Yorinea

You wanted to kill Anneliese. Somehow she managed to convince Abraxas Malfoy to study together that day. The four of you have been meeting in the library almost every day for the past two weeks. When you got to the library, Abraxas was sitting next to Tom, who was ignoring the students around him and focusing on his essay. You sat down across from him, your eyes moving over his figure.

A few curled locks of hair fell across his forehead, and his pale fingers on his right hand were stained with ink as his left hand ran over the text in the book before him. The shiny Head Prefect's badge gleamed delicately against the black background of his robes. Dark, cold eyes moved with concentration from the book to the text he was writing and back.

Tom Riddle was used to feeling people's eyes on him. Most of the time it was a look of delight, infatuation or praise. Only with Dumbledore did he feel as if the old man was trying to read all the secrets of his soul and mind... just like you are now. You stared at him intently, but discreetly, trying to think about how to survive in this strange situation.

Anneliese grabbed a quill and ended up in the inkwell, not really knowing how to use it. "why are there no pens here" She muttered quietly with a hint of irritation, starting to scratch uncoordinatedly on the parchment. You glanced at her out of the corner of your eye but nodded. The ink constantly staining your hand was starting to get annoying. But it was what it was and for now you had to learn to use what you had.

You looked back at Tom, who seemed irritated by the fact that he was no longer in the quiet of the library where he could finish his work in peace. His sharp eyes studied Anneliese, who was still complaining under her breath about the quill pen in her hand and the ink that had stained her shirt sleeve. Abraxas seemed to sense the irritation of the boy next to him and grabbed the brunette's hand, stopping her.

"are you going to the party on Friday?" You asked suddenly, wanting to break the awkward and dangerous silence around the four of you. You couldn't let Tom hurt Anneliese, you needed her. No matter how annoying or twisted she was, she was still your best friend. You loved her precisely for her messed up mind.

"oh...we'll have to do some preparation before the party" Anne remarked with a smile, looking at you. Yes, preparation. In Anne's language, it meant drinking quickly and cheaply to get drunk faster at a party. "I don't think you'll find a bottle of vodka here just like that" You replied, to which the brown-haired girl laughed quietly, waving her hand. "I'm not that picky... whiskey or gin will do too"

"If you have permission to leave, we can go to Hogsmeade" Abraxas suggested, and he seemed pleased with Anne's idea. Slytherin won Quidditch against Ravenclaw last weekend, so the Slytherin party has been the topic of conversation for the past few days. Tom, however, didn't seem happy with the idea.

For the past two weeks, you'd been observing Tom, knowing he was... eccentric. To say the least. But you already knew that from books, as well as the fact that he was a textbook example of psychopath. It made you feel a strange knot in your stomach every time you were around him. True crime has taught you that being around a psychopath doesn't end well.

Tom himself seemed to be observing you and Anneliese as well. He noticed the differences in your behavior, speech, and mannerisms. You and Anne were much more confident, you weren't afraid to speak your mind, and the other girl wasn't afraid to emphasize her sex appeal. It wasn't something you saw among normal girls in 1945. Most of the girls dressed more conservatively...And they didn't hit on guys as openly as Anneliese.

Tom Riddle knew there was something wrong with the two of you. But he knew you weren't crazy, no. There was something more. Especially you. You were too thoughtful and attentive around him, you seemed to analyze his every word and move, no matter what he did. At first he thought you were just another girl in love with him, but you weren't trying to get his attention. You were watching him from a different angle. There was no fear, however.

And that interested him. You were neither afraid of him nor in love with him. Your gaze reminded him of the way Dumbledore looked at him. As if you knew exactly what he was doing, what he was planning. It irritated him as much as it intrigued him.

"Tom, are you here?" Your voice snapped him out of the lethargy of his thoughts and he looked at you without saying a word. "So? Are you coming to Hogsmeade with us?" You asked, to which the young man only nodded. He had to observe you and Anneliese. He had to find out what interested him so much about you.

Anneliese clapped her hands several times in excitement and rose from her chair. "Great!" She said with a smile and slammed the prince throwing it into her bag, grabbing your arm and lifting you up from the chair "We're going to get ready. See you in an hour." She said without waiting for your answer she pulled you towards the exit ignoring your 'my notebook!" as you looked at the notebook with the black cover lying on the table.

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

"Jesus, it's cold" You whispered, wrapping your robe tighter around you. Tom, walking beside you, looked at you, narrowing his eyes slightly at your words. You looked around the small town, seeing several students you knew by sight. You took a deep breath and exhaled, and a small puff of smoke escaped your mouth. Winter was starting to arrive and you could feel it. Anneliese and Abraxas walked lightly ahead of you, chatting animatedly. Rather, Anneliese was carrying on a quick monologue as the platinum-haired young man nodded in response to her words.

"You left this in the library" You blinked a few times, slightly surprised, as Tom handed you a black notebook. Your eyes widened slightly as you realized what it was. You quickly grabbed your notebook and stuffed it into your bag. You hoped he didn't read this. All the notes about him, what you remembered from books. What kind of person he was, what he intended to do, and what his future held.

You stole a glance at the face of the young man next to you, but he was still staring straight ahead. His hands were clasped behind his back, and delicate snowflakes fell onto his curly hair and black coat. You tightened your grip on the bag, feeling your hands tremble violently. Even though you knew you were simply in a fictional story and knew what would happen, you couldn't shake the feeling of fear in your heart. You couldn't be sure that your and Anneliese's presence wouldn't change the course of history. One step, one word or action could change many people's lives forever.

You stopped next to your friend who was waiting with Malfoy near the entrance to the alley. You frowned slightly, looking up at the sign hanging on the wall. "Knockturn Alley?" You read it and quickly shook your head, taking a step back. "are you crazy?" You asked with a hint of anger and irritation, looking at Abraxas, to which he shrugged. "What? Did you think you could buy alcohol here? Please, no one sells alcohol to Hogwarts students here. I know a place where we can buy it easily; my father knows the owner. I'm sure nothing will happen to us."

You opened your mouth to argue when Abraxas grabbed Anneliese's hand and they both started walking down the Alley. "hey!" You shouted after them without thinking and followed your friend.

You felt your heart pounding as you carefully looked around the dark alley. Wizards in dark robes, people looking in your direction with distrust, or the disgusting smiles of several men who stared at you or Anneliese. You pursed your lips, wanting to run away, but you couldn't leave your friend here. You took a deep breath and exhaled, closing your eyes to calm down.

The White Wyvern. You looked at the dragon sign hanging over the pub. "are you coming in?" Abraxas asked, you quickly shook your head. There is no way you will walk into a pub full of drunk sorcerers. Anneliese laughed softly and patted you on the head. "then stay with Tom, we'll be back soon" She replied quickly, disappearing behind the door with Malfoy.

You looked at Riddle, who was looking around. After a while, without a word, he walked towards one of the shops. You quickly ran up to him. "don't leave me" You huffed in irritation, to which the young man paid no attention, simply opening the door for you without a word. You shook your head and went inside, grimacing slightly at the shop's interior design.

"Stay here and don't move, I'll be right back" He muttered, and you nodded. You didn't feel like going anywhere. The store was dirty and filthy. Just the thought of touching something here made you feel like you were about to get sepsis. You walked over to the shelf and started looking at the various things lying there from a distance.

You tilted your head to the side, staring at the beautiful opal necklace. A slight smile appeared on your lips, but quickly disappeared when you felt a presence behind you and a voice after a moment. "Does the lady like anything?" You jumped slightly, quickly turning around. You blinked a few times as you saw the middle-aged man. He had greasy, shoulder-length hair, a slightly dirty face, and rotting teeth.

"uh, just watching. I'm waiting for... a friend" You replied quickly, taking a few steps back, wanting to put some distance between you. The man laughed, his voice hoarse and sharp, as if he had been smoking since birth. You pursed your lips, trying to calm down. You knew you wouldn't stand a chance against an adult wizard.

"oh don't be afraid, miss" He responded by patting your shoulder, and you felt a cold rain trickle down your spine, and you pulled away from him again, looking away. "I'm not afraid, but please don't touch me" You said, trying to sound confident despite your trembling voice. So it's not only in the normal world that there are such scumbags, huh?

"Oh come on, take it easy. I just wanted to talk. See if you need any help." He replied and you looked at him, about to speak when you felt a hand on your shoulder that pushed you away from the man. You blinked a few times, staring at the black cloak in front of you as Tom moved you behind him.

"as you can see, the young lady doesn't need anything. It is inappropriate to touch a woman if she does not wish to be touched and is openly trying to show it." Tom's ice-cold voice rang through the quiet shop, causing the man to look at him with a quiet hum. The shopkeeper threw a dirty cloth over his shoulder and snorted softly. "There's no need to be so nervous anymore. Nothing happened to her." The older man muttered and walked away, to which you pushed away with relief.

You placed your hand on your chest, closing your eyes. "Thanks, Tom" You said quietly, and he grabbed your arm, leading you to the exit. "I'm a prefect, my job is to make sure that students don't get hurt" He replied shortly, without even looking at you, only pressing his venomous gaze at the shopkeeper who was looking at you from behind the counter.

You never thought that obsessively reading fanfiction or watching Harry Potter as a teenager would finally come in handy. But when you woke up in the familiar Slytherin room from the fanart, you knew something was wrong. Especially when you heard a sudden scream nearby and Anneliese was lying on the bed next to yours. Your best friend.

"God...Jesus...fuck" Anneliese looked around the room in shock, and when her eyes met yours, she quickly jumped off the bed and ran to you, almost tripping over the duvet that had wrapped itself around her legs. "are you here too!?" Anne shouted, grabbing your hands to check if you were not her hallucination. "I think we're having collective hallucinations... I knew the governments were plotting something" Anne whispered, her voice full of confidence in her theory.

You shook your head, rubbing your forehead with your hand, and closed your eyes, thinking for a moment. "no...okay, wait-" You started slowly when the door suddenly burst open and a blonde girl ran in, quickly starting to gather her things. "Why aren't you getting ready? There's only a little over half an hour left of breakfast." You blinked a few times, grabbing Anne's arm as she narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"yes, yes...we're going" You replied with a smile, to which the blonde smiled back and nodded, grabbing her bag. "see you at Herbiology?" You nodded again and waved at her, after a moment looking at Anneliese who had buried her face in the pillow and screamed.

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

Fortunately, you found yourself in the Great Hall quickly. Anne looked at the people around her, asking questions every now and then. "You seriously never watched Harry Potter? It was on Netflix!" You whisper-shouted at the brunette, who bit the inside of her cheek and folded her arms across her chest. "I was interested in boys who exist, not characters from books" She replied, and you rolled your eyes.

"well, now the same people from the books are real" You looked around, noticing how most of the students were dressed somewhat conservatively. Shirts buttoned to the last button, black tights covering their entire legs, robes buttoned. And then you looked at Anne. Her robe was unbuttoned, her tie was loosely thrown around her neck, and the last buttons of her shirt were undone, revealing a slight cleavage. You weren't sure what year you were in...you didn't see Harry, Ron, Hermione, or the rest of student you know about, so you were either ahead of their time or already after their time at school. But judging by the students' clothing style, this was before the Chosen One was born.

You rested your head on your hands, closing your eyes as you heard quiet whispers and felt someone sit down next to you. Bored, you glanced at the tall, dark-haired boy who opened the book with obvious boredom. You sighed quietly and closed your eyes again, trying to calm down and figure out how you and Anneliese ended up here.

"Jesus, don't sigh like that." Anne muttered quietly, looking at you as she stabbed her fork into the scrambled eggs on her plate. "as I said, it's a hallucination caused by the drugs our government puts in our food every day to control us" She said it confidently and with determination, which made several people around you look at Anne as if she was crazy. Even you raised an eyebrow.

"you watch too many conspiracy theories" You muttered quietly, and the brunette looked at you with hurt. "MK-Ultra turned out to be true!" She responded by slamming her hand on the table, which made other students look at you, including the boy sitting next to you. The table around you fell silent, focusing on Anneliese who was passionately talking about a project carried out by the CIA in the 1950s and 1960s. "but we're not in the USA, are we?" You muttered softly.

"Who knows what the British government or any other government is planning? They won't say 'hey, we're your government and we're poisoning you to control you'. Do you really think they'd admit it? No! That's why we have to watch them" You frowned with a quiet 'what' as you listened to the brunette's words. You blinked a few times and shook your head, not wanting to think about Anneliese and her obsession right now.

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

The whole day was difficult. You didn't know any spells, you could barely brew a potion, and one of the plants almost bit off your arm, but you survived. You had the advantage of knowing the universe-world- of Harry Potter. Unlike Anneliese, who looked like a soldier going through a severe PTSD episode. Her face was pale, her lips were blue, and her hands were trembling. The young woman fell to the ground with a thud, resting her hands on the cold stone and closing her eyes. "these are really strong drugs" She muttered barely audibly.

"you survived...somehow" You muttered quietly, sitting on the bench next to her figure and resting your head on your hand. You looked up, seeing the same black-haired boy again among the group of Slytherins who were talking quietly. You tilted your head to the side, trying to focus on his figure and remember who he was.

Jet black hair, brown eyes, Slytherin, Head Boy, a group of Slytherins who despise others around him...

"oh shit" You muttered quietly under your breath. Tom Marvolo Riddle. He looked a lot different than his movie version. He had sharper facial features, darker hair, and much emptier and colder eyes.

On the one hand, you wanted to sink into the ground and run away from his gaze, but on the other... you had the advantage. You knew his past...and future. You could have buried him among the teachers, defeated him now before he went completely insane.

"it's a pity that such a handsome boy turned into a lizard" You hummed quietly, and Anneliese looked at you as she rose from the ground. The brunette attracted the attention of students all day long. She was beautiful, and the style in which she wore her uniform only added to her charm. Long, curly dark brown hair, brown eyes, clean and fair skin with a delicate blush, full lips and a shapely figure. Additionally, the fact that her uniform had a more... open style than the other girls' attracted the attention of the male side of the school.

"Who?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest and looking in the same direction as you. After a moment, a slight, mischievous smile spread across her lips as she looked at you again. "the one with dark hair?" She asked in a meaningful voice and before you could say anything Anneliese was already walking towards the group of young men.

Sirius Black was known throughout the school. Handsome, from a good family, popular, one of the few members of the Marauders. He was almost an idol to the other students.

But you, you were the background. Unknown by name or even face, just one of the many students at school that Sirius wouldn't normally pay attention to. You weren't even in Gryffindor, so Sirius didn't care about your existence. But that changed in a split second.

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

You were sitting in a quiet place, deep in the school library, surrounded by books and the only light came from your wand. A delicate blue glow illuminated the otherwise dark room, and the silence was broken only by the quiet rustle of papers or the crunch of cookies you stole from the Hogwarts kitchen.

You liked moments like this, on Fridays hardly anyone came to the library. There were usually parties where students could illegally drink or just relax and go to bed right after classes ended.

It was quiet, peaceful. Since your second year of study, it has become like a tradition. The school elves working in the kitchen already knew you, so every Friday you'd find a plate of cookies, and every week something new. A little surprise after a hard week of homework and the stress of studying.

Your peaceful bubble quickly burst when you suddenly heard the soft sound of a door slamming shut. You lifted your eyes from the letters, looking over the book at the dark figure who was quickly and desperately searching for something. You blinked a few times, slightly surprised to see anyone in the room, but you didn't say anything. After all, it was a place where every student could come.

You tilted your head to the side, raising an eyebrow as the figure suddenly tripped over something, falling to the ground with a thud. You couldn't stop the quiet laughter that escaped your lips.

"Fuck" You put the book aside, walking over to the figure who was getting up from the ground. A soft blue light illuminated the handsome face of Sirius as he tripped over an extended chair.

"are you alive?" You asked with amusement and extended your hand towards him, helping him up. The young man nodded gratefully and straightened, adjusting his robe.

"yeah...thanks" He muttered quietly, looking up at you. His eyes moved up and down your body until he finally looked at your face again. The glow of the Lumos spell gently framed your face, giving you a heavenly, slightly mysterious aura. "Are you a veela?" A quiet question escaped his lips before he could stop himself.

You blinked a few times at the question and after a moment you burst out laughing, shaking your head. Sirius shook his head as if he didn't realize it was he who asked such a question. A slight blush burned on his pale face, but he did not look away. Sirius Black was not a coward.

"No" You replied after a moment when you calmed down your laughter. The young man looked at you, thinking for a moment, until a charming smile appeared on his lips. "Are you sure? You definitely look like a little fairy" He threw it flirtatiously. You raised your eyebrow again, still amused.

"I'm sure. I would know if my mother was a Veela" You replied, to which Sirius just smiled. "if you say so, Fairy" He shrugged and folded his arms across his chest, looking around.

You smiled slightly again and nodded, feeling your face warm up at his nickname for you. Not letting the awkward silence fall, you turned to go back to your books, but Sirius followed you.

"what are you doing?" He asked as you sat down on the ground and he crouched in front of you, taking out his wand from the gray and illuminating the darkness with a quiet Lumos on his lips. You lifted the prince higher "I'm reading" You replied and the black-haired wizard nodded.

You opened your mouth to ask what he was doing here when the door banged open again and Professor McGonagall entered. "Black!" She said loudly, which made the young man grimace, wanting to quickly hide next to her, but the teacher noticed him.

"follow me!" She said, grabbing the collar of his white shirt and straightening him out. You looked between them, slightly confused, but a slight smile of amusement appeared on your lips.

"see you tomorrow?" Sirius said, winking at you before the Professor pulled him towards the exit, launching into a tirade about his latest prank on the Slytherin group.

While studying at Hogwarts, Tom Riddle was considered a wizard whose future looked bright. Handsome, smart, talented, and charismatic. Everything a man needed to gain strength and power.

For years he climbed the ladder of power and career using fear and force, leaving only destruction and uncertainty in his wake. His career at the Ministry of Magic quickly soared, an avalanche of letters of recommendation from former teachers and support from wealthy and influential families of the magical world made his name known. After leaving school, he began working at the Ministry, and with each passing year, he gradually climbed higher and higher until he finally took over as Minister for Magic.

Most people initially thought that such a young and talented man would be a great for wizard world, but the bubble quickly burst. Tom Riddle turned out to be worse than the Dementor himself. And Tom knew that nothing would stop him now.

Every attempt at revolution or uprising was suppressed quickly and effectively. Ministry positions were filled by Riddle's rapidly growing circle of supporters. Many witches and wizards tried to escape, some succeeded and some ended up in the green flash of the Unforgivable Curse.

No one dared to stand up to Tom, no one dared to speak in his presence, no one dared to reprimand him or disagree with him. Nobody, until one witch appeared who genuinely interested Tom Marvolo Riddle.

⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔

The Yule Balls were not a holiday to celebrate. They were a holiday for the aristocracy to plan and plot. Arranging marriages, planning your next steps, sucking up to everyone higher up your rank. Anything to gain power and influence. Everything Tom Riddle wanted and had.

And you knew it.

Being in power as a woman was difficult, especially when the aristocracy now ruled. Tom Riddle himself didn't put witches to work, but the nobility was a different matter. After all, a woman's place was at home, right? Not in politics.

You knew that to rule you had to become a puppet master. Pulling the strings of an influential man, being the scoundrel who turned his head.

The Minister of Magic, however, did not seem to be a person who was easy to manipulate, otherwise his power would have fallen long ago. You saw the strength and confidence in his posture, the darkness and hunger for power in his eyes. You had been watching him for a long time, so you knew a lot about him.

Quickly your eyes met dark ones. But you didn't look away, you didn't get embarrassed, which surprised Tom a little. He didn't show it, but that one gesture... or rather the lack of any reaction on your part, intrigued him. People cowered under his gaze, but you? You stared at him openly, not hiding.

Your lipstick smudged on the glass rim as you took a sip of wine, keeping your eyes fixed on the Minister. You gave him one last smile before turning around and disappearing into the crowd with a quiet click of your heels.

"-my lord?" Rockwood's uncertain voice brought Tom back to the group of men standing around him. His fingers tightened slightly on his glass as he nodded towards the older man. "as I said...Dumbledore seems to be up to something again." Tom glared at Rockwood, as if it were his fault that Albus was planning more fights with the Minister for Magic.

Dumbledore was Tom's biggest problem, a flaw in his perfect facade that he couldn't erase. Ever since Tom's time at Hogwarts, Albus had shown distrust and even dislike for Riddle, no matter what he did. He was the one who tried to turn others away from Tom, seeing the person hiding under the guise of the perfect student.

"we need someone from outside the British families. Someone Dumbledore doesn't know, someone who could easily join their ranks." Abraxas Malfoy remarked, taking a step closer to Tom, who was twirling his glass in his fingers.

Why couldn't that old man just let it go? Tom is the Minister of Magic! He rules the magical world, no matter what that old fool tries to do. Tom had too many supporters behind him, too much support from various full-blooded families.

"we will consider the right person at the right time" He replied in a cold voice, finding your figure again from the corner of his eye. Without a word, he turned and walked away from the group of men, wordlessly declaring the conversation closed.

He followed you as you started to leave the ballroom. He narrowed his eyes as he found you on the balcony. The bright moonlight illuminated your person in a pale halo. Without a word, he took out his wand and pressed it violently against your neck. "why are you watching me?" He hissed, his free hand landing on your shoulder, squeezing tightly. "Dumbledore sent you? His spies are getting sloppy." He snorted softly, pressing the tip of his wand harder into your skin.

You lifted your gaze higher, focusing on his face. Sharp features, a straight nose, jet-black wavy hair and dark eyes in which you could swear you saw a red light. "Who said I was Dumbledore's errand?" You replied calmly, and Tom tightened his grip on your shoulder even more.

"don't lie" He hissed in irritation. You tilted your head to the side, raising your hand and grabbing his wand, pushing it away from you. "I came here for you, Mr. Riddle. I have a proposition." You explained, to which Tom narrowed his eyes distrustfully, lifting his head higher but lowering his hand.

"Proposals? Do you think a child like you could have something I want?" He replied mockingly. You wanted to hit him for that. You're not a child! "but okay, I'm listening then" He added after a while, moving aside and taking a seat on the bench against the wall. His long, pale fingers twirled his wand. "what can you offer me?"

A slight smile lifted the corner of your mouth as you turned towards him, wrapping the scarf tightly around your shoulders. You lifted your head higher, taking a step closer. "oh I'm sure you'll like it" You whispered so quietly that only he could hear.

⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ᧔ෆ᧓ ꒱ ⏔

Tom Marvolo Riddle was considered the scariest professor you could meet at Hogwarts. Demanding, harsh, expecting nothing less than perfection from his students. Every little mistake was met with dark eyes of hidden contempt. Any chance of disrupting a lesson resulted in hours of detention, and any argument resulted in the loss of many house points.

Yes, the students were afraid of Professor Riddle.

Because of this, no one expected to see him with you. A charming, kind and understanding Potions professor.

The gossips, of course, did come as the other Professors sometimes whispered among themselves about the surprisingly close bond between Tom and you. Some people remembered how you behaved in your school days. How Tom considered you a rival for his status as the perfect student.

But now? Tom was...nice. As nice as Tom Riddle can be. Most people would be afraid to laugh at his words, say something he might not like, let alone say the word 'no' or 'I disagree with you'.

But you? With a charming smile you could say, 'Don't be silly'. To which Tom only responded with a quiet groan and folded his arms across his chest, not taking his eyes off you.

Dark, usually sharp eyes moved over your person, finally landing at your hands that were skillfully cutting the root. He took a step closer to you, standing behind you and taking your hand, the silver band glinting on your finger in the warm light of the fire.

Tom never thought he would have a wife, especially one like you. Soft, lovely and vulnerable.

But fate laughed in his face when, with a sweet smile, you slowly took your place on his throne as the perfect student. He hated you from the very beginning, he saw you as a rival, someone who threatened his perfect plan. You took attention and praise from students and teachers from him, piece by piece. And all this with that damn smile and eyes sparkling with excitement.

But Tom quickly realized he couldn't fight you. It was pointless. Even though his facade of the perfect student was flawless, he was sure that if you said something, the professors would believe you. So Tom started taking an interest in you, at first it was to observe you, control you and destroy you from the inside.

But your light, curiosity, intelligence and smile made Tom Riddle abandon his plan for the first time in his life. Was it love? Tom wasn't sure, all his life he thought he was unable to feel love or friendship. But he quickly grew attached to you, to your sweet voice as you chirped in his ear while he studied, as you sat together during mealtime.

Over time, Tom realized he couldn't let you go, couldn't give you to anyone else. He couldn't let another wizard have your attention, let you share your smile and sparkling eyes with others.

So, quickly after school, he proposed. He himself did not wear a wedding ring, he did not like to mix his private life with his career. But you? For the first few weeks, you stared at your wedding ring and engagement ring mesmerized. It made Tom feel a strange tightness in his chest, something soft and warm. Like you.

"Tom?" Your voice snapped him out of his lethargy, and he lifted his gaze from your hand to your face. "my hands are dirty" You remarked with a slight smile of amusement when you realized Tom was staring at your wedding ring again. It's as if even after years of marriage he doesn't believe that you are husband and wife.

"Meaningless" He replied, squeezing your hand tightly. You rolled your eyes and pulled away from his grip, pushing him away with a hip thrust. You grabbed your wand and with one flick of your wrist everything started cutting itself. You wiped your hands on a damp cloth and stepped closer to him, watching as Tom's long, pale fingers moved over the worn, yellowed pages of your journal.

"did something happen?" You asked and the man looked at you incomprehensibly. "Did something have to happen for me to want to see my wife?" He asked, rolling his eyes and placing his hand on your hip as you positioned yourself in front of him.

As your hands rested on his bicep, Tom's other hand moved higher and then ran through your hair and a quiet 'wife?' echoed through your classroom.

Tom turned sharply towards the heavy wooden door and in a few steps flung it open, causing two students to fall into the room and fall onto the stone floor.

"Spying on professors? Minus fifteen points from Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You both also have detention. Tomorrow after classes I see you two in my classroom" Tom's sharp voice echoed coldly across the stone walls of the hall. You felt a twinge of sympathy when you saw the terrified eyes of the students as they quickly got up from the ground.

Tom gave the students a short scolding before sending them back to their dormitories. You looked at him with a slight smile and grabbed his hand. "Oh...I guess our marriage isn't as secret as you'd like it to be anymore" You laughed and Tom sighed quietly, shaking his head.

The next day at breakfast, gossip spread throughout the Great Hall. News of the marriage of the most terrifying and the most lovable professors spread quickly throughout the castle. You were amused and happy, but Tom was sure it would give him chronic headaches. Even though he seemed dissatisfied on the surface, you knew that deep inside, he was happy that you didn't have to hide.