House: Slytherin
Category: Drabble
Prompts: [First Line] He/She/They always wondered how one simple word could change so much.
Word count: 460 (Excluding Author's Note, but including entire Entry and Title)
Warning: This is an AU (Alternate Universe) piece.
Characters: Tom Riddle; Hermione Granger
Summary: Tom riddle, marked a man of the beast, never knew love until he met Hermione Granger. She was a woman who'd stayed by him, knowing the end result of a life filled with sin. And, that couldn't be a bigger sacrifice for the lover of the damned.
Author's Note: I was supposed to be dedicating all my drabbles/short (I think?) to a member of my House (Slytherin), but it didn't work out the way I planned. This one is dedicated to Mari, and I hope mah Mari likes it 3 She's a huge Tomione fan, and only because I love her so so much, I may just come back and expand on this one a bit. This piece, despite its shortness, was such an amazing piece to write and I hope that I can deliver unto you a very intriguing and complex story in the future :)
As always, enjoy
-Carolare Scarletus
My Lady Grey
He always wondered how one simple word could change so much. The world could be falling through the cracks, and her cheerful voice alone was enough to sew the skies back together, no matter what she whispered or uttered. The depth of her devotion always surprised him, he once speculated with odd fascination. He was infatuated by her mere presence, let alone the words that whispered to him in the dead of night. Hermione was an endless stream of light at the end of the tunnel in his world of grey, and Tom Riddle was hopelessly in love with her.
"So, I talked to Canis today," Hermione said with a smile. "Divination is giving him- hey, are you listening to me?"
Tom paid her question no mind. Instead, his hand caught a stubborn strand of her curly hair and twirled it playfully around his pointer finger. Completely intrigued by the simple action, her next words almost flew over his head.
"What did you say, love?"
She blushed, looking away. "Nothing."
Tom didn't buy it. "Come on, tell me."
Hermione caught the bait and let out a frustrated sigh. "Term is coming to an end. I was wondering what your plans were."
"I thought we talked about this," Tom said, eyebrow raised. "My plans involve you."
"But, are you sure that's what you want?" she asked.
He shifted closer to her, caught her wrist as he stared endlessly into her eyes. "I'm sure."
Tom new that the future was a sensitive subject for her; he was still branded with the mark of the beast, damned for eternity and something he'd have to live with for the rest of his life. Knowing that Hermione wanted to stand by him spoke volumes; each day, he fell more madly enamored by her. He craved her spirit and enthusiasm; she made the end of his days seem so far away. With her, Tom could face anything and he owed her so much for just being there next to him.
Leaning back against the tree, Tom said, "Thank you."
"For what," she asked quietly, looking at him.
"For showing me everything that I've missed," he told her. "Even though you know I'm still damned, you still choose to stand by me. I must thank you for the testimony of your feelings."
"There is no other man I'd want to walk this life with," Hermione whispered, painting the depth of her love for him with her words. "I love you, Tom. Nothing could destroy that."
He closed his eyes, basking in the weight of it as if the sun was shining down on him.
Tom always wondered how one simple word could change so much, and now he knew.
It was because of love.