The Sortinghat's Mission

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/38527924.

Rating: Explicit
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Category: F/M
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Relationship: Hermione Granger/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Hermione Granger/Tom
Riddle, Hermione Granger/Ignotius Malfoy
Character: Hermione Granger, Tom Riddle, Voldemort, Ingotius Malfoy, Albus
Dumbledore, Millicent Bagnold, Derick Lestrange, Peter Avery, Garrick
Goyle, Reginald Crabbe, Horace Slughorn
Additional Tags: slowburn, Angst, Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Explicit
Language, Physical Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Sexual
Tension, Explicit Sexual Content, Non-Consensual Touching, Non-
Consensual Oral Sex, Manipulation, Oral Sex, Underage Sex, Sex,
Non-Consensual Drug Use, Amortentia Potion (Harry Potter),
Veritaserum Potion (Harry Potter), Bruises, Fluff and Angst, Fluff, Slow
Burn, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Legilimency (Harry Potter),
Occlumency (Harry Potter), Praise Kink, Possessive Behavior,
Possessive Tom Riddle, begging kink, Attempted Rape/Non-Con,
Torture, Blood and Injury, POV Tom Riddle, POV Hermione Granger,
no beta we die like men, Out of Character
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2022-04-21 Completed: 2022-07-22 Chapters: 41/41 Words:
179415

The Sortinghat's Mission

by jenbjo98

Summary

Hermione finds herself thrown in to 1940's after a terrible loss in the battle of Hogwarts.
Not knowing how she ended up there, nor how she will return to her own time, or if she
even wants to; she meets the infamous Tom Riddle.
Will she be able to change the course of time or will Riddle break her as Voldemort broke
her world 50 years from now?
 Chapter 1
Chapter Notes

Author's note;
Hi! So happy that you decided to read this fanfiction. Please take into consideration
that this is my first attempt to write fan fiction, and that english is not my first
language.
Hope you enjoy! Much love <3

Hermione laid face down in the grass. Her heart was pounding in her ears. She couldn't remember
why she was there, nor where she was or how she had ended up in the grass. She took a steady
breath and heaved herself upwards. Immediately her head started pounding in step with her heart
rate. She sat there, for how long she did not know, and waited for her body to calm down. It felt
like she had had a panic attack. After a few minutes, or maybe an hour, she opened her eyes.
Hogwarts castle was before her, in all its grandeur. It looked... oddly much as it had always looked.
She could not remember why she thought it was odd.

She looked around her, a Hogwarts trunk was beside her, with her initials. Even her cat,
Crookshanks, was there in his cage. Staring at her with his yellow eyes. He meowed and rastle the
lock of the cage, as to tell her that he was there.

Hermione blinked. Then it all came crashing down on her. The war. A terrible war. Deciding to
search for horcruxes and not being able to even begin the hunt. A battle took place. Hogwarts in
ruins, fires everywhere, her friends dead. All dead. And Voldemort alive, and well. Hermione
shuddered, tears pricking her eyes as she remembered.

But how had she ended up here? And why was the castle all of a sudden... not in ruins? It looked
much as it had looked the first time she came there, in a boat crossing the black lake with Susan
Bones and Seamus Finnigan. Both, she now remembered, were dead now. Killed in the battle by
death eaters. Gruesomely killed as well. She had such a vivid picture of Susan flayed open, her
intestines out in the air for everyone to see. Hermione struggled to hold in a whimper. Her eyes
became teary as she remembered everything. From Harry walking into the forbidden forest, to
Voldemort bringing his limp body out, carried by Hagrid who looked horrific with blood
everywhere. But the worst part was not his cuts and bruises, no, it was his eyes. They were not
filled with tears, nor were they filled with the warmth they usually had. Hagrids eyes were dead,
there was no hope in them, no more warmth, not the tiniest flick of a glint. He did not even meet
her eyes, she remembered. He just stood there, with Harry's limp body.

It had all happend to quickly, from beginning of 6th year to Dumbledore's death by the hand of
fucking Draco Malfoy just a few months in of the term. And then, by Christmas, all hell had
broken loose. Harry had said something about horcruxes and that we couldn't kill Voldemort
without having destroyed them, but it was too late. They hadn't even begun the hunt, nonetheless
left Hogwarts, until death eaters were everywhere. And people were dead. They were all dead. And
she was... here? Where was here exactly?

That was how he found her, sitting on the grass with her arms flung around her and crying heavily.

"Excuse me miss...? Er, may I be of service?"

Hermione looked up, dried her eyes a bit to get a good look on the person addressing her. She
didn't dare say her name, given she was muggleborn and Voldemort had issued an anti muggleborn
and halfblood campaign. He swam in to focus, and she startled. It was a tall boy standing before
her, he had almost black hair, was very pale and had a pair of piercing gray eyes that stared at her.
She had seen him before, in a memory. Tom Riddle stood before her. She only knew because Harry
had shown her and Ron all the memories that Dumbledore had shown him. He caught her scared
look and took a step back.

"I'm sorry Miss, I did not intend to startle you. My name is Tom Riddle, I'm a prefect here. You
seem distraught".

He glanced around her, taking in her trunk and Crookshanks cage.

"Did you miss the train? I can help you up to the castle if you'd like?".

Hermione swallowed, her mind was racing. Why on earth was a young Voldemort standing before
her, and why was he being nice to her? Did he not know she was a muggleborn?

"I- I'm sorry. You just startled me. Y-yes I missed the train. I- I'm a transfer" she lied trying to
sound somewhat convincing.

Something told her she ought not to tell him she didn't know how she had ended up here on the
grounds, given her last memories were of the war. It was good to know she still had her witts. Tom
gazed at her, clearly thinking, but then he smiled at her and stretched out his hand for her to take.
Hermione hesitated, he was after all the Dark Lord himself. Although he did not seem too
intimidating right now. She swallowed a big gulp of saliva that had been gathered in her mouth and
finally took his outstretched hand. She was surprised by how soft and warm his hand were as he
helped her up from the grass. Some part of her had expected him to feel like Voldemort looked;
cold and slimy. Tom then levitated her trunk and Crookshanks and moved his hand to her lower
back to guide her up towards the castle. She did not like his hands on her body, but she knew she
couldn't just shake it off of her.

"A transfer student you said? I wasn't aware we were having one this semester. Where are you
transfering from?"

Hermione panicked internely. She wasn't sure if it was mostly because of his hand on her lower
back or the question. She thought quickly, and decided to go with the first thought that came into
her mind.

"Uh, Beauxbatons." she said, glancing at Tom under her eyelashes.

She hoped she was a good actress. The last thing she needed was for Voldemort himself to mistrust
her.

He frowned.

"Beauxbatons? But you're english? Or at least you have a British accent."

"Uhm, yes. Uh, I have most of my family in France, therefore my parents thought it would be good
for me to have my education there. But uh, now they're dead, along with everyone else, because of
a dark wizard, so I... I came here." Hermione's eyes prickled with tears again, now they were angry
tears.

She stood there, with the future Voldemort, explaining how everyone was dead, when it was HIS
fault. How dare he stand there and ask her about all the misery he himself had inflicted on her. She
gave a small gasp when she felt her nails burying into her palms.

Tom gave her a sympathetic look.

"Grindelwald?" he asked.

Hermione remembered that Grindelwald was at large during the 1940s before Dumbledore ended
his reign in 1945 during the greatest dueling ever fought between wizards. Was she really in the
1940's? She dared not to ask, given it was a very odd question. Though, it would explain why it
was Tom Riddle who stood before her and not Voldemort.

"Yes, Grindelwald" she said and looked away, not wanting to be catched in another lie.

Tom nodded, and frowned again.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. You will be safe here at Hogwarts, I'm sure. Hogwarts is the
safest place there is. There's a lot of wards and other magic that keeps people out."

Hermione just nodded. Trying to keep her face as neutral as she could. Given it was hard, standing
next to the one person she hated most in the entire world and feeling his cold eyes on her. But she
also needed him to believe her. They walked in through the big and majestic gates of Hogwarts
castle. Hermione looked around, it looked exactly like it always had. Maybe she was just
dreaming? She got the same feeling of safety that she always got entering these halls. It was like
coming home again. She heard Tom take a deep breath, interrupting her feelings of home and
safety.

"It's almost time for the great feast. I will alert the headmaster of your presence." He said and
started walking away from her, and then stopped midstep.

"I'm so sorry, miss. I just realized I did not acquire your name?"

"Oh!" Hermione blushed. "Uh, my name is Hermione."

Tom gave her a half smile and stared at her intently before turning once again to go fetch the
headmaster.

"Uh, they might not know of me being here, I-... I don't think I gave them any notice of it. Um, I
kind of just showed up here." she said, knowing it was extremely odd for the teachers and
furthermore the headmaster not to be aware of any transfering students.

Tom gave her a puzzled look, and then, he just nodded. And continued walking through the hall,
leaving Hermione to her head once again. She was sure he did not believe her. Why would he? She
sure wouldn't believe someone just turning up out of the blue.

After a couple of minutes a man she had only seen in a picture hanging in Dumbledore's office
came climbing down the stairs to meet her. He had a thick brown beard and warm brown eyes.

"Hello dear, I'm Armando Dippet. I'm the headmaster of this school. Young Tom has just informed
me of your most unfortunate fate. Of course we will welcome you into Hogwarts my dear, no need
to worry about that..." Dippet glanced her over and frowned a bit. "Um, Professor Dumbledore,
why don't you help this young lady acquire some fresh clothes before the ceremony?"

It was then Hermione noticed the brown haired wizard with the crooked nose and half-moon
spectacles. He smiled warmly and took a step towards her. Hermione could almost cry with joy
from seeing her old, now dead, headmaster.

"Come with me miss... ah, I'm afraid we did not catch your last name?"

Hermione blinked.

"Oh!" she said.

Panic once again welling through her. She had a feeling it would not be wise to use her real
surname.

"Um, my last name, of course. Um, it is... it is Bernard."

She blinked again. Quite pleased with herself, given she remembered one of the most common
french surnames. Although it was a muggle one. She frowned. Hopefully it was not considered
quite as bad to be a muggle born in this time as it was in hers. The young Dumbledore smiled at her
once again and waved his hand for her to follow him. And she did. Hermione guessed she would
always trust Albus Dumbledore, at any time.

Dumbledore guided her towards what she concluded must be his office in this time, it had a lot of
the peculiar things he had in the headmasters office in her own time. He transformed robes with a
flick of his wand and gave them to her. He gave her a warm smile once again and left the room for
her to change.

It was then Hermione took in what she had on. Her clothes were pretty much rags, cuts and
bloodstains everywhere. Her jean jacket had only one arm, and her pink hoodie had slashes all
over. She frowned. It really looked like she had just stepped out from a war. Which, she
remembered, she had. It was just odd she did not remember how on earth she had jumped in time.
In her knowledge, it wasn't even possible to do so. Hermione quickly changed into her robes, and
discovered a mirror hanging on one of the walls. She staggered closer and gasped when she saw
her own reflection. No wonder they took such a pity on her. Her hair was a mess, escaping her
loose bun. Dried blood in it. She had bruises all over her face, a small cut on her cheekbone and a
bleeding lip.

Dumbledore entered the room once more, he had an older woman with him. Looking much like
madam Pomfrey had, but it wasn't madam Pomfrey. This woman had gray hair, a few wrinkles in
her friendly face and warm green eyes that had a sting of worry in them.

"Oh my dear girl" she mumbled and cast a diagnostic charm on her.

"This is madam Spudmore, she is the matron of this school. I figured you needed some care before
you get sorted with the rest of the new students" Dumbledore explained and gestured for her to sit
down on the chair behind her.

Madam Spudmore worked quickly. She mended her face and Hermione felt a burning sensation in
her belly as well as her left thigh. Hermione figured she had been hit with some sort of spell there.
She couldn't remember the specifics. After a couple of minutes madam Spudmore vanished the
diagnostic chart and gave Hermione a bottle of something.

"Drink this dear, it's a calming draught. I figure with what you've been through you ought to need
that" she smiled faintly to Hermione.

Hermione just nodded and swallowed the potions. At once her heart rate slowed down, her fingers
stopped tingling and her breath evened out. She hadn't even realized her body was still in stress.
"Thank you madam Spudmore, you are so very kind. I will send her up to you again after the feast,
maybe she should have a night in the infirmary before starting her school year?" Dumbledore
concluded as madam Spudmore nodded and vanished through the door once again.

Professor Dumbledore turned to Hermione and gave her a warm smile again, but his eyes held a
hint of worry.

"Miss Bernard, do you remember how you ended up on the school grounds?" Hermione swallowed
hard.

"No professor, I'm afraid I do not remember anything. I-... I don't even remember deciding to come
here."

Dumbledore gave her a quizzeld look.

"I see" he just stated and started wandering back and forth in the office.

Hermione watched him, and a sense of familiarity hit her seeing her old headmaster do something
he had done so many times before. Then he abruptly stopped and looked her deeply in her eyes
with his piercing blues.

"Do you know where your parents are?".

Hermione's lip started to tremble. She did, not that she could tell him the truth anyways.

"I believe they're dead" she said with a small voice. "I can't seem to remember any details..."

It wasn't a lie, considering her parents were actually dead. But the details she could remember,
vividly.

"Amnesia is common when something traumatic has happened to us, it's the body's response to try
and heal itself." Dumbledore smiled warmly again. "I'm sure some bits and pieces will eventually
come back to you. Be sure to know that I am an idle ear if you would need to talk about what has
happened."

Hermione simply gave a small smile and nodded politely.

"Do you remember what year you're in?" he asked her.

"Yes," she said. "I'm a 6th year student."

"Delightful!" Dumbledore burst out and clapped his hands. "I feel it's time for you to get sorted and
enjoy the feast, come along miss Bernard."
 Chapter 2

Tom was walking through the grounds. He had been the first one to get off Hogwarts express and
mount the wagons, the other guys from the group he hung around knew he wanted this time for
himself and therefore didn't rush out like he had.

Only when seated with a few terrified second- and third years had he noticed that the wagons did
not drag themself like they normally did. Instead there was some kind of creature dragging them.
The horse-like creature looked deadly thin, it was black and had broad wings. The skin almost
looked like leather, and it was looking right back at him, holding his gaze and barely blinking. Tom
was bewildered as he sat in the wagon. No one else seemed to notice them, only him, therefore he
didn't dare ask anyone. He just simply sat back, a chill going down his spine, as the creatures
started dragging the wagons up to the castle and finally averting their gazes from him.

As the journey took place he couldn't quite do as he normally did and really appreciated the castle.
Instead he felt the strong need to go to the library to look up these horses or whatever they were.
Maybe he could ask Professor Kettleburn about them as well. He had been appointed the new
professor for care of magical creatures and was very young. From what Tom had gathered about
him from previous years, he was rather credulous, he would probably just think Tom was interested
in learning more about the subject itself.

As they came to a halt before the magnificent castle all of the other students rushed in towards the
great hall and all of their friends, somewhat eager to get away from the brooding 6th year as well.
Tom however, had his own little tradition which was to walk around the grounds for a little, just to
take in that he was finally here again. It had started in his second year, he was just so happy to be
free of the orphanage once again for a whole year. Free of the feeling of unwanted, of misplaced
and an abomination. Free from the other kids, who had bullied him for years. However, they didn't
dare to any longer. Tom had made several points of what happened to people who came in his way.
He remembered in particular a trip to the Crystal Cave where he had made two of his most
tenacious bullies climb down with him and proceeded to terrorise them further inside of the cave.
They never met his eye after that day, always stopped talking when he entered the room. Their fear
was so much better than he could imagine friendship would taste like.

Tom made his way down the grounds, towards the black lake and around the big tree he usually
sat at during the warmer days to study, further towards the forbidden forest. He closed his eyes and
breathed in what felt like the first real breath of the summer, and startled a little upon opening his
eyes again. It was then he saw her. A girl sat on the grass, looking very out of place. She had
incredibly bushy hair and her Hogwarts trunk beside her, and a very ugly ginger cat in a cage. And
she was... crying, rather heavily. Tom frowned. How had she ended up here, disturbing his precious
walk, his tradition for Salazar's sake. Her cat meowed as he detected him, focusing his yellow eyes
on his familiar to make her aware of his presence. The girl didn't spot him, simply starting to cry
even heavier. He needed to say something so she knew he was there, and not just staring at her like
a lunatic. He needed to continue his charade as the perfect prefect whom everyone loved, all but
Dumbledore of course.

"Excuse me miss...? Er, may I be of service?" he asked, trying to sound as helpful as he could.

Turning on his charm so she would trust him. He was rather good with that, which was a very good
thing considering last year's bravado with the chamber of secrets. Framing Hagrid had taken a lot
of charm and persuasion. Luckily, they all had bought it quite easily. It wasn't hard believing
Hagrid had accidently set loose a monster after all, considering the usual company he had kept
during his few years at Hogwarts. Always sneaking off to the forbidden forest, and keeping a damn
Acromantula in the castle... even for Hagrid that was daft.

The girl's eyes went up to meet him, she dried her tears a bit and then startled. She even almost
jumped. And she was looking at him with what looked like both fear and disgust in her eyes. Tom
frowned. Most people were quite mesmerized when they saw him for the first time. He had been
told on several occasions that he was indeed quite handsome. Not that he let it get to his head, but
considering several girls over the years had openly declared their crushes on him it was quite hard
to avoid the fact. But this girl looked upon him with loathing. It almost looked like she recognized
him from somewhere, and yet he had never seen the girl in his life.

She was quite petite, with big bushy brown curls around her head like a gloria. Her face was very
dirty, and it looked like blood was smeared on it. Tom wasn't sure if it was her own, considering
the bleeding lip, or if it were someone else's. There were bruises on her face as well as on her arms.
Even her clothes were in rags, the jean jacket had only one arm, and the hoodie underneath had
cuts all over. She looked miserable. He frowned even harder. No. He had most definitely never
seen this girl in his life, but he was almost 100 % she did recognize him. He felt the need to say
something more, to gain her trust. He needed to know how she knew him and who she was.

"I'm sorry Miss, I did not intend to startle you. My name is Tom Riddle, I'm a prefect here. You
seem distraught." He said with the sweetest tone he could muster, usually he only used this one
when he needed something from the professor's.

Once again his eyes glanced at her belongings, the trunk that looked a little off, it certainly didn't
look like his own, and the cage which held the ginger cat, a very ugly cat indeed. Its face was
squashed, as if he had runned into a brick wall, its bushy tail resembled its familiar's bushy hair,
and those yellow eyes were watching him calculating. She had not yet answered him.

"Did you miss the train? I can help you up to the castle if you'd like?" he tried with the same sweet
tone, now even offering her a smile.

Tom saw how the girl swallowed and her eyes grew big and worried. And then, finally, she said
something. He had begun to consider the possibility she was either mute or deaf.

"I-I'm sorry. You just startled me. Y-yes I missed the train. I-I'm a transfer." she said hoarsely,
once again wiping away the excess tears from her face.

Tom couldn't help to notice the way her eyes had darted up to the right beforehand, the girl also
played with her hair. A lie. He was fairly good when telling if someone was lying, both in the
physical reactions but moreover he was an accomplished legilimens. But the question still stood of
why she would lie? He felt the need to find out. A mystery.

He smiled sweetly again and then proceeded to offer her his hand to take. He saw how she
swallowed hard and then took it after a few more seconds. Quickly he helped her up from the grass
and then levitated her belongings. As they made their way back up to the castle he laid on his
charm even thicker, and placed a comforting hand on the lower of her back. Bringing all of his
warmth he could muster into it, knowing she would probably feel it and ease into it. He was
determined that she would give up her secrets to him. If there was something Tom Riddle couldn't
stand, it was someone keeping him in the dark.

"A transfer student you said? I wasn't aware we were having one this semester. Where are you
transfering from?" he asked lightly, trying to get information without her feeling questioned.

He saw her panic, although she did a good job trying to conceal it. But the way she momentarily
paled and swallowed hard again gave it away. Yet, her answer came quite quickly. Were it anyone
but him, she might have gotten away with it. Alas...

"Uh, Beauxbatons." she said and glanced at him.

She had quite delicate eyelashes, dark and thickly placed around her big eyes, who were brown. A
chocolate brown, full of warmth normally he could tell. But right now they were as icy as his own
gray ones. She really despised him. The girl, however pretty she remains, was no frenchwoman,
that was clear as day.

"Beauxbatons? But you're english? Or at least you have a British accent." he stated, trying not to
sound too much as he was questioning her again.

"Uhm, yes. Uh, I have most of my family in France, therefore my parents thought it would be good
for me to have my education there. But uh, now they're dead, along with everyone else, because of
a dark wizard, so I... I came here." she said it all in one breath.

At Tom's horror he saw how her eyes began to swim with tears again. He tried to look like he
cared, moreover he just did not need her to start bawling in front of him again. It was quite
annoying when girls cried, which was the main reason as to why he avoided them for most of the
time.

"Grindelwald?" he asked, trying to sound comforting.

"Yes, Grindelwald" she answered quickly and looked away.

A little too fast. Another lie. Tom simply nodded and frowned. There was only one dark wizard at
large as of now. Who was this girl and what had actually happened? He needed to gain her trust so
she would tell him, but she seemed somewhat intent on hating him. What for, he didn't know. He
vowed to himself to find out at all costs.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. You will be safe here at Hogwarts, I'm sure. Hogwarts is the
safest place there is. There's a lot of wards and other magic that keeps people out." he said and tried
to bring some warmth into his eyes, although it was hard.

He had never had warm eyes. He had achieved the skill of making his face look like he cared,
making his smile look genuine, but his eyes could always betray him if someone only looked close
enough. For some reason, they never did. But she saw him, he could tell.

The girl nodded but looked not one bit relaxed. She even looked like she loathed standing so close
to him. He quickly removed his hand from the small of her back, sensing it did not do him any
good keeping it there. When he removed it, she visibly shiverd. Once again he got the feeling that
this girl knew him somehow. Moreover, it felt like she saw right through him. But there was no
way she knew about him and what he had done this summer or last year, because no one knew.
Not even his little group knew the real truth about last year and about him. As his thoughts kept
spiraling they entered the majestic gates of the castle and the girl spun around looking at it, but not
with the face of a person who only just layed eyes on Hogwarts for the first time. She looked at it
like she was coming home, she had the same look on her face that Tom imagined he had upon
entering the castle once again after the summer holidays. How odd.

Tom took the time to take in his surroundings, considering she had interrupted his yearly tradition
to do so. The entrance hall was a big place, with lit torches on its stone walls and a high ceiling that
you couldn't quite make out the top off. To the right there was a magnificent marble staircase
which led to the upper floors and the moving staircases. Right ahead from them were big golden
doors which led into the great hall. Tom breathed in deeply again, reminiscing the feeling of
returning home.

"It's almost time for the great feast. I will alert the headmaster of your presence." Tom said and
started walking in the direction of the headmasters office, when he remembered he hadn't even
asked her name, and stopped.

He spun around to face her once again.

"I'm so sorry, miss. I just realized I did not acquire your name?" he asked gentlemanly.

"Oh!" she burst out and a delicate blush painted her cheeks. "Uh, my name is Hermione."

He gave her half a smile, noting that she had not given him her last name, just her first. Most
peculiar. He decided to let it go since she had only lied to him during their brief encounter, and
turned to go fetch the headmaster yet again. He stopped for the second time midstep as he heard
her voice shaking behind him.

"Uh, they might not know of me being here, I-... I don't think I gave them any notice of it. Um, I
kind of just showed up here."

Tom stared at her. Was she even trying to make him believe her? Why on earth wouldn't the
teacher's know of a transfer student? And no one who didn't know where Hogwarts were located
could ever find it. Did she not understand she had just effectively told him that she had lied about
who she was and what she was doing here and moreover HOW she had ended up here? There were
no good questioning her on it right now, so he simply nodded and went on his way, his head
spinning with questions about this weird girl.

It was a quick walk to the headmaster's office, he had been there plenty of times before.
Headmaster Dippet had taken a liking to him in his early years, and he was an exceptional student
and prefect last year as well. There would be an easy task convincing him to let her stay even
though they did not know she was to be expected. Mostly because of the fact that headmaster
Dippet had a soft heart for strays, which evidently was the only reason he and Tom had a
relationship outside of school. As it served him he let Dippet believe that he was "taking care" of
him, when in reality Tom didn't need anyone. When he reached the gargoyle it simply looked at
him, waiting for the password. Luckily, Tom knew it, since he and Dippet had corresponded
during the holidays. The headmaster was big on Shakespear for whatever reason. Tom simply
couldn't understand what was so fascinating with the muggle world, considering the magic was far
more powerful and comforting. It made him despise the Dippet even more.

"Hamlet," he said quietly but clearly.

The gargoyle swung to the side, giving him entrance to the circular, moving stone staircase. Tom
easily stepped up and made his way to the door above. He knocked firmly.

The door swung open in an instant and revealed Headmaster Dippet halfway through putting on
some jewelry for the feast. He was wearing a golden cloak with silver embroidered around it in
small stars and moons. It matched his brown hair and beard splendidly. Tom could see he spared
nothing for the return of the year feast, as always.

"Ah, Tommy, my boy. How good to see you again! How was the holiday? I have quite enjoyed
your letters, quite enjoyed them you see! I have yet to write you back on your latest letter, much to
do before the beginning of the term; you understand of course." Dippet squealed excitedly when he
saw him.
Tom almost grimaced but maintained a perfectly composed facial expression. He hated when
Dippet called him Tommy. Tom was already a disgustingly common name, but Tommy?
Horrendous.

"Headmaster Dippet, my holiday was most enchanting of course." he lied swiftly. "I'm afraid I've
come to you with some business right away. As I was making my way around the grounds I
stumbled upon a quite distressed young girl, looking rather horrendous actually if I dare say so
myself, must have been in some kind of an accident. Probably need some time in the hospital wing
actually, preferably spending the night there. She says she's a transfer student from Beauxbatons
but that they forgot to let you know. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding, an owl getting lost or
what not. She's quite distressed that we will, ah... how do I put it... throw her out now. But given
her state we would never do such a thing, would we professor?"

Tom gave his headmaster a charming smile that did not meet his eyes, as per usual.

Dippet was gazing rather dumbstruck at Tom with his mouth agave.

"Of-f course! Of course my boy! How peculiar, but nonetheless we will of course take her in. How
could we not if she's traveled all this way. A transfer student, my oh my. We haven't had one of
those in years! How exciting. How good of you to take care of her. But of course you would, I
wouldn't believe anything less from you, my dear Tommy. Such a good student you are, such a
great prefect. You'll be an excellent member of the ministry one day, mark my words!" Dippet
boomed out and started quickly putting on the rest of his jewelry and headed towards the door in
one go. "Where is she, this mysterious girl of yours, Tom?"

Tom smiled, internally grimacing as he referred to Hermione as 'his' girl, and gave her location to
Dippet and they descended the stairs together. As they did so he saw Dumbledore make his way
towards them. Tom immediately got guarded. There was only one person in Hogwarts that did not
buy Tom's charm, and that was professor Dumbledore. And perhaps now, Hermione.

"Good day Tom. Headmaster. Why are you in such a hurry?" professor Dumbledore asked,
shooting Tom one of his piercing looks with his extremely blue eyes.

God how he hated Dumbledore, always sticking his too large nose in everything. Had it not been
for him he had been able to do so much more during his time at Hogwarts. Ever since that Warren
girl had died in the bathroom he had kept a dangerously close eye on him, making it very difficult
to continue with his legacy. More or less forcing him to close the chamber of secrets once again
considering he was watched closely. But he would find a way to get rid of Dumbledore someday.
Someday...

"Oh most fortunate that you're here Dumbledore! Come with me, come with me my dear friend. I'll
explain on the way. There's a girl you see, a transfer student who has gotten into an accident..."

Headmaster Dippets voice trailed off as he and Dumbledore made their way down to that
Hermione girl, if that even was her real name. Tom sighed and frowned, as he started making his
way to the great hall to join his group at the Slytherin table.
 Chapter 3

It was certainly a strange feeling walking alongside a younger Dumbledore towards the great hall.
He did behave much like the old Dumbledore did, but he looked a great deal younger. The brown
hair, she concluded, was what threw her off. She was so used to his long silver hair and beard. This
Dumbledore had shoulder length brown hair with a few silver streaks in it, and a beard that only
covered his lower face. It was not long enough to put in a tassle. If Dumbledore sensed her eyes on
him, he did not say anything about it. He simply led the way towards the great hall. Not that
Hermione didn’t know the way, but she figured it would indeed be suspicious if she somehow just
knew how to get everywhere in a castle she had never, supposedly, been in. So she followed
Dumbledore's steps. He led her through the castle, and pointed a little everywhere and explained
where certain classrooms were. Hermione nodded and smiled everytime Dumbledore showed her
places she already knew of.

At last they stood before the great hall’s doors. Dumbledore turned towards her and simply said
“Fair warning, the whole school will look at you when we enter”.

And then he opened the doors before Hermione had even a second to prepare herself for what was
coming.

The sight that hit her was so ravishingly familiar that Hermione felt the need to cry once again.
There were no dead bodies scattered around, only thousands of candles floating in midair over the
four long tables. The professors was as always sitting at the top of the hall at another long table.
The loud noise that filled the great hall abruptly came to an end as every face in the hall turned to
look at them. Instead of the noise, murmurs and whispers were heard. She indeed had all the
attention to her right now. Hermione blushed. She had never been the center of attention, it had
always been Harry. She had just been in the background, providing knowledge from all of her
books. Professor Dumbledore started walking towards the top of the hall and Hermione quickly
followed, her head bowing down. She swallowed hard. How on earth was she going to pull all this
off?

Headmaster Dippet rose to address the students as Hermione and Dumbledore ascended the few
stairs up on the podium.

“Dear students, we have a last minute transfer from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France.
Please welcome miss Bernard.” Headmaster Dippet announced with a big smile.

Applause filled the great hall and Hermione felt everyone's eyes on her. Once again whispers
raised alongside the students.

“We will now sort you into your new house, miss Bernard, so if you please…” Dippet gestured
towards the small stool, the very same one as she had once mounted as an eleven year old small
girl.

Hermione swallowed and seated herself on the stool. How very odd it was to do this as a 16 year
old. She tried to calm her nerves, she figured she would feel much worse was the calming draught
not in her system. She glanced over the hall, from left, her old house was seated in their bright red
and gold colors. Beside them were Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw, and lastly Slytherin. As her eyes
roamed the Slytherin table she met his gray piercing eyes. He looked at her so intently once again
so she startled and averted her eyes quickly.

“Well then miss Bernard, off we go” she hard Dippet’s voice as the sorting hat once again was
placed on her head and quickly covered her eyes.

Ah, Miss Granger. How good to once again feel your extraordinary mind. I was wondering
whether or not my little mission succeeded. I’m glad to see you’re alive and well. Welcome to
1943, I hope you will enjoy your stay, considering you won’t be able to go back. Maybe you’ll even
be able to change a thing or two…

Hermione’s mind was racing. So the year was 1943. She really had traveled back in time. Tom
Riddle really was 16 years old. But could the hat even make her go back in time? She had never
come across anything like it in her many books. Was it possible? Was it really? Given she was
indeed in the year 1943, then it was 2 more years before Grindelwald was defeated by
Dumbledore. And how did the hat even remember her if she really had gone back in time, could it
see the future? And how had she even found the sorting hat during the battle? She cursed silently.
She just couldn’t remember. It was giving her a bad headache.

Do not fret Miss Granger, the amnesia is my fault. It wouldn’t do for you to remember the
specifics. Just know that it is for your own good. Now, for your sorting. You were an extremely
hard one at eleven years old. Mm, yes. And there is no doubt Gryffindor courage in you, as you
were forced to have in your time. However, I feel there is a need for a little change this time
around. Better be…

RAVENCLAW!

A big roar came from the blue and silver table as the students welcomed their new student. The hat
was lifted from her head and she was urged to the Ravenclaw table. A few people stood up, to
shake her hand and welcome her. Hermione took their hands and shook them as she seated herself
next to two friendly looking girls. They smiled brightly towards her. Hermione glanced down at
her uniform and saw that her tie immediately had changed colors into blue and silver. She really
was a Ravenclaw now.

“Hello! My name is Millicent Bagnold and this is Alice Fronsac. We are 6th years too, so I guess
we are your roommates!”

The girl that spoke, Millicent, had brown hair, a somewhat pointy face and brown eyes. She smiled
brightly at Hermione. Her name rang a bell in Hermione’s mind. She had heard it somewhere,
though she could not place her right now..

“Hello, I’m Hermione G… uh, Bernard” she said and blushed.

Damn her. How would she ever remember that her surname was no longer Granger? She would
have to think twice before answering any questions for now on. If the girls thought her misstep was
weird, they did not give any indication of it. The girl named Alice, a small girl with braided ginger
hair and icy blue eyes, began pointing out people in their year. Some names were not new to
Hermione, and it felt like a stab in the heart to hear them. There was a Macmillian. A Lovegood. A
Longbottom. And so many more. She saw her friends in their faces. It wasn’t a clear resemblance
in everyone, but her mind painted a vivid picture. Hermione took a deep breath and tried to calm
herself, forcing herself to continue to listen to Alice’s explanation of people. As she finished with
Ravenclaw house the food had appeared, and Hermione was grateful. She had not eaten in a long
time, how long she couldn’t remember. Her stomach growled loudly and Millicent laughed at the
sound.

“Hungry are we? Well you’re in for a treat, Hogwarts have the best food!”. Hermione just smiled,
since there was no way she could tell her that she already knew that,and started putting some roast
chicken and mashed potatoes on her plate.
As they ate, more and more people came to say hello to Hermione. She could not possibly
remember everyone's name but she nicely shook everyone's hand and introduced herself.

Millicent and Alice were keen to include Hermione in any conversation, asking her about almost
everything. She made a mental note to try and remember the stuff she told about herself, although
most of it was true she needed to alter some information to fit her story.

When dessert came she helped herself to some treacle tart and started munching on it. Oh how she
loved the Hogwarts cuisine, even though it was made by house elves. She vividly remembered
creating SPEW and trying to recruit both peers and house elves, it had been a disaster. She figured
they wouldn’t want to be free in this era either.

As she was eating she felt a pair of eyes on her, she looked up. A pair of gray eyes were once again
staring at her. He looked deep in thought. After a few seconds he caught her looking back at him
and he smiled, even had the decency to blush a little. But he still didn’t avert his stare.

“Ohhh” said Alice smugly, her blue eyes glinting at Hermione, as she followed her eyes, “ You’ve
caught the attention of Riddle have you? You lucky bastard. He’s the most handsome guy in our
year, if not the whole school. Every girl wants to date him, even the 7th years. Although, he hasn’t
really dated anyone since fourth year. But I hear he’s a devil in bed!”

Millicent nodded matter-of-factly, as to approve these rumors. Hermione frowned and looked away
from Riddle’s intent stare, suddenly a bit embarrassed..

“I have not caught the attention of anyone, and certainly not Riddle!'' she said, a bit put off.

I mean, it was Tom Riddle, VOLDEMORT, for crying out loud. Who would want him to stare at
them.

“Oh you know of him already do you? If you say so, I for one can see that he has not taken his eyes
off you during this whole feast. But maybe you’re blind.” Alice laughed and patted Hermione on
the shoulder.

Millicent smiled apologetic and turned to Hermione.

“Alice may be a Ravenclaw, but she is still very boy-crazy. Maybe she didn’t get the memo that we
are supposed to be the brainy-and-just-into-books-ones” she theater whispered.

“HEY! I heard that” Alice burst out looking very much like a child who's just been scolded.

Hermione laughed. It was her first laugh in ages. It felt good, normal even, to sit there in the great
hall with new people, new friends and just laugh. She thought that maybe she could like it here.
Alice even reminded her a bit about Lavender, only the good parts of her personality that is.

As Alice and Millicent started bickering about why it was not wrong to be into boys and still get
good grades Hermione's mind started to wander a bit again. She remembered the last time she had
sat here, at Gryffindor table of course, but with Harry and Ron. She could still feel Riddle’s eyes
on her. Why would he stare so openly? The whole castle could see his interest in her. Had he no
tact? Intrigued, she met his gaze once again. This time he didn’t blush, but gave her a small smile
once again. He looked so friendly. How was this the same man that became Voldemort?

She held his stare and then she felt something prodding her head, quickly she shut her eyes and
cursed under her breath. Of course. He was a legilimens, how could she forget? She wondered if
he’d seen anything. Praying to any God that he hadn’t. As she opened her eyes and directed them
towards Alice and Millicent again she still felt his intense glare, now more than before. It felt like
fire on her skin, prodding her to look at him. She did not meet his eyes again. Fool me once, shame
on you; fool me twice, shame on me.

As the feast ended Dumbledore once again came to her side and smiled one of his warm smiles.

“Have you enjoyed yourself Miss Bernard?” he asked her politely.

“Oh, yes sir. It was delicious food. I’m quite full!” she answered and met his gaze.

“How wonderful dear. Come along then Miss Bernard, I will lead you to the hospital wing so you
can get a quiet and long sleep before all your classes start tomorrow. I’m sure you’d want to be
rested.”

Hermione nodded and followed her old headmaster through the big doors and up a flight of stairs
and then into the hospital wing. Once again she was struck with the familiarity of things. Madam
Spudmore came quickly towards them smiling brightly.

“Ah Miss Bernard, how very good. Thank you professor Dumbledore for bringing her.”

She gave Dumbledore a quick hand on the shoulder and then began leading Hermione towards one
of the beds as Dumbledore left the hospital ward.

“How are you feeling, Miss Bernard? Any better? I sure hope so, looked like you came from a war
scene if you’d ask me. Now, you’ll get a dreamless potion from me for tonight and I’ll continue to
monitor you. You had one nasty curse on you when you came. I removed it of course but it’ll only
do good if I can observe you during the night as well. And please dear, do ask if you need
anything.”

Hermione nodded carefully. Madam Spudmore sure had an intensity about her, even though she
looked well over 60, and a very piercing look. It felt like she saw right through you. She handed
Hermione a potion. Hermione sniffed the content before she swallowed it. It smelled a bit peachy.
As she put down the flask and laid her head down on the pillow, she was already asleep.
 Chapter 4

Tom couldn’t quite place this girl. There was something that was incredibly off with her. And she
lied terribly, giving away almost all of the physical indications of a lie. And then there was the
detail that she was actually hurt, with blood on her body and clothes in rags.

Tom’s thoughts kept spiraling as he seated himself next to his companions, Derick Lestrange and
Peter Avery. Two pale boys with rather handsome faces. They greeted him eagerly and Tom gave
them a quick smile to please them. Ignotius Malfoy was seated a few slots away and he gave Tom a
curt nod which he returned out of politeness. In front of him were Garrick Goyle and Reginald
Crabbe, two big thickheads but the brutal force they provided was sometimes needed. All together
they formed Tom’s group. He was their leader, and they were quite good at following he must say.

It started in second year with just Derick Lestrange. The boy had drifted towards Tom when seeing
that he made good marks and could charm the professors easily. After Derick, Peter Avery quickly
followed seeing as they were close friends since childhood. Ignotius Malfoy had joined the group
in third year, with Garrick Goyle and Reginald Crabbe following his every move. They had
quickly submitted to him, as they should. Somewhat of an hierarchy was formed as well, with
Malfoy being his right hand and Lestrange his left. He guessed some would say they were his
friends, but Tom didn’t see it that way. Not really anyways. He knew them, their darkest secrets
and everything they didn’t want anybody else to know. It was needed to have the upper hand if
they ever dared to leave his side. But what did they really know of him? More than that he was
powerful and wanted more power? More than what he let them know, which was a far cry from his
deepest thoughts. Nothing. So how could one call any of them friends. They served a purpose, and
therefore he kept them around. And they were all very eager for his approval.

At the front of the great hall the first years were being sorted. It was quite agonizing to watch.
Every year it was the same. Although, Tom remembered the feeling he had when he was a first
year getting sorted, he couldn’t bring himself to feel excited for another person. It had always been
like that. So therefore, he was content to converse with his “friends”.

“Had a good holiday Riddle?” Avery asked and smiled warmly towards him.

“Decent enough. Missed the castle though.” he answered, not smiling back.

It had in fact not been a good holiday. It was never a good holiday, going back there. Although it
had been a good summer considering what he had been able to pull off. He played a little with his
newly found ring that was sitting proudly at his middle finger. It was an exquisite golden ring with
an black stone. Engraved in the stone was a symbol of a triangle, a circle inside the triangle and a
straight line right through them.

“Me and Crabbe have been playing with some muggles all holiday, it was quite entertaining” Goyle
stated proudly, hoping to gain some attention from Tom.

Tom simply gave him a bleak smile, not needing any details of how Crabbe and Goyle had fucked
their way through summerbreak, and turned his attention to the great hall's doors as one particular
girl of intrest entered behind professor Dumbledore. She gained not only his eyes on her, as the
school realized they had a transfer student this year. Whisper erupted throughout the whole hall
and he saw how she blushed even fiercer than she had with him. He caught himself thinking it was
a delicate color on her, it made him feel… some type of way. Dumbledore and the girl made their
way towards the top of the hall and her bushy curls bobbed around her head as she walked, her eyes
glued to the floor. She clearly did not like the attention.
“Dear students, we have a last minute transfer from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in France.
Please welcome Miss Bernard.” Headmaster Dippet announced and applause filled the hall
alongside with more whispers.

Bernard huh? A very common French name. Very common indeed. And a muggle one. Easy to
come up with, given you didn’t want to give out your true identity.

“Figures she’s muggleborn, all the good looking ones are. I think I’ll have a little bit of fun with
that one, only thing they’re good for anyways” came Malfoys low voice towards them, making
Crabbe and Goyle snigger.

Tom simply smiled. It was not uncommon for his friends to make such remarks of half bloods or
muggleborns. They were all purebloods, all except for Tom of course. Not that it made any
difference since they didn’t know that he wasn’t one. And he hated his disgusting muggle father
more than anything, a weak man. Furthermore, it was him who had the most powerful familyline
on his side. Inconclusive, he simply saw himself above all others, even the purebloods.

He watched, slightly more intrigued than with the first years, as Hermione Bernard sat down on the
little stool and for a quick second she met his gaze before quickly averting her eyes again. Then she
had the sorting hat put on her head. It was too telling the way she did not want to meet his eyes, not
wanting to give away anything to him. It only made him want to break her more.

“Probably a Hufflepuff, she doesn’t look like much fun” mutterd Lestrange with a malic sneer on
his face.

Avery nodded and patted him on his shoulder for approval.

It actually took a few minutes, usually the hat just touched someone’s head and made up its mind.
But in some cases there was more time needed, and Hermione was clearly one of those cases. Tom
estimated that three and a half minutes had gone before the hat finally bellowed;

“RAVENCLAW”

An eruption came from the table next to theirs and Hermione made her way over there and shook a
few hands. Tom watched how two girls, one ginger and one brunette who were in his year, started
chatting with her quickly. He didn’t really know their names, considering he had never felt the
need to know them. He just knew that the ginger one had tried asking him out a few times, getting
a no each time of course.

He continued to watch the trio. It didn’t take much intellect to figure out that they were pointing at
people and giving her a little tour of their house. As they did so, he saw how she looked… pained?
Could it be? It was there, and then it was gone in a matter of seconds. Hermione was smiling again
as the food appeared in front of them all, a twinkle in her eyes.

Tom cast a disgusted look at Crabbe and Goyle as they started pouting mountains of food on their
plate, helping himself to some roast beef and potatoes. The talk continued to contain their holidays,
Tom being quiet and only listening with half an ear, his gaze set on Hermione. He was still intent
on finding out why she was lying. He watched as she shook more hands, ate treacle tart with a little
too much enthusiasm and laughed with the two girls.

It was during dessert that she looked up and locked eyes with him, it happened so quickly he hadn’t
seen it coming, so he did the only thing he could think of and smiled at her. He actually felt his
own cheeks get warmer, only because she had caught him staring of course. It was something that
almost never happened anymore. Something he had trained himself not to do. Since she already
knew he was looking, he didn’t look away. He saw how the ginger girl teased her about it and how
Hermione frowned and averted her gaze to redeem herself. The ginger and the brunette started
arguing about something and Hermione’s eyes once again locked with his. He could see the
warmth in them from his seat, although she looked confused. Good. She made him feel confused,
it was only right she felt confused too. He lured her in with another smile as he whispered softly;

“legilimence”

He saw two boys, one with spiky black hair and round glasses, a big scar on his forehead shaped as
a lighting bolt, and one with a lot of freckles on his big nose and extremely red hair. And had
they… Hogwarts uniform? Before he could tell for sure, he was thrown out of Hermione’s head
and she had shut her eyes and mumbled something. Could she tell that he had intended to see her
memories? No one really could tell… not unless they knew occlumency. But her reaction made it
quite obvious. He tried to meet her eyes again, but she was relentless in meeting his gaze a third
time. That answered his question rather clearly.

Not long after their little get together in her head came Dumbledore to fetch her. Tom guessed she
would spend the night in the hospital wing, considering it was something he had advised
headmaster Dippet. They left the great hall together and Tom stayed seated with his little group
when Professor Poll came to see him.

“Mr Riddle, the headmaster wishes to see you in his office.” she stated with a drawl looking down
at him.

A little smile played at the side of her mouth, something that was extremely rare coming from the
strict and stuck up potions teacher.

At once he stood up and gave her a nod and flashed her one of his most charming smiles. She then
continued to surprise him with a pat on his shoulder.

Once again he made his way towards the headmaster's staircase, said “ Hamlet” and went upstairs.
The door already stood ajar and he entered with a little cough to make his presence known.

“My dear Tom!” came Dippets voice from behind the big desk where he was seated. “I am so
proud of you. So, so proud! I must admit, sometimes I think of you like my own son. I never had
kids you know… But if I had I would imagine they were as resilient and hard working as you.
Anyways, what I was saying was…As a token of everything you did for the school last year;
finding the culprit for those awful attacks, it really could have ended awful, really could have. And
taking into consideration how good you were with Miss Bernards this evening, to save her from
such a disaster, looked quite distressed that poor girl, nonetheless, what I mean is.. I want to make
you head boy, Tom!”

Dippet beamed at him and was excitedly pointing to the head boy pin laying on the desk on a
velvet box. Tom blinked. He couldn’t believe his eyes. No one was made head boy before year 7,
no one. He quickly put his face together again and stared down at the pin laying on top of the green
velvet box.

“I… am quite taken aback sir. I’m… so honored. Thank you so much professor. I will do my very
best.” he said, mesmerized with the pin.

He couldn’t take his eyes off it. One more thing that made him extraordinary, he loved it.
“Oh, I’m sure you will, my boy, I’m sure you will! Now put it on! Go on!” Dippet expedited and
Tom stept forward to put the pin next to his prefect mark.

It had a little glow, so that eyes would catch it. Tom made a conscious choice and put it slightly
above the prefect mark, he now had more authority after all. Born a leader, this he had always
known of course.

Dippet conjured a body sized mirror and Tom looked at his appearance. He was a tall young boy,
with lush dark curls on his head. His eyes held a certain coldness in them as always, but right now
they seemed to sparkle a little, like they always did when something extra good happened in his
life, something that made him content to another level. On his robes he saw his prefect badge, the
big silver P and the green background. And slightly above it, demanding attention with its
glimmer, a bigger badge which read: ‘head boy’ in cursive silver letters, also with a Slytherin green
background. Tom felt his face give an uncommon genuine smile. Dippet was standing beside him
with his hands on Tom’s shoulders, beaming. If Tom looked closely he thought he even saw a few
tears in his eyes. He turned to the headmaster and shook his hand.

“Again, thank you so much for believing in me, headmaster. I am truly honored. Truly.”

“Not at all, Tom! You will do great, as you have these other years we've had the luck of seeing you
grow into the man you are today. And we’ll be extremely lucky to have such a splendid head boy
for two years. I only ask you to look out a little extra for Miss Bernard, she must be in such a state
after what she’s been through, poor girl. You’d do it won’t you Tom? I’ve already had your classes
match hers to make it easier for you.”

“Of course headmaster, I’ll keep a very close eye on Miss Bernard” Tom said, emphasizing on the
word very.

“Now, now. Run along my boy. I’m sure your friends would want to share the excitement with
you.” Dippet replied, sounding a little nostalgic.

He gave a curt nod and went on his way, a small smile tugging on his lips once again. Last year's
events had really played him right in his hands, it was almost too good to be true.

Tom descended the stairs towards the dungeons and came to a halt before the stone wall. Quickly
he mumbled “Serpent” and entered the common room. He took in a breath through his nose as he
laid eyes on the room he had missed the most. It was a long room with stone walls, the ceiling was
also made of stone. A few hanging lamps were casting a green light on the room and the big
fireplace was cracking with warmth as to welcome him home. Tom saw that his little group was
waiting for him by the big leather couches, like they normally did. It was their place as of fourth
year. They were all beaming at him when he entered.

“Hey Riddle, where have you been? Did you get in trouble already?” Lestrange shouted and
wiggled his eyebrows mischievously at Tom.

Of course, Tom never got in trouble which they all knew.

“I’m afraid I did not.” Tom replied with the same little smile in the corner of his mouth, pushing
his chest out a little more than usual.

Avery then took a closer look at him and Tom was pleased to see that at least someone was a tiny
bit attentive to their master.
“Is that…? Is that a head boy pin Riddle?” he asked with a loud voice and eyes gleaming.

Around the common room, several of their peers turned their heads to see what Avery was talking
about. He always had a way of getting attention to Riddle, which was probably why Tom had taken
a liking to him in the first place.

“Yes, in fact, after the great feast Headmaster Dippet presented to me this head boy pin himself
considering my work for the school last year.” Tom said smugly, pushing his chest out just a little
more.

Crabbe and Goyle were staring at the pin, clearly a little too mesmerized by its glow. They never
really were more clever than that anyway, always shuffling towards the prettiest things, and the
food of course.

Most of the younger students applauded eagerly to show their support. A few of the older Slytherin
students came over to congratulate him, the girls more eagerly than the boys. They were of course
drawn in towards his mystique and the power he held, moreover his good looks. Probably also
because he was believed to become a very prominent figure in the ministry after he graduated
Hogwarts. Tom however, had no such plans. But they didn’t know that.

He let the girls swarm around him for a few minutes, giving them all charming smiles and listening
to their flattery like a gentleman, before he excused himself and made his way up to the dormitory
only to discover that his things weren’t there. His bed was in fact, not even made. He looked
around the dormitory in disbelief.

Tom frowned before he remembered that he was supposed to be staying in the heads-quarters for
now on and went back down. He was a little disappointed, but not too much considering he could
visit whenever he wanted to; being the headboy meant that he could wander the castle as he wished
and not take into consideration the curfew. This was a fact that would be a nice perk for the two
last year he attended Hogwarts.

“I just wanted to cast a last look at our puny dormitory before leaving to my own special suite, '' he
boasted to his group who all sniggered and patted his back as he went back towards the entry of the
common room.

It was a good thing that Tom actually knew where the head-quarters were located, considering it
must have slipped Dippet’s mind to tell him. He went up the five stairs, past the statue of Boris the
Bewildered and the prefect's bathroom and into the alcove behind the curtain with the big
Hogwarts crest and all of the sortingshouses colors on it. He was met with a big wooden door and
another Hogwarts crest was on it, but this one turned into a mouth and asked him for the password.
Tom frowned. That stupid Dippet hadn’t given him one of those either. He was almost
contemplating going back to his office when a 7th year girl appeared behind him. She was a
hufflepuff with long blond hair that was perfectly straight and big blue eyes. A little bit of makeup,
not too much but not that you didn’t notice it either. She was cute, for a teenage boy's standard.

“Oh, hello! You must be Tom, headmaster Dippet informed me that he was making a 6th year
headboy this year. You must be very proud, it’s such an honor isn’t it?” she said and bashed her
eyelashes in his direction with a shy smile on her lips.

It was something girls usually did when talking to him, thinking they would woo him into asking
them out.
Tom didn’t think for a second that she didn’t know who he was, all of the upperclassmen did,
between his good looks and his achievements for the school itself. Nevertheless he decided to play
nicely.

“Yes, an honor indeed. I’m Tom Riddle, such a pleasure to make your acquaintance miss…?” he
said and plastered a fake smile onto his own lips to match her friendly appearance.

“Oh, I’m Susanna Tryking.” she said shyly and stuck out her hand for him to shake.

Tom shook it with a little more power than necessary. It showed good control and authority.

“I figure you don’t know the passwords since you’re standing out here?”

Tom nodded and stept out of the way for Susanna to take his place in front of the door.

“Polyjuice” she said loud and clear, and the door swung open for them to enter.

“There will be different potions all the time, they change every two weeks. We are supposed to get
small notes left in our rooms on our desks from the house elf's.” she explained as they entered the
quarters.

There was a circular room that met them, two big couches and a roaring fireplace cast a warm light
on the room. The colors seemed to go in favor of all of the different houses; one blue carpet, one of
the couches were yellow and the other one was red. There was a dark wooden table and chair with
a seat pouf that was emerald green. The two of them simply stood there and took it all in before
Susanna finally said something.

“I’m really looking forward to this year Tom, and I must say I am quite pleased with whom I’m
sharing this space with” she said with a twinkle in her eyes, shuffling a little closer than necessary
towards him.

Tom internally cringed. What he did not need was a roommate who was crushing on him.
Outwardly he gave her a dazzling smile.

“If you excuse me, I’m a bit tired from the feast. I’ll retreat to my room now. Good night.” he
answered her politely and quickly made his way up to the left side of the room which held a big
sign that said “Head Boy” before Susanna could even answer him.

He heard a muffled “good night then!” behind his closed door.

He entered another circular room and saw a big queen size bed draped in Slytherin’s colors. It
looked very much the same as his old dormitory, with the exception that it only held one big bed,
and a much bigger one that is, one study table and chair, as well as a large bookcase next to it. In
the corner there was a smaller fireplace and a green armchair that looked way too comfy.

Tom couldn’t help it. He smiled with his whole face. He had his own room here, in Hogwarts. And
he would have it for two whole years. Moreover he could walk the halls of Hogwarts without
anyone saying anything. It was just phenomenal. As he laid down in his big bed to sleep his mind
played out the scenario when he first met the Hermione girl. He was sure she was lying, he just
couldn’t figure out why. And she had not bought his charm and nice-guy act, as so many before her
always did. Not even a little bit. It enraged him. There was no point in continuing it, she needed to
be put in place. There was just something about her that was… off. He had to find out exactly what
it was. If she knew something, he had to know before she told someone. And if she had a secret of
her own to why she wasn’t telling the truth about who she is or how she had ended up here at
Hogwarts, he intended to find out that too. He loved secrets, moreover, he loved being in control of
people because of their secrets. As his mind continued to wander, Tom drifted off to a deep and
comfortable sleep for the first time in a few months.
 Chapter 5

When Hermione woke the next day she felt like a new person. The anxiety was gone and she felt
rested and fed for the first time in forever. She couldn’t remember feeling this good in a very, very
long time. As she got up madam Spudmore came and fussed around her, helping her get dressed.
Hermione insisted she did not need help, she wasn’t even ill. But madam Spudmore didn’t take no
for an answer.

When she finally got released from the hospital ward Hermione walked down to the great hall and
through the big doors. She didn’t nearly get the same attention as she did yesterday, but people still
whispered. She sighed. Oh how she loathed being a new girl. It felt a bit like when she was eleven
and no one wanted to be her friend yet. Back in the days it was always Harry who’d got all the
attention, she’d just been the girl in the background, getting the answers right in classes. That role
had suited her.

Hermione went down towards the Ravenclaw table, as she did she passed the Slytherin table. She
scammed through it, thinking she might recognize someone as she had in Ravenclaw yesterday. A
very put together looking boy with platinum blond hair and pointy face stared at her as she passed
him, given, he wasn’t the only one. He even gave her a cheeky wink. Hermione quickly darted
away her gaze and blushed. How odd. She couldn’t quite place him, mulled his appearance over in
her head until it suddenly dawned on her, almost making her trip over her own feet. That must be
Draco Malfoy’s ancestor. And he had winked at her. Hermione shuddered. She couldn’t bear to
look in his direction again, she only saw Draco in him now that she had placed him. They do
resemble each other a great deal, it was surprising she had not recognized him at once considering
the amount of times she had stared at the young Malfoy during the years. Truth be told, she had
had a little crush on him during the years.

Hermione sat down next to Alice who gave her a quick hug good morning. It was quite refreshing
having someone like Alice around, she just seemed happy and loving towards everyone. Millicent
gave her a warm smile and greeted her good morning, pushing a bowl of porridge in her direction.
A boy was seated next to her, a Thomas Frank, if she remembered correctly from last night, a 6th
year as well. He bid her good morning as well with a warm smile. She greeted them all and helped
herself to some toast and pumpkin juice, ignoring the porridge. She had never understood why
someone would want to eat that paste looking goo.

Hermione listened in with half an ear as she was munching on her toast. Apparently Dumbledore
teached transfiguration (not that she was surprised about this), a Professor Poll potions and a
Professor Yang defense against the dark arts. She quickly wondered where Professor Slughorn
was, considering he had been the potions master during a few of the memories Harry had shown
them. Professor Binns still, or maybe the right phrase would be already, teached history of magic.
Hermione wasn’t sure she looked forward to his class, it would probably be exactly the same as it
had been in her time.

As they sat there, discussing different professors and what they ought to expect from this year, a
stern looking lady came to present their timetablets.

“Ah, miss Bernard. Good morning. I’m Professor Utilis, I’m head of Ravenclaw and I also teach
charms. I’m sure you will do our house great. Here is your time table, be sure to do well in your
classes.”

With those words she left them and Hermione glanced down at her timetablet. She had double
potions with Slytherins first thing on a monday morning, how delightful. It’s like they wanted to
punish her. She grimaced. But after that she had transfiguration with Dumbledore. Even though she
was in a different time and horrible things had happened to her and everyone she knew, Hermione
couldn’t help herself but to feel excited to learn from the great Dumbledore himself.

“Oh I just love a new term” Millicent sighed looking at her timetable with content.

Hermione giggled, it was possible she had actually met someone who enjoys school more than her.
Alice looked pleased as well, and quickly compared her timetable with Hermione’s.

“Hey! We have almost all of our classes together, that’s amazing! You have history of magic as we
have divination. And you take arithmancy as well? Wow! I’m not in that class, but Millicent is of
course.”

“I’m sure I will manage in the classes you guys won’t be with me, although it would be nice to
always have some friendly faces with me…” Hermione said and gave a small smile.

It was the truth, it would be difficult to once again be the girl no one knew, and maybe didn’t want
to know either.

“Oh Hermione! I just know we will be the best of friends!” Alice burst out and gave Hermione’s
hand a tight squeeze.

Hermione just smiled and tried to look as excited as Alice looked, it was hard, given it wasn’t her
natural response. Even though Alice was a girly-girl Hermione took a liking to her at once. And
Millicent as well, though they were very different from each other. As Alice was bright and
bubbly, Millicent were more quiet and brooding.Hermione figured they supplemented each other.
She wasn’t quite sure where she would fit into this duo but figured she’d just tag along for now.

As breakfast ended Alice jumped up and began walking Hermione towards the dungeons where
potions class were held, Millicent trailed behind them, her nose buried in a book.

“I brought your bookbag with me, it was ready on the bed. Probably the house elves that placed it
there.'' she shrugged and handed Hermione her bookbag.

Hermione took it in her hands.It was the very same one she had always had. A black one that could
hold one to many books without breaking. Small tears pricked her eyes for the hundredth time in
two days. Hermione could not for the life of her remember that she had packed any trunk, but then
again, she did not remember finding the hat or traveling back more than 50 years either.

“Oh Hermione, are you alright dear? Did I say something? I do have such a big mouth sometimes”
Alice shrieked and looked extremely guilty as she saw the tears in Hermione’s eyes.

Hermione quickly wiped them away as Millicent put her book down and pattet Hermione on the
shoulder, an apologetic smile on her lips for her friend.

”Oh no Alice, I’m sorry. It’s fine. It’s just…” she struggled to come up with a quick lie. “It’s just
that I got this book bag from my parents and now they’re, well… dead.”

It wasn’t a monstrous lie, given she had actually got it from her parents. But that wasn’t why she
was crying. It was just another thing that was just as it always had been, but then again not.
Because she was here, in 1943. Not in her own time. Not with Harry and Ron, but with two girls
she hardly knew. Not even with Lavender and Parvati, even though she hadn’t given the two girls
any time of her days. But still, she missed them. How they talked about boys like it was the most
important thing in life. Alice was very much like them, and then she said something Lavender and
Parvati never would. Nothing was the same, and yet so much was.
Millicent grasped Hermione’s hand and gave her an encouraging smile.

“You’ll be fine Hermione, I know you will. But you must also give yourself time to grief. After all,
you’ve had a tremendous loss. No one expects you to just be fine.”

Hermione nodded, a big lump in her throat. She tried to swallow it away, but it insisted on being
there. She sighed.

“I’m just glad you two have taken me under your wings. I have never really had any girlfriends”
she confessed, her voice sounding a little hoarse.

Alice and Millicent beamed at her.

“I’m so glad we did Hermione! Consider us your first girlfriends then. You’ll see, you’ll be just
fine. And we’re right here when you’re not. I swear!” chirped Alice, now her normal spirited way
once she knew that Hermione was in fact not sad because of her.

Hermione gave her a warm smile and started walking towards the dungeons again.

They walked together down the stairs and Hermione was once again struck with how familiar
everything looked. It was like the castle had stayed this way forever, and who knew, maybe it had.
They entered the potions classroom and Hermione gazed around the surroundings. She had finally
found something that didn’t look the same. Apparently professor Poll didn’t enjoy the cold and
bare classroom as much as Snape had. There was a roaring fire in the end of the room, behind a big
desk. There were no slime objects in jars. Just benches and cauldrons. It surprised Hermione that
she didn’t feel satisfied with something at last not looking as it always had; instead it gave her an
empty feeling within. Hermione was a bit surprised given that it was not Professor Slughorn who
was teaching potions, but she had heard someone at breakfast saying that he was on a leave until
christmas. Apparently there were some interesting potions ingredients in Africa he was to retrieve.
At least it won’t be Professor Snape tormenting them, no one can be as bad as him.

She was wrong. Professor Poll was very strict, and a mood that could challenge Snape’s. She
reminded Hermione of McGonagall, although mixed with Snape. It was horrendous. And not only
that, since Alice and Millicent always had been partners they of course paired up quickly, both
looking apologetically at Hermione who had been seated behind them next to Ignotius Malfoy of
all people. It wasn’t even her fault, she had seated herself behind the two girls, obviously,
considering they were the only ones she really knew, being her second day and all that. And then
that pompous creep had slid in on the bench next to her, too close even, and given her a horrid
smile while wiggling his eyebrows.

“Fancy seeing you here, Miss Bernard. I for one can’t wait to get started, potions has always been a
sort of specialty of mine” he said while moving his hand much closer than necessary to hers.

Hermione immediately took her hand off the table and closed them in her lap. Immediately she
remembered Draco being one of the top students in their class, after her of course. Maybe he had
got it from his grandfather.

“I am thrilled” she gritted out through her teeth, not even meeting his eyes.

There was something about this boy that gave her the chills. He was very handsome of course, and
acted as a true pureblood from what she had observed during the two meals. And then there was
the crush she had had on Draco. But it wasn’t the prejudice that got her, it was something else she
couldn’t quite place. Hermione felt her cheeks heating and she hated it, he would probably take it
as a sign of flattery, but it was in fact anger. She almost shook. How could this Draco Malfoy look
alike (who in fact were his grandfather if she wasn’t mistaken) even begin to imagine that they
would “hit it off” or whatever. Couldn’t he tell she was a muggleborn? Has no one told him? Or did
he not care for it the same way that his grandson did? Or maybe she should say would? How was
she even going to address it in her head? Draco not being born and she being here but already
meeting him…

Hermione shook her thoughts out and tried to focus on what Professor Poll was saying. The
Professor talked rather fast and her writing was a little difficult to read on the black board,
nonetheless Hermione got a hang on it quite quickly. She started organizing her potions ingredients
on the table and flicked her wand so a fire rose beneath her cauldron she shared with Malfoy.

“A non verbal spell? Consider me intrigued, Miss Bernard.” he said rather flirtatiously and shifted
his whole upper body so it was pointing in her direction.

She could feel his eyes on her and took a deep breath in through her nose.

“Why yes, Malfoy, I can start a fire non verbal. It’s not the hardest thing to do, is it?” she sneered.

She hoped that he would get the hint, but alas, he did not. He just smiled at her and winked one
more time, continuing to chop the dead beatles for their potions. Maybe he had an eye twitch.

Non verbal spells were in fact quite hard to get a hang of, but she wasn’t the brightest witch of her
age for nothing. She had actually started practicing non verbal since 4th year, in private of course.
But she could actually do some of the basics spells by now, something she was very proud of, not
that she needed praising from a fucking Malfoy.

As the class progressed, so did Malfoy’s cheekiness. She could feel her patience snapping in any
minute, just wanting to hex the shit out of him, as professor Poll finally declared the double potions
class end. Hermione blew out a long breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Malfoy conjured
a little glass bottle and had their potion labeled with their names and handed in. As he came back to
their bench he neatly collected his things and slowly turned to Hermione once again, another vile
smile playing on the corners of his lips.

“I must say, you’re not just a pretty face miss. Bernard. I do look forward to our next class, maybe
we’ll have a chance to get, ah, closer, to each other” he shot her legs, which were more visible than
normally since her skirt had risen up a little bit during the class, a long cheeky look and then
headed out.

She quickly pushed down her skirt and blushed hard. Hermione was shaking with anger. Had he
just implied that she was a pair of legs? That bastard. She didn’t know if being tormented by Draco
was worse than being objectified by his freaking grandpa.

“See you at lunch Hermione! We have divination now” Alice said as she and Millicent made their
way out of the potions classroom waving to her.

She waved back a little sadly. She had hoped they would have all of their classes together at least
her second day. Although, she would never attend divination. Hermione couldn’t for the life of her
understand how Millicent would, she seemed so logical. Hermione wrinkled her nose a little and
sighed, continuing to collect her stuff and putting them in her bag.

It was then she saw a shadow behind her, more so, she could feel eyes on her. Quickly she grabbed
her wand and spun around entering a duelpose. It was Riddle, watching her with intrigued eyes that
had got a little glint in them as soon as he registered that she drew her wand at him. It probably
wasn’t very common to do so, nor to enter a duelpose just for seeing a shadow. She dropped her
arm and frowned at him.

“What are you doing here Riddle?” she demanded.

“I take this class, if you haven’t noticed. But then again, you looked a little preoccupied flirting
with Malfoy” he sneered.

Hermione could feel her cheeks burn.

“I. Did. Not. Flirt. With. Malfoy.” she gritted out through her teeth.

Riddle laughed, it wasn’t exactly an evil laugh, but it wasn’t comforting her either.

“Well, it definitely looked cozy, '' he said as he laughed.

“What are you doing here Riddle, why are you watching me from the freaking shadows? '' she
demanded again, feeling her blush rise higher and making her whole face burn.

How dare he laugh at her.

“Oh, I-...” he laughed, trying to compose himself. “I am the headboy after all, and I know your
schedule because headmaster Dippet instructed me to ‘take care of that poor girl’' his voice rose a
few octaves imitating Dippet’s voice. “Needless to say, I’m here to escort you to your next class
since it’s mine as well. So let’s go, we don’t want to be late for history of magic, now do we?”

Hermione stared at him. She didn’t need a fucking tourguide.

“I think I’ll manage, thank you” she said icily.

“Oh, so you intend to find your way through a huge castle you have never been in, making it to
class in…” he shot a quick glance at his arms watch. “... ten minutes?”

Fuck. She had forgotten that she wasn’t supposed to know her way. She blinked and looked away.

“Uhm, yes. Well. Considering… yes. I-.. What I mean is…no, thank you. That’ll be good of you.”

Riddle was watching her struggle, his eyes cold and calculating. She didn’t like how much he was
watching her. It was like he knew something, something of her. Maybe he had gotten a glimpse of
her brain during breakfast. She swallowed hard and lifted her school bag.

“Shall we then?” she said and attempted a brisk tone.

Riddle watched her a few seconds more and then gave her a curt nodd.

“This way” he simply stated and was out of the door in a heartbeat.

Hermione struggled to keep up with him. He was so tall, close to 6.5 feet, and she wasn’t exactly
sporting the same height with her strong 5.5 feet. They walked in silence and she watched his back.
He had a quite broad back. Her mind wandered without her consent, wondering if he had a lot of
muscles underneath that uniform. She quickly banished that thought, alarmed that her mind had
thought something so obscene, and continued to try to keep up with him until he roughly stopped
and she crashed into him.

“I understand that it’s hard to be observant for you, but do try to watch where you’re going, Miss
Bernard, '' he said, looking down at her unkindly with a curved eyebrow.
Hermione nodded, another blush threatening her cheeks, and quickly averted her gaze, trying to not
meet his gray eyes remembering this morning.

With Riddle looking down at her she found it hard to breathe. He was very handsome, she could
not deny it, and radiated magic. Hermione knew he was powerful, but standing with him towering
over her made her realize she hadn’t given him the credit he deserved. Just being in his presence
made her knees wobble a little. She wasn’t sure if it was the thought of Voldemort or present
Riddle that scared her.

“Professor Binns' classroom is here. Hopefully you will try to be more attentive in this class and
not flirt with the first thing you lay eyes on” he said with a sneer and turned quickly to enter the
classroom.

And with those words Hermione’s fear quickly burned to anger. That imbecile. How dare he! She
had not been flirting. If he had been so keen on watching her he must have seen how she had NOT
been flirting back with Malfoy. What a jerk!

Hermione took some deep breaths trying to calm herself. That this was the same boy who had
found her in the grass, who had actually seemed to care for her wellbeing, was beyond her. She had
no idea what she had ever done to him to make him switch his mood against her so quickly. After
another deep breath she pushed the door to the classroom open and entered, finding that the only
available seat left was next to Riddle himself. She gave him a grimace as he lifted one eyebrow and
sneered at her, almost looking content with the seating arrangements.
 Chapter 6

Tom woke up just a few minutes before his wand would set off. It was actually quite often that
happened, he guessed he just had an inbuilt alarm clock inside of him. He went down to the
prefect’s bathroom, took a quick shower and dressed himself before he made a move down to the
great hall and breakfast. He was excited, much because of the new school year and all the learning
he would do, but he had to admit he was excited to find out more about this strange girl as well.
However, he wasn’t the only one who had laid their eyes on her.

Hermione entered the great hall and some whispers erupted once again, not nearly as many as last
night, but quite a few yet. She was making her way towards the Ravenclaw table and passed the
Slytherin one as she did so. Her eyes were roaming the table, and as she passed Tom’s group
Malfoy winked at her, which gave her that delicate red color on her cheeks once again.

Lestrange and Avery laughed with Malfoy at Hermione’s reaction. It was always fun when a filthy
mudblood thought that a pureblood was interested in them. Malfoy was only giving her the time of
day because she, being a mudblood, was an easy catch. Something to dip your cock in before you
were to marry a nice, put together pureblood witch. However, they still enjoyed the chase and
therefore pursued them with great intensity, only to leave them after they’ve met their needs. Tom
wasn’t anywhere near interested in anything considering girls, not that he gave a notion of it.
Although he had tried during their fourth year, actually taking a girl on a date and kissing her. It
just wasn’t anything for him, it didn’t give him the satisfaction that it clearly gave the other boys.
He didn’t really care what the guys were up to, as long as they did what he wanted; and they
always did.

“I wonder if she’d let us all have a go with her” Crabbe grunted out and was eagerly eyeing
Hermione’s bottom as she sat a few slots down at the Ravenclaw table.

“Probably would have us take her up the ass, wouldn’t she? She’s filthy like that, isn’t she?”
laughed Goyle and hit his hand on the table gaining laughs from the group. Even Tom smiled a bit,
just because it was necessary of course.

“Oy Goyle! Remember that muggle-bitch we took to Paris this summer? She certainly enjoyed it
up her bum!” Crabbe shrieked, gaining more laughs from the boys.

Crabbe and Goyle had of course not taken the girl to the city Paris. It was a saying indicating a
threesome.

“Well, boys. I’ll let you know. Given your track records it’s safe to say I should handle the flirting,
no offense Riddle.” Malfoy boasted and pushed his chest out.

Tom simply gave him a curt nod to indicate none was taken. Truth was, no one had seen him flirt,
so they wouldn’t know even if they wanted to. During fourth year he had simply just asked a few
girls out. No flirting needed.

“Yes, we wouldn’t want a repeat of Tracy Baxter!” Lestrange shrieked and dunked Goyle in the
back, gaining a roaring laugh from all of them.

“That’s not fair!” Goyle howled. “She was trained in some kind of muggle combat, I’ve told you a
thousand times. How was I supposed to know that!”

It had happened last year, and to Goyle’s defense, it had happened during the midst of the purging
of mudbloods Tom had orchestrated with the basilisk. Tracy was sure to be alarmed if something
grabbed her from the back, and Goyle wasn’t that big on words so he had just… grabbed her to feel
her up a little. She had actually sent him to the hospital wing with a broken nose and two ribs.
Gaining Goyle a heavy detention and teasing for weeks from the guys.

“Well Goyle, maybe you should try actually using your words to lure the girls in next time” Tom
said maliciously and the other guys continued to laugh.

Goyle just muttered some inaudible things and served himself some more eggs, stuffing his mouth.

As the breakfast almost came to an end Professor Poll once again came up to the small group and
greeted them.

“Morning gentlemen. Here’s your timetables, if you lose them that’s on you. I’m not making new
ones. Good day” she said, eyeing Crabbe and Goyle a little more than the rest of them and quickly
made her way through the table to give everyone their time tables.

They all took to looking over their time table’s in silence.

Tom had double potions first thing Monday morning, that was always good in his book. He was
quite an accomplished potion maker. Not that he wasn’t accomplished in every subject he took, but
he was a little more outstanding in potions and in arithmancy. He had a lot of subjects together with
Ravenclaw he saw, mentally noting he would probably see Hermione quite some bit this semester
just as Dippet had mentioned.

“Well guys, off we go then” Avery said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together.

Both Goyle and Crabbe proceeded at these words to throw food in their big mouths and gulp it
down with pumpkin juice before finally standing up to walk towards the dungeons and their first
class of the semester.

In the dungeons, Riddle paired himself up with Avery. Crabbe and Goyle were as always seated
together in the far back of the classroom. Tom noted that the two girls which had been glued to
Hermione’s hip since the sorting were seated before her, and Malfoy had effortlessly slid down on
the bench next to Hermione, to her big disappointment from the look of her face as she noticed.

Malfoy would have a tough fight with this one, but that would only fuel him in his pursuit.

Lestrange took a seat next to his betrothed Amelia Greengrass. She was a slender girl with blonde
hair in a tight bun, and quite heavy makeup around her eyes, giving her quite a grueling look. It was
expected of them both to marry, since they were a part of the sacred twenty eight. The sacred
twenty eight were families that were still truly purebloods. However, this didn’t stop Derick
Lestrange from fooling around with both half bloods and mudbloods. Amelia either didn’t care or
pretended to not notice, since it wouldn’t matter if she were to react to it. There was expected for a
pureblood witch to be pure, therefore she would be engaged from the age of 10 to someone of the
opposite sex and a member of the sacred twenty eight. An arranged marriage of sorts. Despite this,
there were not the same rules applying to the males. They were almost expected to mess around
during their school years, considering the vast amount of hormones racing through their bodies,
and since they weren’t allowed to touch the purebloods they were urged to use the lower standing
girls.

This was known information for all purebloods, but only a small minority of the half bloods and
mudbloods knew of it, hence why they could so easily be taken advantage of. The boys even
competed with who had the most ‘bodies’.
Tom never participated in this kind of foolishness, but nonetheless he was obliged to listen to the
bullshit. Not that he could wrap his mind around why someone wanted to waste their time with sex
or such when they could learn about dark arts or other subjects.

As the class carried on, he watched slightly amused at Malfoys attempts to get Hermione’s
attention but being shut down every time. He tried talking to her about spells, and getting a bitch
back. He tried placing his hand so close to hers it was almost touching it, and she quickly withdrew
her hand from the table. He tried spilling something under the table only to retreat it and caressing
her calf in the process, Hermione almost jumped off the bench when he touched it. He tried
shuffling closer and closer, and Hermione was almost at the end of their bench by the finish of
class.

“He’s having trouble with this one.” Avery whispered in Tom’s ear as he too watched what
happened before them.

Tom gave half a smile and nodded.

“Maybe he isn’t what she fancies.”

Avery sniggered and continued with their potion. It was an easy one, jawbind potion. Tom thought
it was too easy for their year, but considered that professor Poll might have wanted to ease them
into the year. Although, it didn’t seem like something Poll would do. She enjoyed watching
students squirm before her. Maybe she once again would surprise him.

Avery collected their potion and handed it in, as did Malfoy for him and Hermione before the two
of them left the classroom laughing at Hermione’s red face and his final comment. He had said
something about her legs, considering it were there his eyes had lingered for a bit before departing.

Tom decided to stay behind, just to watch her a little more. He needed to collect more information
on her, and needed to narrow her down more in his mind, to come up with a plan of action. For
now he only knew that she had lied about everything that was Hermione Bernard, but he needed to
know why.

It was like intoxication, the need to know. He could feel it urging him to push her against the wall
and simply crucio the answer from her. The more sane voice in his head told him to make her feel
safe before he cornered her.

As he stood watching her she suddenly whipped around, entering a duel position in such a speed
he’d never seen, with her wand drawn. Almost as if she had read his mind. He fought the instinct to
curl an eyebrow. How on earth did she have such reflexes and why would she draw her wand
immediately from just a shadow? Hermione quickly left her position and stood casually again, her
wand down by her side, a frown on her face.

“What are you doing here Riddle?” she said in a demanding voice.

Quite an annoying voice actually.

“I take this class, if you haven’t noticed. But then again, you looked a little preoccupied flirting
with Malfoy” he retorted, a sneer on his face.

That comment made her cheeks burn deliciously. Tom almost licked his lips. Why did that have
such an effect on him?

“I. Did. Not. Flirt. With. Malfoy.” she gritted out through her teeth.
Tom laughed loudly, it was almost cute. Her face all red and angry, or was she embarrassed maybe
because he was close to the truth? Had she enjoyed the attention that Malfoy gave her? That
mudblood probably had. It was hilarious.

“Well, it definitely looked cozy” he said and tried to muffle his laughter.

“What are you doing here Riddle, why are you watching me from the freaking shadows?” she said,
in that exact demanding voice again.

Although her face gained an even redder color than before. She almost looked like a tomato now.

“Oh, I-...” Tom tried to compose himself to be able to finish the sentence.

It was a long time ago that he had laughed this much.

“I am the headboy after all, and I know your schedule because headmaster Dippet instructed me to
‘take care of that poor girl’. needless to say, I’m here to escort you to your next class since it’s
mine as well. So let’s go, we don’t want to be late for history of magic, now do we?”

Hermione stared at him, she looked angry. Her eyes were a far cry from the warmth that usually
could be seen there when she was with friends.

“I think I’ll manage, thank you” she finally said, her tone dripping in ice.

“Oh, so you intend to find your way through a huge castle you’ve never been in, making it to class
in…” Tom made a point by shooting a glance towards his arms watch. “... ten minutes?”

He saw her panic, though he couldn’t quite place if it were because she needed him to escort her if
he had caught her in another lie. Somehow he sensed that she knew her way around the castle, just
from the way she had walked down to potions class, even though she was flanked by the two
Ravenclaws.

“Uhm, yes. Well. Considering… yes. I-... What I mean is… no, thank you. That’ll be good of you.”
she finally said, shuffling her feet and not meeting his gaze.

Tom watched her, she was so easy to read. Her uncomfortability and the way her physical actions
gave away every lie she said. He saw how she swallowed hard, another hint.

“Shall we then?” she said in a tragic try to sound gleeful, but her eyes once again gave her away.

He granted her a nod.

“This way.” he said and moved quickly out of the little classroom.

He didn’t say anything for a long part of their walk towards history of magic, but he could feel her
eyes on him. After a few minutes he came to a hard halt before the door and soon after Hermione
came crashing into his back with her soft body. He barely moved from the crash, but Hermione
stumbled away.

“I understand that it’s hard to be observant for you, but do try to watch where you’re going, Miss
Bernard.” he said nastily and Hermione nodded, another fine blush creeping up on her cheeks.

She didn’t meet his eyes yet again. So she probably had sensed the legilimency last night.

“Professor Binn’s classroom is here. Hopefully you will try to be more attentive in this class and
not flirt with the first thing you lay eyes on.” he said, sneering down at her and entered the
classroom.

It took Hermione a few minutes to enter after him, and it gave Tom an odd satisfaction in knowing
she had no choice but to sit next to him; considering it was the only available seat left in the
classroom. He saw from the corner of his eye that she gave him an ugly grimace, just like a two
year old, before proceeding to seat herself next to him. Tom simply curled an eyebrow and gave
her another sneer. Maybe this girl actually would be fun to have around; she certainly was fun to
torment a bit.
 Chapter 7

History of magic was exactly how it has always been, so she could add that to her list of normality
in this strange world. The only difference was that Professor Binns was actually alive, so he came
through the door rather than the wall as he had done in her own time. She didn’t take notes as
fiercely as she normally did, considering she had actually already been to this lesson, just some
years later in the future. She considered this to her advantage, now she could glance around on her
classmates. Beside her sat Riddle, he was taking notes as fiercely as she normally did. Suck up. A
few benches down she saw Thomas Frank from her year, he caught her gaze and gave her a
cheerful wave. Hermione smiled and waved back. He seemed nice.

“You just can’t stop flirting now can you?” Riddle mumbled through the corner of his mouth.
Hermione turned to face him. Rage racing through her once again.

“That’s actually one of my new friends, IF you don’t mind” she whispered back more loudly than
she had intended.

“Oh trust me, I don’t mind. I couldn’t care less about you or what you do, mudblood” he said in a
voice so quiet only she could hear it, and his tone was as deadly as a sword.

It made her shiver visibly to her great discontent. But his words made her angry, hell, anyone with
eyes could see he had fixated himself upon her.

“It sure as hell doesn’t look like you don’t care, of how much you’re watching my every move,
Riddle” she hissed back, emphasizing his last name knowing just how much he hated it.

Two girls in front of them gave them an odd look and giggled a little. They were two Hufflepuff
girls, one with honey locks and the other had pitch black hair, just like a raven. Hermione didn’t
know who they were but they gave her a feeling of being tremendous gossips. They even reminded
her a bit about Lavender and Parvati, and not in a good way. Riddle just raised an eyebrow and said
nothing.

Great, now they’ll think we have a thing for each other. She shook her head so her curls bobbed,
gaining another stifled laugh from the girls. She decided not to give them or Riddle the time of day.
In fact, for the whole class, Hermione didn’t look up. She just scribbled notes as she listened
halfheartedly and doodled on her notebook.

When Binns wrapped up the class Hermione hurriedly gathered her things and vanished down
towards the great hall and lunch. She wanted to see some friendly faces and tell them about how
awful Riddle was. Maybe she could bully him into isolation and then he wouldn’t be able to rise to
power since he had no one. Although, that group of Slytherins looked particularly fond of him. She
only knew of Malfoy, whom the other wizards were she did not know. Maybe she could get away
with asking about it during lunch without gaining attention to herself.

Hermione quickly located Thomas at Ravenclaw table and sat down next to him, if not because he
had been very polite towards her, then for the possibility that it could make Riddle tick.

“Hello Thomas! How are you doing?” she asked him as she helped herself to some chicken.

“Oh hello Hermione. I’m alright, quite excited to be starting this new term. I noticed you were in
my history of magic class. I do love history of magic. I also enjoy charms. Maybe we could
compare notes in the future? Also I saw that you sat next to Riddle, maybe you could get his
notes? I noticed that you were talking and therefore I assume you are friendly and he is the top
student in our year and I just think that would help us out tremendously, don’t you think?”

Thomas said all this in one breath before he gulped down a whole goblet of pumpkin juice. He also
never made eye contact if he could avoid it. If Hermione hadn’t talked to the boy during
yesterday's feast as well as the breakfast she might have thought him weirdly talkative, but it turned
out Thomas just behaved like this. Hermione thought she had read the muggle term for it,
something about being “on the spectrum”, a form of autism. She liked him anyway, he was always
very straight forward. However, getting Riddle’s notes would be an impossible task considering
she did not really care for being in his presence and he seemed to go hot and cold from everytime
she saw him.

“Er… sorry Thomas, I do not think he cares for me that much” she answered him with a weak
smile.

“Oh. I can’t really read social signals that great” Thomas stated and opened a book, hence ending
the conversation.

Hermione grimaced and started munching on her food. A few minutes later Millicent and Alice
came in through the majestic doors, waving big towards Hermione. She smiled and waved back
with at least 50 % as much enthusiasm as Alice.

“Oh Hermione, we just had the best lesson ever. Can you imagine?!” Alice burst out as soon as she
was in hearing distance.

Hermione unwillingly let out another grimace. No, she could not for the life of her imagine having
the best lesson ever if it was divination. However, with consideration of needing to be on the good
side of these two girls so she at least had two friends she forced a smile and asked if she could
elaborate. Millicent however, had seen Hermione’s grimace and giggled a little bit when Alice
went into full explanation, from start to finish, of the lesson the two girls had just had. There was
something about crystal balls, Alice had seen her future, or maybe it was Professor Tuf who had
seen it. Nonetheless, Alice was to marry a handsome dark haired, strapping young lad. This was to
happen in the next five years which suited Alice’s plan of being a young mum so she was just over
the moon about everything.

Millicent explained briefly that she was to become a very high positioned ministry employee,
something that she had set her eyes on a long time ago and probably had spoken loud about
previously. Therefore, Millicent weren’t as impressed as Alice was. Hermione thought it was utter
hogwash. Although, when she thought about it during lunch she finally figured out where she had
heard Millicent’s name before.

Millicent Bagnold, minister of magic from 1980 to 1990. Hermione almost gasped at the
realization. A real minister sitting next to her, befriending her for god's sake. She almost started
prepping Millicent with questions before she realized she wouldn’t be minister of magic until at
least 30 some years. Nonetheless, Hermione had newfound respect for her newest friend. She
wondered what some of the others would grow up to do. And with that thought she found herself
spiraling down in sad thoughts about being in a complete other time, her friends all dead and a
disturbingly handsome Voldemort/Tom Riddle having his interest in her.

The girls made their way to charms, where Professor Utilis was extremely talented. Hermione even
paid attention since she seemed to teach another curiculum than she herself had attended during her
years. After charms there was double herbology, also with the Slytherins. Hermione took note that
many of her classes were with a specific Slytherin. If it weren’t the required lessons it was the
advanced ones. It was in fact only defense against the dark arts that they had with Gryffindor that
she was free of that dreadful human being.

After a repeat herbology lesson, at least for Hermione, the trio went up the long way to the castle
and dining hall, eagerly shoving food down their mouths. Walking around the big caste certainly
made for a big appetite. Hermione helped herself to not one but two rounds of Yorkshire pudding
as well as Shepherd’s pie. And once again the subject of divination came up, considering Alice
hadn’t let go of her mystery man she was supposed to marry. Apparently she was to already know
the man in question.

“Hey Hermione, do you think she could of ment Riddle? That would be amazing… Imagine the
kids we would have! I mean, I am clearly good looking, and he’s just… dashing.” Alice said and
gripped Hermione’s arm tightly, her eyes wandering towards the Slytherin table.

Hermione could almost see some drool starting to escape Alice’s mouth.

“Snap out of it Alice, Riddle ain’t a good man!” she burst out without thinking.

This outburst made both Millicent and Alice give her weird looks.

“What do you mean Hermione?” Millicent asked with concern in her voice.

“Yeah, what do you mean Hermione?” said Alice, a puzzled look on her face as she withdrew her
arm from Hermione’s.

“I just… argh… He’s just a pain in my ass okay!” Hermione continued with a scowl on her face.

“Hermione!” Millicent gasped shocked at her language as Alice giggled uncontrollably.

Darn. She had forgotten she was in the forties. She didn’t quite have their mannerism down, and
most certainly not their impeckible language.

“Sorry Mill,” she muttered. “He’s just hot and cold. When we first met he was all ‘Oh miss
Bernard, let me help you, yada yada yada’ and now he’s all broody, insulting me and creepily
staring at me. It’s rather disgusting if you ask me. He made a remake that I flirt with everything
that breathes, and that’s just simply an outright lie.”

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms. Alice and Millicent shared a look.

“What?!” Hermione asked, channeling her anger towards them.

“Now, Hermione… Don’t get angry” Millicent began and patted her arm in what she obviously
thought was a calming way. “But don’t you think he’s interested in you? As in romantically?”

Alice wiggled her eyebrows towards her, a teasing smile on her lips.

“Absolutely not. Are you insane? That would just be disturbing wouldn’t it? It’s been what? 2
days? No. Absolutely not.”

“There, there Hermione. I won’t even be angry that you sweep in here and gain his attention after
two days when we less worthy have been fighting for his attention since year three. I consider it a
fair fight.” Alice said with an understanding look on her face, this made Millicent burst out in
laughter.

“Oh Hermione, that’s big coming from her. You can imagine the stuff she’s done to just get a little
bit of Riddle’s attention. I would call her bluff if I were you!”
“Hey! I’m trying to be the bigger person here Mill! Don’t ruin my moment!” Alice looked
extremely put out.

“Don’t you worry girls. If there’s someone I’ll never want anything with it’s Riddle. I see right
through him” Hermione seethed.

“Whatever you say darling” Alice sang and shared another look with Millicent, gaining a giggle
from her.

Hermione stared at the pair, questioning why she needed friends.

“I need to get to the library” she muttered and left them, gaining another set of giggles.

As she went down towards the big set of doors someone abruptly stood up at the end of the tables.
A quick look made her realize that it was Ignotius Malfoy. Behind him were the normal gang,
Derick Lestrange, Peter Avery, Garrick Goyle and Reginald Crabbe. As well as one Tom Riddle,
who was the only one not watching the pair with great interest. In fact, he looked utterly bored.
Romantically interested my ass.

“My dear miss Bernard. I was hoping I’d run into you again soon. We left things rather abruptly
this morning, don’t you think?” Malfoy said with a sneer.

His eyes had some mischievous in them.

“Oh you mean when you harassed me during class and disrupted my concentration in Professor
Poll’s education? I for one find you didn’t leave soon enough.” She retorted back.

Malfoy’s smile faltered just a bit.

“I see. Well, maybe I’ll have to change my tactics in gaining your attention then, miss Bernard.”

“You can stop all together if I have a say in the matter”

This gained a few snorts and laughs from the boys behind them. Malfoy looked enraged. Probably
because she had made him look a fool in front of the boys.

“Now listen here you little….” he closed a fist and breathed through his nose, composing himself.

Hermione just smiled. How easy it was getting him to lose his temper, something that no doubt ran
in the family. It reminded her once again of Draco.

“Don’t you worry, miss Bernard. You won’t be losing my interest too soon. I enjoy a challenge.
You do well to remember that.” he said with a smile that did not meet his eyes, grabbed her hand as
quickly as a cobra strikes and gave it a featherlight kiss.

Hermione made a point of scrunching up her nose and wiping her hand off her uniform before
storming off towards the library.

She sat at her usual table in the transfiguration area. This place was something she was glad hadn’t
changed a bit since her own time. There was something about being in the library that calmed her.
The smell of old books mixed with new ones. The sound of students scribbling on parchment and
the silence were just… home. She sighed as she snuggled up in her puffy chair, which was the
strongest reason as to why this was her favorite spot in the whole library. It had both a puffy chair
that you could sit hours in without it getting uncomfortable, and a great desk in just the right height
for taking notes for hours without getting any back pain. Utter perfection.
Hermione quickly assembled every textbook there was on time traveling and started researching it.
She made a point to transfigure the front pages since it was not in her great interest for someone to
catch her researching this. It would be rather hard to explain actually.

Muttering, she realized after a few books that none of them contained a magical charmed hat from
the founders of Hogwarts. It was, however, a lot about time turnes. But she already knew a heck
ton about them considering her third year.

As per usual when Hermione was in the library the time just simply disappeared. She glanced up
towards the big clock hanging on the wall and gasped. Waved her wand once and the books flew to
their rightful places and she grabbed her stuff, pressing them down her bag and ran out of the long
deserted library.

As Hermione hurried back towards Ravenclaw tower, knowing it was way past curfew, someone
appeared from the shadows making her startle and almost scream.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Miss Bernard out and about at this hour. Fancy meeting your pretty
face here.” Malfoy said with a malicious smile on his lips.

“Oh, it’s you.” she said with a disgusted look on her face, putting her hands on her hips.

“Yes, dear. It’s me. Missed me so much you felt the need to wander the castle past curfew? I bet
you knew it was my night for rounds” he sneered and winked at her.

“You wish, Malfoy.” she retorted, sticking her nose in the air.

“Maybe I do.” he said sweetly. “Maybe I do imagine you Miss Bernard, mostly in the evenings,
alone, in my bed.”

“Disgusting.” Hermione mumbled and blushed fiercly. “Can I please make my way to my common
room now?”

“I really should give you detention and take away some house points, after all, that is my job as a
prefect.” Malfoy said with a sneer, moving to the right to block her way when she had tried to
move in that direction.

“Please Malfoy. I was just in the library, I lost track of time. Can’t I just go up to Ravenclaw
tower? Must you say something?” Hermione pleaded, knowing it wouldn’t do her any good with
the look he was giving her.

“Tell me, what would you do for me so I wouldn’t give you detention?” Malfoy said as he crept
closer looking gleeful.

Hermione took a few steps back, only to be met with the wall. She cursed under her breath. Being
cornered by Malfoy was the last thing she needed right now.

“Oh, I-... I could help you with your homework?” she tried hopefully, not meeting his eyes since
they were currently eyeing her up and down like a snack.

Her brain was racing for a good hex to use on him. Oh how she missed being taunted by Draco.

“Hm… that just won’t do Miss Bernard.” he said smugly and came even closer, now almost
pushing her up against the wall.

His hand tucked a curl behind her ear. She could feel his warm breath on her face. He smelled of
peppermint and some expensive perfume. It wasn’t disgusting per say, actually he smelled rather
alluring, but the situation made her feel very uneasy.

Hermione started to panic. There was something in Malfoy’s eyes she did not like. They were
almost black instead of gray. If only her stupid brain would function, but it was like she couldn’t
think with him almost on top of her. Not even a first year jinx came to her mind.

“Then give me detention and take away some house points, AND STOP EYEING ME UP AND
DOWN” she demanded, trying to sound more courageous than she felt.

Malfoy shuffled even closer at this statement, pressing his hard body against hers. She could feel
something poking her left thigh. She gulped hard and moved her head away from his.

“As you wish, my delicate flower.” he whispered in her ear before stepping away with a chuckle.

Hermione didn’t dare remain in her current position so she quickly moved away from him and
started speeding towards Ravenclaw tower once again.

“20 points from Ravenclaw for being out so late miss Bernard. And 10 for bad attitude this
morning.” Malfoy shouted behind her.

She could hear him laughing several stairs away from him.

She was furious. There was hardly any need to take 30 whole points from her just for breaking the
curfew. He simply wanted to punish her for not letting him get what he wanted from her. She could
only imagine the vile things he would want her to “do for him”. Hermione shuddered and almost
ran up the stairs to Ravenclaw tower, not wanting another surprise tonight.
 Chapter 8

There was an extra horrendously boring lesson. If Professor Poll had gone easy on them, Professor
Binns had not even taken into consideration how tierding the first day back could be. He kept
monulogin about giants as not many students were even trying to pay attention, not that Binns
noticed this. Most of his peers were gossiping and flying small paper birds around the classroom.

Tom took notes, but only listened with half an ear. He was more focused on Hermione, who was
sitting right beside him, shuffling a bit on her chair. She did not take notes, just squbbeld down a
few support words here and there. He saw her eyes roam the room, locking eyes with a weird boy
named Frank he thought, another mudblood in their year, and waving to him smiling. Tom only
knew him because he usually was the victim of his friends' torments whenever they got bored. The
warmth in her eyes had returned, that same warmth that was so obviously gone when locking eyes
upon him. Tom couldn’t help himself.

“You can’t stop flirting, now can you?” he mumbled while still taking notes.

It was a good thing he had somewhat of a photographic memory, it served him well in his studies.
Hermione faced him once again and he could actually see the rage roaming under the surface. It
was quite appealing.

“That’s actually one of my new friends. IF you don’t mind,” she hissed back.

“Oh trust me, I don’t mind. I couldn’t care less about you or what you do, mudblood” he replied
with a quiet but deadly voice that made her shiver visibly.

“It sure as hell doesn’t look like you don’t care, of how much you’re watching my every move,
Riddle” she hissed back and turned away from him once again.

The students in front of them, Belinda Burbock and Latifa Leys; both Hufflepuffs, stared at them
with big eyes before starting to gossip. Tom could overhear words like “flirting” and “obviously
they like each other”. He shook his head and gave a sigh, and apparently Hermione had done just
the same thing because Belinda whispered, rather loudly, to Latifa how “they even acted the
same”. It enraged him. He hated being compared to others as they were equals. And to be
compared to this girl… They were nothing the same, she was of foul blood and he was the heir of
Slytherin. She was an annoying, stubborn and bitchy know-it-all and he was an impeccable
gentleman with great manners, charisma and true power.

Tom was determined not to give Hermione the time of day henceforth. It wasn’t like she even
deserved his presence, nonetheless his efforts to befriend her the first day. No. From now on she
wouldn’t get the nice Riddle. He would show her exactly what he thought about her and her dirty
blood, defiling the school with it. He gave a small shiver. As the class dragged on Tom continued
to scribble down notes.

Even though history of magic was only one hour at a time, it dragged on incredibly slowly every
freaking lesson. Probably because Binns was such a bad teacher. He didn’t even answer most
students' questions because he was so deep into his own book, just reciting it. Had it not been for
Binns, history of magic had probably been one of Tom’s favorite subjects, given he wanted to learn
almost anything from this world. It had of course started as an attempt to keep up, but upon
discovering he was the true heir of Slytherin, Tom had gotten a sense of being better than everyone
else. Then it had turned into the power of knowledge. After all, even though he wasn’t really a
pureblood, he was still the one and only descendant from Slytherin himself. No one could argue
with that. Maybe he should show Hermione just how powerful the heir of Slyherin was. Oh how he
wished he could release his basilisk on her.

The class came to an end and Hermione virtually leapt up from her seat and out from the
classroom. Probably eager to get away from him.

“So Tom…” Latifa said with a small blush on her cheeks as she gained his attention. “Have
someone finally gained your attention?”

Tom made a grimace.

“Certainly not. And trust me, I wouldn’t give that mudblood any time of my day.” he huffed and
collected his stuff. “Never assume such a thing again, Latifa.” he growled.

“Oh, I’m sorry Tom, I didn’t mean to offend you.” She quickly tried to smooth things over. “It’s
only… well… I was hoping maybe you would consider going out with me some weekend.”

Latifa was now blushing harder, it was clear she had picked up some courage to ask him out. He
knew that she had had a crush on him since third year, only because she was gossiping about it to
everyone but never telling Tom himself. Unfortunately for her, he didn’t care the slightest about
her feelings.

“No, thank you. I don’t date.” he simply stated icily, leaving her with a wounded look on her face
and left the classroom for lunch.

During lunch the guys were talking about how much homework professor Kettleburn had given
them on their first day back. Tom hadn’t received any homework from potions class, but as always
they were to write an essay for history of magic. It was a piece of cake though, considering the
amount of notes Tom had.

He felt his gaze roam the Ravenclaw table, trying to catch Hermione’s eye again only to try to peek
into her head once again. However, she was seated with her back against him. He couldn’t help
wondering whether or not this was intentional. She also sat next to the Frank boy, and they were
talking and laughing. It made him angry that she so willingly gave away her attention to everyone
who was nice towards her, but him.

“Is hogsmeade next weekend or the week after that?” Goyle asked the others with food dripping
from his mouth.

Tom could barely watch him eat, it was disgusting every time. Crabbe shrugged, with an equal
amount of food stuffed in his mouth.

“Yes, Goyle. I do believe it’s this weekend. Why?” answered Lestrange.

“I’m out of candy” he grimaced with a shrug.

“Oh the misery,” Tom muttered with an eye roll.

The boys continued to discuss what they wanted to buy from Hogsmeade as Tom ate his lunch in
silence.

A shriek from the Ravenclaw table got his attention and he saw that ginger bitch leap towards
Hermione telling her something about a lesson she had. He knew of the ginger girl only because
she had tried to gain his attention on multiple occasions. Ever since third or fourth year, girls had
swarmed around him, it was quite disturbing actually. The Ravenclaws in particular were
surprisingly resilient in their approaches, considering how many times he had denied them.

Only once had he accepted an invitation to a date in hogsmeade. By Katie Travis, a Ravenclaw. It
had been the most boring thing he’d ever participated in during his whole life, and that was
including going back to the orphanage every summer. In conclusion, he never dated again. And
this was in fourth year. The vultures hadn’t stopped their approaches since then.

As the lunch dragged on he kept an eye on the trio. The two girls who had taken Hermione in were
glued to her hip, it would indeed be a problem.

His original plan was to be nice to the girl, make her trust him and confide in him. However, the
girl was intent on hating him. Why, he did not know. This was something he needed to find out.
And he would. He always got his way. Always. This would not be any other time. If he had to
change his course of action, so be it. The new plan was to subtly stalk the girl, get knowledge
about her. And of course, make the boys stalk her as well. They, on the other hand, weren’t as
subtle. He wouldn’t be nice to her either, he would simply be intimidating. Make her fear him, and
then respect him. Maybe with that newfound respect she would finally confide in him. If this didn’t
work out, he could always slip her veritaserum or just imperio her. Might even throw in a cruciatus
curse just because she has been insufferable, that little bitch.

His minions were finally finished with their lunch and the group made their way towards charms.
Another class they had with the Ravenclaws. It was astounding how many classes they shared.
This would play him right in the hand considering how easy she was to rile up.

Her two girlfriends were seated in front of her and behind them sat Hermione, they were still
talking about something rather enthusiastically. Or atleast the ginger one were.

On que, Malfoy slid down next to Hermione and started trying to get her attention. He had to give
it to her, she was putting up a good fight. Most of the girls were just happy that Ignotius gave them
attention and therefore they ‘let up’ rather easily. Hermione on the other hand just seemed
disgusted. Somehow this fact made him feel rather smug.

The class dragged on. Tom was brilliant, of course. But Hermione also showed great promise and
to his big discontent professor Utilis favored Hermione over him, granting her several points and
only ten to Slyterhin. That biased cunt.

Tom made a comment about it being unfair to Lestrange who was quick to oblige. They always
were.

“Must be hard doing spellwork with that bushy hair being all over the place. It’s a wonder she can
even see. But then again, who would expect a mudblood to take care of their looks.” he said loud
enough for Hermione to hear, but quiet enough so that Professor Utilis did not.

This remark made her shoot Lestrange a nasty look, before her eyes landed on him and somehow
she looked even more disgusted. It wasn’t even him who’d said anything. Honestly, this girl was a
lunatic.

After charms they followed the girls down the path to herbology. He made a mental note that
Hermione didn’t seem to tell the girls about the comment that had been said during the previous
class. They kept chatting about trivial things like clothes and makeup. Disgusting really. Were girls
ever interested in anything other than shallow things? No wonder they never attracted him.

The lesson was rather interesting. Professor Pratum was showing them a rather horrendous looking
plant that could actually burn your fingers off if you insulted it. Tom listened carefully, he loved to
learn about things that could hurt you. Especially things that didn’t leave a trace back to him. He
did however have time to observe a certain miss Bernard during class as well. She looked rather
uncomfortable being paired with Goyle during the practical part of the class. The latter were
eyeing her up like a tart, and only grunted when she said something. In the end, she didn’t even
include him in their project. Much as Riddle never let Avery do much on theirs.

Back in the great hall and munching on dinner the boys were discussing their days. Lestrange was
proud of his remark during charms at Hermione and Malfoy were bragging about how she didn’t
shuffle as far away from him this aftornoon as she did this morning. Tom wasn’t sure that was
anything to brag about. It was then that Goyle piped up, to everyone’s surprise.

“She smells like lavender.” he said as he helped himself to more mashed potatoes.

Even Crabbe stopper shoveling in more food in his mouth at this statement.

“I’m sorry?” asked Tom, a little astounded.

“Hermione, Miss Bernard. She smells like lavender.” he repeated.

Tom shot Malfoy a look who shrugged. Lestrange and Avery started giggling.

“Yes, Goyle. She does. Was that why you didn’t say anything during herbology? Too caught up
with sniffing her?” Malfoy said with a sneer.

This made Lestrange and Avery snigger even louder. Goyle didn’t take the bait, or maybe he just
didn’t get that Malfoy was trying to rile him up.

“Oh, no. I just don’t know how to talk to girls so I don’t say anything. She does smell nice though,
it was rather heavily surrounding her. Quite lovely for a mudblood.” he shrugged as he continued
to eat without so much as glancing at his friends.

Tom shot the girl in question a look at the ravenclaw table. Quite lovely for a mudblood. He could
actually agree to that note. Rather lovely when she had that fierce look in her eyes as she had right
now, shutting her friends down for something they had said. A blush creeping up her neck and
saluting her lovely cheeks. That color really did something to him. It was like a love/hate
relationship. He wanted her to blush so he could feel the nice feeling in his stomach, although he
hated that she had somewhat control of something of his.

After a few minutes he saw her jump up from the table and storm off towards the door. When she
came close to their seats Malfoy jumped up from his seat and blocked her way. This made his
group eye them eagerly, waiting to see Malfoy’s latest attempt to seduce the girl. Tom however,
couldn’t be more disinterested. He wanted to see where she was going, not her shutting down
Malfoy yet again.

“My dear miss Bernard. I was hoping I’d run into you again soon. We left things rather abruptly
this morning, don’t you think?”

Tom almost yawned. They had seen eachother in three different classes since this morning, but of
course he wanted to make a remark on the potions class considering he had made her blush several
times.

“Oh, you mean when you harassed me during class and disrupted my concentration in Professor
Poll’s education? I for one find you didn’t leave soon enough.” she said, crossing her arms over her
chest and glaring at him.
“This will go perfectly.” wheezed Avery beside him and looked at the pair with content in his eyes.

There was nothing the guys enjoyed more than each other getting passed up by girls. Tom could
see that Malfoy didn’t look as pleased as before, but he still made a point to keep his sneer up.
Good for him.

“I see. Well, maybe I’ll have to change my tactics in gaining your attention then, miss Bernard.”

“You can stop all together if I have a say in the matter.”

This remark made Lestrange snort his pumpkin juice and Crabbe and Goyle wheeze with laughter.
Even Tom smiled a bit. He did love it when she got a little sassy. Malfoy however, looked furious.

“Now listen here you little…”

Mudblood, Tom finished in his mind as Malfoy composed himself and tried again. He could see
the anger management courses his parents had made him attend had worked, considering he
actually counted to ten and breathed through his nose.

“Don’t you worry, miss Bernard. You won’t be losing my interest too soon. I enjoy a challenge.
You do well to remember that.”

As soon as Malfoy finished that sentence he grabbed her hand and kissed it. This made several of
the Slytherin’s raise their eyebrows considering it was something done by purebloods for
purebloods, not to a filthy mudblood. What made Tom almost snigger however, was how
Hermione strongly took back her hand and wiped it off on her uniform. She then continued to
storm off.

Malfoy sat down and got a few dunks in his back by Crabbe and Goyle. He looked pleased, for
what Tom didn’t know. He excused himself and swiftly made his way to keep up with her, wanting
to know where she was heading.

As it turned out, Hermione went to the library. How on earth she made her way there without
anyone accompanying her Tom didn’t know. He had put a disillusionment charm on himself to
make her not see him, for this reason he could come rather close to her when she sat down in the
library. He saw her grabb several books and caught one title before she transfigured them all. Why
in the name of Salazar was she studying time traveling? Tom was seated on a chair quite close to
her, and watch with great content how she went through book by book. He needed to recast his
charm three times before Hermione realized she was alone in the library and it was way past
curfew.

“Shit!” she shouted and quickly assembled her stuff in the bag before racing out of the library.

Tom noted that once again, she found her way too easily towards the Ravenclaw tower. Something
was extremely odd about this girl. And nothing she had told anyone was the truth, that much was
sure.

He mulled the facts he had observed over the last two days over as he made his way towards the
Headquarters. He didn’t even notice Susanna sitting in their common room, hopefully glancing at
him or the disappointment that shone on her face when he simply entered his room without saying
so much as a word. He laid down on his bed and thought everything over once again. But he came
to the same conclusion as before.

Hermione Bernard was a liar. But there was something that drew him towards her, and for that he
hated her. He was going to make her life hell.
 Chapter 9

September went on in the blink of an eye, as did most of October. Hermione struggled to make
herself feel at ease and at home here in the forties. Alice and Millicent were a great help of course,
as were Thomas. He was a fresh brisk of something unusual. Thomas kept saying the first thing
that popped up in his mind, and had no sense if it were considered rude or even crude. One day he
told Hermione her hair looked like a rat’s nest and laughed before gulping down a few sausages,
this made Isabella and Prudence (Hermione’s other two classmates whom she shared her dormitory
with) gasp and look horrified. Hermione simply answered that she woke up like that and didn’t
have the time to do something about it. Alice offered to charm her hair straight and Hermione
couldn’t help but to scrunch up her nose.

“Those charms have never worked on me you know” she stated and nibbled on her toast.

“Oh, but I haven’t cast them. Trust me, you’ll look amazing.” Alice said with great confidence.

Hermione shot Millicent a glance who nodded eagerly as to back up what Alice was saying.

“Oh, alright then. You can have a go. But please don’t make my hair fall off…” Hermione
pleaded.

Alice squealed with excitement and clapped her hands enthusiastically, gaining the nearest
Ravenclaws attention. She pointed her wand directly at Hermione's face.

“Crinus Muto” Alice said with a concentraited look on her face and after only a second she looked
rather smug.

“What do you think ladies?” she said and got more than a few applauds as well as cheers.

Hermione found herself blushing at all the attention she got. She drew her hand through her hair
and was astounded to find it both easily done so but also straight instead of the bushy curls she
usually had.

A loud whistle was heard from the table behind them.

“Looking good Bernard! You get better looking for each day, I dare say!” Ignotius Malfoy shouted
with a loud voice, granted the whole hall heard it because a few giggles erupted around them all.

Hermione blushed even fiercer. Alice patted her hand and winked at her.

“I must say, you’re one lucky bean Hermione. Both Malfoy and Riddle after you? That’s really
something.”

Isabella and Prudence nodded, both looked a little more envious than Alice did however. Hermione
grimaced.

“I don’t care for either of them. This disgusting catcalling that Malfoy is up to is insulting to say
the least. And don’t even get me started on Riddle” she said with a shudder.

Malfoy had in fact been insufferable the last couple of weeks. Since day one actually. His advances
never stopped. It didn’t matter how many times she shot him down, it only seemed to encourage
him. One week he was flirting every chance he got, the other he gave her compliments, loudly. He
made his interest clear for everyone to see. He often commented on her legs, something that made
Hermione seeth. She hated that he made her feel like a freaking object, like a walking pair of legs.
More than once he had her cornered in the corridors only to sniff her neck or touch her collarbone
with a finger. It was harmless, but it made her uneasy. He never forced himself on her, he just
made her very aware that he could. Malfoy had a way of finding her when she was alone, and only
when they were alone were he crude. When among others he was simply harmlessly flirting with
her.

“I will never get how you cease to see the perfection that is Tom Riddle…” Prudence said gazing
at the subject of their conversation with longing eyes.

“I for one would do anything for his attention” agreed Isabella and joined Prudence in their staring.

This usually happens at least once or twice during their meals. It was rather disturbing though
Hermione. Alice didn’t say anything on the matter, haven gotten her share fair of what Hermione
thought of Riddle more than a few times when the subject came up. Hermione had tried to hold
back a few times considering Alice’s feelings for the guy but the more she had to be near him the
more she grew to hate him. She had always hated Voldemort, but soon came to realize there were
two different people. Sure, Tom would grow into Voldemort. But he wasn’t Voldemort as of right
now. He was a stuck up teenager who thought himself better than everyone and a complete suck up
to teacher. Also he shaded her every moment he got. It was almost as he tried to rile her up or
something.

“Do you guys have dressed for the Halloween dance?” Millicent asked to change the subject,
sensing a Hermione rant about Riddle being an evil git coming around the corner any second.

“Ooh! Yes! Mine’s minty green. I can’t wait to wear it! Can you imagine it’s just a fortnight from
now? Do you guys have dates yet? I was asked by at least five guys before the one I wanted asked
me. You guys know of Richard Malcom right? The seventh year, gryffindor quidditch captain?
He’s just dashing isn’t he? Anyways, he asked me and of course I said yes! I told him he better
match my outfit, could you imagine if we went with completely different color schemes? No can
do sir.” Alice babbled.

God she was easily distracted. The other girls happily went in discussing the different colors on
their dresses as well as their dates, and who asked who and what not. Even Millicent seemed
excited about this dance. Hermione however was not. The only dance she ever attended was the
yule ball, and it had started like a dream. Getting asked by the one and only Viktor Krum, dancing
as one of the first couples considering he was a triwizard champion. But Ronald had of course
ruined the night for her with a big fight, and Harry had taken his side as always. She had cried
herself to sleep and therefore her memories of the night were not the greatest.

“What about you Hermione? Do you have a dress?” Isabella asked her, gaining all the attention
back at her once again.

“Um, well I guess. But I don’t think it’ll fit me anymore” she answered with a weak smile. It was
in fact the periwinkle dress she had worn to the yule ball at the age of fourteen. Somehow it was in
her trunk, how, she did not know. But when she went through it during her first days in this
godforsaken time, there it was.

“Oh that’s no worry, I’ve got a spell for that. I’ll fix it in a heartbeat dear!” Alice chirped.

Hermione just smiled at her friend. She wasn’t sure she wanted to wear that dress again. However,
she didn’t feel like visiting Hogsmeade for shopping either. She sighed, periwinkle it was. She did
really enjoy the ruffles, on the other hand she hated the bow in the middle of the dress. But
periwinkle was indeed one of her favorite colors, and the dress had an ombre effect. Consequently
it would be a safe and good choice for her second first dance. She did, however, not have a date.
Not even Malfoy had asked her, which she thought was a bit odd considering his advances on her
were kept so openly. Maybe the bloodpredijuice was deeper than she initially had thought. Draco
would never even lay a hand on her if he could help it, so it was a bit odd that Ignotius wanted to
do just that every chance he seemed to get.

It was a Wednesday, which had come to be Hermione’s favorite day. This was because it was in
fact the only day that she did not have one class with the Slytherins. Really, it was beyond her how
they could pair them up with one house like this. Given she had a few advanced classes with all of
the houses, Riddle was unfortunately in every freaking one of them. It was infuriating. But
Wednesday was a happy day. She had all the good classes. Double transfiguration in the morning
with an outstanding professor Dumbledore, who was her favorite of course, following advanced
arthimacy before lunch. After lunch she had defense against the dark arts and advanced ancient
runes. The school day ended at 4 pm which gave her more than enough time to follow up on some
research in the library. That research was doomed from the start given there was not a single book
in the library that even mentioned the sorting hat apart from Hogwarts a history, and that book she
knew from heart.

The day went quickly by, they had gotten loads of homework from Professor Dumbledore which
Prudence was keen to complain about, but also a heavy load from their arithmancy teacher
Professor McDough. It was hard enough to keep up with his heavy Scottish accent, let alone the
school work in itself. When the time for defense against the dark arts Hermione was still very
happy, mostly because she would get to interact with people who had brains and not needing to
endure heavy flirting every second of the class.

Professor Yang was an asian man with long black hair tucked away in a neat ponytail and held
himself with great dignity. He almost reminded her of Lucius Malfoy. It was probably the ponytail,
considering they looked nothing alike. Professor Yang was not as uptight as their potions master
professor Poll, however, he was extremely talented in the defense of dark arts. There even was a
rumor going about that he had fought Grindelwald himself. Hermione had great trust in her
professor.

They were finally getting into the dueling part of their curriculum and Hermione was excited. This
was indeed something she was brilliant in, considering DA and the war. They were supposed to
pair up with someone in Gryffindor to Alice and Milicents great dislike. It wasn’t that they didn’t
like the Gryfindors, quite the opposite actually. They just seemed to work best in their own pair.
As did Isabella and Prudence. Hermione had seen this with her own eyes, and therefore it didn’t
pain her any longer that they always paired up in classes leaving her vulnerable towards that awful
Malfoy git. They took their education seriously, and this was something Hermione could
appreciate in her friends. However, sometimes she missed Harry and Ron a awful lot. They would
never let her get harassed by either Malfoy or Riddle. Maybe Alice and Millicent didn’t pay
enough attention to see just how much they bothered her. Sometimes Thomas Frank came to her
rescue, but he too seemed to rather pair up with another boy in their year called Artemis Caelum.
She asked Millicent about all this during her first week, when it still had upset her. Millicent
explained that these pairings had formed during their first year and that everyone just was more
comfortable this way. She had then proceeded with giving Hermione a hug and whispered in her
ear that she too would find someone who made her work even better. Hermione had shrugged and
gone to the library, alone. Who needed study partners when you could get the highest grade on
your own? She had done it all these years and she would continue to do so, thank you very much.

As people began to pair up Hermione moved to ask a sweet looking girl named Lily Prewett. She
had ginger hair cut in a nice bob and big glasses surronding her green eyes. Hermione felt the need
to befriend this witch, considering she probably was related to Molly Weasly and therefore both
Ginny and Ronald. She had always had a soft spot for the Weasleys. But as she made her way
forward a big figure stept in her way and offered her his hand. She glanced up and was met with
warm brown eyes and a big lopsided smile.

“Shall we miss Bernard?” he asked with confidence.

“Oh… um….” she glanced at the Lily girl and saw with disappointment how she ended up pairing
with Prudence. “Sure, let’s pair up.”

She clasped her hand in his and she felt him tugging her away to the middle of the classroom.

“I’m Lee by the way, Lee Woods.” he said as he let go of her hand and smiled at her again.

Hermione felt a tug at her heart when she heard his name. A flashback of Oliver Wood’s body
hanging from a chandelier came before her eyes and she shuddered. Lee did not seem to notice as
he went to place himself at the far end of the classroom for their duel to come. She had grown
somewhat accustemate to these flashbacks as she continued to meet people whose future families
were dead. She could however not shake the chill that came down her spine each time, nor could
she lose the feeling of pure hatred towards Tom Riddle who would become Voldemort himself.
She wanted to kill him now. That would earn her a one way ticket to Azkaban though, considering
he was this time's golden boy. It was probably these feelings the Slytherins felt about their little
golden trio during her own time.

Her mind continued to race as she positioned herself at the other far end of the classroom facing
Lee. He gave her another lopsided smile and shouted;

“I’ll go easy on you, yeah?” and gave her a cheeky wink.

Hermione smiled and a glimmer of anticipation could be seen in her eyes. She loved to set boys in
their place.

They both bowed to each other and Lee was quick to fire the first hex towards her. He tried to trick
her into submission, which was not going to work. A simple flipendo, she almost scoffed.
Hermione shot a quick protego and the spell bounced off, she shot an even quicker stinging jinx.
The big smile on Lee’s face faltered just a tiny bit at Hermione’s fast spellwork as he quickly
moved to the side. The jinx missed him with an inch. He growled a little and yelled;

“Rictusempra!”

Hermione jumped out of the way to her right where other students were supposed to have been
dueling, but they were all watching Lee and her, including Professor Yang. Lee continued to shoot
a series of hexes and jinxes at her, but Hermione was quick on her feet. This was a child's game
compared to dueling death eaters. A protego here, a quick jump there. She almost yawned. After a
few minutes Lee was getting visibly tired, which had been her plan all along. Avoid his spells and
tire him out. She shot a nonverbal stinging hex at him once again.

Lee was one of the Gryffindor chasers, and therefore he was rather quick in his movements. But he
was also bigger than most chasers, more buff, and as a result just not fast enough. The stinging
spell hit him on his knee and he hissed with pain. The smile he had been wearing at the start of
their duel was not visible anymore. He swiftly put his weight on his good leg and shot two
expelliarmus which Hermione ducked and made a fast somersault to Lee’s big surprise.

“Petrificus totalus!” she shouted while still in the movement of a somersault and hit him right in
the chest as he was too slow to react.
“Expelliarmus” she continued with a wide smile and caught his wand in her outstretched hand. Not
even breaking a sweat.

Professor Yang clapped and her Ravenclaw classmates cheered.

“Great job miss Bernard, great job indeed. How did you learn to duel like that, hm?”

Professor Yang asked as he cast a nonverbal finito at Lee who just stood there dumbfounded
staring at her. He looked rather out of breath and had a gleam on his forehead of sweat. She cast
him a cheeky wink which made him blush hard. A few of his fellow classmates patted him on his
back in condolences.

“Well, a lot of practice I guess” Hermione answered her professor sweetly.

She couldn’t begin to explain the real reason, now could she?

“Hm. My information tells me that Beauxbatons has not teached their students to duell at this rate
before, focusing rather heavily on their charms instead.”

“Oh well. Since Grindelwald everyone has upped their game now hasn’t they?” Hermione quickly
answered and smiled reassuringly.

Professor Yang inclined his head at this statement and gave her a rare smile.

“15 points to Ravenclaw for outstanding dueling. And five to Gryffindor for putting up a good
fight.” he boomed. “Class dismissed.”

Alice, Millicent, Prudence and Isabella quickly made their way to her and congratulated her
warmly.

“Blimey Hermione, remember me to never get on your bad side!” laughed Isabella and Hermione
smiled keenly back.

“Do not fret Isa, I’m sure you’d put up a great fight!”

“Yeah right, a great fight right down into a hiding place!” said Prudence, gaining more laughs from
the girls.

They moved to exit the classroom when Lee approached them, a few guys standing behind him
and eyeing Hermione curisoly.

“I’m quite humbled from that fight, Miss Bernard. I had no idea you could duel that well. Maybe
you could teach me some moves someday, yeah?” he said, the lopsided smile back on his face and
ruffled his hair a bit.

“I’d be happy too.” Hermione smiled and the boys moved past them, dunking Lee in the back and
shouting loudly.

The girls surrounding Hermione squealed deafeningly and tugged at her arms.

“What?” Hermione asked, confused.

“Oh Hermione, honestly. He so asked you out? How could you not tell?” Alice said, putting her
hand on her hips, scowling.
“What? Asked me out? No. He just wanted some tips on dueling. And frankly, he could use them.”
she said with a frown.

Millicent laughed warmly.

“Oh Hermione, it’s refreshing having someone worse than me in reading boys.”

Hermione just huffed as the girls moved up some stairs talking about Lee’s butt. They parted at the
6th floor, Hermione walking towards ancient runes and the others to their respective classes.

She was early, so she slid down the stonewall and seated herself on the floor and opened her
textbook to review. She didn’t hear him approach before she saw his legs as he stopped right in
front of her.

“Some would say the floor is too dirty to sit on but I guess with your bloodstatus you wouldn’t care
if you got any muddier.” he said with a sneer, looking down at her.

Hermione closed her book and swiftly rose to her feet to face the bastard.

“Listen here you little shit. I wouldn’t go around commenting on someone else's blood status when
my own wasn’t even pure!” she hissed and gritted her teeth at him.

Riddle looked a little shocked at this statement. It was only then she found herself cursing
inwardly. How the fuck would she explain how she knew that? She had messed up too much in
front of him already, gaining his suspicion from day one.

Riddle however, quickly composed himself.

“I descend from Slytherin himself, as you should know now that you seem to know so much about
me. Maybe you should do well to show me some respect, mudblood.” he said coldly and she could
see his eyes flash as they met hers. “Or maybe I should teach you just how much respect you
should show your… superiors.”

Hermione scoffed and crossed her arms, refusing to look away from his gray eyes.

“Superiors huh? You’re nothing but a spoiled brat who thinks he can get away with anything. But I
see through your little facade Riddle. You ain’t that fucking scary. I’ve seen much, much, worse.”

“Don’t tempt me, minx.” he said and moved closer so that she was pushed against the wall, only a
few centimeters from his own body.

“Careful, wouldn’t want to get mud on you, Riddle.” she teased, not buying his bate.

“I want to do many things to you, Hermione Bernard. And trust me, none of them good.” he
whispered in her ear, leaving a cold shiver down her spine, before stepping away several steps
from her.

Hermione felt herself breathing heavily. He had a certain effect on her that she didn’t like. A certain
tug in her lower belly when he was whispering in her ear like that, something that drew her in. But
she would never let him, he was a despicable person who tormented people for fun and got away
with it.

As the rest of their class came in to view one by one, Riddle didn’t speak to her again. He only ever
did so when they were alone, and it was never a pleasant talk.
Their lesson went on rather dull, and when there were twenty minutes left, professor Murphy let
them know they were going to begin their group projects next week and were given the last
minutes of this class to brainstorm a bit.

“And before you start chatting tremendously, do note that I have already paired you up” she said in
an irish accent.

This was fine for Hermione, given she didn’t have to ask someone to pair with her.

“Bones with McMillan. Andersen with Avery. Riddle with Bernard. Eriksen with Polkins…”

Professor Murphy’s voice kept going until she realized she was the Bernard in question who was
paired up with Riddle. Just her luck. Could she ever escape this disgusting person?

Riddle soundlessly sat down next to her and looked at her. She met his gaze challengingly.

“This will be interesting,” he stated quietly.

“Oh, this will be a disaster.” she retorted,

“I will not tolerate you compromising my grades, miss Bernard. You do well to remember that. Do
not get on my bad side.”

“I thought I was already there,” she muttered.

“You have no idea.” he said so quietly that she almost didn’t hear him.

On the contrary, Mr. Voldemort. I do know just too well what happens when someone gets on your
bad side. Too well.

For the rest of the class, they sat there in silence. Neither he nor she wanted anything to do with
each other. Maybe she could ask the professor to regroup them? But he could misread that as she
was scared of him. And she wasn’t. Not this side of him anyways.

When they were dismissed she ran to the library to get some studying done before dinner. She met
up with Millicent there and they sat quietly doing their homeworks before walking together to the
great hall.

While there the girls talked loudly and enthusiastically about the halloween dance that was coming
up.

During the whole meal she felt his eyes on her. Not once did he avert his gaze. When Hermione
finally got tired of feeling his intent stare on her she met his eyes, knowing it was a foolish thing to
do. He didn’t smile this time, nor did he blush. He just stared at her. She stared back, arching a
brow at him. He arched one back, mirroring her. Then he inclined his head towards the big doors,
and back up again. Never leaving her eyes. Hermione’s eyes darted to the doors. She frowned.
What did he want?

Once again he inclined his head, and this time he gave it a little nod. And then he stood up,
walking towards the door, not even looking back to her.

Hermione’s interest was piqued. What did he want with her that made him stare at her for the
whole feast and then request a meeting alone? Not that the alone part was odd, he never talked to
her out in the open. Did he really fancy her, as Alice and the others had indicated several times?
She blushed for thinking something as childish as that. Maybe he wanted to discuss their rune’s
project they had been paired to do, considering they hadn’t even discussed it during class?

A small spark of fear quiverd in the back of her stomach. This was indeed Voldemort, she’d do
well to remember that. But, she remembered herself, he wasn’t Voldemort yet. He was 16 year old
Tom Riddle. Has he even killed anyone yet? She thought hard. Ah, yes. Myrtle. That would be this
year, or had it already happened? She couldn’t remember the specifics. And then it was his father,
had that also happened? She really hoped for her sake it had, given she wasn’t feeling up to being
petrified once again by that disgusting basilisk.

As she debated with herself, the Gryffindor courage came through and she stood up. Alice and
Millicent were too busy arguing about boys being something to spend their spare time on or not, so
they did not notice Hermione leaving the table. She walked quickly towards the great hall’s big
doors and slipped through them. It was quite dark in the entrance hall. The torches shed some light,
but she couldn’t see Riddle anywhere. Had she misunderstood him?

Hermione started walking up the entrance hall's stairs, but when she rounded the corner she was
pushed against the wall hard, making her see stars.. A wand poking her neck.

“Who are you, and why are you here?” Riddle hissed through gritted teeth.

Hermione struggled to get out of his grip, but he was stronger than her. She should have known he
didn’t just want to talk, he would surely kill her now. He knew that she knew about him. Of course
he did. Hadn’t he swept through her mind during the great feast? Hadn’t she messed up several
times in front of him? He wasn’t the great Dark Lord for nothing. Hermione’s mind was racing.
She finally decided on continuing her story, it would do her no good coming clean. Not as she did
not know how much he knew.

“What are you talking about? And let me go, what on earth do you think you’re doing, Riddle?”
she finally got out, continuing to struggle against his strong arms.

He just held her harder, pulling her out from the wall before pushing her body against it yet again.
Hermione hit her head even harder, black spots pricked her vision.

“There’s something off about you, I can sense it. The way you showed up, all bloody. No one
knew you were coming, not even the professors. The way you seem to know your way about the
castle since day one. The way you seemed to recognize me as well as know some of my family
secrets. There’s something about you. You’re a liar, I can tell.” he growled and tightened his grip
on her hands.

He would surely leave a mark.

She should have known he didn’t buy her weak explanations. She struggled a bit more against his
grip and he forced her back against the wall even harder, pressing his body against hers. He was
hard as rock, muscles hiding under his uniform. One of his hands was dangerously low on her
body, just above her hip bone and gripping it painfully hard. She shuddered visibly. It was then she
saw the head boy pin glinting in the torch light. She frowned. How on earth did he have a head boy
pin?

“Answer me!” Riddle demanded and his face suddenly felt very close to Hermione’s.

The hand resting on her hip bone pushed the skin even harder, it was sure to leave a bruise. She
gulped. He had something red glowing in his eyes. This was most definitely Lord Voldemort. How
could she ever have thought anything else?
“I’m Hermione Bernard. My parents are dead. Everyone’s dead. I don’t know what else to tell you,
I don’t remember!” she shouted, tears starting to roll down her cheeks.

Riddle’s face was still very close to hers, and she could see him smirking, his eyes cold as ice.

“Let’s see if you tell the truth now, shall we? Legillimens!”

Before she could build up her occlumency walls he came crashing down in her head. She fought
him off as well as she could. But he still saw what was fresh in her mind. He saw her hatred for
him, as well as the interest she insisted on burying deep inside. Hermione tried the hardest she
could to bring forth the memory of Beauxbatons uniform and place them somewhere that did not
look like Hogwarts. All the dead bodys of her friends and former professors flashed before her
eyes, Tom standing and watching beside her. The death eaters casting dark magic and her standing
in it all trying to fight them off, her friends dying like flies beside her. A glimt of her parents, also
dead, in their muggle home. The memory showed how she fell down to her knees, the realization
that she had been too late to save them. A loud wail escaped her lips as she grasped their bodies and
wept hard. She didn't want him to see this. He was the reason she had to endure it all. He would not
get to see it all.

After a few seconds she fought him off, she couldn’t bear to experience it all again. Tom had
backed off, panting. He released his grip on her, and looked at her more intently now. Almost
carefully.

“Who were they?” he asked her quietly.

Somehow she knew he didn’t mean her friends, or her parents. Hermione had to think quickly. So
she went with what he had given her in their first meeting.

“Grindelwald''.

Tom glanced at her, a sneer over his face.

“I thought Grindelwald's supporters wore red. These people had black coats.”

Hermione swallowed and then raised her chin, meeting his gaze.

“These had black coats, and used black magic. Would you say they were not Grindelwald's
supporters then? Please enlighten me on who they follow, Tom.”

He stared at her for a few seconds before he gave a short nod.

“Why did it look like you fought in Hogwarts castle? Here?” he wondered, with his eyes still
burning a little bit.

Hermione bit her lip. Fuck. She thought she had done a good job trying to mix with the memories.
Apparently not. That’s what you get from learning everything from a book.

“It wasn’t here… Beauxbaton just looks a bit like Hogwarts” she tried, hoping to all the Gods that
he had not visited Beauxbaton at all.

To be fair, neither had Hermione. The location of all schools were, after all, a secret.

His hand moved back to her throat and gripped hard asking his next question.

“How did you recognize me then?”

“I-... I didn’t” Hermione gasped out. “I-... you just startled me, I didn’t really know where I were or
how I had come to be there, please, Tom… I swear.”

She could barely breathe anymore. Riddle just watched her, mulled over her words a bit. He then
took another step back and released her throat.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you, I shouldn’t have doubted you. I just felt that your story was not adding up.
And I am head boy, after all. I just want what’s best for the castle, of course you’d understand” he
said quickly, giving her another piercing look.

Hermione nodded slowly. She did not believe for a second he had just done that to protect the
castle. Not for a second.

“I understand.” she said quietly and gave him a disgusted look.

She couldn’t hold back her hatred anymore, not after the stunt he just pulled. Not that she had done
a good job with it in the first place. It showed her he was no better than his older self. She just
prayed he had not seen himself in her memories, even though he looked extremely different from
what was standing before her today. From what she could tell, he had just seen the death eaters,
and them she could explain as they were just dressed in black. She thought she even got away with
the lie about Beauxbaton looking like Hogwarts. She just might have.

“Let me, er, follow you to your commonroom miss Bernard, '' Riddle offered with an apologetic
smile, putting on his charm again.

He was back to acting like the golden boy. Oh that bastard. Had he not just pressed his disgusting
body against her, pushing her up against a freaking wall, his hands around her throat and threatened
her? And now he wanted to escort her to the common rooms? What a prick.

“You most certainly will not” Hermione huffed.

Riddle stared at her and Hermione crossed her arms and stuck her nose up, looking away from him.
She did not fancy another legilimency session. But he didn’t move away, he just stood there. She
shot him a quick glance after a few quiet seconds and saw that he was staring at her body in a
weird way. His eyes had glanced over the hem of her shirt that had popped open a little bit during
their rumble, her white lace bra showing a little bit. Hermione cursed out loud and quickly
corrected her uniform that had also slipped up a little, exposing the skin on her stomach. Riddle’s
eyes quickly darted from where the skin just had shown, and got something dark in his eyes. He
licked his lips, catched her eyes again and gave her a small nod with his head before departing
down towards the dungeons and his own common room.

Ew. He had really just licked his lips after eyeing her? Was he walking back with a hard on as
well? She wouldn’t put it past him, given he probably got turned on by doing disgusting things and
got off by sheer power. A real fucking sadist.

Hermione shivered and started the long walk up towards Ravenclaw tower.
 Chapter 10

As the first months of the term drew on, their workloads grew. It was no match for Tom of course,
but Crabbe and Goyle especially struggled. Even Lestrange had to study several hours more than
usual. It made them all a little sleep deprived. That and the fact that Tom had started to arrange
weekly get togethers at midnight in his quarters every wednesday and sunday.

His little group had started to address Tom as my lord, which suited him he thought. After all, he
was a descendent from Slytherin. They had also grown to fear his power more now, after he had
shown them what he could do. But of course their respect only grew with their fear, as predicted.

Just this last month they had kidnapped that disgusting boy Thomas Frank, Hermione’s
new friend. Tom made them all practice the cruciatus curse on him, as well as the imperius curse.
Afterwards he obliviated him of course, making Thomas believe he had been out exercising and it
was because of this his body was aching. His followers were even more impressed with him after
that. If they followed his every move before, they were worshiping him now.

Tom was rather smug. He got his group of followers who obeyed anything he said, he got a girl to
torment and he was every teacher's favorite. Apart from Dumbledore, and now even professor
Utilis was a little more drawn towards Hermione. It bothered him in the beginning, but she still
gave him great marks so he decided that Hermione could have that old cunt to herself. He didn’t
need her. Tom’s life was finally getting to the point he wanted. But as always, he wanted more
whenever he could.

It was mid october when they were eating breakfast one wednesday. Tom was, as always, keeping
a close eye on Hermione. Not that anyone noticed it, he made sure of it. The girls were discussing
something, probably clothes, when the ginger girl who’s name apparently was Alice, turned her
wand towards Hermione and all of the sudden that big, bushy mane was silky smooth and straight.
Tom almost gaped. It was beautiful. Whatever Alice had done to Hermione’s hair, it made her gain
a lot of attention. Mostly boys were staring, including his gang. Malfoy was licking his lips and
almost groaning.

“Oh I just knew she could get even hotter. Damn. I so wish I’d already tapped that. Did you guys
see her ass in those muggle jeans she wore the other day? I haven’t seen a girl in such tight trousers
before, it made my cock twitch badly. Let me tell you that.”

Crabbe and Goyle both nodded their heads and eyed Hermione with lust in their eyes.

Tom couldn’t help but agree for once. Those jeans sure had made even him stare a bit att her arse.

“Watch this!” Malfoy hissed and then he put his fingers in his mouth and blew hard.

A very loud whistle was heard that gained not only Hermione’s attention, but almost the whole
hall’s.

“Looking good Bernard! You get better looking for each day, I dare say!” he shouted as giggles
around the hall erupted.

That comment made Hermione blush, which was Tom’s favorite part of the day. Someday’s she
even blushed more than once, those days were considered better than the others he thought.

As Tom was eyeing her blush fade he felt another set of eyes upon him and glanced over quickly.
Another ravenclaw girl was looking at him, more like staring actually. Probably one of his
admirers. As he noticed her, another one fell into the staring right beside her. Disturbing, really.
Tom curled his upper lip. It wasn’t unusual for girls to stare at him longingly, but it was equally
disturbing each time he caught them. Mostly because as soon as he accidently made eye contact,
they thought he was interested in them.

Tom averted his gaze from the two girls and joined in the conversation at his own table instead. To
his distaste, it was the halloween dance.

“Well I’m going with Greengrass of course,” said Lestrange with a grimace.

It wasn’t that Lestrange did not like the girl, he had just hoped to get around a bit during the dance.
However, Miss Greengrass was keen on attending dances and it would not be proper to not be
attending with your fiancée.

“We’re going solo. I’m hoping there’s a great feast. I can’t wait for the Halloween sweets.” said
Crabbe and Goyle nodded eagerly.

Avery was taking some pureblood Hufflepuff Tom didn’t catch the name off, but apparently she
had a big rack which was good enough for Avery. Considering he could not touch that is, but he
could always look he said with a wink.

Malfoy hadn’t said anything yet, which was odd considering he always liked to brag about
whomever he was keen on for the moment. But then again, he had been stuck on Miss Bernard
since the beginning of term and getting… all but nowhere.

“I haven’t decided what to do yet…” he muttered after a few seconds where everyone was staring
at him, waiting for the name of his date.

“What do you mean Malfoy?” asked Crabbe.

“I mean, it would be good for my pursuit to ask Miss Bernard. Although it would look incredibly
daft to bring a mudblood to a dance as a pureblood. I could always say I did it to get into her pants,
but then I risk exposing myself to her, don’t I?” He explained and gained a few nodds from his
companions.

“Well, you better decide quickly because I don’t think you’re the only one that thinks she gets
‘better looking for each day’ “ Avery said with a sneer.

Malfoy scanned the hall and noted that there was indeed a fair pair of eyes that were watching
Hermione’s every move. Even more so now that her hair wasn’t so bushy. They all probably hoped
that she would do something similar before the dance.

“Are you taking someone, Riddle?” asked Goyle with a shy smile.

“I do not date, Goyle. You know that.” he answered coldly.

The small smile on Goyle’s face quickly vanished and he visibly shuddered. The others didn’t dare
bring up the subject again after that.

Their school day went about rather quickly. It was time for his last class of the day which was
ancient runes. Tom liked ancient runes, not as much as artimacy but enough to enjoy the
homework. He was always early to the classes, and as he walked up to the door he spotted a certain
witch of interest sitting on the floor. It wasn’t very often he could get her alone, given she had
those two ravenclaw bitches glued to her hip. But once in a while he could get her alone, and he
cherished those moments more than he would like to admit.
He glanced her up and down before coming to a halt right before her.

“Some would say the floor is too dirty to sit on, but I guess with your bloodstatus you wouldn’t
care if you got any muddier.” he said with a sneer, making a point to look down at her.

Hermione closed her book fiercely and shot up to face him.

“Listen here you little shit. I wouldn’t go around commenting on someone else’s bloodstatus when
my own wasn’t even pure!”

Tom was shocked. For one she had called him a little shit, words that he had never heard in his life,
let alone from a girl. Secondly she somehow knew he was a halfblood? How in the name of Merlin
did she know that? No one knew about his father, no one except Dumbledore. He doubted the old
goat had gone blabbing about that fact.

He quickly put himself together, not enjoying the fact that she had made him shocked. He also
noted that she looked rather panicked afterwards. He had made her lose her temper and she had
given him another clue, he could see it in her eyes. This stupid bitch. This fact made him content,
he was on the right track making her lose her balance. After a while he would have enough clues to
figure out who the hell this girl was. He considered his next words carefully but came to the
conclusion that she probably already knew of it.

“I descend from Slytherin himself, as you should know now that you seem to know so much about
me. Maybe you should do well to show me some respect, mudblood. Or maybe I should teach you
just how much respect you should show your… superiors.”

She scoffed at this and crossed her arms over her chest, and did not meet his eye.

“Superiors huh? You’re nothing but a spoiled brat who thinks he can get away with anything. But I
see through your little facade Riddle. You ain’t that fuckng scary. I’ve seen much, much worse.”
she said with ice, still not meeting his eye.

The fact that she wouldn’t return his gaze enraged him. LOOK AT ME, he wanted to shout at her.
He didn’t. He did, however, move closer so that she was pushed against the wall. Oh, how he
enjoyed having her cornered like this. Nowhere to run away, just him and her. A sort of foreplay, a
thought in his head said. He certainly felt a bit turned on by the situation, and from the flush on her
face she did too.

“Don’t tempt me, minx.” he purred.

“Careful, wouldn’t want to get mud on you, Riddle.” she said teasingly and finally met his gaze.

He almost smiled at his win.

“I want to do many things to you, Hermione Bernard. And trust me, none of them good,” he
whispered in her ear.

He felt an impulse to nibble at it, but denied himself the pleasure and simply stepped away from
her. As he did so, the first few students of their shared class came into view. He smirked. Once
again, their timing was perfect.

Professor Murphy was one of his favorites, only because she seemed rather keen on him. She was
one of their younger teachers, and many considered her beautiful. Tom had put on his charm with
her early one, gaining her affection. She often said he was her favorite student.

At the end of the class she explained to the class that there would be a group project and started
listing the names that would pair up. It came to no surprise to Tom when he was paired with
Hermione. He had seen to it. It was easy to make Professor Murphy buy the fact that he wanted to
work with the other brilliant student in his class were there to be a group project. Hermione on the
other hand, looked rather devastated.

He went over to her desk swiftly and sat down. At first she didn’t look at him, but after a few
seconds she scowled.

“This will be interesting,” he stated with a low voice.

“Oh, this will be a disaster.” she said and scrunched up her nose at him.

“I will not tolerate you compromising my grades, miss Bernard. You do well to remember that. Do
not get on my bad side.” he said with the same low voice, playing into his whole ‘i'm a good boy
who loves school’ charade.

Hermione broke their eye contact and stared right ahead, looking angrily at professor Murphy.

“I thought I was already there.” she muttered.

“You have no idea” Tom mumbled so quietly he was sure she hadn’t heard him.

After their last class of the day, Tom met up the boys in the Slytherin common room. They were
comparing notes and studying to his great surprise. After another hour or so, the group made their
way to the great hall for some dinner. Tom was happily munching on some potatoes and roast beef
when he heard Malfoy complaining about Hermione getting hit on by another guy, and a
gryffindor for that!

There was a rumor spread that Hermione had dueled during defense against the dark arts and
kicked Lee Woods ass. Lee had then proceeded with asking the girl in question out on a date. Tom
guessed some people just enjoyed being put in their place. That was why the world needed people
like him, leaders. Avery and Lestrange were discussing wildly how Hermione’s dueling techniques
had been complimented by professor Yang himself.

Every day this girl continued to impress him with her spellwork. He would never admit so openly,
but she was a very bright young witch. Much as himself, just not as good of course. He felt a strong
need to confront her, right there and then. And he acted on that impulse.

Tom stared hard at Hermione during the whole dinner, not breaking contact even for eating.
Towards the end of the meal she finally met his gaze and they stared at each other silently for
several seconds before she arched one of her brows at him, he quickly mirrored her mimic. He then
continued to move his head in the direction of the entrance hall and back, not breaking their eye
contact. Hermione frowned. Oh gods, this girl was daft. He almost grimaced at her lack of
understanding the simple gesture. Tom once again moved his head towards the entrance hall, this
time actually nodded towards it before standing up and exiting the hall.

He made his way up the small steps towards all the stairs and stopped right behind the wall to wait
for Hermione to show up. He almost started wondering if she was so daft that she hadn’t gotten the
memo at all, and then he heard her footsteps in the hall behind him. He heard her ascend the stairs
to his right and as she rounded the corner he captured her small frame and pushed her hard against
the stone wall. It made him shiver with joy when he heard her head hit the wall hard. There were
not many things that made him happier than hurting someone he did not like.

“Who are you, and why are you here?” he hissed through his teeth as he poked his wand in her
neck, hard.

He could feel the small witch trying to struggle her way out of his grip, but he was far bigger and
stronger than her. He moved his wand into his sleeve and gripped her neck, this made Hermione
struggle more so. Her attempts were laughable. He barely even felt them. What he could feel
however, was her pulse racing behind his hand on her neck as well as her hip bone's nice curve
under his other hand. The whole thing actually turned him on a bit.

“What are you talking about? And let me go, what on earth do you think you’re doing, Riddle?”
she squealed and continued to struggle against his body.

She continued to lie to him, even when approached about her lies. Despicable. He pulled her out
from the wall with a quick motion only to throw her into it again. This time he did smirk as he
heard her skull connect to the wall. He could see it hurt her and his cock twitched.

“There’s something off about you, I can sense it. The way you showed up, all bloody. No one
knew you were coming, not even the professors. The way you seem to know your way around the
castle since day one. The way you seemed to recognize me as well as know some of my family
secrets. There’s something about you. You’re a liar, I can tell.” he growled in her ear and made
sure his grip was tight enough around her neck.

He saw her panic as much as he sensed it, her pulse was racing now. Surely above 180. She had
stopped to struggle against his grip and he saw a frown grow on her face. What was she thinking
about?

“Answer me!” he demanded into her face, a rage burning within.

He saw her gulp down big and lick her lips before she spoke.

“I’m Hermione Bernard. My parents are dead. Everyone’s dead. I don’t know what else to tell you,
I don’t remember!” she shouted and to his content he saw tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Let’s see if you finally tell the truth now, shall we? Legillimens!”

He scammed through her head quickly. The first thing that came up was her hatred for him, not a
surprise considering the situation they were in. But there was also intrigue there. He quickly went
further into her head. Noting that she had been to Hogwarts before, in some sort of a battle. People
died around her. But they weren’t in hogwarts uniform, they had a blue one. Hermione were
fighting off people in black capes. Some dead looking man with red eyes who was laughing cold
and manically. The scenery changed and Hermione was in some sort of muggle home with two
dead people before her. She was crying heavily, screaming on the top of her lungs as she grasped
the two bodies. And then he was thrown out of her head. He was surprised at the strength of her
occlumency.

Tom backed away and panted a bit. There were many questions spiraling in his head.

“Who were they?” he asked.

He saw her eyes dart up to the right before she answered.

“Grindelwald.”
“I thought Grindelwal’s supporters wore red. These people had black coats.” he sneered.

At this the witch raised her chin and met his gaze with newfound confidence.

“These had black coats, and used black magic. Would you say they were not Grindelwald’s
supporters then? Please enlighten me on who they follow, Tom.”

Did she find him for a fool? Grindelwald wanted his supporters to be seen, therefore they always
wore red coats. The color of blood.

He went through the images in his mind again, stopping only when he saw the dead looking man
laugh. It made him go cold.

“Why did it look like you fought in Hogwarts castle then? Here?” he said, fighting the rage within.

She bit her lip. It made something inside of him growl. She really was a minx. He found himself
wanting to bite down on her lip as well.

“It wasn’t here…” she started slowly. “Beauxbaton just looks a bit like Hogwarts.”

Tom almost laughed. Not even she bought that explanation. She must sense that he didn’t believe
her. All together, she was a terrible liar. And then he asked his most wanted question, and found
himself pushing her back up against the wall with his hand around her throat.

“How did you recognize me then?”

“I-... I didn’t.” she gasped, not getting enough air. “I-... you just startled me, I didn’t really know
where I was or how I had come to be there. Please, Tom… I swear.”

He saw her face grow a nice purple shade. Granted, it wasn’t as nice as her blush but it certainly
did a number on him anyways. He went through her story at a rapid speed, finding no truth in it. It
was lies. All lies. Always lies coming from her mouth. He decided that she ought to think he
believes her, only for her to become more relaxed around him. He was still intent on finding out
who she really was.

Tom took a step back and released her throat. Hermione coughed several times, gasping for air. He
quickly went into headboy mode.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you, I shouldn’t have doubted you. I just felt that your story was not adding up.
And I am head boy, after all. I just wanted what’s best for the castle, of course you’d understand.”

She gave a very slow nod, something burning in her eyes as she met his gaze.

“I understand.”

Tom could tell that she didn’t buy his little charade, so he plastered it on even thicker.

“Let me, er, follow you to the common room, miss Bernard.” he offered, granting her an apologetic
smile.

“You most certainly will not.” she huffed, as even the thought of him following her anywhere was
the most disgusting thing she had ever heard in her life.

She once again stuck her nose up and turned her whole head away from him, clearly dismissing
him. Tom however, had noticed how Hermione’s uniform was in a mess. In full display was a
white lace bra peeking through her shirt, and under it was a perfect swell of her breast. It was
surely a handful. He felt the need to touch her again, to push her up against the wall and rip her
shirt open so he could see her other breast as well. He wanted to lick her skin. Tom absentmindedly
licked his lips. In a blink of an eye Hermione realized she was on display before him and cursed
loudly before tucking away his treat. As she did so, his eyes darted down towards her hip bone.
The precise one that Tom had just pushed hard against. This was also visible considering her shirt
had risen up a bit. But just as quickly it was gone when she had corrected her uniform. He wanted
to ravish her. He wanted her to scream for him. He wanted to take her. He wanted it all right now.

She was looking at him disgusted. Once again he licked his lips and gave her a curt nod before
disappearing down to the dungeons.

Why he went to the dungeons was beyond him considering he didn’t even stay there anymore. He
figured it was because the whole situation was messing with his head. He knew for a fact that she
was still lying, apparently her secrets were worth keeping even when physically abused. He had
messed up what little trust she had in him in the first place now, so maybe he should just plain out
ignore the girl. Or perhaps it would suit him better to simply play Tom Riddle the Head Boy again.
Maybe this time she’d buy it, considering he told her he believed her.

The whole situation was messed up, he needed to come up with a plan of action again. He cursed
under his breath for acting on his impulses. But it wasn’t that that was getting to him. No. It was
the fact that for the first time in his life, he had noticed a girl and that girl was the reason he had
acted so foolish. And he wanted to do stuff to her, sexually. Or maybe he just wanted to abuse her.
Nevertheless, seeing her body, her skin, like that had made him turn on. Pushing her up against the
wall, had turned him on. Her crying had turned him on. Her being afraid of him, had turned him
on.

Tom had always thought he was asexual, but it turns out he hadn’t found what turned him on yet.
And it was Hermione Bernard.
 Chapter 11

After her little run in with Riddle, Hermione made sure to not be alone with him again. She kept
herself the company of the other Ravenclaw girls as well as Thomas Frank. And when it was time
for her advanced classes that they didn’t share with her, such as advanced runes, she showed up
precisely on time. There was a slight inconvenience with this plan though, and that was the fact
that she was paired up with the jerk during this particular class.

Their first class after the incident she had been extremely nervous, although she didn’t want him to
know that of course. So she had used occlumency to keep her thoughts clear and only focused on
the work that was before them. To her great surprise, Riddle never mentioned anything about their
incident. Never made a remark about it again. It was almost as if it hadn't happened. In fact, he
barely talked to her. He made a few comments about their work, and that was it. Not even during
the other classes, where he usually made some remark or at least made his dummies make one, did
he say something. Even Malfoy was treating her better, with respect even. There was no more curd
flirting or touching her inappropriately every chance he got. Malfoy simply gave her a few
compliments on her spellwork and that was it. It was messing with her brain. Hermione couldn’t
figure out what had changed, except for that one incident in the corridor with Riddle. But had he
actually believed her story? Had she fooled the great Voldemort himself? Maybe she actually had
succeeded. Maybe she could actually have a normal life here. Maybe.

It was the week before the Halloween dance, and naturally it had all the girls giddy and jumping
with anticipation. All but Hermione of course. No one had asked her to the dance which didn’t
bother her at all. She really just wanted to go and enjoy it with her friends. However, they all had
dates and acting as Hermione not having one was the end of the world. Isabella and Prudence kept
commenting on boys they knew were solo, urging her to ask them out herself. Something
Hermione refused to do. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to ask anyone, she just wasn’t interested in
anyone. And if she went solo, she could always sneak off to the library to study. She really did
have a few essays to keep up with. One was even due next week! Hermione’s master plan quickly
went into bits during a defense against the dark arts lesson though.

Lee Wood had quickly become her partner during these lessons, mostly because he saw to it. But
Hermione didn’t mind. He had a good mind for the class and was a nice person. They usually
chatted a bit during class. Lee had even started greeting Hermione in the corridors between classes,
to the girls content. Whenever he did so, they whispered that she ought to ask him out, or at least
take him up on the date he mentioned after that dueling class. And she never did. But Lee,
however, finally got the guts to ask her out.

“Hermione…” he whispered during professor Yang’s presentation about protective spells.

She hmm’ed an answer, not taking her eyes off her notes.

“Do you… er, I mean… would you… that is to say… uh…” he struggled, ruffling his hair a bit.

She glanced up at him and saw that he was blushing ravishingly.

“Do I what, Wood?” she asked, a small smile on her lips.

It was cute the way he struggled to get his words out. Usually he was the fitting image of a
quidditch player, all muscles and confidence.

“Uh… I’d like to ask you… you know, uh… the dance” he mumbled and fumbled with his
notebook, not meeting her eye.

Hermione almost giggled. How in the world could she say no to someone who struggled so badly
to ask her out? It would ruin him. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t mess around a little bit.

“What dance?” she said, a smile tugging in the corner of her mouth.

It took Lee a few seconds to answer, probably trying to figure out if she were messing with him or
not.

“Uh… the Halloween dance?” he said questioningly. “You know, next Friday?”

“There’s a dance next Friday? How exciting!” she exclaimed, now putting down her quill.

“Yes, er… why…”

He finally met her eyes and saw that her smile had grown teasingly. Quickly, he shook off his
frown and glared at her.

“You tease,” he muttered.

“Of course I’ll go with you, dummy!” she giggled and playfully hit his arm.

“Really?” he said hopefully, his eyes lighting up.

“Really, Lee. You know, I’d be honored.” she said and bowed her head at him which gained her a
giggle from him.

“I’m glad. Maybe we could, uh, meet beforehand? Like in the entrance hall or something?” he
asked shyly.

“That sounds like a good idea.” Hermione said, forced a smile and then put her attention towards
professor Yang once more.

Lee had a smile on his lips for the rest of the class. And should she believe the girls, the whole day.
Hermione however, felt a bit queasy. Truth be told, that arrangement screamed resemblance of the
one she had made with Viktor Krum. And that night had been a disaster. She really wished this one
would prove her better.

It was a little weird when you thought about it, being asked out by Oliver Wood’s grandfather. But
Hermione had decided to stop thinking about such facts, simply because it made her get the ick
from every boy and the blues from thinking of the people she knew in her own time. So, she had
simply been asked out by Lee Wood. Simple as that. And she had said yes, more for his well being
than her own. Nevertheless, she had a date for the dance next Friday. Maybe the girls would finally
shut up now.

The girls could never shut up, Hermione concluded. Gosh, they were even worse than the girls in
her own time had been. Their dinner, and the lunch before that, and even the freaking breakfast, all
they had been talking about were who would attend the dance with who and what dresses they
knew someone would be wearing. As well as a few remarks on who they believed Riddle would
attend with. To Hermione’s great discontent Prudence even suggested he’d ask her. As if. He never
even spoke to her anymore. This was of course precisely how Hermione liked it. She didn’t want
anything with him, not a single thing. But it was a bit odd, wasn’t it? How he had just believed her
and then stopped pursuing her all together? It wasn’t that she missed the attention, not at all. She
wasn’t a girl who enjoyed attention. But to have both Malfoy’s undivided attention as well as
Riddle’s ripped away after a single night? It was odd.

It was Friday afternoon, she had another history of magic lesson before there was a long awaited
weekend before them. Hermione, Alice and Millicent had made plans to go into Hogsmeade the
following day to buy the last of what they needed before the big dance. Apparently you weren’t
just supposed to dress nicely in a dressing gown, you were also supposed to have something
covering your face.

“It is Halloween, ‘minoe! Of course you need to have some sort of a costume!” Alice exploded
when she had questioned the fact.

Truth be told, Hermione rather enjoy a walk around the grounds, following some nice and cozy
hours in the library with her favorite book, Hogwarts, a history.

“Oh come now, Hermione. It’s not that often that we get to dress up, now is it? Surely you’ll give
poor Alice what she wants, just this once?” Millicent had pleaded with her, a nice set of puppy eyes
watching her.

Hermione doubted this was the only time Alice wanted, or got, her way.

“Alright, alright! I’ll come to Hogsmeade.” Hermione simply stated with a pout.

“That’s our girl!” chirped Alice and skipped around them in a circle. “Maybe she’ll even let us
paint her nails Mill! Can you imagine? Oh the delight!”

“Oh well, anything for you Alice.” Hermione sighed as Alice continued to skip.

“You guys better get to divination before you get in trouble!” she said with a fake stern voice.

Millicent glanced down at her arm-watch, yelped, and quickly grabbed a hold of Alice before they
disappeared in the direction of the divination classroom.

“Bye ‘mione!” she heard Alice's voice echo from where they had disappeared.

Hermione shook her head as she walked the few steps from where they had chatted to their
classroom. It was empty. Or at least, mostly empty.

Riddle sat at his usual spot in the top left corner of the room, already scribbling down something at
his parchment. Hermione was about to place herself on the other top corner of the classroom, and
furthest away from him, when he glanced up and they locked eyes.

“Hello, miss Bernard.” he said with the utter most polite tone she had ever heard in her life.

She curled an eyebrow and refused to let the shock show on her face. From nothing to a polite
hello?

“Hello, Mr Riddle. On talking terms, are we now?” she said, crossing her arms.

He simply smiled and continued to scribble on his parchment. It made her want to know what he
was writing. Probably something for this class, or another. But something inside of her was saying
it probably wasn’t. She shook her head and placed herself in the top right corner of the classroom.
The rest of the class slowly filled the classroom, and Professor Binns entered behind them all,
quickly starting off the lesson about another goblin war. Honestly, how many had they fought?
Didn’t they learn anything?
Riddle didn’t look at her again during class. And why would he? But Hermione couldn’t take her
eyes off of him. She desperately wanted to know what he was playing at. And truth be told, she
didn’t know much about Tom Riddle. She knew all but everything about Voldemort. But Tom, the
teenager, Riddle, was a completely different person. Or was he? Honestly, she didn’t know.

Malfoy had seated himself beside her, gave her a small smile when she shot him a nasty look and
said nothing. These boys were going to be the death of her.

After class she had gone to the great hall for an early dinner. The hall was almost empty save for a
few students here and there. Thomas Frank was seated in the middle of the Ravenclaw table and
Hermione slid down on the bench next to him.

“Hello Hermione. How are you doing?” he asked politely.

“Hi Thomas, I’m doing good. I’ve been longing for this weekend, though I have so much
homework. Are you up to something fun?”

“I need to find a suit for the dance. Makayla Douglas said she’d be my date, isn’t that nice? She’s a
hufflepuff fourth year. Quite pretty actually.”

“You don’t have a suit yet? Very last minute of you Thomas.” Hermione teased.

“Well, I didn’t think I’d get a date to the dance and therefore opted to not go at all.” Thomas
explained matter of factly, not having sensed Hermione’s teasing tone at all.

“Why wouldn’t you go if you didn’t have a date?” She frowned.

“I heard a couple of Slytherins say that if you didn’t have a date to the dance it equaled social
suicide, and I figured I already had a few hills to climb and therefore didn’t need to social suicide.”

Hermione only shook her head at this. Poor Thomas.

“I need to go now. Artemis promised to show me how to dance. Bye Hermione.”

She waved at him and helped herself to some food, after a couple of minutes the girls joined her at
the table.

The following day Hermione woke at nine, a rather long sleep in for her. She felt completely
relaxed and was looking forward to spending the whole day in the library.

“Ready for a girls day in Hogsmeade ‘mione?” asked Alice from the other side of the room.

Ugh. Right. How could she have forgotten she promised to go to Hogsmeade for shopping.

“The whole day?” she whined.

“Oh yes! I have it all planned!” chirped Alice.

“I need to go to Madam Pouf’s boutique, Alice! My red lipstick is running low and I can’t go to the
dance with old lipstick.” skipped Prudence in.

Alice just nodded understandingly at this before turning her attention to Hermione again.
“Now, ‘mione, we’re first going to go to Madam Pudd’s to look at dress robes…”

“You guys already have dress robes!” Hermione, angry, interrupted.

“But what if there’s something nicer at Madam Pudd’s and we wouldn’t even know because
we’re settling Hermione?” Alice said with a stern face.

Hermione just groaned at this.

“Well, after Madam Pudd’s we’ll go to Madam Pouf’s for makeup like you needed Prudence. And
hey, did you guys know they’re cousins? Who would have thought! After Madam Pouf’s we’d
need to go for a quick lunch at the three broomsticks and then we’ll just browse the rest of the
village. But those two stops are mandatory.”

Alice said that last sentence, pronouncing every word directly at Hermione who just shot her a
nasty look.

“Best just do what she says, ‘mione..” whispered Millicent from the bed beside her. “It’s best that
way, keeping the peace and all that.”

“Never thought of you for a coward, Mill” she hissed back.

Millicent just laughed at this.

“That’s why I’m put in Ravenclaw, doll. I use my brain instead of reacting to everything.” she
winked. “The trick is to make her think it’s her idea, watch this.”

“Oh Alice. I’ve heard Richard Malcom loves spending time in Tomes and Scrolls before leaving
Hogsmeade.”

Alice's eyes lit up at this information.

“NEW PLAN. We all need to meet up at Tomes and Scrolls before leaving. MANDATORY.”

Hermione burst out laughing and Millicent joined her. Luckily, Alice didn’t seem to notice
considering Isabella had just started talking about Richard’s dreamy eyes.
 Chapter 12

To get Hermione alone again after that incident proved impossible. The witch was never seen
without her little posse of girls. He could of course always hex them and get her alone that way, but
she’d known it was him if he did. So he kept watching her, with the same amount of interest, but
made sure she didn’t know he was watching her. He told Malfoy to tone down his flirting, make
her like him and maybe she’d tell him her secrets. That way Tom would know anyway considering
Malfoy told him everything.

He told her dumb stuff like her eye color, like he didn’t know that, or how she favored her left hand
over her right for both writing and spellwork. It wasn’t necessary for him to know, but Malfoy told
him anyway and Tom simply… let him. Somewhere inside of him he needed to know everything
there was to know about the girl, including what he thought was the silly stuff. He made sure none
of his ‘friends’ were calling her a mudblood, or anything else for that matter. He told them all
during a meeting that it was of uttermost importance that Miss Bernard didn’t feel threatened by
them, or felt watched for that matter. They all agreed of course, not knowing the real reason behind
his request. That’s why he liked Lestrange, Avery, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle so much. They
simply just… obeyed.

The first class after that night Hermione had looked a bit… dazed. Tom wondered if she had
touched herself like he had after their little get together. He wondered if she liked the way his body
was pushed against hers, the feeling of her pulse racing and him looming over her. He wondered if
she wanted it to happen again, as badly as he wanted it.

With just those small thoughts he felt the now common feeling of his cock twitching. Tom quickly
adjusted his trousers somewhat casually and hoped that she hadn’t noticed the body warmth now
radiating through him. It was incredibly hot today, wasn’t it? He cleared his throat.

“Miss Bernard…” he begun,

Hermione jumped high on her seat as he addressed her. Tom almost smirked.

“Would you agree that these runes would translate to partnership?”

Tom knew they did. He just needed to include her in their group project of translating words so that
Professor Murphy would see that they were actually working together. They did no such thing,
both of them were happily working by themselves. Another thing that Tom noticed they had in
common.

“Er… yes. Though it’s easy to mix it up with the word eihwaz that translates into defense.” she
answered thoughtfully, just a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“Not that hard if you think about it. Eihwaz has an i in it, hinting for the fact that ‘I need to defend’,
when ehwaz doesn’t have an i, and can then be thought of that you’re more than yourself, hence,
partnership.” Tom explained with a light tone.

Hermione was now staring at him with an open mouth. She had a lovely mouth. He could do vile
things to that mouth. She quickly composed herself and shook her head.

“I’ve never thought about it that way…” she muttered.

“It’s all about breaking the runes down, Miss Bernard.” he had said and continued his work,
feeling her eyes on him for the rest of the lesson.
One Monday morning they had potions class together, as always. Hermione was seated behind her
two fellow Ravenclaw’s, as always. Tom quickly wondered why they never sat with her, always in
front of her. It didn’t seem to bother Hermione though. Tom knew it wouldn’t have bothered him
either.

Malfoy slid down next to her on the bench, as always. But he didn’t make a move on her, he didn’t
shuffle closer. He even made a point not to touch her if he could help it. Hermione looked
bewildered, shooting him glances through her eye lashes during their whole lesson. Tom smirked.
Malfoy sure was obedient, he was going to award him for this later.

Professor Poll had made them practice a love potion antidote during their class, which had
surprised him. It was a rather advanced potion, getting it wrong could be horrendous for the person
taking it.

“Well class. Today we’re going to brew an antidote to love potions. You never know when one
might come in handy. This particular potion is so potent it even lifts the haze that Amortentia
creates for its victim. Who can say what signifies Amortentia?”

Hermione’s hand shot right up at this question. Tom raised his eyebrows. She was always keen to
answer questions, but her hand had literally shot up in such a speed he had never seen before. Even
Professor Poll seemed surprised.

“Er… Miss Bernard?”

“It is distinctive for the mother-of-pearl sheen, as well as the steam that rises in spirals. It also
smells different to anyone that smells it, according to what attracts them.” Hermione stated matter
of factly.

“Well said, Miss Bernard. Ten points to Ravenclaw. Now, as I was saying. This particular potion is
very hard to get right, so I would not assume all of you were to succeed in making it. However,
those who do will get twenty points each to their house. Chop, chop!”

It was indeed a harder potion to make than usual. Tom, of course, did not get the potion wrong.
Neither did Malfoy and Hermione, but Tom wasn’t that surprised by this. He knew Malfoy was an
excellent potion brewer, and had heard from him that Hermione was almost as skilled. They all got
their points and an applaud from professor Poll and their classmates. Tom smiled as warmly as he
could before departing towards his next class.

Tom was seated in the lounge room of the headquarters when Susanna Tryking came inside, his
fellow head girl. He almost groaned out loud. He had made a point to avoid her at every cost,
simply because he didn’t want to live with someone, let alone a bloody girl. Susanna however, was
as persistent as those idiot Ravenclaw’s in her pursuit of him. During every prefect meeting she
agreed to everything he said, fluttered her eyelashes towards him and he had even caught her
lounging around in their common room in nothing but lingerie. A complete twat.

“Oh! There you are Tom! I’ve been looking all over for you.” Susanna said and bumped down a
little too close to him on the sofa.

Tom made a point to move towards the end of the sofa to make some room between them.

“Here I am, Susanna. What’s on your mind?” he grunted out as he continued to move further away
from her.

Susanna however, took no notice of this and just slid next to him again.

“I’ve just talked to headmaster Dippet about the dance on Friday. And I asked him what it
was custom that the two heads did at the dance. And, oh, Tom! You can’t believe what he told me,
it’s just perfect!” she chirped and put a hand on his arm.

Tom scowled at her. He didn’t like when people touched him.

“What did he say, Susanna? And don’t touch me.”

Susanna frowned, but released her hand on him. She did, however, not move from her close spot
next to him. Their thighs were touching. Tom gritted his teeth. Why he hadn’t avada’d the girl was
beyond him. She was the most annoying girl in the whole school. A complete idiot. A babbling
idiot to that.

“Why, he said it was custom for the two heads to attend together of course!” she said with a big
smile, fluttering her eyelashes towards him once again.

This time, Tom did groan out loud. He did, however, know of the fact that every dance the two
heads had attended together.

“I don’t date, Susanna. I’m not taking anyone to the dance, let alone attending myself.”

“But it’s custom! How could you deny our poor headmaster the joy of seeing the heads dance
together? He was so excited for us!” she pouted.

Tom was sure she meant herself, and not in fact, poor headmaster Dippet. He made a mental note
to punish her deeply for this in the future. Maybe she'd be one of the first ones he’d kill when he
got out of this school. The other girls in school would be sure to see this as a date, and he didn’t put
it past Susanna for going about telling everyone that it was.

“Well. We wouldn’t want to let headmaster Dippet down I guess.” he muttered.

A little part of him was scared that he would remove the head boy pin if he didn’t do this.

“Oh joy!!! We’ll need to match outfits of course, and oh! Do you have a suit already? I figured we
could go to Hogsmeade if you didn’t, and you know, check some out. Together.” Susanna said the
last part a bit shyly.

“Most certainly not. I do not need another suit, I have one. It’s light gray. Do what you please with
your own dress robes, I simply do not care. And I DO NOT DATE. Now, goodnight.” Tom said
coldly and swiftly made his way towards his room, leaving Susanna speechless.

It was tiring keeping up this facade of being the lovable head boy. He hated the fact that he needed
to play nice to people, to actually seem to care about their petty feelings. He hadn’t cared about
anyone's feelings, ever. He was convinced he just couldn’t. So why the hell start caring now?

Tom let out a sigh as he made his way towards the bed and laid down. He had hoped to be able to
go through a few of the books in the restricted area during the dance. Particularly the one about
horcruxes he had found just the other night. Oh well. There will be other nights.
The week rolled on without incident. He had another meeting with the guys during Wednesday
night, telling them all that he would attend the dance. This fact had made them happy, for whatever
reason.

Tom showed them a new spell he had invented. It was a particular nasty one, bound to send your
victim to the hospital wing. It wasn’t lethal per say, but left untreated it would definitely kill you.

“You pronounce it ‘Corpus ulceris’, the wand movement is like this.”

He showed them a complicated series of twirls and flicks. The boys looked eager to try themselves.

As the night progressed and they had practiced the spell on two first years after obliviating them
(and healed them), Tom felt ready to let them all go to sleep. Avery then cleared his throat to tell
him that Hermione had been asked to the dance by one of the Gryffindor quidditch player, Mr. Lee
Wood. Something inside Tom growled at this.

“What do we know about this…Lee Wood.” he asked thoughtfully.

“My lord. He’s a good chaser, but all muscles. Not doing particularly great in his classes, but not
a dimwit either.” Lestrange concluded.

Tom nodded and turned away from his subjects. A smirk on his lips.

“Here’s what we’ll do…”

The last class of the day on Fridays was history of magic. Such a dull way to begin a weekend. He
was seated inside of the classroom, that had been open even though Professor Binns wasn't there, in
his favorite corner. He could hear Hermione and her two girlfriends chatting about a visit to
Hogsmeade and the dance next week. Hermione didn’t sound so convinced of the visit, but had
accepted it after some persuasion. It was good to know that she could be persuaded. As well as she
was attending the dance next Friday.

A few seconds later he saw her enter the classroom from the corner of his eye. This was the first
time they were alone since that night. But Tom didn’t want to frighten her. She was supposed to
feel safe. He was the nice guy again.

“Hello, Miss Bernard.” Tom said politely and met her eyes.

“Hello, Mr Riddle. On talking terms, are we now?” she said, crossing her arms and curling an
eyebrow.

Tom smirked and said nothing. It was rather entertaining watching her get confused over how he
treated her. He looked down at his parchment again and continued to scribble down thoughts. He
had an idea of marking his followers. However, the specifics needed to be heavily researched. He
didn't want them to be able to remove the mark. As he continued to think and put it down on paper
he felt her eyes on him. Actually, he felt them on him the whole lesson. Somewhere deep inside of
him, it pleased him to know that she was looking at him. Finding him intriguing.

After class Malfoy came up to him to report what had happened during class. Nothing of interest
except the fact that she had been muttering something in the lines of “who are you” and “different
or not ''. Tom couldn’t make any more sense of this than Malfoy could. But he felt another rush of
content when he also made a comment about her staring at him during the whole class.
“She seems confused over the fact that I have not made any advances.”

“Yes. So I’ve noticed as well. Confusion is good.”

Malfoy nodded thoughtfully. Tom wondered if he would finally ask him why he had told him to
stop bluntly flirting with the girl, he had expected at least a question, not that he would answer it.
Tom had his reasons.

“Am I still pursuing her, my lord?” Malfoy asked with a low voice.

“You’re free to do with her as you please, Ignotius. However, if I need information. You will do
well to deliver.” Tom said and made his exit, leaving Malfoy behind.

He felt that was a sufficient warning, that all in all simply stated to still stay on Hermione’s good
side, as for now at least. Truth be told, Tom didn’t know how he felt about Malfoy pursuing
Hermione. He didn’t think she would fall for his antics anytime soon though, still filled with the
hatred she seemed to only harvest for them. And much too clever for him. But if he were to
succeed… to actually take her…devour her body and claim her…

No, he probably wouldn’t care. He never cared. Why would he care?

 Chapter 13

The halloween dance had been the talk of the school for at least three weeks straight. And finally it
was the day of the dance. Even the professor’s seemed excited about it. Professor Dumbledore had
during the week told them all about his light blue dress robes that he just couldn’t wait to show
them all. Professor Poll had made them practice making love potions, a certain mischief in her eye
when saying that she hoped no one would think to use one during the dance. Hermione almost
thought she had urged them to do just so. But the most peculiar thing that happened was neither. It
was the fact that Tom Riddle, of all people, had asked professor Binns if he couldn’t let them go a
little sooner than usual because of the dance. And he had done it. Hermione had gaped big,
watching their conversation, while their other peers had jumped up from their desk’s cheering. It
had made professor Binns blush, of all things. Which had made Hermione gape even bigger. Of
course, in her own time Binns was a ghost. But she had just assumed, for whatever reason, that he
wasn’t capable of blushing. Or cared about what his students wanted, for that matter. She was
wrong. Professor Binns looked delighted to have done something that made his students so happy.
She hadn’t seen him this happy since she had gotten 110 % on his exam during the OWL’s. Oddly,
it made her feel warm inside.

When she was putting her school books back into her bag someone stopped before her.

“I look forward to seeing you tonight, miss Bernard.” he said, a smile tugging in the right corner of
his mouth.

“Er… What?”

“At the dance, Miss Bernard. I look forward to seeing you at the dance.” he explained, now with a
smile visible on his lips at her loss of understanding.

It looked like it hurt him to smile. Hermione felt bewildered. What did he mean? Why would he
be ‘seeing her’ at the dance?

“I’m not sure what you mean, Riddle.” she said slowly, as she continued to put her books in her
bag, not breaking eye contact.

“You will be at the dance, correct?” he asked innocently.

“Uh… yes. But I’m attending with Mr. Wood, uh, Lee.” she said and put the bag on her shoulder.

“Well, the details don’t really matter, do they? You will be there, and so will I. Therefore, I will
see you at the dance.” he said lightly, a big smile on his lips.

Hermione wasn’t sure which Tom Riddle who scared her most. The one pushing her up against a
wall and threatening her, or the smiling idiot in front of her.

“Yes… You will see me, and I will see you… at the dance…” she said slowly, a blush creeping up
her cheeks.

Riddle flashed her an even bigger smile. It looked like he had a belly ache.

“Perfect, it’s settled then.”

Then he walked out without another word. Hermione was not sure what was settled, but
nonetheless glad he had left her. This version of Riddle really creeped her out. It was like watching
someone who was really bad at acting, overdo it. That smile seemed anything but genuine. And
why the hell had he started talking to her suddenly? Her life had finally started to feel good again,
what with being stuck in the 1940’s and still not having figured out how she was supposed to get
back. But, she remembered, she wasn’t supposed to get back. Hadn’t the sorting hat said she
couldn’t? Or had she dreamt that part? And what with the mysterious thing or two she was
supposedly going to change? She hadn’t even begun to think about what the hat had said, too
caught up with being harassed by Riddle and Malfoy and the lack thereof afterwards. No, after this
dance, she had to go to the library first thing Saturday morning to research again. She just could not
accept the fact of being stuck here. It would be even better if she could just talk to the sorting hat
once again. But that would probably be a weird request to make. She had been lucky with professor
Dumbledore and headmaster Dippet. They had only questioned her that one time, and Dumbledore
had asked her a few times after class if she remembered anything more. When she told him she did
not, he simply let it go. Even though she could sense that he knew she was lying. If she started
asking for the hat they might start to question her again. And what was she supposed to say? A
dark lord named Voldemort, oh by the way that’s Tom Riddle, destroyed this castle and killed
hundreds of students alongside teachers, and then the sorting hat sent me back in time to fix
something I do not understand.

Oh yes, terribly trustworthy. They would think her insane. No. Researching alone it was. It always
had suited her better, anyways.

Hermione went up the many stairs to Ravenclaw tower and found a little group of people outside.

“What’s going on?” she asked, making her way into the front of the group where she had spotted
Alice.

“We can’t figure out the stupid riddle. This freaking bird just had to choose tonight to ask such a
difficult one WHEN HE PROBABLY KNOWS WE HAVE A DANCE TO GET READY FOR!”
Alice shirked and stomped her foot.

Her face was red from anger, alongside many other girls in the group. At her words, the bronze
eagle burrowed his wings and shot her a nasty glare. Hermione sighed before promptly standing
herself before the big eagle.

“Come on then, I haven’t tried,” she said with a strong voice.

The eagle met her gaze before opening its big beak.

“What is seen in the middle of March and April, but can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either
month?”

Hermione hummed for herself. Hearing the riddle again only seemed to enrage the group even
more. Let’s see… in the middle of March and April, but not in the beginning or end of the
months… It can’t be snow or rain, or even sunshine, because it can do either of those things
whenever in those months. Hermione mulled it over for another minute or so. March. April.

Hm, of course. She smiled big.

“The letter R” she said proudly.

“Well reasoned” the eagle said and opened its big door for them.

Alice shrieked excitedly behind her.

“THAT’S MY FRIEND YOU GUYS, SHE SOLVED THE RIDDLE!”

“Shh, Alice!” Hermione blushed and went into the common room after her.

The Ravenclaw common room was beautiful. Why, Hermione was even considering it more
beautiful than Gryffindor common room. It was a circular room with big windows on the walls.
The walls held blue and bronze silk and the ceiling was what Hermione enjoyed the most. It was a
domed shape and held stars upon it. It wasn’t actual stars of course, just painted, but nonetheless it
made her feel like she was out on a midnight walk when she was in there.

“Come on now, Hermione! No time to lose. We NEED to do something about that hair of
yours. Come on now, I’ll do it even better than that other time when you got so much attention
from all the boys!” Alice said eagerly before dragging Hermione after her up the stairs to their
dormitory.

Alice really did work wonders on her hair, as well as her dress. The periwinkle dress that had fit her
fourteen old self was now a little bigger, transfigured to fit her anytime she put it on. It followed
her curves perfectly. At fourteen Hermione hadn’t had much of those, but as she turned fifteen and
sixteen she had started to fill out alongside her peers. It had taken her a few extra years, but she had
filled out quite nicely if she dared say so herself. There was a nice swell of her breast over the bust
of the dress and it marked her waistline more prominent than last time she wore it. All together,
Hermione thought she looked more beautiful than she did last time. A fact she saw only fitting,
considering she didn’t want this night to go in the same direction her last dance had.

Isabella thought she looked sexy, complaining about her own set of breasts that wasn’t quite the
handful Hermione’s was.

“Oh please, Isa. If a boy want you for you boobs do you really consider them something to
date?”Hermione had answered, hands on her hips.

“Uh… yes?” Isa answered slowly, as if Hermione were daft.

She rolled her eyes and Prudence gave a shrill laugh.

“I don’t care if they only want me for my body, as long as they have the money to provide for me”
Prudence said and winked her eye at Hermione.

Millicent shook her head.

“Oh no, I will make my own money. Someday I’m sure to be in a position where I don’t need a
man. That’s what I’m working for anyways. I refuse to be someone’s doll they can show up at
ball’s or anything like that.” she said and scrunched her nose at the other girls who clearly had just
that pictured for themselves.

“I agree with you, dear friend.” said Hermione with a warm smile. “And I am 100 % sure you will
do just that. 100 % sure.”

Millicent smiled big and turned to continue with her makeup. Hermione was all done, considering
Alice had helped her get ready first. She was actually starting to feel a little nervous, but the
thought of Lee standing downstairs to greet her made her feel a little safer. She enjoyed spending
time with Lee, he was nice and made her laugh. And he was cute, and had muscles. Why couldn’t
she enjoy herself tonight? Maybe she’d even sneak a cheeky kiss. She was feeling rather frisky
tonight.

The girls descended the many stairs down to the entrance hall before forming a small line with the
other girls. Apparently Professor McDough was announcing the girl’s arrivals. Hermione was
struck with how much this seemed to be like a debutante ball. She started to panic a little. Were the
boys all down there, waiting for them to be announced? She was going to be sick. The line kept
creeping closer and closer to Professor McDough and suddenly it was her turn. She approached
him and tried to smile at him, it probably looked like an ugly grimace, and gained an encouraging
smile back.

“Miss Hermione Bernard!” he shouted with his dark voice, heavy with the scottish accent.

Hermione started to walk down the stairs and glanced over the hall, she almost fainted seeing how
many people were standing down there. Many eyes were on her and she felt herself blush
ravishingly. She met Malfoy’s eyes and he was looking at her like he was devouring her. He didn't
even seem to notice that she was staring back at him, too occupied with eyeing her. And not only
her body, no, what seemed to mesmerize him even more was her face considering he hadn’t really
taken his eyes off of her. This fact made her stomach flutter a little bit.

Beside Malfoy stood Riddle, and he too couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. But where Malfoy’s
gaze had been light and filled with adoration, his were dark and looming. His eyes roamed her
body. It seemed like he was drinking in the sight of her. He was staring at her intently, and she
didn’t dare to break eye contact with him. It was like he had pierced her with his gaze, and if she
dared to break it she would stop breathing. Something tugged in her lower stomach and the feeling
of it broke her fixation upon Riddle. She blushed once again and locked her eyes on her date, Lee
Wood, who had walked up to the stairs to take her hand. He smiled proudly, and all she could think
about was: Don’t trip. Don’t trip. Don’t trip.

But of course she did. The last step of the stair and she practically fell into his arms, not that Lee
seemed to mind.

“Oh, he-he-heey! Don’t you worry my lady, I got you!” he proclaimed and swept her up on her feet
again.

“Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry Lee. I’m such a clutch!” she said and blushed even harder.

Hermione wasn’t sure she could get any redder than she was at this moment. A few people were
giggling, but most eyes were on Isabella who had descended the stairs behind her.

“Let’s get out of here, yeah? Make room for the other young ladies.” Lee said and wiggled his
eyebrow before locking her arm in his and guiding her towards the great hall.

Whoever was in the party committee at Hogwarts had done a tremendous job with the hall,
considering you couldn’t even tell this was where they had all their meals. The tables were gone
and a big scene could be seen where a band was playing, Hermione didn’t know who they were but
she could bet all the money in her Gringott’s vault it wasn’t The Weird Sisters. The decorations
were everywhere; spiderweb in all the corners, big pumpkin heads that were glowing in the
dimmed light and bats enchanted to fly over the sealing. There was one table that held different
bowls of punch as well as several desserts. All in all, it was amazing.

“Wow, this is outstanding!” Hermione said as they entered.

“I know right? Philippa, a 7th year Gryffindor, is head of the decorations committee and she said
they had really outdone themselves this time. I can see what she means.” Lee said with a warm
smile.

They chatted a bit about the decorations as the hall continued to fill up with students. When the
clock struck eight the band began to play louder than before, filling their ears with some slow
music.

“Would you care to dance, m’lady?” Lee asked and bowed to her, extending his hand.

“Why, thank you, good sir. I’d be thrilled” Hermione curtsied and met his hand.

Lee quickly steered the way to the dance floor where he stopped right in the middle of it. Hermione
only then noticed that they were the only one’s on the dance floor. She blushed hard.

“Er… Lee. We’re the only one on here…” she mumbled as he grabbed her lower back in a swift
movement.

“Yes well, someone needs to get this party started, don’t they?” he said with a wink and started
moving her with the music.

Hermione gave a weak smile and blushed harder once she realized everyone was staring at them.
The couple continued to dance through the whole song however, and towards the end they were
joined by several other students.

“See? I told you someone needed to be first. Sometimes you just need to be brave, Hermione.” he
said with a cheeky blink.

“Well, Lee. I’m not in Gryffindor, am I?” she retorted playfully.

“Sometimes I think you ought to be placed with us.” he confessed as they twirled around the
dancefloor.

“Really? Why?” she asked, nonchalantly.

“Just… you’re fearless during our defense against the dark arts classes. And you’re not afraid to
stand up for yourself, or others for that matter. I’ve seen you talk back to those Slytherins, you
know.” he explained as he guided them across the dance floor.

“Have you been watching me, Mr Wood?” Hermione teased as she followed his every move
flawlessly.

Oh how she appreciated her mother putting her in dance class when she was a little girl. It sure paid
off, at least two times now.

Lee didn’t get to answer that though, considering a boy came knocking on his shoulder and looking
extremely tense. The boy whispered in his ear and Lee immediately went stiff, gave him a curt nod
and flashed Hermione an apologetic smile.

“I’m so sorry Hermione, I’ll be right back.” he said and dropped his hand from her body.

“Is something the matter?” she said with a frown.

“Er… well. No. Not really. My keeper has just been struck down like a muggle out on the
courtyard. I’ll need to make sure he’s alright, you understand, don’t you?” he pleaded.

“Of course, no worries at all!”

With that Lee took off, but before Hermione could make her way out of the dance floor another set
of strong arms captured her and quickly twirled her around. She looked up at his face and almost
stopped dead right then and there.
“Good evening, Miss Bernard.” he said as he guided her through the other dancing couples, who
were eyeing them rather curiously.

“What are you doing, Riddle?” she gritted through her teeth.

“Dancing, silly.”

“Yes, well. Why are you dancing with me of all people?”

“Why, we had a deal, had we not?” he said, faking hurt.

“What. Deal.” Hermione growled.

“After class, this afternoon. I asked you to dance, you accepted.”

Hermione could feel her eyes almost popping out of her skull. Was he serious? That strange
encounter, did he count that as asking her to dance? He had to be fucking with her.

“You mean when you asked if I were attending the dance?” she asked as Riddle made her twirl in
his outstretched hand.

“You said we’d be seeing each other at the dance, and as far as I am concerned, we are in fact,
seeing each other right now. Are we not, Miss Bernard?”

Hermione almost screamed. Who in their right mind thought that equaled accepting an invitation to
dance? She chose to not answer him, hoping the dance would end soon. Or that Lee would come
back to save her.

“Enjoy yourself with Mr. Wood?” Riddle asked her, his tone just a hint colder than it had been
before.

“Well yes, I had a very lovely evening.” she answered, and raised an eyebrow.

Riddle just hm’ed at this and got something dark in his eyes again, at the same time she could feel
his lower hand, the one placed on the smallest part of her back, push her closer to him. Hermione
tried to correct the distance between them, but Riddle was stronger. He smiled what he probably
considered an encouraging smile. Something in her stomach was moving about again.

“Why are you being nice to me, Riddle?” she inquired with a frown.

“Why, I am the head boy. I’m nice to everyone, Miss Bernard.”

“Not likely.” she muttered.

At those words the song ended, and he finally let go of her.

“Thank you for the dance, Miss Bernard.” he said, and actually gave her a bow.

Hermione stared at his back dumbfounded as he moved away from her and the dance floor. But
before she could think about what had just happened, another set of arms grabbed a hold of her,
these however sported a nicely combed back platinum blond head.

“It’s your lucky day, miss Bernard. Two handsome Slytherin's dancing with you on the very same
night.”

“I am just thrilled, Malfoy.” she sighed as he started twirling her around.

Honestly, she was rather done with dancing just about now. The evening had just struck nine and
she was exhausted already. What was with these boys tonight?

“Call me Ignotius, please.” he said and gave her a smile.

“On a first name basis, are we now?” she asked.

“I’d like to think so, Hermione. We do share an awful lot of classes together, don’t we? And have
been partners for several of them. It’s only fitting, I’d say.” he explained and shrugged.

“Alright then, Ignotius it is. Are you finally done flirting with me?”

“No. Not in the slightest. I did however tell you once that I was going to change my approach. How
am I doing so far? Thinking about me before you go to sleep yet?” he gave her another cheeky
wink.

“Oh yes. Every single night, I just can’t seem to stop dreaming about you. It’s rather ruining my
schoolwork. Whatever should I do?” Hermione fake swooned and gave a pout.

For this remark, Malfoy only smiled and continued to twirl her around. He was an exceptional
dancer, of course. And with his hair pulled back like that, he could almost have been Draco.
Hermione felt her cheeks burn just the slightest of the thought. Oh how she had wished she could
have danced with Draco just once during the yule ball. Rather ironic that she was now dancing
with his grandfather. The song ended, but Malfoy continued to dance with her into the next song.
Hermione found that she didn’t mind, it was actually… nice. They weren’t talking that much, but
she could feel his muscles through his shirt and he had a firm hand on her lower back. It didn’t
give her as many chills as the dance with Riddle had. She really felt… secure. And quite enjoyed
herself. The second song came to an end and the third started. Hermione could see that Lee made
his way through the crowd towards them, as could Malfoy she assumed since he then whispered in
her ear.

“Thank you for this lovely dance Hermione. You really are a sight to behold tonight. I consider
myself lucky to have had you on my arm. You are the most beautiful witch I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Malfoy then released his grip on her and kissed her hand before departing towards Crabbe and
Goyle who were standing next to the snack table. Hermione blushed at his words. If she had
known Malfoy could be such a charmer, maybe she'd have given him a bit more time of her day
before.

“I see that you’ve been held company since I left.” he said and smiled at her.

“Yes, Mr Malfoy took it upon himself to do just that.” she said and smiled back. “How did it go
with your teammate?”

“Er… rather beaten up I’m afraid. But we took him to madam Spudmore and he is to spend the
night in the infirmary. He couldn’t tell us who did it though, which was rather odd.” Lee frowned.

“Hm. That is odd indeed.” said Hermione and put a comforting hand on Lee’s shoulder.

This seemed to cheer him up, he grabbed a hold of her hand and darted her away from the dance
floor.

“I feel it’s time for some punch, what do you say?”

“I’d say yes please. Dancing for a whole hour makes a girl thirsty!” laughed Hermione as she
followed behind him.

The rest of the evening went on without disruption and ended close to midnight. Hermione and Lee
danced some more dances, a few rather closely, and he insisted later on to follow her up to
Ravenclaw tower.

They went up the many stairs still laughing about a joke Lee had just said and came to a halt
before the big wooden door.

“I guess this is me…” mumbled Hermione and turned to Lee shyly.

“I guess it is…” he said and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

Hermione blushed and was looking at her feet when she felt the same hand that just touched her
hair lift up her chin to face him. And then he kissed her. He kissed her like she had never been
kissed. It felt like hot cocoa on a cold winter day. Or fireworks on new years eve. It was warm and
cold at the same time.

And then it was over, just like that. She stood there for a few seconds, or was it a whole minute,
before opening her eyes and found that Lee was gone. She smiled for herself, he sure knew how to
make an exit.

Hermione turned to the big door and met the eagle's gaze.

“What belongs to you, but everyone else uses it?” it asked her.

She thought for a moment.

“My name.”

“Well reasoned.” the eagle said and let her in.

Hermione quickly made her way up to the 6th year dormitory before darting down on her bed and
almost instantly falling asleep. This had been a perfect night.

It was only then, a few seconds before she drifted off to sleep, that she realized she had forgotten to
put on her mask they had bought in Hogsmeade. Alice was going to kill her tomorrow.
 Chapter 14

The day of the Halloween dance had everyone behaving like complete dickheads. Even the
professors were giddy like first years. Tom was also looking forward to the evening, but not
because he wanted to dance. No. He had something else entirely planned for the night.

During their potions class Professor Poll had made them practice making love potions, and she was
looking far to smug about it. Tom peeked into her mind and found that she was disturbingly hoping
that someone would smuggle out some love potion and use it tonight. Given that only two pairs had
correctly brewed the antidote last week it was actually a rather malicious plan of hers. Tom was
almost impressed. He also took a small bottle of the potion, placing it safely in his pocket, before
handing in his and Avery’s sample. It could come to good use in the future, who knew.

Later during their last class of the day, history of magic, Tom felt like dying in his seat. It was one
of the more boring lessons he had ever attended. Suddenly he felt the need to end it, rather
urgently. He also had spotted Hermione seated closer than normal to him. That to say, instead of
sitting the furthest away she could from him, she sat in the middle of the classroom.

“Professor Binns, please. Would you allow us to go a little earlier today considering there’s a big
dance to get ready for?” he asked, a charming smile plastered on his lips.

Every student in the class was now eyeing their conversation with intrigue.

“Earlier, Tom?” Binns had squeaked.

“Yes, professor. To release us earlier, as perhaps, right now?”

Another dazzling smile and he had Binns agreeing to his request. This made the class erupt in loud
cheers as they all began to pack their books in their bags and chat loudly with each other. Tom saw
how professor Binns was blushing from the joy he had brought his students. It wasn’t nearly the
color that Hermione usually sported, and made a disappointing feeling settle in his stomach. He
needed to see that color again, soon. Tom was eyeing the girl in question as she was collecting her
books back into her bag, and he felt the need to talk to her.

He swaggered towards her and stopped right in front of her. As he did so, her movements slowed as
she set her gaze upon him.

“I look forward to seeing you tonight, miss Bernard.” he said and felt himself almost smiling
without forcing it.

She looked utterly confused as to why he was approaching her. To be honest, Tom was as well.

“Er… what?” she said dumbfounded.

“At the dance, Miss Bernard. I look forward to seeing you at the dance.” he explained, plastering
on a forced smile.

Was she daft? What else was she planning to do tonight?

“I’m not sure what you mean, Riddle.” she said slowly.

She was staring into his eyes. Sometimes he could swear she saw his soul. He was sure he could
see hers, swirling about in her honey brown eyes.
“You will be at the dance, correct?” he said, feigning an innocent tone.

“Uh… yes. But I’m attending with Mr. Wood, uh, Lee.” she said and placed that hideous bag on
her shoulder.

Something inside of him growled at the mention of Wood as her date. He’d make sure he’d suffer.
Instead, he plastered an even bigger smile on his lips.

“Well, the details don’t really matter, do they? You will be there, and so will I. Therefore, I will
see you at the dance.”

“Yes… you will see me, and I will see you… at the dance…” she answered slowly.

And there it was. That wonderful blush. It was a small one, but still visible. He felt like groaning
right then and there. How in the name of Salazar could a person get addicted to someone’s blush?
Was he addicted? He certainly needed it in his life. He could feel his cock twitch inside his pants
and he prayed to Merlin that it wasn’t visible for her. Tom forced his smile bigger.

“Perfect, it’s settled then.”

He then almost ran out of the classroom and into an alcove to correct his pants and will his erection
down. This was becoming strangely unhealthy for him. All he wanted was to know her secrets.
Instead, she had made him discover his fucking sexuality. Tom had always imagined he was above
such trivial things. It turned out, he was not.

He smirked. At least she had agreed to meet him at the dance.

Later that evening Tom found himself in the entrance hall with all the other boys of the school.
Someone had thought it an excellent idea to have all the girls come down from the stairs one by
one after Professor McDough announced their names. He was so bored he even considered jinxing
some third year in front of him. And then he heard her name, and just like that he was intrigued.

“Miss Hermione Bernard!” shouted professor McDough in a thick Scottish accent.

Almost impossible to even make sense of him, Tom thought. But that name he could make out
anywhere.

As she peeped around the corner Tom felt his breath hitch. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, she
was truly a sight. The dress robes she was wearing fit her body perfectly. It hugged her in all the
right places, made her breast swell over the hem just a hint and teased him with how tight it was
around her waist. It was a floaty, periwinkle-blue dress with ruffles down her legs. The color made
her skin look perfectly light, almost like milk. And she held herself with great posture, stretching
herself upwards. She had her hair in an up-do that made her cheekbones stand out delicately, and it
embraced her face in such a way that you couldn’t take your eyes off her. Her hair wasn’t the
bushy curls she always sported, it was silky and put together. Her eyes sported a hint of blue on
them as well, and her lips were covered in a lip gloss that made her lips glow. It wasn’t too much
makeup, like many of the other girls who were here today had put on. It was just the right amount.
She was beautiful. Utterly beautiful.

What really got him wasn’t how gorgeous she looked, or how sexy the dress fitted her. It was that
delicate blush that she had plastered on her cheeks when descending the stairs. It seemed to grow a
deeper and deeper color with every step she took. That blush did something with his body, a
reaction he always tried to fight but never won. A twitch somewhere in the lower regions. And he
felt his erection begin to grow. Luckily, his suit held a lot more room than his uniform.

Hermione met his eye and he couldn’t help himself, he needed to see what she was thinking.

“Legilimens” he mumbled, unhearable.

She was embarrassed with the amount of attention she received. But more than anything she was
intrigued by him. She thought him handsome, and his eyes captivating. She didn’t want to break
eye contact with him. She wanted him. He could feel her brain telling her body that she wanted
him. Oh, how he wanted her.

And just as quickly as the moment had come, it passed. Hermione broke their eye contact and
blushed even harder, making his cock twitch hard in his trousers. He almost growled. How could a
color turn him on? What spell did she have him under, making him want her like this?

Tom saw how she locked hands with that babbling idiot Lee Woods, and actually fell headlong into
his arms. This time Tom actually did let out a little groan, which gained the attention of Avery who
queried an eyebrow.

“I’m bored.” he said, trying to smooth things over.

Avery just nodded, and said nothing. He wasn’t bored. He felt more alive than ever. Moreover, he
had a striking rage towards that Wood guy. Maybe they would find a new toy to play with when
this night ended. Tom didn’t know if it was the fact that he had made Hermione blush harder than
he had ever seen or simply because he was an annoying git. Whichever reason it was, he was going
to practice his cruciatus curse on him, sooner rather than later. And if his plan worked out… well.
He smirked.

Susanna had walked down the stairs a few minutes after Hermione, and Tom couldn’t help himself
but to feel disappointed. It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty with her blond hair and her big blue eyes.
She was just… so plain. There was nothing with her that gained his attention. Even her voice was
disturbing. He reluctantly held out his arm to her when she reached the lowest step and she
grabbed it greedily, eyeing everyone in the room as to see if they were watching them. Which they
were, of course. It wasn’t everyday you saw Tom Riddle with a girl on his arm. He fought the need
to grimace or crucio someone. Preferably Susanna.

“Oh isn’t this just perfect Tom? Look at all the decorations! I can’t wait for our dance!” she
exclaimed and eagerly tugged at his arm.

“So. Perfect.” he gritted out, once again regretting his decision to attend this stupid dance.

There was a band playing in the farthest corner of the room, where the professors normally were
seated. Before the band it was a big dance floor, which only held Hermione and her date. She
looked utterly embarrassed to be the center of attention, once again having that delicate blush
caressing her cheeks. Tom was beginning to hate the way this Wood guy seemed to always make
her blush hard. He wanted to be the reason it happened.

Tom noted how Crabbe and Goyle were standing at the dessert table and swiftly made their way
towards them, Susanna tagging along behind him; still gripping his arm rather hard. He made a
hand motion for them and they obeyed immediately, rushing towards them.

“I need you to do something for me.” he said with a cold smile.

After a few minutes, still standing next to the desert table even though Crabbe and Goyle
disappeared, Susanna tugged at his arm again.
“Come on, Tom! Let’s go dance!” she whined and pouted.

“Fine.” he sighed and led the way towards the dance floor, Susanna happily skipping next to him.

They danced a few songs and Susanna looked happier than he had ever seen her, clearly imagining
them on a real date. Tom felt trapped. He wasn’t paying any attention to her though, too busy
eyeing another couple. Finally, he saw one of the Gryffindor teammates make his way through the
crowd and tapped Wood on his shoulder before whispering something in his ear. Wood excused
himself before following his teammate out.

“I’m done dancing with you now, Susanna. Go find another date.” he said cold and moved away
from her without waiting for a response

Tom saw how Hermione started to make her way off the dance floor, and he swiftly captured her
and twirled her before facing her in a strong dance hold. .

“Good evening, Miss Bernard.” he said as he started moving them about the dance floor.

“What are you doing, Riddle?” she said, her teeth clenched.

“Dancing, silly.” he laughed.

“Yes, well. Why are you dancing with me of all people?” she asked, a confused tone hinting in her
voice.

“Why, we had a deal, had we not?” Tom said, feigning a hurt look on his face.

“What. Deal.” she growled.

Oh how he loved when she got angry.

“After class, this afternoon. I asked you to dance, you accepted.”

Sometimes, he really thought her daft. Maybe she just couldn’t read social signals.

“You mean when you asked if I were attending the dance?” she asked.

Tom made her make a big twirl as he scrunched up his nose.

“You said we’d be seeing each other at the dance, and as far as I am concerned, we are in fact,
seeing each other right now. Are we not, Miss Bernard?” he asked, feigning innocence.

He could agree that it was a very subtle request he had formed during their encounter, but he
couldn’t just ask her to dance, could he? Hermione looked utterly furious. It was thrilling to watch.
She did however, not seem to have an answer to his recent statement.

“Enjoy yourself with Mr. Wood?” he asked, remembering who she attended this stupid dance with
in the first place.

“Well yes, I had a very lovely evening.” she said and raised one eyebrow at him.

“Hm.”

Lovely evening huh. He would show Wood a lovely evening. He wished he could show Hermione
his take on a lovely evening. He grabbed the lower part of her back harder, pushing her towards
him. He felt the need to have her closer. He felt her struggle against his grip, which only seemed to
attract him more. He loved when she squirmed in his arms. Once again, he could feel his erection
start to grow. He almost hoped she could feel it. He smiled as he met her eyes. They were golden
brown, and to his surprise, they weren’t as cold as they usually were when she met his gaze.

“Why are you being nice to me, Riddle?” she asked with a frown.

Tom could only assume that she meant the previous weeks that had passed, and not the situation
they were in right now as he was in fact holding her rather harshly.

“Why, I am the head boy. I’m nice to everyone, Miss Bernard.” he said with an impish smile.

“Not likely, '' she muttered.

The song ended and Tom reluctantly let go of her. Hermione didn’t move away from the close
distance they had between them though. He took a step back and bowed.

“Thank you for the dance, Miss Bernard.”

Tom walked away, swiftly tapping Malfoy on his shoulder as he did so, indicating that he was to
dance with Hermione. He could hear Malfoy approach her behind him.

“It’s your lucky day, Miss Bernard. Two handsome Slytherins dancing with you on the very same
night.”

Tom smiled. Malfoy really had a big head. He wasn’t that handsome.

He saw Susanna trying to make eye contact, but he swiftly made his way towards the desert table.
Crabbe and Goyle were once again munching on deserts, as if they didn’t have a care in the world.

“Did you do it?” Tom asked as he came close enough.

“Yes, my lord.” Crabbe said in between bites. “We beat him up real good.”

Goyle nodded eagerly.

“And then we obliviated him, just like you thought us, my lord!”

“Well done.” Tom said as the two boys were starting to shuffle in desserts again.

He noticed their knuckles were bruised badly, a clear sign they had been throwing punches. Tom
made a flick of his wrist and healed their knuckles with a nonverbal healing spell. The two dimwits
didn’t even seem to notice. He scrunched his nose at them and made his way towards a dark corner
in the hall where he could eye Hermione without anyone spotting him.

A quarter to twelve the pair finally started making their way up towards Ravenclaw tower. Tom
quickly disillusioned himself and followed them without making a sound. Wood and Hermione
came to a halt right before the big wooden door and were looking each other deep in the eyes.

“I guess this is me…” she mumbled as she was gazing at him like a silly schoolgirl.

“I guess it is…” he said and flicked her hair back behind her ear.

This made Hermione blush which made Tom feel conflicted. One part of him was content that he
could see it once again, it had been so many times this evening that he had lost count. The other
part of him felt enraged over the fact that it had been Wood that had attracted this color on her
cheeks multiple times during the evening. It only sparked his hatred towards the boy. And then he
did something that made Tom seethe. The fucking twat kissed her. And she enjoyed it.

“Confundo” he murmured, pointing his wand at Hermione.

“Petrificus totalus.” he whispered and quickly cached Wood before he fell.

Tom then proceeded with levitating him and disappearing with him before Hermione opened her
eyes.

He brought the petrified Wood to one of the dungeons he and his group usually met in if the
headquarters were a no go. The walk down Tom tried to convince himself that he was doing this
solely for Malfoy, and not for himself. It was rather hard considering all he wanted to do was
smack the bastard's head into the wall so his skull would crack. When he arrived he could see that
they were all there, waiting eagerly for him. They seemed to light up at the sight of Wood floating
in the air behind him.

“Perfect test subject, my lord!” Malfoy said as his eyes glimmered with malice.

“Isn’t that the gryffindor that attended the dance with Miss Bernard?” said Goyle and scratched his
head.

“Yes Goyle. It is the very same gryffindor.” Tom said as he flicked his wand and Wood hit the
ground hard. “I figured we could use a fresh body, don’t you think? And Malfoy probably has a
bone to pick with Mr Wood.”

Avery and Lestrange sniggerd. Malfoy was eyeing Wood with intrigue, Tom could only imagine
what was going through his mind. Perhaps something similar to what was circulating his own
brain. He wanted to torture him to the point of insanity.

“To think he could have gotten into Hermione’s pants before me. That just won’t do.” Malfoy said
as he crept closer to the immobile boy on the dungeon floor. “She’s mine to do what I please with. I
will fuck her so hard she can’t walk afterwards. I will tear off her clothes and make sure she’ll have
a night to remember. I will destroy her. And when I’m done with her, no one will want her. No one
will ever want that disgusting mudblood when she’s taken and thrown aside. Not even you.”

Wood’s eyes were big and darting around the dungeons. He was clearly frightened. Tom smirked.

“Crucio!” Malfoy shouted angrily.

Nothing happened of course, considering Wood was still in a full body bind curse. It took the fun
out of it. Crabbe and Goyle stood at the side and looked utterly bewildered.

“Finite.” Tom whispered and the dungeon quickly filled with Wood’s screams.

Avery and Lestrange laughed cold at the sight of their nemesis on the quidditch pitch writhing in
pain at the hand of their friend. After a full minute Malfoy let the spell go and Wood was panting
hard on the floor. A whimper escaped his lips. Such a pussy.

“Wh-why are you doing this? W-what have I e-ever done to you?” he pleaded from the ground,
staring up at them.

Somehow he knew he was to address Tom, and not Malfoy even though he was the one to cast the
crucio. This made Tom smirk even bigger.
“Well, Mr Wood. You laid hands on a certain Miss Bernard this evening. Didn’t you know she was
promised to Mr Malfoy? Didn’t you know she was off limits?”

“N-no. She can d-decide of her own. She wanted to go with me, she wanted to kiss me.” Wood
said, clearly attempting to defend the girl, as he tried to pry himself off of the floor.

“Can she now? I think her being a girl, and a dirty, rotten mudblood, she wouldn’t have much of a
choice in the matter.”

Wood flinched at the remark on her blood status but grew visibly angry at the words..

“Hermione is not dirty.” he said and turned to Malfoy. “She will never go for you, Malfoy! She
probably sees right through you. How’s that flirting going for you? Not very great I’d say
considering she went to the dance with me!”

“That girl is mine to take. You will never lay hands on her again.” Malfoy hissed and once again
pointed his wand at him.

This time Malfoy made him suffer for two full minutes before releasing him, clearly not having
liked the throw at him.

They continued to torture Wood for a good two hours before growing tired of it. Tom then
proceeded to alter his memory. He made sure Wood knew that he was to stay away from Hermione
or he’d suffer tremendously, although he erased his memories of who had tortured him. It wouldn’t
do to get caught when he had a full year and a half left of his education. The group left him on the
floor, still spasming from the many crucio’s that had been cast at him, and left for their respective
beds. Tom bid everyone a good night and went up to his quarters; a big satisfied smile playing on
his lips. Wood would never dare to date Hermione ever again. This fact made him tremendously
happy. Almost as happy as seeing the boy in question beg for mercy inbeteween the torture.
 Chapter 15

October was gone in the blink of an eye, as well as november. Snow was surrounding Hogwarts,
casting its nice glow on the castle. It was a week before Christmas holidays, which Hermione
would spend at the castle, of course, since she had nowhere to go. Earlier in the year she had
panicked about this, but going through her trunk she had found a heavy amount of galleons.
Enough to take her through two school years as well as some years after graduation. It was about
that time she had realized that the sorting hat’s words had been the truth. She was not to go back to
her own time, and when she thought about it. She didn’t know if she wanted to. It was ruined, He
had ruined it. Voldemort. Harry was dead, as well as all the Weasleys. She could never get the
images out of her head. Sometimes she still had nightmares about it. She had told the girls that it
was of her parents dying, and sometimes it was. The girls had all comforted her in the beginning,
but learned that she rather just take a cold shower and begin her day without mentioning it. So they
let her be.

Hermione was entering the great hall, shot a hopeful glance to the Gryffindor table, but once again
she was disappointed. It wasn’t surprising given it had been like this for the last month since the
dance. She couldn’t understand why Wood was avoiding her, no more to why she kept glancing at
him. As far as her memory served they had had a lovely evening that ended with a small kiss.
Maybe he thought it was the worst kiss he ever had and decided to just stop talking to her all
together? He had even stopped saying hello in the halls and had quickly gotten another partner in
DADA. The girls all told her that boys were like this, they got what they wanted and went on with
their lives. Hermione tried to tell them that he hadn’t gotten anything, she was in fact still a virgin.
Prudence had laughed at this and patted Hermione on her shoulder.

“Sure darling, and I’m a mermaid.” she snorted.

“No. Really guys. I’m a virgin, I haven’t even properly snogged anyone. That kiss with Lee was
my second one in my whole life.”

Prudence snorted again, but Isabella was watching her with big eyes.

“You mean you haven’t even snogged anyone before?” she shrieked, loud enough for the whole
hall to hear them.

And they did. More than half of their peers were now watching the Ravenclaw table where they
were seated in the middle. Hermione could feel two sets of eyes in the direction of the Slytherin
table burning on her a bit more than others. She blushed hard and bit her lip.

“Thanks for letting the whole school know Isa…” she mumbled.

“Oh sorry doll. But really? You’re a V-I-R-G-I-N?” she spelled out with a loud theater-whisper
that really didn’t fool anyone.

“I’ll have to say, even I am shocked ‘mione” piped Millicent up.

“Gee, thanks Mill. You all thought I had been getting around huh?” Hermione muttered and gave
her friends a dirty look.

“Oh hush ‘mione. We just ment, a pretty girl like you, it’s not that common to save yourself. And a
muggleborn to that. Because that’s what you’re doing right? Saving yourself for marriage?” Alice
asked with a polite smile.
Hermione blushed even harder.

“No, not really… Er… I just, haven’t found anyone I’d like to have sex with. It’s a pretty intimate
thing you know…” she said in a low voice.

“It’s not that great really. Too hyped up if you ask me.” said Millicent and opened one of her
books.

“Oh Mill! You can’t go around spreading lies about sex!” Alice scolded and turned to Hermione.
“It’s an amazing feeling when you’re with a guy that knows what they’re doing. Really. Trust me.”

“Yeah, because Alice HAVE been getting around!” Prudence laughed.

Alice just shrugged at this. The rest of their breakfast contained the girls telling Hermione of their
first times and thoroughly scaring her to death. She didn’t think she would ever dare to have sex
after hearing all those stories.

They had herbology first thing that morning, with the Slytherins of course. When did she ever get
away from those snakes really? Afterwards they would have a free period because professor
McDough was sick. Hermione had planned to spend this hour in the library getting some work
done on her time travel studies. She had told the girls that they didn’t need to come with her,
mostly because she didn’t want them to know what she was about to study. They had all agreed to
not come, even Millicent planned on just lounging around in the common room, which was rather
odd considering she usually was even more keen on going to the library than Hermione was. But to
Hermione’s delight she was walking alone to the library after their lesson. Or atleast, she thought
she was walking alone.

“Hey Hermione!” Malfoy shouted as he ran to catch up with her.

“Hey Malfoy, how are you doing?” she asked with a polite smile.

“Please, I’ve told you a thousand times, you can call me Ignotius. And I’m splendid. Are you on
your way to the library?”

“Yes, I am actually.”

“Mind if I join you?” he asked with a cheeky wink.

“Er… sorry Ignotius. I was kinda hoping to get some alone time actually…” Hermione said and bit
her lip, giving him a look that she hoped said ‘I’m sorry’.

“Oh… Well, in that case of course. Sorry to bother you.” he said and waved dully as he walked
away from her.

Hermione bit her lip harder as she watched him go, her conscious bothering her. Malfoy had
actually grown on her after the Halloween dance. He hadn’t flirted with her in the same crude way
he had in the beginning, he hadn’t even been annoying during classes. He was just… nice. And
gave her compliments on her spellwork as well as her looks, probably haven figured out she
enjoyed compliments of her brain more than her appearance. If she was completely honest, he had
even given her some butterflies when he accidently touched her hand during class. Whenever he
did so, he gave her an apologetic smile and his eyes sparkled a bit more than usual. He had the
same gray color that Draco had, just a hint brighter. Sometimes she even found herself staring at
his biceps during class. Needless to say, he wasn’t the tosser that he initially had been. And it
wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to spend time with him in the library, she just really needed to see if
she could actually get back to her own time or if it was something she should just give up
altogether. Unfortunately it was leaning on giving up altogether. Hermione continued to walk into
the library, collecting a handful of books on the subject and seated herself in her favorite spot on
the little poofy armchair. As she reached down to get her quill out of her bag she saw a piece of
parchment sticking up. She frowned as she opened it.

“The sun rises so that we can appreciate the day. The moon appears so that we can appreciate the
night. You appeared in my life so that I can appreciate real beauty.”

-Your secret admirer.

Hermione blushed and a small smile crept in the corner of her mouth. She looked around the
library to see who had written the note. There were really only fourth and third years present, and
surely it couldn’t have been someone that young. She frowned a little as a thought popped up in her
head. Maybe someone was fucking with her. She swallowed hard as she put the note back in her
bag. Surely it wasn’t someone that actually liked her. It was probably some sick joke. But… Why
her? Maybe it wasn’t a joke. Maybe, just maybe, someone actually fancied her? As she tried to
refocus on the work she had before her, she forgot to transfigure the frontage of the books.

As the hour drew closer to lunch, someone else approached her.

“Hello Miss Bernard. Mind if I join you?” he asked as he sat down at the desk in front of her, not
waiting for her answer.

“Uh. Sure Riddle. Feel free to sit down.” she said a little coolly.

Tom Riddle was another person that she just couldn’t wrap her head around. In the beginning of
the year he had been very polite, a real gentleman. And then he had turned cold, literally abusing
her to get knowledge from her, to then being the polite headboy again. She didn’t buy it, but she
must admit, he put on a great act. It was rather hard sometimes to not fall into his charm. Because
even she had to admit that Tom Riddle, tall with his lush dark curls, perfect bonestructur and icy
stare, was dashing. And not only was he handsome, he was intelligent and knew how to talk to
people to get his way. It was actually a trait she wished she had, it would be a lot easier getting
through life that way. Although she of course didn’t approve of manipulating people like he did.

“Thanks.” he said and smiled at her. “What are you studying? Time travel?”

Hermione blushed as she realized she had forgotten to change the fronts of the books she was
reading. Fuck. Why did she always have to forget herself in front of him? All the fucking time.
How on earth was she going to explain this one?

“Uh. Yeah. Time traveling is rather interesting, don’t you think?” she stuttered and gave a weak
smile.

“Sure. Rather intense magic though. And there’s not many facts on those time turners. But why
would you study it? Are you planning on making a trip into the unknown?” he asked with a
crooked smile, his eyes searching hers..

“Er. No. Of course not. Hehe. I’m only… studying it because… uh… it’s an extraordinary sort of
magic, don’t you think?”

Riddle just raised one eyebrow at this and started working on his essay. Hermione cursed inwardly.
Why did he have to see it? He of all people? Hermione wasn’t a skilled liar, and surely not skilled
enough to fool Tom freaking Riddle, the future dark lord. She bit her lip and felt a blush creep up
her cheeks again. Fuck. He was sooo going to know that she was lying to him.

“Would you care to walk together to lunch?” Riddle asked after about forty minutes.

Hermione looked up, a little shocked. Had he really asked if she wanted to walk, with him, to
lunch? As in, going together. As in, everyone would see them walking there… together…?

“Er… sure. Let me just return these.” she said and stood up hesitant.

“Certainly.” Riddle smiled and started collecting his stuff.

Hermione walked away with her books, putting them back in place, as she tried to collect her wits
agan. Sure, Riddle had been nicer than usual since the Halloween dance. Asking her about her day,
wanting to know how she was. But it had just been that, friendly. So maybe it wasn't so weird for
him to escort her to lunch? But surely he knew that people would think something more of it,
considering he never hung out with girls. And this was the forties', not the nineties. Why did he
want to hang out with her? As Hermione pondered on the many aspects of how little she
understood Riddle she soon went back to him. He had collected not only his stuff, but also hers,
and put her bag on his shoulder.

“Ready?” he asked happily.

He was starting to scare her again. Riddle couldn’t possibly be this… happy? It didn’t seem to
come naturally for him. What was with him?

“Er.. yes.” she mumbled and followed him out of the library.

They walked alongside for a few seconds, Hermione shooting him bewildered glances through her
eyelashes.

“Where are you going this Christmas?” Riddle asked casually as they were coming out to the stair
hall.

“Oh, er… nowhere considering I don’t have a family to go to…” Hermione said in a small voice.

It was only then that it had hit her that she had literally nowhere to go considering her friends and
those she considered her family were all dead. There were no Burrow to go celebrate every holiday
in. No muggle parents to visit. No best friends to buy holiday gifts to. Sure, she should visit
Hogsmeade to buy Christmas presents for the girls, maybe even to Thomas. But none of them were
Harry or Ron. None of them were Ginny. None of them had the warm embrace of Mrs. Weasley or
the twinkle in the blue eyes that Mr. Weasley had when they all came home for christmas. The
thought of it all made her throat ache with a need to cry.

“I don’t have one either. I’m an orphan, actually. So I’ll be staying here at the castle. Usually it’s
just me from Slytherin who does. Maybe we could… study, or something alike, during the
holidays?”

At first she was baffled by his honesty, to so openly declare that he was an orphan for her. But then
she considered the possibility that he wanted her to think just that. Riddle’s voice was light, but she
could tell he knew she would turn him down from the way he didn’t meet her eyes. So naturally,
she did what he didn’t expect. She didn’t want him to be able to read her that well, did she?
“That sounds lovely. Maybe we could go through that arithmancy homework together? I’ve only
just glanced at it since we got it yesterday but by the looks of it, it should be a hard one.”

Riddle almost stopped walking after hearing this, but he quickly composed himself and shot her a
questioning glance.

“Yes, I noticed that professor McDough raised the level for that specific homework. He didn’t
want us to just enjoy the holidays, eh?” he said, attempting a joke.

“Probably!” She laughed as they came to a halt before the great hall.

“Well then, Miss Bernard. Always a pleasure.” Riddle said and gave her a charming smile before
departing to the Slytherin table and his group of friends.

Hermione found herself standing there, watching him sit down next to Malloy who was waving to
her merrily. She smiled and waved back as she began to walk towards her own house’s table. She
passed the Slytherin table and no glares were made on the way. Millicent and Alice were seated at
the far end, close to the teachers. Hermione sat down and smiled at the girls that greeted her.

“Were you waving to Mafoy just now?” Alice asked and jumped her eyebrows, a grin playing in
the corner of her mouth.

“Um, he waved at me. I just waved back.” Hermione said and felt a blush nestle up on her cheeks.

“I’d say that counts as waving to Malfoy.” Millicent grinned.

“Oh definitely.” Stated Alice with a huff.

“Okay, fine. I waved to Malfoy. What off it?”

“He’s rather good looking isn’t he?” Alice asked and wiggled her eyebrows again.

“Oh, stop it you two! He’s just a… friend. Or something.” She tried to explain.

Millicent snorted.

“Sure. And you got no interest whatsoever in either him or Riddle. What’s next? Hermione Bernard
will get a T in all of her classes?”

“I am not interested in either Malfoy or Riddle! Where have you got that silly notion anyways?”
She said, a shrillness getting through her voice.

The two girls before her gave each other a look before bursting out in uncontrollable laughter.

“This is not funny! I am NOT interested in them. I am not interested in anyone, I’ll have you
know.”

Alice and Milicent just continued to laugh which made Hermione huff a bit more, muttering about
needing new friends who wouldn’t make fun of her misery.

The day went on rather quickly after lunch, leaving Hermione free to study some more in the
library after classes. It was nice to have something to do that reminded her of the girl she used to
be, considering nothing was as it was supposed to be. Noted, she would probably be dead if
everything was how it was supposed to be. As she sat down in her favorite corner for the second
time that day she noticed another piece of parchment latched onto her notebook. The same type of
parchment that had contained a love note. A little excitement fluttered in her stomach. She had
never had anyone crushing on her before, apart from Viktor, and somehow, she didn’t really count
him.

"I can't stop thinking about you in that beautiful, periwinkle dress.

There were stars in your eyes that night. I dream about them every night."

- You secret admirer

Hermione could feel the smile creeping on her lips. Someone thought she was beautiful, and had
dreams about her. She blushed. A small part of her was wishing it was Wood that had come to his
senses, but considering the length of which he took to stay away from her she doubted it was him.
So who could it be? Could it… could it be Riddle? Was this why he was so nice to her now? He
was infatuated with her? Harboring a crush since the Halloween dance? Had he, in fact, tried to ask
her out when he claimed he asked her for a dance? No. Probably not. She almost laughed at herself
for thinking something so utterly laughable. Why in the world would Tom Riddle, Voldemort
himself, have a crush on her, a muggleborn. That would just be… comical. Laughable. Weird.
Sure, she enjoyed the attention he gave her, as well as the one Malfoy gave her, but that was surely
just because she hadn’t gotten that much attention during her own time. Being the snotty know-it-
all had its downsides. But here… she was the new girl. The one people wanted to get to know.
Even Riddle wanted to. And where she previously had tried her best to stay away from him, she
didn’t feel the same desire to do so anymore. Not that she trusted him, no, she would never trust
him. But he proved to be something else entirely than she had expected. He was nice to her and her
friends now, he was an outstanding head boy and was clearly extremely smart considering she had
not yet beat him to the top score in their classes. He was… intriguing. And that would be all she
ever let him be.

During her research she still hadn’t found anything that would help her get back to her own time.
The only known time traveler that had traveled through several years of time was Andrea Holmes.
A woman who was working in the department of mysteries, went missing in 1930 and turned up a
year later in the same exact spot that she had gone missing from. Although, after only a few hours
she was dead. A piece of information that didn’t really sit right with Hermione considering she
didn’t plan on dying when she finally made it back to her own time. Apparently Andrea had
traveled back to the roman empire and when she finally figured out how to make the time travel
take her back a little over a year had passed. Given the law of Professor Croaker, Hermione was
already utterly fucked. It stated quite straightforwardly how a person could not travel back in time
for more than five hours before serious chance of harm to the traveler itself or time. Hermione
almost let out a shriek in despair. None of this was really relevant considering she got herself
through time of the freaking sorting hat, and not a time turner. However, she knew for a fact that
she had altered time as it was. That was a fact she couldn’t escape. No one could come into
anyone’s life without making a permanent mark. She pondered over this for the rest of the evening
up in Ravenclaw tower, the possibilities of it. Was there going to be a baby Hermione born in 1979
in september? Or was she the baby that was to be born in 1979 as she had been, and now being
here enabling her own birth not to happen? And what would then happen to her when 19th of
september 1979 suddenly came around if she were still stuck here? Would she just cease to exist?
Or would there be two Hermione’s? And all those things she would have already changed by then,
who knew what the future would hold? All the questions were starting to give her a migraine.
On Friday, Malfoy surprised her by asking her out to Hogsmeade. And she surprised herself by
saying yes. So tomorrow, Hermione Bernard had her second date. Being dumped in the 1940’s was
proving to have a great impact on her social life if not anything else. Alice had squealed, literally
squealed, with joy over the fact that Hermione now had a date with Malfoy. Milicent couldn’t keep
her excitement from showing either. And Hermione finally had to give in to the fact that she held a
little interest in the boy in question. Although she was still convincing herself it was only because
of the resemblance to a certain Draco Malfoy.

Prudence was sulking a little bit, muttering about how Hermione all of a sudden got all the good
looking boys swarming around her. Isabella was giving Hermione encouraging smiles in between
comforting Prudence, as was her duty considering she was Prudence’s best friend.

When Hermione finally was being let out of their dormitory she was late. But at least she looked
great, as Alice had said when she had pointed out the fact that their alterations to her looks had
taken far too much time. So when she finally descended the stairs down to the entrance hall at
10.15 instead of 10 she saw Malfoy standing there with a frown on his face. When he layed eyes on
her he quickly cracked up a grin and stood up from where he had leaned on the wall waiting for
her, looking far too handsome. He sported a pair of black slacks matched with a white shirt and a
slytherin green jumper. His hair combed back and something playful in his eyes as he watched her
walk towards him.

“I’m so sorry I’m late. I… er, well to be honest I was being pampered by the other girls for the
date.” she said, giving him an apologetic smile.

“Well, you cleaned up nicely Bernard.” he said with a wide grin, looking her appearance over.

Somehow it didn’t have the same effect as it had a few months ago. This time around it only made
her blush. If she knew then that she would attend a date with Ignotius Malfoy she would've thought
the person crazy. But here she was, on said date. She gave Malfoy a small smile and walked the
few steps that were left down to him.

“I hope you know I have a shopping list. After all, it is Christmas in just a week.” she stated matter
of factly as they together went outside to the carriages that would take them to Hogsmeade.

“Well, you’re in for a treat Hermione. I do have a list as well. Did you know I had about 8 cousins?
And they would all kill me if they didn’t get any christmas presents. What kind of cousin would I
be if I let that happen?”

“I imagine we’ll have a few stops on the way then!” Hermione giggled as they sat down in the
carriage.

“I imagine we’ll have a packed schedule. But nonetheless, I am very happy that you wanted to
come here with me today. I was a little worried you might turn me down. And a lot more worried
when you made me wait for fifteen minutes before you decided to show.”

Malfoy winked at her when she felt her cheeks blush.

“I am so sor-..” she started.

“I’m only joking Hermione. Relax. I should've known you played hard to get, but don’t you worry.
I enjoy it.” he interrupted, a laugh bubbling up after seeing her face react to his words.

She could only imagine the redness being as fierce as the anger she felt for his words. Playing hard
to get. She certainly did no such thing. And she was just about to respond to this utterly disturbing
statement when Malfoy once again interrupted her thoughts.

“You’re surprisingly easy to rile up. I can’t say I’m not enjoying it. That red color on your cheeks
suits you. Makes your eyes glitter even more than normal.”

Hermione gaped at this. Had he really been looking into her eyes that often? An ever redder shade
was now visible on her cheeks. She wondered when his cheekiness had gone from being
considered crude and rude to something that made her stomach flutter.

“Are you really just trying to rile me up? To get me to blush?” she asked, bewildered.

“Well, I must say I’ve missed doing it for the last couple of months. Would you be terribly angry
with me if I started doing it again?”

“Yes.” she grunted out quickly, giving him a fierce look.

This made Malfoy laugh again. It was a nice laugh, not the mocking kind he had made earlier in
the year, but a light and happy one. He looked so comfortable there, teasing her and flirting at the
same time. And she found herself enjoying it a little bit, slowly sinking into the normality of being
on a date with a guy. Even if it was a Malfoy.

The day in Hogsmeade had proven to be in their favour. Both Hermione and Malfoy had gotten all
of their Christmas shopping done. She had bought Millicent a book on feminism, Prudence had
gotten two lipsticks of her favourite lable, Alice had gotten a pink sweater she had been ogeling for
a while but never got the gutts to buy, and Isa had gotten a sparkly eyeshadow in the shade of
silver. For Thomas she had bought a quill that only could be used by the owner and would curse
the rest with having inked hands for at least 24 hours. She had an alternative motive for his gift,
given that so many of their peers usually stole his stuff. Especially his quills. She was very happy
with her presents.

Hermione and Malfoy went their separate ways in the entrance hall, after a somewhat awkward
embrace. She thought he had held on a little more than necessary, but once again found herself
enjoying his company.

It was when she removed her bag from her shoulder she noticed the little piece of parchment that
seemed stuck on it. This was the third note she had gotten, and the same fluttery feeling in her
stomach occurred.

“Your voice is my favorite sound.

I could listen to it every second of every day.”

- Your secret admirer

Hermione fell asleep with a smile on her lips, dreaming of this mysterious secret admirer she had.
 Chapter 16

As the snow finally settled on the ground around Hogwarts it was mid december, and Tom couldn't
wait for the rest of the school to leave so that he could be alone and work more on the mark as well
as some new spells he wanted to try out. He was sitting by the Slytherin table with his normal gang
of buffoons. They were talking loudly and gladly about the upcoming holidays. Both Malfoy and
Lestrange had offered to let Tom stay at their mansions during the holidays, but Tom had as always
politely declined.

"Mum's going to host the annual christmas ball at our house. I'm hoping to see some good looking
purebloods that evening. Mum's been nagging me about choosing a fiancée soon. Apparently 16 is
too old to get engaged, who would have thought?" drawled Malfoy.

"When you're engaged, are you finally giving up on that mudblood?" asked Avery mockingly.

The laugh of the group was that Hermione had not yet complied with Malfoy's flattery, still not
even hugged the poor boke. Tom had observed that they were getting closer, yes. But she never
touched him willingly, although when Malfoy sneaked a touch of her arm or hand she blushed
rather fiercely. Gaining the suspicion from Tom that she enjoyed it.

"Certainly not. I will not quit fucking just so I can please a girl that's not going to please me. No,
she will have to stand for a bit roaming about before we marry. It's only custom, isn't it?" Malfoy
laughed. "Besides, I'm confident that she will come around soon enough. Actually, I think I will
ask her out this friday. We'll see who's laughing then, huh?"

The others laughed at this, and Tom smiled coldly. He doubted she would accept this date, but he
was finding the girl harder to read than most. Just when he thought he had her, she went about and
did something he hadn't expected.

Hermione entered the great hall, her eyes roaming the Gryffindor table as they had been for the
past months since the Halloween dance. It was aggravating. How could one date with that dickhead
possibly make her fawn over him this way? It was pathetic really. He saw her sit down with the
normal group of girls just behind them. She was awfully close actually, sitting with her back
against them. They were talking about that Wood boy again, convincing Hermione that he was
acting this way simply because he was a boy and that he had gotten what he wanted. Tom almost
snorted at this, because not even dumb Wood would be satisfied with a simple goodnight kiss. He
shot a glance at Malfoy, who was also listening intently on the conversation that was happening
behind him. His eyes were gleaming with malice, and maybe a little bit of jealousy? Tom couldn't
really tell.

As he was drinking his pumpkin juice he heard Hermione say that she was a virgin, and he almost
choked on his juice. He glanced up, and saw that Malfoy was now listening even closer to the
conversation, his whole face lit up with the prospect of deflowering the girl in question. And he
must admit, even he was intrigued now. A muggle born witch, a virgin? It wasn't often that it came
around. The muggles were all filth, rolling around with each other the first chance they got. He had
simply assumed she had as well.

"You mean you haven't even snogged anyone before?" one of the girls shrieked loud enough for
the whole school to hear.

Even Avery and Lestrange were now listening intently to the conversation that was happening
behind them, as well as many others. Crabbe and Goyle were still stuffing their faces with food, as
if nothing of interest were going on. Tom was eyeing the bushy head with intrigue now. Such a
delicate flower, just waiting to be corrupted. Tom didn't catch Hermione's response to this, but he
clearly heard the other girl fake-whisper if she really were a virgin. He could see Hermione's hands
playing with her hair, clearly uncomfortable. The girls began talking about their first times, and
Tom quickly lost interest. The other guys at his table were now looking at each other with glee.

"Why, Malfoy. I might just have to fight you for this one." said Avery and clicked his tongue. "A
virgin. Thank the lord. I haven't had one of those in forever."

"I must say, even I am intrigued. You might have to speed up that woo'ing of yours." Lestrange
added, nodding his head approvingly.

"You will do no such thing. I am the one to take her, she's mine." Malfoy growled low.

Tom snickered. He did enjoy watching them try to mark their territory. However, something inside
of him wanted to join. Wanted to claim her as his own. He quickly silenced this part of himself,
almost shuddering at the prospect of him becoming anything like his followers.

After a boring lesson of Herbology Tom's group had gone their separate ways. He was, of course,
going to the library. It was rather convenient that his person of interest was as much a study as he
was. He could get a lot of research done while still watching her. He was walking behind the girl
in question, Malfoy beside him. For whatever reason he was going to the library was beyond him.
But he quickly understood why when he spotted Hermione as well and watched Malfoy running up
to her.

"Hey Hermione!" he shouted and swiftly catched up with her and she halted her steps.

Tom did so as well, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. Moreover, wanting to listen in on
the conversation. He heard him asking her to call him Ignotius and if she were on the way to the
library. Which Tom thought was a incredible stupid question since they were about twenty meters
from the place.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, giving her his signature wink.

"Er... sorry Ignotius. I was kinda hoping to get some alone time actually..." she said and bit her lip.

Something was purring content inside of him at this. He didn't know if it was her turning Ignotius
down, or biting the lip part. Nevertheless, he felt a need to get closer to her. Malfoy was now
walking back towards him.

"Rotten luck." Tom said with a polite smile.

"I'll have her eventually. I swear it." he said with a shrug and that confident smile still on his lips
and walked away.

"We'll see, won't we..." Tom mumbled as he followed the girl into the library.

Tom watched Hermione collect a few books from different shelfs, none of them really related to the
homework they had been assigned as of lately. He frowned a little and shuffled closer to her from
behind, watching her seat herself in the armchair and collecting her quill from the bag. It was not
only a quill that came up, but also a note. He could only make out certain words of it but quickly
came to the conclusion that it was a love note, since the signature below the words clearly stated
'your secret admirer'.
Anger bubbled up at this, and even more over the fact that a small smile was forming on her
mouth, and a blush raising on her cheeks. Hermione darted her head around the library and Tom
quickly hid behind the shelf, confident that she hadn't seen him. He continued to watch her through
the shelf, as she scribbled furiously on a piece of parchment and read the books she had gathered.
He stood there for a long time, having cast a disillusionment charm on himself. It wasn't good for
anyone to see his interest in her, it wouldn't be in his favour if gossip began circulating.

He watched her put her bushy hair behind her ear several times, since it persisted in falling down
again. She bit her lip while in thought, and sucked on the end of her quill while scamming through
the pages. Seeing her suck on the quill like that made him fantasize of her head below him, sucking
on something else than a quill. Her enjoying it and eyeing him with delight, those big deer eyes
watching him, wanting to please him. As quickly as the thought entered his head, he felt his dick
rising. Swiftly he shook his head, corrected his pants and made the disillusionment charm go away
before approaching the girl.

"Hello Miss Bernard. Mind if I join you?" he asked in a light tone as he sat down at the desk.

She looked up at him, rather shocked to have been approached.

"Uh. Sure Riddle. Feel free to sit down." she said, a little chill in her voice.

She was eyeing him suspiciously, as to wrap her head around him. It almost made him smile to
have her wanting to figure him out. As if she would ever succeed. A little grin cracked loose on his
normally stoney appearance. He eyed her books again, now actually being able to see their names.
There was one called 'Time Turners, why they should be destroyed', as well as one named 'Time
traveling, how not to die'. He saw a handful of other books surrounding the girl, but couldn't really
see the names of these.

"Thanks. What are you studying? Time travel?" he asked in the same light tone from before.

At this inquiry he saw her blush. It made him content that he once again had made such a beautiful
color appear on her skin. He took notice of her eyes darting to her books and then back to him. She
licked her lips nervously.

"Uh. Yeah. Time traveling is rather interesting, don't you think?" she stuttered, a small smile on her
lips.

It didn't meet her eyes like it normally did, and her breathing was off. She was not enjoying the
conversation. It made her jumpy.

"Sure. Rather intense magic though. And there's not many facts on those time turners." he said, and
pointed to one of her books. "But why study it? Are you planning on making a trip into the
unknown?"

He made a point to smile at her, as to ease her into telling him the truth. She wouldn't meet his eyes
though. It made his smile feel more like a sneer.

"Er. No. Of course not. Hehe. I'm only...studying it because...uh...it's an extraordinary sort of
magic, don't you think?"

He raised an eyebrow at her before turning to his potions essay. He could sense her heartbeat from
over there, it was pulsating with a rapid speed. She really was a terrible liar. So terrible, he doubted
even she thought he bought her explanations. From the corner of his eye he saw her biting her lip,
watching him intently. He didn't dare look at her, knowing that it would only make her believe that
he hadn't bought her story. So he continued for the next forty or so minutes with his essay, actually
finishing it. He glanced at his arm watch and saw that it was time for lunch.

"Would you care to walk together to lunch?" he asked politely.

Hermione looked up at him, startled. Her mouth was slightly open, and her eyes were eyeing him
carefully. Once again his stupid brain could only think of what he wanted her mouth to do for him.
She had such full and plump lips. He almost groaned when he felt something twitch in his lower
regions.

"Er...sure. Let me just return these." she said as she slowly stood up.

"Certainly." he smiled and started to put his essay back in his bag.

She walked away with all of her books, and he noticed they were all about time traveling. How
odd. When she was out of sight he swiftly corrected his trousers again, willing his erection down.
Just as he had released his trousers she came back into sight.

"Ready?" he asked in a shrill voice.

Damit, this fucking witch made him act all weird. Why did he have to be sexuallt attracted to this
dumb bitch anyways?

"Er...yes." she said and eyed him suspiciously again.

They walked together out of the library in silence, he could feel her eyes on him the whole time.

"Where are you going this Christmas?" Tom asked in what he hoped was a casual tone.

"Oh, er... nowhere considering I don't have a family to go to..." she said in a small voice.

Tom eyed her and saw that his inquiry had upset her. He had of course known she didn't have a
family, how could he forget when he so often went through the images of what he had seen in her
head. Somehow he felt the need to comfort her. And moreover, if he told her something of himself
maybe she would finally be giving him some truths. It was worth a shot.

"I don't have one either. I'm an orphan actually. So I'll be staying here at the castle. Usually it's just
med from Slytherin who does. Maybe we could... study, or something alike, during the holidays?"

She looked shocked at his suggestion, and he knew she would turn him down. She did not trust him
after all.

"That sounds lovely." she answered him, now looking directly at him.

Tom almost tripped over his own feet before quickly composing himself, meeting her eye
doubtfully.

"Maybe we could go through that arithmancy homework together? I've only just glanced at it since
we got it yesterday but by the looks of it, it should be a hard one." she continued as if he hadn't
reacted to her words before.

"Yes, I noticed that professor McDough raised the level for that specific homework. He didn't want
us to just enjoy the holidays, eh?" he said, hoping a joke would cover up his bewilderment.

"Probably!" she laughed as they entered the great hall.

She had a lovely laugh. Tom cleared his throat.

"Well then, Miss Bernard. Always a pleasure." he said and flashed his best headboy smile at her
before departing to the slytherin table.

Tom swiftly sat down next to Malfoy who was eyeing Hermione with a smile on his lips, waving
at her. He noticed how she waved back with a warm smile.

When did that smile turn warm? And when was she happy to socialize with both him and Malfoy?
Maybe their little plan was working, she certainly didn't look unhappy over the fact that she would
spend the holidays with him. And he certainly wasn't. It made him mull over the fact that he would
have two whole weeks of just him and her. Two weeks of gaining knowledge of who she was and
what she was doing here. Maybe even getting close to her, touching her...

Tom's thoughts came to an abrupt stop when Malfoy was addressing him.

"My lord... What were you doing with Hermione?" he asked in a low voice.

Tom could detect a hint of jealousy in his voice. And it enraged him that it was directed at him.
How dare he. He turned his cold eyes to his so-called friend, and could almost see them flash in the
reflection of Malfoy's.

"What I do, and don't do, with Miss Bernard is none of your concern, Malfoy. My reasons to
socialize with her are my own, I do not stand for suspicion from you."

"Of course my lord. I did not mean to upset you. I just... I'm still pursuing her, am I?" he asked
pleadingly.

Tom could tell he really wanted the girl, and he could certainly understand why. Or his stupid body
could anyway.

"You do as you please with that mudblood whore. Don't drag me into it. I am only asking you to
stay out of my business." he sneered.

"Of course my lord. My apologies my lord." Malfoy mumbled and bowed his head slightly.

All of the others were eyeing their conversations carefully, not wanting to enrage Tom further.
Crabbe was trying to warn Malfoy with his eyes. It was pathetic.

"I do not share your need to indulge in filth. I do not care what you do to her or against her. You
could rape the bitch and I wouldn't mind." he hissed and the boys around him all shrinked with his
words.

They barely talked after that, Malfoy looked white as a porcelain doll while Lestrange was eyeing
them both carefully. No one dared to say a word to Tom, sensing he was not in the mood for chit-
chat.

Later that day Tom once again followed Hermione to the library in a disillusionment charm. He
saw her sit down at the same spot in the library, one he now had understood was her favorite. Once
again she had a small note in her hands, and he crept closer to read it.

"I can't stop thinking about you in that beautiful periwinkle dress. There were stars
 in your eyes that night. I dream about them every night."

- Your secret admirer.

Once again he could see her smile at the words, the same blush creeping up on her cheeks. He
licked his lips at the sight, wanting to touch the skin on her face to see if it held more warmth than
he could imagine himself. But he was also disgusted. Who in their right mind would write her
something so disgustingly cute? He understood that's what girls wanted to hear, but really? Stars in
her eyes? He almost snorted at the ridiculousness. If he remembered correctly, her eyes only held a
hint of amber in them apart from the brown. He certainly had not seen any stars in her eyes.

After mulling over the note for a few minutes she carefully put it down in her bag and started on
her research again. Tom noticed that once again it was on time traveling. He read over her
shoulder, careful to keep himself still under the disillusion charm as well as not to breathe on her.
She was reading about some woman who had died after using the time turner, and that notion
seemed to make her irritated because she huffed and slammed the book shut before returning them
all and stalking away up to her tower.

Tom made his way back to his quarters, doging Susanna by still having the disillusionment charm
on. He laid down on his bed, trying to piece together the information he now had on Hermione.

She was clearly not a stranger to Hogwarts, having known her way around a few too many times by
her own. The images in her head had also suggested that she had been fighting in these very same
halls, fighting against people in dark cloaks who were shooting dark magic against her and her
friends. She told the truth about her parents, the grief that had been visible in that memorie couldn't
be a faux. So she could indeed have been living in France until now. But then it was the fact that
the professors and the headmaster hadn't even known that she was supposed to transfer. That never
happened. And she was smart, having quickly become number two in their classes. But even
though she was smart, she was a terrible liar. So if someone sent her here for a reason, they were
incredible stupid consdiering she wasn't doing a great job decieving him. She was studying time
travel and Tom knew for a fact none of their classes was even remotely covering the subject. Could
she really have time traveled here? Was she not from this time, then from what time? It wasn't an
illogical thought, just a very unreasonable one. Especially considering those who had time traveled
had died from doing it, and Hermione was very alive.

As he laid in his bed, thinking of all the lies she had told him, he couldn't help but to think of her
sucking on that quill as well, and wishing once again he could have that plump set of lips around
his dick. He felt his erection growing with the thought, and he couldn't help himself. He needed to
be released. Maybe it would help him get over the silly response his body was having to hers. So
he yielded and began to slowly pump his dick while imagining Hermione's lips on his body,
kissing her way down to his erection and happily licking it from the top down before finally taking
it in her mouth. Her big eyes were watching him intently, as to see if she was pleasing him. He spit
in his hand to make the sensation more real and began to pump his limb more hurriedly. He closed
his eyes, thinking of her bushy hair bobbing over his cock, making choking sounds as she tried to
take it whole. As he imagined her eyes water and her not getting enough air, the eyes pleading with
him to release her from his grip; he came hard. Harder than he ever had in his life. The sensation
went on for a fair amount of time before he eventually stilled in his bed.

Afterwards he felt somewhat ashamed of himself. How could he sink so low? Was he really
becoming like all the other dimwits in this school? Only thinking about sex and where to get it?
No. He wouldn't. He refused.

But as he slowly drifted off to sleep, it was her he was thinking about, once again.
 Chapter 17
Chapter Notes

I did not come up with the arthimancy in this chapter, the original writer can be found
here: https://www.quora.com/What-do-the-numbers-of-arthimancy-in-Harry-Potter-
mean

Having all her friends leave for the holiday was a different feeling. Usually she always had Harry
and Ron, this time, she wouldn’t have either of them. And none of the Ravenclaws she knew were
staying for the holiday. In fact, there was an even smaller amount of students staying for the
holidays than in her own time. She figured this was because more students came from broken
homes in her own time thanks to a certain Voldemort. A certain dark lord who would also be
staying over the holidays, and who had expressed a want to spend time with her during their stay.
Hermione figured she could do that. The only downside of it was that Riddle tended to spend the
same amount of time in the library as she did, which would mean almost no research on time
traveling if she didn’t want him to know of it. Given that almost four months of research had gotten
her nowhere, it wasn’t such a hard deal to make.

As she was waving her friends off she noticed Riddle standing a few steps behind her, also saying
goodbye to his friends. It wasn’t a warm encounter, but not a hostile one either. They simply shook
hands and said Merry Christmas. Malfoy noticed her watching them and quickly made his way
towards her, a big lopsided grin on his face.

“Come to see me off Hermione?” he asked as he came closer.

“Of course. Because I’m certainly not here to wave my housemates off.” she snorted and crossed
her arms over her chest.

“I’m 100% confident you came for me.” he said, a smug tone in his voice. “Missed me since our
date?”

“It was a nice date. I did enjoy it. And I might have given you a thought or two.” she confessed,
lowering her arms.

This made Malfoy smile even bigger.

“I’m gonna miss you during the holidays. Try not to get too bored without me will you? Is it okay
if I owl you?”

“Oh, er… sure. Why not?” Hermione blurted out.

“Great. I’ll hear from you then, yeah?” he said as he once again embraced her in another somewhat
awkward hug.

“Uh, yeah.”

She hugged him back, thinking that she really did enjoy being in his strong arms.

“I’ll sure miss this warm body against mine.” he cooed in her ear, earning another fierce blush to
make its way over her face.

Mafloy then proceeded to jump into the same carriage as his other friends, shooting Hermione a
cheeky wink as they started to roll away. And her stomach was fluttering again. Damn that boy.

“New boyfriend?” asked a cold voice from behind.

It startled her so much that she jumped up, clutching her pocket where her wand was being held.
She set eyes on Riddle who was looming over her, looking utterly displeased.

“Uh, what?” she asked confunded.

“You and Malfoy? I’ve heard him bragging about you accepting a date, but you two looked a bit
more cozy than just having gone out once.”

Hermione scrunched up her nose to the fact that Malfoy had been bragging about being on a date
with her. It wasn’t very… purebloody of him. But then again, why would he take her out on a date
if he were prejudiced? It didn’t make sense in her mind.

“We’re not a couple, if you think that. It was one date. I went on one date with Wood as well.”

“Yes, you did. Whatever happened to that bloke? Got bored of him so soon?” Riddle mocked her, a
snide grin appearing.

“Ha-ha Riddle. You ought to know he dumped me after that dance, I don’t have a clue as for why.
But maybe I’m just not that dateable. Maybe Malfoy will grow tired of me as well. Who knows?”

“Oh Miss Bernard. You’re far more intriguing to grow tired of on only one date. Then again, you
seem to go for…ah… lesser men.” he said, a playful smile on his lips, as he loomed over her again,
moving so that she felt the need to take a step back.

But somehow she felt that she couldn’t move. Just stare into his beautiful, cold, gray eyes as he
crept closer. It certainly made her feel uncomfortable, but it was a sort of thrilling
uncomfortableness. So she just stood there, blinking up at him as he stared into her as well. She
didn’t know how long they stood there, just staring at each other. But suddenly Riddle took a step
back, cleared his throat and began to walk away rather stiffly. She shook her head, not having a
clue as to what sort of trance he had put her under. Because it had to be some kind of magic, she
wouldn’t willingly stare into the eyes of Tom freaking Voldemort Riddle. No way.

Hermione entered the great hall and saw that there was only one table present, since most of the
students and even some of the professors were away for the holidays. She saw a slytherin first
year, as well as two twins in her own house who she thought were fourth years, one alone fifth
year gryffindor and three hufflepuffs. She didn’t know what year they were in, but one of them
must have been a first year considering how small she was. To her utter despair she was seated
opposed to the first year slytherin who was trying to make some small talk. Hermione almost
laughed at the sight and decided to meddle a little bit. The poor hufflepuff had probably been told
that the slytherins were mean and would hurt them.

“Hello. I’m Hermione. What’s your names?” she asked in a cheerful tone as she sat down.

The two youngsters looked at her, startled at having been addressed by someone so much older
than them. The slytherin seemed to compose himself first.

“Marcus Pucey.” he said, and held out his hand for her to shake.
Hermione shook it and smiled at the little boy with sandy hair and a small face, before turning to
the small, brunette hufflepuff girl with big glasses covering most of her face.

“Er… Daniella Plum.” she said, shooting Marcus a wary look, as she shook Hermione’s extended
hand.

“Not being a little waster are you, Pucey?” Riddle asked as he flopped down beside him.

“N-no sir.” he said, shaking his little head frivolously.

“Sir?” Hermione snorted and couldn’t help a small cackle slipping through.

“Yes, my youngsters have respect for their superiors I guess.” Riddle smiled at her and patted little
Pucey on the back, almost making him fall face first into his meal.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his snide comment and turned her attention to Daniella who seemed to
visibly tremble at the sight of the two slytherins.

“You’re a first year right? How are you enjoying Hogwarts?”

“G-good. I-I really e-enjoy it.” she stuttered out, shooting Hermione a weary glance before turning
her attention to the two boys in front of her.

Little Daniella sure knew that it was best to watch the enemy so she wouldn't be attacked with the
element of surprise. She wondered if maybe this was due to the fact that it had already happened,
or just because her older housemates had warned her not to socialize with snakes.

“Oh good! Have you noticed any of the secret passageways around the castle? There are so many
to discover!” Hermione gushed, trying to start a conversation.

“Er…” was all that Daniella said before Riddle interrupted her.

“You know of the many passageways, do you Bernard?” he asked with an innocent tone.

Hermione was so involved with getting the two kids beside them to feel involved and safe that she
didn’t pick up on the cautiness that now seemed to cloak Riddle as he eyed her with intrigue.

“Of course! There are some that could take you out to Hogsmeade. But I won’t tell you those just
yet!” she answered and gave the kids a wink, actually gaining a giggle from both of them.

“Maybe you could show me instead?” Riddle asked and cocked his head.

This time around Hermione could feel the intrigue radiating through his body towards her, there
was no mistaking it. She gulped as she realized her mistake. Was it her third? Fourth? Or maybe
even fifth one? Did he keep count? Of course he did.

“U-uh, sure. Yeah. I-I found it myself just the other day.” she tried, a shrill laugh escaping her.

Riddle only smiled predatorily. Oh fuck. Even though he could see right through her, which
endangered herself to max, she couldn’t help but to feel attracted to this dark side of him. It made
something tugg in her lower belly.

The rest of the lunch went by without any hiccups, much to the fact that Hermione opted to not
speak as much. But fortunately the two first years became fast friends after lunch so she thought
her mission would be considered a success after all.
Hermione quickly went to the library after lunch, hoping to get some more reading done on time
traveling, as well as start her many homeworks they had gotten during the holidays. She hadn’t
noticed someone following her before she put her stuff down at her favorite corner table and was
startled when she noticed him doing the same.

“What are you doing here Riddle?” she asked, just a hint of panic traceable in her voice.

“Were we not going to work on our arithmancy homework?” he asked with a frown as he sat down.

“Oh. Right. Sure. We could do that. Of course.” she said and gave a shrill laugh as she sat down
opposite from him.

Riddle gave her a pensive look before opening his textbook and hauling out parchment out of his
bag.

“Well. Professor McDough wanted us to translate these numbers as well as see what our character
number is by figuring out how to add the numbers correctly. A little trickier than usual, but I think
it’ll be fun!” he said, his voice gaining enthusiasm.

Hermione couldn’t agree more. She was in fact also intrigued by this assignment, mostly because
professor McDough had never given them free reins to calculate on their own. They were always
following the textbook, Numerology and Grammatica. Not that it wasn’t a very good one,
Hermione had just been surprised that they were still in the 90’s following the same textbook as
they had in the 40’s. Moreover, she was almost giggling over the fact that Tom Riddle was
practically gushing over a homework assignment. They were a little too alike sometimes.

“Yes, so should we start with translating the numbers? I’d think this is the easiest part of the
assignment. And then we could go into the trickier part?”

“Sounds like a plan. You could come sit next to me for this part so that we can translate them
together.” Riddle said, although it came out more like a question.

Hermione stopped what she was doing and glanced up at him. He wasn’t looking at her, just
simply flipping the pages of his textbook. He probably hadn’t meant anything by it. It was surely
just because it was convenient to sit next to each other when they were working on the same thing.
But Hermione couldn’t help but feel something tugging in her stomach, something fluttery. She
blushed at the sensation. Tom freaking Riddle shouldn’t make her behave like a stupid teenager.
She was Hermione Granger for crying out loud!

“Yes. I do believe you’re right. It would be better if I was seated next to you. Solely because of the
assignment of course.” she said hoarsely.

“Of course. Solely because of the assignment.” he said, now glancing up at her, a smile tugging in
the corner of his mouth.

Hermione didn’t dare breathe when she sat down next to him. She shot him a sideway glance, but
he was still just flipping through his textbook, looking for the correct page. Hermione let out a
breath and quickly drew another in. She could smell a hint of vanilla from him, as well as a strong
scent of books. And something else… something darker. Smokey-musk. Yes, that must be it. She
drew in another breath, not noticing that she was practically sniffing his arm before he turned to
her, raising an eyebrow.

“Find me alluring, Miss Bernard?” he asked with a sneer.

Hermione blushed harder than she thought she had ever done. She didn’t dare look him in the eye
so she just mumbled something about not being herself. They were a little too close for it to be
comfortable, if she had a say in the matter. But she couldn’t just change her mind and get up to sit
opposite him again. So she proceeded to start translating the numbers. Riddle was chuckling beside
her and she could feel his body heat radiating towards her. He then shuffled his legs a little bit, and
now it was touching hers. She could feel sparks from where their bodies connected and they took a
permanent resident in her belly, which were now jumping all over the place.

Hermione wanted to smell him again. That smokey scent was drawing her in more than she cared
to admit. She had never thought of his scent before, but now it was practically hitting her in the
face. Once again she felt herself shift towards him, her own leg leaning more and more towards
his. Her head was as cloudy as an autumn day. And then she snapped out of it just as fast, finally
gaining her witts back. She blushed even harder. She could NOT be thinking about Voldemort this
way. She just couldn’t. So what if he smelled like her favorite books in the whole world, or if that
scent of vanilla was just the one her mother always wore, or if that smokey-musk scent were
enough to make her wet just for smelling it. It didn’t matter. What mattered was the fact that the
number one could translate to either A, J or S. And that the number two meant B, K or T.

They finished translating the numbers to letters and Hermione could feel her head finally begin to
feel more like herself. She scrunched up her nose and moved her leg from Riddle’s, not knowing
why on earth they needed to sit so close together. She shook her head heavily and took out the
instructions for the second part of the assignment. She had just begun to read it over again when
Riddle cleared his throat.

“Sorry, I just need to use the bathroom. I’ll be back.”

Hermione just nodded, not taking her eyes off the assignment, her brain already calculating the
different ways she could find her character number. First she added all the numbers of her name
together, but that gave the number 94, and there were only 9 different characters. She frowned a
little, sucking on the quill while thinking. Maybe if she divided the number 94 by how many
numbers there were in her name? No, the number 6,2 didn’t add up either. She sucked harder on
her quill, mulling over the facts in her head, and then it hit her even stronger than before. The smell
of her most beloved books, newly bought parchment, as well as that sweet tone of vanilla. And that
dark and mysterious scent of smokey-musk. She startled, dropping her quill as she turned her eyes
towards the smell, towards Riddle. He was smiling alluring to her, as if he knew what he did to her
body just by sitting next to her.

“You’re very talented in arithmancy, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this… distracted before.
Are you feeling quite alright?” Riddle asked her and put a hand on her shoulder.

The scents hit her all over again, much stronger. Her head bobbed in the direction of his wrist,
practically cuddling it. There was just such a lovely smell. Such a strong, lovely and appealing
smell. Hermione drew in another sniff, now practically holding his wrist in place. She felt him shift
next to her, having turned towards her. His legs were on either side of her chair, and if she were
within her normal senses she would feel trapped. But the scent came radiating towards her even
stronger when he shifted, and so Hermione followed. He knees now in between his legs, looking
fairley small compared to his. She was holding one of his hands to her face, just smelling it. His
other hand was suddenly in her hair, caressing it. An involuntary shiver went through her body and
she leaned into his other hand, still having a strong grip of his wrist. She closed her eyes and
sniffed more. A pool of something in her lower abdomen was beginning to gather, and she felt the
need to smell him closer. Her eyelashes fluttered open and she met his eyes, which were dark and
watching her intrigued.

“I… I want…” she whispered.

“What do you want, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice as musky as his scent.

He was still caressing her head, now moving his hand down to her chin and cupping it. She leaned
into this caress as well, not knowing how much she had wanted him to touch her before this.

“I…want to smell your… your neck.” she whispered, her voice barely hearable.

Riddle chuckled and quickly pulled her into his lap, she was now straddling him. His hard body
was suddenly all around her, smelling deliriously good. Hermione’s head was spinning, all she
could think was that she needed to get closer to his neck. She needed to smell him. She huffed a
little, wiggling closer. She could feel him tense up as she did so, but didn’t pay any attention to it.
All she could think and feel were the scents that came from him. She snuggled her head into the
cavity of his neck, smelling him like an animal. He didn’t seem to mind, he was now caressing her
back, cooing something in her ear. She couldn’t tell what he was saying, just that she needed him to
touch her more, and she needed to smell him forever.

“Hermione…” he murmured in her ear.

“Hm?”

“Where are you from, cupcake?” he asked, in that same musky voice from before.

Her insides were purring at the sound.

“What do you mean?” she sighed as she continued to smell his neck.

Riddle caressed her neck and kissed her earlobe.

“Is your name really Hermione Bernard?”

“Hm? Oh, sure.” she said as she sighed happily as he kissed her neck, a faint sound of alarm bells
ringing in the back of her mind.

“Why are you so interested in time traveling?” he asked, now kissing the contour of her clavicle.

“W…what?” she sighed, nusseling more into his neck.

“Time travel, hermione. Why are you researching time travel?” he asked, his voice now held a hint
of impatience.

“I thought I wanted to go home… but I feel very content right here.” she sighed and sniffed his
neck in big gulps.

“Home?” he asked intrigued.

“Mmhm.” she sighed, and kissed his neck where he smelled most delicious and she could feel him
stopping mid-breath.

She wiggled a little more, just to get a little bit closer, and he tensed up again.

“Where’s home?” he asked, a little stiffly.

“I’m not supposed to tell you.” she whined, and wiggled even closer and felt something poking her
thigh delightfully.

Suddenly he lifted her chin from his neck, gaining a pout from her. But as she met the normally ice
gray eyes she was surprised to see them almost completely black.

“Do that again and I won’t be held accountable for my actions, Miss Bernard.” he grunted out, his
other hand holding a firm grip over her hip.

Hermione didn’t know what ‘that’ was, but she bit her lip and blushed anyway. At that he moaned
lowly from his throat and proceeded to smash his lips over hers. She was more than happy to
oblige to the kiss, even if it was rather rushed and harsh. His hands were now roaming her body,
caressing as well as squeezing her hips and back. She moaned at the sensation and as her mouth
opened up, Riddle was quick to press his tongue into her mouth. He was now ravishing her mouth
with his own and Hermione was delighted. The scents were hanging around them like a curtain,
and his hands on her were assembling more tingling warmth to the lower part of her abdomen. She
moaned again as his hands had moved to her rear, roughly squeezing it. Her body rocked on its
own accord, feeling the length of him under her.

And as fast as it had started, it was over. Riddle had pushed her off, collected his stuff and stormed
out of the library, leaving her in a pool of her own desires and his scent hanging heavily in the air.
 Chapter 18
Chapter Notes

Same goes for this chapter; here's the link to the arthimancy:
https://www.quora.com/What-do-the-numbers-of-arthimancy-in-Harry-Potter-mean

Tom was standing in the courtyard saying goodbye to his friends, he briefly noted that Hermione
was there as well, also bidding her housemates goodbye. Tom was very aware of the fact that they
were the only upperclassmen that would be staying at Hogwarts this holiday, and that played him
right in the hands. He looked forward to two undisturbed weeks of gaining information on
Hermione, finally figuring out who the hell she was.

“Happy holidays my lord. You’re sure that you don’t want to accompany me to Lestrange manor?”
asked Derick.

“You’re very kind, my friend. But no. I will gladly stay here at Hogwarts where I can study
undisturbed.”

Among other things he could do undisturbed. He shot Hermione another glance, only to catch her
looking at them. It made him feel some type of way, knowing that she stole glances at him. Just as
he was thinking that, Malfoy went to her with a big, ugly grin on his face. He had told Tom that his
date with Hermione was a success, he even got a hug in the end. Tom figured that wouldn’t count
as a success, considering most girls wanted to be kissed at the end of their dates. Nonetheless,
Malfoy made it sound like they had had a delightful time, to Tom’s misery.

He watched as Malfoy flirted with Hermione, her at first being a little wary, but quickly relaxing
beside him. He heard her admitting their date to have been nice, and that she had been thinking of
him. Malfoy proceeded with hugging her again, squeezing her tight against his own body. It made
Tom enraged, and he wasn’t sure why. It was repulsive. The worst part was that Malfoy whispered
something in her ear, gaining that beautiful blush to take over her pretty face. He felt his eye twitch
at the sight.

“Happy holidays my lord. Hope you’ll have a good one!” said Crabbe as he mounted the carriage
together with the rest of their group.

Tom quickly put his face together. What was with him nowadays? What kind of spell did this little
twat have over him?

“Happy holidays boys. Enjoy.” he said stiffly and waved them off, seeing how Malfoy gave
Hermione a cheeky wink.

And just like that, he was mad again. He stalked up to her, looming over her with all his length.

“New boyfriend?” he asked coldly, not bothering to cover up the iciness in his tone.

She almost jumped into him, quickly feeling her pocket for her wand. Always so scared, this one.
He could understand it now considering the memories he had seen. But it was almost comical how
her first instinct was to draw her wand.
“Uh, what?” she asked, looking nonplussed.

“You and Malfoy? I’ve heard him bragging about you accepting a date, but you two looked a bit
more cozy than just having gone out once.”

Tom couldn’t help it. He wanted to call her out for her public affections. The part of him he always
hid was tearing its way upward, to the surface. A feeling of jealousy, if he had known it. He
watched as Hermione scrunched up her nose. She probably thought he was out of his way, which
he was. He had no claim to her or what she did. She was probably going to scold him for it now.

“We’re not a couple, if you think that. It was one date. I went on one date with Wood as well.” she
stated matter of factly.

Tom almost gaped. She didn’t even seem angry at him butting in on her affairs. But at the mention
of Wood he quickly became angry again, wanting to taunt her.

“Yes, you did. Whatever happened to that bloke? Got bored of him so soon?” he said, grinning
wryly.

“Ha-ha Riddle. You ought to know he dumped me after the dance, I don’t have a clue as for why.
But maybe I’m just not that dateable. Maybe Malfoy will grow tired of me as well. Who knows?”
she retorted.

Oh how he hoped he would. That bastard didn’t deserve her. A part of him wanted to let her know
how much he wanted her. Craved her. Needed her touch.

“Oh Miss Bernard. You’re far more intriguing to grow tired of on only one date. Then again, you
seem to go for…ah…lesser men.” he said, using his length to tower over her even more.

A faint smile played on his lips as he saw her growing uncomfortableness. Oh how he thrived for
it. She was looking him right in the eye, not averting her gaze even once. He took another step
towards her, closing in on her. They were merely a meter apart now. She blinked, and he could see
her chest heaving with fluttery breaths. It made him think of her dress from Halloween, how
delightful her breast had looked welling over the seam. He wanted to touch her, feel her nipples
stiff with his touch and hear her moan his name in his ears. He wanted to push her up to the
stonewall, pressing his body against her. He wanted to lock her arms over her head so she couldn’t
move, kiss her ravishingly over her whole body. He wanted to fuck her, right now. Right this
instance.

Her brown eyes fluttered close again, just to open at the next second. But it was enough for him to
regain his senses. He cleared his throat, took a step back and began to walk away. It was rather
difficult, considering the hard-on he was currently sporting. He imagined it must look quite odd.

Tom made his way into the boy’s lavatory before entering the great hall and the lunch. He put
some cold water onto his wrists to cool down, and more importantly, to cool something else down.
It took a few minutes, but as he stood there dabbing cold water on himself, a most incredible idea
struck him. One he simply must go through with. He smiled to himself in the mirror. Thank
Salazar for his brain.

He made a quick detour to his quarters to pick up what he needed for his plan to go through before
entering the great hall. Where there normally was five tables there was now only one. Hermione
was sitting next to a small Hufflepuff girl with glasses too big for her face, as well as one small boy
he recognized as the Pucey boy in his house, another first year. She was trying to make
conversation with them, but they both looked utterly terrified of being addressed by a 6th year.
Tom smiled.

“Not being a little waster are you, Pucey?” he asked as he damp down next to the little kid with a
small face.

“N-no sir.” he said and shook his head hard.

Pucey was one of the kids Tom had held under a tight leash from the start. He was little of a
troublemaker, so he had gained quite a few detentions from him.

“Sir?” Hermione snorted and actually gave out a cackle of laughter, quickly covering her mouth
afterwards.

“Yes, my youngsters have respect for their superiors I guess.” he smiled and patted Pucey on the
back, consciously a little too hard.

Hermione rolled her eyes at this and turned to the little Hufflepuff girl who was eyeing them all
with terrified girls. Pucey was now whining a little, caressing his back where Tom’s hand had just
been.

“You’re a first year right? How are you enjoying Hogwarts?” she asked her.

“G-good. I-I really e-enjoy it.” the small girl stuttered out, carefully eyeing Hermione before her
eyes once again focused on the two Slytherins before her.

Tom smiled maliciously. There was something about having someone scared by you that just… sat
right with him. It made him content.

“Oh good! Have you noticed any of the secret passageways around the castle? There are so many
to discover!” Hermione continued, trying to win the little girl over.

How did she know about the secret passageways if she only came here a few months ago? How did
she know about something it had taken him years to find? How many did she know of? What more
secrets of the castle did she know? It wasn’t possible. It shouldn’t be possible.

“Er…” the little girl started to say before Tom swiftly interrupted her.

“You know of the many passageways, do you Bernard?” he asked, feigning an innocent tone,
eyeing her more intently now.

“Of course! There are some that could take you out to Hogsmeade. but I won’t tell you those just
yet!” she said and winked to the small kids next to them.

The two imbeciles giggled childishly.

Tom was intrigued now. He didn’t know of any passageways leading all the way to Hogsmeade.
How in the name of Merlin did she know?

“Maybe you could show me instead?” he asked, cocking his head as she met his eyes.

They held a hint of fear in them now, he watched her gulp down a big portion of saliva. He almost
laughed. How many times was he going to catch her in a lie or mishap? It always played in his
favor, but nevertheless, it was becoming comical.
“U-uh, sure. Yeah. I-I found it myself just the other day.” she said in a low voice, and gave a shrill
laugh right after.

Tom couldn’t help but to smile. He really had her trapped now. This girl couldn’t lie if it was a life
or death situation. Everything about that sentence gave her away. If not for her heart slamming so
loud he could hear it from across the table, then for the stuttering or the shrill laugh at the end. It
was truly comical, watching her squirm under his eyes.

The rest of the lunch went on without incident, mostly because Hermione barely talked at all. Tom
took it upon himself to match the two first years, encouraging them to spend some time together
during the holidays considering there wasn’t anyone else their age around. At first they were a little
uncertain, but as the lunch ended the two skipped away together to play. He watched amused how
Hermione darted away as fast as she could in the direction of the library. She always played him
right in the hands. And now he was going in hard.

Tom followed the bushy mane to the library before stopping right outside of it, fishing up a small
flask from his pocket. He quickly splattered a drop on each wrist as well as his neck before
entering. He stalked after her to her favorite corner and watched amused how she darted around
hearing his footsteps.

“What are you doing here Riddle?” she asked with panic in her voice.

Mm, how he enjoyed making her frightened.

“Were we not going to work on our arithmancy homework?" he asked, feigning the same innocent
tone from before, complementing it with a frown.

Tom sat down at the desk, not planning to take no for an answer.

“Oh. Right. Sure. We could do that. Of course.” she said awkwardly, a shrill laugh escaping her
again.

He watched her sit down stiffly. He really was making her nervous, and she hadn’t even smelled
him yet.

“Well. Professor McDough wanted us to translate these numbers as well as see what our character
number is by figuring out how to add the numbers correctly. A little trickier than usual, but I think
it’ll be fun!” he said, noticing how he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm.

It wasn’t really the assignment that he was looking forward to, it was the next hour.

“Yes, so should we start with translating the numbers? I’d think this is the easiest part of the
assignment. And then we could go into the tricker part?” she asked.

“Sounds like a plan. You could come sit next to me for this part so that we can translate them
together.” he said, making it sound like a question for her to think she had a choice in the matter.

He saw from the corner of his eye how she dropped her quill at his statement, eyeing him carefully.
Tom continued to flip through his textbook, feigning innocence. He saw a blush creeping up on her
cheeks, and felt the need to know what she was thinking about. Clearly it was him, and that made
him content.

“Yes. I do believe you’re right. It would be better if I was seated next to you. Solely because of the
assignment of course.” she said in a hoarse voice.
“Of course. Solely because of the assignment.” he said, glancing up at her, a content smile growing
on his lips.

He was beginning to sense a mistake on his own behalf, because a sudden rouse of wind swept past
him as she stood up from her seat. A sensation of scents hit him in the face and he almost choked.
Fucking hell. How could he have looked past the possibility that he too would smell the potion?
He imagined it was not as strong for him as it was for her, given it was on himself. But
nevertheless, the scents were making him go mad with want.

Hermione sat down next to him and let out a puff of air before drawing in another. He could see
when the smell of the potion hit her. He could sense the tremble in her body as she drew in another
breath, craving more. From the corner of his eye he saw how she shuffled even closer to him,
almost putting her face on his arm. Tom smiled, this was going to be too easy. He just needed to
clear his own head, then everything would go as planned.

“Find me alluring, Miss Bernard?” he asked her, a sneer on his face and one eyebrow raised.

A fierce blush colored her cheek, her whole face was almost beet red. Tom snickered.

“I’m not…being myself….” she mumbled almost imperceptibly.

He watched as she tried her best to revert to the assignment, and she really did put up a good fight.
He saw how her hands trembled when holding the quill, heaving for breath. That just wouldn't do,
would it? No. He needed her to want him. He shuffled his legs so that one of them touched hers, he
could feel the stocking on her leg. A part of him wanted to dive under the table to peel them off
and ravish her legs with kisses, only to stop at her center. Making her shout his name, tugging on
his hair. He saw how she leaned into his legs with her own, before suddenly snap back just as fast,
removing her legs a bit from his. An even fiercer blush than before could now be seen on her face,
it crept all the way down under her uniform. Tom wanted to know just how far down the blush
went, he wanted to lick it from start to finish, hoping it would finish on her stomach.

The scents were beginning to wear off, and he noticed it was for her too. Hermione focused
intently on the work before them, translating number after number before finishing altogether. He
noticed how she scrunched up her nose, now removing her legs from his altogether. She shook her
head, making that big mane of hers shuffle over her face. Tom frowned. He needed to put on some
more of the potion for his plan to work, it wasn’t having an effect on her anymore.

“Sorry, I just need to use the bathroom. I’ll be back.” he excused himself and walked out of sight
from her.

On the other part of the library he fished up the potion again, now knowing it would be harder for
him to resist the smell. But he also knew it had an even stronger effect on Hermione, and that was
all that mattered. Swiftly, he put three drops each on his neck, as well as two on either wrist, before
returning to Hermione.

He saw her sucking on her quill before scribbling on her parchment. The scents of her hit him
almost directly at the sight of that. And even harder when she did it again, now sucking even
diligently. His feet moved without him noticing and soon he was right next to the witch again. He
saw her startle, dropping her quill for the second time today. She was looking up at him with those
big deer eyes, just as he had imagined previously. He sat down next to her, smiling at her.

“You’re very talented in arithmancy, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this… distracted before.
Are you feeling quite alright?” he asked and put his hand on her shoulder, deliberately moving his
wrist so it faced her.
Hermione’s head jerked towards his wrist, her head practically nuzzling it. She breathed in harder,
pressing her nose against his wrist and holding it firmly with her hands. Tom faced her with his
whole body, entrapping her with his legs on either side of her chair. Knowing she wouldn’t want to
leave anyways, he didn’t want to leave anything to chance. And he really didn’t want her to leave
him now, surrounded by the smell of her. As she drew in another breath, her body moved towards
his, her small legs now in between his own. Tom smiled as he gripped her hair with his other hand,
caressing her scalp as she was now getting the scent from both sides of her head. He felt a shiver go
through her body and then she leaned into his caress, sniffing even more vigorously on his wrist.

“I… I want…” she whispered as her eyelashes fluttered in his direction.

“What do you want, sweetheart?” he asked in a voice so musky he didn’t recognize it as his own.

Tom’s hands were practically moving of their own accord now, cupping her cheek, caressing it as
well. It was beginning to become harder and harder to withstand the effects of the potion.

“I… want to smell your… your neck.” she whispered in a low voice.

Tom chuckled. Of course she did. That’s why he had put more drops on his neck than on his wrist.
He wanted her closer. Without hesitation he pulled her up in his lap, intending her to sit on the side,
but she quickly straddled him without wavering. Her soft body was easing into his hard one, and
she could probably already feel the erection that had begun to grow as soon as she was seated in his
lap. A small huff escaped her as she grinded herself on him, snuggling into his neck. Tom
stiffened, feeling his erection growing with the speed of light. He couldn’t keep his hands off of
her, caressing her back. He was delighted that she was so content in his arms, it felt warm and safe
with her there smelling his neck over and over again.

“You beautiful girl. You soft, soft woman.” he cooed in her ear, not being able to stop himself.

The scentes were all over the places, clouding his brain.

“Such a good girl. Mm, you make me so happy darling. So so happy.” he continued to murmur.

Tom didn’t know how long they sat there, her smelling him and him giving her compliment after
compliment. But after a while, he regained some of his senses.

“Hermione…” he whispered close to her ear.

“Hm?” she answered lowly.

“Where are you from, cupcake?” he asked, his voice coming out a little hoarser than before.

“What do you mean?” she sighed.

She didn’t stop nuzzling his neck or smelling him even for a second, enjoying it far too much. Tom
smiled at the sensation it was giving him, his hand went up to caress her neck and his mouth found
her earlobe, kissing it softly.

“Is your name really Hermione Bernard?” he asked in between kisses.

“Hm? Oh, sure.” she said with a happy sigh, now kissing his neck back.

“Why are you so interested in time traveling?” he asked, moving his mouth down to the contour of
her clavicle.
Tom wondered if he would get away with caressing her breast. His brain somewhat focused on his
task, but a big part of it wanted to twist her nipples into his mouth, sucking hard on them.

“W…what?” she sighed, once again settling in the cavity of his neck.

“Time travel, Hermione. Why are you researching time travel?” he asked, not being able to hide
his impatience.

He even stopped caressing her and kissing her clavicle. He was so close to getting answers, she
couldn’t stop now.

“I thought I wanted to go home… but I feel very content right here.” she sighed, gulping in big
breaths of him.

“Home?” he asked.

What did she mean by that? Was she really a time traveler? Why else would she answer that she
wanted to go home, while researching time traveling? It was the only possible solution.

“Mmhm.” she sighed.

Hermione started to kiss his neck more intently, licking over a few spots. Tom stopped breathing
mid-breath. She had found a spot on his neck that sent tingles through his whole body. And just as
he was going to compose himself once again, she wiggled over him a second time. Tom almost
cursed under his breath. She was now sitting directly on top of his dick, it was pulsating with need
under her.

“Where’s home?” he asked stiffly, trying to regain his senses.

“I’m not supposed to tell you” she answered with a whine and grind on top of him even harder.

Tom couldn’t even think anymore. All he wanted was to push her down over the desk and pull her
skirt down. He wanted to touch her whole body while she begged for him. He wanted to fuck her
so hard she couldn’t walk the other day. But he couldn’t do any of that. Angry with himself for
losing control he forced her head up with his hand, watching her pout over losing her spot at his
neck. She stared him right in the eyes.

“Do that again and I won’t be held accountable for my actions, Miss Bernard.” he grunted out,
gripping her hip roughly.

He wanted to mark her, to leave a bruise she would remember him from. Hermione was still staring
him right in the eyes, now biting her lip as a blush colored her cheeks. Oh fuck.

Tom growled lowly, a sound he didn’t know his throat could make, before crushing his lips over
hers. Hermione kissed him back with the same enthusiasm. And suddenly Tom understood what he
was missing, why all the boys were acting so stupid, chasing after girls all the time. They were
getting this. Fireworks and tingling sensations in their bodies. The feeling of a girl wanting you
was more than intoxicating. Tom needed more, he would have her. His hand roamed her body,
switching between caressing and squeezing roughly as fast as his thought went from wanting to
kiss her to fuck her. After a few seconds she moaned and Tom was quick with entering his tongue
into her mouth. He could feel her moan into his mouth as they snogged for what felt like seconds
combined with hours. The smells of her were all around him, he didn’t know where she began and
he ended. All he knew was that he had never wanted anything more than he wanted this girl this
very second. Tom’s hands were now moving to her rear, roughly squeezing it as she rocked her
body on top of his. He complied with thrusting his lower regions against hers, pulling her hair from
the scalp. A small wail left her lips and Tom opened his eyes, suddenly realizing what was
happening. He pushed her off of him in a forceful motion before fleeing the library.

As he darted towards his own quarters a small thought circulated in his head. What did amortentia
smell like for Hermione? For him, it was her. Books, lavender and some small hint of cedar. It was
all over the place. He had forgotten the part of him also being able to smell the potion on himself,
and it had almost ruined everything. He was not supposed to have kissed the girl. Only questioned
her. He cursed loudly as he kicked an armor he passed, making it fall to the ground with a loud
bang.

Tom almost ran into the quarters, diving onto his bed. His whole body was begging for release.
Some part of his brain was clearly still functioning since he proceeded to jump into the shower to
scrub away any and every scent still on him, after taking care of his needs of course. A new plan
was forming in his head, one that he would have the whole holiday to perform. He would get her to
talk. Someday.
 Chapter 19

Hermione was distraught. She had practically humped Tom Riddle in the library, and he had let
her. At first she was embarrassed over the fact, but she quickly understood that he must have
drugged her or something. He had never smelled that good in their previous encounters, so how
could he have gotten her under his spell that quick? Sure she had been able to detect that smokey-
musk from him earlier, but not even close to the same intensity that had hit her in the library. He
must have drugged her. There was no other explanation to it. None at all. She couldn’t begin to
admit the fact that Tom Riddle were having her sexual confused.

She had been hiding in her dormitory and common room since the incident, not wanting to face
him. She was embarrassed, but she was also fuming over the fact that he had taken advantage of
her, and for gaining even more information on her. She had practically told him she was a time
traveler. If he hadn’t figured it out by now, he would any day. She felt used, both of her body and
her mind. He had succeeded in tricking her, gaining not only information but also embarrassing
sounds from her own mouth. Sounds she didn’t even know she could make.

Oh my god. Her first real snog had been with Tom Riddle. Voldemort himself. How could she have
been so stupid?! Of course he had an alternative motive in why he wanted to hang out with her.
This just added one too many things the dark lord had already stolen from her.

Hermione sighed as she sat on her favorite sofa in the circular blue room. Lucky for her,
Ravenclaw tower had their own library. Noted, it did not hold as many books as the Hogwarts
library did, but enough for her to finish her assignments. She had taken it upon herself to walk
down to the kitchens instead of attending the meals in the great hall, anything to avoid him. The
only assignment she had left was the arithmancy one, it truly was a difficult one. But she had
managed eventually; her character number was 4. It was said that she represented stability and
firmness, enjoying working hard and logic as well as reason. Organizational and they get shit done.
Described as stubborn, suspicious, overly practical and prone to angry outbursts. Hermione had to
agree with her character number, it was her, she was it. And with that, she was confident that she
had made the right calculation.

It was one of the last days of the holiday when Hermione finally decided to confront the asshole.
When she walked down to breakfast she met him directly at the top of the entrance hall stairs. Him
coming up from the dungeons, and she down from ravenclaw tower. It enraged her seeing him
again, but more so because she had hoped to get a good breakfast in her before unleashing her
wrath upon him. But alas, here they were.

“Miss Bernard. How surprising to see you here. Would have thought you were sick for the rest of
the holiday.” Riddle said with a condescending smile on his face.

Oh this vile person. She tightened her fists as she looked at him, willing herself not to hit him in his
beautiful face. Hating herself for paying notice that he had a beautiful face.

“What. Did. You. Do. To. Me?” she grunted out.

Riddle looked genuinely bewildered. It confused her.

“Me? I’ve been wondering the same thing! I have been looking all over for you, you promised we
would work on the assignment together but instead you have been avoiding me altogether. You
think you’re too good to be seen with me, eh?” he said as he crossed his arms, glaring down at her.
Hermione blinked.

“What?” she asked. “We were in the library. You drugged me with something! You made me…
made me…”

“Made you what?” he asked, towering up over her with his arms still crossed over his broad chest.

Hermione blushed fiercely again. He was playing with her. He just wanted her to be embarrassed.
Or was it possible he didn’t know what she was talking about?

“You made me sit in your lap. You made me want to smell you. Want to… kiss you.” she said, her
tone decreasing at the last statement.

Riddle raised his eyebrows, he lowered his arms and a sneer grew on his face.

“Have you been having sexdreams about me, Miss Bernard?” he asked mockingly.

“What?! No! You drugged me with something. You made me want to do those things!” she
shouted angrily, once again tightening her fists.

It wouldn’t get her in too much trouble if she punched him in the face, would it? Such a pristine
being needed to have something that looked just slightly off, it wasn’t fair that he was this
handsome.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Miss Bernard.” he said, malice glinting in his eyes.

Riddle took a step forward, making Hermione instinctively take one backwards and being met with
the stonewall. She blushed. How did she always end up in these kinds of situations with him? Why
was she always pushed up against a wall, him luring over her, eyeing her like a prey?

“Oh I think you do. You had something done to my senses, I could hardly think. All I had in my
brain was that I needed to…” she started before cutting herself off.

It was too embarrassing to say out loud. Riddle was taking another step towards her, now
practically on top of her. And somehow, that smokey-musk scent was around her again. Not nearly
as strong, but still very much present. She drew in a sharp breath, eyeing him with big eyes.

“What did you need, Miss Bernard?” he said in a low voice, putting either arm beside her head.

Hermione felt utterly paralized. She didn’t know what to say, all she could see was those icy gray
eyes that held her stare. The smell of him was all around her again, clouding her senses.

“I…uh…”

She licked her lips, and somehow the lightness in his eyes went away. They were a hint darker
now, his gaze solely on her lips. Was he going to kiss her again? A small part of her wanted him to.
A small part of her begged him to. She shook some sense into her head. What was she thinking?
This vile being shouldn’t have any claim to her thoughts! She glared up at him, trying to not feel
the heat radiating through his strong arms.

“You did something to me. You drugged me. You made me want you.” she huffed.

“And how do you know if that wasn’t just your subconscious coming fourth, Miss Bernard?” he
asked in a silky smooth voice.

He was now pressing one of his legs in between hers, making them part. Hermione drew in a sharp
breath at this. He pushed it slightly upwards, touching her center through her stockings. She let out
a small whimper, blushing hard at the sound. Riddle was smirking condescendingly down at her.

“Now, now. I know you want me. Crave me.” he whispered softly into her ear.

“I’d never want you, you’re despicable and evil.” she spitted out, eying him with hatred and tried to
push him off of her.

To her great surprise, he let go of her.

“Sounds to me that you’re harboring a crush on me, trying to get me to do these things with you.
Taking advantage of the goodness of the poor Headboy. Truly, I’m offended. Why would you
begin to think I would want to touch a mudblood like you? Disgusting.” he laughed coldly and
scrunched up his nose. “For the record. I was looking for you after lunch on the first day of the
holiday, but didn’t find you. I didn’t find you any of the days. And frankly, I’m done looking for
you. And stop thinking of me in a sexual way, it’s disturbing. Really, stop thinking of me at all. I
wouldn’t want your nauseating brain making up thoughts of me.”

At that he swiftly made his exit to the great hall, leaving Hermione baffled about what just had
happened. One moment he was pushing his knee up to her warmth, making her utter shameful
noices, and the next he was calling her a mudblood and practically telling her to stay the fuck
away. And has the library incident even happened? Had she really just imagined the whole thing?
Was it possible? She was even more surprised over the way he was talking to her. Once again he
had gone from hot to cold. Hermione didn’t know how to keep up with him, one day he wanted to
be her friend, the next he was making sexual advances, and the one after that he was insulting her
all over again. She wanted to punch him in the face, but a small part of her was whining over the
fact that she had been turned down by him.

‘Why would you think I would want to touch a mudblood like you?’

Hermione couldn’t help but to sniffle, tears beginning to crowd her eyes. She ran up to ravenclaw
tower again, thinking that it wouldn’t be the worst to wait out the holiday up there. There really
was only three days left.

During her last days of the holiday she was cooped up in her tower, rereading the letters Malfoy
had sent her. Mostly they were just telling each other about their lives. It was odd, how they
seemed to have more to say to each other through letters than in real life. But Hermione didn’t
mind. She found him intriguing. And he always managed to compliment her somehow. It was a
nice distraction from what had happened in the library as well as down in the entrance hall. She
reread her favorite letter once more, the one that had come just the other day.

My dear Hermione.

I cannot begin to explain to you how much I have been missing you. The Malfoy Manor is a rather
large estate, it is easy to feel rather small and alone in it. I can’t help imagining your presence
here. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend some more alone time together? If you’d like that, I’d be more
than happy to take you out on a second date.

Your curly hair has been on my mind throughout the whole holiday. I couldn’t even comprehend
the conversations that were held during the ball! It was a room full of young women, and all I
could think about was my hand in your hair, and your beautiful lips on mine. I have been
imagining that for a long time now.
I hope you do not take offense to this. But after all, you should know by now I have been thinking of
you in that matter for a long time.

Yours dearly, Ignotius Malfoy

Hermione couldn’t help but to smile at the letter. It wasn’t much, really. But it was nice knowing
someone was thinking about you. And by the sound of it, she had a second date coming up. Which
was also nice, considering she had been guessing he would lose interest in her. But Malfoy proved
her wrong, and that gained a few butterflies in his favor.

When the rest of the school came hurrying back she was waiting for her friends on the same spot as
when she bid them goodbye. To her dismay her friends were one of the last carriages to arrive.
Malfoy’s however, wasn’t. He saw her before she laid eyes on him, and he came hurrying through
the crowd of people.

“Hermione!” he sighed, pulling her into a warm embrace.

“Oh, er, hello Ignotius!” she mumbled as she hugged him back.

He pulled back, brushing his lips at her temple as he did, gaining another blush from her.

“I’ve missed you so much! It has ben torture not to be able to lay eyes on you. I think I’ll have to
plan that second date sooner rather than later.” he winked.

“You’re exaggerating! But I’ve missed you too. Really, it’s been rather dull without you. I’ve been
stuck with no one but Riddle, and that was awful!” she laughed.

Her mind quickly drew fourth the image of herself straddling him in the library, moaning into his
mouth while his hands roamed her body. She visibly shuddered and willed the images away.

“You shouldn’t offend Riddle Hermione,” he said in a grave tone.

Malfoy’s previously warm manner was now wavering, he gave her a quizzled look and dropped his
arms from hers.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t think… of course. He’s your friend. It was silly of me…” she tried to
explain.

Malfoy quickly shook off his resentment and smiled at her again.

“No worries. Just don’t get on his bad side, alright?” he said with a hint of warning in his voice,
and gave her another wink before departing with his buddies.

Was Malfoy aware of what Riddle was about to do to the world? Could he imagine just a snudge of
the horror he would unleash on everyone? Was he really trying to warn her from him, save her
from his wrath? It almost seemed like he cared. And he probably did. But somewhere in Hermione,
the same warning bells were ringing.

Soon after her own friends came out of their carriage, screaming her name with delight.

“Hermione! You can’t believe all the hot boys I’ve been corresponding with during the holiday!”
chirped Isa when she skipped towards her.
“I’m sure you’ll show me pictures!” laughed Hermione as she hugged her friend.

“Of course!”

“Hermione! I’ve missed you tons!” gushed Alice and hugged her friend fiercely.

“Haven’t we all!” laughed Millicent, also embracing her.

“Even I have. I’ve come to the conclusion not to hate you anymore. It’s not your fault those stupid
boys are intrested in you. You’re just like the shiny new toy, it will eventually wear off.” Prudence
said as she too embraced Hermione, to her complete shock.

Millicent was shaking her head, holding in laughter as she watched the two girls awkwardly
embrace each other.

Prudence’s words weren’t surprising to her, she knew she had held a grudge since the ball when
Hermione had danced with both Malfoy and Riddle, as well as Wood. But something tugged in her
brain at the words anyway. Because she too felt like the shiny new toy, didn’t she? Had she not
herself thought just in those ways? And once again, Hermione felt that Malfoy would grow tired of
her. She didn’t know when it had happened, but a big part of her didn’t want him to.

The rest of January flew by even quicker than the previous months had. Hermione had gotten top
scores on all of her homeworks. Professor McDough was very impressed over her added essay on
why she thought her calculation was correct and all the ways her character number was accurate to
her.

Hermione could have sworn she heard Riddle mutter something along the lines of ‘ fucking swot’.
She had of course turned to him with blazing eyes, but he had ignored her all together. In fact, he
mostly did just that. Ignore her. But occasionally he had retorted back to bullying he had been
doing in the beginning of the year. It wasn’t like she couldn’t handle it, but somehow it hurt a little
more this time around. She really had believed his facade in the beginning, prompting her to have
inappropriate dreams of them together if his word were to be trusted. But Hermione didn’t trust
him. She knew inside of her that he had done something to her. He had really seemed to enjoy it as
much as she had, his body had betrayed that notion. So why had he sprinted away from her? Why
hadn’t he taken full advantage of her? She couldn’t figure out the reason. Of course he wanted
information from her, that he had wanted from the very start. She just couldn’t wrap her head
around as to why she was so interesting for him as well as why he was disgusted by her now.

Hermione and Malfoy had been on two dates since coming back to Hogwarts, and they had both
been lovely. The first one had been in Hogsmeade again, drinking tea at Madam Pudifoot’s tea
shop. They had a lovely time, caressing each other's hands, drinking tea and nibbling on small
pastries. Malfoy had continued with sharing things about himself, and asking Hermione about her.
She had told him about her parents being dentists, her growing up as a muggle, about Harry and
Ron and her longing for them both. Of course she had to make up some kind of cover story and not
indulge in too many details for it all to cling to her previous stories, but she managed to tell him
some truths anyways, which was her goal. She wanted to be honest with Malfoy, he seemed to be
so honest with her. He had been very interested in her muggle background, and Hermione was glad
to explain some concepts to him. It was only afterwards she realized that some of the things she
was talking about probably hadn’t been invented yet, like color on the television and such. But
Hemione doubted Malfoy understood any of it anyway, so she relaxed with that thought. At the
end of the date he had kissed her softly in the courtyard, caressing her cheek and hugged her tight
before departing down towards the dungeons.

Their second date had been on the grounds of Hogwarts, two weeks after. Hermione had
transfigured a picnic blanket as well as gone to the kitchen for some light lunch. She had then
proceeded to use a charm that would put a dome over them, protecting them from the coldness of
the month as well as prying eyes. Malfoy had been delighted and questioned her on how on earth
she had managed to get food, as well as praised her for her charms. She had told him that she knew
how to sneak into the kitchens, that the house elves were like her friends since the holidays where
she had spent a great deal with them. At this, Malfoy had smiled weirdly and started talking about
something else. Hermione figured it was because the Malfoy’s didn’t consider house elves as
friends. At least they hadn’t in her own time.

Sitting on the blanket with Malfoy in a delighted warmth was growing on her. He was very
handsome, in a sort of pointy way. His light features were of an aristocratic beauty, it was hard to
look away from him. More than once he caught her staring, gaining a blush from her. And when it
happened for the eight time he pulled her wrist so that she came closer to him.

“You can’t keep staring at me like that, it makes me want to kiss you.” he mumbled into her ear as
he stroked her arm.

Hermione drew in a shallow breath.

“Y-you could…”she gasped.

His eyes bored into hers with a question in them, she fluttered her eyelashes and a small smile
formed on her lips. It was all the acceptance he needed.

Malfoy’s mouth kissed hers for the second time, and it wasn’t as soft as it had been before. This
time around it was more passionate, more full of emotion. She wanted more. Without knowing they
both laid down on the blanket, embracing each other as they kept kissing. His tongue was twirling
with her own, and he tasted of peppermint. She could feel the smell of his expensive perfume as
well, and some small part of her brain thought that it didn’t smell as good as Riddle had. She
squished that thought as soon as it had entered. They snogged for minutes without stopping, and
she didn’t dare to. Malfoy’s hands had moved from her arms to her abdomen and were slowly
rising towards her chest. Hermione didn’t know if she wanted him to, but before she could
comprehend a thought on the matter his hands were caressing her breasts over the fabric. She had
worn her favorite bra, the lace white one. Unfortunately it held little protection so her nipples were
quite visible from under her shirt, and if not visible, they were rather feeleble. Malfoy moaned into
her mouth when he felt them and started flicking them teasingly, gaining a whimper from her.

“Mmmh, you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this.” he groaned in her ear.

From one second to another he was straddling her, holding her arms down and kissing his way
from her cheek down to her sternum. In between the ruse of hormones Hermione suddenly realized
where they were, and how much she didn’t want this to happen. She began to squirm, but Malfoy
only took this as a que to keep going. He bit her shirt open with his teeth, and Hermione couldn’t
help but think of how the fuck he managed to open her shirt with his bare teeth. He then proceeded
with flicking his tongue over her stiff nipples, now only holding the thin fabric of her lace bra in
between them.

“M-Malfoy. Stop.” she mumbled.

He didn’t listen, or maybe he didn’t hear her. She didn’t know if she wanted him to stop, the
feeling of his tongue on her nipples were a delight. But she wasn’t ready. He pinned her arms over
her head with one hand and the other was now pinching one of her nipples while the other was
being eaten by his mouth. He groaned loud again.

“Malfoy. Please. Stop.” she tried again, a little louder.

At this he only grinded himself on her. She could feel his hard limb pressing on her thigh. A cold
feeling of fear began circulating inside Hermione. She needed him to stop now. She didn’t want
this anymore. Couldn’t he stop now?

“Please. Stop.” she shouted, a small tear escaping her eye.

And finally, he did stop. He looked at her questiongly, his clothes ruffled and his hair askew. At
first she thought she saw anger flash before his face, but just as soon as she had seen it, it was gone.

“What did I do wrong?” he asked in a small voice.

Oh godric. He hadn’t even noticed. He had been so blind with his own lust that he hadn’t noticed
that she had gotten cold feet. She couldn’t be angry at him when he was looking at her like that.
She just couldn’t.

“I’m… I’m sorry Ignotius. I just… I don't think I’m ready.” she said slowly.

He nodded, quickly jumping off of her.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to push you. I thought you… well. It was stupid of me really. I’m
sorry.” he said, not meeting her eye as a small blush was visible on his cheeks.

Hermione bit her lip. She felt awful now. She hadn’t meant for him to feel so terrible, just to stop.

“The kissing was alright. I enjoyed it.” she gave a weak smile. “I just… I’m a virgin.”

“You are?” he asked and something lit up in his eyes again.

“Y-yeah. I know, it’s odd. It just hasn't happened for me I guess. And now… well. I’m just not
ready for it to happen now. On the ground of Hogwarts. People could be just outside this dome you
know…”

Malfoy laughed.

“I forgot all about that. I’m sorry. I’ll not lose myself like that again. You’re just so… sexy.”

He licked his lips at that last part, eyeing her up and down much like he had done before. It didn’t
give her the same feeling of disgust now, it only made her blush and her stomach flutter. She
looked down and saw that her breasts were practically hanging out of the bra. Hermione cursed
loudly and quickly turned away to correct her clothing. When she was done, Malfoy was seated at
the other end of the blanket, gazing at her with a confident smile on his lips. He was looking as
proper as ever.

“Thank you for the date, Hermione. It was lovely. I hope I haven’t scared you off?” he pleaded,
looking at her with puppy eyes again.

“Of course not. It was as much my fault. I-...I’m sorry.” she stammered.

“Nonsense. So…I’ll see you around then?”

They stood up and he took a step towards her, holding his arms out. Hermione quickly accepted his
embrace. It still felt warm and cozy. She was being crazy, why would he take advantage of her. He
had been so kind to her, even though Riddle had turned rude again, Malfoy had continued to date
her. She peered up at him and stood on her tippy toes to peck him lightly before releasing the
charm on the dome and collecting the blanket with the food.
 Chapter 20

Tom had had a plan. It had been a brilliant plan. He was going to seduce Hermione, get her to trust
her the way only a lover could and then she would spill all her secrets to him. He was sure it would
work, it had been easy enough in the library. And given he had put on the amortentia on him while
thinking of her and she had sniffed him more than once it was sure to give him the effect he had
wanted. He had even managed the special one, earning him at least another month of scents.
Because Hermione had kissed him.

One of the more advanced books, in the restricted area of course, had held the knowledge that one
could use it as perfume instead of drugging your victim. It was important that those three steps
were concluded for it to work though. Putting on, thinking off, and sniffing of the victim. And
lucky for him, it had. A little over four months he would still harbor some of the smells she longed
for, and it was this that was going to get her to give up her information.

The day after their little get together in the library Hermione didn’t show, not even for meals. And
this Tom knew because he sat there, reading for the entire of them, keeping a close eye on the
entrance of the hall. He wanted to keep seeing her so that he could get on with his plan and gain
more information on her. He was fairly certain she wasn’t from this time, but a big part of him
found it rather impossible. They had banned all long-period time turners for eternity after the
incident with Andrea Holmes, the only ones still in use were crafted so that they could only hold
the traveler for five hours at tops in the past. So there was the possibility that she just wanted to
have one to have her friends and family back, but she didn’t strike him as a fool. She ought to have
known she couldn’t save them now, so long from when they were killed? His thoughts were
swirling about in his head throughout the day.

The second day she didn’t show either. Tom sat at his spot, overlooking the entrance to the great
hall, but he never saw her.

She didn’t show the third, fourth, fifth or even the sixth day either. And Tom’s patience was
beginning to waver. Who was she, making him sit around like a bloody fool, waiting for her to
come forth. And where the hell was she? How did she survive on no food?

He contemplated the possibility that she had used a disillusionment charm, but he saw no flickers
of lights anywhere. And there was no possibility that she could cast one so good he wouldn’t
notice it. The thought of an invisibility cloak crossed his mind, but there was no way she could
have one, coming from a muggle family. All and all, her disappearance was upsetting him for far
more reasons than he cared to admit. He felt utterly betrayed. Snogging with him made her want to
hide up in her tower? Snogging with him made her skip out on a week's meal? Was it so awful?

He even went up to Ravenclaw tower in the middle of the night, facing the dumb bird that spit out a
question to him. Not even caring to notice he held Slytherin’s colors.

“Without a bridle or a saddle, across a thing I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me,
though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?”

He stood there thinking of the riddle for quite some time, far longer than he cared to admit. But he
eventually got it.

“Eye glasses” he said smugly.

“Well reasoned.” the door said, before opening up to a circular, blue room.

Tom entered after a few seconds of hesitation. Even though he initially had thought of entering the
Ravencalw common room solely for the reason of Hermione, he now felt more intrigued than ever
to indulge in the secrets. He had never attempted to enter before, and knowing now how easy it
was he felt himself quite the fool.

It was a circular room, the walls held big windows that overlooked the grounds. It was a
comfortable mix of blue and bronze everywhere. If he looked up, he would have seen a dome
giving the impression of a bright, starry evening. But he didn’t. All Tom could see was a petite girl,
curled up in a cushion armchair, her big mane of curly hair all around her. She was breathing
calmly, a faint smile on her lips. She was utterly beautiful. Hermione stirred in her sleep, and it was
enough to make Tom retort back to his own quarters in haste. He did not want her to know that he
had come to see her. Not when she so clearly wasn’t missing his company.

Did she despite him so much? If so, then he despised her too. He would inflict pain upon her, since
she made him feel something. He wasn’t even sure what it was, but he had never felt it before. And
he was sure he did not like it. The only source to this new feeling was her, and therefore she would
suffer.

He spent his days studying, quickly going through his homework. The arithmancy one was
particularly hard, but he solved it within a day nevertheless. His character number was 1,
something he felt rather smug about even before reading the description of them. Of course he
would be the first number.

1’s were said to be individual, a solitary unit. Working towards goals and not stopping until they’re
done. Focused, determined and independent. Considered leaders and inventors, and sometimes
have troubles working with others. Can be viewed as self-entered, ego and domineering. often
others can see them as loners. Tom didn’t appreciate the alone tone it set, but nonetheless he could
admit it was a fairly adapted description of him.

There were now only a few days left of the holiday, he had been down in the Slytherin common
room to remenice a little without the company of others. He had also been indulging in the books
of dark magic that were hidden there behind the big statue of Salazar himself. Only a parselmouth
could access them, and lucky for Tom, he was one. He had discovered it one evening in third year,
sitting there and talking to a pet snake he had found on the outskirts of the forbidden forest. The
books held a lot of information on spells Tom had never heard of, so of course he studied them
hard over the whole night. He had also gained a bit of information he thought could be useful for
his marks.

It was this he was thinking about when walking to breakfast that morning when he suddenly laid
eyes on her again. She saw him the mere second he saw her, a frown settled on her face quickly.
But he was not going to hold down. He’d give her another chance to prove herself. Given they had
at least three more days of the holiday.

“Miss Bernard. How surprising to see you here. Would have thought you were sick for the rest of
the holiday.” he said and plastered on a smile, knowing it did not meet his eyes.

He was still very much angry with her. And so, he could see, was she. Her fist tightened as she
looked at him with fiery fury in her eyes.

“What. Did. You. Do. To. Me?” she grunted out between her teeth.
He wasn’t surprised she had catched on to the fact that the attraction she had felt for him was
somewhat not her own, but was she daft enough to believe she did not crave him at all? He feigned
innocence, it seemed to have worked fairly well the other times with her.

“Me? I’ve been wondering the same thing! I have been looking all over for you, you promised we
would work on the assignment together but instead you have been avoiding me altogether. You
think you’re too good to be seen with me, eh?”

Tom crossed his arms, glaring down at the petite girl in front of him. It hadn’t been intentional to
tell her that he had been looking for her, he didn’t want her to know how much he too had craved
her. But it had stumbled out. He saw his words enter her brain, and she blinked dumbly.

“What? We were in the library. You drugged me with something! You made me… made me…”
she said, the last word coming out rather toneless.

“Made you what?” he asked, using his height to loom over her.

He wanted to intimidate her. Why should she feel safe? She deserved to be called out on her
bullshit. But as he was peering down on her, he noticed that now familiar blush painted her cheeks.
She looked livid, as well as utterly embarrassed. Something inside of Tom was purring again.

“You made me sit in your lap. You made me want to smell you. Want to…kiss you.” she said, her
tone getting lower and lower as her blush became fiercer and fiercer.

Oh how could he forget when she was straddling him in the library? His favourite place and her
giving him such a nice feeling. It was something he often was thinking about during the nights. He
simply raised his eyebrows at this, sneering at her. She couldn’t know how he felt now, could she?
He didn’t want her to know.

“Have you been having sexdreams about me, Miss Bernard?” He mocked her and lowered his arms
from his chest.

“What?! No! You drugged me with something. You made me want to do those things!“she
exclaimed, clearly angry.

Her fists were once again clenched, and she looked just seconds away from punching him. A part
of him wanted her to try, so he could feel her against him again.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Miss Bernard.” he simply answered her.

But that small part of him that he tried so hard to suppress had taken control of his body, like it so
often did with her around. He took a step forward, forcing her back against the wall. As she did, she
blushed again. Mmh, how he loved that color on her cheeks. It burned so beautifully in contrast to
her white skin. He wanted to kiss her again, to push his body up against hers. To claim her. Maybe
he would even let himself do it this time. But the little witch interrupted his thought process.

“Oh I think you do. You had something done to my senses, I could hardly think. All I had in my
brain was that I needed to…” she started but cut herself off quickly, glancing up at him nervously.

Tom took another step into her space. He could feel her body warmth radiating through the small
gap between them. He saw her drawing a big breath, her eyes growing big. Those massive, brown
pools of delight.

“What did you need, Miss Bernard?” he said low, making a show of putting either arm up just
beside her head.
He knew she could smell him, he saw it in the way her eyes darted from either wrists and the heavy
breaths she was now drawing. His plan was going to work. He had her.

“I…uh…” she stammered and licked her lips.

She really was a little minx, this one. She probably knew how to drive him mad, and thrived from
it. His mind went spiraling with thought of disciplining her, spanking her to teach her a lesson.
Making her head bobb on his cock as he came hard in her mouth. Maybe even tying her up?
Making her beg for the release only he could give her. She was gazing into his eyes longingly, but
abruptly it changed with a head shake of hers.

“You did something to me. You drugged me. You made me want you.” she huffed.

Tom didn’t know if she was trying to convince herself or him.

“And how do you know if that wasn’t just your subconscious coming fourth, Miss Bernard?” he
said smoothly.

He wanted to touch her more, but could sense she wouldn’t have it. So he moved one of his legs in
between hers, parting them slowly. She drew in a sharp breath before she stopped breathing
altogether. Tom smirked. He pushed his leg upwards, making it connect with her warmth in the
center of her. Somehow he knew she was moist for him, and she gave him the satisfaction of a
whimper. Hearing that sound made him smirk even broader, and Hermione was blushing harder
than ever. He moved his head towards hers.

“Now, now. I know you want me. Crave me.” he whispered seductively into her ear.

“I’d never want you, you’re despicable and evil.” she spit out so fiercely even Tom was surprised.

The little witch proceeded with trying to push him off of her, and Tom obliged.

She’d never want him? Her usual mannerism that indicated lying was nowhere to be seen. Was she
indeed telling the truth then? Had it all just been on a rose from the potion? Did she have no
attraction to him at all? Tom quickly squished the part of him that longed for her touch, stomping it
down like he had all the other feelings inside of him before. Leaving him in an utterly void, all but
rage were gone. He was enraged over the fact that this stupid little witch had made the part of him
he so arduoususly had pushed away dribble up and come to the surface. What had he been
thinking? He didn’t want her. He loathed people like her. Fucking mudbloods. All they did was
steal magic and spilled their filth upon the world. People like her didn’t even deserve to breathe the
same air like the heir of Salazar Slytherin.

“Sounds to me that you’re harboring a crush on me, trying to get me to do these things with you.
Taking advantage of the goodness of the poor Headboy. Truly, I’m offended. Why would you
begin to think I would want to touch a mudblood like you? Disgusting.” he laughed coldly, and
made a show to scrunch up his nose, much like she always did. “For the record. I was looking for
you after lunch on the first day of the holiday, but didn’t find you. I didn’t find you any of the days.
And frankly, I’m done looking for you. And stop thinking of me in a sexual way, it’s distrubing.
Really, stop thinking of me at all. I wouldn’t want your nauseating brain making up thoughts of
me.”

Tom raced down the stairs to enter the great hall with that. It was better to lead her to believe that
the incident in the library hadn’t happened at all. Make her believe it was all in her head. He
noticed that she did not follow him, surely skipping out on meals for the next couple of days too.
He did not care. She could starve for all he cared.
Tom celebrated his birthday, december 31th, alone as always. No one knew of his birthday, so how
could they celebrate it with him? No one at the orphanage had ever made a fuss about it, and his
so-called friends here at Hogwarts had never felt the need to ask when his birthday was. He had
never received a gift in his life. And that was like it always had been. A small part of him felt sad
for it, the little boy inside of him. But he never gave him room to utter any of it, quickly squashing
him as well as any other feelings inside of him.

Tom spent his day cooped up in the astronomy tower, researching more about magical tattoos. He
was sure to find what he needed soon. It wasn’t just a simple tattoo he wanted. He wanted
something that he could use to summon them with just a touch, as well as summon just individuals
of his followers. He also wanted to make it physically impossible for them to remove it. Branded as
traitors both to him and others if they would ever leave his side. It was this snide little detail that
was the hardest to overcome. He had read an insane amount of information containing the protean
charm because it would suit his task. The charm was intended to give out information from a
master (in this case Tom) to all the other charmed objects, giving a burning sensation when he did
so. He just needed to figure out how to use it on his magical tattoos and he would be able to contact
individuals as well as the whole group.

When the rest of the school arrived, Tom was lurking in the shadows. He didn’t fancy another run
in with Hermione, it was draining to have a conversation with her. He simply waited in the
shadows for his group to come back. They were one of the first carriages to arrive, to his content.
His group came hurrying, having spotted him lurking, towards him. But Malfoy approached
Hermione instead, he was hugging her now and telling her how much he had missed her. Tom
listened closely as he heard her make a joke about being stuck in the school with him.
Unconsciously he clenched his knuckles.

“You shouldn’t offend Riddle, Hermione.” came Malfoy’s voice, warning her.

Tom quickly composed herself, now watching their conversation with intrigue, an idea bubbling up
in his head. He saw how uncomfortable she became, how much she wanted to please the boy in
front of her. If he couldn’t play on her weakness for him, he sure would play on this one.

“My lord…” Avery’s hushed voice came behind him.

He turned to face his old companion and Avery quickly held his head down.

“How was your holiday, My lord?” he asked.

“I’ve made progress on my assignment.” he said, thus ending the conversation with that.

“Malfoy,” he barked.

Ignotius looked up at him with fear in his eyes, clearly not liking the attention on him like he
usually does.

“Y-yes My lord?” he asked, almost bowing down to him in front of everyone before gaining his
senses.

“I’ve got a special task for you. Come.”

January was dreadful. Nothing of notice happened. Their classes held nothing of interest. Hermione
was being an insufferable know-it-all, sucking up to all of the professors. It wasn’t until mid
january that something worthy of his attention came by.

Malfoy came sprinting towards him, his face looking flushed despite the coldness outside.

“Riddle!” he shouted. “I got news! Come quickly.”

Tom followed his friend down into the dungeons and behind a well hidden alcove. He quickly
casted a muffliato for the risk of being overheard. Malfoy was now panting next to him.

“Well?” he asked impatiently.

“I’ve got…pheuh… news… of Hermione…” Malfoy panted, trying to catch his breath.

Malfoy summarized their date, going over unwanted details such as where they had been or how
she had looked so sexy eating a pastry. When he finally got to the good part, Tom had almost
stopped listening.

“...dentist, and muggles of course. She had two friends, one named Harvey or something and the
other Ragnar maybe? Anywho, they’re both dead so who the fuck cares. They went up to a lot of
mischief. Let me tell you that. If she wasn’t a virgin I would of putten my money on that a
threesome had taken place between the three of them…”

“Malfoy. What mischief?” Tom asked cold, trying to reduce the rambling that came from his
mouth.

“Oh, er… Like some dark wizard they were trying to stop. Apparently he was after that Harvey kid.
Seems like he finally got him, eh? And uh, she also told me about how she grew up with this
tellivasion, I’m not really sure what it is but she explained it to have moving pictures full of colors
and her favorite shows. I didn’t really pay attention to that because I could see right through her
shirt and her nipple had gotten stiff by then. Can you believe that? She got horny just by talking to
me. I’m so fucking her soon.”

“Thank you for the information, Malfoy. Do try to keep this up, will you?” Tom said before darting
away up to his chamber.

Tom had heard the other kids in the orphanage talk about television, how all the good households
now had them. Never once had they entertained the idea of a child's show, or colors. In fact, he was
almost certain they had described it as black and white films. Once again, something she said
wasn’t adding up. He sighed. A pile of why’s and what’s, but no real answers. If it didn’t come
with more information from Malfoy’s dates with the girl, he would have to crucio it out of her. But
he’d give him a shot, he was so eager after all.

Later that January Malfoy came to find him again, not looking nearly as out of breath but instead a
great deal flustered. He was almost growling by the time they went into the alcove again. Tom cast
muffliato with a flick of his wand before turning to him, raising an expectant eyebrow.

“Oh I almost had her, my lord. Almost. Her nipples are just a delight to touch, and the sounds she
makes…She was moaning for me, but then she changed her mind. She admitted again that she was
a virgin. I was so close to just taking her right then and there anyways, but then I remembered what
you said about keeping on her good side. So I held back.”
Tom almost gagged. This was certainly not what he had wanted to know, not even in the slightest.
A nagging small voice inside of him was wailing over the fact that this stupid prick almost had
taken the girls virginity, claiming it was his to take instead. That the girl could be his, could be of
use in any way he wanted her to. Because he did know what sounds she could make, he had made
her make them. She had wanted him, needed him, craved him, in the library. She had moaned into
his mouth, egging him on. She was his to claim. A big part of him wanted to crucio him for even
laying his disgusting mouth on hers. He felt a certain claim to her, even though she disgusted him
as well. The logical side of him squished all of the thoughts. Lord Voldemort didn’t have feelings.
And he certainly didn’t get jealous over a filthy little mudblood. Nevertheless, Tom couldn’t help
but feel the need to punish him for touching her that way. In time he would make him pay, but not
right now. He needed information now.

“I’m so very pleased.” Tom gritted out through his teeth. “Anything else?”

“Oh, yes, My lord. Of course.” Malfoy bowed his head, sensing his mistake. “She had brought
food to the picnic, and I asked her how she had managed that since house elves cannot apparate
inside the castle. She told me that she knew how to get into the kitchen, that she was making
friends with Hogwarts' own house elves, that they were providing her with food whenever she
needed it. And apparently that’s the only thing she’d done during the holidays, just coop up in
Ravenclaw tower and occasionally sneak down to the kitchens to eat with them.”

Tom frowned a little. So that’s how she’d done it during the holidays. It all made sense now. Why
strutt down to the great hall to face him when she so clearly held a grudge against him, when she
could just skip away to the kitchens and get the food right there. Knowledge of secret passageways
to Hogsmeade AND the kitchen? How in Salazar’s name did she know these and he did not.

Malfoy was now talking about Hermione’s impressive magic, complimenting it. Like Tom needed
to know about that. He sat next to her in most of their classes, or right behind her. He knew
precisely how talented she was at charms, how good she was with potions or how well she could
transfigure. Tom almost scoffed.

“A question, my lord. If you don’t mind, of course.” Malfoy said in a small voice after a moment
of silence.

Tom met his eyes and raised his eyebrows.

“I-... I just…Why don’t we recruit her? She’s clearly talented, being second to you in class. Maybe
we could… use her?” he asked hesitantly.

This thought had also occurred to Tom. Hermione surely was of power, held a great deal of
courage and knew of more spells than the other witches he had met. But she kept secrets, massive
one’s if he was going on his gut feeling. Moreover, she held a clear hatred towards him, and it
wasn’t about the library. No, this sort of hatred was rooted deeper, and he didn’t know why. Being
her friend hadn’t won her over, frightening her hadn’t worked either, and his newest plan had gone
straight to hell. Making her want him had made her lock herself up in the tower. She’d rather not
walk around the castle than face him. No, this hatred was deeper than he had initially imagined. He
would not let anyone into his circle whom he could not control. And Hermione Bernard was not in
his control. Yet.

“We will use her.” was all he said before leaving Malfoy in the alcove.
 Chapter 21
Chapter Notes

Warning: This chapter contains non consensual sexual acts.

February held another date, on the fourteenth of course. She and Malfoy were again at Madam
Pudifoot’s drinking tea and talking about everything and nothing before enjoying a sunny winter
day. Malfoy had asked her more questions about herself, such as her favorite memory as a child,
what she wanted to do when she grew up and if she held any relations to anyone in England. It was
nice knowing that he wanted to get to know her, that he paid attention to her and he looked
delighted every time she told him something about herself.

They walked through the streets of Hogsmeade before Malfoy swiftly dragged her into an alley and
pushed her up against the wall. Hermione giggled when he started peppering her with kisses. He
clung to her body tightly and Hermione to his, enjoying the feeling of his slender but muscular
body so snug against her own.

His soft kisses soon turned into a passionate snog with her hands in his hair and his on her bum. He
was squeezing it lightly, a question in his eyes as he searched hers. As to not overstep. It had been
that way since their date on the lawn and Hermione thought him thoughtful for it. They have gone
on at least four dates now, her friends consider them practically a couple. She didn’t dare to
speculate, they hadn’t really talked about it.

Hermione let her eyelashes flutter close and yielded into the embrace even further to show him that
she enjoyed what was happening. Malfoy’s experienced hands were flowing from her arse to her
waist, making the sensation in her lower abdomen tingle. She wanted to squeeze her inner thighs
together, to make the sensation stronger. It was odd how easily he corrupted her with these
thoughts and feelings.

They continued to snog, him pawning her up against the alley wall, her moaning his name, for a
fair amount of time before he withdrew. Malfoy’s cheeks were flushed and he had something dark
in his eyes, but not quite the same as the shade Riddle had had in the library. She didn’t mean to
notice that stuff. But she couldn’t help but to compare. How when Malfoy kissed her it wasn’t with
quite the same intensity that Riddle had held, not quite the same sensation was sent to her center,
and not quite the same amount of time did she spend pondering over what he thought of her as she
did for Riddle.

“I think we’d better get up to the castle now for dinner.” he said a little hoarsely.

Hermione just nodded and took his hand as they began to walk the way up to Hogwarts castle.

They parted at the great hall, she went to the Ravenclaw table and he to the Slytherin one. But just
before she got on her tippy toes to press a light peck on his cheek. Hermione didn’t know if she did
that to mark her territory, as Prudence would have explained it as, or if she simply just felt like
kissing him goodbye after their date. Even if she did know, she probably wouldn’t confess to it.

As she walked up to her group of girls and sat down, she felt a pair of eyes on her. It had been quite
some time since these precise pairs had looked so much at her direction. Riddle’s eyes were dark,
not the normal icy gray ones. And he was staring right through her. He looked almost livid, and for
what, she couldn’t understand. He was the one that didn’t want anything to do with her, so why
would he stare at her now? Why would he look so angry? Was it because she had kissed Malfoy?
Maybe he found her a slag since she had kissed him just a few months ago, and Wood a few
months before that. Hermione didn’t know if it was proper snogging guys as often as she did, but
there had only been three. It wasn’t so bad, was it?

She could barely listen to what the girls were chatting about, she just smiled and pretended to be a
part of the conversation. Her mind was spinning, and her eyes kept darting back to his furious ones.
Could it be possible that he actually cared for her? That he wanted her the same way she had
wanted him back in that library? She didn’t believe for a second that she had made it up herself.
Her imagination was far less erotic than what had happened.

If she had paid more attention to herself, she might have felt the prodding feeling of someone
taking a peek into her brain. But unfortunately for Hermione, she was much too occupied with
staring into his enraged eyes and contemplating why he was angry with her.

Someone was tugging at her arm, addressing her and waving their hand in front of her eyes.
Hermione blinked and came up from her sea of thoughts. It was Alice.

“Hello! Earth to ‘mione! Come on! Let’s go back to the common room, I want to hear all about
you guys' dates.”

Hermione smiled, nodded, and heaved herself up from the bench they were seated at to follow her
friends. From the corner of her eye she could see a certain Tom Riddle darting out of the great hall
with a speed she didn’t know was possible. Finding it odd that he was behaving the way he was,
she simply decided to not care about Riddle or what he was up to. She was actually looking
forward to some girl time in their dormitory, sharing news from their dates. Maybe she would even
tell them about her and Malfoy passionately snogging in the alley.

Hermione trailed after the girls that were chatting loudly, when suddenly she couldn’t move and a
sensation of falling backwards at an alarming speed hit her. Fortunately someone caught her, but
instead of correcting her stand, they proceeded to drag her into a cupboard. Fear sparked through
Hermione when she realized someone had hexed her and was now standing in a small cupboard
with her, heaving breaths.

“For a small girl like you, you sure are heavy.” he muttered into her ear.

The realization hit her like shock waves. It was Riddle. He had hexed her and had her stuffed into a
dark cupboard with him. Another spark of fear went through her when she remembered how angry
he had looked back in the great hall. Was he going to kill her now? He probably was. Her eyes
were darting around, trying to break the hex with her sheer will power, but of course it wouldn’t.
Riddle met her gaze and he still had that dark aura around him. In the cupboard he seemed even
bigger than normally, looming over her. She swore she could see a hint of redness in his eyes and
was quickly reminded by the face of Lord Voldemort. Those slits for a nose, blood red eyes and
snakelike face. If she could have, she would have shivered.

“My, my, my, Miss Bernard. What a situation we have found ourselves in, don’t you think?” he
said icily as he caressed her petrified cheek.

Hermione wished for nothing more than that she could move, to fight him off. To hit him in the
face.

“I think I specifically told you not to think about me, and yet… I see that you have.” he continued,
now caressing her other cheek with the back of his hand. “Finding me a little too alluring, are
you?”

A smile formed on his angelic face, but it didn’t quite add up to the hatred she could see in his
eyes. Hermione couldn’t comprehend a complete thought, it was like she was stuttering but inside
her own head. How did he know that she had thought about him? Why was he doing this? Was it to
scare her? She wanted to let him know that she was scared, maybe he would let her go if she did.
She tried pleading with her eyes, trying to make him see reason without being able to use her voice.

“I must confess… I’ve been thinking a bit about you as well…” he whispered in her ear, clearly not
giving a crap about her begging eyes.

A small part of her was ecstatic over this news, another part of her was bright enough to sense the
danger that this sentence held. It wasn’t good being on Voldemort's mind. It hadn’t done anyone
any good, ever.

Suddenly he stepped away from her, flicking his wand to the door two times. She heard the sound
of a lock tick, as well as all noises disappear. The fear she had felt before was now quickly
consuming her whole being. Riddle was sporting a nasty grin on his face now.

“I think you can come out to play now,” he said maliciously.

With another flick of his wand, Hermione could feel herself returning to her body. She quickly
went to collect her wand from her pocket, only to discover it wasn’t there.

“Tsk, tsk, Miss Bernard. You wouldn’t take me for a fool, now would you?” he asked with a
condescending tone, flicking her wand in between his long white fingers.

Hermione took a step back, only to be met by the wall. Quickly she placed herself back where she
started, not wanting to give him the advantage of the wall. As if he could see how her brain
worked, he took a step forward while glaring at her with an intensity she’d never seen before,
hence forcing her to retreat to the wall anyways. His strong arms were on either side of her head,
once again. And that godforsaken smell of smokey-musk hit her all over again. She drew in a sharp
breath.

“Wh…What are you…” she said now trembling with fear of what he was going to do to her.

Her mind couldn’t make it self up if she’d rather be killed than tortured. What had she to live for
anyways? Everyone she cared about was dead.

A small voice in her head said otherwise; not Alice. Not Millicent or Isa. Or even Prudence. What
about Thomas?

She didn’t want to die. Death would be worse, she figured, as she looked up at the angelic face
before her.

“There, there. I’m only giving you what you wanted anyways, Hermione. Haven’t you been
thinking about this when you touch yourself? Don’t lie to me. I saw it in your mind. You’ve grown
careless, little bird.” he whispered as he pushed his body up against hers. “I wasn’t going to submit
to such foolishness, but seeing you kiss Malfoy simply… put me over the edge, so to speak.”

His hands were tugging at her collar, making her shirt open ever the slightest. Hermione didn’t dare
move. All she could think of was that Voldemort was very real, and very much before her. He was
playing with her, probably knowing she felt attraction to him and using it against her. And so help
her god, even in this moment he was utterly beautiful. A statue of fury before her. He was probably
going to crucio her until she didn’t know who she was anymore, before he killed her. And for
what? For kissing a boy in front of the school? Was that really why he was so angry?

“It was just a kiss.” she pleaded, a small tear strolling down her cheek.

“Was it…just…a kiss, Miss Bernard?” he asked, a tone of ice.

His hands were now carefully plopping open one button at a time from her shirt. Hermione was
trembling like a weed. She didn’t know what to say. She knew that it would be a lie to tell him it
was, and somehow a lie to tell him it wasn’t. So she didn’t say anything, just averted her gaze from
his intense eyes, who were once again the same blackness she had seen in the library.

“I don’t think it was. I think you have been running around kissing boys left and right, like a little
mudblood whore. And now you’re gotten yourself right in the trap, falling for a pureblood wizard.
I’d never take you for a foolish girl, but you proved me wrong.”

She drew in a sharp breath, enraged over his accusations. Sure, she had kissed three different boys
the last few months, but that didn’t make her a whore. She was a virgin, for crying out loud! She
felt a sudden need to defend Malfoy as well.

“He’s not like the others! He actually cares for me!” she shouted into his face with rage, forgetting
the position she was in.

Riddle laughed a cold laugh. A laughter that sent chills into her very bones.

“That sentence right there, just proved my point. You’ve fallen for a guy that’s only using you to
get into your pants. And then, when he’s done that, he’ll move on to the next pretty, fuckble
mudblood to seduce.” he said maliciously, as he continued to plop open her buttons.

Hermione didn’t know if she shook from anger or from fear anymore. How dare he? Malfoy had
taken her on more than four dates. He had been after her since day one. Surely no one would do all
that, just to get into someone’s pants? Surely.

As she stood there, she barely noticed that her shirt was now wide open. She wore a pink lace bra,
but you could barely tell the difference between it and her own skin considering the blush she was
sporting from rage. Riddle was watching her with newborn intrigue.

“I’ve always wondered how far down this blush goes…” he murmured as his finger traced the
blush, starting from her face down all the way to her bellybutton.

“Been fantasizing about me Riddle?” she spit out.

She didn’t care anymore if she was going to get tortured, she wanted him to feel pain, or at least
something, from what he was doing to her right now. Riddle only gave a sneer before he quickly
grabbed a hold of her neck and pushed her head hard into the wall. Hermione was struck with deja
vu, hasn't this happened before? Her mind couldn’t quite focus from the pain he had inflicted.

“I’ve never met anyone so excruciatingly annoying before you.” he whispered as he grabbed her
throat even harder.

Hermione couldn’t breathe, after a few seconds she was beginning to feel light headed and see
stars. Her hands were clawing at his before he finally released the pressure so that she could take a
ragged breath of air. She was coughing hard, trying to regain some oxygen to her trembling body.
It took her a fair amount of seconds before registering that Riddle was now kissing his way down
to her sternum, making her insides crave more and her brain scream of violation.
“S-…stop Riddle. Stop it.” She coughed, trying to squirm away from him.

“No? I thought you wanted this. Didn’t you imagine this just the other day, touching yourself in the
shower, reminiscing of our time in the library?” He grunted out as he in a swift movement put her
hands over her head, pinning her successfully to the wall.

“Look at that lovely color rising on your throat. A nice looking bruise.” He mumbled, nuzzling her
neck.

She hated that he was right. She hated that she had been thinking about him during her alone time
in the shower, but what was she supposed to do? It was the most erotic thing that had ever
happened to her, and she was embarrassed by the fact that she had wanted more. And now that he
was giving it to her, she wanted nothing more but to run away and never lay eyes on him ever
again. But her body was betraying her. Her body wanted more, needed more. Craved more.

She looked him in the eye, feeling defeated. This seemed to only heighten his arousal.

“Well, if you’re not going to admit to your fantasies, maybe we could try one of mine, hm?” He
cooed in her ear, his free hand cupping one of her breasts hard.

Hermione couldn’t help but to utter a whimper for the contact of his hand with her breast. He was
pressing on it a little too hard, undoubtedly leaving bruises.

“Get down on your knees.” He said, suddenly releasing her all together.

Without Riddle to hold her up, she quickly fell to her knees. A fact she figured he had counted on,
since he was smirking a little too smug.

“There’s a good little mudblood whore.” He said and caressed her hair gingerly.

Hermione was just about to sneer something vile to him and get up when the hand in her hair
suddenly was gripping it from the scalp, forcing her head towards his groin. She wailed with pain,
trying to get away from his grip and groin. It was no good, the hold he had on her was like stone.
The more she struggled, the more he pushed her against him. Regaining her wits, she figured it
wouldn’t help her get out of there struggling. Riddle needed to let her go. And so tears fell down
her eyes, when she looked up at him from below his pelvis. He was watching her content, probably
sensing she wouldn’t disobey him more.

“Good girl.” He murmured , once again caressing her hair. “Why don’t you help me out of these,
huh?”

He was motioning towards his pants and Hermione’s lip began to tremble. Was he really going to
make her..? She looked up to him again, but was only met with black eyes and a condescending
smirk.

“I do not like to be kept waiting.” He said, a tone of warning in his voice.

Hermione believed him. Swiftly she began unbuttoning his trousers, pulling them down as well as
his briefs. The sight that met her was more scary than the cruciatus curse had ever been. He was
massive, and ready by the looks of it. Riddle’s dick wasn’t just long, it was also thick. A small
chunk of curly hair could be seen at the shaft, while the top was already dripping with pre cum.
She didn’t know what he wanted her to do with it, but he was looking at her expectantly.

“Wow…” she said, tryingly, glancing up at him.

Riddle snorted.

“Not what you were expecting?” He asked, clearly amused.

“It’s rather…uh, big.” She tried again, glancing back up at him.

Truth be told, she had trouble getting her eyes off of his penis. It was so big she imagined he must
suffer from dizziness every time he got hard. Noted, she had no other penis to compare it to, but
surely he must have been one of the biggest there is? A sprinkle of fear began creeping down her
spine again when it hit her that he might want to use it with her. He would break her. Through and
through. At that thought, she could feel something pooling into her knickers as well. A build up of
wetness that had been gathering since he took her into this disgusting cupboard.

Riddle was looking at her amusingly before he once again took a hold of her scalp and pushed her
face to his groin, now facing a massive dick where there before had been clothing. With surprise
she opened her mouth to scream, but it was quickly muffled by his dick pressing into her. She
startled, not knowing what to do next, but Riddle grabbed a hold of her skull and thrust himself into
her mouth. Tears were spraying down her cheeks, probably wetting him as well. He didn’t seem to
care, he just kept on thrusting himself into her mouth, gaining choking sounds as Hermione
struggled to breath

“There’s a good slut. Mmh, yes.” He grunted out.

Her brain was wishing for it to end. She was struggling with both the length and the thickness of
him, as well as the vomiting reflexes he was triggering. But her body was clearly enjoying it. She
had never been so horny before, never felt so wet in her life.

Riddle continued his assault on her mouth for what felt like forever before he gripped her head
even harder, forcing it to choke down on him as he came inside of her. Hermione had a hard time
keeping it all in her mouth, some escaping it and nestling on top of her breasts instead. As Riddle
rode out his orgasm, she tried hard not to vomit. It wasn’t a bad taste, more a salty one. It was just
too much, and it was feeling like it stuck to her throat, not really going down.

When he felt satisfied with what he had gotten he pushed her head away, gently, and pulled his
trousers up again. Hermione stayed seated below him, not daring to move in case he figured he
would use her some more then. Just as he was about to turn away from her and walk out of the
cramped cupboard he froze, as if he remembered something.

“I don’t think it’ll be good if you remember this. Hm?” Riddle said while looking down at her.
“No. I don’t think it’ll be good at all. Can’t have you running around telling people about this, can
we?”

He caressed her cheek in a warm way that did not match his previous actions. Hermione gave a
sniffle, not daring to meet his eyes. She felt humiliated.

“I.. I wouldn’t…” she began.

“Now, now. I thought we came to the conclusion that we did not take me for a fool. But I’ll be
kind to you, I’ll even heal your little bruises.” He cooed in her ear.

With a flick of his wand she felt something tingle over the bigger part of her body. The last thing
she heard was a soft whispered ‘obliviate’ as he caressed her cheek, looking her deep into the eyes.
She could have sworn they held some kind of emotion, not just the normal iciness.
Hermione woke in the cupboard by herself later that evening. Her head was throbbing painfully.
She gazed around, but no one other than herself was present. It was like something was missing.
Once again she did not know how she had ended up in this situation, or this place. In fact, she
couldn’t even remember what she had been doing since after her date with Malfoy. Hermione got
up from the floor, dusting herself off before departing up to Ravenclaw tower. Something was off,
her body was aching weirdly but it was slowly decreasing as she kept walking. As she came to a
halt next to the big wooden door that held the entrance to her common room, she decided to shake
off the weird feeling and just go hang out with her friends. That's what she was supposed to do,
wasn’t it?
 Chapter 22
Chapter Notes

Warning: This chapter contains non consensual sexual acts.

Tom continued in gaining more and more information from Malfoy about Hermine and quickly
came to the conclusion that she must have been raised here in the UK. There’s no way she’d grown
up in France, he doubted she had attended Beauxbatons and there was no way in hell she was who
she said she was. The girl was clearly bright, much to even gain his attention. Usually the bright
ones were utterly boring, but Hermione was… intriguing. He reasoned with himself that the
fixation upon her was probably just because he wanted to know what she was hiding, why she was
pretending to be someone she in fact wasn’t. Hermione Bernard. It just didn’t match… did it?
Hermione coming from one of Shakespeare's works, and Bernard, a common french surname? No.
It didn’t match at all.

Tom sat down at the lunch table, scowling upon noticing Malfoy wasn’t there. He glanced towards
the Ravenclaw table and quickly noticed a certain bushy hairframe wasn’t present either. He
clenched his knuckles before cracking his neck violently at this realization. Lestrange and Avery
shared an uncomfortable look and began quickly shuffling down their meal from their plates,
clearly presuming something unpleasant was about to happen.

This just wouldn’t do. He can’t lose his temper just because he knew they were together. It had
been his idea from the get go. He needed Malfoy to gain the information she clearly was more than
willing to give to him. But a small part inside of him roared upon the fact that she didn’t want to
share anything with him. Tom released a long breath from his nose before helping himself to some
pork chops.

“Having a good day, Avery?” he asked pleasantly.

Avery looked questioningly at Lestrange, who egged him to speak up fast with his eyes.

“Y-yes My lord. Just p-perfect. And y-yours?” he stammered, not meeting Tom’s eyes.

He was just about to answer when a girl with brown, bushy hair could be seen entering the hall, her
hand clasped tightly with the boy leading her in. The other’s followed his gaze when he didn’t
answer and they all watched in union how Hermione reached up and pecked Malfoy on the cheek.
She then proceeded towards the Ravenclaw table as if nothing had happened.

Tom almost shrieked in anger. How dare she? In front of everyone? Like a common whore? She
was practically advertising Malfoy as hers, that no one else should bother going there. As if they
weren’t already having their turns with him every day, something he knew she hadn’t done yet.

His eyes were boring into her skull as she walked towards her table and sat down next to her group
of girlfriends. He barely took any notice of Malfoy sitting down, or how Lestrange lowly explained
they ought not to talk too much because Tom was in a mood. All he saw was her, that stupid,
attractive, whore of a mudblood. Briefly she met his eyes, but it was all he needed. He had gotten
quite effective with his legilimency, he could do it nonverbal now. But he still needed eye contact,
which she now so kindly had granted him.
Hermione was thinking about him, and it made his insides purr. She was mulling over why he was
so angry, petty about how he didn’t want anything to do with her. Oh how wrong she was. He
wanted everything to do with her, if it meant he would get the information he needed.

When her brain started focusing on whether or not he found her a slag, going over every single kiss
or touch Malfoy had given her, it felt like something dropped down into his stomach. A cold
feeling erupted inside of him, battling the roaring fire that was his anger. He didn’t recognize this
feeling, but he sure as hell did not like it.

Inside her mind he saw how Malfoy’s hands traveled down towards her arse, squeezing it. He saw
exactly how she reacted, how she leaned into his embrace, letting him touch her. The image
quickly moulded into her and Malfoy sitting on a blanket, him snogging her feverishly, his mouth
nibbling over her shirt on her breast, the moan she let out at this. His teeth opened up her shirt and
gained access to those impeccable sets of breasts.

Tom didn’t want to see more, he was furious over how close Malfoy was to taking her, claiming
her. She wasn’t Malfoy’s to claim. The small voice inside of him was beckoning him to claim her
himself. To make her submit to him, like she was supposed to. He wanted to punish her, to hurt
her, for making him feel like this. For making him listen to the small voice he had squashed to non-
existence for too many years. And all it took for it to rise again, to make him do things he did not
wish to do, was a stupid mudblood.

Just as he was about to withdraw from her mind her eyes flicked to his again, now thinking of him
again. She wanted him, she had wanted him in the library. She had enjoyed feeling his body
against hers, his lips on her neck and the feeling of need he inflicted upon her everytime she laid
eyes on him. She was daydreaming about it far more often than he could have ever guessed.
Watching him in class every so often, imagining him pushing her up against the wall, caressing her
waist and grabbing her by the arse, kissing her roughly. She remembered how his dick had felt
under her in the library, pressing to her thigh, wondering how he looked. Her mind quickly flashed
an image of herself in the shower, using the showerhead to get off to these thoughts.

As if the thought was too much to handle, because it sure as hell was hot for him, she blinked and a
blush crept up on her cheeks when her friend addressed her, propping her to get up and leave with
them.

Tom couldn’t shake the fury inside of him, but seeing her want for him, the crave of his touch, had
made his dick harder than it had ever been. He knew what he had to do, to teach her and to make
her understand just who she really belonged to.

Swiftly he jumped up, not glancing for a second on his untouched food, and darted out of the great
hall. He knew exactly where he needed to hide for this to work.

Standing behind a tapetresy he watched her girlfriends walking up towards the Ravenclaw tower.
Hermione was traling after just a few steps, thank Salazar for his luck today. It was a sign that
what he intended was meant to happen, was it not? It wouldn't have been so easy if it wasn’t
supposed to happen. He was sure of it.

“Petrificus totalus” he whispered, pointing his wand at Hermione.

The same second the spell hit her she froze and started to fall backwards. In a swift moment he
catches her and starts dragging her towards the small cupboard on the other side of the hallway.
Having to drag someone who was petrified was a lot harder than one could think, even when it was
a petite witch. He put her against the wall, heaving a few breaths before talking, thinking he needed
to start exercising more regularly. Then again, it wasn’t everyday that you needed to drag petrified
witches around.

“For a small girl like you, you sure are heavy.” he muttered and moved her so she faced him.

Her facial expression was locked in a somewhat bored state, but her eyes were darting around like
crazy. He watched in amusement how they went up, down, left, right, left again, up… He knew she
tried to nonverbally break the incantation but was sure she wouldn’t be able to. Only a very
powerful witch or wizard could do that.

Having her in this position, so vulnerable and willing… his cock was almost escaping his trousers
at this point. Oh how he craved her. And loathed her. He was going to punish her tonight, and the
cruciatus curse wouldn’t benefit his needs.

“My, my, my, Miss Bernard. What a situation we have found ourselves in, don’t you think?” he
said low and caressed her cheek.

It was soft and warm, just like her. Her eyes were locked at his, just how he liked it. She was going
to look at him this whole time, he’d make sure of it.

“I think I specifically told you not to think about me, and yet… I see that you have. Finding me a
little too alluring, are you?” he asked, his hand now caressing her other cheek.

He wanted to hit her, to inflict pain upon her. He wondered if she would feel it just the same when
she was petrified. A smile bubbled up at the thought of his hand leaving a red mark on her cheek, a
small tear leaving her eye maybe, a groan leaving her lips. Her beautiful, full lips. Oh the things he
had imagined that mouth could do for him…

Her eyes were now holding a lot of emotion in them, pleading with him. She would soon find it
was no use. He had made up his mind, this whore was getting exactly what she wanted. What he
wanted.

Tom leaned in, moving a lock of her hair away from the ear.

“I must confess… I’ve been thinking a bit about you as well…”

His hand moved up towards her shirt, intending to rip it off her body when he froze over hearing
laughter outside of the door. Quickly he stepped away from her and cast a non verbal silencing
spell that went both ways, as well as a locking charm. Then he turned to her once more, seeing the
panic fresh in her eyes.

Oh yes my little bird, I have you now.

A grin spread over his features, not being able to hold it back given the excitement that was now
bubbling in his body.

“I think you can come out to play now,” he said, with a tone of malice and flicked his wand
towards her.

He hoped she would fight him. He hoped she would fight him so he could punish her for that as
well. He wanted to hold her down and shove his dick so far down her throat she couldn’t breathe.
He wanted to spank her ass so red she couldn’t sit for weeks. He wanted to twist her nipples so hard
she would scream out in pain.
Hermione regained her movements and right away reached for her wand, something he had
anticipated. Hence, why her wand had been taken from her before he even took her into the
cupboard. Stupid, stupid witch. A condescending smile reached his lips as he watched her panic
float up to the surface.

“Tsk, tsk, Miss Bernard. You wouldn’t take me for a fool, now would you?”

Tom made a show to flick her wand between his fingers, to show that he was in absolute control.
There was nothing she could do. He had her right where he wanted her, and she would pay for what
she made him feel.

He watched in amusement how Hermione took a step back towards the wall and then quickly
jumped forwards again, clearly not wanting to give him the advantage of pressing her up towards
it. But wasn’t that exactly what she had wanted him to do? Clearly the witch didn’t quite agree
with her fantasies.

He took a daring step forwards, forcing her towards the wall, and moved his hands so they rested
precisely on either side of her head. He watched her eyes dart around, looking for a way to escape
him. He hoped she would, he hoped she would give him a reason to pin her down on the floor and
ravish her. She drew in a sharp breath and he saw how her eyelashes fluttered close.

“Wh… What are you…” she started, her voice dripping with fear.

Mm, how he enjoyed the sound of fear, especially from her mouth. It was something about
inflicting pain upon someone else that just… got him going. He gave her a lopsided grin before
starting to pull at her white shirt, making it open a little and gaining sight of the swell of her
breasts.

Hermione stood utterly still with the same frightened expression on her face, it made his cock
twitch inside his pants. The tightness of his imprisonment sent uncomfortable sensations to him.
He pushed his body hard against hers, practically pinning her to the wall. Her lower lip was now
trembling, her eyes still searching for something good in his. She wouldn’t find any. She would
know the fury that only Lord Voldemort could inflict.

“There, there. I’m only giving you what you wanted anyways, Hermione. Haven’t you been
thinking about this when you touch yourself? Don’t lie to me. I saw it in your mind. You’ve grown
careless, little bird.” he whispered into her ear, gaining a visible shiver from her. “I wasn’t going to
submit to such foolishness, but seeing you kiss Malfoy simply… put me over the edge, so to
speak.”

As he remembered what he had seen in her mind the anger consumed him again. He wanted
nothing more than to make her pay, to make her submit to him, to never want another man to touch
her again.

“It was just a kiss.” she said in a small voice it was barely audible.

A small tear crept down her cheek. It was remarkably beautiful, her crying for him. It made his
insides purr with delight. But her words… oh, her words were like a knife cutting up his insides.
She was lying to his face. How dare she?

“Was it… just… a kiss, Miss Bernard?” he asked, emphasizing the word just to show his displease.

His hands were practically moving on their own accord, plopping open every last button on her
shirt. Her body was trembling, probably with want he thought.
Hadn’t she done just that with Malfoy? Such a little slut, going around practically giving herself up
to anyone who glanced at her. First Wood, kissing him directly after the first date. Then snogging
with Malfoy every waking hour. And hadn’t she been flirting with any guy that gave her time of the
day? And now, here she was. A slut for him, at last. He absentmindedly licked his lips upon seeing
the swell of her breasts tugging over her pink, lace bra. It sure was a sight.

“I don’t think it was. I think you have been running around kissing boys left and right, like a little
mudblood whore. And now that you’ve gotten yourself right in the trap, falling for a pureblood
wizard. I’d never take you for a foolish girl, but you proved me wrong.” he said with malice when
she didn’t answer his question.

Tom could see that he had hit a nerve with that statement, for Hermione drew in a sharp breath
before exploding at him.

“He’s not like the others! He actually cares for me!”

He couldn’t help it, the laughter escaped him upon hearing her words. She really was delusional?
Could she actually believe that Ignotius Malfoy, the sole heir to the Malfoy line, one of the
wealthiest young men there were, could be interested in her? A mudblood?

“That sentence right there, just proved my point. You’ve fallen for a guy that’s only using you to
get into your pants. And then, when he’s done that, he’ll move on to the next pretty, fuckble
mudblood to seduce.” he said and made a show to plopp open her very last button on the shirt.

Her body was trembling even harder now and he figured it wasn’t only of want anymore. She had
clenched her fists and was glaring at him furiously, but Tom didn’t notice. All he could see was the
amazingly delicious blush that had colored not only her pretty face, but also her neck, breasts and
all the way down to her navel. It was mesmerizing. He almost forgot everything about punishing
her upon seeing that.

“I’ve always wondered how far down this blush goes…” he murmured and trailed it from her face
towards her bellybutton.

“Been fantasizing about me, Riddle?” she spit out, clearly still enraged at him.

He almost let out a chuckle at her disobedience, and perhaps for the accuracy of her statement. The
anger flashing through his body once more. He grabbed a fistload of her bushy, curly hair before
whanging her into the wall, making the little witch whimper at the impact.

“I’ve never met anyone so excruciatingly annoying before you.” he whispered as he grabbed a hard
hand over her throat, efficiently cutting off her windpipe.

He watched with tingling excitement as the light slowly went away from her eyes when oxygen
escaped her body. Her hands were tugging at his, practically leaving scratch marks to make him
release her. When she finally stopped fighting him and started to lull with her head, he released her
just a bit. Hermione spluttered and coughed hard, trying to regain as much oxygen as fast as
possible. He didn’t pay her much notice, just held one of his hands hard on her throat as he kissed
his way down between her breasts. She was absentmindedly arching her back, as to gain him better
access to her body.

“S-...stop Riddle. Stop it.” she coughed.

Her body was wiggling, much like she had done in the library back in December. He knew she
wanted him, he could sense it. He pinned her hands over her head, pushing his hard body against
her soft one.

“No? I thought you wanted this. Didn’t you imagine this just the other day, touching yourself in the
shower, reminiscing of our time in the library?”

Hermione didn’t answer, so he opted for her throat instead; sucking hard on a spot right between
her clavicle and neck.

“Look at that lovely color rising on your throat. A nice looking bruise.” he mumbled and nuzzled
the spot lovingly.

Her eyes met his and he could tell she had given up on trying to get away from the situation,
submitting to him fully. Oh, how he enjoyed this little encounter.

“Well, if you’re not going to admit to your fantasies, maybe we could try one of mine, hm?” he
cooed in her ear as he removed one of her breasts from her bra and cupped it hard.

Hermione let out a whimper to his utter delight. She really could get you going with just her
sounds, couldn’t she? He didn’t want to take her before she begged him to do it, he wanted her
willingly. After all, she was a virgin, and he was a gentleman. But he did have other fantasies he
wanted to fulfill.

“Get down on your knees.” he said and dropped contact with her all together.

This made her fall down hard towards the floor, positively bruising her kneecaps. He smirked wide
as he looked down at the witch beneath him, being just where she belonged.

“There’s a good little mudblood whore.” he said and put his hand in her hair once more.

Hermione looked up at him, anger in her eyes. The need to squash her disobedience came strong,
and so he forced her head towards his groin making her yelp in pain. She wiggled, trying to get
away from the position she was in, but this only made her nuzzle her face against his private parts
to his enjoyment. After a good second she finally stopped fighting him, small tears streaming down
her face as she looked up at him again. He almost let out a moan. The beauty of seeing her in this
position, the one position he had been dreaming about for far too long.

“Good girl.” he murmured, caressing her hair. “Why don’t you help me out of these, huh?”

His unoccupied hand started tugging at his trousers to make a point. Her lip trembled again, he
smirked.

“I do not like to be kept waiting.” he warned her, grabbing her hair even harder.

Hermione gulped before starting to unbutton his trousers and dragging them down, including his
briefs, in a swift movement, making his cock appear hard and willing. She was examining his
privates with fascination, something she couldn’t, or perhaps wouldn't, conceal from him. He knew
he had a good set to work with, but it was surprisingly satisfactory to have her gawk at him like
this. He waited patiently for her to take him in her mouth.

“Wow…” she said, glancing up at him nervously.

“Not what you were expecting?” he snorted, amused.

“It’s rather…uh, big.” she said, granting him another glance.

Oh, how he loved those big deer eyes from down there. He would make her stay precisely there all
day if he could. She once again roamed his length, absentmindedly licking her lips. She glanced up
at him again and he pulled her by the hair towards his groin again. To his utter delight she had
opened her mouth to scream, gaining him quick access for his trembling cock. Her mouth was
warm and wet, struggeling to take the size of him. It was pure bliss, something he had never
thought he would experience. Something he did not think existed. If this was what the guys were
chasing, he could understand. It was amazing. He groaned loud before grabbing her by her skull
and forcing her mouth to take him in whatever pace he wanted. She was crying now, from fear or
the force of which he was fucking her mouth he did not know. It only heightened his arousal.

“There’s a good slut. Mmh, yes.” he grunted.

He could feel her throat contract as he hit the back of it with each thrust. He could see how she
struggled with not barfing all over him, and he could see how uncomfortable she was. But he didn’t
care. All that he could think about was the pure bliss and it was heightening with each second now,
gaining and gaining towards his peak. He gripped her skull even harder as he thrust one last time
into her mouth, realizing his seed into her throat and forcing her to swallow it. Some of it escaped
her mouth, dribbling down on her breasts, and he found that it looked rather good there. He pulled
out his emptied cock from her mouth and pushed her gently away from him before pulling up his
trousers again. Hermione was still seated below him, swallowing and swallowing. He took in the
sight of her, sitting under him and awaiting his instructions. It was even better than he had ever
imagined. He sighed contented before turning towards the door, and then he froze instantly.

He couldn’t leave her in here, with all those bruises and his cum all over her. He couldn’t leave her
anywhere with the knowledge of what had happened. He could not control Hermione, and therefore
he couldn’t trust her not to go blabbing about what had happened here. No, he had to do something
about that, didn't he?

“I don’t think it’ll be good if you remember this. Hm?” he said, looking down at her once more.
“No. I don’t think it’ll be good at all. Can’t have you running around telling people about this, can
we?”

Tom reached out to caress her cheek, gaining a muffled sniffle from her. She did not meet his eyes
this time.

“I… I wouldn’t…” she started.

“Now, now. I thought we came to the conclusion that we did not take me for a fool. But I’ll be
kind to you.” he reached forward towards her ear. “I’ll even heal your little bruises.”

He made a soundless incantation he had come up with himself. It was a rather clever spell; it could
heal almost anything. Came in rather handy when you hurt others for sport.

Tom caressed her cheek, looking her deep into her eyes and whispered ‘obliviate’. He watched how
she zoomed out, the memories leaving her pretty little skull. It was always fascinating obviating
someone, how easy it was to make someone forget something.

He walked away feeling satisfied and smug. The small voice of consciousness was trying to make
him feel guilty for taking advantage of the girl. But he didn’t see it that way. Had she not wanted
him? Had she not been turned on by the situation, by him? Had she not indeed fantasized about
him, touching herself thinking of him? He scoffed. Of course she had wanted it, and he, being a
merciful lord, had given it to her. No, he didn’t feel guilty for this. The bitch had deserved it,
really. And it’s not like it would happen again anyways, he just needed to get it out of his system so
that he could focus on the task, and now he could. He was certain of it.
 Chapter 23

The girls had all wondered why she had bailed on them an hour ago. Hermione couldn’t answer,
and when she thought about it, her head hurt like crazy. She didn’t quite understand why she had
woken up feeling bruised in a cupboard, and she could have sworn she had marks on her wrist
when she left. But they are gone now. And she felt fine. Was she imagining things again? Could it
be post traumatic stress that made her see and feel things that weren’t there? Was it possible that
things around her weren't like she saw them? Has she gone mad?

The girls were asking her about her date with Malfoy now, and Hermione was happy to tell. For
once it felt like a boy actually cared for her, it gave her a nice feeling. She decided to tell them all
about their snogging anyway, since Alice was bragging about how she had mounted Richard
Malcom, the Gryffindor quidditch captain.

Hermione didn’t quite understand the reference until Isa loudly whispered ‘sex!’ to her. They all
laughed after that. It felt nice, sitting there with her girlfriends, chatting about boys. She didn’t
know when she had become one of those girls, but she must admit herself giving Malfoy a lot of
her attention. Even in classes, when he was seated next to her, she couldn’t help but gaze at him
from time to time. It was quite a crush she had stumbled upon. And fine, he had been treating her
like a jerk in the beginning. But hadn’t her mother always told her when she was little that boys
who liked you and didn’t know how to talk to you would be mean? Wasn’t that what he had been
doing then? Provoking her just to get her to talk to him. It was like when elementary boys would
pull the girl’s hair, right? He clearly didn’t mean any of the hurtful things he had said to her. After
all, he had proven that now, hadn’t he?

“Hermione… Could I talk to you for a bit?” Said Millicent and smiled carefully at her.

“Of course. Alone?”

Millicent nodded and led the way to the bathroom. Hermione followed. She stopped in front of
their enormous sink, glancing nervously at her.

“I just… want what’s best for you, you know that right?” She asked hesitently.

Hermione frowned.

“Sure, Mill. And I for you, we’re friends.” She answered slowly, a careful smile on her own lips
now.

“Right. So, as your friend I think I should warn you a little… I didn’t think so much of it when he
was teasing you and stuff… but now it seems rather serious and I just…or at least you seem rather
serious about him…”

“What are you talking about Millicent?” Said Hermione, a little coldness in her voice now.

She could sense this conversation wasn’t going where she wanted it to.

“You do know Malfoy's pure blood right? Intended to marry a pure blood witch?”

Hermione crossed her arms, glaring at her friend.

“I didn’t take you for a prejudiced Mill.”

“I’m not! That’s not what I’m trying to… I’m just… I don’t want you to get hurt alright? What if
he’s… what if he’s just playing you? Just having you around until his finacée is chosen? What if
you catch feelings for him and he just leaves you? What if you gave him your virginity and he just
tosses you away like nothing?”

Millicent's voice had gotten rather shrilly at the end, and Hermione thought she could see tears in
her eyes.

“I don’t think Malfoy would sink so low.” She said and left her friend in the bathroom.

She didn’t know what was with Millicent. Why would she ruin her happiness with that bullshit?
She didn’t know him like Hermione did. Had he told her all about his family (mother’s name is
Hortencia and father’s name Septimus), his aspirations for the future (minister of magic) or stuff
like his favorite color (Slytherin green) or season (spring)? No. But he had told Hermione, because
he had wanted her to know him. He wouldn’t betray her trust like that. He just wouldn’t. Perusing
her for more than half a year, just to take her virginity? What kind of monster would do something
like that? Surely there were other girls who would give themselves up quicker than she would.

Would she at all? Hermione bit her lip as she changed into her pajamas. He sure made her want to
do it, but they weren’t even together. She wanted it to be with a boyfriend whom she loved. Not
some guy she’d been dating for a couple of weeks.

But as she laid down to sleep, she could still feel the alarm bells ringing from the back of her head.

Hermione’s relationship with Millicent grew a bit cold after their encounter in the bathroom, and of
course Alice sided with Millicent. They still talked to her, but it wasn’t nearly the same as before.
Hermione thought it was typical of girls to do this, probably shit-chatting about her when they
were alone. It didn’t really matter though, because she had Malfoy to cheer her up.

They continued to snog quite vigorously throughout the whole of march, him getting friskier and
friskier each time. Hermione could sense he was growing impatience with waiting for her to
commit to sex, but he hadn’t commit to her, so why should she?

They had a few intimate times in more than one alcove. He had found her walking away from
defense against the dark arts one Wednesday in the beginning of April, quickly pulling her into the
alcove with him and greeting her with a sloppy kiss.

“Oh, I’ve been craving this the whole day!” he said, peckering her jaw with kisses.

Hermione giggled. He had a way to make her feel like a small school girl. Which if she thought
about it, she were. 16 wasn’t old, she just felt old given all she had already been through.

“I’ve missed you too, Ignotius.” she sighed as he continued to kiss his way down on her neck.

He nibbled on her ear, making delicious shots of fire expand from the motion down towards her
lower abdomen. Her hands were caressing his neck as well as his hair, making it no longer look as
proper as it normally did. Hermione enjoyed doing that, enjoyed making something a little messy.
She supposed he had a bad influence on her.
They met in yet another passionate kiss, and for once she was first to enter his mouth with her
tongue. He let out a small groan before entangling his hands in her hair. Their kiss emerged fast
into something more. Malfoy was grabbing her arse now, a little harder than usual but it only made
her want more of him, more of his hands on her body. She pushed herself against him and he
responded by pushing her harder against the wall, their bodies colliding with each other. His hands
were over her shirt, swiftly unbuttoning it with one hand as the other was caressing her arse.
Hermione moaned into his mouth when he finally made his way towards her breasts, grabbing
them delightfully, his thumbs caressing her nipples.

Malfoy kissed her jawline once again, making his way down towards her chest and pulling on her
lace bra. He placed open mouth kisses on top of her breasts and swiftly caressed her nipple with his
tongue, gaining another moan from her. Hermione didn’t know how to act any more, a pool of
want was in her lower abdomen, craving for some touch and something inside her. As if Malfoy
knew her body's need he started caressing her upper thigh, swiftly making his way towards her
knickers. Hermione drew in a sharp breath when she felt his finger caressing her center on top of
her underwear. His mouth was still doing wonderful things to her nipples, but his right hand was
now strictly under her skirt, caressing her clitoris softly. A big part of her wanted him to do it faster,
to take her right here. But another, more sensible, part of her once again pulled the emergency
brake.

“I-...Ignotius.”

She tried to say it with force, but it came out more as a moan.

“Mm, I know you want more pumpkin. Let’s find out how wet you are for me huh?” he said
hoarsely, hooking his finger around her knickers and pulling, moving towards her opening.

Hermione shifted and quickly pushed him off of her. Malfoy stared at her, his shirt pulled open,
lovebites on his neck and his hair ruffled. He had a wonderful pink color on his cheeks, and his
pupils were properly dilated. He was horny. For her. Didn’t she want him too? Of course she did.

But he wasn’t her boyfriend. And she had made a promise a long time ago to give herself up to
someone who loved her, and whom she loved as well. She didn’t love him, did she?

Malfoy was staring at her, and once again she thought she saw anger flicker on his face. But just as
last time it was gone before she could pay it any more attention.

“I’m sorry pumpkin. I shouldn’t have touched you there.” he apologized and looked away from
her, clearly remorseful.

Hermione bit her lip. It is getting harder to stop nowadays. Her body wanted what he could give
her. But her brain said no. And she had always put great trust in her brain. She wouldn’t stop now.

“No… I…I’m very grateful that you let me decide the pace. It’s very thoughtful of you, Ignotius.“

“Of course, darling. Anything for you.” he smiled, taking a step towards her and caressing her face
again.

Malfoy glanced down towards his arm watch and frowned.

“I must be going, it’s almost time for our next class. You have history of magic right?”

Hermione nodded.

The last thing he did before departing was hand her a little note.
“What’s this?” Hermione asked, confused.

“Don’t you recognize it?” Malfoy retorted playfully, caressing her hand.

She took another look at the note agan, it held neatly written words upon it. She did recognize it. It
was the same kind of notes she was keeping in her bag. Notes she had stopped receiving just before
the winter holiday. She looked up at him again, a question in her eyes.

“Go on. Open it.” he smiled.

If only you knew how much those little moments with you meant for me.

- Yours, Ignotius.

“It was you?” she said, smiling up to him.

“Of course it was me.”

Hermione blushed, smiling down at her little love note. Malfoy grabbed her hand and kissed it
before he went out from the alcove, shooting her wink.

She found it hard to concentrate during her next class which was history of magic. After finding out
it was Malfoy who had sent her the love notes she just couldn’t help but to smile. Not even
professor Binns boring monologues could erase it. Not even being seated next to disgusting Tom
Riddle could vanish it. Not even the pain of not being on good terms with your girlfriends could.
She was just… happy. Content.

During class she could feel Riddle’s eyes upon her, watching her. More than once she met his gaze,
holding it for just a second too long just to let him know he was being a creep. But he never
wavered, just continued to study her. He had yet to say something before she turned to him and
beat him to it.

“I do know I'm an attractive woman, Riddle, but unfortunately I’m taken. So please, avert your
eyes elsewhere.” she drawled in her best impression of Malfoy.

Anger flicked over his facial expression, but it was fast concealed again, a sneer took place instead.

“Taken, huh?”

“Yes, taken Riddle. As in not single. As in you can stop eying me. As in stay the fuck away.” She
said and shot him a nasty glare.

He shuffled a bit closer, making her very aware of just how much of his knee that was touching
hers. That little touch was already doing something to her body.

“I don’t think you really wish for me to stay away, Miss Bernard.”

Hermione rolled her eyes, trying to avert her attention away from him again. She didn’t even know
why she addressed him. It never leads to anything good. He was just so infuriating, always looking
at her condescendingly and butting in on her business. Her life had nothing to do with him. And she
wanted nothing to do with him. Really.

She could however not explain the sensation in her body that hadn’t gotten the memo about that.
Even the smallest touch seemed to be able to lit her on fire.

“So he made you his girlfriend then?” He asked, leaning his upper body towards hers.

Once more Hermione was struck with that same musky scent he always sported nowadays. She
drew in another breath, getting hit with just a hint of vanilla, before realising what she was doing
and a blush crept up on her neck.

“N-no. Not really girlfriend per say, but I do believe he made his intentions clear. I'm sure he'll ask
soon enough.”

Riddle rolled his eyes.

“You really are daft, you know?” He muttered before scooting back.

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Riddle.” She scoffed.

“I do not believe it’s me who needs to be jealous. Does your pretend-boyfriend know what his little
lovebird was up to back in december?”

Hermione startled. His eyes were practically blazing her with lightning, switching once again from
a playful mode to an angry one. She however, paid little notice to this.

“So you confess?” she whispered excitedly and turned her upper body towards him.

“Confess what?” he asked innocently and continued scribbling down notes on his parchment.

“That you drugged me with something?”

Riddle brought his hand up to his chest, a gesture as to feign insulted.

“Why, I would never! Miss Bernard, how dare you even propose such a scandalous thing? My,
my.”

Hermione rolled her eyes.

“Whatever Riddle. Not even you can bring me down today. Go fuck off somewhere else.”

Riddle raised an eyebrow at this, probably for her language. Hermione rolled her eyes again, she
simply did not care today.

Later that day she was walking towards her last class, potions, where she was supposed to meet
Millicent and Alice. They were polite enough to acknowledge her still, but it wasn’t the same. It
was something hanging in the air around them. She knew that she ought to beg Milicent for
forgiveness, but she just… couldn’t seem to do it. Furthermore she didn’t believe she was in the
wrong, and so her pride came in the way of her friendship.

Hermione was almost there when she heard a familiar drawl coming from a group of people before
her. She slowed down her steps just a few meters away from Malfoy and his friends and was just
about to go up to him when she caught hold of what his voice was saying.
“…she’s going to give it to me soon. I swear it. Just a few hours ago she was creaming all over my
finger, moaning like a little slut. But she does leave one hanging, never once has she touched my
dick. Always being a little minx, she is.It’s a good thing there’s always a few hufflepuff whore’s
around. At least I have something to dip my cock into before I make her my own personal slut.”

The other guys were laughing loudly at this. Hermione couldn’t believe her own ears. It felt like
her blood was pounding in her ears, dizziness hit her like she was struck by lightning. She couldn’t
really coprehend what was happening. Hadn’t it been just a few hours ago that he told her how
much she meant for him? How much he liked her and wanted her? Why was he saying those
disgusting things about her? And had he really been having sex with other girls throughout their
relationship?

“Oh, Malfoy. Remember you promised us a ride before you dispose of her!” Howled Goyle,
gaining another uproar of laughter from the others.

Hermione couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Moreover, she couldn’t even see them. Her
vision was blurry and all she saw was red. Without her own knowledge she had whipped out her
wand, conjured a flock of birds in the color red matching her fire roaring within, and was now
pointing it directly at Malfoy’s back.

“Oppugno” she hissed.

Malfoy was still howling, but not with laughter anymore; with pain. He was being pecked and
clawed everywhere by the red birds. After a good minute he finally figured out the counter curse
and vanished the birds. She stood on the same spot, watching him turn around to face his attacker
and laying big eyes upon her. She watched him gulp big, his hands trembling just a bit.

“Oh, Hermione, darling…” he tried, shuffling closer to her.

“Don’t. Ever. Talk. To. Me. Again.” She growled, pointing his wand at him again.

“Th-…That wasn’t true, pumpkins. You know how I feel about you…”

Malfoy was shuffling even closer to her now, clearly thinking he could smoothly talk himself out
of the situation. How wrong he was. She was so angry that she could feel electricity surrounding
her. And maybe it was. She wouldn’t know, all she saw was Malfoy and all she felt was the need to
hurt him.

Hermione cast an nonverbal levicorpus, making Malfoy swing from his feet up in the air. His
normal group of friends were now scramming from the scene, clearly not wanting to get in the line
of fire. There were no more laughs surrounding them. From the outskirts of her eye she could see
Riddle leaning against the stone wall with an odd expression on his face. If she didn’t know any
better, she would have sworn he looked content with where the events were currently going. But
Malfoy’s voice drew back the attention to him.

“Pumpkins, please. Haven’t we been good to each other?” Pleaded Malfoy, hanging upside down,
his face even redder now considering the amount of blood flowing down to it.

Hermione was suddenly hit with the realization of truth and she wavered, blinking hard. Hadn’t
Millicent warned her for just this? Hadn’t she warned her not to commit to him on an emotional
level because he would surely leave her? Hadn’t she told her he, a pure blood, would never want
her, a muggleborn? Hadn’t she expressed the possibility of him using her until he found a suitable
pure blood witch to marry? And what had happened? He had played her like a fool. Hermione was
once again hit with another wave of anger upon the realization. How dare he?
“Good to each other?” She shrieked.

“Y-yes darling. We are…” he started, swaying left and right in the air.

“There are no we. There has never been a we, hasn’t it, Malfoy? Just you taking advantage of a
muggleborn, waiting for a fiancée” She interrupted icily.

She could see his eyes darting around, clearly looking for an escapee from his current situation.
That disgusting ferret. He didn’t even care enough to tell a lie. The hurt growing inside of her made
the electricity spark even more around her.

“Stupefy!” She screamed.

Malfoy was sent into the stonewall with such force that some of it cracked. The hallway was
entirely quiet now, no one dared to look at her or run up to Malfoy who was clearly hurt from the
impact. He might even be unconscious. A small part of her hoped he was severely injured.

Before anyone could alert professor’s, she darted away. She didn’t even know where she was
heading, but she climbed stair after stair until she was met with the sight of the astronomy tower.
 Chapter 24

Tom couldn’t get the stupid witch out of his mind. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw her on her
knees below him, looking up at him with those perfect, obedient, submissive eyes.

It was excruciating having to listen to Malfoy’s stories every day. Because apparently she let him
snog her senseles every fucking day. Apparently, she was going to give herself up to him soon.
And Tom actually believed it now, having seen it for himself in her mind. It was frustrating
knowing she could have known just what a sleeze Malfoy was if he had let her keep her memories,
but he couldn’t have done that. It wouldn’t serve him in the future. No. It was better to keep things
like they were. Malfoy was still giving him information on the girl, and he was leaning more and
more towards the fact that she wasn’t from this time. He just couldn’t wrap his head around how it
was possible. No time-turner would bring her back more than a few hours, it was the law of magic.
And yet, here she was. Alive and well. Tom twirled his ring, a habit he had picked up these last
few months whenever he was thinking hard.

From what time was she? And why was she here? She clearly knew him, or of him. And she
clearly loathed him. But why? There were just too many questions and far too little answers for his
liking. And she was making him put his own research on hold, having far too much of his mind
occupied by her. He could have branded his followers already, made plans for graduation next year
and even looked into the founders' different belongings and where they might be located. But no,
he was occupied with a fucking mudblood.

Tom groaned as he stood up from his bed and made his way towards the shared bathroom. He
opened the door and entered, finding it empty. Which was lucky for Susanna, the head girl. God,
was she annoying. It had almost been a year now and Tom couldn’t wait to be rid of her. She just
didn’t get a hint. He wasn’t interested in her at all, hadn’t shown her any attention, and still she
tried everything to get his. She even deliberately left the bathroom door unlocked, hoping he would
come barging in whenever she was showering. Distasteful, really.

With a flick of his wand he locked the doors and stepped into the combined tub and shower. It
wasn’t as glamorous as the prefect's bathroom but it still had its perks. The tub was big enough to
hold two persons, it could relax you with a bubble bath, and the big showerhead made it feel like it
was raining. The details were all in gold as the clinker was black. It made the room feel expensive
and luxurious, Tom could appreciate that.

He took a longer shower than usual, since thinking of Hermione had gotten his morning wood
wanting to linger a while longer. Not even a cold shower could get it down. He groaned in
annoyance before starting to stroke himself. It was embarrassing how fast just thinking back to
their little time in the cupboard could make him cum.

He had promised himself not to think about her in that way, but the small voice inside of him had
taken a permanent residence from now on, he could feel it clawing its way back from the depths he
had banished it to. That fucking witch.

As march drew past Tom noticed how Hermione’s girlfriends had drawn away from her. Not
ignoring her per say, but they never followed her around anymore. They didn’t join her in the
library as often and they didn’t chat nearly as excitedly with her anymore. He found it curious,
their change of behavior. Something ought to have happened. He didn’t know if it was something
as petty as the normal things girls fight about; liking the same guy, wearing the same outfit on the
same day or other such trivial things. But they all seemed to act a bit too awkward for it to be
something that insignificant. And Hermione looked awkward around them too, especially around
that girl with the pointy face and brown hair, Millicent Bagnold he thought her name was. She was
one of the brightest in the school, somewhat behind him in every class of course. Maybe she had
scored higher than Hermione on one of their homeworks and they had a bitch about it.

Malfoy damp down next to him, a bright smile on his face. Crabbe and Goyle were seated opposite
of them, while Lestrange and Avery were off somewhere doing god knows what.

Tom barely acknowledged his presence and continued to eat his meal quietly. Malfoy held out his
right hand towards Crabbe, practically shoving it into his big face.

“Smell it.” he demanded, amused.

Tom quirked an eyebrow. Whatever had gotten into him now? Crabbe took a sniff and frowned.

“Uh… it smells…” he took another sniff. “Sweet?”

Crabbe was staring questiongly at Malfoy, as were Tom and Goyle.

“It’s Hermione’s juices.” Malfoy declared proudly.

Something stabbed Tom in the gut, that cold feeling he had experienced the night in february came
upon him once more. What was that dreadful feeling anyways? It felt like despair and anger all at
once, something sinking in his gut, a cold shiver over his body. He clenched his knuckles, trying to
compose himself as he watched the conversation tick on.

“Oy! Give me a whiff!” shouted Goyle and took a strong hold of Malfoy’s right hand.

He practically wiped his nose on his fingers.

“Mm. A virgin's juice is always fresh.” he mumbled as he drew in another sniff.

It was utterly disgusting watching.

“I want to smell it again!” said Crabbe, fighting Goyle for Malfoy’s hand.

Malfoy looked more pleased than he had ever seen him before. Tom’s abdomen was clearly trying
to fall out in his lap.

“So she gave herself up then?” he asked, trying hard to make his voice sound intrigued instead of
nauseated.

Malfoy’s smile faltered a little.

“Er… no. But she will soon enough. I’m sure of it. Her body is clearly willing, it’s just that big,
stupid brain of hers that’s derailing the whole thing.”

Tom couldn’t help but to smile. Of course she wouldn’t give herself up to him. Good girl.

“What’s stopping her then?” he asked, cutting his meat in fine pieces.

“I uh… I think she might need me to ask her to be my girlfriend. And I’m thinking I’ll actually
need to do it.”

“A Malfoy with a mudblood girlfriend.” Crabbe sniggerd.

“That’s a first.” barked Goyle with a loud laugh.

Tom simply smiled. This would mean Malfoy couldn’t get her to comply with him without putting
dishonor on his family name. Something he was very keen not to do. Maybe he would finally push
her aside.

“I’ve not decided yet.” Malfoy hissed, shooting daggers at Crabbe and Goyle. “And she could still
let loose, you never know. I just touched her pussy, didn’t I?”

Crabbe and Goyle nodded and sent him encouraging smiles before continuing to stuff their faces
full of food.

Tom’s stomach was having an uproar, he couldn’t get more food down feeling like this. He was
angry that he was feeling this way, or feeling at all. He had tried so hard to neglect that part of
himself and yet it just came crashing down upon him once more. He was angry at Malfoy for
getting to touch her down there, and for flaunting about it to his friends. He was angry that Malfoy
didn’t seem to understand how lucky he should be for getting to feel her against him, for touching
her wet folds and getting her hungry kisses. He was angry that it wasn’t him she wanted.

Malfoy was going to pay.

“I need to get to class.” he muttered and exited the great hall scowling at anyone who dared look at
him.

History of magic was precisely as boring as always, with the upside that Hermione was seated next
to him. She had come running in as the class started, noticing with a frown that the only available
seat was next to him. Tom had smiled condescendingly at her when she sat down, gaining a scowl
from the petite witch.

He took notes as he listened to Binn’s monotone voice going on and on about another goblin war,
but his eyes were glued to her face. Watching her every move. The frown when she misspelled a
word, the quick flick of her wand to vanish it, the boredom in her eyes as she watched Binn’s
lecture. The curve of her full lips, her small tongue licking them wet. He remembered that tongue,
it was a delicate tongue.

Every now and then she would meet his eyes, daring him to look away. He never did. He enjoyed
watching her brown eyes calculate why he was staring at her, he enjoyed the uncomfortableness he
was giving her by merely staring. It was exhilarating. When just a few minutes were left of class
she finally addressed him, and had she not, was he just about to let her know how beautiful her lip
gloss looked today.

“I do know I’m an attractive woman, Riddle, but unfortunately I’m taken. So please, avert your
eyes elsewhere.” she said in a drawl.

Clearly, she had spent too much time around Malfoy, because that was a perfect mimic of him.
'Avert your eyes elsewhere'. That bitch. He would stare at her just how much he wanted, he could
do to her whatever pleased him. And she was in no way taken by anyone, that much was clear.

“Taken, huh?” he asked coldly.

“Yes, taken Riddle. As in not single. As in you can stop eyeing me. As in stay the fuck away.” she
shot him a nasty glare.
Mm, his fiery witch. But she didn’t want to stay away, did she. He knew she didn’t mean it, he had
seen it in her mind. She wanted him as, maybe not as much as he wanted her, but she thought about
their library session often. When alone. In the shower. His cock twitched inside his trousers,
making it uncomfortable yet again. He shuffled closer, making his knee touch hers.

“I don’t think you really wish for me to stay away, Miss Bernard.” he said suggestively.

Hermione rolled her eyes and started scribbling down notes from the class yet again. It was
obvious she didn’t care to converse with him any longer. Unfortunately for her, he wanted to.

“So he made you his girlfriend then?” he asked and leaned in even closer, making their knees
caress each other and his arm place itself over her parchment.

These actions made her draw in a long breath, her eyelashes fluttered as the scent of him hit her. He
smiled. It was good to know the potions still worked somewhat.

“N-no. Not really girlfriend per say, but I do believe he made his intentions clear. I’m sure he’ll ask
soon enough.” she said in a shivery voice.

Tom couldn’t help but to roll his eyes. She was as witless as a broomstick.

“You really are daft, you know?” he muttered and scooted back towards his own seat.

She was too easily deceived by Malfoy. His previous assumptions that she was clever were quickly
squashed by hearing this. How could she believe such nonsense? How could she even begin to
think that he would want her, a mudblood? Was she delusional?

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Riddle.” she scoffed.

Jealous? The heir of Slytherin? Did she believe that he would be jealous of Malfoy having her?
Was that what he had been feeling? If so, it was even worse than he had initially thought. Anger
flashed through him once more.

“I do not believe it’s me who needs to be jealous. Does your pretend-boyfriend know what his little
lovebird was up to back in december?” he asked, a tone of ice.

“So you confess?” she asked excitedly, turning her upper body against his.

He could see the outline of her perfect tits this way. He swallowed hard and continued with his
notes instead of gawking at her.

“Confess what?”

“That you drugged me with something?” she exclaimed lowly.

“Why, I would never!” he cried out, putting his hand to his chest. “Miss Bernard, how dare you
even propose such a scandalous thing? My, my.”

The little witch rolled her eyes for a second time.

“Whatever Riddle. Not even you can bring me down today. Go fuck off somewhere else.”

He quirked an eyebrow. He would indeed want to go fuck off somewhere else, if she joined him.
However, he doubted she would come willingly. Not that that had stopped him before. He didn’t
know why she was in such a good mood, but he had a nagging feeling it had something to do with
Malfoy, and that was infuriating to say the least.
The time for punishment came sooner than he had anticipated, not that Tom complained. They
were walking towards their potions class when he noticed a certain witch a few steps behind them.
She had yet to notice them. He smiled mischievously. This was going to be perfect.

“Say, Malfoy. Have you told Avery and Lestrange yet about your encounter in the alcove before
lunch?” Tom asked innocently.

Malfoy lit up at once, eyes glinting.

“Oh! No I haven’t! You’re in for a treat guys!” he said in a loud drawl, gaining not only their
group's attention but also Hermione’s.

Perfect.

“I was in the alcove, yeah? Waiting for that little slut, Hermione, and we were snogging quite
heavily. She was turned on of course, how could she not be. I could see her nipples through her
shirt, and every time you touched them she made this little mewling sound.”

“Oh yeah? She finally gave it up then?” asked Lestrange with a sneer.

“No. But she’s going to give it to me soon. I swear it. Just a few hours ago she was creaming all
over my finger, moaning like a little slut.”

The guys were howling with laughter now, Tom strategically moved to the side towards the right
wall. Because even though the guys hadn’t noticed her, he certainly had. And she was looking
straight livid right now.

“But she does leave one hanging, never once has she touched my dick.” Malfoy continued in a loud
voice, clearly oblivious to who was behind him. “Always being a little minx, she is. It’s a good
thing there’s always a few hufflepuff whore’s around. At least I have something to dip my cock into
before I make her my own personal slut.”

The guys were now roaring with laughter and the redness coloring Hermione’s face was
spectacular to view. Tom couldn’t believe his luck.

She stood perfectly still, just a few meters behind the group, watching them with big, infuriated
eyes.

“Oh, Malfoy. Remember you promised us a ride before you dispose of her!” howled Goyle.

The guys laughed even harder at this, and Tom smirked. There you go. You could always trust a
teenage boy to say crude things about a girl to his group of friends.

He watched her tremble with fury, magic practically sparking around her. Her eyes no longer held
the normal warmth, but was instead almost black and focused solely upon Malfoy. With a swift
moment her wand was drawn and a flock of red birds conjured.

Tom had to confess himself intrigued by this magic, what on earth was she planning to do with
them? He didn’t need to wait for long before she hissed out a strong “oppugno” and the birds came
crashing down towards the group of boys, especially the blonde git in the middle. He watched
amused how the birds clawed their way towards his face, leaving dark scratches on his pale face.
The birds continued their assault on Malfoy for a while before he finally figured out the contour
curse, of course Tom knew it but he wasn’t planning on helping the git, was he? No, he had his
eyes on Hermione instead. The fury inside of her roared like a lion and it gained her magic to
crackle around her. It was visible, it was magnificent.

When Malfoy finally vanished the birds and turned to his attacker, wand drawn, he gulped hard
when he realized who it was. It was a perfect spectacle, Tom thought, as he could see the trembling
in Malfoy’s hands.

“Oh, Hermione, darling…” he said and took a nervous step in her direction.

“Don’t. Ever. Talk. To. Me. Again.” she growled, her magic sparking and made her hair stand out
even more than usual.

His other cronies had gotten the memo and were now quickly moving away from the scene,
scurrying away like rats.

“Th-... That wasn’t true, pumpkins. You know how I feel about you…” he tried again, taking
another step in her direction.

Fool. She will eat you alive.

Suddenly Malfoy was hanging upside down and Tom confessed himself somewhat impressed over
Hermione’s non verbal magic. And utterly content of being out of her range of fury for once. He
felt rather smug, leaning against that wall, watching the show with interest. He met her gaze but
she quickly focused on Malfoy agan, clearly too angry to pay any notice to him. It was absolutely
perfect. He was a genius.

“Pumpkins, please. Haven’t we been good to each other?” he heard Malfoy’s voice plead from
where he was hanging upside down.

Tom watched Malfoy’s words make an impact on Hermione, as she blinked hard and wavered just
a tiny bit. Not enough for someone to notice, unless that someone was him of course. He wondered
what she was thinking about. What about those words that had gotten to her. But just as fast her
fury took over again.

“Good to each other?” she shrieked.

Her hair was now literally cracking with electricity. It was marvelous.

“Y-yes darling. We are…” Malfoy started.

“There are no we. there has never been a we, hasn’t it, Malfoy? Just you taking advantage of a
muggleborn, waiting for a fiancée.” she spit out.

Ah. Well, now he knows exactly what had made her hold up for a second. She had finally
understood what he had wanted from her. Finally come to the conclusion that everyone else already
knew of.

Malfoy didn’t answer, he could sense the panic radiating from his swaying body. Hermione let out
a loud shriek before she hit him with her next spell.

“Stupefy!” she screamed, sending Malfoy head first into the stonewall.

He passed out cold. To his defense, she had hit him so hard his body had made the stone crack.
That would give one nasty headache.
Tom was watching Malfoy’s unmoving body amused and saw from the corner of his eye how she
darted away quicker than he had seen anyone move before.

The hallway was in silence now. One could hear a pin drop. Malfoy was still not moving, neither
was anyone else.

“Crabbe, Goyle. Take Malfoy to the hospital wing. Avery, Lestrange, contain the damage to the
wall as well as these witnesses. It is not in our best interest that Miss Bernard gets expelled. I’ll go
talk to Professor Slughorn, making excuses.” Tom said in a low voice before moving towards the
dungeons once more.

Professor Slughorn was pleased to see him, having come home from his travels in Africa just
yesterday. His normal pale skin was sporting a rather good sunburn, clearly not used to the sun.

“Tommy, my boy! How good to see you, so good to see you! What can I do for you? You’re a tad
bit early for class.” Slughorn said and opened his arms in greetings.

Tom accepted the embrace, grimacing behind the professor’s back.

“There was a small accident just now, I need to take Malfoy to the hospital wing as well as a new
student, Hermione Bernard. Must have been something they ate. I just wanted to let you know we
wouldn’t make it to class, unfortunately.'' He explained fast and politely.

“Ah, no worries my boy, no worries at all. I’ll see you next class, I’m sure you can miss a class
without failing.” Slughorn answered, giving Tom a wink.

“I was sure you’d understand.” Tom gave a charming smile.

Slughorn moved out from his office towards the potions classroom, giving him enough time to
snitch the bottle standing on the professor’s bench.

This day was just getting better and better.

 Chapter 25

Her breath was panting hard, having run all the way up from the dungeons to the astronomy tower.
She could tell her face was red, but from the exercise or the betrayal she didn’t know.

Hermione stood bent over, hands on her knees, heaving long breaths trying to calm herself down. It
didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have believed
him so easily? So eagerly? When had she become such an insolent, love-cranked teen?

The quiet around her was broken by a loud wail and she startled until she realized the sound had
come from her own mouth. With the realization she felt her knees give in and she slid down to the
cold surface under her, gripping her knees snugly to her body and gave in to the tears that had
threatened to erupt since hearing Malfoy’s disgusting words about her.

She cried hard, and ugly. Not that she cared. She just felt so fucking stupid. The thought of
Hermione Granger falling for a Malfoy was just so obscene. And to think that he would replicate
these feelings? Laughable. She was a joke. It was utterly embarrassing. How many people knew
that he played her? How many had laughed behind her back, knowing he didn’t really want to be
seen with her. How many had waited for her to give in, to have sex with him, and then getting
tossed to the side? How many were laughing at her precisely now, disgusted by how naive she
was?

Hermione didn’t know how long she sat there, crying her eyes out and snot congesting her nose.
She didn’t feel the coldness creeping up on her as day turned into evening. She didn’t feel the pain
in her bottoms from sitting in the same spot for so long. She didn’t even feel the pair of eyes on her
that had been watching her for little over ten minutes.

All she felt was utterly betrayed. And hurt. And it hurt, more than she would ever admit. It hurt not
because she had been played to believe his feelings were sincere, but because it had happened
because she was muggleborn. Once again her blood status had made her a target, and it was so
fucking unfair. It hurt because she had never really been wanted by guys, and coming here they
had been interested. It hurt because she was led to believe she was desirable, when in reality all
that was desired was her body and what it could do to him. He had never cared, he had never
wanted to know about her life, or what she thought about politics, or her favorite subjects and what
excited her. All he had wanted was those moments in the alcoves, those moments where she had
given up parts of her body.

Hermione clasped her hand over her mouth to stifle another wail erupting when she remembered
his hands on her sex just this morning, the anger in his eyes when she once again stopped it from
moving any further. Of course he had been angry, he had not gotten what he wanted.

‘Never once has she touched my dick. Always being a little minx.’

And she had persuaded herself to believe she hadn’t seen the anger. She had told herself it was
light playing a trick on her brain, something she had made up herself. When in reality, all he had
wanted was for her to let him take her, to touch him like he had touched her.

She wasn’t even sad anymore; she was numb. And numb, she knew, was somehow worse.

More tears rolled down her cheeks. She forcefully dried them off her cheeks when she heard
someone moving towards her from the stairs. Quickly she jumped up, her wand drawn.

“Wow, easy Bernard. It’s just me.” Came a familiar voice, holding his hands up in defeat.

“What are you doing here?” She whispered, her wand still fully drawn and ready.

It didn’t matter that she could barely see from how swollen her eyes were, or that she could barely
breathe from her nose considering all the snot that was in it. All that mattered were the boy in front
of her and how much she wanted to hex the shit out of him too. Hadn’t he deserved it?

“I’m not here to mock you, Hermione. I swear.” He said lowly, taking down his hands and moving
towards her carefully.

She didn’t know if it was the fact that she was so utterly exhausted from the events that had
happened and led her to bawl her eyes off, or the fact that he had called her by her first name, but
she lowered her wand and sniffled again.

“I don’t have the energy to defend myself anyways.” She mumbled and took a seat next to the
fence, looking out on the Hogwarts grounds.

A few seconds later she heard him dimp down beside her, joining her in the quietness. She didn’t
know how long they sat there before she started to feel warm again. Hermione looked at him
questioningly. He cocked his head in response, a small smile playing on his lips. She didn’t avert
her gaze.

“You can’t freeze to death over his sorry ass, now can you?” He asked.

“What are you doing here, Riddle?” She sighed.

He looked out over the grounds again, probably contemplating his response. If she weren’t so
exhausted it might have infuriated her, now she just looked at him; waiting.

A whole minute went by before he opened his mouth, but it wasn’t the response she was
anticipating.

“Every year I come here over New Years. It’s nice and quiet, and no one is here during the
holidays. No one is usually here during the school year either. It’s a nice place to hide away in. I
enjoy looking out over the grounds, it feels like home.”

Hermione stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. Tom effing Riddle had just shared his feelings with
her. Or, at least some personal stuff. She stared out over the grounds again.

“Yes. I enjoy this spot too.” She whispered, a small tear rolling down her cheek.

Furiously she whipped it away. As if reading her thoughts Riddle said:

“He’s not worth your tears, you know.”

“I know that. I just… can’t believe I let myself fall into this mess. I’m supposed to be bright, you
know. Brightest witch of our age.” she scoffed. “I am sure they wouldn’t call me that now…”

She sighed and dried her tears for the hundredth time that evening.

“I just wanted to be the person someone like him would want, you know? I just wanted to be
enough for once. And all he ever thought about me was ‘nice legs’ or something crude like that.
He probably thought me bossy and a know-it-all like everyone else…”
“If they think you are too much, maybe it’s because they are not enough.” he said, still not meeting
her eyes. “And Malfoy sure as hell did not deserve having even a third of you.”

“I thought he was your friend.”

“Friend or not. He’s in the wrong. And I did not enjoy seeing you get that hurt by him.”

Hermione looked at him again, not knowing if she had heard him correctly. He was still gazing out
over the ground with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“What…” she asked bewildered.

“You were never asking for too much. You were simply asking the wrong person.” he said quietly.

But when he turned towards her and gave her a small smile she scoffed.

“I’m going to get whiplash from the hot and cold behavior you’re giving me this year.”

Riddle chuckled lowly.

“Maybe you’re just equally as annoyingly confusing for me as I am for you. Have you ever
considered that?”

She bit her lip, not meeting his eyes. She probably was. She knew she ought to have acted strange
when first arriving here, and he probably had sensed her hatred towards him even though she tried
hard to conceal it. And then it was the whole attraction going on. Whatever that was.

Hermione could feel movement from her left and gazed in his direction just in time to see Riddle
whip out a familiar looking flask.

“Ogden’s finest. Nicked it from Slughorn, he’s the usual potions master. Just got back from Africa
actually, and was of course very glad to see his favourite student. So glad that he didn’t notice me
taking it.” He smiled mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

This gained a small giggle from Hermione. She, of course, knew exactly who Professor Slughorn
was. And she knew too well how important he had played in the role of Voldemort’s horrocruxes.
Had they already been having that conversation? Had he already made a horrocrux? She frowned,
sinking into her own thoughts again.

Riddle conjured two cups next to her, pouring the liquid in it. Without thinking she accepted the
drink and quickly took a few gulps. The familiar burning sensation felt good inside her aching
body. Beside her Riddle was smutting on his own cup, eyeing her carefully. As if she was going to
break. And maybe she would, if she hadn’t already. It sure felt like something was broken inside of
her.

“I’ve always loved April. The snow disappears and small buds start to grow everywhere, and if
you’re lucky a few flowers peek up. Signs of better times, I would say.” He said quietly, raising his
glass again.

Hermione did as well, gulping down another big mouthful. The burning sensation was already
beginning to feel less as the intoxication began to grow. She knew he was trying to cheer her up,
and it was very nice of him to do so. She just wasn’t feeling in the mood to be cheered up. She
wasn’t feeling in the mood to do anything but drink. And Riddle came with the alcohol, so she
guessed he could stay. Hermione downed another mouthful.
“How do you feel, Hermione?”

“Utterly fucked.”

He chuckled a little.

“Yes, well. That’s probably the fire whiskey.”

“No. I’m just fucked. I’m fucking stuck here, and got nowhere to go. My friends are angry with me
because I chose a boy before them. Said boy was playing me and like a fool I believed him. I just
wanted… I just really wanted to believe him, you know. I just really wanted him not to be a
predijucied fuck, I wanted him to want me for me. And all he wanted was to have sex with me and
toss me away like a freaking rag doll. And I’m stuck here, with him and you and all of the other
people that don’t even really know me.”

Riddle was quiet for some time, sipping on his drink and watching her intently.

“What do you mean, ‘you’re stuck here’?” He asked, drinking some more.

“I can’t very well go home can I?” She muttered.

“And where is home?”

“I don’t have a home.”

“Me neither.”

Hermione gazed at him, watching him look longingly over the grounds. She knew he considered
this his home, and maybe she did too. But it wasn’t really. Because it wasn’t her time. Right place,
wrong time. She sighed, drinking some more fire whiskey. She really shouldn’t, considering how
drunk she was already feeling. It wasn’t safe being on top of the astronomy tower with Voldemort.
It wasn’t safe lowering your guard down this much. And it was sure as hell not safe getting drunk
together with a dark lord. But somehow she didn’t fucking care. Screw everything.

She could feel his eyes on her, watching her intently. The warning bells inside of her head were
going off again, but she had no energy to give in to them. Hadn't she ignored them since coming
here anyways? So she simply took another sip, moulding into her drunkenness.

“Where are you from, Hermione?” He asked suddenly.

“London.” She answered immediately.

He quirked an eyebrow and took another sip.

“But you still went to Beauxbatons?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Hermione didn’t know why she was being so honest with him, but found that she didn’t care
whether or not Riddle knew. It was utterly exhausting to keep this secret. Maybe it was the alcohol
talking, either way it was somewhat liberating to just answer truthfully.

“I figured.” He muttered for himself.

They both looked out over the ground again, simultaneously taking sips of their cups.
“I know you’ve been keeping secrets.” He stated quietly.

Hermione nodded.

“Don’t you keep secrets?”

“What do you know about me, Hermione?” His tone held a little more alarm to it now.

“More than you know yourself.” She answered matter-of-factly.

“Why where you afraid of me when you first met me?”

“Because I recognised your face. I know what you will do.”

She was not supposed to tell him that, she didn’t even know why she did. Her head was spinning
fast. She was probably spluttering. She took another gulp of fire whiskey.

“When were you born, Hermione?” He asked so quietly she barely heard him.

“1979.”

She tried taking another sip but realized her cup was empty. Beside her she could feel Riddle’s
eyes on her, now even more intently than ever before.

“I knew it.” He said after a full minute sitting in silence.

He downed his cup in one go and reached out towards hers. Hermione quickly held her cup
towards her body, shooting him a blazing stare.

“I’m just going to pour you some more, Hermione.” He laughed, still holding out his hand to her.

She gave him a grimace and handed him the cup, a small blush colouring her cheeks. Riddle
started to pour both of their cups full again. She reached over him, making her upper body connect
to his and he froze in his actions. Hermione froze in her moments as well, suddenly very aware of
how close they were to each other. His face was merely centimetres from hers, she could feel his
warm breath on her face. Her eyelashes fluttered close, once more breathing in his scent that was
now surrounding her whole being. Subconsciously she leaned in towards his neck before she
realised what she was doing. Her mouth quickly found his pulse point and she let it hover there,
breathing in his scent before a small moan escaped her lips.

Her eyes darted open at the sound and she snagged the cup from his side, quickly retorted to her
spot beside him, a fierce blush now visible on her face. Even faster she gulped down some more
fire whiskey. The intoxication was complete. She doubted she could walk back to Ravenclaw tower
at this point. Truth be told, she didn’t even know if she wanted to.

Riddle cleared his throat awkwardly and drank some more as well. They were quiet for a while
again. Hermione briefly wondered what time it was, it was dark and probably just a few degrees
out considering it was early April. She probably would off freezed too much hadn’t Riddle cast the
warming charm around them.

And why had he? Why had he showed up here, being all nice to her? Offering her fire whiskey and
a shoulder to cry on, should she need it? Why would he do all that, when he so clearly held
resentment towards her. Or was it just another part of the push and pull game he so clearly fancied?

“Why are you being nice to me?” She blurted out before she could stop herself.
Riddle frowned, he looked like he was fighting something within.

“First I just needed to know. Now I don’t want it to end.” He said fast, like the words were
escaping him.

“You don’t want what to end?”

“Whatever this is. I can’t seem to stay away from you. I needed to know what secret you kept, and
now that I do, I’m not sure I feel happy about it. I don’t have a reason to talk to you anymore.“ he
said strangled.

Hermione nodded as if she understood. She really didn’t. After another gulp of whiskey she asked;

“So you have fixated upon me?”

“I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop thinking about our time in the library. But every time I
think about that I get angry, because I also think about how you neglected me for the entire
holiday. You’d rather hide than see me. So I felt the need to punish you for it.”

“Punish me for being embarrassed over how I acted in the library?” Hermione asked and scoffed.

“Punish you for making me feel like I wanted you more than you wanted me.” He answered
quietly.

Hermione nodded again.

“I don’t think that you want me more than I want you. I can’t seem to stop smelling you.” She
confessed.

“What do I smell like?” He asked, now intrigued again that the conversation was no longer about
him.

Riddle shifted his whole body towards Hermione, scooting even closer. He clearly had been
thinking about this for some time.

“Smokey-musk, a lot of it. A hint of vanilla ever once in a while. And if I stick around long
enough, the smell of books hits me like a shockwave.” She answered, meeting his gaze.

For the hundredth time Hermione was hit with the realization that Tom Riddle was utterly
beautiful. His normally cold gray eyes didn’t hold the normal malice in them, they were
almost….warm, looking into hers. His high cheekbones framed his face delicately, and those lush,
dark curls were styled perfect as always. He moved even closer.

“Wh-…What do I smell like?” She asked shyly, glancing up at him.

“Like a summer day.” he said and cupped her cheek. “Lavender, a small hint of cedar and books.
Always books.”

They locked eyes again before he leaned in and gave her a kiss. It was like the firewhiskey was
boiling inside of her body. The fire was for the second time today roaring inside of her and she
couldn’t help but to kiss him back.

Riddle’s hand grabbed her hair softly, tugging her even closer to him. Hermione complied, utterly
devoted to the kiss he had her enchanted with. Her own hands were messing up his perfect hair,
desperate for more of whatever he had to give her. All too soon he stopped kissing her and caressed
her cheek while looking longingly into her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Hermione. I shouldn’t have done that. You were clearly upset and I…took liberties…
and I just… can’t get enough of you it seems. My apologies.”

She shook her head, leaning into his hand with her head.

“I’ll walk you to your common room, come on.” He said and jumped up, dragging her with him.

She didn’t have a choice but to follow him. Moreover, she couldn’t walk straight by herself. And
somehow, she felt completely safe with him.
 Chapter 26

Tom made sure that Malfy was taken care of at the hospital wing, leaving Crabbe and Goyle to
watch over him. Apparently the force had broken his skull, something that would take more than
just a few hours in the hospital wing according to Madam Spudmore. She had asked several
questions, probably not buying the ‘he ate something bad and fainted’ version of the story, but
Tom had just given her one of his special smiles and she had dropped the subject.

He sent Avery and Lestrange to potions class, dismissing their attempts to skip it like the rest of
them would. Well, Malfoy really didn’t have a choice but to skip, did he? And he would probably
want his closest friends next to him whenever he woke up. Tom figured he ought to feel
embarrassed, not only was he beaten cold by a girl, but a mudblood girl too. No. It was best if it
was only Crabbe and Goyle next to him. As for himself, well. He needed to find a certain furious
witch. He had a brilliant plan for the evening, an even more brilliant plan than the one just
executed.

Tom made his way to the library where he figured she could hide herself. It was, after all, her
favorite place in the castle.

As he was walking he caught himself smiling. It was just marvelous. Better than he could have
ever expected. And he didn’t even need to lift one finger. One small sentence was all it took and
their so-called relationship came crashing down, and with it some physical pain towards Malfoy
for him to remember his place. He didn’t feel sorry for Malfoy and his cracked skull, he even felt
entitled for hurting Hermione’s feelings. She had to know, didn’t she? And he, being a true
gentleman, had made it obvious for her. She should thank him, really. He was sure she’d
understand one day.

Tom had looked quite literally everywhere for the witch when it dawned on him. She had runned
upwards, and he could bet his best cloak that she hadn’t gone into Ravenclaw tower considering
the state her friendships were in. No. She had to have gone to the astronomy tower. Of course. Odd
that she knew of it, considering they didn’t even take astronomy this year. But then again, it was
just another thing to put on the list she shouldn’t be able to know of.

He started making his way up on all of the many stairs to the tower when he heard someone sniffle
up there. A small smile played on his lips. She was more like him than he had initially thought. Of
course she would have run up here, where no one else would be. Given her knowledge of the
castle, some of it even he didn’t know of, he should have known this is where she would go. It was
quiet, free of disturbing teenagers and a place where you could let out your emotions and no one
would hear them. He loved this place. He came here, every time something unfortunate happened,
and on his birthday.

Tom heard her trying to stifle more of her cries as he came closer, and he felt something tugging in
his stomach at the sound. It was an odd reaction, one he hadn’t experienced before. All he knew
was that he needed to make her stop crying.

Just as he came around the corner to the open space of the tower Hermione jumped up and drew
her wand at him. Tears were flowing angrily down her cheeks, anger directed to whoever saw it fit
to interrupt her.

“Wow, easy Bernard. It’s just me.” he said and held up his hands to show her he meant to harm.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, her voice came out small and fragile.

He hated it. He needed to make her feel better.

“I’m not here to mock you, Hermione. I swear.” he said, taking a careful step towards the
trembling witch.

She gave another sniffle and lowered her wand.

“I don’t have the energy to defend myself anyways.” she mumbled and sat down next to the fence
that contained the tower.

She looked utterly miserable. He doubted she would have the energy to defend herself from a first
year by the looks of it. Her eyes were swollen and prickled red. She had a snot leaking out of her
nose that she furiously wiped away every other second. And she was beautiful. He couldn't deny it.
She was totally, perfectly, beautiful. Her gloria of hair didn’t hold the electricity of her magic
anymore, but it was surrounding her small head impeccably. Her mouth with those full lips were
redder than usual, it looked almost like she was wearing lipstick. She just sat there, hugging her
own legs, unaware of the beauty she held. The magnificence of her take down of Malfoy. And
Tom longed for her.

He damp down next to her, careful no to tread on her personal space. He figured she wasn’t in the
mood for his usual antics.

They sat there for a while when he noticed her lips turning blue, a shiver going through her body
ever so often. Non verbally he cast a warming charm upon the whole tower, something in the likes
of her dome she had produced on that one date with Malfoy. A few more seconds went by when he
felt her eyes directed at him. She was looking at him with a question in her eyes.

“You can’t freeze to death over his sorry ass, now can you?” he asked and cocked his head,
flashing her a small smile.

“What are you doing here, Riddle?” she sighed.

Tom gazed upon the ground. He didn’t know anymore. Initially he had wanted to gain more
information from her, getting her to tell him exactly who she was and how she knew him. But
seeing her like this, so fragile, so broken… It had haltered his plans. He didn’t even know why he
cared, he shouldn’t care about her. But that small voice inside of him wasn’t so small anymore,
especially not whenever she was close to him. And somehow, because she had gone here, to his
place of comfort, he felt the need to soothe her.

“Every year I come here over New Years. It’s nice and quiet, and no one is here during the
holidays. No one is usually here during the school year either. It’s a nice place to hide away in. I
enjoy looking out over the grounds, it feels like home.”

He felt her eyes on him, staring at him. She wasn’t expecting honesty from him, no more than
something personal. He didn’t even know why he felt like confiding that to her, telling her about
where he celebrated his birthday, not that she knew when his birthday was. To her it probably
sounded like a lonely new years celebration. To him, it was more than he had ever admitted to
anyone else before.

“Yes. I enjoy this spot too.” her small voice came, stained with tears in it.

He felt the movement of her hand wiping away the tears more than he saw it. Anger consumed him
again, a lot of it towards Malfoy, but a small part to himself. Because he knew what role he played
in this, he knew he was a big part of her misery. But knowing that made a small difference. He
would’ve done it again; it had to be done. He breathed in two big breaths before daring to speak,
afraid his anger would shine through.

“He’s not worth your tears, you know.”

“I know that. I just… can’t believe I let myself fall into this mess. I’m supposed to be bright, you
know. Brightest witch of our age.” she scoffed. “I am sure they wouldn’t call me that now…”

More tears were streaming down her face, and yet again she wiped them away. Tom wondered
who was calling her that, it sounded like it was common knowledge. He had never heard of any
Hermione Bernard, or a Hermione anywhere really. He frowned, mulling her words over, but was
quickly interrupted by her.

“I just wanted to be the person someone like him would want, you know? I just wanted to be
enough for once. And all he ever thought about me was ‘nice legs’ or something crude like that.
He probably thought me bossy and a know-it-all like everyone else…”

She was bossy and a know-it-all. But she was so much more than that, and it hurt to know she
didn’t see herself anywhere near how he saw her.

“If they think you are too much, maybe it’s because they are not enough.”

Hermione gaped at him.

“And Malfoy sure as hell did not deserve having even a third of you” he continued, not able to
withhold the anger in this statement.

“I thought he was your friend.” she said, her voice holding a question.

“Friend or not. He’s in the wrong. And I did not enjoy seeing you get hurt by him.”

She was staring at him again, her mouth slightly agape.

Why had he told her that? He shouldn’t have told her that. Maybe he could obliviate her after this
again? Did he want to do that? He wanted her to have candid memories of him, like he had of her.
He wanted her to want to spend time with him. But as her question came, he couldn’t stop the
honest streak that was now flowing through him like water.

“What…”

“You were never asking for too much. You were simply asking the wrong person”

It came out quietly, perhaps he was hoping she wouldn’t hear it. But the look she was giving him
told him that she had heard it perfectly. He gave a small smile, one that did actually meet his eyes.

“I’m going to get whiplash from the hot and cold behavior you’re giving me this year.” she
scoffed.

Tom chuckled, she was quite funny when she wanted to be. He knew she could let loose, it was
just a question of being comfortable. He could understand that, respect that.

“Maybe you’re just equally as annoyingly confusing for me as I am for you. Have you ever
considered that?” he asked.

She bit her lip and a small blush colored her pale cheeks. This was how he enjoyed her most. He
couldn’t help but to scoot a little bit closer, not enough that she noticed, but a little bit for himself.
As he did he felt something in the pocket of his robe. Of course. It was perfect. He could have her
feeling better and provide him with information all in the same scheme. He really was a genius.

Tom pulled out the flask of Ogden’s finest fire whiskey and saw that he had gained her attention.

“Ogden’s finest. Nicked it from Slughorn, he’s the usual potions master. Just got back from Africa
actually, and was of course very glad to see his favorite student. So glad that he didn’t notice me
taking it.” he explained, smiling mischievously at her and wiggled his eyebrows.

Hermione giggled, a genuine smile could be seen on her lips. It made Tom feel warm. But just as
soon as the smile lit her face up, it was drowned in a frown. She was clearly in deep thought. He
took it upon himself to conjure two small cups and poured some firewhiskey in them both, careful
not to be noticed when he dropped a single drop of veritaserum in one of them. He handed her the
spiked cup and she accepted it, greedily taking a few sips.

Tom smiled. Sometimes he thought her a little too easy to fool, but then again, she always figured
him out didn’t she? He wondered how far long this evening could stretch before she noticed just
how truthful she was being to him. He was going to have to tread carefully, to not scare her off. A
good balance of alcohol and veritaserum was needed. That’s why it was so perfect with one single
drop, because you could fight it if you really wished to not let the other person know the truth. But
the alcohol would cloud your brain, and so you would believe that you simply were oversharing
because of the influence of alcohol.

“I’ve always loved April. The snow disappears and small buds start to grow everywhere, and if
you’re lucky a few flowers peek up. Signs of better times, I would say.” he said, trying to start a
conversation again.

He raised his glass for the second time, feeling the familiar burn of the whiskey sliding down his
esophagus. Hermione followed his lead, gulping down even bigger sips than before. She did not
answer him, but he could see the flush of alcohol starting to visualize itselfs on her pale skin. She
lifted the glass to her lips and drank some more.

Tom guessed he could start with something small, just to see if it were working.

“How do you feel, Hermione?”

“Utterly fucked” came her answer almost directly.

He chuckled. Well, at least it was honest.

“Yes, well. That’s probably the fire whiskey.”

“No. I’m just fucked. I’m fucking stuck here, and got nowhere to go. My friends are angry with me
because I chose a boy before them. Said boy was playing me and like a fool I believed him. I just
wanted… I just really wanted to believe him, you know. I just really wanted him to not be a
prejudiced fuck, I wanted him to want me for me. And all he wanted was to have sex with me and
toss me away like a freaking rag doll. And I’m stuck here, with him and you and all of the other
people that don’t even really know me.”

She was clearly being honest with him, that much was certain. He mulled over her words as he
sipped some more of his drink. Two times she had mentioned that she was stuck here, indicating
that whatever and whoever sent her here, didn’t give her enough knowledge to go back. And that
the people that really knew her weren't here. That could be anywhere though, that could be France
or even America. But somehow he knew she meant her own time, and that they who were here in
this time didn’t know her. Well. He could come to his own conclusions all he wants, but it would
be better to just ask.

“What do you mean, ‘you’re stuck here’?”

“I can’t very well go home, can I?” she muttered.

Tom sipped some more of his drink, deciding to push on.

“And where is home?”

“I don’t have a home.”

He wanted to curse her for the vague answers, but he knew she was being honest. As far as she was
concerned, she didn’t have a home. Not here in the 40’s or anywhere else. Tom felt even closer to
the girl after that statement.

“Me neither.” he said quietly, looking over the grounds of Hogwarts once more.

He had considered this his home, but it wasn’t really. Neither was the orphanage. He simply did
not have a home, only a place that felt like home.

Hermione drank even more of her cup and he couldn’t help but to stare at her. This beautiful,
drunk, girl seated next to him. Her eyes were less swollen now when she had stopped crying, but
they showed she was severely intoxicated. And the warmth in them was back. He liked to believe it
was because of him. Nevertheless, it was a perfect opportunity to get answers.

“Where are you from, Hermione?”

“London.” came her answer immediately again.

“But you still went to Beauxbatons?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

“No, I didn’t.”

“I figured.” he muttered and took another sip, gazing over the grounds yet again.

Hermione followed his lead, clearly comfortable in the quiet. So was he, but he needed her to
confess before he could drop this all together. Somehow he thought he could leave her be if he only
knew what she was hiding.

“I know you’ve been keeping secrets.” he stated, looking at her intently.

She nodded and simply asked;

“Don’t you keep secrets?”

“What do you know about me, Hermione?” he asked, suddenly remembering the coldness she had
given him at the start of year.

“More than you know yourself.” she answered, matter-of-factly.

Tom felt something inside of him stir. She knew more about him than he knew himself? She has to
be from the future. She has to know him in the future. But she had been scared of him, hadn’t she?
She had been utterly terrified upon laying eyes at him. He needed more information.
“Why were you afraid of me when you first met me?” he asked.

“Because I recognized your face. I know what you will do.” she said drunkenly.

“When were you born, Hermione?” he asked quietly.

“1979.”

Yes. Yes! Fucking amazing. He would do it. He would take over the world. People would know of
him, they would fear him. He would make them all listen to him, follow his every command. Of
course he would. It was then it dawned on him the goldmine he had in front of him. She knew of
the future. She knew what he would do, she could tell him what mistakes he was going to make
and how to rise to power even faster. It was only the slight inconvenience that she probably
wouldn’t do that willingly. But he could make her, he had done that several times before. Lord
Voldemort always got his wish.

“I knew it.” he said finally and drank the rest of his firewhiskey in one go over this information.

Hermione had raised her cup for another sip and found it empty. That wouldn’t do. In a swift
movement he tried to fetch it from her but she held it close to her body, staring at him angrily.

“I’m just going to pour you some more, Hermione.” he laughed.

The drunk witch gave him a grimace and handed him the cup. He poured both of the cups full
again, adding another drop of veritaserum in hers, when she suddenly was reaching over him. Her
soft body was unexpectedly connecting with his and he froze upon feeling the sensation. Her face
was hovering directly across his and he could probably count her eyelashes that were fluttering
close when breathing in his scent. Hermione leaned in even closer, caressing his pulsepoint with
her lips. Not really touching, just barely, but it made the want for her ache inside his body. She
took in more breaths before realizing the most delicate moan.

Just as fast as it had happened, it was over. She had opened her eyes and took her cup before
retorting to her own spot on the floor, gulping down several mouthfuls of firewhiskey. Tom drew
in a staggered breath, trying to compose himself. He was painfully aware of how much that little
moment had turned him on. He cleared his throat and took a few big gulps himself, letting the
intoxication hit him as well.

After a few minutes of awkward silence she finally spoke again.

“Why are you being nice to me?”

Suddenly, he felt the need to tell her precisely why. But he shouldn’t, should he? She wasn’t
supposed to know. Before he knew it he had opened his mouth and spoke loud and clear.

“First I just needed to know. Now I don’t want it to end.”

“You don’t want what to end?” she asked, slurring a bit.

“Whatever this is. I can’t seem to stay away from you. I needed to know what secret you kept, and
now that I do, I’m not sure I feel happy about it. I don’t have a reason to talk to you anymore.”

Fucking witch. She had switched the cups. He would never admit to something so embarrassing
without the influence of veritaserum. Hermione, however, didn’t seem to notice anything out of the
ordinary, as she nodded thoughtfully at his words.
“So you have fixated upon me?” she asked.

Fucking hell. Here we go.

“I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop thinking about our time in the library. But everytime I
think about that I get angry, because I also think about how you neglected me for the entire
holiday. You’d rather hide than see me. So I felt the need to punish you for it.”

It was like the small voice inside of him had gotten its very own talk show. This was a disaster. He
didn’t want her to know just how much she was on his mind, it was a weakness for crying out
loud!

“Punish me for being embarrassed over how I acted in the library?” she scoffed.

“Punish you for making me feel like I wanted you more than you wanted me.” he answered
immediately.

Salazar’s fucking balls, he was in deep. His only hope now was that she would be far too drunk to
remember the context of these conversations tomorrow. Hermione just nodded again, clearly
seeing reason in his words where he himself could not find it.

“I don’t think that you want me more than I want you. I can’t seem to stop smelling you.” she
confessed after a few seconds.

Tom smiled, finally they had moved on to more intriguing topics. He turned towards her, now
facing her.

“What do I smell like?” he asked, not able to contain his excitement.

“Smokey-musk, a lot of it. A hint of vanilla ever once in a while. And if I stick around long
enough, the smell of books hits me like a shockwave.”

She had turned to face him as well, meeting his gaze. He couldn’t help but feel smug about the
way she was clearly checking him out. He wanted to touch her now. Could he touch her now? Tom
leaned in closer.

“Wh-... What do I smell like?” she asked, glancing up at him through her eyelashes.

“Like a summer day.” he said and cupped her cheek. “Lavender, a small hint of cedar and books.
Always books.”

She was looking at him longingly now, he wanted nothing more than to taste her lips once more.
Before he could even catch up with his own brain he had leaned in and kissed her.

It was perfect. She was perfect. He didn’t know how he would ever stop kissing her, it felt fucking
amazing. Feelings he never had felt before came crashing through his body. He was too hot, only to
be too cold right after. Her hands were in his hair, messing it up, and he didn’t even care. All that
was, was her. In his arms. Exactly where she was supposed to be, he was sure of it.

One of her legs tipped over the flask containing the fire whiskey and reality came crashing down
on him. She was drunk out of her mind. She probably didn’t even know what she was doing. She
wouldn’t remember this perfect, perfect moment.

Tom withdrew from their kiss and caressed her cheek, she was gazing into his eyes. Her brown
ones held so much emotions, so much fire. He didn’t want to extinguish it.
“I’m sorry, Hermione. I shouldn’t have done that. You were clearly upset and I… took liberties…
and I just… can’t get enough of you it seems. My apologies.”

The little witch shook her head, it made her eyes roll as well, showing exactly how drunk she was.
Before she could answer he jumped up and dragged her with him.

“I’ll walk you to your common room, come on.”

The walk down from the astronomy tower must be one of the hardest he had ever done in his life.
Supporting a somewhat unconscious, drunk witch didn’t help when you too were severely
intoxicated. After great length they finally made it up to Ravenclaw tower, just to be met with the
big eagle guarding the door. It was looking down at them condescendingly.

“What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed
but never sleeps?”

Tom stood there, supporting Hermione’s weight and cursed out loud. He had forgotten all about
needing to answer the riddle to be able to get into Ravenclaw tower. And from the looks of her, she
wouldn’t be able to answer any riddles for quite some time. He sighed, and mulled the question
over. It took him far longer than was expected from the heir of Slytherin, but he was quite drunk to
his defense, and then it finally dawned on him.

“A river.”

“Well reasoned” the door said before swinging open.

Tom helped Hermione in and stopped when in the middle of the common room, glancing up on the
staircase leading to the girls dormitories. He tried to remember the spell Malfoy had told him
about, the one making it possible to go up there without having to slide down. Hermione had
passed out now. She was snoring into his ear. He needed to get her in bed.

Standing there for a few minutes, contemplating the amount of trouble he would be in if someone
were to see them, he finally remembered the spell. A flick of his wand, and muttering of the words,
he saw the staircase glimmer before it disappeared after a few seconds. He flung the petite witch
over his shoulder as he hesitantly approached the stairs and started to climb them. The spell had
clearly worked, because he didn’t fall down. Swiftly he made his way towards the 6th year
dormitory, he opened the door soundlessly and found her roommates fast asleep. There was only
one bed empty and so he carefully laid Hermione down there and tucked her in. She was fast
asleep. He placed a kiss on top of her forehead before leaving the tower.

Tom didn’t know if it was the intoxication corrupting him, or if it was that she looked so peaceful
and content, but all he had wanted was to crawl into her bed and hold her throughout the night.
 Chapter 27

Hermione woke up with a roaring headache the next day, and she chose for the first time in her life
to skip a whole school day, she wouldn’t care to listen anyways. Her head was pounding so hard
she thought she might have cracked it right open. Every little move felt like razor blades cutting
through her nervsystem. She groaned loudly. To her relief she was alone in her dormitory, the
others had probably let her sleep. Or they were too angry with her to even care if she skipped
school. It was most likely the second option.

She rose slowly from her bed, wanting to go brush her teeth. It felt like mold was growing upon
them. After just a few steps towards the bathroom she felt like she might pass out from the pain in
her head. She was just thinking that she had never experienced anything like this hangover, when
she felt her insides churn up and move towards her throat. Swiftly she made her way towards the
toilet and barfed for a good minute or two, nearly not being able to catch her breath between the
heaving. In the end she kept heaving but nothing came out, gaining nothing but her body fighting
for oxygen. Tears had rolled down her cheeks, reminding her sourly about yesterday.

Hermione slapped her hand over her forehead in realization. Yesterday. Fucking hell. She had told
Tom Riddle, aka Voldemort, that she hadn’t even been born yet. She had told him that she had lied
from the start. And he had told her about his feelings, making her understand why he had looked
so angry upon seeing her and Malfoy together. And then she had sniffed him again. And they
kissed. He had wanted to. He had even been…sweet… about it. Even stopping before it got out of
hand. And considering how intoxicated she had been it surely would have. He could have taken
advantage of her but he didn’t. Somehow she knew that Malfoy would have. The last thing she had
thought she would feel for Tom Riddle was gratitude, but apparently hell had frozen over.

After throwing up she felt a lot better, but her headache hadn’t really given out. Hermione
summoned her wand non verbally and it came soaring through the air into her hand within seconds.
She pictured Slughorn’s potions cabinet and summoned a sobering potion. After a good minute it
came through the open door, landing in front of her. Quickly she downed it, instantly feeling the
hangover leave her body. Thank heavens for potions.

A shower was what she needed, and a good one. Maybe even a bath. Remembering the password to
the prefect’s bathroom that Millicent had been so kind to give her a month or so ago she gathered
her things and went there, hoping she wouldn’t run into someone.

Luck was apparently with her because she moved without seeing another soul, dead or alive,
around the castle. She passed the statue of Boris the Bewildered and stopped before the fourth
door.

“Freshly bathed” she said, begging that they hadn’t already changed the password.

Thankfully, the door swung open and admitted her to the wonderful view of the prefect’s
bathroom. The first thing she saw was the large swimming pool tub with bath taps surrounding it
all. She knew for a fact that these bath taps could give you different colors, bubbles, foam, as well
as scents. She preferred the lavender one.

Hermione moved towards the taps and opened three of them at the same time, getting the tub filled
with pink water and bubbles, but the scent of lavender. Sighing with content she quickly stripped
herself of her clothes and put her hair up in a loose bun before getting in. It was almost too hot, but
that was just how she liked it. She was just going to lay her head down on the edge of the pool to
relax when she heard the door swing open. Startled, she quickly drew in more bubbles to conceal
her body, cursing under her breath. Why had she been so careless that she forgot to lock the door?

Someone walked in and stopped right behind her; she didn’t dare move from her spot. Much
because she could conceal her face like this, maybe pass for someone else. But moreover, her
naked body couldn’t be seen like this; just her shoulders and neck.

“I thought this bathroom was for prefects only. I had no idea you were a prefect, Miss Bernard.
Need I to rearrange the round-schedule?” He asked, clearly amused to find her here.

She cursed again, this time loudly.

“Seems you and I had the same idea. Nursing our hangovers with a nice bubble bath.” he
continued, clearly struggling to contain his laughter.

“Great minds think alike…” she muttered, turning her head ever so slightly to face him.

She quickly averted her eyes again, seeing as he stood there in his briefs only, but not fast enough
for her brain not to register the six pack and lean muscles his body held. It was unfair how hot this
boy was. Utterly unfair. A perfect face, hair and body? Really? Who even was he?

Riddle chuckled at her reaction before entering the pool a few meters away from her.

“Uh… You can’t… I mean… I’m naked.” She said, blushing hard.

“I can’t see you, there’s bubbles.” He said, grinning snidely.

“Yes well… What if they go away…” she mumbled, trying to move further away from him
without showing any skin.

“I could always put a charm on them…” he was eyeing her attempts to move with playful eyes.
“But I don’t know if I really want to…”

Hermione rolled her eyes.

“You’ll charm them.” she said stiffly.

“You seem so sure. However, I can always just sit back and relax until they slip away one by one,
or until you decide to get up. Either way, I’ll get my view.” he said smugly, putting his arms up on
the edge of the pool.

Hermione bit her lip. The bubbles were already beginning to disappear around them, and she really
did not fancy Riddle getting peeks of her naked body. Once again she cursed herself for not locking
the door properly. How was it that she kept ending up in these situations with him?

“I’ll… I’ll tell on you.” she said after a few seconds, looking up at him with eager eyes.

“You will, will you? And how will you explain using the prefect’s bathroom when you’re not a
prefect? What is to say you didn’t follow me in here, taking advantage of the situation and the
goodness of my heart?” Tom said, amused.

“You wouldn’t...” she started.

“Oh trust me, I would.” he said and started getting closer to her.

Hermione quickly moved away from her spot, eager to not get too close to him. Riddle laughed a
warm laugh. It was strange, because usually you could only hear coldness whenever he laughed.
“Afraid are we, Miss Bernard?” he asked, still getting closer as Hermione was drifting away.

They were going in circles now, and as they did, the bubbles quickly diffused around them. Tom
was staring at her the whole time, a faint laugh on his lips. Clearly he enjoyed this little game and
where it was headed. Hermione panicked and stopped dead.

“Please, Tom!” she cried out, gathering the bubbles around her that were not dissolved already.

“If I do this for you, what will you do for me?” He asked, moving closer towards her.

She quickly tried to gather more bubbles around her.

“I… uh…” she started, trying to comprehend a thought while he was looking at her so
suggestively.

“You, uh?” he teased, moving even closer.

If he wanted to, he could touch her now. She had never felt so naked in her whole life. His eyes
were not on her face anymore, but squinting to find whatever skin on her that wasn’t covered.

“I, uh… would… do whatever you want.” she blurted out, very aware of how the bubbles were
drifting away from her body with the movement of his.

“What if whatever I wanted was something you didn’t want?” he asked in a teasing tone.

He was now directly in front of her, barley centimeters. She could touch him if she wanted to.

“Tom! Please! I beg you!” she cried out.

Tom smirked and flicked his wand. Even more bubbles came to the surface and they were
effectively hiding both of their bodies. Hermione confessed herself a little disappointed to this, she
wouldn’t mind seeing his body. She drew out a relaxed breath when she was certain he wouldn’t
see her naked body.

But then his arms were relaxing on either side of her head, his face a little too close. He wasn’t
touching her, not even a little bit. But it still made something tug in her lower abdomen. His gray
eyes were glued to her brown, and she noticed once more how they weren’t nearly as cold as they
once had been. She could see his pupils dilate with every second he was watching her.

He leaned in, almost touching her ear with his lips. His breath sent shivers down her spine.

“I do love it when you beg so nicely for me.”

Hermione gulped. She had a feeling she would come to regret her words. But surely he would
understand she had been desperate and not meant it? Surely he didn’t think she’d do anything for
him? Surely.

His tone of voice was turning her on and when she realized his face was still hovering right beside
her ear, his body far too close to hers; but still not touching, she wanted it to touch her. She wanted
him to touch her.

“That pretty mouth was made for begging, don’t you think?” he whispered seductively.

Hermione wanted to protest, because it sure as hell was not made for begging, but he quickly
continued before she could say anything.
“I can see the way I affect you, Hermione. I can see that beautiful blush creeping up on your face,
moving downwards. You want me. Admit it.”

She was blushing, and she hated that he was right. There was no way in hell that she would admit
that she wanted him. It was Tom Riddle! She shouldn’t be turned on by him. Her body was
betraying her, it was always betraying her.

He chuckled lightly when she turned her head away from him and crossed her arms over her chest.

“If you don’t admit it, you could always beg again. You did beg so prettily.”

His voice was husky now and he was looming over her in the tub, using his height and making her
feel very small.

“Say; please Tom. I want it so bad. I’ll do anything. I need it.”

Hermione swallowed hard at hearing his words.

“I can pleasure you in ways you didn’t even know existed.”

He was still not touching her. Not that he needed to; his words were already making her feel warm
and that tingling feeling in her lower regions was starting to get stronger.

“Beg for me, princess.” he purred.

She closed her eyes hard, trying to ignore the sensation that went through her body upon hearing
his words spoken to her in that seductive tone. She tried hard not to think about how close he was,
how naked she was and the want for him that her body was subjecting her off. She tried hard not to.
But the truth was, she wanted to. She wanted to beg for him, if it meant he would touch her. She
wanted to ask nicely, if he would kiss her. But once more, she would deify him. He didn’t deserve
to know how much impact he had on her.

“I think it’s you who want me.” she said with a trembling voice and opened her eyes slowly.

Tom drew back and they locked eyes again. He smiled and she noticed his eyes were still warm.
However, they were a lot darker than usual.

“Yes. I do want you. Whatever have you done to me, Hermione?”

She swallowed hard and felt her body practically vibrate upon hearing those words. He wanted her.
He admitted he wanted her.

“Can I touch you?” he asked softly.

She nodded without another thought. She wanted him to touch her. Wanted to feel how he set her
on fire again. He always set her on fire.

Tom put his forehead against hers, and closed his eyes. It wasn’t exactly the touch she had
imagined, but she liked it nonetheless. Whenever his skin touched hers it sent shivers into her core,
even if it were just his forehead.

She sighed contently, moving her arms up to his neck and hugged him closely, forgetting all about
being naked.

His body stiffened for a second before relaxing into her embrace. One of his hands found their way
into her hair, caressing her scalp. She reached out and kissed his neck, feeling the urge to get even
closer. In a swift movement he had shifted them so that he was seated on the bulge of the pool, and
she in his lap. She could feel the hardness beneath her and was content knowing he hadn’t lied to
her.

The bubbles were still concealing her body from sight, leaving only her neck and face visible. He
caressed her neck and kissed her jaw, the more she eased into his touch the harder he was
becoming under her. She found herself grinding at him, and he let out a staggered breath at this. His
other hand slowly approached her breast as his mouth found hers. Their tongues found each other
with ease, twirling about, tasting. His fingers had quickly found her nipple and was now teasing it;
sending electrical shots down to her center. It was something about being touched on her breasts
that really sent her.

Hermione moaned into his mouth at the sensation, feeling the now familiar feeling of something
pooling in her lower abdomen. Once again she grinded on top of him and now she felt his dick
twitch through his underwear, eager to meet her. Tom growled and quickly pushed her off of him
only to crash her into the wall of the pool, his mouth still on top of hers.

If this had been a few months ago she would have been scared, but now… she was even more
turned on when he got rougher. He was biting her lower lip, quickly moving down to her neck and
nibbling there as well. Hermione sighed as she ruffled her hands through his hair, enjoying the
feeling he was giving her.

Tom’s mouth found hers again in a passionate kiss, pushing her to his body. He was grabbing her
arse with one hand, kneading her breast with the other. He wasn’t being gentle with her, and she
loved it.

One of his hands was now moving downwards towards her center and Hermione found she didn’t
mind. She needed him to touch her, needed to feel more of him. He was caressing her inner thighs
and belly as they were still intertwined in a kiss, she was practically shaking of want now. But he
just kept kissing her, slowing down his movements, still caressing her ever so softly. Darting
nearer and nearer, just to draw away again.

Hermione pulled her mouth away from his to look at him, he was smiling condescendingly down at
her, eyes dark as a cloudy day. His long fingers were still caressing her, her body still trembling.

“Do you want it, Hermione?” he purred.

She licked her lips and nodded, not daring to open her mouth with fear of her voice not bearing her.

“What do you want, Hermione?” he continued, moving his hand even closer to her sex.

Her whole body was shivering now, heath radiating through. She looked pleadingly up at him.

“That’s it princess. Beg for it.” he whispered huskily.

“P-please.” she whispered, embarrassed.

“Please what?” he asked, taking his hands away from her body, a big smile on his lips.

“Please touch me. Please use your fingers and touch me there. Please, Tom.” she pleaded when
losing his touch.

His hands were on her in a heartbeat, moving down to her sex once more. And this time, his long
fingers were stroking her folds, quickly finding her tender bud and flicking it softly. Hermione
moaned loud, her eyes fluttered close.
“That’s it princess. You want this don’t you?” he cooed.

Quickly, she nodded and opened her legs for him more. One of his fingers was now moving to her
opening, teasing it ever so lightly.

“I asked if you want this,” he said playfully.

Hermione hummed just to feel him moving away from her again. She opened her eyes in
confusion. Tom was still close, but he wasn’t touching her. The smile on his lips seemed to be
etched there, unmoving as his eyes were gleaming at her. She knew what he wanted, he had made
it abundantly clear. She bit her lip, her face growing redder by the second.

“I want it.” she whispered, not meeting his eyes.

“Sorry?” he asked teasingly.

“I want it.” she said louder, blushing fiercely and still not meeting his eyes.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

Slowly, Hermione turned her head towards him. Clearly he was enjoying this way too much.

“If you want it, you know what to do.” he said as smooth as silk.

“Please touch me. I want it. I… I need it.” she choked out, too horny for her own good.

“Good girl.” he purred, once again moving closer to her.

Once again he lifted her up and plumped her down on top of him again. His fingers found her folds
once more and without hesitation one of his fingers penetrated her.

“You’re so wet, princess, so tight for me.” he hummed, fingering her faster.

Hermione just moaned in response, her eyelashes fluttering close again. They once more met in a
passionate kiss as a second finger found its way into her vagina. She felt more full now, but it was
a good feeling. Without thinking she found herself meeting his fingers' thrusts.

This felt good. Too good. Her own hands were now moving on their own accord towards his
boxers, feeling his length outside of them. Caressing it. He hissed loud when she first made
contact, making her open her eyes once more and reality crash down on her.

Hermione thought he knew exactly what he was doing, clearly he had experience. With that
thought she became a little conscious about her own movements. She did not know what she was
doing, acting on pure instinct. Did he even enjoy it? It sounded like he enjoyed it. She couldn’t be
sure.

She stopped what she was doing, drawing away from the boy in front of her. When his fingers left
her sex she felt empty. He was looking at her bewildered.

“I don’t… I’m not ready.” she said quietly, and dared not to meet his eyes.

“That’s okay Hermione. I wouldn’t want your first time to be anything but the way you’ve
imagined it.” he said softly, raising a hand to caress her cheek.

Hermione blushed hard. She had literally sat on top of him, naked, and he was clearly turned on.
She knew he had known she was a virgin since practically the whole school knew, but it was still
embarrassing. Why was he being so understanding?

“I just…” she started, biting her lip.

Tom’s strong hands were still caressing her sides, soothing her, when she decided to change the
subject.

“Last night… You told me you didn’t want to stay away from me.”

Hermione could see how fast his mask was set in place, making his face impossible to read. His
hands left her body. Clearly he hadn’t meant to share his feelings last night.

“We both had a lot to drink, I’d say.” he said, not meeting her eyes.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. Maybe he hadn’t meant it, nevertheless…

“If you don’t want to stay away, you don’t have to. You never need a reason to talk to me. You
could just… talk.” she whispered in his ear before leaving his warm arms.

She was exceptionally aware that he would see her whole backside when she got up from the pool,
but found that it didn’t matter. Luckily, there were steps, so she didn’t need to climb out. She
walked up, swaying her hips a bit for effect, and accio’d a big bath towel that she swiftly pulled
close to her body, before turning around to face him once more.

Tom was watching her intently, and she could have sworn she saw him swallow hard. She pulled
out her bun, making her hair spring loose from its prison. He licked his lips, his eyes glued to her.

“Thank you for showing me the prefect’s bath, Mr Riddle. It was delightful.” she said in her most
proper voice before walking out of sight and quickly dressing herself.

Hermione was darting through the corridors as fast as she could, cursing her own stupidity. What
the fuck was she doing? She practically humped Riddle again, and NOT because she was drugged,
but because she had wanted it. She had let him touch her whole body, hell, she had begged him to.
His fingers had been inside of her! What had happened to her? Hadn’t she just been fooled by
Malfoy? What was to say this wasn’t the same? What was to say that he was actually telling the
truth? She cursed loudly, scaring a few first years that were scurrying away from her.

She could NOT lose her virginity to baby-voldemort. She just couldn’t. He had taken so much
from her; from her friends. How could she be so stupid? How could she forget who he was, time
and time again? She was being so fucking stupid.

Riddle was Malfoy’s friend. Malfoy had played her and she had been stupid enough to believe him.
Riddle was just taking his place, clearly there was something they wanted from her. Hermione
refused to walk down the same path again. She refused.

When she finally entered the tower after a particularly hard riddle (presumably because of her
mood) another thought hit her like a bulldozer. Not once had he mentioned last night and the things
she had told him. Not once had he asked her about where she was from, having her elucidate about
being born 1979. It didn’t strike her as normal behavior. What the hell was he playing at?

Hermione walked into the great hall for dinner that same Thursday evening, and just like the first
time she had done that it went utterly quiet before erupting in fierce whispers. She fought off a
blush and made her way towards the Ravenclaw table, having spotted her group of girlfriends. To
her despair, they were all eying her with pity in their eyes.

“Please don’t give me a pity party” she groaned as she damp down next to Millicent.

“Are you okay, ‘mione?” Asked Alice with a small voice, grasping her hand over the table.

“Yes, I’m fine. He’s an ass. Let’s move on.” She said, giving her a small smile.

Alice nodded awkwardly, stroking Hermione’s hand once more before continuing with her meal.

“I’m sorry he acted that way Hermione, he wasn’t worthy of you anyways. Chicks before dicks,
yeah?” Said Isa with an encouraging smile.

This made Hermione giggle and Milicent gasp loudly.

“Isa! Language!” She sputtered out.

“Yeah, yeah!” Said Isa and waved a dismissing hand towards Millicent.

Prudence was conveniently silent, not that Hermione cared. They weren’t really friends anyways.
More… acquainted. And the girl clearly held a grudge towards her.

Their meal continued, as did the whispers and stares from her peers around the hall. Clearly, no one
had missed how Hermione Bernard, the new transfer student, had sent Ignotius Malfoy, darling
boy, to the hospital wing. Apparently he had cracked his skull. Serves him right. He ought to have
been grateful, she could have done so much worse. And the gossip… Well, it wasn’t the first time
she was the talk of Hogwarts, was it?

“Hermione…”

Millicent looked pleadingly at her, toying with her napkin.

“I’m sorry for questioning you Mill. I should have listened to you, really. I was in the wrong. Can
you forgive me?” She asked, turning towards her friend.

“Only if you can forgive me for not trying to talk to you sooner. I should have told you what had
happened to me, why I warned you. I should have made you understand where I was coming from.
Of course you would take it like I was trying to butt in on your relationship. I’m so, so, so sorry
Hermione.”

Tears were gathering in Millicent’s eyes, pleading with her.

“Oh please, Millicent. I was so stuck up in my own life, I’m the one at fault here.” She said,
hugging her friend tightly.

It felt nice to have her friend back, she had really missed having them around more frequently. She
had even missed Alice gossiping about boys with her, something she had stopped doing since their
falling out.

“No I… I need to tell you now. I feel like I need to tell you, so you understand that I know how
you’re feeling. I… I dated Lestrange for a couple of months last year… He, uh… he took my
virginity. He made thousands of promises about how much he wanted to be with me, how he
would find a way to be with me. But then after the Christmas holiday he came back and ignored
me completely. I had to find out through gossip that he was engaged to that bimbo Amelia
Greengrass. As if she could ever challenge him intellectually.. He didn’t even break up with me.
He just… stopped talking to me, stopped looking at me. He hasn't since that day. It took me more
than a couple of months to get over that. I mean… I gave him my virginity for crying out loud. I
thought he… never mind what I thought. I just… I know what you’re going through. And I’m so
sorry that I didn’t warn you earlier. I should have. I’m so sorry. I was embarrassed still”

Hermione stared at her friend, her own eyes forming tears.

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, Mill. He’s a complete arse.” She said quietly, stroking her
friend’s back.

Truth be told, she didn’t blame Millicent for not telling her. It was clear it still held some emotions.
She clearly didn’t want to talk about it and felt devastated that something similar had happened to
Hermione.

“You don’t need to worry, I forgive you. I am not angry with you at all, Mill. I’ve just missed you.
Can we please go back to being friends? I miss you so much.” She cried.

“Of course!” Shrieked Millicent, pulling her into another tight hug.

They hugged for a good minute before Alice cleared her throat.

“I’m glad that we’re all friends again, but you do realize we’re still at dinner?”

Hermione glanced around the hall and quickly noticed that all eyes were on them. The gossip after
today would be horrendous. But if they were lucky, it would play in their favor; framing the guys
that were acting like sleazes.

“Oh god. You think everyone heard that?” Millicent asked, hiding her face behind her hands.

“Er. Yes, Mill. You didn’t really whisper, you know.” Prudence said and gave her a sympathetic
look.

“It was time that his deception came fourth nevertheless.” said Isa encouragingly.

Hermione nodded and gave a weak smile towards either of the girls. Her eyes wandered on their
own accord towards the Slytherin table, and sure enough, he was already staring at her.

He raised an eyebrow, to ask if she were okay. She gave him a bleak smile. But as she did so she
remembered she had decided to stay away from him and his friends. Her smile quickly became a
frown.

“You coming, ‘mione?” asked Alice, reaching for her hand.

“Oh, sure.” she smiled and took the extended hand of her friend.

They walked together, Millicent on her left side and Alice on her right, through the hall towards
the exit. It felt nice to have her friends back.

She just couldn’t shake the feeling of a pair of gray eyes blazing on her back.
 Chapter 28
Chapter Notes

Thank you so much for 110 kudos!

Your likes and comments mean the world to me! <3

He had slept poorly, tossing and turning all night, just to wake up with the nastiest hangover he had
ever experienced in his life. Not that he usually was a heavy drinker, but something told him that it
was the veritaserum mixed with the alcohol that was the culprit. And not only had it given him a
nauseating headache, it had made him reveal information to her that he hasn't wished for anyone to
know. Hell, he had even been lying to himself for almost a year now. Because the truth was; he did
enjoy her company. He wanted to know more about her, and not because he wanted to control her,
but because he just enjoyed being around her. He couldn’t think straight whenever they were in the
same room, the smells of her perfume was clouding his brain. He got turned on by the simplest of
touches, even from just watching her wet her lips with her tongue. But he didn’t want her of all
people to know that, did he? And now she knows. She knew perfectly well just how much he
thought about her, because he had told her straight up.

There was of course always a possibility that she did not remember considering how intoxicated
she was last night. However, that’s nothing he would put his faith in. He’d have to confront her
today, to tell her that it was the alcohol talking and not him. Make her believe that he was just
drunk out of his mind and therefore he spoke sounding so infatuated.

There was also the fact that he wanted to know more about the future, about himself and how she
knew him. He wanted to know if his plans would succeed, if he’d be the most famous, strongest
and feared wizard in the world. Just imagine the possibility her knowledge could give him. He
could know who would remain loyal to him and his cause, he would know the slips he would make
and therefore he could not make them, he could begin his journey even faster than he would
originally do.

She was a goldmine of knowledge, and he would not let her keep her information for herself.

Tom slowly got up from the bed, his body aching from sitting on the cold stone floor yesterday and
his head throbbing dangerously with every move, and decided to use the prefect’s bathroom. If any
day it was needed to use the luxury of that bathroom, it was today. He collected a few things,
downed a hangover potion and went on his way.

The walk to the bathroom wasn’t as long as it had been when he still slept in the Slytherin dorms,
something he was thankful for today. The hangover potion could only do so much, apparently his
hangover was going to be persistent. Or at least his headache.

Tom walked up to the big double door and muttered the password.

“Freshly bathed.”

It was a stupid password really. And they always had stupid passwords like that. One time it had
been ‘Mermaid’s soap’ like mermaids even used soap. He shook his head at the thought and
entered the bathroom.
He loved this bathroom. It was a big open space and held a massive tub. The tub had bulges that
you could sit on if you didn’t want to stand in the water. It held huge bath taps that contained
different colors, bubbles and scents. Opposite the doors there were toilet booths and in between the
space was a little partition where you could change. On either side of the tub you could find big
bath towels and different soaps, shampoos and conditioners.

Tom took in the space again and was met with a smell of lavender, just to startle at the sight that
met him. The big tub also held a girl in it, a girl he would recognize everywhere from her bushy
hair. A small smile found itself to his lips. Of course she’d be here.

“I thought this bathroom was for prefects only. I had no idea you were a prefect, Miss Bernard.
Need I to rearrange the round-schedule?”

A small row of curses could be heard from the petite girl.

“Seems you and I had the same idea. Nursing our hangovers with a nice bubble bath.” he
continued as he stripped himself from his clothes, the smile still very visible on his face.

And finally, she turned her head towards him ever so slightly.

“Great minds think alike…” she muttered.

As they made eye contact he could see how her blush found itself to her cheeks, and she averted
her gaze just as fast as she had locked eyes with him. He chuckled. She probably was embarrassed
seeing him half naked, although he did not mind her eyes on him. No. he craved her gaze, her
affection and need for him. He wanted her to want him, as he wanted her. With her hair up like that
in a bun he could see her delicate neck, he wanted to touch it, kiss it. Maybe even nibble a bit on it.

Tom quickly made his way into the pool, eager to cover up what his thoughts were doing to his
body. His previous thought on gaining her information is long gone. There was only lust in his
mind now.

With a subtle flick of his wand he charmed the bubbles to disappear faster than they normally
would.

Once he was standing in the pool he was met with her splutters of protest.

“Uh… You can’t… I mean… I’m naked.”

She was blushing even fiercer now. Naked huh? Just his luck. Tom licked his lips before
answering.

“I can’t see you, there’s bubbles.” he said with a grin.

But I can imagine you.

“Yes, well… what if they go away…” she mumbled, not meeting his eyes and began moving away
from him.

It was thrilling to watch. Because as she moved, the bubbles did as well; making him see a bit more
of her lovely skin, and that was the one thing she seemed determined not to do. His grin got wider
at her struggles. Maybe they could play a little.

“I could always put a charm on them… But I don’t know if I really want to…” he said smugly.
Hermione was now gathering more bubbles around herself, clearly content with the distance
between them. She was at the furthest end of the pool, and he was on the opposite side.

“You’ll charm them.” she said stiffly, crossing her arms over her chest.

As she did, she unconsciously pushed her breasts up a bit, creating a perfect swell. The things she
did to him, was she even aware of the effect she had over him? And the way she would always
argue with him over anything, it was intoxicating. He wanted more.

“You seem so sure. However, I can always just sit back and relax until they slip away one by one,
or until you decide to get up. Either way, I’ll get my view.” he said smugly, moving his arms up on
the edge of the pool.

At his words Hermione looked fearfully at the steps ascending up from the pool. He was divided in
the question. One part of him hoped she’d stay in the pool with him for as long as possible, while
the other longed to see her body out of it; glistening with waterdrops. He was sure she’d look
marvelous.

“I’ll… I’ll tell on you!” she exclaimed after a few seconds, eagerly looking up at him.

Tom almost chuckled out loud. His sweet witch. She really was naive.

“You will, will you? And how do you explain using the prefect’s bathroom when you’re not a
prefect? What is to say you didn’t follow me in here, taking advantage of the situation and the
goodness of my heart?”

Really, it was a stupid notion. Who would believe the new girl over him, Hogwarts savior? Well,
maybe Dumbledore, but that might be the only one. He really could do anything to her, and no one
would know. In a flash his thoughts went spiraling down the darkest part of his brain. He could
make her scream of pleasure as well as pain. He could tie her up and tease her whole body until she
begged him for release. He could spank her if she talked back, he could slap her if she looked at
him wrong. She could be his little sexdoll this whole day. Most of all, he could fuck her brains out
and no one would know.

He almost got off just by the thought. His brainwork got interrupted by her small words.

“You wouldn’t…” Hermione started carefully.

“Oh, trust me, I would.” he cut her off and started moving towards her.

Hermione began moving to the right in panic, making him see the outlines of her body. He laughed
loudly. She was playing along real nicely. The more she moved, the more the bubbles would
disappear. It was just perfect.

“Afraid are we, Miss Bernard?” he asked, also moving to the right to follow her around the tub.

Tom couldn’t shake the smile of his lips. She was looking utterly panicked right now as the
bubbles dissolved around her. Suddenly she stopped dead and cried out:

“Please, Tom!”

He continued to move closer to her, she was standing at the wall of the tub gathering the few
bubbles that were left around her body. His smile grew predatory at her plea and as he noticed she
had indeed told the truth of being naked. In the water he could see the outlines of her curves, her
thighs gaining his gaze most. She really had a wonderful body.
“If I do this for you, what will you do for me?”

She gathered more bubbles around her.

“I… uh…” she started, clearly unable to comprehend a single thought right now.

“You, uh?” he teased, moving even closer towards her.

They were almost touching now, almost. He could see more of her milky skin, even a small nipple
peeked out from behind the few bubbles that were left. Tom knew that if he had not been wearing
his briefs right now, his dick would have a field day. Oh, how he hoped the bubbles would
disappear altogether.

“I, uh… would… do whatever you want.” she blurted out, eyes panicked.

An even bigger smile could be seen on his lips. Whatever he wanted, huh? He would hold this
against her, taking his prize at the perfect moment.

“What if whatever I wanted was something you didn’t want?” he teased, taking yet another step in
her direction.

He could think of a thousand things right now he wanted her to do for him. And she’d probably let
him do about ten.

“Tom! Please! I beg you!” she cried out.

He could almost see her whole body now that not enough bubbles were present. He smiled
victorious. The bigger part of him wanted it all to disappear, but she had begged him so nicely. And
he was a gentleman, of course he could come to his senses whenever someone begged so prettily.
He flicked his wand once more, making the bubbles resurface again and effectively covering up
either of their bodies. As they did, Hermione drew out a relaxed breath. Clearly she was a bit of a
prude. Not that it worried Tom, he enjoyed breaking things into submission. And considering last
night, he needed to retake some of his power.

He moved his arms so that they were relaxing at the tub's edge on either side of her head, making
their faces almost touch. He was mesmerized by her brown eyes, they had some golden in them.
Her mouth was slightly open, a warm breath caressing his face with every breath she took. Slowly,
he leaned in towards her ear.

“I do love it when you beg so nicely for me.” he whispered suggestively.

More than seeing, he could feel the way he was affecting her. A hard swallow by her throat, heat
radiating from her body towards his, her breath speeding up.

“That pretty mouth was made for begging, don’t you think?” he continued, almost touching her
earlobe with his lips.

Hermione tensed, much as he had suspected. She was a prude after all. But he would make her beg
for him, he knew it. And there was nothing more Tom enjoyed than being in control.

“I can see the way I affect you, Hermione. I can see that beautiful blush creeping up on your face,
moving downwards. You want me. Admit it.” he purred.

Even her ears were red now. But as always, she’d try to defy him. He chuckled. He loomed over
her as she covered before him, falling into submissiveness unconsciously.
“If you don’t admit it, you could always beg again. You did beg so prettily.” he said huskily. “Say;
please Tom. I want it so bad. I’ll do anything. I need it.”

Once more her breath speeded up, hitching at his last words.

“Beg for me, princess.” he purred, watching her reaction.

She closed her eyes and licked her lips, her blush fierce. Although, he did not know if it was from
embarrassment or from the arouse. He could feel her fists close beneath the water.

Come on now princess, let go for daddy.

“I think it’s you who want me.” she said tremblingly, opening her eyes ever so lightly.

At her words he drew back to look at her, a smile tugging on his lips. It was cute how badly she
fought him for control. But even she ought to know she would lose. He never lost a fight. Never.
And he would not lose this one either. He could feel her need to let loose, and he would grant her
that. She just needed to trust him, something she clearly struggled with.

Of course he wanted her, it was obvious. But it wasn’t about him right now, was it? However, he
felt like that confession would only do him good, and that was the only reason he admitted it.

“Yes. I do want you. Whatever have you done to me, Hermione?” he cooed.

Once more she swallowed hard and he could feel her tremble more than see it. Once more her
mouth opened a bit. Her eyelashes were dark and thick around her golden orbs, her small nose pink
from the heat of the bath and her arousal, her cheeks stained red. His beautiful witch. She was just
perfect. And his. Always going to be his.

“Can I touch you?” he asked softly.

As quickly as his words had left his mouth she nodded. Without another thought he put his
forehead against hers, closing his eyes and just stood there with her. He didn’t know how long they
stood there, but after a while he heard her sigh contently and wrap her small arms around his neck.
In that one moment he could feel her body pressed against his, and he was surprised by the notion.
He could feel her breasts against his thorax, how soft they felt against his own skin. He could feel
her hands in his hair, caressing it. He could feel her lips pressing over and over again against his
neck, making small shivers travel down his body each and every time. And as all of this happened
at the same time, the animal inside of him took over.

Swiftly he grabbed a hold of her thighs and moved her so that she straddled him, seating himself on
the bulge of the tub. She was seated right above his erection and all he could think about was that
if he hadn’t been wearing briefs, their sexes would be touching right now.

Tom leaned in once more to her touch, matching it with his own. He caressed her hair right down
to her scalp as he kissed his way from her jaw down to her neck. She grinded on top of him,
making him giddy with want. He needed her more than ever.

One of his hands found its way down to her perfectly shaped breasts, it was precisely a handful,
and he kneaded it carefully as his mouth found hers at last. She entered his mouth with her tongue
and he welcomed it willingly, caressing hers with his own. His hand found her nipple, teasing it
and making her moan for him. She continued to grind on top of him and he met her efforts with
some small thrust up, making her breath hitch each time.

He growled loudly and grabbed ahold of her small form once more to push her against the wall of
the pool instead, making sure not to release her mouth from his. Once more looming over her, he
moved his mouth to her neck and gave her small lovebites all over, gaining a mewling sound from
her. It was precious. His mouth found hers again as she had moved her hands to his hair and was
tugging at it. One of his hands was caressing her arse and the other had found her breast again. Her
curves were fantastic. He had never been so turned on in his whole life.

Tom released her arse and moved it towards her thighs, caressing them and moving closer and
closer to her warm center. But just as he got close he would move away again. She let him do this a
couple of times before breaking off the kiss, eyeing him questiongly. Clearly she wanted him to
touch her. He smiled condescendingly down at her, still caressing her thighs. He could feel her
tremble now.

“Do you want it, Hermione?” he purred.

He watched her lick her lips and nodding, looking up at him with big, doe eyes. He needed her to
beg for him, needed to make her submit to him. It felt like the world would go under if she didn’t.

“What do you want, Hermione?” he asked and moved his hand just a millimeter from her sex.

She was looking at him, pleading with him soundlessly. That wouldn’t do. She could do better. He
knew she could.

“That’s it princess. Beg for it.” he whispered in a husky voice.

She was close, he could sense it. But she needed some guidance.

“P-please.” a small voice came.

“Please what?” he asked amused and took his hands away.

“Please touch me. Please use your fingers and touch me there. Please, Tom.” she said louder, eyes
big and pleading.

He almost came right then and there. Fucking hell, she was hot.

His fingers found their way into her wet folds, searching for her sensitive spot and finding it
quickly. He smiled predatorily when he saw how much she enjoyed him flicking it softly, a moan
leaving her delicate lips, eyelashes fluttering close. He thrived in this power, thrived in the feeling
he could give her. If he could freeze time he would, this was utter perfection.

“That’s it princess. You want this, don’t you?” he cooed, continuing to massage her sex.

Hermione nodded and opened her legs more for him. Tom smiled, it smelled like sex all over and it
was intoxicating. One of his fingers was teasing her opening and making her body tremble even
more. He wanted nothing more than to finally feel her around him. But she had yet to comply.

“I asked if you want this”

She just hummed an answer, making him move away from her once more. Suddenly she was a
slow learner, and that just wouldn’t do. Tom needed her to beg him, to fully submit to him. If she
did not, then he would not give her what she wanted. What he wanted. He needed her to beg him.

Confused, she opened her eyes to him and he smiled down at her. A few seconds later he saw how
her brain was thinking hard, she was biting her lip and her face was growing beet red by the
second. Tom had a blast.
“I want it.” she whispered soundlessly, not meeting his eyes.

His smile grew predatory. This wouldn’t do. He wanted her to beg loud and clear, wanted her to
describe the things she wanted him to do to her.

“Sorry?” he teased.

“I want it.” she said louder, but still her eyes wouldn’t meet his.

Her face was glowing red and he could feel his cock twitch. It was longing for her.

“Look at me.” he demanded as he stroked himself through the fabric.

Very slow she turned her head and met his eyes, defeat could be seen in them. It was almost too
much.

“If you want it, you know what to do.” he said and continued to caress himself.

It was quiet for a few seconds as Hermione contemplated her choices.

“Please touch me. I want it. I… I need it.” she finally choked out.

“Good girl.” he purred, eyes gleaming with lust.

In a swift moment he pulled her into his lap once more, his finger finding her eager hole in a
heartbeat and penetrated her. And he could have died right there. Never before had he touched a
woman like this, never before had he wanted to touch a woman. And now, there was nothing more
he wanted than to hear her moan for him as he fucked her with his hands.

“You’re so wet, princess, so tight for me.” he hummed, picking up his speed.

Yet again he watched her eyelashes flutter close and they met in a passionate kiss. Tom made one
more finger penetrate her wet folds, feeling her walls adjust to the intrusion. As she began moving
with him and her small hands finding their way to his tower beneath his underwear he couldn’t help
but to let out a hiss to the contact. God, was she amazing. A few more seconds and he’d undo
himself right here in the bath. He moaned with her as their gazes locked, but where he thought he
would see pure want he saw doubt.

Hermione drew away from him and he quickly took back his hands from her body, bewildered over
what had gone wrong. Hadn’t she liked it? She was a waterfall down there, even though they were
in a bath full of water. She had moaned so delicately. What had gone wrong?

“I don’t… I’m not ready.” she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

Tom let out a relieved breath.

“That’s okay Hermione. I wouldn’t want your first time to be anything but the way you’ve
imagined it.” he said in a soft voice and cupped her burning cheek with his hand.

She blushed even fiercer at his words.

“I just…” she started and bit her lip.

He could tell that she was uncomfterble and so he caressed her sides in an attempt to soothe her.
Once more she met his gaze, determination in her eyes.
“Last night… You told me you didn’t want to stay away from me.”

As her words registered in his brain he let his hands fall down. Of course she’d remember. He had
been foolish to hope she’d forgotten anything from last night, foolish to forget about it all together
himself as soon as he stepped foot in the tub with her.

“We both had a lot to drink, I’d say.” he said stiffly, averting his gaze elsewhere.

From the corner of his eye he could see how she nodded before she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“If you don’t want to stay away, you don’t have to. You never need a reason to talk to me. You
could just… talk.”

She left his arms with those words moving towards the steps. Tom couldn’t do anything but to
appreciate the sight before him. Hermione Bernard had a beautiful backside. It was round and full,
caressing her thick thighs that were brushing each other as she walked up the steps. Her hips were
swaying as she walked, drawing him in even further into the intoxication that was Hermione. The
droplets of water were gliding down her body, making it glimmer in the light. He watched her
accio a towel and gently cover herself up with it, glancing back at him as she did.

He didn’t know where to look, all he wanted was to rip the towel off and lay eyes on her naked
body once more. Absentmindedly he licked his lips, finally meeting her eyes as he drew his gaze
away from her body. She looked far too smug.

“Thank you for showing me the prefect’s bath, Mr Riddle. It was delightful.” she said before
disappearing altogether from his view.

Tom didn’t know what to do with himself. It felt like he was bursting inside out. He had wanted
nothing more than to take her right there, against the wall of the tub, from behind. He imagined
how her backside would wobble at each thrust, hearing her moan his name as he took her virginity
and claimed her as his own.

Without thinking twice he took his mandom in his hand and started stroking himself.

He imagined her big doe eyes looking up at him once more, begging him to touch her. He
imagined the perfect curve of her breasts, the small rosebuds that were her nipples and that
impeccable mewling sound she makes whenever you touch them. He imagined thrusting into her
for the first time, her warm and slick hole caressing his limb for the first time. He imagined her
begging him to take her rougher, to fuck her hard and without stopping even for catching ones
breath. He imagined her telling him how much she loved it, how much she loved his cock inside of
her. He imagined her begging him to fuck her more, to never stop claiming her. He imagined her
begging for him to call her his little slut, to do whatever he pleased with her.

It didn’t take long for him to cry out in pure blizz.

When he finished he cleaned himself up and went back to his room, staying there until dinner. He
found that making her beg for him was far sexier than just making her comply. He found that he
enjoyed the appreciation she could give him. And he found that he wanted nothing more than to
make her beg him to bed her. He didn’t attend any of his classes that day, it simply slipped his
mind. He had far too much to think about, had he not?

Later that evening during dinner he was seated with his normal gang of buffoons, with the
exception of Malfoy who was still in the hospital wing.
“Heard it’ll take madam Spudmore two weeks before he will be able to come to classes again.
Apparently a cracked skull is much harder to heal than a concussion.” Avery told them.

“That poor bastard. At Least he owes me 20 galleons now. We bet that he would never be able to
bed that mudblood.” Lestrange said smugly.

“Turns out she really was a prude huh? Oi! Goyle! You owe me 5 galleons, you thought she’d be a
common slag!” Crabbe exclaimed and hit his friend on the shoulder.

Goyle just grunted and gave his friend five pieces of golden coins.

Tom focused on cutting his meat, something he found himself doing more often than not
nowadays. He didn’t know when the conversations regarding Hermione had become hard to listen
to, but it was. All he wanted to do was hex the shit out of them all for even having her name in their
filthy mouths.

For the hundredth time he glanced over to where the person of interest was seated, currently
embracing that girl Bagnold.

“Hush, I want to hear this.” He cut the boys off, focusing on the two girls' conversation on the
other table.

Fortunately, he wasn’t the only one in the hall that did just so, making it far too easy to overhear
them. The boys around him also listened in.

Tom heard the girl tell Hermione about dating Lestrange, something that must have slipped his
own mind since he could not for the life of him remember that anything like that had occurred. Of
course, Tom wasn’t really interested in his minions' lives either. Apparently Lestrange had not even
broken up with the girl, simply ignored her altogether as his betrothal to Miss Grengrass had taken
place. A real shocker there. He had taken her virginity, which seemed to be the point of the story.

Tom watched Hermione hug the girl once more, Bagnold crying ugly and loudly. He glanced over
to Lestrange who was currently looking very gray. Something told him that Lestrange wasn’t too
happy with what had happened between the pair either. Avery seemed to come to the same
conclusion because he loudly began talking about the upcoming quidditch match against
Gryffindor, gaining most of the nearby students attention on him instead.

Still watching Hermione, Tom met her gaze and raised a questioningly eyebrow towards her. She
gave a small smile and nod before frowning just as quickly. He was still watching her as she left
the hall without so much as a glance at him.

Whatever had he done now?

 Chapter 29
Chapter Notes

Warning: attempted rape

Malfoy had stayed away from Hermione ever since the incident, but sometimes she could still feel
his eyes on her. Whenever they were in class together she would catch him staring at her; there was
no more warmth in his eyes, just hatred. It truly looked like he wished nothing more than to hurt
her. She found that she did not care whether or not he liked her; if you made your bed you might as
well lie in it. And Malfoy sure had made his bed consciously. She could tell he didn’t particularly
care that she had found out the stuff he had been saying about her. He just regretted not being able
to bed her before she found out, at least so she had heard. It wasn’t the only thing she had heard.
Apparently he wanted nothing more than to ‘teach that mudblood whore a lesson’. Safe to say he
was still rather pissed about that cracked skull. Once more, Hermione was unbelievably happy that
she had backed down each and every time they had been intimate with each other.

There was another pair of gray eyes, more stormy than Malfoys, that were watching her every
move. Not only in class, but also during meals or in the hallways. It was borderline stalking at this
point. He had tried to make contact with her several times throughout April, but Hermione
wouldn’t budge. Apart from their classes together, where he persisted on sitting next to her, she had
successfully avoided him.

One Thursday night in May she was once again out past curfew, having lost track of time in the
library, when he found her. She had been studying hard for the upcoming exams in June, not
planning on getting bad results just because she seemed to be stuck here in 1944, and her head was
spinning with facts about charms and jinxes. She didn’t even notice him following her for a few
minutes before he made his presence known.

“Out after curfew again, Miss Bernard?”

Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice so close to her ear. She turned around quickly,
becoming face to face with the one person she had vowed to herself to stay away from. In a swift
movement he had her successfully cornered, the stone wall pressing in the coldness through her
uniform. Her eyes searched the hallway, hoping someone else might be up and about. It was
completely empty, save for the two of them.

“I was in the library, studying.” she said, aming for confidence in her voice as she glared up at him.

A small smile was tugging in the corner of his mouth as he moved his hands to rest on either side
of her head. Hermione bit her lip. Why did she always end up in these positions with boys? How
could it be that they always had her cornered like this? Trapped? And why did they all have to be
so much taller than her?

“Of course you were. Such a studious girl.” he said in a low voice, eying her up and down.

“Yes. And I need to make my way to the tower now, since there’s classes tomorrow. Wouldn’t
want this studious girl to get in trouble, would we?” she said, feigning cheerfulness.
Hermione tried to wiggle her way out of his hold but he swiftly followed her moves, continuing to
trap her against the wall.

She needed to get out of this position, needed to get out from the hold he had her under. Once more
her eyes darted to the right, trying to calculate how far she would come if she simply ducked under
his arm and ran as fast as she could. Maybe if she hexed him at the same time?

“But Miss Bernard, you already are in trouble…” he purred, moving his body even closer to hers, a
smug smile on his lips.

She panicked, knowing he would not back down from hurting her. Quickly she ducked under his
arm and began running to get away from him only to be janked back by her hair. It felt like he had
ripped it off by the scalp. Hermione stumbled down to the floor with a scream and soon she felt
him sitting on top of her hips, successfully pinning her to the floor with her arms over her head.
Cold laughter filled the air.

“Oh dear. Always so keen to fight, aren’t you Hermione?”

His icy gray eyes were blazing, there could only be pure hatred in them.

“P-please, Malfoy…” she pleaded, struggling with his hold on her.

“Don’t worry. It won’t hurt.” he said softly, moving a strand of hair from her face and smiling
down at her malicily. “That much.”

With one hand holding her in place, his other began rooming her body. She knew these hands, they
had been touching her many times before. Where it once had felt nice, it was now only giving her
feelings of fear and dread. She didn’t put it past him to rape her. Frankly, she didn’t put it past him
to even kill her.

“It’s so lucky I don’t need to get information from you anymore, it means I can do what I want to
you without having to face the consequences. You’ve put up a good fight Hermione, but I know
you want me. I know you’ve been craving me. And I will claim you, right here on the floor. I
could have been nice to you, you know. Could have given you a good time since it is your first.
But I don’t think I will, consider the little stunt you pulled a month ago. I think I will fuck you
rough and hard like the little slut you are.”

Hermione whimpered, still struggling against his hold on her. It was no use, he was simply stronger
than her. He was leering down at her, his hand still touching her upper body. She knew he was
telling her the truth, because his touch had once been soft and warm. Now, it was rough and hard.
Clearly he had no interest in this being nice for her.

Malfoy was practically laying on top of her now, having pushed her legs apart a bit. She cursed
herself for not wearing pantyhos today, it had simply been too warm to wear them. But now it
would mean a far to easy acess to her sex. He was grinding himself on top of her, still pinning her
arms to the floor with one hand, his other was painfully pinching her nipple through the fabric of
her shirt.

“I know you like this, mudblood. I remember how you would mewl for me whenever I touched
you here. You enjoy it, don’t you, pumpkin?” he cooed in her ear.

She visibly shivered upon hearing his nickname for her, having heard it so many times before.
Previously it would give her a warm feeling, now it was only making her sick to her stomach. She
could feel bile rising in her throat over what was going to happen to her.
He pinched her hard before kneading her breast roughly, not caring that he was hurting her.
Hermione let out a pained shriek upon the sensation, hating herself for the feeling of wetness that
was building between her folds. A second later she was struck hard over her cheek making her
shriek once more.

“Scream all you want, slut. I won’t stop because of it, I’ll just fuck you til I’m satisfied and leave
you here.” he hissed moving his hands down to her skirt, riding it up over her thighs.

“P-please s-stop. Please!” she pleaded once more, tears now streaming down her face.

“I’ll make that mouth work too, don’t you worry. You got three holes and I plan to take your
virginity out of all of them. That’s what you’re born to do, you know; born to be a mudblood whore
for anyone to claim.”

His eyes were dark and gleaming with malice, his hands rough on her body. His one hand left her
thighs and began pulling her knickers to the side, clearly intending to take her right there. Hermione
closed her eyes hard, wishing she was anywhere else but here. Wishing someone would save her,
wishing she could go back to her own time. Anything to get away from this lunatic on top of her.

She felt his fingers touch her once more down there and she braced herself for the pain that was
sure to follow anytime now. But it never came. She heard him grunting, feeling his hands leave
hers. She then heard a smashing sound, like someone had broken their nose, followed by a piercing
scream.

Bewildered, she sat up abruptly and opened her eyes to the scene in front of her. Malfoy’s nose was
broken and he was bleeding massively. His arm was clearly broken as well being held in an
unusual position behind his back. Tom Riddle was looming over him, looking practically livid. She
had never seen him look so angry. If she thought Malfoy’s eyes had held hatred and fury, it was no
match for the eyes that Riddle sported in this very moment. His normal icy gray eyes were
practically red.

“Sunk so low as to rape girls now, have we Malfoy? Couldn’t stand that she rejected you?” he
hissed dangerously.

“N-no. Please, my lord. I wouldn’t. Of course I wouldn’t…” Malfoy stammered out through the
pain.

“I know what I heard, you imbecile.” Riddle cut him off, pushing his arm even more and gaining
another piercing scream from Malfoy.

“If you so much as look at her again, I will end you myself. We do not rape. Do I make myself
clear?”

“Y-yes. Yes, my lord. Of-f course, M-my lord.” cried Malfoy.

Riddle let him go, pushing him down towards the floor roughly. Malfoy cried out in pain once
more, having landed on his broken arm, before quickly getting on his feet and scurrying away from
his master.

Hermione sat glued to the floor, her skirt still up to her hips and her shirt popped open revealing
most of her bra and breasts. Her cheek was still stinging from the impact of Malfoy’s slap, as well
as her wrists from being held down so roughly.

Slowly, he turned towards her, as if just remembering she was right there, watching her with a
pained look on his face.
“Hermione. I’m so sorry. Are you alright?” he asked, quickly bending down to face her.

She drew away, crab walking as fast as she could. Anything to get away from these dangerous
slytherin boys.

He stood back up, backing away from her and holding his hands up.

“I won’t hurt you. I swear it.”

Slowly, Hermione haltered her movements, eying him with big eyes. She had never heard his voice
being so pained, almost cracking with his words.

“Please. Just let me… Let me escort you to Ravenclaw tower. I don’t want you to get into any
more trouble.” he said softly, still holding his hands up in the air.

Her lower lip started to tremble, and she could feel more tears escaping her eyes. Why did she
always have to cry in front of him? Why was it always he who found her in her most vulnerable
situations?

“Hermione, please.” he said lowly, moving a few steps closer. “Can I help you?”

Somehow she trusted he wouldn’t hurt her. Somehow he had made her body think she was safe
with him, which was absurd. So, she nodded slowly, big eyes still trained on him and following his
every move.

Slowly he took the last few steps towards her and kneeled on the ground beside her.

“I’m going to correct your uniform now, okay princess?”

Hermione nodded once more, eyes blurry with tears. He slowly started buttoning her shirt again,
long fingers almost touching her. He was whispering things as he did it, but she didn’t pay
attention. Her mind was spinning with what just had happened to her, and what could have
happened if he hadn’t showed up in time. It had been so close. Malfoy’s finger had actually
touched her folds, almost making its way inside. She whimpered and shivered at the thought.

Riddle’s long fingers had just been about to correct her skirt when she did, making him draw back
immediately. He had worry in his eyes.

“I’m sorry. How about we stand up instead, okay?”

Riddle stood up and held his hands out for her to take. A few seconds went by before she took a
deep breath and grabbed ahold of them to let him help her up.

“I’m going to correct your skirt now, okay? I will not touch you anywhere. I’m just going to pull it
down so your knickers aren’t visible.”

Hermione nodded, more tears streaming down. She knew she ought to feel embarrassed, having
been almost naked in front of him. But she didn’t have any room for more emotions than the
despair she felt. So she let him help her, let him softly pull her skirt down to its correct position
before taking a step back and watching her.

His eyes were stormy, not as icy as they normally were. And if she really thought about it, they
hadn’t been icy for a long time. They were more a warm storm now, holding emotions in them.
How could this man in front of her become Voldemort? How could someone who was acting so
nice towards her become the very thing that took everything away from her?
Another whimper escaped her lips and tears continued to fall down her cheeks. And he hugged her.
He hugged her so tight she felt like he held her in place. He hugged her so tight she felt like she
couldn’t breathe and it was fine because he held her.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, princess. I’m so sorry.” he whispered as he stroked her hair.

“He won’t touch you any more. I swear it. I’ll protect you, princess. I’ll always protect you.”

Riddle kept whispering reassurances as he alternated between kissing her hair and stroking it. After
what felt like an eternity she finally calmed down, hiccuping a bit. His hold on her loosened a bit
and she took a step away.

“I think I want to go to the tower now.” she said quietly.

Riddle nodded and grasped her hand in his to walk her there. It was quiet, the castle almost eerie.
But she felt safe, because Tom Riddle was holding her hand, holding her warm.

They ascended the many steps up together and stopped by the big wooden door. The eagle opened
its beak within seconds.

“What is it that given one, you’ll have either two or none?”

Hermione didn’t even know how to use her brain at this point. So she simply stood there, looking
dumbly at the door. Riddle gave her hand a squeeze before answering.

“A choice.”

“Well reasoned.”

The door swung open, she let go of his hand and started walking towards the opening behind the
door. At the last second, she turned around and found him standing there, watching her with a facial
expression she didn’t know how to decipher.

“Thank you.” she whispered, meeting his eyes for the last time.

If she didn’t know any better, she could have seen tears gathering in them.

Hermione quickly changed into her pajamas and got into bed, her head spinning with thoughts.
Tom Riddle had stopped Malfoy from raping her. He had stopped him from violating her. Tom
Riddle, whom she had ignored for a month after getting intimate with in a pool. Tom Riddle, the
future Voldemort, had helped her, a muggleborn. And Malfoy had called him ‘My lord’, meaning it
had already started. He had already begun gaining followers; practicing dark magic. She shouldn’t
feel suprise, she had after all known who he was. Known the timeframe. But she couldn’t help but
to feel disappointed. Somehow she had thought it would take longer for him to get to that point.
She had seen so much good in him, all from their talk up on the Astronamy tower, to their intimate
time in the prefect’s bathroom, to stopping Malfoy from raping her just now. He had tried to talk to
her for a month straight, not backing down. Was it all because he wanted to know about the future?
Or did he actually care for her?

Of course he didn’t. Hermione couldn’t help but to let out a bitter laugh. Riddle had already started
his journy to become the Dark Lord, he had already murdered people. Hell, he could already have
horrocruxes. Those red eyes had haunted her dreams for months, and they were already visible on
him in times of anger. She was once again fooling herself. When was she going to understand that
she couldn’t change boys? Bad ones were destined to be bad, there was nothing she could do about
that. When people are ready to, they change. They never do it before then, not even if you want
them to badly enough. And she knew Tom Riddle didn’t want to change.

The next morning they had dubble potions, and Riddle was once more seated next to her. He was
watching her intently throughout the class, searching her eyes, practically begging for eye contact.
It was almost comical.

“Miss Bernard…” he started, turning towards her.

She didn’t answer, she just kept cutting her roots in perfectly measured sizes.

“Hermione, please.” he said, louder now.

“Tommy, my boy! How are things going here?” came Professor Slughorn's loud, booming voice.

“Splendid, Professor. I’m lucky to be partnered with Miss Bernard, she is truly a bright witch.”

Hermione scoffed at this, still not meeting his eyes, let alone Slughorns. But as always, he did not
get the memo. She could feel Riddle tensing up beside her.

“Ah! Yes, yes! Our bright transfer. Keep up the good work you two! A perfect match if you ask
me!”

“Thank you, professor.” Riddle said politely.

At this Hermione scoffed louder, putting in her roots in their potions and started stirring clockwise
twelve times.

Riddle didn’t talk more, he just let her be and worked alongside her. But she could still feel his
eyes on her.

Their next class was very much the same. Riddle stared at her, tried to approach her, and she didn’t
answer. She didn’t even look at him. Actually, she was looking everywhere but at him.

During lunch he was still staring at her, something Prudence was keen to report to her with a hint of
jealousy in her voice.

In charms, he seated himself beside her, once more trying to get her attention. She didn’t budge.

But in their last class, arithmancy, she confessed herself a loser. She just did not have the patience
to ignore a person who so keenly wanted her attention.

“Hermione. Why are you avoiding me?” he asked quietly, not meeting her eyes for once.

“I think I’ve made it fairly obvious I do not wish to talk about last night.” she said icely.

“You were avoiding me before that.” he stated calmly, scribbling down notes on his parchment.

“Maybe I just wish not to speak to you.”

“We both know that’s not the case,” he said faintly.

“I think it’s best if we stay away from each other.” She responded equally as quietly.

He didn’t respond to that.

Their arithmancy class finished and Hermione hurried to get away from him, hoping he would just
give up. Of course, he did not.

As soon as she stepped out of the classroom he grabbed her arm, turning her towards him.

“Do you have a reason?”

“Is it not enough that I do not wish to see you?”

“We both know we share a connection of sorts. So no. It’s not enough.” he said, still holding her
arm a little too hard.

Well, she couldn’t deny that, could she? So the truth then.

“Just trust me. It’s better that we don’t know about each other. Just… forget about me. Forget
everything you know.” she said, janking her arm away.

“I know you’re not from here. I know, and I want to know more. I want to know you.” he hissed,
taking a step towards her, evening the distance between them.

“You won’t. I won’t let you. I can’t… I can’t let you. Just… stay away from me. Please. I want
nothing to do with you.” she pleaded, backing away from him.

Once more his hand grabbed hold of her arm, forcing her to face him.

“One of these days, you will tell me. I’ll make sure of it.” he said coldly.

“Don’t hold your breath.” she answered firmly, pulling her arm from his grasp.

With one last icy look at each other, she walked away.

Hermione did not dare to tell her girlfriends about what had happened the previous night. Hell, she
hadn't even told them about her encounters with Riddle. Not in the library and sure as hell not
about their bathtime. It was lonely carrying it all by herself, she felt the need to talk about it but
didn’t dare telling anyone about it. So she went for walks around the grounds to clear her head. It
worked, but just slightly.

May drew on, and so did their workloads. Hermione had a ton of homework, not to talk about
studying for her finals. Luckily, her friend group took their studies just as seriously as she did, and
so they resigned all of their nights to the library. Hermione had made them all study schedules so
that they could keep up with everything and throw ideas between each other. Mondays were
charms, Tuesdays were defense against the dark arts, Wednesday’s were Arithmancy for her and
Millicent; care of magical creatures for the others, Thursday’s were ancient runes and so on and so
forth. It was a heavy workload, but she was confident they would all pass their exams. Really, they
were Ravenclaw’s after all.

More often than she cared to admit, Hermione noticed a certain tall Head boy seated just a few
tables away from hers. She wondered if he did so knowingly, because frankly it was toying with
her concentration. Ever so often she would catch herself daydreaming about his lips on hers, his
strong hands caressing her sides and his erection pressing up against her folds. She would blush
fiercely and scold herself for it, only to continue doing it once in a while.

Today was a wednesday, and so she was focusing on her arithmancy with Alice and Milicent on
either side of her. Alice was currently glancing at Hermione's paper with big eyes.

“Honestly, I don’t understand how you guys get this gibberish. Is it numbers that you somehow
just know are equal to words? It’s a nightmare! How on earth can this be considered teachable?!”
she exclaimed after watching Hermione decipher yet another set of numbers into words.

Millicent laughed loudly and Hermione smiled reassuringly at her friend.

“Well, considering I find divination true gibberish, maybe we can just conclude that not everything
suits everyone?”

“How can you NOT think divination is something worth knowing? I’ve found loads of information
from divination!” Alice said distraught.

Hermione laughed again.

“Like what, your tall and handsome supposedly husband?”

“For once.” Alice muttered “And that I’ll get three kids!”

“Well, think about me not wanting to know these trivial things and you’ll understand why I find it
boring.” she explained matter-of-factly.

“You’re just a kill-joy sometimes ‘mione.” Alice shook her head and continued with her own
studies.

Millicent met Hermione’s gaze and they giggled some more before once again bowing down their
heads and studying until curfew. After the incident, Hermione made sure never to walk the halls
alone again. It felt nice to have her friends around, although they did not know why she suddenly
was so keen on having their companionship.
 Chapter 30
Chapter Notes

Warning: attempted rape.

Blood and torture

Before Malfoy was released from the hospital wing, Tom made a visit to inform him that he was to
stay away from everything that Hermione Bernard considered. She was no longer his to worry
about; it was all taken care of. Malfoy had spluttered some protest, wanting to punish her for
putting him in the hospital wing, but Tom made it more than clear that he was to never lay so much
as a glance at her again.

Of course, he had not fully complied. Tom watched him eye her during classes, much because he
himself was eying her, and he could practically hear the insults he was thinking so loudly. He also
heard the things he had been saying about her, so had the whole school. Malfoy was very careful
not to speak about her during the times that Tom was present, but that didn't stop the gossip from
reaching his ears. Throughout all of April and most of May this continued, clearly he still held a
grudge against the girl. And to confess, so did Tom.

She had avoided him after their encounter in the prefect's bathroom to his discontent. His fantasies
about them two sharing a hot night continued being just that, a fantasy. He wanted her to want him,
but she was very content ignoring him, something she made abundantly clear. He hated being so
fixated on someone, let alone a girl. It just wasn't what he was supposed to do. He tried focusing on
his task and made small progress, but he knew he would have finished all of it already if it hadn't
been for a petite, brunette witch stealing his attention with every move she made. He hated it.
Hated her for it.

Of course, he was watching her as he always did. But she did nothing of interest. She just studied,
gossiped with her friends and studied some more. At least she was seated mostly in the library,
which was nice for Tom because that meant that he too could get away with some studying.

He had tried to approach her several times, even tried passing her a note in class. But he was turned
down each and every time. It was infuriating. He couldn't understand how she couldn't think about
him as much as he thought about her. He even dreamt about her for crying out loud!

It was a Thursday when everything went south. He had been seated a few spots away from
Hermione in the library, eyeing her ever so often. She had once again stayed a bit too late, breaking
curfew which she did more often than not because she simply got lost in her books. He too, was
reading an exceptionally interesting book about the dark arts, and therefore he missed her departure
that night.

He glanced up and noticed she was gone. Cursing loudly, he gathered his books and went out of
the library. He thought that if he hurried, he might be able to catch up with her in time to hear her
answer the riddle, it was one of his favorite things. She had a marvelous thinking face. She would
bite her lips, lean on one hip and thrum her fingers on the other. But the best part was whenever she
got the question right, which she always did. Her whole face would lit up with happiness, a giddy
smile visible on her pretty face.

Tom sped up his steps, walking the same route he knew Hermione always took from the library to
Ravenclaw tower. It was lucky he usually followed her, otherwise he would simply have to confess
his defeat.

Making his way into a hallway on the fourth floor he heard voices.

"...You enjoy it, don't you, pumpkin?" came an all too familiar voice followed by a pained scream.

Tom stopped dead in his tracks, coldness entering his body all over. He knew who that scream
belonged to as well. A second scream was heard before Malfoy once again spoke.

"Scream all you want, slut. I won't stop because of it, I'll just fuck you til I'm satisfied and leave
you here."

"P-please s-stop. Please!" came her familiar voice, muffled by tears he recognized all too well.

"I'll make that mouth work too, don't you worry. You got three holes and I plan to take your
virginity out of all of them. That's what you're born to do, you know; born to be a mudblood whore
for anyone to claim." Malfoy said hard and cold.

Finally, Tom regained his limb's function and he practically ran towards the two voices. He
rounded a corner and found Malfoy on top of her, holding her arms over her head with one head
while the other was making its way down to touch her sex.

Tom couldn't even think straight, all he knew was that this other man was touching something he
considered his. Touching his witch. His Hermione. And he would tear him right apart for it. He
couldn't allow for this to happen, couldn't allow him to take her virginity when it wasn't his to take.
She was his. And moreover, he had forbidden Malfoy to touch her ever again, and he had defied
his orders. That thought was even more infuriating.

His legs were practically moving on their own accord towards the pair, Hermione's whimpers
growing louder and louder with each step. He could see that she held her eyes closed, obviously
trying to think herself away from what was about to happen.

Tom's arms grabbed a strong hold of Malfoy's neck and shoved him down to the floor only to
connect his fist with his nose. It made a beautiful cracking sound, blood seeping from it almost
directly after they made contact. A small smile tugged at the corners of Tom's lips, he would enjoy
punishing Malfoy tonight. He would show him what happened to those who dared defy him, and
moreover to those who touched what he considered his.

Tom grabbed a hold of him again so swiftly after breaking Malfoy's nose he didn't even have time
to react before his arm were cracking loudly and bent behind his own back, only then did he let out
a piercing scream.

He towered over Malfoy, consciously holding his arm in a position he knew would be even more
hurtful considering the arm was broken, and his eyes were blazing. He had never felt such fury in
his whole life, not even when he killed his filthy muggle father.

"Sunk so low as to rape girls now, have we Malfoy? Couldn't stand that she rejected you?" he
hissed, knowing that he was spluttering saliva on Malfoy's face with his words.

"N-no. Please, my lord. I wouldn't. Of course I wouldn't..." Malfoy stammered, whimpering in pain
before him.
"I know what I heard, you imbecile." he grunted out and twisted his arm even more.

A beautiful scream left Malfoy's lips at this motion, a small satisfaction for Tom, but not nearly
enough. He'd deal with him later.

"If you so much as look at her again, I will end you myself. We do not rape. Do I make myself
clear?" he said threateningly, twisting his arm even further.

"Y-yes. Yes, My lord. Of-f course, M-my lord." cried Malfoy.

Tom pushed him away from himself, disgusted with him. Once more Malfoy cried out in pain
before running as quick as he could away from his master. He watched him go, thinking of all the
things he would do to him tonight. He would make him pay, that much was clear. Tom could feel
the darkness inside of him begging to be let out, begging to be used. But only when he was about to
follow the coward did he remember the small girl seated on the floor behind him. Slowly he turned
towards her, his heart feeling like it broke as he laid eyes on her. The sight of her was truly
horrendous. Suddenly, all his anger was blown away.

Her hair had been in a fine braid in the library, containing her beautiful, crazy hair. Now, it was
everywhere and in tangles. Her face held a red mark of a hand where she had been struck by
Malfoy. Her beige bra was on full display as her shirt popped open so far down as to her navel, and
her skirt was pushed up to her hips, making her cotton underwear visible as well. Tom swallowed
hard, feeling his emotions stuck in his throat as he took in her current status. He ran up to her and
kneeled beside her.

"Hermione. I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

She looked so utterly terrified, practically worming away from him as fast as she could. Once
more, his heart broke for the girl. He had never seen her so vulnerable before, so fragile. And he
found that if it wasn't him that implied it, he did not like it.

Quickly, he stood up again and backed away from the girl who was eying him with big, scared
eyes. Tom moved his wand to his right pocket and put his hands in the air.

"I won't hurt you. I swear it." he said softly.

Hermione stopped trying to get away from him, the only indication that she had heard him.

"Please. Just let me... Let me escort you to Ravenclaw tower. I don't want you to get into any more
trouble." he pleaded.

Her lips started to tremble, tears once more gathering in her eyes. Tom felt the fury for Malfoy
grow even more. This was the second time that boy had made her cry, making him have to console
her. Damn him.

"Hermione, please." he tried again, taking a few careful steps closer. "Can I help you?"

Content with seeing that she didn't continue to move away from him, he tried taking the last few
steps as he watched her small head nod at his question. He let out a staggered breath as he kneeled
down to her side once more.

"I'm going to correct your uniform now, okay princess?" he informed her.

Hermione nodded once more, her doe eyes trained upon him, watching his every move. He knew
he had to be very careful with his touch now, knew he had to be clear with his intentions. He
started correcting her shirt first, covering her breasts up.

"You're doing so great, princess. I'll make him pay for laying his hands on you, don't you worry. I'll
protect you, princess. You're doing so good. Such a good girl. My little princess." he whispered, the
words practically flying out of him on their own accord.

As he was done with her shirt he moved his hands carefully down to where her skirt resided, intent
on not touching her skin more than necessary. He was just about to start pulling her skirt down
when she whimpered and a big shiver found itself down her body, tears streaming down her cheeks
once more. At once he drew his hands back and watched her closely.

"I'm sorry. How about we stand up instead okay?" he said and stood up, holding his hands out for
her to take.

She slowly grasped them and he helped her up to a standing position. Tom waited a few moments
until he heard her take a ragged breath.

"I'm going to correct your skirt now, okay? I will not touch you anywhere. I'm just going to pull it
down so your knickers aren't visible."

More tears streamed down her slightly red cheeks as she nodded without meeting his eyes.

Tom corrected her skirt before taking a step back and once more taking in the sight of her. She
looked admittedly better now, having her uniform in place and the red stain from Malfoy's hand
faded away. But she was clearly distraught. They locked eyes for a few seconds before another
whimper left her delicate lips and even more tears strolled down. It was remarkable how many
tears one small girl could produce. It felt like his chest was going to give in from the sight of her,
moreover from hearing that sound leaving her lips. So Tom did the only thing he could think of;
and hugged her.

He hugged her so close her whimpers made his body tremble with hers, so tight that he feared he
might crush her. But she said nothing, she just let him hold her. Tom stroked her hair and kissed it
every other second, once more muttering to her how sorry he was.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry princess. I'm so sorry. He won't touch you any more. I swear it. I'll protect
you, princess. I'll always protect you. You're safe with me. I'll make sure you're safe. I'm so sorry."

Minutes went by as she cried into his shirt, leaving a wet stain on it. She hiccuped a few times and
drew in a few deep breaths. Only then did he dare to release his tight hold of her, and as she did she
took a step away.

"I think I want to go to the tower now." she whispered without meeting his gaze.

Tom simply nodded and grasped her hand in his, holding it tightly as he tried to transfer every
emotion he felt.

Their walk to the tower was quiet, as was the steps up. The silence was only broken by the eagle on
the door as it asked its riddle.

"What is it that given one, you'll have either two or none."

Hermione didn't even look up, clearly not in the right mind to answer any riddles. She looked so
small and fragile that he wanted to shake her, wanted to turn her into that fierce witch that had
smashed Malfoy into the wall and cracked his skull. Instead, he squeezed her hand and answered.
"A choice."

"Well reasoned."

The big wooden door swung open and she released his hand moving towards the entrance. Just
before the door would close she turned to him.

"Thank you."

It was barely audible, but he heard it. Saw the emotions in her eyes. She was grateful, and that was
all he needed. He couldn't comprehend what he was feeling at that precise moment, but it was some
prickling sensation in his eyes as well as a lump in his throat. He had never felt anything like it
before, and frankly, he did not like it. So naturally, he blamed Malfoy since it was his fault all of
this had happened.

Tom darted down to the Slytherin dungeons faster than he had ever moved in his entire life. He had
never been so furious. That ungrateful son of a bitch. He would make him pay harder than he had
ever done before.

As he imagined, the whole group were seated in the darkness on their usual spot, fawning over
Malfoy's injuries. They all halted their movements the second he walked in.

"My lord." mumbled Avery, quickly bending his head down.

Lestrange followed suit, as did Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy was currently laid on the sofa, nursing
his arm in a fast grasp. He dared meet Tom's eyes, they held anger in them. Something he'd come
to regret in this very instance.

In a swift movement of his wand he warded the room, making it impossible to enter or hear what
was going on. His eyes were gleaming red as he looked down on the pathetic excuse of a man.

"Crucio." he spit out.

Malfoy screamed loudly, whirling around on the sofa. Tom let go of the curse for a few seconds,
only to cast it again, and again, and again. It went on for a few minutes before anyone dared to
talk. All that could be heard was Malfoy's pathetic wimpers combined with his shrieks of pain.

"P-please. My lord." came Crabbe's low voice behind him.

"Care to take his place, Reginald?" Tom threatened, eyes blazing fire.

"Hasn't he gotten enough?" whispered Goyle carefully.

Tom smiled maliciously.

"You think so, Garrick?" he asked sweetly.

Goyle nodded cautiously, his eyes glued to the floor submissively.

"Well then. I must comply then, don't I?" Tom said, removing the curse once more.

Crabbe and Goyle glanced up at him with wonder in their eyes. Nonverbally he summoned a chair
and seated Malfoy in it, binding him effectively with a spell. Once more his pathetic wimpers
could be heard. Crabbe and Goyle gulped, sensing Malfoy's punishment was far from over.
With another flick of his wand he produced two meat knives and put them in Crabbe and Goyle's
hands. They were eying him with fear in their eyes.

"My lord?" Crabbe whimpered.

Tom smiled sweetly.

"You wanted me to stop, so I stopped."

"I can't... I won't..." Goyle stuttered, his eyes still glued to the floor.

"Ah. I thought you might say that. Imperio."

As if he never wanted anything more in his life, Goyle walked up to the whimpering Malfoy and
crashed his knife into his right thigh, gaining another piercing scream from him.

Crabbe was now crying, trembling like a leaf, as he watched crimson liquid leak from the wound
Goyle's knife had made.

"P-p-please My lord." he stuttered.

Their pleas went unheard. Tom had nothing in his mind except revenge, and Malfoy would know
not to defy him ever again.

"Impero."

Crabbe walked up to Malfoy's left side and crashed his knife into his other thigh, gaining yet
another piercing scream from the lips of Malfoy. Tom smiled maliciously.

He made the two boys repeat their motions every 30 seconds, and soon there was a puddle of blood
underneath Malfoy's stool. Lestrange and Avery never so much as breathed too loud, not wanting
to fall victim to Tom's fury.

After a good twenty minutes he found himself bored, Malfoy had passed out several minutes ago;
now only grunting every time the knives pierced his skin. Confident that his message had been
received, Tom released them from his spells.

In a heartbeat both Crabbe and Goyle fell down to their knees, tears streaming down their faces.
They didn't dare to utter so much as a word, careful to provoke their master once more. They were
pathetic, really.

"You do well to remember who's in charge." Tom spit out before turning his back and leaving.

The next day he was grateful that all of their classes were together, he needed to speak with her,
needed to know how she was doing. It was like oxygen, he just couldn't live without it. But she had
continued that awful charade of ignoring him yet again.

She didn't show up at breakfast, making him sick with worry. Only to be seated furthest back in the
potions classroom, something that was very out of character for her. And as he damp down next to
her, she didn't so much as glance at him. He tried getting her attention throughout the class, but
with no luck.

"Miss Bernard..." he tried, turning his whole upper body towards her.
She didn't answer.

"Hermione, please." he pleaded, moving his hand towards her, just to be interrupted by Slughorn.

"Tommy, my boy! How are things going here?" he boomed.

Tom tried hard not to roll his eyes and forced a polite smile instead.

"Splendid, Professor. I'm lucky to be partnered with Miss Bernard, she is truly a bright witch."

Hermione scoffed lowly at his words, clearly not buying his flatley. But Tom felt almost giddy,
since this was the first reaction he had gotten from her in far too long if you didn't count yesterday.

"Ah! Yes, yes! Out bright transfer. Keep up the good work you two! A perfect match if you ask
me!" Slughorn said and bounced away fast enough to miss Hermione's louder scoff.

Tom, however, couldn't help agreeing with their professor. He too thought the pair of them
remarkable together.

With a smug smile on his lips, he let her be the rest of potions class.

Tom tried again at their next class, only to be met by more silence. Considering what she had been
through last night, he didn't want to startle her, but she was really getting on his nerves. Not even
during lunch did she meet his eyes, so he tried again during charms. Once more he was ignored.
Tom was practically fuming at this point. He was not used to not getting his will, and therefore
even more determined that he would this time. So, he continued his attempts during their last class.

"Hermione. Why are you avoiding me?" he asked quietly without looking at her, thinking she
wouldn't give him the courtesy of an answer anyways.

"I think I've made it fairly obvious I do not wish to talk about last night." she said, a tone of ice.

"You were avoiding me before that." he pointed out calmly, still not looking at her.

Clearly, that was the way to approach her since she finally answered him.

"Maybe I just wish not to speak to you." she muttered.

"We both know that's not the case." he scoffed.

At least he hoped that wasn't the case.

"I think it's best if we stay away from each other." she responded quietly.

Tom didn't answer this. He thought about her words, a feeling of guilt nagging in his stomach. Had
she perhaps figured out that he was responsible for Malfoy gaining information on her and
reporting it to him? Had she figured out some of his plans for later, thinking she wanted nothing to
do with it? Or, worst of all, did she not find him as alluring as he found her? Did she not crave him
the same way he craved her? Needed her? When the class finished Tom found himself incapable of
being left alone with his wandering thoughts. She tried running away from him, but he grabbed her
arm in a swift movement; turning her towards him.

"Do you have a reason?" he asked impatiently.

"Is it not enough that I do not wish to see you?" she said without meeting his eyes.
Lies. It was a clear lie.

"We both know we share a connection of sorts. So no. It's not enough." he answered, his hold
tightening around her arm.

"Just trust me. It's better that we don't know about each other. Just... forget about me. Forget
everything you know." she said as she janked her arm free from his grasp.

Forget about her? How in the name of Salazar could he ever forget about her? She was his, and if
he got his way she'd always be his. He wouldn't forget about her. He just couldn't. Moreover, how
could he forget about all the information just waiting for him inside her brain, things he needed to
know of the future. No. He couldn't forget anything. He wouldn't.

"I know you're not from here. I know, and I want to know more. I want to know you." he hissed,
moving towards her once more.

"You won't. I won't let you. I can't... I can't let you. Just... stay away from me. Please. I want
nothing to do with you." she pleaded, backing away from him.

Her words stung more than he could ever imagine anything would. He hated how much control
she had over his feelings. Feelings he had tried so hard to make himself not feel at all; pushing
them down to the deepest part of his being only to resurface as soon as she entered his miserable
life.

His hand grabbed her again, anger coursing through his body. At least that was a feeling he was
used to.

"One of these days, you will tell me. I'll make sure of it." he said coldly, searching her eyes.

"Don't hold your breath." she answered firmly before moving away from him with one last icy
look.

The rest of may continued much the same, with the exception that Tom had now started ignoring
Hermione. If one could ignore someone that was ignoring you. Truthfully, his pride was far too
hurt, and so he told himself he was doing the ignoring. It worked out well in his brain.

Malfoy had recovered with the help of Crabbe and Goyle; they were now perfectly obedient little
followers. The whole group was seated in the library together with most of Hogwarts considering
their finals were coming up. Glancing around you could make out who were fifth years or seventh
years; they were the ones sweating tremendously with tears in their eyes.

Lestrange and Avery were seated on either side of him at their table in the far back of the library
where they had scared off some first year hufflepuffs. They were all studying different subject, and
all of them kept asking him stupid questions. Honestly, it was like he was surrounded by idiots.

"Uh, my lord. What does scrupulously mean?" came Crabbe's voice for what felt like the
hundredth time this evening.

"Carefully, you dimwitt."

"I'm sorry, My lord. Just, what does it mean?"

Crabbe bowed his head down with his words, clearly not wanting to enrage him.
"No, you asshat, it means 'carefully'." Tom answered, annoyed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Avery and Lestrange giggled beside him while Crabbe 'oh':ed once more.

Tom tried his best focusing on his own studies, but it was hard being interrupted by everyone ever
so often. Surely it was because of that that his concentration spiraled away, and sure as hell not
because he noticed the small witch seated a few tables away from theirs, her bushy head so bowed
down to her book her nose must be squished. He absolutely did not notice her. Not even a little bit.
 Chapter 31

It was Wednesday and they had already completed two days of heavy exams. Hermione was fairly
certain that she’d done good on them, but it was always a possibility that it wouldn’t be enough.
She had gone over the answers with her girlfriends on many occasions, happy that they felt the
need to do so as well and wouldn’t just groan at her like Harry and Ron had done. Truthfully, in
many aspects, she found herself more a Ravenclaw this time around than a Gryffindor.

In the afternoon they had their last exam for the day; charms. Hermione was confident in her
abilities, but she really wanted to get the extra credit in all of her classes, and this one she had been
told was especially hard. She had answered all of the questions as thoroughly as she could, writing
down far more than was necessary. It was rather easy questions she thought. Or maybe it was the
fact that she always studied the theory behind the spells they were to perform before she attempted
them. Nevertheless, she knew exactly what to answer at every given question.

Glancing around the hall she noticed she was by far alone in her feelings, even Millicent looked
ready to cry next to her. The girl in question felt eyes on her and quickly met her gaze, Hermione
shot her one of her most encouraging smiles and was met with a grimace. Something told her
they’d stay up far too long discussing these answers.

When it finally was time for the practical exam, Hermione was called upon first. The teachers had
decided not to do things in alphabetical order this time around, to ‘whip things up a little’. She
didn’t mind, but the other students looked terrified to be called upon at any given moment.

She took a deep breath and climbed up on the podium where she was met with a smiling Professor
Utilis along with two others she did not know. She smiled warmly back and positioned herself at
the center, awaiting further instructions.

“Miss Bernard, if you’d please demonstrate the water-making spell.” Utilis said as she handed
Hermione a cup.

She took the extended cup and cleared her throat.

“Aguamenti.” she said and pointed her wand to the cup which filled with clear water at once.

“Well done. Now, turn this vinegar into wine.” Professor Utilis said and extended her another cup
which Hermione took at once.

“Acetum ad vinum.” she said and the yellow-ish liquid turned a purplish kind of red.

“Very well done, Miss Bernard. Do you wish to attempt the extra credit?”

“Of course.” Hermione almost scoffed which only gained her a smile in return.

“If you please, would you levitate this feather non verbally?”

Hermione couldn’t help but to smile smugly. This was too easy.

With a swish and flick of her wand she made the feather levitate.

“Now, would you summon it?”

Hermione easily made the feather move into her extended hand. She was met with applause.
Professor Utilis gave her a praising smile.

“Could you perhaps change its color as well?” she asked.

“Mrs. Utilis, that’s not in the curriculum of the extra credit.” piped the old man next to her
professor up.

“Well, give the girl a shot, would you?” scoffed Utilis and gave Hermione an encouraging smile.

With a flick of her wand she turned the white feather a shimmering blue to represent her house, this
gained a couple of ‘oh’s and ‘wow’s from around the hall. Even the grumpy old man took off his
glasses to examine her spellwork more closely.

“Merlin’s beard. You truly are a remarkable young lady!” said the woman next to Utilis and
beamed at Hermione warmly.

“Thank you.” she answered shyly.

As she went down the small stairs she got bombarded by congratulations from her friends, hugging
each and every one of them with a smile etched on her lips. She just knew she’d get an Outstanding
after this.

As she placed herself alongside her friends she felt a pair of eyes on her, turning around she met
them briefly. She wasn’t surprised that he was staring at her, nor was she surprised that his friends
were. But the intensity of his stare alongside the small smile tugging at his lips were certainly
surprising. It looked almost like he was glad she had done so well, almost as he was… proud of
her? She shook the uncomfortable feeling off and focused on her friends instead, it was currently
Alice’s turn.

When it finally was Friday afternoon they could let out a relieved breath. Hermione however, was
rather devastated. She had yet to figure out where the hell she’d be staying over the summer. Sure,
she had a good amount of galleons in her trunk, but they were supposed to help her get established
after Hogwarts, not just during her summer holiday. Reluctantly she had come to the one
conclusion that was to ask her friends to host her during the summer leave. Hermione hated that
she had to ask something of such, feeling like she was intruding upon their own holidays. However,
she thought that they were good enough friends to at least accept her. Or, she at least hoped as
much.

She, Millicent, Alice, Prudence and Isabella were seated on a blanket in the sun. Hermione had
gone on another trip to the kitchens to gather a nice picnic basket filled with diverse goodies from
the elfes. She and Isa were currently munching on filled cupcakes while the others nibbled on
some sandwiches.

“This is such a treat Hermione, I can’t believe you kept this all to yourself all year!” exclaimed Isa.

“Mmhm, I’m rather pissed about that. But happy now that you’ve included us.” teased Alice and
gave her a wink.

“Well, I have to keep some secrets, you do too, right?” laughed Hermione and the others hummed
in agreement.

The conversation drifted on to their summer plans, and Hermione soon felt left out. She knew they
didn’t want to make her feel that way, but the talk about coming home to their loving families or
going away on vacation just simply put her in a low mood. She remembered she had no family to
go home to, no friends at the Burrow that would be waiting for her arrival, and no vacation to
travel to with her parents. Alice drew her out of her melancholy when she suddenly addressed her.

“Hermione, what’s your plans?”

“Oh, er… I don’t really have anywhere to go. I figured maybe I’d have to take some employment
in diagon alley and rent a room at the leaky cauldron. Or…”

“Oh, don’t be silly. You’re coming with me then. That’s settled. Renting a room? Nonsense. We
have plenty of room. You’re coming with me.” interrupted Millicent.

Hermione beamed at her friend. She truly was blessed, having gotten to know her friend group.

“I wouldn’t want to intrude…”

“NONSENSE. You never intrude, you’re one of my best friends ‘mione. Of course you'll be
welcome, you’re always welcome.” interrupted Millicent once again.

Hermione settled for hugging her friend hard. She truly was surrounded by people that cared about
her, she was lucky to have been given a second chance.

Their last day before departure was Sunday, which the group spent by the black lake. She had her
white swimsuit on and her hair tied up in a bun with her wand. They were laughing and talking,
gossiping about the students around them. Apparently Alice had moved on from Richard Malcom,
the 7th year quidditch captain of Gryffindor.

“Well, he won’t be here next year. And I simply will not be tied up and unavailable to someone
who isn’t even here! Can you imagine? The horror!” she had explained for them.

They had all laughed at her, but Prudence was keen to agree with her.

“Well, I hear you Alice. There’s no fun in having a boyfriend if you can’t see him! Then you’d be
stuck with only the letters!”

“Who’d you think you could date from the 6th year then?” asked Isa nonchalantly.

“Easy. The Slytherin boys over there for example, they’re very handsome aren’t they?” sniffed
Prudence and shot them an appreciated glance.

“I’m sure Hermione thinks so anyways.” laughed Isa.

“Hey!” Hermione blurted out.

“Too soon?” laughed Isa.

They all started laughing at that. It wasn’t too soon, not really. Just a bad memory after all. Malfoy
had stayed away after Riddle had broken his nose and arm, and she could only imagine what he’d
done to him when they were alone. Because Malfoy hadn’t so much as glanced in her direction
after that, nor in anyone else’s for that matter. And even Riddle had laid off trying to get her
attention, maybe he finally had let her go? She doubted it.

Carefully, she shot the group seated at the edge of the oak tree just beside the small beach, a
glance. True enough, he had his eyes glued on her. But he wasn’t the only pair of eyes; Lestrange
and Avery were also watching, alternating between Riddle and herself. Blushing, she quickly
looked away.

A few more minutes went by before a small first year made her presence known.

“Er, Miss Hermione.” she said shyly.

“Oh, hello Daniella! How wonderful to see you. Are you doing alright?” beamed Hermione when
she set eyes upon the small girl with the big glasses.

“Oh yes, very good thank you. I’ve come with a message from Headmaster Dippet, he wishes to
see you right away!” she sputtered out fast as redness stained her cheeks.

“Thank you, sweetheart. Have a good summer, yeah?” said Hermione and shot her one of her
warmest smiles which little Daniella returned in a heartbeat before skipping away, happy with
doing her job.

“What have you done now, ‘mione?” teased Alice.

“Who knows?” she laughed and stood up to redress.

It wouldn’t do to enter the headmaster’s office in only a bathing suit after all.

“Well, I’ll see you guys after alright?” she said, as she waved and began walking to Dippets office.

When she got there and stopped before the big gargoyle she remembered she hadn’t gotten a
password.

“How on earth could they forget that a password is needed to get in…” she muttered and began
pacing back and forth.

“Maybe… ‘lemon sherbert’? Ah no, it’s not Dumbledore is it… What in the name
of Goodrich does Dippet like anyways?”

She paced back and forth a few times before realizing someone stood beside her. Startled, she
moved one hand to her chest and heaved a breath.

“What are you doing here, Riddle?” she frowned as she collected her breath again.

He had scared her so hard she forgot she was supposed to ignore the man.

“I was called upon, Headmaster Dippet wished to see me. Why are you here?” he explained fast,
searching her face.

“He called upon me as well.” she said slowly.

“Let’s see what he wants then.” he shrugged and turned to the gargoyle. “Othello.”

He stood back to let her climb up on the stair that was suddenly visible before following her. She
turned her head to him with a small smile playing on her lips.

“Was that from Shakespeare?”

“Yes. For whatever reason Dippet is his biggest fan.” he scoffed and stuck his nose up.
Hermione almost wished to roll her eyes.

“I’m named after a Shakespeare character.” she thought out loud before climbing off the stairs.

She could have sworn she heard him breath ‘I know’ before knocking hard on the door that was
now visible before them. The door swung open in an instant and they both entered, she before him
as earlier. She could never deny he had manners.

“Ah! Tommy! And Miss Bernard! Such a pleasure, such a pleasure indeed!” Dippet shouted loudly
from where he was seated behind his desk.

She almost snorted when she heard him refer to Riddle as ‘Tommy’, but quickly composed herself.

“Thank you for having us, Headmaster.” she said instead, politely.

“How were your exams? Have you rested up alright?” he asked.

Hermione was just about to answer, having opened her mouth and everything, when Dippet
quickly continued; clearly not intedning an answer to his questions.

“Tedious things exams…Tedious! But we must go through with them. Yes indeed. You know,
back in my time there was no one who got straight O’s? Not even the Ravenclaws! I however, had
of course good grades, no less can be expected and so…”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Headmaster. But you called on us?” asked Riddle with a clearly fake smile.

Not that Dippet seemed to register the difference.

“Oh of course! So silly of me. Well I’m here to inform you both about next year since it’ll be quite
a big one for both of you! Seventh year, ah…” Dippet explained and looked far away in thought.

Hermione had no clue what was going on. Of course seventh year would be an important one, but
why did she need to be called to the Headmaster’s office for that piece of information? Dippet,
however, quickly composed himself once more.

“Well. First off I am to congratulate you both for receiving straight O’s. You even got higher than
that, considering you both completed several extra credit assignments amidst the year and during
your physical exams you succeeded with the extra credit as well. Never have we had two
outstanding students of the like in the same year. Never!”

She thought she might suffocate from the pride she felt upon hearing his words; she feared she
might burst into tears! If it was one thing Hermione thrived upon, it was getting praised. And this
was some praise.

“Given the circumstances we were a little weary to make you head girl Hermione, but given your
grades I simply cannot choose someone else. You have certainly deserved it, my dear girl.” Dippet
continued, beaming at her.

She couldn’t hold back the tears, they were streaming down her cheeks in full speed. Never in her
life had she thought she would be able to become head girl. She had long given up the dream in her
own time, given the state of the world and the heavy duty on her shoulders. But now she was able
to mount the role here, in this time. It was a dream come true, one she didn’t know how to express
her thankfulness to be given the chance. She was just too happy, too surprised. She tried expressing
her thankfulness with her eyes, but it was hard given how many tears now inhibited them. Before
she could begin to muster her words back Dippet had addressed Riddle again.
“You will of course continue being head boy this year as well, Tom. you’ve done a splendid job.”

“Thank you, sir.” came Riddle’s calm response.

Of course he’d be level headed, it wasn’t as big for him as it was for her. Hell, he had been given
two years. But she was determined to make it her best one, determined to be better than him.

Dippet gave a cough and straightened his back, making him appear taller than he was.

“I also am aware of your circumstances, what with both being orphans. You are both of age now as
well, therefore we have concluded to let you stay at Hogwarts during the summer since you
already have personal rooms. You’ll have free reign to Hogsmeade and the grounds of course. If
you’d rather go somewhere else, to a friend or such, that is of course also alright. We wish to thank
you both for your studious minds. Consider this an exam present.”

Hermione blinked at her headmaster. She couldn’t believe her luck. A whole summer in Hogwarts?
A place she now called home, the only place she had that felt certain? A place with thousands upon
thousands of books, just waiting to be read? He had to be joking, had he not?

Tom found his voice first, clearly he had not expected that turn as well.

“I, uh, wow. I’m overwhelmed, Headmaster.” he choked out.

He sounded awfully emotional. Hermione remembered he had considered Hogwarts his home,
since he only ever knew the orphanage before it, and figured this would be the ultimate gift for
him. But for her… this ment she needn't spend the summer at Millicent, not that she hadn’t wanted
to. But it felt like intruding, did it not? She could always visit, but it truly felt like too much butting
in on the whole summer holiday.

“Thank you so much, Headmaster. You’ve truly saved my summer. I’ll be forever grateful!” she
squealed when she finally found her voice again, and ran up to give him a big hug.

She felt him tense in her embrace, but he quickly relaxed and patted her back, chuckling a bit.

“Yes, well. It’s only the right thing to do, is it not…” he mumbled as she continued to smother him
with her thanks.

When she finally took a step back, drying her tears with the back of her hand, Dippe spoke again.

“Here’s your badge, Miss Bernard. Be sure to wear it proudly, you’ve earned it!”

He pinned the badge on the hem of her shirt, right above her heart. It was a beautiful pin, with big
bronze letters that spelled out ‘Head Girl’ in the middle with a midnight blue background.

“Again, thank you so much, Headmaster. Truly!” she beamed again, more tears falling down her
cheeks.

She really was a crybaby, wasn’t she? Never in her life had she cried as much as she had in this
area of time.

“Not at all, not at all. Now, Tommy, my boy, why don’t you show Miss Bernard to the
headquarters?” he said as he rubbed his hands together; thus concluding this meeting over.

“Absolutely, sir. This way, Miss Bernard.” Tom said and opened the door for her.
They walked together in silence, and it wasn't the kind of silence you enjoyed. No, this one was
awkward, full of tension and subtle glances. When it felt like she’d burst, he finally addressed her.

“Congratulations.”

“Oh, er, thanks.” she said awkwardly, a small smile tugging on her lips. “You too.”

He just nodded in return, thus returning to the awkward silence. Hermione grimaced. It really was
uncomfortable being around each other since she’d shut him down so hard that day in May. She
figured that if they were to share a living area, let alone head-tasks, she’ll have to co-exist with him
in a somewhat harmonious way. Fortunately, she needn’t dwell on her thoughts for too long
because just after he stopped in front of a big curtain that held an even bigger Hogwarts crest,
ornate with all the houses different colors.

“It’s right through here.” he explained and held the curtain open for her.

She shot him a small smile before entering, coming into a small alcove. Tom quickly followed and
stood far too close for her liking. The tension between them far too palpable. She shot him another
glance and noticed that he seemed nervous, something she thought she’d never see Tom Riddle be.

“This is, er, the door. There’s a new password every two weeks and they leave them on our desks.”
he explained and turned to the door. “Veritaserum.”

They entered, once more did he let her enter before him, into a circular room. A big fireplace was
situated right in front of the entrance, and beside it two big couches. The room had all the different
house colors, and yet it all seemed to go together perfectly. The blue carpet, the yellow coche
beside the red one, as well as the dark wood and green seat poufs. Hermione took some more steps
in and stopped when she was right in the middle to twirl around.

“It’s beautiful. It’s just perfect! I’ll not want to be anywhere else!” she exclaimed, still twirling
around.

“Yes, it’s rather amazing, isn’t it?” he smiled.

Once more she noticed how his eyes no longer were icy, but warm. Maybe it was the fireplace that
made it seem that way. She smiled back only to be interrupted by the sound of someone clearing
their throat. Startled, she spun around to face the intruder.

“Susanna. I hope you’ve gotten all your things alright?” Tom said cheerfully, but it sounded a bit
too high pitched, she thought.

Susanna was a fairly tall girl with long blond hair, perfectly straightened, and big blue eyes that
seemed to gleam at them. She had curves in all the right places, something she surely knew since
she had dressed accordingly. Her skintight skirt and blouse left little to imagination.

“Oh, sure Tom. And who is this?” Susanna asked, shooting Hermione a nasty glare.

Hermione swallowed hard. Still, beautiful girls intimidated her. Especially the mean ones.

“Oh, now where is my manners? This is Hermione Bernard, Ravenclaw and the next Head girl.”
Tom explained.

“Hello.” Hermione piped up, a small blush finding its way to her cheeks.

“Pleasure.” Susanna sneered, looking her up and down.

Hermione blushed harder and averted her gaze.

“Now, Tom. I have something for you since I won’t be able to see you next year, a gift.” she
continued.

“A gift?” Tom asked, bewildered.

Hermione bit her lip. Now, all of a sudden, she felt like the intruder. Susanna stepped forward and
gave Tom her wrapped gift. Hermione craned her neck a little to catch a glimpse of the inside, and
soon wished she hadn’t. She had given him lingerie. Sexy lingerie. And to her embarrassment,
Susanna continued to walk up to Tom and embrace him. All while keeping her piercing blue eyes
locked with Hermione’s brown ones, as she placed a kiss on his cheek.

“Oh, I’ll just miss our moments together. Won’t you, Tom? Remember that time in the bath…” she
whispered loud enough for Hermione to hear. “Well, I just thought you’d want something to
remember me by.”

Susanna shot her another nasty look, clearly pleased with her reaction. Hermione closed her fists
hard, feeling blood seep through as her nails went through her skin. In a swift movement she was
out the door.

She didn’t even know why she was so upset. It’s not like he was hers. But the way Susanna had
said those two sentences, made it seem like it had gone on throughout the year. Throughout the
year where Tom had kissed her, touched her, hell; even felt her naked body. And that was
infuriating. Because it was exactly what Malfoy had done to her, and exactly what Tom knew
Malfoy had done to her. Which made the whole situation even worse. This was the person she’d
have to coexist with the whole next year? The whole summer, where there would only be the pair
of them present? Angry tears threatened to break through, but she refused to let them. Instead, she
went all the way up to Ravenclaw tower to spend her last night as a 6th year with her friends. She
could always ask to visit Millicent anyways.
 Chapter 32

With a blink of the eye May turned into June and suddenly it was time for the week of finals. All of
the 6th years were seated in the great hall at a proper distance from each other, answering questions
about defense against the dark arts. When the time was up, they’d move on to the practical exam.
Tom was feeling confident, like always. He knew he was brilliant, knew he would pass no matter
what. Even though he prefered performing the real dark arts, he was rather talented at the defense
as well. The questions they were answering were rather dull to be honest.

“Describe the correct way to fend off a vampire”

“Name three things that characterize a werewolf”

“A) name a protective spell

B) Describe the proper way to cast it and what characterizes the spell.”

Honestly, a third year could answer these questions. Tom sighed as he continued scribbling down
his answers in a neat script.

Further down the line he could see the outline of Hermione’s bushy hair. It had previously been
held in a ponytail, but after only a few minutes more than one strand of hair had escaped its prison.
Clearly she had a habit of ruffling through her own hair when in thought. This was of course
something that Tom already knew of, but whenever he caught her doing it he’d stare anyways. It
was lucky that he felt so confident about his finals, because he chose to stare at the girl in question
far too long than necessary. And were he anyone else, it’d more than likely lead to a T for Troll in
grading.

Tom finished up his answers, far earlier than most, and leaned back in his chair to watch his
classmates. Most of them had their faces in frowns of thinking so hard, it was somewhat amusing to
watch. To his right Crabbe was scratching the back of his head slowly, making him look like an
overgrown monkey.

Their physical exam was more to Tom’s likening, probably because they actually got to use magic.
They were to duel their teacher and get points for how long they held off. Tom won their duel,
something he had known he would do but still enjoyed the look of shock on Professor Yang’s
face.

For extra credit, they were to perform a patronus charm. This fine piece of magic was the sole thing
that Tom had yet to get the hang of. He knew the incantation, knew the wandwork, knew he had to
think about something happy. But it never worked.

He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the failure sure to come. Thinking about something that
made him happy was hard, because he had nothing in his life to be happy for. Previously he had
thought about feeling content, satisfied, whenever he tortured someone. Or even when killing his
father. But those moments were not enough, that much was clear.

‘What about how you feel whenever you’re with her…’ came a small voice from inside.

Tom frowned. Was that happiness? He sure felt good around her, but she was also infuriating and a
real pain in the ass. There was no one on this earth who could make him so angry and ache so
much at the same time. But didn’t he feel content with her as well? Didn’t he feel those fluttery
things in his stomach sometimes? Didn’t he try to catch her eyes whenever they were in the same
room? It didn’t hurt to try, did it?

'Here goes nothing.' he thought and took a deep breath.

Tom thought about their time together in the library, how good she had smelled. He thought about
their heart to heart in the astronomy tower, how good it had felt right then and there to admit his
feelings. He thought about their time in the prefect's bath, how she had begged for him and wanted
him as much as he wanted her. He thought about the small thank you, and the look of sincerity in
her eyes before the big wooden door closed.

“Expecto Patronum!” he shouted and almost stumbled back when a bright light came rushing from
the tip of his wand.

It was a beautiful snake; a green python. It slithered around his body, caressing him and radiating
warmth into his core.

“Oh well done Mr Riddle, well done!” exclaimed professor Yang and started clapping his hands.

The whole hall filled with applause and Tom smirked proudly. It always felt extraordinarily good
whenever he could produce a piece of magic most others couldn’t. He stepped forward to shake
Yang’s hand before moving off the stage that was conjured to join his classmates. His group of
idiots were roaring congratulations to him, even Malfoy looked at him in awe, and Tom felt
happier than ever. Maybe next time he’d think of this memory.

After a few pathetic duels along with students who wouldn’t even try the patronus charm it was
finally her turn. With eager eyes he watched her climb up to the podium and meet their professor,
who was smiling. He, too, knew this was a match to watch. The whole hall went silent to watch the
duel, a smirk could be seen on Hermione’s lips.

She held ground for more than five minutes before finally firing a sneaky levicorpus non verbally,
something of a classic now for her, and a final expelliarmus at her teacher; thus winning the duel.
Tom admitted himself impressed, she truly was a talented witch. Someone worthy of his affections,
he thought. If only she’d understand that too.

Hermione did of course produce a corporeal patronus, making him and her the only ones that had
been able to. It was a small otter that danced around her body, making her giggle and tickle it with
one of her hands. He caught himself smiling, and swiftly wiped it off to put his mask back in place.
A small cough could be heard beside him from Lestrange, a subtle notice that he had seen his
smile. He glanced at him, but Lestrange was already focused on the next student, giving Tom no
time to cover up his silliness. He’d deal with that later.

On Friday afternoon the finals were at last over with. There had been a big party in the Slytherin
common room, something he had actually enjoyed for once. Saturday was spent lazily in the
common room as well as by the lake. Sunday, much the same.

Tom sat at the edge of a big oak tree overseeing the small beach next to the black lake.

Malfoy was unusually quiet. In normal circumstances he would be goading over the amount of
girls that were bathing, commenting on their bodies and mentally taking notes on who he should
pursue next year. This time around however, he just sat there and numbly stared out over the lake.
Crabbe and Goyle were as crude as always, too daft to comprehend something being the matter
with their friend. Avery and Lestrange were as usual on either side of Tom, simply conversing
about their differences of answers during their last test; herbology.

Malfoy wasn’t the only person acting out of character; Tom was watching a group of girls seated
on the beach in swimwear intently. In the middle, there was one in particular that drew his
attention. One Hermione Bernard. She had a white swimsuit on that made her pale skin stand out
even more in contrast. It hugged her body perfectly. He could see the swell of her breasts peak out,
glistening in the sun. Actually, her whole body was glistening. It reminded him of their time in the
prefect’s bathroom, for the second time that day, when she had walked away from him. His
thoughts continued to wander to the moments they’d shared together, and Tom held them precious.
He wanted nothing more than to feel her body against his again, her soft lips connected to his and
her small hands ruffling through his hair. He imagined her moan, remembered her mewling
sounds, and almost groaned out loud.

Tom made a subtle move to adjust his trousers. Behind his back Avery gave Lestrange a knowing
look, and they both hidd their smirks. Never had they thought the day would come where their so-
called friend would take interest in a girl, let alone a mudblood. But seeing what had went down in
May between Malfoy and Tom, as well as getting the story from Malfoy himself what led up to the
torture, they found themselves with no other conclusion other then that Riddle hoarded some sort
of feelings for the girl. And given his mesmerized stare and obvious arousal; he was clearly
attracted to her as well.

They sat there on the edge of the beach for quite some time, enjoying the sun on their faces and
watching the girls bathe in front of them. Tom had conflicted feelings; it was nice to be done with
another year, but he dreaded going back to the orphanage yet again. As usual, his group would take
turns to host him over the holidays, but he would be forced to stay at the orphanage for at least two
weeks before they could save him from his melancholy. He hated that place. Hated the staff, hated
the orphans and absolutely hated his supposed room. It felt more like a prison than a room.

Tom’s thoughts kept wandering back to the orphanage and a sour mood divulged him, therefore he
didn’t notice the small first year approaching them nervously. Avery nudged his shoulder and got
him to look up. It was the small Pucey boy from his house.

“You alright, Pucey?” Tom asked politely.

“Y-yeah. I’ve just come to deliver a message.” he said, looking down at the ground.

“Well come on then. We don’t have all day.” said Lestrange encouragingly.

“It’s the headmaster, sir. He wants to see you, about next year.” explained Pucey to Tom and ran
off in a hurry as soon as the words had left his mouth.

Immediately Tom thought he had lost the rights to his Head Boy badge. Maybe he hadn’t gotten
straight O’s? Maybe they concluded to only let someone be Head boy for a year anyways?
Maybe… No. Of course he wouldn’t strip him of his status, it’s Dippet… And Dippet loved him. It
was probably just the old goat who wanted to wish him a happy summer. That sounded more like
him.

Sighing, he got up and bid his friends goodbye. The walk to the Headmaster's office wasn't too long
so he got there in a few minutes. Just when he turned a corner, he saw someone else waiting at the
tip of the stairs muttering about not getting the password. Tom almost smiled; she was adorable.

He stood there for longer than was appropriate, just taking the sight of her in. What was it with this
girl that had gotten him to behave like a dimwit? Sure, she was pretty. But come to think of it, it
probably weren’t her looks that drew him in. It was the way she seemed to pulsate with magic,
something he had never before experienced in his life. Let alone from a muggleborn. And then it
was the fact that she came from another time, and had yet to indulge him in the details concerning
that.

With another sigh he took the few steps that were left and stopped right beside her.

“What are you doing here, Riddle?” she frowned.

Well, at least she’s talking to him now.

“I was called upon, headmaster Dippet wished to see me. Why are you here?”

“He called upon me as well.” she said and her frown deepened.

“Let’s see what he wants then.” he said and turned to the gargoyle. “Othello.”

They both stepped up on the stair that conjured itself in front of them.

“Was that from Shakespeare?” Hermione asked amused.

“Yes. For whatever reason Dippet is his biggest fan.” Tom scoffed.

“I’m named after a Shakespeare character…” she mused as they climbed off the stair.

“I know,” he whispered quietly.

Tom knocked three times on the door which swung open a few seconds after that.

“Ah! Tommy! And Miss Bernard! Such a pleasure, such a pleasure indeed!” exclaimed Dippet
from behind his big wooden desk.

“Thank you for having us, Headmaster.” said Hermione politely.

Tom just nodded.

“How were your exams? Have you rested up alright? Tedious things exams…Tedious! But we
must go through with them. Yes indeed. You know, back in my time there was no one who got
straight O’s? Not even the Ravenclaws! I however, had of course good grades, no less can be
expected and so…”

Dippet didn’t seem to recall having asked them questions in the beginning of his monologue,
nothing out of the ordinary of course. And had it been in another circumstance, Tom might have let
him babble on. However, he had no clue as to why he was there, let alone why Hermione was
there, and eager to find out.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Headmaster. But you called on us?” he asked, and threw him a dazzling
smile.

One he knew Dippet loved and had so far never let him down. And neither did he this time.

“Oh of course! So silly of me. Well I’m here to inform you both about next year since it’ll be quite
a big one for both of you! Seventh year, ah…” explained Dippet and got something teary in his
eyes.

Tom and Hermine stood there looking bewildered.

“Well. First off I am to congratulate you both for receiving straight O’s. You even got higher than
that, considering you both completed several extra credit assignments amidst the year and during
your physical exams you succeeded with the extra credits as well. Never have we had two
outstanding students of the like in the same year. Never!”

Tom felt smug. Of course he had succeeded. He wasn’t even surprised that Hermione had
succeeded, but given the look on her face, she certainly was. It looked like she was about to burst
out in tears. Tom bit back a grin.

“Given the circumstances we were a little weary to make you head girl Hermione, but given your
grades I simply cannot choose someone else. You have certainly deserved it my dear girl.” Dippet
continued with a broad grin on his lips.

He looked like a proud father, maybe even felt like one. Tom found himself shocked. He had never
considered the possibility that Hermione would become the next head girl, hell, he hadn’t even
considered there would be a change. Given who he shared the dorms with now, it was
unquestionably a step up.

Tom glanced over at Hermione, only to see that the tears finally had won the war. Tears streamed
down her face as she beamed at their Headmaster, clearly too pleased to get words out.

“You will of course continue being head boy this year as well, Tom. You’ve done a splendid job.”
said Dippet and turned to him, beaming even more.

“Thank you, sir.”

Dippet coughed and straightened his back a little.

“I also am aware of your circumstances, what with both being orphans. You are both of age now as
well, therefore we have concluded to let you stay at Hogwarts during the summer since you
already have personal rooms. You’ll have free reign to Hogsmeade and the grounds of course. If
you’d rather go somewhere else, to a friend or such, that is of course also alright. We just wish to
thank you both for your studious minds. Consider this an exam present.” he said pompously

Tom couldn’t believe what he was hearing. For so many years he had begged several professors to
let him stay over the summer holiday as well, and for as many years he had been turned down. He
wouldn’t need to put up with the excruciating two weeks there, nor would he have to jump from
manor to manor to not be a burden for his friends. He’d simply stay here, stay home. It felt like a
weight lifted from his shoulders. Once more the tingling feeling in his eyes occurred, the lump in
his throat getting bigger and bigger. Just imagine the stuff he’d be able to research during the
summer, having full access to the library and the restricted area. He’d be able to explore more of
the castle, find new shortcuts. And she’d be here too, just a few meters away from him at all times.
She’d be sleeping closer to him than ever before. Tom coughed loudly to clear his throat.

“I, uh, wow. I’m overwhelmed, Headmaster.” he choked out, unable to meet anyone's eyes due to
the watery feeling in them.

“Thank you so much, Headmaster. You’ve truly saved my summer. I’ll be forever grateful!”
Hermione squealed as she rushed forwards and gave him a hug.

Dippet looked utterly dumbfounded but nonetheless hugged the girl back, a small smile creeping
up on his lips as he did so.

“Yes, well. It’s only the right thing to do, is it not…” he mumbled as Hermione continued to thank
him with a force Tom never heard before.

“Here’s your badge, Miss Bernard. Be sure to wear it proudly, you’ve earned it!” Dippet said and
pinned her badge on top of her uniform.

“Again, thank you so much, Headmaster. Truly!” said Hermione for the thousandth time.

“Not at all, not at all! Now. Tommy, my boy, why don’t you show Miss Bernard to the
headquarters?” Dippet said and clasped his hands together, looking very pleased with himself.

“Absolutely, sir. This way, Miss Bernard.” Tom said, and showed the way out of the office.

It was a quiet walk to the quarters, neither had much to say. But just before they passed Boris the
Bewildered he felt urged to say something.

“Congratulations.”

“Oh, er, thanks.” she said, a small smile on her lips. “You too.”

Tom nodded his thanks. He had noticed she hadn’t taken her eyes off her badge the entire walk
there, something he remembered himself being unable to do when he first got his badge in the
beginning of the year. Finally, he stopped in front of the big curtain with the Hogwarts crest upon
it.

“It’s right through here.” he explained and held one of the curtains open for her.

Hermione entered the small alcove and he quickly followed, very aware of how close they now
stood.

“This is, er, the door. There’s a new password every two weeks and they leave them on our desks.”
He explained as Hermione nodded. “Veritaserum.”

Tom did not find the irony of their new password funny, in fact, if he didn’t know any better it was
like the door was mocking him. If anything, it just reminded him of the failures he had experienced
with gaining information from her. Maybe he’d have better luck when they were living together?

They entered the circular room and Tom watched Hermione’s reactions carefully. Somehow he
was anxious, he felt the need of her liking their common room. She took some steps around,
twirling a bit with a mesmerized look on her face.

“It’s beautiful. It’s just perfect! I’ll not want to be anywhere else!” she exclaimed as she continued
to take in the whole of the room.

“Yes, it’s rather amazing, isn’t it?” Tom smiled.

A sound of someone clearing their throat could be heard, getting them both to turn to the source.
Susanna stood at the edge of the stair leading to the head girls room, it looked like she had packed
considering the trunk that was levitated behind her. Of course she’d have to be here. Why would
he be so lucky as to just never see her sorry ass again? He forced a polite smile.

“Susanna. I hope you’ve gotten all your things alright?”

“Oh, sure Tom. And who is this?” she asked, a certain edge in her voice as she once more laid eyes
on Hermione.

“Oh, now where is my manners? This is Hermione Bernard, Ravenclaw and the next Head girl.” he
informered Susanna.

“Hello,” said Hermione shyly.

“Pleasure.” barked Susanna. “Now, Tom. I have something for you since I won’t be able to see you
next year, a gift.”

“A gift?” he asked, confused.

Why on earth would she give him a gift? They had not talked properly since the halloween dance,
mostly because Tom had seen to it. Avoided her like the plague really.

She stepped up, rather too close for his likening, and gave him a silver wrapped gift with a green
ribbon. Clearly she had thought of his house's colors. He opened the gift hesitantly, pulling up a
red, very vulgar, piece of lingerie. He felt his cheeks grow the same color.

Susanna hugged him tightly before he had a chance to react, pushing her body against hers and, to
his horror, placed a wet kiss on his cheek. He tried getting her off of him, but she held on tightly.

“Oh, I’ll just miss our moments together. Won’t you, Tom? Remember that time in the bath..” she
cooed loud and gave a small giggle. “Well, I just thought you’d want something to remember me
by.”

He heard the sound of a door slam shut, making him realize that Hermione was no longer with
them. At that recognition, he finally gained control of his limbs again.

“What the heck are you playing at?” he shouted as he threw Susanna off him, making her tumble
down to the floor.

“Oh come on, Tom. I know you want me. You’ve been a good boy all year, but there’s no point
anymore. We won’t see each other next year. Come to bed with me.” she pouted.

He drew his wand and loomed over her.

“Over. My. Dead. Body.”

Susanna flinched when meeting his eyes. He was furious. The small truce between him and
Hermione was clearly gone, and it was entirely her fault.

“Get out. I don’t want to lay eyes on you ever again.”

Susanna hesitated, clearly on the verge to say something.

“Get. Out. Or I’ll crucio you to the point of insanity.”

Tears filled her eyes as she scrambled away from him, collected her stuff and ran out of the
common room.

The following Monday came around fast, and Hermione never returned to her new room. Tom
figured she had slept in her old dormitory for the last night, and tried to picture it was because she
wanted to spend time with her friends, and not because she was angry with him. It was hard fooling
himself.

Tom followed his friends down to the train station, bidding them all goodbye and a good summer.
“Are you sure you don’t wish to visit during the summer?” asked Avery with worry in his eyes.
“You know that you’re always welcome. My partens adore you.”

Tom gave a real smile to his companion.

“Thank you Peter, but you know I much prefer Hogwarts to anything else.”

“If you change your mind, just send an owl and we’ll get someone to side-apperate you, my lord.
I’ll miss you.” piped Lestrange up.

“Thank you, Derick. You are good friends.”

Both Avery and Lestrange looked a little shocked at his words, probably because he had never
uttered them before in his life, but beamed at him before entering their carriage with Crabbe, Goyle
and Malfoy. The three gave him polite nods which he returned.

A few steps away from him, he spotted Hermione hugging her friends goodbye. She looked so
filled with joy, shedding a few tears when she bid them goodbye, her head girl pin gleaming in the
light. He wanted to walk up to her, to be the reason she looked so happy, but he knew that if he did
so; that smile would only turn into a frown.

He was struck with the similarity of the situation, remembering their winter holiday. Only this
time, they’d be truly alone. Not even the professors would remain the whole summer. Maybe he’d
finally get a chance to get to know her, get her to trust him and confide in him. Or maybe, it’d end
up exactly like their winter holiday had. An utter disaster.
 Chapter 33
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

As she stood there, waving her friends goodbye, she had divided feelings. When she had told the
girls about becoming Head Girl and being able to stay here at Hogwarts for the whole summer,
they had all been so happy for her. Even Prudence. Hermione, herself, had been over the moon. Not
only had she succeeded with becoming Head Girl when the teachers had only known her for little
less than a year, but she was able to enjoy the summer in the magnificent that was Hogwarts. She
had been so happy, but of course Tom Riddle would find a way to ruin it. And he had.

She could feel his eyes on her, burning a hole in the back of her skull, but she refused to meet his
eyes. Refused to even spare him a glance, he didn’t deserve that. She had never felt so much rage
towards another human being before. It wasn’t just that he had succeeded with deceiving her,
having her believe that his intentions might be honorable, that he actually cared. No. She was
angry with herself as well, for falling into the trap that was Tom Riddle. She had known he’d be
charming. She had known he’d be manipulative. She had known he’d be intriguing. And still she
fell for it. But of course she couldn’t take it out on herself, and so he’d have to do the honors. She’d
happily spend the summer avoiding him for all she cared.

“I’m going to miss you so much, ‘mione! Do remember to write, and don’t get too caught up with
your reading. Enjoy the weather as well!” said Millicent as she gave her a bear hug.

“Of course! I’m going to miss you too, Mill. I’ll probably take you up on that visit as well.”

“You’re more than welcome. My parents are already looking forward to seeing you.”

The two girls smiled warmly at each other before the rest of the girls came to hug Hermione and
bid her goodbye.

“I’ll make sure to be at Mill’s when you get there!” said Alice.

“That sounds great! Can’t imagine anything better.” she smiled back.

Isa gave her a quick hug and kiss on the cheek before jumping into the carriage after Millicent and
Alice.

Prudence walked up and gave her a hard hug.

“I’m super jealous that you get to spend the whole summer with Tom effing Riddle. Do write to
me about the juicy details, will you?” she said and blinked, gaining a rather fierce blush from
Hermione in response.

She sighed and waved them off before quickly making her way back into the castle. She could feel
his presence before she spotted him walking right behind her. She tried speeding up her steps but
he had longer legs, and so it was no use. She practically ran into the alcove that hid the entrance to
their headquarters, but he was right behind her and grabbed a hold of her arm, pushing her towards
him. It hurt.

“Let go of me, Riddle.” she exclaimed, trying to sound determined but it came out rather high
pitched.
She tried wiggling herself out of his grasp, but it was no use. He wasn’t just taller than her, he was
also stronger. She could feel his hold beginning to bruise her wrist.

“Not until we talk about what you thought you witnessed yesterday.” he said with an arrogant
smile.

He probably enjoyed this, the sick bastard. She felt heat rising to her face at the notion, wanting to
be anywhere but here.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” she got out in a cold voice.

“Oh, I think there is.” he growled.

His grasp of her wrist tightened even further as he took a step towards her and ensnared her against
the wall. It was a common situation for them to be in, hadn’t this happened thousand of times
before? It had always ended with arousal, something Hermione refused to let happen this time. She
quit struggling against his hold and glared at him instead. His strong grip lessened a smidge. They
were both looking at each other with fire in their eyes, heaving deep breaths.

“Hermione. Please. I want to explain.” he said pleadingly.

“There’s nothing to explain.” she said and looked away from him.

She didn’t want to hear his made up story when it was so freaking obvious that they had been
fucking. They could even be in a relationship for all she knew, and whilst he had been pursuing her
on the side. The audacity!

“There’s nothing going on between me and Susanna,” he said slowly.

“Sure” she scoffed and crossed her arms.

Did he find her a fool? Maybe he did. She wouldn’t buy this one though.

“She’s insufferable and I’ve been dodging her approaches the whole bloody year. I have never
wanted anything to do with the girl. Never!” he cried out, eyes blazing.

“Uh-huh. And that’s why you took her to the Halloween dance and danced several songs with her.”
Hermione responded quickly and waved a dismissing hand towards him.

He really was a jerk, thinking she’d believe him. Why on earth would Susanna give him red
lingerie if there wasn’t anything? No. He would probably be short of someone to fuck during the
summer and felt the need to make amends with her, hoping she’d give herself up. Fucking idiot.
Like she’d give up her virginity to him of all people.

Riddle opened his mouth and said something stupid, interrupting her inner monologue.

“Trust me, I’ve-...”

She couldn’t help but explode.

“Trust you? TRUST YOU? Trust you on something that’s so ridiculously obvious? She fucking
gave you lingerie. RED ONES. Who gives someone red lingerie if there’s nothing going on? NO
ONE. And why on earth would I trust someone like you? Someone so infuriating. Someone
so disgustingly and fakely charming-...”

Her rant was cut short by his mouth pressed hard against hers. For a split second she didn’t so
much as breathe from the shock, before she realized what he was doing. The familiar tingle in her
stomach came forth, wanting more of this. But her brain was screaming. And she always listened to
her brain.

So she struck him hard. On the cheek. It made a satisfying noise, making her almost smile when
hearing it. Riddle took a step back, holding his red cheek and looking at her bewildered.

“Did you just slap me?” he asked.

“Don’t you even touch me again, you creep! I want nothing to do with you. Nothing! If I never talk
to you again, it will be far too soon!” she yelled and stormed away.

Hermione found herself entering the headmasters office. She didn’t really know why she had gone
there, but figured she probably had wanted to tell Headmaster Dippet about what a dickface Riddle
was. But Dippet was nowhere to be found. She glanced around the office, finally spotting
something very familiar on top of the lowest shelf. The sorting hat sat proudly, and it was almost
like the hat was beckoning her to put it on once more.

She grabbed it and put it on before she could change her mind, maybe it could tell her how to get
home. A familiar whispering voice greeted her almost immediately.

“Ah, Miss Granger. What a delight. What made you come visit an old hat?”

“You sent me here, correct?” she inquired.

“That is certainly correct, my dear girl.”

“Therefore you could send me back, right?” she asked, hopeful.

It felt like the hat was sighing, but she couldn’t be sure. After a few seconds it finally talked to her
again.

“I’m terribly sorry, my dear girl. But you see, the magic inside of me only reacted because our
beloved castle was in danger. The four founders made it possible for me to send a courageous
student back in time to change the prospects if the need ever came. Hogwarts was in danger,
therefore I could send you back in time to fix the root of the problem. I can, however, not send you
back into the future, simply because I do not have the means to do so. I told you before; you’ll be
stuck here henceforth. A small price to pay for peace, is it not?”

Hermione didn’t answer, she could feel tears trailing down her cheeks. How could she ever stop
fighting for a way to go home? Surely it wouldn’t be in ruins now, as she had altered the timeline
excessively.

“There’s still work to do here, Miss Granger.”

She scoffed as she removed the hat from her head and glared at it.

“You’re wrong. I’ll find a way back home by myself. You’ll see.”

She spent the beginning of her summer break taking long walks around the lake, enjoying the sun
with a novel and eating way too much food that the house elves provided her with. She went to
sleep at a reasonable hour and woke up every night to the sounds of her own screams as she dreamt
another nightmare. Still, she woke up early to take a morning swim in the lake, following an
extraordinary breakfast in the kitchen.

It was an enjoyable routine, one she didn’t mind at all. However, she couldn’t seem to shake
Riddle. He continued trying to talk to her, but she refused; strictly ignoring his advances the first
few days until he finally stopped approaching her.

Hermione went to the library every day for two weeks as well, something that wasn’t out of the
ordinary. She couldn’t help but notice that he too seemed to visit the library as frequently as she
did, and this was after all not out of the ordinary either. It was just infuriating, she wanted it for her
own. Her safe place, where she didn’t need to look at his disgustingly handsome face, or how his
hair fell so delicately over his face. Seriously, she wanted nothing more than to correct it for him,
feeling his soft curls in her hand again. But she couldn’t, because she hated him. She really did.

Once more he had fooled her to believe he had actually cared somewhat for her, when he hadn’t.
And it really didn’t help that she was dreaming about him every freakin night either. A real good
way to get over someone. She noticed quite quickly that avoiding someone when the whole school
was there was easy, avoiding said person when there were only the two of you there; proved to be a
nightmare.

She huffed in resignation as she damp down on the chair at her favorite table, noting that he still
sat at the table closest to her. Really, could he be more obvious? It’s not like she hadn’t made
herself clear, and yet he insisted on sitting as close as he could.

Riddle met her eyes, a strange sort of facial expression painting his usually carefree face. He almost
looked like he was about to puke, or maybe burst into tears? Perhaps both? She shot him a nasty
glare, and put her hatred into it, making her look like she was avada kedavring him with her eyes.
He averted his gaze without a word, returned his book and left the library.

Finally, some solitude.

She huffed again and quickly grabbed a textbook about time travel from the restricted section; a
clear perk of not having teachers around was that she could scoop out all of the restricted books and
no one noticed.

“Crystals can help you with many different pursuits. They are all made of different elements and
compounds, making our bodies react in distinct ways. People are made of energies, and so we can
reciprocate energy with the different crystals. Crystals can contain electrical energy, and much
more. Crystals can be used in different rituals depending on the aim, drawing more power from
our magic. Therefore one theory is that crystals can be used with time traveling, however, this is
not something that is tested. Note that time travel further than five hours is not to recommend, as it
can have disastrous outcomes for the traveler as well as time itself. If one were to pursue this
theory, recommended crystals would be; Clear quartz, apophyllite, fire agate and nuummite.

Clear Quartz: This crystal is very powerful in its healing abilities throughout both your mind and
body. It helps you direct energies and provides you with clarity, something that is needed when
going on a journey into the unknown.

Apophyllite: This white stone helps you recognize the truth, creating a connection between our
physical being and the spiritual realms, making it a good choice in your ritual.

Fire Agate: A stone that represents courage, protection and strength, with its connection to earth
itself. Something you will need if you ever were to travel in time. It also helps with vigor and
positive thinking. The Fire Agate helps you with your initiative, commitment and understanding.

Nuummite: Also known as the sorcerer's stone. The stone is black and draws upon the fire energies
of the earth. It helps with giving inner power, promotes our inner journey to our psyche and
enriches clairvoyance. It also has protective abilities, making it a good crystal to include in your
ritual.“

Hermione couldn’t believe her eyes. It was solely a theory of course, but it was the closest thing
she had found in little over a year, making the information valuable to her. She wanted to find a
Clear Quartz, Fire Agate, and Nuummite to explore their different magic binding. To understand
how they worked alone, as well as together. Maybe she could figure out a way to perform a ritual
that would actually send her back to where she belonged. Maybe she actually could go home?

A smile found its way on her lips as she considered her new finding. She sat there for quite some
time before realizing that she had in fact seen a clear quartz in her suitcase. In a swift movement
she grabbed the book and threw it into her book bag before practically running towards the
Headquarters.

She sing-sang the password to the door before darting in the common room with full speed, only to
stop dead at the sight before her.

Tom Riddle was sitting on the red couch looking devastated. He looked utterly miserable, like
nothing in life would ever cheer him up again. And was he…? Yes. He was crying. Tom Riddle sat
on the red couch, in their shared common room, and he was crying.

Hermione blinked in realization. He was drying his cheeks with the back of his hand and turned
away from her, clearly he had not intended for her to see such vulnerability. She blinked again, at
war with herself for her next course of action. A big part of her wanted to just leave him be and
return to her own room, but the more convincing part wanted to console him as he had once done
for her. She sighed inwardly as she felt her decision being made. She owed him after all.

Carefully she sat herself next to him on the sofa and bit her lip. She didn’t really know what to say,
it usually was her that got consoled, not the other way around.

“How are you feeling?” she asked with a small voice.

Great one, Hermione. Like you can’t see he’s feeling like shit. Brightest witch of her age, my ass.

“Does it matter?” came a hiss from him, still having his back against her.

She recoiled at the intensity of his voice and words, cursing herself for even trying in the first
place. Just as she was about to get up, he turned towards her and met her eyes once more.

“I’ll manage…” he said softly, glancing down at his hands.

They were shaking somewhat, from anger or his tears she did not know. Once more she was
overwhelmed with the need to soothe him, to comfort him.

“How you feel is very important. I’m sorry the world has taught you otherwise.” she finally said,
scooting a bit closer to him.

She watched the boy in front of her close his fists hard, so hard she could have sworn she saw
crimson liquid leak out, and breathe out harshly before speaking again.

“I have numbed myself so exceptionally well that I was terrified I had lost the ability to feel
anything at all.”

Hermione just looked at him, waiting for him to elaborate. She could understand the numbness, the
feeling of not wanting to feel. She too had experienced it, in the midst of the war. It was a horrible
feeling, and even worse was that you had done that to yourself.

“But with you it’s quite the opposite. I feel everything. Feelings I’ve never had before, let alone
understand. It’s frightening, but also addictive.” he continued after a few seconds.

She didn’t know what to say, so she kept quiet. She watched him unclench his fists, revealing no
blood. She must have imagined it.

“I’ve never wanted something more in my life, and I’ve never felt so conflicted in my life. It’s
like… you’re infuriating, and I want to punish you for even setting these strange feelings in my
body…”

He was speaking fast now, like he couldn’t stop the words that tumbled out of his mouth at a
record speed.

“But I also want nothing more than for you to continue. To explore these new feelings because
sometimes they feel nice. I’ve never really laughed, but with you. I’ve never really cared for
another human being, before you. I’ve done terrible things, and felt nothing because of it. Not
before you came around. You’ve made me feel, made something awake inside of me. And I’m not
sure how I feel about that, just that I have a strong feeling that I need to be by you… to be near
you.”

He drew in a staggered breath, clearly he had runned out of oxygen while doing his monologue.
She just kept staring at him, trying to comprehend the things he was telling her.

“But since this summer, since May really, I’ve been feeling numb again. Because you’ve ignored
me and made it perfectly clear you want nothing to do with me. The only problem was, I wanted
everything to do with you. And so I’ve been having this feeling of sadness.”

He hissed ‘sadness’ like it was something vile and disgusting, something he hated more than
anything. She felt a frown take place in her face.

“Sadness?” she asked in a low voice.

“At least the book said so.” he mumbled, correcting his posture a little and looking very
uncomfortable.

“Book? What book?” she asked bewildered.

“Er. The book, from the library… about feelings.” he explained with a head scratch, looking
anywhere but at her.

She couldn’t help it, it was all consuming as she broke down in a fit of laughter. Tom Riddle had
gone to the library to research his feelings. He had read a book about feelings. Feelings that she
had made him experience. And he had gone to the library. She just couldn’t believe she had met
someone that was so much alike her, yet so different. She grabbed her stomach when it started to
hurt from her laughter, feeling tears leave the corner of her eyes.

“Wh-what? Why are you laughing?” he asked, sounding annoyed.

It just made her laugh even harder, practically wheezing for air as she couldn’t quite access it from
all her laughter.

“Oh, I’m… I’m so… Sorry… I don’t… mean to… but you… A BOOK…!” she pressed out while
laughing.

"I just... Tom Riddle, going on his second year as head boy, with TOP marks, had to read a book to
understand that he was sad. Do you even hear that?" she choked out.

His face was too much to handle, he looked completely horrified by her response. In a few seconds
he finally shrugged and gave a small chuckle.

“I guess it’s kind of odd…”

It took her some minutes, but she finally calmed down enough to compose herself and continue
their conversation. After all, he had opened up to her, she didn’t want him to close himself up
again.

“Knowing how you grew up, I’m not really surprised about the numbness. I imagine it’s easy
going down that path when you haven’t known love or compassion. But you have people around
you that care about you, your friends for instance. And… I care about you too.”

“You do?” he asked hesitantly.

She decided to be honest with him since he was with her.

“I do. I’ve just been fighting it I guess. But I won’t, now that I know how you feel about it. I’m
glad you felt that you could confide in me, Tom. Really. It means a lot.”

She moved her hand to his underarm and gave it a light squeeze, gaining a warm smile from the
boy in front of her. She giggled a bit.

“How about a truce, huh? I’ll not ignore you anymore and we can hang out, get to know each
other, during the summer. It’ll get quite lonely here I imagine, or I certainly thought so these two
weeks.”

She shot him a wink, gaining a beaming smile from him.

“That sounds perfect.” he said contently.

“It’s dinner time. I was thinking about taking a walk to the kitchens. Care to join me?” she asked
and extended her arm to him to take.

He grabbed it faster than lightning struck, still smiling big.

They were walking hand in hand towards the kitchen. She noticed his bewildered facial expression
as they went past the Great Hall and continued down one level. Hermione led Tom through a stone
corridor, past the different paintings of food and stopped before the one with big apples, bananas,
grapes and the massive green pear. A part of her was cursing her for giving up one of her hiding
places, but the larger part of her felt like it was the right thing to do.

“Well, this is how I’ve not died when avoiding you.” she shrugged and smiled faintly.

She had tried to joke, but it was the truth, making it sound rather harsh instead. Her hand reached
out and tickled the pear, making it laugh until it turned into a large door handle. From the corner of
her eye she could see him gaping beside her, clearly gobsmacked by what had happened. She
pushed open the door before entering, feeling his presence just behind her.

He took in the room that was presented, still gawking. Hermione, however, was smiling brightly to
the small creature that was tripping fast towards them with a big smile on her lips.

“Missus Hermione, missus Hermione! So great to have Miss here again! Tinky is most delighted,
missus! And Miss brought a friend! Hello missus Hermione’s friend. Me is Tinky!” Tinky
squealed happily, looking back and forth between the two of them.

She felt Tom tensing up next to her, clearly he had never talked to a house elf before. Hermione
kneeled beside Tinky and gave her a hug.

“Hello Tinky! So good to see you, my dear friend. This is Tom Riddle.” she said and motioned
towards Tom.

“Er, hello Tinky.” he said slowly, like he was tasting the words in his mouth before saying them.

“Mr Tom is very welcome, yes he is. Missus Hermione and Mr Tom are very kind to visit Tinky,
very kind indeed!”

She glanced around the empty kitchen, first then noticing the absence of the other elfes.

“Yes, where are the others? Noopy and Deely?” she asked.

“They have followed all the different professor’s, missus! Just a few hours ago. Tinky was to stay
behind to help missus Hermione and mr Tom! Tinky volontuerd, Tinky wanted to stay with missus
Hermione!” the elf responded proudly, pushing her small chest out.

Hermione couldn’t do more than feel warm inside. Tinky had a way to make her feel very wanted.
She beamed at the elf.

“Does Mr Tom want food?” Tinky asked, now turned to Tom.

“Uh, yeah. That’s why we came here really…” he said carefully, still standing stiff like a stick.

“Tinky will fix food for Missus Hermione and Mr Tom. Yes, Tinky will! Tinky will do it right
away” she squealed and ran off to start cooking for them.

“She’s very enthusiastic.” Hermione said, smiling. “Why don’t we sit down next to the fireplace?”

Beside her Tom nodded and led the way towards the sitting area. He damp down on the loveseat,
leaving just enough space for her to sit there as well. She bit her lip and glanced to the armchair,
then back to the loveseat. Ah, what the hell.

Hermione sat down on the loveseat, noticing just how close they were at the moment. They hadn’t
been so close deliberty in weeks. Feeling rather awkward at remembering that, she clasped her
hands and put them in her lap, trying her hardest not to wring her hands.

“So, did you learn about this place in your own timeline, or in this one?” came Tom’s voice from
beside her.

She stared at him, trying to figure out if she should be honest or not, before deciding to just go with
it.

“In my own. There were actually my best friend Ron’s older twin brothers that showed us the
entrance. They were masters at finding secret passageways and such.” she said, smiling fondly at
the memory of the Weasley clan.

It always hurt to think about her friends, knowing they weren’t here anymore. And it hurt even
more knowing it wouldn’t matter if they were alive, since she couldn’t get back anyways.

“I bet you miss them all, is that why you have been researching time traveling?”

“Yes, well. They’re all dead anyways, so there’s not much to go back to really. It was stupid of me
to persue it, clearly nothing will work.” she sighed.

The crystals would take time and a lot of dedication from her to even get some procent closer to
eventual time traveling. She had gotten excited when she first laid eyes on the text, but soon came
to the realization that it wouldn’t be so easy as to simply have the crystals and do a few
incantations.

“I’m sure if you really wanted to, you could find a way. But it’d probably take time.” he said
encouragingly.

Hermione didn’t know what to say to that, so she simply smiled. Thankfully, Tinky came with their
food right after that. They sat together and ate, talking and laughing with Tinky. It didn’t take so
long for Tom to warm up to the small elf, something she couldn’t overlook even though she wanted
to.

After their supper they went on a walk around the grounds, still talking. Their subjects changed
from anything and everything. Their school year, what they wished to do after graduating and her
past. Hermione decided to tell him a bit about her Hogwarts, at least the first few years. She told
him about Harry, explaining the dark wizard who killed his parents and went after him. Revealed
the different adventures the three of them had gone on. She was careful not to indulge in who this
wizard was, and she also left out the whole chamber of secrets, knowing he’d know if she
mentioned it. But it was nice, walking around in the sunset and just getting to know each other.

When the sun finally set, Tom proposed some tea in their common room, something she simply
couldn’t say no to. Walking back he grabbed her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. She glanced
up at him, noticing a slight pink blush coloring his cheeks, and a small smile found itself on her
lips. She couldn’t remember a time where she had seen him blush before, somehow it felt good
knowing she was the reason for this occurrence.

As they walked together, hand in hand, she gave it a small squeeze. From the corner of her eye she
could see a faint smile on his lips. He looked happy, something she hadn’t seen… Well, ever. Her
stomach gave a small tingle at this revelation, once again too happy with being the reason for his
change of behavior.

Back in the common room they continued talking for hours, both with a cup of steaming tea that
they kept refilling. They sat together on the red couch, a fire roaring in the background. It was nice
sitting there, his body so close to hers, but yet not touching. She told him more about her Hogwarts
days, about the different professors and lessons, how they differed from today's time. She made
him laugh hard with the story about luring Dolores Umbridge into the Forbidden forest.

“If I’ve known you were that good with revenge I'd have tried harder to stay on your good side.” he
chuckled as he dried off a tear that escaped his eye.
 “Ah, well. She was the exception to the rule, wasn’t she. I’ve never hated a human being as much
as her.” she said and giggled a bit.

“You’re a remarkable witch, Hermione. Really.” Tom said and smiled warmly at her.

The warmth stretched to his eyes.

When the clock striked 2 am she felt herself getting drowsy, however; she didn’t want their
moment to end. It was the first time she had felt somewhat close to him, getting actual information
about himself, and willingly so. It felt like this summer could bring them closer, and she found
herself wanting just that. She scooted a little closer to him, their knees touching. Tom’s hand found
hers and she gave him a small smile before continuing their conversation.

Another hour went by, and Hermione fell asleep on Tom’s shoulder, him singing softly as he
stroked her hair delicately. She had no nightmares that night.

Chapter End Notes

Link to the crystals included: https://crystalearthspirit.com/pages/crystal-meanings

 Chapter 34

After bidding their friends goodbye, Tom thought of going up to her; explaining what really had
happened between him and Susanna. Not that there was anything between him and Susanna. But
Hermione had looked at him with so much hatred he didn’t dare confront her in front of everyone.
He had a whole summer to do so anyways. He’d bid his time. She’d come around, she had all year.
He was certain she would this time too, how else would they maintain a good cooperation
throughout the year? Still, the feeling lingered. He felt the need to confront her about what she
thought she had witnessed, to have her understand that he had never so much as laid a finger on
Susanna, if you didn't count the Halloween dance. And that dance he was practically blackmailed
into attending with her.

Tom watched how Hermione began to walk rapidly away from the courtyard, and he followed in a
swift movement. For such a short girl, Hermione sure was fast. She practically ran to their shared
headquarters, clearly intending on avoiding him. Tom, however, had no such plans, and
furthermore; he had longer legs. When she entered the alcove he got ahold of her, and rather
abruptly turned her towards him.

“Let go of me, Riddle.” she whined.

“Not until we talk about what you thought you witnessed yesterday.” he grunted out as she
continued to try and struggle herself out of his hold.

When would she learn he was stronger than her? A cocky smile found itself on his lips as he glared
down at her.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” she said icily.

“Oh, I think there is.” he growled back, taking another step towards her, hence trapping her against
the wall.

She finally quit struggling, and so he released his hold on her arm just a smidge.

“Hermione. Please. I want to explain.” he pleaded when they both had taken some calming breaths.

“There’s nothing to explain.” she said, not meeting his eyes.

“There’s nothing going on between me and Susanna.”

“Sure.” she scoffed, closing her arms over her chest and staring daringly up at him.

“She’s insufferable and I’ve been dodging her approaches the whole bloody year. I have never
wanted anything to do with the girl. Never!” he exclaimed.

“Uh-huh. And that’s why you took her to the Halloween dance and danced several songs with her.”
she said disbelievingly and waved her hand towards him dismissively.

“Trust me, I’ve-...” he started, wanting to explain yet again.

“Trust you? TRUST YOU? Trust you on something that’s so ridiculously obvious? She fucking
gave you lingerie. RED ONES. Who gives someone red lingerie if there’s nothing going on? And
why on earth would I trust someone like you? Someone so infuriating. Someone
so disgustingly and fakely charming-...” she started shouting angrily before he did something on
pure instinct.

Tom kissed her fiercely in an attempt to shut her up. After a few seconds his cheeks stinged badly
where her palm had just struck him hard. He took a step back, holding his cheek bewildered.

“Did you just slap me?!” he asked, staring at her disbelievingly.

Her face was scrunched up in anger and beet red. She was breathing heavily, and not for the reason
he wanted her to.

“Don’t you ever touch me again you creep. I want nothing to do with you. Nothing! If I never talk
to you again, it will be far too soon.” she shrieked and stormed off towards the library.

Clearly he had misread the situation.

Tom tossed and turned that night, unable to find a comfortable spot in his bed. He had usually
always been sleeping well, never had much trouble with falling asleep. But apparently, whenever
there was a certain witch sleeping in the next room, sleep wouldn’t come. He wondered if she too
had a hard time falling asleep, if she too thought about him.

Tom sighed. He didn’t quite understand the things that were going on this year inside of him. Of
course he had felt attraction before, or even sexually needs. But never in the sense he did now. It
felt like his whole world was on edge, like her approval mattered more than his own, and when he
didn’t have it… well. It was infuriating to say the least.

He turned over once more, trying yet another position, only to lay there for more than ten minutes
without falling asleep. A quick tempus charm showed him it was 2.30 in the morning. He sighed
again.

His thoughts continued to travel in her direction, wondering how her room looked. Obviously it
would be decorated in Ravenclaw’s colors, but did she have any personal artifacts he had yet to
discover? Had she any clothes he hadn’t laid eyes on yet? How did she look when she slept? Did
she snore? Or maybe drool a bit? Or did she lay completely still the whole night? His wandering
thoughts peaked his interest, and so he decided on a whim to go see for himself.

Moving lightly on his tippy-toes towards her door, careful not to make any sounds, he found it
heavily warded. With a frown he realized she had anticipated his visit, or maybe it was just
precautions? Nevertheless, it wasn’t too hard figuring out how to vanish them. It probably would
have stopped anyone else, but considering it was Tom Riddle; it was childsplay.

He took a deep breath before entering her blue safe havens. It was an exact replica of how his own
room looked; one study table and chair with a large bookcase next to it, a small fireplace with a
blue armchair instead of a green one in the corner. And right before him were the big queen size
bed draped in Ravenclaw’s colors, with a petite witch asleep in it. She laid diagonally across the
bed, one hand on her stomach and the other up by her face that were surrounded by her gloria of
brown curls. Hermione drew in deep breaths slowly, a clear indication that she was in fact asleep.
He shuffled closer, wanting a nearer look. It wasn’t often he caught her this unfiltered, this
expressionless, this beautiful.

Tom got even closer, now standing directly at the side of her bed looking down at her. He wanted
nothing more than to lay next to her, feel her warm body pressed up against his. He was just about
to remove a curl hanging over her face when she uttered the faintest moan, prompting him to freeze
in his movements. She stirred in the bed and her cheeks were stained pink. Briefly he wondered if
he could get away with peeking into her brain, to see what had prompted that delicious sound
escaping her mid-sleep, without waking her. In less than a minute he decided for it and softly
entered her brain.

He saw himself in the prefect’s bath from her eyes, heard his own moans complete her soft ones as
his hands were roaming her body. This was a particular scene that he too dreamt about on more
occasions than he cared to admit. Once more he got to relive that precious moment of them together
in the bath, and now from her eyes. It was a marvelous insight, really. He now understood
precisely what got her going more, which spots that he should care extra for, and most importantly,
that she too dreamt about him.

Hermione stirred in bed again, changing position as she gave another faint moan. He couldn’t help
himself. One of his hands came on its own accord to her face, caressing it. As soon as he touched
her, he felt warm again. There was something about this girl that just threw him.

When she stirred again, this time more so, Tom could have sworn he saw her eyes flutter open and
meet his. He noticed that she didn’t look shocked, nor angry that he was there, but at that precise
moment he drew back his hand and darted out of her room in such a speed he knew she could have
never known he had really been there. With his heart in his throat he threw himself into the bed,
once again surrounded by the Slytherin greens. That night, he fell asleep with a smile on his lips.
She still thought about him. That meant he had a chance.

Tom wasn’t proud of it, but he continued to visit her every night for two weeks when he couldn’t
fall asleep. Somehow it was soothing for him to watch her dream so effortlessly, to sleep so
soundly. It helped him fall asleep, knowing she was safe and just a few meters away from him. He
knew he ought to feel like a creep, watching a girl like this when she wasn’t aware of it. But hadn’t
he done just that the entire year? He felt like he could justify his actions, and so, the nightly visits
continued. He could, however, not shake the feeling of despair that grew with each visit. Because,
sure, he felt the need to be near the girl, to watch her and keep tabs on her whereabouts. But she
wanted nothing to do with him, and made that perfectly clear. The feeling inside of him took root,
making him feel hollow, tired for the lack of sleep and heavy with this awful feeling inside of him.
Frankly, it frightened him. So he obviously went to the library to research what the fuck was wrong
with him.

Searching the many shelfs of the library took some time, there were far more books about feelings
than Tom had ever known, clearly he had never been interested enough to spot them before.

He noticed a book called “A beginners guide to understand your feelings” and quickly plucked it
off the shelf to read it. Its chapters contained many themes, such as happiness, anger, sadness,
jealousy and love. He skimmed over the happiness part, noting that this was not the feeling that
was consuming him at the moment. Moving on to anger he noted that this feeling was no stranger
to him. If anything, anger was the sole feeling he had experienced in his life. Anger towards his
stupid mother who was too weak and died giving birth to him, anger towards his filthy muggle
father that wanted nothing to do with him, and most importantly; anger towards the orphanage and
everyone who ever did him wrong. But this still wasn’t the feeling that was taking over his body.

Skimming the part about jealousy he realized this was what he had experienced when Malfoy had
pursued Hermione.
“An overwhelming feeling of insecurity about a potential loss can act as a description of the
feeling of jealousy. You can also endure a sense of resentment for an individual that’s attaining
what you cannot, or have yet to attain yourself. Wizards and witches who experience jealousy can
also display actions like being possessive of another person, as well as reacting with anger or
resentment when not attaining what you wish.”

Tom quickly jumped to the part that was explaining sadness.

“The feeling of sadness is universal, everyone will feel the emotion at some point in their life. What
causes us to feel sad differs a great deal depending on the person inhibiting the feeling. Sadness is
considered a negative emotion, although it serves a greater purpose; signaling our need for help
and/or comfort. Furthermore it contains many other feelings within its meaning. Such as;
disappointment, helplessness, hopelessness, despair and grief.

A face of sadness is often displayed as the inner corners of the eyebrows getting pulled up along
with the upper lids of the eyes dropping down. The lips will most of the time be pulled downwards
as well.

Sensations one can feel when experiencing sadness include feeling heavy in one's limbs, a tightness
in one's chest, watery eyes, as well as a stinging or lump in the throat.”

He sighed heavily and returned the book to its rightful place. She had made him sad. He could
barely believe it. But he couldn’t deny it either, seeing as the sensations that were described put it
rather clearly for him, he was experiencing sadness. And it was her fault, yet he couldn’t bring
himself to anger anymore.

He sat on the red sofa later that day, a roaring fire on display in front of him. Really, it was too hot
for having a fire on, but Tom didn’t mind. He felt cold today, cold and… sad. He thought this was
sadness.

There had been two weeks where she had ignored him, not even getting a good morning back, even
though he always addressed her in the mornings and evenings. Truly, it felt like he had become
Susanna, obsessed with a person who wanted nothing to do with you. It was infuriating, but instead
of feeling rage take over him like so many times before; he was sad. Or so the books in the library
had told him. He had not been eating for a few days, feeling a dull ache in his belly. Sometimes it
could be felt in his chest as well. It was a strange sort of pain, like it was hanging over him like a
curtain. Occasionally it felt like he couldn’t breathe, like he was breathing in razor blades whenever
he took a breath. He’d have trouble sleeping, and was constantly walking around like a zombie.
And yet, she wouldn’t speak with him.

It was his own fault really, having thought that they would be getting along during the summer,
imagining a sort of friendship or maybe even a relationship. It had been silly of him, and Lord
Voldemort wasn’t silly. But she made him feel, and he had never felt in his life before. Maybe
when he was very young, but he quickly learned it was no good and therefore crushed every single
feeling that came to surface. He created his mask, and was very good at using it. Then she came
along, making the small, neglected voice inside of him take root once more. And now here they
were, him feeling sad (at least the books said so) and her doing god knows what.

The prickling feeling came forth in his eyes again, something he had become really used to
nowadays. He had never let himself indulge in it, but today he felt like he had no choice in the
matter. Before even recognizing it, a small tear streamed out of the corner of his eye. He furiously
wiped it off, but more soon took its place.

Just as he was about to wipe them off again, Hermione came barging in through the entrance with a
strange smile on her face. She quickly came to a halt, taking in the view of him sitting there in his
melancholy. Tom wiped his face clean and turned away from her, not wanting her to see him in this
state. It was sickening, feeling this vulnerable. And even worse, the reason for his feelings finding
him like this.

Hermione sat down next to him and was quiet for a few seconds.

“How are you feeling?”

“Does it matter?” he hissed before being able to stop himself.

Turning towards her, he noticed the look on her face and quickly became angry with himself. Need
he to ruin their relationship even more?

“I’ll manage…” he said softly upon seeing her reaction.

“How you feel is very important. I’m sorry if the world has taught you otherwise.” she said in a
small voice, scooting a bit closer to him on the sofa.

Tom didn’t know what to say. No one had ever asked how he was feeling, let alone cared enough
to hear the answer. A big part of him wanted to tell her everything, to let her know that it was her
fault and that she should feel ashamed. But he knew he had treated her poorly, knew she had every
right to hate him. And probably more, considering the tales from the future she had yet to share
with him. He closed his fists hard, breathing out hard from his nose.

“I have numbed myself so exceptionally well that I was terrified I had lost the ability to feel
anything at all.” he said, glancing up at her.

She was quiet, clearly expecting him to continue. So he did.

“But with you it’s quite the opposite. I feel everything. Feelings I’ve never had before, let alone
understand. It’s frightening, but also addictive.”

He didn’t know why he was being so truthful with her, why he would admit such feelings when
she clearly did not replicate them. But it felt nice to finally get it off his chest. His stomach had an
uproar and his instincts told him to run as far away from her as possible, but he wanted nothing
more than her to hold him close and whisper in his ear how much she wanted to be with him.

“I’ve never wanted something more in my life, and I’ve never felt so conflicted in my life. It’s
like… you’re infuriating, and I want to punish you for even setting these strange feelings in my
body…” he said fast, trying to get everything out of him as fast as he could.

“But I also want nothing more than for you to continue. To explore these new feelings because
sometimes they feel nice. I’ve never really laughed, but with you. I’ve never really cared for
another human being, before you. I’ve done terrible things, and felt nothing because of it. Not
before you came around. You’ve made me feel, made something awake inside of me. And I’m not
sure how I feel about that, just that I have a strong feeling that I need to be by you… to be near
you.”

He took a deep breath, feeling her eyes still on him. If nothing, she was a very good listener.
“But since this summer, since May really, I’ve been feeling numb again. Because you’ve ignored
me and made it perfectly clear you want nothing to do with me. The only problem was, I wanted
everything to do with you. And so I’ve been having this feeling of sadness.”

He spit the last word out, still too nauseated by it.

“Sadness?” she asked quietly, still eyeing him with her golden orbs.

“At least the book said so.” he mumbled uncomfortably.

“Book? What book?”

She looked confused.

“Er. The book, from the library… about feelings.” he explained, scratching the back of his head.

To his utter horror, she started laughing.

“Wh-what? Why are you laughing?”

Hermione just continued laughing, clasping her stomach and wheezing for air.

“Oh I’m… I’m so… Sorry… I don’t… mean to… but you… A BOOK…!” she grunted out
between her fits of laughs.

Tom looked bewildered by her reaction. He wasn’t sure if she was mocking him or not. She was
laughing at him, that much was sure, but it somehow didn’t feel like mockery. He could feel his
own lips drawn into a smile from the sound of her giggles.

“I just… Tom Riddle, going on his second year as head boy, with TOP marks, had to read a book to
understand that he was sad. Do you even hear that?” she got out, drying her eyes from tears that
had seeped out from her intense laughing.

“I guess it’s kind of odd…” he admitted, and gave a shallow chuckle.

Hermione finally composed herself beside him.

“Knowing how you grew up, I’m not really surprised about the numbness. I imagine it’s easy
going down that path when you haven’t known love or compassion. But you have people around
you that care about you, your friends for instance. And… I care about you too.”

“You do?” he asked, doubtfully.

“I do. I’ve just been fighting it I guess. But I won’t, now that I know how you feel about it. I’m
glad you felt that you could confide in me, Tom. Really. It means alot.” she said, and put her hand
on his underarm; giving it a small squeeze.

Tom just smiled at her. He couldn’t understand how those few words had gotten his mood lighter
directly. But the foul mood he had been in disappeared, and a lighter, more warm feeling was now
inhabiting his stomach.

“How about a truce huh? I’ll not ignore you anymore and we can hang out, get to know each other,
during the summer. It’ll get quite lonely here I imagine, or I certainly thought so these last two
weeks.” she proposed, and gave a cheeky wink.

“That sounds perfect.” Tom said, beaming at the small witch beside him.
“It’s dinner time. I was thinking about taking a walk to the kitchens. Care to join me?” she asked as
she stood up, a small smile tugging in the corner of her mouth, and extended her hand to his.

Tom didn’t think twice before he grabbed ahold of it, feeling strangely light all of a sudden.

She led him to the great hall, and just before he was about to ask if they hadn’t been headed to the
kitchen, she continued down the staircase; his hand still enclasped with hers.

They entered a broad stone basement corridor that held many different paintings. However, these
paintings were nothing like the ones in other parts of the castle. These were all paintings of
different foods and fruits. Hermione finally stopped before a big one, containing bananas, apples,
grapes and a big green pear. She turned towards him with a small smile on her lips.

“Well, this is how I’ve not died when avoiding you.” she shrugged, before turning to the painting
again and softly tickling the pear.

He scowled at her before watching in confusion. The pear in question started laughing delightedly
before turning into a door handle. Tom gaped. Hermione just shot him a lopsided grin before
swinging the door open and entering the Hogwarts kitchens. He made sure to follow her in a
heartbeat, not wanting to miss out on something he hadn’t known about the castle.

He was met with a gigantic room with a high ceiling, it held five tables just like in the Great Hall
that was above them. A humongous amount of pots and pans were placed on counter-tops as well
as hung on the stone walls. He could spot more than three different stoves, and a beautiful, cozy
sitting area next to a large fireplace in the other end of the room. Tom couldn’t help but to gape in
wonder. It was beautiful, and he was cursing himself for not figuring this one out himself. He was
just about to tell Hermione how lovely he thought the kitchen to be, when he was interrupted by a
squeaking voice.

“Missus Hermione, missus Hermione! So great to have Miss here again! Tinky is most delighted,
missus! And Miss brought a friend! Hello missus Hermione’s friend! Me is Tinky!”

Tom didn’t dare open his mouth, too gobsmacked to even breathe. A house elf was talking to him.
She was rather young and had big green eyes. Over her frail body she wore a white cotton apron
with the Hogwarts crest.

“Hello Tinky! So good to see you, my dear friend. This is Tom Riddle.” Hermione said as she knelt
down next to Tinky and gave her a hug.

Tom swallowed hard. Clearly Hermione was friendly with the creatures, and so he would have to
be to if he wanted to stay in her good graciousness.

“Er, hello Tinky.” he said carefully.

“Mr Tom is very welcome, yes he is. Missus Hermione and Mr Tom are very kind to visit Tinky,
very kind indeed!” she squeaked.

“Yes, where are the others? Noopy and Deely?” asked Hermione, glancing around the obvious
empty kitchen.

“They have all followed the different professor’s, missus! Just a few hours ago. Tinky was to stay
behind to help missus Hermione and mr Tom! Tinky volontuerd, Tinky wanted to stay with missus
Hermione!” the elf squeaked proudly.
From the corner of his eye he saw how Hermione beamed at the elf, looking happier than he had
ever seen her.

“Does Mr Tom want food?” Tinky asked with big, hopeful eyes.

“Uh, yeah. That’s why we came here really…” he said, still treading diligently.

“Tinky will fix food for Missus Hermione and Mr Tom. Yes she will. Tinky will do it right away!”
The elf squealed excitedly and went running around the kitchen.

“She’s very enthusiastic.” Hermione smiled warmly at the elf. “Why don’t we sit down next to the
fireplace?”

Tom nodded and seated himself on the loveseat, deliberately leaving a place open for Hermione to
sit. She clearly pondered over her choices, glancing to the armchair in the far corner, before finally
damping down next to him. He couldn’t help but to grin. She clasped her hands in her lap, looking
around rather awkwardly.

“So, did you learn about this place in your own timeline, or in this one?” he asked casually.

She stared at him for a second, clearly not having anticipated the question, before answering.

“In my own. There were actually my best friend Ron’s older twin brothers that showed us the
entrance. They were masters at finding secret passageways and such.”

She smiled at the memory, clearly reminiscing. Tom nodded absentmindedly.

“I bet you miss them all, is that why you have been researching time traveling?”

“Yes, well. They’re all dead anyways, so there’s not much to go back to really. It was stupid of me
to persue it, clearly nothing will work.” she sighed.

“I’m sure if you really wanted to, you could find a way. But it’d probably take time.” he said,
feigning indifference.

In reality, he didn’t want her to ever leave him. He briefly wondered if he could figure out how
close she was to an answer to her questions, and if so maybe wreck her plans. It was selfish
thinking, he knew that. But he wanted her for himself, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her
forever.

Tinky came with their food and ate together with the small elf. She was easy enough to interact
with, making Tom relax more and more in her company. He could see why she was a favorite of
Hermione’s, they shared many similar qualities, like the warmth in their eyes, excitement for small
things and a friendly approach to strangers.

When they had finished their supper Hermione proposed a walk around the grounds. Tom was
eager to agree, wanting nothing more than to spend more time with the girl. It felt nice knowing
he’d have all summer getting to know her without other people getting in his way. He’d get her all
alone, all for himself. There couldn’t be much that beat that.

As they passed the great lake their conversation turned to Hermione’s past, something he was keen
to discuss. He was careful not to ask too many questions, not wanting to come off as eager. But in
reality, he wanted nothing more than to press her on every little detail, ask her if she knew him in
the future; if he was a force to reckon with. But he kept it polite and let her tell the stories about
herself and two boys she had referred to as her best friends. He noticed her eyes got a certain gleam
in them when remembering them, a sure sign she had loved them dearly.

He didn’t know how many hours they were out there just talking, but the sun eventually set;
making it rather chilly. Not wanting the company to withdraw, he asked if she might be interested
in grabbing a cup of tea with him. To his great delight, she was all for it.

Walking back up to the castle his fingers twitched, wanting to grab ahold of hers. He took some
deep breaths, feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden. He was not sure if she wanted to hold his hand.
A few more minutes went by before he eventually convinced himself to at least try, so he took her
hand and intertwined their fingers, gaining a small smile from her. He drew out a relieved breath.
They walked hand in hand the rest of the way and seated themselves next to each other on the red
couch back in their common room. Hermione made them both cups of tea and their conversation
continued.

Tom was happy. Content. A brilliant, beautiful witch sat next to him and wanted to get to know
him. She asked him questions about his early life, and seemed to actually care for his answers. He
had never experienced that before, and found it easy to talk to her. He even wanted to let her get to
know him. Although, he was careful not to indulge in his darker paths, not wanting to scare her off.

After what felt like maybe half an hour he felt Hermione’s head lull onto his shoulder. Their hands
were enclasped and he was stroking hers with his thumb, mumbling a song he knew and actually
liked, even though it was muggle.

A quick glance on the clock made him almost startle, realizing it was close to 3 am. They had sat
there talking for close to 6 hours! He looked down on the small witch that cuddled into his side,
feeling far too content with the current situation to wake her up. Instead, he simply leaned back on
the couch and fell asleep with the scent of lavender tickling his nose.
 Chapter 35
Chapter Notes

A much longer chapter than usual.

Enjoy <3

Waking up next to Tom on the sofa was the least Hermione had expected, and feeling content
while doing so was even more confusing. She couldn’t help but to be wary about him still, couldn’t
help but to remember who this was, who he would become in the future.

Was he being honest with his intentions, with his feelings, or was he simply trying to persuade her
into some sort of obedience? Yet, laying there next to him, snuggled up with his arm around her,
she felt safe. And somehow she felt worse about that fact. Because how could she feel safe
with Voldemort, the very man that had killed her best friend's parents in cold blood. The same man
that had tried to kill Harry multiple times, made their teenage years a living hell. Still, she had
never felt warmer than when he touched her, never felt so aroused but with him, never experienced
such a draw to another person before, but with him.

She stirred a bit, deciding on retreating to her bedroom and acting like they hadn’t fallen asleep on
the couch together. But as soon as she moved an inch his eyes opened.

“Sneaking off are we, Bernard?” he asked teasingly, voice musky from sleep.

“Oh, er, no, of course not, I was just…”

“Sneaking back to your room?” he finished for her, a sneer on his face.

Riddle stretched his body and turned towards her.

“So…” he started, looking at her expectantly.

“So…” she said shyly, playing with a curl of her hair.

“What’s on the agenda for today then?”

She swallowed hard, remembering she had in fact told him that they would spend some time
together during the summer. But surely he wouldn’t expect them to share every second of every
day together?

“Er, well. I’ll go for a swim in the lake and then visit Tinky in the kitchens for breakfast. Then I’ll
probably go to the library.”

“Great, I’ll get my swimming wear.” he said and rubbed his hands together before rising.

“Oh. Er, great.” she mumbled awkwardly.

Tom had already departed into his room. She sighed, looking up at the ceiling. One time wouldn’t
do any harm, would it?
When she came down from her room he already stood by the door, dressed casually in a muggle t-
shirt and khaki-shorts. He was breathtakingly handsome, and she found herself gawking at him
before her sense returned, accompanied by a blush. She lowered her eyes to the floor and walked
up to the door.

“Let’s go then…” she muttered.

Tom, like the gentleman he insisted on portraying, opened the door for her and waited until she had
exited their common room before following her.

They walked in silence to the lake, undressed in silence and entered the water in silence. She didn’t
know what to say, feeling far too awkward to even think a coherent thought. Apparently, Tom still
had his brain working.

“I don’t think I’ve ever swimmed here before…”

“Oh?” she said as she took a stroke out into the water.

“I usually just sit by that oak tree, watching everyone.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” she said and gave a small smile.

“Oh, so you were watching me?” he teased, splashing some water at her.

“I think it’s you who have been watching me.” she giggled, splashing some water back at him.

“I think that would be a fair assumption. However could I not notice you, Hermione.” he smiled.

She felt a blush creeping up again, averting her eyes.

“I remember the Sunday when our exams were done. You were sitting here at the beach with your
friends, wearing a small, white swimsuit.” he continued.

“Have you been staring at me, Riddle?” she joked, a teasing smile taking place on her lips.

“How could I not when that particular swimsuit hugged your body so perfectly?” He swam closer
to her. “How could I not stare when the most beautiful girl in the school was right in front of me?
How could I not, when everytime I see you like this…” he gestured to her skin that was drizzled in
water drops, glistening in the sun. “It reminds me of our time in the bathroom.”

Hermione swallowed hard while watching him tread even closer to her, until he was right in front
of her, making her crane her neck to look him in the eyes.

“Oh?” she whispered, her blush growing fiercer by the second.

“Although, I must admit. This red two piece is far more… sexy…” he cooed, a finger trailing her
collarbone.

An involuntary shiver went through her body at his touch. She took a hesitant step backwards, only
for him to take a step forwards. He smiled predatorily.

“Running away from me, Hermione?” he cooed.

“N-No. Of course not.” she stuttered.

His smile grew, as a familiar spark in his eyes lit. He moved even closer, pulling her against him.
She could already feel the hardness of him poking her belly. Swallowing hard she glanced up at
him.

“I’d like to kiss you now. Would that be terrible wrong of me?” he purred, his finger moving to the
swell of her breast.

Her breath hitched as she slowly shook her head, mesmerized by his eyes.

His hand tilted her chin up and his lips met hers tenderly. It quickly turned more passionately, as
his hands started to grab her arse, kneading it appreciatively. He pushed her harder against his
body, making her cling to his lean muscles. She poked her tongue into his mouth, making him
groan as they connected. He lifted her up, placing her on his hips and moved further out into the
water. The length of him was placed perfectly against her center, making her moan at the sensation
it was giving her. He thrust against her, rubbing her clit through the fabric with one of his hands, as
the other was holding her up.

Just as he was about to pull the fabric of her bikini away, she freezed, realizing where this was
about to go. Immediately he stopped his actions, peering down at her carefully. She bit her lip,
blushing hard.

“I’m not… I’m still not… ready…” she stuttered.

Tom smiled, pulling a stray curl behind her ear.

“That’s alright princess. We have all the time in the world. There’s no rush to do something you
don’t feel ready for.”

“You really mean that?” she asked, disbelievingly.

“Truth be told, Hermione, I’m a virgin as well. And if I’ve waited this long, I can wait a little
longer. I want it to be with you, and I will not push you into doing something you do not want
wholeheartedly.” he said, still playing with her hair.

“You’re a virgin?” she asked doubtfully, eyeing him curiously.

“Yeah…” he said, scratching the back of his head. “I’ve never really taken any interest in girls…
before you.”

Hermione couldn’t help the smile growing upon hearing those words.

“Really?”

“Really.”

She took his hand and gave it a light squeeze, earning a smile in return from him.

“Let’s go to the kitchens, I’m starving.” she said, pulling him to shore.

“I’ll second that!” He laughed and followed her willingly.

The following two weeks they spent in the same manner. A morning swim where Tom would
sneak a kiss from her, followed by a tremendous breakfast presented by Tinky. Thenceforth they
went to the library, both eager to go through the course material for next year. After that they
joined Tinky in the kitchens again for lunch, before walking around the grounds, hand in hand,
talking about anything and everything. In between lunch and dinner they either went back to the
library, sat outside to read some novels or visited the different animals professor Kettleburn had.
When darkness fell they would drink some tea in the common room before departing to their
respective rooms.

It was a perfectly enjoyable routine, one she found she didn’t care that she was sharing with him.
Truth be told, every day that went by, she grew a little bit closer to him. It was hard to imagine him
deceiving her, given he had to spend every single day with her. Even he couldn’t keep up that sort
of facade, could he?

Naturally, Hermione was still a bit reserved about his intentions, not really buying it
wholeheartedly. She wanted to, oh how she wanted to. But a voice inside kept warning her,
reminding her that he already had two horocruxes, and had already killed at least two people.
Whenever those thoughts came, another voice inside of her screamed out:

'But that’s not my Tom!'

Because surely, it couldn’t be the same person. Her Tom, and the Tom that had done those ruthless
actions. Her Tom wouldn’t become Voldemort. He just couldn’t.

“A penny for your thoughts?” joked Tom while he nudged her shoulder.

They were sitting by the big oak tree on the shore of the great lake. It was the beginning of July.
She gave a faint smile and said weakly:

“I’m not sure they’re worth sharing.”

Tom furrowed his brows and closed his book.

“Well, now my interest is piqued. Try me.”

She sighed. Eventually they would have to discuss more about the future. She wanted to keep him
from becoming her worst nightmare, keep him from making disastrous decisions in the future. But
could she simply by sharing her part of the story?

“Well, you know I’m from the future…” she began.

A gleam lightened his eyes upon hearing her words. She swallowed hard.

May this be the right decision.

“Well, there was this dark wizard that gained a lot of followers. He was blinded by rage and power,
set to live forever and rule the wizarding world. A sort of Grindelwald of my time, you could say.
But this fellow was worse. He and his followers, called Death Eaters, killed in cold blood. They
murdered, tortured and raped muggleborns and muggles.”

Tom was listening intently, practically breathing in every word she uttered.

“In my 6th year a fellow student was recruited and killed our Headmaster. By Christmas the castle
was stormed by Death Eaters. There was a big fight, and so much death. So much death. Both of
my best friends were killed, along with most of the professors and students. Some were taking
hostages, and I… I got away somehow. I don’t really recall the specifics, there were spells flying
everywhere, and then it felt like something struck me right over the head. Before I knew anything
else I ended up here, and you stumbled upon me. You really didn’t catch me in my finest hour…”

She gave a shallow chuckle and dried off a single tear that had escaped her eye.

“I still have nightmares about it. Seeing his face, laughing cold, while firing the killing curse that
ended my best friend's life. Or the mangled bodies of my fellow peers. I couldn’t save them… I
couldn’t save anyone…”

Her voice broke and a waterfall of tears burst out of her, finally breaking the walls she had put up
over these memories.

“You did everything you could, princess. It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.” he soothed
her while hugging her tightly.

Hermione couldn’t help it. She wanted to be comforted by him, wanting him to take care of her, to
soothe her. All while knowing it was his fault that it had happened, his fault that all her friends
were dead. There was no point denying that, and she felt like a traitor seeking refuge in his arms.
But none of it mattered. All that mattered was his strong arms around her, his breath matching hers
and the words of reassurance he whispered to her.

She didn’t know how long they sat there, him hugging her and kissing her temples, but it didn’t
feel like more than ten minutes. Time was usually like that in his company; it just flew away.

It was mid July when Tom grabbed her by the hand and pulled her up the stairs to 7th floor.

“I want to show you something.” he said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

Hermione giggled and followed him eagerly. He led them through the left corridor and stopped by
the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and the trolls. He was gazing at her eagerly, clearly
enthusiastic about showing her this. Hermione, however, knew from the get go of entering the 7th
floor what he wanted to show her.

“We’re at the room of requirement!” she exclaimed happily.

Tom’s face fell in an instance.

“You know of it?” he burst out confused.

“Oh, yes! We used it in fifth year to learn defensive spells, we had a whole group. My best friend,
Harry, was the leader. It was an awesome place to practice in. It really helped without OWL’s.” she
explained happily.

“I thought I was the only one that knew about it…” he muttered and glared at the wall hiding the
secret door.

She couldn’t help but to giggle. He glared at her as well upon hearing her laughter.

“But please, do show me what room you had in mind.” she said expectantly and caressed his cheek
carefully.

In an instance he relaxed and a small smile found itself on his lips once more.

“Right.” he said before walking past the wall three times.

A door presented itself. Tom stretched out his hand to Hermione and she grabbed it without
thinking. They entered the room together and she couldn’t help but to gasp when she saw what he
had conjured.

They were met with a circular room filled with squashy armchairs and sofas, as well as brown
tables. A bulletin board could be seen in the far corners, filled with different notices. Several
bookcases could be seen throughout the walls. A large fireplace was located in the middle of the
wall, decorated with an even bigger portrait of a lion over it. Hermione was met with the familiar
smell of fire, candles and crisp wind. Everywhere she looked it was scarlet tapestries and red
decorations. She sighed content.

“How on earth did you know I was a Gryffindor?” she asked and gazed longingly around the room.

“The more you have been telling me about you, the more obvious it became. It also explains why
you’re so infuriating.” he shrugged.

“Hey!” she laughed and swatted him on the shoulder.

Tom laughed and hugged her from behind.

“Do you like it?” he whispered.

She nodded, hugging his arms back and leaned into his touch.

“I thought we could hang out here a bit.”

“That sounds amazing. Thank you for this Tom, really.” she said and turned to face him.

Standing on her tippy-toes she placed a kiss on his lips, one he was eager to replicate. He kissed
her softly and hugged her tightly. Her hands moved to his hair on their own accord, ruffling it
gently while leaning into his touch more and more. He deepened the kiss and she opened her
mouth to let his tongue enter, all while he pushed her against one of the tables. He lifted her up by
her knees and sat her down in front of him, never leaving the kiss. His hands placed themselves on
her hips, grabbing them hard while moaning into her mouth. It quickly escalated, and she felt his
throbbing length pushing into her thigh. Enjoying the sensation, she grinded a bit against it,
making him hiss and break the kiss. He grabbed her chin and turned her head upwards towards his.

“You’re a right tease, you know that, Hermione?” he grunted out.

She smiled coyly and winked.

“You can’t have it all.”

A sneer found itself on his face and he looked far too smug. She frowned at him, bewildered at his
reaction to her words, a question in her eyes as she met his.

“As I recall, you once told me you’d do anything for me. Remember that, princess?” he cooed in
her ear while one of his fingers was circling her nipple through the fabric of her shirt.

She shivered at his touch, wanting nothing more than him to touch her more.

“Wh-what do you mean?” she got out through heavy breathing.

“In the bath, princess. You told me you’d do anything if I conjured more bubbles. And being
merciful, I did just that. Did you think I’d forget?”
He was now circling her other nipple and she bit back a groan. She had in fact thought he had
forgotten about that since they hadn’t talked about it in months. But alas, he had not.

“Of course not.” she muttered, a blush creeping up on her neck.

“That’s right, princess. I never forget… and you owe me.” he whispered suggestively, twisting her
nipple with his last words.

Hermione let out a pained yelp at the sensation, feeling the familiar pool in her lower abdomen.

“I might be inclined to punish you for ignoring me after that…” he continued as if nothing
happened.

She gulped and looked up at him with big eyes. Punish her?

“Wh-what?” she stammered, trying to move away from him but he had her pinned on the desk.

“Mmh, you made me very unhappy, Hermione. It’d only be right to punish you, don’t you think,
princess?” he cooed, caressing her burning face.

“There’s no need…” she started, glancing around for a way past his grip.

“Oh, I think there’s a need. And I’m the one in charge here. Remember?” he murmured
suggestively in her ear.

Before she could answer he had whipped her around, having her laid over his lap, butt in the air.
She yelped and struggled against his hold, but it was no use. He held a hard grip on her lower back,
as well as a good amount of her unruly curls.

“It’s only right, Hermione. You would want us to be even, wouldn’t you, princess?” he purred.

She could feel his erection pressing into her stomach, all too aware of the arousal he felt by being
in charge. It was despicable really, how he got off on power. Her body, however, felt no such
sentiments. She could feel her knickers being drenched already. After a minute she finally stilled,
making him release his grip ever so slightly.

“There’s a good girl.” he murmured and caressed her ass.

She was embarrassed, laying over his knees like this with her arse up in the air. She could feel her
skirt riding up by its own force. She wondered briefly if this was the punishment, humiliating her
like this. But just as the thought popped into her head, he pushed her skirt up towards her hips and
continued to caress her now bare arse.

“You have an exceptionally good ass, Hermione…” he murmured.

She was about to thank him when he struck her one cheek hard, gaining a surprised yelp from her.

After he struck her, he caressed her again, making the stinging disappear quite fast. She relaxed
once more, just to be struck again on the other cheek. Once again she cried out from the pain, only
to be soothed anew. Not waiting for her to relax again, he struck her hard over her cheeks four
times before caressing them once more. She felt tears pricking her eyes from the pain, and she
couldn’t help but notice how aroused she felt. It was humiliating, and yet her body betrayed her
like this.

Once more he struck her hard, this time she felt his cock twitch beneath her, a clear indication on
just how much he enjoyed this.

“P-please…” she whispered strangled.

“Please what, princess.” he asked with a musky voice.

Before she could answer he whacked her again, making her wail in pain.

“I think you like this, Hermione. I think you love being disciplined.” he cooed while he hit her
three times more.

She shook her head vigorously and threw her legs up and down, eager to get away from the
burning sensation he was implying on her. This only made him chuckle darkly.

“Let’s take a look then, princess.” he said and moved one of his hands down to her center, quickly
finding her knickers drenched.

“My, my… I didn’t take you for a liar, Miss Bernard. I’d say that’s five whacks more, don’t you
think? After all… it’s only fair…”

Hermione squirmed and wailed. Her buttcheeks were already burning from his hits. Tom held her
down with one hand before he distributed the blows to her red ass in rapid movements. She
couldn’t help but to howl in pain, knowing all too well she enjoyed it as well. When he finished he
caressed her cheeks again before moving his hand to her center once more, penetrating her with
two fingers. He started pumping them in and out while his thumb circulated her throbbing clit. She
could hear the wet sound his finger made when making contact with her wet folds, and she moaned
loudly. Impelled by her sounds he picked up his speed, entering a third finger in the equation,
making her feel too full. It didn’t take long for her to cry out in ecstasy.

After a few seconds she composed herself and he carefully caressed her abused bottom once more
before helping her up to a standing position. She sniveled when he dried her tears for her, kissing
her cheek gently.

“Such a good little girl.” he cooed and hugged her tightly.

She sighed contently, satisfied to once more be in his arms. He kissed her cheeks before once more
ravishing her lips. Eagerly, she leaned into his embrace and kisses once more, now moving her
hand to his pants to stroke his length. Anew, she earned a delighted hiss from him. Not knowing
where she got the courage, she knelt down in front of him and unbuckled his belt, glancing up at
him shyly. He was looking at her with big eyes, pupils blown with lust. Helping her get his pants
down, he licked his lips and eagerly released his length.

Seeing it, she was startled. She had known he was big, but seeing it in all its grandeur was
something else. It was thick and held a fair share of veins that was throbbing somewhat. It curved
to the left and was longer than she had expected it to be. She confessed herself somewhat
frightened, not having done this before.

Hesitant, she grabbed him and started stroking him lightly. Tom moaned and pulled his head back.
Experimenting, she licked the tip, finding it tasted somewhat salty. Pleased with this, she stroked
his length with her tongue before taking his tip in her mouth. He moaned louder when she did this
and his hands found her head, pushing it gently forward to take him deeper. She complied and took
him as far back as she could without choking. Bobbing her head back and forth as fast as she could,
she soon felt a sort of tiredness in her cheeks. Not daring to stop, she pushed through it. Suddenly,
she could feel his grip on her hair tighten before he released himself into her throat. Startled, she
didn’t know what to do other than swallow his load. She found it tasted salty, like before, with a
sting of bitterness. It was sticky gliding down her throat, and she had to swallow several times
before it felt normal again.

Hesitantly she stood up, drying her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt. Tom was watching her with
a gleam in his eyes. He tucked himself into his pants once more before leaning down and placing a
kiss on her lips.

“That was amazing, darling. Thank you.”

Hermione blushed and glanced away, too embarrassed to address their current activities. He took
her hand and they walked together to the kitchens to join Tinky for dinner.

August came quickly. Hermione and Tom had gotten permission to use the headmasters floo and
they were to meet Millicent in Diagon Alley before retreating to Millicent’s place for a couple of
days. Entering the Leaky Cauldron they found a squealing Millicent that was practically jumping
up and down upon laying eyes on them.

“Oh my god, Hermione! I’m so happy to see you! I’ve missed you like crazy! How are you?
How’ve you been?” she chattered excitedly all while hugging her tightly.

It was only then she noticed who had accompanied her, standing slightly awkward behind the two
girls.

“Brought your boyfriend huh?” Millicent whispered breathlessly.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” she huffed in response.

“Hiya Riddle. Good to see you.” Millicent greeted and shook Tom’s outstretched hand.

“Hello, Bagnold. Likewise.” he said politely, flashing her a charming smile.

Hermione grimaced before dragging them both along to do their shopping.

After a few hours they had all gotten what they needed for their new school year, and followed
Millicent through the floo to her townhouse. While there, her parents greeted them with ardor.

“Miss Bernard! We’re so happy to meet you at last. Millicent has talked warmly about you
throughout the summer!” said Mr. Bagnold and shook her hand in a firm grip.

“We’re so happy to have you.” smiled Mrs. Bagnold and hugged her warmly.

“Thank you so much for having me Mr. Bagnold, Mrs. Bagnold.” Hermione said shyly.

“And this must be Mr. Riddle? Millicent said you might be joining us. Welcome my boy!” greeted
Mr. Bagnold and shook Tom’s hand as well.

“Thank you, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” Tom said and greeted the pair.

Hermione shot Millicent a questioningly glance. She just stuck out her tongue in response. Clearly,
she had anticipated that Hermione would bring Tom along, even before Hermione herself had
decided to do so. She’d have to clear this one up before Mill began to think there was something
between them. It was purely physical, surely. Sure, they talked every day and shared intimate
discussions and feelings with each other, but that was normal, wasn’t it?
Before she could dwell on it longer their ears were met with a high pitched scream from the
fireplace. Startled, they all turned on the spot to be faced with the ginger girl standing there
beaming at them all.

“HERMIONE!” she shrieked and ran up to her friend to give her a bearhug. “I’ve missed you, girl!
How have you been, all locked up in that castle?”

“I’ve been good, Alice! How are you? Had a good summer so far?” Hermione laughed and
replicated the hug.

“All better now, a fair piece of man candy you brought with you…” Alice whispered in her ear,
making Hermione blush.

Alice quickly moved on to Tom, eager to talk to him.

“Hello, Riddle. How are you doing?” She greeted and shook his hand.

“Hello Fronsac, all good thank you, and you?”

“Intrigued.” she responded with a wink of her eye, making Hermione blush even harder.

Tom simply smiled politely.

After a few more polite encounters they all retreated back to their respective rooms for the
weekend. Hermione unpacked her small bag before joining them all in the small garden for tea.

The first day flew by. They were spoiled with good food and great company, making their talks go
on for quite some hours into the night. It was nice being back with her friends, enjoying their
gossip as well as their carefree approach to life. However, she was painfully aware of how much
Tom was watching her interact with her friends. She tried her best to ignore it and just be herself
like she usually was, but it was hard having his trained eye on her. Every now and then they would
lock eyes, and it felt like the world around them disappeared.

The next day was much the same. Long talks, good food and placing bets on who would date who
next year. Something the girls told them they had been doing since third year, it was practically
mandatory by now.

By 1 AM, Hermione excused herself and retreated back to her room. She was far too tired to stay
up any longer, and frankly, she longed to be back at Hogwarts again. It was weird how much a
place could impact you, it really did feel like her home by now.

She had just crawled down under her covers when she heard her door open. A small spark of fear
enlightened in her body, because she could not see who had entered her room. She sat up, eyeing
the space in front of the door suspiciously, just to let out a yelp when Tom suddenly was visible
next to her bed.

“Tom Marvolo Riddle! Don’t you ever do that again!” she scolded while clutching her chest,
heaving breaths.

She could hear him chuckle before entering her bed, crawling down next to her under the covers.

“What are you doing?” she asked, a bit confused.

“I missed you. We’ve not had any alone time for two days now…” he whined, pouting his lips.
He looked like a mix between a small child and an angel. It was mesmerizing. Taking her silence
as a denial he quickly continued.

“I’ve grown used to your company, you can’t expect me not to miss you when I have
to share you.”

“Yes well… You can’t just sneak in here…” she tried hesitantly, pulling the covers to hide her
body.

She wasn’t naked per say, but her pajamas left little for imagination.

“I just did though.” he chuckled, making himself comfortable next to her. “Relax, Bernard. I just
want to sleep next to you.”

“Oh… er, okay then. But no funny business.”

“Yes mam!” he said, making a fake salute.

Hermione rolled her eyes and made herself comfortable once more. It didn’t take long for him to
snuggle up next to her, drawing her body to his, her back connecting to his chest. She felt safe
there, in his arms. Soon they both fell into a peaceful slumber, as one of his hands absentmindedly
caressed her stomach.

Going back to Hogwarts was easy, she and Tom quickly fell back into their routine. By the end of
August Hermione had to come to the conclusion that the crystals wouldn’t work in getting her back
home, leaving her back to square one. It was actually Tom that had helped her come to that
conclusion, which she thought was very nice of him. He had assisted her in her research, actually,
he had been rather persistent in it. It made her research faster, having found that Tom was a rather
handy partner when studying something. Eventually she had to admit that the theory concerning
the crystals were faulty and would most certainly end in her death rather than a trip forth in time.
Tom made a very convincing plea.

They had just gotten back to their common room that very day, Tom was making them both
steaming cups of tea, when he suddenly addressed something that made a shiver travel down her
spine.

“Do you remember in the beginning of the year when I confronted you after dinner and peeked into
your memories?” he asked casually, like it had been all in consent.

Hermione couldn’t help but to shudder when the memory hit her.

“How could I forget?” she muttered and accepted her cup of tea.

Tom sat down next to her, a small frown visible on his face.

“Er, yes. Well. I saw a face quite distinctly. A face that has haunted me since that day.”

She grabbed her cup a little harder, sensing where this conversation was heading.

“He looked dead, really. He had very pale skin, almost chalk-white. His face was more skull-like
than anything I’ve ever seen before, and he looked rather like a snake. But it was his eyes that
stayed with me… they were red. Blazing red.”
Hermione could feel her hands starting to shake uncontrollably.

“Who… who was that man, Hermione?” Tom asked quietly.

She let out a deep sigh, trying to compose herself. Trying to remind herself that Voldemort wasn’t
here, it was Tom. And Tom wasn’t Voldemort. Her Tom wasn’t Voldemort. He couldn’t be. She’d
never let him.

“I’m going to tell you a story… and I want you to listen to it all before you say anything, even
though you might jump to your own conclusions while I’m telling it. Alright?” she whispered, still
grabbing her cup so hard her fingers were white.

Tom nodded, watching her intently.

“There once was a boy, he grew up in an orphanage after both of his parents died. At eleven he was
told he was a wizard and he got to join Hogwarts, quickly becoming more and more powerful as
the years went by. He gained a lot of followers during his years at Hogwarts, people picked up on
his power and was eager to follow him. He was born to lead. During his Hogwarts years he
committed several despicable attacks, resulting in many injures of his peers, alongside with one
murder. He became addicted to the idea of living forever, creating something called a horcrux.
Creating two actually, while still in school.”

She peeked a glance at Tom while collecting her thoughts, seeing how his face had fallen. He was
clasping his cup hard now, making his fingers as white from the pressure as her own.

“After Hogwarts he began working at Borgin and Burkes, searching for artifacts from the founders
to make more horcruxes. He succeeded, making a total of 6 horcruxes during his reign of terror.
Thus why he looked so inhuman. He committed countless murders and tortured innocent people
solely because of their bloodstatus, or simply because they were in his way. He had an army of
dark wizards and creatures.”

She took a deep breath before continuing, feeling the words flowing out of her mouth. Even if she
wanted to stop now, she doubted she could.

“In 1981 a prophecy was told, making him go after an infant that was said to stand in his way. He
killed the child's mother and father, and tried to kill the baby as well, but the spell rebounded;
making him rip away from his body. The wizarding world celebrated after this, but the dark lord
came back in 1995 with help from his followers. There was a war coming, and he was set on
killing the boy who had bested him as a baby. He eventually did, when taking over Hogwarts. He
killed everyone in sight, anyone who was against him. Ruthless murderers, always accompanied by
his cold laugh.”

Hermione shivered, caressing her own arms in a try to regain some warmth in her body.

“He called himself Lord Voldemort, but his real name was Tom… Tom Riddle…” she whispered,
finally looking up at the boy seated next to her.

She felt tears prickle her eyes upon seeing him. He looked utterly devastated and shocked.

“You mean to tell me… that that man… that dead man… was me?” he asked quietly, not meeting
her eyes.

“It’s one version of you, Tom. It doesn’t have to be you.” she whispered, stretching out to grab his
hand.
He pulled away from her, looking at her with a strange facial expression.

“I killed your best friends. That boy you talked about, I killed him. Didn’t I?” he whispered.

“He did. Voldemort did. Not you, Tom. You are not him.” she said frantically, still holding out her
hand towards him.

Tom shook his head, and gave a shallow laugh.

“I’ve already done horrible things. Horrible. And here I was concerned about what you’d think of
me if you’d ever found out. Turns out you’ve known all along. No wonder you were terrified upon
meeting me.”

Hermione felt tears drizzle down her cheeks.

“I refuse to think you’re the same man that haunts me.” she said, now scooting closer and grabbing
his arm. “I refuse.”

“How can you be so sure?” he said so quietly she barely heard him.

“Voldemort never knew love, or companionship. He never had friends, just followers. I think you
can have friends, Tom. I think you’re able to know love. Don’t you?”

She caressed his hand with her own, her tears dripping silently down on their hands.

“How can you be with me when you know what I’ve done to you? What would I do to you if I ever
caught you?”

“He is not you. Do you hear me? I’ve seen many human actions from you, things that made me
realize that you are not him. That you’re worth saving.” she explained with fire and pulled him into
a tight hug.

She felt him relax into her embrace, carefully hugging her back after a few seconds.

“Do you really believe that?” he whispered.

“Wholeheartedly.” she whispered back.

Tom pulled back from their embrace and kissed her fiercely, making her gasp with surprise. He
quickly entered her mouth with his tongue, and she let him. He was clearly in need of some
reassurance and comfort, and she was more than obliged to give it to him.

They snogged a long time before he finally pulled away, caressing her face intently.

“Sleep in my bed tonight?” he asked hesitantly.

She nodded and gave him a small smile before rising and extending her hand for him to grasp.
They walked together into his green room, both undressing into their underwear before crawling
down under the covers together.

She held him firmly against her chest, kissing his forehead ever so often, while caressing his black,
lush curls.

They laid there for a while, just being in each other's embraces, before he went up for some more
kisses. Something was fluttering in her chest as she joined in. His big hands were roaming her body,
and before she knew it he had unclasped her bra, tugging it off her body. His tongue was caressing
hers while his fingers played with her nipples, getting sparks of want shoot down to her center. She
caressed his naked chest and moaned into his mouth, feeling more comfortable than she had ever
done before in a situation like this.

Tom’s other hand found her knickers and carefully pushed them aside to caress her wet folds,
making her whimper softly.

“You’re so wet for me, princess.” he mumbled as he pushed a finger inside of her.

“Always for you.” she whispered back.

He groaned at this, entering another finger and started to pump them back and forth. She felt the
need build up in her lower abdomen, wanting more. They met in yet another passionate kiss, her
hands roaming his body, caressing the length of him through his briefs.

All of a sudden he disappeared from her mouth and pussy, making her utter a displeased sound. He
chuckled and started kissing his way down to her center instead. She held her breath when she
realized what was about to happen.

“Relax, princess. I’ll take care of you.” he murmured as he kissed each inner thigh carefully.

He proceeded with opening her legs wide and placing an open mouth kiss to her throbbing clit,
making her moan out in pleasure. Encouraged by her sounds he continued with this, flicking his
tongue over her folds and quickly learning where she enjoyed it most. He alternated between
speeds, licking and sucking on her clit. After a few minutes she felt the sensation start pooling in
her lower abdomen again, her moans began sounding louder and louder. Tom thrust in two fingers
in her wanting hole, making her gasp at the feeling. No sooner than a few seconds after that, she
came hard; screaming out his name as she pulled his hair.

When she finally came down from her ecstasy, she met his eyes where he was staring at her with
hooded eyes from between her legs. She blushed hard but kept eye contact.

“That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever experienced.” he said hoarsely.

She could see her wetness splashed around his mouth glimmer in the moonlight that shone through
the window. Hermione bit her lip and pulled him back up towards her. He was leaning on one
elbow, hovering over her, waiting for her to speak.

“I… I want you.” she whispered faintly.

“Are you sure?” he asked carefully, caressing her burning face.

“I’m sure. I want you. Just… be careful?”

He kissed her softly.

“Of course, darling,” he cooed.

In a swift movement he disposed of his briefs, moving his throbbing erection towards her center,
coating it with her wetness. He pushed lightly against her hole, ever so carefully. She gasped
loudly as his tip breached her, feeling far too full already. She held his arms tightly, probably
drawing blood from the way her nails were pressed into his biceps, but he didn’t make a remark
about that. He simply groaned and stopped, letting her adjust to his size for a while before pushing
in another inch. They did that for a while, letting Hermione adjust and settle with the burning
sensation that was currently in her vagina. When Tom finally pushed himself fully into her, they
met in a mutual groan.

“You feel even better than I could have ever imagined.” he grunted out as he pulled back slowly,
only to push into her again.

Hermione grimaced a little of the pain, but quickly adapted to his size and relaxed into him. After a
few careful strokes it actually started to feel good, making her moan with him. Picking up on this,
he sped up his movements, making her breath hitch. He kissed her fiercely while fucking her,
making the sensation in her stomach pool again. He released her lips only to kiss her neck tenderly,
leaving small lovebites all over.

“You’re mine.” he groaned as he kept slamming into her, faster and faster.

Hermione moaned loud, loving the way he claimed her.

“Say that you’re mine.” he growled in her ear, as his speed picked up more and more.

She could barely make a single thought, let alone let out words.

“Say it, Hermione!” he growled louder and pinned her down to the bed with one hand, the other
picking up her hips so that he hit an especially sweet spot.

“Oh, I’m… oh, I’m yours!” she screamed out as she became undone under him once more.

He groaned loud, his speed picking up even faster, making her squirm and scream under him. A
few seconds later, his movements stilled and a loud growl admitted from him. She could feel his
length pulsating inside of her, filling her fully.

Tom withdrew from her, leaving her feeling rather empty and aching down there. He quickly
pulled her in an embrace, kissing her temples and caressing her body.

“You are amazing.” he whispered as he kept kissing her over and over again.

She giggled quietly.

Just as they were about to fall asleep, her brain woke her up in alarm. They hadn’t performed the
spell. And she hadn’t peed. You were always supposed to pee, her mother had taught her that. She
reached out for her wand, quickly muttering the incantation that made her belly glow blue.

“Good thinking.” Tom laughed. “I guess I was a little too eager huh?”

“I guess I was too.” she said, a faint smile on her lips. “I’m just going to use the loo. I’ll be back in
a minute.”

She kissed him lightly on the lips before entering the bathroom. When she came back, Tom was
laying on his back, looking at her with a new sort of gleam in his eyes.

“What?” she asked as she crawled back into bed, quickly settling into his arms again.

“Thank you for trusting me.” he whispered and kissed her temple again, holding her tightly against
his chest.
 Chapter 36
Chapter Notes

Hello guys!
Sorry this has taken longer than usual for me to get out. I've worked a lot and then I
got sick.
I cannot begin to thank you all for your kudos and comments, they mean so much to
me!
Anywho; here's a loooooong chapter with our favourite boy.
Lots of love! <3

ps: next chapter is going to get.... toxic.

He was having a lovely dream, a rather usual one to be honest. He was kissing Hermione, and it
soon led to them tumbling around in the bed together. Not having seen her body wholly naked
made the details somewhat blurry, but he had a good imagination. He was just about to enter her
soft, wet folds as he stirred awake by movement beside him. His eyes flew open in an instance,
searching for the intruder. Finding Hermione big, brown eyes trained at him, he relaxed. She
looked guilty as charged, freezed in a movement of trying to get up from the sofa.

“Sneaking off are we, Bernard?” he teased while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Oh, er, no, of course not, I was just…” she started awkwardly while not meeting his eyes.

“Sneaking back to your room?” he interrupted, sneering at her.

It was obvious what she had been about to do, the question was why. She looked around the room,
caressing her own arm to soothe herself. He stretched his body before glancing back at her.

“So…”

“So…” she said in a low voice, abandoning her arm to play with a string of her hair instead.

A small smile tugged in the corner of his lips, pleased with knowing what sort of affect he had on
her.

“What’s on the agenda for today then?” he asked, looking at her expectantly.

He watched her gulp down a big portion of saliva, clearly at war with her own brain from the
amount of time it took before she answered.

“Er, well. I’ll go for a swim in the lake and then visit Tinky in the kitchens for breakfast. Then I’ll
probably go to the library.”

She was still playing with her hair, glancing anywhere but at him. Has she always been this cute?

“Great, I’ll get my swimming wear.”

Tom jumped up from the sofa and began walking towards his room without waiting for her
response. He thought he heard her mumble something, but it was inaudible.

While in his room he quickly changed into his yellow swimming trunks, pulled over a white t-shirt
and his khaki-shorts. He glanced in the mirror, fixing his hair so it laid perfectly once more, before
shooting himself a wink. It was a long time since he felt this confident.

Walking out of his room, he stopped just by the entrance of their common room. Hermione walked
down and they made eye contact briefly before she blushed hard and averted her eyes down to the
floor. Tom smiled cockily. She walked passed him and muttered:

“Let’s go then…”

Still with the smile plastered on his lips, he opened the door for her and waited until she had
walked out before following her. The walk down to the lake was peaceful. He enjoyed being out on
the grounds this early, accompanied only by the sounds of birds and wind.

As they made it to the shore they undressed in silence. Glancing at the petite witch next to him he
could tell that she still felt somewhat awkward, if the blush was anything to go by. She made her
way out into the water and he followed, sensing he was the one to break the silence.

“I don’t think I’ve ever swimmed here before…” he said happily.

Way to go, Tom. That was really something. She must think you’re really intelligent.

“Oh?”

He watched her take a few strokes out into the water, careful not to let her hair get wet.

“I usually sit by the oak tree, watching people.” he continued, never letting her out of his sight.

“Yeah, I noticed.” she said and smiled.

A warm feeling spread through him upon hearing her words. She had noticed. She had noticed him
sitting there, even though they hadn’t been on talking terms by then.

“Oh, so you were watching me?” he teased and splashed some water at her, gaining a giggle from
her as she tried to get away from his splashes.

“I think it’s you who have been watching me.” she said and splashed some water back at him.

“I think that would be a fair assumption. However could I not notice you, Hermione.” he said,
enjoying the blush that crept up on her face.

In the sunlight, it colored her face even more attractively. He could stare at her forever. Enjoying
the sensation, he quickly carried on, wanting it to stay.

“I remember the Sunday when our exams were done. You were sitting here at the beach with your
friends, wearing a small, white swimsuit.”

“Have you been staring at me, Riddle?” she teased, going for the same tone he had used on her
earlier.

He moved closer to her, happy that she had taken his bait.

“How could I not when that particular swimsuit hugged your body so perfectly? How could I not
stare when the most beautiful girl in the school was right in front of me? How could I not, when
everytime I see you like this…” he gestured to her pale skin, drizzled with glistening water drops.
“It reminds me of our time in the bathroom.”

He got even closer to her, sensing her unease as she looked up at him with hooded eyes.

“Oh?” she got out, that blush of hers growing even further down her neck.

Tom smiled, sensing a win.

“Although, I must admit. This red two piece is far more… sexy…”

He trailed his finger over her collarbone, seeing her visible shudder. She quickly took a step
backwards, like she just now realized how close they stood, but Tom just smiled wider and closed
the small gap between them once more.

“Running away from me, Hermione?” he cooed in her ear.

He could see goosebumps emerge over her arms, and instinctively knew they weren’t from
coldness.

“N-No. Of course not.” she stuttered and was about to move away from him again.

He grabbed her by her waist and pulled her against him, enjoying the feeling of her small body
pressed against his bigger one. His erection was already up and ready, something he knew she
could feel now as well. He watched amused as she swallowed hard once more before finally
meeting his gaze.

“I’d like to kiss you now. Would that be terribly wrong of me?” he purred and caressed her chest,
just over the swell of her breast.

She shook her head ever so slowly, making his smile grow even bigger if it was possible. Tilting
her chin up with one of his fingers he kissed her with as much care as he could muster, wanting her
to ease into his touch. It didn’t take long for her tense muscles to relax in his embrace, and she
replicated his kiss. Encouraged by her compliance, he moved one of his hands down to her arse,
caressing it while deepening their kiss. To his surprise she entered his mouth with her tongue,
something he was happy to comply with. He groaned in want and lift her up in a swift movement to
place her over his hips. A small moan emitted from her as their sexes rubbed together, making him
thrust towards her, eager to hear her sounds. He moved one of his hands from her hips to her clit,
rubbing it slowly, making her utter more mewling sounds.

Tom’s hands moved on their own accord towards the edge of her bikini bottoms, eager to rip them
off. But just as he was about to pull them she freezed in his arms. He stopped his actions, letting
her down from his hold and watching her intently, scared that he had gone too far.

“I’m not… I’m still not… ready…” she got out, clearly uncomfortable.

A relieved smile found itself on his lips as he played with a strand of her hair.

“That’s alright princess. We have all the time in the world. There’s no rush to do something you
don’t feel ready for.”

She stared at him for a few seconds before asking:

“You really mean that?”

Tom sighed, not pleased with sharing this particular piece of information.

“Truth be told, Hermione, I’m a virgin as well. And if I’ve waited this long, I can wait a little
longer. I want it to be with you, and I will not push you into doing something you do not want
wholeheartedly.”

“You’re a virgin?” she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Yeah…” he said awkwardly. “I’ve never really taken any interest in girls… before you.”

He saw the smile tugging in the corner of her lips before it fully emerged, embracing her features
entirely.

“Really?” she asked.

“Really.”

One of her hands found his and she squeezed it reassuringly.

“Let’s go to the kitchens, I’m starving.” she said and started pulling him towards the shore, eager
to get some breakfast.

“I’ll second that.” he laughed.

Getting to know Tinky was one of the highlights of his summer break, if you didn’t count
Hermione. They had a lovely routine, with them both enjoying spending time learning in the library
as well as out in the sun. Tom found himself feeling tremendously happy, like nothing on this earth
could ever get him down again.

He got a few letters from Avery and Lestrange, both of which he actually responded to. They were
pleased to know that he wasn’t spending the break by himself, and also suggested if there might be
a little romance between the pair. Tom had actually smiled and responded that only time will tell.

He had expected at least one letter from Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy, but clearly they hadn’t taken
the abuse at the end of the year well. Had it been a few months earlier, Tom would have been
severely displeased, but it was like Hermione was his sunshine and nothing could get the day to
cloud. He figured he had to deal with them later, he was still their leader after all. But right now, he
just couldn’t seem to care enough.

Tom loved their morning swims, he’d hug her from behind, watch the droplets of water caress her
skin (that had actually gotten a little tanned), and kiss her tenderly.

One of their days they went to Kettleburn’s cottage where he kept a little enclosure that currently
held unicorns. Tom stayed a few feet away, simply because he knew that unicorns tended to enjoy
the company of women more, but also because watching the light go up in Hermione’s eyes as they
nibbled her hand when giving them fodder was truly a sight to behold.

Most of the days he couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of her. He just needed to touch her. And
not in a sexual way, no. He played with curls of her hair, caressed her cheek and neck, held her
hand or simply rested a hand on her thigh. He found that he felt a lot better when doing this, and
not knowing why this was; he naturally went to the library.

He scanned the section where he had found the book on feelings and quickly found another that
explained love-language.

Tom only skimmed the summary. From what he understood there were five types of love
language. Acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, words of affirmation and physical touch.

Acts of service was all about finding a way to serve your significant other; anything you can do to
ease the burden of responsibilities.

Receiving gifts was all about putting the love, effort and thoughtfulness behind the gift. It doesn’t
have to be big, just to show the other that they are known, cared for and prized for their partner.

Quality time was all about full and undivided attention. Listening intently and doing activities
together was key.

Words of affirmation were about hearing the words as well as getting the actions. Compliments
and hearing just why your significant other loves you was well received.

And finally; physical touch. Hugs, holding hands, touches on the arm, shoulder or face is key here.
The touch gives you a sense of security and belonging in the relationship.

It was safe to say his love language was physical touch then.

Early July they were seated by the big oak tree, overlooking the great lake. The giant squid was
sunbathing in the middle of the lake. They both had a book in their laps and had been reading them
for the past hour. Tom glanced up at Hermione and found her staring of into space, clearly thinking
of something. Smiling, he closed his book and turned towards her.

“A penny for your thoughts?” he said lightly and nudged her shoulder playfully.

She startled a little before smiling faintly back at him.

“I’m not sure they’re worth sharing.” she said, drifting off again.

He furrowed his brows before turning his full attention to her. He laid down the book next to him.

“Well, now my interest is piqued. Try me.” he said diplomatically.

Hermione gave a big sigh, clearly not sure if she wanted to share this with him. He furrowed his
brows again. Here he had thought they had made good progress in their relationship, but clearly she
wasn’t on the same page. He was just about to rant about it when she spoke again.

“Well, you know I’m from the future…”

Tom couldn’t believe his luck, was she finally going to tell him about the future? Finally going to
give him answers he had craved for almost a year now? He couldn’t help the giddyness that found
itself inside of him.

“Well, there was this dark wizard that gained a lot of followers. He was blinded by rage and power,
set to live forever and rule the wizarding world. A sort of Grindelwald of my time, you could say.
But this fellow was worse. He and his followers, called Death Eaters, killed in cold blood. They
murdered, tortured and raped muggleborns and muggles.” she explained, not meeting his eyes.

Tom swallowed hard. He couldn’t help but envy this new dark lord, because he too wanted power
and to live forever. Hell, that was why he had gotten horcruxes in the first place. Given, he only
had two, but still. However, the rape he could cross out immideiatly, that just wasn’t his style.
Maybe she’d tell him how this other man had succeeded, and he could make it before him. Or even
better, she could tell him his name and he could kill him before he set out to start.

“In my 6th year a fellow student was recruited and killed our Headmaster. By Christmas the castle
was stormed by Death Eaters. There was a big fight, and so much death. So much death. Both of
my best friends were killed, along with most of the professors and students. Some were taken
hostage, and I… I got away somehow. I don’t really recall the specifics, there were spells flying
everywhere, and then it felt like something struck me right over the head. Before I knew anything
else I ended up here, and you stumbled upon me. You really didn’t catch me in my finest hour…”

Watching her face, he could see that this was very hard to talk about. She gave a faint chuckle and
dried off a tear. Suddenly, he felt bad about wanting her to talk about this when it clearly wasn't
easy for her.

“I still have nightmares about it. Seeing his face, laughing cold, while firing the killing curse that
ended my best friend’s life. Or the mangled bodies of my fellow peers. I couldn’t save them… I
couldn’t save anyone…” she said, her voice breaking as the damm of tears finally burst.

Seeing her cry like that made his chest ache. A force of anger went through his body as well, and
he vowed to kill the man that had done this to her. He could feel his own eyes prickling. Doing the
one thing he knew how, he held her close while caressing her hair.

“You did everything you could, princess. It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.” he
mumbled, pressing small kisses on the top of her head.

Hermione shook in his arms as they sat there for little over an hour, her crying until there were no
tears left, hiccuping into his chest, him soothing her with his fingers, kissing her temples and
mumbling how much she means to him.

A few weeks later Tom had gotten a tremendous idea. He had dreamt about their time in the
prefect’s bathroom again, and suddenly remembered how she had begged for him so nicely. He
had also remembered how she had promised he could do whatever he wanted to her if he charmed
the bubbles, which he then had proceeded to do. She owed him, and he’d collect his debt soon.

Whenever she had fallen asleep out on the couch next to him he had peeked into her mind,
discovering she had been a Gryffindor previously. Something he thought obvious once he found
out. She often dreamt about them, together, something that made him rather smug.

Putting two and two together, he grabbed her hand and dragged her along towards the corridor at
the 7th floor. He wanted to show her something of his, something he had discovered and now
could be theirs. A place to hide out if they ever needed to.

He stopped before the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and the trolls and released her hand. He felt
giddy, almost too happy. It was a gift for her, but also for him. And somehow he felt more than
excited about it.

“We’re at the room of requirement!” Hermione exclaimed and beamed at him.

Tom couldn’t help it, he simply stared at her. How in the name of Salazar did she know about it?
Was it common sense in the future? He had thought he was the only one who knew of it, he had
thought the room his.
“You know of it?” he asked without hesitation, furrowing his brows at her.

“Oh yes! We used it in fifth year to learn defensive spells, we had a whole group. My best friend,
Harry, was the leader. It was an awesome place to practice in. It really helped with our OWL’s.”
she explained swiftly, moving towards the stonewall and caressing it.

Tom couldn’t believe what he was hearing. A whole group? And here he thought himself special. It
was oddly humbling spending time with Hermione, more than often she found a way to take him
down from his pedestal. And normally, he’d crucio anyone for it, but not her. She never did it out
of malice, no. She simply was that way, looking at things from different perspectives and logically
coming to a conclusion.

“I thought I was the only one who knew about it…” he muttered and glared at the wall, with his
pretty witch standing next to it.

Hermione gave a small giggle, making him glare at her as well. She walked up to him and caressed
his cheek; suddenly everything was fine again.

“But please, do show me what room you had in mind.” she said expectantly.

“Right.” he smiled and walked past the wall three times.

The door quickly came forth and they entered together. As soon as she laid eyes on the inside she
gasped. Clearly he had done the right thing when conjuring the Gryffindor common room. It was a
good thing he had seen it so many times in her sleeping mind. She walked around the room,
breathing in the scent and the atmosphere. A content smile playing on her lips. She was truly a
sight to behold.

“How on earth did you know I was a Gryffindor?” she asked gobsmacked.

“The more you have been telling me about you, the more obvious it became. It also explains why
you’re so infuriating.” he shrugged.

Might also be because I more than often look into your mind when you sleep but let’s not get into
that…

“Hey!” she laughed and gave him a small shove.

He quickly fell into her laughter, hugging her from behind.

“Do you like it?” he whispered into her ear, gaining a small shiver from her.

She simply nodded and hugged his arms back.

“I thought we could hang out here a bit.” he continued, breathing in her hair.

“That sounds amazing. Thank you for this Tom, really.”

Hermione turned and kissed him lightly. He kissed her back, effectively trapping her with his arms
and hugging her tightly. He felt her lean into him, trusting him fully. A groan escaped him at this
notice. He pressed his tongue lightly against her mouth, begging for entrance which she easily
complied to. Her hands were in his hair, making a mess out of it, and he found there was no better
feeling in this world.

His body pushed her soft one against one of the tables, all while snogging her feveriosuly. In a
quick movement he took a hold of her knees and threw her up at the table. Grabbing her hips
harshly he found himself lost in the kiss.

She was just so sexy, he couldn’t get enough of her. If he could kiss her all day, every day, he
would have.

A moan escaped him again, easily telling of his arousal, as he pushed her skirt up a bit; displaying
her knickers. He pushed harder against her and the little witch grinded against him, making his
whole body tremble with anticipation. He hissed at the sensation of her knickers against his hard
length and broke the kiss. Grabbing her chin and turning her head towards him in a harsh
movement, he was met with a wonderful sight. She was looking up at him coyly, making him
almost lose his wits.

“You’re a right tease, you know that, Hermione?” he got out through gritted teeth.

She just continued to smile at him, before winking at him and saying:

“You can’t have it all.”

That little brat. He’d show her just how much he could have, how much he’d take from her. She’d
regret those words. He sneered down at her, still hadn't released her chin from his grip. A small
frown could be seen in her face as she took in his expression. Oh, he’d show her who’s in charge.

“As I recall, you once told me you’d do anything for me. Remember that, princess?” he cooed in
her ear.

He finally released her chin, only to caress her stiffened nipples through the fabric of her shirt. He
could feel her shiver, leaning into the touch. The bewilderment was still present in her eyes. He
thrived on this. His cock was twitching inside of his pants, begging to be let out to play.

“Wh-what do you mean?” she breathed hard.

“In the bath, princess. You told me you’d do anything if I conjured more bubbles. And being
merciful, I did just that. Did you think I’d forget?” he purred while watching her reaction intently.

As realization dawned at her, he smirked. Still circulating her nipples, she had a hard time
answering him. A beautiful red blush was caressing her neck, making its way up towards her pretty
face. He smirked even bigger.

“Of course not.” she muttered, glancing away from him.

Clearly she didn’t enjoy being the underdog. She’d just have to learn, wouldn’t she?

“That’s right, princess. I never forget… and you owe me.” he whispered into her ear and twisted
both of her nipples at his last words.

She yelped and tried to get away from him, but Tom held her steady. He could feel his control
slipping away, he wanted nothing more than to take her right here, right now. The sane voice
inside of him reminded him that she wasn’t ready, that he could take it out on her in other ways.
However, he reminded himself she had ignored him after that. Making him sad, and angry. She’d
simply had to pay for that at least. And with that, a predatory smile crept out of his lips.

“I might be inclined to punish you for ignoring me after that…”

He watched his words take root in the big brain of hers, looking up at him with her big doe eyes.
“Wh-what?” she stammered, once more trying to get away from him.

Mh, how he relished in this cat and mouse game. He pinned her down at the desk with more force
than before.

“Mmh, you made me very unhappy, Hermione. It’d only be right to punish you, don’t you think,
princess?” he cooed and caressed her face.

She was blushing even fiercer now, making him almost moan from the sight of her.

“There’s no need…” she started, still struggling against his grip.

“Oh, I think there’s a need. And I’m the one in charge here. Remember?” he purred in her ear.

Not waiting for a response, he swiftly whipped her around and placed her leaning on his lap. Her
face down and butt in the air. He made a point to put pressure against her scapula, making it
impossible for her to get herself out of the situation. Although, bless her, she tried. Her legs were
trying to hit some kind of target as she struggled against his grip on her. He smiled down at her as
he grabbed a big fist of her curls with one hand, the other caressing her lower back. He pulled her
face up somewhat, so she could see him, but just barely.

“It’s only right, Hermione. You would want us to be even, wouldn’t you, princess?” he purred.

He could see angry tears gathering in her eyes, and the sight simply aroused him even more. It was
something about having her at his mercy that was… sexy. He wanted to dominate her, to make her
submit to him and obey him. And he’d make her obey.

As soon as the thought popped into his head, the little witch stilled in his lap. He almost chuckled
at the irony. He loosened his grip at her ever so slightly.

“There’s a good girl.” he murmured, and practically felt her tremble as his hand roamed her ass.

Encouraged by this, he pressed her skirt over her hips and bared her asscheeks. Once again he was
mesmerized by it, much like in the prefect’s bathroom. It was so round, so perky and slapable.

“You have an exceptionally good ass, Hermione…” he murmured as he continued to stroke it.

Not thinking twice, he struck her hard, leaving a nice red handprint immediately. She yelped and
wiggled in his lap, pushing her stomach against his erection. He almost came from the sensation
only.

He continued to caress her, feeling her relax once more under him, only to strike her anew on her
other asscheek. She yelped once more, and he caressed her. But he couldn’t wait for her to relax
again, he wanted more. There was something about slapping her like this that got him even hornier
than he thought he could ever become. It was addictive.

Four more strikes, four more yelps of pain. The fifth time, her whole body jolted, making his cock
twitch with anticipation. All he wanted was to fuck her with no mercy, just take her, claim her,
devour her.

“P-please…” she whimpered below him.

He almost came right then and there. Her begging for him, for his mercy, was one of the sexiest
things he had ever experienced in his whole life.
“Please what, princess?” he got out, his voice musky with arousal.

Another strike against her ass and she wailed loudly. He could hear her pain, but there was
something more there; lust. It was addictive.

“I think you like this, Hermione. I think you love being disciplined.” he cooed, all while striking
her three more times, extra hard.

This gained a new reaction from his little witch. She shook her head hard, throwing her legs up and
down. Eager to get away from him. He chuckled darkly, enjoying the sight of it.

“Let’s take a look then, princess.” he said and moved his hand down to her drenched knickers.

He chuckled again, more than pleased to find her so aroused. He caressed her folds through the
thin fabric of her knickers, making her whimper under him.

“My, my… I didn’t take you for a liar, Miss Bernard. I’d say that’s five whacks more, don’t you
think? After all… It’s only fair…”

This made her squirm under him even more, clearly not as inclined to it as he was. He held her
down at her scapula once more before whacking her five more times in rapid movements. She
yelped loudly, thrusting against his hold. When he started caressing her again, she fell limp in his
arms.

After a few seconds he moved one of his hands towards her center and thrust in two fingers easily.
She was tight, yes, but her dripping arousal made it easy to pump them in and out. His thumb found
its way to her clit, making her moan loudly.

Internally, he thanked himself for listening to his goons whenever they shared just how they’d
made a girl cum. Thankfully, he was a quick learner.

Moving his third finger into the equation he picked up his speed, all while still caressing her clit
with his thumb. Only a minute later he could feel her walls clench down at his fingers. He removed
his fingers from her throbbing hole and licked them clean, eager to find out just how she tasted.
And it was nothing short of delicious. He almost moaned as he closed his eyes and tasted her
juices. He could feel her coming down from her ecstasy, so he caressed her furiously red bottom a
few seconds before helping her to a standing position.

She had been crying hard, making streaks of her tears visible on her cheeks. Her face was red, both
from their activities, but also from hanging upside down. He dried her cheeks as she sniveled. A
small smile found itself on his lips. She was just too beautiful. He kissed her cheeks gently.

“Such a good little girl.” he whispered and hugged her tightly.

A content sigh escaped her lips, making him remember his throbbing length again. He moved to
kiss her cheeks again, only to devour her lips once more. She returned them with the same kind of
eagerness that he had. One of her small hands found itself to his pants, stroking his length. He
hissed at the sensation, only to find her retreat from his embrace.

Bewildered, he opened his eyes. Hermione had knelt down in front of him and was now looking up
at him shyly, all while unbuckling his belt. He couldn’t believe his luck. If there was something he
had thought about often, it was their time in the cupboard. Her below him, him claiming her mouth
over and over again. He knew it was wrong of him to have taken her like that, knew she’d hate him
if she ever found out. But now she was doing it willingly, and he wouldn’t stop her. In a swift
movement he helped her pull down his pants and briefs, releasing his length.
He saw her taking in the sight of him, swallowing hard as she appraised it. He knew he was big, but
seeing her startle like that made him almost comburst. One of her small hands found its way to his
length and started stroking him lightly. Usually, he enjoyed doing it rougher at himself. But it was
something about having her doing it that just got to him. He groaned loudly and pulled his head
back at the sensation. Just as she picked up her speed and gripped him harder, he felt her tongue
caress his tip before roaming his entire length. He thought he might die.

When her pretty mouth finally was around him, he moaned louder than he had ever done in his
entire life. Before he could stop himself, his hands were on her head, pushing it forwards. Without
hesitation, she let him take control.

Tom looked down at the girl in front of him, watching her pretty head bobb back and forth over his
erection, and he knew he wouldn’t make it long. True enough, it only took her picking up her speed
before he came down her throat. He groaned loud as he released himself, feeling her throat contract
over him. He watched with delight when she swallowed it all, knowing that most girls didn’t tend
to do that. Or atleast, that's what the boys had said.

Hermione stood up and dried her mouth off, looking at him shyly. She was the prettiest thing he
had ever laid eyes on. His grand prize. He’d never let her get away. She was his, forever his.

With a swift movement he corrected his pants before embracing her once more, placing a kiss on
her lips.

“That was amazing, darling. Thank you.” he said hoarsely.

Hermione didn’t answer, she simply blushed and grabbed his hand, dragging them both towards
the kitchens for some dinner.

When August came around the corner they had plans to visit Diagon Alley to gather their school
supplies. They were supposed to use the Headmaster’s floo and meet Miss Bagnold there before
retreating to her townhouse for a few days. Tom wasn’t over the moon over this little excursion,
knowing he’d not be able to kiss Hermione for two days. But it beats staying back at Hogwarts and
not being near her at all. So he complied, plastered his Head Boy smile on and joined Hermione
when entering the Leaky Cauldron. As soon as he stepped foot into the bar he was met with a
squealing sound, much to his dismay. He fought the impulse to roll his eyes as Miss Bagnold was
jumping up and down, embracing Hermione with eagerness. They exchanged a few pleasantries
before she turned towards him.

“Hiya Riddle. Good to see you.” she said politely and shook his hand.

“Hello, Bagnold. Likewise.”

He even flashed her a smile, knowing he had to convince her friends to like him as well. Given, it
wouldn’t be too hard when they had all been head over heels for him since 3rd year.

Tom was dragged along the girls, holding their bags like the gentleman he was. Truthfully, he
wanted nothing more than to dump both the bags and the girls and sneak off to Knockturn Alley.
Alas, he was stuck with two girls shopping a little more than they needed. Of course, Tom did as
well get his school supplies, but that took all in all around an hour. The girls spent four more just
gazing at robes and other girl stuff, making him tag along.

When they at last made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron, Tom thought he might never want
to step foot in Diagon Alley again.

Bagnold was the first to go through the floo, giving him the perfect opportunity to sneak a kiss
from Hermione. She giggled as he did, before ending it far too soon; talking about not worrying the
Bagnolds. Tom pouted a bit before following her through the floo.

They were greeted in a spacious living room by Mr. Bagnold and Mrs. Bagnold. Tom continued
playing the perfect gentleman, thanking them for their hospitality. Just as he was about to ask them
both what they worked with, a high-pitched scream could be heard from the fireplace.

“HERMIONE!” the ginger girl screamed and ran up to her, hugging her tight. “I’ve missed you,
girl! How have you been, all locked up in that castle?”

Tom almost scoffed. Locked up in that castle. Like that wasn’t the best thing you could be during
the summer. There was no place like Hogwarts.

“I’ve been good, Alice! How are you? Had a good summer so far?” Hermione's muffled laughter
came from within their embrace.

“All better now, a fair piece of man candy you brought with you…” he could hear the girl, Alice,
whisper in what she thought was a low voice.

Tom saw Hermione’s blush take form, and he smirked.

“Hello, Riddle. How are you doing?” she greeted him, and shook his hand.

“Hello Fronsac, all good thank you, and you?” he answered politely, still smirking as he could see
from the corner of his eye how red Hermione had turned.

“Intrigued.” she said, making Hermione even redder, however that was possible.

He forced a polite smile, trying to hide his smugness.

The first day went by quickly. Tom had to admit to himself that the girl's company was rather nice.
He watched how they interacted with each other, and took note how different Hermione was with
her friends. She seemed more relaxed here than she was with him, he thought she might grow into
it with him as well. These girls had a whole year, they’ve only really had little more than a month.

As per usual, he couldn’t help but to stare at her. More than often they locked eyes, gaining a blush
from Hermione and a smirk from him. He also saw the two other girls give each other knowing
looks whenever this happened. Hermione was as oblivious as always, but Tom saw it all. He
guessed they’d have a lot to talk about later.

The next day was equally nice, and dragged on longer. By 1 AM he watched Hermione excuse
herself, bidding them all a good night. He was gazing at her longingly when he felt Alice nudge his
rib with her elbow.

“Go after her and kiss her goodnight, moron.” she hissed, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Tom laughed, and excused himself with a wink. He heard the two girls giggle behind him as he
went up the stairs towards their rooms.

As he continued down the hall, he dillusionated himself. He didn’t want the Bagnold’s to know he
paid Hermione a midnight visit. When he opened the door he could see how afraid she was, not
seeing whoever was in front of her. He watched her sit up with a straight back, eyeing the space in
front of her suspiciously. With a chuckle he made himself visible again, only to hear her let out a
small scream upon seeing him.

“Tom Marvolo Riddle! Don’t you ever do that again!” she exclaimed while heaving breaths,
looking at him angrily.

With another chuckle he climbed into her bed, joining her under the covers. As he did so, he
glanced at her pajamas. It was a silk tank top and the smallest pair of shorts he had ever laid eyes
on. He swallowed hard and felt his cock twitch. Willing himself to think of anything else he
corrected the covers over himself and laid down.

“What are you doing?” she asked, bewildered.

“I missed you. We’ve not had any alone time for two days now…” he whined, and made himself
pout a little to get his way.

She simply looked at him, her mouth slightly agape.

“I’ve grown used to your company, you can’t expect me not to miss you when I have to share
you.” he explained, still pouting.

He glanced down at her body again, simply because he could not keep his eyes away when it was
on display like this.

“Yes well… You can’t just sneak in here…” she said slowly and pulled the covers up.

Clearly she had noticed his glances.

“I just did though.” he chuckled. “Relax, Bernard. I just want to sleep next to you.”

“Oh… er, okay then. But no funny business.” she said and waved her index finger at him.

“Yes mam!” he said and made a salute.

Hermione rolled her eyes before settling into the bed once more. Quickly, he locked his arms
around her, successfully spooning her. He enjoyed the sensation of her being smaller than him, and
imagined that he was protecting her. He nuzzled the skin behind her ear, gaining a small giggle
from her, before they both fell into sleep.

At lunch they had made their way back to Hogwarts through the floo, and quickly fell back into
their routine. He was content with getting so much undisturbed time with her. However, it was a
constant reminder in the back of his head that in less than a month everyone else would come back.
And with all of them, their little honeymoon bubble would burst.

Tom spent his time trying to convince Hermione of the faultiness of the crystal theory, all while
knowing it probably could have worked. He simply wanted her for himself, and therefore couldn’t
bear to know he hadn’t done everything he could to keep her. He knew it was immoral, but he
couldn’t not do it. It took about a week of persuasion and threats of death if she used them before
she finally agreed that crystals weren’t a good option. He was so relieved he practically skipped
down the hallway towards their common room.

Tom was making tea when he felt the need to address something that had been on his mind for
quite some time, all while knowing it would upset her. He had put it off for a long time, thinking
she might indulge him herself. When she didn't… well... he didn’t want to upset her. But as always,
he felt a strong need to know, and today it won the battle.

“Do you remember in the beginning of the year when I confronted you after dinner and peeked into
your memories?” he asked in his most casual tone he could muster while making their tea.

He didn’t need to see her to know she had freezed. He turned towards her, handing her the cup of
steaming tea and sat down next to her on the sofa.

“How could I forget?” she muttered.

Tom frowned a bit, knowing he had behaved like a complete dickhead most of the year.

“Er, yes. Well. I saw a face quite distinctly. A face that has haunted me since that day.”

He watched her grip her cup hard.

“He looked dead, really. He had very pale skin, almost chalk-white. His face was more skull-like
than anything I’ve ever seen before, and he looked rather like a snake. But it was his eyes that
stayed with me… they were red. Blazing red.” he continued fast.

Her hands were shaking now. Luckily she had already taken a few sips from the tea, therefore it
hadn’t spilled as she began to shake. Tom swallowed hard, but continued to press on. He needed to
know.

“Who… who was that man, Hermione?”

He watched her sigh deeply and was quiet for several seconds before taking another sip of the tea.

“I’m going to tell you a story… And I want you to listen to it all before you say anything, even
though you might jump to your own conclusions while I’m telling it. Alright?”

Her voice came out as a whisper, her fingers still clutching the cup hard. He could tell she wasn’t
enjoying the conversation, but that she would still tell him. He simply nodded, giving her his
approval.

“There once was a boy, he grew up in an orphanage after both of his parents died. At eleven he was
told he was a wizard and he got to join Hogwarts, quickly becoming more and more powerful as
the years went by.”

That sounded an awful lot like himself, but it couldn’t be. Tom took another sip of his tea,
continuing to listen to her story.

“He gained a lot of followers during his years at Hogwarts, people picked up on his power and
were eager to follow him. He was born to lead. During his years he committed several despicable
attacks, resulting in many injuries of his peers, alongside with one murder. He became addicted to
the idea of living forever, creating something called a horcrux. Creating two actually, while still in
school.”

Tom felt his blood drain his face as he realized she might actually be talking about him. An awful
lot correlated to his own life, didn’t it? Was he not an orphan, growing powerful at Hogwarts? Had
he not easily recruited people with a promise of a better world? Had he not attacked several of his
fellow students, killed Myrtle and his father, thus successfully made two horcruxes? What were the
odds for her talking about someone else?
“After Hogwarts he began working at Borgin and Burkes, searching for artifacts from the founders
to make more horcruxes. He succeded, making a total of 6 horocruxes during his reign of terror.
Thus why he looked so inhuman. He comitted countless murders and tortured innocent people
solely because of their bloodstatus, or simply because they were in his way. He had an army of
dark wizards and creatures.”

Six horcruxes? Even he couldn’t be so daft, could he? Surely, four should have been enough? Or
even two…

“In 1981 a prophecy was told, making him go after an infant that was said to stand in his way. He
killed the child’s mother and father, and tried to kill the baby as well, but the spell rebounded;
making him rip away from his body. The wizarding world celebrated after this, but the dark lord
came back in 1995 with help from his followers. There was a war coming, and he was set on
killing the boy who had bested him as a baby. He eventually did, when taking over Hogwarts. He
killed everyone in sight, anyone who was against him. Ruthless murderers, always accompanied by
his cold laugh.”

He saw how Hermione shivered, trying to regain her warmth by caressing herself. Tom just
couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How could he have killed a baby? A defenseless baby?
There had to be some kind of mistake.

“He called himself Lord Voldemort, but his real name was Tom… Tom Riddle…” she whispered
and looked up at him.

What few droplets of blood were still in his face disappeared upon hearing her final words. That
name; Voldemort. A name he had played with and come up with just a few months ago. So it was
him. He was the reason for her hurt, the reason why she had nightmares and had lived through hell.
He would grow into this… this monster that killed babies and raped women? It was simply too
much.

“You mean to tell me… that that man… that dead man… was me?” he finally asked, still holding
his cup hard.

He didn’t dare meet his eyes. He felt so… ashamed. So devastatingly ashamed that he was the
reason she had known so much pain in her life. That so many people would know pain.

“It’s one version of you, Tom. It doesn’t have to be you.” she whispered, reaching out for him.

He pulled away, watching her with disdain. Not for her, but for himself. How could she bear to
touch him? He, who would do unspeakable things?

“I killed your best friends. That boy you talked about, I killed him. Didn’t I?” he whispered.

“He did. Voldemort did. Not you, Tom. You are not him.” she said, reaching towards him still.

Tom just shook his head and laughed maniacally. The irony of this was just too much.

“I’ve already done horrible things. Horrible. And here I was concerned about what you’d think of
me if you’d ever found out. Turns out you’ve known all along. No wonder you were terrified upon
meeting me.”

“I refuse to think you’re the same man that haunts me.” she said fiercely, scooting closer to him on
the sofa. “I refuse.”

“How can you be so sure?” he whispered faintly.

He willed his hands not to shake. Willed himself not to cry. She’d surely leave him, hell, who
wouldn’t. He was a despicable monster that had given her nothing but pain and suffering, in this
time and her own. There was nothing he could give her that came close to what she deserved,
nothing. He wasn’t good enough for her, and he’d never be.

“Voldemort never knew love, or companionship. He never had friends, just followers. I think you
can have friends, Tom. I think you’re able to know love. Don’t you?”

Her hands were caressing his, and he felt her tears joining the caress. Briefly, his mind went to
Avery and Lestrange. He didn’t know how to have friends, because he had never had them. But he
could try, couldn’t he? And if what he felt when with her was love, then he was certain he could
love as well. But how could she be so sure?

“How can you be with me when you know what I’ve done to you? What would I do to you if I ever
caught you?”

“He is not you. Do you hear me? I’ve seen many human actions from you, things that made me
realize that you are not him. That you’re worth saving.” she said with fire before pulling him into a
tight embrace.

Tom couldn’t help but to ease into her, he felt tears gather in his eyes. Never had he had anyone
who cared for him, who wanted to get to know him and fight for him. Not even his own mother
had tried hard enough to survive. And here she was, the one person that had every right to hate
him, and she cared. She wanted to be with him, hold him and kiss him, despite it all. He hugged
her back hard, wishing she’d never let him go.

“Do you really believe that?” he finally whispered, his voice full of tears.

“Wholeheartedly.” she whispered back.

Without further thoughts he pulled back enough to kiss her fiercely, Hermione let out a small gasp
but quickly returned the kiss. Probing her lips with his tongue he quickly was let inside and their
tongues were twirling with each other.

For quite some time they snogged, caressing each other as they practically breathed in the other.
When he finally pulled away he could see her lips were a bit bruised, and imagined his own looked
quite the same. He caressed her face lovingly.

“Sleep in my bed tonight?” He asked hesitantly.

They hadn’t really slept together if you didn’t count that one time in the beginning of summer and
at the Bagnold’s house. He was suddenly acutely aware of just how possible her rejection was.

But Hermione nodded and smiled before dragging him with her towards his room. He watched her
undress and eagerly complied with her actions. In only their underwear they crawled down under
the covers. She let him cuddle into her chest while she stroked his hair, occasionally kissing his
forehead. Tom realised he wanted nothing more of life than her. He reached up and kissed her
again.

Very soon he felt the familiar twitch of his cock and decided to let it steer for a while. His hands
caressed her soft body, grabbing her arse and stroking her breasts. In a swift movement he
unclasped her bra, gaining access to her perky boobs. He played with her nipples as they snogged
even fiercer, gaining a most delicious moan from her.

He tugged at her knickers, gaining access to her warm centre, and started caressing her there. She
was already very wet, and Tom purred at the realization.

“You’re so wet for me, princess.”

He pushed a finger inside of her, gaining a whimper from her.

“Always for you.” She whispered, and arched her back to get him better access.

Tom growled and entered another finger, pumping them in and out with force. She kissed him
again as her hands roamed his body, quickly finding his length inside his briefs.

He wanted more, and he’d take more. He broke their kiss and withdrew from her body completely,
making her pout sweetly. He chuckled before kissing his way down from her neck towards her
hips, making her gasp for air as he drew closer and closer to her centre. She tensed up when
realising just where he was headed, and he chuckled again.

“Relax, princess. I’ll take care of you.” He murmured and kissed each thigh warmly.

Hermione just nodded, a blush creeping up her neck. Tom caressed her thighs as he placed an open
mouth kiss directly at her centre. He flicked his tongue over her clit, gaining a loud moan from his
little witch.

She tasted deliciously, and he feared he’d never get enough of her. Alternating between sucking,
licking and kissing he quickly figured out what she liked most. She had a hard time laying still as
he continued to make out with her pussy. An especially sweet sound escaped her as he pressed his
tongue inside of her. Encouraged by this, he continued to do so for a while before continuing to lick
her clit. He thrust in two fingers in her and quickly found a pace that suited both his tongue and
fingers. He hadn’t thought she could get any louder, but he had apparently been wrong. Hermione
moaned and mewled under him, making him almost combust just from hearing her. He felt her
walls cramp and pulsate over his fingers and as she screamed out his name he could have sworn
there was no better drug than this.

He was looking at her intently, still between her legs, as her eyelashes fluttered open. Yet again,
she blushed as their eyes connected.

“That was the sexiest thing I’ve ever experienced.” He grunted out.

He licked his lips, still tasting her, before allowing her to pull him up and above her. He leaned on
his elbow and waited for her to say something. A small part of him was scared he had done
something she wasn’t ready for, although it was for certain she had enjoyed it. So when she finally
spoke, it was safe to say she caught him off guard.

“I… I want you.”

“Are you sure?” He asked slowly, caressing her face.

He wanted nothing more than this, but she had to give it to him willingly. There was no other way.

“I’m sure.” She nodded. “I want you. Just… be careful?”

Tom couldn’t fight the smile that took over his face, so he kissed her softly instead.

“Of course, darling.” He cooed.

Afraid she’d change her mind, he disposed of his briefs in a quick movement. Caressing his length
he looked down at her pussy that was practically glistening with her juices. He moved it up and
down, getting himself wet as well, before pushing it lightly against her hole.

He wanted nothing more than to just slam into her, claim her, devour her. But he couldn’t. He
needed to be careful, to be respectful. There would come another time where he could take her with
more force.

As his tip went inside, Hermione gasped loudly and grabbed ahold of his arms in a tight grip.
Frankly, he was sure she’d make him bleed from the way her nails were currently embedded with
his skin. But he found he liked that. A groan left his throat as he pushed in little by little, careful to
let her adjust for a few seconds every time. When he finally was fully inside of her, he was sweaty
with the mere force of not taking her in one full thrust.

“You feel even better than I could have ever imagined.” He groaned as he pulled out half of him
before pushing right back into her.

He watched her face intently, looking for any sign of pain. She had grimaced a bit in the beginning,
but was now moaning in tune with him. This only made him pick up his speed. He thrust into her a
little harder as they met in a passionate kiss. She was mewling under him as he moved on to her
neck, nibbling a few lovebites.

As her moans only grew louder and louder so did his boldness. He picked up both his speed and his
force as he pinned her down to the bed.

“You’re mine.” He groaned.

Hermione didn’t even have her eyes open anymore, she simply moaned and arched her back as to
give him better access.

“Say that you’re mine.” He growled louder, taking her harder and harder.

When she didn’t answer this time either he pinned her down harder and picked up her hip with his
other hand, making him get even deeper inside of her. The sensation was out of this world. He
thought he might get a heart attack.

“Say it, Hermione!” He moaned.

“Oh, I’m… Oh, I’m yours!” She screamed as he felt her walls pulsate around his cock.

Now this was a feeling he’d never get tired off. He slammed into her even quicker, feeling his own
orgasm climbing as hers was still caressing him. He made one last thrust and came inside of her
with a loud growl.

After a few seconds he withdrew from her, waving his hand to clean the mess that was their
combined juices. He moved to lay beside her and embraced her tightly.

“You are amazing.” He whispered and kissed her all over.

Hermione giggled and settled into his arms easily. He was just about to drift off when he felt her
tense up and bolt right up. Leaning on one of his arms he glanced at her just in time to see her
mutter an incantation everyone from the age of 12 was to know. Her belly glew blue before the
light disappeared.

“Good thinking.” Tom laughed and scratched the back of his head. “I guess I was a little too eager
huh?”
Truthfully, it was more than lucky that she had remembered the spell, considering he wasn’t
exactly ready to be a father.

“I guess I was too.” She said and smiled. “I’m just going to use the loo. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Tom nodded and laid down in bed again.

A few minutes later she came back into his room, the light from the bathroom shining behind her.
It made her look like an angel, her hair of a gloria.

“What?” She asked as she once more climbed into bed.

“Thank you for trusting me.” He whispered as he kissed her temple.

She cuddled into him once more, and he mulled over the things he’d learned today. She had
entrusted him with not only her secrets, but her trust and virginity. She had given him something no
one else could ever have from her. He still felt that he wasn’t good enough for her, and frankly he
thought no one could ever be. But he vowed to himself never to become the monster from her own
time, vowed to always fight to become a better man. For her.
 Chapter 37
Chapter Notes

Hiya guys!
We're getting closer and closer to the end here, and I must admit I'm lowkey having
trouble with wrapping it up.
That means the chapters takes a little longer to get through as for now, I hope you'll
bear with me.

Hope you enjoy this one!

Lots of love <3

August 31th had come in what felt like a heartbeat. Hermione didn’t really know how she felt
about everyone coming back tomorrow. She had already gotten used to having the teachers back
considering they had been there for little more than a week now. And of course it’d be nice to be
around your friends again. But with them came other, more intolerant people. Such as Malfoy.

Truth be told, Hermione hadn’t really worked through everything that had happened last year, too
wrapped up in whatever the situation with Tom was. And that was another headache for itself.
Sure, she liked being around him, enjoyed his touch and physical as well as mental attributes. And
still she was scared, because a small voice in her head kept reminding her that he already had two
horcruxes. And he knew that she knew. And they hadn’t really talked about it.

Today just wasn’t the day for them to have the talk either, she just wanted to enjoy his company
for what little time alone they had left. Something told her a lot was about to change this year. She
wanted to end their summer together on a fun note, thinking she had just the right kind of idea.

“Hey Tom! You haven’t shown me the Slytherin common room. You’ve seen Ravenclaw’s and
Gryffindor’s, it’s only fair that you show me yours.”

Tom had told her about carrying her back to her bed that evening when she had a little too much
firewhiskey. It only made her like him more.

“Oh sure, I’ll take you down to the dungeons.” he said flirtatious, and eyed her up and down.

“Not like that you creep! I just want to see the common room!” she laughed and swatted him on the
shoulder.

“Well, come along then, princess.” he said as he joined in on the laughter.

Tom took her hand and led the way down to the dungeons. They stopped in front of a wall of stone.
Hermione frowned and side-glanced at him.

“Um. Okay. Nice wall. Shall we continue?”

“No silly. This is the entrance. Anguis.”

“Oh…” she said sheepishly.

The stonewall moved to the side and a long hallway came forth. Tom took her hand again and led
her down into the darkness. Just when she was about to think he had taken her anywhere but the
Slytherin common room to do god knows what, lights came to sight.

It was a dungeon room that had stone for walls as well as the ceiling. It had a green hue to it, both
from the lamps and the black lake that was visible from the windows. A big picture of a serpent
could be seen as well.

“Subtle. I would have never guessed this was the Slytherin common room.” Hermione said
sarcastically.

Tom simply laughed and hugged her from behind.

“Welcome to my home.” he whispered in her ear. “This is where I grew up. This is home.”

Hermione turned to face him on instinct, having heard the emotion in his voice. He looked
incredibly calm, and happy. Almost content, just being here. She raised a hand and caressed his
cheek, he immediately leaned into her touch.

“It’s beautiful.”

Tom smiled and kissed her hand. In a heartbeat his facial expression was changed, now more one
of mischiefs.

“So, about taking you to my dungeons…” he said, eying her up and down again.

Hermione blushed and looked down at herself. She was wearing a normal summer dress, it ended
just above her knee and was white with yellow sunflowers on it. It wasn’t anything to lose your
head over, was it?

“What about it?” she said, and squared her chin up to face him as a challenge.

Something glittered in his eyes before he pulled her even closer against himself.

“I was thinking of making it our sex dungeon for now.” he said seductivly.

They had been having sex rather often after their first time together. It seemed none of them could
really get enough when they first had a taste. But this? This sounded a lot like that BDSM she had
read about one time in a muggle bookshop.

Hermione tried squirming out of his grip to no use, as always he had a firm grip of her. Tom smiled
predatorily down at her, clearly enjoying her struggles.

“Not running away so soon, darling?” he cooed and caressed her burning cheek with one of his
fingers. “I thought we were about to play…”

She glanced up at him again, noting how his gray eyes had turned a lot darker just by their
conversation.

“Oh, er… play you say?” she asked doubtfully.

“You see… I’ve been dying to hear you beg for me again… Remember what a good girl you were
in the bathroom? How good you took those slaps in the Room of Requirement? Are you going to
be a good girl today as well?” he purred as his hand slowly began trailing down her dress towards
her thighs.
Hermione drew in a sharp breath as his hand grabbed hold of her right thigh with force, making her
almost yelp.

“Of-f course.” she whispered.

Tom smiled as he loomed over her.

“I knew you’d be. You enjoy being a good girl, do you not Hermione?”

Both of his hands were now circulating her inner thighs, and she could feel the familiar sensation
of something pooling down in her lower abdomen.

“Always in control. Always have the answer to every question. Always the leader… mm, but you
beg to be set loose, don’t you darling?” he cooed as one of his fingers came dangerously close to
her wet folds.

Hermione simply whimpered in response. Because it was true. She had never thought about it until
Tom introduced her to the idea. She enjoyed being submissive, she enjoyed answering to him
while getting pleased as well.

Her eyelashes fluttered close as he kept caressing her thighs ever so softly, making her practically
radiate need. She knew he wanted her to beg for it, knew she’d have to ask for it. And truth be told,
that was so much hotter. She was just not comfortable yet, but the need grew stronger and stronger.

“Please… please touch me.” she whispered heatedly.

“Do you want me to touch you, princess?” he asked seductively as he crept nearer and nearer her
warm and longing center.

Hermione wiggled to get his finger closer. She wanted him to touch her, to please her and ease her.
Instead, she was met with a low chuckle.

“Do you want me to use you for my own pleasure, like a little slut?” he teased as his fingers got
even closer.

She hadn’t known such a crude word could make her feel this type of way. But hearing him say it
to her made her even hornier than she thought was possible.

“Oh… oh, please!” Hermione moaned as she felt her body begin to shake under the pressure of her
arousal.

Tom drew in a sharp breath as he finally laid hands upon her wet folds, realizing that she wasn’t
wearing any underwear.

“Oh, my. What a naughty little girl.” he hissed as he stroked her until she mewled under his touch.
“No underwear? And here I thought this was my idea… Might just have to… punish you, for this,
no?”

In a swift movement she was thrown down on a table, unable to move or see.

“T-tom?” she asked shakiley, not having anticipated the recent turn of events.

“What’s the matter, princess? Isn’t this what you want? To be my good little slut and do exactly as
you’re told? To have me ravish your body in whatever way I find fit?” he purred as he caressed her
body.
She barely registered that she no longer was wearing any clothes at all. The deepend sensation
from not being able to either move or see was too much. The feeling of ropes binding her legs apart
as well as her hands over her head were very much present, although somewhat hard to concentrate
on when Tom’s mouth seemed to be all over her body.

He was teasing her, twirling his tongue around her stiff nipples while his hands were lightly
scratching her abdomen. Hermione tried her best not to squirm, but it was no use. She wanted
nothing more than for him to relish her, take her and fuck her like there was no tomorrow.

“Please, Tom… Please!” she moaned after several minutes as he continued his assault on her
breasts.

“Yes… you enjoy this, don’t you, princess? You enjoy me taking control of you…” he whispered
softly as his hands roamed her body, everywhere but where she wanted him to.

Hermione simply whimpered in response.

She thought she might combust from the sensations he was currently giving her. Not being able to
see or move sure heightened everything. Every little touch felt stronger, every little breath over her
skin made it feel like fire and ice all at once, every kiss felt like she might die right then and there.
And when he finally made his way down between her legs, she was already quivering with lust.

“My, my… Such a wanting little slut… You’re practically dripping for me…” he purred as he
started licking her inner thighs, slowly and excruciating making his way towards her center.

Having him practically drink her, because that’s how wet she was, was another feeling entirely. His
tongue kept caressing her, making her moan even louder than she had ever done before. It didn’t
take long before she came, but he didn’t stop his devotion to her wanting pussy because of that.
Tom kept alternating between licking and sucking her raw clit, making her ride into her second
orgasm quite easily and embarrassingly fast after her first one.

Hermione felt like she was on fire. She had never had anything like this before, and he hadn’t even
fucked her yet. Knowing, or maybe hoping, that precisely that was yet to come, made her
throbbing pussy ache for even more.

“I want you, Tom.” she cried out as he still licked her folds.

“Such a wanton little slut…” he chuckled as he thrust two fingers inside of her.

When he curled them upwards, quickly finding her most sensitive spot, she bucked her hips to give
him better access. Her legs were shaking like crazy. She was so turned on that the third orgasm
came as quickly as her two first had. Only this time it felt strangely like she had to pee. Before she
had the decency to warn him, it burst out of her in a strong wave of liquid. Hermione would have
felt embarrassed if she wasn’t riding the high out of her orgasm. She had never come so hard in her
life, nor had she peed herself in adult years. A brief thought circulated her mind, reminding her that
some girls had these types of orgasms.

“Amazing…” she heard him groan as he licked up every single drop of what she had produced.

Hermione felt her legs continue to shake as she tried to catch her breath.

As swiftly as she had been tied, she was released, and he grabbed hold of her as if he knew her legs
would be shaky. He still had her blindfolded as he bent her down the middle and thrust into her
hard. Hermione moaned as she finally felt his cock inside of her. He picked up his speed and
quickly went into an excruciating speed, making her question if she’d be able to stand at all after he
was done with her. Tom swatted her over her asscheeks multiple times, making her moan even
louder as the sensation of pain swelled over her, twirling with her lust.

“That’s it. Such a good little slut. You’re taking it so well, princess.” he grunted as he thrusted into
her over and over again.

She didn’t have her witts with her to do more than moan as Tom claimed her body for minutes
upon minutes. It felt like they had been at it for hours, at least her body felt sore. Strangely, she
didn’t mind. A big part of her wanted nothing more than to never stop having sex with him,
another just wanted to go to sleep. After three orgasms she simply did not have as much energy
left.

As if he knew exactly how she felt, Tom picked up speed and strength behind his thrusts and
finally gave a final one before comming deep down into her sex.

He hugged her from behind a few minutes as they both catched their breaths, before withdrawing
and helping her dress again.

When they were both decent, they shared a look before bursting out in laughter. Strangely, she felt
even closer to him now that they had shared this certain type of sexual activity together.

Hermione and Tom slept in the same bed that night. They had done that sporadically during their
last month together, mostly because Hermione enjoyed sleeping alone. More times than not she
woke up diagonally across the bed, and that was a little hard doing whenever Tom was in the bed.
He didn’t seem to mind her moving about in the bed during sleep though, so maybe it was just her
silly head that was in the way for their sleeping arrangements.

When they woke up they took their usual morning swim, had some lowkey sex in the water where
no one could see them, and went up to the Great Hall to get breakfast. They were pulled into many
discussions with the professor’s, all who looked forward to their senior year and where they would
end up after that. Professor Slughorn was all over Tom, not that this was anything out of the
ordinary.

After breakfast they spent some time out in the sun, each with a book up their nose, before lunch.
They then retreated back to their own common room for some adult business, that soon turned into
some more adult business in their shared bathroom, before finally getting ready for the great feast.

Hermione had actually put on a little make up for the day, just a bit of mascara and blush,
accompanied by some lip gloss. It was subtle, but nice. She felt pretty. And when she came down
to meet Tom, she felt gorgeous. If there was something Tom was incredible at, it was making her
feel like the most beautiful girl in the whole world.

“Wow. You look… wow.” he stammered and looked at her.

Hermione giggled and offered him her hand.

“Shall we?”

“We shall.” he said as he clasped their hands together before descending the stairs down to the
Great Hall.

They seemed to be one of the last people to arrive from the noise that came from the hall.
Hermione peeked a glance at Tom, who looked more calm than ever, and blushed. They hadn’t
discussed their relationship, she didn’t even know what this was. Were they dating? Was it just a
nice summer fling? Just sex? Were they boyfriend and girlfriend?

Before she could come up to her own conclusion, they entered the hall. It felt like last year all over
again, because everyone went silent. All eyes were on the two Heads. Tom smiled warmly as he
placed a delicate kiss on her hand before departing to the Slytherin table where his possé sat.
Hermione blushed fiercely and quickly spotted her own friends at the Ravenclaw table. They all
would later say that she had been running towards them, eager to get away from the situation, but
Hermione stubbornly claimed she had simply walked fast.

The girls greeted her warmly, eager to hear about her summer break. Millicent and Alice kept
going back to the topic of Riddle, sensing she wasn’t being all that truthful. Hermione, on the other
hand, wanted to not speak about it until she knew exactly what was between them.

“Enough about me! What about you guys? How was your summer? Prudence?” she finally
exclaimed when they for the seventh time that dinner went back to ask about Tom.

This time, they wanted to know if he had abs. He did. They didn’t need to know that.

“Yes, finally, let’s talk a bit about me. I had a wonderful summer. I was courted by three boys,
although two of them are in the year below us. But-...” Prudence started to say but was cut off mid
sentence by Alice.

“Hermione Bernard. You tell us right now about what you have been up to this past summer or I
swear to Morgana and everything that’s holy I will hex you.”

All the girls around them blinked in sync, clearly not having anticipated her outbreak. Prudence
looked a little more than put out by being interrupted.

“Alright, alright.” Hermione said sheepishly. “We’ve really just read books, done our homework,
walked around the grounds, eaten and swam.”

“Nude swimming?” asked Alice, her eyes glittering with thought.

“No!” Hermione shrieked and went beet red as the girls hollowed in laughter.

“You’re not in love with him?” asked Millicent in a soft tone, eyeing her carefully.

“No.” she answered quickly.

“No feelings at all?” asked Isa, eyes fluttering between Hermione and the boy in question.

Hermione knew she asked because both she and Prudence held some sort of childish crush on him,
and possessiveness quickly erupted inside of her, but she bit it down, knowing it’d do her no good
letting it flare.

“We’re just getting to know each other. We’re going to have to get along since both of us are
head’s this year.” she said matter of factly.

Alice and Millicent shot each other a look while Isa just smiled at Hermione.

“Now that that’s out of the agenda, can we get back to me?!” shrieked Prudence impatiently.

The girls laughed and quickly got engaged in whatever story it was that Prudence wanted so
eagerly to tell.
Hermione smiled brightly. It was nice being around the girls again, she sure had missed their
company.

The following two weeks went about in a haze. The professor’s showed no mercy, and frequently
told them that this was their senior year; they just had to get used to this kind of workload. Luckily,
Hermione had a very good study partner from now on. One that actually lived together with her.
She had always thought that she worked best alone, turns out she worked even better with Tom. He
supplemented her disadvantages and she his, together they not only finished their homework in
record time, but handed in even better works than before.

They still hadn’t discussed their relationship, and Hermione was simply too scared to do so. What
if he’d laugh at her if she asked if he considered them a couple, or worse, what if he’d stop talking
to her all together?

It was as it always had been when they were in their common room, but they didn’t sleep together.
Occasionaly they would have sex, but it wasn’t as often as in the summer. It wasn’t all that weird
considering they no longer had any spare time while being Heads. But during their classes and in
between them, Tom was just…. Friendly. He always greeted her, but never more than that.
Whenever they were seated next to each other he’d caress her thigh, or ‘accidentally’ brush their
hands together. Whenever he did that, he’d be smiling much as he had during the summer. Her
Tom smile. But it was never more than that. Maybe he was embarrassed to be seen with her?
Maybe he figured that her being a muggleborn was too much of a shame for Slytherin’s heir to put
up with? Maybe he just used her for sex?

It wasn’t just those specific things that had changed. She also noticed that Malfoy, Crabbe and
Goyle weren’t running after Tom as much this year as they had been last. And he didn’t seem to
care either. Or maybe she missed out on those moments. It wasn’t like she was watching him all
the time… not at all. But it was still odd, wasn’t it? Why were they keeping away from him? And
why was it so easy for them to do so? Shouldn’t Tom be at least a little bit put off by it?

It was these thoughts that occupied her mind as she was walking back from the library late at night.
Usually she’d be worried about breaking the curfew, but being the Head Girl certainly had its
perks.

“Well, well, well. I just keep running into you like this Hermione.” came a sleeze voice from the
shadows.

One she knew all too well. Immediately she reached for her wand and aimed it at the source of the
voice. But before she could draw it, she was tackled into the wall by his rock hard body.

“Let me go this instance. I’m Head Girl this year, it doesn’t matter that you’re a prefect. I’m above
you.” Hermione growled, trying to intimidate the boy in front of her.

He just chuckled as he pressed himself harder against her, moving her hands up over her head. Had
they not been in this situation far too often?

“And do you think you can out-power me, pumpkin?”

Hermione shivered at the old nickname, as he had come to resent it fully.

“See, I can even make you aroused still.” he said, and trailed a finger over her collarbone. “Just like
old days, mhm?”
His finger began trailing further down.

“Riddle will know of this.” she bit out, panicking as his finger were teasing her shirtbutton.

“Pfth, I’m not scared of Riddle. Where is he then, if he always comes and saves the day?” he
drawled and made a show to look around him.

Hermione didn’t know what to answer, she simply struggled against his hold.

“Come, come, Hermione. I just want to talk. I’m only holding you like this since I’m positive
you’d curse me otherwise.” Malfoy purred.

“Well you at least got that right.” she muttered and finally conceded that she wouldn’t get out of
his grip by sheer force.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” he stated after a few seconds of glaring at each other.

“Why do you even care?”

“I was planning on making amends this year.” he said and flashed a charming smile.

It didn’t have quite the wanted effect considering he still held her arms over her head. It felt more
like a sneer to her.

“You won’t get any sympathy from me, Malfoy. I know you just want to get into my pants. So
knock it off, it won’t happen.”

His grip on her hands hardened for just a second, but it was enough to know she had hit home.

“You came around last year, you’ll come around this one too. I got time, darling. Save me a dance
at the Halloween ball, yeah? For old times sake?” he cooed and bit her earlobe before backing
away, a condescending smile on his face.

“Go to hell.” she said and raised her middle finger.

Malfoy just laughed and jogged away. Hermione was just about to walk around the corner when
she went head first into a very firm chest. Two familiar hands steadied her, but it wasn’t the normal
gleam in his eyes as he looked down at her.

“Meeting with Malfoy, are we now?” he sneered.

“I did no such thing!”

“Oh, okay then. I’m just blind nowadays, that’s it.” he said and chuckled darkly.

“You’re being ridiculous!” she retorted.

“Me? I’m not the one letting boys feel her up against the wall.”

Hermione sputtered her protests, but he interrupted her.

“Wouldn’t think you’d go around whoring after losing your virginity.”

Tom stood with his arms over his chest, looking down at her with blazing eyes. He was angry.
Really angry.
“Did you even see what happened?” she screeched. “Did you even hear what he said?”

“Well I… I didn’t need to, did I? I certainly saw how cozy it looked. You two, in a dark corridor.”
he said defensively.

Hermione felt her rage flare up. She was one second from losing her shit. This little fucker thought
she had let him feel her up. Malfoy, of all people!

“Yes because last time was also extremely cozy. You’re a fucking idiot, Tom Riddle, if you think
I’d ever go near that imbicile ever again. How dare you accuse me of such things? How dare you
accuse me of giving myself up when you know what it meant for me? How fucking dare y-...”

Tom kissed her with such power she stumbled backwards. She would have fallen if it weren’t for
his strong arms holding her upright. It was such an erotic kiss, but she hated him for it. He thought
that just kissing her would solve everything. And that was so not the case. Reluctantly, she pushed
him away, and to her surprise, it worked.

“If you think you can kiss me whenever we have an argument, you’re mistaken.” she said and
poked her index finger into his chest several times.

Tom didn’t respond at first, he simply glared down at her with the same fire and intensity as
before, and then he pushed her hard into the wall. Her head hit the stone and she heard the bang all
too loudly. Faintly, she got a deja-vu feeling about the situation. His arms were trapping her, his
body pressed hard against hers, and he was breathing heavily.

“What the hell, Riddle!” she exclaimed as soon as she got her senses back.

“You. Are. Mine.” he growled.

Hermione didn’t know what to say, she simply stared up at the man before her. He was practically
shaking with rage, and what for? Because she was practically groped by another? It wasn’t even
her fault! She was just about to lecture him on this when he spoke once more.

“I don’t want you to ever talk to him again, do you hear me? You. Are. Mine. You don’t go near
him. And if he ever troubles you again, I’ll kill him.” he hissed.

She blinked as the realization of his words hit her. Because she believed him. Oh, how she believed
him. She knew he’d never hesitate, he’d kill. He’d done it before, hadn’t he? It didn’t matter how
much she hated Malfoy, she couldn’t stand back and just watch him die. A big part of her was
enraged over his reaction just by seeing her with another boy, but another, much smaller part of
her, was incredibly aroused by hearing this. That smaller part of her loved to be claimed like this,
loved to have him in control.

Nevertheless, she needed to get out of this corridor. It was always the fucking dark corridors.

“Let’s go back to the common room.” she said in a small voice, pleading with her eyes.

Something spasmed in his right eye, but he stepped away from her with a deep breath before
offering her his arm. Reluctantly, she took it and let him lead the way back to their rooms. The
walk there was quiet, neither he nor she so much as breathed loudly. Hermione briefly wondered if
this was his way off saying they were in a relationship, but figured he might just think of her as his
since they were having sex freqvently.

Tom held the door open for her and she walked in after glancing at him. He still looked enraged,
like a cold fury had taken over his appearance and wouldn’t let go anytime soon.
She walked into the common area and was just about to turn towards him when he swept her off
her feet. Hermione shrieked from the sudden movement but quickly subdued in his arms.

From her peripheral she noticed that he had carried her into her own room, and not his. It was a
rather unusual event since they usually shared his bed. Before she had space to continue those
thoughts, she was thrown onto the bed in such force it knocked out her breath.

Tom loomed over her at the end of the bed, barely moving apart from breathing. He just stood
there, watching her, still looking as enraged as he had out in the corridor. A part of her knew she
ought to be scared, but she wasn’t. She knew that he was gaining his control by simply looking at
her, and therefore she dared not move.

As suddenly as he had carried her, he grabbed a hold of her uniform and promptly tore it to pieces.
Hermione didn’t know what to do, so she simply laid there while he practically yanked the clothes
off her body. When she laid there in just her underwear he seemed content as his movement stilled.
One of his hands caressed her thigh gently, quickly moving up towards her abdomen before going
back down again.

He pulled her by the foot towards the end of the bed and took a stance between her legs. His eyes
were still fire and she met them with newfound courage. A few seconds went by, and she reached
out to touch him but was swatted away by his hand. Like her hand had encouraged motion he
promptly tore her bra and knickers off her body as well.

Briefly, she registered that that had been one of her favorite bras, before feeling his warm hands on
her naked body again.

It was utterly unfair that she was now naked, as he still had his whole uniform on. As if sensing her
line of thought he grinned maliciously down at her.

“You wish to undress me, Miss Bernard?”

She gave a coy nod and looked up at him with hooded eyes. She knew just how much he enjoyed
watching her from up there.

He yanked her body even closer, lifting her hips up so that they met his crotch. He was hard as
rock. She made a mewling sound at the sensation.

“Careful now. Wouldn’t want your juices all over my uniform.” he teased as she jolted her hips
against his. “Why don’t you help me out of this, hm?”

Eagerly, she got up to help him undress. In a few seconds, he too was nude. She took a step back to
just admire the human being in front of her. It truly wasn’t fair that he was this beautiful.

Tom was tall, closer to two meters, with broad shoulders. He was lean, with muscles visible, but he
wasn’t buff. He was strong, that she knew first hand, and his face, oh his face. Those strong
cheekbones really didn’t leave much to long for, nor did the dark eyelashes surrounding his icy
gray stare.

“Enjoying the view?” he mocked as he looked down at her.

Burning redness glowed up her cheeks as she nodded. Tom grabbed hold of her arm in an iron grip.

“You can only enjoy it if you’re mine.” he hissed.

Hermione blinked up at him.

“Are you mine, Hermione?” he continued as his hand now had moved on to grab hold of her chin.

Mouth slightly agape, she nodded.

With a growl he picked her up and threw her down at the bed once more. Without further foreplay,
he pulled her hips up and forced her head down to the mattress.

“Then you will enjoy this as I claim you.” he grunted out before thrusting himself into her.

It was a good thing she was so responsive towards him, otherwise she thought she ought to have
felt pain. But as it were, Hermione was already wet and wanting as he took her.

Long and hard thrust met her backside with a smacking sound each and every time. Tom didn’t
seem to care whether or not she enjoyed it, but luckily she wanted nothing more than to be at his
mercy. Her muffled moans cheered him on as he continued to thrust into her harder and harder.
Every now and then he’d slap her ass, making her yelp out in pain. It only seemed to increase his
stamina.

Tom’s hands were suddenly in her hair as he pulled her head off the mattress. He pulled so hard
that she swore her hair left her scalp as her body eagerly went wherever he directed it. Standing on
her knees in the bed with him pushed against her back, he hit an especially sweet spot. One of his
hands slithered down to her throat and contracted it hard.

“Who do you belong to?” he growled.

“Y-you. I’m yours.” she got out between moans.

“That’s right princess. Mine.”

He threw her down on her back and quickly took her in missionary. Hermione’s hands found his
back and she clawed onto it as he picked up his speed once more. One of his hands found the
trembling bud between her legs and she felt herself coming undone under him.

“Say it again.” he growled.

“I’m yours. I’m yours!” she shouted as she hit climax.

Tom followed soon after as he grunted louder and louder until he finally came inside of her with a
final thrust. He collapsed on top of her, practically suffocating her, while catching his breath.

When they both came down from their ecstasy and she had paid the bathroom a visit, she snuggled
up into his arms. There wasn’t much that beat the feeling of Tom’s strong arms around her body,
his own pressed against her back. Occasionally, he’d kiss her temple and rub her arm. It made her
feel safe, comforted, content.

It also made her question their relationship. Because what was this really? They had sex, they
cuddled, he wouldn’t have her near anyone of the opposite sex… It sounded like a relationship for
her. It was time she roared in tact with her Gryffindor lion and asked him.

“Tom…” she mumbled, still her back against him.

“Mmhm?” he asked as he kissed her temple once more.

“What is this?”

“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.

“I mean, this… us… what we're doing. What is it?” she explained and turned to lay on her back to
face him.

Tom propped himself up on one elbow, a frown visible in the light of the moon.

“You’re you, and I’m me. I’m not sure what you’re asking me, Hermione.” he said, still frowning.

“I’m just… trying to figure out what we’re doing here…” she said in a small voice.

Tom’s frown deepened.

“You don’t enjoy it? You don’t think we have it good?”

“I… uh, yeah sure I do…” she started.

“Then why question it? Do you wish to end it?” he interrupted quickly.

“No. No, of course not.” she said rushed, cursing herself for even bringing this up in the first place.

He watched her in silence for a while, and Hermione tried her best to swallow down the rush of
emotions that were soaring through her body at the moment.

“Hermione…” he began and caressed her face.

“It’s nothing, I was just being silly.” she said quickly and flashed him a small smile before turning
her back against him once more.

Without further thought he drew her close once more, nuzzling his nose into her hair.

“Goodnight, princess.” he whispered.

“Goodnight.” she got out without her voice betraying her.

Tears streamed down her face that night, and she had a hard time falling asleep. That safe haven of
arms didn’t quite taste as sweet anymore.

When October came, so did the talk about the annual Halloween ball. Hermione thought the girls
would have gotten their fair share of it last year, but was apparently very wrong. Millicent, Alice,
Prudence and Isa wouldn’t talk about anything if it weren’t related to the ball. Once again the talk
surrounding who would take her was the hottest topic.

“I don’t even understand why it’s such a big deal. The last one ignored me afterwards, maybe I’m
just a really boring date!” she finally exclaimed after the girls had begun placing bets.

“Oh come off it Hermione. You’re nowhere near boring.” consoled Alice before turning to
Prudence. “I’ll bet ten galleons that Riddle will ask her.”

“TEN GALLEONS?” Prudence exclaimed and looked gobsmacked.

“Yeah, I’ll even bet 12.” chimed Millicent in and winked at Alice who giggled.

Prudence quickly turned towards Hermione.

“What do they know that I don’t? Are you in a relationship with him?” she schriced.
“Certainly not. And I’m sure he wouldn’t ask me, Alice. Don’t waste your money.” Hermione
answered matter-of-factly.

Prudence was scrutinizing her with her look, and Isa looked as bewildered as Hermione felt.

Looking up, she met a pair of amused gray eyes. Clearly someone was paying attention to what
they were talking about. Quickly she stuck out her tongue at him before returning her attention to
the girls. She could feel his laughter more than she could hear it.

A week later, Hermione sat on the red couch with Tom by her side. They were, as per usual,
drinking their evening tea, when she felt the need to address a few things. She had stumbled upon a
few books during the summer, secretly keeping them until she was sure she dared to bring up the
subject.

They seemed to be in a sure enough state right now, and so she thought it was time for him to share
a bit about himself.

“Tom…”

“Yes, darling?”

“Have you ever regretted making those two horcruxes?” she asked quietly.

The reaction was instantaneous. His whole body went rigid as he turned towards her, eyes
narrowed.

“What do you mean?” he asked, tone laced with ice.

“I just… your soul isn’t whole, right? It’s split into three different pieces. Don’t you regret not
having your whole soul intact?”

Tom didn’t answer, he simply put down his book while still watching her with narrowed eyes.

“I just… you had to kill two people for making them, right?”

He gave a curt nod.

“Don’t you… regret it?” she asked, nibbling on her lower lip.

“No.” came a short answer.

“Oh… well, I just asked, you see, because I came across a few books during the summer… about
how to reclaim your soul from the horcruxes…” she explained hesitantly.

She hadn’t thought he could narrow his eyes further, but he proved her wrong.

“I don’t recall ever asking you to research that,” he said coldly.

“No, uh, I did them by my own account. I just thought that you’d want to have your soul intact-...”

“Well, you thought wrong, Hermione. I worked my freaking ass off to make those objects, you
think I’ll just give them up because you asked nicely?” he exploded, eyes livid.

“No, I just think you should read it…”

“What the hell do you have to do with anything off this? It’s my life. MINE. Just because we’re
fucking doesn’t mean you get a say in anything I do. What, you want me to give up everything
about myself, do you? Just strip myself of the power and immortality, because a girl I haven’t even
known for a year asks me to?”

“I just thought…” she tried, but he interrupted her again, looming over her as he had stood up by
now.

“I’ve not called a meeting for several months, and that’s excluding the summer. I haven’t fucking
cruciod anyone for months, haven’t killed anyone since last summer. You should be fucking
thankful of it. But it isn’t enough for you is it? It’s never enough for Hermione Bernard. She just
needs to claim more. Isn’t that right?”

“Tom, please. That’s not at all what I was saying. It’s great that you haven’t tortured anyone, but I
need to be sure that you won’t do it in the future either. How can I be sure?” she pleaded.

“What do you want for me? To swear it? Fine then. I swear I won’t fucking torture anyone
anymore, I swear I won’t make another horcrux agian!” he shouted.

Hermione just shook her head. This conversation had spireled so out of control, so fast.

“Nothing to say now, have you, miss know-it-all? Why? Because it isn’t good enough for you,
right?” he taunted, a sneer coloring his face now.

Hermione tightened her fists while trying to calm herself. It didn’t exactly help that someone was
trying to hurt you.

“Truth is, Hermione, that if you really cared so fucking much about this, about being with me,
you’d do one for me, so that we could live forever, together. You’d fucking make a horcrux and be
mine forever, but you can’t even commit to me in one life. You just have to throw yourself at
others, don’t you? Enjoyed the attention from Malfoy, didn’t you? Like a mudblood whore.” he
seethed.

She flinched upon hearing his crude words, shocked that he had actually said them to her face. He
was now leaning above her, leering down at her while she sat on the couch looking up at him.

“What did you call me?” she asked, calmly.

“I called you a mudblood whore who enjoys male attention a bit too much. Always parding about
in your tight denims, letting guys kiss you on the first date, grinding on them in libraries.” he said
icily as he trapped her with his arms. “Should've known you wanted something in return for your
company.”

Hermione didn’t know what kind of courage came over her, but she slapped him. She slapped him
so hard it left a bright, red, handprint on his very pale cheek. Tom staggered backwards, clutching
his cheek in astonishment.

“What the…” he began as he watched her with big eyes.

She let out a frustrated scream before running towards the safety of her room.

“Oh, that’s nice. Just run away then, like the fucking child you are!” she heard him bellow behind
her as the door shut him out.

With a fair share of wards she was certain he wouldn’t disturb her more tonight, and she finally
threw herself onto the big, blue bed, crying her eyes out.

All she really wanted was to be back in Ravenclaw tower with her girlfriends, knowing she would
have gotten through the night with just a little friendly embrace. But as it were, she couldn’t go
there. She was certain he sat there outside her room, waiting for her to emerge to pick up the fight
once more.

So, she cried. Heavily. Until there were no more tears to let out, or until she finally fell asleep.
What came first, she wasn’t sure.

Potions Class the next day was dreadful. Simply because Hermione refused to sit next to Tom
when she was so angry with him, thus leaving herself open for Malfoy to sit next to. And of course,
he took the bait. He spent the entire hour flirting with her, all while a certain pair of gray eyes were
boring into her skull from the place behind them. She even caught Malfoy shooting glances in that
direction, so he could probably feel Riddle’s rage as well. It was odd how much he publicly went
against Riddle nowadays.

“Hermione, dear, would you like to chop the liver? You always make such perfect pieces.”

“Sure.” she muttered and started chopping.

A few strands of her hair had sprung loose from her ponytail and was now hanging down in her
face. Malfoy plucked them up and put them behind her ear, caressing her face in the same
movement. She slipped with the knife, almost cutting her own finger off.

“Careful, pumkin. We wouldn’t want any accidents.” he purred and caressed her hand.

Hermione drew it closer to her body while scooting further away from the disgusting boy next to
her.

“Say, Hermione.” he continued as if nothing had happened.

She didn’t answer, frankly, he didn’t deserve it. Unfortunately, it didn’t discourage him.

“I’ve heard you don’t have a date for the Halloween ball. Care to join me?” he asked with a relaxed
smile playing on his lips.

Behind her, she heard something break. She didn’t have to look to know it would have been
Riddle. A part of her wanted to accept, simply to take the mickey out of Riddle for hurting her
feelings, but she’d never want to spend more time with Malfoy than she had to.

“Never in a million years.” she said icily, while putting the chopped liver in their cauldron.

Malfoy didn’t seem to take her rejection too seriously, since he leaned back on the chair he sat on
and looked far too smug for someone who just got refused.

Two weeks before the ball, Hermione was insanely tired of anything considering it. So when Tom
asked her that evening if she’d attend it with him, before he had so much as apologized for the
hurtful things he had said before, she actually laughed.

“You think I’d go to the ball with someone who behaves like you?” she said, putting her hands
over her hips.

“Er, yes?” he asked questiongly.

“You’re too fucking full of yourself.” she muttered and waved a dismissive hand at him, turning to
walk into her room.

Riddle grabbed her by her elbow and pushed her back.

“No, I get it. You just don’t want your friends to get their galleons, that’s it. How about I meet you
there, and then we dance? We don’t have to say that we went together.” he rationalized.

“Are you daft? NO! I want an apology for the very hurtful things you said about me. I want you to
actually understand why I came to you with those books. I want you to understand that you can’t
just say hurtful things and get away with them.” she said, getting angrier and angrier.

It was like they were having the same argument all over again.

“Just say you don’t want to go with me then.” he sneered.

“That’s not even the fucking problem!”

“Oh, so you want to go with me?” he said, lights gleaming in his eyes again.

“Argh!” Hermione exclaimed and threw her arms in the air before damping down on the couch in
defeat.

Tom sat down next to her, watching her intently.

“You will go with me,” he said quietly.

“I will do no such thing.” Hermione muttered.

“You will go with me.” he said louder.

“What is it that you don’t understand, Riddle? I don’t want to.” she retorted, now turned towards
him.

“You will go with me, or I’ll make sure you will. I’ll crucio every last man that lays eyes on you
that evening. I’ll fucking strangle them.”

He was saying this in an all too calm voice for the words. It made her shiver. She looked at him
shocked, her mouth slightly agape.

“What?” she whispered.

“You heard me.”

“What is wrong with you? All I wanted was for you to have your whole soul intact. I never wanted
to cheat you off anything. I simply wanted you to understand that one lifetime could be enough,
with the right people by your side.” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

Tom looked a little ashamed at her words, but the fire was still blazing in his eyes.

“I refuse to share you with anyone else.”

“No one’s said anything about sharing! All I said was that I need to reassure myself that you won’t
turn into Voldemort, and the only solution I see is to get rid of the horcruxes.”

“Why do I have to give up myself, for you to accept me?”

“Because I cannot be with someone who enjoys killing and torturing others. I simply cannot. It
goes against everything I stand for, everything I’ve fought for.”

“I am sorry for hurting you.” he said quietly, sneaking a glance at her.

She didn’t answer, truthfully, she wasn’t all that eager to forgive him yet.

“I want to be enough for you…” he said, almost so quiet it was inaudible. “But I fear I’ll never be.”

Hermione’s heart ached upon hearing his words, because she heard the truth in them, and she
shared his fear. She wanted nothing more than for him to get rid of his horocruxes, to live a normal
fucking life and not dabble with the dark arts. But would she take away too much of his personality
in the process? Was she allowed to change a person this significantly?

They sat quiet next to each other, both of them staring off into the fire that was blazing next to
them. It must have been about an hour before he finally spoke again.

“If I promise to look into it, would you go with me?”

Hermione gave a shallow laugh. He was bribing her.

“Only if you give it a real shot.” she said, and met his eyes.

There was a kind of sadness in them she hadn’t seen before, but also a determination.

“I promise.”
 Chapter 38
Chapter Notes

Somehow Tom's POVs always gets longer haha!

Enjoy the 10 000 words darlings <3

The rest of August disappeared into thin air faster than Tom could blink. Or so it felt like. He had
been having a wonderful summer break, the best he’d ever experienced actually, but it still didn’t
feel like quite enough time. He wanted more, and a big part of him worried that he’d always want
more when it came to her.

Because it was Hermione that held the key to his happiness. He’d never experienced it before, only
anger and despair, but with her it came so easy.

Tom had been corresponding with Avery and Lestrange, both of which told him that the trio of
bumbleheads had been avoiding contact with them as well. An aspiring fury had been growing
since he realized that they were keeping their distance. How dare they? He was their leader, and he
did not take lightly being set aside.

One of the letters from Lestrange was particularly keen information, all thanks to his betrothed
Miss Greengrass. If nothing, she was a hell of a gossiper.

‘My lord.

I write to you with anger, because it seems Malfoy is planning on turning against you this year.
Amelia told me that she overheard him speaking with Crabbe and Goyle while visiting with her
parents, she was of course not seen.

Apparently he still holds a greater grudge against you than we initially feared. It seems like the
session at the end of last year didn’t sit too right with him.

Malfoy also mentioned that you’ve gone… softer, as of late. This is of course nothing that myself or
Avery claims. We still think you’re a superb leader.

He has also catched on to your… friendship, with Miss Bernard, and is most angry with this. He
feels you cheated him of the opportunity to bed her, and intends to continue his pursuit this year.

I hope this letter finds you well. Give my warmest regards to Miss Bernard.

Yours in service,

Derick Lestrange.’

Tom reread the letter for the fourth time, going over what this would all mean for the up and
coming year. He could sense some truth in the words. After all, he’d stopped persuiting more
artifacts from the founders, he hadn’t been working on the tattoo idea he came up with a few
months back, and he hadn’t tortured anyone in months with the exception of Malfoy. If they
thought him soft, he’d show them just how angry he could get. Sure, he was happier now, and
therefore might not be as keen to torture people everyday, but that didn’t mean they could turn
their backs on him. Turn their backs on Slytherin himself. No. He’d show them just how he dealt
with traitors.

It was these thoughts Hermione interrupted when she addressed him for the first time in about an
hour.

“Hey Tom! You haven’t shown me the Slytherin common room. You’ve seen Ravenclaw’s and
Gryffindor’s, it’s only fair that you show me yours.”

A small smile found itself on his lips. He had certainly shown her his as she showed him hers,
several times actually. But this was apparently not about their private parts. But then again, she was
asking for a trip down to the dungeons. With him. That must be code for some hot sex.

“Oh sure, I’ll take you down to the dungeons.” he said while taking in her outfit for the tenth time
this day.

She was wearing an exceptionally cute dress with sunflowers on it. It hugged her figure in a most
flattery way, showing off her swell of breasts in a U shape neckline. It ended cheekily right above
her knees, something he wasn’t used to seeing on girls. Not that he complained.

“Not like that you creep! I just want to see the common room!” She laughed and pushed his
shoulder in a playful way.

Tom laughed out loud. If he could bet on it, he’d say they would have some sex in the dungeons.

“Well, come along then, princess.”

He grabbed her hand and began walking the long way down to the dungeons. He chose not to show
her the most common entrance, by the Great Hall, simply because it was a Slytherin secret of sorts.
They’d have to keep some from each other, did they not?

Stopping in front of the big stone wall he could tell she was confused. She practically radiated
bewilderment. He stood there, silent for a few seconds, just to annoy her. And right on cue…

“Um. Okay. Nice wall. Shall we continue?”

“No silly. This is the entrance. Anguis.”

“Oh…” she breathed and watched how the wall turned into a hallway.

He took her hand, knowing the darkness probably would be a little hard for her, and led her down
the long hallway down to his beloved common room.

He drank in the sight of it, so undisturbed without his fellow peers, all while glancing at her to not
miss her first impression.

She glanced around, her mouth slightly agape, until stopping in front of the big picture of the
Slytherin serpent with her arms crossed.

“Subtle. I would have never guessed this was the Slytherin common room.” she bit out, voice
dripping of sarcasm.

Tom laughed loudly again and hugged her, joining in on looking at the picture.

“Welcome to my home. This is where I grew up. This is home.” he whispered.

Briefly, a shot of nervousness shot through him. What if she didn’t enjoy this space as much as he
did? His sacred home. A big part of him had longed to show her this, he just hadn’t known it at the
time. But being here, with her in his arms, felt so incredibly right. His home, his witch. He’d never
let her go. Never.

Hermione faced him and cupped his cheek, smiling up at him.

“It’s beautiful.”

He couldn’t help the giddy smile that found its way too easy on his lips. She just had a way to
make him feel… seen. Like everything would be alright in the world if she was with him.

Kissing her hand that cupped her cheek, they stood there for a few seconds, just smiling at
eachother. Until he remembered what he intended to do to her in the first place.

His body reacted at once, the common heat of arousal rushed through him as he towered over her.

“So, about taking you to my dungeons…” he said and caressed her body with his eyes yet again.

God, was she beautiful in that dress. He could just flip it up and have access to her amazing cunt as
well. It was tempting, but he wanted to play a little.

“What about it?” Hermione asked, looking him dead in the eye.

He loved it when she was being disobedient. It just made it so much… sexier. A wicked smile
threatened to come forth, but he fought it. Instead he pulled her closer, pushing her soft body
against his, knowing full well she ought to feel his length poking her stomach.

“I was thinking of making it our sex dungeon for now.” he said, licking his lips, while drinking in
the sight of her blush.

To his delight, she started to squirm against him. He had yet to figure out if she knew this turned
him on even more. A knowing smile flashed her way. It was time.

“Not running away so soon, darling?” he cooed and moved his hand to caress her burning face.

Oh, how he loved making her this shade of red.

“I thought we were about to play…” he continued as he held her iron tight.

“Oh, er… play you say?” she asked, voice laced with doubt.

He loved that she was so innocent. It was like he got to corrupt her time and time again.

“You see… I’ve been dying to hear you beg for me again… Remember what a good girl you were
in the bathroom? How good you took those slaps in the Room of Requirement? Are you going to
be a good girl today as well?” he purred as he began to roam her thighs.

He took a stronger hold on one thigh and relished the sound of her sharp breath. Her eyelashes
were already fluttering, a good indication that she was aroused.

“Of-f course.” she whispered.

Making himself even bigger he smiled down at her. He’d enjoy playing with her today, it had been
far too long since they had discovered new ways together. He loved the way she let him be in
control, it made him feel powerful beyond anything he’d experienced before. And she seemed to
enjoy the arrangement as well.

“I knew you’d be. You enjoy being a good girl, do you not, Hermione?” he asked slowly as he
continued to caress her thighs.

She had such nice thighs, soft and warm. Occasionally, a shiver would go through them at his
touch.

“Always in control. Always have the answer to every question. Always the leader… mm, but you
beg to be set loose, don’t you darling?" he cooed.

A small and sexy whimper met his ears, and his cock twitched in response. He smiled knowingly,
and continued to circulate her legs with his fingers, waiting for her to catch on to what he wanted.
After a good minute, she finally did.

“Please… please touch me.” she whimpered and wiggled against him.

“Do you want me to touch you, princess?” he breathed and held her closer towards him, still
clutching her thighs.

Another wiggle and whimper met him, and he chuckled. She was so horny, she couldn’t even
answer him. A thought struck him, and he decided to test it out, hoping she wouldn’t be offended.

“Do you want me to use you for my own pleasure, like a little slut?” he teased and moved his
fingers dangerously close to her warm center.

He should’ve been met with underwear by now, but she was probably wearing a tiny pair. He
smiled crookedly. That would be too sexy to witness.

“Oh… oh, please!” she pleaded as her body almost shook with anticipation.

He moved his fingers and placed them on, what he thought would be, her underwear, only to be
met with nothing at all. He drew in a sharp breath upon feeling just how wet she was already.

“Oh, my. What a naught little girl. No underwear? And here I thought this was my idea… might
just have to… punish you, for this, no?” he hissed and caressed her folds with care.

It made her mewl under him, practically begging for release. He was pleased to know what her
intentions had been, considering she had played it off in the beginning. He’d made her pay for that
little act, simply because she succeeded with fooling him.

He levitated her onto a table while undressing her at the same time, and bound her and her eyes so
she couldn’t move nor see. He used real ropes instead of just the spell, enjoying the view of her
being entirely restrained. Watching her lay there naked and unable to move was the sexiest thing
he’d ever experienced. He could feel his precum leaking out, making a wet stain to his briefs.

“T-tom?”

Her voice was shaking, he couldn’t tell if it was from the excitement or fear of the situation she
was in. He was in control, and she was on display. A predatorily smile found itselfs onto his lips.

“What’s the matter, princess? Isn’t this what you want? To be my good little slut and do exactly as
you’re told? To have me ravish your body in whatever way I find fit?” he purred as his hands
teased every single part of her body except the wanting, wet folds.
He started kissing her body everywhere. From her hands to her feet, every single spot on her body
got a kiss. Occasionally he’d nibble a little bit, enjoying how she squirmed under his touch. When
he got to her breasts, she was already panting hard, and it only got worse as he circled his tongue
around her stiff nipples. It was rather cold in the dungeons, but neither he nor she needed any
warming charm. Both their bodies were flushed with want.

The fifth time he nibbled on her nipples she finally broke.

“Please, Tom… Please!” she moaned.

He smiled in victory, his hands caressing her whole body again.

“Yes… you enjoy this, don’t you, princess? You enjoy me taking control of you…” he whispered
and kissed either inner thigh that was wet with her needs.

Another aroused whimper left her throat.

“My, my… Such a wanting little slut… You’re practically dripping for me…” he purred and licked
her juices from the thighs, making his way towards her even wetter folds.

As he finally laid his tongue upon her, they moaned in tune. Hermione couldn’t seem to lay still,
fighting for her release as he licked her pussy vigorously. She finally found it after a few minutes,
making her scream out deliciously. Another flush of juices pushed out her pussy, and he licked that
up as well. It tasted as sweet as always, just a hint of tanginess.

Tom continued to lick her and her juices, enjoying the taste and her moans. His cock was throbbing
painfully, but he didn’t want to give her what she wanted just yet. Instead, he sucked on her clit,
occasionally kissing it gently. Within a minute of the first one, she rode her second orgasm. He
almost cried out in joy, feeling terribly confident that he’d gotten her off twice in just a few
minutes. Her legs were shaking somewhat, body flushed, and she was whimpering loudly.

He gave her a few seconds, simply kissing her thighs, waiting for her to regain her witts.

“I want you, Tom.” she cried out when he placed an open mouthed kiss on her wet folds once
more.

He chuckled and pushed two fingers inside of her, relishing the feelings of wetness that he was met
with.

“Such a wanton little slut…”

He watched how she creamed his fingers, enjoying the new moans she let him hear. Feeling
generous, he curled his fingers upwards, quickly finding that raw spot at the top and grinning when
he felt her buck her hips to meet his demands. Her legs started shaking like crazy and she let go a
shriek of release, covering his face in her cum in a strong spray. Somewhat shocked, he kept
fucking her with his finger, licking his lips to get as much of her taste as he could.

“Amazing…” he muttered when he started licking her again, relishing the amount of wetness she
had produced for him.

Tom felt dangerously close to cumming himself, he had never been so horny in his life. Getting
Hermione off was strangely enough more sexy than anything, making him wish to continue his
assault on her pussy forever.

Not bearing to limit himself anymore, he let her bindings go, careful to leave her blindfolded, with
a swift hand movement and grabbed her close to him. Forcefully he bent her over and thrust into
her without further ado. A loud moan left her as he fought with himself not to cum right away; he
proper lost that battle, feeling himself release inside of her but paid it no mind and simply picked
up his speed instead. Noting how his cock didn’t grow soft he smiled and began thrusting into her
even harder, enjoying the sounds she was making. He was supporting her weight entirely, handling
her like a little ragdoll and enjoying it massively.

Tom spanked her ass several times, taking pleasure in the sight of her red cheeks from the impact
and her sweet yelps of pain.

“That’s it. Such a good little slut. You’re taking it so well, princess.” he grunted and thrust even
deeper inside of her.

Had he not held her irontight, she would have gone flying over the dungeons. He grunted loud as
he fucked her relentlessly, not taking into consideration how tired her body must have been from
cumming so intentsly three times already.

Tom took a hold of her arms, pushing her upper body upwards and thrust into her in fast
movements, chasing his second orgasm. It didn’t take long before he found it, releasing himself for
a second time inside of her sweet and wet hole.

He helped her up to a somewhat standing position and hugged her from behind, feeling his penis
grow soft inside of her, before standing up and helping her redress after a muttered cleaning charm
over the both of them.

When they were both dressed, they shared a look and began laughing uncontrollably. It was
something exciting with these types of moments that they shared, making them grow even closer
with each other. He enjoyed the tender moments too, tremendously, but when he got to take control
of her like this, he felt more alive than ever.

Tom smiled warmly and clasped her hand, leading her out of the dungeons.

The following night she ended up in his bed again. And oh, how he loved sleeping next to her.
Knowing it was their last night alone in the castle before every problem would show up again was
devastating, but he planned on making the best of it.

They made love three more times that evening, he just simply couldn’t get enough. Falling asleep,
he was somewhat embarrassed over the things he had shouted out while climaxing, but it couldn’t
be held against him. It was just a heat of the moment thing, surely.

The following day continued in much the same as it always had, up until the other students arrived
of course.

He led Hermione by her hand to the great hall, knowing she looked far better than she had ever
done before and would surely turn some heads. Smugly, he reminded himself that she was on his
arm this time around.

As they were about to enter the hall he peeked a glance at her and was delighted to be met with her
delicate blush. A small smile formed on his lips.

They entered the Great Hall and were met with every pair of eyes in it. The whispers awoke with a
startle. He placed a kiss on her hand, trying to embed his emotions for her with his eyes as they
met, before walking the short walk to Slytherin table where he quickly spotted his normal gang.
Even, to his surprise, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

They greeted him with usual warmth, save from Malfoy who didn’t as much as grace him with a
nodd. Tom felt his jaw tick. That little imbecile would get what he was begging for soon enough.

“Hi Riddle, had a good summer stuck here at the castle?” Asked Crabbe with his mouth full of
food.

Tom barely held back a grimace. If he never had to look into Crabbe and Goyle’s mouths again,
it’d be too soon.

“Actually, I had the best summer I’ve ever had.” Smiled Tom and grabbed himself some mashed
potatoes.

“Really?” Asked Goyle dumbly.

Malfoy looked up, some mischief in his eyes.

“Nothing to do with a certain mudblood I presume?” He sneered while Crabbe and Goyle giggled.

“She’s rather nice company, I’ll admit. A fair step up from you dunderheads anyways.” He
responded while holding Malfoy’s stare.

He was challenging him, and that just wouldn’t do. Maybe he’d have to go show him exactly
who’s in charge here. He really preferred not to, simply because he wanted to show Hermione he
wasn’t the man from her future, but if Malfoy kept pushing him he might just have to torture him
into submission, or kill him. Whatever came first.

“Wouldn’t think you of all people would fall in love. And with a mudblood nonetheless, how
pathetic. They’re worth nothing more than to stick your cock in.” Malfoy proclaimed and sneered
towards Tom.

“Who said anything about being in love?” Asked Tom coldly.

“So you don’t care for her then?” Retorted Malfoy, raising one eyebrow.

“Of course not, you idiot.” Spluttered Tom, making the other’s shy away from him; expecting an
outburst.

Malfoy however, simply smiled, as if he won. Tom didn’t like the feeling of vulnerability, and
Hermione made him vulnerable, simply because he did care for her. Somehow Malfoy had caught
on to this, and it was Tom’s fault for thinking less of him. He didn’t know how to salvage the
situation, feeling like he’d given up a weakness for Malfoy to exploit.

They were quiet for some time, watching the first years get sorted. Crabbe and Goyle didn’t stop
eating, but when did they really. He felt Avery and Lestrange trying to catch his eyes, but Tom
didn’t feel like talking about what had occurred just now. He knew that they knew he did care, and
they had made it clear they would continue to obey him nonetheless. Malfoy however, was
beginning to become a problem he’d have to deal with. An inconvenience. Tom hated
inconveniences.

“My lord. Will we meet soon?” Asked Crabbe hopefully, interrupting his thoughts.

Tom looked up, meeting his eager face and smiled faintly.
“No. I don’t think we’ll have any meetings this year. None like we’ve had, anyways.”

He heard Malfoy scoff, but paid him no attention. He simply continued with his meal, asking
Avery and Lestrange about their holiday.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Crabbe and Goyle share a confused glance before looking
at Malfoy who was fuming. A very quiet ‘I told you he had grown weak’ was heard from Malfoy
and Tom closed his fists hard, trying his best to continue the conversation he was having with
Lestrange.

A soft touch was felt on his thigh to his left where Avery was seated. It was a clear message, a
supportive touch. Avery was telling him they were with him. Tom’s smile brightened. Maybe he
would enjoy getting real friends.

Tom missed their usual routine, he had to admit. There was something about having undisturbed
time with Hermione that just… made him feel great. And now, what with it being their last year at
Hogwarts, it seemed even the great Tom Riddle, Head Boy for two years, had to put more time into
his studies. By doing that, he had less time with Hermione. Sure, they usually sat cooked up in their
common room, reading together and revising together. But it just wasn’t the same. Occasionally,
Hermione would go to the library without him, claiming she needed some alone time. Tom didn’t
quite understand the meaning of that, but he of course let her go. But everytime that happened, he’d
miss her presence. She didn’t really need to be talking to him, just sitting next to him, or even in the
same room, would subdue his longing.

It was with these thoughts he felt the need to go see her, partly because he simply missed her, but
mostly because it was now over curfew. Walking the long, dark corridors by night wasn’t
something out of the ordinary for him. He did it while on rounds, but also by himself, and more
than often with Hermione whenever they had sat in the library for too long.

He was just about to round a corner when he heard muffled voices from the hallway before him.
Stopping dead in his tracks, he peered around the corner, only to have his chest spasm at the sight
that met him.

Hermione Bernard was in the arms of Ignotius Malfoy once again. He couldn’t really tell what they
were doing, nor what they were saying, but they were in an all too close position for it to be
something he’d enjoy seeing. It was unmistakingly them, he could point her bushy hair out
anywhere, along with Malfoy’s platinum one.

Tom wanted to run away, he wanted to close his eyes and walk away, pretending that he had not
stumbled across this… this monstrous betrayal. His witch, in the arms of another. And not just
another, of Malfoy. The very one that had hurt her so badly last year.

He wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn’t. It was like his body wanted him to hurt, enjoyed the
pained sensation of dread in his stomach as well as the difficulties to breath upon seeing Malfoy’s
finger caress Hermione’s chest. His chest. His witch. His. His. His.

“... save me a dance at the Halloween ball, yeah? For old times sake?” he thought he heard Malfoy
say.

Tom turned on the spot, intended to finally walk away from what he had seen, only to turn once
again with rage flaring up inside of him. He was just about to walk around the corner to confront
them both when something hit him head first in the chest. Out of reflex, his arms took a hold of her
to steady her. He knew he was gripping her a little too tightly from the wince that went through her
face upon seeing him. Was it… relief, he saw in her face? Could she actually be relieved to see
him? For what? Maybe she thought it was easier for him to see it, than for her to end it herself. So
much for being a Gryffindor, huh. Rage circulated his being once more, and he felt his magic flare
up inside of him.

“Meeting with Malfoy, are we now?” he sneered.

He knew it was a pathetic opening, but the hurt inside of him took hold of the situation.

“I did no such thing!” she argued at once.

Too soon. Too strongly. The monster inside of him snarled at her reaction.

“Oh, okay then. I’m just blind nowadays, that’s it.”

A dark chuckle escaped him as he towered over her. How dare she lie to his face?

“You’re being ridiculous!” she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest while glowering up at
him.

“Me? I’m not the one letting boys feel her up against the wall.” he said disgusted.

Here he’d thought they had something real, that she actually liked him. She had made him feel,
god dammit! And what for? To hurt his so-called feelings? Was this her plan all along? He paid
little attention to Hermione’s sputters of protests as the rage took hold of his tongue.

“Wouldn’t think you’d go around whoring after losing your virginity.”

He knew it stung. Hell, it even stinged him to say it. But he was so angry, he wanted her to hurt.
Wanted her to feel what he felt. He’d given her his virginity and himself, thinking she had done the
same. And then what did he walk into? Her, in the arms of a fucking Malfoy. It was like last year
all over again.

“Did you even see what happened?” she screamed in outrage. “Did you even hear what he said?”

Tom faltered a second. No, admittedly he had not heard their conversation. But one could only
assume the filthy things they were discussing while being in that sort of position. A position he
himself often enjoyed being with her.

“Well I… I didn’t need to, did I? I certainly saw how cozy it looked. You two, in a dark corridor.”
he got out after a few seconds, trying to regain the lead of the conversation.

“Yes, because last time was also extremely cozy. You’re a fucking idiot, Tom Riddle, if you think
I’d ever go near that imibicile ever again. How dare you accuse me of such things? How dare you
accuse me of giving myself up when you know what it meant for me? How fucking dare y-...”

Tom didn’t know what fell over him, but he went with the impuls directly. He grabbed hold of her
face with both hands and pushed himself into her, both body and mouth. He felt her soft form go
limp in his arms, clearly not having expected the turn of events. She tasted like fire on a rainy day,
and it made his stomach twirl with emotions. Her touch, her skin, her, was like coming home after
a long day. Couldn’t she see he only wanted her to be with him? Couldn’t she understand he needed
her? Craved her? He had starved himself for so long, that now when he finally yielded, he had no
fight left in him. She had him, and she knew it. He hated it.
The kiss lasted only a few seconds, and he wanted more. So much more. He was looking down at
her, panting, as the fire once again was very present in her eyes. She was angry with him. Of course
she was.

“If you think you can kiss me whenever we have an argument, you’re mistaken.” she said and
aggressivly poked her index-finger into his chest.

He loved her like this, when fire took hold of her, when rage was palpable. He loved it when she
was like him, when she couldn’t deny she was like him. It was sexy. It was desirable. He needed
more.

In a swift movement he had her cornered against the wall, much like Malfoy had done with her.
Only this time it was right. This time it was them.

He saw how his push made her skull hit the wall, a small crack could be heard. Part of him
relished in knowing he had hurt her, another quickly became cautious. He didn’t really want to hurt
her, not really. He just wanted her to understand. And he’d make her understand.

“What the hell, Riddle!” she yelled and locked eyes with him again.

He noticed that she didn’t look frightened, not even a little bit.

“You. Are. Mine.” he growled and pushed himself against her hard.

He was met with a blank stare, not really the response he was looking for. Anger fueled him once
more.

“I don’t want you to ever talk to him again, do you hear me? You. Are. Mine. You don’t go near
him. And if he ever troubles you again, I’ll kill him.” he hissed, putting emphasis on his last words
for effect.

She stared at him still, and said nothing for a few seconds before her expression softened
considerably.

“Let’s go back to the common room.” she said softly.

Her golden brown orbs were pleading with him, like she knew just how easy he’d let her go when
she had that look on her face. He wanted to hit the wall hard, get out all his frustrations and more,
but instead he simply let her go. Breathing hard, he fought for control over his emotions. When he
finally felt more like himself, he offered her his arm. Together they walked to their shared common
room in silence. He held up the door for her and watched her petite form walk into their place.
Theirs. Hers and his.

Another sudden outburst of possessiveness took hold of him, and he once more let it lead the way.
With a swift movement he grabbed Hermione and scooped her up into his arms, she screamed at
the motion, but didn’t struggle. He carried her bridal style into her room, knowing they usually
slept in his. But he wanted to claim her, and there was no better way of doing that than in her own
space.

With little grace, he dumped her on the bed. She was looking up at him with hooded eyes, now
knowing what to expect from the late night. Tom simply stood there, at the end of the bed,
drinking in the sight of her. When he finally gained control of his muscles again, he tore her
uniform to pieces in little force. It was far too easy, she was far too small, and he was far too big.
Big brown eyes looked up at him, clearly surprised by his actions. But Tom didn’t care. He
continued to yank her clothes off her body, leaving her in her underwear in a short moment. Once
more, he drank in the sight of her. The moon was illuminating the room, making her body
practically radiate.

This was his, and his only. He wouldn’t share with anyone, and he’d kill anyone who tried to claim
her. A hand shot out to caress her trembling body, taking note just how warm it was under his
touch. She was excited but scared, that much he knew from how her thoughts were practically
shouting at him. Relishing in knowing she feared him, he yanked her by her foot and dragged her
towards the end of the bed. She stared at him, and he simply stared back.

Truthfully, he didn’t quite know what he wanted to do with her. A part of him wanted to make
love, to make her understand how much she meant for him and that he’d move the moon for her if
she’d just fucking let him. But another part wanted to own her, claim her and make her submit.
Make her understand who was actually in charge. It wasn’t a fair fight, seeing as one part was
painfully larger and more audible in his head.

Hermione reached out to him, a question in her eyes, but he swatted her hand away determent.
Angry that she thought she could play with his emotions like this, he tore her underwear apart as
well, promptly tearing them to pieces in front of her.

He groped her body, making sure that his touch was anything but tender to display his discontent
over the situation. He watched her gaze at him longingly, her eyes wandering down towards his
abdomen and downwards. A spiteful smile colored his lips as he met her eyes.

“You wish to undress me, Miss Bernard?” he asked coldly.

Coyly, she nodded. Her eyelashes were fluttering towards him, as if she knew exactly what that did
to him. A groan threatened to leave his throat but he swallowed it. Instead, he yanked her even
closer by her leg, making her hips surround his. He grinned unkindly down at her when she gave a
small moan upon feeling his throbbing erection against her vagina. She moved against him and
made a mewling sound at the sensation.

“Careful now. Wouldn’t want your juices all over my uniform.” he teased. “Why don’t you help
me out of this, hm?”

He let his grip go, and she swiftly helped him undress. He gave her a few points for admiring his
naked form, relishing the sight of her arousal growing as she drank his body in. When more than a
few seconds had passed and she was still simply eating him up with her eyes, Tom grew impatient.

“Enjoying the view?” He mocked.

To his delight, she blushed fiercely. He wanted to fuck her sensless simply because of it.

He grabbed her by her arm and forced her face close to his.

“You can only enjoy it if you’re mine.” he hissed dangerously. “Are you mine, Hermione?”

He grabbed her chin hard. Her mouth was slightly opened as she nodded slowly, never breaking
eye contact. He growled loudly and picked her up, only to throw her even harder at the bed again;
face first. A small whimper left her as she landed, but he gave her no seconds to regain her senses.

“Then you will enjoy this as I claim you.” he grunted and pulled her hips up to thrust into her.

Enjoying the feeling of once more being inside of her wet folds, he groaned. Quickly picking up
both his speed and roughness of his thrusts, properly claiming her for himself. He wanted her to
never be able to fuck another man again, always having to think of him and how he fucked her so
good and hard she wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow.

Tom loved the way her round arse greeted him with each thrust, making it smack each and every
time. He loved the way it wiggled like waves, making him chase them.

He had never taken her this roughly before, leaving prints on her skin from his fingers wherever he
touched her, but he didn’t care. He needed to punish her, and she seemed to enjoy it from the
moans that could be heard. He slapped her ass hard, and pulled her hair even harder, relishing in
the sounds of her yelps of pain mixed with her moans of pleasure. He pulled her against him,
making her stand on her knees in front of him as he kept thrusting into her roughly. One of his
hands found her throat and he squeezed hard, wondering how long he could hold before she fainted.

“Who do you belong to?” he growled.

“Y-you. I’m yours.” she moaned.

“That’s right, princess. Mine.” he roared and released his grip on her.

Hermione fell head first into the mattress without the support of his strong hands, but he quickly
turned her around, taking her in missionary. Her hands were clawing his back, and he enjoyed the
sensation of her drawing blood. He picked up one of her legs and threw it over his shoulder before
rubbing on her sweet little bud between her legs. His other hand found its way to her throat again.

“Say it again.” he growled, feeling her walls clenching him as she neared her climax.

“I’m yours. I’m yours!"she shouted as she finally rode her orgasm on him.

Tom moaned loudly as he followed her lead and came hard inside of her with a final thrust, before
collapsing on top of her.

He catched his breath, thinking he felt much better now than before. The anger was gone and he
was left with a nice feeling inside of his chest instead. He had made her understand just who she
belonged to.

With Hermione snuggling into his arms he thought to himself that this must be what true happiness
feels like. A beautiful witch in his arms, an orgasm achieved and a good night’s sleep to wait. He
was just about to doze off when she spoke.

“Tom…”

“Mmhm?” he asked, voice laced with sleep.

“What is this?” she asked rather stiffly.

“What do you mean?” he asked, confusion transparent.

“I mean, this… us… what we’re doing. What is it?”

Tom frowned as he made himself more comfortable. What were they doing? Wasn’t it obvious?
She was his, he was hers. They were having sex, and enjoying it from all he gathered from it. They
both got comfort from each other. Tom really didn’t know where she needed to question anything.

“You’re you, and I’m me. I’m not sure what you’re asking me, Hermione.”

“I’m just… trying to figure out what we’re doing here…” she said, her voice quivering a little.
Dread circled through his body upon hearing her words. Maybe she didn’t want him, maybe he had
been right about her and Malfoy. Maybe, just maybe, this was the goodbye sex. He had learned
about it from his friends, it was common to engage in sexual activity to say goodbye. Had he been
so stupid not to understand what this was? He fought hard trying to not explode on her again.

“You don’t enjoy it? You don’t think we have it good?”

“I… uh, yeah sure I do…” she started.

It didn’t sound so convincing to him.

“Then why question it? Do you wish to end it?” he interrupted.

Even he could hear the venom laced in those words.

“No. No, of course not.” she said quickly.

She didn’t say more, neither did he, for a while. They just laid there in bed, her looking out of the
window, him looking at her. He could see she was upset, he just couldn’t understand what for.

“Hermione…” he began and cupped her cheek.

She gave him a weak smile.

“It’s nothing, I was just being silly.”

Once more they were cuddling. He held her tightly and drew in a sharp breath, as if to indulge in
her scent even more than he already were.

“Goodnight, princess.” he whispered.

“Goodnight.” came a small voice.

He held her close the entire night, sensing she needed comfort. Or maybe it was he who needed the
comfort, either way, they barely moved until sunrise.

September went by faster than any year before. There was a lot on Tom’s schedule; the same for
Hermione. They were both taking a lot of classes, aiming to get a record high of Outstandings on
their NEWT’s. Above the school work, their Head responsibilities took a lot of their time as well,
leaving small moments to actually spend time together.

On top of that, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had begun creating their own little group, leaving Tom
with Avery and Lestrange. He found that he didn’t mind this new arrangement, considering he
didn’t need to constantly fight with Malfoy or be disgusted by Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy had even
begun making snide comments whenever they passed each other. He was still somewhat friendly
with Crabbe and Goyle, but ever since they had realized he wouldn’t teach them more dark magic
they had turned away from him. If anything, they were the ones who drew the short stick. He no
longer needed to help them with their schoolwork; leaving them to visibly struggle in their classes.
It had taken a lot of restraint not to curse the shit out of them all, but he reminded himself it’d be
worth it in the end.

He was seated at the Slytherin table for lunch with Avery and Lestrange watching her, as always,
talk with her friends. They were, like everyone else, having a discussion about the Halloween ball
and who would attend with who. He’d heard them placing bets, and was glad to know he was in
the running at least. Millicent and Alice had taken up teasing Hermione relentlessly about him,
something he found oddly amusing.

She had met his eyes several times during the lunch, and every time his smile had grown. Initially,
he had thought he didn't need to ask her to the ball. He had simply thought it obvious they would
attend together. But hearing her discussions with the girls indicated she was expecting to be asked,
and so he’d have to come up with just how to do so.

Glancing to his left, he saw Lestrange staring in the same direction. A quick flush of
possessiveness soared through his body, until he realized Lestrange’s aim wasn’t pointed at
Hermione, but at Millicent Bagnold. In front of him, sat Avery, also noting the same thing. He
gave a small smile and coughed, easily getting Lestrange’s attention back to him.

“Careful now boys. Wouldn’t want just anyone to know how much you fancy those witches.” He
teased, with just a hint of real concern in his voice.

“You fancy Millicent?” Asked Tom, genuinely surprised.

“That’s an understatement.” Scoffed Avery.

Lestrange flushed and began stuttering excuses of why he’d been looking in that direction. Tom
chewed on the inside of his cheek, thinking hard. Maybe if he’d reveal his true feelings for
Hermione, Lestrange would feel comfortable talking about his own. He didn’t really want to,
seeing as he would be admitting to a weakness and on top of that he’d need to trust them. Taking a
deep breath and remembering Hermione’s wonderful words about friendship, he leaped out into the
unknown.

“I fancy Miss. Bernard.” He whispered, nearly inaudible.

Lestrange turned towards him, surprise written all over his face, as Avery started laughing
uncontrollably. Tom frowned. It wasn’t exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I just-… HAHA. I never thought… you’d actually admit to it.” Grunted Avery
out as he clutched his belly from laughter.

Tom swallowed nervously. He’d just admitted to like a mudblood in front of two sacred twenty
eight wizards who are drilled from birth to resent just those types of witches and wizards.

“Even though she’s a muggleborn?” Asked Lestrange, confused.

“Even though she’s a muggleborn.” Confirmed Tom, smiling nervously.

“That’s alright, Tom. We don’t judge you.” Smiled Avery encouragingly when he finally
composed himself.

He let out a small puff of air in relief as a warm feeling spread through his body upon hearing
Avery’s words.

That’s when he realized what a true friend was. Someone who will always love you - the imperfect
you, the confused you, the wrong you - simply because that is what friends are supposed to do.

Lestrange looked back longingly at Millicent and the girls at Ravenclaw table.

“We used to date, you know. In 5th year. Nearly half a year.”
Tom hadn’t known this, but 5th year had been a bit of a crazy one for him; and not because of the
OWL’s. Instead of admitting to not paying attention to his newly considered friend, he took a bite
of his food.

“It was going great. Initially, I’d just wanted a quick shag, like always. But she was something
else. She challenged me, like really challenged my views and ideas. Not only about blood, but
about how to view the world as whole. She was interesting, and actually had own opinions. Not
like the typical pure blood girls who're raised to agree with everything their man says. Millicent’s
nothing like Amelia for example.”

Lestrange’s voice had grown bitter towards the end, indicating his true feelings for his fiancée.

“I had to dump her, because word had gotten out that I was seeing a half blood at school for more
than shagging. I don’t know who ratted me out, but it could have been anyone. My parents were
furious and quickly arranged for me to have a fiancée. Someone pure and perfect.”

“And utterly boring if I have a say.” Piped Avery in with a small smile.

Lestrange nodded, not having taken his eyes off Millicent since the lunch started.

“She’s really beautiful this year, isn’t she?” He mumbled.

Avery smiled sadly when he met Tom’s eyes. Tom hadn’t considered the amount of pressure one
was under as a pure blood. He looked between the pair in front of him with newfound respect. It
couldn’t be easy to love someone you knew you couldn’t have.

“You know, there’s a ball coming up soon.” Said Tom as casually as he could, stuffing more food
into his mouth.

Lestrange grunted, as Avery looked intrigued by what Tom was about to share.

“You know I can’t take her. I’m obliged to attend with Amelia.”

“Of course, and you will do just that. You are, after all, a gentleman. But there’s no shame in
dancing a dance or two with another witch, is there?” Smiled Tom.

Lestrange gave him a strange look, as if trying to decide what his intentions were, before breaking
out in a big smile.

“Actually, three wouldn’t even be considered indecent.” He said and finally began eating his
lunch.

It was three weeks before the ball, and Tom had no luck in deciding how to ask Hermione out. He
didn’t understand why he was so nervous about it, she’d say yes. He was certain.

They were seated next to each other, enjoying some tea, when he finally picked up the courage to
begin a conversation and ask her. However, Hermione beat him to it.

“Tom…” came her soft voice from his right.

“Yes, darling?”

“Have you ever regretted making those two horcruxes?”

Her words were quiet, almost inaudible. He thought he might’ve heard wrong, but he couldn’t
have. It wasn’t a common word, horcruxes. Instantly he froze, wondering why in the name of
Salazar she was asking these types of questions.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

He knew he sounded cold, but he couldn’t help but feel protective over his objects. After all, they
held pieces of his soul.

“I just… your soul isn’t whole, right? It’s split into three different pieces. Don’t you regret not
having your whole soul intact?”

Tom put down the book he had been reading previously, feeling his mood sour fast. Why did she
have to ruin a perfectly good evening by asking these questions?

“I just… you had to kill two people for making them, right?” She continued, not reading the room
at all.

He nodded slowly as he stared at her, warning her with his eyes.

“Don’t you… regret it?” She asked and bit her lip.

Does he regret killing his filthy muggle father who abandoned a broke and pregnant woman, who
screamed insults upon seeing him and wished him dead? No. Not even in the slightest. And
Myrtle? That insufferable girl who followed him around like a damn puppy? Maybe. She hadn’t
been intentional anyways.

“No.” He conceded.

“Oh… well, I just asked, you see, because I came across a few books during the summer… about
how to reclaim your soul from the horcruxes…”

“I don’t recall ever asking you to research that.” He said, tone laced with ice.

How dare she make decisions for him? He didn’t want to reclaim his soul. He’d worked his butt
off just to make those horcruxes, and suffered for them. Did she think he had just done them on a
whim, not understanding just what kind of magic he had been dabbling with? How dare she butt in
on his affairs?

“No, uh, I did them by my own account. I just thought that you’d want to have your soul intact-…”
she began explaining.

Tom felt his rage growing, and he wasn’t even attempting to control it.

“Well, you thought wrong, Hermione. I worked my freaking ass off to make those objects, you
think I’ll just give them up because you asked nicely?” He interrupted fiery.

He watched her shrink back from him, and relished in it.

“No, I just think you should read it…” she tried but he interrupted her once again.

“What the hell do you have to do with any of this? It’s my life. MINE. Just because we’re fucking
doesn’t mean you get a say in anything I do. What, you want me to give up everything about
myself, do you? Just strip myself of the power and immortality, because a girl I haven’t even
known for a year asks me to?” He sneered.
“I just thought…”

Tom stood up, using his height to tower over her. His anger was beginning to spiral out of control,
he felt his magic soar through his body in rapid speed.

“I’ve not called a meeting for several months, and that’s excluding the summer. I haven’t fucking
cruciod anyone for months, haven’t killed anyone since last summer. You should be fucking
thankful of it. But it isn’t enough for you is it? It’s never enough for Hermione Bernard. She just
needs to claim more. Isn’t that right?” He hissed.

“Tom, please. That’s not at all what I was saying. It’s great that you haven’t tortured anyone, but I
need to be sure that you won’t do it in the future either. How can I be sure?”

Her lower lip had begun to tremble, a clear indication that she was about to start crying. But Tom
couldn’t seem to get himself to stop his ranting.

“What do you want from me? To swear it? Fine then. I swear I won’t fucking torture anyone
anymore, I swear I won’t make another horcruxes again!” He shouted loudly, making her flinch
again.

She looked down, and gently shook her head. It made him even angrier. Why wouldn’t she look at
him? Was he that awful in her eyes, that low that she couldn’t even meet his gaze? Something
roared inside of him, and he let it loose.

“Nothing to say now, have you, Miss know-it-all? Why? Because it isn’t good enough for you,
right?” He taunted.

The only reaction he received was a tightening of her fists. It made him angrier that she wouldn’t
answer him. He wanted her to hurt, like she had hurt him.

“Truth is, Hermione, that if you really cared so fucking much about this, about being with me,
you’d do one for me, so that we could live forever, together. You’d fucking make a horcruxes and
be mine forever, but you can’t even commit to me in one life. You just have to throw yourself at
others, don’t you? Enjoyed the attention from Malfoy, didn’t you? Like a mudblood whore.”

Another flinch greeted him, and finally, she opened her mouth as she stared up into his face that
was looming over hers.

“What did you call me?” She asked, tone calmer than he had ever heard it be before.

If he’d gotten any sense at all, he’d stopped right there. But he couldn’t seem to do just that.
Instead, he made himself even bigger, and trapped her against the couch.

“I called you a mudblood whore who enjoyed male attention a bit too much. Always parading
about in your tight denims, letting guys kiss you on the first date, grinding on them in libraries.
Should’ve known you wanted something in return for your company.”

Whatever reaction he had been expecting, it wasn’t a slap so hard his whole head moved to the left.
He staggered backwards, a hand on his cheek, as he watched her amazed by her action.

“What the…” he spluttered.

A piercing scream met his ears and he watched her run towards her room.

“Oh, that’s nice. Just run away then, like the fucking child you are!” He bellowed after her as the
door was thrown in his face.

He had better sense than to try her door, realizing she’d most probably set out nasty wards to keep
him out. He didn’t doubt he could get in, but realized it wouldn’t do him any services tonight to do
so. Instead, he sat down on the couch, head in hands and sighed deeply.

Truthfully, he considered himself more hurt than angry. He accepted her just as she was, but she
couldn’t do that for him. He wasn’t good enough, and she kept telling him that in different ways. It
was hurting him to play this game with her, hurting him to hoard these kinds of feelings for a girl
that was light where he was dark. And yet, he couldn’t make himself remove himself from the
couch, hoping she’d come out and talk to him.

Hermione rushed by him the next morning, she neither said hello nor acknowledged his presence.
Knowing he had said some hurtful things, he thought he might have deserved that one. But he was
still rather upset about it all too. Because had it been the other way around, he had wanted to live
an eternal life with her.

She didn’t so much as spare him a glance at breakfast, he noted that she hadn’t really touched her
food either. The beast inside of him was rather pleased knowing she too was hurting.

Their first class was potions. He had arrived before her and sat at their usual spot in the middle,
hoping that she’d at least grant him the courtesy of her normal brilliant brain, when she swiped past
him and sat herself two desks from his. With a frown he greeted Avery that had sat himself beside
him.

“Lovers quarrel?” he whispered sympathetically.

Tom simply nodded once, indicating he did not want to discuss it further. Luckily, Avery knew his
cues and simply dropped the subject. He gripped his quill tight as he watched Malfoy dimp down
next to her.

Truthfully, he left the potion making to Avery for this lesson. He couldn’t take his eyes off
Hermione as she was currently pestered with Malfoys futile attempts to woo her. What was even
more infuriating was that the little weasel was shooting him winks from behind her back.

Tom narrowed his eyes as he watched him push her hair back behind her ear and caress her face.
He was angry seeing she didn’t hex him at the spot for touching her. Was this her punishment for
their fight last night? Was she to flirt with Malfoy after every argument that was held? The grip on
his quill tightened even further, making small cracks be seen in it.

“I’ve heard you don’t have a date for the Halloween ball. Care to join me?” he heard Malfoy say in
a little too loud voice.

Tom knew he was taking the bait, but he couldn’t fight the rage inside of him. With a loud crack,
his quill broke. He watched as the sneer on Malfoy’s face grew with the sound, waiting anxiously
for Hermione’s answer.

“Never in a million years.” she said with ice.

Tom drew a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, but quickly became angry once more upon
seeing the smug look that Malfoy sported. Instinctively, he knew he hadn’t planned on taking
Hermione to the dance. He simply wanted to fuck with Tom. And since he had promised last night
that he wouldn’t torture anyone, he couldn’t fucking do anything about it.
Hermione had avoided him for two weeks, and frankly, he was sick of it. They had both said
hurtful things, he thought, and therefore both of them were in the wrong. He simply thought they
could forgive and forget, and therefore he cleared his throat as he walked into the common room,
seeing her just arrived herself.

Hermione slowly turned to face him, a calculated look on her face.

“I’d like to escort you to the Halloween ball.” he said and flashed her a smile.

He didn’t feel so confident, but figured he could fake it. A big part of him knew she’d refuse him,
knew she’d still hold a grudge against what happened. And boy, was he right.

“You think I’d like to go to the ball with someone who behaves like you?” she said, glarling at
him.

Someone who behaves like him…? Someone who is true to his word, who didn’t torture Malfoy
for flirting with her two weeks back, someone who wants to make her happy and help her with
whatever her heart desires?

“Er, yes?” he asked.

“You’re too fucking full of yourself.” she muttered and started walking towards her room.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back, making her body connect with his for a split second. He
first didn’t know why she was refusing him, but then it hit him.

“No, I get it. You just don’t want your friends to get their galleons, that’s it. How about I meet you
there, and then we dance? We don’t have to say that we went together.”

“Are you daft? NO! I want an apology, I want you to actually understand why I came to you with
those books. I want you to understand that you can’t just say hurtful things and get away with
them.” she said.

He could sense her temper growing hotter and hotter. It was remarkable how much anger a small
body could produce. But for her to think he owed her an apology, without giving him one? No. He
wouldn’t submit to this foolishness.

“Just say you don’t want to go with me then.” he sneered.

The pit in his stomach began twirling again, fighting to release his hurt.

“That’s not even the fucking problem!” she shrieked.

“Oh, so you want to go with me?” he asked, thinking she changed her mind.

“Argh!” she yelled and damp down on the couch in defeat.

She looked so small, so broken. And he wanted her still. Even though she wanted to change him, to
make him less powerful, he wanted her. Couldn’t she just submit? He sat down next to her.

“You will go with me.” he said breathlessly as he watched her chest heave every breath.

“I will do no such thing.” she muttered, not meeting his eyes.

“You will go with me.” he said, a little bit louder.

“What is it that you don’t understand, Riddle? I don’t want to.” she said icely, finally meeting his
eyes.

They were blazing again. Like fire. And yet again, she was refusing him. It just wouldn’t do. The
monster took hold of his tongue again.

“You will go with me, or I’ll make sure you will. I’ll crucio every last man that lays eyes on you
that evening. I’ll fucking strangle them.”

He was met with a bewildered look, her rosebud mouth agape upon hearing his threats.

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

“You heard me.”

“What is wrong with you? All I wanted was for you to have your whole soul intact. I never wanted
to cheat you off anything. I simply wanted you to understand that one lifetime could be enough,
with the right people by your side.” she whispered as tears started to pool in her eyes.

Something tugged in his chest upon seeing he had made her this sad once again.

“I refuse to share you with anyone else.” he said heatedly.

“No one’s said anything about sharing! All I said was that I need to reassure myself that you won’t
turn into Voldemort, and the only solution I see is to get rid of the horcruxes.” she explained as
tears had started to drizzle down her pink cheeks.

“Why do I have to give up myself, for you to accept me?” he whispered.

Because truly, it wasn’t fair. He had worked so hard to become Lord Voldemort, just to find out he
was a scam. Someone who’d murder thousands of innocents, raped women and brought terror to
the world. But what if knowing this could set him off a different road, he could still be powerful,
still live forever, but in a better way? Couldn’t she see that?

“Because I cannot be with someone who enjoys killing and torturing others. I simply cannot. It
goes against everything I stand for, everything I fought for.”

Her words cut deeper inside of him than he’d initially imagined anything she ought to say would.
He was suddenly acutely aware of the probability of losing her, if he didn’t give this part of himself
up. And he couldn’t lose her. He just couldn’t.

“I want to be enough for you…” he whispered. “But I fear I’ll never be.”

The lack of response spoke even clearer, and he was set in his decision. He would change for her.
He would be what she wanted.

They were both quiet for so long, he feared she might have fallen asleep. A quick glance told him
that wasn’t the case. She too, was staring into the fire, clearly in thought.

“If I promise to look into it, would you go with me?” he asked finally.

“Only if you give it a real shot.” she said and laughed humorlessly.

“I promise,” he said truthfully

 Chapter 39

The next weekend was the perfect excuse to leave Tom alone with the books. She had plans with
the girls in Hogsmeade to shop dresses and accessories for the ball. As usual, Alice had everything
planned.

It was 10AM when Hermione had eaten her breakfast and changed into appropriate clothing for
their outing. Tom was fixing some last minute touches on his transfiguration homework in the
common room.

“Hey, erm… I’m just going to leave these here… and you could… you know, read them… when
I’m away.” she mumbled a little awkwardly.

Tom shot a quick glance on the books before frowning at her.

“What are these?” he asked and grabbed one of them.

They didn’t have any title, she had worked her ass off to get her hands on them. The contents were
a step guide for how to access your soul from the horcruxes, as well as vivid pictures of how it’s
done. Truthfully, she had been sick when reading them. It was best he had the day for himself to
read and mull things over.

“They’re uh… the books we talked about… before…” she said, trying to make herself sound like it
wasn’t a big deal.

Tom froze and gave the book in his hand a disgusted look. Hermione drew a deep breath and
closed her eyes, preparing herself for the outburst that was going to come.

“Thank you. I’ll read them.” came a soft voice.

She opened her eyes, confused. Tom smiled faintly before continuing with his essay.

Thankful for how easy the confrontation had gone, she hurried out of the common room; not
wanting to press her luck.

The girls had chosen to walk to Hogsmeade instead of taking the carriages. Prudence was fixated
upon the newest trend that said women should walk at least 30 minutes a day to keep their beauty.
Hermione had rolled her eyes upon hearing that, gaining a nasty glare from Prudence.

“We must all do our best to find ourselves a husband, even you ‘mione!” she had argued
determinedly.

It didn’t go unnoticed that Millicent and Alice had giggled tremendously upon hearing that.
Prudence naturally thought they were mocking Hermione for her lack of care, but Hermione knew
better. They were still very much definite on their speculation that Riddle loved her.

Truthfully, she hoped so too. Because if he did love her, he would take back his soul for her. If he
did love her, she could let herself daydream about the future, about the things she wished was in
store for them. If he did love her, she could finally confess that she loved him too.

She had been telling herself that the reason she wanted Tom to merge with the pieces of his soul
was solely to save the future from agony and pain. But deep down, she knew it was because she
wanted him to be whole for her. So they could get a chance for a future together. A future that
contained marriage, babies and unconditional love. Things he could never give her if he weren’t
whole. It was utterly selfish, and something she wished for more than she’d ever admit.

Hermione didn’t know what she’d do if he refused. She had said that she would walk away, ignore
him and never be with him again. But could she? Could she turn her back towards the one man that
had made her feel so alive? Made her love and care for him? How much could she accept for him?
Where was her limit? She didn’t know anymore. Had anyone asked her a few months ago, it would
have been vividly clear. Now however…

“Hey Hermione! Are you there?” laughed Alice and waved a hand in front of her face.

“Oh! Sorry guys. I was just… away in a thought.”

She had barely noticed they had entered the dress shop, nor that the other girls had begun trying
dresses.

“No worries. What do you think of this dress though?” asked Millicent and showed off a beautiful
purple gown.

“It’s mesmerizing! Truly one of the best Mill!” Hermione smiled and gave a thumbs up.

“What about this one?” asked Isa with a pout. “I’m not sure about the color…”

It was a slytherin green, slim tight dress that showed off her curves.

“Well… it depends on who you want to attract.” she joked and wiggled her eyebrows.

“There are more than a fair share of hot Slytherin boys these days, so I’d say go for it!” said
Prudence matter of factly.

Hermione simply smiled, knowing exactly which ones she referred to.

“Try this one, ‘mione!” said Millicent warmly and showed her a midnight blue gown. “I just know
it will look perfect on you.”

“Thank you, Mill. I’ll try it right away.” She smiled, took the dress and walked towards the
changing area.

As she was changing, she heard a faint knock. Peering out she was met with Millicent’s blushing
face.

“Hey, uh… Can I ask you something?”

“Sure thing.”

“Erm, it’s about Lestrange. You remember what I told you happened two years ago?” Millicent
asked, a frown on her forehead.

“Yeah, of course I remember. Hang on a second, just let me change into this so I can face you.”

A few seconds later, Hermione emerged in the dress. It was a strapless gown that showed a lot of
her back. Small diamonds were sprinkled across it, making it glow in the light.

“Wow, ‘mione. You simply have to get that one. It’s lovely.” gushed Millicent as she was taking in
the view of her with big eyes.

Hermione blushed and waved a dismissing hand.

“We’ll talk about the dress later. What about Lestrange?”

“Well… it’s nothing really. He just…. Started to say hello to me in the halls. Like, daily. And he
smiles a lot in our shared classes. I thought it was nothing, but even Amelia Greengrass, you know
his fiancée, has noticed because she keeps shooting me nasty glares.”

Millicent bit her lip, her frown deepening.

“What do you think he means by it? It’s not like he needs to bed me again, he’s already done that.
If the rumors are true, he doesn’t need me for it either.”

Hermione chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking the information over. A pureblood that was
engaged to be married who had already bedded multiple half bloods and muggleborns, including
Millicent, that wasn’t known to keep in touch afterwards and that was now friendly towards Mill.

“Do you think…” came a small voice, interrupting her thought process. “Do you think he misses
me? That he truly likes me?"

“I don’t want you to get your hopes up Mill. I want you to remember what happened, even though
he does exactly what you want him to do. But yeah, it’s possible I guess. The signs point towards
it. Only time will tell.” she confirmed and stroked her arm gently.

Millicent beamed at her.

“If he truly does like me, I’ll make him work hard for it. Don’t you worry.”

Millicent grinned lopsided.

“Now, about that dress. A simple must have I’d say. ALICE! Come look at Hermione’s dress!”

It took the whole day, but the five girls each got a new dress gowns to the dance, along with
multiple new accessories that matched. Hermione was carrying her boxes with difficulty, too
excited to have remembered that she could shrink them, as she stumbled into the common room.
The sight of Tom sitting on the red couch with one of the horcrux books in his hands greeted her,
and she smiled content. In a swift movement she put down her boxes and undressed her cloak.

“Thank you for reading them. How did you find them?” she asked warmly.

A few seconds went by, and she almost thought he wouldn’t answer until he finally snorted out:

“Fascinating.”

She bit her lip as she sat down next to him. It was difficult to know how to have this conversation.
Hermione was scared that he’d lash out on her again, angry that she made him read the books and
gain the knowledge. But it was crucial for the world as whole for her to succeed with this. And so
she pushed.

“And…?”

A loud sigh greeted her and he turned towards her. He didn’t look angry per say, but he wasn’t
smiling either.

“What do you want me to say Hermione? Oh golly! I’ll do it right now?”

She winced a little.

“I… no. I just… Do you think you could do it?” she asked carefully.

“Of course I could do it.” he sneered and shot her a glare. “The point is not whether or not I could
do it, it’s whether or not I want to.”

Hermione nodded and stayed quiet. This wasn’t exactly going in the way she had hoped. But then
again, this was something he considered dearly. She had been naive to think he’d give it up without
a fight. Mulling everything over and thinking about just how she would get through to him, he
surprised her by apologizing.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I just… It’s going to be a lot of pain, you know
that right?”

“Yes… I read them as well. But you’d be whole, Tom. You’d be a whole person, feeling
everything and being able to do everything that a whole person can. If you ever wanted to… I don’t
know… get married, you could do it. You could tie your soul to another.”

Hermione had tried her best not to sound too excited, but feared it had come out exactly that,
betraying her true motives. A fierce blush accompanied her cheeks. Maybe he wouldn’t read
between the lines.

From the corner of her eye she could see him swallowing hard, betraying his unease. She blushed
even harder. Why did she have to say that? They weren’t even a couple for crying out loud!

“I hear you. I know what you want from me. But can I… can I get more time to consider this? Do I
have to make up my mind right away?” he asked, thoughtfully.

She glanced away, wanting nothing more than to just make him do it. She wanted to scream at
him, hit him hard over and over again until he understood just how important this was. Not just for
her, but for the future. Taking a deep breath, she knew she couldn’t scare him away more than she
had already done. So, she conceded.

“I guess you can get a couple of weeks.” she said weakly as she looked back at Tom.

A smile greeted her, accompanied by a kiss on her cheek.

“Thank you.” he said softly before walking up to his own room.

Hermione didn’t need to guess if they would be sleeping separately tonight. She grimaced and
pulled her hair, letting out a little huff of frustration, before walking towards her own room.

It was Wednesday after classes, she was just about to walk back to their common room when
someone came in her way. Someone who had an insufferable habit of interrupting her whenever
she was walking the corridors.

Hermione sighed and put her hands on her hips.

“What do you want, Malfoy?” she asked tiredly.

“Now, now. That’s not at all the attitude I’d expect from you, pumpkin.” he laughed and stepped
even closer to her.

“Please just stay away from me, Malfoy.” she groaned and stepped back defensively, clutching her
wand in her pocket.

“You owe me.” he hissed and crept nearer yet again.

“For what?” she scoffed.

Malfoy smiled predatorily and reached out to caress her arm seductively.

“You’ve been a terrible tease, not giving me anything for it.” he concluded after a few seconds of
silence.

Hermione shuddered and drew back even further from him. Malfoy simply leered at her shirt, or
more accurately at her breasts.

“You can’t blame me for wanting the full show, can you?”

Suddenly, she felt eyes boring into her back and she instinctively knew it was Tom. She just hoped
he’d see the distrest her body radiated, instead of becoming angry with her again. She was also
acutely aware of the threat he had given her about catching her with Malfoy again, and suddenly
she found herself fearing for Malfoy’s life. Surely he wasn’t deserving of dying simply for being a
twat.

Quickly, she turned on the spot and met Tom’s fiery eyes, intending to ease him. She heard Malfoy
give a low chuckle behind her as he slapped her ass hard. Hermione yelped loudly, and practically
jumped upon feeling the stinging sensation coming from another hand than she usually enjoyed.

“Missed this view.” he said loudly and wiggled his eyebrows at her when she turned to him once
more in anger.

“How dar-...” she began, but was interrupted by a shot of blue swirling past her head at light speed.

Malfoy, having seen this coming, ducked expertly and drew his wand to fire a few stunning curses
towards Tom. Hermione quickly backed into the wall, watching the duel take place with big eyes.
It was odd, having two boys practically fight over her. She knew that Malfoy didn’t actually want
her, he only acted that way to get on Tom’s nerves, but nevertheless, it was an odd feeling standing
there and knowing they were so angry because of her.

“Come now, Riddle. We can share the mudblood, can we not?” Malfoy teased as he ducked
another curse flying his way.

“I don’t share.” grunted Tom out as he kept firing curse after curse in Malfoy’s direction.

“You might just have to. She wants me too, and you know it.” he sneered as he fired a rather dark
curse in Tom’s way.

“I remember how her nipples felt in my mouth…” Malfoy leered before firing another stunning
curse that narrowly missed its target. “How she moaned from my touch. Tell me, can you even
make her moan, Riddle?”

Magic crackled around Tom, making him look even scarier than usual. Hermione had to give it to
Malfoy for being so fearless, because even he should know the amount of power Tom harnessed.
She was also blushing fiercely since she wasn’t the only one watching the duel, and thus hearing
the conversation.

Tom fired a few stinging curses, which actually hit their targets from the sound of Malfoy’s pained
yelpes.

“Trust me, she does.” he got out through clenched teeth as he fired a few non-verbal spells towards
Malfoy. “At least I don’t have to force myself on her.”

Malfoy’s grin faded into an angry grimace as he shot something that looked dangerously close to
the crucio spell.

Hermione held her breath, seeing the spell almost hit him before he conjured a protego.

Tom's face was morphed in anger, his eyes were practically storming by now.

“Touch her again, and I will kill you,” he said coldly. “STUPEFY!”

The shot of red light hit Malfoy straight in the chest, making him fly hard into the stone wall.
Hermione winced upon hearing the crack of his skull, knowing Tom had intentionally made him
suffer the same ‘accident’ as she herself had inflicted on him last year.

She knew she shouldn’t praise him for it, but found herself doing it anyway, too happy with being
rid of Malfoy for at least two weeks. She was oddly satisfied with Tom standing up for her as well.
It made her feel safe, and secure. Like someone was watching over her.

Students were swarming around Malfoy now, someone had surely alerted a professor. Hermione
walked up to Tom, gripping his arm tightly. He looked down at her, still pulsating anger, but as
they locked eyes it seemed to slowly drip away from his being. She cupped his face with her hand
and kissed his cheek gently.

“Thank you.” she whispered softly and smiled up at him.

“I’ll always be here to protect you.” he replied stiffly.

A few seconds later, Professor Utilis came running with Madam Spudmore in line, demanding to
know what had happened. The students were remarkably quiet, not one that had been witness to the
duel would point Tom out as the culprit. However, he quickly owned up to it and followed
Professor Utilis to the headmaster’s office.

Once more was Hermione incredibly proud over him, knowing that wasn’t something he would
have done before she came into his life. It truly was remarkable how much he had grown these past
months.

Hermione was soon surrounded by her girlfriends, all of whom had heard the commotion from the
library and came running to find her between the two men fighting. Thankful for her friends, she
let them lead her towards the Ravenclaw tower, eager to spend some quality time with them and
forget what had just happened.

It was Thursday, the day before the Halloween Ball, when she walked in on Tom thinking by
himself yet again. The only real difference was that he was seated in an armchair this time, and not
on the couch. She frowned a little over this, pondering over the change of scenery.
“Tom…? Are you alright?” she asked mindfully.

A dull laugh greeted her as he met her eyes.

“No. Not really.”

Hermione knelt in front of him, leaning on his legs with her arms.

“Do you wish to speak about it?” she asked, smiling faintly.

“I don’t think you’d understand.” he mumbled and stroked her hands absentmindedly.

Her smile grew ever so slightly.

“Try me.”

He sighed deeply before looking down at her.

“I guess I’m just… frightened… that you’d leave me when I’ve done this for you,” he confessed.

Hermione didn’t need to think twice on the subject to know exactly what they were talking about.
Nevertheless, the words he spoke confused her intensely. She couldn’t believe how clueless he
was.

“You silly, silly boy.” she murmured as she took in his appearance.

This boy, this beautiful boy, thought she’d leave him afterwards. That she wanted nothing more
than to get her way, and then dump him. He had no clue.

A nervous laugh erupted from Tom’s throat and he looked away, frowning.

“Can’t you see that I am in love with you?” she whispered, unable to hold the confession inside of
her.

As her words registered in him, she felt him freeze. He looked down at her with big eyes, clearly
not having expected her to say anything the like. Hermione blushed and got more and more uneasy
as the seconds ticked. She wished he would say something, anything really. Lowering her eyes, he
finally spoke.

“No… I guess I can’t. I’ve made so many mistakes, horrible, horrible actions. I guess I just came
to the conclusion that someone like you would never truly want someone like me.”

His declaration tore her heart in two. It was sad how he wasn’t able to see himself from her eyes,
how determined he was that he didn’t deserve her or anyone’s love.

“You are not the mistakes you’ve made in the past. Admitting to and correcting them speaks of
great character, and I want nothing more than for you to grow into the beautiful man that I know
that you can.” she said with power, hoping he’d understand just how much emotion she put into her
words.

Tom looked down on their hands that was enclosed before whispering:

“I’ll do it. I’ll do it for you.”

Hermione wanted to squeak of happiness, but conceded by kissing their hands and beaming at him.
She’d find a proper way to thank him later on.
“Thank you, Tom.”

She joined him in the room or requirement, sensing he’d need some kind of support. As he stopped
directly in front of the wall, just staring at it, she drew a deep breath to collect herself before
walking past it three times, wishing for a place of peace and harmony. Someplace that he’d be
content and at ease, a place to help you through a hard time.

The door came forth, and she clasped Tom’s hand to lead him inside.

A room in earthy colors came into view. It held pillows on the floor and lighted candles were
floating around. She felt perfectly at ease in there, and was hoping dearly that Tom shared the
feeling.

He released her hand as he walked up to the middle of the room, placing the diary and the ring on
the floor. His hands were trembling, the sole indication of his nervousness. Hermione took his hand
once more and gave it a light squeeze.

“You can do it, darling.” she whispered and kissed his cheek.

Walking towards the other side of the room, simply because she wasn’t feeling up to meeting his
horcruxes if they’d turn on her instead, she heard him draw in a deep breath.

A sort of hissing sound, one she remembered vividly from her second year, greeted her ears a few
seconds later. What came next was a blur.

Two smokey mists could be seen in the middle of the room, and Tom was gone. She wanted to
scream out in fear, not knowing what was happening. But she simply couldn’t see. The room didn’t
do much in slowing her heartbeat as she pondered over the possibility that Tom would die tonight
because she simply wanted to be able to marry him in the future, like a silly school girl. Tears were
threatening to spill from her eyes. Hermione almost screamed out in relief as his voice finally met
her ears.

It was Latin, but what was said she didn’t know. Tom said the words over and over again, for
several minutes, each time his voice gained in sound and vigor. When he had screamed the words
several times, she was met with the most heartbreaking scream. The two dark mists disappeared
and as she finally laid eyes on Tom again, she wished she hadn’t.

His face was morphed into a bad grimace, revealing just how much pain he was in. The screams
that met her ears were harrowing, and his limbs were tucked closely to his body, as if trying to
protect himself from whatever intrusion that was happening. His whole being was convulsing, as if
he was under the cruciatus curse for too long. She sincerely hoped that was not the case.

Hermione wanted nothing more than to run up to him, but it was like a forcefield was surrounding
him, making it impossible to get closer than she already was. All she could hear was his screams of
pain, knowing it was her fault he went through this. Tears streamed down her cheeks. It was
impossible to look away, but every scream that left his lungs tore right through her, making her
shake with fear and sadness.

As soon as it had begun, it stopped, leaving Tom in a heap on the floor. The very second she saw
him fall, she was next to him, holding him close to her body. His whole body was trembling
roughly.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…” she whispered over and over again as she caressed his body.

Her tears were mixing with his as they dripped down on his face. Several minutes went by without
him saying something, and Hermione was terribly worried he had permanently damaged
something. But she just kept stroking his arms and hair, and kept mumbling reassurances. When he
finally spoke, it was so hoarse and faint she barely heard it.

“I-... I’m a f-failiure…”

She shook her head and smiled faintly. He thought he didn't succeed. But he had to have
succeeded. The dark mists were gone, and it had hurt, just like the book had said. He had done it.

“You are not.” she consoled him as she kissed his forehead.

“I am. I am. I am. Why? Why did I do this? How could I fail like this?” he bawled and held her
tightly against himself.

Hermione cried heavily.

“You did it, Tom. You didn’t fail. You took back your soul, it’s whole. You’re whole. You’re
perfect.”

Tom shook his head and whispered once more that he was a failure. Something sparked inside of
Hermione and she couldn’t help herself.

“Stop calling yourself a failure! There are planets and stars in your eyes, and there are fire and
oceans in your veins. Your head is a forest, your heart is a meadow and you are a work of art. And
you are mine. Don’t you dare talk bad about anything that’s mine.”

Tom didn’t respond, he simply laid in her arms as she caressed him, holding him close.

“I’m so proud of you, Tom.” she whispered. “You are so much stronger than you can ever imagine.
So full of life and love. Each and every day that you doubt yourself, I’ll be here to remind you just
how strong you are.”

“You’re everything I have. I want you forever, please say that you’ll be mine forever?” he said
hoarsely, gripping her arm tight once more.

More tears streamed down her face, but a smile found its way onto her face.

“I’ll be yours forever. You’re mine and I’m yours. I will always fight for you Tom.” she promised.

“And I, for you.” he whispered and got himself up to a sitting position. “My beautiful girlfriend.”

One of his hands caressed her face, it was still trembling somewhat, but it didn’t matter. She leaned
into his touch, kissing his hand.

They stayed in each other's arms for a while, and Hermione tried her best to transfer every warm
feeling she had inside of her to him. He had finally stopped trembling and leaned against her again,
making it possible for her to play with his hair.

“‘Mione?” came his voice from against her chest.

“Hm?”

“Let’s not have any secrets between us.” he said in a serious tone.

“What do you mean?” she asked, bewildered.

“I never want to keep anything from you again, never want to feel the need to lie or decieve you.
And I don’t want you to hide anything from me either. Can you promise me that?”

He was staring at her with big eyes full of emotion. How could she ever say no to that? Deciding it
was time for him to know her real name, she smiled.

“Then I’d better tell you my real surname, so we start at a fresh page, yeah?”

A relieved breath escaped him and he smiled warmly before a teasing look went over his face.

“You mean to tell me, your name is not Bernard?”

She giggled loudly.

“No. Actually it’s… it’s Granger. Hermione Granger. I was born on the 19th of September 1979 by
two muggles, I was a Gryffindor until I came here and I was a hell of a prefect.”

“Of course you were.” he said and rolled his eyes. “Had I known you then I’d probably thought
you were a swot.”

Tom reached out and tickled her, she released a high pitched scream before running away from
him. He chased her around the room, before they collapsed on the ground together. She giggled
happily when he laid on top of her, kissing cheeks softly.

“No more secrets then?” he asked carefully.

“No more secrets.” She agreed and smiled brightly.

The following day was much like last year. The girls, and even some of the boys, were talking
rather loudly throughout the whole day about the dance. The teacher’s knew they couldn’t do
much about it, so they simply let the students be.

Hermione tried her best to continue her efforts even though she too was excited for tonight.
Somehow, it felt like this year’s dance would be even better than last years. In any case, she hoped
her date wouldn’t go on to ignore her afterwards.

Tom and Hermione were seated next to each other listening to the monotone voice of Professor
Binns when she nudged him. He raised a brow.

“Could you do a repeat of last year?” she smirked.

Tom laughed lowly and raised his hand.

“Professor. Could we be excused a bit earlier since there is the dance tonight? I bet many of us
wish to pamper ourselves a bit beforehand.” he asked and shot Binns a dazzling smile.

“Of course, of course. You are excused. No homework this weekend!” he squealed and smiled
brightly when the students started to whop.

Hermione laughed.

“You sure have a way with the professor’s Mr. Riddle.” she said and shook her head.

Tom smiled mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows.

They departed separate ways as Tom was to get ready in the Slytherin common room with Avery
and Lestrange, and she was to go up to Ravenclaw tower to get ready with the girls. He placed a
chaste kiss on her forehead and walked away. Hermione bit her lip, watching him go. She really
had the most stunning man in the whole castle. A man that went through pain just to be with her. If
she wasn’t the luckiest girl on the planet, she didn’t know who was.

Pampering with the girls was an experience in itself. Just as last year, Alice was strict with
everyone’s appearance, butting in on everything from rings to make up to updo. It was oddly nice,
having someone care so much about her like Alice. It wasn’t just the appearance, but her insides as
well. This year she had gotten closer to everyone, even Prudence, having finally concluded that she
was to stay in this time. Having girlfriends wasn’t something that Hermione had experienced
before, but it was something she was incredibly happy to have gotten to experience.

Millicent helped her put on the midnight blue gown, tying her corset for her. Having it on properly
made even her gush over it. The small diamonds shone small rainbows on her skin and it hugged
her body perfectly.

Alice helped her bring half of her hair up in a ravishing updo, leaving a swell of curls over her
shoulders but revealing her face.

Isa made wonders with her make up. Her eyes were framed with long black eyelashes and a
beautiful blush was painted on her cheeks. Smokey eyeshadow accompanied the look, as well as
some light lip gloss.

Prudence simply pouted over the fact that Hermione’s dress was prettier than hers, but even she
complimented her after a while.

When more than two hours had gone by, the girls finally descended the stairs down to the Great
Hall. Just like last year, they were presented at the top of the stairs. It felt a little better knowing
it’d be Tom standing there and waiting for her, but nevertheless, the nerves hit her as she heard her
name.

“Miss. Hermione Bernard.”

Professor McDough gave her an encouraging smile as she moved around the corner to walk down
the stairs.

The first thing that hit her was the amount of people that were watching her, she was presented
much earlier this year and therefore more people were watching. But as soon as she laid eyes on
Tom, nothing else mattered.

He stood at the front of the steps, smiling up at her. And he was ravishing. Tom wore a black
tuxedo accompanied with a black shirt. Really, it was all black. But he pulled it off. His pale skin
glowed like never before, and those gray eyes were beaming up at her. His lush, dark curls laid
impeccable on the top of his head, and she wanted nothing more than to get her hands on him.
Hermione felt herself stop breathing, almost running the last few steps into his arms. He laughed as
he catched her and kissed her forehead.

“You look breathtaking.” he whispered and stroked her bare arms.

Goosebumps erupted from his touch and he smiled knowingly.

“So do you.” she answered and kissed him slowly.

A few cheers erupted around them, alongside with applause. She blushed fiercely and tugged him
along, wanting to get into the hall and away from the curious eyes that were currently upon them.
Tom simply laughed, but came along willingly.

“Still not enjoying being the center of attention I presume?” he teased as they entered the Great
Hall.

“Not even a little bit.” she grunted out and frowned.

The decorations were even better this year. The pumpkins were bigger, the lightning was dim and
bats were flying around their heads. She heard several students oh and ah about it and Hermione
smiled at what they had accomplished. With the help of the prefects, it had truly become a
Halloween ball. It was perfect. Releasing her frown, she tugged on Tom’s arm to lead him towards
the punch. This early in the evening, it wasn’t spiked yet so she’d rather enjoy it while it lasts.

As more and more students came into the Great Hall, the harder it became to hear each other over
the blabber that was currently in full route. If it wasn’t loud enough, the band that they had hired
for the night, Smoking Salamanders, were playing rather noisily.

Tom led her out to the dancefloor where they danced for at least two hours, just happily swaying to
the music. Depending on the song that was playing, Tom held her close to waltz around the
dancefloor, or they’d do some sort of lindy hop if the tempo picked up. He was an exemplary
dancer, truly. More than once Hermione felt severely behind in her own skills, but Tom didn’t
seem to care. He had a bright smile on his lips for the entirety of the night, making her feel warm
inside whenever she laid eyes on him.

She danced a few songs with her girlfriends while their dates went outside to smoke some cigars. It
was all so utterly normal, making her forget just where she was and whom she was with. Because
Tom was exactly like anyone of their dates, cracking jokes and being friendly to both her friends
and their dates. She couldn’t help but to feel proud over the many changes in his behavior that had
occured in such a short span of time.

Hermione was dancing with Millicent for a few songs when she leaned in to talk.

“He’s asked me to dance twice already, and it’s just 11 pm!” Millicent scream-whispered in order
to be heard over the loud music. “Should I dance with him?”

Hermione giggled, having had a little bit too much of the punch that was now spiked, but before
she could answer, Tom did it for her.

“You absolutely should. His intentions are sincere, I vouch for that.” came his dark voice from
behind her.

Millicent glanced skeptically towards him, before a bright smile erupted and she made her way
towards Lestrange that had been eyeing them (her) the whole evening.

Tom hugged her from behind, watching their two friends talk. Amusingly enough, they were both
blushing hard just from exchanging a few words. Hermione knew it was troublesome that Millicent
had those sorts of reactions from his attention, but she didn’t have it in her to stop her either. She
just sincerely hoped he wouldn’t break her heart this time around too.

“He’s crazy about her, only dumped her because of the expectations from his family. Now
however… he seems to have come to the conclusion that she is worth it.” said Tom in her ear.

Hermione turned around to face him.

“And are we certain that he can go against his family like that?” she asked doubtingly.

“He is not the heir to the Lestrange line. If anyone in his family can make a detour, it’s him.”

Tom smiled down at her frowning face before kissing her nose.

“Another dance? It’s almost midnight. I hope you’re not tired yet, since I have another activity
planned for after the ball…”

He bit her lip suggestively, making a shiver travel down her spine.

“I’d dance with you the whole night if I could.” she smiled and let him lead her out to the middle of
the dance floor yet again.

A slow song erupted from the stereos around the hall, and Tom led her into a close waltz
immediately. Feeling his hot and hard body against hers was heaven. Their eyes were locked
throughout the whole dance, making her giddy with anticipation for what was to come when they
were alone for the night.

He led her around the dance floor in circles, skillfully avoiding contact with anyone else. He didn’t
stop twirling as the song bled into another, never leaving her eyes with his. Hermione smiled
brightly. It was something special in the air tonight, she could feel it. The atmosphere was full of
emotions, and not just theirs.

From the corner of her eye she could see Lestrange guiding Millicent out on the dance floor for a
second dance this evening. He looked extremely content as she blushed fiercely when their bodies
were pushed together.

They danced a few more songs before the clock struck twelve, thus ending the night. Tom kissed
her hand and bowed, thanking her for the dance and Hermione giggled happily. He truly was a
striking man, and he was hers.

Smiling contently, she let him lead the way to their quarters knowing just what he had planned for
the next part of the evening.

As they walked by an alcove, she thought she spotted Lestrange kissing Millicent’s cheek, but she
wasn’t sure. Partly because of how much she had drunk of the punch, partly because Tom was
leading her very fast. He must be eager to get on with their alone time.

They stumbled into their common room, snogging each other with vigor. Hermione tugged at his
tuxedo, and Tom was helpful in helping her undress him. He took great care with undressing her
dress, telling her just how beautiful she had been in it and how he wanted to keep it for further use.
She had giggled and blushed, quivering under his praise. When they were both in their underwear,
he had picked her up and carried her into her blue room, gently putting her down on the bed and
propping himself up on his elbows above her.

“You are the most gorgeous witch I’ve ever had pleasure laying my eyes on.” he whispered as he
kissed her neck.

She smiled and drew her hands through his lush curls, admiring the view of his back muscles.

“I want you to be mine forever, Hermione. I’ve never felt anything like this before, please tell me
you want to be with me forever.” he murmured, as he latched onto her neck, nibbling small
lovebites all over.
“I’ll always be yours.” she whispered and bit his earlobe tenderly.

Tom made a low growl from the back of his throat and released her from the bra she was wearing,
quickly paying closer attention to her breasts instead. It didn’t take much for her to feel the usual
sensation of want soaring through her body when he touched her like this. But something had
changed tonight. He wasn’t as aggressive as usual, he was softer in every touch, every kiss. Made
her shiver with his ghostlike touch, making her crave more of him by each.

Hermione tugged at his briefs, helping him off with them as she took off her own knickers as well.
They kissed some more, relishing the feeling of each other's naked bodies until Tom finally sank
into her. They met in a combined moan when they connected, and it felt like he was made for her.

His thrusts were slow and deep, a sensation they hadn’t particularly shared before. The usual
roughness was gone, left was only the emotions they shared for each other. And she loved it.

Tom’s mouth found her nipple once again, and she tugged gently at his hair, urging him on.
Somehow he got even deeper inside of her, hitting an all too pleasurable spot, making her moan
louder and louder.

He kept her on the edge for a long time, caressing and kissing her body, making it tingle in places
she didn’t know could. Hermione looked him deeply into his eyes, seeing every emotion he held
for her there and displaying her own for him. It was something entirely different and completely
intimate looking into each other’s eyes like that, and Hermione felt herself choking up; tears
gathering in her eyes. At the same time, the familiar pull in her lower abdomen started and Tom
groaned as he released himself inside of her.

Hermione climaxed with Tom, and she felt tears leaking out of her eyes as she found she couldn’t
stop them. The intimacy they just shared had simply been too much. The rush of emotions that
came soaring through her body was more than she could handle, it was overwhelming, and she
wept. Her cheeks were soon wet with tears and Tom was staring at her bewildered. Clearly, crying
after an orgasm wasn’t considered normal.

“No. No, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying. I’m just… oh… Tom! Thank you!” she stuttered
out between hiccups.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked nervously.

“No. It’s just, I love you so much!” she cried and clutched him tightly against her body, not ever
wanting to let go. “Thank you!”

Tom chuckled lightly and kissed her cheeks, caressing her hair ever so softly.

“I should be thanking you, princess.” he whispered and kissed her tenderly.

Hermione nuzzled her face into Tom’s neck even further, draping her leg over his, and sighed
happily. She loved him. God, did she love him. She loved his possessiveness, his protectiveness,
that he only had eyes for her and the amount of love he showed her. She loved being in his strong
arms, feeling his hot body practically drape her smaller one. She wanted nothing more than to
always fall asleep next to this man, and Merlin if anyone stood in her way.

That night she fell asleep more content than she would have ever dreamed to be. It had been the
most perfect evening, full of laughter and love. She had enjoyed every single bit of it.
As November went by, more and more owls were sent from the Ministry of Magic to Tom. Turns
out Professor Slughorn had talked rather good about him to more than a few ministry officials,
letting them know just how many Outstanding he had gotten on his OWL’s and that he was
expected to gain a record amount of NEWT’s.

Tom, however, was nowhere near interested in claiming a spot at the ministry. Hermione tried her
best to push him towards the Magical Law department, knowing she wanted to obtain a position
there, but it was a fruitless pursuit.

They bickered back and forth about it, until he finally conceded with trying out the ministry for at
least a year before turning his back towards it. Hermione thought it was as good a deal as any. She
had a year to ease him into it, make him choose something that actually was interesting for him
that wasn’t the dark arts.

When he finally conceded and sent two owls, one for the head of Mysteries department and one for
the head of International Magical Cooperation, she threw him a small feast in the kitchen with the
help of Tinky.

Sitting there, eating a tremendous amount of chocolate cake with the help of Tinky, she was
happier than she had ever been.

She and Tom were in a good place, now falling asleep in each other’s arms every night. She too
had offers coming from the Ministry of Magic, making her feel rather safe about her future
prospects. Their studies were going more than great. And she was happy. Something she thought
she would never be again, just a year from now.

Hermione beamed as she took in the scene in front of her once more.

Tom had chocolate smeared around his mouth, finally looking somewhat messy from his otherwise
impeccable appearance. Tinky was laughing loudly at whatever bad joke he had cracked. And it
didn’t matter that she was stuck in the wrong time anymore. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t go
back home. Knowing that no one ought to even know her there, she was more welcomed here.

She had Tom, and her friends. They were enough of a family for her. This would be enough for her.
She was certain.
 Chapter 40
Chapter Notes

So...
this is it.
It will be a minor epilogue as well, published shortly after this.

Thank you so much for all your kudos and comments.

It has been fun writing these chapters, and I'm blown away over the amount of people
that found it worth reading.
Thank you so much for your kind words <3

All love
Jenny

Tom didn’t want to read the books she had given him. He wanted nothing to do with the
knowledge that would make him mortal once more. But he had promised, and he wasn’t about to
go back on his word. Certainly not towards Hermione. So there he was, coped up in the red sofa, a
fire roaring in the fireplace and the books in front of him.

Hermione had gone out to Hogsmeade with her girlfriends, letting him know that he would have
the whole day to read them. At least she had kissed him goodbye.

Tom sighed for the hundredth time. He had sat there, staring at the books, for about an hour
already. It was time to get it over with.

“A horcrux is an object one put a piece of their soul in. In doing so, they become immortal. These
objects can be anything, from animals to a cup. This is considered extremly dark magic, as a
horcrux only can be created after committing murder in order to split ones soul. This is painful
magic to perform.

One can always regret their decision, thus wondering how one can become mortal once more. It is
to be clear that reclaiming your soul would also be extremely painful as you would not only relive
the death itself, but every hurtful things the murdered person had felt in their life. Not only this,
one would also be tormented by an intense feeling of remorse. This feeling would be so strong, one
would have to fight to remain living in this world. If one were to lose, they would simply cease to
exist. It is to recommend having an ancer; someone one feels close enough to in order to fight for
one’s own existence.

One should also be warned; if one reclaims their soul, one can never again make a horcrux again.
This is because the soul is scarred. If one should attempt this, one would die immediately.”

The other book simply stated much of the same knowledge. It was a good thing the books weren’t
too long, or else he wouldn’t have been done with them before Hermione got back. The context of
the books however, were nothing less than frightening. She couldn’t be serious with wanting him
to go through all of that, simply because she was scared he’d make new ones. Why couldn’t she
just be happy with an unbreakable vow? Why was she so fixated upon him being whole? It didn’t
make sense. If she was so desperate to know he’d never become Lord Voldemort, a vow would be
most efficient. But there had to be something else she was out to get, and he hadn’t a clue what if
could be.

Cutting of his muses was the source itself. Hermione stumbled into the common room, smiling
down at him when she saw the book in his hands.

“Thank you for reading them.” she said warmly as she undressed her outer robes. “How did you
find them?”

Tom wanted to sneer, to ask her if she was out of her mind thinking he’d consider doing something
like that. The pictures the books had contained showed nothing less than discomfort and pain. He
knew it’d hurt him. And thinking back towards making them, he had been a fool to guess it
wouldn’t hurt at least somewhat close to their makings.

“Fascinating.” he finally grunted out as he threw the books on the coffee table.

He felt the sofa dip down a bit as she sat down next to him. She was hugging her legs towards her
body, peering at him cautiously.

“And…?” she asked after a few seconds when he hadn’t said anything else.

Tom sighed loudly and turned towards her.

“What do you want me to say Hermione? Oh golly! I’ll do it right now?”

“I… no. I just… Do you think you could do it?”

“Of course I could do it.” he spit out. “The point is not whether or not I could do it, it’s whether or
not I want to.”

She nodded thoughtfully, clearly choosing her words carefully. He shouldn’t be surprised
considering how close to heart he took these types of conversations. She probably didn’t want to
enrage him further. Knowing this, he took a calming breath.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way. I just… it’s going to be a lot of pain, you know
that right?”

“Yes… I read them as well. But you’d be whole, Tom. You’d be a whole person, feeling
everything and being able to do everything a whole person can. If you ever wanted to… I don’t
know… get married, you could do it. You could tie your soul to another.” she gushed, a bright red
blush creeping up on her face.

So that was it. She was thinking of marriage. Tom swallowed hard. He didn’t know how he felt
about that. Sure, he never wanted anyone else to touch her or have her, but marriage? Tying
yourself to another? It was magic that couldn’t be undone.

“I hear you. I know what you want from me. But can I… can I get more time to consider this? Do I
have to make up my mind right away?” he asked carefully.

Truthfully, it no longer was just about reclaiming his soul that he needed to think about. It was the
future and what he wanted from it, what he wanted with Hermione and the things she clearly was
expecting from him.
Hermione bit her lip and hugged her body closer, thinking so loud he almost could hear her
thoughts. He knew that if he wanted to, he could. But he no longer had the urge to invade her
privacy like that.

“I guess you can get a couple of weeks.” she finally said and smiled faintly.

He kissed her cheek.

“Thank you.” he breathed before departing up to his chamber.

Tom felt his thoughts spiraling around. He felt like he didn’t know his hand from his foot. How
was he supposed to make this decision, giving up on everything he had worked for in his
adolescence?

He had a hard time falling asleep that night, and when he finally did, he slept uneasy; tormented by
his dreams.

A few days later, classes had just finished and he was looking forward to sitting down at his
favorite couch, with his favorite witch and his favorite cup of tea. Instead, he found her once again
facing Malfoy. Thinking back to what had happened a few weeks before, he swallowed his initial
anger and decided to get closer to actually hearing their conversation this time around.

“...terrible tease, not giving me anything for it. You can’t blame me for wanting the full show, can
you?” Malfoy said crudely and stared at her breasts.

Hermione however, was visibly uncomfortable and trying to get further away from the boy in front
of her. Tom tried his best not to fire a killing curse right away, remembering his promise to
Hermione.

As if she had heard his thoughts, she turned on the spot and met his eyes. Her eyes were pleading
with him, until her whole face lit up in shock as a loud slap was heard. She wasn’t the only one that
had spotted him, and Malfoy intended to make him even angrier it seemed; having slapped her
backside harshly.

“Missed this view.” he said loudly, probably hoping Tom latched on to every word he said, as
Hermione turned to him angrily.

Tom couldn’t stand down anymore. He just couldn’t. Not when that sleeze had once again laid his
filthy hands on his witch, touching her like only he was allowed to. With a roar he fired a curse of
his own making towards Malfoy, hoping he’d get to see him choke to his death. It wasn’t exactly a
killing curse, so she couldn’t really hold it against him.

To his dismay Malfoy ducked away from the curse, grinning widely at his accomplishment of
riling Tom up. A few stunning spells were thrown his way, but Tom avoided them easily. Both
Malfoy and he knew who would win this duel, so it was utterly stupid of him to even try.

Seeing the grin growing wider and wider only sparked the anger inside of Tom, making him fire
faster and faster, hoping at least one curse would hit its moving target.

“Come now, Riddle. We can share the mudblood, can we not?” shouted Malfoy taunted as he
ducked yet another curse of Tom’s.

“I don’t share.” Tom got out through clenched teeth as he continued to relentlessly fire curse after
curse at Malfoy.

He had to give it to him for avoiding them all so far. Someone had been training this past summer.

“You might just have to. She wants me too, and you know it.” he sneered and shot a curse of
Tom’s own making towards him.

How dare he. Tom was close to roaring in rage as he ducked the curse, eying him with newfound
hatred.

“I remember how her nipples felt in my mouth…” he continued as he shot more stunning curses
against Tom. “How she moaned from my touch. Tell me, can you even make her moan, Riddle?”

Tom doubted he had ever felt this kind of rage in his life. Not even when facing his father and
killing him. He knew that if he shot the killing curse now, Malfoy would fall down dead. Because
he meant it. He hated him more than he had ever hated his own father.

Peripherally, he saw Hermione standing printed against the wall trying to avoid their spells. She
was blushing fiercely, clearly not enjoying the attention she was currently receiving. He took a
deep breath and remembered the vow he made to her. Sure, it was only through words, but it meant
something for him. He wouldn’t break it.

Instead, he fired a row of stinging hexes and at last he hit his target. Relishing the sound of
Malfoy’s pain he found his voice again.

“Trust me, she does. At least I don’t have to force myself on her.” he grunted out and fired a few
more hexes towards the now fuming Malfoy.

The next spell that went soaring his way was the cruciatus curse. Something Tom could spot
anywhere from his frequent use of it. More anger soared through his body as he quickly put up a
shield and glared at his ex-follower.

“Touch her again, and I will kill you. STUPEFY!”

Malfoy went flying over the hall and hit the wall at the other end with a loud crack. He quickly fell
down to the floor in a heap as other students surrounded him, whispering about if he were dead or
not. Tom watched it with a strange sort of contentment until he felt something tugging his arm for
attention.

Glancing down, he was met with a beautiful pair of golden brown orbs staring up at him. But she
wasn’t angry with him, not this time. She cupped his cheek and kissed the other, smiling gently up
at him.

“Thank you.” she whispered.

He blinked dumbly, feeling the leftover anger quickly leaving his body with her touch.

“I’ll always be here to protect you.” he said tensely.

Before they could continue their conversation, Professor Utilis came running with Madam
Spudmore after her. They both demanded to know what had happened and no one of the witnesses
said anything. No one so much as looked at him. Grateful for his fellow students' tactfulness, he
couldn’t let someone else get the blame for this. He had, after all, simply defended Hermione’s
honor. Headmaster Dippet would understand.
So he came clean, got a surprised look from Professor Utilis before she escorted him to Dippet’s
office where he simply got a light telling off for injuring a fellow student and to never resort to
such actions again. He was, after all, the Head Boy. Tom had thanked his headmaster and promised
never to do anything the like ever again, internally wishing Malfoy was dead and buried.

After leaving the headmasters office, he made a short detour to the Slytherin common room to let
Crabbe and Goyle know their precious Malfoy was in the hospital wing, and that if they ever got in
his way again, he’d kill them all. They had stared dumbly at him, before realizing he was being
completely sincere, and after that they had tried to apologize. Tom had laughed coldy and asked
them to stay as far away from him as possible, and to tell Malfoy that he intended to make his life a
living hell if he so much as looked at him or Hermione ever again. It seemed to have done the trick
considering they had both runned out of the common room after that.

The day before the ball had Tom in anxiety. He knew that if he wanted Hermione he had to go
through with this. But if he went through with this, he went against himself. Was he even certain
that she wanted him? That she wouldn’t just leave him when she knew he wouldn’t be able to
make another horcrux, when he could die? He had never trusted another person at this length
before, never even coming close to it. And now… he was to just leap out into the unknown. To do
something only a handful of people had tried before. Something that would most definitely hurt
him tremendously, after having accomplished something he was initially extremely proud of. It just
didn’t make sense. But then again, when had anything with this witch made sense before.

That was how she found him, sitting in the armchair with his head in his hands.

“Tom…?” she asked carefully. “Are you alright?”

He gave a shallow laugh, for it really was a silly question. Of course he wasn’t alright.

“No. Not really.” he finally said and looked up at her.

She gave a faint smile and knelt down in front of him.

“Do you wish to speak about it?”

“I don’t think you’d understand.” he mumbled and gazed down at the witch in front of him.

She was devastatingly beautiful. Her cheeks rosy from the wind outside, the plumpness of her lips
calling to him, her eyes crinkled with worry for him. For him.

“Try me.” she challenged.

“I guess I’m just… frightened… that you’d leave me when I’ve done this for you.” he admitted
after a few seconds of staring into each other's eyes.

His words seemed to have surprised her, considering her mouth dropping open.

“You silly, silly, boy.” she mumbled, still staring at him gobsmacked.

Tom gave a faint laugh of nervousness and looked away. He knew he shouldn’t have admitted to
that. It was giving her yet another in to his weaknesses.

“Can’t you see that I am in love with you?” she whispered, grabbing ahold of his hands.
He froze instantly, not having expected the words. A warm feeling soared through his body,
making him feel more alive than he had in years. She loved him? A big part of him really wanted
to believe her, but couldn’t.

“No… I guess I can’t.” he finally said. “I’ve made so many mistakes; horrible, horrible actions. I
guess I just came to the conclusion that someone like you would never truly want someone like
me.”

“You are not the mistakes you’ve made in the past. Admitting to and correcting them speaks of
great character, and I want nothing more than for you to grow into the beautiful man that I know
that you can.”

Her hold on his hands was strong, almost hurtful. But he didn’t care. He just knew that he wanted
to be that man for her. He would be that man for her.

“I’ll do it.” he whispered, looking down on their enclasped hands. “I’ll do it for you.”

Hermione bent down and kissed their enclosed hands, beaming up at him.

“Thank you, Tom.”

After a few minutes staying close together, he finally picked up enough courage and went to
collect his belongings. When he came down the stairs, Hermione stood there looking nervously up
at him. She gave a faint smile and reached out for him.

“You’ll do great.” she said and hugged him closely.

Tom drew in a sharp breath and hugged her back. His instincts were screaming at him that he was
doing himself a disservice, but how could he not do this knowing he’d never get to hold her again?

She was worth it. She had to be worth it.

The walk up to the 7th floor felt longer than usual. When they stopped in front of the wall
concealing the Room of Requirement he felt the panic slowly taking hold of his body. As if
sensing this, Hermione took it upon herself to make the door appear in front of them. She grabbed
his hand and guided him in, revealing a rather small room with pillows on the floor. Walking in, he
immediately felt safe and warm.

Releasing another shaky breath, he walked up to the middle of the room and put the diary and the
ring next to each other. He felt a little tremble in his hands as he watched them, trying to regain his
courage once more. A small hand nestled its way into his.

“You can do it, darling.” Hermione whispered and kissed his cheek.

He watched her walk to the other side of the room, facing him and the horcruxes. She gave him a
smile and Tom tried his best to replicate it, but felt it come out more as a grimace.

He looked down at the two objects in front of him and with another deep breath he internly said
goodbye to all that was immortality.

“Open” he hissed out in parseltongue.

The diary fluttered open to the middle page at the same time as the stone on the ring removed itself
from the holder. Two dark shadows emerged and greeted him, they practically gushed darkness as
they hissed in parseltongue towards him. The two bits of his soul recognized him, and as if they
could sense they were about to be destroyed; they whispered reassurances of how he could still be
the darkest wizard the world had ever laid eyes upon.

The whispers were hard to ignore, as the darkest part inside of him wanted nothing more than to
close to objects again and ward them carefully. He wanted to protect them, to ensure their safety
and continue with the legacy that was Salazar Slytherin. He was just about to tell them to close
again when he met her eyes. She was standing right infront of him, just behind the objects, looking
frightened. Her eyes were pleading with him, and he remembered just why they were here.

Taking another shaky breath, he closed his eyes and began chanting the words he had read would
rejoin the pieces of his soul with him again.

“Paenitet me. Paenitet me. Anima mea revertere. Ego te revocabo. Paenitet me. Paenitet me.”

Tom didn’t know how long he chanted before all he knew was pain. Scorching pain all over his
body. He felt like his skin was on fire, like his organs were twisted around and his brain was
turning into mush. A roaring scream tore from his lungs, unable to keep it contained. He felt hot
tears spray his skin, but it was no use to the fire that was burning him. It felt like he had gone deaf,
for he couldn’t hear a single thing except his own beating heart that was trying to keep up with his
body's actions. It was thudding hard and fast, faster than it had ever done in his entire life.

He no longer knew where he was, or who he was. All he knew was pain. Excruciating pain. He
couldn’t move, nor speak. All he could do was scream out his agony.

It felt like it had gone on for hours until he finally collapsed in a heap on the floor, trembling from
the amount of torment that was still soaring through his body at full speed. With every second it
eased ever so slowly. Angry tears kept strolling down his cheeks, and he was unable to stop them.
As he was laying there, feeling Hermione’s small hands caressing his body and hearing her tears,
he was hit with an enormous feeling of failure. How could he have done this after working so hard
to master death? How could he have just given up on everything, simply because he had catched
feelings for a girl? Whatever happened to becoming the most feared and respected dark wizard in
the world? Ruling the world with everyone looking up at him in awe?

Without knowing it, the words slipped through his lips.

“I-... I’m a f-failiure…”

His body was still convulsing heavily in her arms, making her fragile body tremble intune with his.

“You are not.” she soothed.

“I am. I am. I am. Why? Why did I do this? How could I fail like this?” he wailed, clutching her
arm that was holding him.

“You did it Tom. You didn’t fail. You took back your soul, it’s whole. You’re whole. You’re
perfect.” she cried and stroked his perspiring face.

He shook his head vigorously. She didn’t understand. That was the problem. How could he live
forever when he no longer had his horcruxes? How could he be unbeatable when he could die?

“I’m a failure.” he whispered once more.

“Stop calling yourself a failure! There are planets and stars in your eyes, and there are fires and
oceans in your veins. Your head is a forest, your heart is a meadow and you are a work of art. And
you are mine. Don’t you dare talk bad about anything that’s mine.” she cried out fiercely.
Tom didn’t dare to respond, having sensed the urgency in her voice. He tried his hardest to stop
trembling, going over her words in his head instead.

They were rather poetic, and he found he liked that. He liked knowing she thought him so
vigorous, so intense and worthy of her attention.

“I’m so proud of you, Tom.” she said after a few minutes.

He didn’t know how to respond to those words since he had never heard them before. Averting his
gaze, he chose to just put his head against her chest, listening to her steady heartbeats. The pain
from his previous activities was still scorching his skin, slowly easing with each minute.

“You are so much stronger than you can ever imagine. So full of life and love. Each and every day
that you doubt yourself, I’ll be here to remind you just how strong you are.” she whispered as she
stroked his hair.

A sudden urge to cry came over him, and he tried hard to swallow the lump that had been forming
in his throat. He didn’t want to make himself look more fragile than he had already done.

It was a strange feeling, getting this kind of affection from someone when all you’ve previously
ever gotten was fear and respect. Not even as a kid had he been submitted to these types of
affections. He doubted he had ever really gotten a hug. Suddenly, he was reminded just why he had
gone through with this crazy idea in the first place. It was her. And it would always be her.

“You’re everything I have. I want you forever, please say that you’ll be mine forever?”

“I’ll be yours forever. You’re mine and I’m yours. I will always fight for you, Tom.”

“And I, for you.”

They butt their heads together as they both took deep breaths.

“My beautiful girlfriend.” he whispered as he caressed her face.

Hermione smiled and leaned into his touch, placing a chaste kiss on his hand.

They stayed there for a while, simply being in each other's presence, until Tom finally felt more
like himself again. It was a peculiar sensation, because not only was he not in pain, but everything
felt… more. Every touch Hermione gave him, every kiss, every breath and every single heartbeat
was just intense. Even the air tasted sweeter.

He quickly came to the conclusion that he had to have gotten used to the subtle changes ever so
slowly when making the horcruxes, but now when it all came back and practically hitting him in
the face, it was better than he could have ever imagined it.

A sudden urge to feel even closer to Hermione came over him.

“‘mione?”

She hummed an answer as she continued to stroke his hair.

“Let’s not have any secrets between us.”

She sat up more straight upon hearing the urgency in his voice.

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

“I never want to keep anything from you again, never want to feel the need to lie or decieve you.
And I don’t want you to hide anything from me either. Can you promise me that?”

She stared at him for a while, clearly in deep thought. He swallowed nervously. Was she keeping
things from him? After what he had just been through? What he had done for her?

“Then I’d better tell you my real surname, so we start at a fresh page, yeah?” she asked, a small
smile tugging in the corner of her mouth.

He couldn’t help but to release a breath, a big smile forming on his lips.

“You mean to tell me, your name is not Bernard?” he joked, feigning shock.

Hermione giggled and swatted him on the shoulder.

“No. Actually it’s… it’s Granger. Hermione Granger. I was born on the 19th of September 1979 by
two muggles, I was a Gryffindor until I came here and I was a hell of a prefect.”

“Of course you were. Had I known you then I’d probably thought you were a swot.” he teased and
poked a finger into her ribs.

Hermione laughed loudly and tried to get away from his tickling. Tom chased her around the room,
quickly getting a hold of her and tumbling around on the floor until he was on top of her. She
fought to get the upper hand, but quickly submitted as he successfully pinned her down with the
weight of his body.

“No more secrets then?” he asked carefully.

“No more secrets.”

Tom smiled big again and kissed her nose before releasing her.

After getting them excused from History of Magic a bit earlier, Tom retreated towards the
Slytherin Dungeons with Avery and Lestrange. They shared a few smokes of a cigar, intending to
get Lestrange less nervous about the night. It did no such thing, as he couldn’t stop talking about
Millicent and how she wouldn’t believe him when he said he wanted to spend some time with her.
Truthfully, it was boring to listen to, but Tom pulled through and gave Lestrange some advice on
the matter, urging him to take the night to convince her of his intentions.

“Are you sure you can stand up to your family then?” asked Tom after a while. “Since you intend
to spend time with her, I presume you have pure intentions?”

Avery looked up from where he was attempting to tie his bow tie, suddenly very interested in the
conversation that he had effectively ignored until now.

“I… I believe she’s worth it.” said Lestrange slowly. “And I’m not the heir, surely it wouldn’t be
such a blow to my family?”

Avery shrugged and continued to struggle with his tie. Tom sighed and helped him, tying it swiftly
into an impeccable tie.

“You need to imagine the worst scenario. Would she be worth it?” asked Avery.

Lestrange was quiet for a few seconds, clearly mulling things over, before finally saying ‘yes’.
“Then there you go. Problem solved. Now you only need to woo her as well.” said Tom
diplomatically and continued to tie his own bow tie.

He glanced in the mirror to take a final look at his appearance. The black tuxedo was latching to
his form impeccably, and his curls were laid softly against his head. All in all, he was in striking
form. Someone worthy of having Hermione on his arm. He gave a small smile at the thought of his
witch before leaving with his friends to await the girls down at the entrance hall.

It was lucky they were early, considering Hermione was presented quite early on. The grave voice
of Professor McDough bellowed around the hall, alerting them that here came Hermione Bernard.

It felt like watching an angel descend the stairs. She wore a midnight blue gown, showing off her
pale shoulders as well as a decent amount of cleavage. Tom nearly choked on his own saliva upon
seeing that. It looked like both she and the dress were glowing. The small diamonds that were
sprinkled across her dress illuminated her skin, shedding small rainbows across it. He swallowed
hard as both Avery and Lestrange patted his back encouragingly.

Impatiently, he stepped forward to the foot of the steps and awaited her with a big smile. She
looked terrified, bless her. The normal blush colored her skin, but she smiled brightly when she
met his gaze. The last few steps were taken in a rush, as she leapt into his arms. Tom laughed
warmly and kissed her forehead, stroking her bare arms with his hands.

“You look breathtaking.” he whispered.

“So do you.” she answered before kissing him tenderly.

Tom didn’t want to stop kissing her, enjoying the feeling of her soft lips against his as well as her
body pushed hard against him, but conceded upon hearing the cheers that had erupted around the
hall.

Hermione was now a tomato, a very cute tomato, that tugged him towards the Great Hall to get
away from the stares they were currently receiving.

“Still not enjoying being the center of attention I presume?” he teased and poked her ribs playfully.

“Not even a little bit.” she grunted out and led him towards the punch.

They enjoyed a glass, talking and laughing with both her friends and his. A few younger students
came by to compliment them on their work, getting the ball so beautiful for the night. He watched
Hermione swell with pride each time, and found he enjoyed it excessively.

The band had started to play a few songs, and he watched Hermione become eager to get to the
dancefloor, but too polite to ask him to. Chuckling, he asked for her arm and they proceeded to
dance for a few hours.

She was a good dancer, and he enjoyed dancing with her so much he didn’t even notice the time
had flown by so quickly. He thought it was lucky that her dress was so low cut in the back, making
him able to feel the softness of her skin. He trailed a few circles with his fingers throughout the
dances, enjoying the feeling of her shiver each and every time.

When the clock struck ten, he let her enjoy a few dances with her girlfriends, as he retreated back
to where Avery and Lestrange stood by the punch.

“Enjoying ourselves gentlemen?” he asked politely.

“I’ve danced with at least eight different girls, I’m on a row.” declared Avery happily, before
catching yet another girl's eye and excusing himself.

Lestrange rolled his eyes before sharing a laugh with Tom.

“It amazes me, the allure he apparently has.” laughed Lestrange.

Tom was currently watching Hermione dance closely with Millicent and Alice, each swaying
seductively towards each other.

“It should be illegal, that.” grunted Tom and poured himself some punch.

“It truly should.” agreed Lestrange and looked at the girls with light in his eyes. “She's turned me
down twice already. Do you reckon you could put in a good word for me?”

Tom smiled.

“Third time’s a charm, yeah?”

Lestrange nodded eagerly and Tom made his way back to the girls, two glasses of punch in his
hands.

“... Should I dance with him?” he heard Millicent ask a giggling Hermione.

“You absolutely should. His intentions are sincere, I vouch for that.” he said, trying to make him
sound as genuine as possible.

He met Millicent’s scrutinizing stare for a good five seconds before she flashed him a bright smile
and made her way towards Lestrange that was currently watching them while holding his thumbs.
Literally.

He gave Hermione her punch and hugged her from behind, watching his friend and hers talk and
blush. He felt her tense up a little upon seeing them together, and it didn’t take a genius to
understand she was worried about his intentions too.

“He’s crazy about her, only dumped her because of the expectations from his family. Now
however… he seems to have come to the conclusion that she is worth it.” he explained to her.

Hermione turned around and faced him, slowly sipping her cup thoughtfully.

“And we are certain that he can go against his family like that?” she asked.

Well he bloody well has to now that he had vouched for him.

“He is not the heir to the Lestrange line. If anyone in his family can make a detour, it’s him.”

He kissed her nose to ease the wrinkles that were currently painting her forehead.

“Another dance? It’s almost midnight. I hope you’re not tired yet, since I have another activity
planned for after the ball…” he said seductively before biting her lip playfully.

“I’d dance with you the whole night if I could.” she said and they made their way out to the dance
floor.

The last hour was apparently equal to only playing slow songs, not that Tom minded in the
slightest. He wanted nothing more than to have this witch pressed firmly against him. She had a
bright smile on her lips the entire evening, and he knew he had one as well. It truly had been a
perfect evening.

Twirling Hermione around, he circulated Lestrange and Millicent that was currently pressed tightly
against each other, both with a fierce blush on their faces. He smiled fondly at the sight, placing a
chaste kiss on the top of Hermione’s head.

When the clock struck twelve, he bowed to her and kissed her hand.

“Thank you for the dance, Miss Bernard.” he said lovingly.

Hermione curtseyed and giggled before letting him lead the way towards their common room.

When they finally got inside the common room, they both pounced on each other at the same time.
Truthfully. having had a good view of her breasts the entire night had done a number on him.
Apparently, his outfit had inspired the same thoughts in her head, if her snogging and wandering
hands were anything to go by.

Hermione started to tug at his shirt, trying to undress him as she continued to kiss him sloppily. He
chuckled at her enthusiasm and helped her undress him, before placing chaste kisses on her
shoulders and helping her out of her gown. It was even more beautiful than the one she had worn
last year, and so he wanted her to keep this one. Surely she’d get another occasion to wear it. He’d
make sure of it.

Standing in their underwear, they continued to snog before he decided he wanted more and grabbed
her to carry. Tom placed her carefully on the bed, propping himself up above her and kissed her
neck over and over.

“You are the most gorgeous witch I’ve ever had pleasure laying my eyes on.” he whispered.

He could feel her smile as her hands caressed his back and hair. He nibbled on her neck, wanting to
permanently brand her but accepting to just give her love bites for now.

“I want you to be mine forever, Hermione. I’ve never felt anything like this before, please tell me
you want to be with me forever.” he murmured.

“I’ll always be yours.” she whispered back, nibbling on his earlobe.

It made shivers spark throughout his whole body. His cock twitched in anticipation, sensing what
was to come.

Carefully, he removed her bra and caressed her perky breasts. They were soft and squishy to touch,
and he soon latched on with his mouth, teasing her nipple lovingly. A few minutes later he felt a
tug at his briefs, and he let her remove them and watched her remove her knickers as well.

When she laid naked in front of him, he drank in the sight of her for what must have been the
hundredth time, and yet it felt like it might never be enough. He met her in a loving kiss before
directing his throbbing erection to her smooth and wet folds.

He went slower than usual, relishing the feeling of her around him. Somehow, she felt even tighter
today than any other day. He went deeper and deeper into her, enjoying her walls clenching him.

Hermione moaned loudly as he continued to thrust into her deeply while latching onto her nipple.
Her own hands were alternating with tugging his hair and scratching his back, urging him on. He
felt her walls begin to tremble around him, and just to tease her he slowed down even more, still
hitting her deep inside. He wanted to relish this moment, them two together in this loving embrace.

He didn’t know why he didn’t want the usual roughness that came with their sex. Somehow, it felt
like this kind of tenderness was needed tonight. He met her gaze and they stared into each other's
eyes as he continued to thrust into her deeply. It felt like he could see the fire of her soul when they
were connected like this. He briefly wondered what she could see in his eyes as he felt himself jerk
into her once more and released himself, all while she clamped down her walls at him, becoming
undone.

When he finally regained his senses, he realized she was crying heavily under him. Quickly, he
withdrew from her but she clutched his arms hard, as if begging him to stay close to her. Her
cheeks were stained wet and more tears gathered in her eyes by each second. Panicking, he
wondered what on earth he had done to hurt her like this.

“No. No, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m crying. I’m just… oh… Tom! Thank you!” she got out
through hiccups.

He was still reserved, thinking she might’ve hit her head during the act.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked.

“No. It’s just, I love you so much!” she cried and pulled him even closer towards her. “Thank
you!”

Releasing a breath of relief, he chuckled airly. He laid down beside her, holding her close to him
and kissed her cheeks.

“I should be thanking you, princess.” he whispered and kissed her softly, before caressing her hair
until she fell asleep in his arms.

He couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky he was. He had got the girl, and not just any girl.
Hermione Granger. The smartest witch of her age. She had looked even more beautiful this time
around on the ball, partially because she was at his arm. He hadn’t been able to drop the smile on
his lips throughout the whole evening. He knew she had been even happier today considering what
he had done yesterday, and that was simply a bonus in his head. Knowing he had made her that
happy, that the smile she wore for the night was all for him, as was her dress and touches, got him
more satisfied than he thought he could ever be. He fell asleep with a smile that night.

The following month of November was spent with Hermione nagging him about responding to at
least one of the fifty letters he had gotten from the Ministry of Magic, hoping that he’d consider
taking a post at their specific department. It was dreadfully boring skimming through each and
every one of their letters, knowing he’d rather study dark arts and master them. He had, however,
promised Hermione to at least try the Ministry a year before he began dabbling with the subjects
he truly wished to pursue.

Hermione pushed him towards going into the Magical Law department, but Tom would rather eat
an alive dragon before becoming an auror. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the horror of not
being able to decide what spells he wanted to cast, or always having to respond to a superior. No,
Tom was more leaning towards the Department of Mysteries, or maybe even the Department of
International Magical Cooperation. He wanted to use his charisma, his skills and his brain. They
were bickering for more than a few weeks before he finally conceded by responding to the two
departments, letting them know that he’d be happy to consider a post at their service in the future.
Classes drew on, as did their workload. Tom found themselves a new routine that consisted of
breakfast, classes, a few hours at the library separated with each of their friend groups (his from
now on simply being Lestrange and Avery), a few hours in their common room, evening tea before
retreating to one of their beds. It was a perfectly comfortable routine, whereas they got time apart as
well as with each other.

Tom noticed they didn’t argue at all since he had taken back the pieces of his soul, Hermione felt
more carefree after that as well.

He had been having difficulties with coming around the part of him that screamed for recognition,
that wanted power and fear around him. With every day that went by, he felt the small boy inside
of him, the very one he had tried so hard to break and make even smaller, grow bigger and bigger.
That boy took up more space, as the monster took less and less. That boy was more than happy to
give up the idea of living forever when the one person he held higher than anything wouldn’t be
able to join him in eternity. That boy was more than content with living one life, full of love and
laughter.

They were seated next to each other on the red couch, it was mid december and he had just figured
out that he loved her. She looked utterly beautiful just sitting there, a cup of tea in her hand as she
read one of the many textbooks they had this year. She looked absolutely ordinary, but she was his.
And Salazar, was she beautiful.

He just couldn’t get past the feeling of perfect happiness whenever she was around him.

Merlin, he loved her. And he would keep loving her for as long as she’d let him.

Tom snuggled closer to Hermione on the sofa, breathing in the scent of her. The scent of books,
lavender and cedar hit him for the hundredth time. And for the hundredth time, he felt completely
devoted to her. For the hundredth time; he felt like he needed nothing more in life than the witch
right next to him. His Hermione Granger.
 Chapter 41
Chapter Notes

Epilogue

Hermione was seated at the desk in her classroom on September 2nd, 1991, waiting for her class of
first years. It was always thrilling having a new class to form. She loved teaching, probably more
than Tom loved his politics, and that was saying something.

Their own kids were grown up, having kids of their own. They had a comfortable life, more money
than they needed, and all the love and more that was needed to raise one's family. Having married
Tom Riddle just out of Hogwarts was something she had never regretted. Their life together had
been filled with happiness and love; three beautiful kids and each other as well as entertaining
careers. Sure, they were well over 60 now, but they still had dreams and goals, for themselves as
well as their kids and grandkids.

She could still remember the day he had proposed to her. It was new years eve of 1944. He had
taken her to the Astronomy Tower, letting her know how he used to spend his birthdays there all
alone. Hermione remembered she had felt sorry for him, her mind picturing a young Tom sitting
there all alone with no one to share his birthday with. It was then he had told her how happy he was
that she was with him now, and that he’d rather spend every birthday to come in her presence. He
then proceeded with getting down on one knee, popping the question accompanied with a beautiful
diamond ring. She had started crying heavily, nodding her yes through her tears and his relieved
laughter.

As he put the ring on her finger, loud explosions of fireworks were seen, accompanied by cheers
and laughter from both her friends and his. They had a hell of a new years eve party that night.

Tom deciding to marry her had wavered his group of friends' look on muggleborns and half bloods.
If the heir of Slytherin wasn’t scared to do so, neither would they. Lestrange had grafted hard for
Millicent’s affections, a pursuit that she held him to for a good two years before she finally
accepted his proposal. They often shared dinners together.

Hermione had persuaded Tom to go into politics and take one of the million offers he had from the
ministry; he had reluctantly accepted one after a while’s contemplation and found himself loving it.
She had as well taken up a post in the ministry, first as an employee of the department for
regulation and control of magical creatures, secondly as an auror. She quickly became head auror
within a few years. When Dumbledore became headmaster in 1965 she had gladly accepted a post
as the defense against the dark arts teacher. A post she had held for 26 years now, and she wasn’t
planning on giving it up either.

It was these thoughts that consumed Hermione’s mind when her class came crashing in through the
doors. And in the lead were two people she knew all too well.

A small boy with pitch black, messy hair and eyes green as emeralds were staring at her hopefully.
She could not help but notice how a certain lightning scar wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Beside him,
looking even more excited, were a taller boy with fierce red hair and blue eyes. He had a long nose
speckled with freckles on it.
Hermione had thought she was ready for this day, but seeing them again so young and so full of
hope, caught her off guard. These boys didn’t have to live through the threat of a dark lord, they did
not need to see their friends die in front of them, and they did not need to grow up all too fast. No.
They would get a carefree childhood, filled with love from their living parents and siblings, they
would attend Hogwarts and find it boring for once and they would get to grow up and become their
own persons.

She felt tears preck her vision and swiftly composed herself. She couldn’t scare two eleven year
olds by crying the first thing she did upon seeing them.

It was a strange feeling, seeing her two best friends for a second time, all while they had no idea
who they were for her, who she had been for them.

The class quickly took their seats, beaming up at her. This was one of the reasons she loved her
post so much. It was one of many students' favorite subjects. She plastered a big smile on her lips
to contain the nostalgia she felt whenever laying eyes on the two boys in the front seat and opened
her mouth to say words she had spoken so many times before.

“Welcome to your first defense against the dark arts class. I am Professor Riddle.”

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