Hermione admitted she was a bit scared to encounter Riddle. Draco opened a new spectrum to his manipulation, and she was beginning to think that maybe she was naive. Draco leads her past an empty shop of dusty books and old rolls of parchment. He holds open the moth-eaten drape leading to the back of the storefront. Hermione stares at Malfoy in a new light. She knew the Slytherins stuck together no matter the consequences and she knew that Tom Riddle was the face of their house, naturally being the heir and all. But how far was the Slytherins willing to go? Did Riddle have spies following her around, reporting her daily activities?. Riddle could have admirers from other houses as well, and the eerie thought made Hermione shudder. Who was Tom Marvolo Riddle?
Tom Riddle is sitting at a round table with tea as he reads the very same book from yesterday afternoon; at the rustle of fabric, Tom places the ancient tome into his heavy robed fur. Before giving the only entrance his undivided attention.
Hermione clenches her wand in a tight grip upon entering at Riddle's cryptic glare. He notices her tense nature and grins sadistically before standing up and bowing towards the wary witch.
"Miss Granger, how nice of you to finally show up. I'm sure Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini were ever the gracious gentlemen when retrieving you?", He flicks his wand across from him, and the chair pulls out for Hermione to sit down. She quickly takes in her surroundings before plopping down onto the iron wrought chair and crossing her arms across her thick grey cardigan.
" If you call snatching my book a gentleman act, but what can you expect from his upbringing.", She mutters before grabbing the teapot and fixing a steaming mug of Earl Grey. Riddle stares at Malfoy with an icy look the whole room could certainly feel. Draco rubs his hands through his hair before saying nervously, "Yes, well by any means necessary. Forgive my eagerness, my Lord.", He kneels waiting for torment. However, Riddle was already sitting down observing Hermione as he prepared his cup of tea.
" How was your morning, Miss Granger? I don't recall seeing you at breakfast. It seemed so out of your element ", Tom says while twirling his wand with skilled hands. Malfoy stares from his spot incredulously, unsure if he was allowed to leave or was forced to view this catastrophe as punishment. Hermione sips her tea with knitted brow; she was uncertain of how she should play this new information Malfoy gave her. She glances up from her lap and catches the confused man half kneeling half standing. His face was remnant of Goyles during testing.
" Malfoy? What are you doing?", Hermoine asks with a raised eyebrow. Honestly, the whole house was raving mad she realized. Riddle turns from his studying of the girl to realize that the silver idiot was waiting for his dismissal. Riddle smirks at his reign of control before waving his hand towards his follower. Draco rises and bows before leaving quickly.
Hermione Granger stares in complete disbelief before shaking her head softly and gently putting her cup down. The witch rises gracefully before heading through the moth-eaten drapes quickly and out the store in seconds. She decides to take the longer route back to Hogwarts; it skimmed across the Black Lake and the borders of the Forbidden Forest before wrapping towards the Quidditch pitch. It was about a thirty-minute walk, and she needed to be alone. She sprints to the obscured path before slowing down and taking in deep breaths of chilled air. She leans onto the nearest tree and closes her eyes to still her nerves.
" We need to work on your disappearing skills; your tracks led me directly to you." , Riddle whispers into her ear. She yelps in fear before trying to pass his tall frame. Riddle grabs her throat in a firm grip and pushes her back onto the roughed tree bark. Hermione raises her wand hand; however, Riddle quickly grabs her wrist before pulling it down to her side. She grits her teeth at the overpowering.
" Riddle, let go of me this instant.", Hermione says through a strained voice. She has never seen this side of him before. His eyes here black, not blue but the color of ink. His face remained unreadable, yet his jaw clenched.
" I thought you enjoyed yourself, Hermione? You certainly seemed like you did. I admit tying you up may have been a tad bit too much, It seems I will need to coax you into my preferred taste. ", Riddle lets go of Hermione's throat before stepping back to view his marks on her neck and wrist with delight. He smirks subtly before licking his lips at her simmered anger.
" You will never be touching me again understand? Speaking of which give me my knickers back you fucking thief!", She holds out her hand her ears red from anger. Riddle shakes his head with laughter as he slowly paced his prey.
" Language Miss Granger, I will be taking ten points from Gryffindor, and I'm afraid that you forfeited that delectable scrap of fabric the moment my lips touched yours." , Tom stares below Hermione's waist before gliding his eyes towards her own flashing ones in beguilement.
The bristled witch jams her manicured finger into Riddle's fur cloaked chest. " You had your scaly hands around my throat mere minutes ago, and you dare to take points away from me? ", Hermione pokes him harder on the chest every so often to emphasize her point. " Not only are you delusional to think we will ever have anything but I know that you have been threatening potential boyfriends and scaring them from me!", She realizes how absurd the accusation sounded after the words leave her mouth and she reddens further with angered embarrassment before cursing Malfoy to oblivion. Riddle rubs his chest with a questioned look. " I believe I do not know of what you speak? Are you saying I have something to do with your lack of lovers?", He asks with subtle amusement behind his innocent mask. Hermione growls before walking a few feet from him.
"Riddle you know exactly what I'm talking about; Oh my Merlin, It all makes sense now!", she screeches as a gust of wind blows past swirling a pile of leaves amongst the two. Hermione growls as she begins to pick the leaves from her curly mane. Riddle stares at her stunned for seconds before concealing his shock at her burst of magic. He wondered did the witch before him even know she manifested that?
" What makes sense Hermione?", he asks observing her unsettled nature; he wanted more of this power.
"Krum almost being mauled by a Spinhx, Mclaggen ending up in St. Mungo's for falling down the owlery stairs, Ronald seeming confused our first couple years, and Merlin knows what else! You may not have been the one to cast the injuries, but after seeing the way Malfoy cowered before you in fear I'm almost certain the orders were yours." , She begins to feel cold, all the adrenaline from earlier gone like the cooling wind tangling her hair. She realized it might not have been wise to tell a dangerous dark wizard that she had enough information to throw him away for hundreds of years. That's just it though. She realizes as Riddle watches her with confident poise. She didn't have any solid proof. There were investigations into both matters and Hermione was willing to bet her rare book collection that the snake before her covered his tracks thoroughly.
Riddle walks to Hermione with twirling wand, his long pale fingers like spider legs. Elegant yet deadly.
"What did you expect Granger?", He asks coldly as he began backing her into an ivy-covered boulder. She clutched her wand with white hands preparing to fight tooth and nail to escape. " What did you expect when I said take my dark journey with me? Surely you know that I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing? I admit I should have introduced you to my other life years ago, no matter; this shall be rectified in the near future.", Tom picks up a curly ringlet, rubbing it between his finger before smelling the cinnamon lock. Hermione maneuvers around him, backing feet away from the skilled wizard with a raised wand and bitten lip. Riddle growls darkly before putting his fist onto the ivy-strewn boulder. Hermione observes as he clenches and unclenches his wand hand in controlled anger. She jumps as he quickly turns around with a nefarious smile.
" It's entirely futile to fight my sweet. When are you just going to see what everyone else seems to understand?", Riddle raises his eyebrow in mock confusion.
Hermione tightens her grip on her wand; her heart in her throat when she asks shakily, " And what is that Riddle?".
The head boy stares at her slim form, her freckled collarbone, and worn lip. He stares the now tangled crown of curls upon her head before finally snapping his dark blue eyes to her wary ones.
"That your mine.", Tom Riddle says matter of factly.
Hermione flashes her wand towards him, but Tom deflects the spell, and it crashes into the tiny sapling near his perimeter before igniting into bright purple flames. Tom stares at the violet foliage with hungry eyes. He turns around to a wide eye Hermione. She has stilled at the realization that it was she who attacked another student, with a dark curse at that. The startled witch backs into the nearest tree as she watches the sapling burn to silver ash. Riddle approaches her wandless as he takes in her confused expression with dark thirst.
" It felt good didn't it?", He whispers to the stunned woman. She stares at her wand in silent battle with her very own dogmas.
"That exact moment, your wand relinquished your very want? non verbally too, I've estimated you well Hermione. Tell me you cannot feel the tingle in your fingertips?",
Riddle twirls his finger around her soft ringlets as he leans forward, a breath away from Hermione's pale face. He notices that her hazel eyes were flecked with coppery gold specks.
" You can deny that you would enjoy my side, but I know you, Hermione. More than Potter or any other Gryffindor. For years now I have seen your bitten lip as you secretly peer at my dark tomes during studying. I see the fire in your eyes when your bloodline or skills are questioned. No one would ever dare question your might if you took this journey with me. Be mine willingly Hermione. Let us conquer the world together. Bring it burning down and rectify it in our image.", Tom stares into her eyes as she stares back pliable at the moment, he knew she was perhaps weeks away from giving in to him, and he was willing to wait as long as it took. Unfortunately, his grandfather was persistent, hence the reason he must move forward quickly and push his delicate witch so. Riddle's eyes darken at the thought of his late mother's father and his consistent pestering. Hermione snaps out of her vulnerableness at the image of Riddle changed nature, she violently pushes him back before locking her wand to her center and heading to Hogsmeade with backward steps. Riddle rubs his chest with a snarl as he stares at his difficult witch. He wanted to curse her into submission but knew better to go that route with Hermione Granger. She was a delicate yet difficult conquest.
" When will you admit to yourself that you desire me just as much as I desire you? You are more like me than you even realize", he says with a cold voice. Hermione shakes her head in denial to the truth. She continues
to point her wand at Riddle.
"I am nothing like you. Stay away from me Tom Riddle.", She says fearfully before summoning heavy fog and running towards the hectic Three Broomsticks.
Tom Riddle swishes his wand to clear the fog in silent thought. He stares at Hermione's running frame before turning towards the long trek to his castle.