Tom Riddle X Reader | ✓

Part 8 Tom | Edited

Seated around a pile of snacks and drinks, the four of you chatted among the refreshing air.

"Black pudding is disgusting!" Mary said, holding onto the bunny napping on her lap "You do realize it's made out of blood, right? It's the main ingredient"

"But it tastes like black jelly beans or chocolate" - Molly argued "I find it rather fine"

Mary dramatically gulped "It's chunky!"

"Not always" - Molly reached into the picnic basket and took out a crumpet, added some butter on it then took out a huge bite.

While they were bickering, you sneakily glimpsed over at Tom, who had remained in the same spot. But you knew he wouldn't stay forever, you were on limited time.

"I don't like crumpets" - Mary said as she watched Molly eat the whole thing in a minute

"You don't like a lot of things" - Lily intervened, grabbing a golden tin from the middle stack and offering it to Mary "Sugared butterfly wing?"

Mary smiled "You know me well."

You hated to do this.

Whilst they were distracted, you sneaked your wand out of your robe and wiggled it towards the rabbit.

The rabbit, enchanted, aggressively wobbled out of Mary's grasp and surged out of her lap, dashing away from the group.

Startled, the snake quickly slithered off you and trailed after the bunny as fast as it could. Your friends jumped upwards, dropping some food out of their hands as they all appeared incredibly stressed and worried.

"I"ll take care of it" - you told them, hurrying behind the predatory reptile.

And just like planned, the white pile of fluff hopped its way onto your desired location - Tom's lap.
It startled Tom as it jumped on his book and spun around his lap, making itself comfortable.
Tom looked very confused at the scenario. Only seconds after, he noticed the black snake approach him, immediately realising what it was after. Tom picked up the bunny from his lap and placed it on his shoulder, away from the incoming snake. Surprisingly.

You showed up quickly, stopping the snake just in front of Tom as some girls who've been observing Marvolo shrieked at the sight.

You wrapped it around your shoulders, already feeling a glare from Riddle.

"Sorry" - you said, reaching out for the bunny "It was startled by my snake"

But still charmed, the rabbit deflected your hands and sprinted towards Tom's face, forcing him to take the bunny off his shoulder and clench it in his hands.

"Perhaps you should keep a closer watch on your pets then." - Tom replied, gently stroking the fur of the rabbit.
He looked down at the emblem sewn onto your blazer then back at your face "I'm at a loss for words. I do not know about what more though, - that someone is foolishly brave enough to have a forbidden pet on the school's premises or that there is a Gryffindor keeping snakes."

"A little snake won't do much harm unless I'll want it to." - you replied, almost sounding threatening

"Never underestimate the abilities of a snake." - he bluntly said

"I'm not foolish to do so."

"Yet you keep forbidden pets? That sounds foolish."

"The hat almost sorted me into Ravenclaw, for your info--"

"Well I can see why it hasn't." - he smirked, finding interest in bringing people down "May I?" - Tom pointed at the snake who'd been slithering around your shoulders.

You hesitated before nodding, you knew you had to suck up Riddle's words. You exchanged animals - he handed you the white rabbit and you gently lifted the black snake off your shoulders.

But the snake seemed to slither off voluntarily, as if automatically attracted to Riddle. "Fascinating animals they are." - Tom lifted its head towards his bright eyes "A Mangrove you chose? They're only mildly venomous. I would of gotten something rather... bolder." - he wrapped its tail around his hands "Still. Decent choice." - he proceeded to play with; and even taunt the snake, showing off his lack of fear before finally glaring at you "Half of Hogwarts will know about your pets if you'll remain to be this silly."

"Well for their sake I hope they'll be quiet." - you told him "Don't want to run around obliviating half of the school"

Tom's eyebrows twitched as if he's grown confused. He took a double glimpse at your emblem then stretched out the snake back to you."You sound awful lot like a rubbish Slytherin."

Or it's just an act like Dumbledore requested.

You didn't really know how to respond to that.

"It's hungry." - Tom said "The snake." - his british accent clear and low "Why don't you feed it? That little bargain of yours will do."

"You mean the rabbit" - you glared at his silent lips "I'd rather keep it.

"As you wish." - Tom opened up his book. A few seconds in of him reading a couple words, he noticed you hadn't left "Do you mind?"

Sulky, you went back to your group, feeling his eyes trail your feet.

Once returned, you handed the bunny to the worried Lily and kept the snake on your shoulders.

"Now I know why you got that reptile" - sitting across, Mary teasingly smiled

In contradiction to Mary's reaction, Lily loured at her words "That's not really funny. These pets are living beings, you know."

"I was just messing" - Mary faintly replied

It wasn't much that day but you managed to at least properly grab his attention and speak.

He actually said something without rejecting you, unlike he did with some other girls who tried to communicate with him but failed.

To you this meant progress, even if it was slow. Baby steps.

You now had to get to know him before you could make him chug the potion that Albus handed to you in order to try and change Tom.

To change him from being cruel. Especially when he was a complicated result of fake love - a love potion.
You held power in your hands to give him an ability to feel what a normal person can feel. Soften him up and make him vulnerable.