Tom sat ahead of her in his class. He did not take notes, but listened attentively, his back straight and his right hand slowly drumming at the tabletop. His attractiveness would have increased tenfold if not for his perfectly studious image – the boy played a nearly over-eager student. It was unnatural. It was slightly off-putting even to Hermione who, admittedly, came off the same way. Still, she knew he was fairly popular with the girls... she'd heard a few whispers and giggles over his devilish looks.
As loathe as she was to admit it, Hermione did find his looks hard to ignore.
Worse than that, Hermione found his wicked cleverness even harder to look past.
She'd even found that the Dark Lord had quirks – quirks! - which was an undeniably disturbing realization. One of them was that provoking way he'd drum his hand on the table the entire lesson. Hermione found it to be one of the most irritating things she'd ever encountered.
"Distracted?" whispered her table-mate, a fellow Gryffindor who had noticed her gaze.
"I could focus better with a bit less noise-making, that's all," Hermione explained, half-truthful, her own whisper just loud enough to carry to the future Dark Lord. Ahead of her, he abruptly ceased his steady drumming and stiffened: he'd heard her.
She waited with bated breath for his reaction. Would he stop? Turn and glare? Curse her?
After a moment of anticipation, Tom resumed an even slower and louder drumbeat, each tap making her eye twitch.