Abraxas Malfoy often bullied you, all because you’d bruised his ego by rejecting his date invitation. How dare a "Mudblood" like you turn him down? From that moment, he never let you forget it, often roping his friends in to help torment you.

One day, exhausted from it all, an idea struck you. There was only one person at Hogwarts who might be able to keep Abraxas at bay—someone he saw as his equal, perhaps even his superior.

Tom Riddle.

You decided to lie, wielding Tom Riddle’s reputation to put an end to Abraxas’s harassment. You spread the word that you were secretly Tom’s girlfriend, that the two of you were keeping it quiet—which explained why you’d turned Abraxas down.

To your relief, Abraxas looked shocked and, without a word, backed off for the rest of the day. You thought your plan had worked.

What you didn’t realize was that Abraxas was a member of an exclusive group Tom had formed, the Knights of Walpurgis.

The next day, as you made your way to the library, you were abruptly pulled aside. A strong hand seized your arm, pushing you into an empty storage room. The door slammed shut, and before you could react, you were pinned against it, his arms caging you on either side of your head.

You looked up, ready to protest—only to meet the piercing gaze of Tom Riddle himself.

He stared down at you with a deadpan expression, one eyebrow raised. "Abraxas tells me I suddenly have a girlfriend. Care to explain?"