The Dark Lord (Tom Riddle X Reader) || Short Story - Chapter 3: Chapter 3

The next day at potions class. You are at your station.
He walks into the classroom, taking in the familiar surroundings. His eyes wander around the room, taking in the various students at their stations, when his gaze lands on you. He notices that you're already seated at your own station preparing ingredients for the lesson. Despite the neutral look on his face, a hint of amusement flashes in his eyes when he sees you, as if recognizing you are the one responsible for setting him up.
You notice someone approach you.
He turns his head towards the person who's approaching, expecting to see one of his friends. However, he's surprised when he realizes it's Casey. He gives her a polite smile, trying to maintain a casual demeanor.
"Hey, Casey. Need help with something?"
"I- no." She states nervously.
You give Casey 'the look'.
"Yes, actually." She speaks shyly.
He tilts his head slightly, a curious look crossing his face. He raises an eyebrow at her shyness, intrigued by her sudden change in demeanor.
"Go on. What is it you need help with?"
"Just this potion isn't brewing..." Tom offers to help her. He's at her station as you watch the both of them with a smirk.
"Perfect couple." You whisper to yourself.
He walks over to her station and takes a look at the potion she's working on. He examines it for a moment, a look of concentration on his face. After a few moments, he notices the problem and gives her a reassuring smile.
"Ah, no wonder. It's the stirring pattern. You're going clockwise instead of counter-clockwise."
Then they spend the rest of the class brewing potions together.
They work together on the potions, Tom guiding her through the process. Despite his usual aloof demeanor, he's surprisingly patient and helpful, explaining each step clearly and showing her how to perform them. He even tosses in a few sarcastic remarks and jokes here and there, making her laugh.
You don't know why, but you feel a sudden pang in your chest looking at them both like this. Even though this was your plan.
You watch them work together, a pang of unexpected emotion stirring within you. You can't quite pinpoint why, but watching Tom guide Casey through the potion-making process makes you feel a mixture of unease and jealousy.
As the class ends you walk upto them. "Enjoying yourselves love birds?"
Tom and Casey break their focus on the potion as they hear you approach. Casey flushes slightly at your comment, but Tom just gives you a cocky smirk.
"Jealous, are we?"
"Jealous? Why would I be jealous? I literally set you two up!" You laugh awkwardly.
Tom lets out a chuckle, finding your display of awkwardness amusing.
"Ah, right. It was your idea, wasn't it? The matchmaker of the year, huh?"
"Huh, whatever." You roll your eyes and leave them both behind as you walk out of the classroom.
Tom watches you leave, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He's not used to seeing you act so indifferent. He considers going after you, but he chooses to let you go, figuring you might just need some space.
At lunch you watch them both sit together while you're there eating all by yourself.
"This is what I get for being kind! Eating all by myself. Great." You scoff to yourself.
Tom notices you sitting alone, and although he tries to ignore it, a pang of guilt washes over him. He glances over at you from time to time, watching you eat alone and looking a little lonely. He's not typically the type to care about others' feelings, but he can't help but feel a twinge of regret. He exchanges a quick look with Casey, then stands up, saying something to her quietly before making his way over to where you are.
You hear someone approach you.
You hear the sound of footsteps approaching and look up to see Tom standing in front of you. He stuffs his hands into his pockets and lets out a soft sigh, almost like he's uncertain about what to say.
"What do u want?" You sound irritated.
He hesitates for a moment but eventually answers your question. He speaks in his usual snarky tone, but there's a hint of sincerity in his words.
"What's up with you? You've been acting weird since potions earlier. You normally don't sit alone."
"Well I usually eat with Casey, but she has you now so." You roll your eyes, not wan to give a fuck.
He looks at you with a hint of surprise, not expecting your response. He glances over at Casey's usual seat, then back at you.
"Is that it? You're mad because Casey is sitting with me now?"
"No!" You say almost immediately. "I'm just mad that I don't have any other friends."
He's taken aback by your admission, not expecting such a raw answer. He stands there for a moment, unsure how to respond, before eventually speaking up again.
"So, what you're saying is...you're just lonely?"
"Just because I'm alone doesn't mean I'm lonely." You get up and leave the hall.
He watches you leave, feeling a mixture of surprise and, admittedly, a hint of guilt. He stands there for a few moments, contemplating whether or not he should follow you. After a brief internal debate, he decides not to, figuring that, at the end of the day, it's not really his problem...
Casey is back at the dorm later that night.
"Where have you been?" You interrogate her.
Casey enters the dorm, a little startled by your sudden inquisition. She tries to play it cool, but your question seems to have thrown her off a bit.
"Oh, uh, I was just... with Tom."
"Don't tell me you kissed him, or worse... did the dirty with him, even before he has officially asked you out." You're disgusted at that thought.
Casey blushes profusely at your question, her cheeks turning redder by the second. She can't help but let out a nervous laugh, clearly feeling embarrassed by your directness.
"What?! No, no, we didn't do anything like that! We just... talked, that's it."
"Talk about what? He's such a nerd and boring." You say being annoyed.
Casey frowns at your comment, clearly disagreeing with your description of Tom. She huffs slightly, defending him in her own way.
"He's not boring! We talked about all sorts of things, like our interests and our classes. He's actually pretty smart, you know."
"I know, I've known him longer than you have, and that's why I know him better than you." You scoff.
Casey rolls her eyes slightly at your remark, a hint of defensiveness in her tone. She can sense a subtle hint of disdain in your voice, which annoys her a bit.
"Oh, so you think you know him better? Just because you've known him longer than me?"
"Don't forget that I'm the one who set you two up. And I'm telling you this now, he's just a playboy." You cross your arms and state.
Casey lets out an exasperated sigh, clearly feeling frustrated with your attitude. She crosses her arms and looks at you defiantly.
"So what if you set us up? It doesn't mean you know everything about him. And he's not just a playboy, okay? People can have layers to them, you know."
"Ok, good luck with breaking the ice." You taunt her.
Casey rolls her eyes again, getting fed up with your snarky comments. She speaks in a blunt tone, trying to shut you down.
"I don't need your 'good luck.' Tom and I are doing just fine without your pessimism, thank you very much."
This infuriates you to the core and the next day as you watch them sit together again in class, it feels like someone's constantly stabbing you.