A Visit to Tom Riddle’s Apartment (Part 2)
“Okay. I’m calling a meeting.”
“What? When?”
“Immediately.”
The group shares an awkward look.
“Who took them?”
Nobody reacts.
“Who took my oranges? They were in the bowl in the kitchen. Six of them. Now it’s two. Two. Who of you thought my bowl was a free buffet, you buffoons?”
Hermione’s eyes grow wide and Harry snickers faintly.
Tom glares at him. “Shut it, Potter. I don’t have time to go shopping after work today and I always make myself a freshly pressed orange juice jug and I can’t do that with only two oranges, you idiot.”
“I don’t even like oranges,” Harry answers.
“You don’t have to like them to steal them. You only have to want to piss me off and I think you got that in abundance, Potter.”
“Good point, but I still didn’t do it.”
Riddle breathes through his nostrils, like an angry dragon. “F. Weasley,” he asks next, “Did you take the oranges?”
Fred makes an innocent baby face. “I would never steal anythi–”
“I know you already took my cinnamon shaker when I denied your cappuccino abomination earlier as some stupid prank or revenge, but I don’t care about the cinnamon. Did you take the oranges, too?”
“I would never steal two things! That’s just bad sportsmanship! And the funny bit is, usually, to take something that wouldn’t be easily missed so they don’t realize at first and think they just misplaced it or something.”
“It’s not funny if you have to explain the joke, Freddie,” George chides.
Nobody else says anything.
Riddle’s frown turns worse. “Fine. I’m just going to punish every single one of you, in that case, to be on the safe side. I’m confiscating your brownies, Longbottom.”
The group starts to grumble and Harry yells, “Boo!” in response.
“I didn’t do anything! That’s unfair!” Ron mopes. “Hermione already had one when she greeted Neville at the door!”
Hermione flips her hands in the air, “How should I have known, Ronald?! I can’t purge it out of my system now!”
Riddle gets a glimmer in his eyes. “Actually,” he cuts in, deviously rude and bitter and smug, “Hermione is even getting a second brownie, because I know it wasn’t her and I want all of you to suffer. Hermione, take another brownie out of the box and eat it. Right now.”
Hermione stills and Ron’s mouth drops open, enraged. The others stand at attention, entranced with the scene.
“Hermione. Brownie. Now.”
Ron’s expression borders on indignant, shocked temper tantrum and slips into betrayed longing when Hermione follows the instruction.
She opens the box. It smells delicious.
She takes a juicy brownie piece.
She waits, second-guessing.
Tom looks at her, intense, imploring, genuinely disappointed about someone ruining his daily ritual, and Hermione decides to do this for him.
It’s just a brownie.
If the man she’s in love with wants her to eat a delicious brownie as petty revenge on someone, who is she to deny him?
If this was the worst thing Tom had done, she wouldn’t have to grapple with the decision to forgive or not forgive him.
She bites into the brownie and eats.
“No! Traitor! Mione!” Ron exclaims.
Harry snickers again, falling sideways a bit, and Neville smiles. Bellatrix is filing her nails, only following half-heartedly.
“I would’ve done the same, boss,” Fred adds.
“I’m sorry, Ron, but why should I deprive myself of pleasure because someone of you did something wrong?”
Tom steps closer to her, taking the rest of the brownie out of her hand and puts it into his mouth. “Incredible,” Riddle proclaims deadpan. “Possibly the best brownie you’ve ever baked, Longbottom.”
Ron gasps in horror.
Neville brightens and blooms like a flower, “Thank you, Mr. Riddle, sir, I put some Milka chocolate inside the mix, too, to make it more gooey!”
Ron makes a choked sound. “Neville! This is torture! It wasn’t me! George, just plead guilty! It was you, wasn’t it!?”
George stands up from his chair, and puffs up his chest. “What kind of sibling are you to condone your own brother! Sacrilege! And not even for something fun! I would never steal something as boring as oranges! Instead, I stole the snake-shaped candle, mini size, with the scent of the forest, from the bathroom.”
He takes it out of his pocket, showing it to everyone. “See! I already told you my loot, brother!”
Tom closes his eyes, exasperated, before looking to the sky as if in prayer. “Anybody else confessing?” His voice sounds like he’s given up the aggression, settling for just getting to the root of things to get it over with.
“For the record,” Hermione interrupts, “I stole nothing, but I’m a breath away from asking you to lend me that copy about symbols of cultural merit over there, on the fourth shelf. While we’re being honest here, you know.”
“Noted,” Tom replies, smiling briefly, “Anything else from the rest of you?”
“If everything is taking something, I want to, too. Maybe something from your bedroom? It’s only fair.”
“No,” Tom replies, dry now, “but thank you for your contribution, Bellatrix. Very helpful.”
The work picks back up again, but without any one, except Hermione and Tom, to have gotten a treat.
Ron sulks. Bellatrix sulks. The mood has fallen down the drain.
But at least they don’t have any rats here.
Now that Hermione has experienced how nice it can feel, it’s even harder to accept this anti-idyllic atmosphere.
“Let’s do the circle of honesty!” she bursts out into the silence.
Bellatrix groans.
“Hermione,” Tom murmurs, trying to stop her and stay in this fake peace through the quiet.
But she wants some real peace.
The one that only truth and compassion and real compromises can bring.
“Everybody, let’s sit in a circle, c’mon, hush hush, fast, c’mon.” They follow sluggishly but they do follow.
Their knees touch. It’s more of an egg-form, but, eh, close enough to a circle.
“Okay, um,” She takes Neville’s present-plant, red and pink, from the glass table and holds it close, “this is going to be the plant of truth. The one that holds it is allowed to talk and has to be honest.”
She gives the plant to Neville. “How do you feel? Did you take the oranges? What do you think is the best way to resolve this situation?”
“Am, um, I feel a bit nervous. I’m happy Mr. Riddle liked the brownies. I would like everyone to have a brownie so they can be happy, too, but I understand why, Mr, um, Riddle did what he did. I, um, didn’t take anything. I’ve never stolen anything. And my nana is allergic to oranges and she often visits me so I wouldn’t bring anything into the house that could harm her.”
He fumbles with the plant before giving it to Fred, happy to not be the center of attention anymore.
Fred chuckles and fingers one of the leaves. “O’ plant of truth, I pledge to, wait–” he puts one hand up, and goes on, “now, I pledge to tell the truth and nothing but the truth in this regard.”
Hermione throws him a look.
“Okay, okay! Sorry. I feel fine. Mostly good. A bit miffed that Riddle knew I took the cinnamon, a bit impressed, too. You win some, you lose some. I would like a brownie, of course, but seeing Ronnie despairing was worth it. Comedic gold.” Fred grins, sideways. “I didn’t take the oranges. Scout’s honor!” He makes a sign. “Like I said, some moments are for All-In but this time around, I was going for subtlety.”
He shrugs and the plant makes the rounds again. Off to Ron.
“I feel slighted and I’m hungry! The smell of the brownies still lingers in the air and it’s annoying and rude! Lavender and Viktor Krum would never treat me like this! I think whoever did it should confess finally and apologize. I didn’t even bring anything myself because I knew Neville was bringing brownies and now I’m starving!”
He pushes the plant into George’s hands and crosses his arms.
“I’m amused. Ron becomes a different person when he’s hungry and it’s always fun! I was smarter than Ronniekins and brought a sandwich so I can watch the show without personally feeling like it’s very inconvenient. Didn’t take the oranges but kinda wish I did.” He winks. Next,
“You are all annoying and this is dumb,” Bellatrix begins. “I regret not wearing socks and I think one of the Weasleys took the oranges. Don’t really care who. Everyone should get their brownies because this has already been punishment enough.”
She isn’t watching where she’s pointing so Harry almost gets knocked in the face with the plant. A leaf falls down in the short wrangle.
“I think it would’ve been a more efficient and memorable punishment if Riddle gave Ron one brownie and then denied him another. That way, he would crave a brownie even more because he just got to re-experience how good they are –”
“HARRYYY! DON’T GIVE HIM IDEAS!”
Harry laughs. “No plant, no talking, Ron. Right, Mione?”
Hermione rolls her eyes, sighing.
Those boys.
A phone starts ringing, suddenly. It’s the sound of heavy rainfall, which leads to slight confusion. The twins look around and Neville’s eyes flicker to the window. Only Hermione knows it’s her phone’s call song and she feels slightly embarrassed, because she always remembers to put it on silent! Always! Well, almost. It seems.
“Sorry! That’s mine,” she exclaims and reaches for her phone.
It’s Seamus. The call picture is a cartoon microphone.
“Hello? Seamus, is everything okay?”
“Ms. Hermione!!” he croaks out miserably.
“Oh, Seamus, you sound terribly sick. Take it easier and drink tea, yes? Why are you calling? Do you need work off for longer?”
“I knowww,” he moans. “Thank you, Ms. Hermione. Don’t kn-now yet, I’m off unt-til the end of the week, for now. But I’m calling because I just remembered that we need cohesive footage for the documentation so I need you to take some photos and videos and so on while you’re working from the second location, Ms. Hermione. Mr. Slughorn already wrote me an email to find out how it’s going with the film-ming and I c-can’t have loose ends and –”
“The second location is Tom’s home, though, Seamus,” Hermione answers, looking around and finding Tom’s eyes, and everyone else's, on her already. “We’d need a written and signed agreement from Tom for our files that he agrees to use his apartment as a location for the filming. Do you have those documents on your USB drive? If so, please send them over. I’ll tell the others and we’ll see what we can do, okay, Seamus?”
“Yes! Thank you so much, Ms. Hermi– schneheujo.” He sneezes twice.
“Bles – bless you. Speedy recovery!”
“So? What now, Mione?” Harry asks, smirking.
Hermione slinks back down to the couch and sits down on the ground, leaning against the sofa with her back. “Seamus needs footage, even from here. We need to set up a camera and film some moments. Maybe also take some photos, he said.”
Bellatrix and Ron groan simultaneously, looking at each other freaked out afterwards.
“Don’t groan when I do,” Bellatrix spits out, cringing.
“Don’t groan when I do,” Ron repeats indignantly.
“Don’t groan at all, why don’t you?” Tom continues. He breathes in and lets it out slowly before briefly putting a supportive hand on Hermione’s leg and standing up.
He claps his hands together before moving his hands in a ‘what will you do’ motion.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but who wants the cinnamon TikTok cappuccino?”
He looks pained. Severely.
Fred mouths, OMG, and Ron’s eyes blow wide. Even Bellatrix pays more attention.
“For real??” George sputters, overwhelmed.
“Yes,” Riddle says, like he’s stupid and an idiot, “for real.” A pause. “So, who wants? Hand signs please.”
Every single one of them raises their hands. Two thirds of them looking like it’s christmas.
from: [email protected]
Hello, Seamus. I compiled all the documentation we have for the past day for you here. I don’t know if any of it is usable. I apologize in advance. You know how they are. Wishing you well and a speedy recovery. Don’t work while you’re sick. It can wait. Get better first.
Greetings,
Hermione
attachments:
- a photo of Ron’s nostril, a quarter of a window and the plant of truth in the background
- a photo of a bunch of cappuccino mugs beside each other, with latte art of a snake, a cat head, the letters GW and FW, a black orb (“the void” Bellatrix says), a lightning bolt, a sunflower and Krum’s signature (Riddle is surprisingly talented at latte art)
- a sound message of Bellatrix and Ron bickering in the background and Fred and George’s commentary in the foreground, it ends with loud laughter
- a photo of Riddle standing in his kitchen (it looks like an IKEA advertisement), followed by a zoomed in version of the same photograph with the coffee machine in focus
- a photo of Neville’s brownies and a screenshot of the recipe with hearts all over it
- a video of Hermione making heart eyes at Riddle’s bookshelf and Riddle standing right beside her holding a small stack of four of his books, you can see Hermione taking another book out of the shelf, gasping and adding it to the stack, she moves on to the next aisle while he looks on fondly
- a video of Neville filming the office crew on their food break, a quick snapshot of Draco Malfoy in a bathrobe because Harry is video calling him
- a photo of Bellatrix leaving out the door at the end of the day, an orange peeking out of her small purse
OFFICE WORK CHAT
Tom Riddle: Office not finished yet. Tomorrow at my apartment again. Hopefully for the last time. Bring oranges or don’t come back.
Neville Longbottom: Oh! Should I make Blondies?
Bellatrix Lestrange: Yes
Ron Weasley: I’ll bring lunch this time just to be safe. Can’t trust Riddle to hold no food hostage! BUT YES TO THE BLONDIES
Fred Weasley: AYE
George Weasley: aye aye cap'n
Colin Creevey: Could you film more content tomorrow? Maybe some interview snippets? Sorry! Seamus has got the visual content from you but I need some audio too. Sorry!
Hermione Granger: We’ll try, Colin.
Harry Potter: define trying lmao
Hermione Granger: Harry
Harry Potter: Sorry yeah “we’ll try”
Hermione Granger: Harry
Harry Potter: sorry yeah we’ll try*
Ron Weasley: Why does Harry get to be informal and funny but when I and Lavender do it it’s bad?? @Hermione @Riddle
Tom Riddle: *Lavender and me @Ron Weasley
Ron Weasley: :(
Fred Weasley: what a time to
George Weasley: be alive
Fred Weasley: and be a part of this group chat
Ron Weasley: You suck, Fred and George!
Tom Riddle: This is a work group chat, R. Weasley. Be mindful of your words.
Ron Weasley: ????? ??? :(
Hermione mutes the group chat with a sigh, shakes her head and starts to laugh lightly. Her office is crazy and fun and sometimes she wouldn’t want it any other way.
But don’t tell them.
It would get to their heads.