From the Devil's side

Chapter Seventeen- A crossing of interest

I shot awake. My head whirling... I pushed myself into a sitting position and pushed my hair away from my face. Squinting in the darkness waiting for my eyes to adjust. I had not had one those dreams for a very long time now. Every time I thought it was over... that I had moved past everything...
I chose to stay up, there was no point trying to go back to sleep now it was already 6am. I instead took the opportunity to read further in front in our potions textbook. It was not just due to my grades best interests and my own thirst for knowledge but also a need to keep Slughorn one hundred percent on my side. 
   The other boys started to stare an hour or so later. 
"Riddle," Lestrange greeted. "How are you already dressed and ready for the day this time on a Saturday?" he raised an eyebrow at me. 
"Because some of us have things we need to do." I replied stonily. "So do you." I added. 
"I do?" Lestrange asked raising an eyebrow. 
"Its an investigation of the castle if you will, you can use the others to help you." 
"What are we looking for?" Lestrange asked in a business like tone. 
    
   "Riddle," Wiglaf greeted as I made my way to the Great Hall, I turned to him. 
"Wiglaf," I responded with a curt nod. 
"Do you care to join us all today by the waterfalls?" He asked, I thought for a moment. I did not have any particular plans that this would interfere with... today my knights was handling things. I nodded. 
"Wonderful." He smiled, "Two this afternoon?"
I nodded before making my way over to the Slytherin table. I much prefered being one of the first to the hall on the weekends. Peace. I was sick of those buffoons. I had to convince myself they was a means to an end. I just had to listen to their drivel and thuggishly thick headed conversations for a couple more years before we didn't have to interact so much as 'friends'. 
   That was one positive thing about the Heirs, although they was also a means to an end they did at least have brains, even Lazarus to an extent.. well personality he had at least. 
  
  I leaned against one of the large rocks, watching the water flow continually over the edge of the rocks and splash into the water below. It reminded me of time and how there was no slowing or stopping it. So much to do, to learn, to discover and never enough time.... ~
   "What say you Tom?" Lazarus asked, I looked around brought out of my thoughts. I had not really been paying attention to their conversation but I remembered hearing something about Quiddich.
"You know I don't follow Quidditch Lazarus," I replied disinterested,
"Running around on brooms, chasing flying balls," Grisha smirked, re-quoting my own words back to me. I returned her smirk and shook my head. She had a rather formidable memory, you certainly didn't want to tell her anything you didn't want to possibly be brought back up later. Or was that just women?
"However I think that if Grisha wishes to try-out then I see no reason why she should not go and chase balls around," I added, she chuckled pushing her long blonde hair out of her face with her wand. A quirk I'd often caught her doing. Her smile was always so... genuine. In a way it unnerved me. No one was that transparent all of the time.
"So what position would you try-out for?" Lazarus asked, taking a bit out of a chocolate frog that he had just taken out of his pocket. Pig. He never stops eating despite being lanky enough to fully hide behind a single branch.
"I don't know..." she replied, her eyebrows furrowed in contemplation and self doubt.
"You're more a seeker are you not, you get what you want." I intersected, it was only once I had said it that I realised how it might have sounded... regardless it was true. Grisha was nothing if not tenacious. Grisha seemed to have caught the slight riskiness of what I had said as she raised her eyebrow at me.
"There is only one way to find out," Wiglaf replied, smiling.
"Are either of you going to try out for your house teams?" Grisha asked, "I know you wont be," she laughed, looking at me. I rolled my eyes, even the thought of it.
Wiglaf shook his head, "I prefer to focus on my studies," he replied, "especially this year," he added seriously.
"I'm more of an avid spectator," Lazarus beamed.
"Thankfully for Hufflepuff," I chuckled as Lazarus made a face in jest.  Lazarus was no flyer. The last time I had seen him attempt it, he took out a whole half a side of an oak tree.
"Of course if you was to try-out we would be there cheering you on," Lazarus continued to Grisha, as he punched his hand up into the air as if demonstrating celebration.
"You really don't have to," she gulped, her cheeks flushing.
"But we want to, don't we," Lazarus smiled, looking towards Wiglaf and myself for agreement. Unlike Wiglaf I shook my head.
"I don't think I'm available to spend time watching Quidditch, I have more important things to attend to," I had a particuarly important meeting that Saturday... not that I would want to watch the trails anyway even if I had nothing to do.
I felt Grisha's eyes upon me, there was such an intensity of disappointment that I doubted she even knew was so obvious.
"Surely whatever it is can wait Riddle to support a fellow Heir and friend," Wiglaf challenged, I looked back out at the water... my brain didn't usually face itself in a debate with itself... this was... new.

"But I thought it was important?" Rosier questioned, surprised that for the first time I had postponed meeting. 
"I am postponing it one day Rosier, not indefinably. If anything it gives you longer to prepare so be thankful." I hissed. He shrunk back down.
"Sorry... My Lord... I just... I just wanted to make sure everything is ok...." he stammered. 
"Ok?" I snapped, raising my eyebrow at him.
"Well its just... me and some of the others have been talking and... and we noticed how much time you send with those friends and-"
I held up a hand. "My business is none of your business. I do not have to share anything with you if it does not concern you. Your job is to trust in me infallibly. So do we have a problem?" 
"No!" He began quickly shaking his head. 
"Because it does not sound like you trust me infalliby Rosier?" I stepped closer to him, the little colour he had drained from his face. 
"I do, I do trust you. We all do of course... we just... I'm sorry My Lord." He replied, lowering his head. 
"Indeed. Perhaps it is you who should take a look around yourself Rosier. Your friends seem to have hung you out to dry. I see no one backing you." 
Rosier hung his head in shame, as he should. How dare he question me. Perhaps I would have to get more mean. 

I wrapped my cloak around myself as I scaled the hill that overlooked the Quiddich pitch. I was not about to go and stand in those crowded stands. Nor did I plan to stay for the whole thing. 
I did not have to wait long before I caught sight of her short frame making its way into the centre of the pitch. I quickly realised that these were the seeker trails... I smirked. So she took my advice, she could at least detect valuable advice then. I felt a strange feeling for a moment, I wasn't sure what it was but it was gone almost instantly, I shrugged it off. 
  Grisha kicked off from the ground with I had to admit impressing speed, projecting her high above the stands. She was against the Slytherins... I frowned. The Slytherin beaters were not holding back and nearly managed to off ride her on a couple of occasions, one of them managing to collide with her shoulder. My fist clenched. Did I care if she won the trails? Surely not. But then if she did of course I would be proven right that she would be best suited to a seeker... 
One of the Slytherin beaters was headed for her again, imperious. I whispered as I watched him dart off course. It was up to Grisha now, I gave her, her fair chance. Roars erupted from the stadium, I smirked. So she took her chance and ran with it. Good. I would hate to have wasted my time. 

I glanced up from my book as a blur of blonde hair and red and black school robes floated past and towards one of the hidden tables. I smirked, standing up I positioned myself where I could see her. She was completely lost in her own thoughts, sat at the small table. The setting sun reflecting off her hair was almost blinding. 
I clapped slowly, "Congratulations". She looked up startled before her eyes fell on me and she smiled. 
"Thank you," she replied, she looked tired. Her normally bright eyes looked a little dull, her smile not reaching her ears quiet as easily. 
I took a seat opposite her and gestured for some books from the shelves.
"You came, I thought Quidditch was just plain stupid." she said with a smirk, her head tilted off to the side as she drummed her fingers on top of her book.She was always fidgiting!
"Hmm, sometimes it can be amusing to watch people doing plain stupid things, showing off tricks like a trained circus animal," I replied.
"Sometimes its necessary to show off" she added, "There is something that I still I don't understand though," she bit her lip and leaned forwards her arms crossed upon the table.
"And what is that?" I asked, I felt my heart beat just a little faster, I swore and kept my eyes looking down towards my book. Fool, my body never betrayed my mind what was it doing!
"That Slytherin beater friend of yours, Flint? He was very clearly about to smash into me and throw me off track, when suddenly he darted violently in the other direction and fell off of his own broom," she continued.
I stopped reading and looked up from my book, trying to ignore the fact she was still biting her lip. I replied coldly,
"Really?" I questioned, so she had noticed. She was more perceptive than I thought.
"Really." She replied. She knows she owes her win down to me then. Useful.