OH MY GOD!! I have 101 reviews! Can you believe that! I couldn't but I'm getting used to the idea (they love me, they really love me ~tear~) Thank you soo much!

Well that's all the stalling I'm going to do, after the disclaimer you can get on with the next chapter.

Disclaimer: If it wasn't mine in the first eight chapters what would make you think it would change midway?

Who Would Have Thought

Chapter 9

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Hermione awoke the next morning to numerous rays of sunlight lying humbly on her bed as the events of the previous night came flooding back into her head. Every word, every touch slowly trickled back into her mind making her wish more and more that it were a dream, a horrible nightmare that she would never have to worry about living out. The problem was that as much as she hated to admit it, every thing had already happened and would remain, vivid as ever, in her memory.

She got out of bed ready to face the day best as she could, considering the circumstances. Hermione went along with her regular morning routine of showering, dressing, finding something to do with her hair, brushing her teeth, and applying minimal amounts of makeup. Once she had finished she dashed down stairs to the Great Hall hoping to catch the last part of breakfast, seeing as she had slept in too long.

When she entered the Great Hall and looked over to find Katie and Michelle she realized one more crucial part of her evening, Travis. No one besides Tom, the other Death Eaters, and herself knew about his death, that is assuming that non of the Death Eaters had big mouths, in which case it would be all throughout the school by now.

Hermione found Katie and Michelle and settled herself between them with no intent on bringing up Travis; they however had other plans.

"Hey Herm." Michelle said absentmindedly without looking up from her monthly addition of Witch Weekly.

Katie however was getting tired of having no one to talk to; Michelle reading and everyone else engrossed with their own conversations.

"How are you doing?" Katie asked looking as though the top of the table was keeping her in place.
"I'm fine. What are you so happy about" Hermione ask with a look of shock on her face after seeing Katie with so much energy that early in the morning.

"Oh nothing except...You know that guy that sits behind me in Transfigurations, and you know how he is never paying attention and when McGonagall calls on him its like she just brought him back from dream land? Yeah well you know what he is thinking about that makes him zone like that?" Katie asked catching her breath from speaking so fast.

"I can't guess." Hermione said with a half-bemused look on her face.

"Me!!!!" she nearly screamed. "And guess what else... he is going to get his friend to see if I like him and then I have to get one of my friends to tell him that I like him and..."

Katie must have gone on for what seemed like hours until she felt she had enough and went early to the first class of the day, Herbology.

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Tom awoke to a beautiful day and it made him sick. What made him even sicker was that when he turned over Brigitte was sleeping peacefully next to him. She looked so content being next to him, but he hated when she stayed the night.

He got up ignoring her for the time being so that he could get ready for the day. He ran around the room collecting random articles of clothing that had been tossed carelessly aside the previous night. After throwing the pile of clothes on the bed next to Brigitte he proceeded in getting bathed, dressed, and anything else that he felt he had to do.

On his way to the door he figured that he had better get Brigitte out. He walked over to he side of the bed and just stared at her for a minute thinking about how she really was very pretty and wasn't that bad of a lay either. Before would let himself think anymore good thoughts about her he climbed onto his side of the bed and pushed her just hard enough to where she would fall.

Her face was priceless and the amazing thing was that it never got old, it was the same face every time. Anytime that she would stay the night in his bed he would always push her off the next morning and she would always make the exact face.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" came a perturbed voice from the floor. "You do this every time and it pisses me off."

"And I tell you every time I do that I don't like you sleeping in here." Tom said withstanding a smile.

"If you fall asleep then I think I have the right to fall asleep!" she replied as she got up off the floor and wrapped a sheet around herself.

"Would you stop that?"

"What did I do now?"

"Wrapping that sheet around you, it's not like I haven't seen you!" he confirmed.

"Last night wasn't enough for you and I have to skip breakfast for you, I – don't – think – so – sir." She replied kissing him softly on the lips after every word.

"Just because I want you to get rid of the sheet doesn't mean I want to screw you again." He said getting a little agitated. "So if you don't mind, get the hell out!"

Tom wasn't mad at her but he wanted her to get out so that she didn't think that he actually enjoyed her being in there with him. He pushed her out of the door with only her sheet and eventually threw her clothes at her once she started complaining half way down the hall. Once she was well out of sight he decided to go ahead and go down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

When he entered the noise filled room and found his normal spot next to Sercio he immediately began searching for a certain brunette Ravenclaw. Once he started looking he was interrupted by Sercio's inquiry of the last nights events.

"Did you catch her last night?" Sercio asked. "I didn't see you after you went chasing after her."

"What the hell are you on about?" Tom asked looking away from the Ravenclaw table.

"Hermione, did you catch her last night or did she tell?" He repeated.

"Oh. Yeah I caught her." He replied, once again taking up his search of the table again.

"Well what did you do to her, and is she even talking to you now?"

"Is that really something that you need to know, because I'm thinking that it's none of your business. You know how I feel about people getting into my business, correct?" Tom asked giving up after not finding her in her normal spot by those two girls or in any other place.

"Yeah, I was just wondering you know."

"Yeah right." Tom answered not really pay attention but more concerned about the where Hermione was. "Do you know those two girls names that are always with Hermione?"

"Yeah, why?" Sercio said wondering what Tom would want with them.

"Well!" Tom asked getting annoyed with him.

"Michelle and Katie, Michelle has the magazine, but why?"

"Nothing I'll be back in a second." He told his pondering friend as he rose from his set and started walking over to the girls.

He wasn't really sure that the girls would tell him where she was especially if she had told then what he had tried to do to her he previous night. Then again every girl in school would do anything if it meant that they would be seen with him, so he shouldn't have a problem.

"Hey Katie, Michelle." He said nodding to each and then sitting down in between them. "How are you two doing?"

"Fine!" both girls replied in shock that not only did Tom Riddle know their name, but also he was sitting down and having a conversation with them!

"So where are you going after this, what class?" Tom asked trying to make them think that he came over hear to talk to them.

"Herbology." Katie smiled back to him. "What about you?"

"Transfiguration, would you mind if I walked you two to your class since it is close to mine?"

"Mind? Of course not, we would love for you to!" Michelle exclaimed.

"Great!" Tom said getting bored with the girls. "So why aren't you sitting with Hermione today?"

"Oh she was here but she left." Michelle said not telling him exactly where for Hermione's sake.

"She went to Herbology." Katie blurted out before Michelle could tell her not too.

"I see." He said angry that she was alone but he couldn't leave because he had offered to take blonde and blonder to Herbology. "Well I'm going to go and finish my breakfast but I'll meet you at the doors when breakfast is over."

"See you there!" Katie responded flashing another killer smile his way.

"Bye." Michelle said with less enthusiasm then that of which Katie had displayed.

Tom slowly walked back to his seat wondering when he would be able to get her alone. He couldn't leave now because the girls were looking his way and if he left they would know that he just wanted to know where Hermione was. He could always have someone else go and talk to her and then tell him what she said. That was what he would do, not is first choice, but it would work, all he had to do is ask Sercio.

"Sercio." Tom asked after sitting down next to him.

"Huh?" Sercio answered more involved in his food then Tom.

"I need you to do me a favor." He said even though the words did not come easily.

"Excuse me!" Sercio choked. "The famous and independent Tom Riddle needs me, a lowly servant to help him? This should be good. Go ahead, I'm all ears."

"Would you shut up! I need you to go talk to Hermione for me."

"And you can't do it yourself because..." Sercio questioned.

"If you have to know she isn't at breakfast and I wanted to know where she was so I asked her friends and they said she was already at Herbology, the class that I have to take her friends to." Tom explained, getting mad at himself and Sercio.

"You got yourself in a mess have you?" he replied with a bemused grin plastered to his face. "I guess I could help you but you owe me one."

"Wouldn't have guessed," he said in an undertone. Tom knew that he would want something in return but he needed to tell Hermione something and Sercio was his only option. "Fine, you can tell me later what you want but for right now I need you to persuade her to meet me in the Astronomy Tower tonight at nine o'clock."

"Do you want me to tell her who she will be meeting?" Sercio asked.

"...er...no... No I wouldn't think that would be a very good idea." Tom replied surprised that he hadn't thought of that. "Now get the hell out of here, you're wasting time. I'll be down when the bell rings to drop off her two friends."

Tom watched as Sercio walk out of the Great Hall's double doors in the direction of the green houses. He wasn't really sure what he was going to tell her that night but he just had to see her and talk to her again, even if it was all yelling. A small part of him hoped that it would involve yelling she looked so cute when she was angry, that might have been do to the fact that he had rarely seen her otherwise. Needless of her mood he still had to talk to her and try to make up some reason to his actions the previous night.

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Hermione walked over to one of the stone benches and waited for the bell to ring. She was thinking about the night before and if she should tell Michelle and Katie or not. They were her best friends but she really didn't want to bring them into it, she could tell Ron and Harry but they would go crazy and try to make her come home. Then she remembered all the letters that they had sent her and she hadn't answered or even thought about.

She was about to run upstairs and read at least a few of them before the bell rang when she saw someone walking towards her. She could tell that it was a guy judging by the build but she couldn't think who would come to class early. It looked like he was walking towards her, that's just what she needed, another guy to harass her, great. She tuned the other way hoping that he would ignore her being there.

"Hi." The stranger said sitting down next to her.

"Mmm." Hermione said try to ignore him.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" he asked looking at the back of her head.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked turning around to see who it was. "Oh, hey. Didn't know it was you. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay, what about you, sitting by yourself?" Sercio asked.

"Trying to get away from people." She mumbled with a far off look in her eyes.

"Are you okay, you look really out of it." He questioned turning her head so that she would look at him.

"Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine. How are you?" she asked finally really looking at him.

"You already asked me that," He laughed. "But I'm still OK. Are you sure you don't want to talk about anything, I'm all ears and I promise not to tell anyone if you don't want me to."

Hermione wasn't planing on telling him anything, let alone talk to him, but there was something about him that made her feel like she could tell him anything. She didn't care that he was one of Tom's best friends, it only mattered that he was there to listen and she wouldn't have to worry about him judging her or telling anyone.

"Ok." She said, and started to tell him everything that happened, from the first day she meet Travis to what she was feeling that very moment not leaving a single thing out. Once she had finished she found that she was crying but she didn't feel like she should try and stop, it felt like the perfect thing to do. After all that had happened she felt that crying would make everything better and when Sercio wrapped his arms around her she fell into his embrace.

She remained in his arms allowing herself to cry until there was nothing left. When she had stopped she looked up into his warm gray eyes that seemed to be welcoming anything else that she wanted to throw at him, and asked him the first thing that came into her head.

"Why do you hang around Tom?" Hermione asked before she could stop herself. "Oh sorry, forget I said that."

"No it's ok." He answered still holding her close to his chest. "I guess because he needs someone to talk to and I'm the only one that will actually listen to him. Don't tell him that though he would kill me if he know I told you."

"I wouldn't think about it. I never want to see him again, let alone talk to him."

"I can't say I blame you." Sercio said. "What are you doing this weekend?"

"Going to Hogsmeade, we all are." She laughed.

"I know that but what do you say we grab a Butterbeer together?"

"That sounds really good, meet you about noon and we will have lunch too." Hermione suggested with a grin on her face.

"Great."

"Good."

Just then the bell rang in the distance signaling them that it was time to go to the next class. Hermione didn't want him to go but she knew that she would see him again tomorrow at Hogsmeade. She wanted to tell him how much he had helped her by listening but she wasn't sure how. She decided that she might as well just come out and say it before she regretted it.

"I really appreciate you listening to me, it helped more than you can imagine." She told him standing up and looking him straight in the eyes. "I know that this is really sudden of me, especially after loosing Travis but... I really like your company and... well... I was wondering if we could talk again, besides meeting at Hogsmeade?"

"I would love to, just name the time and place and I will be there." Sercio said flashing her a rare smile.

"Thanks. Well I guess maybe we should go to class." She suggested.

"Yeah, so I'll meet you tomorrow outside the Three Broomsticks?"

"Wouldn't miss it" Hermione replied leaning down and kissing him softly on the cheek. "Bye."

"See ya." Sercio said getting up and walking to his next class not realizing who had stood and watched them only moments before

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Tom got up from his spot at the Slytherin table to go get the girls to class. All eyes were on him as he walked slowly to the Ravenclaw table where Katie and Michelle were sitting talking and laughing with their friends. Every table that he passed he could hear faint whispers about him and what he was planning to do.

"Where is he going so early?"

"I know we have what, five minutes, and he is normally late to his classes."

"What do you want to bet he is going to talk to that girl, what's her name again?"

"Hermione. No, she isn't over there, she left earlier and Sercio went after her."

"Who are those girls that he is talking to?"

"Aren't those her friends? What would he want with them?"

"Last I heard Hermione was pissed at him so he went back to Brigitte."

"Look they are leaving together!"

Tom was livid as he walked down the hall with Katie on his left arm and Michelle on his right. It took all the strength he could muster to smile at them and talk to them without any signs of hate in his voice. What would make them think that he would want anything to do with those two, and how did they find out about Brigitte. They weren't back together, no he would shoot himself before that happened, but somehow they found out something went on between them.

He tried to cool down with the thought that at that very moment Sercio was talking to Hermione and persuading her to meet him that night. Tom had left early to see her before class and maybe talk to Sercio about what she had said and if he had been brought up in the conversation. Little did he know what he was about to see.

Katie and Michelle were chatting merrily to him as they neared their destination; Tom however didn't have a clue what it was about. He had picked up his pace to a something just below a jog and they girls were struggling to keep up, but much to his disappointment they continued to talk as though they weren't even waking. As he walked through the main doors to the grounds he stopped dead in his tracks making it so Katie and Michelle had to hold on the doors to keep them standing.

Tom stood rooted to the spot for what seemed like hours until the bell finally rang and hundreds upon hundreds of feet pounded on the cold stone floors. He was about ready to punch Sercio as hard as he could when he saw the one thing that could make him want to kill, the same thing that had made him kill Travis.

He practically threw the girls in the green house and stormed back inside, his black robes billowing behind him as he went. He wasn't sure where he was going to go but he knew that it wouldn't be class, Dumbledore could kiss his ass. The only thing that he could think about was the pain he was going to inflict upon Sercio the next time he saw him.

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A/N: Poor Sercio! And he was one of my favorite characters ; ) but I'm not so sure I like where it is going so you really have nothing to worry about cause it will probably change (te he he)

Anyway… I actually updated sooner you should all be proud of me! But I don't think I will have the next one out in two weeks cause I'm going to Michigan!! But if I'm not doing anything I will try to type some more so I can post when I get home.

Thank you all soooooo much for all the reviews! I still can't believe that I have 101!! But that doesn't mean you can stop reviewing that just means you have to do more and more = ) Oh, but I can't thank you enough.

That's all I got I have to go and finish packing because I have an early flight (ick!) so I guess I'm going to go and will try my hardest to type while I'm gone but no promises = )

Thanks a ton!

~LuV yA~