CHAPTER 2

Tom Riddle was rather handsome, with his dark hair and eyes. Hermione was a girl; she had to admit that Riddle was appealing. Anyone who said he was ugly would have been called crazy.

Riddle sat at the far end of the Slytherin table alone. Students gave him a wide berth as if afraid he would contaminate them if they sat next to him. It was when Tom Riddle actually made eye contact with Hermione that she realized that she had been staring. Hermione felt a jolt when they looked at each other. Strange. She quickly looked toward the staff table where the first years were lining up for the Sorting before resuming her earlier thoughts.

Riddle resembled nothing of what he would become later in Lord Voldement. He had none of the snake-like features Hermione had come to associate with him. No, none of that. It was his eyes that made Hermione uneasy. Of course they weren't red like in the future, but they held no warmth. He was a character in a play. Emotion was an act. It was at this moment that Hermione began to understand what Dumbledore had meant when he said Tom had never been shown true kindness. Only someone that had never known love could have eyes like his.

Then, the doors opened and the First Years were led into the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony. Many of the students looked up in awe at the Enchanted Ceiling, others were visibly shaking from nerves. For Hermione, the Sorting seemed to drag on for hours. Finally, when the last student was sorted (Urquhart, Samuel) Dippet stood up to start the feast.

"Now, I know all of you are famished, but I must first announce our new seventh year addition," Dippet said.

Hermione groaned. She should have been expecting something like this.

"Miss Hermione Evans has just transferred here from the middle of Grindlewald's attack so I ask you to please make Miss Evans welcome"

Every single head in the hall turned toward Hermione and gave her curious stares.

"Let the feast begin" Dippet said and the mountains of food appeared on the tables. Chatter broke out instantly as student loaded their plates. Hermione realized that she hadn't eaten since hours before the battle with Voldemort and attacked her food with a vengeance. It was then that finally realized her housemates were all staring at her.

"Uh..hello. I'm Hermione, Hermione Evans," Hermione said awkwardly

Directly to Hermione's left, sat the spitting image of Harry in female form, except for the eyes. It took Hermione a while to recover. Unlike Harry, this girl had piercing blue eyes. She smiled and introduced herself.

"Ella Potter, I'll be one of your new dorm mates. I'm in seventh year too. What classes are you taking this year?" she said

Hermione could tell Ella was making an effort to be welcoming and friendly. She was so much like Harry it hurt.

"Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguation, Potions, Herbology, History of Magic, Astronomy, and Ancient Runes" Hermione rattled off her course list.

Ella's eyes went wide. "You're taking ten N.E.W.T.s? The only other person I know who takes that many is Tom Riddle"

"Tom Riddle?" Hermione asked innocently. Like she didn't already know.

"Oh yes! You see that absolute dish sitting over at the Slytherin table?" She pointed at the dark haired boy at the other end of the hall "That's him. Very quiet, doesn't have many friends. Pity, he basically has his own fan club. Every girl in Hogwarts is dying to date him," Ella gushed

"He doesn't date?"

"Of course he gets about a dozen offers a week, but for some reason he always bushes them off," she frowned

At that moment, Riddle felt their eyes on him and made eye contact with Hermione for the second time in under an hour. Hermione felt shiver go down her spine and that anger flare up again. She really needed to get this under control. Think about Harry. About your friends. About the world you left behind. They need you.

TOM'S PERSPECTIVE

Tom felt the new girl's eye upon him for a second time and turned to look at her. Okay, for him the staring part wasn't new. The stares he usually encountered were more glassy eyed and sigh filled. He did not want to know what went on in those girls' heads. No, this stare was different. The first time they made eye contact he was taken aback. She was positively glaring at him with eyes full of burning hatred, like he had just killed her firstborn. And for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. He had never seen her before today.

But something told him this girl was different from all the others. The moment they made eye contact her gaze softened and the hatred dimmed away. Not all of it was gone, but she seemed to tuck it away in a corner of her brain for a later date.

When she turned away, he found himself studying her. She had an unruly mass of chestnut curls and chocolate brown eyes. He looked down at the table, thinking. There was a nagging feeling that told him that there was more to her that meets the eye.

HERMIONE'S PERSPECTIVE

Throughout dinner, Hermione contented herself to chat with Ella Potter and her friend Jane Prewett. She kept catching glimpses of Harry in Ella's actions in mannerisms and each time she felt a pang of hurt and heartache. Once the final scraps of food vanished, Dippet stood up to give a very long and very dull speech that Hermione barely heard a word of. She was concentrating very hard on staying alert and awake. It had been a long and trying day. Finally, they were allowed to amble up to their comfortable beds. Hermione numbly followed her newfound friends to their dorm and began to change into her nightgown that went down to her ankles. Really. A Nightgown? Hermione wasn't really sure how much she was going to like forties fashion. Where's the t-shirt and comfy pants? She sighed and got into her warm bed.

Hermione's last thought before drifting off into her much needed sleep was of those dark eyes that found hers in the great hall. Find the good in Tom Riddle.

{Reviews always appreciated. ~ Lilac and Rose}