It was getting closer and closer to Christmas, meaning the weather was getting more cold by the second. The term ended, thankfully, so for the next few days there were no more classes. There were a couple exams that needed to be done right after Christmas though.

I was sitting at the Slytherin table with Emily and Brianna, unfortunately, because Alison and Billy weren't invited to Slughorns dinner party, they decided they didn't need to be at Hogwarts for Christmas. Chris stayed, but he was with his other friends over at the Ravenclaw table.

Tom and his creepy group stayed a few seats away, but not far enough for my liking. I wondered who else was invited to Slughorn's dinner party?

"Knight to B6," Brianna said loud and clear. I mentally face palmed. I was meant to be helping Brianna because she was absolutely terrible at chess. Emily was the queen of chess.

"Brianna, no! I specifically told you. B4! B4! Oh, now you've done it," I shrieked, dancing in my seat.

"Oops! I'm sorry, Abby. I just- I told you I am terrible at this."

Emily smirked and cackled evilly as she took away Brianna's last knight. Brianna's remaining pieces were a bishop, her king and two pawns.

"So," Emily said as she watched her bishop take Brianna's. "I hear you've been invited to Slughorn's dinner party, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"I've been invited as well," Emily said happily.

"I haven't," Brianna huffed and crossed her arms. "I never am."

"How many times must I tell you, Brianna, it is never interesting there," Emily rolled her eyes. "All slughorn does is serve and talk. That's it."

Brianna seemed to be a little more happy after hearing that. She then leaned forward and whispered, "yes, but the only downside is that Tom and his gang have been invited too. Not all of them, just a couple of the lads."

Emily looked at Tom's group and raised a brow. "Well," she said loud and confidently. "I am not afraid of them."

"Emily, have you gone mad?" Brianna said in a hushed tone.

Tom's head snapped sharply at Emily, and I took in a deep breath. Emily shuddered and hid her face under the table.

"Oh my goodness, he's looking at me," I heard Emily shaking with fear under the table. I shook my head and gave Tom a 'really' look, before he cracked a smirk at me and looked away.

"Emily, no that was good. You stood up to your fear," I said and reached under the table and pulled Emily out from under it.

"Emily, honestly," Brianna scoffed. "Do you really think cowering under a table is going to keep that Riddle away?"

I gave Brianna a blank stare but she just shrugged and looked back to Emily who was slowly coming out from under the table.

"It helps, OK?" Emily glared at Brianna. Brianna shrugged again.

"Are you afraid of Tom Riddle, Abby?" Brianna asked in a casual tone. I could also hear fear in her voice, too. "I mean... he was always nice to me. But I just get that feeling, you know? Like I'd better not cross him."

"Not me," I said and glanced over at Tom and his group. "I'm over it."

"Abby, you've been here a few months you do not just get over it!" Emily exclaimed quietly.

"So? I'm not scared of him, Emily."

"Probably because you have talked to him a lot," Brianna said suspiciously. "I mean, when he brought you into our common room I thought you two were a thing. He looked very protective of you. Kind of like if anyone were to speak up to you he'd snap their neck."

Emily looked like she was thinking about this before she slowly nodded her head in agreement.

"No, you two have it all wrong," I said, shaking my head. "He didn't want me to stamp all over that ego of his and he didn't want anyone else to, either."

Brianna waved her hand at me. "I still think he fancies you."

"Brianna!" Emily and I exclaimed at the same time.

Brianna looked up, dumbfounded. "What? It's true."

"It is not true, Tom Riddle does not fancy anyone. He has never even had a girlfriend before!" Emily hissed at her. That shocked me. A charming looking lad like Tom Riddle had never had a girlfriend? Impossible.

"What? You're kidding!"

"No, he really hasn't ever had a girlfriend, Abby," Brianna chuckled nervously, as if Tom was listening. "I'm sure he has snogged a girl before, though. How could he not have?"

"OK, I'm sick of talking about that downer," Emily shuddered.

"Pardon me, ladies, but who might this downer be?" A voice cleared from behind Emily and I. Brianna looked behind us and her eyes widened.

Emily and I faced each other before we slowly turned right around in our seats.

"H-hello, Riddle. No-nobody is a downer. No one you know. Just...just m-my sister."

"Emily you do not have a sister," Brianna said from in front of us. That girl could be stupid sometimes. "Or are you calling your brother your sister?"

"Don't be daft, Brianna, of course I have a sister," Emily laughed nervously.

I sighed and looked Tom in the eyes. He looked back at me. "Are you lost, Riddle?"

He chuckled humorlessly at me with a smug look on his face. His eyes landed on the chess game on the table. "Interesting chess board. I'd like to play."

"It's Abby's chessboard," Brianna spoke loudly. I turned around and glared at her.

"I'd like to play," Tom repeated.

"Oh, no, you go right ahead and play," Emily laughed nervously and scooted further out of her seat. "I'm just gonna-" Emily never got to finish her sentence because she had toppled out of her seat and landed on the floor. Tom's group down at the other end of the table all laughed and stood to get a better look.

I sighed and quickly stood up to help Emily off the floor.

"Thanks," she whispered to me.

Before I got a chance to reply to Emily, a firm grip took hold of my upper arm, causing me to look back over my shoulder. I was met with dazzling, venomous green eyes. They stared back into my dull blue ones. The grip loosened slightly.

"I'd like to play against you," Tom demanded. I frowned at the look he was giving me.

But, because Tom looked incredibly handsome today, my tongue twisted and I wasn't in control of the words that came out of my mouth.

"I'd also like -" I started in a dreamy voice. Tom raised an eyebrow and gave me a funny look. I quickly snapped out of it. "I mean. Um. Er. I mean, no! You don't just-"

Tom tightened his grip around my arm and spun me around so I was fully facing him. That was when it was confirmed. I really wasn't afraid of him anymore.

"You will do as I say, Benjamin, do not test me."

Tom pulled me and forced me into Emily's seat in front of the chessboard. Brianna stood and ran out of the great hall screaming when Tom had stood behind her. Emily crept out of the great hall after her.

I stayed silent and watched as Tom waved his wand over the chessboard once and the chess pieces moved to their original places, unbroken.

Tom stared at me blankly. I stared back, waiting for him to say something.

"Ladies first," he drawled, rolling his eyes slightly.

I blinked once slowly and went to tell him white actually moved first, which he had, but instead I looked down at the chessboard. I decided to move a pawn with my fingers, seeing as if I had spoken the movement, it'd take longer to specify which pawn to move. Tom did the same.

We each moved our pawns around in silence. I was still annoyed by the fact that he had scared my friends away.

"You're awfully quiet today, Abigail," he drawled again, moving his pawn. "That's a first. I like it."

"Can you just leave me alone and go back to your own friends," I gritted at him. "You've already scared mine off."

"Those two?" Tom laughed humorlessly. "Why, they're daft."

"That's a bit hypocritical coming from you," I replied. "Your daft group over there are probably no smarter than a sack of potatoes."

Tom and I glanced his group. A boy with dark curls was examining a peanut as if he hadn't ever seen one before, and a fourth year named Orion Black was staring at the ceiling, frowning.

"I suppose you could be right," he said, motioning for me to take my turn. I glared and moved my pawn over his without looking down. "Smart move," he said and used another one of his pawns to take mine. "Very smart."

"I'm leaving," I said, and went to grab my bag off the table, but Tom grabbed it before I could and snatched it away from my reach. I glared at him harder. "Give me my bag right now!"

"You're not leaving," Tom said sharply, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Now hurry up and take your turn. Or are you just afraid of losing?"

"I most certainly am not!" I exclaimed and settled firmly in my seat. I reached out and moved another pawn.

Tom smirked. "That's what I thought." He moved his piece.

I opened my mouth so I could tell my bishop to move but someone tapped my shoulder. I looked beside me and saw the half-giant I had seen that day with Alison.

"'Ello, yer' Abigail Benjamin?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"This was delivered to Professor Dippet this mornin,'" he grumbled and dropped the box on the table beside me.

"Thank you!" I smiled widely, making the half-giant go red and smile nervously back.

"I'm Rubeus," he held out his giant hand for me to shake. I smiled again and reached out my hand to shake his but a wand pushed mine back and pushed Rubeus' hand away roughly.

"Nose out, you giant oaf," Tom spat, sneering wickedly at Rubeus. "I see the way you look at the girls here. This one will never go out with you."

"No, I wasn'-"

"I believe that your imaginary friends out in the forest are calling you," Tom smirked, watching a very hurt looking Rubeus stare at the ground as he walked out of the great hall, Tom's friends laughing loudly the entire time.

"What was that?" I asked loudly, pursing my lips. Tom stopped smirking but kept a smug look on his face.

Tom shrugged and his eyes moved to the box Rubeus had left for me. "You should probably open that."

"You are an arse, Tom," I spat, squinting at him.

"Haven't you heard that that daft oaf fancies you?" Tom chuckled, twisting his mothers ring around his finger.

"He isn't the one I've heard who fancies me," I sneered at him. "Besides, he does not fancy me. I know exactly who he fancies. You're just jealous!"

Tom opened his mouth to spit something back but closed it when he noticed I was opening the box that was delivered to me. There wasn't a card on it or a name, apart from my own. I ripped open the top and when I looked inside, I gagged inwardly. I went to gag physically but all that came out was a horrific gasp.

Inside of the box, was the head of a fawn. I whimpered loudly before putting my hand over my mouth and toppling backwards onto the floor. I saw Tom stand up and stare at me curiously before he peered into the box. He had a disgusted look on his face, probably from the smell, and he quickly grabbed the lid and put it back on the box before pushing it away. He looked around the box.

"Who sent this to you?"

I quickly stood from the floor. "There isn't a name. I'm guessing it was sent anonymously. Who would do such a thing?" I said, staring sadly at the box that contained a dead fawn.

I saw Tom look at his group of friends out of the corner of his eye. He thought I hadn't seen him.

"Let's just finish the game, shall we?"

I stared at him suspiciously and then also looked at his group of friends. Malfoy and Lestrange were snickering to each other and were whispering things to the group as they huddled in together and spoke in hushed tones. Avery's eyes kept looking over at me and the box.

"It was them, wasn't it?" I demanded, not taking my eyes off them.

"What?"

"Your pathetic excuse for friends, it was them!" I pushed myself away from the table and walked down the aisle of the table.

"Hey! Get back here we haven't finished...our game!"

The group parted at my approach and all stared at me with a dark look, or just smirked.

"Ah, hello there, love!" Lestrange winked, ruffing up his curly hair. Bellatrix looked back and forth between me and Lestrange with a jealous look.

"What's with the box?" I demanded, listening as Tom's footsteps drew nearer and nearer.

"What?" Avery asked loudly, looking confused.

"Oh, drop the act, Avery. Which one you sent me a dead fawn!"

The lot of them exchanged looks before bursting out laughing, minus Avery who looked oddly concerned.

"Darling, if we were to send you something dead it'd be a little more human," Malfoy smirked. "A Muggle, perhaps?"

"You're sick," I said in disbelief, shaking my head slightly.

"I think I struck a nerve, Tom," Malfoy laughed, staring behind me.

I turned around and gasped. Tom was standing far too close to me. I stepped back and looked at the group.

"They sent me it," I said. "It was them."

"It was not. She's lying!" Bellatrix shrieked.

But Tom wasn't staring at the group he was staring at the empty entrance of the great hall.

"My lord?" Bellatrix whimpered quietly, staring up at Tom with puppy eyes.

"Come with me," Tom snapped, grabbing onto my wrist and dragging me out of the castle with him.

"What are you doing?" I shouted but all he did was ignore me and continue to drag me.

We headed toward the edge of the grounds and I immediately knew where he was taking me.

"Tom, it was not him!" I shrieked.

Again, he ignored me. Rubeus looked up from a stack of sticks and jumped at the sight of Tom's glare. He stumbled over the sticks and fell on his bottom. Just as Tom reached him, still dragging me, Rubeus managed to stand up and back away.

"Wha's the matter, Riddle?" He asked nervously.

Tom let go of me and whipped out his wand, pointing it at Rubeus' neck. Rubeus threw his hands up in surrender.

"Tom, get away! It wasn't him!" I yelled, but it didn't make a difference.

"Where'd you get the fawn, Hagrid?" Tom asked calmly, a stern look on his face. Rubeus only shivered in fright, then I remembered he was expelled so he didn't have a wand to defend himself. "Again. Where'd you get the fawn and why did you give it to her?"

Rubeus shut his eyes and mumbled incoherent words under his breath, almost like he was praying.

"Just leave him alone," I snapped and grabbed Tom's arm. He shook me away.

"Where did you get it, Hagrid!" Tom shouted angrily.

"I don't know, but it wasn' me!" Rubeus cried. Rubeus said something too quiet for me to hear, but whatever it was, it made Tom step dangerously closer, and he pulled his arm back to charge at Rubeus with a spell.

I quickly whipped out my wand. "Expelliarmus!"

Tom's wand landed in my hand. He looked back at me in shock and anger, whereas Rubeus just scattered away in fear back up to the castle.

I threw Tom his wand.

"Why do you care so much?" I frowned.

Tom started to walk past me, and when he reached me, he glared.

"I don't," he spat, and continued to stride up to the castle.