Title: That's All She Wrote

Rating: T

Pairing(s)/Character(s): Tom/Hermione

Warnings: AU (Hermione was born in Riddle's Era), OOC Tom and Hermione (but it is AU)

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.

Word Count: 1,524

Summary: Hermione is an annoying mudblood who just won't leave Tom alone.

Notes:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry – Divination class: Write about an era that's before the Trio Era. Prompts Used: Uptight, Defensive, Riddle Era.

Gift-Giving Extravaganza 2014 – For indescent spirals

Pick a Card, Any Card Challenge – Queen of Spades: Write about someone who is more than they seem.

het-pairing Boot Camp – Prompt Used: book

Twister Challenge – Restriction: Fic must be titled 'That's All She Wrote'

taming the muse livejournal community – Prompt Used: Bravura

Feedback: Yes

Tom was bored. It was seventh year and he enjoyed not having to stress too much about the NEWTS. It was nice that he didn't have to work too hard at everything he did. No matter what it was, the skills seemed to come naturally to him. Even so, it got tiring always being so bravura. And for you less intelligent people, that means virtuoso, superlative, magnificent! That was his life, though.

He smirked. He wasn't sure when he got so dramatic, but he needed some excitement in his life. His eyes roamed around the Great Hall until they rested on Gryffindor Hermione Granger, whose nose was buried in a book, like always.

She was an uptight, bossy, know-it-all, especially for a Muggle-born who didn't know her place. She had busy brown hair, too big eyes, and a body that held no appeal. Not even her own house liked her.

Tom's eyes left her. She wasn't worth his time or attention. There had to be someone who was, though. There just had to be.

The first class of the day was DADA and they were working on defensive spells. It was one of the many classes that Slytherins shared with the Gryffindors, and like most of the combined classes, a Slytherin was paired with a Gryffindor for the practical part of the lesson.

Tom's partner happened to be Granger. He rolled his eyes. Just what he needed to deal with. He had to be paired with someone who would never be a match for him, not in her wildest dreams. If she thought he was going to go easy on her, she had another thing coming.

Granger took care of the offensive spells first and Tom expertly blocked them without batting an eye. She seemed to get frustrated as her eyes narrowed. She upped the power of her spells, but Tom handled it easily.

The professor called time and the two of them switched positions. Granger had her wand ready as she crouched to the standard defensive position.

Tom smirked. It no time at all, he would have Granger's wand. The smirk left his face when she dodged the spell. Tom threw more and more spells at her, but she managed to block all of them with either a dodge or a defensive spell.

Tom didn't think the annoying Muggle-born had it in her. She was definitely more than she seemed.

Even so, he did his best to ignore her, especially when she made it her life's mission to always be there. At the library, she made sure to sit at his table even though he didn't say two words to her. In the Great Hall, she sat at the Gryffindor table, but it was always in his line of sight. In classes that the Slytherins shared with Gryffindors, she sat in front of him and he found himself looking at her hair. He realized it wasn't as bushy as he thought, just curly. She seemed to know she was annoying him and it pleased her.

It was during the Christmas break that things between the two of them shifted a bit. Since most students were gone, there were no house tables in the Great Hall. Instead, there was one big round table that was shared by the remaining students and the professors. Granger, Tom, two Ravenclaws, and one Hufflepuff were the only students still at the school.

Tom would say it was coincidence that Granger ended up sitting next to him, but he didn't believe in coincidences, not when Granger was always there when he turned around.

Tom did his best to ignore her and concentrate on eating. It was hard though because she looked at him between bites, and he found it quite unnerving.

Finally, he broke. "What do you want, mudblood?" he whispered harshly.

She didn't flinch at the term. She was used to it; he heard other Slytherin use it when talking to her. "I was just thinking."

"What a surprise," he sarcastically bit out.

When he looked at her, he noticed Granger's eyes were soft and compassionate. He hated when compassion was aimed at him; it made him feel too exposed. "Why are you always so unhappy?"

"Not everyone is lucky to have a mommy and daddy who loves them." Tom couldn't believe how much he was revealing, but something about Granger rubbed him the wrong way. Always had if he was perfectly honest.

Granger nodded as if she understood. It was a laughable matter; she understood nothing. That didn't stop her from pretending, though. "You had a rotten childhood. I believe everyone at this school has drawn that conclusion. You don't have to go on and have a rotten life. The path you're going down is bad, but you're not there, yet. It's not too late for you."

He knew she meant her words to be kind and understanding, but it made him want to throttle her. "Keep your nose out of my business or else," he threatened.

"Or else what?"

Oh Merlin, she didn't even seem to care about the danger she was in, the thin line she was treading. "Or else you might disappear." Tom got up, having decided he was done eating, and walked out of the Great Hall. He didn't stomp, oh no. That wouldn't have been very Slytherin of him, but if he left a little quicker than usual, there were no Slytherins there to see.

Tom thought Granger would leave him alone since she succeeded in riling him up; he was wrong. Instead, she seemed even more determined to be in his company and nothing he said or did could deter her.

She took to sitting next to him in Potions and DADA. When she left the classroom, she placed a soft hand on his shoulder in goodbye. She waved to him and smiled when she saw him in the morning and did the same time at night after dinner. The more he glared and the nastier he got with his words, the more determined she was to be nice to him.

He was fed up. For the first time in a long time, he didn't know what to do and it was driving him crazy. He felt like pulling his hair out and nothing in his life had ever made him feel that out of control before. Finally, one night after dinner, he strode over to the Gryffindor table before she was even finished with her meal. He grasped her wrist and pulled her up from her seat, dragging her out of the Great Hall. While the Slytherins looked on curiously, the Gryffindors ignored it. After all, she was no friend of theirs so they didn't see any reason to try to protect her.

When they were alone in an alcove, he let go of her as if he had been burnt. "Why are doing this?"

"I'm helping you," she replied simply, as if it was an everyday thing.

"Helping me? How? By irritating me?"

Hermione walked closer. "No, by killing you with kindness so you'll see me."

"I see you alright." Just then, he realized he called her Hermione. Even in his head, that was unacceptable behavior.

Hermi – no, Granger – laughed and Tom noticed her brown eyes seemed to sparkle as her cheeks gained a light red hue. "I'm a very determined woman. If I want something, I go for it and I always get it. And one of things I want is for you to see you are capable of being loved. And I want you to see I'm a viable prospect."

"Prospect?" Tom scoffed. "You're nothing but an annoying mudblood."

"You're wrong. I'm annoying in a way that I interest you and you hate that. You find me intelligent and impressive. You thought I was some worthless little mudblood who didn't belong at Hogwarts, but I impressed you. I tilted your worldview a bit, and you can't stand it. You find me attractive even if it's only because of my intelligence. You want me at the same time you don't want to want me, and you don't know what to do with yourself because of the contradiction."

Tom crossed his arms. She was a little too right in her deduction. "So, what do you think I should do?"

Her grin was positively wicked as she stepped closer so her chest was pressed against his, and he felt a stirring in his pants. "I think you stop fighting it and give into the feelings coursing through you. Let yourself care for another human being, and you won't regret it. Give me a chance to prove I'm right." Then she stood up on her toes and kissed him on the lips with the same ferociousness as when she explained why Tom was wrong about her.

And that was all she wrote.

Who knows? Maybe he'd actually learn to think of her as Hermione instead of Granger, but just then, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, he decided he'd allowed himself to enjoy the press of her lips and body against his. He'd worry about the other stuff afterwards.