Forgotten and Forgiven
It was the Yule Ball and everyone was there. Almost all the girls were around Tom, trying to get him to notice them. He was just leaning against the wall, loving the fact that loads of girls were surrounding him, when his eyes caught several sparkles. It was from Hermione Grangers' dress. She was dancing with Draco Malfoy. A Gryffindor with a Slytherin. Not a sight you see every year at Hogwarts. Hermione and Draco kissed for barely a second, when Tom felt rage build up inside of him, his heart beating faster and faster. He wanted to cast the Cruciatus curse on Malfoy. He then shook his head vigorously. She's a Mudblood and in Gryffindor! I'm not allowed to love her! Malfoy is bringing disgrace to his family's name just by being with her! Tom thought to himself sternly.
Tom barged through the crowd of girls. He walked past Hermione, banging into her shoulder on purpose.
"Watch it Mudblood." said Tom with a painful smirk on his face. He looked at Hermione for a second then walked to his room swiftly, so that anyone trying to follow him would have to go at a jog. He didn't bother getting changed. He just buried his face into his pillow and cried softly.
Bellatrix Black then barged into Tom's room, shouting that calling 'That Gryffindor' a Mudblood in front of everyone was brilliant. It was only then realised he was crying.
"Erm… What's wrong Tom?" she asked awkwardly. Seeing as Bellatrix was one of his closest friends (or Death Eaters as he liked to call them) he told her everything. Bellatrix had a crush on him, so she was fuming. She hid it very well though.
Hermione had ran off to the library, Draco right behind her, calling out her name, but she wasn't listening. She sat in a corner of the library, crying into her hands.
"What's wrong Hermione?" asked Draco softly.
"Tom Riddle. He is just so stupid! That's the first time someone has called me that since my second year!" replied Hermione through tears of sadness and anger. Draco was looking sad himself now. He knew that he was the one that had called Hermione a Mudblood when they were in their second year.
"Hey, forget about him. He's just being his usual idiotic self." said Draco, kissing Hermione. She giggled then hugged Draco.
"Thank you." she whispered softly into his ear.
Not long after the Yule Ball, it was the Christmas holidays. Bellatrix, Draco, Hermione and Tom were only four of the ten students staying for the holidays. Just a few days into it, Bellatrix thought of a plan to get Hermione out of the way. She went to a forgotten part of Hogwarts, pulled out her wand and waved it six times. With one swish, a huge tower grew out of the ground with a window as the only entrance and exit and a 200-foot drop. With the other five, dragons appeared, all of them chained to the tower in some way. Bellatrix waved her wand one last time and her broomstick came to her. She ran up to Hermione and said "Hop on!" in the nicest voice she could do with a smile on her face. Hermione shrugged her shoulders. She had nothing better to do so she did get on.
Tom and Draco were looking up out of two different Slytherin windows. Draco was thinking about Hermione had been so upset and was thinking about what hexes or curses he should use on Tom. Tom couldn't get Hermione out of his mind. All he could think of was the utter disgust on her face when he called her a Mudblood. It brought tears to his eyes just thinking about it, but he quickly blinked them away. They only just then saw Bellatrix and Hermione on the broom. They each quickly grabbed their own and flew after them, sensing that something was wrong.
As they turned around a sharp corner, they saw Bellatrix fly into the tower with Hermione, and then five minutes later, she came out without Hermione and was laughing.
"Draco, save her. You are her boyfriend. She needs help. It's like your duty to save her." Tom said slowly.
"WHAT!" cried Malfoy, "I can't save her! It's impossible for me to save her! I need a holiday away from Hogwarts!" Draco flew off away from the tower and Hogwarts with the words "Five dragons… FIVE!" Tom closed his eyes and took a deep breath. How would he get past the dragons?
Tom wanted to kill them, but he knew Hermione would hate him for it. He only just then remembered how to move any object or living thing from one place, to somewhere far far away from them. He cast the spell 'Portransio!' five times (once for each dragon) then flew in through the window. As soon as he got through, the window closed and he saw a troll. Hermione tried to stun the troll, but all her spells bounced off it.
"Hermione, do you mind if I kill this troll?" Tom asked, pulling out his wand again.
"Be my guest!" shouted Hermione, jumping out of the way of flying bricks.
"Avada Kedavra!" cried Tom. He grabbed his broomstick and Hermione quickly got on behind him, clinging onto his waist tightly. She knew this would help thanks to the experience with Bellatrix. Tom was happy with the physical contact he had with Hermione. He flew far away from Hogwarts, onto a hill and dropped Hermione and his broom there. He then disapperated,
Ten minutes later, he was back with Draco. He pushed Draco towards Hermione then sat down at the edge of the hill so as to give Hermione and Draco some privacy.
"You ran off." Hermione said coldly, tears slowly welling up in her eyes. Draco went to stroke her face and apologise with a kiss, but Hermione pulled away.
"Hermione, there were five dragons. I couldn't save you! I just couldn't!"
"Tom saved me. He wasn't afraid." said Hermione quietly.
"That's because he's Emperor Crazy of Crazy city on the Crazy continent on Crazy world!" snapped Draco.
"That's it! I've had enough of you! Draco Malfoy, we are now officially ex-boyfriend and girlfriend!" Draco disapperated and Hermione collapsed onto the floor, sobbing into the grass.
Tom ran up to her and helped her sit up. They looked into each others eyes for several minutes. Then, without warning, Tom kissed Hermione. She pushed him away and slapped him hard.
"Hermione! I'm… I'm…" started Tom, but then he broke down. "I love you Hermione! I can't help it, but I do! I've loved from the second I saw you that night of the Yule Ball! I always have, and I always will!" he cried, looking up at Hermione. He broke down sobbing into his knees. Hermione knelt down in front of him and stared for a while. She realised that everything he said was the entire truth.
She lifted his head and kissed him back,
"I love you too." she whispered into his ear. They went into a long and passionate kiss. Then Draco came back, apologising then freezing in his tracks. His face slowly started turning red with anger.
"You're too late Malfoy. This train has left the station, and you're not on it." Tom said, kissing Hermione for several seconds while Draco disapperated again.
"I just have one more thing to say Hermione…" started Tom
"You... Are… Forgiven." she said quietly and softly.