1. Welcome to Hogwarts, Said the Head Boy
Students chattered around as they stood up from their seats to head to their dorms. The feast had been amazing, and now the teenagers were tired, yawning and moaning about having to go up and down flights of stairs, change into pajamas, and brush their teeth before they had a chance to get into their cozy, awaiting beds.
Hogwarts made quite an impression on me during the first night. The spell made it look like we were dining below thousands of shining diamonds, the delicious food, the warm atmosphere, and the breathtaking ancient castle had made the first night here worth remembering.
I also got up from my seat, ready to follow the sea of Slytherin students. I was pulled aside by my house professor, Severus Snape.
"Miss Y/N Y/L/N, please stand with me for a second, there is someone I must introduce you to before you go to bed," the professor spoke, leaving no room for discussion.
So, here I was, tired out of my mind and standing beside a very rude professor who didn't even try to initiate some small talk. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I like small talk with strangers but... Isn't that what you're supposed to do? I was swaying back and forth to try and keep myself awake, moving the weight of my body from the tips of my toes to my heels when Professor Snape called someone else.
"Mr. Riddle, would you mind stepping aside for a minute?"
"Of course not professor, what is it?" The boy asked, his face was serious, with not a hint of emotion in his features.
He was tall, taller than me for sure, lean but muscular. He had sharp facial features, with piercing black eyes. His hair was neatly combed to the side with hair gel, which did nothing but define his curls, making him look elegant and sophisticated. He was devilishly handsome, and yet something about him screamed danger in a way that was impossible to ignore.
"Tom, meet Miss Y/N Y/L/N, She comes from Massachusetts. Miss Y/L/N, this is Tom Riddle, he's in his seventh year, and he's head boy." Snape introduced us and Tom looked at me intensely. I looked right back, not willing to be intimidated on the first day here.
"Pleased to meet you, Tom," I spoke, almost spitting his name out.
He noticed my aggression and tipped his chin up in superiority as if it was a silent victory for him to have kept his pettiness non-verbal.
"The pleasure is all mine," and if I hadn't seen the arrogance and mockery in his eyes I would have thought his words were sincere... Almost charming.
"Mr. Riddle," Professor Snape spoke, pulling us both out of the unjustified dislike that grew stronger by the minute. "I am not asking this of you today, given that both of you must be tired, but you should find a time before tomorrow's classes to show Miss Y/L/N around."
Tom nodded at the statement and spoke back to the professor about me, but never looking at me, never acknowledging me. I felt betrayed by my own mind at how upset that had made me. But not the kind of upset that wants to make you put someone in their place, the kind of upset that makes you wonder what you did wrong, and makes you want to fix it.
"What year is she in?" The head boy asked the Professor.
"I'm in sixth year," I answered before Professor Snape could.
The Professor stared at me slightly annoyed and seemingly surprised at my attitude. My eyes fell back on Tom's who seemed to have understood that I would not allow to be spoken about as if I wasn't in the same room as him. He turned his body to mine, focusing solely on me.
"An hour before breakfast?" the sentence had been posed as a question, but his eyes gave a dead giveaway that there was no other option.
The mere thought of having to wake up earlier than necessary after such a long day made me want to stomp my feet. Clearly, I couldn't do that, so I just settled for nodding my head.
"Good, I will meet you at the common room tomorrow. Don't be late. Just follow the first years to figure out where the dorm is." His lips curved in an unsettling smile, "Welcome to Hogwarts, Y/N Y/L/N," and he walked away, setting his attention on getting the younger Slytherin students to their common room.
Well, that has to be the most condescending person I have ever met... How did he manage to become head boy with that dreadful attitude?
I didn't have the time or energy to think about that. I said good night to the rather unpleasant Professor Snape without spearing him a glance. Evidently, I followed the younger students to get to the Slytherin common room.
Very much to my dismay, I wasn't even half as excited as I thought I would be at the prospect of getting a tour from the most handsome by I had seen at school.