Author's Note: I re-read past chapters to catch me up on what happened and I have to say I had to shake my head at most of the things I wrote – and some of the spelling errors; however, I will continue writing because some people still track and review this story.
Previously: "I am aware," he said while handing a letter to her that was addressed to both the head students. She took the letter and noticed that it was from Dumbledore, outlining the things that he had to discuss at the prefects meeting. "I have made the meeting for tomorrow night after dinner in this common room," Tom Riddle continued before retiring to his bedroom. She sat down on the couch he was at previously and sighed. As long as she was here, she would not fall behind on her head duties or her school work, no matter what.
It was now the next night and both the head students and the prefects were gathered in the lounge of the head student's dormitories. They had just scheduled patrolling for each prefect and head student in order to make sure other students were following the rules and not out after hours. The next on their agenda was the first school dance – surprise, surprise.
"How about we have a dance where the theme is Muggles? Every student dresses up as a famous Muggle like Abraham Lincoln," suggested the female Hufflepuff student.
"No," Tom said. This continued on for quite some time. Everyone seemed to have objects to other people's ideas except their own. After a while, a Ravenclaw prefect offered up another suggestion.
"Well, how about we just have a generic Halloween party? People can dress up in costumes and enjoy themselves."
"That seems acceptable; however, I think this party should be restricted to year five and up. We can throw a different part for the younger ones or just not at all," the female prefect Slytherin offered.
"We shouldn't exclude anyone from the party and I think we can all agree it will be more convenient to host only one party instead of two separate ones," Hermione said. She did not want to plan two parties – especially with all the other duties she had. She didn't care much for parties anyways so all she had to do was go and patrol it for an hour or so and one day of doing that was enough for her. A couple other prefects agreed and then it was final – they would host one Halloween party for all the students in October. They sub-divided the group into committees – those that would deal with food, music, decorations and invitations. The Ravenclaw prefects would deal with the decorations, the Hufflepuff prefects would deal with the food, the Gryffindor prefects would deal with the decorations, and the Slytherins with the food.
Once all the prefects left, Hermione brought out her History of Magic textbook and notebooks and started to write an essay that she was assigned. She watched as Tom retreated to his room. She had no clue how she was going to go about befriending him. He didn't seem to have many interests and wasn't exactly the talkative type. Besides, knowing what he was going to grow up to become – it would be difficult for her to try and treat him like someone new. She was glad that tomorrow was Saturday so that she would be able to stay up late writing all of her homework assignments. She was about two pages in when a knocking came at the entrance. She got up and opened it up and saw her two female friends from Arithmancy there.
"What are you guys doing here – and why are you in your pajamas?" Hermione inquired.
"Simple. We're having a sleep-over in your dorm and then tomorrow we shall go outside and play some Quidditch to get ready for try-outs," said Claudia. Claudia had short brown hair and light green eyes. The girl standing beside her was Susan – a girl with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. They were both in Hufflepuff and were both very nice to Hermione in Arithmancy; however, she did not consider them close enough friends to have a sleep-over like this with right away. It was a little peculiar but then she thought back to Luna Lovegood and how friendly she was like these two girls.
"That sounds really nice but I don't think you two are allowed to -," Hermione started but the girls pushed past her and threw their bags by the couches in the room.
"Hermione, don't be silly. You are new here and need to create some friends. Well. Here's your chance," Claudia said. Hermione looked up to Tom's door and saw it was closed. Some friends would not hurt, but she still wasn't sure if this was allowed; however, it did not seem like she was going to convince them to leave anytime soon. She made a deal with them that they could stay as long as they were quiet for the night so that they did not disturb Tom. The whole night consisted of Hermione sitting there working on her essay and the two girls chatting away about the latest gossip. Eventually, they all fell asleep (Claudia and Susan on the couches and Hermione on the floor by the table after finishing her essay).
Hermione was startled awake unexpectedly by two very loud and annoying singing voices. She opened her eyes groggily and saw Claudia and Susan on the couches singing at the top of their lungs.
"You guys what did I say about being quiet," Hermione said while she stood up and started to clean her things off of the table. Claudia and Susan simply shrugged but thankfully stopped singing.
"So Hermione – Claudia and I had a really good idea of what to do today. We have decided we three shall go to this perfect little place in Hogsmeade called Shaery's. It's this cute little place that you can go to through an alley. We think you would have lots of fun there," Susan said.
"And why's that?" Hermione asked.
"Because only people who are too dull to find a better way of spending their time go there," a male voice spoke out. "I would request that next time I do not get a morning wake-up call from two people singing horribly and almost akin to a drowned rat," Tom stated as he walked past them and left the area.
Hermione shook her head and agreed to meet Claudia and Susan around four to go into Hogsmeade. She assumed that if the place did not meet Tom's standards then it must be a very nice place full of nice people – quite the opposite of him.
Hermione went to get dressed and then walked down to the Great Hall for dinner. Claudia and Susan weren't her usual cup of company but they both had a way of being very persistent. The more she thought about it though, the less she wanted to go to Hogsmeade today. She was just going to confront them and tell them that she has too much homework and simply has to stay in the library today. Before she entered the Great Hall, coincidentally, she ran into Susan.
"Oh, Susan, do you have a minute?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah sure Hermione what's up?" Susan questioned back.
"I'm not going to be able to go to Hogsmeade with you two."
"Why? And don't give me some hogsworth about studying or anything like that. It will be fun, I promise you."
"It's not that it's just-" Hermione tried to think of an excuse other than the one she had planned, one that could not be worked around but she just was stumped. Then she saw someone she knew round the corner and had a spontaneous idea. "I forgot that I had already promised Draco that I would go with him tonight. Isn't that right Draco?" She directed at him, pushing his arm slightly so that he would stop walking and join their conversation.
"Isn't what right, Hermione?" Draco asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"That I promised you I would be available to go to Hogsmeade with you this afternoon," Hermione replied. Draco looked a bit uncertain and looked between her and Susan but then just replied with,
"Yes, of course. Don't even try weaseling out of this either. I will see you later at the entrance around two," he said as he strutted away. Susan made some comment about having to reschedule for another weekend and wiggled her eyebrows as if suggesting something, but Hermione just brushed it off – glad that she got out of that. She did not have any intention of going to Hogsmeade with anyone today – she would simply tell Draco the situation later and then go study in the library. Draco. The name sounded odd in her thoughts when it wasn't associated with distain. She still did not fully trust him, but she had to constantly remind herself that she did trust Dumbledore and Dumbledore sent him here.
LATER: It was now around two thirty and Hermione was in the Head's lounge finishing up some homework. Tom had recently joined her but they had yet to exchange any words, they were both silently working away at the table.
"What was your school like?" Tom suddenly intervened.
"I'm sorry, what?" Hermione replied back distractedly.
"Your school – the all-girls one – which I have yet to find out the name of," he retorted.
"Oh, so you were trying to find out information about me?"
"I was just curious and curiously enough you seem to avoid the question."
"Well maybe that's because I am busy working and did not come to this table to socialize."
"But last night it was all right to socialize here with your two little friends. Speaking of, shouldn't you be getting ready to go out with them?"
"No, I told them I had too much homework to do," Hermione replied as she skimmed one of her textbooks for a piece of information she needed in her homework. A few minutes went by in silence again. Hermione kept thinking of leaving but she didn't want him to assume she was leaving because of him – except that was the reason.
"They're beneath you anyways," Tom said suddenly after another few minutes of silence. Hermione turned and looked at him weirdly and was about to defend them and question what he meant when she heard a loud knocking at the door.
A male voice sounded through the door shouting, "Hermione, open up!" She knew that voice anywhere and sighed. She had meant to tell Draco that she wasn't actually going out tonight but she just never saw him and it slipped her mind. She stood up and opened the door to allow him in. She explained that they did not have to go to Hogsmeade together – she just made it up to evade her friends and work instead.
"Well, that's too bad because I will not be used like that. We are going to Hogsmeade whether you like it or not," Draco responded.
"Listen –" Hermione started.
"No excuses Hermione. Tom would you care to join us?" Draco asked. Hermione looked sharply at him, wondering what he was playing at. Then she mentally slapped herself. Here she was worrying about homework and writing essays when her true purpose for being in this time was to befriend Tom Riddle or whatever Dumbledore wanted her to do. Every time she thought too much about it she just got more confused but she trusted the man. Harry trusted Dumbledore – and she shall trust him too like she always has.
"As long as you refer to me as Riddle from now on, Mallory, I believe I will," Tom replied as he closed his notebooks and walked over to them. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go." Hermione felt it a bit odd at his eagerness to go with them. He didn't seem to be the going to Hogsmeade sort, but here he was joining Hermione and Draco.
Author's Note: This chapter is a bit longer than the other ones to make up for lost time. I'm not feeling extremely motivated for this fanfiction so please, if you want me to continue this review this chapter. Also feel free to provide some suggestions about what you would like to see happen in the future or perhaps in Hogsmeade and I might incorporate it somehow.
