Chapter 9:

"Life and death are balanced on the edge of a razor." -Homer, Iliad

Hermione was being extremely paranoid, to say the least. It was midnight and she was currently walking down a freezing corridor, her arm in Abraxus's grip. The blonde boy looked paler then normal. Hermione once again tried yanking her arm away, only moving it a few inches before he would yank her closer. Her heart rate was accelerating as her mind tried to figure out a way out of this mess. By Malfoy's determined face and quick pace the brunette had a feeling where she was going. What did the damn kid want with her now? She couldn't see him.

The memory of his lips on hers gave Hermione new fight. She began to struggle harder. No! She wouldn't go anywhere near him, especially without her wand. She began to claw at Abraxus as her mouth opened and closed in silent swear words. She had been silenced from the second she was woken up by the blonde. He quickly began to drag her away in nothing but an oversized t-shirt. He tried blocking the attacks with his one free hand. Finding her attempts annoying he turned and slammed her hard into the wall, trapping her body between him and the stone.

"Listen Faye, I am a hell of a lot stronger then you! Tom wants you so you are going. We warned you to stay away but you wouldn't listen, deal with the consequences." He whispered. Hermione went to fight back when the door next to her opened and Tom Riddle stepped out, his eyes ablaze, the red glint prominent.

"Get her inside now, then leave." He spoke with a deadly voice.

Malfoy, literally shaking, picked her up and carried her into the room before depositing her on the floor to run out. Looking up she noticed a crumpled body on the floor shaking. Swallowing thickly, and knowing Riddle was watching her, she made her way to the student and moved him slightly. Her fear turning to anger as she saw Nicholas. She jumped up and glared at the head boy. She tried to tell him off but she was still silenced. This caused Riddle to chuckle and remove the spell.

"What did you do to him?" She yelled, subconsciously knowing no one could hear them. Riddle tsked as he stalked closer.

"You have absolutely no manners Ms. Faye." He spoke casually, twirling his wand through his fingers.

"Not for the likes of you." She growled.

"What a shame... I swear sometimes it's as if you aren't a proper pureblood." He locked gazes with her.

"What do you want?" She took a protective stance in front of Nicholas, feeling horrible for what she had said only a mere couple of hours ago to the now hurt boy.

"I want answers!' He bellowed, causing Hermione to flinch slightly.

She knew Tom was the reason behind the loss of Nicholas's blood. Glancing behind her she bit her lip fearful. The only reason he was still there while she was, was because Tom was going to use him to get her to talk. Hermione knew the methods the demented half blood used, after all she had been fighting against him her whole teenage years. This was not the predicament she wanted to be in. Rolling her shoulders she locked eyes with him and remained silent. The normally pale man turned red with anger, his wand pointing straight at her. Prepared for his typical mental attack Hermione was able to construct her wall easily. Instead of retreating like usual though he continued to push. Her imaginary brick wall continued to hold but her breathing became labored as she focused on keeping him out. Her knees shook before she felt them collide with the ground. Only then did he pull back, hissing angrily.

"Is that the best you got?" Hermione croaked out.

"There are far worse things then death Ms. Faye, and I know all of them." The ice in his voice chilled her bones. She pushed herself back into her defense stance, waiting for what would come next. He stalked closer before pointing his wand at the unconscious lump on the floor, "Rennervate!"

Nicholas slowly began to stir, groaning in pain as he stretched his muscles. A cry escaped his lips causing Hermione to whirl around and bend down at his side. He was a frightening sight, even to Hermione who had seen so much death and distorted bodies in her young years. Pushing his sticky black hair out of his eyes she pulled her blood covered hand back and stared at him. At first it was like he was gazing through her until she watched his eyes focus and recognition dash across his facial features.

"No." He forced out, his voice scratcy from what Hermione figured was a great deal of screaming. He slowly looked at Tom, "Leave her alone."

Tom barked out laughter, "Who are you to tell me, ME, what to do?"

Hermione could actually feel the venom in his tone and she knew, deep down, that something absolutely horrible will happen tonight before she left this room, if she left this room. She barely had time to flinch as he flicked his wrist sending a silent cruico to the already beaten and broken boy. His screams pierced her soul, bringing back memories, memories she wanted to forever forget but never could. Her loved ones being tortured before being blessed with the comfort of death. Their cries and pleas echoed through her mind as the Slytherin jerked around on the ground. Tears blurred her vision.

"STOP!" Her voice so loud she felt her throat turn raw. She ran forward, reaching for his wand arm but he quickly pulled her back to his front and forced her to watch the suffering before lifting the curse.

"What is your name?" He whispered loudly in her ear.

"Hermione Faye." She chocked out automatically.

"Liar." His breath washed across her neck making her flinch in disgust, his lips brushing her ears. "Crucio."

The screams, the flailing, the memories all returned full force with the single word. Tears rolled down her cheeks, a sob escaped her lips. Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Molly, Tonks, McGonagall; their heart wrenching cries ripped at her, breaking her. When the curse lifted Nicholas raised his head slowly and for a second she saw Severus Snape, keeling before her, white as snow, shaking without the ability to control it, and tainted with blood.

"Your name." Tom spoke tightening his arm around her waist.

"Hermione ..." she licked her lips slowly, "Hermione Granger."

"Wonderful." She could hear his triumphant smirk. He knew she was telling the truth because he could feel her defeat, she could feel the defeat. It weighed her down like a ton of bricks. "Do you know who I am?"

"Tom Riddle."

She barely spoke the words knowing that it wasn't the answer he was looking for. He hissed im anger, reminding her of when Harry use to speak to snakes, only deadlier. Another swish of his wand had blood pouring out of the bruised and barely moving teen. Hermione felt her jaw drop, she had never seen this curse before. Her stomach clenched and rolled as the thick liquid accumulated, creating the illusion of black oil. The oozing life force stopped leaving a still, but alive, form on the ground.

"My name Ms. Granger."

She felt weak, dizzy, she attempted to throw him off balance by rocking their bodies but it was a futile effort. Tom turned her and held her arms length away, his grip on her throat causing the already sore neck to feel as though on fire. She brought her hands up and began scratching viscously, tearing at his porcelain looking skin. Red angry lines produced drop after drop of his blood, down his arm and onto her but still he refused to loosen his grip. In fact minus a heart stopping glare towards her he didn't even show an indication of her efforts.

"My name!"

Despite being terrified, despite every horrible memory that drowned her in sorrow, regret, and self hatred she still felt her hatred towards the seemingly innocent boy. "Tom Riddle."

An unknown curse spoken expertly in latin swept through the room, the neon orange light striking the victims head. Instantly he started yelling and pleading. His screams before were heart breaking but these were something else all together. Hermione had once heard tales of a demon called the screamer during one of her sleepovers with her muggle friends. This demon had this scream, hence the name, that could literally kill a person. The pitch of their scream was higher then the octave needed to break glass, it was said all the worlds agony, trauma, pain, and fear were laced in those screams. It was these demons Hermione thought off as Nicholas gripped his head, his hands pulling at his hair, removing clumps. His eyes were pressed together so tightly not even a slit could be seen.

"What are you doing to him?" Hermione managed to talk.

"If you are lucky you will never know." His tone was made to frighten her and it did. Her fear was making her sweat and shake, it made her chest tighten to a blinding pain.

"Please stop! Leave him alone!" She couldn't take the cries any longer or else she would start screaming too.

"My name!"

"Voldemort!" She cried out as he released her neck, the lack of oxygen to her body making her legs useless, causing her to collapse on the floor.

"How do you know that?" He bellowed.

She was sobbing. She was sobbing in fear, in pain, and in regret for breaking so easily. The brunette had willingly given up vital information about herself. She thanked merlin her grandparents were from the states, Voldemort would never find them in England.

"I can't." She whispered, her fight leaving her as she mentally berated herself.

"TELL ME!"

"No'

"TELL ME!"

"Go to hell."

A dynamit force entered her mind causing shock waves to ripple through her body. Her body tensed at the invasion, failing to block the memory of her first day in Diagon Alley. Before the memory could go on for any real length in time she managed to construct her security. It didn't stop him though with his attempts into her memories. She kept her wall during it. She was getting nauseous though, if she didn't get a break soon she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay conscious. Luckily he relented on his offensive strike.

"TELL ME GOD FUCKING DAMNIT!"

"No!"

He lowered himself down to her eye level, since she was kneeling. "Tell me or I promise you wont like what will happen next."

Hell, she thought, if I'm going to die might as well do it pissing off the man I hate the most. She smiled evilly, "No."

"You asked for it my darling, remember ...this was your own doing." His wand never moved while his lips did. "Confringo."

Hermione waited for her to combust in flames but it never came. Instead the most horried noise in the world reached her ears. She snapped her head to the side wishing it would have broken. Nicholas Prince was alight with fire. His skin was charring as he screamed bloody murder. His hair sizzled, as his eyeball popped out, and his skin began to melt - morphing into clumps of deformed features. Everything just stopped for Hermione. Never, not once was she the cause of the death of an innocent person. While Nicholas was a deatheater he was also a young, impressionable, innocent boy. She caused his death. No no no no no it was supposed to be me! That thought was repeating over and over like a broken record. It made her sick, literally. The small contents of her stomach now smeared across the ground and her face. The sobs and dry heaves never lessened as her vision dimmed. The reality of what she just, inadvertently, did and how dark Tom Riddle truly was, hit her hard. She killed Nicholas Prince. Severus Snape's grandfather. Oh holy fuck! She just killed Severus Snape. With that she gave in to the swirling blackness that was calling to her.

A/N;

Hello!

I must first say I am extremely sorry I did not post very well recently. I got really busy with preparing for classes and work and this was put on the back burner. Also, I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted this chapter to go. I must say though, I do like this chapter.

Secondly, I would like to say a little on the demon I mentioned in this chapter. If you really do not believe in ghosts, spirits, or demons then ignore this paragraph. Since I have warned you all I will not be tolerant to people leaving comments about how stupid I am for talking about this. I know someone who is really heavy in the world of paranormal activity. The demons, The Screamer, is an actual demon. Unlike in my story the Screamer really can't hurt you beside possibly busting your eardrums. This demon does scream extremely loud but they are usually never close enough to hurt you. Instead it's like ringing in your ears, except its screaming, sounding as though it is miles away. Now, if anyone wishes to correct any of this information, add to it, or comment on it please be my guest, just no insults on me believing in these things-I warned you lol.

Thirdly, I absolutely must address a reviewer- readingobsessed. When I read your review I must say that it completely made my day. I have gotten plenty of reviews in my history of writing. See I've been on fanfiction for a couple of years now. But I was much younger and usually forgot stories due to life and when I would go to login forget everything. But I have been here for awhile. Anyway, like I said I have gotten a fair share of reviews but never like yours. It was sooo...aspiring! Your in depth, thorough review really made me smile. So I must say thank you so very, very, very much!

Fourth, I hated killing off Nicholas Prince but it had to happen. I felt as though if it was anyone else it wouldn't have the same effect. She wouldn't be as devastated, ya know?

Finally, read-review-enjoy!

- Maria