The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement as Tom walked in for lunch after a doubles Potion class with the Gryffindors, a stark contrast from the quiet murmurings that had begun after the first attack five weeks ago.

He caught onto whispers of Hermione and Octavian Rookwood's names as he sat down and turned to look at Theo.

"What happened?" he asked without preamble, perhaps much sharper than he should have.

Thelonious gave him a small smile.

"The seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts class decided to have a dueling segment today. Hermione and Octavian were paired."

Theo paused as if contemplating his next words and Tom, fearing the worst, as Rookwood was his best duellist, snapped at Thelonious and the tight leash on his magic flared ever so slightly in irritation.

"Out with it!"

Thelonious gave him that small smile, again, as if he was a proud older brother.

"You know how Rookwood is - he likes a good fight so he tried to rile her up. Rookwood taunted her about her blood and told her she was an unwanted orphan whose presence probably led to their death. She completely lost it. He kept up with her for about fifteen minutes before she blasted magic at him. There wasn't a spell, just pure magic, and it knocked him onto his arse. He has a pretty bad concussion at the moment but he retaliated. They're both in the Infirmary."

Tom stood as he processed the information before making his way to the Infirmary. He found Thelonious on his right side as he made his way through the corridors.

"She bested Rookwood, my Lord," Thelonious murmured quietly as they got closer. "Madame Wicke said that it will take a week for him to recover."

He stopped mid-stride and turned abruptly towards the brunet man. Rookwood, and occasionally, Thelonious were the only ones of his Knights that Tom ever bothered practicing dueling with anymore. They took hits without complaints and on good days, they could pass as competent and powerful wizards.

Tom inhaled deeply through his nose. "A week?"

Something warm and akin to pride spread through Tom's chest at the fact that someone he'd hand-selected and was currently acquiring was able to do so much damage to his best fighter.

He understood Thelonious' smiles now.

"Yes, my Lord," Thelonious responded in a tone that suggested he knew just as much.

"And what about her?"

"She sustained some minimal damage, scratches, and bruises. I escorted her to the Infirmary and waited for you at lunch."

Tom stared at Thelonious for a second.

"Thank you," he said solemnly, quite unsure why the conversation took such a serious tone or why he felt the need to thank Theo.

Thelonious gave him another one of those damned smiles. "I live to serve."

And with that, the duo continued to the Infirmary, Tom opening the double-doors wandlessly before marching straight to the bed with the bushy-haired witch, ignoring all of the Petrified students in there with her.

She looked up with a fierce scowl before she realized who her visitor was, and her expression changed to beam beautifully as she took him in.

"I thought you were Madame Wicke about to tell me I had to stay even longer."

"How are you?" Tom asked.

Hermione sighed.

"I am perfectly fine. I had one bruise on my cheekbone and some scratches on my neck, but she said that the magical blast should have taken a lot of my strength so she wants to keep me for monitoring. He's worse off."

Hermione lifted her chin in the other direction before she continued, "you should probably go check on your friend. He hasn't woken up, and Madame Wicke has kept him in a magically-induced coma because she has to regrow all of his ribs."

"His ribs?" Tom repeated as Hermione smiled like a Cheshire-cat.

"I had the opportunity to stun him, but I chose to send birds at him. He told me that I had a bleeding heart which is what will get me killed, and I told him that at least I have a heart before vanishing his ribcage. He panicked and sent me flying towards the wall. My magic lashed out and knocked him out."

"So, you almost killed him?"

Hermione shrugged, toying with the end of her blanket. "The professor placed a stasis spell on him. Headmaster Dippet has already talked to me and told me that I'm now at risk for expulsion. Considering that. . ."

She trailed off as she looked over at Thelonious before the air around them started humming, and Tom realized that she had placed some sort of privacy spell around them.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Considering that I am an amnesiac in a war that we are losing, and I showed up on the doorsteps of Hogwarts almost half dead. He said that Rookwood's father is a powerful man and is very upset that I was allowed into the school when no one knows who I am or my background. Lord Rookwood believes that I may be a spy for Grindelwald due to the dark nature of the spell I used that vanished Octavian's ribcage."

"Are you?"

Tom turned to glare at Thelonious for having the audacity of asking the question.

Hermione gave a bitter laugh, choosing to stare down Tom as she answered, "I wouldn't even know. I don't think so. He has spies everywhere and if I defected, I don't think I would have gone unnoticed this long. I'd probably be dead."

"So what are we going to do? We can't just allow you to be expelled, 'Mione."

"I struck a deal with Headmaster Dippet, Teddy. Don't worry about it."

"My family has just as much sway as -"

"What deal did you strike, Hermione?" Tom questioned, cutting of Thelonioua.

"I've been caught breaking curfew several times this school year, and I have lost my temper a couple of times, like with Abbott. I've served detention for those, and Headmaster Dippet has covered for me, seeing as he admitted me into Hogwarts despite some protests from the Wizengamot, so he'd like to cover for his own arse. I cannot have any more infractions for the rest of the school year. If I'm out a minute after curfew, then I'm out of Hogwarts for good. I have to keep a tight lid on my magic and my temper as well. If my magic flares and he feels it, I'm gone."

"So he's asking you to be a normal student," Tom stated wryly.

"Not all of us are good actors, Riddle," Hermione snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her head the other way.

"You don't have to be," Thelonious replied, Tom watching carefully as Hermione's face softened perceptibly. "I'll help you out, and you have the full backing of the House of Nott."

Something changed in the air again with Thelonious' statement, and Tom realized both the significance of the statement and the specific language that was used. A bond had formed between Hermione and Thelonious in the same way that Thelonious had vowed himself to Tom.

"Thank you, Thelonious," Hermione voiced quietly, though there was strength behind her statement. "I appreciate it."

Theo tilted his head forward at Hermione and then Tom before dismissing himself from their presence.

"I don't have time for your smartass comments, Riddle, so either you sit in that seat over there and look pretty or you go," Hermione teased before he could get out a word.

"Pot calling the kettle black, then, Granger?"

"Perhaps."

Tom took a seat beside Hermione and took a good look at her. The hospital gown washed out her tan skin, and the bed she was in made her seem infinitely smaller than usual.

He didn't like it.

"You held back on me the other night," Tom observed. "Why?"

Hermione's lips turned up as she fiddled with the corner of her blanket. "I didn't want to hurt you."

He looked up and stared at her face, taking in her features, trying to find any deceit hiding behind her clever eyes.

"People like you and me, Tom, we've been hurt enough by the cards we've been dealt in life. I would have taken no pleasure in causing you further harm. I don't want to hurt you," she reiterated.

He was certain that she had bewitched him as he found the damning words bubbling up from his throat before he could stop himself. "I apologize, Hermione."

She smiled at him again, and his chest tightened almost painfully. No one else received ones like that from her. "I already forgave you."

He gave her a smile of his own before he settled into his seat and began to do his work with her by his side, occasionally offering her input while she did her own work.

When she fell asleep, he put aside his books and watched her, wondering what it meant that Thelonious would bound his family to serve and protect her. An odd feeling settled in his stomach as he realized that she trusted him enough to fall asleep around him and that he didn't want to betray this precarious thing that she had gifted him.

Incoherent nothings fell from her lips as she began to squirm in her sleep. Tom reached out his hand to trace the curve of her face, marveling at how her skin felt divine underneath his palm. Hermione settled momentarily before she began shaking violently. He withdrew his hand quickly as she sat up.

"Harry!" she cried out. He looked at her, and her eyes seemed full of pain before a blank expression fell over her face.

"Who's Harry?" Tom asked quietly. Hermione jerked as if noticing his presence for the first time.

"I - I'm not quite sure," she hesitated, before piercing his eyes with her own. Those brown eyes changed again as he saw only a pool of misery and a quiet sadness, "but I think I may have loved him."

He flinched.


Revised April 16, 2019