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—RIGEL IMMEDIATELY RUSHED UP TO HIS ROOM AS SOON AS HE WAS APPARATED BACK HOME. He took a shower, got changed, and walked back downstairs to the kitchen.
"Catch!" Sirius grinned, throwing an apple his way.
Rigel immediately caught it, glaring at him. "If it weren't for my reflexes, it would've hit me in the eye."
"And we would've laughed."
"Sirius—!" Remus scolded.
••
"So, how have you been?" Rigel asked Remus as they walked into the library.
"Fine, except for this headache. It comes and goes."
Sirius walked in with Tom at that moment.
"Oh look, there it is." Remus pointed to an oblivious Sirius.
Rigel pursed his lips, trying not to laugh.
Sirius, rather hilariously, tripped over a table. Tom took a deep breath. How could someone be so dumb even though they're a fully grown adult?
"Sirius— were you dropped on your head as a child?"
"Bold of you to assume I was held." Sirius grumbled, getting up.
"Padfoot—" Remus tried, but shook his head, while Rigel let out a laugh.
••
"Sirius!" A furious-looking Remus walked into the living room where Tom and Rigel were quietly reading, and Sirius was, surprisingly, quiet— with a mischievous look in his eyes.
A black dog lifted his head up from the couch. Remus' eyes softened, "Once you turn back, I am going to kill you." He said, petting the dog.
"Just a normal Saturday in Black manor." Tom nonchalantly said without looking up from the book in his hands, used to everything by now.
Rigel's lips quirked upwards for a second, but it was gone as soon as it came.
••
"It's nearly four in the morning. What are you doing up?" A voice said, making Rigel turn around.
Rigel, who had woken up from a nightmare, and was now holding a glass of cold water in his hands to calm himself down, glared at the person immediately.
Thomas Gaunt was leaning on the kitchen door, raising an eyebrow at his silence.
"I could ask you the same thing." answered Rigel finally.
"I like being awake alone sometimes. However, you seem troubled. How can I help?"
Rigel glared even harsher at him. What the hell was Tom playing at?
"What the hell are you playing at?"
"I'm trying to prove to you that I'm not as heartless as you think I am."
Rigel's hand tightened around the glass in his hand. "Why do you care so much about what I think of you?!"
Tom stopped, his brows furrowing in thought. Why did he care so much about what Rigel thinks of him?
"I haven't a clue." Tom eventually said, still not knowing why.
Rigel looked at him as if he were dumb, and Tom, for the first time ever, agreed with him on that. "Well, no matter how hard you try— you're still a heartless 70 year old in a 17 year old's body to me."
Tom Marvolo Riddle, for the first time in his life, had his jaw dropped to the floor, looking extremely offended.
Rigel merely smirked and drank his water, not caring about the fact that he just offended the most feared dark lord ever because, if he were to be honest, there was absolutely nothing to be scared of.
Tom opened and closed his mouth a few times, still having nothing to say. He just stuck with, "I am 17!" and left.
