CHAPTER 3
{Thanks for all the wonderful reviews}
The next day Hermione awoke to the chatter of her dorm mates. She left the relative comfort of her four-poster and began to get ready for another day in 1943. She tried to run a bush through hair but it was hopeless. Her hair had a mind of its own; it was best to let it do its own thing. Hermione sighed at her own reflection.
"Come on, Hermione. We're going to be late," Ella said and beckoned her towards the stairs.
Together Ella, Hermione, and Jane Prewett, rushed down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
They barely had time to down a piece of toast and grab their schedules before the bell rang for the first class of the day, Charms. By the time they had reached the Charms classroom, there were no more seats for them to sit together. Ella and Jane gave Hermione an apologetic look before searching for empty spaces. Ella and Jane found two seats at opposite ends of the classroom. The only seat left was next to… Oh no…. right next to Tom Riddle. Hermione was forced to sit smack dab next the future Dark Lord. She tried to walk calmly over to the chair. Inside, her heart was threatening to jump up her throat. Hermione slumped down into the chair and stared straight ahead to wait for the Professor Davis to begin the lesson.
"Ok, class today we will be reviewing the Aquamenti charm. Your seat-mate will be your partner for the rest of the year so you might as well learn to be civil to one another" He gave a piercing glare to a pair of Slytherins.
Silver goblets appeared on the desk in front of Tom and Hermione.
"Aquamenti," Hermione thought and water immediately filled the goblet.
Riddle raised his eyebrows at her nonverbal incantation but his face remained impassive.
"You can cast nonverbal magic?" he asked
"Since I was fifteen" Hermione replied. His eyebrows went up even further.
"Impressive," he said and proceed to refill the goblet.
Might as well try to find that good Dumbledore was talking about sometime.
"I'm Hermione Evans by the way," forcing a tone of politeness
"I know" He looked her out of the corner of his eye.
"Oh well..then…"
The rest of the class passed in silence. Hermione would occasionally glace at Riddle out the corner of her eye but luckily he never caught her in the act.
Ten minutes before the bell, a shaking second year interrupted the class.
"I…um…P-Professor Dippet needs to see Hermione Evans in his office," she said nervously
"Thank you, Miss East," said Professor Davis
With that, the girl left the room. Hermione stood up and swung her bag onto her shoulder, taking one last glance at Riddle before leaving. There was an expression of mild interest on his face before he turned back to whatever it was he was doing.
Hermione hurried up to the Headmaster's office and was surprised to find Dumbledore along with Headmaster Dippet awaiting her there.
"Ah, Miss Evans. I have some rather exciting news. Unfortunately, our Head Girl did not show up this year and it appears we have a vacancy for the position. As you are the most accomplished girl in seventh year, it is only natural that you become Head Girl," Dippet said
"Head Girl?" Hermione asked
"Yes, yes Head Girl. You will have to move to the Head Common room that you will be sharing with the Head Boy, Tom Riddle," Dippet said matter of factly
"H-Head Common Room?" Hermione choked out "We have to live together?"
"Why yes, it's a privilege of being Head Girl"
"Oh right." Hermione didn't know how to process this information. Living in close proximity to the future Lord Voldemort was not something Hermione was excited to experience.
"Now Professor Dumbledore will show you to your new dorms. Your trunks will be sent up in due time," Dippet continued
Dumbledore gestured that it was time to leave. Hermione followed him in a state of numb disbelief. She barely noticed where she was going as they wound their way through their castles many corridors. Hermione found herself in front of a portrait of a ballerina en pointe.
"Lilliput," Dumbledore said and the ballerina nodded and swung forward.
"This is where I leave you. Good luck" Dumbledore smiled and his eyes twinkled
Hermione walked through into the Head common room. It was decorated with the gold and silver tones of Gryffindor and Slytherin house. Great bay windows revealed a spectacular view of the Black Lake and made the common room seem bright and cheery. This was quite different than anything she'd ever seen in Hogwarts.
Hermione turned around to walk back through the portrait hole and encountered something hard. She found herself looking into Tom Riddle's dark eyes. He wrapped his arms around her waist to prevent her from falling down.
"I..ah…sorry…my fault," Hermione stuttered out; her cheeks burned
"What are you doing in here?" he asked calmly as he released her. She brushed herself off.
"Well…um…I'm Head Girl" He raised one eyebrow. (Why does he keep doing that?)
"Apparently the Head Girl never showed up and I was next in line," Hermione clarified
He nodded once in understanding.
"Well…see you later," Hermione said and left as quickly as she could.
That was awkward.
Her thoughts were on Riddle throughout the rest of the day's classes. Her friends Ella and Jane tried to talk to her, but Ella somehow knew something was wrong and decided to let Hermione think in peace. How is she going to get through to him? He is so stoic and emotionless, but he wasn't a zombie like one might think. He acted the perfect student to the professors. Showed the right amount of humility and pride, but Hermione could see through all that. Each and every emotion he pasted on his face never reached his eyes. Pushing away those thoughts, she decided to make an early start on her homework in her dorm before crawling into her queen-sized bed. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow.
TOM'S PERSPECTIVE
It seemed like the new girl, Evans, was following him wherever he went. First, they were partnered together in Charms. Then, he found her in his…no, their…common room. Then there was the incident. He hadn't expected her to slam full tilt into he chest. He had grabbed her to prevent her from falling to the floor. Why had he done that? He could have just let her fall to the floor. Enough. This has to stop. He has more important things on his mind.
Tom was returning from a meeting from a particularly disturbing meeting with "his" knights; if you could call them that. He stalked up the stone stairs to his dorm until he heard sobbing. He turned around and walked back to Evans room. The door was partially cracked open. He could see Evans tossing and turning, distressed, in her sleep. She was obviously having a nightmare. He hesitated before walked back up to his own dorm. Why should he help? He barely knew her anyway.
He got into bed and fell into a troubled sleep.
HERMIONE'S PERSPECITVE
Hermione woke up panting from her nightmare. It was fading fast now, but those disturbing red eyes were still burned into her mind's eye. With great effort, she got up and forced herself to face the new day.
In Charms, Tom and Hermione didn't speak a word to each other until the end of class.
"Evans, we need to assign the prefect schedule tonight," he said as the bell rang
"Right, tonight in the library then? Er…Round seven?" she asked. He nodded in his usual way.
By lunchtime, Hermione was famished. She sat down at the Gryffindor table across from Ella.
"Hermione, did you know there's a Hogsmeade weekend next Saturday?" Ella asked
"No, I didn't. I haven't got a chance to look at the notice board."
"Wilfred, from Hufflepuff just asked me in the corridor" She sighed and stared dreamily across the room at the sandy haired seventh year.
"Oh, really?" Ella nodded but suddenly looked horrorstruck
"Oh, Hermione! I'm so sorry. You have no one to show you around now," Ella said apologetically. Hermione wasn't bothered. She had see the village plenty of times before, but of course Ella wasn't to know that.
"That's alright Ella. I was actually was planning on studying in the library" Hermione smiled and tried to console her.
"What? You can't stay holed up in the library on a Saturday!" she exclaimed.
"I can and I will." Hermione persisted "Come on, Ella. There are bound to be other Hogsmeade visits. I'll go next time," she added when the other girl remained unconvinced.
"Okay, but next time your definitely going. How's being Head Girl? You are so incredibly lucky to share a common room with Tom Riddle," she sighed
Hermione laughed. "I haven't actually gotten to do anything yet"
"Yeah, but being Head with Tom must make it so enjoyable"
"Girls are the same in the past as in the future," Hermione though wryly. She remembered the Viktor Krum's gaggle of girls that practically stalked him during her Fourth year. It was pathetic. Hermione focused on her shepherd's pie while barely listening to Ella's commentary of Riddle's many attributes.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully.
Promptly at seven, Hermione showed up at the library and began to search for Tom. He had chosen a table in the far corner of the Herbology section far from anything accessible. Hermione had walked passed twice before she had noticed him.
"You're late," he said without looking up from Advanced Potion Making. She looked at her watch and pursed her lips. It was barely five minutes past seven.
"I wouldn't have been if you had chosen a more noticeable table," Hermione retorted irritably before slumping down in the seat opposite him.
"Well, maybe your eyesight is in need of an improvement," he said in his annoyingly calm voice and he casually turned a page of his potions book.
Hermione shot him a glare and absentmindedly tucked her curls behind her ear. Finally, he looked up.
"Well? Are we going to work or would you rather make small talk until curfew?" Hermione snapped.
He sighed and gave her a longsuffering look before snapping his textbook shut.
"You know Evans? There are things called manners. Many people see fit to use them in civil conversation" He raised his eyebrows expectantly.
There's the eyebrow thing again! What is with that?
Stupid, arrogant, prick.
Think about the mission, Granger, your friends. Hermione sighed before pasting a smile that she hoped seemed natural. She began to pull out her parchment and quill to draw out the schedules. All the while she felt Riddle gaze on her. She felt tense, as if expecting him to curse her while unawares.
Once she had finished, she gave it to him to look over. Hermione studied him. His hair was absolutely perfect. It wasn't fair. Why was she cursed with her bush of curls?
"Um… I never thanked you yesterday for what you did," Hermione said while blushing.
"For what?" He looked slightly puzzled
"Er…when you a…caught..er..me"
"Oh, that. Your welcome"
"Right like you didn't know exactly what I was talking about," Hermione thought sarcastically
He stood up and handed back the schedule.
"Well, as much as enjoyable as this was, I have things to do" With, that he strode out of the library. Hermione banged her head on the table. What was she going to do?
{Reviews welcome}