"I'm… I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly, not at all like his usual confident self. "I didn't think –"
"Yes, you did," she replied angrily. "You knew fully well what you were doing. You always do."
Her eyes met his with a cool stare, daring him to try it again.
He gazed back at her, narrowing his own at the silent taunt.
For a while, neither moved.
"I just wanted to know your name." He averted his eyes.
She didn't. "I told you that you couldn't."
"You never told me why."
"You already knew."
His eyes snapped back to her, and it was she who averted hers instead.
The fragments of the cruel reality that he saw – the cold insane murdering sociopath.
Her present and his future.
Frowning, he lifted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I will not become him."
"I don't know that," she whispered.
The look in his eyes softened, and he kissed her brow. "Now you do."
She shook her head; he relinquished his hold on her.
"I didn't mean to see—" he pleaded.
"You shouldn't have tried. You should have known better than to use legilimency on me."
"I'm sorry."
She sighed. "I have to go."
Alarmed, he immediately grabbed her wrist. Looking down on her, he realized her intentions.
"You're not coming back."
He watched as she fingered her necklace, the time-turner shifting between her fingers.
His grip tightened.
"Tom, stop it."
His jaw clenched, and for a moment, he wanted to summon the magical item from her grasp.
He exhaled forcefully through his nose and briefly shut his eyes.
Then he let her go.
She spun the time-turner while watching him.
And she began to fade.
"Tom."
His eyes remained shut. He couldn't bear to watch her go.
"My name is Hermione."
His eyes shot open.
But she was gone.
A/N: My first HP one-shot. It's pretty short, but I hope that you liked it. Review please. :)