𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐑──tom riddle

𝟐. ⤷ 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥

2|deal

There were two things Elizabeth despised. Love and Emily's high pitched screaming, that woke her up.

"Stop bloody screaming!" she yelled, pulling the pillow on her ears. "If you're having dreams about that stupid acromantula, I swear to Merlin-"

"No. It was different this time. I dreamt of that muggle born who got petrified in the girls' lavatory last year."

"Who? Greengrass?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"I'm never letting you use that bathroom ever again." Elizabeth said, rolling out of bed.

She quickly changed into her uniform, which consisted of a black skirt with a white shirt and a blue and bronze striped tie. She didn't feel like putting on her robe that day, so she took off her prefect badge and pinned it on her shirt.

Time seemed to speed up during classes. Elizabeth was never bored, and for her an hour seemed like a minute at every subject. After classes, she would often go to the astronomy tower or the library, where she would find peace to study, with no one to interrupt. That day, she chose the library, and oh boy she regretted it.

She sat down at an empty table between the tall bookshelves, near the Restricted Section. Her encounter with Tom the other night flashed through her mind for a mere second, but she brushed it off, thinking it was time to study.

After what felt like half an hour, she felt her eyes closing for she was tired. She felt as if she was slowly drifting to sleep.

"Are you asleep?" she heard a voice beside her ear, making her flinch. Luckily, the person was quick enough to hold the chair so she wouldn't fall off.

"Riddle!" she grasped on the chair's back, taking a deep breath.

"Have I scared you?" he raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Merlin, you frightened me!"

"Well, that's probably a lesson for you to learn."

  She frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well, usually one doesn't go to a library to sleep now, does it?"

"I wasn't sleeping. I was only. . . relaxing. Taking deep breaths, releasing all that frustration out. I reckon you wouldn't know."

"Please, Elizabeth. I could release the frustration out of you in seconds." he whispered, the corners of his lips turning upwards in an amused smirk.

"I-" her eyes widened. "Is that how you lure in other girls? Because personally, I don't find that seductive at all."

"It's a trick question."

"Why?"

"You're not other girls. You're smart, intelligent even. That is the reason why I chose to approach you in the first place."

She raised an eyebrow curiously. "And?"

"And because you are smart, I wanted you to help me with something rather. . . personal."

"What do you want?"

"Will you say 'yes'?"

"That depends."

He leaned closer, casting a silencing spell around them. "I want you to help me discover my blood status."

Elizabeth seemed taken aback by his words. How can it be, that the most favored student who values blood purity doesn't know his own heritage?
She had always thought of Tom as a pure-blood, but finding out that he himself had no idea of what his blood status was, became the surprise of the day.

Still, she didn't want to have anything to do with Riddle. She had the ability to see through people, even Tom. From the outside, he was the thing people would describe as perfection. But deep down she knew that it was all an act of his, that he was a cold hearted maniac who craved power and attention. It was a good act, though. Many seemed to fall for it, but not her.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help with your problem." she sat up, collecting her books.

Just as she was about to leave him, he grabbed her wrist, stopping her beside him.

"Help me find the book, and I'll do you a favor in exchange."

She seemed to be in deep thought. His proposal was pretty fair indeed. Tom Riddle has just told her that she could ask for one thing in exchange for helping him find a book. All this for a book, huh? He must be really eager to find out what he is, if he is really anything besides an arrogant jerk. ,she thought. And thinking of it, it's an uncommon thing for Riddle to propose such thing.

"Deal."