Draco followed Hermione out of the elevator, thankful to be free from their awkward elevator moment. They made their way across the halls of the ICU toward Tom Riddle's room, ready to have him cast a spell that would ensure they would be resistant to the genetically-modified puppy that would have otherwise forced Hermione and Draco to involuntarily fall in love with each other.

"So is this Tom Riddle really as sweet and conversational as you make him sound?" Draco spoke in a sneering tone.

Hermione laughed. "Gee Malfoy, for someone who blatantly hates me these days, you sure seem to know a lot about my interactions with my patients."

Draco scoffed. "It's not like I'm asking for any information about you. I can't help it if people gossip too much."

Hermione opened the door to Tom Riddle's room. Draco suddenly felt uncomfortable as he laid eyes on the man who was destined to be Voldemort. He looked just like the young Tom Riddle he had seen in photos his father had shown him. Except this Tom Riddle looked so pale that he could have almost been a ghost.

Draco watched Hermione step inside and greet Tom with a friendly "good evening" and a hug.

Since when do Healers hug their patients? Especially if their patients were in the ICU?

Draco found himself feeling a sharp pang of jealousy, mixed with frustration. He backed away from the door so that he was standing to the side of the room, unable to be seen by Hermione and Tom. He had heard countless times from other Healers that Hermione was in love with Tom, but that Tom only loved her as a friend, possibly even as a sister. But then Ron's health seemed to be getting worse and worse, despite healing attempts that had worked completely well on other patients with his exact conditions.

Draco rubbed his temples as his thoughts raced through his head. According to the rumors, Tom is secretly in love with Hermione, and is therefore secretly trying to kill Ron since that Weasel King has been trying to win Hermione's affection back. Of course, there is no way to prove that is true….Draco rubbed his eyes. He couldn't get these thoughts out of his head, even though he had already been thinking about them over and over again. Even if the rumors are true, even of Tom really is in love with Granger and is trying to kill anyone who tries to win her affection, there's nothing I should be worrying about. It's not like he's going to start trying to secretly kill me….because as of right now, the whole hospital thinks that I hate Granger. His face twisted with frustration as he realized how important it was that he continue to hide his true feelings for Hermione and pretend to hate her. Not only was it important for his own ego, but it was important for his own survival…if Tom was secretly in love with Granger and was secretly performing secret spells to murder others who were in love with Granger.

That bastard better not be secretly in love with Granger.

Then Draco clenched his fists and banged against the wall. Dammit, stop feeling this way, he was yelling at himself in his thoughts. You are NOT in love with her, and you are not jealous of her potentially murderous patient! YOU ARE NOT IN LOVE WITH HERMIONE FUCKING GRANGER!

"Draco?"

Draco flinched at the sound of Hermione's voice. He looked up and saw her peeking out of Tom's room.

"Are you alright?" Hermione was gazing at him with a raised eyebrow.

Draco blinked and forced himself to frown at her. "Of course, I—I was just checking if there was any sign of that Yapillon puppy out here. Now come on, let's get this over with before that pup tracks us down and breathes Amorabloom Pollen around us." He shouldered passed Hermione and stepped in the room.

Again, that sudden feeling of discomfort overwhelmed Draco as soon as he laid eyes on Tom Riddle, who was now locking eyes with him. Draco was able to get a better view of the patient—besides the ghost-white sickliness of his skin, Tom Riddle also had brittle dark hair and cheekbones that were so distinguishable that they made the skin on his face look like it was going to waste away. His eye sockets appeared hollow, making him almost look like a skeleton.

And the rumors say Hermione is in love with this patient? Draco's expression was vacant as he stood there, speechless. To think that this was a man destined to be the same monster that took over the wizarding world seven years ago…

"Hello, Dr. Malfoy," Tom's voice was surprisingly smooth, but it was still enough to significantly increase Draco's heart rate. The sickly young man gave him a small, weak smile. "Hermione told me you are the son of the man that brought me back into this world."

Draco forced himself not to gulp. He still hated to think that Lucius Malfoy was the wizard who had used the Organink Wand to bring this man into this world, specifically by stealing Organink Potion, writing Tom Riddle's biography with the potion, and then using the wand to bring him to life, based on what was written in that biography. Draco nodded and managed to speak in a casual tone. "Yep. Unfortunately."

Tom nodded back. There was no hint of malice in those dark-brown eyes as the young man spoke in his calm voice. "No judgment here, Dr. Malfoy. I understand that there are certain characteristics about ourselves that we didn't choose to inherit."

Draco's jaw tightened. Obviously, Tom was referring to himself. Whatever was written about him in Organink Potion was meant to happen sometime while he was alive in this world.

Hermione chuckled and walked over to his bedside. "Tom, you've told me many times that you don't believe in fate. Any unwanted, unintentional characteristics about yourself could be overridden if you work hard enough at it."

Tom turned to his Healer and returned her smile. "Of course, Dr. Granger. But it depends on the characteristic. My 'destiny' to become Dark Lord is something that is governed by my own choices, ideologies, and intentions. I can control the choices, ideologies, and intentions I have, so I can surely override whatever Lucius had written about me. However…" he turned to Draco with a serious and understanding expression. His tone became more careful and wary. "…it would be impossible to erase the fact that Lucius is Draco's father. That's a characteristic Dr. Malfoy can never exactly override."

Draco looked away and chuckled. "Hmm. Yes, well, there are some things in life that we can overcome, and some things that we just have to accept and deal with."

Tom nodded, smiling again. "Wise words, Dr. Malfoy." His gaze shifted from Hermione and then back to Draco. "Anyways, you two are here for a spell you'd like me to perform?"

Hermione nodded. "Ugh, yes please, if you don't mind. Dr. Milette Barkson is going to have her Yapillon dog, Plutarco, scout this building for the poisonous Telefrog that's teleporting all over the hospital. And all of the Barksons' Yapillons have this tendency to elicit Amorabloom Pollen around me and Draco, forcing us to feel this intense romantic passion for each other." She shot Draco a look of disgust, which he forced himself to return. "We do NOT want that to happen between us."

"Yeah," said Draco, scowling at her. "It's disgusting to be forced to feel romantic feelings for someone you genuinely do not love—someone you actually genuinely hate." He turned away from her to meet Tom's gaze, hoping with all his might that the patient wasn't able to detect lies or any hidden romantic feelings Draco himself still harbored.

Luckily, Tom's expression remained calm and peaceful. The dark-haired man nodded. "You two have a sound reason to request this spell, then," he said. "I can perform the Antiaroma Charm, which will instill a new scent on every hair follicle on your body. The antiaroma scent from your hair follicles will erase any effect of any emotion-inducing odor, or any odor meant to effect the neurochemistry of your brains."

"That's perfect!" Hermione exclaimed. "Let's do it!"

Later that night, Draco was leaving the hospital with Galvin Barkson. He walked with his Healer mentor down the stairs of the hospital.

"Ah, that's nothing, man!" Galvin gave Draco a hearty nudge after he had told him about the Antiaroma Charm that Tom had performed on him and Hermione. "You still have real feelings for that Hermione, so it makes no difference if you two are surrounded in Amorabloom Pollen or not!"

"Shh!" Draco hissed. "Dammit, Galvin, can you speak more quietly?! You, Blaise, and Snape are still the only ones in this hospital who know how I really feel around that mudblood."

"Ay, speaking of Snape," Galvin raised his eyebrows, "he taught you the Legilimency Spell, right? Did you get to use it on Tom while you were in his room? To find out if he really has feelings for Hermione?"

"No, I was scared outta my guts in there."

"Draco, man!" Galvin threw his hands up. "Come on! That was the perfect time!"

Draco shook his head, feeling his face heat up. "No, not at all."

"Why, was Tom acting creepy? 'Cause I've visited him before, and he seems like the most approachable patient ever."

"No, there was nothing about his behavior that was suspicious," snapped Draco. "It's just the possibility that he could be more powerful than we think. What if he feels it when I performed the Legilimency Spell on him? He might be secretly furious." Draco widened his eyes. "Heck, he might have used the Legilimency Spell on me, without me knowing it! He might know about how I feel about Hermione now, despite my spitefulness and outright claim that I hate the mudbood."

"Dude, you're right, you could be in danger now," Galvin muttered. "Damn, I can't have my best Healer trainee in danger! Draco, you better watch out for your life—if Tom is really in love with Hermione and is responsible for Ron's declining health and failed treatments, he could try to do the same to you!"

"Only if he actually loves Granger. There's still so much we don't know about this guy."

"Right, which is why you should use that Legi Spell, or whatever you call it, as soon as possible! If you find that he loves her and is now plotting against you, we gotta report him to the Auror Department."