(DISCLAIMER: All characters and the whole Harry Potter franchise - except for Jeremiah Hallysworn, Mallory Evans, Alice Urie [plus a few other more characters I haven't decided to get into the story yet] - belong to none other than J. K. Rowling)

It wasn't difficult for Alice any more. Apparating since the start of her teen years, she really was something. She knew that Hogwarts had set a void of not letting people apparate within it, but she never knew she could actually do it.

She had been doing research, searching loopholes around the settled security of the great Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was no easy task, yes, but through perseverance and a whole awful lot of curiousity, she figured it out.

The Room of Requirement was a blessing from Merlin himself. It gives whatever the students actually needs. If she let herself think that she'd badly need it, she knew the room would do it. It needed a lot of mind power, for the Room was mostly responding to Tom's requests the whole time.

She needed to get away from him once she answered his question. Apparating was one thing, but apparating within Hogwarts' walls was another. She felt utterly accomplished and stupid. Accomplished because this is the first time she apparated ever since she left Italy (she couldn't ever find the strength to do it), and stupid because she knew she'd intrigued the boy Tom Riddle once more. And the fact that apparating had to be licensed here in Scotland.

She should be laying low, as she planned before, but she knew it as a fact now that in this school, someone like her will never be able to lie low.

He must think she was as powerful as him, and she sniggered. How unfortunate that'd be. But thoughts like these are such impossible happenings, there is no chance he would think of her that way. He was too arrogant and a little narcissistic.

And then, she felt exhausted. Curse her for apparating and all but she just couldn't help it, he was talking about her brother. That subject could stab her a thousand times with a simple thought of it.

She thought of going back, but she won't go back to the sight of face. She then decided to visit a place where she would feel the second degree of comfort: The Black Lake.

As she was nearing the murky abyss of water, she began feeling the gentle carress of the winds and the silence of the area was very soothing. She sat against the trunk of the walnut tree and made the lake lull her to sleep.

Unbeknownst to her, Tom Marvolo Riddle had began his search for her, despite the risk to be seen, and practically bolted out of the Room of Requirement. He began crossing of places where she may be: Great Hall, any of the classrooms, the kitchens, and ther rest of the common rooms besides her own. She apparated so she is probably outside, but where? Hogsmeade, muggle London, at the bloody next half of the world?!

He was dumbfounded. She actually apparated. She wasn't even seventeen yet! She wasn't of legitimate and legal age, so she obviously had some sort of help. But Alice Urie's mind was never like any that he had ever seen. Maybe she didn't have help for that at all.

Apparating was indeed a great ability and Tom thinks about all the endless possibilities he could do with it. He could actually be out of that haughty and torturous orphanage for good! But apparating in Hogwarts . . .

"Impossible," he muttered to himself.

There should be some kind of logical (or magical) explanation for all this blasphemy. After much wandering (and curious glances from other people), he was heading out to the Black Lake. Tom Riddle never had the time or motivation to go to the dark coloured body of water; he had much more important things to do. But when he felt the solitude as the so-called lake provided, why not take a stroll?

He was approaching a lone tree near by the water, and he saw a figure, a sleeping one. Tom slowly inched closer, and he saw a sleeping and vulnerable Alice Urie. He smirked at himself.

"Never thought I would see the day you, Alice Urie, would be seen in such an unprotected state. Whatever shall I do?" He thought out loud. Yet, Alice did not even stir.

On the other hand, Alice, already noticed someone coming, pulled up all the defense charms and mental walls she could think up wordlessly and wandlessly but still looked like sleeping. Tom then thought of using legilimency, and he did, but it did not work as he thought it would, which meant one thing: she was awake. He appraises her acting skills, but he felt stupid for not noticing for signs that she was awake.

"Get up Urie, I know you are awake." He stated.

"Like you would care," she retorted with her eyes still closed.

Tom scowled at the girl. Alice felt a very tiny rush of contentment for her comeback. She began to stand up, thinking of how the arrogant little reptile was now all worked up for the fact she'd outsmarted him once again.

"Just get up from there," he huffed, annoyed.

"Hmm," Alice was fully awake now; she wished she wasn't. "What if I don't want to? Why would you waste your time trying to get a bloodtraitor up? I know what you're like when you don't exactly agree with what you're forced to do. Word has it, you called my friend a mudblood, I do suppose I'm a bloodtraitor, aren't I?"

Alice couldn't help herself but wonder why she'd said those things. She did indeed hear the recent talk of the arrogant Slytherin people she was trying to avoid but some words just slip in to her senses. This just happened to be one of them. It was obvious what he was trying to do. It's another method of recruiting. But why exactly did she say all those things?

"The status of your friends don't concern me anymore-" Alice didn't let him finish.

"It should," she spoke sternly. She stood up from her position and brushed any dirt sticking to her gown.

"Why should it?" Tom inquired, confused beyond measure.

"Because that's what you do."

"No," Alice raised her eyebrows at his response, "that's only what you think I do. My dear Alice, there's a difference."

"I never knew we were on first name basis, Mr. Tom Riddle," she taunted, ignoring the previous statement of her companion.

"Get used to it, Alice." The way he hissed the last part of her name sent shivers down her back in a way Alice never knew possible.

"This is ridiculous, I shouldn't even think of considering your 'proposal'. Like I said, nothing is really worthy of me to be given your undivided attention. I am heading back."

She stood up about to leave when Tom abruptly grabbed her and pinned her to the tree. Alice had to roll her eyes when realizing her act of idiocy: of all the things she would forget in her Ravenclaw damned mind, it just had to be her wand.

Note to self, she thought, learn to summon my wand. She was not aware that Tom Riddle went closer, but she heard the words he whispered to her ear.

"I advise you to think about our conversation." He said with a sickly sweet voice.

"I advise you to let me go, before I do something fun for me and dreadful for you," Alice whispered back with a bit of a taunting attitude. "No pressure." She said with a slight grin.

He sighed and released her wrists, revealing the cold of her body, that he found soothing and comforting, and stepped back. He then turned to head back, but was stopped by a hand to his forehead.

"What are you doing?" He asked, increasingly puzzled by the minute from her gesture.

"Checking for a temperature, you seem out of the ordinary Mr. Tom Riddle." She explained

"That is because I am extraordinary." He stated for his, and probably hers as well, amusement. She kept a hand on his head and there were a few moments of silence before she continued.

"You are beyond the extraordinary, Mr. Tom Riddle," she said softly, almost a whisper and barely audible. She had slowly removed her hand from his forehead with her fingers brushing slightly against his soft curls.

"Compared to you, I am probably as attention grabbing as the dirt we walk on," it's true, Alice wanted to prove. After Alice's arrival, said Mallory, they practically went back to watching Tom Riddle's reality show. "Which isn't much. Unless, you're a botanist." Alice stated with a pretentious informative tone. What exactly is happening? Alice was playing along, but she was confused. How is he like this all of a sudden?

"Where in Salazar's name did you get that thought? And what in the world is a botanist?" The mood seemed to have completely took a turn and both Alice and Tom thought it was getting out of hand. However, they did nothing whatsoever. Alice was confused. Although both were definitely not in a status where in the state of comfort is often, they inevitably enjoyed the ambience of the other person. In the cold winter night, the very start of November, they felt like they knew each other.

Alice felt like she was with Brendon again. On the other hand, Tom felt like he was talking to an equal, even before that moment, he knew she was an equal of his. He just knew.

But something was nagging him, he knew it had to be. This was not the case. This was not what he needed. He needed her to be needing him, and possibly not the other way around. He thought of saying something to show her of whay would happen if she seeked his assistance.

"Should you want other friends, you can come and seek my help. I have connections that can and will make that happen for you." He finally stated and turned to head back to the castle.

But, before he even got to take a single step, the girl spoke.

"A botanist is a muggle who studies plant life, and some plants are terrestrial, meaning they thrive on land, and they require dirt to obtain nutrients." She paused as he freezed. Alice tried not to shake her head and laugh.

"It's basically a muggle equivalent of the Wizarding World's herbologist, but instead, they study the properties of non-magical plants," she stopped at that and cast a Dillusionment Charm upon herself. She went back into the castle, not looking back at the boy who was about to leave her and instead left him.

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"You see," Alice had started, "we aren't necessarily a good innovation in the history of evolution, well, in terms of ecological significance, that is. We are a highly intelligent and advanced species under the domain Eukarya, but that doesn't mean that we immediately know which exact type of intelligence is needed to be dubbed as 'right'."

Tom Riddle was listening. Alice knew he was.

"Which means what we consider good is essential for the survival of our own kind, with regards to morality to some extent. It gets a little confusing sometimes, to determine the difference between what is right and what is righteous. You get the idea?"

Jeremiah and Mallory stay seated there, not saying a word. Alice had gotten into a very comprehensive discussion about human actions and how men have evolved as one of the most intelligent species to exist on the face of the earth. Alice had discussed about morality, ecological significance, and human nature in just a span of approximately three minutes. It takes 50 minutes each to discuss in detail what Alice had just said, but she summarized it all.

How does she do it?

"Umm . . .," Jem was the first to break the silence that had existed for a few moments now. "Are we supposed to agree and say yes?"

Alice tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows. "Not necessarily. I was hoping that you'd somehow have a contradicting statement to mine."

Tom Riddle had laughed silently, Alice noticed how the figure had shook his head and had his shoulders move. Her two companions seemed to be oblivious to the presence of the very person they want Alice to stay away from, exactly behind her.

Mallory and Jeremiah only shared a look before continuing the silence of their group. Alice noted the way they looked at each other and clenched her fist. She quickly stood up, "I'm just going to get my things ready."

Mallory and Jem nodded slowly. Alice turned her body a bit to the side, purposely brushing it against the boy from Slytherin and stalked away.

Tom Riddle was watching the whole time. He also noticed the way her hand touched his as she placed a piece of folded parchment in it.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

So I just haaaad to update bc, obviously, it's been weeks. I currently have a mental block on writing a more later chapter, which is my main excuse to not uploading this part earlier.

Anyway, putting that aside, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please don't forget to Vote or Comment if you want to! Again, disclaimer, you don't have to do it unless you want to, but I'd really appreciate it if you do.

Advanced Merry Christmas to all! Who knows, I might upload something on the 25th 😉😉.

Oh, and by the way, I didn't write this chapter alone! This was co-written by my great friend, let's just call her Tammy. She doesn't have any wattpad account that I know of but yeah. She'll be helping more often in the parts to come

~tuffhufflepuff