Hey, yo!

Another chapter to add to this slowly growing story.

I have a feeling it is going to start to get more intense (sexually) in like the next two or three chapters. So prepare yourselves.

Also, thank you to those who have reviewed! I'm pumped!

-ImperialGoddess-123, hateme101, and the two guests-you guys rule.

Read and review and tell me what you think.

Chapter Ten

-Halloween-

Tom's POV

"Boot!" I yelled over the group of students who were helping set up for the upcoming Halloween soiree. "I've showed you how to do the incantation three times now, if you aren't capable of a simple modified engorgement charm, then maybe you shouldn't be a prefect…" The girl's cheeks reddened as one of the other prefects made their way over to help her enlarge a pumpkin that would be the entrance to the maze.

Instead of just a corn maze, someone had suggested they had a dance as well, so there was twice as much work to do and no one seemed competent enough to do it. I walked around the perimeter of the dance floor. Almost everything had been set up. There had been a makeshift dance floor set up with tables surrounding it. The candles had been charmed and were floating in mid-air above the whole area. Ghost and bat cut-outs were charmed and zooming amongst the candles. Pumpkins of all shapes were being placed sporadically around the grounds, all leading up to the large pumpkin that would be the beginning of the maze.

I watched Hermione from a distance as she taught a couple prefects a spell of her own invention. She said it was a copy of a muggle 'fog machine' that apparently dispensed pretend fog out of a box. I, of course, thought it was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard, but she assured me the ambiance would be more indicative of a 'spooky Halloween night'.

Things had been at a standstill between us for the past few weeks. Ever since she admitted to feeling something for me, and ever since I admitted to having no qualms about kissing her-things had just stopped. I didn't touch her at all, I let Abraxis be around her without me, I didn't say anything too forward, and I definitely, definitely didn't kiss her again.

At some point I had been desperate enough for some sort of meaningful interaction and I agreed to 'work' with her, since her refusal to join me as an 'employee'. Which has allowed me to keep her at a distance and keep her away from my meeting with the Knights.

I couldn't tell her about what we did at our meetings or what we talked about even, but I could lie to her. As far as she knew, the meetings were more of a gentlemen's gathering. Where we discussed pureblood hierarchy and the future of the wizarding world.

Which wasn't a complete lie. I just didn't tell her that our main goal was the eradication of mudbloods in our society. It was all a need to know basis, really. As for our business in the whole thing, I asked her for help for some research. Mostly just on heirlooms of the founders, which was a general enough request the she couldn't possibly have any ideas on what I really needed the information for...

From across the floor, I watched her swish her wand around in a zigzag pattern and laugh when one of the prefect's attempts at copying her movements resulted in his wand flying through the air. The wind had blown her hair around her face and as she flipped her head around we locked eyes. Her brown eyes matched mine in intensity, but our faces were a mask of perfect indifference.

I wanted nothing more than to grab her face and smash my lips on to hers, to pull her body as close as it could get to mine, to lay her gently onto the soft, green fabric of my comforter…

I blinked and turned away. We hadn't made eye contact like that since our duel last month. Of course we had both won our first round, and had been the two finalist for the class. Of course.

-Flashback-

I could still see the blush on her cheeks; the determination in her eyes. I felt her magic swell up around her and I felt mine push back against hers. Caressing it, almost. I watched her lithe, but supple form move into a dueling stance, and I felt mine following suit. We had locked eyes, and the simple disarming spells flew from our mouths simultaneously.

I briefly wondered if the rest of the class could feel our magic moving around each other. If they, too, were being suffocated by the tension. Slowly, but surely we let stronger, less known defensive spells leave our wands. We were at an impasse. Neither of us willing to let show our darker sides, neither of us willing to give in to our desires.

The room was bright with color. Spells rebounding and flying in all directions from the different shields and objects we were throwing in our paths. At one point, my yew wand sent a spell at her, just as she sent one at me. The spells collided in midair, creating a static electricity that crackled throughout the room. I heard the gasps and screams of our fellow students as they pushed farther away from the duel and lined up against the walls. I could hardly hear the loud voice of Professor Berrati yelling over the crackling of the spells, telling us to drop our wands. I met Hermione's eyes through the commotion. It was just days ago that we were wrapped around each other. Just days ago that I felt every hormone in my body reaching out toward her. Her eyes had a look of desperation and something else lingering in their depths and her hair was whipping around her face while her skirt was flapping at her knees. We pulled our wands in opposite directions, and the spells dropped.

She opened her hand as I summoned her wand to me. And that was it. The duel was over.

-End Flashback-

Hermione's POV

I walked back to my dorm in a daze as I went through the final prep list for the dance. Everything seemed to be right on schedule. Which was strange. Nothing had gone wrong during the set-up and the maze was completely finished. Filled with all the spooky Halloween things one would ever expect to find in a 'Haunted Corn Maze'.

Then why did I feel apprehensive?

It could be because of what I overheard while I was patrolling the halls of the third floor corridor last week...which had set me on edge ever since. Coincidentally, I hadn't even been trying to overhear anything.

I knew it was his voice. Who else could have such a deep, melodic, mesmerizing voice-while still sound like a controlling, arrogant sociopath?

From what I could tell, he was addressing a group of boys, judging from their deep murmurs and idle chat that filled the room.

"My friends, my Knights...I have some good news," Tom's voice echoed into the hall. "I now know where I need to go to get one of the items I'd mentioned to you previously. As you know, I am the Heir of Slytherin...a direct descendent. I have recently come across some information on a couple of other living relatives I did not know that I had. An old wizarding family. One that has not been heard of for many, many years."

I had clasped my hand over my mouth to keep my gasp from being heard. He was talking about the Gaunts. I knew that this day would come, especially since he'd asked me if I would help him research relics from the founders age. In all my haste to keep my romantic feelings for Tom at bay, I had concentrated all my energy in the wrong place. When I should have been putting all my focus on keeping Tom from becoming the man who murders pretty much everyone I know, instead I was focusing on how my skin burned when he touched me. I focused on how my heart would hammer in my chest. I focused on how it would feel if he were to run his fingers under the hem of my shirt. I was losing it.

"The last of my family live just outside of a muggle village called Little Hangleton. If all goes as planned, I can apparate to the village and back all within the hours of our next Hogsmeade trip," Tom finished with haughtiness in his voice. "Now, what I need from you is a patrol to keep anyone from noticing. Malfoy and Flint, I want both of you on Hermione. Fint-disillusion yourself and tail her the whole time I'm gone. The girl is far too perceptive for her own good. I want two of you on the castle and the rest of you in Hogsmeade. Spread out. Keep out of the way and be alert. Do we understand?" I started to back away from the hallway as quickly and silently as I could. I made it around the corner and up to the sixth floor before I stopped to catch my breath.

I had replayed the scene over and over for the past week. I had no choice. It was time for me to take a trip to visit the Gaunt household. I had to take Slytherin's ring and hide it before Tom could get his hands on it. And I had to go tonight. After the dance

I had my dress from fourth year laid out on my bed. I had my hair halfway piled on my head, while the rest spilled down my back. I didn't go overboard with my makeup, it was mostly noticeable around my eyes, where I tried my hardest to give myself a smokey eye.

I decided to go alone to the dance. Not that I hadn't been asked, I was just going to be too busy making sure everything went well to be concerned with a date. I also heard that Tom wasn't taking anyone to the dance either. The petty teenage girl inside me was secretly elated.

I looked back down at the dress and took out my wand to make some alterations. First of all, I lengthened it a few more inches and added sleeves that went just past my shoulders. I took the neckline down a couple inches and changed the color to varying shades of silver and grey. I flipped it over and cut out the back completely.

Overall, I was happy with my new design.

I dug through my dresser for my beaded bag, I figured I would need it if I was going off campus to adventure into the unknown to steal the Resurrection Stone. For emergencies, of course.

I stared at myself in the mirror for a minute before I left. I looked...old. Like a well developed eighteen year old. My breast weren't large by any means, but the way my dress dipped down my chest gave the illusion of an actual bust. I adjusted it a little to make it less eye popping.

'Alright, Hermione. You are Head Girl, and you are an amazing witch. You've trained for years and are fully capable of taking care of yourself. Do not let a handsome man deter you from your goals. Right? Right.' I nodded to my reflection and opened my bedroom door.

"Hermione," a voice sounded, "you look wonderful."

I stopped and raised my eyes to the voice that had been haunting my dreams for months.

"Tom," I said as I took in his appearance, "you look wonderful as well."

Tom's appearance was impeccable as always. Not a hair was out of place. His black suit was tailored to perfection. His broad shoulders look even more masculine than usual. His fingers were twirling his wand around in lazy circles.

"I thought we might walk down together, seeing as we're both dateless and we're the Head students," he finished with a heart stopping smile.

"That sounds great, Tom, lead the way," I smiled as I took his arm.

He led me down the corridor to the entrance hall.

"Hermione, I think that I should have mentioned this before, but Dippet is insisting that we open the dance…" He said as he opened the doors to lead us out into the magically lit up grounds.

"Ah, there we are! Now we can begin!" Dippet said before I could form a response to Tom.

I felt him drag me out into the middle of floor and place his hand on my waist, his fingers lightly reached around and touched the small of my back. I set my hand about his neck and he led us into a slow waltz.

"Thanks for the heads up on the dance…" I said jokingly. He pulled me a little closer as we spun in wide circles. I could feel his breath moving across my neck. He laughed.

"You really do look breathtaking tonight, Hermione," his lips brushed my ear.

I felt the heat rise up my neck. I couldn't meet his eyes so I looked around and was immediately grateful for the fact that other couples had decided to join us. I glanced back up at him as he took a step away from me. He pulled my hand up to his lips.

"Meet me later?" he asked in a husky voice.

I could only nod as he turned and walked away.

I spent the rest of the evening chatting amicably with Alice and a few other girls from our year. I saw Romi and her posse glaring at me from the entrance to the maze. I shook my head at them and waved my fingers at them innocently. I still hated her and I was still trying to think of a way to get back at her. Although I had noticed that her and her small group of friends were being ostracized by the men in the Slytherin house. It wasn't much, but it was something. And I knew Tom had a role in it.

"Hermione! Hermione!" I heard a voice calling behind me.

Jesse, Aimee, and a couple other prefects were making their way over to me in an excited roar. They grabbed me by the arm and drug me over to the entrance of the maze.

"Let's go, Hermione! We're lining up to get into the maze!" Jesse laughed as he lightly pushed me in front of him in line. Aimee was in front of me and she was patiently waiting for the person in front of her to disappear around the corner in the maze.

Once she made it around the corner, I made my way into the maze. I didn't even want to go in the maze at all. It was getting chilly and I left my cloak in my room. I heard a cheery, 'Good luck, Hermione!' from behind me as I took off in the opposite direction of Aimee. For how many people I had seen go in the maze before me, it was eerily silent. I quietly praised the fifth year prefects for finally figuring out the smoke effects spell I had shown them.

I took a left, a right, another right, and a another left and found myself at a fourway stop. We had actually done a really good job on this maze. It was nothing compared to the Triwizard Tournament maze, but still...I was proud of our prefects.

I went straight this time and stopped when I heard a crunching noise behind me. I pulled my wand and quickly turned to face the noise. There was nothing. With a renewed sense of awareness, I continued on…

I made another turn and another and was starting to get frustrated. A part of me wanted to just cheat and use 'point me' as a way to get out of here. I sighed as I came to yet another dead end.

I abruptly turned and ran into the hard chest of Tom Riddle. His fingers grasped my upper arm as I stumbled slightly.

"Whoa, there," he said lightly.

"T-Tom, you startled me…" I stated obviously.

"I could tell. I didn't mean to sneak up on you, it was an accident," I nodded at him.

"How long have you been in here, Tom?"

"For about fifteen minutes, you?" he asked.

"Too long," I said with a laugh. "Shall we?"

He indicated for me to go first. I took a couple steps and felt something slide over my foot. I screamed and jumped back into Tom.

"What was that?" I panted heavily.

"That was probably one of the 'spooky bonuses' I heard the professors talking about earlier…" he said as he looked around on the ground.

"A spooky bonus?" I shook my head in disbelief.

"Come on," he said as he stalked in front of me. We rounded a corner as the fog started to get thicker. It would be just my luck that I would find myself alone in a maze with a man who had preoccupied my thoughts so heavily for the past several weeks

I heard him curse a couple steps in front of me, but the fog was so thick I couldn't see if he had stopped or not. So it was me that cursed when I ran into his back hard and we went tumbling down a hill that had popped out of nowhere. I landed with a 'oompf' on top of something else that made an even louder 'oompf'.

I managed to get out a breathless 'sorry' before I tried to roll off of him. I made it halfway off before I felt his hands move to wrap around my waist. I stopped what I was doing to look in his eyes. I could hardly see them through the dense fog, but the moonlight gave just enough light that I could see that they were the same midnight blue they were so many weeks before…

"Wait," he said in a voice I had never heard him use. His left hand slid up the my back. It's soft warmth leaving a tingling trail up my spine. His other hand came around to to cup my face.

My eyes traveled between his eyes and his lips. When he brought his mouth to mine, my body shuddered in relief. I could feel the desperation in his body through his lips. Everything was at a standstill. I was laying on the ground, passionately kissing the future dark lord. And nothing could be more perfect. I let my tongue reach out for his and he met it with a deep moan. I moved my body up his so I could have a better angle. Both of his hand moved down my back and grabbed my butt to pull me closer.

I couldn't hold in my desire anymore. My body and mind betrayed me and I ground my hips into his as I let out a moan that seemed to stem from deep inside my stomach. How could this be so perfect?

He shifted my weight so I was fully on top of him, one leg on either side of his body. He pushed my hips down toward his as he arched his toward me. I had never felt anything quite like this. Every inch of me was cold and yet warm at the same time. My hands couldn't stop roaming over his chest, his stomach, his arms-anywhere I could reach. There was a pleasant ache starting in my lower abdomen that was building with each push of our hips.

If I didn't pull away now, I wasn't sure what was going to happen.

"Tom, tom...wait-stop, we can't do this h-here…" I was able to pant out as I moved my face away from his. I quickly pushed myself up and off him and climbed up and out of the little hole we had fallen into. "Come on, Tom, let's get out of this maze."

I watched him as he tried to get his breathing under control. He stood up slowly and adjusted himself. I took out my wand and cast a quick 'Scourgify' over both of us. Tom walked over to me slowly and placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I can get us out of here," he took my hand and led me back the way we came. There appeared to be holes cut out of the bushes, and in the distance you could see the light of the dance floor. "It wasn't an accident that I found you."

Wahhhh! There you go. There it is. There she is and he is and they are.

This took me literally all day to write because I couldn't keep myself from getting distracted. So I'm sorry if this is the most well written chapter.

But, I hope you keep reading. And I hope you tell me what you think.