A/N: So this is the chapter most of you have been waiting for! Tom finally……well…I will just let you read it and find out! Again…if any of this is cliché then I am sorry! Love scenes have been done to death and I have tried to make it as original as I could. I hope it is ok! If you find it too OOC or anything, then just feel free to complain to me about it! Love you all lots!
Harry sat in the far corner of library and was staring out of a window at the snowy grounds below. How he wished he could just end his misery and jump out of the window to his death. He sat eyeing the glass hoping that it would break and he would get sucked out.
Hermione noticed Harry's sulkiness and rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe he was acting this way just because he had to study when he wanted to be outside.
"Harry," she snapped, making him jump. "Would you lose the brooding attitude and start on your work? I know you want to be outside and goofing around but you have to bring your grade up in potions or else you will never hear the end of it from Snape."
"Don't care about that git…want to go outside," he mumbled. He hated being locked away when Christmas was coming soon and he wouldn't have much more time to practice with his team.
He looked over at Hermione and smiled at her scowling face. She was only trying to help and he was being a bit immature.
"Ok, ok…I'll get to work. I just wish I could get some Quidditch practice in with the others."
"It's only 4:50 Harry and it doesn't get dark until around 6:00. Hurry up and study now and then you can get some practice in later."
Harry nodded and looked back at his potions book. Not even five minutes passed before he heard Hermione sigh for the hundredth time that evening.
"Thinking about Tom?" He asked kindly.
Hermione looked up from her notes and gave him a small smile. It had been a week since Tom and Bailey had broken up, and now Tom seemed to be avoiding Hermione for some reason.
"I just wish I knew why he is shunning me." She said sadly.
"He's not shunning you Hermione." Harry told her. "Don't you see how much he wants to tell you something whenever he's around you? I think he just a bit scared is all."
"What could he be scared of?" Hermione asked bewildered. "He and Bailey are no longer together and she even came up to me in private and told me that she was happy for me and Tom. What is she happy of? Tom and I still aren't together!" She cried.
A resonating 'SHHHHHHH' rang out in there direction, and Hermione gave Harry a smile and rolled her eyes. "That woman would complain about a needle dropping in here and making noise." Hermione giggled. Harry laughed quietly.
Her face suddenly grew serious as she thought of something. "H-have you talked to Ron lately?" She asked.
"I have and I think he is getting over it. I told him he needs to apologize to you and Tom, and I believe he will soon."
Hermione looked really relieved. "I was worried he would hate me and Tom forever."
"Na…just for a few days."
Hermione laughed and sat back in her chair a little bit.
"You know what Harry," she began, "I really don't feel like studying anymore. I think I will just go take a bath or something."
Harry scowled at her. "How did you become such great friends with Victoria Darcy, the Gryffindor prefect?" Harry asked. "It's not fair that you get to use the prefect bathrooms when we can't."
"You have used them before." Hermione told him.
"Once." Harry snorted.
"Hey, be happy that I am letting you off of studying duty." Hermione warned.
"Alright, I give up." Harry sighed. "Don't drown in that tub…God knows it's possible to do so in there."
"I'll bring a life preserver with me." She giggled.
Harry smiled and got his things together.
"Have fun." Hermione called out to him as he walked away. He waved and then disappeared beyond one of the bookshelves.
Hermione got up as well and gathered her books together. After all that had happened, she felt she deserved a little time to relax…she only hoped that Myrtle would not show up like she usually does.
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Sighing, Tom slammed the large book shut and sat back in his chair. He was definitely going to pass his test now that he had studied so meticulously for it. He rubbed his eyes and looked around the empty Common Room. Everyone was either outside in the snow or wandering around the castle.
Tom guessed that it was around 5:00 and he knew that since everyone was busy, he would have a chance to take a nice quiet bath. Dumbledore had told him the password to the prefect's bathroom on the fourth floor, telling him that he was allowed to use it whenever he wanted. Since Tom was a prefect in his time, Dumbledore had allowed him some of the privileges that were associated with the title.
Tom got up and stretched, then headed for the door. He loved being able to sit in the gigantic bath tub, that was more like a swimming pool, and clear his mind of everything that was troubling him.
He inwardly groaned when he thought about how Ron was still mad at him and Hermione….Oh God, Hermione. He wanted to be with her so bad, but every time he would go to talk to her, he couldn't find the right words to say. She probably thought that he was avoiding her, and while that was kind of true, it was only because he would get so nervous around her now.
Tom tried to put all of those thoughts aside for the moment. The man deserved a chance to relax every once in a while, right?
He only hoped that he could get Hermione off of his mind long enough to start the bath water at least…..but even that seemed an impossible feat for him.
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Hermione had turned on all of the taps and watched the tub fill up with the wonderful smelling water. She couldn't decide on what kind of bath bubbles she wanted so she just opted for using them all. The water was now hidden under a thick layer of the perfumed foam, just how she liked it.
She stripped off all of her clothes and walked to the edge of the tub. She was about to get in when suddenly she heard the door slam behind her. She wasn't scared at being seen naked at first because she just figured it was one of the prefect girls since the boys usually took late baths. She turned around and let out a quiet gasp.
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Tom had entered the bathroom not knowing anyone was in there and when he looked up his whole body froze. There was Hermione standing completely naked near the tub.
His immediate reaction would have been to turn around, but his brain seemed to have shut down and he couldn't will himself to look away….he felt like he couldn't even breathe at the moment.
His legs felt like they had turned into jelly and a steady heat was rising up through his whole body….it was the most amazing and equally frightening feeling he had ever felt.
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Hermione could not believe what was happening. Tom Riddle had just entered the bathroom and was staring at her naked, slender figure. He appeared surprised at first and then a queer look glazed over his dark eyes. It was as if he had never seen her before and was now looking at the most amazing thing he had ever laid eyes on.
Hermione felt as if her air supply had been cut off. Heat crept up her whole body and she felt really lightheaded. She knew she should be trying to cover herself up, but her feet were rooted to the floor. All she could do was stare at the boy in front of her who was staring back just as hard.
Hermione watched as Tom's eyes moved away from her flushed face, down to her breasts and then lower…and lower, until he got to her feet. His gaze slowly traveled back up her body and to her face. He seemed to be in a daze as his eyes drank in the sight of her.
She stood there trembling and wondering what to do. She wanted to tell him to go but she didn't know if she could speak.
She finally found the strength move and bent down to reach for her clothes on the floor.
"Don't," Tom spoke in a low, husky voice.
Hermione stopped and looked back at him. Trembling even more, she finally spoke up.
"Tom you shouldn't…"
"I know I shouldn't, " he whispered, "But I can't help it. You're even more beautiful then I thought."
Hermione's face flushed even more and her heart skipped a few beats. All she could do was plead with her eyes as Tom went back to silently gazing at her.
She watched as his gaze slowly raked over her again and saw the longing in his eyes. She had to stop this.
"No Tom, this isn't right…you have to go." She told him firmly, and reached for her robe once more.
"Don't Hermione," Tom told her again; his quiet voice was quivering a bit. "I know I shouldn't be here…doing this…but I…" He stopped not knowing what to say. He didn't want to talk anyways…he just wanted to look at her.
Despite what he had said, Hermione grabbed her robe and pulled it down over her head so she was finally covered up.
"Tom, please go." She told him softly. Tom moved, but not to leave….he started to walk towards her.
"Tom why do things like this keep happening between us?" Hermione asked suddenly. Tom stopped only a few feet away from her and stared at her sadly.
"Oh God, I want to be with you so much, and thought that we could finally be together, and then you ignore me this whole week! I can't keep doing this with you. One moment you act like you want to be with me and then the next you ignore me! You have no problem with seeing me naked, and yet you can't even ask me out on date! Tom I…."
"I love you."
Hermione froze. He had said it so sincerely and so passionately that it took Hermione's breath away…and yet, she didn't want to believe him.
"Wha-? N-no you don't" she stammered out quickly.
"I love you," he said more strongly, but in a gentle voice. He took a few steps closer to her.
"Tom, you can't….we haven't even had a chance to really talk about us." She wanted to kill her rational side that always seemed to take over.
"I love you." He moved closer.
"You-your just saying that. You don't mean it." But Hermione's voice sounded hopeful now.
"I love you." He said again, only now he was very close to her and had whispered it in her ear. Hermione shivered.
"Why?" she asked, confused about why he cared for her so much.
He looked into her honey colored eyes and smiled. "Because you love me too…and no one has ever loved me before."
The rational side was officially dead.
Hermione gave him the biggest smile she could muster. "I do lov……"
His lips, which were now glued to hers, had cut her off before she could even finish.
Tom backed them up into a nearby wall without taking his lips off of hers. Both teens were now lost in the most amazing kiss either had ever experienced with each other, or anyone else for that matter. Hermione let her hands snake around his neck while Tom's hands were running through her silky hair. He always loved to touch her beautiful locks.
Hermione, who had had her first snog with Tom only a few weeks before, no longer needed to be instructed on how to maneuver her tongue. She brought her mouth down to his neck and helped herself to any skin she could find; Tom groaned and gave her more access to the spot.
Tom couldn't contain himself anymore and now his hands were all over her. She shivered every time he touched a sensitive area and even giggled when Tom found a few ticklish spots.
Tom smiled when she would snicker; he would have to remember where those tickle spots were.
Tom ran a hand down her side and pulled one her legs around his hip. He did the same with her other leg and then picked her up so that both of her legs were wrapped around his waist. He then moved his mouth away from hers and brought his lips down her neck and to her chest.
Hermione felt like she was going to explode from Tom's soft kisses that were getting dangerously close to her breasts, when suddenly, a noise that sounded like a shocked gasp made Tom stop and look over his shoulder.
Coming out from one of the toilet stalls was Moaning Myrtle, looking scandalized at the sight before her.
There was Hermione Granger, the school's book worm, with her legs wrapped around a boy and wearing nothing but a robe! But what surprised Myrtle more was the fact that the handsome boy she was with was one she had known fifty years ago. Tom Marvolo Riddle.
"What is going on here?" Myrtle screeched. "How the hell did Tom Riddle get here? And why he is snogging you of all people, Granger?" Myrtle could not believe her old crush was here in this time and with Granger for God's sake!
"Well, I should have known you'd become a ghost Myrtle." Tom smiled evilly at her. "Why would anyone in the afterlife want an annoying sod like you around?" It was only his luck that Myrtle Morgan would become a ghost and still pester him even after her death.
He let Hermione down from his waist and took her over to her pile of clothes. All the while Myrtle was screaming hysterically at them. "HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU COME BACK! AND WHY ARE YOU WITH GRANGER!"
"Because you stupid girl, I love her, and it is none of your damn business how I came back. So why don't you just flush yourself down a toilet or something." Tom spat.
He turned to look at Hermione again and saw that she was blushing. He smiled at her and ran his hand through her hair; he would never get over how innocent and cute she looked when she blushed.
"Come on Hermione, we don't have to stay here." He told her tenderly. Hermione smiled gratefully at him and watched as he took out his wand and pointed it at her pile of clothes on the floor. She saw them disappear and then felt them back on under her robe.
She had still felt completely naked even with the cloak covering her, so now that she had clothes on she felt loads better.
"Y-you…both of you….I-I am going to t-tell someone about this." Myrtle sobbed. She was always very dramatic when it came to things that upset her.
"Go ahead and tell Morgan…who would listen to you anyways? And if you bug me or Hermione again, I swear I will have priest come in here and perform an exorcism on you." Tom warned.
Myrtle let out a loud sob and then jumped into a toilet and disappeared down the drain, much to Tom's and Hermione's relief.
"Come on love," he told her, and he led her hand-in-hand to the door.
They both walked out of the bathroom and then stopped dead.
Ron had arrived just in time to see the couple exist the perfects bathroom…both looking flustered and tousled.
Tom and Hermione just stood there holding hands and looked at Ron nervously, while Ron just stared back with an unreadable expression on his face.
When he spoke, his voice sounded neither angry nor sad, but was rather lifeless; this to Hermione was much worse.
"So much for being just friends, eh Hermione?" Ron said while looking into her eyes.
"Ron listen, we.." Tom began, but Ron cut him off.
"No Tom, it's ok. You two don't have to explain. I was going to apologize for how I was before, and I am still intend on doing so. Tom, Hermione, I am very sorry for how I acted before. I hope we can all continue being friends?"
Hermione had never heard Ron talk so formal, and it unnerved her a little bit.
"Of course, Ron." Hermione told him. "You are like a brother to me and I want us to be friends…all of us."
Ron smiled softly at her. "Hermione, I will always be your friend, and yours as well Tom. I just….I can just be arse hole sometimes."
"Happens to the best of us mate." Tom smiled.
"Well…I guess I had better be going. I am loaded with homework. I'll see you two in the Common Room later."
Hermione and Tom barely had a chance to say goodbye before Ron moved passed them and down the hall.
Tom looked down into Hermione's worried face and stroked her cheek softly.
"He'll be ok." He told her comfortingly.
"I hope so." She whispered. "I really hope so….."
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Yeah for Tom and Hermione! They are finally together! Poor Ron though! I feel bad for him now!
Wow…I am at fifteen chapters! I never imagined I would get this far…and I still have more to go!
I hope this chapter wasn't bad….I tired my best to make it seem real. I feel that accidental things, like Tom walking in on Hermione, are the occurrences that lead to the important stuff…like him telling her that he loved her…finally!
I love you all lots! Give me a couple of days to get the next chapter up please…school starts again tomorrow after all! Muahhhhh!