A/N: Sorry for the wait, but this one was tough to edit. I probably had 4 diff versions before I was happy enough with it. But I wont give up! I fought with my muse and dang it, I won! Also, since the last chapter this story has hit the 100 reviews mark. That is AMAZING! I cant believe it! You all are wonderful! Keep em coming they really do help.
One review from x2leoj talked about a chapter from Tom's point of view. I hadn't planned this, but is it something y'all would be interested in? Let me know, (by review or PM either works) if the interest is high enough, I might be persuaded to do a bonus chapter, like a day in the life of Tom now that he's a real boy again. lol
Alright, let's move the plot right along, there are a few parts directly pulled from the movie with slight changes. You'll recognize it when you see it. Love you all and enjoy!
As much as it pained Hermione to admit, even if just to herself, Draco had been correct. After the sorting of the first year students, Hermione listened as Professor Umbridge was introduced to the school. The small woman, dressed head to toe in pink, had no issue interjecting herself into the welcome back speech. Once she had said her piece, Dumbledore finished his announcements and warnings. Hermione had spent her time, ignoring the steady murmur of voices to write in her journal.
She had written down most of what she had wanted to tell Tom. After making sure she'd covered everything, she decided to hold off on the questions she desperately wanted answered, for now. Dinner was uneventful and once dismissed, she made her way quickly to her dorm. The day had been emotionally exhausting, making her hurry through her nightly routine and tuck into bed.
She woke early, getting ready for the day. She hurried down to grab a quick breakfast, before she left for the library. She found her usual seat, and quickly pulled her journal out to see if Tom had replied.
Her heart fluttered as she saw her script was gone, replaced with his neat handwriting. The warm feeling drained from her as she read the short, and completely generic sounding reply.
Tom seemed to be unworried about the new professor, and changed the subject to a polite run through of his day. The paragraph was finished off without one mention of her ordeal with Harry.
She was hurt. If she hadn't recognized his writing, she would think someone else had written the cold aloof words. She put the book away and decided to concentrate on what she needed to accomplish today, she looked over her timetable for class. She wasn't overly worried, everything looked easy enough, and she had already read through all of the course work, even the new Defense book.
She checked her small watch and hurried to pack away her things. She rushed to her first class and prepared for her day. By lunch, her hand was slightly cramped from note taking. She entered the Great Hall and found Draco and Luna sitting together. She hurried over and sat next to Luna.
She grabbed some food and poured herself a cup of water. Draco and Luna continued to talk about their day as she picked at her food.
"The new defense professor is not very good." Luna's soft voice made Hermione smile.
That was probably the harshest criticism she'd heard the girl say about any professor, ever.
"We have her tomorrow." Draco told her. Hermione nodded in agreement.
Draco looked over at Hermione, "Potter's acting weird."
Hermione sighed deeply, "Draco, you are becoming obsessed." She added a small laugh at the end.
He shifted in his seat. "No, really, look at him. He's always rubbing his head. Him and the weasel don't seem as close either."
That caught her attention. For the rest of the day she watched Harry. Once again Draco was right. Harry seemed to be brooding, his hand on the scar he had. Her thoughts wandered back to their brief conversation on the train. Was he actually connected to Voldemort?
She finished her day by writing in her journal to Tom. She refused to write any more about her concerns with Harry. Tom hadn't seemed to worried, so she wouldn't mention it. She put the journal down and got ready for bed. She gnawed her lip while deep in thought, it would seem that she would need to spend a little time with Harry to see if she could figure out if she should be worried.
The next day, Hermione made it her mission to spend most of the day with Harry. Once she could figure out if his connection with Voldemort was really there or if he had completely lost the plot, she could decide how to handle the entire situation. She spent breakfast with Draco and Luna, letting them in on her plan. Well, really just telling them enough to keep Draco from picking a fight with Harry when he saw them together.
She met up with Harry before their first class for the day, Defense Against the Dark Arts. He was just through the door when she hurried to catch him.
"Hi Harry."
He looked surprised, then smiled. "Hey, is something wrong?"
She forced a smile. "No, just wanted to see if you wanted to sit together during class."
He blushed and Hermione had to fight to keep from frowning. She needed to be close with out giving Harry any wrong ideas.
"Sure, Brilliant." he finally said.
They walked up to an open table and sat down. Hermione pulled her parchment and book from her bag, arranging them in front of her. The classroom quieted and she saw the Professor walk through the room towards the desk, wearing pink again.
"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts, year 5. You will be studying for your OWL examinations. I am pleased to see the majority of students were able to procure the newly approved course book. Those who were unable, I have a copy for you."
The Professor levitated the books and placed them in front of the students who needed them.
"Wands away. You will not be needing them for this class. Your previous instruction for this subject has been disturbingly uneven."
Hermione hated that she actually agreed with this woman on any level.
"But, you will be pleased to know from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry approved course of defensive magic."
Hermione had read the entire book, they would learn nothing.
"There's nothing in here about using defensive spells." She placed her hand she had raised on the book.
Umbridge turned to her, the look on her face very patronizing. "Using spells?" She giggled "Why, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."
Hermione felt her face burn in embarrassment at the obvious dismissal from a professor.
Umbridge ignore the murmurs that moved through the classroom.
"You will be learning about defensive spells, in a secure, risk free way."
Hermione was baffled. Harry spoke up from beside her. "Well, what use is that? If we are going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."
The flare of anger that passed over the Professors face proved Hermione's earlier guess. The ministry was trying to quiet Dumbledore and Harry, but why?
"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." she took a small breath. "The view of the Ministry is that theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which is what school is about."
Harry was gripping the edge of the table, barely controlling his anger. "And how is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?"
The professor had the condescending look back on her face. "There is nothing out there dear. Who would you imagine would want to attack children like yourself?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe, Lord Voldemort."
Hermione heard the collective gasp in the large room.
"Now let me make this quite plain. You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie." Umbridge addressed the entire class.
"It's not a lie!" Harry blurted, "He used unforgivables at the tournament last year."
"Detention, Mr. Potter. What happened to Cedric Diggory, while tragic, was merely the act of a foreign brute."
"Another lie, It was Voldemort, you must know that."
"ENOUGH!" she composed herself. "Enough, see me later Mr. Potter, my office." She gave that annoying giggle again.
Hermione was speechless. Harry truly believed it was Voldemort at the tourney. She felt horrible that she couldn't soothe his mind, letting him know it wasn't The Dark Lord, It was just a very jealous and angry Tom, who had cursed the boys. Now Harry had detention and she felt guilt eating at her.
Umbridge had already turned and began with the lesson overview for the day. Harry was staring straight ahead, silently seething. Occasionally he would reach for his head, rubbing the scar under his unruly fringe. He didn't open the book and hadn't taken any notes. When the class dismissed he stood and stormed from the class, leaving the untouched book on the table.
Hermione decided Tom needed to know and wrote furiously in the journal to him, trying to impart on him how unstable Harry seemed to be. She even told him about Dumbledore and Harry's suspicions, her guilt from not being able to say a word, all of it. The rest of her classes were uneventful and Harry was missing from all of them. She made copies of her notes to give him when she saw him next.
At dinner she sat with Draco and Luna again.
""Strange things are happening."
Draco looked at her, his face too happy at the idea. "I was right!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, you were right, don't be so smug about it."
Luna laughed, "You know he's always smug."
Hermione laughed at the smug look being replaced by a look of shock.
"I need to do some research, but something is strange about Harry. Draco you seen him in Defense class."
"Seemed same pompous arse to me." he shrugged.
Hermione rolled her eyes again. "I'm going to keep watch of him. Try not to go out of your way to annoy him please."
"Me? I do not annoy." he looked taken aback.
They all laughed then. Hermione had needed her friends more than she had realized.
The weeks continued on the same way, Tom not writing too much back in the journal. Either dismissing her concerns, or not acknowledging them at all. Harry getting detention from Umbridge constantly. The entirety of Gryffindor seemed to be angry at Harry. Name calling and booing when he entered the room. By the first Hogsmeade weekend, Hermione was ready to pull her hair out.
While she was worried about Harry, she had her own issues as well. She was feeling drained. She couldn't concentrate, and no matter how many hours of sleep she would get, she never felt rested. Most mornings she would wake up to a small natural disaster inside her bed curtains.
The first time, she had burned her sheets, almost perfect hand prints charred into the fabric. One morning, she awoke to cold water drenching her. Her bed was raining. Her own cat had taken to sleeping down in the common room to avoid her bouts of accidental magic.
When she lined up for the trip down to the small village, she was nervous, it was the first time she had seen Tom since the start of term and she had missed him. He had written to her, telling her to meet him in the same place they had met with Lucius, before.
Her palms were sweaty and she could feel small sparks in static electricity in her hair. This all had to be part of the bond he had told her about. There was no other explanation. She hurried to the small shop and practically burst through the spelled door to find him.
He was standing at the small window, looking out over Hogsmeade. She closed the door and placed her bag on the small table. He turned to see her and smiled.
He opened his arms and she rushed him. As soon as she was touching him, she felt her entire body relax. Like all of the stress and worry was gone, having never even existed.
"Did you miss me?" he asked. The vibration of his voice felt so familiar against her cheek.
"No." she said stubbornly.
He pulled back slightly. "No?"
She refused to look up at him, just shook her head no against his chest. If she looked at him she would cry. She felt so many emotions rushing through her and they all wanted out. But she refused to cry.
"Well, regardless, I missed you."
He held her, his hand stroking her hair until she felt confident enough that she pulled from him. She moved to the table where there was a small lunch set up for them. She sat in one chair, trying to maintain a sense of dignity.
He sat across from her, she finally looked at him, fully. He looked much the same. His hair was fixed it the usual part, slightly curling at the ends. His robes were immaculate, of course, even with her attached to him, they held no wrinkles.
"How is school?"
She cut her eyes at him, what kind of question is that? "Awful."
He frowned. "Awful? How so?"
She told him everything, her suspicions, her worries, her fears. And she was proud of herself, she still had not shed a tear.
"You are genuinely worried for your friend Potter?"
"Worried? Yes, what if he does have some connection to Voldemort? I have been researching on his scar, it seems to be the focal point of his anger. The worse his temper, the more he rubs at it. Then with the strange feeling I had on the train, I'm wondering if he's connected with The Dark Lord, like I was with you."
She looked up at blushed at the intensity of his look. His eyes even seemed to flash red for a second, causing her to have to do a double take.
"It's very stressful, then with the Ministry pushing this strange Defense class. I've been having bouts of accidental magic when I sleep." she finished her tirade.
Tom picked up his cup, taking a long sip from it. He place it back on the table and smiled at her.
"I am sure there is nothing to worry about. You have the right of it. The ministry is upset with Dumbledore and your friend for spouting off about Voldemort. It seems like Umbridge is there to do three things." he held his hand up to count off. "One, torment your poor friend until he loses it and ends up in St Mungo's. Two, discredit Dumbledore and possible remove him from the school. And Three, to do damage control and make you all complacent little witches and wizards again."
She rolled the thought around in her head. He was probably right. That did seem to make the most sense.
"Well, what can I do about it? I will go mad if I have to deal with this all year."
He chuckled. "If you are so worried about your friend, you need to distract him from the Umbridge woman. Start a dueling club or something. Practice your defensive spells there. It should keep him busy."
Tom was brilliant, of course Harry just needed an outlet. He could feel like a hero and hopefully stay out of the professors way.
"Now, about your magic. That is the bond. We might have to set up more frequent visits. I have notice my own magic seems unstable at times. Working in the Ministry, I need to stay tip top form. I will see what options we have and let you know."
She chewed her lip, that was good, that was what she had wanted right? Deep down, she still felt like this was a dismissal. She still felt like she couldn't get the answers she wanted. She felt the anger bubble in her belly, threatening to spew from her.
"Well, if you can spare a few minutes every few weeks, that's fine. Don't put yourself out for my sake."
She felt slightly better, having said her piece. She looked up at him, his eyes on hers, looking angry. Just as quickly, his face calmed.
"Hermione, have I angered you?"
She frowned, the guilt of making him upset ate at her. "No, I am just overwhelmed. I'm sorry."
He leaned forward and grabbed her hand. His thumb rubbing across her knuckles, the gesture soothing her. "I know it is all new and it will take time to get used to, but I have faith in you."
She blushed at the soft, kind words. The tinkling of bells alerted her that their time was up, Tom walked her out into the streets and towards her friends. Draco and Luna were standing, waiting for her so they could walk back to the castle together.
"Hermione, Tom, how good to see you." Luna smiled brightly at them.
"Ms. Lovegood, how nice to see you again." Tom turned, "Draco."
"We should head back." She blurted.
Tom gave her a chaste kiss and then turned to leave. She watched him until she couldn't see him anymore and turned back to her friends. "Let's go." She started the long walk back.
It was thankfully quiet and gave her time to think about everything she and Tom had discussed. She would need to talk with Harry about starting some kind of dueling club. It wouldn't be easy. In fact, she would probably have to do most of the work. She doubted Harry would be much help in the start up.
Despite feeling like Tom had not taken her concerns too seriously, she was pleased that the magic in her had calmed and she felt very clear headed.
She spent her free time the next few days, writing up the guidelines and proposal to give to the headmaster for the dueling club. It had taken all of five minutes to get Harry on board with the idea. It had taken Hermione a week to get it all ready, and she and Harry were in Dumbledore's office waiting for him to read the paper and decide.
They sat watching him, Hermione felt like it was all going well. Harry was almost bouncing in his seat as they waited, and waited. Finally Dumbledore set the paper down and smiled.
"Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, this is a brilliant idea. I will give it to your head of house and we will get this started as soon as possible."
Hermione couldn't help but smile, they did it. Umbridge would not win this. "Thank you headmaster." she stood to leave.
"Harry, please stay behind, I need to speak with you."
Hermione smiled, "I'll see you later Harry."
She left the room and hurried to her room to write to Tom about her good news. She knew he was working on finding a way to see her every few weeks instead of monthly, so she hadn't been bothering him too much.
She scribbled the important bits and tucked the journal away. If Tom figured out a way, then they would be meeting up soon. It was best, as her magic was starting to flicker again. The last few days she had to concentrate to keep the power of her spells consistent. She found she had to keep her mood level to keep from hurting herself.
She really wished he could figure out a way to steady it all. She left her dorm and moved out of the common room, she just walked aimlessly. The soft sounds of her feet hitting the floor barely registered in her mind, and she didn't hear it when a second set joined her.
"Well, been a while since I have seen you alone." She turned to the voice. Theo was walking a few steps behind her.
"What do you want Theo?" she slowed to let him catch up.
"From you? Nothing."
She snorted. "Can you just tell me what this is about? I am too busy to play games."
Theo looked at her, his gaze hard, then he took in a deep breath.
"Umbridge has it out for Harry Potter."
The statement caused her to pause. "How do you know this?"
"She asks about him, she seems obsessed. I heard rumors that she tortures him during the detentions that she loves to give him."
"What? How is she torturing him? Why hasn't she been reported?"
Theo laughed. "Potter would have to report it, and the word is he's stubborn."
It was Hermione's turn to laugh. That had been an understatement. "Why are you telling me this?"
"My father insists I try to get along with you."
"Your father? Theo, I don't want you to try to pretend to be my friend. If you want to be my friend, that's fine. We can start over."
He was silent, just looking at her. "We'll see." he said then turned to walk away.
Hermione started walking again. She was unsure how she keeps getting into the strangest situations. She made her way down to the Great Hall and sat at the Gryffindor table. There were only a few students, it was still a bit early. She pulled out a book from her bag and started to read.
She startled when Professor McGonagall called her name.
"Sorry, I was reading. How can I help you?"
"The Headmaster has informed me of you desire to start a dueling club. This week I would like you to find students who would be interested in being a part of this. Once you have a roster, bring it to me and we will see about finding space for you all."
"Oh, thank you professor, I will get on it."
"I have no doubt you will."
Hermione was so happy, as she watched Professor McGonagall walk away from the table, she was already thinking of how to tackle her new job. She could start that night with her own house and then talk with Luna about asking the Ravenclaw students. She wondered if anyone in Slytherin would be interested. She needed to ask Hufflepuff students but she wasn't too close to anyone in that house. Maybe she could ask Hannah Abbott. They weren't the best of friends but Hermione had spoken to her a few times.
She was almost tingling with excitement. This was good, she could keep Harry busy and out of trouble and help her fellow students. It would also keep her busy and hopefully make the year go a bit faster. She put her book away and pulled the journal, wanting to write this down as well.
She opened the book and her earlier writing was gone, Tom had written back to her.
I knew you could do it. I never doubted it for a second. I have a weekend pass for you. You will go to Hogsmeade Saturday and activate a portkey I will send to you tomorrow. Be good.
Tom
She was speechless. He got her a weekend pass? She would get to spend the weekend with him? She felt like she would explode with all of the happiness she was feeling at that moment. She would have to hurry with the dueling club roster if she would be gone this next weekend. She hurriedly ate a few bites of dinner. She had no time to waste.
The week flew by, and she had 15 students names. The Slytherin students were not interested. When she asked Draco why that was, he had told her they duel in secret on their own. Hermione had no idea about their mini dueling club, but understood. The Slytherin students were pretty secretive most of the time.
Her group was mostly Gryffindor students. A few Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had signed up as well. She was more than happy with the turn out and finished the list.
On Saturday morning, Hermione was packing an overnight bag and double checking she hadn't forgotten anything important. Once ready, she shrunk the bag and put it inside her beaded bag. She grabbed the Dueling club roster and hurried to find Professor McGonagall. She checked her office and was surprised to see Harry sitting across from her.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just dropping this off before leaving." she waved the small piece of parchment.
"Miss Granger, that is fine. Harry and I were just chatting. Let me see that."
Hermione handed her the list and sneaked a peak at Harry. He looked awful. His skin looked dull and he had dark circles under his eyes. She let out an audible gasp when his hand raised to rub his forehead, near his scar. The top of his hand had been mauled. It was red and slightly swollen.
"Harry, what happened?"
His eyes shot up to hers and his hand quickly buried in his lap. "Nothing to worry about." he said.
"That didn't look like nothing."
"Miss Granger, Harry is fine and you better hurry before you miss your portkey."
Hermione frowned. Harry wouldn't meet her eyes again. "Fine, but we are going to talk about this when I return tomorrow."
Harry sighed and nodded his head, still refusing to look at her. She looked over at McGonagall and saw a small smile on her face before the professor gave her a quick nod as well.
Hermione left the office and started her trek through the school. Tom hadn't said where they were going, but she doubted it was anywhere crazy. She grabbed the small portkey and hurried to get in the queue to go to Hogsmeade.
Anticipation was eating her alive. She checked her watch. She still had a half hour until the portkey would activate. That was plenty of time. She moved through the crowd of students and hurried to the small field. She stood there holding the paperclip in her hand.
She felt the tug at her navel and was pulled from the field and plopped down in a large flat. She looked around, the large windows let in a lot of sunlight. She scanned the room, it was neat, clutter free and she had no idea where she was.
"Tom?" her voice echoed slightly.