The Riddle Shop
Tom
I know exactly what to do next. Looking at her, I hesitantly took Y/n's hand. She looks up at me she seemed confused but decided to let me hold her small hand. I explain what I intend to do on this date. I have multiple cards up my sleeves."My family owns a little general shop in this mall, let's go check it out." Y/n broke out in a smile. I practically melted at that grin. I love witnessing her exciting nature. She gets interested in new ideas so easily. "Seems enticing, lead the way, Tommy."
Tommy. Does this mean we're at least friends? She usually reserves nicknames for her friends. I grin, this is a good step in my direction. She went from a closed-off nerd to a friendly one. Let's see how much I can get her to open up.
We were shuffling along to the shop. We finally spotted it. Standing in front of the store, y/n marveled at it. The white neon sign, the wooden walls, and the vintage style looked like a paradise to her. She squealed, "It's like my aesthetic dream come true!" She squeezed my hand as she tugged me into the store. Blushing, I rubbed the back of my neck. I was lucky enough to partly own a shop that has Y/n's interests in mind.
"Wait for a minute, I need to show you something." I pulled her along to the jewelry section. I went behind the desk, fishing out a black bracelet box from one of the shelves that held dozen of boxes of customized bracelets. The boxes were stacked neatly on top of each other. But I reserved a lone spot for Y/n's bracelet.
I set the black velvet box down. Snapping it open, I motioned for Y/n to take a look. The other three boys seemed interested, gathering around the box. It was a bracelet with six charms. The charms were a bee, book, ink pot, star, microphone, and a Peter Pan Disney charm ( I had to get that from the Disney store, it cost a shit ton of money). She quirked her head. Her eyes followed along with the charms as I pointed at them explaining the significance. "Your first student body project was saving the bees. So you established the garden club and had them plant flowers that benefited the bees and preserve trees that had beehives hanging out of them. The book was to signify the fact that you are a big book nerd, I can see you fall asleep at the library multiple times. The ink pot was for the type of medium that you used in art class. I can see your ink art on the bulletin in the class, you're a fantastic artist. The microphone signifies how you won the debate tournament for our school, you looked so happy while receiving your trophy and Peter Pan." I paused. Gaging her response, she had this excited glint in her eyes. Her eyes lit up as her grin turned into a full-on sunshine-like smile.
I braced myself for what I'm about to say because it was so cheesy. But she deserves cheesy. "I- I gave the peter pan charm to you because it reminds me of you and me. You're Wendy and I am Peter Pan. You deal with my mischief and I admire your logic. So, in theory." I took her wrist and clicked the bracelet in place. She was now wearing the bracelet.
"We're perfect for each other." She blushed. Chuckling, she took her hand out of my hold. "You paid attention." I snorted. "Who wouldn't? I've been paying attention to you ever since Tori became your friend." Her eyes widened. "But that was when we were in the 3rd grade."
"Exactly."
--
Y/n pick out a red quill and an ink pot. The boys bregrudenly got things for them too. They hated to admit it, but the shop sold quality goods. Draco got a book in french, it was a flower guide for Paris. The illustrations were masterfully watercolored. That was actually the last vintage copy, Malfoy has taste.
Harry bought cleats to replace his withered lacrosse cleats. Wait. "Harry, don't you have Lacrosse practice today? Along with Draco?" No way they ditched their practices.
They both blushed. "I skipped it in favor of this date." Harry sheepishly said. Draco nodded, looking down. Cedric bought a full bag of candies. Y/n was sharing the bag with Cedric. "Teddy, you have really good taste in candy." Cedric blushed. "Teddy? That's my name now?" Y/n shrugged. Popping a Caramel in her mouth.
"I mean, I figured, that I might as well see you all as my friends if you're certain on trying to win my heart. Makes it easier that way." They all agreed. But it can see it in their eyes, they want to get out of the friendzone as soon as possible. Even I do, no one wants to hear the dreaded "He's like a brother to me." That's a death sentence.
"Where are we going next?" Harry asked. He had his hands in his pocket, trying to act casual. Y/n got a bright idea. "There's this good Boba Tea place that my family runs." I narrowed my eyes. "Why haven't I heard of this before?" Despite knowing her since the 3rd grade, she barely talks about what her family does.
"We just relocated to this mall, lets's go boys!"
--
We arrived at the shop. It was labeled RoseTea. It had a boba tea logo with a rose in it. We walked inside, it was a small store. The walls were white. But there was a painted mural of a garden of roses and a cottage. We can see the baristas working hard. We piled against the back of the small line. It was niche. Pleasant. Quaint.
It took some time but we got to the front of the line, the group already knows what they were going to get, well, everyone except Harry. "Y/n, I can't believe you have friends." The cashier was older and taller. He had shoulder-length hair that was tied back into a bun. He had glasses that looked similar to Y/n. He was in a joking mood. And it seems like he's popular around here.
"Jay, why are you working right now, didn't your shift end?" He rolled his eyes. "Being a good bigger brother comes with a lot of responsibilities, I'm covering Morgan. She's on a date right now." Y/n sighed. "Well, I'll let these four idiots order."
"Hey! I'm nothing like those three." Draco Malfoy held his head up high. "I would like a green apple boba tea, 75 percent sugar, with blueberry popping boba. Only a regular size please." Jay looked impressed. "You know how to order?" Jay asked. Draco nodded.
"I and my friends frequented your shop before you relocated." He casually said. Jay typed the order in the system. "I recognized you."
I stepped in, cutting contact between Jay and Draco. I can't let Draco get in good with her family. "Jay." Jay nodded. "Riddle. How can I help you?" Jay and I didn't exactly get along. He tolerates me and vice versa. But to get to Y/n, I had to please every one of her family members, including the dreaded 4 siblings. "I'd like oolong milk tea, 100 percent sugar, less ice, and regular tapioca." Jay nodded, typing in the order. "So same as always. You're a simple man, Riddle." I stepped to the side, letting Harry order. He's probably silently judging us based on our orders. That perceptive prick will forever remain a thorn in my side.
"I'm new and indecisive, what would you pick if you were me?" Jay looked him over. "Hm. I'd pick Pear milk tea with coconut jelly." Harry nodded. "Pear's my favorite fruit." Jay nodded back. "Yeah, I know. Y/n mentioned it. I think she had a-"
"ok ok, Cedric, your turn." I let Cedric order. Cedric started talking, wanting to cover something up. I think Cedric and I have the right idea, both agreeing to keep Harry from the truth. "I'd like a Royal Honey Milk tea with no boba, 100 percent sugar, and a large cup." Jay nodded. "I like your sweater." Cedric blushed. "I made it myself."
We all turned to him. Y/n looked excited. She was rocking back and forth. Please tell me Cedric won't use this as an opportunity to get closer to her.
"You're into fashion design too?!" Y/n exclaimed. Cedric only nodded his head. "It's just a pastime." I took a breath. She shouldn't be so excited over him. He can sew, so what?
Jay added up all of our orders. Twenty-Six Dollars and 42 cents." Draco took out his phone and swiped his digital credit card over the reader before anyone else can pay for their share. "Stop flexing, we get it, your family's rich." Harry scoffed. Draco playfully stuck his tongue out. Smirking.
"I might as well pay for my new friend group." I chuckled. "Draco, we just threw hands at each other yesterday. Now we're friends?" he blushed and nodded.
"This is the first friend group I had in a long time. So don't look too into it." Y/n hugged him. Snuggling close.
"You're alright, Malfoy." Draco snaked his hands around Y/n's neck.
"You are too."
---
We found ourselves at a book store. It was a two-story shop. We were at the top of the bookstore, walking through the Young Adults section. Y/n was looking through the romance genres. We all decided to try to pick out a book for her. I proposed a small game, to see how much they understand Y/n. Just a little social experiment. "Let's see who knows her better," I smirked.
Draco was determined to prove himself as he started reading the titles, picking out some books to scan the summaries. I looked through the fantasy section, to see if there are any new books that she'd like. The rules were stated as such:
One, it has to be a new book, they can't get a book for a series that she's reading
Two, It can't be a visual novel, comic, or manga, she has almost every manga known to man, and three,
No trailing her.
May the best man win.
She sat down, reading a copy of Lolita. She was always into classic literature. So I opted to pick out something she might like from that section. She was practically glued to the book, not noticing what we were planning. Cedric, Harry, and Draco all picked out books for her after a while of exploring the top floor.
We sat in front of her. It took her a while to snap out of reading, she looked up. Harry spoke first. "We all decided to try to suggest some books to you, but you have to pick one of them." She raised one of her eyebrows and set the book down. "Alright, show me."
Four books were placed on the coffee table. Draco spoke first. "This is the Cruel Prince. It's an enemy to lover story. It follows a human girl trying to claim power in a fairyland. But she gets into trouble when she resists and challenges the mean fairy prince." She nodded. Picking up the book, she smiles. "I love a good Enemies to Lovers trope." Harry rolled his eyes at Draco's smirk. Of course, he'd go for something like that.
I was next. "This is the Lord of the Flies. It's about-"
"I've already read that, sorry Tom." I cringed inside. Of course, she read it. I made the mistake of looking through the classic literature section. That section was basically like a second dorm to her. Cedric was next.
"This is The Book Thief. It's a Historical fiction novel from the perspective of the god of death during WW2." She picked up the book and read the first page.
"Dang, Cedric, you know my tastes." She smiled. Cedric flushed a pink tint. He was always so easy to fluster. I huffed. Cedric was in the lead.
Harry was next, and he started explaining his suggestion. "This is Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen. It's about a girl who isn't so honest about her feelings. She doesn't want to tell people about what happened in the past. She meets a guy that's brutally honest, so honest that it forces the girl to confront the past. They both learn off of each other and the guy is the first person to understand and listen to the girl." he looked away. She picked up the book.
"I think this might be the one, Harry." She grinned. He looked away.
"It reminds me of you. In a way. You're the guy in the story." She nodded. Taking his hands, she gave him a warm look. "I'm always there for you, Potter." He grinned.
"I know you are." But everyone groaned. "Dammit Potter! You just had to play the sappy card!" Malfoy scoffed. Cedric hung his head low. "I should've gone the emotional route." Y/n shook her head, collecting all of the books, even mine.
"Welp, you all know that I'm a fast reader. and Lord of the Flies is my favorite book anyways. Thanks, guys. You all know me so well." She looked so adorable when she clumsily held four books in her small arms. I can bet 50 bucks that she'll finish all four of those books in under a week.
---
Draco insisted that we all go shopping for clothes. He practically begged. Y/n seemed apprehensive at first before she realized that she needed more long-sleeved shirts. "Fine, but we're not going into some designer expensive shops." Much to Draco's dismay. He should've noticed by now that she doesn't warm up to grand displays of wealth and riches. She opted to go into a fandom-based shop, like LunchBox. Draco was dragged along, even as he grumbled. We stepped into the store to be greeted by various merchandise for different books, mangas, movies, and franchises.
Y/n went straight to the fantasy section and veered left towards a book fandom. I looked at the sign. "Simon Snow trilogy," I muttered to myself. The clothes featured some school logos and various characters. I can tell the main characters are two guys since they were featured on every shirt. She was almost squealing. Shuffling from display to display, checking out the price tags of blue graphic shirts.
"Who even are they?" Draco scoffed. Y/n glared at him, opting to explain the books to us. I listen intently, this information might bode well for the future. The more I know about her interests, the more moves I can plan.
"Basically, it's about two people who rivaled each other during their times at a magical school. That school is called Watford. See?" She held up a t-shirt with the school logo. "So the brown-haired guy is named Simon Snow, and the broody pale-skinned guy is named Baz, one is a vampire and the other is a chosen one. They seemed to hate each other, but it got really gay at the end of the first book." She grinned. Eyes darting between Harry and Draco. I smiled to myself. Of course, of course, she'd ship Harry and Draco together. But I didn't peg her to side with almost fifty percent of the girls at the school. It's such a shame, that Harry and Draco are too busy arguing to notice the fangirls drawing pictures of them. (I may have drawn a few of them myself.)
"Reminds me of you two." They both flushed a red and burst out in opposition. They rambled and denied it over and over again. Trying to affirm how straight they are. But c'mon, there is a very good reason why they're shipped together. I thought for a while that Draco was a closeted homosexual. I sat back, pretty interested in their reactions.
"No way I'll date Potter. He has no class, no style, no manners, and is nowhere near my standards!" He raised his nose up. Offended, Harry started hurling insults. He seemed to hurt even. Is that a flash of disappointment I see on his face? My mind may be playing tricks on me. "Sod off Draco, who would ever go for you?! You're arrogant, elitist, and classist. Girls who date you would probably crumble under your stifling expectations." He turned to him. His lips parted to speak a scathing insult but were cut off with a loud laugh. We all turned our heads and witnessed Y/n laughing. She was really amused with the whole thing.
"Jesus, you two turned on each other like cats and dogs. I know you two wouldn't work. I was just fucking with you." Draco scoffed as Harry crossed his arms.
"Not funny."
"No, totally funny."
--
Draco still opted to pay for everyone's prices. Despite Y/n's protests. "just stop Malfoy! You can't just throw money around." He snorted "This is nothing to me, just don't mention it." Y/n stopped. Everyone, including me, turned to her. She looked serious all of a sudden. "I'm trying to wrap my head around this." She paused, i notice she was trying to find the right words. She'd do this thing when she raises her lips to speak before clamping them shut again.
"Be honest, say what's on your mind instead of filtering yourself," Cedric told her. She looked up. Seeming startled at such a proposition. Perhaps she's not used to having someone eager for her to be honest. "You can tell us everything and anything," Harry added. She took a breath. Taking some time to herself, she made the silent decision to open up.
This was what I was waiting for.
"What do you all even see in me?" We all quieted. Malfoy was the first one to speak up before anyone else can react. It's like his mind was made up from day one.
"All my life, I was raised to see people associate with others based purely on who they were or if they would benefit them socially. They cared about each other's reputation and status. That's all that they seem to care about. Socially advancing. Nothing else. Not you. You're friends with the people you pick purely because you want to. Because you think they're worth it. Because they're nice people. You don't give a damn about status or popularity or even wealth. You're the only person I know that just does that. I find myself realizing that I want someone like that in my life- no, scratch that. I want you in my life." Y/n seemed to listen intently. I can tell by the way she stares into his eyes. She was hooked on every word he said. He was drawing her in. Who knew, Draco might be able to get to her, faster than I thought.
"Draco, I thought-"
"That I wouldn't notice? Haven't you understood by now that everyone here pays attention to what you do?" She blinks for a second. We all muttered and nodded in agreement.
Harry considered his choice of words before finally working up the courage to speak up.
"Be honest with me. A little birdie told me that you used to have a crush on me. Is that true?" I and Cedric shared a concerned look. Who in the hell told him that? Draco sputtered. Y/n looked like she saw a ghost. She fidgeted but finally addressed the rumor. "Yes." Harry grinned, he was ecstatic. Dammit, my ace in the hole was gone. He will definitely lean back on it.
"I bloody knew it, because I had one on you around the same time. I've always had one on you. And it grew and grew into this big thing. I see a lot in you. But the one thing I see in you is your willingness to give and give. Your willingness to take one for the team. You're unselfish." Harry seemed to not be good at words but his eyes, his expressions all radiated his genuine feelings. She marveled at him. Blushing, she stuttered. "Ah, I- I didn't exactly know. Sorry, Harry. I just didn't act on my feelings-"
"Because of the accident. I know." He trailed off. Cedric went next before I can get a word in. Dammit. I mulled over the words in my head as he started his speech.
"everyone's story is touching. I understand that. But, you see, the thing is, you've forgotten about me." She turned her head to the side. What the bloody hell is he talking about, don't tell me-
"Cedric, what are you talking about." He shook her head. "It was a long time ago, but I still remember. I remember I remember being part of your neighborhood as a child for a time. You were in charge of the neighborhood kid group. I was part of that group. You'd call me Ceddie." Her eyes widened.
Aw fuck. So that's his big reveal. History. He had a history with her. He knows how she was as a child. Fuck. I clenched my jaw, I realized that I need to work harder to get her attention.
"Holy shit, how did I not recognize you?! You were so small, scrawny, and unassuming. I treated you as my little brother." He giggled. "Yeah, I was so ecstatic to see you but didn't work up the courage to talk to you properly. Now, do you understand? With everything you've done for that group, do you?" She nodded. I grunted, hating how I didn't have the facts. I need to investigate further. What did they both do when they were younger. I need to know. But it was my turn.
I looked at the group, fuck. How do I top that? Well, what if I spoke without trying to one-up them. Calm yourself, Riddle, just be honest.
I did promise to myself that I'd show my vulnerability.
"Y/n, you're nothing like me," I told her. I spoke without giving a second thought to what I was saying. She deserves it. "That's a good thing. A very very good thing. Before Tori met you, she was anti-social and shy. She didn't think so good of herself. No matter what I told her. But you came along and changed that bringing her out of her shell. Now she's confident and sarcastic. I had the pleasure of seeing you grow up close. I used to resist the urge to talk to you when you were over at the house to play with Tori. You're nothing like me, and I want to be like you. Simply, you balance me out. To be honest, I'm not as genuine as Harry, I don't have a history with you like Cedric, and I don't pay attention to your social life as Draco does. I just plain love you." I paused. I just fully realized that I do.
Smiling, I laughed. "I love you! And it's so big that I can't put it into words. I just can't. No fancy or flowy words can ever describe the love I have for you. So." I took her hands in my rough palms, staring into her, I finish my sentence. This is it.
"I'm sorry for not having an adequate answer to your questions. But all I can do is show you how much I love you." Her muscles tensed. She slightly leaned back from me, but I took that as a signal that she was flustered. I can see the pink tint on her face. I can see her shining eyes.
I have her. Fucking finally. I have her attention. I looked at the three boys, smirking. Harry narrowed his eyes at me. Draco frowned and Cedric, and Cedric only smiled back. He still knows that he's in the lead. But at that moment I didn't give a damn.
Checkmate motherfuckers.