Hello Lovely Readers!
I know it's been a while, but you know how school work and real life can catch up with you. I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy reading it too. I think it fleshes out Tom's and Hermione's current relationship just that little bit more and makes it that much easier to change in the near future. Anyways, have fun!
Disclaimer: Sadly, this wonderful world and most of the people in it with a few exceptions are not mine, though I would take really good care of it if it were :). I bow my head to Miss Rowling and her wonderful, magical mind.
Chapter four: And you're still standing?
Sunlight streamed through the tiny crack in her velvet curtains, as the new day woke her from her uneven slumber. She had tossed and turned all night, at one point getting up to be sick in her paper bin at the desk. If it wasn't for the fact that she had traveled over fifty years in the past, she may have thought she was coming down with something nasty. She couldn't help but smirk at the fact that Severus and Malfoy would be in exactly the same position as she was...when it came to her stomach contents anyway.
She decided that now would be a good time to go down to breakfast, and try and settle her ever gurgling stomach. She promptly tossed back the covers and padded over to the closet, which had been full of her new clothes, courtesy of Professor Dippet and the Board of Governers apparently. He had written letters to them the moment Hermione was stable and requested a few hundred galleons to pay her way while she stayed. They had agreed, also sending some top line clothing as a welcome gift. It was one less thing to worry about, that was for sure.
She pulled back the door of the closet, selecting a white blouse, ocean coloured outer robes and high waisted black skirt for the day, with a matching pair of heels. She would have been much happier with a pair of sneakers, but the 1940's were short stocked on those. It took a little time to get used to walking in high heels, but after a few stumbles and maybe a sprained ankle, she made walking seem like a fine art. She glided with ease over to her vanity and sat before her mirror. Her hair was more of a mess than usual, an unfortunate amount of knots making it almost impossible to brush. Something had to be done about this if she was going to fit in here. She'd never really taken care of her appearance before. There had always been a Dark Lord, or a giant snake, or an escaped prisoner to take care of first, so she had left it and gone about her days with a birds nest sitting on top of her head. Now, she actually had time to take care of herself, and so she used a few spells and charms she had invented herself to take care of the problem, leaving her hair sleek and shiny in beautiful waves cascading down her back.
With her appearance dealt with, she moved swiftly out her door, invisibility cloak in hand, just in case, and made her way to the Great Hall. The house tables had one against been replaced in their usual spots, and it soon became apparent, as she looked over to the Slytherin table, that she wasn't the only early riser. Cygnus and Abraxus were seated on the far end, talking about something highly entertaining by the looks on their faces. When she entered, the two of them looked up and Cygnus waved her over with a wide smile on his face. Abraxus raised an eyebrow in amusement, yet unashamedly giving her a once over. They both stood when she joined them, a great contrast to what she had received yesterday from the Malfoy.
"Miss Evans," Cygnus greeted, brushing his lips over her knuckles.
"Mr Black," she greeted in turn, a small smile gracing her lips, "And Mr Malfoy I presume?"
"Correct," the blond nodded, repeating Cygnus' gesture, "A pleasure to meet the only woman who has ever irked the great Tom Riddle."
Her smile turned into a smirk and Abraxus raised an eyebrow at Cygnus who simply laughed. They all sat down to a feast of bacon and eggs, continuing to talk.
"We were just talking about you. I hope you don't mind," Cygnus told her, "We've never seen anyone, let alone a woman, stand up to Tom the way you did. I think you just need to learn the rules where as Abraxus seems to think you have a death wish."
"I believe our dear Mr Riddle is of the same opinion Mr Malfoy," she smiled, "He made it rather clear when he had his wand at my throat last night that he wouldn't tolerate any cheek."
The other two looked perplexed.
"And you're still standing?" Malfoy said in awe.
"It's a gift," she smiled back, "I had just come from a war, and was not about to bow down to some egotistical maniac who believed he owned the world."
They looked at each other in astonishment. Here was this woman, a female, someone who was supposed to be subordinate, obedient and catering to their every whim, looking to them as equals and telling them that she was ready for a fight at any minute. It truly was a first...in this time anyway.
Cygnus cleared his throat and spoke to her.
"I...don't know what sort of society you came from Miss Evans," he said carefully, "But it seems to be rather different from this one."
"You see not all women are willing to get into trouble, let alone trouble with Tom," Malfoy took over, "Don't get us wrong, we don't mind the change. To be honest, the whole obedient, catering to our every need, kind of witch does get boring after a while."
"What we're trying to say," Cygnus took over again, "Is that you may wish to be careful. Not every man in this castle is as...accepting as we are. The teachers may not take it so well either. Sure, Dippet, Slughorn and Dumbledore will let you do what ever you want. But people like Brindom and Callus are a little...shall we say...backwards."
She eyed them carefully for a moment and surmised that they were giving her a piece of advice rather than a warning. For that, she smiled again.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she said softly, "Though it will not stop me from being myself."
Cygnus smiled and Abraxus smirked.
"We wouldn't expect anything less," Abraxus mused.
"Will we be expecting dear Riddle anytime soon?" She asked them and they both smirked.
"Tom isn't exactly a morning person," Cygnus told her, "I remember the last time we tried to wake him up early...He scorched the seat of my best trousers off and Alistair received several broken bones."
"I'm sorry but..."
"Alistair Nott," Abraxus took over, knowing exactly what she was thinking, "He was next to me last night. Tall lad, with light brown hair and eyes."
She remembered him quickly.
"Next to him down the line," he continued, "Was his best mate Rodolphus Lestrange. After that came the two trolls Crabbe and Goyle, then Mulciber. You might want to watch out for him. He's particularly talented with the bone breaker hex. Then right next to Tom was Brandon Dolhov. Also not one to cross."
She made mental notes as he spoke, taking in everything she could, remembering to submit the names to Severus and Draco when- Oh crap. Severus and Draco! She stood abruptly.
"I'm so sorry to cut this short," she said quickly, "I have some urgent things to attend to. Please excuse me."
Without even looking back at them, she ran out of the hall and all the way up to the seventh floor, stopping on the third in the kitchens to steal some toast, several spreads and a whole hand full of bacon. She walked in front of the space of wall three times and entered to look at a pair of rather disgruntled Slytherins.
"And at what point did you plan on feeding us?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow, "Next week?"
"Forgive me if I became distracted by the mammoth task you gave me Severus," she quipped back, "Point is that I'm here now and you deserved it for yesterday anyway."
She walked over to the dining room table, laying out all that she had gotten them and sitting in one of the seats. It was then that she looked at them again. They no longer seemed disgruntled, but intrigued, or in Draco's case, entranced.
"What?" She asked them abruptly.
"Where did you get your attire?" Severus asked her curiously as he sat across from her.
"The lord giveth and the lord taketh away," she said dryly.
"What did you do to your hair?" Draco asked, smirking, "More importantly, why couldn't you take care of yourself like this in our time? I mean, you could have taken one for the team and given me something to look at during all those Order meetings. I might have actually paid attention if you were speaking."
She blushed slightly at his praise and turned away.
"Forgive me if personal appearance is not on my to do list when I have an evil lord and five of his horcruxs to destroy."
"You have an evil lord to destroy now."
"Now I have all the time in the world to do it. Which means I have all the time in the world for personal appearance."
Draco continued to stare at her while he was eating until Severus slapped him upside the head.
"Put your tongue back in your mouth you dunderhead," he growled and Hermione giggled a little.
"So how was dinner?" Draco finally asked.
"Interesting," she smirked, "I met your grandfather and several of the earliest death eaters."
He perked up a little when she mentioned his grandfather but Severus was more interested in other things.
"Was the Dark Lord there?" He asked her and she nodded, "What happened?"
"I more or less called him a mudblood," she said shyly.
Draco cringed at the name and Severus looked at her the same way Abraxus did.
"And you're still standing?" He asked her.
"Well I was rather subtle about it," she amended, "Though I'm sure he picked it up, none of the others did. Idiots, the lot of them."
Draco smirked again.
"I think I rather like this new Granger," he said coyly.
She glared at him.
"The point is that he threatened me afterwards and I bit straight back at him," she told the two of them, "The fact that he didn't kill me says that I've done something right, wouldn't you agree?"
Severus nodded, and Draco took a bite out of his toast.
"Apparently the witches around here are completely brainless trophy wives in the making," she continued, "With me added in the mix. Riddle is bound to notice a difference."
"And he is bound to investigate," Severus told her, caution written in his words, "You must be careful of every word you speak from here on out. You must be meticulous with every move you make, you must-"
"Yeah, yeah we get it Severus," Draco rolled his eyes, "She has to be careful. Save your first year potions speech for when we get back alright."
Severus sent him a death glare and he recoiled ever so slightly. He may not have been Draco's teacher any more, but he was still able to strike fear into his heart. Draco may have been allowed certain liberties, but like Hermione, he would always have to remember his palce.
"I take it you will be sorted tonight along with the first years?" Severus asked and she nodded, "Be prepared for a change of house."
"What? Why?"
"Because this plan may have altered your priorities and Gryffindor idiocy," he told her with a smirk.
"Gryffindors aren't idiots," she glared at him, "They're just...overly impulsive."
"Difference being?"
She glared at him.
"You can't even deny it," he smiled at her and Draco chuckled.
"I'm starting to think that saving the two of you was a big mistake," she grumbled and Draco laughed again.
"What are your plans for the day?" Severus asked her.
She looked at him perplexed.
"I thought you might tell me that," she laughed slightly, "You are the orchestrator of this master plan."
"You can't spend all your time spying," he told her firmly, "It took me seventeen years to learn that. You shouldn't have to take that long."
She thought about it for a moment and then looked back at them.
"Well I would say that I'd stay here, but look at who I have for company," she muttered and the two of them glared at her. Whether they would ever get along was beyond her.
"Well if you don't want to grace us with your presence," Draco said snidely, "What are you going to do?"
"Easy," she smiled, standing from her place and walking over to the door, "I'll go to the library."
Just as she walked out the door she couldn't help but hear Draco's remark.
"Bloody Bookworm."
She smirked and kept walking down the stone cold halls. Her heels clicked softly against the granite ground and she soon found herself in her own secret haven. Then again, the only reason it was secret was simply because the only time Ron or Harry set foot in the place was when they needed her help. Other than that, they did their best to stay away. Perhaps here would be different? She gave a polite nod to the librarian who gave her a kind smile and made her way to her favorite section on the founders...only to find that she wasn't alone.
Riddle stood there with the very book she wanted to read in his hands, skimming the pages carelessly, seeming as though he was barely taking any of the information in. She couldn't help but glare as he bended one of the corners and continued skimming. Such mistreatment in her time was grounds for being thrown out of the library. Indeed, as she looked at the other books in the section, they all had broken spines and leather tearing from their covers. She couldn't help but wonder if this was all his doing, or simply practice in this era.
"Are you going to stand there and stare at me all day?" He suddenly asked, making her jump, "Or are you going to read something?"
"You happen to have the book I would like to read," she told him curtly.
"Then I guess you'll just be staring at me until I'm finished," he told her, still not even looking at her, "Don't worry, you won't look so out of place when the rest of the school arrives this afternoon. All the girls stare at me."
She snorted and he finally looked up.
"I hate to once again burst your bubble Mr Riddle, but I am not staring at you," she said, folding her arms across her chest, "I'm glaring. There's a big difference. Besides, what are you even doing up? Your friends Mr Black and Mr Malfoy were most forth coming with information on your more...violent sleeping habits."
He glared at her.
"It's none of your business Miss Evans," he said quietly, shoving the book in her hands, "And I'm done with this. It is completely useless."
It was then that opportunity arose.
"What are you looking for?" She asked him, trying to seem curious even though she didn't give a frog's liver what he was after.
"Once again," he told her, stepping almost uncomfortably close, "It is none of your business. Besides, what would you know? You're a woman."
"And also a witch," she told him, almost defiantly, "A witch from a different country and a different living situation who may know something more than you do."
It was her logic that seemed to have him staring at her. Clearly the witches here were worse than she thought, otherwise he would be begging for her help by now. His piercing blue eyes scanned her face for any sign of deceit and it was only Severus' preparation that kept her from showing any. After a second or two, he stepped back.
"I highly doubt it," he almost whispered and made to walk out of the section. Unfortunately, Hermione followed him.
"And what makes you say that Mr Riddle?" She asked almost heatedly as they strode out of the founder's section and into the Transfiguration lot. He started to look through another book as they argued.
"Because as I said," he said, even more quietly than before, "You are a woman, and women by their very nature, are idiots."
"Want to bet on it?" She asked him casually, making him stop in his tracks.
He turned slowly, a blank expression on his face, where as she was smiling, almost smirking at him. He eyed her from head to toe, his thoughts not once strolling across his face. It bugged her that he was almost impossible to read. She would have to spend more time with him if she was going to be able to read him properly.
"What did you have in mind?" He asked her, his face still just as expressionless as his voice, and yet she knew she had him.
"For every class question you manage to answer correctly that I do not," She smiled at him, "I'll let you pick my brain for the five minutes in between classes or over lunch."
He rolled his eyes, his face suddenly turning bored.
"Which brings me back to my former statement," he drawled, "Women are idiots. You know far less than what I do."
"And what if I was to tell you that I know of the twelve uses of dragons blood?" She said confidently, "What if I told you that I've read Hogwarts: A history at least ten times a year since the age of eleven? What if I told you I know things about magic that would make even your hair curl?"
"I would say that you are a liar," he said simply and began to walk away from her again until she grabbed him by the arm and swung him around.
"You can't call me a liar without proof Mr Riddle," she stated, staring him directly in the eye, "Do you really think that I would be stopping you from leaving if I didn't know how to defend myself? Do you think that I would have drawn my wand on you last night if I didn't know how to use it? I don't know what kind of women you are used to Mr Riddle, but I refuse to be subservient or weak. I am the smartest witch of my age where I come from and I intend to live up to that title."
In the quickest movement Hermione had ever seen, Riddle suddenly had her pinned against a book shelf, her hands stuck at her sides, his eyes leering at her as she glared straight back.
"You may be the smartest witch of your age," he growled at her, his anger finally reaching its peak, "But here that means nothing. You will be subservient and you are weak. That is your nature and you will stick to it. I meant what I said last night Miss Evans, I will not tolerate insolence from you or anyone like you who thinks they can run around my school with their noses in the air-"
"Then I suggest you remove the insolence," she glared back, "The cheek, the sarcasm and the cruelty from yourself, before you start looking at me."
She suddenly brought her knee up into his stomach and watched with a sort of sadistic pleasure as he backed away from her and clutched his gut, breathing heavily. She then had the sense to draw her wand and watch as he recovered quickly.
It was then that she smiled at him.
"My offer still stands," she told him, "If you ever wish to learn something you don't already know, you know where to find me."
With that, she strode out of the library, a small hint of satisfaction lining her lips. If that didn't interest him in her, she didn't know what would.