**I'm in love with Tom Riddle, okay? Haha. Each of these chapters have been thought out and carefully structered so that everything ties together! I really look forwards to writing this story, and I look forwards to you readers enjoying it and giving me your feedback! I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!**
The news of Voldemort's return passed through the Ministry's ears and was quickly cast off as a young boy's desperate attempt for attention. There was no way the Dark Lord would rise again, so naturally the word of the only survivor of the Killing Curse went passed them easily and was not thought on for a second longer.
The lives of those in the Wizarding World seemed to not have changed with this outcry of the Dark Lord's return. Wizards and Witches walked the streets of the Wizarding World, went to work, attended school, all of them acting as if the news of the Dark Lord's supposed return not phasing them… however, on the inside some shook with fear. Many were cautious and almost paranoid, the words of safety and peace from the Ministry doing little to nothing to calm them.
The new year at Hogwarts was staring, many parents were reluctant to send their children back to Hogwarts, or even to Hogwarts for their first years. Some students would not be returning for the new school term, their parents too afraid to let their children go and be in the possible pathway which the Dark Lord (if he truly was back) might be taking.
Hermione Granger's parents, even being Muggles, knew something was wrong in their daughter's world. She didn't want to frighten them, worry them, so she didn't tell them everything there was to tell. They allowed their daughter to continue her studies at Hogwarts, only under the condition that she'd write to them twice a month. Hermione had gladly accepted their terms.
Sitting on the Hogwarts Express, by herself, Hermione was staring out the window, contemplating the coming term at Hogwarts. She could already tell something wasn't… right. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach, as the train rolled closer and closer to its destination, that something horrible was going to happen this school year.
Hermione sighed, casting off the feelings and her thoughts on the stress and worry she felt due to Voldemort's return. Grabbing the book beside her, Hermione's eyes glued to the pages of her new Potions book once she cracked it open. Naturally, she had already read it, now she was rereading it, preparing for the more 'difficult' potions Snape would have the students brew.
With Ron and Harry gone chasing down the candy trolley, Hermione relaxed and enjoyed her quiet time. She decided she would enjoy her quiet downtime whilst she still could. Now being a Gryffindor prefect, her studies, the threat of the return of the Dark Lord, and still having S.P.E.W to oversee, Hermione Granger was looking at a very busy year.
"Excuse me, but is anybody sitting here?"
Hermione jumped when she heard the mysterious voice come from the compartment door. Her brown eyes tore away from the page, looking up at the tall boy who was currently standing in the doorway. "U-Uh yes, there is, but there is only three of us. I'm sure we can fit another." Hermione gave him a sweet smile once her composure was collected.
The boy nodded at her, his dark eyes trailing over her. They weren't looking her over in a sexual manner, but more of an analytical way. When his dark eyes had reached the book in her hands, and he smirked. "Potions, huh?"
Hermione looked at him, confused by what he had said. She quickly remembered she had been reading the Potions textbook and blushed at her ignorance, "Oh, yes. I've already read through it. I'm just going through and focusing on the ones that may give me trouble."
"May?" The boy sat across from her, one of his black slack clad legs crossed perfectly over the other. As he looked at Hermione, his dark, soft curls fell of his forehead, and since they were parted to the side they almost hid one of his eyes.
"Well, yes. I'm very talented at potions brewing, but sometime I come across some that challenge me in certain ways." Hermione chuckled softly. "It also doesn't help that our professor in a cold hearted bastard. O-Oh! I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that!"
"I'm sure he is a cold hearted bastard, as you say."
Hermione's head tilted to the side slightly, "Wait… You don't… You don't know Professor Snape?"
"Can't say I do. This is my first year here. I was going to Maglay Academy, but my parents decided I'd be safer here at Hogwarts with all this talk about the Dark Lord's return. I don't understand why though. That Voldemort fellow hates Dumbledore, right? And he's out to kill Harry Potter."
Hermione bit her lip, unsure of how to respond to this boy in front of her. He was very attractive, and not in a 'Oh, Harry, you look handsome!' kind of way. His jaw line was perfectly chiseled; cheekbones perfectly set under his skin. His dark eyes almost seemed brooding as they darted around the compartment, lingering as they looked out the window. His thin lips looked like pink satin, and he had a wonderfully lean yet slightly muscular body- at least as far as she could tell. The boy was tall, and taking in his appearance she would have placed him in his seventh year.
"I'm sure your parents have their reasons. Besides, Professor Dumbledore is the greatest Wizard I know, and the most powerful one there ever will be. There is no safer place than Hogwarts." Hermione gave him another sweet smile, but it faltered when she saw a flash of anger, almost jealousy in his dark brown eyes.
Hermione, deciding to change the subject, cleared her throat, "I'm Hermione Granger."
"Tom. Thomas Cadmus." Tom nodded his head at Hermione, and his black hair brushed against his forehead in a way that would make almost any girl swoon.
Almost any.
Hermione smiled, trying to repress the blush she felt rising to her cheeks. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Tom."
"And you, Miss Granger." He leaned back in the seat, his dark eyes looking at her, "What House are you in?"
"Gryffindor." Hermione replied proudly. "Do you know about the Houses? I could tell you-"
"Thank you, Miss Granger, but I've done my homework on Hogwarts already." Tom said, an amused smirk tugging at his lips as he saw the way her eyes had lit up at the possibility of teaching him something.
"Oh." Hermione hadn't heard the tone of disappointment in her voice, nor did she know that the bright glow in her eyes faded slightly, "Well, which House do you want to be in?"
"I'd like to be in Slytherin."
Hermione's nose rose slightly, her eyes narrowing just a bit as she looked at him, "Slytherin? Why would you want to be in Slytherin?"
"It… appeals to my personality." Tom said in a sly voice. "I would have guessed you to be in Ravenclaw, the way you had your nose into that book."
Hermione glared at him, "I just happen to like reading, and-"
"And being a perfectionist."
Hermione's mouth opened, then closed- no witty comeback making its way into her head. "Th-That's… You…"
"Hey, Hermione. Sorry we took so long. Malfoy decided to insult us." Ron walked in, sitting beside Hermione. His eyes narrowed at Tom, "And who are you?"
Harry walked in next, his eyes landing on Tom. The chocolate frog box in his hand fell to the floor, his body going rigid as he saw the boy sitting on the seat. The boy looked just like Tom Riddle. The memories from Harry's second year stirring as he remembered how he was sucked into Tom Riddle's diary, then went down into the Chambre of Secrets. Both times he had seen Tom Riddle, and this boy sitting on the seat of the Hogwarts Express compartment looked just like him.
"Harry, Ron, this is Thomas Cadum. He's a transfer student from Maglay." Hermione said to the boys, her eyes cautiously watching Harry as she took in his seemingly frightened appearance.
"Hello, nice to meet you." Tom smiled at Ron, then turned his eyes to Harry, his smiling unwavering as the two pairs of eyes met.
Harry stood there, staring at the boy. Was this boy- Thomas Cadum- Tom Riddle? He looked so very much like him.
"Harry?" Hermione looked up at her friend with worried eyes.
"Sorry… He just… looks like someone I know." Harry sat down on the seat beside Tom, but he kept as much space between them as possible.
"I wonder who our Defense professor will be this year?" Ron said as he began to dig into his licorice wands. "Better not be someone like Lockhart. I'll bloody kill myself."
"Oh, hush Ronald. I'm sure we'll have someone who is very talented. Maybe the real Alastor Moody will teach us?" Hermione put her book off to the side as she began speaking with her friends.
"You think?" Harry piped in.
"You never know." Hermione shrugged.
Hermione looked over at Tom. He was sitting back, hands resting on his knee, his dark eyes watching the trio with intrigue and slight amusement. His eyes turned to look at Hermione, and a pink blush rose to her cheeks, knowing she was caught staring at him. A smirk slowly made its way on his face as he watched her interact with her friends. Her eyes darted back to him ever so often.
Hermione wasn't sure what drew her to Tom. She would catch her eyes moving towards his relaxed yet so perfectly placed body across from her. The way his eyes watched her almost unsettled her, but it only drew her in more.
Could he be dangerous?
*.*
Walking through the deserted, sleepy halls of Hogwarts was something Hermione had gotten used to with her position as a prefect. It was nearing midnight, after curfew, but Hermione was making her rounds to ensure all the students were in bed and not wandering the halls for whatever reason.
Hermione decided it was about time to start heading back to Gryffindor Tower. No one was out wandering the halls, everyone was in bed, so shouldn't she be too?
Hermione yawned and ran a hand through her hair, "Looks like I'm more tired than I had originally thought…"
There was the soft clicking of shoes on the ground, and Hermione froze. She knew it wasn't her feet since the echoing sound continued once she had stopped. A student out of bed? Hermione quietly walked forwards, rounding a corner to see Thomas Cadmus pacing in front of a wall. She was about to step forwards, to say something to him, when a door suddenly materialized on the wall. What? What is that? Surely it isn't the Room of Requirement…
Hermione, having heard stories about this magnificent, magical room, stepped forwards in curiosity. She quietly walked in behind Tom and inwardly gasped upon seeing the room.
There was a bed off in one corner, sheer silver drapes hanging over the four posters. Luxurious looking deep blue pillows were stacked nicely at the top of the bed, looking even more inviting to Hermione. The room was equipped with a large, dark wardrobe with beautiful silver designs engraved in the wood, a couch close to Hermione and a long bookshelf along one wall. There was even another door at the far end of the oversized room.
Hermione watched as Tom walked over to a table and saw that there was a cauldron atop the table. She knew she should scold him, report him to his Head of House- Snape- but couldn't move, couldn't talk.
Tom's long, slender fingers were quickly and precisely moving as his eyes flicked over an old looking book. He was chopping something that was foreign to Hermione, something she had never used in a potion nor knew of.
Hermione stepped forwards, freezing when her Mary Janes clicked against the floor. She held her breath, expecting Tom to whip around, wand pointed at her… but he didn't.
"I know you're there, Granger. Your silly attempt to remain quiet was in vain."
Hermione's face reddened with anger, "You shouldn't be out at this hour, Cadmus. I'm going to have to report you to Sn-"
"I would advise you not to do that, Granger. You see… I'm not one to be crossed or tattle told on." His voice lowered to a calm yet demanding tone, and it almost frightened Hermione how dark he sounded.
Hermione huffed, her eyes glued to the back of his head. She was curious as to what potion he was currently brewing, so she cautiously walked up behind him, looking around his tall frame at the cauldron. "… What exactly are you brewing?"
Tom's dark brown depths narrowed as they looked at her from the corners of his eyes, "You sure are a curious one, aren't you Granger?"
A blush rose to her cheeks and she quickly looked away, "I-I don't know… I guess…"
"Come here, Granger."
Hermione should have yelled at him the way his silky voice ordered her to him like she was some mutt, but she bit her tongue.
She took one step closer and was standing at his side, her eyes looking at the potion in front of him before they dashed up to look into his eyes. "Yes, Cadmus?"
"You're quite skilled at potions brewing, as much as it pains me to admit. You see, I'm working on this potion right now- top secret- and I think it would be in my best interest to have you help me with it. The easy stuff, of course, because this is a very complicated potion that you would have difficulty with."
Hermione could see the glint of pleasure in his eyes as he saw the way her face reddened, "First off, Cadmus, nothing is too difficult for me. Second, do not speak to me in that way. And third, I will not help you. I don't even know that the potion is, nor what it does."
"I see. You leave me no choice, then." Tom stepped away from the cauldron, his tall body looming over Hermione. "Once you leave here, you're going to go to one of the Professors, maybe even Dumbledore, and tell them what you saw in here, yes?" His finger gently landed on her lips before she could speak, "What if I told you… telling them would lead to dire consequences? For you see, the potion I'm currently brewing could be considered… dark. Now, here is where you come in, poppet. I need you to keep quiet about this, and in return I could… possibly… do you one favor- any favor you'd like. Now, I'd have to be sure you won't go running to anyone about this, right poppet? Do you see where I'm going with this?"
Hermione tried to pull away from him, but her back landed on the wall. Had he cornered me without my notice? "I don't know what you're on about, Cadmus, but I'm reporting this to Headmaster. You're out past curfew and brewing a dark potion at that! How can I simply let this go by?"
"Like I said, Granger, you're in no position to tattle. If you attempt to, I will be sure to see to it that you don't speak a word… ever." Tom's dark eyes glared down at Hermione's small frame. "Actually… I don't think I'll let you leave until you agree. If not well… you can die in here."
Hermione visibly shook, fear cursing through her. She had never suspected Tom to be cruel like this… What was he up to? Surely he wouldn't kill her… right? Even still… she couldn't risk it because the way his dark eyes looked down at her, the way his hand was curled next to her head ready to lunge at her throat… She just knew this boy was capable of terrible things.
"…Fine. I won't tell a soul. Can I leave now?"
A smirk twisted Tom's lips upwards, "No."
"But you said-"
"The Unbreakable Vow." Tom's face lowered closer to Hermione's, his breath sweeping over her face, the smell of mint filling her senses. "Make the Unbreakable Vow, and I'll let you leave."
"Never!" How could he propose such a thing? Brewing a dark potion, suggesting making the Unbreakable Vow… Was Tom Cadmus a Dark Wizard?
"You have no choice anymore, poppet."
"… If I agree… what are the terms?" Damn him… He's so manipulative… He had this planned from the moment I stepped into this room. Maybe even before then.
"Ah, yes, the terms. You will not tell a soul anything about what you have seen or heard… along with anything else you will see or hear that could put me in jeopardy. You will help me with this potion, and you will not say anything to anyone about it. In return… I will do one favor for you, but I will not harm or kill myself as that favor."
"… You've put a lot of thought into this. Too much for it to be in the spur of the moment…"
"I'll admit, I've been waiting for this night to occur for some time now. You're a useful asset, and I will use that asset since it is in my best interest to do so." His breath was still deliciously sweeping over her face as he spoke, and Tom smirked inwardly upon seeing the way her eyes closed.
Hermione jumped as she felt his hand trail up her side and back down, resting on her hip.
"Well, Hermione? Have we got a deal?"
Chocolate brown eyes gazed into those mysteriously dark eyes of his, watching as a dark red tint tried to overcome the dark brown color of his eyes. What was she to say, really? It was obvious that Tom was a strong wizard- she's seen to that in the classes they occasionally had together. Dark? Possibly. It was very possible that the tall boy who stood before her, his lean frame looming over her, was or could turn out to be a Dark Wizard. The things he could do to her if she didn't listen to him… He could torture her, kill her, and of course Dark Magic was foreign to Hermione, so there were things he could do to her that she didn't even know existed.
But… Could Hermione agree to be his secret keeper? If she agreed to the Unbreakable Vow… she could not go to anyone about Tom. If it ever came to be known that Thomas Cadmus was truly a Dark Wizard… Hermione could not tell a soul. Could she really do that? Hermione was good, so if anything bad happened, if anyone came about who was evil, she would try and stop them. Tom had a dark and eerie aura around him that continually put Hermione on edge… His dark eyes would bore into hers, seeking something within her eyes that he never found, and she never knew. He was handsome- oh so very handsome- but he was cruel, mean. Tom was either on his way to becoming a dark wizard… or he's already achieved that goal.
Hermione bit her lip as his face inched closer to hers, "Well, Miss Granger?"
All Hermione could do was nod in agreement. She would make the Unbreakable Vow with him, swearing to never speak about his darker side.
Tom pulled out his wand, smirking at her. She gasped softly as he pulled her down to the floor, both of them kneeling, "We need a Bonder-"
"I know a trick, poppet. I've established a new way to cast the Unbreakable Vow without a third party." The smirk on face only widened and darkened, causing him to look so beautifully evil.
Before their hands came together, Hermione thought to herself that this was her chance to do something good. She could probably help Tom, bring him out of the darkness that was surrounding him. She could pull him from it.
She would fight against evil until her last breath. If she could save one soul- if she could save Thomas Cadmus from the evil that was gripping him tightly, not letting go, then she could save so many others.
After all, Hermione was good.
Tom was evil.