I'm so sorry I've been absent lately, but I've been working on my other writings and I had it a block on the story. I recently decided to strat working on it again this summer and I've really devoted myself to making Hermion seem more in character, so I will also be editing some of my other chapters! I hope I got Tom's personality correct, and I hope I've done Draco justice!

Ambitious Exes and Altered Perceptions

The potion's lesson went well, and the quiz was quite interesting. Slughorn had set up several cauldrons in the dank classroom and they were filled with the Draught of Living Death that was unfinished at various stages. Orion and Hermione had finished classifying the stages easily before the class ended. Though he was a bit dim at points, Hermione enjoyed the humorous distraction he provided during the class. It reminded her of Potions class with Ron and Harry, before the war and before the destruction.

"So then, by that time, I was more wired than a Cornish pixie and my mom had put the-"

"What are you doing, Orion? Do you have a twitch?" Interrupted Patrick. Hermione looked at Orion again, and noticed his eye twitching. A small smile found its way onto her face.

"I was being suave by winking at Hermione." The boys all laughed, ignoring the look Slughorn sent their way.

"Orion, as interested as she might be in your winking and the story of how you first broke into your family's liquor cabinet, I'm sure she would much prefer to hear about my position on the quidditch team and how I-" began Lucius, but the bell rang and Hermione quickly grabbed her bag, excused herself and all but ran from the classroom. She wasn't used to such attention; it was usually directed at Harry or Ron. Boys just naturally assumed that she was with one of them and lumped her in the back.

But it was different in this era, she wasn't the weak mudblood who was good at lessons, she was the powerful war spy who was of 'pure' lineage.

As she thought of the boys, her heart ached. She missed them terribly, as well as Luna and Ginny. She may never see them again and she wanted to go back. Turning a corner, she arrived at the Library and she smiled the first real smile in quite a while. She adjusted her bag and entered the library, nodding at the elderly librarian and heading toward the DADA section.

Looking at the worn spines of the books was like seeing old friends again and another brilliant smile lit up her face as she grabbed a few books that looked promising. Sitting down at an empty table, she spread out her books and immediately got lost in them.

"Among one of the most confusing and delicate branches of magic are those involving time. Many parts of this magic involve pieces of dark magic or dark elements that can be combined with light magic into powerful relics that can alter reality or past. Many elements such as time stops, age reversal, and time travel can affect the reversal of that which makes things permanent. Time is one of the most mysterious and unknown dimensions that can alter spells that we cast in the present or those that have been cast in the past. Factors in past times that change can affect spells far in the future, but whether the reversal is true is unknown."

Hermione smiled at the thought of working out this passage. She loved a good problem to solve and she was glad this one was one that was not a life or death decision. She was solving it because she wanted to. It was a feeling that she missed. Taking a break from her reading, she stood and picked up a few books she had finished, preparing to put them back on their shelves.

As she returned the books, she heard thumps and muttering from the next row over. Peering around the tall bookshelves, she saw a young girl jumping up and down as she tried to reach a book. Hermione drew her wand.

"Would you like help?" Hermione asked kindly. The Hufflepuff girl looked up and a scared expression found its way onto her face.

"Please, I- I'll leave, if you want, just don't-"

"What? I'm not going to hurt you."

"You're a Slytherin! You lot are all bad."

"But you're making a generalization about- Nevermind. Would you like help getting your book down?" Hermione was shocked. Why was this little girl, no older than a second year, being so rude to her? Because she was a Slytherin?

"Why, going to give me one that will eat my face? Set me on fire?"

"Of course not. You are in second year, right? You're in the Transfiguration section and it's still quite early in term, so Professor Dumbledore must have assigned you homework. The only second year book in this area is," Hermione reached up to the shelf and grasped a thin book, " Transfiguration: Tips and Tricks." Hermione gave the Hufflepuff the book. She took it, muttered something, and ran from the library. Was this what Slytherin was like? Feared by people outside your house, unable to trust anyone in it?

"Being in a different house, it will probably seem odd to you. The distrust, especially since you were in Gryffindor." Draco walked toward her and leaned against the shelves as Hermione put several books back in order.

"Is it always like that? They always wonder how many motivations behind one decision? People fear they're being manipulated by a simple hello? Even among your own housemates?" It befuddled her. She was used to honesty and she was used to people loving her house.

"It's like that in this time and in the future," Draco explained. "We are supposed to be known for ambition and cunning but most of the idiots here think ambition and evil are the same thing. You and the rest of Potter's perfect clan are used to being loved, listened to, and believed, but we are used to backstabbing and manipulation." He sighed and the two began to walk back to the table. "I realize that this," he gestured to the two of them, "will be…difficult, but here I'm willing to-"

"Draco, I'm a forgiving person. I'd like to think that I'm honest and I'd like to say that I'm caring, but things can't go back to the way they were. I forgave you a long time ago, but I have a job to do, and I know you do as well. I was willing to make it work in our own time, but there is too much at stake here. Doubtless you've owled your master of my movements?" Hermione marked pages in her books and began to pack up.

"Yes, but I-"

"If I cannot get back to wage the war in the future, I'm going to do my best to wage it here and to make sure that Voldemort will never exist. I don't care about your ambitions and you made your feelings about me clear when you betrayed me." She put her bag over her shoulder and turned her back to him, preparing to leave.

"I want to help you." His blond head was bowed as he looked down at her, his grey eyes earnest. "There's already one war going on, with another this place will be blown to bloody bits. These people have no part in this and the casualties would be ridiculous. We need to get back. I want to help." She wanted to believe him. Oh, she wanted to believe him, but she couldn't afford to.

"I remember the last time I accepted your help; my Gryffindor pride and my Slytherin cunning have taught me not to accept it again."

As she left, Draco ran a hand through his hair. "If anyone doesn't need help, it's you."

0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o

Draco pushed his shepherd's pie away, slightly sick by the sight of his grandfather gazing at his once- girlfriend. That morning, after their escapade in the library, Hermione had ignored him and any attempt he made to talk to her. She had gone to her NEWT Charms and Herbology, (with only a few of the Slytherin boys other than Tom), and she had come to lunch in a stormy mood. Not even bothering to answer his grandfather's invitation to join them for lunch, she sat at the end of the table and did not even glance their way.

He wondered what happened in those two lessons.

0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o 0-o

Hermione entered her NEWT level Charms class and was shocked by the number of girls in the class; only seven. Two Ravenclaw, three Gryffindor, one Hufflepuff, and one Slytherin. There were about twelve boys there, five Ravenclaw, two Hufflepuff, three Gryffindor, and two Slytherin. She quickly sat at an empty table and took out her quill and parchment, leaning back when she was finished and crossing her legs.

Tom and Matthew Rosier entered the room shortly after her and made a beeline for her table. They sat, readied their materials, and looked at her expectantly.

"I did not know you would be joining us in this class. How did you qualify if you were not here for the exams last year?"

If anyone else had asked this question, it would seem innocent. But Tom Riddle had asked the gently probing question. She brought her eyes from where she was fiddling with her quill and looked at him.

"Professor Dumbledore has alerted Headmaster Dippet about my lack of…formal…education and Professor Dumbledore has vouched for my intelligence." Hermione went back to playing with her quill, but she felt Tom's gaze burning into the side of her face.

"Ah, so the old coot weaseled you into the class?" Matthew leaned back in his chair and placed his ankle over his knee.

"The man who taught me everything assured the Headmaster that I could handle more difficult classes. If you wish to put that into more crude terms, I suppose you could say it that way." Hermione did not rise to the bait.

"Just sit back. If you're nice, I might help you with the homework tonight." Matthew smirked at her and Hermione simply re-crossed her legs and did not even glance at him.

"Thank you for the offer, Matthew. I'll be sure to ask you or Mr. Riddle if I become confused with the lesson plan."

"Don't hesitate, it's a pleasure to help those who cannot grasp the lesson for the first time." Tom Riddle offered a charming smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Hermione opened her mouth, but a tall woman in soft purple robes breezed into the classroom.

"Good afternoon, students. I hope you have had a wonderful summer break and I'm so happy to welcome you back to school. My name is Professor Fortuna Kane and I will be your Charms teacher this year! Let me take roll…

Derek Ansil?"

"Here," a small Ravenclaw boy didn't even glance up from reading his textbook.

"Hermione Astor?"

"Here."

"Janet Dosik?"

"Here."

And the list went on. Once she had finished, she put down the register and clapped her hands together. "Oh, so many lovely ladies in the class this year! What should we start with, hmm?"

The students all looked at each other, confused. Was this teacher asking them to come up with the lesson plan?

"Come now, don't be shy! How about you?" Kane pointed to a tall boy from Gryffindor. "Come along, stand and introduce yourself! What should we do today?"

"Um, I'm Lucas Grift and I think we should…review?"

"It's wonderful to meet you, Lucas! You think we should review? I love the sound of that! How about we work in groups?"

The boy sat down and smiled a smugly.

Professor Kane split them up, boys and girls, and gave each group a parchment sheet of review questions. Loud and boisterous laughter was erupting from the boy's table, while quiet whispers and muffled giggles were heard from most of the girls. The only quiet three were the students of Slytherin House. Tom and Matthew finished the review about five minutes before class time was up and they sat at the table where they began, from which Hermione had not moved. The last question brought a small smirk to her face.

"Name the incantation and wand movement required to levitate inanimate objects."

"Is there something you find amusing?" asked Tom…Voldemort.

"Yes," Hermione said shortly as she stood and walked over to hand her paper in. Professor Kane looked shocked, but Hermione did not notice. She sat back down and glanced at her housemates who were openly smirking at her.

"Something amusing?" she asked.

"Oh, Professor Kane is just… stubborn on matters of gender. I'm sure it's nothing for you to worry about, Miss Astor."

Hermione huffed. "Don't speak in riddles, Riddle." The class ended soon after and she left the room, preparing to head to her next lesson: Herbology. With Voldemort Jr. and Malfoy Sr.

Hermione shuddered at the thought.

That's it for that chapter! Did you like? Is Herman more in character? Any ideas for future chapters? Let me know! Review!