hey guys sorry it took so long to get the new chapter up. i had a whole lot of things going on. this chapter is pretty good, i like it. so let me know what you think! i dont own anything! =]
I have been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
It has been a week since I talked to Tom Riddle last. We shared a common room, classes, and duties but still we have not had a conversation. I remember when he came back from the Hospital Wing. I had been contemplating every possible explanation for the reason I felt differently about him for that fraction of a day but nothing made sense to me. I was sitting on my favorite couch when he walked in.
"Hey, are you ok?" I asked quietly. He waved me off and gave me a disgusted look before storming up to his room with his robes billowing behind him. I scoffed in disbelief. I knew from that moment on that nothing was different between us. I was stupid for thinking so. No, I hated him. He killed everyone I had ever cared about. I laughed at my stupidity before shoving the thought from my mind.
So we both went on living our lives as if the other didn't exist. I sat in the common room doing homework a week and two days after the accident. I heard footsteps coming from upstairs followed by the distinct sound of glass breaking. I looked up from my Runes essay and to the ceiling, half expecting it to collapse on top of me. The noises stopped and I returned my attention to my work.
A moment later the bangs and crashes reappeared to the quiet room. I let out a frustrated sigh and dropped my quill on the table. I wanted to ignore what I heard but could not find the strength to do so. I got up from my position on the couch and slowly made my to the winding staircase. More clangs could be heard from the floor above me. I steadily walked the flight of stairs and stood outside of Riddle's room. I took a deep breath before pushing on the wood of the door. The door was slightly ajar so I entered the room without him noticing.
Riddle's back was turned to me with his attention on the bookcase he had just destroyed. I could see glass scattered on the floor near his feet along with a few droplets of blood, which was very surprising. I would never have guessed that Tom Riddle was the accident prone type. The older version of himself would never be caught bleeding. I had seen this version bleed twice along with laying on the ground in pain upon his arrival. I took an uneasy step closer to him and hit a squeaky floorboard.
He shot around to face me with an outraged yet vulnerable expression written all over his person. "What the bloody hell are you doing in here?!" His voice sounded like ice. Malice laced his ever word. I took a step back and observed him. His chest was rising and falling in quick, short motions and his face was red with fury. I shook my head to clear my thoughts before answering.
"I heard a racket up here and I cannot concentrate when you are throwing a fit!" I scowled back. My words betrayed the emotion I was trying to portray and left me with what I was actually feeling. Concern and Fear. Riddle had no response for me. I looked him up and down once more and found the culprit of the blood stains. His left hand had a large gash on it, luckily this one didn't look as deep as the one he received in potions a week ago. Wait. Luckily? What was I thinking? I wanted him to feel pain. I wanted him to feel as bad as I do everyday. But somehow that wasn't happening. I let out a disappointed and defeated sigh. "Sit down and let me take a look at your hand," My words softened his mood and relaxed his body. He took a deep breath before moving to the bed. His eyes were on me every step he took as if he were analyzing my next move.
I walked out of the room and into our conjoined bathroom. I retrieved a towel, band aids, hydrogen peroxide and first aid ointment before coming back and finding Riddle sitting where I left him. I went over to the bed and sat down next to him. I laid out all of my first aid supplies and put them in a neat, orderly fashion.
Riddle was staring at me from the corner of his eye as I worked to pour a dash of the hydrogen peroxide on the towel to clean his wound. I stared at the towel I held in my hand then at Riddle. He gave me a quizzical look.
"I, um, I need your hand... to clean out your cut," I stammered out. The thought of making skin to skin contact with a young Voldemort was a little mortifying but also in some way... intriguing. He studied me for a quick moment before nodding his head. He reached his hand out to give to me. I looked at it hesitantly before sliding my own hand under his. I took the wet part of the tower and dabbed it onto the bleeding gash. He winced almost undetectably. I cleaned the wound in silence. A question was rolling around in my mind for him but I wasn't sure if I wanted it answered. I glanced up at him before shooting my eyes back down.
"What happened that made you so angry? I mean, why did you destroy your room?" My curiosity got the best of me and I asked the question. I tried to act indifferent as I rubbed the ointment on his gash. I felt him tense up which caused my eyes to jump to his dark brown ones. Riddle pursed his lips and let out a forced breath.
"I-I don't know," he stated flatly. I felt disappointed in his answer. With a nod of my head I finished bandaging his hand.
"Well there you go," I said quietly. I stood up and headed for the door.
"Hermione," My feet forgot how to move and I leaned against the door frame for support at the sound of my own name. Riddle had never said my first name out loud before. I never expected to hear it either. I turned around still in a state of shock and faced him. He stood a couple feet away from me with his body stiff and uncomfortable looking. Riddle's eyes rested on a place near my feet never once lifting them to look me in the eye.
"When I said I don't know I meant... I meant I don't know why I'm here. In this time... with you," His gaze shifted from the carpet to me. That was the second time I had ever seen Tom Riddle look human.
"Me too," I responded quietly. He cocked an eyebrow at me. I sighed, hating the situation I had gotten myself into and sat on the arm of the leather chair next to me. "I don't know what I'm doing here," Riddle walked over to me slowly and sat down on the small footrest in front of the chair I resided in.
"I'm sorry," said Riddle, his voice was sincere but hesitant . At that moment something inside of me softened enough to feel an emotion I had not felt in a long time; acceptance. I accepted the fact that Riddle was here, I accepted that Harry and Ron were dead... I accepted the fact that I didn't blame him for my problems. I blamed Voldemort, not Riddle. I had a feeling in my gut telling me that I could no longer blame Riddle for my troubles. The only thing I could do now was try to change him for the better. He wasn't Voldemort yet.
He had saved me in Potions that day which showed that he still had some good in him. If he still held onto that small sliver of compassion, then there was hope for him.
"I forgive you," I finally said after my epiphany. Riddle looked up at me and nodded. A smile crept across his smile, showing off his humanity. One corner of my mouth lifted up as well. We smiled at each other for a while before I shook my head back to reality. "Um, I'll clean up that glass,"
"It's alright. I can do it," He protested but I lifted my hand to stop the argument from going any farther.
"And risk injury to your other hand? It's ok, I don't mind," I flashed him a small smile and went to pick up the scattered pieces of sharp glass. The tiny shards were numerous on the floor around me. I had no idea how many glass objects he had smashed, all I knew was that he did a good job with it. I reached for a piece of glass only to have a hand clasp over the top of mine at the same time. I gasped and looked up at the hand's owner. Riddle quickly retracted his hand and took a step back. I locked gazes with him then picked up the remainder of the glass shards. I cradled the sharp glass in my hands and stood up.
I headed to the door and was about to walk out but stopped just short of the hallway once more. "If you want-need to talk you know where to find me," I offered to Riddle. Silence came from his direction.
I was about to continue on my way when I heard "Yes, I know," come from his lips. I nodded my head once and left Riddle and his room behind me.
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I couldn't sleep that night. I tossed and turned, there was no comfortable position that would allow sleep to come. I finally settled on getting up and sitting by the window. I pulled the large leather chair that resided by my bookshelf over to the window. I grabbed a blanket from my bed and relaxed into the cool leather. The stars were bright that night and gave me the peace I needed.
I had had Riddle on my mind since I exited his room this afternoon. I didn't know why it happened or how but I knew that I was changed. I didn't feel as angry or scared as I had before around Riddle. Something happened that dramatically shifted my way of thinking. Whatever that something was I found it in Tom's eyes and words. Tom? Since when did I call Riddle Tom? About the same time I stopped hating him. I sighed at my own brain arguing with me. I didn't want to think about this right now. I snuggled deeper into my chair and eventually fell asleep.
"Hermione, run! Get out of here!" Ron called from the other side of the courtyard. I shot one more spell at my opponent, it was successful. The Death Eater fell to the ground with a thump. Only when I saw his body hit the grass did I dare to sneak a peak at Ronald. He was being double teamed by two masked foes. I ran as fast as I could to get to him and help but it was too late. I was about five feet away when the green flash hit him square in the chest.
"RON!" I ran faster and caught his body before it hit the earth. I landed on the ground, cradling the redhead in my arms. His usually bright eyes were dull and expressionless. Ronald Weasley died. Tears threatened to escape my eyes but I wouldn't let them. Gathering up all of my courage I laid Ron gently on the soft grass and closed his eyes. With one last look I leaped back into battle. I took down two more hooded figures before I had time to catch my breath. My eyes scanned the scene around me. Bodies were scattered everywhere, the people left standing barely had the strength to fight any longer.
It had been twenty minutes since Harry left into the woods. He was still nowhere in sight. A flash of green flew past my left ear and I was once again engulfed in the battle. Five minutes later the fighting evaporated. People surrounding me lowered their weapons and stared into the tree line of the Forbidden Forrest. I spun on my heels to see but never lowered my wand. Hagrid emerged from the woods carrying a limp Harry in his arms.
My knees buckled and I fell to the ground. Harry was dead. Hagrid stopped in front of me and lowered Harry so he was on my level. I looked at my best friend and saw the stillness with which he lay there. I grabbed his hand and raised it to my cheek. Both of my best friends and most of everyone I knew was dead by now. The sea of Death Eaters parted and Voldemort emerged from their ranks. Hagrid positioned himself so he was in front of me and Harry. I watched as Voldemort told the giant to move aside. He refused. A moment later a green glow was emitted and Hagrid fell to the ground next to me. Dead.
I screamed and gripped Harry's hand harder. I screamed until I felt a pressure coming from Harry's hand. I fell silent and stared at the boy laying in front of me. I once again felt Harry's hand squeeze my own and my heart leap a thousand feet into the air. Harry was alive after all.
"Well, if it isn't the mudblood. Still alive, are you?" Voldemort's icy voice came through the pale, cold air. I tried to raise my head to look at him but my body refused the request my brain had made. All I had the power to do was look at a still breathing (now that I saw it) Harry and listen to the Dark Lord.
"I noticed that the Weasley is dead and clearly there lay the leader of your 'Golden Trio' so it seems the only one left to eliminate is you," Harry tensed up at the news of Ron's death. I willed the tears away from my eyes, not letting them appear in the presence of this vile creature. Voldemort raised his wand so it was pointed at my head. I squeezed Harry's hand with both of mine and closed my eyes, awaiting the inevitable.
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort screamed with a raging fury.
"No!" Harry shot up and covered my body with his. I heard a scream coming from behind him and then a shooting bright light. The light left Harry and he fell once again to the ground, this time I was sure Voldemort's deed was done. I finally was able to look into the cold, red eyes of the Dark Lord. He was shivering in pain as parts of him began to explode into light. He raised his wand to me one last time, about ready to have me join my dead friends. He hesitated the slightest bit, and that hesitation is what kept me alive. His wand dropped to the grass and the Dark Lord exploded into an abyss of light. I fell back from the force of it and stayed there.
"Hermione! Wake up!" I felt someone shaking me but I kept on screaming. It had to be a Death Eater. Couldn't they let me cower it peace! "Hermione! It's a bad dream! Open your eyes!" My scream stopped. Just a dream? I opened one eye slowly followed by the other. I was in my Head Dorm surrounded by all of the Gryffindor paraphernalia and my books. It was just a dream. The night of the Final Battle of Hogwarts was long over. I looked up to see Riddle standing over me with his hands gripping my shoulders.
I tried my best to keep it together but the dream was too real for me to handle. My head fell to my knees and I began to cry harder than I had ever before. Riddle released his hold on me when the tears started to flow. He took a step back and sat on the window ledge. I continued to cry with such intensity that my sobs shook my entire body. I cried like that for a few minutes before Riddle came back to me. He got to his knees in front of me and lifted my hands from my face.
I was forced to look at him with red rimmed eyes. His face showed confusion and something that resembled concern. "It was just a dream, Hermione. You're safe now," He stated matter of factly. I nodded my hand and started to cry again. It just felt so real. Tom sighed and wrapped me in an awkward hug. I rested my hands and head against his chest, welcoming the feeling of contact with another human but I decided that I should keep my guard up around this particular one. Tom held me like that until my sobs subsided all together and I was able to function properly.
I leaned back from Tom's embrace and cuddled into my chair. Tom looked at me for a minute before plopping onto the floor across from the chair. Silence filled the room. Tom continued to study me and I him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. I sniffled in response before deciding what to say.
"I just had a dream of the night..." I couldn't finish the sentence and I was pretty sure that I didn't need to. Tom sternly nodded once before getting up and exiting the room. I followed him with my eyes until he was out of my line of sight. I felt a small ping in my chest where my heart resided. I let out a shaky breath and melted into the back of the chair, managing to cover up every inch of my body with the blanket during the process. I was settling in for a long night. I knew I was not getting back to sleep tonight and it wasn't because of the dream. It was because of Tom Riddle.
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