Lost | Tom Riddle ✔

Chapter 61

          Tom walked through a corridor. His left hand was holding a small open book as his eyes inspected the words written in it. His right hand was toying with his Phoenix-cored wand. It was a corridor on the third floor which was usually abandoned. Thanks to his Prefect duties; he fairly knew almost every corner of that floor. He was not even bothering to look where he was going. Thus, it was kind of a shock for him when he came across a lean figure sitting near one stone pillar. With its head bent into the book, the figure was completely oblivious to the fact that it was not alone in that corridor anymore.

          "Adrian? What are you doing here?" Tom asked the first-year Slytherin. He pocketed his wand.

          The shock from a sudden intrusion caused the boy to shake. The hold he had on his quill loosened and it landed right where the sixth-year Prefect stood quite dramatically. The senior Slytherin student couldn't help but chuckle. Was clumsiness an integral part of those who shared the blood of Winters? Goldsteins, he corrected himself wordlessly.

          "Oh! Hey Tom," the kid muttered once he composed himself. Well, at least he tried to since his signature pale face was then coloured in his embarrassment. The brown-haired boy stood up from his place and he was about to bend down and pick his quill when Tom stopped the boy and picked it up himself. To be honest, the teenager would have loved to see the younger boy bowing in front of him. It would have definitely endorsed his unhealthy obsession overpower, but at that time in his life, Tom wanted to maintain his good boy facade.

          "Thanks!" Adrian appreciated. His eyes shone from the admiration he felt. Like he wanted to be in Tom's shoes. Like he wanted to be just like an heir of Slytherin. Poor lad! He didn't know how venomous the snake, that he was idealizing, really was. Adrian had no idea how misleading Tom's actions really were. How could he? When even grown-ups like their headmaster Dippet were oblivious to these facts even after knowing that viper for five full years.

            "What are you doing here? Are you alone?" Tom asked the boy. Not bothering with pleasantries, his mind focused on the matters at hand. No one usually bothered coming to the corridor they were in. Maybe it was because it never leads to anything that was a student's concern, but that didn't leave Tom from exploring it. And apparently, it didn't leave Adrian Winters, either.

           "I am studying here alone. No one from my year wants to talk to me." Though he tried his best, his voice broke a little in the end. It was not uncommon for Slytherins, especially pure-bloods, to treat their own kin differently, especially non-pure-bloods. And so, the latter had to work harder when they were in the silver house, to prove their worth. It was something Tom didn't escape from either. However, he had a certain Avery to help him out. And coincidentally, the boy before him had one Avery too. Unlike the previous scenario though, this another Avery was not a solution, but a problem itself. A smirk graced Tom's lips when he recalled one particular night.

*Flashback*

           Tom looked around himself. He was trying to find one particular boy. The dark-headed blue-eyed boy who was quite similar to his one particular pal. He was trying to look for an eleven-year-old Ares Avery. And he had a perfect idea where the latter could be.

           His chocolate orbs landed on a young boy wearing a fitted dress leaning across a wooden door. The boy turned around and his eyes got connected to the most admired pupil of their era. Like any other normal wizard, he was no exception to Riddle charm either.

          "Hey, Tom!"

          "Hello there, Ares!" Tom greeted back. His voice was perfectly calm and collected, hiding absolutely well that he hadn't just come out of his way to meet a younger Avery. Like he hadn't just entered the fifth floor of that ancient castle for the first time, without any Prefect duties.