Disclaimer: these characters are not mine – they belong to JK Rowling
AN: Again, you may have read in my other fic's AN, the reason for the delayed update is that sickness has been pretty much squatting rent-free in my house since the beginning of 2017…no joke. Just this year, I have had FOUR nasty colds, THREE ear infections, TWO bouts of the stomach bug, Pneumonia, a sinus infection, and a partridge in a fucking pear tree. ANYWAY…I am back! I hope you enjoy this update and start getting some insight to how the future has changed since the trio has arrived! THANK YOU all to those who took the time to review, follow, and favorite this fic! xoxo
"Did she suspect anything?" Hermione asked Tom as he emerged from the Transfiguration classroom.
"Of course she did. She knows it's me." Tom answered as the corner of his lips twitched.
Hermione paled.
"Not to worry, though I don't expect that you'll be granted time-turner privileges anytime soon."
Hermione snorted, "Fortunately I've no desire to ever touch one of those again."
As they rounded the corner, Hermione collided with a solid body, and would have fallen on her behind if not for Tom's quick reflexes.
"Watch where you're going, mudblood." Draco sneered down at her before his eyes shifted over to Tom with a look of disgust.
Tom locked eyes with the lanky blond and smirked. So this was Abraxas' grandson. He effortlessly slipped into the boy's mind, sifting through his thoughts and watched a particularly graphic fantasy the boy had been having involving none other than his girlfriend.
Well, that simply wouldn't do.
"Draco, is it?" he said trying to keep his voice amicable.
Draco nodded and sneered at Tom.
"Well, Draco, it seems we have a bit of a problem." Tom said crossing his arms over his chest, "You see, I don't appreciate the lewd thoughts you've been having about my girlfriend. Tsk, tsk…"
Draco's eyes widened and he shifted his gaze nervously to his cronies Crabbe and Goyle before scoffing loudly, "That's a laugh, like I would ever be interested in a Mudblood!"
Tom smirked at Draco knowingly, as he leaned towards him close enough to whisper just loud enough for Draco to hear, "If you even so much as look at her, I'll make sure the Malfoy line ends with you."
Draco blinked at Tom and backed away quickly, feeling the strong pulse of magic that rolled off of him, pricking at his skin painfully before Tom stepped back with a polite smile on his face.
"Now, I do believe we understand each other." Tom said as he slipped an arm casually around Hermione's waist.
The look on her face was almost comical, as her mouth gaped open, and her eyes darted from Tom to Draco and back again, silently watching the exchange.
Draco nodded quickly, and strode past them, Crabbe and Goyle following after him quickly.
"What the hell was that about?" Hermione asked in disbelief, falling step with Tom as he led her back towards the Gryffindor common room.
"It seems that Draco, despite his foul mouth, has a bit of a thing for you." Tom snorted.
Hermione's mouth dropped open in surprise. Her parents used to tell her that boys only teased her because they liked her, but she was pretty certain after all the years spent in Malfoy's company that his hatred was just that.
"How do you know that?" she asked forcing him to stop and look at her.
Tom sighed, "Hermione, have you forgotten that I am quite skilled at Legillimancy?"
Oh.
Before she could ask the next question, he held up a hand to stop her, "And no, I'm not going to tell you what it was that cockroach was thinking about."
She grimaced and nodded. Honestly, she didn't really want to know, the thought of Malfoy touching her in any way was utterly repulsive.
"Tell you what; after detention tonight, I'll borrow Harry's cloak and map, and you can show me in the prefect's bath." Hermione said with a smirk.
The corner of Tom's lips curled into a smirk, "I'm starting to think that you could've been a Slytherin after all…"
oOo0oOo
"Who's side are you on, mate?" Ron spat angrily after seeing Hermione disappear through the common room door with as she hid the Marauder's map beneath her cloak.
"What are you on about?" Harry asked in confusion, his eyes meeting the angry scowl on Ron's face.
"I can't believe you're helping him; you're supposed to be my best friend! He'll turn her against us, Harry…against me." Ron shot back, pacing angrily in front of the couch Harry was currently sitting on.
"Do you hear yourself? He's not the problem, Ron, it's you. For six years, Hermione has been waiting for you to do something, anything, and now that she's gotten tired of waiting and moved on, you're putting this on her?" Harry said shaking his head in disbelief, "You're a right git sometimes, you know that?"
"She's desperate, Harry! She's doing this on purpose to get back at me, can't you see that?" Ron shouted
Harry pinched the bridge of this nose in exasperation and took a deep breath before he said something he would regret.
"Look, I get that you're upset, but it's her choice mate. You just need to respect that." Harry said as calmly as he could to the still fired up red-head.
"Well, it seems she's made it already, hasn't she. Don't expect me to be there waiting to pick up the pieces when he dumps her." Ron snarled and stormed from the room.
Harry sighed and smoothed his hands over his face as he felt the couch dip beside him.
"Penny for your thoughts?" a melodic voice next to him said as he cracked open an eye met the amused gaze of an attractive dark haired witch.
"Oh…er…just trying to smooth ruffled feathers is all." Harry answered taken aback by how beautiful she was. Why had he never noticed her before?
"Those two were all wrong for each other, any idiot could see that." She giggled, and to Harry, it sounded like the tinkling of bells.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" he asked looking at her in wonder.
She slapped his arm playfully and laughed again, "Harry James Potter, cut the crap; I've only been your girlfriend for the last two years, you prat!"
Harry laughed nervously, and paled slightly.
He was saved from having to comment when Ginny poked her head through the portrait hole and called, "Cassie! Are you coming or not?"
She rolled her eyes and muttered that she'd be right there, and then leaned over to Harry and kissed him unceremoniously on the mouth.
As she pulled back from him, she must've noticed the strange expression on his face, and she asked quietly, "Are you sure you're ok?"
Not trusting himself to speak, he just nodded and gave her a tight smile.
"Well, I guess I'll see you later then." she said before she stood and headed over to the portrait hole to meet Ginny.
What the bloody hell?
His memories of the new timeline were still slowly filtering in ever since they'd returned, but this was the first he was learning that he had a girlfriend for the last two years and apparently she was hot…
Deciding that he didn't want any more surprises that evening, he stood and made his way to the dormitories to get some sleep; with any luck, he'd dream about her…Cassie.
oOo0oOo
The next morning at breakfast, Tom and Hermione slipped into the seats across from Harry and Ron, when Ron abruptly stood and grabbed his tray without a word, and stalked off.
"He's still angry." Hermione sighed and flicked her gaze towards Harry.
"You know how he is. Everything is about him. I tried to talk to him last night, but it didn't do much good. Either he'll get over himself eventually, like back in fourth year, or he won't." Harry said with a shrug.
Before Hermione could respond, a beautiful dark haired girl dropped into the seat beside Harry kissing him quickly on the cheek and muttering an apology for running late because of insufferable roommates, before she looked up quickly at Hermione with a blush and offered, "Not you, of course."
Hermione smiled politely and glanced at Harry and mouthed, "Who's that?!" while the girl was otherwise occupied filling her plate. She tried not to laugh when Harry give a small shrug.
"Cassie, I don't believe you've been introduced to Tom yet." Harry said politely, noticing the sly smirk on Hermione's face as he did so.
Tom stood and gave her a dazzling smile as he held out a hand towards her, "Tom Ri- er…Gaunt. Tom Gaunt. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Cassie glanced towards Hermione knowingly as if to say, way to go! while she shook his hand and introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you, Tom, Cassiopeia Black, though everyone calls me Cassie."
Tom didn't miss the look of shock in Harry's eyes when he heard her last name and tried to see if he could glean anything else without sounding suspicious.
"Black…You aren't related to-" Tom began before Cassie answered
"Sirius Black. He's my father." Cassie answered and turned sharply when Harry choked on his pumpkin juice.
"Harry? Are you alright?" she asked in a tone of concern, but he waved her off and gasped, "wrong tube."
Cassie chuckled and turned her attention back to Tom, "Do you know my father's family then?" She asked.
"Of course the Black family is quite well known." Tom answered with a smirk and added, "As are the Potter's."
"Yes, well, I imagine even if Harry and I despised each other, we would still end up married, one way or another. Our fathers are best friends, after all." She chuckled as Harry blushed and choked again on his juice.
"Speaking of which, Harry, my grandfather is having Christmas dinner at Grimmauld place and he expects you to attend as my intended." Cassie added with a roll of her eyes.
Grandfather…Orion.
The thought of Orion manhandling Hermione surfaced in his mind and he had to repress an angry shudder.
"Of course, father says he would prefer not to go, but Aunt Dorea will be there and he adores her too much to say no. "Cassie added quickly.
This time it was Hermione that choked on her pumpkin juice.
"Dorea Black?" Hermione repeated, knowing very well that Dorea had grown up to marry Cygnus.
"Yes, despite my aunt Bellatrix being well…aunt Bella," Cassie said with a look of distaste, "Great Aunt Dorea has always been very good to my mother and I."
Hermione didn't need to be told that Bellatrix would still grow up to be a blood purist, most likely under the influence of her father, which would only be reinforced by her marriage to Rodolphus Lestrange.
"Your mother?" Hermione repeated curiously, looking back and forth between Cassie and Harry.
"Yes, didn't Harry ever tell you? I had assumed he had since you're a…well…" Cassie bit her lip nervously.
"Since I'm a what, exactly?" Hermione asked defensively, noting Cassie's eyes widen in response.
"Oh no, I didn't mean…Look, my mother is a muggleborn. I didn't mean to imply…"
Tom raised an eyebrow at that, "And you're still invited to family dinners, then, are you?"
Hermione whacked Tom on the arm, and turned towards Cassie, "Don't listen to him. I know you didn't mean anything by it, I'm sure you know first-hand the sort of prejudice muggleborns are subjected to, and I can only imagine how hard it must be growing up in a family that holds such views."
"He's not wrong; Aunt Andromeda was disinherited for marrying a muggle. I'm certain that uncle Regulus' death is the only reason father wasn't given the same treatment. Technically, he was the only son left to carry on the Black name; pity his only child was a daughter." Cassie chuckled bitterly, and Harry smoothed his hand over her back comfortingly.
"Well, it's their loss." Hermione said honestly as she gasped Cassie's hand with sincerity.
Cassie nodded, giving Hermione a small smile, "Thanks Hermione."
"Don't mention it." She said with a wink and leaned into Tom's side.
"As much as I hate to interrupt such a tender moment, you have class with Snape in five minutes." Tom said as he tossed a grape at Harry.
Tom chuckled when Harry thumped his forehead on the table with a groan.