Palette

Tom Riddle is a proper gentleman with interests that are common for a man of his status. He likes literature but not excessively, not to look like an egghead scholar. He enjoys music but only those tunes that are popular among his peers and are not frowned upon. But his real passion is horse-riding. The manor has the stables as well, and young Tom Riddle is a very skillful rider. Some people will say that young mister Riddle is arrogant and sarcastic, but that should not fool you. There are many people in the village of Little Hangleton whose attitude proves the old saying to be true: envy always implies conscious inferiority wherever it resides. To be fair, there are a lot of things one can envy your mister Riddle. To begin with, he is the richest fellow around. His parents are so wealthy he could buy a stallion every other week if he wanted. And being the only child, he will gradually inherit all the money and the land because old mister Riddle is extremely bright with his deals and connections. Another disappointing thing is that Tom Riddle happens to be pretty smart. He spoils all the fun for the locals who would like to joke around about pockets full of gold and a head full of chicken shit. Being that rich, he should at least have decency to be stereotypically dumb but he is not. He’s witty and sarcastic, and nobody feels safe when young mister Riddle decides to show that his tongue is not only sharp but also venomous. And as if it wasn’t enough — money and brains! — the son of a cow is so handsome that there is not a single girl who doesn’t have hots for young mister Riddle. When he gallops on his steed, they all follow him with hungry looks. Some of them go so far as to say that he is quite a catch! Others start gossiping about all the girls Tom Riddle dances with, and miss Cecilia, the prettiest one of them, is eagerly expecting this handsome devil to pop the question. Before he pops anything else, the evil tongues say. Also, Tom Riddle is a good friend. He has a lot of friends from his circles, and they all like to meet up as often as they can. The idle rich that nobody really likes but everyone is fascinated with. And young Riddle is in the centre of this glorious circle. When Tom Riddle reaches the lush greenery of the trees, he hops off his horse gracefully. The horse takes an opportunity to graze on the grass peacefully, and Tom decides to take a rest in the shade. He closes his eyes and smiles — it’s the most beautiful smile that can and does break hearts. He enjoys invisible fingers of breeze that are gently stroking his face. When the clopping sounds of horse hooves come closer, he doesn’t move or react in any way. It’s only when he feels the warm weight on his legs and eager hands on his waist that Tom Riddle parts his lips to welcome a passionate kiss. “Oh, Tom, I missed you so!” the whisper licks his mouth. “I missed you too,” he replies and lets the name sink in the demanding moan of his lover. “Henry.”