Chapter Two:
*
"Come on, Ron! You can't look at bad! Come on out! Everyone is dressed like this, if you haven't noticed."
"I'm NOT coming out in this stuff!" Ron said in a final voice from behind the bathroom door.
"I'm coming out in this stuff and I look just as ridicules as you!"
"Fine." She heard Ron mumble, and Hermione watched the doorknob move, holding her breath as Ron came out in the same clothes high class passengers on the Titanic normally wore. Hermione was wearing clothes that were normal for women in high class as well. Ron stared at her, dumbfounded, unable to speak, while Hermione smiled at him.
"You look fine."
"You do too." Ron tried to mumble, looking quite surprised at her now tamed hair.
You may be wondering how they got first class and how Ron is feeling about it, since he's not the richest fellow on the block. Dumbledore had given them everything for their whole time travel trip. The clothes, the money, everything. Ron was very excited.
"Too bad this is only muggle money." He said, and when Hermione didn't answer, he sighed. "So, what do we do now?"
"We have to blend in until we see anyone that resembles Tom Riddle."
"What is he going to do here?" Ron asked, looking around the ship as she pulled him outside their room.
"I'm not that sure, actually." She said, but she didn't seem to be paying attention as they joined the other passengers on deck. Ron leaned against the railing looking at the water as Hermione chatted with other first class muggles.
After a few hours Hermione turned around to go see how Ron was doing, just to see him running back towards their room.
"Ron?" she said in a confused voice, then she followed him anxiously.
*
"Oh I'm sorry. I never thought one of us would get sea sick!" Hermione said miserably.
"No, no, I'll be fine." Ron said as he lay in his bed, humiliated at this. He was going to try to prove to Hermione he could actually succeed at this.
"Are you sure?" She said, sitting on his bed behind him.
"Oh sure. This is nothing." He lied. "I just need to lay down for a little awhile. I'll be up in no time." He croaked.
"Well, if you say so. I'll come back and check on you later." Hermione shut the door softly, while looking back at him before it clicked. As the door shut Ron ran to the bathroom.
*
Hermione Granger was alone on the ship for quite a while. She checked up on Ron almost every hour, but the last time he insisted she had some fun. He told her to go out and try to find Tom Riddle. That was why they were there, wasn't it?
Hermione agreed and let Ron rest the rest of the night, while she went to a first class dinner. She wanted to bring him some food, but she knew he probably wouldn't eat it.
The secret witch stood by herself, while some couples started to dance. It was a beautiful sight, seeing everyone dance in candle light with moonlight shining in through the windows. She sighed, wishing Ron was there to dance with her.
Ron wouldn't dance with me anyway. She said to herself sadly. I've never seen Ron dance with anyone.
"Are you, by any chance, here by yourself?" said a male voice. Hermione, who had been lost in though, looked up in surprise, then blushed at a handsome man at seventeen in front of her. He looked familiar, but she was soon lost in his eyes and forgot what she was supposed to look for.
"Um...no... I... my, er, companion is sick in bed."
"Oh, that's too bad..." he said much too sweetly for his, or Hermione's, own good.
Hermione stood nervously in front of him, wondering what to do, when he said, "It's too bad for a girl like you to be stuck by herself with no one to dance with." He looked at her with a handsome face and she couldn't help herself. She felt like she was under a spell, but didn't pay too much attention to it. The mysterious boy held out his hand.
"Maybe I can steal a dance with you?" he watched her closely as she hesitated.
Ron wouldn't have danced with me anyway. What's wrong with me having a night out with a different boy? Ron is a dope who can't recognize my feelings for him even if I shoved it in his face...
NO! Hermione realized that she had just insulted Ron, and started to flood back into her own mind. She started to get confused, staring at the man, who still had his hand outstretched to her.
This witch is much too clever. The mysterious boy observed, realizing the danger. Slowly he made Hermione rise her hand against her will, and take his in hers.
He pulled the lady nearer to him, and whispered to her, "I know your hidden fears, your hidden wishes. I know what you're up to, and I can help you. Come and dance for a while. Let yourself go, forget about all this. Just for tonight..."
His voice was soothing and made Hermione start to relax in his arms. The next thing she knew, she was dancing among everyone else. Her mind was elsewhere, watching the others dancing in a blur. Her memory started to fade.
What am I doing here? She asked herself. Why am I so worked up about something? What did I come here for?
Darkness seemed to close around her, but she never realized it, until she felt other arms grab her around the wait and pull her from the evil magic. She slashed out in front of her, as if she was blind, hearing, but not feeling herself shouting.
"Let go of me!" she shouted, and she kicked behind her. She heard a loud, "OOF!" then a groan, and suddenly she could see again.
She was on her knees, leaning over Ron who was groaning on the floor. She looked around wildly, her heart thumping, as other guests were watching her, looking astounded. The mysterious boy was watching her seriously, just standing behind her. His eyes sliced into her, and she put her face into her hands, and wept.
*
"Don't worry, I won't let that creep near you again." Said Ron as she helped Hermione up. For a moment he didn't know what to do, but he stared into Hermione's face, which was wet in tears, and, for the first time, looking helpless. It was then when he knew what he had to do.
"Go on, there's nothing left to see here." Ron said to the other guests as he awkwardly tried to put his arms on Hermione's waist and put hers around his neck. He felt his ears turn red as they tried to dance, but Hermione looked like she was so far away.
It was a while before Hermione could find her true self again. Ron was concentrating so hard on dancing that he didn't realize Hermione's suspicious glancing around the room.
"Ron, did you see that boy as you pulled me away from him?" she asked Ron with a slightly far off tone in her voice.
"Yeah. He was an ugly, dark haired guy with that 'I'm all that' look to himself." Hermione rolled her eyes. She should have known.
"There's something about him... I just can't remember...I know who he is..." Hermione said in snippets, trying to get her thoughts out of her head and into the air so Ron could hear them.
"Who is he?" Ron said so quickly that he stepped on Hermione's foot by accident.
"I... I can't remember... He's someone we know...Urgh...what is his name!"
"The only person I can think of that we're supposed to know on this boat is Tom Riddle." Ron said absent mindedly.
Hermione stopped abruptly in her spot, causing Ron to trip over her foot. "What was that for?" he complained as he looked at her frightened face.
"Ron! Don't you get it! That was Tom Riddle! He was trying to... he was... he was trying to erase my memory!"
Ron stared at her wide eyed. "He was going to leave me here! With no knowing of who I was!" Hermione looked straight at Ron in horror.
"Oh..." said Ron awkwardly, shifting in his place. "I knew that... I knew that all a long. I was just trying to see if you were still your old self."
Hermione gave him a look, grabbed his hand, and ran out of the room as she said, "There's no time for that, Ron! Tom Riddle is here! We've got to find him! And quick!"
*
"Did you see which way he went when he left?" Hermione asked more to herself than to Ron as they searched the hallways.
"I saw him just kind of, disappear." Ron answered anyway.
"He could be anywhere!" Hermione groaned.
"I just have one question." Ron said, which angered her.
"What? What is your question? I'm warning you, Ron Weasley, if this is another one of your stupid questions, I'm gonna turn you into a frog because I am still very confused from that stupid spell Tom put on me and I have many questions of my own." Hermione said angrily in his face. Ron made a face at her, stepping back, but looked half impressed.
"I...I just wanted to know what V....Voldemort, or in our case, Tom Riddle, would want to do to change time here... I mean, if the ship already sunk, what horrible thing could he possibly do to alter muggle time? I mean, if he stopped it from sinking, how much would that alter time?"
Hermione's expression instantly changed to brilliance and surprise. She looked at Ron excited, her eyes shining.
"Ron! That was brilliant! I can't believe you thought of that! Oh Ron, you might just have saved us!"
Just before Ron could protest or ask what was going on, Hermione gave him a kiss, then grabbed his hand and they rushed off. It was Ron's turn to look dazed, confused, and far off this time, and he had no clue what was going on or why Hermione just gave him his first kiss on a sinking muggle ship.
*
"Come on, Ron! You can't look at bad! Come on out! Everyone is dressed like this, if you haven't noticed."
"I'm NOT coming out in this stuff!" Ron said in a final voice from behind the bathroom door.
"I'm coming out in this stuff and I look just as ridicules as you!"
"Fine." She heard Ron mumble, and Hermione watched the doorknob move, holding her breath as Ron came out in the same clothes high class passengers on the Titanic normally wore. Hermione was wearing clothes that were normal for women in high class as well. Ron stared at her, dumbfounded, unable to speak, while Hermione smiled at him.
"You look fine."
"You do too." Ron tried to mumble, looking quite surprised at her now tamed hair.
You may be wondering how they got first class and how Ron is feeling about it, since he's not the richest fellow on the block. Dumbledore had given them everything for their whole time travel trip. The clothes, the money, everything. Ron was very excited.
"Too bad this is only muggle money." He said, and when Hermione didn't answer, he sighed. "So, what do we do now?"
"We have to blend in until we see anyone that resembles Tom Riddle."
"What is he going to do here?" Ron asked, looking around the ship as she pulled him outside their room.
"I'm not that sure, actually." She said, but she didn't seem to be paying attention as they joined the other passengers on deck. Ron leaned against the railing looking at the water as Hermione chatted with other first class muggles.
After a few hours Hermione turned around to go see how Ron was doing, just to see him running back towards their room.
"Ron?" she said in a confused voice, then she followed him anxiously.
*
"Oh I'm sorry. I never thought one of us would get sea sick!" Hermione said miserably.
"No, no, I'll be fine." Ron said as he lay in his bed, humiliated at this. He was going to try to prove to Hermione he could actually succeed at this.
"Are you sure?" She said, sitting on his bed behind him.
"Oh sure. This is nothing." He lied. "I just need to lay down for a little awhile. I'll be up in no time." He croaked.
"Well, if you say so. I'll come back and check on you later." Hermione shut the door softly, while looking back at him before it clicked. As the door shut Ron ran to the bathroom.
*
Hermione Granger was alone on the ship for quite a while. She checked up on Ron almost every hour, but the last time he insisted she had some fun. He told her to go out and try to find Tom Riddle. That was why they were there, wasn't it?
Hermione agreed and let Ron rest the rest of the night, while she went to a first class dinner. She wanted to bring him some food, but she knew he probably wouldn't eat it.
The secret witch stood by herself, while some couples started to dance. It was a beautiful sight, seeing everyone dance in candle light with moonlight shining in through the windows. She sighed, wishing Ron was there to dance with her.
Ron wouldn't dance with me anyway. She said to herself sadly. I've never seen Ron dance with anyone.
"Are you, by any chance, here by yourself?" said a male voice. Hermione, who had been lost in though, looked up in surprise, then blushed at a handsome man at seventeen in front of her. He looked familiar, but she was soon lost in his eyes and forgot what she was supposed to look for.
"Um...no... I... my, er, companion is sick in bed."
"Oh, that's too bad..." he said much too sweetly for his, or Hermione's, own good.
Hermione stood nervously in front of him, wondering what to do, when he said, "It's too bad for a girl like you to be stuck by herself with no one to dance with." He looked at her with a handsome face and she couldn't help herself. She felt like she was under a spell, but didn't pay too much attention to it. The mysterious boy held out his hand.
"Maybe I can steal a dance with you?" he watched her closely as she hesitated.
Ron wouldn't have danced with me anyway. What's wrong with me having a night out with a different boy? Ron is a dope who can't recognize my feelings for him even if I shoved it in his face...
NO! Hermione realized that she had just insulted Ron, and started to flood back into her own mind. She started to get confused, staring at the man, who still had his hand outstretched to her.
This witch is much too clever. The mysterious boy observed, realizing the danger. Slowly he made Hermione rise her hand against her will, and take his in hers.
He pulled the lady nearer to him, and whispered to her, "I know your hidden fears, your hidden wishes. I know what you're up to, and I can help you. Come and dance for a while. Let yourself go, forget about all this. Just for tonight..."
His voice was soothing and made Hermione start to relax in his arms. The next thing she knew, she was dancing among everyone else. Her mind was elsewhere, watching the others dancing in a blur. Her memory started to fade.
What am I doing here? She asked herself. Why am I so worked up about something? What did I come here for?
Darkness seemed to close around her, but she never realized it, until she felt other arms grab her around the wait and pull her from the evil magic. She slashed out in front of her, as if she was blind, hearing, but not feeling herself shouting.
"Let go of me!" she shouted, and she kicked behind her. She heard a loud, "OOF!" then a groan, and suddenly she could see again.
She was on her knees, leaning over Ron who was groaning on the floor. She looked around wildly, her heart thumping, as other guests were watching her, looking astounded. The mysterious boy was watching her seriously, just standing behind her. His eyes sliced into her, and she put her face into her hands, and wept.
*
"Don't worry, I won't let that creep near you again." Said Ron as she helped Hermione up. For a moment he didn't know what to do, but he stared into Hermione's face, which was wet in tears, and, for the first time, looking helpless. It was then when he knew what he had to do.
"Go on, there's nothing left to see here." Ron said to the other guests as he awkwardly tried to put his arms on Hermione's waist and put hers around his neck. He felt his ears turn red as they tried to dance, but Hermione looked like she was so far away.
It was a while before Hermione could find her true self again. Ron was concentrating so hard on dancing that he didn't realize Hermione's suspicious glancing around the room.
"Ron, did you see that boy as you pulled me away from him?" she asked Ron with a slightly far off tone in her voice.
"Yeah. He was an ugly, dark haired guy with that 'I'm all that' look to himself." Hermione rolled her eyes. She should have known.
"There's something about him... I just can't remember...I know who he is..." Hermione said in snippets, trying to get her thoughts out of her head and into the air so Ron could hear them.
"Who is he?" Ron said so quickly that he stepped on Hermione's foot by accident.
"I... I can't remember... He's someone we know...Urgh...what is his name!"
"The only person I can think of that we're supposed to know on this boat is Tom Riddle." Ron said absent mindedly.
Hermione stopped abruptly in her spot, causing Ron to trip over her foot. "What was that for?" he complained as he looked at her frightened face.
"Ron! Don't you get it! That was Tom Riddle! He was trying to... he was... he was trying to erase my memory!"
Ron stared at her wide eyed. "He was going to leave me here! With no knowing of who I was!" Hermione looked straight at Ron in horror.
"Oh..." said Ron awkwardly, shifting in his place. "I knew that... I knew that all a long. I was just trying to see if you were still your old self."
Hermione gave him a look, grabbed his hand, and ran out of the room as she said, "There's no time for that, Ron! Tom Riddle is here! We've got to find him! And quick!"
*
"Did you see which way he went when he left?" Hermione asked more to herself than to Ron as they searched the hallways.
"I saw him just kind of, disappear." Ron answered anyway.
"He could be anywhere!" Hermione groaned.
"I just have one question." Ron said, which angered her.
"What? What is your question? I'm warning you, Ron Weasley, if this is another one of your stupid questions, I'm gonna turn you into a frog because I am still very confused from that stupid spell Tom put on me and I have many questions of my own." Hermione said angrily in his face. Ron made a face at her, stepping back, but looked half impressed.
"I...I just wanted to know what V....Voldemort, or in our case, Tom Riddle, would want to do to change time here... I mean, if the ship already sunk, what horrible thing could he possibly do to alter muggle time? I mean, if he stopped it from sinking, how much would that alter time?"
Hermione's expression instantly changed to brilliance and surprise. She looked at Ron excited, her eyes shining.
"Ron! That was brilliant! I can't believe you thought of that! Oh Ron, you might just have saved us!"
Just before Ron could protest or ask what was going on, Hermione gave him a kiss, then grabbed his hand and they rushed off. It was Ron's turn to look dazed, confused, and far off this time, and he had no clue what was going on or why Hermione just gave him his first kiss on a sinking muggle ship.