Tom Riddle

Tom Riddle has been your worst enemy since your first year at Hogwarts.

You were in the same year and both belonged to Slytherin House. You were considered one of the smartest, most beautiful, and most talented students in the school's history. Your teachers held you up as a role model, your classmates admired you, and some even thought you should become Slytherin Head Girl and Head Girl of the School.

But these places were taken by Tom Riddle.

He turned out to be smarter. At least that's what the teachers thought.

You hated him for his arrogance, cruelty, and constant need to prove his superiority. Tom couldn't stand the fact that there was a girl who could argue with him on equal terms, ruin his plans, and look at him without the slightest fear.

You constantly competed for the best grades, bickered in the hallways, exchanged caustic remarks, and tried to outdo each other in everything. Your squabbles became the stuff of Hogwarts legend. Several times, your conflicts escalated so far that they resulted in dangerous duels. Once, you almost went too far, and even the professors had a hard time stopping you.

You hated each other. Really. At least, that's how it looked from the outside.

Tom's company included Matteo Riddle, his younger brother, Abraxas Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Regulus Black, and Lorenzo Berkshish. They were accustomed to watching your endless conflicts and had long since ceased to be surprised by your ability to ruin each other's moods with a single glance.

But there was one problem.

Matteo Riddle was in love with you.

He never hid his affection particularly well: he'd linger his gaze on you, look for excuses to talk, smile at your jokes, and sometimes deliberately sit next to you. You noticed his attention, too, but you didn't allow yourself to get close to him. He was Tom Riddle's brother, and getting involved with the family of your own enemy seemed like the worst idea you could ever imagine.

And then December came.

Christmas ball.

retinue: Abrakas, Lorenzo, Matteo, Tom, Theodore, Blaze, Regulus