"Tom! Tom!" Emily rushed to his dormitory. She knocked on the stone wall, hoping he would open it. No one answered and she knocked again, even if she could use the password.
A girl opened the door. Emily recognised her at once. It was the transfer student from Ilvermorny, the American wizarding school. She was indeed beautiful with her tanned complexion.
"Well well, look who's here. Looking for Tom, I suppose?" she drawled. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail and she had a silver locket of a snake hanging around her neck.
"You're... Olivia, right?" Emily asked, fidgeting with her bracelet.
"That's obviously me," the slytherin girl gave her a cold smile and looked down at her bracelet.
"Are you - are you close with Tom?" the words came out so sudden that Emily was shocked herself too. She had been thinking this idea for a couple of times and hadn't really gotten a proper answer.
"Me? I must say, I'm playing hard to get. He's been chasing me around, flirting and all - just to get me in his group of friends. Of course we do fight sometimes... But we end up.. Doing the opposite. I rarely gave it his way," Olivia examined her fingernails.
"O-oh.. I see.." she bit her bottom lip and she felt her bracelet pulled out of her wrist.
"This looked so childish on you," Olivia took it and brushed her fingers on the cheap metal.
"Hey! Could you give that back? My father gave it to me.." she quickly stretched her hand out.
"Your father? How sweet. I think it's a miracle that you're a pureblood witch. Purebloods are mostly rich," Olivia spunned the bracelet on her forefinger in amusement.
"My father died," and she immediately closed her mouth after saying it out loud.
"Oh, did he?" she said surprisingly, with no trace of sympathy in her voice.
"Yes, and I don't need you to rub it in my face. You don't know what it's like," she felt her fingers trembled as she spoke quietly.
"And what makes you think that I care?" Olivia send her a sharp glance,"It's just your father. You don't even know him. It's pathetic."
"I know that he loves me and my mom very much. I've never seen it, but I felt it, and you know what? I give you my greatest sympathy of all people, for love is something that you could not have," she blurted out.
Olivia slapped her harshly that it left a burning red mark on Emily's face." Don't you ever lecture me about love. And mind you, you're going to waste that stupid, foolish one you keep for Tom. He doesn't love you back, no matter how much you try. You know him even lesser than you think," and she threw the bracelet on the ground, vaporizing it into pieces till it was all gone.
"No!" Emily had screamed and tried to save the piece of polished metal, but it was left nothing except for soot and dust. She scraped the ground and sank to her knees. It was the only thing that was left by her father for her.
"Don't come near to the heir of slytherin. To be honest, I do enjoy the attention that he gives me," Olivia whispered in her ear dangerously and went back to her dormitory.
Emily sobbed, tears threatening to spill out from her eyes. There was only the sound of students walking past her and the cold air tingling at her skin.
"Emily - what's happened? Emily?" Julia rushed to her, hauling her up by her arms as she sniffled.
"M-my bracelet.. Its gone," she choked after she spoke.
"What? Oh dear, let's bring you back to the common room. Connor would make you some coffee and we'll get you change into your sleeping clothes, all right? Sounds good?"
She nodded her head, her eyes still gazing onto the ground where her bracelet had perished.
"Come now.. You can tell us the story near the fireplace..."Julia massaged her back comfortably and helped her walk as she kept stumbling.
*******
" Here's your pink gown.. "Rebecca handed it to her, helping her get dress as her cheeks were tear stained and her eyes were swollen.
She sat down on the comfortable armchair near the windowsill and smiled at Connor who handed her a cup of irish coffee. Emily had apolagised throughly to him after she had left him alone, sprawling on the grass. He forgave her in a second and blamed it all on Tom Riddle instead, which Emily couldn't help but feel the same way a little.
"So tell me, what in Merlins name are you crouching on the floor, bawling your eyes out?" Julia said sternly.
"I was looking for Tom -"
"Tom Riddle again? Merlin's arse, why is it him again?" Connor balled his fists and hissed at her.
"Connor let her finish her story, all right?" Chloe snapped at him and turned her pair of worried eyes to her.
"Well then - you all know who Olivia is, right?"
The three of them nodded their heads, already know where it was going.
"She slapped me and broke -"
"Slapped you? I'll find her this instance!" Connor got off his chair and marched out the dormitory, and Emily had to follow him in her nightgown.
"Wait, it doesn't matter! Please don't go look for her, Connor, please!" she pulled his charcoal jumper back and he turned around abruptly, squeezing her shoulders tightly.
"I have to. Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Haven't you lost enough already for him?" he shouted, tightening his grip.
Her face fell. "I - I don't k-know...please I - I really don't know.."
He let go of her and marched to the dungeons, where Emily struggled to keep pace with him. Her legs weakened as she saw the sight of Tom and his friends. Her day couldn't get any worse.
"Connor, please don't!" she shouted again, trying to snap his attention back to her worried voice but it just drew more attention.
"Where's Deceknrof?" Connor snarled Olivia's last name, glaring hatefully at the all the amused slytherins.
"Looking for me?" she stepped out from the crowd, watching him with slight interest.
"You really are a bloody arse! You'll pay for laying your filthy hand on Emily!" he raised his hand but Connor had forgot that she was a powerful dueller, and a fist couldn't possibly beat her that easily.
She waved her wand and he was struck backwards, his back landing on the cold floor. Emily let out a scream and rushed to him, clutching his warm hands, but Connor pulled himself back up, making an attempt to strike Olivia.
She had already raised her wand but Tom grabbed hold of her arm and forced her to lower it, which she stubbornly didn't want to listen. He gave her a warning glare and she muttered something under her breath.
"Oh I almost forgot about this bloody git too, eh? Would you like to try this?" Connor charged and Emily hugged him from the back, determined to stop him from doing anything stupid again, but his large hand accidentally hit backwards.
The sound enough had made everything stop. The furious hufflepuff, the amused prefect, and Olivia who was still cursing had raised her eyebrows. The dungeons was once again silence.
There was a thick drop of liquid sliding at the corner of her mouth and it dropped from her chin to the ground. Then there was another drop. And another drop.
"Emily! I'm sorry!" Connor's hostile personality had shut down and he quickly cupped her face.
She shook her head violently, still begging him to stop attacking the slytherins so stupidly.
Her tears slided down her face and Connor went alarmed. "I'll bring you to the infirmary, you're going -"
"I'll be bringing her," Tom walked up to them.
"She doesn't need you anymore. You're just a one big bad influence in her life. I know what you've been doing - all sorts of bad things..."Connor helped her up and she avoided eye contact with Tom.
He chuckled,"Marshall, Marshall.. Don't you ever think that perhaps you're a bit thinking this your own way? What would the professors think, hm?"
"Oh I know what they'll say -" He started bickering but Emily pulled his sleeves, silent tears sliding down her cheeks.
"Please.."
Connor seemed to forgot the prefect in front of him and quickly helped her balance on her feet.
Tom pulled her arm back, "You're following me."
She was speechless for a moment, having two person wanting to help her and she looked at Connor, who already looked like he lost the battle.
Emily pulled her hand back. "Connor can help me, Tom. You're busy, right? I'll be fine by my own."
He looked up in surprise, "You're with me?"
She smiled and nodded her head, "Come on... I need to get my jaw heal.." and she allowed him instead to escort her. Tom stood there, his teeth clenched tightly.
"Ooh, feeling rejected, Tom?" Olivia came up behind him, snickering.
He didn't replied. Somewhere deep inside, he knew she was starting to distrust him, until she lose all hope in her love, leaving him alone. But Tom was meant to be alone, by himself, and she just happened to be an extra piece he neglected.