Intense. If Hermione could only describe Tom Riddle in one word, it would be that one. He was intense. His gaze, his presence, him. He was a constant force that seemed to be on a mission. For the last three days, Hermione had felt as if they were playing a game of cat and mouse. The handsome lord had tried every day to get her alone in a room but he had yet to succeed. She enjoyed the look of annoyance in his eyes when he failed to catch her off her guard. Hermione was not innocent to the game of coincidence. It seemed to be a popular game that many men played with the women in court. The "accidental" run-ins in private corners was so over used. She would have never picked him to be normal.
"What is going on in that head of yours?" Blaise sat in the chair next to hers in their tent.
"Just thinking." She said as she played with the cards in her hands. She continued to shuffle them over and over.
"Must be something intense. You can't keep your hands still." His smile took up his face. "What's got my little wife so deep in her mind that she didn't see me enter the tent minutes ago?"
She gave him an annoyed look. "Do not be draft. I heard you enter. It just was not as important as my thoughts.
Blaise faked being shot with an arrow. "Oh the pain." He moaned dramatically. "How could I not be important?"
Hermione rolled her eyes as the smile she could not hold back grew. Soft laughter filled the space between them. Blaise winked at her playfully at the lovely woman sitting across from him. "Has the snake cornered you yet love?"
"He's tried." She stopped playing with the cards for a moment. "It is getting desperate." So far she had dodged him at every turn. No matter where she went, he followed soon after. "I won't meet him until I am ready to. Right now is to just get his interest. If I give him what he wants I won't get what I want and I will get what I want."
"If it is in my power you will receive whatever your heart desires Lady Zabini." He stood up and moved behind her. He began to massage hers shoulders to distract his little wife. Her pale neck was making his lower half stir. Blaise bent down and kissed her neck softly. "I know a way to distract that busy mind of yours Hermione."
She shut her eyes as his lips traveled her neck. "Then distract me.
Tom threw the pitcher of wine at the floor as his anger grew. That woman had dodged every attempt at their meeting that he had perfectly orchestrated. Every. Single. Attempt. It angered him. Tom was not a man that you ignored. He was the center of attention and that would never change. The fact that one woman seemed to ignore him made his anger rise. Any other woman would be in his bed, pleasing him to no end. However, Blaise Zabini's wife only ignore him. Tom threw a goblet at the entrance of his tent. Nott only managed to dodge it at the last second.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing?" He asked.
"Shut up you cunt." He spit out.
A satisfied smirk filled Nott's face. "Is a woman actually bothering Lord Riddle?" He only barely dodged the tray Tom threw. "My my my. Isn't this a twist? The man that could make a queen spread her legs cannot even get a glance from a Gryffindor whore."
"She will be willing soon enough." He paced angrily. "I just need to find the right time."
"The time for what?" A female's voiced filled the room. Tom's eye were immediately drawn to the entrance. The source of his anger stood there unfazed. A small smirk playing on the edge of her face. Hermione walked into the tent, the flaps falling shut. She walked with the grace and confidence of a Queen of Gryffindor but had the cunning eyes of a Queen of Slytherin. Her curly brown hair flowed behind in a waterfall. Tom could see his hand grabbing it as he rammed into her from behind. He straightened and immediately plastered his courtier mask on. "A time to meet you with dear Lady Zabini.
The woman chuckled and sat in the chair he only sat in. She could see Nott stiffen in his seat. "Oh please Lord Riddle. We both know that isn't true. I must say I was a little disappointed. I thought the infamous Tom Riddle would be a little exciting. Your attempts to corner me was truly pitiful." Hermione straightened her wedding ring.
Tom's smirk immediately fell from his face. Never had a woman dared to say such things to him! Did she not know who he was? He had killed for less of an insult than the one she had just thrown in his face.
Her smile grew. "Ah. So Tom Riddle is not a man to take insults." She stood up and walked up to him. She circled him slowly. Like a lioness about to kill her prey. "I must say you are pleasing to look at. However, so is my husband. I was hoping for someone to play with while he traveled but I was wrong to look at you. After all, you are just a son of a whore.
He jumped into action at the insult. Tom's hand wrapped against her throat as he slammed her against the floor. He stared at her with a murderous glint in his eyes, but instead of fear, there was satisfaction in hers.
She laughed at him as his hand tightened on her throat.
"Tom!" Nott ran to pull the man off the woman.
"Leave." He told him.
"Tom. Let her go." Nott touched his shoulder.
"I said leave." His tone held no room for argument. His eyes never leaving his prey.
"Go." Hermione said. "He won't kill me. At least not here."
It was not until Nott left the tent did Riddle finally speak to her. "How dare you speak of my mother you little slut. Did you think I would let you get away with it?" He hissed.
"Does is look like I'm scared of you Tom Riddle?" She taunted. "You have me on the ground with your hand wrapped around my throat, but do you see fear? No. I came here to confirm the little hunch I had and it was true. I must thank you. It truly was exciting to see the perfect courtier break the mask he was taught to uphold since birth. That a man who cannot be angered by a woman became furious at words she said. So to answer your question. Yes. I can get away with it. Because you see Lord Riddle. My marriage to Lord Zabini has pushed me up through the ranks in court and in money. So he is not going to sit by and let the son of a whore kill me and neither will the Prince of Gryffindor."
Tom stiffened. He had forgotten where they were at.
Her chuckle filled his ears. "So you forgot about the Prince. I do say, you are truly disappointing. I was hoping for more but it seems you did not meet the expectations I heard of."
"You test me woman." He began to squeeze.
"Good." She said. "I want to push you until you break. I wish to see you fall through the ranks of court until you are nothing. I am going to destroy you and take everything you have. See this as a promise and not a threat. I am going to destroy you."
And to seal her promise. Hermione used her free hand to push his face towards hers and kiss his lips.