Lost | Tom Riddle ✔

Chapter 68

Alexa tucked a strand of her black hairs behind her ear. Then both of her hands found their way back in her lap as her fingers played with one another. Her teeth bit on her bottom lip as chewed it nervously. Her eyes danced around the old, not-so-well maintained room. She squirmed in the old wooden chair to find some non-existing comfortable position. Every little gesture did she make screamed anxiety.

To say she was nervous was an understatement.

She was alarmed.
Hysterical.
Even Neurotic.

Oh, Lex! Calm down. It is not like this is the first time you are in Mrs Booth's office, who would come in anytime now to give you your detention.

Then a drop of sweat traced the column of her neck as her back stiffened.

Helga! It was indeed her first visit to the damn office.

Some people would think that she was being dramatic, but she was a mere girl. A sixteen-year-old who all her life was made to believe that avoidance of problem is their only solution. Well, Alexa knew that keeping eyes open helped, but shutting them down and hoping for the best had always given her a provisional sense of relief. She wasn't lucky enough to have a perdurable warmth that came from having parents and family, but whenever did she close her eyes flashbacks of the moments she spent with hers demolished her fears. A kid in her wanted nothing more than a hug from a caring mother and a pat on a shoulder from a proud father. A sense of belonging somewhere. Anywhere. Maybe that was the reason she grew so attached to Tom. The Prefect, in his own style, had given her that sense, in some very weird way. The way that she had no idea even existed.

She stood up from her uncomfortable seat. Her feet dragged her across the floor of that old office, as her mind started counting her steps in order to avoid a constant contemplation. Her eyes, unfocused, looking at nothing in particular. Her teeth were busy chewing on her lips. Her palms were rubbing together to warm her slightly sweaty hands. Her walking suddenly ceased as her dull brown orbs zeroed on a glittering material. It was peeping out of a partially closed drawer near the back of the room. Curious, her feet, with a mind of their own, narrowed the distance. She threw a wary glance around. Would it hurt to look, her mind wondered for a moment before her fingers pulled on what looked like a golden chain. Covered in a little dust, it was kind of a miracle, how brightly it reflected the light in that dim room. At the end of the chain, there was an hour-glass. Her eyes zoomed on as they came across the design carved on the glass and then they widened as she realized an identity of that artefact. It was a time-turner. An aspiring alchemist in her had always wondered what would it feel like to hold one. And now that she had it in her palm, she couldn't but trace her fingers along its curve as if it would vanish any moment. The fascination with the current situation evaporated the anxiety of her previous one.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of it. She wanted to keep that like a broken record in her mind. So engrossed in it that she didn't even contemplate why the artefact was there, right there, in Mrs Booth's office. The woman, after all, was in no authorized position to possess such an item. So engrossed that her eyes widened when the sudden peace was broken by the sound of footsteps. Panicked, she hastily put the artefact back in its place and shut the drawer. Her head, turned back in the direction of the sound, was too busy to notice that instead of landing in its initial home, the magical item had made itself comfortable in the pocket of her baggy clothes. She returned to her seat and sat down even more uncomfortable than before. She took short breaths trying to calm her beating heart and hide the fact that she was peeping through the things she shouldn't. Was Tom really rubbing off on her? Preparing herself for what was about to come she heard the voice of the last person she expected.

"Snow!"

Her brows furrowed as she turned sharply to look at the intruder. Her confusion was quite clear as she stared down at her unexpected visitor.