This chapter has been edited because I wrote it literally 3 years ago and it was so bad!
For the next week, Tom made a point to follow Hermione everywhere, demanding her attention. He came with her during their rounds, and even held her books for her between classes.
"Listen, Tom, I appreciate what you're doing, but you don't need to go through the trouble. In fact, I'd rather you not."
Hermione wasn't stupid. Half of the female population was waiting for a chance to kill her in her sleep.
But he ignored her, and did it anyway. So, when Headmaster Dippet summoned Hermione and Tom to his office to inform them that there would be a Yule Ball that winter season, Tom began to plot.
Hermione was nice, too nice in his opinion. Many boys would seek to ask her to Yule Ball, after all, she was very smart and witty, not to mention that he was not the only male in the school to notice that she was gifted in the glorious assets on her front and back.
As long as she walked with Harry, no boys would ask her. Also, they had begun to fear Tom Riddle who had staked a public claim to her. She didn't know, but Tom had been sure to tell his friends that Hermione was spoken for. Naturally, the entire school knew.
"She's my witch. She belongs to me," were the words he had said. They had spread like fire, and soon all the boys in Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor knew not to make a move on Hermione Dumbledore. They were far too frightened of Tom Riddle to speak to a witch that belonged to him.
However, there were several boys (including Abraxas Malfoy, Connor Brown, both Henry and Charlus Potter and several stupid Hufflepuffs) that still pursued her, much to Tom's great annoyance.
Charlus Potter had even gone far enough as to take the seat that Tom had usually occupied next to Hermione in nearly all of their classes. He had even gotten her to sit at the filthy Gryffindor table with his blood-traitor friends Prewitt and Weasley!
That night, Tom set his plan into motion. As the Great Hall buzzed with life during dinner, Tom discretely spoke a spell that would trigger his great surprise. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and beautiful butterflies flew across the ceiling, leaving behind words in their absence that sparkled like diamonds.
Hermione, Yule Ball? – Tom
All of the girls around her let out squeals asking her questions and giggling as they congratulated her. Stuck like a deer in headlights, Hermione was forced to nod at Tom helplessly.
Excellent.
Hermione burst into tears as soon as she entered her common room. She had raced straight from the Great Hall fighting the tears that were coming without reserve. Tom had left hot on her heels, entering their rooms just after her.
Hermione had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. How could he do something like that to her?
"Hermi-"
"Leave me alone," she shrieked at him, "Of all the nerve! I can't believe that you would spring that on me in front of the entire school. Forcing me to attend Yule Ball with you will not make me like you!"
Tom's face contorted to one of rage.
"You will not speak to me that way!"
"I'll speak anyway I like!"
"No one will speak to me that way! I will not allow it!"
"I'm a free witch, Riddle! I'll do as I please!"
"You won't!" he roared, "You do as I say!"
"I will not!" she yelled back. Her rage was taking the best of her, even though she knew it to be foolish to argue with the future Dark Lord.
Riddle twitched before wandlessly disarming Hermione before she could even-
As she backed away she stumbled over the coffee table that furnished the center of the common room. She hit the floor sharply.
Agony.
Worse than Ron leaving her.
Worse than anything she had ever felt.
"Do you feel that, Miss Dumbledore? That is the Cruciatus curse. I would normally not use this on someone as pretty and obedient as you. But you're not being either of those things right now, are you? We're going to the ball together, Hermione, and you will be happy to go with me. You will put on a beautiful dress and you will hang on my arm. If you tell anyone or disobey me… Well, I've heard that your brother enjoys flying. What do you think would happen if he fell off his faulty broom?"
As he walked away, Hermione wondered if she should say something, if she should tell Harry. But she knew Harry – his reaction would get him killed, and she couldn't let that happen.
Hermione was diligently watching Harry try out for the quidditch team. She had tried to convince him not to play, Riddle's warning fresh in her mind, but there was nothing she could do to convince him not to try out short of telling Harry about what Riddle had done. If she told him, Tom was sure to kill Harry, or at least torture him in to insanity. If she let him try out, Tom would have her like putty in his hands. She was damned if she did and damned if she didn't.
"Your brother is an excellent seeker," a Slytherin seventh year named Cecilia Rosier pointed out, "He's sure to make the team," then she whispered to herself, "And those abs-"
"Yes," Hermione agreed, "Harry was on the team at our old school. He was captain last year."
"I can tell by your jersey."
"Oh, it's Harry's."
"I realize that."
Hermione turned her attention back to the quidditch tryouts and tapped her foot anxiously. Tom was across the pitch staring at her. He was doing it so obviously that every one of the girls around her noticed.
"…at you so hard… weird… why… Hermione. Hermione?"
"Uh, what?" she asked as she returned her focus to one of the girls beside her.
"I said Tom Riddle is staring at you so hard and it's really weird because he doesn't usually do that. Why would he all of a sudden change like that? It's weird."
Hermione bit her lip. "I honestly have no idea, CeCe."
Tom's gaze darkened on her and she noticed a flash in his eyes before something pushed at the front of her head. She shot up her barriers quickly and turned her gaze to shoot him a murderous glare.
His face remained stony.
"Lucy," Hermione said in exasperation, "It's just Yule Ball. I don't need all this!"
"Hermione," Lucille Greengrass rolled her eyes. "You're going with Tom Riddle."
"Yes. I realize this."
"He asked you," Lucille pointed out.
"I know. I was there."
"Which means you have to look your best."
"It's only Yule Ball."
"With Tom Riddle!" Lucille screeched. "He likes you! Out of any girl…"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "He doesn't like me, Lucille. He only asked me to piss me off."
"No way, Hermione. He asked because he likes you!"
"Ew. I'm done with this. I'm leaving. I'll see you later, Lucy."
Hermione sat in front of the mirror, combing out the ridiculous snarls that had occurred in the shower that morning. As soon as they were gone she pointed her wand at her head and spoke clearly, "Crispum aequabis."
Before her eyes, her frizzy mess of curls smoothed down into the curls that she had maintained since Yule Ball. The crisp curls were now manageable and she put on her favorite blue and silver headband. She picked a few pieces of lint from her skirt and straightened her tie before walking down the stairs to the Head Common room.
When she got to the breakfast table, Tom Riddle was already sitting there. His plate was empty.
"Good morning," he said quietly.
"Good morning," Hermione replied.
Tom noted that she did not say it with spite, but did not say it as friendly as she once had.
"Did you sleep well?"
"I slept alright," Hermione said, "and yourself?" she added politely.
"The same."
Hermione dug into her bowl of fruit and bit at the spinach omelet sitting in front of her.
"Listen, Hermione-" the Head Boy began.
Hermione looked at him dryly.
"I'm really sorry."
Tom Riddle apologizing? Hearsay.
"Sorry that you did it? Cursing me or asking me to Yule Ball? Because you should for both." Hermione said in an unusually venomous tone.
"I know you wouldn't take it back. You would have gone back and done it again!" Hermione exclaimed, standing from her seat. "Do not apologize to me, when you do not feel an ounce of regret." She wanted to raise her wand – do anything to try to stop him but as soon as she felt it, the feeling was crushed, and so she turned and stormed away.
Harry had been staying in Hermione's room for over two weeks. The snakes, having realized that he was not liked by Riddle had turned their backs on him. Harry had suspected that it would happen sooner or later.
"I can't believe you conjured a piano for the common room. That's such a you thing to do," He laughed one day as they did their homework.
"For you information, Harry, I did not conjure anything. It was already here. I happen to enjoy playing it. Maybe I will even teach you how to play. After all I taught R-"
Her words died on her lips before she choked and looked at her hands.
Harry frowned and pulled her close. "I'm sorry, 'Mione. I'm sorry I made you choose between us. I'm sorry that I fought with him. I am so sorry that you lost him because of me."
"It's not your fault," she sniffed, "He left because he didn't love me enough. I feel like such an idiot. I was prepared to give everything for him, but he wouldn't for me."
Harry shook his head and hugged her closer.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
As they embraced, Tom entered the common room.
"Hermione," he said, "You have company, I see."
Hermione just looked at him.
"I've noticed that your laundry is being sent up here by the elves. Care to explain to me why I shouldn't report this?"
Harry rolled his eyes.
Hermione frowned and forced out, "Harry is my brother. There's no reason he can't visit."
"Visiting is far different, Hermione, than staying."
"We're not hurting anybody," Hermione said, "And it's none of your business anyway."
"It most certainly is my business. I'm Head Boy. Dumbledore, go back to your own dormitory. You cannot stay here."
Hermione stood angrily, "He can and he will. Maybe if you weren't such a-a bigoted jerk, Harry would still get along with the Slytherins. It's your fault. I'm not stupid!"
For a moment Tom was shocked. Even after feeling his curse, Hermione Dumbledore was going to argue with him? He smirked. "What's it to you?"
"He's my brother!" shrieked Hermione in anger, "Of course it matters!"
Tom leaned in the doorframe, "There's something… different about you two. You call each other siblings. I think you're lying."
Hermione looked at him in annoyance.
"And what brings you to this brilliant conclusion, oh wise one?" Harry asked sarcastically.
Tom narrowed his eyes, "You act far too close to be siblings. I don't see any conjured bed in here. Have you been sharing?" And with that he spun on his heels and left in a flurry.
"Shit," Harry began.
"He knows."
Hermione sat in the back of library. It was her favorite place, he realized. She spent more time there than she spent anywhere else, save her classes.
Today would be the day that he would proposition her. He knew what her answer would be of course. However, with time, he would change her mind. Soon she would want everything that her could give her.
He would give her the world if it meant she would bow at his feet.
He sat down silently in front of her.
He knew she knew he was there, but she was ignoring him.
"Hermione, darling, it will do you no good to sit here and ignore me. I won't leave until I have your full attention."
Hermione sighed in annoyance and looked up from her heavy tome. "What could possibly be so important that you've come here?"
Tom smirked before crossing his fingers and sitting back.
"I've noticed that you're a rather remarkable witch, Hermione."
She rolled her eyes and glared at him fiercely.
"Forgive me if I don't take your compliments," she responded before tapping her fingers on the table. "What did you really come for?"
"You," he said in a low voice. "You pretend to be an innocent little angel. I know better, darling. I see beyond this mask you've put up to your annoying brother and nosy father. You've got a darkness in you. I see it plain as day."
She looked at him skeptically. "That's nice, Riddle. You can leave now."
He leaned in closer. "Join me."
She scoffed, "Pretty presumptuous of you to assume that I knew all about you and your little club of Slytherin minions."
"Not when I was right. Join me."
"I am not a sheep, Riddle. I do not blindly follow - especially someone like you."
"Who said anything about being a follower?"
Hermione stared at him blankly. "What game are you playing now, Riddle?"
"You're far too powerful and pretty to be a follower, darling. When I said join me, I meant join your hand with mine."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak.
"Yes, dear Hermione, become my Dark Lady."
Hermione stared at him before falling into fits of silent laughter. "You actually had me going for point five seconds, there." She wiped her eyes and picked up her things, "I'm going to bed."
"Mind if I… Slytherin?" Tom asked as he watched her shove her things away hastily.
She gave an unlady-like gesture back.
It seemed, that Tom's playful mood had ended because in that moment he placed a glass jar in front of her.
"Do you see this?"
"Mandrake root," Hermione said uninterestedly.
"There's an old potion, lost to most wizards now with mandrake root and ash of an elderberry tree as the main ingredients. Do you know what it does my dear Hermione?"
Hermione stared at him in fear, "I-"
"It binds a wizards' magic," he whispered, "when combined with blood magic and a few other easy to obtain agreements."
"You're going to bind my magic?" Hermione squeaked, suddenly terrified that she had pushed him too far, that she had made this happen. That didn't make any sense at all. Didn't he want her power? Her strength?
"Oh no, my sweet. Cecilia Rosier, Lucille Greengrass, Harry Dumbledore," he breathed in her ear, "All I need to do is drop this mandrake root and a few other things into their glasses. And do you know what happens when you bind the magic of someone who is born with magic, lover? They die. Because magic is in their blood, and when you vanish the magic… Poof," he grinned wolfishly, "No more magic; no more blood."
Hermione gasped in horror. "You can't do that! They haven't done anything-"
"It's not what they do, sweetheart. It's what you do. You've been misbehaving. We can't have that can we, Hermione?"
Hermione's eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head.
"Each time you misbehave I'll add an ingredient to their cruids. That should keep you in line for now, shouldn't it? You'll behave?"
Hermione nodded silently.
"Use your words, my love."
"Yes."
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Yes, you understand…?"
"Yes," Hermione choked, "I understand, Tom."
Tom growled, "My Lord."
Hermione cried.
Chapter Edited September 15.
