Chapter Nine: Runes

Although Tom had said he'd see her after class, she hadn't expected him to be waiting just outside the classroom door. He grinned as soon as he saw her, and asked, "Is it true what they're saying about you and Wally Black?"

"How the devil did you hear about that already?" Hermione wanted to know.

"She told a student out in the hall on her way to the infirmary," he said. "How would you dare to hex her so blatantly right in front of everyone? That's completely wicked."

"I didn't hex her," Hermione told him. "She tried to hex my ink, but apparently it's hex-proofed."

"Yes, but you needn't tell anyone else that," he said as he took her hand in his and started walking where he know she was going.

Hermione squeezed his hand and said, "Laying claim on the new girl, are we?"

Tom stopped and took her other hand as well. "Laying claim on the best girl, maybe," he said with a sly grin. Then he tilted her face up and prepared to kiss her again.

"Riddle, save that for private time," said Professor Dumbledore from somewhere behind them.

"Yes sir, Professor Dumbledore, sir," he answered, backing up slightly.

"Come on, Tom, we have to get to Ancient Runes anyway," said Hermione, though secretly she'd been thrilled at the prospect of the kiss he'd been about to give. She didn't think it was going to be as tame as the last two had been, and now her nerves were all jangled at the idea that once classes were done they'd find themselves alone all night.

Instead of taking her hand again, Tom's hand ended up on the small of her back as they headed to their next class together. Right before they stepped into the classroom, Tom looked around for any other Professors before he scooted her against the wall and tilted up her face for the kiss he'd been after before.

Hermione's heart thudded quickly in her chest. Her whole body tingled at the hot way his lips slid over hers and then traced over her cheek and toward her ear as his arms wrapped about her waist. When he stood up to look into her eyes, her breaths were coming out in short little gasps.

"Come sit by me," he said as he took her hand again and brought her with him, sitting her in her chair before taking his own. Hermione couldn't help but notice how many eyes were upon them as the Professor came in and headed for the front of the classroom.

"Riddle, if that kiss wasn't so hot I'd take fifty points from Slytherin," he said as he perused the pair over the rim of his spectacles. "I can only assume you're the new Head Girl, since I've not met you before."

"Yes, sir," Hermione answered without looking at him, her cheeks flaming.

"Well, I suppose I'd be remiss if I didn't do something to reprimand the pair of you," he added. "I'm professor Merryweather, by the way. And I'll see the two of you later for a bit of detention."

"Yes, sir," said Tom and Hermione in unison this time. They smirked at each other over it, and then each of them started setting up their half of the desk for class. When each of them found their books at the same time and simultaneously flipped to the page written in the air so they could start reading, Professor Merryweather shook his head and started his class.

"Today we're going to learn to write our names using Runes," he told everyone. "And, just to make things a bit more interesting, I'll be having desk partners make each other inkwells in which they have carved their own names. I'm quite sure most of you won't mind getting one from your deskmate, right?"

"I want one from Tom," whined Wallburga from the back of the class, where she sat all alone. "I'm the one who should be sitting with him, not that homeschooled nobody."

"Miss Black, if you will please control your-wait, what's that on your face, my dear?" the Professor said.

"She did this to me," she growled, pointing at Hermione.

Tom couldn't help but look back to see her handiwork, and turned back around with a smirk on his handsome face. "Good job, Granger," he whispered against her ear.

When Wallburga saw this, she started to throw a fit, tearing at her hair and shrieking angrily. Then she suddenly raced to the front of the class, pulling her wand as she came, ready to do Hermione an injury of some kind.

"Petrificus Totalis!" Hermione shouted as she pointed her wand at the enraged girl.

Wallburga stopped in mid-stride and stood with a shocked expression.

"Well, then, as I was saying, there aren't any objections with you deskmates, right?"

"Right," the entire class agreed, all turning around as though Wallburga wasn't there. The rest of the class went quite smoothly, and as she was leaving arm in arm with Tom, happily holding one half of the little clay heart she'd suggested, while he held the other, she remembered to release the spell.

Wallburga fell to the floor and sobbed hysterically, and Tom and Hermione chuckled all the way down the hall.