S Hermione slid open the train's compartment door and stopped. Not only was Tom there, but also six Slytherins.
"Tom." Hermione coolly stated. "Your friends."
"Yes." Hermione growled, narrowing her eyes.
A pale blonde haired Slytherin eyed her. "For a mudblood she's quite pretty."
Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it between his eyes. "Malfoy, I suggest you remove that word from your vocabulary."
"Riddle." Abraxas Malfoy squeaked.
Smirking, Tom watched the scene unfold.
"He won't help you." Hermione drawled, looking down on the Pureblood. He resembles his grandson, must be a Malfoy thing.
The Slytherin noted her word choice of 'won't'.
"I'm sorry, Abraxas swallowed.
Narrowing her eyes at him, Hermione spun on her heel and sat next to Riddle.
"Nott Manor has words that let us practice magic without the Ministry knowing." Cantankerus Nott offered, trying to appease the Ravenclaw.
Hermione smirked. "Good, then we can duel and I can teach you spells I've learned. I expect full use of your library, Nott."
Cantankerus nodded.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione opened Melltithion yn y Gymraeg, a book Tom had ordered her (Had Cantankerus order her). She leaned against the up and coming dark lord, not caring that the others in the compartment stared at her in shock.
Once Hermione's attention had been absorbed by the book, Tom smirked at his followers. He got the powerful with and they did not.
Hermione took refuge in the Nott library, there was only so much Pureblood vitriol she would stand. The entire library was devoted to dark magic, most of which she had never even heard of before. Blood magic was actually helpful, if used correctly.
She heard the door open and footsteps approaching, the heavy tread indicating an adult.
"You'll have to forgive my wife, Miss Granger." Lord Nott smiled.
Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yes." He nodded his head. "She does not realize you are a mudblood."
Pursing her lips, Hermione noted he used the same was he would call himself a Pureblood. "And what makes you think I am."
"Mr. Riddle told me. Now, don't be mad at the boy. He explained your situation and interest in the Dark Arts." Lord Nott grinned.
"Is that so?" Hermione stated coolly.
A sly smile spread across the Nott patriarch's face as he took a seat across from her. "Would you like me to teach you?"
"And why would you?" Hermione tilted her head to the side. "A Pureblood, want to teach me, a mudblood, the Dark Arts."
"Because you want to learn."
Hermione barked a laugh, "And that's enough?"
"For me it is." Nott regarded her for a moment. "My son is too young to learn how use it without it consuming him, but you – how long have you been dabbling in Dark Magic?"
"Since I came to this time." Hermione shrugged nonchalantly.
"Three years then, how long have you been alive?" Nott leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
Hermione sighed. "Non-linearly?" When he nodded she continued. "I having been living for seventeen years."
"Good, I'll start teaching you on the morrow. Meet me in the front foyer at five in the morning." Nott stood up.
"Five in the morning?!"
"Yes." Nott chuckled. "In order to excel in Dark Magic, you have to condition your body as much as your mind. So you will get up at five in the morning and we will work on strengthening your body. And only then will I teach you Dark Arts. You may not be a boy, but you have the strength of one. I know plenty of Pureblood girls who would have crumbled under my wife's scrutiny."
"Yes, well, I'm no Pureblood little girl." Hermione smirked.
Chuckling, Lord Nott stood and headed toward the door. Yes, this Hermione Granger will do nicely. I like her well enough, for a Mudblood.
Three weeks into the summer vacation, Tom found Hermione asleep on one of the couches in the Nott library. He slowly approached her and gently shook her shoulder.
"Hmmm." Hermione slowly blinked her eyes open. "Tom?"
Tom frowned. "Why are you sleeping?"
"I'm sleeping because I'm tired, Tom." Hermione sighed rolling over.
"Why?" When she didn't answer, Tom grabbed her shoulder and rolled her over. "Why are you tired, Mia?"
"Because, Lord Nott," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Thinks it's a good idea to get up at five o'clock in the morning to train me."
"Why?"
"For the love of Merlin, would you just let me sleep?" Hermione muttered.
Tom growled and took a deep breath. "Why is he training you and not me?"
"Because I'm older, that's why." Rolling back over, Hermione sighed. "And apparently I'm stronger than a Pureblood girl. So let me sleep."
"Will you teach me?" Tom grinned.
"Not now." Hermione groused, glaring up at him.
"Of course not now." Tom rolled his eyes. "Later, when you've slept more."
Hermione's eyes fluttered closed. "Wake me…" She yawned. "When it's time for dinner."
As she drifted off to sleep, Tom debated whether he should take to Lord Nott about driving Mia to hard. Hermione muttered something in her sleep and a lazy smile drifted across Tom's face. No, he wouldn't talk to Lord Nott.
"You have to be faster, Miss Granger." Lord Nott sighed, helping the young witch to her feet.
"I know." Hermione was breathing heavy from being struck in the chest with a boulder. "I'm sorry, Lord Nott."
"There is no reason to apologize to me." Nott chuckled.
"Again."
"You want to go again?" Nott smiled, he liked the grit in this girl. "Then we shall go again." He threw the first spell at her before he even finished speaking.
Hermione rolled to the ground, barely missing the spell, and sprung to her feet. She grinned. "That was a nasty spell."
"Turn your insides to your outsides." Nott nodded, throwing another spell at her.
Blocking the spell, Hermione threw a succession of spells at him. Each was blocked, but they did push Nott backward. A cocky grin spread across Hermione's face, until Lord Nott hit her with a spell that sent her to the ground in agonizing pain.
"Fight it!" Nott yelled. "Fight through it! You've beaten the Cruciatus, I have faith you can beat this!"
Hermione clenched her teeth against the pain that spread like fire through her body. I will not scream, I will not scream, I will not…. "AHhhhh!"
"Fight it girl! Get up! Get up!"
"Stop!" Tom strode onto the field, only to be thrown back by the wards Lord Nott had erected.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, she didn't need to be rescued. She surged to her feet.
"Good." Lord Nott smiled, wand still pointed at her. He hadn't cancelled the spell.
Breathing hard, Hermione shakily brought up her wand. "Bombarda!"
Nott was picked up off his feet and thrown back ten feet. The wards fell.
Hermione fell back onto the ground, gasping for breath. Tom gently touched her shoulder. Hermione looked up at him with a weak smile.
"Good job, Miss Granger." Lord Nott was grinning like a school boy as he got to his feet. "Bombarda should not work on living people."
"Well," Hermione allowed Tom to help her to her feet. "You didn't blow up."
Lord Nott chuckled. "Not powerful enough yet."
"In my defense, I was under the Ignis Nervorum Curse, Lord Nott." Hermione dropped into a mocking curtsy.
"Too true." Nott smiled at Tom. "And this is why I like her. She's no Pureblood lady. It's so refreshing; look, she's even dirty and I'm not talking about her blood. She has actual dirt on her, I didn't think girls got dirty."
Tom smiled at the man.
"Girls get dirty." Hermione primly stated. "We just don't go and brag about it."
Lord Nott and Tom shared a look that didn't go unnoticed by Hermione. Tom wanted to collect her for his coup and Nott wanted to train her as his protégé – perhaps even marry his son.
"Why is my father training you and not me?" Cantankerus cornered Hermione in the library.
"Ask him." Hermione sighed. "I have studying to do."
"For my father?"
"Yes, Cantan, for your father." Hermione picked a book off the shelf.
Cantankerus huffed. "I am his son, and you are not."
"No." Hermione smirked at him. "But I am better at magic than you."
"Not Dark Magic." Cantankerus bragged.
Hermione giggled. "I'm sorry, for a second I thought you were serious."
"Do not mock me, Mudblood." Cantankerus hissed. "I will be the scion of House Nott one day I am…."
"Sacred Twenty-eight, I know." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"That makes me better than you."
"Then show me." Lord Nott sneered. "Right now, defeat Miss Granger and I will stop training her and start training you. Try not to destroy the library Miss Granger."
Hermione smirked at Cantankerus. "I'll even let you fire the first shot."
"Crucio!"
The smirk never once left Hermione's face as she let the curse hit her. "That's all you have, I was expecting something more powerful. After all, you are a Nott, one of the Sacred Twenty-eight. Crucio!"
Cantankerus fell to the floor screaming and writhing in pain.
Lord Nott closed his eyes and sighed. "I wish I could say you screamed that soon and that loud."
Smirking, Hermione increased the power of the curse and Cantankerus' back arched off the ground, trying to get away from the pain.
"Do stop, Miss Granger." Lord Nott sighed. "I think my son has learned his lesson."
"You're angry." Hermione turned toward him.
"I am merely wondering, how my son, is less of a man than you are."
Hermione arched an eyebrow.
"I know you are girl." Lord Nott snorted. "You are just stronger than my son."
At that Hermione snorted and made her way to a couch to read.
The day Lord Nott was taking his son, Tom, and Hermione to Diagon Alley, Hermione cornered Tom. "Here's a list of the things I need. Have Lord Nott buy them for me."
"You don't give orders." Tom growled. "I give orders."
"Not to me. And you'll do it."
"Why, in Merlin's name, would I?" Tom sneered.
Hermione smirked. "Because, I can stay here and research for you. Plus, I hate shopping."
Tom snorted. "That's a first, a girl who hates shopping. Fine." He sighed. "I'll do your shopping for you."
"Thank you, Tom." Hermione simpered.
"Don't do that." Tom made a face.
Hermione smirked. "Don't do what?"
"Simper, it isn't you." Tom frowned. "You do it well; but, just don't do it."
"You don't like it." Hermione simpered.
"You look like a fool."
Hermione snorted. "I look like a Pureblood lady."
"Like I said, a fool."
Chuckling, Hermione shoved him in the chest. "Go, don't keep Lord Nott waiting."
"You're kidding?" Radolphus asked Hermione on the train ride back to Hogwarts. "You're going to sit with Ravenclaw?"
"Of course." Hermione smirked from where she was leaning against Tom.
"Why?" The Lestrange boy asked.
"Probably because my father told her too." Cantankerus grumbled, still sore about being overlooked.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "No, your father suggested I sit with Slytherin."
"Lord Nott doesn't suggest anything." Tom grinned. "He won't be happy that you disobeyed him."
"He would be wroth if it didn't." Hermione smugly stated.
"Why is that?" Antonin Dolohov asked.
Hermione smirked. "Because a lady practicing Dark Magic is not to be ordered around by anyone."
"So, when we start practicing Dark Magic, when don't have to be ordered around?" Cantankerus grinned.
"No." Hermione coolly stated, grin sliding off her face. "I will not be ordered around. And anyone who tries, well…" She sneered at Cantankerus. "Just ask him what happens when I am challenged."
The Nott boy flushed. Being beaten by a girl, and a Mudblood at that, was still a sore point for him.
A/N: And this is what I have of the summer so far…