He and Hermione spend a week at the Gaunt Manor to check on things.
Their mother meets them at King's Cross. Her posture is more confident in sharp contrast to when she waited for them last year when she hid her injuries with long sleeved robes. Now, however, her arms show no blemishes, and she's smiling.
Looks like she defended herself from their uncle quite well.
"Thank you, Tom," she says, "for giving me those books. And your support most of all."
He nods in welcome. He has thought a lot over the school year over his actions on helping his mother, namely giving her books on how to protect herself.
He doesn't mind anymore. Yes, his mother has grown stronger but Tom is confident that he is the more powerful of the two of them. It will still be easy to kill her in the future.
Their uncle is still disgusting and abusive, though he seems a bit more subdued now that Merope isn't taking any of his shit lying down.
But what confuses Tom most of all is why his mother only defended herself now? Did his 'support' have that much of an impact on her? And when did he give his support anyway? Or did she confuse the Crucios to his uncle as a way of saving her?
In a way, he was defending her, but Morfin was more of a target practice.
Is more of a target practice.
"Crucio!"
Morfin's knees buckle under him and he sprawls to the ground, tremors racking through his body.
Strangled screams come out of his mouth, cursing Tom to oblivion.
After he finishes practicing, Hermione goes into her routine of Obliviating their uncle, or at least altering his memory, after every Unforgivable that Tom cast. Merope watches in the sidelines sometimes.
"Can you modify his memory so he won't drink so much anymore?" Merope asks Hermione. "He's wasting our money on Firewhisky."
Hermione shakes her head. "Sorry, mum, I can't. I can only modify his memory, not his habits."
Tom believes that she probably can with more experience. Maybe she can work on it on their uncle. Have him as her practice dummy as he has.
Nothing much goes on in the Gaunt Manor. Morfin still throws vases at them occasionally, which he and Hermione are quite skilled at dodging. Merope, not so.
When Tom or Hermione gets injured though, the Crucios become more vicious.
Morfin walks around the manor dazed and more absent-minded nowadays. He gets sudden violent attacks that leave him shaking to the ground. It's clear that Tom's curses have been affecting him in the long run.
It's a good thing that Morfin rarely sets foot in the outside world, and when he does, it's to buy alcohol. Hopefully, no one notices the Cruciatus' effects on him. Tom would rather not have the authorities knocking on his front door.
If they do though, Tom will have to make Merope his scapegoat, which isn't that bad of an idea. But that means his uncle will stay at the manor with them.
After a week, Tom and Hermione leave the Gaunt Manor for the Burrow.
They follow the directions written by Ron Weasley and get lost at least twice.
(And, no. It's not his fault no matter how many times Hermione tells him so.)
They arrive at the Burrow and is greeted by… chaos.
As soon as Molly Weasley opens the door, an explosion blasts behind her.
Mrs. Weasley gasps and whips around to scold her twins, forgetting to welcome them.
"Boys!" she shouts, hands on her hips.
"Sorry, mum!"
"You know how it is." One twin shrugs.
"Testing our products-"
"-can be quite-"
"-explosive!"
Mrs. Weasley stomps over to them but the twins are fast, they run away, leaving their 'products' lying in the front hall, waiting to be detonated. She goes after them and leaves the Riddle twins in the front door.
Tom can already feel the beginnings of a headache and he's barely been at the burrow for a minute.
"They're a fun bunch, aren't they?" Hermione laughs. "But don't tell Fred and George I said that, okay? They're lively enough around me as it is."
Fun isn't the word Tom would use.
"Should we just go in?" Tom asks. The polite and passive-aggressive thing to do would be to wait at the door. Mrs. Weasley would be apologetic and would be more responsive to his needs then if he does that. "How about we wait for Mrs. Weasley?"
Hermione steps inside, patting her pockets to recheck if she brought her shrunken trunk. "We'll meet her inside. Come on."
There goes his plan of an apologetic Mrs. Weasley.
He and Hermione search for her to ask where they will be staying. They meet more of the Weasleys on the way until they reach the bedroom of Weasley.
Ron, he means.
Damn, Tom will have to call them in their first name in his head, a familiarity he doesn't think they deserve.
"-has arrived," he hears Mrs. Weasley say. "You should come and greet your friends."
The Riddle twins enter the bedroom. Ron and Potter are on the floor playing exploding snap.
"Hello, Harry, Ron, Mrs. Weasley." Three heads turn to the door at Hermione's voice.
He follows Hermione's lead and nods to them. "It's nice to see you again, Harry, Ron. And it's very nice of you to let us stay here, Mrs. Weasley."
Mrs. Weasley gasps, then strides over to them, clutching her apron. Tom wonders what happened to her twins. Had they already been reprimanded? He wouldn't want to wander around the Burrow with explosives just lying around.
Though he doubts they'll be stopped with just a reprimand.
"Oh, I'm sorry for all the mess! And I'm sorry I didn't greet you at the door. My poor manners!" she says, fretting over them. "Welcome to our home, dears. And I'm looking for Fred and George. Have you seen them?"
At their negative answer, Mrs. Weasley sighs, welcomes them again, and bumbles away, off to look for the twins.
Tom knew they should have waited at the front door. He should have gone for the passive-aggressive route.
Once Mrs. Weasley leaves, Ron and Potter greet Hermione with the biggest grins Tom has ever witnessed.
And so Hermione, Potter, and Ron talk with each other about everything and nothing at the same time. They talk about what they will do for the vacation, Malfoy and his father, the twins' upcoming joke shop, dinner, and studies (or rather, Potter and Ron avoid it while Hermione glares at them).
As bored as Tom is with their conversation, and as much as he wants to explore the Burrow, he won't leave his sister alone to these two fellows. It's his chance to observe how their friendship works.
Their friendship would be funny if he wasn't so jealous of them spending time with his sister during most of their days in Hogwarts.
Hermione is the reasonable one, Ron is the idiot, and Potter is the one in between.
Throughout their conversation, Tom has his arm around Hermione's waist. He caresses her side at intervals, from her hip to just underneath her ribs, just so she won't forget that he's there beside her. She can't be too friendly with Potter and Ron.
For good measure, he also rests his cheek on the top of her head.
He occasionally gives his insight here and there, but he's mostly silent.
Mrs. Weasley calls them up for dinner so the four of them come down to the dining room. It's so unlike the dinners at the manor that Tom was thrown off for a second. At the Gaunt Manor, dinner is a quiet affair with Hermione and Tom eating with one hand and Merope chiding them. These past two years, Morfin would badmouth them through mouthfuls of food while the twins ignore him.
Here at the Burrow, it's packed. Tom has to twist himself through crowds of people to get to his seat. It's warmer too, both literally and figuratively. Due to the small dining room, people are too close to each other that their body heat is more obvious. So many are smiling too that Tom wants to vomit from the happy family image.
He almost misses his uncle.
"You can sit wherever you like," Mrs. Weasley says to them, holding a pot of stew. "Sorry, it's a bit packed."
The table has three seats left. There are no empty chairs beside each other.
Ron waves to Hermione and pats the seat beside him.
Of course.
This is what he signed up for when he agreed to come to the Burrow.
To share his sister.
She squeezes his hand in apology and lets go of him. She whispers to him, "I'm sorry," and goes to sit between Ron and Potter. Tom takes the seat between one of the twins and Ginevra Weasley, where it's closest to Hermione.
He's stuck with the quietest and loudest of Weasleys.
Just great.
"Can I change seats with you, Harry?" Hermione asks. Tom looks up from his plate, eyeing it for a smudge of dirt or a part that's not completely washed. So far he has encountered nothing.
Potter sits across from Tom.
"Um…" He glances from Hermione to Tom. Then back again. "Alright." He slides out of his chair to the one beside him on the right.
She takes his seat and smiles at Tom. He returns it, glad that she changed seats for him. He'd prefer to have her beside him but this is as good as he's going to get for now.
Besides, eating with one hand will most likely weird the Weasleys out. They will ask questions that Hermione won't like him answering.
Dinner is served and the food is amazing. There's something about Mrs. Weasley's cooking that is pleasing to his taste buds. He compliments her cooking and actually means it. He receives a shy, but at the same time, proud, response.
Halfway through the meal, a bare foot tickles his ankle not covered by his shoe. It's a size 4, and the first and second toe are the same length. The big toe's texture is rougher than the second one.
He knows that foot anywhere. He has kissed it, washed it, and memorized it.
It's Hermione's.
Hiding a smile behind sips of the soup served, he slips his foot out of his shoe to play with hers.
He brushes his toe against the heel of her foot first, tickling her. Then he strokes his toe from her heel to the ball of her foot.
And he notices her suppressed giggles. She pretends to smile at her conversation with Potter but she bites her lip to control her laughter.
This continues for the duration of their dinner and for the days to come.
He's on his back on a bed that's too small. On a bed that's too cold, devoid of his sister's warmth.
It's been four days since they've arrived here.
To avoid Morfin, Tom agreed to visit the Burrow for the remainder of their summer vacation.
He did not agree to be separated from Hermione like this.
Summer vacation is the time when the twins can be themselves. They'll eat while they hold hands, they'll bathe together, sleep together, kiss under the bed covers, and drink Polyjuice to have the satisfaction of seeing each other as identical.
This is for Hermione's safety. This is for Hermione's safety. This is for Hermione's safety.
He chants in his head, hoping that repeating it over and over will make his thoughts less selfish. He will have to endure this after all.
He stares at the ceiling, willing himself to sleep around people he doesn't trust.
He wills himself to sleep while Ron bloody Weasley won't stop snoring his throat out.
Tom huffs in frustration.
"Can't sleep either?" He almost starts from the unexpected voice.
"No," he answers Potter.
A chuckle. "Ron's a monster when it comes to snoring. I learned to put silencing charms around my bed in first year because of him."
Tom hums in reply. He's not that interested in this conversation. He has no interest in Weasley's snoring habits and how Potter survived it.
Or maybe he should be interested. He'll have to live with the fellow for weeks after all.
"Hermione's really nice, isn't she?" Potter says, suddenly changing the subject when Tom was only about to ask what silencing charms are the most effective.
"Yes, she is. Sometimes too nice," Tom says, thinking of his mother and Longbottom.
Potter teases. "Is that the dutiful brother talking?"
He does not appreciate it.
"No, I mean it." He forces a chuckle out of his mouth, playing Tom Riddle the nice and polite top student. "She does have her moments though."
"You two are really close huh," Potter comments.
Oh he has no idea. "As close as twins can be."
He wants to say that he and Hermione are more than twins, that they are a part of each other, their souls intertwined. She will not live without him, he won't let her. And he won't let her leave him either.
But Hermione isn't ready yet. Her experimental public kisses are still 'accidental' when he's ready for it to be on purpose. However, once she's ready to shout their relationship to the world, he will be there grinning in victory.
"Are you two-" Potter cuts himself off.
Silence.
"Are we what?" Tom asks.
Seconds tick by and there's no reply.
He wonders idly if Potter fell asleep to Weasley's lyrical snores when Potter finally says, "Nothing."
Tom finds that he does not care enough to ask again.
"Good night, Tom."
"Good night, Harry."
He stares at the ceiling again, willing himself to sleep.
But he can't. Not without knowing that Hermine is only steps away from this bedroom.
So he repeats the 12 uses of Dragon's Blood. He recalls Hermione's 11 freckles and the exact placement of each one. He pictures the 10 ways his sister could smile, hears the 9 different moans that she has in his mind, and remembers the 8 spots where he could tickle her.
He continues thinking about his sister until he falls asleep at 3 in the morning.
He dreams of Hermione.
She's writhing, panting, moaning. At first, he thought she was being tortured like he did Morfin, and if this is his punishment.
But she's naked. There are hands all over her, gliding over her heated flesh. They massage her breasts and tickle her sides playfully at times.
The nails of the hands are neatly clipped. They're clean. There's no dirt under their fingernails. They're perfect.
They're Tom's hands.
A memory of a book flits through his dream. It contains pictures of human anatomy, of reproductive systems, of sex.
His hand descends to reach the place he touched only by proxy, by using himself as an experiment to figure out where he can pleasure her the most.
"-up, Tom."
That's when he wakes up.
He wakes up hard. He can feel the tightness in his pants.
Tom groans.
Of course he had to get hard in a house full of Weasleys, in a bedroom where he's not alone to take care of it, and where he has to walk across the hall to reach the bathroom.
To be fair, it's been days since he had any romantic contact with his sister so it makes sense that he would crave her.
And his dream was just getting good too. Why did he have to wake up?
Potter appears in his line of vision. "Wake up, Tom."
Hard on successfully wilted. Potter's ugly, messy hair is enough to turn him off.
"It's time for breakfast."
Tom yawns, stretching his arms. He shifts to lay on his side and rests his head on his hand to fully see Potter and Ron. "You go ahead. I'll ready myself first."
He needs to comb his hair, brush his teeth squeaky clean, and ensure that he's presentable. He has to keep up his good boy appearance no matter how much he'd rather crawl to Hermione's bed and stay with her doing naughty things.
"All right, mate," says Ron. "I'll try to keep Fred and George from taking your share while you go do your business."
Potter waves at him. "See you downstairs, Tom."
Tom sighs and plops his head back to the pillow.
Give him 5 minutes.
He didn't get enough rest from Ron's bloody snores!
Just 5 minutes.
Just 5...
He goes back to sleep.
"Tom?"
A snort.
"Tom?"
Someone is shaking him awake. Someone is annoying him.
Hermione's hands.
He opens one eye.
"What do you want?" he grumbles. "I couldn't sleep with Ron Weasley. Leave me." He closes the eye.
She chuckles.
"You still need to eat breakfast."
Breakfast.
Yes… Breakfast.
Hermione sits on his bed. He's on his side, her back touching his stomach.
He grabs her and flips her under him.
"Hmm… Breakfast," he mumbles drowsily, still not fully awake.
He eats his breakfast in the form of tasting her lips. He licks her bottom lip, then sucks on it, prompting her to open her mouth.
Hermione moans and he remembers the lovely dream he had. Where she and Tom were naked.
"Tom, we can't do this here," she whispers, though her hands slip beneath his shirt to get more skin contact. "People will notice."
"Let them notice," he says against her sweet sweet lips. "Or do your public kisses mean nothing?"
Let the others stumble upon them like this. Let them see.
"I… I want everyone to know too but-" Tom kisses her behind her ear and she giggles. "I'm taking it slowly. I'm not ready yet. I mean- what if they isolate us?"
He sighs loudly. "Fine. I'll wait."
But why does society have to dictate who they love? Why does Hermione have to be embarrassed by their relationship?
He grips her hips tighter and bites her lips, drawing blood, angry at her for being ashamed at them.
They're doing nothing wrong. They're just twins who want to love each other in every way: as siblings, as lovers, and even as each other.
Once Tom rules the world, no one will have to say that his feelings are wrong.
He sucks on her bottom lip one last time, so it becomes swollen. He pulls away from her and sits up, searching for his slippers on the floor. "I have to get ready. You go first."
Let them notice her swollen lips. Let them notice her swollen lips.
She stares at him from the bed, her brows furrowed. "I just need time, Tom. I know you're angry." She gives him a small smile. "You bite harder when you are. You grab my hips like you want to crush me too, and you dig your nails in."
She knows him too well.
He smirks at her before gesturing her to leave. "Go away before I attack you again." His smirk transforms into a sly grin. "Unless you want to see me change clothes."
She sniffs haughtily. "As if I want to see your skinny body."
He's lean, not skinny.
"You couldn't take your hands off this skinny body earlier."
Lean.
She gets up from the bed and walks to the door. With her hand on the handle, she says, laughing, "I sure couldn't," and then leaves him to clean himself.
He rises from the bed, stretching. His muscles crack and damn it feels good to finally kiss Hermione again.
And. It feels good to have someone learn of their relationship.
He keeps himself from grinning, arranging his features into a neutral expression instead.
"I know you're there, Harry."
An awkward cough.
On the other side of the room, Potter pokes his head out from under the covers of his bed.
"Er… That's…" Potter coughs again. "What was that?"
Tom stares at him, his eyes penetrating. "It is what it is," he says. "Hermione and I are in love with each other." Then he gives him a pleading look. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"
Potter finally comes out of the covers. He sits up and plays with his clothes, rubs the back of his neck.
He probably doesn't know what to do.
"But you're… you're twins."
You see, Potter is his guinea pig. If what he will tell him now will work, there's a chance that once his relationship with Hermione is out in the open and he tells them what he will tell Potter, people will most likely accept their relationship. Or at least tolerate it.
"Yes, we are," he replies.
"Then why…" Potter trails off, not knowing what else to say.
"Hermione has always been with me," Tom starts, biting his lip. "Our father abandoned us, and our mother, weak as she is, struggled to raise us. So I always had to look out for Hermione and she did the same for me."
Potter shakes his head. "Tom, you're still siblings. That's… that's just wrong."
Tom clutches his sleeping robes. Tears shine in his eyes. "I only have her, Harry," he croaks. "When our uncle came back from Azkaban, we had to protect ourselves. We grew closer from his abuse.
"And yes, maybe our feelings were vulnerable at that time, maybe we were reckless, stupid, too young. But at that time, she was the only one for me."
Potter watches him lay out his false feelings.
As if their love birthed from Morfin. The very thought is disgusting, but playing the poor, abused twins that found love in each other might work. Which is why he has Potter here. To see whether it will.
"She makes me feel safe," he says. "I love her. And maybe that's wrong to you but it's not to me. For us, it's perfect."
He could always have Hermione Obliviate him if he reacts negatively, like spreading their relationship to others prematurely.
Potter worries his lip with his teeth, debating something in his head. "The truth is," he says, "I already knew."
Tom's eyebrows flew up to his forehead, forgetting his despaired persona. "What?"
Potter rubs his nose. "I- er- I always thought you two were too close for twins. I've seen affectionate siblings but never that affectionate." He clears his throat. "And then there were your 'accidental' kisses." He looks at Tom in the eye. "They weren't really accidental, were they?"
If Potter found out about his relationship with Hermione with that, then perhaps someone else might already know. People.
Which is just excellent.
Tom stares back, evaluating.
"No, they weren't."
Harry chuckles nervously. "Yeah, I thought they weren't."
So Potter already knew. Which means he needs another guinea pig then.
"What are you going to do then?" Tom crosses his arms. "Now that you know."
Potter shrugs. "I… I don't know."
"You're not going to tell?"
He sighs. "No. It's not my secret to tell."
Tom isn't sure whether Potter's word is to be believed. Hermione trusts this boy, but she has never been the greatest when it comes to reading people.
"I just have something to tell you," Potter says. "Now that I've confirmed that you and Hermione are… er…"
"In love," Tom supplies helpfully. He won't have anyone second-guessing his relationship with Hermione.
Potter picks at a lint on his robes. "Yes. In love."
Tom waits for Potter to find his voice, his mind still going through what he knows of Potter's personality. He's honorable, from what he's heard from Hermione. But his sister is biased when it comes to her friends.
Potter then stares at him hard. "Don't hurt Hermione."
Tom is taken aback. "I'm sorry?"
Potter continues, "She's my friend, so, of course I'm going to look after when she gets a- er- boyfriend of sorts." He shrugs. "She's like a sister to me-"
"She's not your sister!" Tom hisses.
This bloody-
Potter's eyes widen. "NO! Not that kind of sister like your kind of sister. I meant- I love her as a regular sis-"
"No!" he cuts off. "I am her only brother." He breathes hard, offended, furious, at what Potter had thought.
How dare he? Is that what he was going to do?! Take his place as Hermione's brother?
Tom reaches for his wand, a Crucio on the tip of his tongue.
Potter holds his hands up in a placating gesture. Tom must have forgotten to control his facade because Potter looks terrified now. "Look- I just meant that I want to protect Hermione's feelings!"
"Protect her? From me?"
"I am her friend! Which makes me protective of her- and you're popular with girls and you know how Hermione can be very jealous and as I said, I'm just looking out for her as her friend so you can put that wand down now!"
Tom blinks in surprise. He has his wand clenched tight in his fingers, a little more force and the wand would break. It's pointed at Potter.
He couldn't control his anger.
He brings down his arm, ashamed. He should have controlled his anger better, should have worn his mask better. But when he heard Potter say that he considers Hermione his sister he just-
He lets out a deep breath.
"I'm sorry." He laughs. "I'm quite the possessive brother, aren't I?"
Potter eyes him warily. "No kidding."
"I apologize again," Tom says, not meaning it, the good boy facade is back. "It's just- Hermione's important to me. I thought you were trying to come between us."
Potter stands up and approaches Tom. "I care for Hermione's happiness. So if you do make her unhappy, I will come between you two."
Tom pockets his wand lest he raises it against Potter again.
His mask cracks yet again.
"Are you threatening me?" Tom steps forward so he's a foot away from him. Tom is bigger than him, perhaps his height will intimidate Potter.
But Potter stands tall, his eyes not straying away from Tom's.
"No," Potter says, though the tone of his voice indicates the opposite. "But if Hermione comes to me and Ron crying and can't explain to us why and won't talk to you, I'm blaming you."
Foolish boy.
Tom sneers at him, his innocent face falling entirely. For some reason, Potter is bringing out his real self. "If you think I'm going to leave Hermione just because some friend warned me-"
Potter taunts, "I'm not just her friend, I consider her as my sister-"
Tom pushes him away, rage in his heart.
If he tells me she's like a sister to him one more time-
"-but not like you consider her as a sister because it's disgusting-"
Tom cries out in rage and punches Potter.
Potter stumbles and puts a hand on his now cracked nose and glasses.
His knuckles hurt but the satisfaction of seeing Potter's nose bloody numbs the pain.
He reaches for his wand again. This time, he won't hesitate to use the Cruciatus Curse.
But then Ginevra Weasley bursts into the room.
"What- what happened?" She hurries to Potter and puts an arm around him. "Are you alright, Harry?"
And just like that, Tom Riddle the polite and top student returns.
He apologizes to Potter. His eyes are worried, he bites his lip, and he runs a hand through his hair, the perfect image of an apologetic person. "I'm sorry- I don't know why I did that- I- I'm really sorry."
He heals his knuckles and Potter's nose before he could say anything about it. He cleans up the blood too with a Scourgify and repairs his glasses with a Reparo, that way, no evidence of his punch remains.
The only problem is that they have a witness.
Memory charms aren't Tom's expertise but he can charm a person from saying anything to anyone.
He has to charm Ginevra Weasley.
Plus, she can be his next Guinea pig.
He asked for Potter's forgiveness again in front of Ginevra, making sure that his face and his body language convey the correct message across.
I lost my temper. And I'm sorry you had to see that, Ginevra. Please don't say anything to the others, I'm so ashamed of myself.
Ginevra nodded, though she said that he was apologizing to the wrong person.
And so came another round of sorry's and forgive me's.
Tom hates apologizing even when he doesn't mean it. It degrades you as a person. It means you were wrong. And Tom is rarely wrong in anything.
The fact that he had to vomit apologies left and right just so Ginevra shuts up about his lack of control made him actually nauseous.
He told Hermione about the fight because he'd rather poison her against Potter first before her friend gets to her. Their friendship builds on trust so Tom had a feeling that Potter would tell her about finding out and Tom knowing about it.
So Tom got to her first before Potter could butter up to his sister.
He called us disgusting, Tom said.
He almost feels bad for making her cry. But it had to be done.
Tom wanders around the Burrow, smugly observing the awkwardness around Potter and Hermione. He hasn't talked with Ginevra yet, he doesn't want to seem like he wants to cover up his punch by acting all innocent to her. He sends her unsure smiles though, as if he's embarrassed at being caught fighting someone.
He helps Mrs. Weasley with cooking after he told her that he usually helps his mother with it. The kitchen is small, but he endures it because her cooking is delicious compared to his mother's food. Mrs. Weasley gushes over him and Tom relishes the praises she gives generously.
He also steals her recipes.
In private, he taunts Potter about his awkwardness with Hermione.
You found out the truth and now you avoid her, Tom clicks his tongue. Some friend you are.
And he had the gall to declare that Hermione is like a sister to him?
So this is your true face, Potter tells him.
Tom doesn't care that he knows. It's nice to finally drop his mask of politeness to someone, especially when he can express his disdain, his anger to that said someone.
Tom, Hermione, Potter, and Ron usually hang around in Ron's bedroom. Sometimes they play chess (and he is surprised to discover that Ron is good at it. Who knew? Maybe he isn't such a caveman after all), or exploding snap while the Riddle twins read in the sidelines, or just talk in general.
When Ron leaves the room, to go to the loo, for example, Tom takes the opportunity to rub his relationship with Hermione to Potter's face.
When the three of them are alone, Tom immediately plants a kiss on her lips, no matter where and when they are. Sometimes, he'll sneak a few kisses to her neck when he can get away with it.
Potter usually looks like he wants to bolt from the room.
The only problem is, that while Hermione is somewhat relieved that someone she trusts now knows about them and accepts it (in a way), it makes her uncomfortable that Tom is making Potter uncomfortable.
"Can't you see that you're upsetting her?" says Potter one day.
True. Hermione became stiff when he nipped her ear so suddenly without warning.
Tom sneers. "It's because you're here." He puts his arm around Hermione, pulling her further to his side, though there's barely any space between them anymore on the bed they're sitting on.
"It's because you're bothering her," Potter snaps back.
Hermione snaps her book closed, the sound making them jump. "It's because you two won't get along!"
Potter sends her a sheepish look. "Sorry, Hermione." He glares at Tom though. "It just seemed like you didn't like it."
Hermione sighs. She stares at her book, not meeting her eyes with Potter. "I didn't like it because it bothers you."
Tom stiffens.
"Oh," Potter says lamely.
Does this mean that Potter's opinion matters enough to her that she's uncomfortable with their relationship now?
He digs his nails into Hermione's side.
She? His sister? Shouldn't no one matter when it comes to them?! Shouldn't it be that they'll have each other, no matter what happens? No matter what anyone says about them?
Her betrayal tastes like ash in his mouth.
How- what should he do with this information? Should he curse her? Punish her?
If her friend's opinion matters more than their relationship, then maybe that means Hermione doesn't think she needs him anymore.
Then his imagination runs wild again.
He won't let her. He could educate her on that, lock her up in the Chamber of Secrets. He'll chain her and she won't be able to escape. The only one she'll ever talk to will be him, the only one she'll ever see is him, and the only one she'll ever love again is him.
Only him only him.
Hermione's sudden intake of breath reminds him that he's still crushing her ribs with his hand.
She doesn't cry out in pain like she usually does when they're alone and he's too rough.
She's hiding her pain.
She's hiding it from Potter.
And just like that, Tom's rage deflates. He loosens his hold on her and she breathes easily again.
She wants Potter to think that Tom isn't hurting her. Because if he even suspects something fishy about Tom, she knows he'll interfere with them.
"Tom," she says. "I want to talk to Harry in private. Please."
He narrows his eyes at her.
She stares back, unflinching, unapologetic. She won't take no for an answer.
"Fine," he grits out and pushes himself up from the bed to leave the room.
"Oh! And don't let Ron enter the room before we finish talking."
He slams the door on his way out.
He doesn't wait for them to sort their issues out, because Tom knows they will reconcile. Observing their friendship for days now means that Tom is familiar with how Hermione and Potter work with each other.
He leaves the corridor he's in and catches Ron speaking with Ginevra. He doesn't bother warning Ron to not barge in while Hermione and Potter are talking.
Tom wanders around the Burrow again, familiar with its interior by now.
On his way to the kitchen, hoping to come upon Mrs. Weasley so they can start to prepare for dinner early, he stumbles upon the twins.
They're up to something, as they always do. A fleshy string-like object is connected to their ears, and it goes all the way down to the kitchen.
He raises an eyebrow. "What's that?" he asks, curious.
One of the twins grin. (And how Tom loathes that he can't tell them apart.) "We call it Extendable Ears. You can use it to listen from a distance."
"Eavesdrop, you mean."
"Listen," the twin corrects. He'll assume this is Fred Weasley. "Do you want to try?" He takes out the string-like object from his ear.
Tom manages to not scrunch his face in disgust. That thing just came from his ear. As if he's going to touch that. "Do you have another Extendable Ear?"
Fred laughs. "Oh, yes. Sorry." He searches his robes until he finds it and hands him another one.
Tom takes the Extendable Ear, whispering a quick Scourgify under his breath, wandless. One can never be too sure.
He inserts it to his ear and hears the humming of Mrs. Weasley from the kitchen. The quality is scratchy. The sound isn't quite clear and there's a bit of buzzing.
"It's a prototype, see," George says, "So it isn't perfect yet."
He could borrow this right now and listen to Hermione's and Potter's conversation. But he already knows how that will turn out so it's no use anyway.
He has a better idea.
Tom grins. "Can I help?"
A tool for eavesdropping might come in handy one day.
End Note: 'tis prophesied that Voldemort and Harry will forever be enemies.
Anyway, I didn't expect the Burrow to be this long. They'll be back in Hogwarts next chapter after a little more Burrow. We'll see Neville again. Hehe.