A/N: I don't own Harry Potter, though I wish I did. Much thanks to my wonderful beta, Thoth!
~
Myrtle Sawyer was sitting in the girl’s bathroom, crying her eyes out. Why? Why did she have to look like… this? She caught sight of herself in the mirror. Stringy black hair, big, bulbous glasses, and blotchy pink skin. The very sight made her tears flow harder.
A creaking noise resounded through the bathroom as the wooden door opened, revealing a red-headed girl with pale skin and an exasperated look on her face. She sighed when she saw Myrtle, closed the door and walked over to the sinks Myrtle was crouched beneath. She shook her head, kneeling beside the weeping girl.
“Myrtle, what are you doing down there? You know,” she scolded, “they wouldn’t call you Moaning Myrtle if you would just stop hiding out in here.” She held out her hand for Myrtle to take, but the girl refused.
“Oh, Olive, what do you know?” Myrtle wailed, burying her face in her hands. Olive rolled her eyes, and then slapped Myrtle sharply across the face. Myrtle looked up in surprise, the tears still leaking out of her muddy brown eyes. “Sorry,” she whispered, watching the ground. Olive sat down next to her, gently patting the dark haired girl on the shoulder.
“It’s alright; I wouldn’t be in Ravenclaw if I didn’t know a thing or two. And right now I know that something’s wrong. So tell me!” Olive gave Myrtle a little shove, pushing up against her and smiling (though the smile had a trouble-causing look about it).
From the way she was acting, you would have guessed she and Myrtle were the best of friends. Who would have known that just this morning Olive had placed a dead rabbit in Myrtle’s bed? Myrtle didn’t smile back, just leaned her head against the plumbing.
“Fine,” she declared, wiping her eyes. “Fine. I’ll tell you. But if you tell a soul I’ll see to it that the thing that got Arthur Bones gets you too.” Myrtle smiled. Everybody knew Arthur had done an illegal spell. It was, after all, the only possible way he could have been petrified last week. The teachers were just being silly with their ‘beware dangers’ attitudes. Olive nodded, and Myrtle continued.
“Well… there’s this boy…” Olive let out a whoop of triumph, and Myrtle smacked her. “Olive! Hush!” Olive quieted down, but from the snorting noises she was making it was easy to see she hadn’t completely gotten over it- Moaning Myrtle Sawyer was in love with a boy! Oh, it was too good to be true.
“Well, he’s a Prefect, you know, and, well, whenever I see him, I feel all funny...” Myrtle was losing confidence now, and color rose in her cheeks until it looked like she was on fire. Olive took no notice of this, simply waiting for more gossip that she would be able to spread among the other third years. Turning redder by the second, Myrtle continued. “Well, he’s really handsome, with dark hair and pale skin, and tall…” Myrtle sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes. Olive was practically jumping up and down with excitement. “I sent him a card, even, saying that I loved him, and he was absolutely perfect in every way…” Myrtle’s voice was distant, as if she was far, far away. Olive couldn’t take it anymore.
“Myrtle… who is he? Maybe I know him!” She couldn’t keep the excitement and the thrill of a new piece of gossip out of her voice, but Myrtle didn’t notice.
“Tom. Tom Riddle,” Myrtle’s eyes seemed to light up behind her thick glasses when she said the name, and suddenly everything came pouring out. “He’s a fifth year, and he’s absolutely brilliant in everything he ever did, and wonderfully witty, you know. But…” Myrtle’s voice trailed off, and Olive leaned towards her.
“Myrtle, dear, don’t stop!” Olive was talking as if to a small child, as if she and Myrtle were best friends, instead of mere acquaintances. Myrtle nodded, gulping.
“Well…” A dam seemed to burst in Myrtle, and she was sobbing again. “I don’t think he even knows I exist! Hundreds of girls love him, and why would he ever choose pimply, fat, Moaning Myrtle?” She leaned towards Olive, expecting comfort, but Olive had jumped to her feet.
“Myrtle, you’re such a baby! You’re right! He’d never go out with you,” Olive laughed as Myrtle watched her in shock. “Why would anybody ever want to go out with Moaning Myrtle?” And then the girl was gone in a flash of red hair, out the door and running down the hallway. As the door closed Myrtle heard Olive’s yells- “Edith! Edith, guess what? Moaning Myrtle is in love with Tom Riddle!” Myrtle felt a sickening feeling, like her heart had stopped and her stomach had dropped out.
“I hate you, Olive Hornby!” Myrtle let out a final scream before falling onto her stomach, her head buried in her arms as the tears flowed fast and steady.
*
Tom Riddle stood in the Chamber of Secrets, speaking in a language known among few men. Most would think Tom was simply making hissing noises at the monstrous snake he leaned against, his arms crossed. His handsome features seemed to fit with the dark stone walls of the Chamber.
“So a little Ravenclaw girl loves me,” he said, as he patted the serpent. “I’ve heard things about her. Do you think she’s… suitable for me?” The serpent hissed, its tongue flickering, and Tom laughed. “I thought not. Still, such love should be rewarded. That Mudblood boy was a few weeks ago, was it not?” The snake nodded its great monstrous head. “Then I think it’s time for us to pay a visit to this admirer of mine.”
The snake hissed a single word that echoed around the Chamber: blood.