[HP] Riddle's Spirit Behind

Eleanor spent the next few days of the Christmas holidays by the warm fireplace.Tom sometimes sat with her for a little while, but usually he was reading or meditating quietly by himself.

The two of them barely spoke until the last day of Christmas.

On the last night of the holiday, Eleanor leaned back in an armchair and fell asleep.Tom got up suddenly from the armchair, as if going back to sleep.

"Good night, Tom," muttered Eleanor.

Tom stopped abruptly, looked down at Eleanor, and leaned down and kissed Eleanor's cheek as if he suddenly remembered something.

"Good night, Eleanor," he whispered, and walked away quickly.

Eleanor woke up immediately.

——What was that just now?She touched her cheek and sighed.

She still couldn't get used to such intimate behavior at all.She and Tom were lovers--a situation which she could not have foreseen a week before.

But things happened so naturally, as if it should be like this.

Eleanor suddenly realized that she might have had some special feelings for Tom Riddle long ago.Maybe it started with that storage shed accident not too long ago, or maybe it started earlier.

"What's wrong with you, Eleanor Alford?" said Eleanor to herself, with a sigh.

After Christmas, Eleanor thought something would change in her life, but in fact everything was as usual.

She still goes to class with Avery every day, and occasionally plays crack and blast with Avery or Abraxas in the common room.Tom was still used to being alone, and he was sometimes seen with other people in the small group.

Eleanor could hardly speak to Tom.

When they met in the classroom or the common room, the two just greeted each other with conversations like "Hi, Tom" and "Good morning, Eleanor."

But for some reason, Christmas had passed for two full weeks, and they hadn't had a chance to be alone, let alone sit down and talk about what happened that day.

Eleanor sulked secretly, then felt that she was the only one who was bothered, and Tom didn't seem to care about it at all.

"Obviously he said it himself, our relationship will go further. But now he is avoiding me at all." Eleanor looked out the window and thought to herself.She suddenly felt very annoyed and a little depressed at the same time.

She looked at the Transfiguration textbook in front of her and sighed, but found that she couldn't read a single word.

"What's wrong with you?" Abracasas turned his head and said, "Your eyebrows are almost twisted into a ball."

"It's nothing." Eleanor replied, she still doesn't want others to know about her and Tom.

Abraxas stared at her suspiciously.

Eleanor was very uncomfortable being watched by him.At this time, she saw Avery walking in from the door.So she raised her hand as if seeing a life-saving straw and shouted, "This way, Avery!"

Abraxas stood up suddenly, "I don't have any more papers to write. You two...well, keep working hard."

Out of Eleanor's sight, Abraxas winked his right eye at Avery.

Avery's cheeks flushed slightly immediately, and he shuffled to Eleanor and sat down.

"Are you free this weekend?" Avery asked suddenly.

Eleanor raised her head from the fact that she had written a tenth of the metamorphosis paper, "Of course I'm free, what's the matter?"

"I think—" he hesitated, "I want to go shopping. Would you like to come with me?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Eleanor said half-jokingly.

Avery immediately blushed and denied, "Of course not, I said it, it's just shopping."

Eleanor smiled, lowered her head and resumed writing her thesis, "Okay, I just want to go to the Three Broomsticks and have a glass of butterbeer."

"That's fine." Avery breathed out. "I'll be waiting for you in the common room on Saturday morning."

The last class on Friday night is Ancient Magic Literature.Eleanor had taken this course only because Avery had warned her that Arithmancy would be terribly difficult, so she switched to a course that seemed less difficult.So, when she discovered that the ancient magic literature was very boring, it was too late.

Tom also took this course, and he got high marks every time.Of course, he didn't have any homework that he didn't get a high grade.

After Eleanor was drowsy for the whole class, she finally heard the voice of the professor announcing the dismissal of the get out of class.So she woke up suddenly, yawning and organizing her notes and textbooks.

When she picked up the book and was about to leave the classroom, Tom suddenly stopped her.

At this point almost all the students had left, except for one Hufflepuff boy who was still struggling to pack his things.

Tom glanced at him, and the boy picked up the book in a panic and hurried away.

Seeing Tom approaching her, Eleanor suddenly felt an inexplicable nervousness.

"Is something wrong?" she said.

"I was just thinking, maybe we should go out and get together this weekend." Tom said, with a smile on his face, but his tone was uncompromising. "We're going to Hogsmeade on Saturday morning."

When he said this, it was not in a negotiating tone at all, but more like announcing his decision.

"Shouldn't you ask me if I'm free first?" Eleanor said a little unhappy, "This is the most basic etiquette for inviting people out."

"Well, it was my mistake," said Tom nonchalantly. "So, are you free?"

Eleanor hesitated.She had already promised Avery to go shopping with him, and she couldn't break her word.And she kind of wanted Tom to know that she didn't want to be led around by him.She also has her own life.

"Sorry, I'm not free," said Eleanor. "How about Sunday?"

"Not on Sunday," said Tom. "I'm going to do a research for Professor Slughorn. He's working on a new potion."

"Then next week," Eleanor suggested.

Tom was silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "Very well, then next week." After he finished speaking, he turned and planned to leave.

"Wait." Eleanor stopped Tom suddenly, and she said in a serious tone, "This is a date, right?"

Tom smiled and said, "What do you say?"

Eleanor looked at Tom's disappearing figure and thought angrily, what is his attitude?

Avery was waiting in the common room early on Saturday morning.He wakes up an hour early to style his hair, smoothing each strand with styling pomade.

Eleanor came out of the dormitory, and saw Avery wearing a brand new black robe, with blond hair unnaturally attached to the scalp, looking radiant.

"Are you going to a masquerade party?" Eleanor teased, "Just put on a pair of false teeth, and you can dress up as a vampire."

Avery turned his head, raised his hands to mess up his hair, and muttered softly, "I said I don't need to do this, but he insisted on putting this on me..."

"What?" Eleanor didn't hear what he said clearly.

"Nothing, let's go," Avery said.

Soon, they came to the sunny Hogsmeade village.

Eleanor felt deeply that there was nothing more leisurely than a walk in the village on a clear winter's day.She was in a very happy mood and hummed softly all the way.

They then ordered two butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks.They drank while chatting about interesting things about the professors, and before they knew it, more than half an hour had passed.

"I'm glad you're here," Avery told her.

"Me too, it was a pleasure chatting with you." Eleanor replied with a relaxed tone.

Avery was silent, he had been secretly waiting for a good time.

"If you don't tell her, she'll never understand what you're thinking—that silly girl." Abraxas' words popped into Avery's mind.

"Yes, I have to make it clear to her." Avery urged himself secretly.

He could see that Eleanor was very happy now, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and he didn't know if it was because of the heat in the bar or for other reasons.

"Eleanor." Avery suddenly called her name.

Eleanor was looking out of the window with her chin in her hand, she retracted her gaze and landed on Avery's face.

"What's the matter?" she said kindly.

Avery quickly licked his parched lips and opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Eleanor was looking at him suspiciously, "What's wrong?"

Oh please, say something.Avery urged himself anxiously.

He took a deep breath and said quickly, "Eleanor, I think I still have feelings for you."

Eleanor was stunned as he expected.

She dropped her hand in embarrassment and stammered a little, "Oh, really? I mean—I don't know."

"I think... maybe, the two of us should try to be together." Avery finally said this, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.He was suddenly relieved, so he looked closely into Eleanor's eyes, waiting for her answer.

"Oh my God, Avery..."

Eleanor answered, her eyes beginning to avert.

This was not a good sign for Avery, he couldn't help but secretly grasped the cup in his hand, quietly waiting for what Eleanor would say next.

Sure enough, Eleanor sighed, "I don't think I can."

Avery's heart sank for a moment.

"Why?" he said hoarsely.

"There's something I must tell you," whispered Eleanor. "During the Christmas break—"

At this time, Eleanor suddenly saw a familiar figure standing on the opposite side of the street and looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"Tom?" She jumped up from her chair, almost knocking over the drink glass in front of her.

Tom looked at her blankly, and then broke into a sudden, slow smile.That kind of smile didn't contain any happy elements, but made people feel very gloomy and indifferent.

"He's looking at us?" Avery said in surprise.

At this moment, Tom suddenly stared at Eleanor and shook his head slightly.

What does this mean?

"I'm sorry, Avery, I have to get out," Eleanor mumbled, and hurried toward the door.

She got out of the three broomsticks, only to find that Tom was gone.

A biting cold wind suddenly blew up, causing her to squint her eyes.

"Tom!" she called out his name, but the only answer was the wind.