The Chain [Tom Riddle]

Chapter 12

Joaquin wasn't planning on make the move on Mellie for Riddle's desires so soon but today brought him many opportunities to do so. He was outside planning to head back to his dorms when he caught a glimpse of a black and yellow scarf flowing in the wind behind a tree. He took a few steps around the tree to see it was Mellie alone with her studies. Her brown hair was in a sleek ponytail, always perfect and not a stand of hair out of place.

He had no idea on why she enjoyed being outside on such a windy day, Joaquin had to keep covering his nose and mouth with his scarf to keep himself warm. He hated the cold, he preferred the warm and sunny days. He enjoyed going to beach with Christopher and swim for days. He could swim for hours, one time Christopher and him had a race and he swam out so far he had to swim back to help Christopher from drowning. Helia gave her partner and Joaquin an ear full but Christopher assured him that it was completely fine and thanked him for saving his life.

"Rosier!" A male voice called out drawing Joaquin's attention towards him. It was a male Gryffindor who called her name, Joaquin didn't recognize the blonde boy and didn't care enough to learn his name. Joaquin watched as the boy talked to Mellie, he wasn't close enough to hear what he said but Joaquin could tell he made her upset. He could see how Mellie stopped making eye contact towards the boy and looked down at her stuff instead. Mellie grabbed her things and tried to flee but the boy stepped right in front of her preventing her from getting up. That was enough for Joaquin to walk down the small hill and come up behind the tree where Mellie was.

"There you are Rosier, you were suppose to meet me at the library." Joaquin intervened, Mellie looked up and was confused for a brief second before playing along with his lie.

"I got distracted." She answered trying to make her voice sound high pitch but failed. The blonde boy snickered at her failed attempt on hiding her deep voice.

"You were going to meet with her Lestrange?" The boy asked, it didn't seem too much of a shock to the idea of Rosier having a couple Slytherin friends due to her family background but then again it was common for students who were sorted into any house but Slytherin to be pushed away by their own family or their would've been house.

"Let's go." Joaquin said as he held his hand out for Mellie to take it. He pulled her up and gently lead her way ignoring the blonde boy's question. The boy lost interest and went his own way when the two students went inside the castle.

"What did he say to make you so upset?" Joaquin asked, no, whispered. There weren't any people meaning the echoes would increase and he felt self conscious about his own voice.

"A stupid comment about my family." Mellie whispered, and for the same reason as well. It wasn't their first interaction, but they weren't best friends either. Only interactions were when they were paired up for class or when she showed up late to class he would quietly fill her in on what she had missed.

"It never ends. I'm sorry." Joaquin would hear his parents discuss about the Rosier family and explain how her mother often bad mouth about her daughter. 

"It's fine, at least now I only have to deal with it here and not at home anymore." Joaquin stopped walking and so did Mellie.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't live with my parents anymore, they allowed me to go live with my uncle. Only the one person in this family that really loves me." The last sentence worsen Mellie's mood the only person to accept her wasn't even one of her parents. Joaquin didn't say anything, but his posture gave away that he was visibly affected by her words. He bit the inside of his cheek as his eyes were staring at the floor. His fist clenched as he thought about using the Cruciatus curse on her parents. Riddle had used the spell on Christopher and Joaquin when they would duel eventually Christopher learned how to perform but for awhile Joaquin couldn't seem to perform it. Riddle decided to give him a little more motivation and constantly casted the curse on the boy. After hours Joaquin would pick himself from the floor in pain and covered in sweat. The only times Riddle would stop if Joaquin fought back and cast it or if Riddle saw that they weren't getting anywhere and called it a day.