CHAPTER SEVEN:

THE DIARY

☍︎︎

DAISY HAD ALMOST FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE DIARY THEO GAVE HER.

It wasn't until she climbed into bed that night that she remembered. Reaching into her trunk — which she vowed to unpack tomorrow — she grabbed it from the bottom and chewed her lip, eyeing it.

It would be nice to write her feelings out. She'd read that journaling thoughts could help clear your head — something about physically releasing the words, but she couldn't exactly remember.

She reached back over the end of the bed and pushed aside a few items of clothing, finally spotting a quill and ink case.

"Go to bed, Dursley!" She heard someone groan, Pansy or Millicent, it sounded like, but she ignored it, closing her curtains and frowning at the darkness. She reached over to the end table next to bed and grabbed her wand.

"Lumos," she whispered, letting it sit at the end of the bed, lighting her canopy in dancing shadows.

She set the ink carton down gently on the end of the bed next to her wand, trying not to spill it, and uncapped it. Dipping her quill in it, she opened the diary up.

D̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶D̶i̶a̶r̶y̶,̶

No.

G̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶i̶n̶g̶

No, that's stupid too.

Sorry, I'm new at this.
I'm more of an artist than a writer.

It's quite alright.

Daisy blinked, rubbing her eyes gently. That wasn't her handwriting. Who was that? How could they — was this a prank? But, then again, Theo wasn't the pranking type...he seemed sincere when offering the gift.

Her heart sank. Unless...it was a prank. And this was him showing his way into Malfoy's posse. No, that was a stupid thought. Right?

Are you pranking me?

What gave you that impression? This is my journal.

No. It isn't. It was a gift to me.

Is your name also Tom Marvolo Riddle, then?
If that's the case, a pleasure to meet you.

Hang on, sorry, you're Tom Riddle? The one on the cover?
But then how come you're in a journal?
Is this some sort of two-way magic diary?

Intelligent guess.
It's similar, but not quite.
I can explain later, quite boring magic, really.
Very complicated.

I can keep up.

I believe that.
Why should I confess my secrets to one who hasn't given their name?

Oh.
My apologies.
Sorry, I didn't expect you to be...alive?
Are you the journal or a person?
Or a memory?
Or someone on the other end?
How do you work?

Your name?

Right, sorry Tom.
I'm Daisy.

That's a pretty name.
Tell me, Daisy, what brings you to my journal?

I told you, it's a gift.
My friend Theo gave it to me.

Theo?
I have a friend called Theo.
You and I are practically friends, already.

Daisy smiled at the message, watching it disappear. She liked this Tom fellow. He was kind to her — he hadn't even asked her blood status or her house. She wondered if he was in school with her. Perhaps she could ask around.

Are you a student?

I was.

Was? How old are you?

How old is anyone, Daisy?
Age is but a number.

That's something people with inclinations for children say.
I'm only twelve.
Don't get any funny ideas — I'll report you, Tom.

I'm offended, Daisy.
You think so little of me and we've only just met.
Can't we just be friends?

Something in Daisy's gut told her to stop writing, to close the book and never open it again. But something else, something deeper told her to keep writing.

She was overreacting. Tom seemed perfectly pleasant. He was nice. She could trust him. Maybe he could offer help about her friends.

Only if you help me.

That's what friends do right?Help each other?

That's perfectly reasonable.
But you have to help me too, Daisy.

Hmm.
Alright.

How can I help you?

It's...it's my friend, Theo, the one who gave me the journal?
He's been acting weird since we reunited earlier this summer.
He's been hanging out with this person I hate, this stupid bully.
And he didn't defend me earlier.
But I miss him.
I still want to be his friend, is that bad?

Of course not.
Friends should stick up for one another.
Loyalty is very important.
Tell me, Daisy, are you at Hogwarts?

Yeah! I'm a Slytherin.

Oh?
That's wonderful.
I was a Slytherin too.
Do you like it?

Most days I do.
I like my house and my friends, Theo, and Blaise, he's my other friend.
But my house head hates me.
I'm dreading school this year.
He's probably going to take house points away from me for being tired tomorrow.

I'm sorry to hear that, Daisy.
That doesn't sound pleasant.

It isn't.
I'm sorry for rambling.

Don't worry, Daisy.
I enjoy talking to you.
You're a second year, then?

Yeah.
I wish I were in another house sometimes, though.
If I'm being honest.

Why is that?

Promise you won't be mean?

I promise, Daisy.
Wand over my heart.
You've been hurt enough.

I'm Muggleborn.

Oh.
How different.
I've never heard of a Muggleborn in Slytherin.
You must be very special, Daisy.

Maybe.
Most days I think the universe is playing a practical joke.
Having a good laugh.
Everyone in my house calls me Mudblood.
Even Theo and Blaise.

Why would the universe laugh?
You're intelligent, Daisy. I can see that.
You must be clever.
Tell me: what would you do to those who call you that filthy name?
If you could do anything?

I should go to bed, Tom.
Goodnight.

Goodnight, Daisy.
Talk tomorrow?

I'd like that.

Daisy chewed her lip for a moment before adding:

Thank you for not calling me a mudblood.
Not many people in Slytherin do that.

They don't understand you, Daisy.
But I'd like to.

—

The first week passed by in a blur.

Daisy could hardly believe she'd made it to Friday. Her lessons were swamped with homework and she was so busy with essays and new charms and her diary that she'd almost entirely forgotten about Theo's new friendship with Malfoy.

In fact, her life was a bit on the back-burner. As it turns out, Harry and Ron had missed the train and rather than wait for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to return to escort them back — they stole the Ford Angela and flew it all the way to Hogwarts, crashing into the Whomping Willow.

Daisy could still hear Mrs. Weasley's "howler" as Blaise called it. She screamed so loudly the first breakfast back that the entire hall went quiet. Daisy watched in a mix of amusement and horror as Ron paled more than Malfoy, his mouth agape at the Gryffindor table.

Not to mention, Defense Against the Dark Arts was an entirely new beast — Lockhart was very, very peculiar and self-obsessed. She told Tom all about him, he seemed to be amused by Lockhart's antics. Daisy didn't find him very funny, but she thought Tom's jokes about him were.

Their first lesson was terrible. He handed a questionnaire — about himself, which Daisy also scribbled to Tom with a small laugh — which Daisy failed terribly. She exchanged a look with Blaise, who seemed just as confused as she was, but she just doodled on the questions for a bit before turning back to her diary.

Hermione was the only one who got the best score — and she wasn't even in their lesson, he was bragging about it hours after Gryffindor had taken his class.

He then proceeded to have them read a passage from his book, offered autographs to anyone who did the extra credit — which was a two-paged essay about why he wore periwinkle robes instead of burgundy to the Witch Weekly's Digest Luncheon three years prior.

Daisy wasn't sure how she'd get good marks in his lesson, but she also couldn't decide if she wanted to.

It wasn't until Friday at lunch that Daisy was reminded of Theo's absence. He was following Malfoy around like a lost puppy, not unlike Pansy, who took it upon herself to be in Malfoy's life in all matters.

Daisy grew closer to Blaise, the pair spoke quietly in the Common Room at night before bed and during breakfast and dinner. Most often, they'd spend lunch together as well, but Blaise wanted to get a head start on his Potions homework and decided to cram in the library instead, leaving Daisy alone at the table.

"Ah, the mudblood, are you disgracing us with your presence again today?"

Daisy blinked, turning with wide eyes, her fork full of potatoes halfway to her mouth. She expected to see Malfoy sneering at her — but with a scowl, there stood Theo.

"Theo?" She asked quietly, her fork moving back down to the plate.

"It's Nott to you, mudblood."

Tears filed Daisy's eyes as Malfoy and Pansy laughed, Crabbe and Goyle high-fiving each other — as if they were the ones to insult her, the idiots — but her attention was on Theo.

He didn't seem sad or upset by his words. He had the same scowl she'd only seen on Draco, never on him. His big, excited, adorable brown eyes were filled with disgust and hatred.

Daisy's lip trembled and she willed herself not to cry.

"What? Going to cry?" Theo mocked. "Go ahead. Run home to Daddy. Oh, wait, he doesn't like you very much either, does he?"

Her hands trembled and she tried to control her breathing, but it was coming out in panicked rasps.

"Filthy, stupid, mudblood," he spat out, looking her over with a sneer before turning to Malfoy, laughing along with him.

Disoriented, Daisy's head tilted to the side, watching her friend ignore her like she was nothing. Which, Malfoy and his friends always said she was. But never Theo. Theo loved her, she knew that. But why was he being so cruel?

She felt like she was watching the scene from someone else's body. Had he really just said that? Was this truly happening?

"Why are you looking at me, mudblood? Your eyes are only going to stain me."

Blinking furiously, Daisy looked down at her plate, but couldn't stop her tears from slipping down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Theo," she mumbled quietly, not quite sure why she was apologizing, but feeling as though she had to. She must have done something for him to turn on her in such a manner. She must have done something to upset him — to make him so angry he'd spend his time with Malfoy making fun of her.

He didn't make a notion that he'd heard her, and to be fair, he probably hadn't. He was a few seats down the table, and it was very loud in the Great Hall.

Daisy could hear laughing, from the other side of the hall. Dizzy, she looked up and spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione, laughing animatedly about something with Seamus Finnegan.

Daisy blinked slowly, wishing she could be apart of their group. She'd helped them, hadn't she? And they still didn't accept her. She thought she belonged with Theo — but he didn't like her now, either.

Slowly, Daisy got up from the table,  wiping her eyes with her sleeve, grabbing her diary and bag, walking slowly from the hall, letting her feet guide her.

She still didn't feel like it was real. Everything was muffled. She couldn't hear anything but the sound of her own blood pumping in her ears. She couldn't hear herself crying, or the door closing behind her, or someone shouting her name.

She was heading to the courtyard — she wasn't exactly sure why, but she didn't want to go back to the Common Room, not when her closest confidant had just bullied her publicly with Malfoy — but was stopped when someone grabbed her arm.

Jumping, Daisy regained her senses. She could hear herself sobbing, profusely, like she'd never cried before. She could hear muffled voices in the Great Hall, but they were quieted by the large double doors.

She looked down at the arm that grabbed her and followed it up to a familiar — very worried — face.

"Daisy? What happened, love? What's wrong?"

Daisy leaned into Cedric's chest, unable to form words, just crying into him. He didn't hesitate, holding her close and resting his chin on her head, tucking her under him.

"It's alright," he said quietly, rubbing her back gently. "It's alright, whatever happened, it will be okay."

Daisy shook her head, knowing the kindness behind his words wasn't true. He would leave her too. He would turn on her too.

She pulled away from him, sniffling, looking away from his gentle brown eyes, but he grabbed her cheeks, wiping her tears with his thumbs and forcing her to look at him.

"Daisy Dursley, who hurt you?" He asked calmly, but his inflection said something else. There was an edge there, something unkind. She knew it was directed at her.

"I'm sorry, Cedric," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to make you angry."

His face softened and his grip slackened. "Make me — Daisy, you could never make me angry. What happened? Why're you crying? Did someone hurt you? What upset you?"

Daisy chewed on her lip, trying to stop another wave of tears from forming as she remembered Theo's gentle voice mocking her and calling her names.

"Theo," she said finally, her voice choking on his name. "He—he called me a mudblood and he said to leave him alone. He said I was filthy and stupid and a disgrace. And he — he made fun of my family, in front of Malfoy. Does Malfoy know?" She asked the last question quietly, to herself mostly. Did he know that her parents hated her just as much? Would she be forced to live with him — and Theo — calling her so unlovable that her own parents didn't care for her?

Daisy wasn't sure she could take it at school too.

"What?" Cedric asked in surprise, his eyes widening. "Theo said that? Theo Nott? The mousy-haired boy who clings to your hand like your his mother? That Theo?"

Daisy nodded, looking down, shame flooding her. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. What an idiot, she thought. How could she believe that Theo would actually care about her past first year. If he ever had. She amused him — even on the train, he said she was funny. She'd worn out her humor, and now she was nothing but a filthy mudblood.

"You're my mudblood," she remembered him saying, thinking it was a compliment, something nice.

But he didn't care about her. Blaise probably didn't either. He'd turn on her too. So would Cedric.

"I'm sorry, Cedric, you should leave. I'm not funny right now."

He frowned at her words, moving his hands from her face and guiding her to the wall in the Entrance Hall. He took her bag from her, and the diary, gently slipping the latter into her bag, and set them down on the ground. He helped her sit on the floor and she watched, observing him.

Why was he pretending to care? He'd only leave her. Was this a game to him too?

"Why are you apologizing to me?" He asked her after a moment, grabbing her hand in his.

Daisy shrugged. "Because I'm not funny. Theo — he said I was funny. That has to be the only reason he liked me. And now — now, now I'm not funny anymore. I can't be funny right now," she confessed with a hiccup. "I'm just sad."

Cedric watched her with a forlorn expression, pulling her to his chest and holding her gently. She smelled something masculine, a nicer cologne than the one her father used, and something woodsy. His shirt smelled like coffee — he must have spilled some on himself earlier. At any other time, she would've smiled and thought it endearing.

Of course he spilled coffee on himself. He was practically perfect in every way, but he used his hands animatedly when he discussed something he was passionate about, she could see him now; talking with Jenna, Sam, and Clara, waving his hands around with the mug of hot coffee and spilling it on his shirt, then laughing it off and trying to clean it. He probably used a spell to clear the stain, but the smell remained.

Her heart tugged at the thought of their happy group laughing at breakfast, when only hours later Theo was making fun of her. Her best friend...bullying her like she was nothing but dirt. And with a name like mudblood...he believed she was.

"You don't have to be happy, Daisy," Cedric said quietly after a long while. He ran his hand along her head soothingly. "You don't. It's okay to be upset. I'm not just your friend for happy times. I'm here for all the sad bits too, and every weird, awkward, sarcastic, exciting moment in between."

Daisy pulled away from him, wiping her eyes and nose, avoiding his eyes. "I'm sorry for crying on your shirt," she peered at the tear-stained center of his white button-up. His yellow and black tie was slightly askew.

He grabbed her chin gently, turning her towards him.

"Don't apologize. That's what friends are for. You're my friend, Daisy. You are not, and I mean this, I want you to listen to me," his grip tightened on her chin, but not enough to hurt. His hands were warm, like everything about him. Sunshine and rainbows and warmth exuded from Cedric as easily as darkness washed through her. "You are not filthy," his eyes watered when he told her and he blinked his own tears away. "You are not stupid. You're very bright, Daisy, incredibly clever. You are kind, and patient. And you are forgiving, far too forgiving. You are funny, of course, you're incredibly witty and sarcastic, and you make everyone in the room feel comfortable by just existing. If he can't see that — if your house can't see that, then you are more than welcome to spend every free moment in Hufflepuff Common Room. You are my friend. And he is a liar. He is stupid. He does not deserve your attention, your light, your brilliance. Do you understand me?"

Daisy shrugged, lip trembling as another round of tears threatened her.

"No, I need you to understand it, Daisy. I need you to know here and now that you are wonderful. Those Slytherins underestimate you. They think they're better than you? You defied their prejudiced rules. You are a Muggleborn in Slytherin. You make tidal waves in a lake. You're passionate and fierce and so wonderful. They are jealous of you. Theodore Nott does not deserve a lick of your attention because you are so much better than him. He wants to bully you? If the worst he can come up with is your parents and your blood type — then he sure is lacking in every other department. Because if those are the only flaws he can find, then he has nothing to say about you because those aren't even flaws. Do you understand me?"

Daisy nodded into his hand, sniffling and leaping forward, throwing her arms around him. He held her back tightly, running his hand along her back, her arms around his neck, breathing him in.

"Thank you, Cedric," she whispered.

He shushed her, shaking his head and pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "Don't thank me for telling the truth, sweetheart. C'mon," he pulled back and pressed another to her forehead. "Let's get you cleaned up, alright?"

—

Theo called me a mudblood today.
not like normal either.
he said I'm filthy and stupid.
I cried at lunch.
Cedric made me feel better.

I'm sorry to hear that, Daisy.
You deserve better.
Did you say anything to Theo after?

No.
I want to hit him.
I was so surprised and hurt before, but now I just
I want to make him feel that hurt.
How could he hurt me like that?
With MALFOY.
I feel used. And disgusted.
But mostly angry.
I hate him.
I want him to suffer, Tom.

Then make him suffer, Daisy.
Can I tell you a secret?

I'm good at keeping secrets.
Theo's not.
But I am.

I know a spell to make him feel horrible.
He will feel just as much pain as you feel.
Would you like me to teach you?

Really?
I don't know...
He was my friend.
He was so nice before.
Maybe he didn't mean it.

Whether or not he meant it matters little.
He hurt you.
Betrayed you.
You should make him pay for that.

I don't want to hurt him too badly.
What do you have in mind?

—

Daisy sat in the Common Room, watching, waiting for her former best friend to enter with his sheepish smile that used to make her stomach jolt with happiness — now she wanted to wipe away that stupid smile.

She didn't have to wait long, fiddling with her wand, anger simmering deep in her stomach, itching to be acted upon. She wanted to punch Theo in the nose, break it, break his jaw, make him cry. She wanted to humiliate him in front of everyone — she wanted to make him suffer as deeply as she had.

She wanted to make him cry, make him feel weak, used, disgusting. She wanted to ruin his life as much as he ruined hers.

Daisy glanced down at the diary in her hands, holding it tightly, her wand resting next to it. Tom was right. She had to make him suffer. For a moment, she wondered if this would kill him — but it wasn't the Killing Curse. She knew that. So what if he bled. The more the merrier.

As long as she didn't end up in Azkaban and he and the other Slytherins feared her — that's all that mattered.

As long as they feared her. Then they would stop bullying her. Stop taking her friends from her. He would know what it's like to feel pain, to feel everyone she loves turn against her.

And then he walked in, alone, which was unusual this week, as he'd been with Malfoy and his goons all week.

Her face softened at the morose, heavy look on his face. He hadn't spotted her yet, he was looking down.

Theo leaned against the wall, taking a shaking breath, running a hand through his hair. Her heart gave a painful tug as he dug the heels of his palms into his eyes, sinking down on the wall and breaking into sobs.

Anger forgotten, Daisy left the diary and her wand on the chair and walked towards him. She was quiet, like walking towards a rabid animal. She didn't want to startle him and make him lash out at her.

"Theo?" She asked quietly, kneeling in front of him. "Are you aright?"

Theo jumped, dropping his hands and looking at her with tearful eyes. It struck her that she'd never seen Theo cry. She'd cried in front of him, she'd been exhausted and drained and he'd been the rock holding her steady in the ever-rising tide her life turned into.

But Theo never cried. He made jokes and always made her laugh and held her while she cried and — then it hit her. Theo was funny.

"Oh, Theo," she softened, pulling him to her. He sobbed into her chest, holding her robes tightly in wound fists, body shaking with every sob that fell from his lips. "It's okay," she held him gently, winding her fingers into his curls. "It's okay," she calmed him. "I'm here, Theo, it's okay."

"I'm sorry," he pulled back with a heartbroken expression, a lost look in his eyes that she'd never seen there before. She was reminded of her conversation with Cedric hours earlier.

"It's okay," she comforted him but he shook his head.

"No," he moved her hands from him, pushing her away. "It's not. I—I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that, please, please understand that I didn't mean that, Daisy. You're my—my best friend," another sob fell from his mouth and he gasped, raising a closed fist to his mouth, taking shallow breaths, trying to calm himself. She moved to comfort him but he pushed her away. "I should never have said those things but I—I have to. I don't want to, Daisy, you're perfect. You're a perfect, amazing Muggleborn, and my very best friend. But I—I have to stop seeing you. We can't be friends."

Daisy frowned, not understanding. "Why?" She asked finally. "Why not? Because of Malfoy? I'll—"

"—Not Malfoy. Not Draco, at least. His—my—my dad is," he looked away, blinking furiously. "My dad is like your dad, Daisy, but he likes to hit me." His voice was soft now, if the Common Room was any louder, she wouldn't have heard him. "He does it when he's happy, when he's angry, when he's upset. He does it all the time. I—Mr. Malfoy saved me this summer," he avoided looking at her. "I was in St. Mungo's for a week. I had three broken ribs and a concussion and this," he looked at her finally, pointing to a scar across his nose, very thin and light. She wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't pointed it out. "He broke my nose too. Nearly tore it off," he broke into another sob, but took a deep breath to stop himself, making an odd choking noise instead.

"He hates me, Daisy. It's not like your family, I know it's hard, but it's not—he would've killed me this summer and laughed about it. The only—the only rule Mr. Malfoy has is that I can't be friends with you. When he saw us together this summer, he said that I couldn't associate with you. Draco told him about the train and he—he said that he'd let my father deal with me if I didn't listen."

Daisy gasped, heart breaking and new tears falling down her cheeks at his words. "Theo—"

"—I'm so sorry, Daisy. I don't want to hurt you. I know you're alone. I know. I wish I could—I wish I could be there for you, I'm sorry. But," his voice cracked and he held his face in his hands again. "I'll die if I'm friends with you. I'm sorry."

Daisy pulled him into another tight hug, ignoring his protests and kissed his head, once, twice, then three times, pressing a kiss to his cheeks, which were salty from his tears, and on his forehead.

"Theodore Nott," she grabbed his face in her hands, akin to what Cedric had done for her mere hours prior. "You are my very best friend. I am with you forever. If you can't be friends with me, that's okay. You can be mean to me. It's okay. I'd rather you live and hate me then not live at all. You're perfect in every way, Theo. Your dad is the worst," she scowled, grounding out her next words. "If I ever see him, I will kill him."

Theo laughed quietly, shaking his head. "Thanks, Daisy."

"I will," Daisy promised seriously. "One day, I'll make your life easier, Theo. I swear."

Theo smiled thinly at her. "I'm sorry we can't hang out anymore."

Daisy shrugged, smiling wryly. "That's okay. You don't actually hate me though, right?"

Theo shook his head vehemently. "I could never hate you, flower. I'm sorry for what I said today — and all the other times I called you it. In no context is it a good word. I'm sorry."

Daisy brushed off his apologies. "It's fine, Theo. I promise. We'll get through Hogwarts together and then we'll take on the world and your stupid dad. No prejudice could stand between us. Agree?"

She held up her pinkie finger. Theo's lips turned into a real smile and he wrapped his own around her.

"I love Muggles," he whispered. "I love you, Daisy. Please don't forget that. I don't mean a word I say, I promise."

"I know, Theo," she whispered back. "I love you too."

Pulling back, Daisy gave him one last look, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, breathing in his scent: like fresh grass, broom oil, and coconut, and pulled away entirely. She stood to her feet and walked towards the chair. Wiping her face with her sleeve, she vowed not to cry again.

She grabbed Tom's diary and her wand, waving at Theo with a sad smile. He copied her motion from his place on the floor and she turned to the dormitory, opening the door and heading to her bed.

Tom, he was being forced to do it.
His dad hurt him.
I want to kill him.
Maybe not today. Or tomorrow.
But I want him dead for what he's done to Theo.

I can help you with that, Daisy.
Not today, you're too young.
But I will show you.
One day.
Can you promise to help me when I need it?
I'll make sure Theo's father suffers at your hand.

I promise, Tom.
Whatever you need, I'll do it.
For Theo.

—

YOWZA. as you can see, Daisy is not having the happy childhood that her cousin is getting.
Having to mature at a very young age and with Tom Riddle forcing her poor little heart into dark promises?
What do you think the spell she learned was?
What do you think he'll need help with in the future?
Do you forgive Theo?
I do, he could do no wrong<3
lmk your thoughts!