--Chapter II--
"But... How is that possible?" he finally managed to ask after a long while of silence, when they've almost reached an orphanage where they're heading. Sure, he's seen, encountered and even caused many supernatural things in his life, but for a muggle to have eyes of that colour was... well, impossible, he'd say, but he has long since learned not to use that word: 'nothing's impossible' was the first impression he got after he'd found out about the world he lived in. 'But,' he thought to himself, 'she's a muggle! There's simply no way she could have such eyes; not even the magic folk would have crimson eyes with an exception of metamorphomagi, but even those would not settle for this colour.' He continued down the road silently for a while, only after few minutes noticing the girl has yet to answer him.
"Gray?" he asked, but there was no answer. He looked carefully to his left, her head still being settled on his shoulder, to notice she's dozed off not seing nor hearing anything from the 'outside world'. He just sighed and turned left silently, letting her drift off in her memories undisturbed.
"Gray," he said louder than he usually spoke to catch her attention and bring her back from the depths of her thoughts. And she did, with a flinch. He observed as she looked around to find out where they've ended up. As she assesed a few-storeys building surrounding them from all sides bare rear; few children still playing outside, all dressed in plain, gray uniforms: exactly same as the one Marvolo was wearing; and a heavy wooden door with some iron buckles on it they were standing in front of, she turned her head to face Marvolo.
"Is that an orphanage?" she asked to assure her observation and its conclusion were right.
"You're injured and I just couldn't let you go alone, not that you could go anywhere not being able to walk."
"True," she sighed. "Thanks."
"I'm going to tell Mrs. Cole I've found you in the streets, and finding out you had no home to go to I took you here."
"Nice story, thanks again."
"I'm just not sure what she will do when she notices your eyes, she's strictly against anything that is less than hundred-percent-normal..."
"Don't worry, I can act that one out; she won't notice the eyes."
"And what exactly are you going to act out?" he asked feeling suddenly insecure for some unknown reason.
"The explanation would take too long, you'll see..."
"Alright then, I'm leaving hiding your eyes to you," he said pensively. Gray only nodded slightly and then they crossed the gates of the orphanage, passed few corridors and finally stopped in front of a door bearing a 'Mrs Cole' nameplate on it.
Suddenly, Marvolo shivered as he felt somebody's strong 'presence' which reminded him of magic and its aspects. He abruptly turned around only to find they were alone in front of the door. He frowned at the thougt, but then he dismissed all his insecurity knocking at the door.
"Enter!" a voice invited them and so they complied, well, Marvolo did so, still carrying the girl piggyback.
"Mr. Riddle," she said coldly and presented the boy with somehow irritated glare. Then she finally noticed Gray and looked at him askance for a change. And so Marvolo told her the story he made up. Mrs Cole frowned slightly but said nothing. She observed the girl clutching almost painfully to Marvolo and after a while she stood up from her chair and came to them.
"What's your name, child?" she addressed the girl with still somewhat cold voice, but her eyes weren't as spiteful as when she was looking at the boy.
"Gray," the girl let out a barely audible whisper, her voice trembling.
"Are you scared, girl?" the matron inquired further in almost pleasant voice and reached out to her. Gray flinched and tightened her arms around Marvolo even more, shivering furiously, and closing her eyes she let out tears to run down her cheeks in rivers.
"Don't... Tom... Don't leave me... Please... I don't want to...Tom... Please..." she whimpered between sobs her voice breaking from crying.
"I'm here, Gray. I'm not leaving," he said willing his voice to sound caring, but inwardly grinning in mirth when the realization dawned on him and he finally understood the meaning behind Gray's words. This was her acting, and she did one hell of a good job, that said: had he not been warned, he would've fallen for her 'i'm having a breakdown, soothe me' act.
"I understand, child. But if you're to stay here, you will have to part anyway."
"I don't wanna go anywhere, Tom..." the girl breathed out, her tears still falling and shivers not stopping. "Swear you'll stay... Swear you won't leave... you won't go anywhere... Please..."
"Calm down, girl. Why were you alone? Where are your parents?" Mrs. Cole asked. Suddenly, Marvolo frowned and so did the matron after a few seconds.
It took only a second or two for Marvolo to notice, there's something wrong. First, there was that magic presence he'd felt just before they've entered this office, and second, the matron acted unnaturally, standing silently in a place, seemingly spaced off to somewhere.
"We were attacked by a mugger," Gray's almost whispering voice sounded throughout the office, sending shivers down Marvolo's spine. There was definitely something wrong with the girl, he decided. "They died and I was left alone to wander the streets until Tom has found me," she continued her little story without interruption. Marvolo himself wondered why she wasn't interrupted yet by the matron, as her voice now was not a part of her acting, and certainly didn't sound as a voice of a child. He looked over to the matron, but for some reason she still seemed to be elsewhere. "As it is now, I'm an orphan; my name is Gray Black; I'm scared of everything and everyone, but for some reason I've found myself attached to Tom here, and being unable to separate me from him without causing another breakdown, you've decided to..." she suddenly broke her speech to look to Marvolos eyes as if in search of something.
He wondered what was happening around him, Gray has long since stopped acting, her voice had become cold and impassionate as though she only stated the facts for the matron. He listened quietly, trying to figure out what exactly was taking place here, when Gray's speech was abruptly halted by herself when she tuned to him and her blood-red eyes drifted into his own. He quirked an eyebrow at her stare; as though she was looking for an answer and yet she was too afraid to ask. He narrowed his eyes for a bit, but then he nodded: 'Go ahead whatever you've planned for.'
Gray let a faint smile cross her face for a moment, then she turned to the matron and finished the last sentence:
"You've decided to put me in the same room with him."
There was a dead silence in the room for what seemed like hours, but uncomfortable feeling disappeared soon. Mrs. Cole blinked twice and leveled somewhat pointy look at the girl. Gray was holding Marvolo tightly, with her eyes pressed close firmly and face buried in his back.
"I don't know where this attachement came from, little girl, but it seems I cannot break you two apart. So for the time being you two will be sharing a room. Must I point it out you take care of her, Riddle?" she turned to the boy who looked calm but inwardly he was truly perplexed.
"No, ma'am, I understand," he nodded.
"Good. Now go," she dismissed them and they left.
~o~
He helped Gray to sit on a bed and then he started pacing around a room in utter silence, in which he'd fallen right after they left the matron's office. Gray looked up to him only to catch a glipse of his unfocused eyes. She nodded to herself as she decided she'd let him think whatever it was that bothered him at the moment.
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