves, I glance the room to see if I see signs of Tom anywhere.
Aha! My eyes landed on him right away. There, past Max's shoulder, in a small hidden away corner, sat Riddle. He was chatting with the other 'death eaters' including that horrid Bellatrix. I kept my gaze at her. She was wearing a dark green dress and her hair was crazy curly, kin of giving her that maniac hair-do look. I'm not exactly sure why that every time I see that girl with him, it makes me want to strangle her until she begs for mercy...though I'm not at all violent.
He didn't notice that I was looking straight at him and his posse.
Suddenly, his head tilt towards us, well me specifically, and we made direct eye contact within 20 feet. He kept a calm expression, but I could tell he wasn't very happy for some whatever reason. Ha! He thinks he could keep his feelings hidden from me? Well, guess not anymore! After we had made eye contact for about 30 sec, he smirked at me and casually turned his head back towards the rest of the death eaters and started conversation as of he had not seen me or anything. He also looked rather annoyed and frustrated for some reason. A chill was sent down my spine. I mean If he wanted to dance with me he would've asked me, right?
Anyways, now that I know Riddle is here, and in other words, safe from harm and bringing harm...I can finally enjoy myself for whatever is left of tonight! Tom's alright, no need for me to worry.
No Tom Riddle business tonight. No siree.
Suddenly rock music spurred into the air, and the dance floor opened up, let the fun begin!
-/---/------//------------////--------
After a long time being on the dance floor, jumping and swinging to the beat, I was gasping for breath as I laughed at Alex's last joke.
We all crowded at the drinking station.
After gulping down 3 glasses of ice cold lemonade, feeling much refreshed, I turned to walk toward the rest of the gang.
Max had surprisingly wanted to stay with us for the whole time. I thought he would desert us after a few minutes but no, apparently everything was working out great, everyone getting along. I was filled to the rim with excitement. Tonight has been so so fun. All the way from dancing with my girlfriends to making up jokes and laughing with Max. Personally, I think he's a great addition to our group of friends.
I met some of his friends too. There were these two other guys who joined us who were also from Ravenclaw.
One was Jerry, who was a ginger boy with freckles that spread all over his face, and then Nick, light brown haired boy. They were both quite nice. We all got along wonderfully.
I release a big sigh of relief when I walk back and see them all happy. That's one things about me, seeing others happy, make me happy.
There's loud rock music everywhere and over all the loud booming I hear Angel shout to me.
"Hey April, Joci needs to go the bathroom, so we're going with, and the guys will just wait outside! Jerry says there's this totally awesome and quiet area outside the hallway of the girls bathroom and we can all go and hang over there where it's much quieter!"
I stand there and look at everyone for a second then I shrug and nod and think what could it hurt?
So all 9 of us strut out the big doors of the ballroom and head towards the hallway that leads to the garden or whatever as we girl plan to make a quick stop at the bathroom.
We make a final turn right and I notice that the garden is located near the only bathroom that I don't want to go in. The one Myrtle is in. The five guys just stand across from the bathroom as they patiently, quietly chatted among themselves.
The second we enter, I notice that something is wrong.
As Joci runs towards a bathroom stall, I stand frozen in front of the split hand washing stations as they reveal the same dark path to the underground place Tom took over.
'Come on Joci hurry up!'
As I stare down in utter shock Amber and Angel stand behind me and they stare in shock as well.
"April..." Amber begins.
"Hey you guys! Come in here quickly!" Angel shouts.
Alex and Zach hurry in.
"What's wrong?" Alex gasps as he is short on breath.
We all turn our heads toward the big gap that was between the sinks.
A big "O" appeared on Alex's mouth.
We all just stood there for a couple of seconds thinking about what to do.
We can't go in. We just can't.
Tom is probably there....but he can't be...he was at the ball...or maybe he forgot to close the entrance after he exited.
'I must convince them to not go in, to go to the garden... Which reminds me, where are Max, Jerry, and Nick?'
"What happened to Max and the others?" Amber beats me to ask the question.
I swear we probably have a mental connection or something.
"They left for the garden. We decided to wait for you guys THEN meet up with them." Zach says.
I nod quickly.
'Why is Joci taking so long?!'
"Joci!" I shout just as she opens the door to her stall an comes out.
"What?" she asks as she gets closer to out semicircle of confused faces.
"What is this?" she asked pointing to the big, dark hole that was before us.
"We d- don't know." asnwers Amber.
"Well? Where's your Gryffindor spirit? Let's jump and find out!" Joci exclaims.
I quickly blurt, "I don't think it's safe. Let's just go. The rest are waiting for us."
"I agree with April," Amber nods.
One of these days I have to find a way to tell them my real name...It's getting rather weird for me now when they call me April.
Joci sighs, "Oh alright, but we could've had a little fun and adventure!"
I highly doubt that.
Just as we were all turning to leave, we hear a scream, a familiar scream, coming from the big dark hole in the center. Couldn't quite remember whose though. It was then followed by silence. Then another shriek...but from a different owner this time.
Creepy right? Not to mention frightening. You should've seen the terrified looks on all our faces.
"Guys. There. Is. Someone. Down. There." says Angel through her gritted teeth.
I give a look to Amber to see if she was following along. Was the scream familiar to her ears as well? Or have I gone completely insane?
Amber's face is fear stricken just like the rest. She only stared down to the brick ground, her eyes wide open...
'Sometimes in life, you have to make the decision between what is easy, and what is right, and in this life, we cannot just leave someone like that. We could just leave all this for someone else to figure out, and just go along dancing and partying like the rest of the school, but no. I don't want to regret the chances I didn't take.'
There is only one solution here.
We can't just walk away. Especially not with the horrified expressions currently inhabiting their faces.
There is only one solution here... and I think we all have come up with the same idea and solution.
One last glance at all their faces and then I look down and say, "Okay. Let's do this."
We all slowly turn and resume our places in a semicircle, and one by one, we jump.
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A/N
Hullo! Sorry it took me so long to update, SOO MANY THINGS have been happening I couldn't find the time to write! Hope you can forgive me. 😔
Plus it was super hard to write considering how my thumb got stuck in a car door! Then it got all bruised and the nail is dead and it got swollen and now I'm waiting for the new nail to grow...no big deal.
Anywho, I hope you guys liked this chapter! And can you BELIEVE IT?
SUMMER IS PRACTICALLY OVER! School starts in like 2 weeks for me! Had a fantastic summer and so sad it had to end so quickly! :(
But there's a wonderful year ahead for all of us!
Oh and I was SO DELIGHTED BY ALL YOUR ÜBER WONDERFUL COMMENTS!
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!! I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!! <3 <3 <3
Also, my first story/fan fic on wattpad (Cato+Clove Hungergames...) yeah! It got 10k reads last night! Woohoo!
Again, thank you so much for all your votes and positive feed back!
Don't forget to VOTE & COMMENT! <3
Till the next chapter...
Chao!