𝘵 𝘰 𝘹 𝘪 𝘤 𝘪 𝘵 𝘺 {t.r}

-four-

The rest of the day passed slowly and it was dull and grey. At dinner time, I decided to show and was wearing my usual outfits. Before I went down, I decided to clip some pant chains onto my black ripped jeans. I winked at myself in the mirror and walked out the common room, up the dungeon stairs and finally into the Great Hall. Ailen wasn't there, and Callum looked doleful. A bad feeling stirred in my stomach as I thought of the worst possibility: what if they had broken up. Surely they didn't; they have been going out since year 2. Surely they couldn't have broken up after 4 years, they were snuggling just this morning. 

I decided to ignore his expression and sit down in front of him. We talked but I could hear the trace of sadness in his voice and I realized they did break up. I finally plucked the courage to ask, "What's up with you and Ailen?"

Callum hesitated before answering, "We broke up."

His sharp, forlorn tone of voice made me feel erring. I knew I shouldn't have just asked randomly. I nodded and bit my lip from anxiousness. I got up and walked out of the Great Hall. I bumped into a feminine body and as I looked fully at them I realised it was Ailen. Her eyes were puffy and her face was dehydrated and clammy. 

"Watch where you are going. Maybe if you fucked off and stopped getting in between everyone's every move people would like you," she blustered at me.

I knew she didn't mean it but those words dragged a dagger through me. I pushed her out of the way and as I twisted further into different corridors, my body trembled and shook roughly. A glass sea of sweat formed on my forehead and my legs became weak. As my vision darkened, all of my senses shut down and I was out like a light.

~*~

2 hours after, I was awake in my dorm, Ailen frantically staring down at me, pacing the room after a while. My eyes eventually widened and she finally stopped and ran over. "A-Are you okay, I'm so sorry it was the heat of the moment, I was pissed off at Callum for breaking up with me. I hope we're still friends, yeah, I hope you don't mind?" she spoke all too fast. 

"Ailen, chill. Of course we're still friends. How couldn't we be," I answered shortly, confused by why she was so heated up and bothered about a petty argument. I understood perfectly what she had felt, as I had felt it myself.

I hope we're still friends, yeah, I hope you don't mind...

~*~

Her words stuck in my mind after that, for a long while. It was now almost Christmas break, and nothing interesting had happened. Although every time I was walking alone, chills ran down my spine, I felt as if I was being watched and small goose-bumps arose on my arm and my hair stuck up. But, whenever I looked behind me, all I saw was the boring, empty distance in front of me.

And me, Callum, Wayde and Ailen never spoke anymore. We spoke rarely, but now I had a new friend of group. So did they. Ailen was now with a group of pure-blood witches who were always creating drama. She fit in right there. Surprisingly enough, Callum had turned into a fuck-boy himself. The group I hung around with supported my style, supported what I did and we  always got high together. Their names were Damon, Jacob, Ava and Avery, whom were twins. 

It was now 5 days before Christmas break, and I wasn't excited to go home. My family hated me, they always put me down. They acted pleasant in front of guests, but behind closed doors they just put me down. Me and my friends were going up to the Astronomy Tower to get pissed, like usual. They had bought some muggle pills, which I had no idea about. 

For the rest of the night, we got drunk and had whatever those odd pills were. I eventually passed out up there, and woke up on the common room couch. My other friends were gone but luckily we had gone up way after curfew and the sun had not nearly set yet, so I expected there to be nobody else there. Through my blurry vision, I could make out a tall figure on the opposite couch to me, staring into the fire. The green flames were fuelled unlimitedly, as they pranced and produced a sizzling, smoky noise.  

Vision clearing, I could finally see who the masculine figure belonged to.

Tom. Marvolo. Riddle.

"What are you doing down here," I said through a sleepy voice.

"I could ask you the same but it's quite self-explanatory," he said back wittily.

I rolled my eyes and sat up, wondering what the exact time is. We went up sometime throughout 11pm, and now it was dark and cloudy, which is most Winter mornings so it really was unknown. His voice was raspy as he responded and I assumed he had only just woke up too and came down.

" 'T Time is it?" I asked, shortening the word 'what'.

"4:00am, so you've been up there about 5 hours, and passed out about 3," he responded and then realized what he had said and finally his emotion wasn't empty; it was shocked.

I sat there, then it all clicked in. He was the one following me in hallways, had he been stalking me? He must have followed me tonight, because if he didn't he wouldn't hesitate to take house points away if he caught me when patrolling as a prefect. 

Tom's POV:

I realized I had slipped up, and I immediately put the most shocked expression I have ever worn in my life. Shit, surely she couldn't figure it out. She's not that smart, surely. She put a hand over her mouth as she ran up the girls dormitory stairs. I sat there pissed off and mad at myself.