Intro. Rubi Rosier detested Tom Riddle with an elegance that only the Rosiers could maintain. Since his first year at Hogwarts, he had seemed to her to be everything he detested: arrogant, controlling, and too charming for his own good. And the worst thing was that he knew.
Both belonged to ancient and renowned families within the wizarding world, so they inevitably shared the same circle of friends: the pure-blood heirs who believed themselves destined for greatness. Rubi never felt part of that game, although her surname tied her to it.
Tom, on the other hand, dominated it. He was the center of attention, the natural leader, the one who made even the teachers hesitate between admiring him or fearing him. And that irritated her more than she could admit.
At the group's meetings, their discussions were legendary. "You can't just manipulate everyone into following you, Riddle," she would say coldly. "I don't manipulate them, Rosier. They choose to follow me," he answered, with a smile that