Masquerade¹ → Tom Riddle ✓

chapter twenty-two

Evelyn spent the evening playing muggle chess: she had always preferred it to wizard chess, it was less violent and far more enjoyable. She fingered a black pawn, waiting for her opponent. Underneath the table, her feet shuffled impatiently, but her expression remained cold and stoic. She stroked her chin, anticipating many moves ahead. She placed the pawn on the chessboard, in a direct line to the King. He was trapped. She found a simple grin forming on her face, she found it amusing how somebody of such power could be brought down by a simple pawn. How, in a game with no violence, one could be struck down.

Like a tonne of bricks, it suddenly hit her. She realised why she had been failing her task, why she was lagging behind. She was playing muggle chess whilst Tom was playing wizards chess. She wasn't attacking but he was, she was merely observing and occasionally acting upon her thoughts, she was thinking about her moves far more than she should be; Evelyn needed to be strong, she needed to finally do something. She watched the clock tick as her opponent sighed, giving up.

"You won again!" The sixth-year said, looking rather distressed.

Instead of replying, she just shot him a friendly smile and began packing away the chessboard. By the time that the table was cleared, it had been almost two hours since she had spoken with Tom and she decided it best to leave. She placed the chessboard back where it belonged and left the common room and left the common room. She stalked the corridors with confidence, occasionally checking her watch to reassure herself of her timekeeping abilities.

Tom waited for her against a wall his eyes watching the hands tick on his own watch.

"I think you'll find I'm right on time," She smiled as she saw him glancing down at his watch.

"Well, congratulations." He huffed with frustration.

"Now," She took a deep breath, "What was it you were going to show me?"

"Follow me" He said, leading her through countless corridors and eventually coming to a halt opposite a wall.

"This is a wall," Evelyn stated with confusion, glancing at Tom who seemed to be pacing up and down with a thoughtful expression on his face. He paced beside the wall three times before pausing as though he was awaiting something. Evelyn opened her mouth, ready to ask what in Merlin's name he was doing when a low rumble caused her to stop. She glanced up at the wall, her mouth falling open as a large door began to appear on the previously empty wall. Evelyn found it almost impossible to suppress the curiosity that was simmering within her.

As soon as the door was fully formed, Tom swung it open, gesturing to what was inside. Evelyn hesitated, eyeing him warily, but after a short moment, Evelyn stepped into the large room. She was quickly overwhelmed by the vast size of the room and furrowed her brow, wondering how she had never seen this room before. She walked slowly forwards, her fingers trailing across the wooden drawers, and looked around her at the stone walls, which were covered in large paintings. Each painting held the same malevolent-looking man in emerald robes; wearing a small golden locket with the letter 'S' engraved on it.

She furrowed her brow before turning to the rest of the room and that's when she stilled for breath. There were hundreds upon hundreds of books, covering a vast majority of the room and towering above Evelyn like guards. "What is this place?" She asked in awe, turning to face Tom who waited behind her.

"I stumbled across it one night whilst I was on a walk, it turns into anything you require," Tom said with a small smirk. "I like to think of it as a Room of Requirement."

"Why are you showing me this?" There had to be some kind of catch or at least a twisted reasoning behind it. She walked towards the green armchair that sat beside a bookshelf and took a seat, placing her elbow on her knee and looking at Tom intensely.

"It's an interesting place; perhaps you would find a use for it. I find it rather lovely to study in," His lips curved upwards at the sides in an attempt at a smile.

"Well," Evelyn said, quickly rising from her seat and scanning the bookshelves, "I do believe we study quite different things," She gestured to the large, black book on the self in front of her, "Secrets of the Dark Arts hasn't quite taken my fancy Tom, and I find the library perfectly accommodating."

"I'm sure you will change your mind, Evelyn, after all, Secrets of the Dark Arts will be a very useful book for the near future I believe," He shot back with a smirk.

Evelyn sighed deeply, glaring at Tom. "What was wrong with you earlier?"

"I was simply drained, being this incredible takes it out of you." He simply said to her.

"I do quite believe that is a lie, Tom," She said, "And if we are going to be working together, I think it would be easier if we were truthful to one another."

"Yes, I agree it would be much easier. However, how do I know that I can trust you, Evelyn?" He queried, studying her,

"You don't, but if we are to work together then you might just have to believe me whether you like it or not."

Without another word, he began scanning the bookshelf, his eyes darting from cover to cover until they finally came to a halt upon sight of a worn-down cover with his initials faintly carved into the spine. He cautiously took the book in his hands, pushing it closer to Evelyn with hesitation. Tentatively, Evelyn took the book into her hands and examined it, Tom watching her every move. She ran her fingers gently along the spine before opening it. "It's empty," She said rather curiously, flicking the pages to ensure she was correct. "What is it?"

"It's a diary; it's a rather special one. It holds something very important to me."

"And what would that be?" She asked with furrowed brows, examining the diary once more, unable to find the speciality of the torn book.

"A piece of my soul, it is my first Horcrux." He said with pride, quickly snatching it back into his own arms.

"A what?" Evelyn asked, hoping that she had misheard him.

"Horcrux. It holds a piece of my soul so th-"

"I know what a bloody Horcrux is! But why on earth do you have one?" Evelyn fumed.

"I made it." He said with a hopeful glint in his eye.

Evelyn was shattered, she felt hopeless. "I can't believe you!" She snapped, her voice growing louder with every syllable, "Why would you do that?"

"Evelyn, if I wish to be immortal then I need Horcruxes." He added, unaffected by Evelyn's outburst of fury.

"You plan on making more?" She began pacing up and down, taking deep breaths in an attempt to pause the growth of anger inside of her.

"Yes."

"How many?" She inquired.

"I don't know yet. Now I seem to be the only one speaking truthfully, so how about you begin telling the truth." He insisted.

Evelyn was taken back by his tone, her mouth opening and closing but no words coming out. "I, I don't know what you mean."

"I assure you I will not be as tolerant as I have been before if you continue to lie. You have been meeting with Professor Dumbledore rather regularly haven you?"

"Yes," She stuttered.

"And why is that exactly?" He questioned, pacing up and down the room.

"I've been doing an extra credit project if you must know." She lied with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Now, what I am struggling to understand Evelyn," He said, edging closer to her, "Is why you continue to lie to me." He placed one hand on her chin, forcing her face to stare at him.

"I'm not lying!" She protested, trying to pull away from his strong grip on her chin.

"Well, why would somebody with your level of supposed intellect need to be doing extra credit?" He said, beginning to loosen his grip on her.

"I've been slipping behind in lessons because of you," She snapped, finally breaking free from his clutch. "You have been constantly calling me to pointless meetings and now I'm struggling to focus in lessons."

"I did not know,"

"Well, next time don't even question it." She thundered, a smirk playing on her lips as she stormed out of the Room of Requirement.