A/N So heres the next chapter, hope you guys like it! I might do another chapter, and if so, it will be... unexpected... to say the least. XD


Hermione sighed dreamily as she lay on the soft, comfortable mattress of her bed thinking about the night's events. When Tom had held her, she hadn't resisted; he made her feel safe and relaxed. She was surprised at how quickly she had fallen for the dark haired boy. She never expected to fall in love with anyone, let alone a Slytherin, but there she was, in a different time, just kissed one. She smiled in the dark. She remembered vividly the past hour.

Right after Tom had kissed her, they had sat on the couch next to each other for a half hour, silently enjoying each others company. When the midnight bell had rung, he had helped her get her bed ready and kissed her good-night, to which she smacked him playfully on the shoulder.

"You're just a big flirt," she had snickered, rolling her eyes at him. Tom had just grinned and kissed her until they were gasping for breath, when she pushed him away. "I'm tired!" she protested.

"Very well, Master," he bowed jokingly. With a twirl, he spun her around the room and finally flopped down on the couch, pulling her down next to him. She couldn't resist a giggle as he tousled her already messy hair with his long fingers, causing it to fall into her face. "This is not how senior students act," he had teased her with a smirk. "We sure are immature!"

"No, you're immature," Hermione stood and stared down at him, hands on her hips. "We really should get to bed," she insisted.

"Oh, come on, we have all night, I don't have anything tomorrow."

"No, I'm tired," she repeated sternly. "Good-night, Tom Riddle!" With a prance, she fell into her bed with a sigh. "You should turn in too, mister."

"Nah, I think I'll stay up a while longer. I still can't get enough of your company." Hermione snorted to that and closed her eyes. Suddenly, a weight fell on top of her chest, crushing the air from her lungs. Her eyes flew wide to see a pair of eyes staring down at her, observing her curiously.

"Tom!" She cried. She lifted her arms to push the weight off her, but then her arm brushed against something and she gasped in shock and pleasure. Fur! A quiet mew sounded above her and she lit her wand to see a slender black she-cat sitting on her stomach. Tom was positively beaming down at her as she ran her fingers through the soft, thick fur of the cat.

"Her name is Midnight," he informed her, bending to sit next to her on the bed. "I think she likes you." The pretty cat was purring up a storm, which lightened Hermione. "Pretty isn't she?" he murmured. "Like you…"

She blushed, then punched his arm. "You really are a flirt." She gazed down at the purring feline in her arms. "I have a cat, Crookshanks…"

Tom had seemed relieved, but quickly hid it. "What did he look like?" He asked with barely suppressed excitement.

"He has long orange fur, a squashed face, and loves to chase mice. I left him in my year, though…"

"Are you sure about that?" She glanced up in surprise to see him disappear into another room. She gaped in shock as he reappeared, an orange furry bundle in his arms. He retook his seat next to her and handed a purring Crookshanks to her, a satisfied grin plastered on his handsome face. "I saw him run away right after you appeared. I guessed he might be yours, so I brought him here."

Hermione stroked the familiar fur, then flung her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Tom!" She said into his ear. "Thank you so much…"

He responded by wrapping his arms around her waist. "You're welcome, Hermione." He had then stood and sat on his own bed, watching an elated Hermione as she fussed over the two cats. As he prepared to flip the lights out, she flashed him a smile reserved for him and blinked before lying back as the room went dark.

And here she was, with the two cats still purring next to her, and Toms' steady breathing the only sound in the room. She was glad she was here, and with Tom for company, she knew it wouldn't be as hard for her being away from her friends and her year, but she would still miss them. She yawned, her jaws stretching wide, and closed her eyes slowly, drifting into the bliss of her dreams.

The next morning, she awoke to find Tom was already awake. He was drifting around the room, straightening things, wiping away dirt and dust with his wand, and humming softly to himself. She watched as he gradually worked his way closer to her, his eyes narrowed in concentration. When he was at the foot of her bed, she feigned sleep as he glanced at her. Then, when his back was turned, she flung herself at him, causing him to stumble in surprise at her attack. He suddenly reached around and hoisted her onto his back and galloped around, his laughter echoing off the walls. She clung to his neck, screeching with joy as he dropped her on his bed and whipped around to loom over her, his eyes blazing with mischief. She curled into a ball and covered her face with her hands while he laughed.

"You think I couldn't hear you? Ha!" Tom moved her hand from her face, his eyes gazing into hers. "I knew what you were doing," he said in a low voice."

Hermione stood and sniffed with disdain. "Yeah right," she said as she started towards the bookshelf, wanting to finish her book, Who Created the Dark Arts and Why. It was very interesting, and had easily caught her interest. As she was sitting on the couch, Midnight leaped up next to her and curled up by her leg, purring. Crookshanks showed up a moment later, claiming her lap. She was surprised they were getting along so well; Crookshanks usually hated other cats. At that moment, she realized Tom had disappeared again. With a snicker, she continued reading.

About an hour later, he returned with a tray full of fruits, pastries, eggs and other delicious breakfast foods. Conjuring a table for two, he set the tray on it and quickly set the places neatly, pulling two chairs over. Summoning her, he sat in one of the chairs while she took the other. As they started eating, a knock sounded on the door. Tom froze and stood stiffly. "Just a sec," he muttered awkwardly. Going to the door, he cracked it open and poked his head out. Hermione could tell immediately it was the same girl from yesterday. She couldn't hear what was going on, but it didn't sound friendly. Tom snapped a couple of times, while the girl raised her voice so she heard a couple of snatches.

"…you said that three days ago! You promised…"

"…Liz, please listen…"

"…I trusted you!"

Hermione felt uncomfortable as the conversation grew in volume, their words becoming more foul and rude. Finally, she heard Tom slam the door and the girls' voice cut off. He reentered the room with an expression of rage, but when he saw Hermione staring at him with horror, he forced a smile. "I'm sorry; I didn't think she would come today. She said she came yesterday, too; did you hear her knock?"

Hermione nodded as he sat down again. "Yes, she said something like she came as you'd asked. What did she mean by that?" She had a guess, but was afraid to point it out, in case it was true.

"I just told her I'd help her study for exams. She's just a friend, to me, but I'm not sure about her…" Tom trailed off with a sigh. "I'm sorry; I really shouldn't be bothering you with this right now."

"You're fine, it's not bothering me." Hermione smiled warmly at him and started as Midnight and Crookshanks leaped onto her lap. She laughed and stroked their fur as they sniffed her plate on the table. "I wish I could stay," she suddenly whispered. "Crookshanks gets along well with Midnight, and I'll miss you."

"And I you," Tom replied with a gleam in his eye. "When do you think they will find how to reverse the Time Turner? Hopefully it's not too soon."

"Yeah…" Hermione trailed off, lost in thought. When would Professor Dumbledore find the counter to time travel? She wasn't sure she wanted to know. When he did, would she be able to leave, or would she decide to stay with Tom? And there was Crookshanks, who finally found a cat friend to keep him company; she didn't want to tear that away from her lonely cat. How would he react? She had so many questions and not enough answers. It was infuriating! She suddenly realized her hands were clenched and she quickly released them, hoping Tom didn't notice her distress.

She then made up her mind. When, if, Dumbledore found the counter, she would say she didn't want to leave, not yet. How could she, when she had everything she could want here? She also knew Tom would miss her, he had just told her himself. Then she remembered her own friend in her year. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and all the other Gryffindor students. She missed everyone. For Merlin's sake, she even missed Malfoy and Snape, but only just. She wouldn't go to classes if she stayed here. Unless, of course, Dumbledore decided she could, but that would mean letting the entire school know she was here, which would lead to numerous questions that she wouldn't want to answer. She didn't want that, not yet. She hadn't even met any other students! With a resigned sigh, she realized it would be best for her to go back when the time came.

At that moment, Midnight leaped off her lap and took off across the room with Crookshanks in pursuit. The black cat leaped up on top of the bookshelf and Crookshanks stared up at her mewing, agitated. As she watched the felines playing, she again had her doubts. Then, and idea hit her, but it was so absurd she almost pushed it away. What if she left Crookshanks here? He would be happy, and Tom would always remember her.

"Are you alright?" Tom suddenly asked, jolting her from her thoughts. "You seem a little… far off."

She glanced up at him, taken aback by the question. Then she shook her head slowly, avoiding his eyes. "No… No, I'm fine," she whispered, but her voice told a different story. She was most certainly not alright.


A/N Please review! And, should I continue from here?