My very first HP Story. Please enjoy! Feed back and criticism is strongly welcomed as well as appreciated. Let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Summary: All Hermione ever wanted was a nice, sweet boy for a son that she could love and care for with all her heart. She got more than she asked for with Tom Riddle. Way more. Now she is stuck in what started out as a dream, and now is turning into a nightmare.

Told in Drabbles of at Least 100 words, Max 1000 words.

Hermione looked at the little boy from the rear view mirror. She gripped her husband's hand that was on the middle armrest in the traveling car. He ran the pad of his pale, freckled hand over hers soothingly. She glanced at his speckled face for but a moment before returning to the child behind them. Her husband was happy, to put it mildly. Her Weasley was simply elated that they did this. That finally, finally, they have a child to call their own. After so many times of trying, trying, and not once succeeding in bringing forth a child only brought Hermione to a depressive state. One of which she was embarrassed about. Hermione shook her head. Don't think about it. This was a new start, a new beginning. They had just left the orphanage, and were now leaving as a family of three instead of the two at first. The boy had not said a word since they left, and this made Hermione nervous. Was she not being welcoming enough? Hermione decided that she would show the child that there was nothing to worry about, and that he should harbor no fear once home. Hermione's husband parked the car right outside on the driveway, and Hermione helped the boy to his feet. He looked passably over at the short structure that would now be his new home.

Hermione smiled as she took the boy's right hand in her left. The boy lightly tugged his hand away from the contact, but stopped short once he realized what he was doing. Hermione then kneeled down in front of him, and straightened his shabby grey coat.

"Welcome home, Tom."

Hermione didn't realize then that she would later regret those words.