Chapter 21:

"Falling in love is so hard on the knees."

-Aerosmith

Hermione stared eye to eye with Tom, her heart pounding. The whole library was deadly silent, waiting for something, anything to happen. She had no right to be scared but for some reason anxiety was making its presences known. She spotted Abraxus stiffen and she knew he was thinking the worst likely scenario but she knew Tom would keep his cool. He would making some comment to let every single student in that grand room know it was okay then take it out on her in privet. She could handle him in privet but the look, the burning, unwavering calculating look he gave her was not something she could handle.

Hermione opened her mouth wanting to say something, anything, to break the ungodly silence but nothing worked its way out. What could she say? Say she was sorry? Well that would be a down right lie because she wasn't. Come on who in the world would write Tom Riddle down as a romantic, it was insane! She tried again, maybe she would let him know they were just joking around but that too stopped its journey out of her mouth. If she told him that he would fake laugh it off but he would be livid and she would have a reason to be scared then. She closed her mouth again and was vigorously trying to think of what to say when he turned on his heel and stormed out of the library.

Hermione dropped back into her chair from where she jumped up in surprise. She had no possible clue on what just happened? Did Tom Riddle really just get that pissed over a joke that was in fact, the truth! The brunette felt an uncountable amount of eyes land on her, burning her with heated stares. She turned in her chair to face her two friends and dropped her head onto the table. "I think I might really be screwed."

Abraxus place his hand onto her shoulders and patted her with a lack of encouragement and Hermione looked up at them still trying to figure out how the bloody seventeen year old wouldn't get the joke. "I think we should get you back to your rooms." Abraxus said standing up.

Hermione knew he was the right. The longer she waited to return home to face Tom the worse he would be. It would be best if she headed off the anger. Plus she had to understand what she did was so wrong. She pushed herself out of her seat again feeling heavy with dread and… pain? Why was she hurting? He didn't say nor do anything mean… That was it though, wasn't it? He didn't say anything. He just walked away. Tom never behaved like that. "I just don't see how he can't take a joke!" She said shaking her head trying to justify to herself that she hadn't been in the wrong.

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The morning dawned with a very irate and nervous Hermione. She had been up the whole night waiting for Tom to come back home. She paced back and forth for hours, attempted to sleep, thought about going to find him, read, ate, tried to sleep again but in the end it was all worthless. The sun rose and her wand went off with her alarm to wake her to find her sitting on their bed with a pillow hugged to her midsection. She didn't know what to take of his not coming home. Did she really anger him that much that he slept out? Did she really care for him so much that she hated not being able to sleep beside him?

When had she gotten to this stage? Why did she feel as though her true feelings for the future dark lord had hit her like an oncoming train? She knew the signs, she understood her feelings and yet the fact that she was in love with Voldemort was still like a brick to the face. How had she been able to deny her feelings that vehemently? She shook her head and ran her hand through her hair her eyes before finally edging off of the bed and heading towards the showers. She took the steps through her morning ritual without really thinking about her motions. She barely realized she had brought herself down to the Great hall for breakfast until a hand was being waved in her face.

"What?" Hermione inhaled, swallowing, and jumping all at once causing her to choke on her spit. She quickly reached for a glass of water and chugged some of the cooling liquid and felt the heat from coughing so hard leave her face. She wiped her face and looked up to see Abraxus looking at her worriedly. Jasmine was beside him, her arm hooked through his and holding his pale hand and also looking startled.

"Are you okay there Hermione?" Abraxus question while sitting back a little. He was on the one who had invaded her bubble and brought her out of her comatose state.

"Oh yeah, I am peachy….Have you guys seen Tom he didn't come home last night…" Had she not been so overwrought she would have found herself amused at those words. She sounded like some silly, concerned house wife.

Abraxus and Jasmine traded a look with each other that Hermione did not see. "I am sure he will find you soon. I think he just needed time to calm down."

"I should find him before class starts. We need to talk, he can't avoid me forever." She chewed on her bottom lip knowing he fully could avoid her forever. He could just kill her if he wanted to but that would not be his way. He must know by know how truly attached she was to him, thinking about it now she had been very obvious.

Just as Jasmine was about to open her mouth the whirlwind of wings echoed through the large hall, Hermione glanced up as different color and breeds of owls flew over their heads, their eyes meant for one person each. Hermione had never once received mail since her time in the forties and she had to admit it use to eat at her heart knowing there was no one here for her, no one to help her, befriend her, and protect her, care for her. Since she started spending more of her time with Tom though the daily arrival of mail no longer bothered her; she must have started falling for him long before than she had originally thought. Minus for Tom's distance it was going just like any other morning until a small red owl with a bow around her neck landed in front of her, a box covered in brown wrapping with a letter secured to the box attached to her leg.

"Who's that from Hermione?" Jasmine asked. Hermione realized she wasn't the only one who was looking at her. While only Abraxus, Tom, and Dumbledore knew she was truly from the future everyone else found it odd because she was the only student besides Tom to never receive mail.

"Um I don't know…" Hermione removed the package and found the owl remaining where it landed on the table, preening its feathers. Hermione opened the package to find a box of Honeydukes best chocolates. She felt her suspicion rise at the sight of the candy. She opened the letter to find her eyes bugging out of her head. It was a love poem signed by a secret admirer.

"Well, what is it?" Anna, a fellow Slytherin seventh year asked literally on the edge of her seat.

"It's nothing…" Hermione said going to stuff the letter and chocolates away when they were snatched from her hands by Jasmine.

"Ohhh! They are from a secret admirer!" Jasmine cooed to hear all the girls at the table squeal. Hermione cupped her hands over her ears at the offensive sound and scrunched up her nose. She reached for her objects but they were being passed along from person to person as each person took a turn reading the poem out loud for the whole hall to hear.

"Honestly guys!" Hermione shouted over the catcalls, and laughter, "Give me that back!" Hermione pushed herself out of her seat and stalked towards the end of the table where her gifts had migrated to. She was standing behind Bryan, a fifth year Slytherin prefect who was currently in possession of her object, and reach for the Valentine gift when a longer and more masculine hand reached over hers and snatched the box away.

Hermione groaned and turned to see Tom, his eyes blazing, holding the letter and chocolates. Hermione watched as the whole Slytherin table, and most of the hall, turned to stare in awe as his face grew redder with each line he read. A small, fantasizing part of her had wanted it to be from him but she should have known better. Tom crumbled the letter in his hand and threw the chocolates on the ground before pulling out his wand and burning the box. His power was rolling off of him. Hermione was so glad that the teachers had left early for a meeting leaving the house ghosts in charge. They preferred to watch the drama than break it up, it gave them things to talk about.

"Who wrote this?" Tom asked with a calm tone but Hermione knew he was on the search to kill. She moved over closer to him and placed her finger tips on his shoulders but he shrugged them off. "WHO WROTE THIS?" His voice filled with rage. When no one confessed he in turn burned the wad of paper as well before Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled herself against him.

It was obvious that the gift had not been from him and now knowing that for sure she found the poem no longer sweet. She loved Tom, she wanted Tom, and she needed Tom. No other guy would break her away from him. She didn't want anyone else; no one else would meet his standards. No one else would understand her like he does. Tom glanced down at her before leaning down and kissing her lips gently before pulling her out of the dining area and into the hallway. Once the doors were almost closed behind them Hermione heard the commotion break free. If anyone had been unsure of their stance in their relationship beforehand there was no mistaking it now. Once the doors were fully closed she felt Tom guide her chin upwards to lock eyes with her, "I believe we need to talk."

The day had gone by much more smoother than it had started out as. Hermione and Tom had gone back to their dorm room to hash things out. It started off calmly, turned nasty, moved to a heated make out session which ended up with nothing else happening. The fact that it was Valentine's Day and the day she came to terms with her love for him made his rejection sting even more. Honestly why was he having such a hard time being with her in that kind of situation? Hermione was currently on her way back from the library.

After their talk was over with Tom asked her to run down to the kitchen to pick up something the house elves were holding for him. Hermione wanted to ask if it was some sort of new herb for his potion he was attempting to create to help stabilize his horocruxes or if it was something for another project he was working on and was refusing to tell her about. She asked why they couldn't have it delivered and he said the contents could not be apparated and he did not want to wait for a house elf with impossibly short legs to walk its self to their rooms to deliver it. Hermione had an inkling he was hiding something but decided to go with it and agreed to his slightly wonky demand.

She had been given a small paper bag that was charmed shut against everything she tried and had to be kept flat for one reason or another. She was turning the corner from the kitchen when she heard a feminine giggle before an over exaggerated sigh. The once Gryffindor turned to see a tall blonde hair girl with a large bust line and make up caking her face leaning against the wall with her girlfriends staring straight at her. The blue and yellow on her midnight black robes signaled the Ravenclaw house. When they saw her turn they all started laughing again.

"Can I help you with something?" Hermione demanded.

"I was just curious how your evening with Tom is going." The blonde and obvious ring leader asked.

"I am sorry, who are you?" The brunette countered.

"Oh how very rude of me." She pushed herself off of the wall and extended her head, "My name is Brielle Meehan." She gave a flashy smile that screamed her fakeness just as much as her oversized breast did. Hermione took the hand with caution after balancing the bag.

"So are you going to ask Brielle's question?" One of the groupies, a dark blonde asked.

"If you must know it is going very quiet, and nice, we are enjoying it."

"Oh I bet you are, I enjoyed him this morning." Brielle said a sadistic smile stretching across her lips.

Hermione felt her heart drop deep into her stomach at the girl's words. The innuendo was there. The innuendo was not lost on Hermione but it could just be something much different than what she was insinuating it to sound like. "Excuse me?" She forced out.

"This morning…and all of last night." Brielle said confidently while inspecting her nails. The other two girls laughed a very screechy laugh.

"You're lying." She protested although she already knew it was the truth. Where else could he have been? Abraxus and Jasmine never mentioned about him staying in the Slytherin dorms last night.

"Oh honey!" Brielle said in between small giggles. "Do you really believe that? Every time with him is shocking, the way he moves his body is just so…uh!"

Hermione felt sick, sick to her stomach. Tears burned her eyes while her throat constricted from the unshed tears and the pain as the truth hit her. She bit her lip trying to ignore the pain, to make it disappear but it was rearing inside of her, clawing at her. He had slept with this blonde bimbo. He fucked her; stayed in her bed, held her while Hermione sat up the whole night worrying. He lay down with her when he refused to go further with her, the girl he demanded live with him, the girl he staked a claim on.

"How did you not see the hickey's, the scratches dearie, I know his back is torn up, I offered to heal them this morning." Brielle spoke digging the dagger that was making its way inside of her even deeper.

Hermione, still holding the bag, turned tail and ran. She ran away from the laughter and the truth and didn't stop running until she was outside the doors to their rooms. The bag was still balanced perfectly and her breathing was labored. The tears were begging for release but she refused to cry, not yet. She opened the door to see the shades drawn to block out the setting sun, the fire place was roaring, books littered on the table, soft music playing and Tom standing in the center of the room in a pair of black dress pants and a button down shirt. He stood tall and strong but his eyes showed his nervousness. He walked over to her kissed her on the head taking her silence for shock and not the anger and pain that was actually coursing through her.

He took the bag from her reached inside and withdrew a small brown object that sat in the center of his palm. He waved his hand and the object enlarged into a picnic basket. He had planned an evening for them together and had she not ran into Brielle she would have been filled with love and happiness. Instead, with his back facing her she raised her wand. She flicked it and with a non-verbal 'divesto' removed his shirt to see the scratches the blonde had bragged about. Hermione sucked in deeply as he spun quickly.

"What are you doing?" He demanded his face flushed and for once Hermione knew it wasn't anger. It had all been true because it face flashed with guilt for one miniscule of a second, it was all she needed.

"You slept with her." Hermione muttered, the anger gone from her voice it was now filled with pain.

"Hermione." Tom started but Hermione sent him flying backwards.

"You slept with that little fucking trallop when you refuse to touch me!" She shouted, the tears finally breaking free. "You bastard!" She sent another spell, hitting him in the chest as he stood, sending him backwards once again. She stepped forward and attacked him repeatedly one right after another.

"I hate you!"

A spell.

"You have ruined my life!"

A jinx.

"You act like you care."

A hex.

"You tricked me!"

A hex again.

"Why did I ever, ever, ever let myself believe in you in any way."

A jinx.

"And I let myself fall for you."

He was attempting to stand again, blood dripping from his forehead when a slice marred his normally flawless skin.

"I betrayed everything. I betrayed my family, my friends, and my husband!" At the thought of Fred she sobbed loudly and hit him once again, "Don't ever talk to me again don't ever look at me again!" She summoned her luggage and ran from the destroyed living area and a very pissed off Tom Riddle.

Author's Note:

Aww noo! Just when it was looking like they were making progress. Two steps forwards and five steps backwards!

I liked how some of you requested for me not to wait until Valentine's day. I would have never done that unless I did not have the option or time. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and don't you worry the next chapter is going to be a very big one! It actually all fell together perfectly inside of my head and it made me want to write. We are getting very close to the end of this story. Possibly 4 to 5 more chapters left! YAY! I am going to try to end it on Chapter 25…I like that number!

Anyway please read and review!

Maria 3