Both had completely lost track of time. As Hermione stood there resting her head against Tom chest, she could hear his heartbeat, comforted that it was as calm as her own. She had not felt so calm, warm, or comfortable in the longest time. Suddenly she felt his hands that were wrapped around her gently tighten very quickly. She had not even realized that she had been falling from his arms. A wave of weariness swept around her quickly and she felt herself being lowered to the ground in his arms as he looked at her with concerned eyes, and very curious as to what went wrong. But he hid these feeling quickly as began to sense why her body had given out on her. The time traveling, the panic, and the confusion…she had exhausted herself. As she lay in his arms loosing consciousness he lifted her up softly and started to carry her to a place where she could rest. He knew it was not necessary to place her in the Gryffindor common room. He could not have her staying there. But there was a discreet and private chamber he knew of where she could rest for the night while he took care of a few things. He had been studying and memorizing the different passageways through the school for many years now and knew how to get her there undetected. Once he had done, so he placed her upon an empty coach stranded by a wall to rest and took one last glimpse of her before leaving, he headed toward the door.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open as she saw Tom's dark silhouette gliding away. Sensing her eyes falling upon him, he turned and came back toward her and knelt beside her.
"Where are you going?" she asked softly.
"I must speak with the headmaster and arrange for you to be resorted."
"How? He has already assumed that I'm in Gryffindor."
"Headmaster Dippet may have eyes to see the obvious, but he is rather blind. I will have to explain to him how your robes must have been handed down to you and that you have not been sorted yet," he explained. "I will return soon. You must rest. You've been through too much in the past few hours and your body needs to recover." With that said he kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes and again made his way to the doorway.
Tom couldn't stop his mind from wondering while walking down the dark halls, only lit by dying torches. So many questions still remained to be answered. He knew the battle with Hermione's emotions had not been won just yet. She had been under the influence of his enemies for too long not to question everything that happened as it was happening. The hardest wounds to heal he knew would more than likely be the invisible ones. It would take time, but it was time he now was able to give. He just wanted to be able to get back to her as soon as he could. He wanted to be the first thing she saw if she awoke. It could be damaging if he weren't, especially if she were to awake with no one around, and no idea where she was.
He soon approached the entrance to the Headmaster's office and it opened immediately for him without needing the password. Being one the best students of Hogwarts and very well trusted by most of the professors was quite to his advantage.
The headmaster was waiting for him once he had reached the top of the stairs.
"Is there something I can do for you, Mr. Riddle?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. I have spoken with our new student, Hermione Granger, and it appears that she has not been sorted yet."
"She appeared to have to been sorted into Gryffindor, Mr. Riddle. Or was my assumption incorrect?"
"I believe so, sir. Apparently she acquired her robes from a relative once the word was passed that she would be attending school here."
"I was told she had no remaining relatives."
"She said they were left for her."
Professor Dippet nodded seeming satisfied with explanation Tom had given him. "Very well. She may rest in the guest tower for the time being. Sorting will commence in two days, after the end of the week. Thank you Mr. Riddle for bringing this to my attention."
"Your more than welcome, sir. Good night."
"Good night."
Tom left the headmaster's office feeling a little more relieved than he was when he entered. That was one less problem to take care of. Only one more thing was left to do before the problem of Hermione's house was chosen for her. But Tom did not see it as something to be worried about. But he would need to gain more trust from her before he did so.
He was taken by surprise when a feeling of comfort came running through his veins once he set eyes upon the door Hermione was resting behind. He quietly opened it hoping to see her the same way he did before he left. And sure enough, there she was. A smile crept upon his face when he saw her. He swiftly made his way to her, trying not to make any noise that had the potential to wake her. Her breath came soundlessly; she was in a very deep sleep while her body healed itself. He took up in his arms and rested her weak figure against his. She didn't even make to smallest sound while he carried her toward the guest tower. He felt rather uncomfortable with no option but to leave her alone in her own quarters while he was forced to sleep in his Slytherin dorm, but figured that as long as she was near by she would remain safe. He did not wish for her to be disturbed by anyone; therefore using another passageway only known to him seemed like a good idea at the time.
Luckily, no password was needed to enter the guest tower. Upon entering he saw it more than fit for her to stay the night. The smell of lavender was pleasantly overwhelming. Decorated with all shades of blue and violet, the fabrics of all kinds swayed with the light breeze along a beautifully designed window to a balcony that saw over the lake were open. The bed was fit for two, lined with gold woven string with the colors of the curtains flourishing throughout the intricate design of the bedspread. The walls were decorated with paintings of cool colors making the room fit for a queen. He normally wouldn't have minded her staying here regularly if it had not been so far from him. But he was sure she would find her place with him just a comfortable, if not better.
He again set her down gently on the bed and covered her with the comforter. The way the glow of the night sky enlightened her face was stunning. He couldn't help of stare at her for the moment.
With one last glimpse of her face, he left the tower. But not before writing her a brief note for her to find in the morning telling her where to find him once she awoke.
The hardest part of the transition was thankfully over. But had everything been set in place yet…not in the least.
A/N: School has been taking up so much of my time its not even funny. This has been the weekend in months that I have had a weekend were I could just sit down and relax and think about having to go back to school! :::screams::: Thank you so much for your reviews! They really encourage me to write more. Your advice has helped to improve my writing skills too. I really appreciate every review and read every single one! So don't be shy to send more if you have not already done so.
Kate Crawford- Thanks a lot for the advice on the floppy. I appreciate you taking the time to ask your dad. And don't worry; the whole story has a twist in it where all the questions will be answered. I've got it all plotted out in my head. By the way, the reason why you probably read one a lot like it is because a long time ago before I figure out how the site handles things, I just posted up the whole story. Then deleted it and started over, then the floppy problem came. Anyway, thanks again!
Xx Swt Anz Ang3lxx- Yay! I know! Why be normal? Weird is fun. Thanks for reviewing!
Meghan- o.O ……………………no comment.
Ashii Black- I'm glad you found it too! Thanks for reading!
Fantome- Wow! Thank you so much for reviewing. All that means so much to me! I couldn't be more pleased that you like it. The day I received those you just brightened my day! You have great description in your stories. I really love them. Happy writing! Thank you!
Deadly Fate and Roses In Bloom- Thank you for sending those. They helped me to start kicking myself to get back in the habit of writing whenever I had a spare moment.
The Kath, Melodie, Silbara, Dreamgirl- Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Did I forget anyone? Let me know. I can fix that. P.S. Sorry if there are type-o-s. I've having trouble spotting my own mistakes. But it's getting better!
PLEASE REVIEW!!!