THIRTEEN

Wednesday, 7 November 1945

Hermione sat on the couch with her legs hugged to her chest, chin resting on her knees. Before her, Riddle's ring was hovering in the air, supported by her magic.

She had been doing this for the better part of four days, but she was clueless as to what to do next.

Her venture into Diagon Alley had been a scouting mission for the cloak. She had spent so much time and effort into tracking it down. She hadn't planned on ever getting so close, but after her encounter with Riddle at the Manor, she decided to stop delaying. The sooner she had possession of the other Hallows, the easier it would be to keep Grindelwald from mastering death.

Never in a million years did she ever think she would walk away with the resurrection stone.

The moment Hermione landed in her flat, she pushed her magic outward, strengthening her wards tenfold. She wasn't taking any chances of Riddle being able to follow her here. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that one day he would breach her wards and her safe haven would be lost. But it wouldn't be this day. Clutching the ring as tight as possible in her hand, she continued to add to the layers of her wards until her body collapsed from the exertion.

When she woke later, it was well past midnight and she was still alone. As far as she could tell, there wasn't any sign of Riddle ever having been there. And after taking care of herself, she curled up on her couch for the first time with the ring hovering above her while she contemplated what to do.

If this was truly just the past and Dumbledore were still alive, Hermione would have gone to him. The Sword of Gryffindor might not have been steeped in Basilisk blood, but the creature was currently alive within the Chamber of Secrets. While it would be easy enough to sneak her way back into the castle, she wasn't ready to risk the lives of everyone who resided there on the off chance that something went wrong.

That left her with the option of Fiendfyre. Which, even now made her flinch from the echo of pain the memory of trying to destroy her own Horcrux had caused. Not that she had a tie to this one, but that wasn't the only thing holding her back from conjuring the flames right then and there. It was the fact that even with her Grey magic, Fiendfyre was still hard to control. Just like with the Basilisk, there was a chance that it wouldn't work and the fallout even worse.

There was one place she could try, but to go there was risking another run-in with Riddle. Even with a disguise in place, if she didn't plan this carefully, he would know. And now that she had pissed him off by stealing all he had left of his familial line, she was sure he wouldn't care in the least who witnessed him come unhinged.

But it was the only place she could think of that could potentially have what she needed. And until she had a better idea, it was her only hope.

With a deep breath, she got to her feet, carefully plucking the ring from midair. And after taking the time to keep it safe in her absence, Hermione closed her eyes and Apparated to Knockturn Alley.

It wasn't the first time she had been there, but in those instances, she had Riddle at her side. It wasn't somewhere she had to hide or fear because they were far more terrifying than anything lurking in the shadows. That was still true as her feet landed on the uneven cobblestone street, but in this time, no one knew that.

Hermione was careful as she made her way through the darkened alley to Borgin and Burke's. No matter how many deep breaths she took, she couldn't get her heart rate to slow. It continued to pound against her chest and make a whooshing noise in her ears. She paused just outside the shop, sticking to the darkest corner she could find. She would be a stranger here which meant she needed to be calm in order to have the best chance of success. Ideally, she would get her information without bending his will, but she wasn't above it if he forced her hand. Conjuring a Calming Drought with a wave of her hand, she tipped the vial to her lips and sucked it down without hesitation.

If only conjuring Basilisk venom were that easy, she thought as she closed her eyes and rolled her shoulders, giving the potion a moment to kick in. She then made the vial disappear with another wave and took another deep breath. As it turned out, the rarer the item, the harder it was to conjure. Maybe with a bit more practice… she told herself as she moved to enter the shop.

Mister Burke was at the counter talking to an older couple. Three pairs of eyes flicked her way, but she paid them no mind as she went about browsing the shelves. For a moment, she felt as though it was just before Sixth Year all over again. As if she had marched into the shop in the hopes of getting information on the Malfoy's and the cursed necklace that had nearly killed Katie Bell.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she reached up to grasp the necklace that hung at her own throat. She flinched at the memory of Draco lying on the floor, his grey eyes devoid of life. But before she got too caught up in her grief, she shook it off and buried the memory deep. And by the time Mister Burke was free to chat, she was back to carrying herself as if she were ruling at Riddle's side once again.

"What can I do for you, miss?" Mister Burke asked, eyeing her as if trying to determine her intentions.

"I was told this was the place to come should I ever find myself in need of rare items."

He smiled and gestured out to his cluttered shop. "Usually the rare items find me," he replied. "Occasionally I can be persuaded to acquire items that wouldn't normally pass through my shop. But those transactions come at a steep price, my dear."

Hermione nodded and raised her arm. Her hand, empty when it began to rise, was clutching a pouch overflowing with Galleons by the time it reached the counter. Mister Burke's eyes widened slightly as his gaze dropped to where the gold coins glinted in the candlelight. "I can pay," she assured him.

He cleared his throat and looked back up at her, a bit of the earlier doubt gone from his eyes. "What is it that you're looking for?"

"Preferably a Basilisk fang; the fresher the better, but I'll take venom if a fang cannot be found."

"That may take a bit to acquire."

The faster you do, the more I'll pay."

He was quick to nod before sliding a piece of parchment and quill across the counter for her. "Just leave your address so I can owl you when I have your item."

Hermione shook her head as she conjured two coins like the ones she spelled in Fifth Year to communicate to the DA. "A Protean Charm," she said. "Activate it when you have it and I'll arrive shortly after."

He inclined his head again and stuck out his hand to take the coin. "Pleasure doing business with you, Miss…"

"Beauregard," she filled in, pulling her hand back. Without another word, she turned and left, not even pausing to stop when he called after her about the Galleons she'd left behind. The sooner she returned to her flat and the safety of her wards, the better.

The House Elves had just begun to clear up the dinner dishes when the owl arrived. Tom, not expecting any news, was surprised when the letter dropped into his lap. Abraxas straightened up, turning to watch Tom shoo the bird away so he could open the letter.

Mister Riddle,

As requested, this letter is to inform you that someone has come in searching for Basilisk venom. A Miss Beauregard.

-C. Burke

Tom tried to fight the rage that boiled to the surface within him. Despite his efforts, the letter in his hand burst into flames. It burned quickly, the smoldering bits of parchment landing on the spot where his plate had been.

"My Lord?" Abraxas asked, his voice low and timid. "Is everything-"

"If it was, would I be in such a foul mood?" Tom snapped, his gaze rising to meet his follower.

"N-no, Sir."

Tom rose to his feet, rolling his shoulders as he tried again to reign in his anger. When Abraxas began to rise, Tom held out his hand, signaling for him to stop. "This is a private matter," he said before turning to vacate the dining room.

With the Apparition point too far away from the Manor, Tom stalked through the halls to the room with the Floo. He wasted no time in grabbing a handful of powder and throwing it at his feet. He practically snarled the words, "Knockturn Alley" out loud before being whisked away to his destination in a flash of green.

A cruel smile graced his lips as he landed on the other side. He had been right to guess her intention of taking his ring was to destroy it. He had already known she was aware that it was a Horcrux. She had seen him make it when he bared his soul to her exactly a year ago on the Astronomy Tower. He should have known better than to believe her lies that a simple fairytale was a way to cheat death. She had only been toying with him to get what she wanted.

He paused as the memory flashed through his mind, unwarranted.

The warmth of her presence as she entered his mind radiated through him as if she were the sun. It took him by surprise and made his thoughts spin out of control. He caught a glimpse of her within his mind, but it was fleeting. The notion that he had let someone in held him still; petrified as if he had come eye-to-eye with Medusa herself.

He was rooted to the ground, unable to move as he watched the darkness within him attack what it perceived as a threat. It coiled around her like the snake he had carefully stashed in the bowels of the castle. She fought, but it wasn't enough. In her own mind, she was an even match for his darkness, but in the thick of it, it was too much.

And just as she began to give up, he broke free of his stupor and rushed forward to free her from himself.

Tom could count the number of times he had experienced panic on one hand. Staring at Hermione greedily gulping for air on the floor below him would be another. Slowly, she sat back on her knees and looked up at him. In his mind, he wasn't able to compose himself the way he was on the outside. Here, he was exposed, his emotions raw. He could see his own panic and pallor reflected in her gaze as he extended a hand to her. She took it right away, allowing him to guide her to her feet once more.

"That was my mind's natural defenses to the intrusion," he explained. "I thought I had it under control."

She nodded and exhaled, her breath shaking on its way out. "I'm alright," she muttered.

He had saved her then, but given the circumstances now, he wished he had let her suffocate.

Tom was glad to find Borgin and Burke's empty except for that of the shop owner when he let himself in. Without asking for permission, he locked the door before heading to the counter. "Ah, Mister Riddle. Did you-"

"Did she leave an address?" he asked, cutting the other wizard off.

Burke swallowed hard as she shook his head. Fear flashed in his eyes as he pulled a coin from his robes. "She gave me this instead. Told me to activate it when I acquired her items and she would arrive then to collect."

"Do you have them?" he asked.

He shook his head again. "It will take me a few days to find it. I simply sent you the letter as you asked of me."

"What did she look like?" he asked, trying to refrain from infiltrating the man's mind lest he scramble it in a fit of rage. Not that he needed the description to know it was her. He could feel traces of her magic in the air around him, teasing him for being so close but yet so far.

"Tall and slim. Dark hair cropped short. Blue eyes and pointed features."

A disguise.

Tom pulled a breath through his nose and rolled his neck in irritation. "Do not acquire these items for her. Do nothing. In three days I shall return at noon. You will close your shop and activate the coin to draw her here. You will say nothing of my presence as you lead her to your office to make the exchange."

"Y-yes," Burke said, inclining his head. "Of course."

Without another word, Tom took his leave of the shop, hurrying to return to the Manor so he could process his anger in solitude.

A/N: Hey guys! Long time, no post! Fanfic has just fallen by the wayside with everything else on my plate. But alas, here's another chapter.

For those of you interested in my published works, I'll be hosting my very first live stream sometime this month in my group: madrose_writing / so if you're interested in getting a sneak peek at my next book (a dark romantic thriller that screams Tomione) join now so you can be notified when it happens!

Okay, enough out of me! Love you guys!

Until next time...