Chapter 48
"A Light in the Dark"
Hermione followed the stone steps up to a tower she knew from long ago to be Tom's study. Every step she took seemed to make time slow down and all the noises from the battle disappear. She fixed her eyes on the old oak door ahead of her. Her feet came to the last step. She placed her hand on the rusted brass door handle and pushed it open.
The room was dark and airy. Wind rushed in from the window and an open door that led to a small balcony. She could the thunder from the brewing storm outside. She lowered her robe hood and then took off her robe. She placed it on a chair and looked around the small study, seeing a desk covered in books and papers. There were a few bookshelves covered in dust and cobwebs. An old globe rested in a dark corner. Hermione saw a picture of herself and walked up to it. It was the one from the Daily Prophet. She picked up and old photo frame and saw a picture of Tom and Katrina in the Slytherin common room.
Tom had heard the door open and close. It was dark in his study and he couldn't make out who it was. He grabbed his wand and quietly snuck up on the figure as they looked at a photo on the wall, then pick up a picture frame. He put his hand on the figure's shoulder. The figure jumped and dropped the photo frame, causing it to crash onto the old wooden floor and break the glass. A candle-lit torch came, flooding the dark room with light. Hermione spun around and came face to face with Tom.
Tom dropped his wand when he saw who it was. Without thinking, he pulled Hermione into a hug and buried his head in her soft, silky hair. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. They both just stood there, lost in each other's embrace.
"I can't believe you came back to me, after what I did to you," said Tom, holding Hermione out so he could look at her beautiful face. "I could never forgive myself if I ever hurt you."
Hermione starred into those emerald green eyes.
"I came back because I love you," she said.
Tom lowered his head.
"How could anyone ever love a monster," he said.
"Because behind that monster exterior, there lies someone beautiful," said Hermione.
Tom looked at the wonderful woman before him and wondered how he had become so lucky to find her. Remembering something, he dug around in his robe pocket and pulled out the ring that Hermione had thrown back at him. He twirled it around in his fingers, thinking deeply.
"Hermione, would you accept this, again?" he asked while holding the ring up in the light.
Hermione looked at it and then at Tom. She smiled and blinked back a few tears.
"Of course," she said.
Tom slid the ring on her finger and kissed her hand. Hermione placed her arms behind his neck and gazed into those eyes she found herself at home in. She leaned in and kissed his soft lips.
"Come run away with me. We can start a new life somewhere else," said Hermione.
Tom looked away.
"I can't," he said. "Even if I could get away, how long would it take for them to track me down like and kill me like some pathetic animal?"
Hermione bit her lip. It was true that even if he did hide, the wizarding world would be after him. He would never sleep without wondering if he would ever wake or go somewhere without looking over his shoulder.
"Tom, I need to tell you something," said Hermione.
Tom turned his gaze back onto the angel before him. She seemed to glow with such an unseen and unknown pride he had never seen before.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I'm pregnant."
"A Light in the Dark"
Hermione followed the stone steps up to a tower she knew from long ago to be Tom's study. Every step she took seemed to make time slow down and all the noises from the battle disappear. She fixed her eyes on the old oak door ahead of her. Her feet came to the last step. She placed her hand on the rusted brass door handle and pushed it open.
The room was dark and airy. Wind rushed in from the window and an open door that led to a small balcony. She could the thunder from the brewing storm outside. She lowered her robe hood and then took off her robe. She placed it on a chair and looked around the small study, seeing a desk covered in books and papers. There were a few bookshelves covered in dust and cobwebs. An old globe rested in a dark corner. Hermione saw a picture of herself and walked up to it. It was the one from the Daily Prophet. She picked up and old photo frame and saw a picture of Tom and Katrina in the Slytherin common room.
Tom had heard the door open and close. It was dark in his study and he couldn't make out who it was. He grabbed his wand and quietly snuck up on the figure as they looked at a photo on the wall, then pick up a picture frame. He put his hand on the figure's shoulder. The figure jumped and dropped the photo frame, causing it to crash onto the old wooden floor and break the glass. A candle-lit torch came, flooding the dark room with light. Hermione spun around and came face to face with Tom.
Tom dropped his wand when he saw who it was. Without thinking, he pulled Hermione into a hug and buried his head in her soft, silky hair. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck. They both just stood there, lost in each other's embrace.
"I can't believe you came back to me, after what I did to you," said Tom, holding Hermione out so he could look at her beautiful face. "I could never forgive myself if I ever hurt you."
Hermione starred into those emerald green eyes.
"I came back because I love you," she said.
Tom lowered his head.
"How could anyone ever love a monster," he said.
"Because behind that monster exterior, there lies someone beautiful," said Hermione.
Tom looked at the wonderful woman before him and wondered how he had become so lucky to find her. Remembering something, he dug around in his robe pocket and pulled out the ring that Hermione had thrown back at him. He twirled it around in his fingers, thinking deeply.
"Hermione, would you accept this, again?" he asked while holding the ring up in the light.
Hermione looked at it and then at Tom. She smiled and blinked back a few tears.
"Of course," she said.
Tom slid the ring on her finger and kissed her hand. Hermione placed her arms behind his neck and gazed into those eyes she found herself at home in. She leaned in and kissed his soft lips.
"Come run away with me. We can start a new life somewhere else," said Hermione.
Tom looked away.
"I can't," he said. "Even if I could get away, how long would it take for them to track me down like and kill me like some pathetic animal?"
Hermione bit her lip. It was true that even if he did hide, the wizarding world would be after him. He would never sleep without wondering if he would ever wake or go somewhere without looking over his shoulder.
"Tom, I need to tell you something," said Hermione.
Tom turned his gaze back onto the angel before him. She seemed to glow with such an unseen and unknown pride he had never seen before.
"Yes?" he asked.
"I'm pregnant."