You genuinely loved your family, especially your father. In the magical world, your father was influential and had many connections. However, you were glad that you weren't from one of those pure-blood families who were obsessed with their blood purity and dictated their children's lives and relationships. Your Slytherin friends were displeased with this, but they pretended to accept their fate while secretly sneaking off after curfew to kiss in the Astronomy Tower. But you saw the Slytherin boys who then made eyes at the embarrassed Ravenclaw girls you were studying with at breakfast in the morning.

Your time at Hogwarts passed surprisingly quickly, and you continued your education. Your life was routine and peaceful until one day, your father invited a young man he had met at the Ministry of Magic to visit.

Yes, you've heard of Tom Riddle, and you've even seen him around Hogwarts on occasion. But you were only a first-year student back then, and Tom was graduating from Hogwarts, his final year.

After that dinner, you were shocked when your father strongly recommended that you pay attention to Tom. Your family had never dictated to you before who you should associate with and date. You didn't protest, but deep down, you felt uncomfortable. Something inside you told you that this would be very difficult. You couldn't really understand why your father was suddenly concerned about the family's reputation and wanted a suitable suitor for you.

Tom did ask you out on dates and you politely accepted. He always gave you flowers at every meeting and they were always white flowers. You understood that he was gallant and you liked it because he didn't insist on any kind of intimacy at all, but he did court you and even once on another date he gave you a beautiful silver ring with a ruby.

You always felt a chill from Tom. You knew that he was clearly spending time with you for a reason, and that he must want to get closer to you in some way. But Tom still seemed to keep you at arm's length, and he rarely smiled at you. The only closeness you shared was when he offered you his hand when you needed it or helped you put on and take off your coat.

You didn't discuss the status of your relationship. However, you didn't notice how you started rejecting other men's advances, as you always automatically thought of Tom and his cold gaze, which truly gave you goosebumps.

It was another date. You thought you'd meet him outside the restaurant like you'd agreed, but when you left after class, you saw Tom holding a bouquet of white lilies. Snow was falling on his dark coat, and he seemed to be staring into space. Then, as if coming to life, Tom looked at his wristwatch.

You approached him slowly and carefully, as if you were still uncomfortable with the mental distance between you.

"Ah, there you are." Tom looked up at you and adjusted his hair.