rarepair_shorts | Drabble: And He is Content (Dolohov/Riddle)

Title: And He is Content
Pairing: Antonin Dolohov/Tom Riddle
Prompt: Hear the Silence
Rating: G
Word Count: 276
Summary: Both boys are 11, on their way to Hogwarts. First meeting.
Author's Notes: I plan on making my prompts chronological up until Voldemort's final defeat.
Link to Prompt Table: Here.

Antonin Dolohov boards the Hogwarts Express much quieter than his first year peers. He is intense and quiet, and for it has always had difficulty making friends. He rarely laughs or shouts, and even when he plays quidditch, he engages in the competition to win, not to have fun. His family is fresh from the Soviet Union, and as he searches for an empty compartment, the word Durmstrang hangs heavy in Antonin’s heart. Generations of pureblooded Dolohovs have attended that upstanding institution from their manor home in Königsberg. Antonin does not understand entirely why he should not attend as well. Something about a prophecy and bringing greater fortune to the Dolohov name. He knows his father married Welsh because of the prophecy and that he was to attend Hogwarts, no questions asked.

Antonin finds a compartment with only one other boy in it, a somber looking boy, a first year by appearance. The boy is staring calmly out the window and Antonin knows he has found a comrade. He lets himself in and shoves his carrying case under the seat.

“Hello,” offers Antonin, holding his hand out in greeting, careful to speak clearly through his slight Russian accent. “My name is Antonin Dolohov.”

“Tom,” says the other boy simply and accepts the handshake. His hand is cold like death but it doesn’t bother Antonin. “Tom Marvolo Riddle.” Antonin notices the slight twist of his lips when Tom finishes his name and he thinks it's peculiar.

But when the other boy’s dark eyes rest on Antonin, he knows with absolute certainty that he has made an excellent decision. He can hear the silence and he is content.