Evan was sitting around the fire in the Slytherin common room with his friends, watching Albert and Teddy play an intense game of wizards chess. It was difficult to tell who was winning - they both thought many steps ahead, making appropriate sacrifices along the way, so pieces left on the board was never a good metric to judge it by. It was bound to be a long game at least. He had Abraxas were chatting about the upcoming Quidditch match and Tom was in the corner, working at a table on his potions essay.

It was such a normal night that Evan almost knew something was going to happen. Things were quiet - too quiet.

As if he had thought it into existence, the Slytherins were alerted to a frantic pounding on the portrait to the Common Room. Standing up, Evan answered the door, only to be greeted by a pale looking Gwen Bagnold, her face drawn and worried. "Bagnold, what are you doing here?" he asked, finding it a bit odd that she would come all the way down to the dungeons if it wasn't important.

"Rosier, sorry to bother you," she said, sounding stricken. "It's just, it's Hermione. She ran up into her room and she's warded the door so I can't get in, but she looked so upset, and she was crying," she rushed through her words, looking concerned. "It was so unlike her, I just thought...you might want to...you know, help her?"

Evan was immediately concerned. His sister hardly ever cried so he knew that whatever it was that upset her must be was serious. "Riddle! I need you to come with me," Evan called over his shoulder. "If Hermione's put up wards, you know I'll never be able to break them down by myself."

Tom was surprised to hear his friend's request for help, but remembered that she appeared to possess significant prowess in warding, if her dismantling of the wards on the Restricted Section was anything to judge by. He immediately put down his quill and stood up. Tom wouldn't admit that his quick compliance had anything to do with his worry for the sharp Ravenclaw girl. So far, she'd seemed absolutely tougher than nails underneath her snobby pureblood facade, so something serious must have sent her reeling.

The unusual trio left the common room and walked as quickly as they could without running, each of them worried about Hermione in their own way. Tom glanced at the shorter boy. Evan wasn't saying anything but his jaw was clenched tightly and his knuckles were white around his wand. He was surprised that Bagnold would have made her way all the way down to the dungeons for a Rosier, but perhaps Hermione had made better friends with the girl than he'd thought. The walk from the dungeons all the way up to Ravenclaw tower had never felt so long to Tom.

They finally got to the eagle knocker and Evan knocked it ferociously. The knocker then proceeded to ask, "I can be new, but always old, I can be full, but never empty. What am I?" Evan ran his hands through his hair and waved his hand at Tom, who proceeded to answer without hesitation, not waiting for Bagnold to solve the riddle on her own. "The moon," he barked, hoping that the other two didn't realize how on edge he was.

The door swung open and they entered the common room. It was empty except for one occupant, Myrtle. She looked at them with a forlorn look on her face. "She is in her room, it's horrendous," the normally shy girl said, disgust evident on her face.

Evan proceeded to run up the steps of the girls dorm, and nearly shoved the door off its hinges he was pounding so hard. "Hermione! It's Evan. Will you please let me in?" he pleaded, showing extraordinary care for his sweet sister.

Tom and Gwen were not far behind. "She put up a silencing spell, so she won't have heard you," Tom said coolly, before working to dismantle all of the wards she'd thrown up. He was impressed with how complex of warding she'd managed to throw up when she was obviously in a lot of distress.

As soon as Tom had finished, Evan threw open the door, needing to assure himself that his sister was alright. Tom followed in quietly and stood by the door, looking around the room. Hermione was crying on her bed, but

immediately ran into Evan's arm when the door opened. Evan gingerly wiped the tears off of Hermione's cheeks. "It's okay, Hermione," Evan muttered, even if he didn't know what was really happening.

Tom turned to look at the blonde girl who was still hovering at the entrance of the door and dismissed her with a sneer. "You can go now, Bagnold," he said quietly, thinking that Hermione likely wouldn't want someone gawking at her, friend or not.

His voice made Hermione aware of the other occupant in the room. Her eyes widened in surprise. "What is he doing here?" she asked, sounding suspicious, with a sad look on her face. Tom quickly got the impression that she was not pleased to see him.

"Oh, Hermione, you know I never would have been able to figure out the wards on my own. You know that I am shite at charms!" Hermione gave a small smile to her brother, knowing that he was much more proficient in transfiguration and potions. "Now, what has you so upset, my darling sweet pea," he asked, utterly doting on his little sister.

Hermione felt a fresh wave of tears coming on, but valiantly fought to stave them off. No use crying in front of the future dark lord. She walked over to her bed and picked up the photograph she had taken from her fellow Ravenclaws, and reluctantly handed it over to her brother.

Evan looked over the magical photographs with interest, but he was also mortified to be seeing his baby sister in such a provacative manner. It was a series of four photographs. In the first, she was standing in her school uniform, but without her robes. The Hermione in the picture gave a playful wave of her fingers and bit her lower lip in a what could only be described as a seductive manner. The next photograph was of her standing with her back facing the camera. She unzipped her skirt and let it dropped to her feet. She stepped out of it, and gave an impish shake of her behind, looking over her shoulder at the camera. The third photograph showed her slowly unclasping her garter belt from her nylons and rolling them down her long legs, giggling lasciviously the whole while. In the final picture, she had removed her stay and covered her breasts with her hands, looking all together breathless, exposing far more creamy skin than he'd ever wanted to see.

Evan was filled with rage, immediately. "Hermione, why would you have ever taken these pictures? Who were you intending to give them to?" he demanded, incensed.

He handed the photographs to Tom so he could deal with his protesting sister. Tom felt both uncomfortable and lusty looking at the pictures. He could still remember how good she'd felt pressed against him when they'd danced together, but even he knew that this was out of character for the girl. Before Hermione could respond Tom answered for her. "Evan, these pictures have clearly been manipulated. I am sure that Hermione never even knew that they were being taken," he said, looking at the crude editing job that had been done.

The Head Boy proceeded to look around Hermione's room and quickly found a camera hidden in a cluster of the pictures she'd arranged on her fireplace mantle. He showed the camera to Evan. "See, a camera. She wouldn't have seen it if she didn't know to look for it," he said, wondering why he was defending Hermione so fiercely.

Evan immediately crumpled when he realized his sister hadn't made a terrible mistake. He wrapped her in another hug, his fingers running through her hair. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I know you would never willing take those pictures, I was just angry and worried for you. Do you have any idea who could have done this?" he asked, sounding remorseful.

Hermione looked up at her brother and nodded. "Yes, I can think of one person. McLaggen. He asked me to go on a date with him earlier this week, but I told him I already had plans with Tom. He was very angry, and he grabbed me, shook me, and told me that he would show me that we weren't better than anyone else," she explained, fresh tears in her eyes.

Her brother had a murderous look on his face. "Why wouldn't you tell me, Hermione?" he questioned, sounding confused. "I could have handled him for you. You shouldn't have to deal with the likes of McLaggen."

"I didn't want to worry you," Hermione explained weakly. "I thought that he couldn't do anything, not really. He's just an overstuffed peacock," she said with a sneer. "And even if he tried to do something, I figured I could handle it."

"Well, I will deal with him now,' Evan said fiercely, a determined look on his face. If McLaggen thought that he was going to get away with embarrassing a Rosier like that, he had another thing coming.

"Where did you get this photo from, Hermione?" Tom asked, wanting to get to the bottom of it. Slytherins stuck with one another and even if Hermione wasn't a Slytherin she was as good as being that she was a Rosier. McLaggen would pay.

"When I came home today, Damocles, Patrick and Dermott were looking at them. They said something about me not needing to show off my goods to the whole school. I don't think that they had the only copy," she answered, sounding devastated. "I'm so embarrassed."

Tom was shaking a little on the inside. The idea of many of boys in Hogwarts knowing what secrets Hermione hid under her robes sickened him. She, with her easy smile and sharp wit, and her clearly beautiful body, was for his eyes only. That last though made him choke a little on his own thoughts. Of course not for his eyes. She was probably for Teddy's eyes only, he thought darkly. Or worse, Abraxas.

"I am sorry, I should have told you, but I thought he was just speaking out of anger, and that nothing would come of it," she said, resting her head on Evan's shoulder. Why she thought she needed to apologize was beyond Tom, but he understood that she was probably blaming herself.

"It's alright Hermione, you didn't know what that disgusting, idiot Gryffindor was capable of. Why don't you go get changed for bed while Tom and I discuss this," Evan encouraged, wiping the tears off of her cheeks. He gave her a kiss on her forehead and sent her into her attached bathroom.

Despite their quiet whispers, Hermione could hear Tom and her brother talking, as they neglected to put up a silencing spell. She quickly changed into a cream colored nightgown, before pressing her ear against the wood of the door so she could listen in on their conversation.

It was clear that Evan was furious, but it seemed as if Tom was taking control. "Evan, you will let me handle this," she heard Tom whisper fiercely. "I will collect and destroy the remaining photographs, and give everyone in possession two weeks of detention, even if that means I have to give detention to Abraxas," he hissed.

"Tom, you know I cannot let this kind of injustice go unpunished. I am going to make McLaggen pay for what he did to my sister!" Evan seethed back, clearly unhappy with the by the books plan.

"NO!" Tom nearly shouted. "Do you realize how suspicious it would be for McLaggen to show up in the infirmary tomorrow riddled with dark curses? I will show Headmaster Dippet this camera - the fool has his name engraved on it. After the Headmaster gives his punishment, then you may proceed with subtlety. I have a full vile of venomous tanctula poison in my potion stores. You know what just a few drops of that will do to the idiot."

Hermione knew that she should be aghast at the things they were suggesting they do to the boy, but she couldn't pretend that she didn't want McLaggen to suffer. A dark part of her had always had a thirst for revenge on the people who wronged her and when she indulged it she could come up with pretty creative punishments, like what she'd done to Marietta in fifth year. However, it seemed like the two Slytherins were more than well versed in getting back at their enemies.

When she re-entered her room, the boys stopped talking, and Tom began to rummage through her potions stores, pointedly looking anywhere besides her pajama-clad frame. Evan pulled back her sheets and tucked her into her bed, so Tom wouldn't see her in just a night gown, although that seemed a little silly now, considering the pictures he had in his

possession. Evan handed her the book that she was currently reading, and lit the torch by the nightstand, extinguishing all others in her room.

Tom came over, holding a vile. "Hermione, I know this has been very stressful for you, so I have taken the liberty of finding some of your calming draught. Here take it," he said, doing a good job at seeming sympathetic. He held out the vial, waiting for her to grab it. "It will make you feel better."

Hermione nodded, and drank the liquid, feeling better as soon as it hit her lips. She handed the vial back and Tom got up to put it back. Evan came over and gave her another kiss on her forehead. "I promise, Hermione, you will get vengeance for this," her brother told her, wishing he could take all her pain away from her.

The two Slytherin boys then left, and she could feel Tom's tight wards encircling her room. She drifted off to a deep sleep, feeling oddly safe.


Tom made quick work of the pictures. He got two more from Ravenclaw, six in Gryffindor, Hufflepuff had four copies. When he returned to the Slytherin common room, he was glad to hear that Evan had gone to bed, so he wouldn't have to discover Abraxas and Albert huddled over one of the pictures. After taking that one, much to his Abraxas's displeasure, he found only one more copy in the sixth years dorm.

He returned to his room, where he proceeded to write to each person who was in possession of the letters. He also sent the camera and a short missive to Headmaster Dippet. He said that Hermione had found the camera in her room and showed it to Tom. He then stated that he later found the malicious pictures, but that he had destroyed them, and disciplined everyone but McLaggen, mentioning that he would leave up the the Headmaster.

He picked up the moving photographs and moved to the fire. Tom threw them in one by one and watched them burn in the flames, ensuring that no one would ever see them again. When he held the last photo in his hands, he found that he couldn't quite burn it just yet, unwilling to destroy this secret side of Hermione. Seeing her this way stirred something in him, something dark that he didn't want to acknowledge.

He sighed at laid the photograph on his bed, before he too got ready for bed. Ever since he could remember, he didn't need anybody. He had learned how to fend for himself, never having had friends at the orphanage because he was different from them. His friends in Slytherin were easy, but he wasn't sure that they were real friends, just something to pass the time with. They were a means to an end, bloody easy to manipulate into doing exactly what he wanted. He didn't have feelings for them, and on the rare occasion that he did it was anger.

But then Hermione transferred. He didn't have feelings for people, but he certainly didn't have feelings for a girl. He never had a problem controlling his base desires for sexual companionship, having a rigid self control. Until Hermione. At first he'd found her rather ordinary, an annoying, foolish little pureblood. But as he'd gotten to know her more and more, she revealed that she was nothing like he thought. Bossy and opinionated, she always seemed to know far too much about things she had no business understanding. Now, the mere thought of her with someone else, marrying someone else, even going on a date with someone else, made his blood boil. He had been surprised by the feeling earlier when they were eating lunch.

He was even angrier that all those boys had seen her luscious body. Laying in his bed, looking at the pictures now, he could almost imagine that Hermione had taken them specifically for him. He felt a particular part of his anatomy twitch and grow hard, thinking about her undressing before his very eyes.

He let his eyes drift shut and his hand drift south to caress his erection. Moving his hand up and down he allowed his mind to drift to the clever girl, undressing for him. She would then prowl up the bed to him and give him a kiss with her small

rosebud lips and ask him to take her, plead with him, really. She didn't want a boring man like Teddy or a fool like Abraxas. She didn't care that he was an orphan, because she recognized his potential in a way that no one else did. It would be so nice to bury himself deep within her virginal channel, a place reserved just for him. Groaning, Tom found his hand and lap a sticky mess.

Angry with himself, he performed a quick scourgify. He shouldn't have done that. Of course, he had touched himself before, but he had never done it while thinking about someone. This was bad news. Hermione Rosier was getting under his skin.