Author's Note: Here's another shorter chapter that's leading up to Slughorn's dinner party which will probably be a much longer chapter because I'll probably have part of it from Hermione's perspective and part of it from Tom's.

This chapter focuses on Tom's day leading up to the dinner party and what he decides to teach his DADA class that day.

Tom hadn't been able to sleep a wink since Dumbledore returned the book to him and it showed. At breakfast on Friday he was on his third cup of coffee and yet he felt just as exhausted as he had when he'd woke up. And that certainly wouldn't do; not when he had to teach the bloody Gryffindors that morning. Not when he had to teach her.

She had been cold to him all week — not that he didn't understand; his behavior that morning on the Quidditch pitch had lacked any sense of decorum and even his own memories of that interaction made him rather cross with himself. But she'd also pulled back in his class. She didn't answer any of his questions voluntarily and her practical spellwork, while still far more brilliant than that of her peers, was lacking the power and energy he knew she had.

Hermione Granger was trying to be boring when he knew she was anything but.

Looking out at the long tables in the Great Hall, Tom caught himself searching for her. When he finally spotted her distinctively wild hair, he was unsurprised to find her nose stuck in a book. Across from her, a disappointingly I injured Wesley Wood appeared to be prattling on about some subject that Tom knew Hermione couldn't care less about. Tom was certain he could stimulate that brilliant mind of hers more in two minutes than Wood could in an hour. A part of him also mused that he could stimulate her better than Wood in other ways, but he didn't let his mind wander too far in that direction. For Tom, sex had always been more about getting rid of any lingering urges than it was a way to... express feelings. In fact, he much preferred keeping feelings out of most things, sex being one of many.

But still. As an intellectual, he was admittedly curious. Not that he would ever act on such curiosity while she was still a student, of course.

Though he had gotten rather close that morning on the Quidditch pitch. That little urge inside of him to control her, to get her to understand just how powerful she was and then to use that power... it had almost burst forth from him that morning in full force.

As Tom began to pull back from his thoughts, he realized Hermione was looking right at him. He simply nodded politely to her before turning his attention back to the Daily Prophet that he'd begun to read but had abandoned as he let his mind wander. Finding nothing of merit in the paper, Tom rose to his feet with the intention to go and ready his classroom for the day only to be cornered by Professor Slughorn.

"Ah, Tom, my boy!" Slughorn patted his stomach as he greeted him. "I hope you still plan on making an appearance at my little get-together tonight; the Minister himself is talking about making an appearance. You know, he's still rather disappointed that he couldn't get you on his staff..."

Tom fought back every urge to frown and forced a smile. "Well you know I've always been more interested in taking a more active role in shaping the future," he said.

"Of course, m'boy, of course!" he chortled. "Though you know earning great respect as a Hogwarts professor isn't the worst way to put yourself on track to become Minister." Tom nodded respectively to his former head of house before maneuvering his way out of the conversation. He had always loathed the way that Slughorn latched onto former students' achievements like a parasite. It might be advantageous to have good connections in the wizarding world, but Slughorn tried to use his like actual currency.

By the time Tom made it to his classroom he had very little time to prepare. He quickly cleared away all the desks and made sure the room was clear for the lesson he had planned.

As the students all began to shuffle in, he could tell by the looks on their faces that some were far more excited about the day's lesson than others. Off to the side but still near the front, Hermione watched him warily.

"Good morning, class," Tom greeted. "Today, we are going to start working more intensely on the practical applications of dueling spells. I've taken the liberty of pairing you all up, but since the class is an uneven number, one of you will be stuck with me." A few of his more incompetent students paled at the mere thought and Tom tried his best not to chuckle.

With a flick of his wand, the official dueling pairs appeared on the chalkboard. At the very top, Hermione's name was listed individually.

"You did that on purpose," she grumbled to him as they partnered up.

"Truly, Miss Granger, do you really think you would be able test your full capabilities on one of your classmates?" Tom asked. "I'm doing you a favor."

He was pleased when their duel began that she wasn't going about it half-heartedly. Instead, he could feel the determination radiating off of her as she cast spell after spell in his direction. She even surprised him with a nonverbal shield or two; Tom had known she had been working on such magic but he hadn't realized she was already fairly proficient. It was all the more reason to continue to pursue her.

"Diffindo!" Hermione shouted when she noticed a fault in his shield. Tom had only seconds to react and managed to block most of the spell, but not before his shirtsleeve was torn. "Oh Merlin, Professor, I'm so sorry—"

Tom quickly cast a nonverbal stupefy when Hermione was distracted. She promptly fell backward with a soft thud and Tom plucked her wand from her hand before reversing the spell.

"Never apologize during a duel, Miss Granger," he told her as she sat up slowly and took her wand back. "It's better to win and burn a bridge than apologize and end up stupefied—or worse."

"I disagree," Hermione sniffed.

Tom looked at the cross expression on her face for a long time before he spoke.

"Someday you won't."

AN: Ah, the classic Tom and Hermione duel. A favorite! He certainly let his desire to win be known with the lesson he imparted to Hermione. And he's also showing that urge to control her.

But will he ever get to control her? That is the question! Let me know how you think Tom is going to behave at dinner ;)