Changes?

It wasn't hard to settle back into the easy rhythm Tom and Maria had since first year. Maria and he met up with each other before going down to breakfast where they would part ways and go to their respective house tables. From there they would head to potions together and would meet up again for lunch. After lunch, they would again not see each other until their last class of the day, since quidditch had not started yet, they would go to the library, complete their homework, then relax and were usually joined by Mai or Abarax.

GOD DAMN, IT WAS BORING. Tom no longer wanted the same schedule, the same day to day pattern. He wanted, no needed, something else but he just didn't know what. It was like an itch that he just couldn't find and it was incredibly bothersome. He was snapped out of thought when he heard a rustle of papers from Abarax's bed and turned his head to see the boy reading something from his defense against the dark arts textbook. He hadn't seemed to notice Tom's gaze on him, probably for the best, he always did get fidgety whenever he noticed Tom looking at him or talking to him. Hmmm, perhaps he should look more into it, he could be hiding something important.

Abarax finally noticed Tom looking and immediately flushed red and spluttered out a ' what'. Tom shook his head and turned his head to stare at the top of his bed. Maria had quidditch tryouts so he couldn't hang out with her and he wasn't in the mood to read anything. Maybe he should do some exploring, he did have that map he " Borrowed " from a store in Diagon Alley the last time he was there. It was a small hand-drawn map, with aged paper and blotchy inked drawings.

He grabbed the map and tucked his wand into his back pocket, ignoring Abarax when he asked where he was going. He strode down the halls, looking out the windows occasionally and glancing at the moving portraits in their own little worlds. He found multiple old broom cupboards and locked doors that he noted to check out later. It was on the seventh floor that he found something interesting. There was a door noted on his map but was not there every time he looked up.

He paced by the blank wall a couple of times thinking of what it could be, perhaps I mistake in the paper or the map really wasn't " The only map of Hogwarts you'll ever need, professors hate it". He paced by it a couple more times imagining to himself what could be inside, maybe it could be the answer to all his questions, or better yet, something that isn't boring. Like a secret library full of forbidden books he would never be able to read otherwise.

One could only wish though, he turned to look at the blank wall, only to see a discreet door, no different than that of a broom cupboard. Ignoring the little voice in his head warning him not to go in, he opened the door to reveal a small library, with a Victorian black theme, a scene straight out of his best dreams. He skimmed his fingers along the many spines of book, all bound in dark, hard leather, with spine curling titles, such as " the many spells of torture not forbidden by the ministry." He didn't even know such books existed. Though his spine curled in anticipation and a desire to test them all out, one by one.

December 18, 1940

It wasn't hard to notice the changes, the shift of their rhythm to accommodate the book bound in dark leather she never saw anywhere but in his hands, the shift of his behavior, from the quiet boy full of curiosity to the quiet boy full of mystery. He disappeared a lot more, ate less, interacted less, hell she hadn't seen him with his usual little group in weeks.

" Do you know what's wrong, Abarax? I swear I've never seen him behave like this." Maria asked her Herbology partner worriedly as he wrestled with a Bubotuber, the small plant not holding still. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye in annoyance and looked back to continue to fight the squirming plant. She looked at him in question when he didn't answer her, he tried to ignore her but her stare became too much for him and he frustratingly sighed, blowing away the blond hair that fell in front of his eyes.

" Why are you asking me, Rowen? Why would I know anything about what Riddle is up to?" He asked though he was aware that after Maria, he would be the one who knew Tom best. Maria shrugged and turned back to work on their report, fidgeting with her quill. He sighed and turned back to the plant.

" Look whatever the hell is going on with him, it's clearly not important if he hasn't told you. If it really bugs you just ask him."

" I might, I just might."

~

Maria and Tom were resting in the back of the library behind the many rows of forgotten and dusty tombs.

" You know you can tell me anything right? I promise I won't ever tell anyone anything you and I talk about." Maria tells the brunette who had his nose buried in the ever familiar black,leather-bound book. He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

" Look I don't know if it's just me, but I've noticed you've changed, not in a bad way you're just..... quieter." She cautiously stated, not wanting to offend Tom. He set down his book in his lap and stared at her, eyes calculating and cold but he put on a smile.

" I know, don't worry." and with that, he once again picked up his book and began reading. Maria stared at him, though he told her what she wanted to hear she wasn't sure if she liked the words.

But it can't be anything important, right?

Later that night ~

Tom sat on the plush couch in the secret room, reading the black leather-bound book he had become familiar with, though he was almost finished with it. It was on dark magical theories and the last chapter was on immortality, a topic he recognized as both interesting and important. He was on the last sentence when a certain word caught his attention, he had never heard it before nor was it mentioned in any of his books.

" Horcruxes?"