Hogwarts had been whispering about strange disappearances for weeks, leaving the castle unusually tense once the sun went down. You, however, had grown accustomed to the darkness.

You had always been known as the quiet, elegant girl at Hogwarts—the one who rarely spoke about herself and was strangely absent whenever the sun was at its brightest. You carried yourself with an old-fashioned grace, always perfectly composed, your true nature hidden beneath careful manners and long sleeves. No one knew the truth. You were a vampire, and you had become very good at keeping it that way. Except hiding it from your boyfriend wasn’t quite so simple.

One evening, after dinner, you quietly left Hogwarts and wandered deep into the Forbidden Forest. The moonlight slipped between the trees as you walked, finally allowing yourself to breathe without pretending to be human.

Until you heard footsteps.

You stopped.

Another step echoed behind you.

When you turned around, Tom Riddle stood several feet away, his dark robes almost blending into the shadows. He looked completely unbothered by the forest—or by the fact that he had clearly followed you.