Blinded By The Past, Ignored In The Future

Chapter 14

FOURTEEN: Pleasant Dreams

Response to Reviews:

drex: Thanks for the info.

Deadly Fate: I'll try to make the chapters longer.

Marauder1prongs: Rather mean, aren't you? Don't answer that.

Miss Mina Murray: Was it really that sad? I knew it seemed a bit but wow. And I guess e-mails will have to do. I too have to work hard to keep up in school and other things. Notice how the response to your review is the longest second time running? It's like a conversation in between chapters. One last thing….my annoying, ambitious friend, Sev (Severus is his middle name), says hi. Don't be fooled he's very mean but insists to interfere with my life constantly (like an older brother).

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Previous Chapter: He actually listened to her? Hermione stared at him in a new way. This whole thing was proving to be very weird. Was he up to something or did something happen while being kept prisoner that made him act like this? Well, Hermione though, only time would tell… 

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Tom watched the sleeping brunette with interest. She wasn't that hard to fool, to manipulate to fit a purpose but still…she reminded him of everything that he had in a friend. She and Ruby did have a lot in common: both muggle-born, quite clever, and optimistic.

Gra-Hermione turned over in her sleep as he got up to add a bit more wood to the fire. He sat there starring at the orange embers of the flames, allowing his mind to wonder in his own thoughts, his face emotionless.

Ruby had vanished when Ho-neaou and the Gryffindor pest had showed up with the tag along, Draco. She left him again…just like before. His turquoise eyes reduced to slits in anger. It was all Dumbledore's fault. He did this to them all. If it weren't for him he never would have been here in the first place.   

That's not right…a nasty voice in his mind commented. After all you created the diary.

Riddle shook the thoughts away as Hermione stirred again. How many damn times did she have to turn to get comfortable? He wondered. When she stopped he sat up and flipped open his diary. Reaching into his pockets he found the stolen inkpot and quill.

Dear Diary,

I've managed to escape Voldemort's clutches and am on a mission to return Granger (or Hermione rather) to Hogwarts, but she doesn't know that I don't intend to stay there. I can't. There are to many memories there. Everything from Ruby to the Chamber is carved into its very walls, floor, and even enchanted ceiling. I can't bare the thought that-that she's not coming back.

I'm sorry. I got a little emotional there, but it's better to write it down than to tell someone. They would think I'm a few stitches short of a sweater or, in other words, they would send me to St. Mungo's then from there I would go straight to Azkaban.

He looked up at the sound of a muffled yawn. He watched as Hermione sat up and asked, "Why are you awake, Tom?"

Tom sneered at her. It was better if she knew less that needed. "Don't you have beauty sleep to catch up on? Merlin knows you need it." She glared at him, mad at herself for trying to be civil, and then she lay down on ground again.

Yes…Tom thought. It was better if she didn't know too much. That way she wouldn't care if things got bad from here on. He continued writing as if there had never been an interruption: 

I don't have much more to say to you. After all you are the cause for all of my problems.

Until I write again,

Tom M. Riddle

Tom set the book protectively within his hand's reach and did as Hermione was currently doing. He watched the dying flames with no interest, once again his mind was wondering into the unknown and before he knew it, he was fast asleep…

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(Dream)

Ruby smiled at him as she tugged on his arm, trying to get Tom to follow her into an old store in the heart of London. The small store on Vauxhall Road was famous for small, crafty objects that Tom just wasn't fascinated in.

He struggled lightly, not wanting to give the redhead the satisfaction of knowing that he actually wanted to go in and she what she was fussing about. He protested as he did so, "Awww…come on, Star! I don't wanna go in! Jet-jaw will go in with you!"

"No, he won't!" Lucius said from a safe distance, Narcissa holding onto one of his arms. She glared at him and hit him hard on the back of the head.

"Don't force your friend to go through the horror alone!" she scolded, smirking because she loved the store as much as Ruby did.

"Damn Ravenclaws," me mumbled, rubbing his now sore head.

"Help me!" Tom pleaded dramatically. To add to the show he reached out with his free hand for Lucius.

"I can't make it!" Lucius yelled as he reached for his friend in slow motion. Narcissa, now bored with the Slytherin boys' performances, pushed her boyfriend into the dark hair boy. Then, raising an eyebrow at her girl counterpart, they dragged the boys (who were still fighting weakly) into the store.

Tom and Lucius looked around, trying to hold in their fake traumatized faces. Finally Ruby hit them both. "Grow up."

"Don't hit my man!" Narcissa snapped at Ruby.

"Yeah!" Lucius agreed in a pouting tone.

"Only I can hit him!" she continued.

"Yeah! Wait-" but before the Malfoy could figure out his mistake Narcissa had backhanded him. "Oww!"

The rest of the group laughed at him as he scowled like a child. "Poor, Lu!" Tom mocked him. "Do you need some ice?"

"Not from you," snorted Lucius, remembering what had happened last time he had accepted. He hadn't been able to get warmed up for a week.

He looked to his girlfriend and saw that Narcissa's light gray eyes were warm with a happiness Lucius had only noticed in her about a month ago Ruby and Tom had also seemed happy about their new friend and were accepting her like they had him.

Ruby pulled something off of the shelf and showed it to Tom. "Look, Blaze. It's a leather-bound diary. I wish I could afford it. I wanted to get it for you for your next birthday."

"But, Star, my birthday isn't 'till December. That's a good five months away," Tom said, taking the small, black book from her.

"I know but this birthday is going to be special!" she declared. "I know it is. It's a big thing, you know, to turn sixteen."

"Then I'll have to get you something good come November," Tom told her, placing the book back upon its original resting place, a long narrow shelf.

"That reminds me, Flower," Lucius said, using Narcissa's nickname, "You're birthday is coming up in four months, is it not?" She nodded, happy that he remembered. "Then I'll have to find you something worth your while." She turned a pale pin in embarrassment. Ruby hit her shoulder playfully, laughing freely.

(End of Dream)

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Hermione eyed Tom with caution. He had been sleeping for hours, clutching his diary all the while. She could tell that he was in bad shape. He might not last for much longer if his injuries weren't attended to quickly.

Much to the protest of her aching muscles, she got to her feet and stretched. She felt rested and now she needed to repay Tom for his help so far. Maybe she could even earn a bit of trust out of him so their temporary partnership would be easier to deal with.

She left the campsite and wondered around until she found a small stream of crystal clear water. It was truly a wonderful sight to behold. The chirping birds and sound of the flowing small river was peaceful. Sinking down to her knees at the edge of the water, she dipped her hands into the stream and splashed in upon her face.

The Gryffindor repeated this process a few times before wiping the water away. Pondering how she was going to get some of it back to Tom and take care of his wounds was a wonder to her. Then she got an idea.

Hermione tore off a small portion of her robes and soaked it in the cold mini river. All she had to do was return to this spot once in awhile to re-soak the piece of clothing. She got to her feet and made her way toward where Tom was.

He was still fast asleep by the trees, and it definitely was going to be easier to do her task if she didn't have to put up with his excessive sneers and sarcasm. As carefully as she could Hermione knelt down by him and thankfully he turned over onto his stomach in his sleep.

She noticed that his robes were torn and covered in fresh blood, which meant that he was probably still bleeding. Not sure how she could, she pulled his robes off without him waking.

"Either someone slipped him a bit of the Draught of Living Death or he is in worse shape than I thought," she said to herself. His back was worse than she had expected. Not only as it covered in cuts, blood, and dirt but also bruises the size if her fist. Praying that he wouldn't wake she gently put the dripping wet cloth to his back. Tom groaned and Hermione shushed him.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled weakly through gritted teeth, trying to force himself up.

"Don't," Hermione replied. She softly forced him down. "I'm just cleaning you up a bit. Can't have you running about like this, can I?" He grumbled something, yawned, and then fell back into a forced sleep. Hermione wasn't sure if she should be thankful or worried that he hadn't put up much of an argument.

After a few more visits to the stream Tom's back was semi clean and she was forced to leave it at that since he was now up and about. Tom was bit snappy but she had to admit that whatever he had been through would make her just as angry and cruel. 

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They both sat in uncomfortable silence once Tom had put his robes back on. He couldn't believe that Hermione had taken it off and was trying to clean up what the Death Eaters had done. It was embarrassing to have to allow her to help, but he knew he wouldn't have been able to do it himself.

He rubbed his head, still feeling the after effects of the Cruciatus. When he looked up he realized that it was getting dark. Voldemort would surly send his Death eaters out again now that there was almost no light. Making sure the fire was out he left the campsite, motioning for Hermione to follow, which she did.