𝐅𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐇 ; Tom Riddle

01. The Professor

     A YEAR LATER, TOM RIDDLE HAD TAKEN ALMOST COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THE CHILDREN AT THE ORPHANAGE. They were all terrified of his abilities and his evil behavior and none of them would talk to or even look at Phoebe. They were all too scared of what he might do to them if he found out. Mrs. Cole noticed how the girl was being isolated, and couldn't help but feel terrible for her. She scribbled down some words on a paper as she thought.

Tom Riddle seems to think that if he isolates Phoebe, that it will make her want to stay around him, She wrote. He treats her much better than the rest of the kids. Could it be because she's constantly been around him? Most of the other kids have been around him for a long time too, so that can't be it.

     She looked up from her paper and sighed. She needed to throw the page away and restart, it wasn't as professional as she wanted it. She kept files on all of the children at the orphanage, but she often found herself studying Tom, and writing about him more than the other kids. There was something off about him. The child absolutely terrified her but, he also intrigued her. She wanted nothing more than to dig into his brain and figure out all of his secrets.

She rubbed her face and sighed again. Eric Whalley was currently suffering from chicken pox, and she really needed to tend to his needs. So, as much as she would've loved to continue thinking about the two odd children, she stood up and left her small room.

"MRS. COLE!" she heard one of the girls yell as she walked. She began to talk to herself about the things that she needed to do as she began walking to the front door.

"—chicken pox on top of everything else." she said, to no one in particular. Her eyes then fell on a man with long auburn hair, and a long beard that was the same color. He was wearing a flamboyant cut suit of plum velvet, he was strange compared to most people she had met.

"I'm Albus Dumbledore."

˗ˏˋ 🐍 ˎˊ˗

"THERE'S SOMEONE HERE." PHOEBE SAID AS SHE WALKED INTO THE ROOM SHE SHARED WITH TOM. The boy raised his head to look at her. He was currently lounging on their bed reading a book. He had been trying to stay in his room all day due to the illnesses that had been spreading inside of the orphanage. He had tried to convince Phoebe to do the same, but the stubborn girl wouldn't listen to him. She was too curious for her own good. "He's a strange old man." she mused as she sat down at the end of the bed.

"Did he speak to you?" asked Tom with an unreadable expression on his face. New people visiting the orphanage usually meant they were wanting to take a child home with him.

Phoebe shook her head, "No, I was hiding when he came inside." she chuckled, "You should've seen Mrs. Cole's face when she saw him! She looked as if a giraffe had came inside!"

Tom smiled at her words, "That must've been a sight to see." he paused, "Where did Mrs. Cole take him?"

"To her room, of course." Phoebe said with a shrug, "They're probably talking about something unimportant."

Tom nodded his head, but he didn't agree with her words. He put his book down, sat up, and moved so that he was sitting next to her. "Promise me something." he said as he grabbed her hand.

"Anything."

"If that man decides he wants to adopt you, promise me that you'll let me know so that we can run away together." His eyes bore into hers as he spoke. His words with firm, but Phoebe could detect the hidden fear that managed to escape.