Author's note:
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When Riddle saw Isabella's petrified form in front of him, after he flicked his wand, causing green to emerge. He killed her; he did it. The girl was lying dead in front of dark orbs of his, so it didn't matter at all that he felt like a winner for proving himself. The brunette stopped beaming and grinning at him. He continued to stare at her while she was unconscious, and something in him shattered. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He moved his hand toward her gradually. But a voice jarred him out of it.
Isabella's voice was heard saying, "Tom...". Because of the tight atmosphere around him, he couldn't believe what he was hearing as he looked down at her dead body in complete terror. He once more heard his name called. He jerked in his place at the third echo as a blast of chilly air from the dorms poured through him.
Slowly approaching him, a curious Isabella raised her head to welcome him and gave him a frightened expression. He looks at her shocked before looking down at the ground and realizing there isn't a corpse there. Isabella was there and still breathing before him.
Given the grim expression on the brunette's face, it was clear that he had been hallucinating the entire time. She moves closer to him while looking scared. Like she was aware of his inner conflict. However, he detested the feeling of weakness it gave him. He didn't want to let his guards down in public.
She yelled out again, "Tom." But he cut her off in midway by gesturing for her to back away with a hand raised in front of her face. She retreated a little and attempted to think about him again, but he interrupted her by shouting, "Isabella, who the hell are you? Just let me know "His voice sounded bewildered. Isabella was dumbfounded by his inquiry and enquired, "What do you mean?"
"Okay, really? You had better understand what I'm referring about! "He yelled in her direction. When she heard his voice, she squinted her eyes shut. He charged towards her in a furious manner and hit the wall behind her. She jerked violently under him, but he persisted in giving her a piercing glare.
Riddle felt a twinge in his heart as he realised that Tom's illusion had caused Isabella to become afraid. He detested the idea that Isabella was frightened by his sense of superiority. His hand, which was resting on the wall, was tightly fisted. "Fucking, look at me!" he shouts as his knuckles turn white. Isabella looks up at him in terror. He wasn't blind to the thin brim line of tears in her eyes. She carefully adjusts her posture so she can properly address him. She gulps as she looks into his focused eyes and then says, "Tom, I-I honestly don't know what you are talking about?"
He sighed and raised his voice once more in response to her kind and gentle tone. "You have no idea what I can do with you right now, Black. I'd had enough of your scheming. I-"
''But I did nothing," Isabella interrupts. As he says, "Like I care," Riddle scoffs.
He takes a brief minute to look at the brunette in front of him. He firmly held her neck and growled at her face, his eyes red with blood. ''Who is allowing you to speak when I am speaking?'''
Isabella spits up in her mouth and chokes as she struggles to break free of his growing hold on her.
In his firm grasp, she struggled to let out a loud "Ta-To...m." The portrait knob struck her in the back as a result of his powerful shove against the wall. Isabella shrieked in agony, and her throat let out a moan. Unconsciously, she reached for her battered back.
But Riddle's spine tingled as he saw her palm view. He noticed the scarlet bloodstains left by her on them. She gave him a fleeting glance as tears streamed down her lovely cheeks. She stumbled, but she was still able to give him a gloomy expression.
"You, Riddle, are so pitiful. You consistently attempt to impose your viewpoint on other people. I liberated—myself—from you. However, this irked your tyrannical self, so you cornered me in this manner. How... Please just tell me what a git you are? You constantly manage to let me down. Why don't you simply obtain it? You are powerless to control Everything!"
Isabella lets out a yell while gritting her teeth and crying. Tom says sharply, "I can! "No. You. Can't! "Isabella yells in his direction. Hearing Isabella's subsequent statements caused him to develop an irritated frown, but it quickly disappeared.
She said in a low, audible enough for him to hear voice, "It's good to care, you lunatic dumbo." He turned to face the girl who was crying in front of him. She tried to hold back her tears as her hands shook and her head sank low.
He briefly stood there while clearly having the ability to read her. ''Yep, you're right'', he murmured after he sighed deeply. His quiet voice caused Isabella to wince a little, and she then cocked her head to look at him. She stared at him through watery eyes as he sighed repeatedly before giving her a deadpan gaze. But that didn't last long since a soft smile appeared on his lips, which caused Isabella to flutter with excitement. For the first time, he gave her a warm smile. Never has anyone seen such a smile. ''You're correct, Isabella. I can care''.
As he nodded in agreement with her, Isabella grinned broadly at him. Tom leans a little bit closer and notices the sparkle in her eyes. He asked her, "Can I?" while cocking his head to the side. Isabella vigorously nodded in agreement, showing that she understood what he was saying. Indeed, you can.
She gave him her trademark big grin in return as he grinned at her. Tom initially smiled subtly, but it soon gave way to a smirk of mischief. The smile on Isabella's face began to wane at that impression. He proceeded to approach her as she frowned as he had a sly expression on his face. He began to move back until her back brushed against the wall behind her, which caused her to stumble a little. He gently grabbed her shoulders to keep her upright while looking into her eyes. She unconsciously reaches out to grab his hands off her shoulders because she feels like something is wrong right now. He watches her in action and laughs uncontrollably. As a result of his actions, Isabella had a chill down her spine. He tightened his hold on her shoulder in response to her terrified expression, drew her in, and spat venomously into her face.
''As you, Isabella Theodore Black, the greatest. Tom Marvalo Riddle, you have acknowledged me. Because I am capable of caring, I will care deeply.'' She stares at him in horror as his hold tightens. She says, "Huh?" with a whimper in her throat.
''Don't you understand it?'' Riddle queries Isabella. She gave a head nod of denial while gazing intently into his ominous eyes. ''Take care'' , he says as he groans and feigns laughter at her. ''I have to be careful.'' As he pauses, Isabella takes a big breath before shoving herself hard.
"You actually believed that I would venture forth and begin to care about everyone? I'll take care of my own affairs. He quickly whirled around, brushing against the wall as he did so. She stared at him perplexed as he pushed her a little further away from him. He leans back at the wall, hands in the pockets of his robes as he says, ''And you... aren't a part of my business''. In the next moment, Tom didn't let Isabella say a word as he takes his wand instantly and points it at her catching her off guard. Then smirks at her mockingly after saying, ''Goodbye, Isabella Theodore Black'' , after that he cast a spell on her, causing her to stop in her tracks.
''Obliviate''
Isabella becomes dizzy and stumbles a little. She lightly grabs her head in order to take in her surroundings. She begins to tumble gradually, but Tom reacts quickly to stop her head from striking the chilly floor. He jokes with her while she's unconscious.
"Oops, incorrect spell... maybe yes, maybe not," he murmurs as he carefully places her head on the chilly floor, adding, "See, I took care of things. I informed you that what you instructed me was improper for me to perform. You were such an annoyance. So, as I said earlier, pay attention to what I say. Don't come near me. But since you didn't listen, I'll have to handle things my way. Good night, Isabella.''
He then moved on from her cheeks and was about to stand when his gaze landed on her hurt back. He lightly touched the wounded region with his fingers.'' You didn't deserve it, Isabella'' , he mockingly remarks as he smudges the blood on his fingers.'' But you were poking around too much. You must therefore pay the price. As you know I am a lunatic dumbo''
He gives Isabella's tear-stained face one last glance before leaving the girls' dorm. Only if he was aware that someone else was present and was also observing their argument.