Tom wasn't surprise to see a bunch of sour looking kids watched him when he first came back. They all had the looks of terror, jealously, hatred on their faces when they saw him moved back into room twenty seven.
He sensed fear, and he enjoyed it. Knowing that they were muggles and he was someone special, he loved doing tricks to scare them - or perhaps the girl like Amy and the scrawny looking boy, Dennis Bishop.
The other two strong ones like Billy and Eric avoided him, but sometimes Tom made doors behind them slammed loudly and they would freaked out.
He sat cross legged on the old bed that the orphanage provided, and picked Patty up. It opened an eye and nibbled on a teddy bear which lost an eye.
Tom planned to work on with some new spells, when someone barged into his room. Eric threw the door open, looking angry, followed by a timid looking Amy.
"Is it true? Did that stupid cat of yours scratched Amy's leg?"
He looked at the buffy guy in front of him, feeling amused, "I have no control of the cat."
"Oh yes? Well then look at her leg! You've got to heal it!"
Amy whimpered as a trickle of dark blood dribbled down from the long scratches Patty did.
"I was just trying t-to s-see that if it could b-become a human, so I p-pulled its tail -" Amy stammered, breaking down into loud sobs.
"I don't care," Tom waved them away. Eric walked forward and grabbed him so harshly by the sweater that he stood up. He was excepting Tom to cower in fright, but his face remained unafraid, almost enjoying the whole situation.
"Listen, Riddle! I know what you've been doing! You're just a very good prankster, and I don't believe that you're some powerful boy! Magic doesn't exist! and I'm not afraid of you."
Tom smirked. He reached into his pocket, felt the wooden wand, and pulled it out slowly. Eric felt a stick poking his chest and glared at the boy.
"Don't think you can scare me -" he began but jumped a little when the curtains closed tightly by itself and the door slammed shut. Amy and Eric was sure that a lock sound could be heard.
"Pranks! All pranks!" he reassured himself, but his legs were starting to shake.
Amy screamed loudly and Tom turned the direction of his wand at her, muttering silenco, to shut her mouth up.
He jabbed the tip of his wand back into Eric's chest, feeling powerful." Not so brave now, right? Trying to play the knight in shining armour for poor, little Amy. Well look at you, you're helpless like her," he pressed it deeper into his skin, "Now tell me, are you now afraid?"
Eric nodded his head violently, tears brimming his eyes. Tom turned to see the poor girl sitting on the floor, and for a moment he thought he was seeing Emily's watery blue eyes and hesitated.
Tom flicked open a book, scanned through the spells and pointed his wand at their foreheads. "Oblivate," he muttered and they immediately passed out on the floor. That was one of the spells he had wanted to try out and was pleased that it worked out nicely for his first try.
A knock came on the door and Tom made his way downstairs, leaving two daze orphans scratching their heads, wondering why they were laying down. The larch floorboards creaked under him as he walked into the gloomy dining place, the fire barely lit up.
The orphans looked at him, and they shift uncomfortably at his prescene. He sat down and ate the mashed potatoes, biting slowly to not make a noise.
There was a slight pecking on the kitchen windows. The caretaker, Mrs Cole, looked at the owl outside and her mouth hung open.
A girl around nine dropped her crooked, metal spoon and opened the window. She untied the parchment stuck to the owl's leg and held it in her hand. There was also a pretty cardboard box on the other leg.
Tom became impatient. Could that be a letter from Emily? He had just written to Abraxas Malfoy yesterday and wasn't expecting it to come back that early.
"Give it to me," he said coldly to the orphan girl. That girl always bugged him, pleaded him to show her some tricks but he always shoved her away harshly. He didn't even bother to know her name, much less spend time with her.
Her fingers traced the thin paper and held it, reluctant to just give it without taking a little peek.
"Give it to me."
Tom couldn't believe she had the nerve to unscroll the parchment and take a look without his permission. From far away, he saw the elegant curves of Emily's handwriting and immediately grew furious. He gripped tightly around the wooden ladle and behind him on the dish rack, the rusted porcelain rolled and crashed onto the ground.
The sound made everyone flinched. The girl quickly passed the parchment and cardboard box to him, which Tom snatched it eagerly and went upstairs. No one dared to stop him and they all sighed in relief as they heard the door shut.
Mrow! The cat pounced on his pillow, trying to scratch the owl that Emily had given him. It fluttered its wings in desperation and slowly calmed down after Tom fed it some treats.
He unfolded it and murmured the words softly :
Dear Tom,
I've received your letter two days ago, and was very happy to know that you're taking care of Patty well. I hope she didn't caused much trouble other than scratched the wardrobe you had. I can't wait to see you again for the next two weeks! My stepfather had went to Italy to sell one of his valuable items to some wizards, and would not come back until I return to Hogwarts. But the days before he left, he still pokes my back and pulled me by the hair if he wants to - and my mother or Aunt Mary had to yell at him to stop. I can't stand it. I just cried because I accidentally broke the cup out of fear and well, it doesn't matter. I hope you enjoyed your holidays at your home! I missed you a lot. A bit disappointed that I don't have your picture, so I left mine behind this parchment.
P. S How are the clothes? Do they fit? Do update me on Patty because I've started to miss her.
Lots of love,
Emily
Tom smiled and caressed the cat's head. It meowed loudly in protest. He flipped the parchment around and found a picture of her - long brown hair, icy blue eyes, and a coral pink, tent dress. It all fitted nicely in the picture.
He took it and hid it inside his luggage that contained all his Hogwarts items. Tom couldn't denied how pretty she looked, just exactly the way he last saw her at King Cross's Station.
He laid down and rested on his bed, staring at the pale, gray wall. Just two more weeks and he'll get to see her again - along with his other friends and roommates. Tom was getting tired of seeing the other orphans everyday. He decided to shut himself in his room and practice magic - without no one knowing.
Mrow! The cat moved near to him and rested its head on the mattress. He stroked it on its fur again, looking down at it.
"Missed her? I know. I just broke my own promise again. I'm missing her more than I should."