He looked different.
It was all Hermione could think when she saw Tom Riddle at the hallway just when the lift was about to close. Hair mussed, beard covering half of his face, and donned in an all-black-ensemble that hadn't made him as pristine as his clothes would usually do. He looked different. Too different from when she saw him last. But then again, when did she him last?
A flurry of laughter, and booming music. A chug of beer and four straight shots of tequila. A giggle and some teasing.
And then, an unexpected tug.
Hermione shook her head furiously to break her thoughts. "It was a long time ago," she whispered to herself. "Stop thinking about it." But she couldn't.
He haunted her.
She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him, but she was certain he didn't look the way he did now. It was such a wonder for Hermione. The Tom Riddle, impeccable all around nice guy who everybody loves and every girl swoons over. Tom Riddle, always wearing pressed white dress shirts and sleek trousers with shiny Oxford shoes. Tom Riddle, who you could tell was very much aware of how attractive he is with the way he capitalizes on it. That was the Tom Riddle she knew. Good looking, clean, and nice. What the hell happened to him?
"Granger." Hermione's head shot up in shock upon hearing her name. "Malfoy." The shock must have shown in her face because Draco laughed and proceeded to stand next to her. "Didn't you leave already?" Hermione looked at Draco quizzically before it dawned on her that she was still in the lift but she was back at the top floor of the university building.
"Oh bullocks." Hermione cursed. Draco sniggered and said, "Where's your head at, Granger?" Hermione replied with a shove to his shoulder and an eye roll. Draco's snigger grew to a laugh and Hermione tried to hit him again, but this time Draco caught her wrist and pulled her closer to him so she wouldn't be able to move. He had on his annoying smirk. Hermione was about to bite Draco's forearm to be set free when the lift opened and in came another person. It was Tom Riddle.
Hermione yelped upon seeing Tom, and Draco then let go of her. He's here. He's here. He's here. He's here.
"Draco." Tom nodded to Draco and then briefly acknowledged Hermione. Draco greeted back while Hermione just let out a barely there "Hi." Tom was in front of Draco and Hermione, his back straight with almost no sign of movement from his breathing. From the back, Tom didn't look so different. From the back, he looked just like her old Tom.
She shook her head again.
"Seriously, Granger what has gotten you so invested that your mind seems to be flying away a lot today?" She glared at Malfoy. Not here, not now! "Mind your own business, Malfoy." Draco huffed and bit out, "Fine." The rest of the ride was quiet, until finally Draco got off. She breathed out a sigh of relief before taking it all back when she looked up and saw black.
Draco got off but Tom didn't. It's just her and Tom now. But why? Doesn't he park in the first level? I'm sure he does! I've been parking on the third level to avoid him!
Her mind was on a riot and her palms were sweating. She had been able to interact with Tom almost normally after that incident. But that was because their interactions since then have only been short greetings when they see each other by chance. She has not been alone with him ever since that incident and she hasn't prepared herself for this at all.
Okay, Hermione. Breathe. It's okay. Maybe he parked in the second level because the first one is full? That's why you chose the third level, remember? You think ahead. You knew this might happen. It's okay. It's just one level. He'll get off on the second and then you can breathe again.
But they passed the second level and the lift didn't stop. But suddenly, it did.
"You have got to be bloody kidding me." Hermione gasped and clasped her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. But she couldn't help it, because this was just brilliant. The lift just had to malfunction now of all times when she's just so eager to get away from Tom.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Granger. I'll alert the maintenance crew that we're stuck here." Tom, calm as ever, then proceeded to the panel and pressed the emergency button and talked to the maintenance people. "See?" He smirked at her, looking at her as if he was talking to a whining child. 'We're going to be fine. We just have to wait for them to fix the lift." He stretched his arm to the side as if to offer her a seat. "Now how about you go and make yourself comfortable?" His eyes were twinkling with amusement at her obvious distress.
"Why, thanks, Tom. I'm really calm now." Hermione said through gritted teeth, and before she could stop herself, she screeched, "if you had parked in the first level the way you usually do, I wouldn't be stuck here with you!" Tom lifted one brow at what she said, and Hermione again gasped at her too big and too loud mouth. Bullocks.
"Why, Granger, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were stalking me." One side of his mouth tugged to form a smirk and she just knew what he would say next was going to infuriate her. "Maybe you actually still have that little crush on me." And there it is. She was poised to slap him, but just like earlier, her wrist was caught and she was pulled close to Tom. Only this time, the face that greeted her was not an amused smirk, but a glowering snarl and glinting eyes of malice. She shivered.
"What? Being this close to me bothers you now?" His face came even nearer to hers, "You'd prefer it if Malfoy was the one you were stuck with, wouldn't you?" His grip on her tightened and Hermione whimpered. "Tell me, Hermione, if Draco were here instead of me, would the two of you be shagging right now?"
She bit him. He yelped.
"How dare you?!" Hermione glared at Tom's befuddled face. "I will not allow you to just insult me like that, you - you - you big arse!" She was fuming and very much aware of how much she sounded like a petulant child, but she could not help it. She was about to fire him with more insults when Tom suddenly let out a low chuckle and stepped forward. Hermione froze.
"What are you doing?" She stammered, he smirked. Tom continued stepping closer towards her. "Where do you think you're going?!" At this point, the more Tom stepped forward, the more Hermione would step back until finally having nowhere else to go. She winced. She fell right into his trap.
"Oh, what's wrong, Hermione?" Tom had her caged on the corner of the lift, "why do you look so frightened?" He inched his face closer to hers. Breathing slowly, letting her really feel him. "Last time we were this close, you had a different expression on your face." Hermione flinched. "I would just love to see that again. Can't I see it again?"
Tom's voice was so low, so intense. Hermione forgot herself for a moment. Suddenly she's back in his car, hair mussed, and lips swollen. She shivered from her vivid recollection; feeling as intoxicated as back then. It's his scent. His clean yet also heady scent was every bit as seductive as she could remember. His face, although now mostly covered by a tuff of facial hair, was still as smooth as marble and firmly chiseled. Up close, she could see that his beard gave him an even more masculine appeal. He looked rugged, yes, but he was rugged in a way that only Tom Riddle could ever pull off.
Yes, Hermione Granger is loath to admit that Tom Marvolo Riddle, Jr. is still sexy as hell. So when Tom inched his face closer, and his eyes trained on her lips, Hermione closed her eyes.
Then the elevator started moving again. Tom chuckled.
"See you around, Granger." And just like that Tom Riddle left a bewildered Hermione Granger alone with her own thoughts.
When she finally collected herself, she walked out of the lifts thinking this must be how he felt back then.
"Touché, Riddle. Touché."
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A/N: Hi! This is my comeback story of sorts. I've written fanfiction years before — about a decade now actually — but under a different category and genre. So I'm a little bit rusty. Please bear with me for now.
This story is inspired by a personal encounter. I am yet to decide whether to turn this into a multi-chapter fic or just leave this as it is. I guess it will depend on the feedback and also my disposition to write. But do share your thoughts if I should continue with this story or not. Thank you :)