Riddle's Plea

Her Laughter*

(T.M.R. October 29th, 1943)

    Vienna has been successfully avoiding me for almost two months, and everyday that passed I was getting angrier. There she was, sitting across from me in the library, talking and laughing with that Ravenclaw girl. She had stuck to that girl like someone had cursed her, and has been avoiding everyone else in her house, as much as possible. "Malfoy." Beside me Abraxas jumps at the tone of my voice, and turns his attention from his Potions essay to me. "Yes my Lord?" He asks, eyes roaming around the room to make sure no one hear's him call me that. "Whose that girl with Vienna?" I say, pointing to the petite Ravenclaw girl who was chatting feverishly with Vienna. "Olivia Matthews. How do you not know her? She's a Ravenclaw Prefect." He says to me, looking bewildered. "Because I don't care. What use does she have to me that I need to know her name?" I ask him harshly. "Well, you just asked her name. So you must have use." He says, looking back to his essay. "Don't speak to me like that." I growl, and he jumps again in fright. He tries and fails to scoot his chair away from mine without me noticing, and I roll my eyes at his pettiness. "Have you spoken to Vienna at all?" I ask him, lowering my voice and leaning towards him. He shakes his head no at the question and takes a glance at the girl in question. 

    I sigh at my idiot Knight beside me, and continue watching Vienna as she smiles happily to Matthews. A stirring erupts in my stomach at the sight of her wide smile, and I shake myself of the unknown feeling. Vienna looks up and I find myself holding my breath waiting to see if she meets my gaze, but hers is focused towards the library door. I follow her line of sight, and take note of the one and only Septimus Weasley walking through the door. Weasley was tall and lanky, his red hair was sticking up in odd places, and his eyes were glued to Vienna's. He was a Gryffindor beater, and just because he was a Gryffindor, I hated him. His eyes met Vienna's and he gives her a toothy smile. Immediately my anger flares, it was like a dragon had erupted within me and was trying to escape as I watched Weasley walks towards her. He practically struts right up to where she's sitting and waves his hand to the chair beside her. Don't let him sit beside you. To my great dismay, Vienna nods her head, and Weasley takes a seat giving her a ridiculous smile. 

    I watched the three of them laugh and talk among themselves, and the longer I watched the more I wanted to curse them. Why are they so happy? Our world is a dark and dangerous place, full of monsters and dark magic. Growing up in an orphanage I knew all about these monsters. The bullies I faced everyday, the hunger, the loneliness, and the abandonment. I had made it a personal mission to not feel these things anymore, so why was Vienna's laughter making me so angry?  Because you've never laughed like that before. No, that wasn't it. I had no need to laugh, I felt things differently than most, laughter wasn't apart of me. I shake my head, and put my head in my hands, racking my brain for any logical reason why I was so angry, but coming up empty. I let out a deep sigh and look back to the giggling trio. Weasley had just said something to Vienna and I watch as color rises to her cheeks. Is she blushing? I was standing now, my anger controlling my movements as I begin to walk towards her. "Riddle, what are you doing?" Malfoy says behind me, his voice still a whisper, but I don't answer or even acknowledge him. I was now standing in front of the three students, whose eyes have all turned to me in question.

    "Matthews," I begin, nodding my head politely at the Ravenclaw girl and causing her to blush, "Weasley," I do the same for the red-head, "Vienna." Her violet irises are widened in shock at me, before she wipes her face clear and sits up straighter in her chair. "What can we help you with Riddle?" Weasley asks me, his voice full of disdain and his eyes squinting. "I was actually wondering if I could speak with Vienna for a moment?" I say, looking away from the Weasel and focusing my attention back on the white haired girl. I could see her contemplating whether or not to agree, and before Weasel could say anything she nods her head in agreement and stands gracefully. "I'll be right back." She says to them, and gestures for me to lead. I lead her further into the library, where there was no risk of anybody really hearing us, and once I believe no one will bother us, I spin on my heel and focus on the girl. 

    "Since when are you getting cozy with a Gryffindor Weasel?" I ask her, my voice full of condemnation. Her eyebrows go wide in disbelief at my words. "I'm not getting cozy with anyone Tom. I'm allowed to have friends." She states, crossing her arms over her chest and squaring her jaw. "He seems to act like more than 'just a friend' to me." If at all possible her eyebrows go higher up her forehead, and she lets out a condescending chuckle. "If I didn't know any better Tom, I'd say your jealous." She says, leaning away from me. It was my turn to chuckle at her words, and I find myself rolling my eyes are the ridiculousness of the accusation. "I doubt that's what it is. You've been ignoring your housemates for almost two months, and all because you can't seem to make any friends in your own house."  I say, taking a step closer to her. I watch as her face turns red with anger. "That's because everyone in my own house are all horrible people." She says, taking a step forward herself. I chuckle again at the truthfulness of her words, and take another step forwards. "You were sorted into Slytherin. What does that say about you Vienna?" I ask her, giving her a questioning look and leaning down a bit to meet her gaze. Her face turns more red, and she also moves closer to me. "I am not a horrible person Tom Riddle." She says conviction strong in her voice. "You actually believe that Vienna?" I put up a hand to stop her from saying anything. 

    I regard the girl in front of me, and admire her persistence. Before I even realize what I'm doing, the hand I had put up to stop Vienna from speaking, was now moving a piece of her white hair out of her face. My knuckles gently graze her cheek, and an unfamiliar warmth shoots through me. Vienna had stopped moving, and was watching me wide eyed and confused. "You were sorted into the house of the snake Vienna." I say to her my voice deeper than normal, I tuck the strand of hair behind her ear, pulling my hand back and grazing her cheek once more. Her breath catches in her throat as she looks up at me. "Whether you like it or not, you're a snake through and through." I take my hand away from her face, curling it into a fist at my side to keep it from doing anything else ridiculous. For a moment, Vienna doesn't even react to my words, but all too soon she shakes her head clear and returns to glaring at me. "Goodbye Tom." She says, spinning on her heel and stomping away from where I was standing. For the second time since meeting Vienna Marcus, I'm left staring at the spot she had just been in, except this time, my heart is beating heavily and the feel of her skin is still fresh in my mind. That's when it hits me, the reason Vienna's laughter bothers me so much is because it makes me feel. I didn't want some other person to make Vienna laugh or make her smile. I wanted to make her laugh, and it sickens me that I do.