Tom Riddle, the boy who was known to be cunning and the most prestigious student prefect at Hogwarts, made his way down the narrow hallways of the castle as he shoved people in his way, not giving a second look at them as he bumped shoulders with them. He clutched his books at his side and stared straight ahead.

There was no time to be wasted.

After all, he was on his way to see you.

That morning, when you had asked Tom if he could help you study for an upcoming Potions exam, it was, without a doubt, a yes from him. He knew you had been struggling in that area in particular, and what kind of companion would he be if he let you struggle without his guidance and encouragement?

He had been by your side for years. You two were best friends, and an inseparable pair, at that. Along with these things, the two of you couldn’t have been more different from one another, and you could never hear the end of it from your classmates.

He was a Slytherin, of course. Ambitious. Prideful. Power Hungry.

You were a Hufflepuff. Loving. Patient. Kind.

Which brought everyone to the question, “How are they so fond of each other?”

Your first day at Hogwarts, you were made fun of by a group of boys for the way you dressed, the way you spoke, and the way you treated others with such kindness and respect and quietness.

Tom, being the sultry and guarding boy he was, used a spell on them that made their mouths disappear from their faces, and appear somewhere on their bodies that Tom wouldn’t inform you. Ever since then, he stayed with you, and promised he wouldn’t let anyone do anything like that to you again.

So, here he was, making his way along the long paths of Hogwarts to meet you at the North Courtyard to help you study, which had become a frequent occurrence.

As he made it to the field, his eyes landed on you. You sat in the middle of the field on a picnic blanket, reading away at your book.

He approached you as he went unnoticed.

“I can see you’ve started without me,” he said with his usual grin.