A/N: I have broken up chapter 14 into two chapters because it was just way too long for one chapter! But, since I am in a good mood, I have decided to give you both parts all at once! So that is three chapters in two days! I hope that makes up for the wait before! This chapter will get a bit mushy towards the end, but I like it. I hope I don't sound cliché at all with any of this….but if I do then please forgive me! It is hard to write a story when there are so many out there that have already taken your ideas! I love you guys! Muahhh!
"Ugh….where am I?" Tom groaned. He was certain he was lying in a bed only he wasn't sure where. He would have opened his eyes, but they felt very heavy and he preferred to keep them shut for the moment.
"You're in the hospital wing Tom. How are you feeling?" A soft voice asked in his ear.
Tom smiled but his eyes remained shut. "Hey Hermione," he said softly, "I feel like a Bludger has hit me in the head about a million times."
Hermione giggled. "At least you are talking and forming coherent thoughts. Can you open your eyes?" She asked kindly.
Tom fluttered his eyes for a moment before he opened them completely. He was greeted by Hermione's beautiful face close to his; only now hers was full of concern.
"Hi." Tom said softly, while giving her a warm smile.
"Hi." Hermione replied, awarding him with same smile.
"Does your head still hurt a lot?" She asked in a quiet voice.
"A bit," he shrugged slightly. "But I'll live."
"Tom, you're awake!" Ron shouted.
He and Ginny had been sitting at a nearby table playing Exploding Snap, when suddenly Ron looked over at the bed and saw Tom with his eyes open. He and Hermione had been talking so quietly that Ron and Ginny hadn't even noticed he had woken up.
"Ron," Hermione hissed quietly, "Keep it down! Head injuries make a person very sensitive to loud noises."
"I'm not sensitive." Tom said defensively.
"Oh really….well then I guess ME TALKING LIKE THIS shouldn't bother you then." Hermione shouted the four words and Tom cringed while rubbing his head.
"Ok, so maybe my ears are a little sensitive." He glared at her. Hermione smiled impishly and winked at him.
"How are you feeling Tom?" Ginny asked as her and Ron walked over to him.
"Better." Tom smiled. "Wait a minute," He said suddenly while looking around the room, "Where's Harry?"
"He is with Dumbledore." Hermione told him. "He was able to recover a bit faster then you because his body is used to that kind of pain." She told him sadly. Then her face became very grim and worry filled her eyes.
"What is it?" Tom asked while sitting up in his bed.
"Voldemort knows Tom. He knows about you being here."
"Well I think I figured that one out when he possessed Harry and was talking through him." Tom told her.
"So you remember then?" Ginny asked. "You remember what happened in the Great Hall?"
"Unfortunately I do." Tom replied. "It is kind of hard to forget something like that." Then Tom remembered something, or rather someone.
"Where's Bailey?" He asked worriedly. "Is she ok?"
"She's fine Tom." Hermione told him. "She got really upset when she saw you in so much pain, and Dumbledore ordered one of the teachers to take her away and to calm her down. She was given some Dreamless Sleep potion and then sent off to her room to rest."
Tom was saddened to hear that. Bailey was such a sweet girl and she didn't deserve to be dragged into all of this.
"Speaking of Bailey," Ron spoke up, "Who was Harry talking about? You know, when he was possessed an' all. He talked about how you desired someone, but he wasn't looking at Bailey when he said it…..he was looking at…well, at you Hermione."
Hermione shot a quick glance at Tom and saw that he was looking at her intently. She looked away from him and looked over at Ron who was eyeing her suspiciously.
"I-I don't know why he was looking at me, Ron. Maybe…maybe he just said all of those things to make Tom mad or something?"
Ron didn't look at all convinced. He brought his gaze over to Tom and stared at him with the same accusatory look in his eyes. Tom didn't meet his gaze, and instead he focused all of his attention on the blanket that was spread out over him.
Ron sat there looking between the two when it finally hit him. He looked over at his sister and saw that she looked just as guilty as the other two were. His own sister had known and she didn't even tell him. He wondered if Harry knew as all and figured that he most likely did if Ginny knew.
Hermione saw the look of realization in Ron's eyes and she let out a soft groan. "Ron listen, it's not what you think, ok? Tom and I are not together. We are just friends." She tried to explain. Ron wasn't even looking at her though; instead he had his gaze fixed upon Tom, who was now looking at him as well.
"Has this been going on before of after Bailey?" Ron asked. His voice sounded monotone and it greatly unnerved the other three in the room.
Tom swallowed and answered him in a steady voice. "Ron, me and Hermione are not together. I am not going to lie and say that I don't have feelings for her, but we had decided that it….it w-would never work." Tom had some difficulty saying that, but he continued on in a firm voice. "I started going out with Bailey after all of this happened. I needed to move on."
"So you're using Bailey then?" Ron asked in that same lifeless voice.
"No! I care about Bailey a lot, Ron. I am trying to move from…"
"But you said it yourself that you have feelings for her." Ron interrupted. He nodded his head towards Hermione when he said her; he didn't want to speak her name at the moment.
"I do Ron, but I am trying…"
"Tell me, how is Bailey going to feel when she wakes up in a little bit? She heard everything Harry said too. She will know about the both of you. She is going to get hurt."
Tom and Hermione both looked away in shame. Bailey was going to be hurt by this…
"That's enough Ronald!" Ginny told him sharply. "Who are you to make them feel guilty? They have done nothing wrong and Tom has been trying to tell you that he is not with Hermione, and yet you insist on making an arse of yourself! Just drop it!"
"Why didn't any of you tell me about this?" Ron asked, ignoring his sister's protests for him to shut up.
"Just because you are too slow to have figured it out 'till now, doesn't mean you have the right to be getting mad at us about it." Ginny told him forcefully.
Ron glared at his sister, and then suddenly he got up from his seat next to Tom's bed. He looked down at Tom and then he finally looked over at Hermione.
Her eyes were watering with unshed tears that threatened to fall any second, and she was looking at him with regret and pain etched on her face.
"I don't need your pity Hermione." Ron spat. "I hope you and Tom enjoy your time together," his voice had returned to the monotonous sound it was before. "I wonder what you will do when Tom is sent back….because you know, he will be sent back."
"RON YOU ARE SUCH AN ASSHOLE!" Ginny screamed at her brother. "DON'T GET MAD AT HERMIONE BECAUSE YOU LIKE HER AND WERE TOO LATE TO GET HER!"
Ron simply ignored her as he turned on his heel and stormed off towards the doors.
Hermione, who had been so close to crying before, now had a steady stream of tears running down her face. It wasn't the fact that Ron was so upset; though that was a major part of it. It was the fact that he had told her the truth. Tom was going to have to go back one day…and she didn't know what she would do without him.
Just as Ron reached the door, Harry walked in with a warm smile on his face. One look at Ron, however, wiped his smile right off.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked. Ron didn't say anything and just moved past him and out of the door.
Harry looked into the room and was relieved to see that Tom was up, but his relief was short lived.
Tom and Ginny were comforting Hermione who was crying softly on the edge of Tom's bed. Ginny was on the floor next to her while Tom was sitting up in his bed, his face close to hers, and was running his fingers through her hair tenderly.
"What's happened?" Harry asked as he walked over to Tom's bed.
"Ron." Ginny grunted angrily. "He finally put two-and-two together and realized that what Voldemort made you say to Tom, was about Hermione."
Harry sighed and sat down next to Hermione. He was wondering when Ron was going to find out, and was upset at his best friend's timing. Why did this have to happen when there was so much else going on? He knew he would have to wait to tell them all about the prophecy, though, he hadn't intended on telling them right away anyways.
"Hermione….are you ok?" Harry asked softly. Hermione looked up at him and shook her head. Harry felt heartbroken seeing her like that. She looked so confused and so troubled about what was going on; she shouldn't have to deal with all of Ron's crap.
"Oh Hermione, don't let Ron get to you like that." Harry told her. "You remember how he acted with me and the Tri Wizard Tournament…and we are still best friends. You know how he can get a little carried away sometimes."
Hermione gave him a small smile and brushed some tears away. "I know Harry, its just….I didn't think he would get so upset over Tom and I."
"Oh, so its Tom and I now is it?" Harry teased.
Ginny let out a small giggle and Hermione looked over at Tom, who was grinning at her.
Just when Hermione was about to say something back at Harry, the infirmary doors opened again, and this time a distressed looking Bailey entered the room.
Ginny groaned softly and looked at Hermione who was looking depressed once more at the sight of blonde.
Bailey was looking at Tom with a soft determination set in her eyes, while Tom gave her a look that clearly said 'I Am So Sorry'.
Harry cleared his throat and stood up. "We'll um….just give you two some privacy." Ginny stood up as well and so did Hermione.
"We'll see you in the Common Room in a little bit." Harry told him. Tom nodded and watched as they walked past Bailey and out of the door. She just stood where she was and silently gazed at him.
"Please come over here love." Tom told her softly.
Bailey hesitated for a moment but then walked over to Tom's bed and sat down on the edge of it.
Tom stared at her pretty face and waited for her to say something, for he didn't know what to say himself.
"H-how are you feeling?" She asked quietly. Tom could tell by how hoarse her voice sounded that she had been crying not too long ago, and a pained expression came over his face.
"Much better, thank you," he told her kindly. "How are you feeling?"
She shrugged and continued to look into his lovely dark eyes. Her face grew very thoughtful as she gazed at him and she brought her hand to his face and traced a finger down his profile. Tom closed his eyes at her light touch.
"You have such a handsome face, Tom." She told him quietly. "It's so mature and so young at the same time. It's prefect." She let her fingers trail over to his lips and she traced over them softly.
Tom slowly opened his eyes, and the look he gave her would have melted even the coldest of hearts. His eyes absolutely screamed with regret and he reached for her hand that was trailing over his face, and he planted a soft kiss upon it.
"I didn't deserve you." He told her sadly, his voice laden with emotion. "Bailey I…"
She put a finger to his lips to quiet him. "I really don't want to cry anymore Tom, so please just let me say this and be on my way." Tom nodded and waited for her to speak her peace.
"I am not sure what happened today, with Harry and you, but I am sure of what he was talking about. Whoever was possessing Harry, and I really don't want to know who, was talking about Hermione wasn't he?"
Tom nodded softly and looked away from her.
Bailey smiled at him. "Do you love her Tom?" She asked quietly.
Tom felt like his chest would explode from all of the emotions he was feeling. "I-I….." He had never said he loved anyone before in his life, even though he knew that was what he felt for Hermione.
"Tom, do you love her?" She asked a bit more strongly.
"Y-yes Bailey," He told her softly. "I do love her."
She smiled at him again and leaned closer to him.
"Then tell her Mr. Riddle." She smiled. She brought her face right up to Tom's and placed a soft kiss on his lips…one that he returned. He knew it was a kind of goodbye kiss.
"I had better see you two dating soon or else I am going to be pissed." She said when they broke apart.
She stood up to go but Tom reached for her arm and stopped her.
"Bailey...you had better come to me when you get another boy friend, which will no doubt be too soon for my liking." He smiled. "I want to be able to check him out….make sure he isn't some creep."
"Like you?" Bailey giggled. Tom smiled and blushed.
"I promise Tom." He let go of her hand and watched her until her long, blonde hair swished out of sight beyond the door.
He felt awful for doing this to her, and at the same time, he felt like he wanted to scream from happiness!
He loved Hermione! He loved her so much that it almost made him a little nauseous.
There was only one problem….how was he going to tell her that he loved her?