Unexpected Encounters | Tom Riddle

As soon as Lilia plopped down on her bed, she fell asleep.

Tom Riddle stared at her in disbelief. How had she fallen asleep so quickly while he was still talking to her? He was taken aback by her lack of manners and self-preservation, seeing as she sprawled down on the bed and was out like a light.

Shaking his head, he sighed and got closer, intending to tuck her under the covers. As he shifted her, he felt how delicate her body was in his grip and he felt the softness of her skin through her robes. However, something caught his eye while he was moving her hands around. Her sleeve slid and he could see a scar on the palm of her left hand.

I deserve this .

The scar had faded but it was still visible. He stared at it for a while before looking at her face again. She looked more peaceful in her sleep, like she was resting after a lifetime. Who was Lilia Rousseau and what led her to Hogwarts?

After leaving her a small note on her bedside table, he left her with more questions in mind than he would have liked.

Why did she look scared when she first saw him?

Why had she immediately reached for her wand when he called out her name?

What was the scar on her palm?

Lilia Rousseau was not a pureblood, he didn't recognise the last name. That meant she was either a half-blood or a muggleborn. She was probably the former since Slytherin rarely got muggleborn students. The old hat had made an interesting choice by sorting her here.

He would have to wait and see what made her worthy of his house.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Lilia felt someone shaking her and she jumped up so fast it made her dizzy for a few seconds. When her vision cleared up, she saw two girls standing by her bed and looking at her with concern.

"Are you okay?" The blonde one asked and Lilia gulped but nodded. "Gave us quite a scare when you got up so fast. It's like you were getting ready to hex us." The brunette chuckled lightly. That had been her first reaction after spending months on the run. "Sorry, I was exhausted." She muttered, cringing when she heard how hoarse her voice sounded.

"It's all good. I'm Evangeline Selwyn." Evangeline was a beautiful woman, with blonde hair, rosy cheeks and beautiful blue eyes. "I'm Celeste Meadows." Celeste was ethereal, with stunning tan skin, hazel eyes and brown hair, and adorable freckles on her cheeks. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lilia P- Rousseau." She almost let her real name slip out, and she watched the two girls give her a quizzical look. "Lilia Rousseau? Are you from France?" Evangeline asked her. "I am, I grew up there." "Oh, I heard things are really bad in France right now with the war." "Yeah, the war has taken away many things from me." Lilia left her answer vague, not wanting to give away too much.

And technically, she had been part of a war too. Just in a different timeline.

"You poor thing." Celeste cooed softly, approaching her and stroking her hair. "How about you take a bath and change into your robes? Dinner is in about an hour." Lilia gave a quick smile and a nod, throat choked up on emotion.

Celeste reminded her of Luna who had always been fascinated by how black her hair was. Luna had been the last person to have treated her with such care.

She got up and headed to their shared bathroom, closing the door behind her and marvelling at how nice it felt to be in an actual bathroom.

There was a ceramic tub and toiletries labelled on each shelf. She was surprised when she saw her name on one of the shelves along with a range of face and body products.