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THE Great Hall was almost silent during Yule–the only sound being a few whispers in the Ravenclaw table, and pages flipping in the Slytherin table. Athena was part of the latter.

While Druella, Lucinda, and Abraxas went home for Yule, Athena stayed in the walls of the ancient castle, a sense of relief inside her.

And yet, she could not shake off the sense of hurt that came with it. The sense of hurt that came with not being wanted. The sense of hurt that came with not being needed, not being chosen, not being loved–

"Ms. Malfoy," Professor Slughorn's voice behind her made her snap out of her thoughts, making her turn around and smile politely at him. He seemed to be surprised by her presence– having expected her to be home with her brother. "I did not expect you to spend Yule here. Why did you not go home with Abraxas?"

She clenched her jaw at the question, but her polite smile did not falter as she wanted to keep her emotions in check. "I decided that I wanted to spend Yule studying, sir," she lied smoothly without any problem.

He let out a chuckle, almost as if he should've expected that. "Ah, Athena, I suppose you are one of the top students for a reason." Slughorn gave her one last kind smile before heading to his seat at the teachers' dining table.

Athena turned to her side, where Tom Riddle was a few seats down from her– his eyes on her and his jaw clenched at the last comment Slughorn made. "I suppose I am, am I not, Riddle?" She innocently smiled, finding satisfaction at his glare.

"Not for long," was Riddle's dismissive reply.

"The book?" She mouthed and tilted her head, an eyebrow raised.

It had been exactly three days since he gave her his word, and Athena was patiently waiting with each minute that passed by. However, her patience was running thin, wanting nothing more than to expand her knowledge beyond the available.

Riddle gritted his teeth and replied coldly, "It will be by your side in the afternoon." and went back to the familiar leather book in front of him, his plate of breakfast untouched.

Athena hummed, turning back to her own book, flipping the pages idly. It was her third time rereading the book in front of her– the book that was about Hogwarts' history. It was rather boring. She had it memorized by heart at that point.

She looked up and glanced around the Great Hall. Mostly the Slytherins had stayed, about five of them. One was Riddle's friend, sitting across from him. Dolohov, remembered Athena.

Her eyes stopped on the two Slytherin first years at the end of the table, both having grins on their faces as they talked. They seemed to be siblings and looked quite similar– their matching brown hair gave it away. One was a girl, the other a boy.

Athena stared at them, her expression softening as she did so. She watched as the girl was pointing to the book in between her and her brother, explaining some things she found cool, while the boy was listening intently.

Athena did not remember the last time she and Abraxas had sat down together like that with nothing driving them apart.

If she was being honest, she did not know when they started to stop being close. In fact, she did not even remember if they were ever close. No, it seemed like they weren't. Abraxas was always focused on by their parents, while Athena spent most of her time in either her room in Malfoy manor or the Malfoy library– losing herself in worlds where she wasn't unwanted.

She shook her head, her eyes almost glistening, so she immediately looked away and abandoned the plate of scrambled eggs next to her book. Instead, she took a sip of her black coffee, unminding the fact that her dark red lipstick stained the edge of the cool glass.

Her gaze went back onto her book, but her mind never left Abraxas. Abraxas, the boy she deeply loved but never showed it. Why would she? Their parents never failed showing it to him. What would her love be for him compared to their parents'?

Abraxas lived a fulfilled life: He had a purpose to live for, parents he planned to make proud, and a future laid out for him already at the mere age of fourteen.

Meanwhile, Athena had to build herself from scratch, her pursuit of knowledge and the strive to be worthy being the only things that drove her to have a purpose.

Her bitterness overshadowed the love she felt towards her brother.

It was not like Abraxas had any emptiness in his life– no. It wasn't like he didn't have enough love given to him, enough care and enough attention given to him. To Abraxas, love was only a feeling. Something he always had.

But to Athena, love was a longing. Something she always wished she had.

Tom Riddle's eyes narrowed as he watched Athena stand up, tuck her book into her bag, and sling it over her shoulder before leaving the Great Hall.

His expression hardened, and he tuned out Dolohov's words, his mind consumed with cold calculation.

Athena's departure was a slight—a defiant act of independence that Riddle found both infuriating and intriguing. She was not merely a student to him; she was a variable in his carefully constructed plans, a potential threat to his ambitions. As he watched her walk away, his thoughts turned dark and calculating, plotting how to break her down before she became a threat to his future plans.

Her ambition was clear, and her motivation was even clearer. Both of which would get in his way in the future.

He stood up, cutting Dolohov off, and walked out of the Great Hall quickly. His legs took him to the library before he even thought about it, wanting to get the favor he owed out of the way.

Athena Malfoy was a cunning girl. He saw it in her gaze, in her thoughts, in her grades, and in her remarks. He noticed it in the fact that somehow, she always found a way out of his threats. Somehow, she put the threat back on him– something he never had experienced.

Tom Marvolo Riddle knew who he was. He knew the charm he possessed, the manipulation he had in him, and the persuasiveness he had.

That did not help him in the way of Athena Malfoy.

His jaw clenched at the thought of her name as he passed through the empty, dimly lit corridors of Hogwarts– the portraits quieter than usual as he passed by them. Or was it his thoughts that were louder?

He shook his head. The girl was messing with his mind and getting on his nerves more than usual. Maybe it was the change of the weather– that chill in the air that clouded his thoughts.

Tom's mind refocused as he reached the library door. He peered through the crack, noting the librarian buried in a stack of books—an ideal distraction, just as it had been before. Satisfied that he would not be seen, he slipped inside, his movements deliberate and practiced. His hands were buried in his pockets, and his eyes darted around the empty library, searching for any signs of unexpected visitors. The library was deserted; even Athena Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.

He made his way swiftly to the restricted section, where the allure of forbidden knowledge beckoned. Ignoring the "Restricted Section" sign with a casual disregard, he murmured the unlocking spell with practiced ease. The lock clicked open, and he placed his hand on the door handle, pushing it open with a soft creak before slipping inside and closing it quietly behind him.

Inside, the dim light cast long shadows over rows of ancient, leather-bound tomes.

Tom moved with confidence, heading straight to the spot where he had previously placed the book. He knew exactly where it was; after all, he had returned it to its place himself after reading it.

As he approached the dusty shelf, he was ready to reclaim the book and get the favor he owed out of the way.

As soon as he found the familiar purple and black cover of the book, he grabbed it out of the dusty shelf, clearing his throat at the amount of dust that fell on him as he did so.

He scowled, not knowing why a library was so ignored and a second thought.

Maybe that was why Athena found comfort in the place. Maybe because she related to it.

Tom almost let out a chuckle at his mean thought, but held it in as he walked out of the restricted section and closed the door and lock behind him. He glanced at the still-busy librarian and walked right out of there without even the sound of his footsteps being heard.

He made his way to the Slytherin common room, the book pressed tightly to his chest in an attempt to hide the cover if someone saw him.

However, luck was not on his side as Professor Dumbledore, at that moment, stepped out of the hallway he was passing by and gave him a warm smile.

Tom's smile was thin, barely masking his simmering rage. He knew Dumbledore's seemingly kind gaze was anything but friendly; it harbored a deep-seated suspicion that Tom could almost feel pressing against him.

As Dumbledore's gaze shifted from Tom's face to the book he clutched protectively to his chest, Tom's jaw clenched in barely restrained anger. "Professor Dumbledore," he said, offering a polite nod that did not show his true feelings. His voice was smooth, but his eyes betrayed a storm of hatred.

Dumbledore returned the nod, his sharp eyes narrowing as he tried to catch a glimpse of the book Tom held.

The old professor's curiosity was evident, but Tom was quick to turn on his heel, striding away with a deliberate pace.

The echo of his footsteps in the empty hallway was the only sign of his presence as he left Dumbledore behind, his mind already calculating his next move in their dangerous game of intrigue.

Tom made his way to the common room, his jaw still tightly clenched as he did so, his mind on the Professor. He almost got caught.

By Dumbledore–!

Oh, he could kill Athena Malfoy. He could absolutely kill–

"Thanks for the book." Athena snatched the book right out of his hands as soon as he stepped foot into the common room, where she seemed to be waiting for him. Earning a glare from the boy, her satisfied smile only grew wider. "You actually did keep your word."

He continued to glare at her, his nostrils flaring as he did so.

She seemed unaffected, which only made him grow angrier– something she was probably aiming to do as he noticed the satisfaction in her gaze.

"Malfoy, I almost got caught by Dumbledore getting you this book. You'd better sleep with one eye open and pray to Merlin."

Athena's small, mocking laugh only served to stoke the flames of Tom Riddle's rage. "Riddle," she said with a smirk, "you getting almost caught has nothing to do with me. It is your fault for lacking in cunning." Her words were a deliberate jab, meant to undermine his pride and provoke him further.

Tom Riddle's lips tightened into a thin line, struggling to keep his composure in the face of her cutting remark. "Malfoy," he said with a cold, measured tone, "might I remind you that I am a Slytherin? Might I remind you that Slytherins are known for their cunning and ambition?" His eyes narrowed dangerously as he continued to stare down at the shorter girl.

Athena did not budge. She merely replied with a tilt of her head, "It seems like you should remind yourself after almost getting caught by Dumbledore."

Tom watched with barely concealed disdain as Athena turned on her heel and walked up the stairs to her dormitory, the book she wanted clutched tightly in her hands.

His lips curled into a sneer as he let out a scoff of disbelief, the sound tinged with contempt. He shook his head in irritation, his eyes following her retreating form until she vanished from view.

The audacity of her words, the simplicity of her actions, only fueled his hatred towards the girl.

Oh, he could definitely kill Athena Ravena Malfoy at that moment.