Tom Riddle and the Pureblood Prince

Please review or at least rate! I know it’s been awhile, but life gets busy…I can’t make any promises, like politicians do all the time…well I’m not a liar. I have no idea when I will update next.


Continuation of….


Chapter Thirty-seven: New Years Eve Ball


It was truly an enchanting evening. Eileen and Tom strode triumphantly down the aisle, along with the rest of the long queue. The Great Hall was barely recognizable.

Immediately music took up and everyone stood and watched the Head Boy and Head Girl take the first dance together. However, they were not each other's dates, it was just for ceremony.

Riddle did his best to conceal the particular brand of jealously. That should have been he and Minerva! If only he was a year older to be in Minerva's class and he would be Head Boy today, and not have to wait. For surely next year Dippet would make him Head Boy. But the feelings subsided as Riddle forced these thoughts from his mind.

The students and staff of Hogwarts enjoyed a decadent dinner, whilst the Wizarding band played easygoing, happy tunes. And there was big bowls of fruit punch at the buffet tables, with loads of silver champagne bottles, a special drink for the New Year's Eve Ball. The gargoyles near the windows spouted water and ice filled the buckets from above. Usually they were lit by fire.

During the meal most of the boys gave their dates flowers. Eileen looked to Riddle expectantly. In a flash, revealed seemingly out of nowhere came a simple bouquet. The gesture reminded her of last Christmas. Riddle had given her flowers then too but she took them anyway.

But Eileen remained unsatisfied. She glared at Riddle. He watched her, not curiously. His dark eyes slanted leisurely as if he didn’t care if she enjoyed the evening.

However he still remarked matter-of-factly on it. "You are not happy…. And here we are at the grandest Hogwarts gala...." Riddle’s handsome features twitched with bemusement. "On the very night I turn seventeen and lose my Trace and you are miserable to be with me? How can this be so?"

Eileen refused to answer but there was a disapproving look on her thin face. "Let's join the others and dance...Please, Tom?"

Riddle turned his head and looked on reluctantly towards the throng. To him they looked like some sort contorted glob of maniacs. It was simple ballroom dancing and he did not care whether he joined in. Uncomplicated enough it was.

Riddle rose and took Eileen’s elbow.

She stumbled out onto the floor, holding tight to the fold of Riddle's dressrobes. Despite Riddle's reluctance to dance, he proved to be one of the most graceful on the scene. Eileen was a bit mollified that he could excel at this too. Was there anything he couldn't be top at? Well she'd never seen him play Quidditch! She almost laughed at the thought of him on a broom, and avoided catching his eye, lest he might read her thoughts.

Eileen got a glimpse of herself in the mirrors surrounding the walls, draping herself over Tom dependently. What she saw she believed was like a goddess, but it was herself. She was downright beautiful tonight and looked good even on Tom's arm (who was the most handsome boy in the room).

Her hair was pulled high in elegant ringlets and it glistened like the blue wings of a raven's feathers. Her ivory dress sparkled and she loved how it twirled as they maneuvered across the floor.

Towards the end of the third song, Eileen sensed a change come over her date. Tom was suddenly flighty and eager to finish. Eileen was surprised as Riddle's cohort, Rabastan Lestrange had not finished dancing with his date, Druella Rosier.

"Come...There is something we must discuss."

If not dancing, people were eating delicious deserts. Riddle steered Eileen by the elbow, past the tables to the very back, near the door that led to the Room of Rewards, located behind where the staff tables are usually fixed.

"Tom wait! I want to have gingerbread!"

"You may. Later. First we are going to talk."

They stopped under the huge canopy of evergreen trees, stretching high to the ceiling above. The trees were so close it felt like they were melded together. It gave Eileen an uncomfortable feeling. The trees were too close.

In the distance the music picked up tandem; a wild Irish gig. She saw Professor Dumbledore dancing madly with himself. Eileen could have laughed aloud if Riddle had not been present.

Languorously his dark eyes swiveled to Eileen backed in the corner under a heavy bough of needles. She hadn’t noticed till then how very handsome those eyes of his really were. Of course, all of this was before they would turn immutably red with pitiless slits for pupils.

But something haunting lurked in their expression, even now. They were just as pitiless as they would be, years and years after his seventeenth.

“We’re going to talk….About Stephanie and – Ruby is it?”

Eileen’s eyes widened in consternation, her mouth forming a near-comical “O.”

“Yes. Your roommates have become imperative to reaching a little understanding between us. Don’t you think?” Riddle’s voice was sweet, he did not sound angry. Yet the tone he took was absolutely unnerving.

“No. I don’t believe so. Tom, what in Merlin’s big toe are you talking about?!”

“Stuff that I’ve done.”

“What stuff?”

“I’ve taken a liking to that witch, Stephanie. Very interesting girl. I found the company and the conversation most intriguing.”

Even Eileen could detect the sarcasm that she had so often overlooked in the past. But there was also a nugget of truth.

“Well whatever it was. It must have been special," said Eileen, slightly envious. "Especially for you to waste your time with her." Eileen did her best to sound cold and brusque.

Riddle stepped forward and turned more menacing than before. He breathed down her scantly cut dress and Eileen felt her body temperature plummet drastically.

“Oh, yes….She was well worth my time.”

“What did you d-do?”

“Things you’ll never know of and never hear about! And probably- you could never conceive of them…Such horrors your innocent mind could not ponder it.”

Something turned in her stomach again and she felt sick. Instinctively she glanced towards the entrance to the Room of Rewards. Just a few weeks back she’d found Tom Riddle tampering with the trophies. Was this another secret and was there a correlation between the two?

So she couldn’t help looking in that direction.

“Very good.The silly girl was astonished I could ever want her. Especially after you blabbed to them I was your boyfriend! Lies! Such lies, Eileen….But I got what I wanted in the end. I know those things now that I needed to know before…What do you think I seeked her out for?”

“I-I something to do with me?”

“Yes! I’ve put your dear roommates under the Imperius curse. Can you guess what led me to this?”

“Um- I get it. I do….You wanted them to report to you! You used them as your spies.”

“Excellent. Very intelligent…You guessed exactly. However, consider this Eileen…I already know all about you. Your deepest fears, desires and dreams and even what you dread. But recently I knew you were keeping something secret. And when I discovered what it was, why it astounded even me!”

Riddle became unnaturally quiet and whispered, “Love potions.”

Eileen turned white, simply terrified. All colour from dancing left her narrow cheeks.

And because he so enjoyed the fear cloud her face he said it again.

Eileen bowed her head in shame and felt weak. She wasn’t strong enough to serve her lord. And worse, she'd displeased him tonight.

“Foolish little brat! I’ve known of the plan for weeks. I thought asking you to the ball would derail you from trying – but in the end you still dared – dared to give me-"

Riddle could not bear to admit it even here alone with a follower. The gesture reminded him of his derelict mother who gave his muggle father Amortentia. His hand lashed out and gripped a sapling, knuckles whitening. He suddenly looked to be in an odd, terrible anguish.

Eileen meanwhile, shrunk further still. Tears came to her eyes, stinging the pupils. She sniffled back a sob. But instead the waft of evergreen trees was inhaled. Most painfully she was reminded of what the piney scent stood for. To Eileen, they reminded her of home and of Riddle, because recently one of the scents from the potion had been evergreen.

A confession squeaked out, huddled for refuge against the shrubbery. “My lord! I couldn’t believe it when you asked me! I am happy you did. But I heard you asked out another girl. What happened with Minerva Mcgonagall?”

“Minerva…,” sneered Riddle and went on as if she was just a meaningless afterthought. “Minerva and I…We have a history. But the Head Girl had much too much gumption for me. But you- you’ll never be a match for that witch. She does have extraordinary skill….”

Eileen forced the tears away, and tremulously burst, “So do I!”

Most unromantically Riddle tugged on a fistful of white berries - mistletoe. They crumbled and oozed from his hand, a sickly muck on the floor.

And he rallied again, goading Eileen with the blow he knew would hurt most. “Your bungled attempt to woo me…was one of the most pathetic things I’ve ever heard of. It puts you,” and Riddle’s eyes flashed with almost hatred. He was remembering the father of his whom he killed last July. “It puts you as low as the muggles.”

Eileen burst out with a fresh sob. His insinuations were really hitting home. “How dare you! I’m Pureblood – I’m a Prince.”

Eileen forced herself to hold her head up and shaking, managed to evince a façade of graciousness.

"So of course your scheme was a fiasco. Love potions won't work on me. For-"

"Love potions can affect anybody! Even muggles-"

"Ah, but not myself. For I am much, much greater than any living wizard....and soon I shall be greater than any wizard in history."

Eileen gulped, realising it was true. A terrifying feeling of mystique came to her. How could he be unsusceptible to a love potion? But in reality Riddle had exaggerated, even lied about this. He knew he could be affected by love potions....

And the decision was made to tell Eileen more. "There would be no outcome. Nothing! Except perhaps a sordid infatuation!....I've hurt your roommates Eileen....Would you like this to be for you? Do you wish to become a harlot?....As my whore?"

"NO!"

Riddle bent down and traced his roughly padded tongue against the fibers of loose tendrils of black hair. He had whispered this into her ear and now he kissed there, practically biting the lobes.

As he moved, his new pocket watch swung outward and hung before his waistcoat. Leaning closer, he grabbed the pearl necklace.

Riddle did not wish to cause a scene, but his anger was rising so that he almost did. The anger coursing through his veins, pounded his whole body and he'd like nothing more than to shatter the necklace.

Eileen felt unusual bravery peak in her. She sensed it was probably because unlike the other encounters with Riddle, this time they were not completely alone. He couldn't force her here to do anything and he couldn't hurt her.

"I'm glad I'm not wearing that-that collar you gave me last summer! I prefer pearls before swine!"

Riddle was slightly familiar with the phrase too, as he'd heard it in the orphanage. It was a muggle saying, which did not help to cool his temper.

His grip tightened over the pearls and the tip of his wand flashed forward. Smoothly the necklace unclasped and was pocketed in his waistcoat, next to the fob watch.

Eileen's face crumpled. It had been her mother's. Marie Prince would be asking for it surely whenever she saw her daughter next.

"I expect to see those gems- the opals shining on your neck every day."

"Yes my Lord." Tears streaked her alabaster cheeks, staining the fine powder make-up. "I promise. But please give it back."

But Riddle would not. It was over. Eileen forced to wipe the tears away and took out a handkerchief.

Tom and Eileen returned to dancing. Riddle picked up the magically appearing top hats everybody was wearing. She hated how masterful he was at giving the appearance that tonight they were a happy couple.

It no longer felt like they were treading on the air like on floating clouds. It was more like skating on ice with the knowledge that it would crack and she would freeze and drown if she didn't get out of this relationship.

Once satisfied the aura of contentment was displayed to the people, Riddle went to sit with his quarry at the small circular tables. He invited Eileen to come along but she flatly refused.

Eileen went to sit by Stephanie and Ruby who ignored her. She saw Riddle from the other table, his eyes shifted in her direction. She waited for it to happen again. But Riddle did not look again. He was engrossed with talking to his boys, the members of the cult.

And then Eileen noticed that the future Death Eaters were giving her resentful glances. Were they upset she danced with Riddle? How could they possibly be jealous? She was a girl. The only girl ever to be in the Dark Order. It was perfectly proper for him to take her as his date. But Eileen would never understand the intimacy they felt for their master.

Eileen managed to forget herself too and strike up a dance with a scrawny First-year. She'd asked him if he was gate-crashing. His date had abandoned him too, deciding he was too young. For awhile young Alphard Black danced with Eileen.

But later on she felt another pull to her elbow. "Eileen...let's go out."

Riddle's tone was clearly conveying this was not the time to argue. She must obey instantly.

She told Alphard a hasty good night. And Riddle and Eileen rapidly departed the scene. The giant clock in the tower was about to strike midnight. The New Year was about to ring in, but she wouldn't be in the merry, mirthful crowd. She'd ring in the New Year alone with him. Alone with Lord Voldemort.

Together, as he took her clammy hand they raced outside, trying to beat the clock it seemed to outsiders. The heels of Eileen's slippers clacked loudly against the pavement.


NOTE: Don't worry. Riddle is NOT going to crucio Eileen next. I have something more original that they've never done. I will try to update sooner. Last year I was working on other projects, which I've finished. Feel free to complain, as long as I get a review!