The Barrier - Tom Marvolo Riddle

33

Silver groaned and opened her eyes. She was still in the Hospital Wing. 

She looked to the window, the sun is setting. It looked beautiful. She looked to her right, Tom was still here, reading his book. He looked up at her, she smiled at him. "Why are you still here? Making sure I'm okay?"

He closed his book and scoffed. "No, it's quiet here." Silver smiled in amusement. "How about the common room? Most of the Slytherins are gone."

"Most." Silver crossed her legs and faced her body to him. "So you'd rather spend time with a muggleborn hufflepuff like me, rather than with pureblood slytherins? Sweet of you." He rolled his eyes and slammed his book on the little table beside him.

Silver leaned her body to the left, trying to catch sight of the matron, but she wasn't there. She leaned back and looked at Tom. He was staring at the sunset. His face was golden from the orange light of the sunset. 

He's such a pretty boy. 

Tom caught her staring at him, he rolled his eyes. 

"What?"

Silver smiled. "You're so pretty." She said. Tom raised an eyebrow at that. She chuckled. "Do you think I'm pretty as well?" She asked jokingly. Tom scoffed. "Not even a little bit." Silver groaned. "That's sad." He crossed his arms. "Too bad then."

"Do you think I'm likeable?" Tom looked at her with annoyance, "Depends on the person, but I think you are very unlikeable. Anyone stupid enough could think you're likeable." Silver rolled her eyes. "Let's just get out of here." She got off her bed slowly, not trying to hurt her arm. Tom stood up and followed after her.

It was cold outside, she shivered a bit, but Tom looked completely fine. He probably had to face the cold every day in his orphanage anyway. Silver felt quite bad for him. They walked side by side, Tom seemed to be in deep thought. 

"What do you want for Christmas, Tom?" 

Tom's head snapped to her. He thought for a bit and sneered. 

"I don't need gifts from you." 

Silver scoffed. "I never said I was going to actually BUY you a gift."

He rolled his eyes. "Nothing, I don't want anything." Silver let out a chuckle. "I never really get gifts, well, in the orphanage of course I got nothing every year, but since I got adopted I started getting gifts, from my parents, which I'm really grateful for." Tom looked annoyed when she said those words. Silver shrugged. "You know what, I think I AM going to buy you a gift, what do you want?"

Tom stopped walking and faced her. "I said, I don't need anything from you." He said that harshly. He walked away from her. Silver sighed and walked to the snow. She sat down and played with the snow a bit.

Silver was humming a tune when she felt a presence behind her. She turned around. 

"Hello there, Silver." 

Silver quickly stood up and smiled. "Hello, Professor Dumbledore." 

He smiled very warmly at her, he's definitely her favorite professor here. "What were you doing here all alone?" He asked. Silver stopped and thought for a second. "I was just strolling around, and decided to play with a bit of snow I guess." She shrugged.

Dumbledore grinned. "I do love snow myself." Silver let out a laugh. Dumbledore looked at her injured arm. He still smiled. "Silver, how are your friends?" Silver ran her fingers through her hair. "I hope they're fine, I mean, they just left." Dumbledore got something from his pocket. A small piece of candy. 

"Would you like some of these?" 

Silver nodded. He gave the yellow candy to her. She unwrapped it and put it in her mouth. It was very sweet, but she liked it.

"And, how's Tom?" 

Silver raised an eyebrow. "He's your friend too, isn't he?" Silver nodded. "Uh, I guess he's fine?" Silver laughed. Dumbledore put his hands behind his back. "Be a little careful, Silver." She tensed, but gave him a small laugh. "Why is that, Professor?" His eyes twinkled. 

"Just... be careful." 

They both knew that something was up with Tom, but they wouldn't admit it. 

Silver smiled. 

"I will Professor."

With that, Dumbledore left her. 

Silver sighed and looked down at the snow. She bit the candy in her mouth and let it dissolve on her tongue. When she looked up, she saw Tom walking towards her. She rubbed her palms together and rolled her eyes. "Why are you here again?"

He stopped right in front of her. "What did that fool ask you?" Silver was taken aback by this. "He asked about my friends." Tom snarled. "What else?" 

Silver scoffed. "What, you think he mentioned you? Narcissist." Tom slapped her. The fuck is wrong with this boy.

Silver rubbed her stinging cheek and looked at Tom. "Do not talk to me like that." He gritted out. Silver stood still and shrugged lazily. She knew he expected her to be angry, but why would she do that? It's just a slap right?  A rude, disrespectful, nasty little slap. She stopped herself from cursing him and walked away to the snow.

Silver stayed outside for an hour. She tried making a snowman, but her mind kept coming back to him. Why can't she be assigned for Fred Weasley? Or maybe Oliver Wood? That would be a dream, and it wouldn't be this hard. She groaned and went back inside the castle. She was freezing, so she took a nice, warm bath.

After her satisfying bath, she went down to the great hall. She sat down in the Hufflepuff table, she was early for dinner. She just stayed there, looking around. Tom came into the great hall. He walked over to Silver. She rolled her eyes. He surprisingly sat next to her.

They didn't talk, a few minutes later the table was filled with food and Silver started to eat. Tom just sat there silently. "Aren't you gonna eat?" Silver asked coldly. Tom looked at her. "I'm not hungry." Silver scoffed. "You're acting like a 7 year old, Tom." Tom rolled his eyes and drank some pumpkin juice.

Silver continued eating, she looked to her left and caught Dumbledore's eyes. He smiled at her, his gaze went to Tom and his smile dulled a bit. Silver smiled back and looked at Tom. He clenched his jaw. 

"I think he knows what's up with you." Silver said. 

She bit into a buttered croissant. Tom glanced at Dumbledore and looked at Silver. He sneered, "He's been trailing me, since-"

"Since you killed someone."

Silver said bluntly, loud enough for only Tom could hear it. Tom looked at her with a dangerous gaze. Silver stared at her food. "You killed Myrtle." She whispered. The horrifying memory of Myrtle's dead body came back to her. She took a deep breath, her body still and tense. 

Tom slithered his hand around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Their sides are now touching. Silver inhaled sharply. He gripped her waist tightly, like he's warning her to stop talking.

"Shut up and eat."