Unexpected Encounters | Tom Riddle

Unbeknownst to Lilia, Tom had been in the infirmary when Dumbledore had come to see her. Abraxas and Celeste had been with him at that point, and they had all gone quiet when they heard the healer call out Lilia's name. Abraxas was telling him more about how the spell Lilia used didn't exist anywhere while Tom was getting his bandages removed. His injuries could heal on their own now. Celeste had come along because she felt bad with Lilia barely being around. Tom almost scoffed at her before he realised that he missed having her around too. The fact that she fainted created a constant knot in his stomach. Then, they had heard the conversation between Lilia and Dumbledore unintentionally.

It had raised more questions about her in Tom's mind. Of course, he had been concerned for her. He didn't know that she had a twin brother who died in the war. He hadn't thought that Grindelwald would be attacking such young people, but Lilia's situation said another story. He wanted to talk to her, see how she was doing. He had noticed that she hadn't been joining them for meals but for her to faint? It was serious.

Tom could still hear the anguish in her voice while she talked to Dumbledore and he wasn't sure that he wanted to keep her at a distance anymore. Yes, she had almost killed him but she had also healed him. She had saved him and now, with the knowledge that her past haunted her more than he imagined, he had to understand her.

Abraxas had hated the way Lilia had sounded so miserable and the way in which his own chest tightened. His best friend almost died because of her. He could not sympathise with her, no matter what her past was. Nothing would ever justify almost killing an innocent person. A nagging voice reminded him that he had no qualms about hurting the mudblood from Hufflepuff, but he pushed it away.

Celeste had been heartbroken. The girl had become such a close friend and not having her around had been unpleasant. She wanted to talk to Lilia, but the latter had been fast asleep by the time they went to her bed.

The next morning, Lilia sat awkwardly at the Slytherin table. Both Lilia and the others were at a loss about what to say. They knew what had happened, but no one brought it up. It would make her feel worse so they decided not to say anything. "Here." Tom handed her a cup of her pumpkin shake and she stared at it in surprise. "You remember that I like this?" She asked him. "He's been drinking it every day, you know." Icarus told her with a small smile. That made her chuckle and it felt like the weight on her shoulders was coming off. "So you do like it." "It's not that bad." Tom said, slightly embarrassed that Icarus told her he had loved her drink.

"We missed having you around, Lils." Tiernan said and everyone agreed, except for Abraxas. She tried not to think much of it, more focused on what Tiernan had said. "I missed you too." She said with a sad smile. "And I'm sorry for last week." "I'm fine now." Tom said to reassure her. "I'm so glad you're here with us." Evangeline squealed and hugged Lilia from the side. It felt like the clouds above her had dissipated when they started chatting to her. She had missed their camaraderie. It didn't matter that they were going to become the first death eaters: they made her days better when the war had taken away her shine.

"By the way, this is for you." Tom gave her an envelope while she was eating. "What's that?" She opened it and pulled out an invitation. "The Slug Club?" "It is a club that Professor Slughorn has for students that he believes have a lot of potential. He is holding his winter dinner this weekend before the semester gets hectic." Right, it was the end of November. "Oh, okay. Are you all in it too?" Everyone nodded, but Abraxas was still avoiding looking at her.

He was understandably still angry at her, but she wouldn't complain. "Someone asked me to be their date for that night," Lilia added. That got the others' attention and they all turned to her curiously. "Who?" Icarus asked, looking comically heartbroken. "Septimus Weasley." Abraxas scoffed, "A Weasley, really?" It seemed that the disdain of the Weasleys by the Malfoys was intergenerational.