"Okay, now you are just being childish."
Maybelle was pulling her incredibly heavy trunk towards the train that was waiting for the students. It was finally the holidays and she just could not wait to get a good night's sleep on her own bed. She was even excited to meet Cerebus, who had grown quite a lot, after such a long time.
But one thing bothered her. It was like that small spike stuck in your thumb that you want to ignore but can't stop itching it every now and then.
Yeah, her and Tom's childish fight felt something like that. Maybelle had realised that the Slytherin boy had become a good friend of her, whether he liked it or not. He had been ignoring her entire existence since the little stunt she pulled yesterday at Hogsmeade.
If it was someone else, she wouldn't even try to talk with them anymore. But Tom's behaviour suddenly mattered a lot, and she was scared of that. She never wanted to get attached to the boy.
But due to some twisted fate, he was the first one she became close with. At first, coming to this reality was just a fantasy for her, a simple bargain. But as she was growing closer to Tom and learning to care for him, the mission just became something more personal.
"Be a gentleman and help me with this trunk, would you?!" She huffed behind him but as usual, he ignored.
"It's your fault, you know? I had to break through that glass window for you and you didn't even heal my arm properly. I....think...it's bleeding...." She trailed off as she felt hot liquid drenching her Hogwarts robes.
Yep, definitely bleeding.
Suddenly, her heavy trunk started levitating.
"Thanks," she mumbled while rubbing her aching wrists. She followed him into the train where he placed both their trunks in the storage compartment.
She knew sitting with her was the last thing he would do. So, she didn't even bother asking him. She pushed past him to find a quiet compartment, which was almost impossible.
After inspecting a few, she finally found a very quiet one and slid the door open. A frown immediately made its way onto her face when she spotted a boy seated in one corner with his nose buried in a book.
Maybelle cleared her throat awkwardly to gain his attention. Unfortunately, the boy jumped in fear and dropped his book. Maybelle finally took a glance at his face and a thought occurred to her.
He looks like a puppy!
The girl grinned internally and rushed to pick his book up for him.
"I'm sorry about that," she apologized, "Can I sit here? Only if it would not bother you. All the other compartments are full already."
She could see the boy hesitating for a while. After an awkward minute, he nodded and went back to reading his book after retrieving it from her.
"Thank you," she said politely and slid the door behind her.
She sat opposite the boy and took out her own book from her satchel. It was a horror story. She was really into the plot.
A comfortable silence engulfed the compartment like a warm blanket. Maybelle completely zoned out for an hour or two and was brought back by the familiar jingle of the chocolate cart.
"Anything you want children?" The lady who was pushing the cart peeked through the door and smiled at the duo.
Maybelle jumped from her seat and went to inspect the cart immediately. She picked up some cake pops and a chocolate frog when she noticed the other boy was staring at the food longingly. She pursed her lips and bought some more things before paying some galleons to the lady.
She muttered a thank you and slid the doors shut to see the boy was back to reading his book.
Maybelle scratched her messy hair, trying to figure out a way to offer him the snacks. When nothing came to her mind, she shrugged and flopped down beside him.
The boy got startled before he removed his book and glanced at her. She flashed him a blinding grin before holding up the food, "I got carried away and brought too much you see. Care to help me finish these?"
"I...I don't think I should..." The boy trailed off.
"I insist," Maybelle pressed and decided to give him her best puppy dog face. The boy pursed his lips before giving out a sigh and grabbing a cake pop from her.
"I'm Le- Maybelle. Nice to meet you," she introduced herself, nearly saying her real name. She offered her hand to him to shake.
He gave her a confused look, "You can call me Peter."
He gulped and took her hands carefully before pressing his lips against her knuckles.
Maybelle raised a brow at him.
"I...I'm sorry! I thought you wanted me to...I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Peter stuttered.
Maybelle almost cooed at how adorable he was. Her eyes fell on the Hufflepuff emblem on his robes. Quite odd that she had never seen him around before.
He had curly brown hair that looked almost as messy and unkempt as hers. Only, he looked good and she looked like she had a fight with a crow. His warm brown eyes were full of innocence and his lips seemed to have a natural pout.
"You did no such thing, Peter," she smiled to assure him. He seemed to relax at that.
"I never saw you during my classes with Hufflepuff. Are you perhaps, from a different year?" She asked.
Peter opened his mouth to answer but soon realised that his mouth was full of food. He chewed on the delicious sweet in a hurry.
"I'll be in the sixth year," he mumbled, trying his best to hide the blush of embarrassment.
"Oh! So, you are my senior? I'll be in my fifth year if I pass..." She trailed off with a frown.
Peter faced her with a questioning look.
"My exams didn't go very well," she stated with a shrug.
"Do you face difficulty in any subjects? I could help you," Peter offered.
Maybelle immediately remembered Tom's angry face. She didn't want Peter to go through the trouble.
"Thank you. But you don't need to. I cannot be helped."
"That is not true," he frowned.
Can I just squish his cheeks?
"You are a Ravenclaw. You cannot be that bad," he tried to reason.
Maybelle patted his back," Thank you for your concern, Peter. I bet you will be a great prefect next year."
The boy finally gave her a smile. His eyes squinted and his cheeks gained a deeper colour.
"You think so?"
"I know so," she nodded.
Maybelle suddenly became serious which made the boy frown again.
"You have to promise me one thing though, Peter," she stated.
"Wh-what?"
"Promise me that you won't do anything if you see me sneaking out after curfew."
Peter was stunned for a few seconds.
"Are you serious?" He asked. Maybelle nodded.
He shook his head and chucked at her antiques.
"I promise."
"Great! You are now my favourite person in the world," she exclaimed before munching on a chocolate bar.
"Tha- thank you. That is the first time someone ever said that to me," he mumbled sadly.
Maybelle stopped chewing.
"Peter, are you alright?"
The boy nodded but didn't appear very convincing. A warm hand was placed on his shoulder as he met the strange girl's eyes. He expected to see sympathy and pity but all he saw was his own reflection.
"You can tell me, Peter. Do I have to beat anyone up?" She asked seriously.
Peter broke into a soft grin before shaking his head.
"I just don't want to go back home," he whispered, afraid that his voice would crack.
He closed his eyes, trying to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. It was odd how he never dared to tell anyone about his secrets but decided to share it with a complete stranger.
"Let it all out, Peter," Maybelle said and scooted closer to him. Even though he was clearly taller than the girl, he appeared so weak and vulnerable. She removed her hand from his shoulder and decided to take his hand into her. She drew soothing circles on them in order to calm him down.
The boy suddenly broke into tears. Being the awkward girl she was, she didn't know what to do. So, she let him cry. Not once did she leave his hand, not even when his grip became unbearably strong with his emotions flooding down like tears.
When he finally calmed down, he gathered the courage to speak.
"I...I am the only child in my family. As far as I can remember, I had a complicated childhood. My mother and father never cared for me. They are quite rich...if I am being honest. But I have only three sets of clothes..." He trailed off.
"What do they do? Are they part of the Ministry of Magic?" She asked. She needed to know. He was clearly facing problems at home. Maybelle might be a selfish person but seeing Peter like that, she realised that no one deserved to be treated that way.
"No. They are traders. You might have heard of the Williams?" Peter asked.
Maybelle widened her eyes. She indeed had heard of the name. In fact, it was very familiar. The Williams had been trying to join their business with the Wrights for a very long time.
She managed to nod. Peter still didn't know who she was and she wanted it that way. If he came to know that they were practically enemies, he might not share his problems with her.
"My father is a scary man. I try not to be in his way. But if he would get angry at anything, he would....he would take it out on me. He would whip me with his belt and call me names. I try to please him but nothing ever makes him happy," he said. His tears were once again flowing like a river.
Maybelle unconsciously wiped them off of his cheeks. He didn't seem to mind but tried his best to feel the warmth radiating from her.
"It was just last year when I came to know their secret. They were being unbelievably loud in their room. I was hiding under my blankets, pretending to sleep. That was when I heard my mum say that... that I was not their child," he paused.
Maybelle frowned at the revelation.
"Hey, it's okay to be adopted. Even I -"
"I was not adopted," he interrupted making her tilt her head in confusion.
"My mother is actually my aunt. She is my real mum's sister. I- I heard her saying that she regretted taking me. But she had to do it for her own sake," he stuttered.
"What do you mean?"
There was a long pause. Something felt wrong. She could suddenly feel that the boy was not sad. He was angry. His grip became unbearably tight and veins popped on his neck.
"She killed my parents, Maybelle. She wanted the business to herself. As I was the sole heir to my family's property, she took me in," he struggled to maintain his normal voice.
Maybelle just gaped at him, not knowing what to say.
••••••••••••••••
Tom Riddle was seated in a compartment along with his Slytherin followers. He had finally gotten rid of that annoying girl but was accompanied by the Slytherin princess herself.
Olivia Smith was a smart girl, no doubt. But Tom's clear rejections seemed to fly over her head as she sat just beside him, almost on his lap.
"Tom, you have been ignoring me for the past hour," she whined while rubbing her chest against his biceps. It took every ounce of power in him to not snap her neck at once.
"Tell me. What are you planning for Christmas? I saw you with that messy-haired girl in Hogsmeade," she snapped.
"I plan on doing absolutely nothing, Smith."
"Why don't you come over to my place. You will certainly enjoy your stay," she said and bit her lips seductively.
"I would love to but there are not many places you can go when you stay at an orphanage, Smith," he said through his gritted teeth.
Olivia completely ignored his statement. She leaned her head against his shoulder and started drawing circles on his thighs.
That was the last straw. He stood up from his seat abruptly before glaring down at the annoying girl.
"Excuse me," he spat out and stormed out of the suffocating place.
His heavy footsteps could be heard over the hustle and bustle of the train. But when the boy heard a very familiar voice inside one of the compartments, his steps came to a halt.
"You...you would do that for me?" Tom heard another voice ask.
"Why not?" Maybelle's voice chirped.
"I...I don't know. I do not think I'm worth your while."
Tom raised a questioning eyebrow. As far as he knew, Maybelle was not someone who would speak to random people. But he had never heard that voice before.
"That is the complete bull shizzle!" Maybelle exclaimed. Tom rolled his eyes hearing her speak her alien language.
"What?" The unknown boy asked with a light chuckle.
"What I mean to say is that never think that you are worthless," Maybelle said softly.
"You are worth everything and more, Peter."
Tom just stood there, waiting for the boy to answer. When he heard absolutely nothing, he slid the door open. What he saw made him feel something he had never felt before.
Maybelle had her thin arms wrapped around a boy's neck who in turn had his face buried in the crook of her neck. When neither of them acknowledged his presence, Tom cleared his throat loudly.
He expected them to just pull apart and push each other away. But Maybelle merely turned her head to see him standing there. Not even bothering to hurry, she slowly let go of the boy. She even wiped a few remainings of his tears making Tom scoff in silence.
"How can I help you?" Maybelle asked coldly. She suddenly remembered their previous argument and was giving him the cold shoulder.
"I was just wondering if the compartment was free. But I can clearly see that you have been busy."
"Glad your eyes are still functioning properly, Riddle," Maybelle deadpanned.
Tom glared at the boy when he heard him stifling his laughter. Before he could just explode, he stormed out. He slammed the door behind him and decided to walk away but not before hearing those two voices talk about him.
"I shouldn't have laughed at him," Peter sounded sorry.
"He will get over it. Trust me, I know," Maybelle assured making Tom want to barge in and throw a curse at her.
"He seemed pretty intimidating. Almost scary," Peter whispered the last part.
There was a short pause. Tom strained his ears to hear Maybelle's response.
"He might appear like that. But deep down inside, he is very caring, a complete gentleman and loves chocolate chip cookies."
That was the last thing Tom heard before walking away. He found another place to sit with some junior Slytherins who took off somewhere after seeing his presence.
He just sat by the small window thinking about Maybelle's opinion about him. Not once in his life did he see himself as a caring person. He might have healed her injuries quite a few times but that was to avoid any suspicions.
He knew he was a gentleman. He needed to be one to keep up the golden-boy reputation. But every time he faced the girl, his façade always faded away. He either scolded her or ignored her in all occasions. He did not even pay for the food. So, why was he a gentleman in her eyes?
As for the fact of loving chocolate chip cookies, he would surely murder her for revealing his secret. He did find the food quite appetising. Especially for a particular person who used to steal it for him every night and leave it beside his bed.
And just like that, the heir of Slytherin fell asleep with his mind roaming around Maybelle and his Leo, not knowing that they were the same person. He was so close yet so far.
••••••••••••••••
Tom's eyes fluttered open when he felt someone shaking him lightly. They fell on two warm brown orbs looking impatient.
He might have been still half asleep as he could not take his eyes off her. Her cheeks were puffed up. Something she did when she was either angry or just thinking.
Loose locks of silky raven hair fell on her cheeks. Her pink lips parted, releasing the air she was holding in and Tom was hit with the smell of chocolates. His name rolled out of her tongue like a soft melody. The golden sun that was shining through the open window fell on her, making her glow like magic.
The moment was simply perfect.
And it scared Tom. He was never the one to overanalyze facial features. So, he blamed it on his incomplete sleep.
He furrowed his eyebrows when Maybelle cupped his cheeks and pushed them until his lips formed a pout.
"Tom! Snap out of it or I swear I will kiss you!"
The words finally registered in his mind as his eyes widened. He pushed her away out of reflex, making her fall back on the seat.
"When will you ever stop saying such informal statements, Wright?" He dusted his robes while scolding her.
"Be glad I woke you up. Or you would be stuck in the train," she snapped back.
"It is better than going back to that wretched orphanage," Tom muttered.
Maybelle let out a quiet sigh, "You should come to my house for Christmas."
"I am quite content with staying in my room and reading," he replied before opening the door and walking out.
Maybelle followed shortly after him.
"Tom..." She called out once the duo retrieved their trunks and stepped out of the train.
The boy glanced down at her. She looked rather guilty of something.
"I am sorry for whatever I did back at Hogsmeade," she mumbled.
Tom didn't reply. So, she found the courage to look up and meet his cold eyes. He was already looking at her.
"You will owl me, right?" She sounded hopeful. She didn't want Zayden to talk all day about his quidditch matches. Her new friend Peter promised to write to her. But Tom's letters mattered the most.
"I'm sure you have other friends for that."
The hopeful look on her face suddenly turned to realisation and then her lips curved into a teasing smirk.
"You are jealous."
Tom frowned, "I can assure you that I am not jealous."
"Oh, you are. I can clearly see it. You are jealous of Peter. Oh you are," Maybelle mocked him in a baby voice.
"Stop that."
Maybelle started teasing him more while poking his ribs. That was when she found out that Tom Riddle was extremely ticklish.
"I said stop that, Wright," he hissed and flinched away when she poked another sensitive spot.
Soon, the girl was literally attacking him with small tickles. His face had gone purple due to the effort of maintaining his bored grandfather's face.
"Tom Riddle is ticklish! What shall I do with this information?" She asked to no one in particular.
Tom suddenly caught both of her hands and pulled her closer.
"You did enough. You are to seal your mouth about this or I will do it for you," he sneered at her face.
Instead of being scared, she bumped her head against his making him hiss in pain. He released his grip immediately and rubbed the aching spot.
"You are completely mental!"
"I know you love me, Riddle," she teased once again, "I think I will come to visit you on your birthday!"
Tom narrowed his eyes, "You will do no such thing."
Before Maybelle could answer, her name was called. She whipped her head to see Helena waving at her like a madwoman. She waved back awkwardly before turning back to her friend.
"I'll see you then, Tom."
Not letting him respond, the girl pulled him into a tight hug.
It was over in a second and she was gone along with her trunk.
The only thing that remained was a longing for her warmth that he hated and wanted at the same time.