Sacred Silence | A Tom Riddle Story

54: Questionable decisions.

'I hate Ravenclaws sometimes,' Flo groaned as she and Shiv made their way past a handful of their classmates who were gathered outside of the Great Hall. They were all talking in quick, hushed voices, discussing their last exam that had just ended. It was very much a habit of the people in their house to endlessly go over tests and discuss the answers amongst each other.
They left towards the courtyard to smoke some cigarettes and celebrate that their months of hard work had finally come to an end. There were three more weeks left before summer break, but those would probably be fairly easy going.

Instead of sitting down on a ledge, they walked down to the black lake. The weather was gorgeous; a soft warm wind was blowing, and the trees had reached their fullest green state, casting long shadows upon the tall grass. Shiv stopped to pluck a dandelion and played with it until they found a shady spot under a tree.

'You're going to your house by the coast for the summer, right?' Shiv said as she tossed the flower away and got her pack of cigarettes out of her bag.

Flo nodded and placed her lunch box in between them, taking off the lid to reveal a couple of sandwiches. She took one out and sighed. 'It will be fun, but I'll miss you so much.'

Shiv rested her head onto her friends shoulder and patted her knee. 'I will miss you as well, but we're back before we know it.' The words came out a little more hopeful than she actually felt.

They both fell silent, noticing a boy break free from a group nearby. He strolled towards the two of them lazily, and Shiv tried to make out who it was. He was tall, almost just as if not taller than Tom, which was hard, and wore long black trousers and a black dress shirt, despite the heat. Shiv thought he looked like he had just come back from a funeral. When he came closer, she recognized him as Alexander Nott, a 7th year slytherin who had been there at Tom's Death Eater meeting. His black curly hair fell to his shoulders, and he had a slightly pointed, haughty face. He reminded her a little of a vampire.

He stopped in front of them and gave both girls a sleek smile. 'Glad exams are over?'

Flo, obviously very confused, opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again and looked over at Siobhan (not that she knew much more). Shiv looked up at the guy and tilted her head. 'We are. Can we help you with something?'

Alexander chuckled. 'Forgive me, I couldn't help but notice you the other day during our groups little.. get together. I don't think I've formally introduced myself. I'm Alexander Nott,' he spoke politely, and he stuck out his hand to her.
Shiv looked around instinctively, her eyes scanning for Tom. Was this just a big test he had set up? Or was this another innocent guy that would be punished for shooting his shot.

She shook his hand slowly, glancing sideways at Flo for a split second before replying. 'Siobhan Selwyn.'

His gray eyes looked at her intently, and he folded his hands behind his back. If things were different, she probably would've been quite attracted to him. Tall, a little on the thin side, sharp features, and dark hair. It was a flattering idea that he seemed interested in her. He was a few grades above her, and she had heard his name being passed in whispers between girls in the hallways around valentinesday every year. Besides that, she had never paid much attention to him .

'Siobhan, I wanted to ask if you'd like to accompany me on a walk this weekend?' He asked with that same slick smile.

That wasn't a good idea. She also didn't particularly want to.
By this time, she knew better than to go behind Tom's back in anything, especially when it involved another boy. This seemed like a good opportunity to let that work in her favor.

'I'm afraid I can't. I'm seeing someone, and I know he wouldn't appreciate it,' she gave him a small, vague smile.

He looked taken aback. He cleared his throat and looked around quickly. As casual as he managed, he asked, 'Who?'