Unexpected Encounters | Tom Riddle

XIX: Between Lines and Smiles

Lilia got dressed in a warm white turtleneck that she tucked in a long black woollen skirt that cinched at her waist and stopped below her knees. Fashion in the 1940s was cute to look at, but she doubted it would keep her warm. She was dreading the fact that she would have to wear a skirt out in the cold when they left for the train.

Dumbledore had gotten her a decent selection of clothes that she could wear, including scarves, heels and boots. She pulled on some warm boots over the thick socks she was wearing and she twirled while looking at herself in the full sized mirror in her shared dorm. She looked nice. Lilia would have preferred her jeans and cosy sweaters, but she had to adapt to her time. This was the best she could do.

With her boots echoing softly against the stone floor, Lilia made her way down to the common room, hoping for a quiet moment before breakfast. She stopped abruptly in her tracks when she spotted Tom stepping out of his dorm. His sharp gaze caught hers, and for a fleeting moment, surprise flickered across his face before his usual calm expression returned.

"Lilia?" "Hey, Tom. You're up early." "So are you." She swallowed when she took in the fact that he was also not wearing his uniform. He was wearing a dark green turtleneck and black dress pants. His hair was styled as usual, a single curly strand falling across his forehead. "I wanted to get some early breakfast," she said, hoping that it wasn't obvious that she had been staring at his clothes. "Me too. Do you want to head to the hall together?" "Sure."

"You look nice, Lilia." With a slight blush and a small smile, she thanked him, "Thank you. You look very nice and handsome too." "You think I'm handsome?" "Uh.. Yes," she stumbled over her words, not expecting that question. "You never mentioned that before." He had an infuriating smirk on his face and part of her wanted to smack it away while another part wanted to stare because he looked more attractive.

"I thought it was obvious." "Very well. You look beautiful too, Lilia. All the time." His compliment made her blush a deeper shade of red and she looked down, wanting nothing more than to hide. Was he flirting with her? Merlin. Why did he look so nice and why did his voice make her feel somersaults in her stomach?

Tom laughed lightly when he took in her expression and Lilia looked up in surprise, finding a dimple on his left cheek. She watched him in disbelief. She had never noticed that he had a dimple. In fact, he barely laughed. His pink lips curled upwards and his eyes crinkled up, and Riddle suddenly looked younger than his age. His teeth were perfectly aligned and they were pearly white. "You have a dimple," she murmured, mesmerised by the sight in front of her.

Tom Riddle was a beautiful boy. "I do." He shrugged, his laughter fading into a smile. "Let's go get breakfast now."

The hall was mostly empty. When they sat at the table, Lilia noticed him wearing a ring that she hadn't seen before. "Are you wearing a new ring?" She asked casually while helping herself to a cup of tea. "It's a family heirloom." "Oh, did your parents give it to you?" She asked the right questions, despite knowing the truth. "My parents are dead, Lilia. But I met a relative this past summer. He gave me the ring and proceeded to murder my father and grandparents. I don't know why. He's in Azkaban now." Lies .

"I'm sorry to hear that." "It's alright. I did not like how my father didn't bother looking for me when my mother died. And he died too, so it doesn't really matter. I don't care. The man didn't even want me." He did care. Lilia saw the flash of hurt on his face before it fell back into its polished mask of indifference. "If you don't mind me asking, where did you grow up?" "A muggle orphanage in London." "That must not have been easy, especially with the war." Her voice was soft, and prompted him to share more of his feelings. "It wasn't. But I found a home in Hogwarts. So it's better now."