Rose & The Riddle || Tom Riddle Story

Chapter Eighteen - The Grey Lady

Tom Riddle had been lurking the corridors of the school when he heard two familiar voices coming from the opposite direction. He swiftly moved behind a pillar and peered around it until he saw two familiar looking girls making their way towards the kitchens. He was about to make his way over to bust them for being out of the common room after hours until he heard part of their conversation.

"He just infuriates me," said Rose. "Don't use me to get what you want and then toss me aside like I'm nothing, you know?"

"Oh you're completely right," said Mary.

Tom knew they were talking about him and he instinctively rolled his eyes. The only thing worse than hearing two women gossip was listening to them gossip about him. He was also irritated that Rose was speaking about their private life to her friend, although he should have expected nothing less.

Tom deftly sifted through Mary's mind to try and find out exactly what she knew and he was aghast when he saw Rose sitting on the floor sobbing. He tried to make sense of the image as he pulled himself away from Mary's thoughts. Tom had never seen her in such a vulnerable state, and truth be told, he didn't like it. Even more so that he was the reason for it.

The girls rounded the corner and Tom resisted the urge to follow them. He was angry that Rose was confiding in someone who was not him, but he was at least glad that Mary Nott would be able to force her to eat something. Had her physical appearance as of late been because of him as well? He detested the thought.

Tom turned on his heels and made his way down the dimly lit corridors, his mind lost in thought. He was angry for many reasons. 

Firstly, he was angry with himself for being unable to grasp the concept of love. It was such an ambiguous topic; Tom detested things that did not have a concise and clear meaning. How was anyone to understand something if it had no clear definition? It wasn't as if someone could be taught how to love...

Why did Rose seek such validation from him? He had already given her more than he has ever given anyone else. He has shared many intimate moments with her, but yet she desperately wanted him to say the words. 

I love you.

He tested the phrase in his mind, to see how it sounded. It was so foreign. He had seen his classmates fall under love's spell and it was abhorrent. The way they roamed the hallways as if they were the only ones in the entire school. The way they held hands at every given opportunity. Tom scowled as the mere thought disgusted him, however when his mind drifted and he pictured Rose's face, a different feeling overwhelmed him.

That was the second thing he was angry about, the simple fact that he could not comprehend his own feelings towards her. He tried to tell himself that it was merely infatuation and lust, which was the most logical reasoning. However Rose seemed to be under the impression that it was something entirely more. 

Lastly, he was angry with her. Why couldn't she just accept what they have and leave it at that? Why did she have to make a big scene about it and throw a fit like a child? Why did she have to run to her friend and cry about it?

Childish. That's what he concluded. Rose had a lot of growing up to do before she was truly ready to devote herself to the Dark Lord. She needed to set those childish thoughts aside. 

Tom rounded the corner and entered the Room of Requirement after making sure no one had seen him. He stood next to the fireplace, gazing into it continuing his thoughts and growing angrier the more it plagued his brain.

Tom had grown up and lived his entire life without friends or family and he was doing just fine for himself. Rose had been coddled her entire life and has been surrounded by people who have held her back. She feared having authority over others, she was constantly worried about what other people think and most importantly, she constantly doubted herself and her abilities.