A/N: Okay, I know it takes me quite a bit of time to post things, but I take my time so you guys can be provided with a good story to entertain you. Not much happens in this story, a paragraph in Tom's POV and a Potions class with the infamous Horace Slughorn! Should be interesting to read for you.
Disclaimers were in the first chapter so go look them up there.
Let's Boogey Down! haha
-Tweedlebugqueen
Chapter Four:
Potions With A Dark Lord
"So what do we have first?" Draco asked.
Hermione bent down to retrieve her time table, "I don't know. Hmm..." she scanned the list for Monday, "Potions with Professor Slughorn." she concluded.
He laughed, "I wonder if that man's as mad as he is in our day."
She chuckled, "I dunno." she replied.
Just then a teacher came up behind them, "Did I hear my name?" asked the plump, fat, oily haired Professor Slughorn.
Hermione and Draco looked at each other in surprise, "How much did you hear?" Draco asked him.
Slughorn looked confused, "Nothing, I just have a very keen sense of when someone utters my name. Are you two new students here?" he was rocking on the balls of his feet with his hands behind his back, much as he used to do when in their sixth year.
Hermione took a moment to find her thoughts again, she was a little miffed by this particular appearance, and so suddenly too. "Uh, yes. We've transferred from home, our parents got together and had some tutors paid to stay at our homes to teach us. Isn't that right, Draco?" she looked his way.
"Of course, Hermione. Of course, but don't you have to sit with the teachers Professor? Dippett may get upset." he replied.
Horace Slughorn's face erupted into a wide grin, "So you've been home schooled have you? Interesting indeed, most young witches and wizards would absolutely despise that actually." he ignored Draco's comment entirely.
"Well, actually - " Hermione started.
The potions professor cut her off, "Are you two very advanced?"
Draco looked at Hermione, "We are advanced in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but no other class than that really."
Slughorn looked a little depressed at this information, "Oh, that's too bad. Do you have a knack for potions?" he pressed.
"I suppose - " Hermione began again, only to be cut off yet a second time.
"That's wonderful, you'll have me as a teacher. I am also the Head of Slytherin House, so I suppose that we'll be seeing a lot of each other. Do you think you could join my circle? Well it's a club really, and we have filled our quota of gentleman, sorry .... what was your name again lad?"
"Draco Newton."
"Oh, yes. I'm very sorry lad but we are full of young men, we need a few more young ladies though, would you be interested Miss?" he stopped again, awaiting a reply.
Hermione looked up at him, then Draco, then up again, "It's Hermione Howe, sir."
He recollected his thoughts, "Oh yes, well then, would you be interested Miss Howe? It would be a very good way to meet new students here, from all the houses!" he grinned excitedly.
"I don't know really, I'll have to think about it. Talk it over with Draco here - " she trailed off.
"Of course, of course. Well, since you have me next do you think you could give me an answer after breakfast? I could explain it a bit more and seat you next to other students in the club if you like, hmm?"
Draco looked at Hermione in an encouraging look, it seemed like he didn't care either way she responded. Hermione tore her face away from his and looked up, "I suppose I could do that." she smiled warmly.
His face lit up, "Fantastic! I'll see you in my next class then, I presume?" he asked.
"Do I seem the type to skip a class?" she asked him innocently.
He threw back his head and laughed heartily, "No I should guess not! Farewell, Miss Howe and Mr Nobleberry." he turned to walk away.
"It's Newton." Draco muttered, not really caring whether he heard him or not.
Hermione laughed.
"What?" Draco responded, looking a bit confused.
Hermione shook her head, "He's still a complete dope."
A girl sitting next to Hermione had the paper and started to crinkle it up, "Do you think that I could possibly read that?" Hermione asked her.
The girl stopped and looked at her, "Sure." she said as she tossed it to her.
"Thanks." Hermione muttered.
She heard Draco 'ehem', "What?" she asked as she looked up.
Tom Riddle was staring at her in the face, so she hadn't heard Draco, she had heard Riddle instead. "Oh," she muttered, "it's you."
Tom chuckled, "Like I said, the name's Tom, Tom Riddle." he said it in a Bond, James Bond, manner.
"Yeah, that much I can remember." she replied curtly, not looking up.
He let out a breath, "Slughorn came up to me and asked me if I would happen to show you around the school. He let me know that we have the next class together, so he arranged the seating so we'd be next to each other. My partner will now be with Newton."
Hermione looked behind Tom to see Draco looking at her, he did not look very happy with Slughorn. He, undoubtedly, was now his least favorite teacher.
She looked back at Tom, "I suppose you'll be fantastic at potions." she replied with mock-enthusiasm.
"Somewhat." he replied with a warm smile, if he could even achieve a warm smile.
She rolled her eyes, "Looking forward to it." she almost gagged.
He straightened his robes, "Well, it appears that we'll be seeing each other."
She flattened her paper, and didn't look up, "Apparently." she responded.
She heard him walk away, she imagined it as if he were full of himself, but didn't look up to check if he did or not.
"Interesting." Draco muttered.
Hermione looked up, not understanding, "What is?" she asked.
He looked at her questioningly, "You weren't rude to him."
"That's because we have to try to fit in here, we can't just automatically hate him even if he is vile. We have to act indifferent." she whispered, but she didn't expect the Slytherins to listen in, they were too good to listen to anyone else's conversations.
"Oh, right." he laughed, it seemed as though he had really forgotten.
"But we can still secretly hate him with a deep passion in our hearts." she whispered, then she tossed her head back and laughed heartily.
"You're going to make a great Slytherin." he replied with a vast smile.
" . . X x x X . . "
Tom could see Hermione and Newton walk to the potions room hands entwined, laughing at some secret joke. And suddenly, he wanted to know what it was.
No doubt he had never seen a sight like that of Miss Howe before, she had some sort of fire and wit about her, and though he had only spoken to her twice, it drew him in. He decided he was going to take a fair ammount of time to get to know her, because he liked cracking codes, and she was very difficult to read for him. The way she had spoken to him last night had most definitely invited him in, it seemed as though she hated him, though he had no idea why. Maybe she was just annoyed at how he seemed to have authority and she, had not.
Of course she was attractive, he heard all the boys in their year talking about her. "Oh boy, is she just the most mouthwatering thing you've seen in all your years at Hogwarts?" Malfoy asked Tom when he saw him looking at her from their shadows.
Tom looked at him out of the corner of his eye and tried to sound uninterested, of course it worked, "I guess, but there are plenty of attractive ladies in our year."
Malfoy looked at him as if he were insane and turned back to talk to Macnair about her. And Tom took the alone time to appraise her more carefully. Hermione Howe was beautiful in all the right ways, her hair was golden and curled in wonderous ringlets all around her heart shaped face, her deep chocolate almond shaped eyes seemed to see the world in ways that he never imagined a girl to look. Most girls were simple, all they thought about were boys, nails, and shopping. But the way this particular girl held herself seemed, in a way, headstrong.
No doubt she had curves, and the way that she held onto Newton suddenly made Tom want that for himself, and he would get it. He wanted it, therefore, soon it would become his. He smirked as he thought of the many ways that he could lure her into his grasp. Mainly he thought of ways to become the most powerful dark wizard of his time, but he decided to put that aside for the time being and focus on this new addition to the student body. She indeed, as Malfoy had put it, was mouthwateringly mysterious.
" . . X x x X . . "
Hermione saw Tom looking at her and smirking out of the corner of her eye and clung closer to Draco, who was in a discussion with another boy who was in Hufflepuff. He looked at her and smiled, she rested her head on his shoulder. How he could make her suddenly calm she had no idea, but it sure did come to great use when she was frightened.
The two's discussion came to a close and Draco seated Hermione next to him on a bench against the wall, making sure her view of Riddle was blocked. "It's all going to be fine, 'mione, you'll see." he comforted her.
She looked up at him, "Just smile, wave, and ignore everyone but you." she said weakly.
He laughed, "Exactly."
She pulled his face close to hers, "Forever."
Draco couldn't help but close the distance between them, taking advantage of the closeness. Most of the kids had already gone into Slughorn's classroom, but they had a few more minutes to themselves.
While Hermione's eyes were closed Draco scanned the hallway for anyone else, there seemed to be no one so he started to kiss her with more force. It was the first exchange that they were able to have in the past twenty-four hours and he had been going insane.
Hermione didn't even care if Tom was in the hallway as Draco kissed her, she couldn't even think. The way that Draco made her feel mystified her sometimes, she used to shudder when Ginny would tease her.
"Oh, come off it! You know you like it when he teases you, you want to snog him on the spot! You wish his tongue would go into your mouth an-"
Hermione would slap Ginny's arm playfully and scold her that she couldn't be more wrong about that particular situation and at the time, Ginny had been. She had been completely wrong about Hermione's intentions, because all she had wanted to do was to strangle him sometimes. Once when Malfoy made her cry she could remember Harry and Ron get into a full blown fight in the courtyard, they had both gotten detention for it, but it was a nice thought still the same. But now, what Ginny had said was true, and Hermione would have laughed if her mouth hadn't been preoccupied.
She heard an irritated breath, "Haven't I told you? Public displays of affection are prohibited! Please refrain from them."
Draco pulled away, and Hermione was disappointed. "Come off it, you know you would snog your girlfriend any chance you got if you had one." he challenged, annoyed.
"I suppose I would, but I haven't one do I?" he asked with an uplifted brow.
"No, I should say not." Hermione answered for Draco.
Professor Slughorn came out into the hallway then, "Is there a problem?" he barked at Tom with annoyance dripping from every syllable of his tone.
"No professor, we were just having a discussion." Hermione answered as she got to her feet, "Right Draco?" she asked.
"Of course." he replied, taking his arm and wrapping it protectively around her waist, pulling her to him as Riddle glared at his hand.
Tom collected his bags and strode into the potions classroom, pausing only briefly to give the Professor an assignment, "Something I did over the holidays." he grumbled before he was completely lost from view inside the classroom.
Slughorn's voice went up an octave higher, "So Miss Howe, we have a Slug Club meeting tonight? Are you interested or are you not completely settled into your dormitory." This explained why he was speaking louder, he wanted to make sure the entire classroom heard him. Nice, she thought to herself.
"I may take the night off," the professor frowned at her, "but, I suppose I could try." she finished, his face lit up.
"Excellent." he replied, "Well, go have a seat next to young Mr. Riddle over there. Mr. Nobleberry, over by Miss Evergreen, she's the Hufflepuff with braces. That's a lad!" he finished as the couple entered the classroom.
"It's Newton, sir." Draco paused to tell him.
Slughorn smiled broadly, "That's what I said isn't it?" I rolled my eyes and Draco went to sit beside the girl named Evergreen, who was a Hufflepuff, and had braces, according to Slughorn.
Hermione looked around and found that, unfortunately, Riddle was sitting in the very back at the last table. After a second look, her heart fell as she realized that Draco would be in the second row, far away from her and the stupid little demon. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and started towards Riddle, frowning to herself while trying to guess how this would go.
The walk to the end of the room seemed long, much longer than it was in reality. Time was playing mind tricks on her and seemed to have decided that it was going to go in slow motion.
Hermione looked around as she walked, the room was neat and orderly, just as she liked it. There wasn't anything unidentified on the shelves, for there were labels underneath each and every item. In the very back on the highest shelf, with a protective forcefield around it. the label that was under this item read Felix Felicis, oh good grief! Hermione thought to herself. This man is obsessed.
She reached the back table and stopped. After a few seconds she decided it was best to do something so she set her bag down and walked around the corner to the seat facing the aisle. Figures he would want to be as secluded as possible. she thought to herself tiredly.
She felt a stare penetrating her back, but did not turn around to face him.
"Hello." she heard a rich, seemingly pleasant voice address her.
She ignored it, Do not make friends with him! She told herself mentally.
He chuckled low and softly, "Come now, is there any reason to be hostile?"
"No." she replied, still not looking even remotely towards him.
Slughorn was gabbing on and on about the importance of Boomslang and The Eye of Newt, which would surely matter to them in the future, in his opinion. She had already learned this, and was guessing Riddle had too, because he wouldn't leave her alone.
"Hermione Howe, interesting name." he continued, "Not something you would hear everyday now would you?"
She rolled her eyes, "Not as interesting as a Riddle may be hmm?" she retorted.
"Such hostility! Tell me, Hermione, what it is that I have ever done to you?"
More things than you know of, Riddle. And I wouldn't breathe a word about it to anyone. she thought snidely, "Nothing, I suppose, but be a complete annoyance to Draco and I. Why is it Tom, that you seem to not be able to leave us alone? What is it that you must stop us from showing any affection towards each other. You seem like a you have a pretty big grudge against public displays of affection."
"Well, I'm Head Boy, obviously. It's my job to keep the students in line and make sure the rules are upheld with as much authority as possible."
Hermione rolled her eyes dramatically, "And I'm the bloody Head Girl! But I don't go and make everyone's or just one person's life a living hell about it!"
Tom snorted, very unattractively, "You? Head Girl? You have only been here a few mere hours Miss Howe, do you even know what a Head Girl is?"
"Dippett informed me, and I usually make absolutely sure that people follow the rules of the school. Otherwise there would be mischeif and mayhem erupting all around us." she retorted.
"Aside from yourself, you mean?" he smirked.
Why was he pressing this subject? she thought to herself irately.
"Why would he make you Head Girl within the first few moments of you being here? Didn't he already know that there was a Head Girl in position?" he asked, after a few minutes of her not answering his question.
"Hasn't it ever occured to you that a Head Girl could step down, or leave her position, or Hogwarts all together?"
Tom's eyes widened, but only briefly as he masked his expression once more. It obviously appeared he hadn't ever thought of that, leaving Hogwarts, a possibility unless you were expelled.
Oh, right! She thought to herself in realization, He loves this school, he has no other place to go home to. He doesn't have a family, or a home, and for goodness sake! All his friends were in Slytherin, that's bad enough. Wait, I am a Slytherin. She repressed a laugh.
"Apparently not." she muttered.
After that, Riddle decided it was about time to leave her alone she guessed, or maybe he was just thinking of completely other things entirely. Whatever it was, they only had to talk to each other when asked to brew the potion assigned to them. Though it was just mainly, 'Hand me the Boomslang.' from Tom. Or 'Could you please hand me the Swedish Short-Snout dragon scales?' from a confulsing Hermione, who didn't want to be polite to the git.
At the end of the class Riddle bottled the potion into a vial and took it up to the front desk for evaluation. Hermione packed up her books and a boy with very short, spiky, platinum blonde hair rest his elbow on her remaining papers.
"Hello, I'm Rodolfulous Malfoy." he shot her a crooked smile, but Hermione already had her Malfoy in the room.
"Er, hi." she replied while indicating with her hands that she would like for him to stand up so she could retrieve her schoolwork.
He ignored her actions, "So you're Hermione Howe right? New student, home schooled with Newton before coming here? You're Head Girl?"
"Yeah." she tried to smile.
He chuckled, "Why the grimace?"
"I was actually attempting a smile." she laughed.
Riddle came back and picked up his bag, "Come on Rod." he ordered the boy.
Malfoy looked over his shoulder and stood up, Hermione finally took the opportunity to pick up her homework and quill. He turned back around and winked at her, "Bye." he bid farewell and followed Tom's retreating back out of the Potions classroom.
Draco came up behind her, "Had a chat with my grandfather have you?" he inquired.
She furrowed her eyebrows, "I think he was trying to flirt, unsuccessfully, I might add."
Draco laughed, "He always preferred the pretty, young, girls. Even when he was old."
"Player!" she accused jokingly.
They both laughed and he slung his arm around her shoulder as they walked out of the classroom. He sighed, and she smiled.
"What did Riddle have to say?" he asked her.
She smiled, though this wasn't funny, "Jealous of a Dark Lord are we?"
He laughed, "No, just worried about you."
"I'm a big girl I can handle it." she laughed.
He chuckled lightly and they walked to Transfiguration together.
