Chapter 8: On My Own

The only thing that had kept me from hexing Tom into oblivion for being such a prat was Leontes. He told me that Tom was just going through a phase, and he'd get over it eventually. He promised to talk to him.

Sorry, did I ever say that Leontes was like Ron? What I meant to say was that he was just like part of my family. No wonder I liked being around him so much. He had become somewhat of a brother to me the past few months I'd been there. Tom, on the other hand, had been nothing but a nuisance. It wasn't until the last day of the first term that he made any effort to talk to me…

………………………………………………………………………………………

"I'm sorry."

I looked up coolly from my book. The last class of the first term had ended a few hours ago, and I was enjoying the break by curling up on the couch with a book about time travel. I had felt Tom before he had spoken. I could sense his resigned aura from across the room. About time. But just because I was a bit relieved that he was finally ending this ridiculous game, that didn't mean I'd make it easy for him.

"Hm?" I responded lightly. "What was that, Riddle? You're a sorry loser that needs to get pushed off a glacier?"

"Granger, will you stop that?" He put his head in his hands. "I don't generally apologize to people. At the rate this one is going, I don't think I'll be doing it again."

I smiled. This guy cracks me up. He has so little experience at being nice, it's pathetic.

"Alright, Riddle," I said. "I'll forgive you. But on one condition…"

"Do I even want to know?" He asked into his hands.

"It's not that difficult," I replied, pretending to examine my nails. "All you have to do is refrain from insulting people until the start of term."

"That's ridiculous, Granger!" He exclaimed, his head snapping up. "I don't value your company that much!"

"Then don't do it," I told him, turning back to my book. "But forget about me forgiving you."

"You drive a hard bargain, Granger," he said resentfully. "But Malfoy won't stop bothering me about it until this is done, so…"

"Oh, and all this time I thought you were being sincere," I muttered, my face falling. I wasn't really disappointed, as I expected nothing less from him, but he seemed to take it to heart.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked, rather offended. "Are you saying that I'm never sincere?"

"Of course I am," I replied off-handedly. "I can't even name one time that you've been sincere."

"Well, you can count this one," he said defiantly. "I'm sorry. I'm sincerely sorry."

My smile widened. I was getting through to him. At last.

"And...?" I prodded him on.

"And..." he sighed resignedly. "And...I'll be civil to everyone until the start of spring term."

"Really?" I said, mock-anxious. "You mean it?"

"Shut it, Granger," He said sourly, sitting back into the couch. He looked as if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. And he had just made my day.

"Now, that's not very civil," I responded, turning the page in my book.

Then it hit me. What if, by making him promise this, I had changed the whole future? What if, in my time here, I turn him into a nice guy who wants to join the peace corps right out of school, and then there is no dark lord? What if I'm not born because of it? What if...-- I pushed it all from my mind. There is no way Tom could become nice. Sincere, maybe. But to abandon his pent up hatred for muggles? That's much too much to expect.

I kept on reading.

Christmas was coming close. And for the first time in my life, I wasn't looking forward to it. What was Christmas without Harry and Ron to share it with? And my parents weren't here to send me a card that told me how much they miss me. The presents didn't bother me. The only thing I wanted for Christmas was to go home. But it wasn't going to happen.

Christmas Eve was brutal. I knew that when I awoke the next morning, there would be nothing for me here. There would be no Lavender and Parvati giggling about the jewelry they received from a secret admirer or their boyfriend. Ginny would not run up to my room in her Weasley sweater and sit on my bed to see what I got for Christmas. I would not be able to go into the Gryffindor common room to find Ron laughing and stuffing his face full of sweets, and Harry laughing along with him while pulling on his own Weasley-made sweater. I wouldn't be able to walk down to the great hall with my friends and sit across from Dumbledore, who was wearing his latest cracker prize.

All I would wake up to on Christmas morning was a cold dungeon with unfamiliar faces. I'd go into the common room and be greeted coldly by Slytherins. I'd sit out all my meals with people old enough to be my grandparents. Except that in this time, I have no grandparents. I have no parents. No family at all. All I have are Tom and Leontes. But they aren't enough. They aren't Harry and Ron. I mean, sure, I sent them each a present, but it was only some candies that I had gotten at Honeyduke's the last time I had went to Hogsmeade. Nothing special. I would have put more time into presents for Harry and Ron. But they weren't here.

I went to sleep that night with tears staining my pillow.

I awoke on Christmas day in a sour mood. I opened my eyes and sat there for about an hour, staring at the curtains that were pulled around my bed. I would have stayed longer, as I was planning to stay there all day, but my curtains were ripped open and the sunlight pierced my eyes. I wondered if it's damaging for pupils to dilate that quickly. Silhouetted against the bright light was Tom.

"What the hell are you doing up here, you idiot?" I shouted at him, pulling the blanket up over my head. "Go away!"

"I'm Head Boy, Granger," he responded, pulling the blanket down just under my eyes. "I can go wherever the hell I want. Why are you still in here? It's nearly eleven!"

"I'm my own person, Riddle," I shot back heatedly. "I can stay in here as long as I want."

"I never said you couldn't. I was just making sure you weren't dead."

"Sorry to ruin your Christmas, Riddle, but I'm still alive."

"Damn. Oh well, I suppose I'll just have to deal with it. I'll be downstairs if you decide to come out. Happy Christmas, Granger."

"Bah, humbug."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Happy Christmas."

He left the room, leaving me alone. I sat up and decided I wanted to change into regular clothes, and perhaps sit out by the lake. Which was frozen, but still. I went to my trunk, and stopped abruptly. There were three packages sitting at the foot of my bed. I was shocked, to say the least. I hadn't expected anything at all. I picked one up gingerly. It was rather small, and wrapped in striped green and black paper, with a pattern of silver snakes weaving around the stripes. It was from Leontes, obviously.

Inside was a silver bracelet enclosed in a jewelry box. It was pretty, but it didn't look too incredibly expensive. Which was an immense relief, considering I had only gotten him chocolate.

I put on the bracelet and tossed the wrapping paper and the box onto my bed. I lifted the next gift, wrapped in simple red paper with a gold bow. It was from Dumbledore. I smiled. How nice. It held an hourglass with the year I was currently in inscribed on the base of it. There was a short note in the box, which read:

Miss Granger,

I thought you might like a souvenir from your stay here. Be careful, it is fragile, as is the time it keeps. Do not abuse it.

Professor Dumbledore

Typical Dumbledore. Can't give me a straight out comment. It always has to be cryptic.

The last package was wrapped rather crudely in parchment. A smile flickered onto my face. There was only one person here with that little experience in gift-giving.

I neatly pulled open the gift wrap, and set it to the side as I held the present in my hand. It was a very small porcelain serpent. It looked rather like a basilisk, but I imagine that he would know exactly how to create one. Its features were sculpted intricately, every detail designed perfectly. There was no doubt that it was done magically, but even so, it was incredible. I was almost positive he had developed it himself.

Tears sprang to my eyes. You know that feeling when you're hit with a wonderful realization and it feels like you just downed an entire glass of hot chocolate in one gulp? I felt that feeling at that moment.

Leontes and Tom were truly amazing friends. And Dumbledore was a really caring, considerate professor. I was so lucky to be around people like them, yet I cried and wallowed in self-pity for a terribly long time. I could be stuck in a different time, or I could never have met Tom and Leontes, and wouldn't have any friends at all. They didn't measure up to Harry and Ron, of course, but they were all I had. I should really be thankful that they're here for me.

The only problem was that I didn't want them to be there for me. I mean, why should I? Leontes is destined to spawn a narrow-minded prick who, in turn, will spawn his replica who has made the life of my friends, and my own, a living hell. And Tom is to become a murderous psychopath, who kills anyone and anything blocking his path to world domination. Not very promising associations, let me tell you. But there was no one else.

I once thought that Slytherins weren't really all that bad, that they were just misunderstood. I was wrong. Slytherins are only civil to Slytherins. I really didn't want to spend my time hanging out with people who did nothing but put down Gryffindors and plot schemes to bring down others. Tom and Leontes seemed to be the only ones in the house who didn't participate in these petty activities. Leontes was much too busy hitting on girls, and Tom was always reading or patrolling the corridors.

Yet, although they were the only ones I could stand to be around, I was still not sure I felt right about calling Tom my 'friend.' If Harry ever learned of it, I would lose my best friends. Not just my best friends, but I would possibly even be shunned by the Order. I just couldn't understand how someone like him could become an evil dark lord. I mean, sure, he's really mean. And bossy. And smart. And intimidating. And did I mention mean? But I just couldn't picture him growing up to be a monster, and he was really growing on me as well. I chose to ignore it for the time being.

I dressed myself quickly, and placed Tom's sculpture in my robe pocket, next to my wand. I descended the stairs into the common room. It was deserted, except for one figure sitting by the fire with a book. I took the seat next to him. He didn't even look up from his book.

"Thank you," I said quietly, looking into the fire. "It's really pretty."

Tom raised his head, a faint smile on his face. "I'm glad you think so. I made it myself. Thanks for the candy. It was good."

"I'm glad you think so," I echoed. "I bought it myself."

"You put so much creativity into your gifts, Granger," he responding, turning back to his book. "It really amazes me."

"I might have put more care into it if I had thought that I was receiving a gift," I stated.

"Do you really think that little of me, Granger?" He turned the page of his book.

"It isn't that I think that little of you. It's that you act like you hate me most of the time, and people generally don't give things to people they hate. Except maybe a few nasty words and a broken arm," I said truthfully.

"I don't hate you, Granger."

"..."

"I just don't like you very much."

"Oh. How comforting."

"What, you don't dislike me?"

"Well, I didn't a minute ago." I crossed my arms over my chest, in a mock-indignant way. He glanced up at me, an amused smile on his face. As usual, though, the smile didn't seem to reach his cobalt eyes.

"Well, that's your loss, I suppose," he responded arrogantly. That tone always gets on my nerves.

"Yes, but I think I can live with it," I replied, irritated. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go find Leontes."

"Why?"

"I don't see why it's any of your business." I stood up.

"No need to get snappy, Granger," he said calmly. He had returned his attention to his book, his eyes freezing over again. "It isn't my business. Go ahead and do whatever the hell you want. Goodbye, Granger."

"Oh, I will," I retorted. "Goodbye, Riddle."

I left the common room, slightly steamed. I decided that I wouldn't talk to Tom again that day.

It turns out that Leontes was nowhere to be found. I asked around for him, and after an hour and a half, someone told me he had gone home last night for Christmas. I had forgotten he could apparate, and I was holed up in my room, so I hadn't known.

But Tom knew. And he sat there in the warm common room and let me search all over the school for someone who wasn't even there. Prat.

I decided to hang around the library for the rest of the day, stopping to pick up some food in the kitchens beforehand. I looked through books on time travel, just as I did nearly every time I was free. I left around dinnertime, disappointed that there was no information on random rooms that send you back to the 1940's. I was the last one to arrive, and several students had already left the table. Unfortunately, Tom wasn't one of those students. I took a seat on the other side of the table, hoping to eat quickly and go back to the library. I focused on my food completely, until I felt someone take a seat beside me. I glanced up. It was Dumbledore.

"Hello, Miss Granger," He said cheerfully.

"Hello Professor," I replied, sounding a bit lame compared to his holiday cheer.

"How are you doing?" he asked conversationally. "Your Christmas is going well, I hope?"

"Oh, I'm fine," I responded. "And my Christmas? It is going as well as can be expected, being away from my friends and family and all."

"Ah, I understand," he replied calmly. And that's what caused my anger to rise a little. What was he talking about? He didn't understand at all! And he's so sickeningly calm about it, it drives me insane. I know it isn't right to talk back to a teacher, but...

"No, actually, you don't," I replied, quietly, but hotly. "You don't understand one bit. I don't think I can take this anymore, being in this time. I want to go home. I want my friends back. I want to see my mum and dad again. I have to find a way out. I-I just have to. I have to go."

Wow, talk about mood swings. I didn't know where that came from, but I didn't pause to think on it. I left the Great Hall abruptly, and headed straight for the Astronomy Tower. I don't know what compelled me to take that route, but I did. When I reached it, I looked around for a spot that wasn't piled with snow. I found one around the corner from the door, and I sat down on the stone floor.

Going back in time hasn't been so good for my health. Ever since the first moment I arrived there, it was like I was lifted up by a rather brutal guy, thrown into a roller coaster car, and chained to the lap bar. This whole experience has not only been a roller coaster physically, but emotionally as well. I feared that by the time I was to go back home, I would have already gone mad. And it's all traced back to one person who I had the misfortune of meeting here. And, ironically enough, he had just taken a seat next to me atop the brutally cold astronomy tower.

"What the hell do you want, Riddle?" I exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Tell me what's bothering you," he ordered bluntly. "And make it quick. I have things to do."

"WHAT!" I shouted. "I never asked you to come up here! Go away! I don't want to talk to you!"

"I know you didn't ask me to come up here. Dumbledore did."

"And did he really believe that I was going to tell you? Of all people?"

"Oh, I know the answer to this one. Because I can read minds and everything. Granger, do you try to be an idiot? Or does it just come naturally?"

"I should ask you the same question!"

"You should? Go on, then. I have an answer."

"Stop it!" I punched him as hard as I could on his arm. Then I did it again. And again. He just sat there calmly, looking up at the sky. I don't know what threw me into the bout of violence, but I continued hitting his arm as I spat each word at him. "Get—away—from—me!—I—hate—you!"

And then I broke down. I leaned back against the wall and began to cry. It was just too much, these past few days. I really didn't want to cry, because then Tom might think he has to comfort me, and then his head would explode. But I couldn't stop the tears. It was about as futile as one person standing in the Nile river, trying to stop it from flowing.

"Are you finished?" Came Tom's voice from beside me. He sounded cold as ever.

"I'm finished with you, Tom," was my muffled reply, spoken through my hands. "I want you to go away. With you around, I can never lead a normal life. Just go."

"Sorry, Granger, but I can't do that," he said. "You could never lead a normal life anyway. I already know everything. I found out that first day I met you, and when you had that outburst at dinner, I overheard as well. I told you I could read you like a book."

"If you can read me like a book, then why do you need to ask me what's wrong?" I shot back, standing up to leave. He stood up as well, towering over me as usual.

"Look at me, Granger," he demanded, his serenity fading quickly. He forcefully grabbed my face around my chin and forced me to look up at him. His blue eyes stared into my own glaring brown ones. What is he doi-- Oh, damn it. Legilimency.

I closed my eyes quickly and squeezed them shut.

"Stop trying that crap with m--" I started. But I was cut off quickly by Tom. Not by his usual inconsiderate remark, but...

By his lips.

((A/N: And, that is the end of the story. I'm thankful for all those who reviewed, and hopefully you'll continue reading my works. It was great--- No, I'm totally kidding. I just thought I'd throw that in there. This is the longest chapter I've ever written. A whole eight pages! Woot! I was going to continue to write this chapter, but I figured I'd just leave off here and make you guys wait. Muahaha! This chapter is what my whole story is based on. I had a dream a while back that included all this happening in it. And that is what inspired my story. I added everything else to it, and voila! A story! Hermione, as you can see, is letting this whole time travel thing mess with her head, and she's having major mood swings. She's losing her sarcastic touch as well, but that's what happens when life is more stressful and sorrowful than fun. Hope you all liked the chapter, and another should be coming out...not very soon. I have band camp coming up, TWICE, and I have the Harry Potter book coming out and an Anime Convention I must prepare for. It'll be out before August 8th, though. Hopefully. Because if it isn't, school will get in the way and it won't be out for quite a while. But enough of my rambling. Review!))

Jess: Yes, only three. I apologize. When I mapped out the story, it was only going to be ten chapters. I didn't really intend for this story to be a long, meaningful one like most stories are. It's like a mini-series.

Nikki: Ah, thank you! You have a bright mind. I hate it when Hermione lusts after people. She's just not that type of person. I'm not sure if I'll write another Tom/Hermione story, because it'd just end up stupid. It would be much too similar to this one, and I'd have trouble thinking of new ideas. Sorry!

Black-rose23: Thanks! Sorry, a lame reply, but there's not much else to say to that...

LALALALALA SUSHIGIRL LALALALA: Ai, Ali, must you be so bold? The review did work, and if you aren't registered on here, you should be! They have tons of anime fics on here. Better than that piece of junk media miner. But anyways... I feel sorry for Stina, then. You and hyper in the same sentence doesn't sit well around other people. And that is great advice, about the chapter. I think I shall only make it 10 chapters. It's all I have. And Hiei is nowhere near as hot as Ed, so there's no need for you to preach that to me. But you and I are alike in the sense that we shall murder all fangirls in our way! Edward Elric fangirls, step down! Lol. We're such dorks. Peace out homey!

Dark lord shock: I'm glad you love it. It makes me feel so appreciated!(sniff)

CareBearErin: Yes, I suppose that Leontes is a bit like Harry. Except much hotter. I'm glad you liked it!