Star Crossed

Chapter Thirty Five- Good memories are hard to catch

Myself, Lazarus and Wiglaf walked down the derelict street lined with half demolished old town houses. It was the middle of August but it certainly didn't look it the air around us was filled with smoke and dust trapping the light casing everywhere is a dull darkness. This was the first time I had stepped foot into muggle London since the start of their war, the stench of hopelessness and sadness hung on the air just like the deep smell of smoke and dust. I looked up at the large foreboding building looming ahead centered right at the end of the street barricaded by a large grey stone wall and black spiked iron gate, the sight of it sent a shiver down my spine as I imagined what a childhood in such a place must have been like and this was only the exterior Merlin knows what was behind its walls.
"Are you sure this is a good idea Lazarus?" Wigalf asked suddenly breaking the silence.
"I'm sure there won't be a raid air or whatever it is they call it, I read in one of their little newspapers that they usual happen at night." he smiled,
"I was talking about Tom," Wigalf replied gravely, "He will be furious that we have come to the orphanage." I felt a tingle of apprehension at Wiglaf's words, he was right Tom certainly made it quiet clear that he did not wish to discuss the orphanage let alone have us there! And that was not all, I had heard first hand what Riddle thought about muggles and did not think that Lazarus idea of a 'day out' would sit well with him at all.

We reached the large gates, which appeared even taller when you where stood below them.
"Do you think they are trying to keep them in or us out?" Lazarus said raising an eyebrow,
"Both." replied Wiglaf, I pushed the gates upon with a large rusty creak as we walked down the drab paved path towards the large worn oak door.
"Go on Grisha," Lazarus whispered,
"Hey," I said turning around and staring at him, "it was your idea," I hissed. Lazarus looked sheepish before he banged on the large iron knocker there was some scurrying behind the door before it swung inwards revealing a tall thin woman with a sour expression her graying hair pulled up onto of her head in a tight bun, she wore a dull dark grey dress with a white starched apron, she looked at us with a confused and suspicious expression causing us to look at each other concerned that we where somehow conspicuous yet we had wore quite modest clothing... Lazarus and Wiglaf wore white shirts, a lightweight sweater and black slacks and I wore a thin jumper and black skirt with matching pumps.
"Can I help you?" She eventually asked her eyes narrowed and her voice shrill and cold.
"Erm... yes is Tom Riddle here?" Lazarus asked after looking at us for support and getting none.
"I thought as much," she said looking at us with a disgusted expression which started to make my blood boil.
"Who does she think she is?" I hissed when she had turned her back to go inside and undoubtedly alert Riddle to the fact that four of his 'strange' friends were outside, before anyone could reply to me another figure appeared at the door this time someone familiar wearing a white shirt, his grey school sweater and black pants.

"Tom," I smiled, "How... how are you?" I stuttered seeing his dark expression, he stepped out through the threshold and slammed the door behind him causing us all to now be stood on the step outside.
"What are you three doing here?" he spat through gritted teeth.
"Charming to see you too Riddle," Lazarus scoffed,
"How did you know where to find me?" He asked bitterly,
"Dumbledore," Wiglaf replied a slight smirk playing on his lips as he knew that Tom couldn't stand the man.
"Of course," Tom spat more to himself than to us.
"It's my birthday," Lazarus grinned,
"Congratulations," Tom replied sarcastically, "Is that all?"
"And-" Lazarus said as if he hadn't heard Tom, "we are going out to celebrate and for some reason I thought I would invite you?" Lazarus smirked,
"Great I'd love to come!" Tom said clapping his hands together,
"Really!?" Lazarus blurted out a shocked look on his face.
"No." Tom replied bluntly, his face back into a dead pan expression, I bit down a laugh.

"Oh come on," Lazarus smirked, "you don't even know what we are doing yet," I bit my lip in anticipation of Tom's reaction when Lazarus explained, "we are going out of this war zone and to the seaside to... wait for it... a muggle fairground! I have always wanted to go to one of them!" Lazarus was so excited that you would have thought it was his fifth birthday not his fifteenth. The sight of Tom's face was something that I would never forget, both eyebrows raised to within an inch of his hair line, his blue eyes wide and his mouth slightly parted in horror but it was gone within seconds replaced by his blank bored expression.
"You are kidding me I hope? I would rather face the blitz." Tom laughed, myself, Wiglaf and Lazarus looked at each other, what was the blitz?
"Nevermind," Tom muttered, "The point is no. Absolutely not, I am not going to come and that's final."