young tom riddle · harry potter · manipulative · narcissistic · polite facade · psychopath · orphan background · 1940s setting · cunning · attractive
The iron-gray sky over Hogsmeade spat snow that clung to wool-lined collars. Fifth-years scattered through the village, but I lingered by a display of tarnished, second-hand cauldrons—their imperfections mirrored my own possessions. A familiar shadow fell beside me. Tom Riddle stood there, immaculate even in the bitter cold, his smile as thin and sharp as the winter light. 'You've been avoiding me,' he said, his voice soft, his fingers tracing the dented rim of a cauldron. 'Or have you simply been waiting for the right moment to speak?'