Prompt: Tom Riddle and Hermione Granger

Quotes: "I dreamt about you last night."


"I dreamt about you last night."

Tom gave a tiny nod to acknowledge her words, but otherwise ignored Bellatrix hovering behind his desk. If not for his need to remain in her social circle's good graces, and maintain his stainless reputation, Tom would have snarled at the woman to back away and allow him to proceed his work undisturbed. He wouldn't be graduating with mediocre grades, that much was certain.

"Tom? Do you have nothing to say to that?"

"Can't say that I do," he responded. He observed the sharp point of his pen, contemplating several different ways in which it could end up in Bellatrix's hand. Unfortunately, all of them led to him being cast out from University for assaulting another student. What a shame.

Bellatrix sighed and settled on the table, the edge of her skirt gliding up in the process, landing dangerously far up her thigh. "You really have a way of making a woman feel wanted, don't you?"

"Who said you were wanted?"

There was a small snort from the table in the corner, two tables down. While Bellatrix was still attempting to determine whether Tom had made a joke or not, Tom let his eyes rest on the woman covering her mouth.

The first thing he noticed was how her cheeks immediately turned red and that she tried hide behind her pile of books, to shrink back to where she'd been; she was embarrassed, Tom realised. The second was that her hair was everywhere.

"Find something amusing, Granger?"

"Not at all, Black," the Granger woman replied. She was still fussing with her tower of books—which was impressively tall—and moved a lock of bushy hair behind her ear. "Just got something stuck in my throat."

Bellatrix looked as if she didn't believe her, but decided to let this one go for now. And Tom knew it was only for now. Bellatrix was as vindictive as she was beautiful.

"Well, Tom, I'm meeting my friends in ten minutes. I should get going."

Tom barely spared a glance as Bellatrix stood up to leave, but he did not miss the animosity sent Granger's way before she left. If it hadn't taken up a small amount of his most valuable time, he might have found the exchange entertaining. When Granger cleared her throat, however, he had the feeling that more of that time was about to be lost.

"This is a library, you know."

"Really? I wasn't aware," Tom replied. He focused on scratching new letters onto his paper.

"And since it's the library," Granger continued, ignoring the sarcasm, and missing the annoyed tick in his jaw, "I think you should consider the volume at which you carry your conversations. Others are trying to work."

Tom sighed and looked up. "Granger, there's no one here but us."

"I know. I just meant that it won't always be a Friday night," she explained, "And that you should show some consideration for other students when there are more of them here. That's all." She went back to her book.

Tom meanwhile felt a surge of irritation. "It might have escaped your notice, but it wasn't even I who spoke before. Why don't you go chase after Bellatrix and scold her instead of wasting my time?"

"Wasting your time?" Granger snapped. "I'm the one who has to endure listening to that woman throw herself at you for hours on end! Yes, hours! This isn't the first time this has happened! I value my time here, and while you clearly don't value yours, I ask that you find some compassion and entertain your fans elsewhere from now on!" She stopped and caught her breath. "Please."

It was a curious thing. Despite how stupid her speech was, the passion in which she spoke still managed to invoke new feelings of doubt within Tom. Doubt about his ambition for only rich and powerful connections. Perhaps should have aimed to gain other sorts of allies as well, intelligent ones. The ones who, like him, attempted to climb the ladders of society. The ones with more brain than breed.

"What's your name?" Tom asked.

The woman blinked, not having expected the question. "Hermione. Hermione Granger."

"Well, Miss Granger, I'm Tom Riddle, and I should very much like to apologise for my behaviour."

"That's all right," she said, but he couldn't help but notice the tint of suspicion in her expression. He would have to rectify that.

He put on his most pleasant smile. "If it would please you, I would like to make amends by assisting your studies on ethics in relation to law. The book you have is no good, if you don't mind me saying so."

"But this book comes highly recommended by professor Dumbledore!" Hermione exclaimed incredulously.

"My point exactly," smirked Tom. He held a finger to his lips. "And do keep your voice down, Miss Granger, we're in a library."

Hermione blushed.

Tom chuckled. "Perhaps I should move to sit with you, so that we don't disturb others in the future."

Hermione opened and closed her mouth a few times, helpless at stopping Tom from assembling his things and moving them to her table. He thought the scene rather amusing, but what was even more so was the thought of having Bellatrix someday find them sitting together. Oh, the things she'd do. Naturally he was eager to earn Hermione Granger's trust, but couldn't he do that while also punish the woman for raising her voice at him? Or rather, have Bellatrix punish her for him?

Tom smiled and opened his notebook once more. "Now, shall we begin?"