When he had attended the Yule Ball it had been strange, to see professors and staff members who normally only wore specific uniforms wearing anything else. He knew, naturally, that his host wouldn't be wearing her 'professional attire' during the holiday break but knowing and seeing were two very different things. Thus, when he woke up and walked out of the guest room and into living space, he came face to face with a very casually dressed Grace Riddle.
They weren't exactly Muggle clothes, but it was somewhere in between.
"Good morning, how did you sleep?"
"Uh, good."
She nodded, as if his awkwardness was normal, and maybe it was all considering. "I trust my bed wasn't too firm?"
Harry stared for another moment, before realizing she had asked him another question. Coughing he nodded and looked away, "Yeah, yeah it was nice, thanks."
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, yeah everything's fine it's just…" he gestured towards her, "Weird, seeing you in normal clothes, you know? Like it must be weird to see a student in normal stuff."
Riddle shook her head, "Not really, I find it refreshingly different from the stuffy dress code that Hogwarts demands. Are you hungry?"
He nodded, "Breakfast sounds good."
After they had cooked and eaten the meal, Riddle leaned cleared her throat, a conversation clearly pressing on her mind. "Harry, I certainly don't want to bring up any bad memories, but I would be almost a crime against my Slytherin nature not to ask, what is it like?"
He blinked, before frowning in confusion, "What is what like?"
"The Chamber."
The boy froze, but at the same time was partially relieved. If there had been any secret doubts about her involvement, they vanished with the almost longing in her voice, something he vaguely recalled in the way Crouch Jr. had questioned in regarding Voldemort's return. He didn't think anyone could fake that much zealous desire about a subject.
"It…" He trailed off, unsure of what exactly to say about it. To him it had been a hellish nightmare, more like a tomb than anything else. But what would she want to hear about? What would a true Slytherin find desirable about such a place they had heard legends about?
Even after going through his memories, he found the truth to be the best option. There wasn't much chance of him faking any excitement or amazement. "It feels like a tomb."
The excitement almost instantly dimmed in her eyes, but he pushed onward. "It's cold and dark, half-flooded with stagnant water. There are statues of snakes and a giant one of Slytherin where the Basilisk lives. That's it, there wasn't any hidden libraries of knowledge or living quarters full of mementos and portraits, there's no eating area or place to sleep. It's just a dungeon built by someone with too much hatred in their veins."
****
Harry hadn't been thrilled upon hearing that there was a New Year's Eve party they had been invited to, even less so when it was at an "Established Family's" home. It meant dealing with the taunting laughs and whispers for the evening, something he didn't want to do even when he had no other options at school.
But something was different, something was… off about his chaperone. When she had told him there was a lack of something in her eyes.
Almost as if she were sad.
Thus, he went without complaints.
It was like the last 'gathering' they had attended. Rich stuck up snobs gossiping and talking in small groups. This time, however, there was a noticeable increase in the number of alcoholic drinks he could spot.
There was another, far less obvious, change as well, the general attitude towards the two of them was colder. No longer did anyone attempt to make pleasant conversation on their own and anyone who they approached looked distant, smiles were faked or absent altogether.
The only positive note was that this shift allowed them to stay away from any of the more irritating families. And for once Harry was able to avoid the vast amount of attention.
During one of the few periods in which they were apart, Harry having gone to get something to drink, he returned to find a hushed disagreement taking place between his professor and an older student.
"You shouldn't be here."
Riddle waved off the younger girl's anger, "I received an invitation as always miss Flint."
"They were being proper, like you should have been and chosen not to attend. Considering who you brought here and after what you did ."
The older witch's gaze snapped towards the woman, the air around them cooling a few degrees, "Allegedly, did miss Flint. Surely you are intelligent enough to think for yourself rather than believing whatever rumors you might hear? As for Harry, I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself concerning him."
With a final warning glare, she walked away, allowing Harry to intercept. "What was that about?"
"Nothing you need to worry about, just a minor disagreement." Harry looked ready to argue, but another, more cordial, individual approached them, and the conversation shifted to a more pleasant one.
____________________
A/N- Use Code C2E32 for 50% Discount on
"All in one Tier"
Read 40+ Advance Chapters-
patr*on.com/rary01