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Part 8

Upon waking, her whole body felt as if it had been put through several bouts of the Cruciatus. Hermione ached everywhere and her head had pounded with her every heartbeat. Riddle had been in a similar state, evidenced by the general lack of biting comments, or conversation at all, during their journey to Dumbledore's office. When Dumbledore told them they wouldn't be working on improving their ability endure separation, Hermione had almost cheered with relief. The potions Dumbledore had given them barely took the edge off their pain but it had been enough to make Hermione regret getting out of bed at all. Her regret only deepened after she learned the new exercise Dumbledore was going to put them through.

Reliving the delights of the levitation charm was a subtle form of torture. Of course it had been more interesting when their feathers jerked and swooped around the room. The increase in magical power the bond gave, might have been advantageous in the long run, but they had to relearn their control. Over and over they had cast the spell, gauging just how much effort to put into the spell. Then they progressed to casting the spell minus the incantation. From the extreme lack of control they'd shown over their magic, Hermione had been very glad indeed, they hadn't tried casting anything before now.

Hermione was glad to see that after several hours of frustrating practice, they had begun to accustom themselves to the change in their magical equilibrium. Now that she wasn't concentrating her spellwork, Hermione was beginning to notice something else. At first she had thought it was the rush of additional power that sent tingles racing through her. Then she realized it wasn't tied to her own casting but Riddle's. Every time he muttered 'wingardium leviosa', gooseflesh peppered her skin and Hermione shivered. It wasn't a physical sensation alone but instead a tremor that moved through her magic. Curious, Hermione cast the spell again as Riddle paused for a moment.

"Now I know that wasn't a draft," Riddle remarked with a raised brow.

"No, it was me," Hermione replied.

"You?" Riddle repeated with surprise. "Do it again."

Obediently, for once, Hermione levitated her feather and Riddle shivered. He frowned and matched her actions. When she shuddered and rubbed at her arms, he regarded her with calculating interest. Shifting uneasily, Hermione looked up at Dumbledore who was pretending to do paperwork at his desk. He peeked up at her and winked. Riddle caught the glance and snorted.

"It seems we're on our own to puzzle this out," Riddle said.

"Somehow I think this was the real point of the lesson," Hermione said tartly.

"We had best work out what it is. It is distracting and that could be potentially lethal."

There were forms of magic that required perfect concentration. The slightest falter could cause explosive consequences or potentially lethal backlash. Bound as they were, any mistake would affect them both. It wouldn't be pleasant to be on the receiving end of a miscast spell because one of them cast a simple cleaning spell in the other room. That wasn't even considering the many other situations where a distraction could pose unpleasant side-effects, ranging from lethal to simply irritating.

"It's obviously caused by the bond. I've never felt anything like this before. Whenever you cast, it's like a ripple goes through my magic," Hermione considered.

"I agree with how it feels, particularly now that I am paying attention to it, but I have felt something similar."

"Oh? What?"

"A group of Slytherins had an interest in ritual magic. I was one of them and we did several group workings. When they performed their parts in the ritual, I had some sense of what they were doing magically. It wasn't this intense, though," Tom elaborated cautiously.

"You mean a group of your Death Eaters," Hermione clarified, refusing to let him conceal the details.

"I hadn't begun to call them that but yes."

"Did it last outside of the ritual?" Hermione questioned.

"No. One it ended I felt nothing from the others. I was the focus of the others magic so if anyone would have felt anything it would have been me," Riddle replied with a shrug.

"I assume they were directing their magic into you and you focused the intent?"

"We followed the standard form," Riddle confirmed.

"Hmm, then it's not quite the same. We share power equally."

"You assume we do. I already know I am more powerful," Tom replied with easy arrogance and a tinge of satisfaction.

"I know you are magically stronger but the amount of power shared is still equal," Hermione replied, not taking the bait.

That Riddle did not argue indicated that he was forced to agree. Dumbledore had told them the bond bound them equally. Yesterday's experiments had only proved that as they had suffered to the same degree. Finally, if the bond allowed them to repress the others magic, then the bond had to allow equal power sharing. Hermione bit her lip in concentration. It made sense for them to feel the others use of magic. She just wasn't sure if there was a way to stop it.

"What are you thinking about, Granger?"

"Whether there is a way to block what we're feeling," Hermione sighed.

The likelihood of that was low in Tom's opinion. He was flirting with the possibility that the bond had created more of a connection that Dumbledore had anticipated. He'd told the girl the truth when he'd recounted his experiences with ritual magic. The similarities to what he'd felt were intriguing indeed. His curiosity raged inside of him and Tom thought longingly of the Hogwarts library. If his suspicions were correct, the bond could be more of an asset than he'd dreamed.

One of the drawbacks to ritual magic was that it was difficult to create the connections between the participants necessary to harness their combined magic. The way this was accomplished was laborious and intricate. Ritual magic did not lend itself to spur of the moment casting the way modern spells did. If Tom was right, the bond between him and the Granger girl could hypothetically get around the first drawback to ritual magic. What he could accomplish with both his magic and that of the surprisingly powerful mudblood, made him breathless with anticipation. Of course, he'd have to convince her to experiment, first.

"Possibly not and if not, can we learn to live with it?" Riddle spoke up.

"I think you will both find that you can minimize the sensation," Dumbledore said as he strolled closer.

"Decided to finally dispense your wisdom, old man?" Riddle coolly asked.

"If you're willing to listen," Dumbledore said with amusement at the tetchy response. "You'll find that your sensitivity to the other's magic should reduce with time. The ability will remain to some degree, however."

"How do you mean?" Hermione asked curiously.

"The bond is such that your magic is connected intimately. What happens to one will have some effect on the other. Furthermore, you will find that if you channel your magic, your ability to sense the other's magic is magnified," Dumbledore explained.

"What does that mean precisely?" Riddle asked with narrowed eyes. "If Granger is hexed will I feel it too?"

"Nothing to that degree, Tom. Only very powerful magic will carry over noticeably," Dumbledore reassured them. "Professor Snape has told me of your progress. I dear say that you are adept enough to learn how refine that ability and shield yourself from the majority of what you're sensing. Then you will try some spells of greater difficulty and power to see how successful you are."

True to his word, Dumbledore pushed them until they were once again exhausted. The techniques that Dumbledore had taught them went beyond what Hermione had read about. It was also new to Tom, if she read his look of intense concentration correctly. The shielding in particular had been tricky. All wizards had a natural shield around their magic. Under Dumbledore's instruction they had to strengthen that protection but it wasn't quite so simple.

The very nature of the bond was such, that they could not block each other fully. Naturally, that had naturally been the first things they'd both tried. When they had, they'd been dismayed to find they experienced similar reactions to when they had first moved further apart than a mile. This was yet another thing Dumbledore had let them find out the hard way.

By the time lunch arrived, they were capable of casting fifth year spells without much more than the barest of tingle. Anything more advanced of powerful, caused a varying degree of response in their magic. Hermione was learning to ignore the feel of Tom's magic but it would be nice when they learned to fine tune their shields.

Over sandwiches ordered from the kitchen, Dumbledore advised them to keep practicing different spells and to improve their shielding so that it became second nature. The Headmaster then released them with the reminder that Snape would require them after dinner.

Hermione's nap was interrupted by the inhabitant of their portrait's insistent clearing of her throat. The witch's peevish glare suggested that she'd been trying to get Hermione's attention for some time. Resolutely, Hermione dragged herself from her bed and with a wave of her wand, the wrinkles in her clothing disappeared. She had fallen asleep fully dressed the second her body made contact with her mattress.

"What is it Lady Heloise?"

"Your friend Virginia is here to see you," Heloise replied.

"Oh, please, let her in," Hermione replied, remembering Ginny's desire to speak to her.

The portrait nodded and began her way back to her frame. Hermione ran her fingers through her hair as she went to greet her friend. She felt a pang of uncertainty when she saw Riddle's lanky form sprawled on the chair by the fire. Thankfully, it seemed that he was as dead to the world as she'd been several minutes before. Just as she turned to the portrait entrance, Ginny stepped through. The girl stiffened as her eyes set upon the boy responsible for the misery of her first year.

"Don't wake him," Hermione said in a soft voice, hoping to circumvent any explosions from her friend. "We can go into my room."

"I wouldn't bother, Granger. Whatever spell you cast already woke me up."

With growing concern, Hermione watched as Riddle recognized just who was standing at the doorway. A positively vulpine grin worked its ways across Riddle's face. With the speed she was becoming known for, Ginny pulled out her wand and sent a gut-wrencher towards Riddle. It hit and Tom doubled over as the curse forcibly tore at his insides. Ginny's face was a strange mix of vindication and terror. The curse she'd used only caused temporary pain, unlike its Darker cousins, but Hermione knew from experience it wasn't a pleasant curse.

"Oh, it seems my little kitten has grown some claws."

"You probably deserved that, Tom," Hermione sighed, edging towards Ginny whose wand hand was shaking.

"That I did," Tom agreed with deceptive laziness.

His eyes hardened and he moved towards Ginny with a measured stalk. Looming over the petite redhead, Riddle leant in. Under her freckles, Ginny paled a little before anger sent red infusing her cheeks. Hermione's hand slipped to her wand but she did not advance more. Riddle and Ginny shared a history that she didn't fully understand and Hermione knew instinctively that neither would appreciate it if she interfered. Not that she would hesitate if Ginny was truly threatened. Belatedly, Hermione realized she'd do the same for Riddle. She was rather familiar with Ginny's handiness with curses and Ginny certainly had a reason to use them.

"I'll let that one pass, for old time's sake, Ginny-dearest. Just remember that I don't need to place nice anymore."

"Riddle," Hermione cautioned, unable to standby any longer.

"Don't worry, Granger. I'll be a good boy. Go chat and I'll visit the library."

What Tom Riddle might get up to in the library, or more accurately, the Restricted Section, Hermione refused to contemplate. Instead she nodded and let him go without argument. Separating them as soon a possible, sounded like a very good idea. To her puzzlement, Ginny seemed to only grow all the more angry with Riddle out of the room. As the other girl's mouth opened, Hermione braced herself for an outburst.

"You're just letting him go!"

"It's better than seeing how long you two can go before getting into a fight," Hermione replied sharply.

"I would have been fine. Who knows what he'll do on his own! Besides, you have no idea how long I've wanted to hex his pretty face off!"

"Let me guess- since your first year?"

"You know what I mean!" Ginny spat.

"What I know, is that I don't want to deal with a cranky Tom Riddle," Hermione retorted.

"So you take his side!"

"Ginny!" Hermione said with reproach.

The younger girl struggled with waves of conflicting emotion for a moment before deflating. For a second, it looked as if Ginny was about to cry before she shoved away her tears with bravery Godric Gryffindor would have been proud of. Hermione took her friend's shaking hands and squeezed them reassuringly. Dearly, she wished that the first meeting between Tom and Ginny had taken place under better circumstances.

"Oh, Hermione, I didn't mean that," Ginny cried. "I'm sorry, he just makes me so mad. I saw him and it all came back."

"I'm sorry too. I didn't think he'd be out here," Hermione said.

"Well, I was the one who couldn't wait to confront him. I should have remembered how bloody creepy he is. I don't know how you can do it," Ginny said with a not so fake shiver.

The truth was that Hermione hadn't seen Riddle act like that before. They had argued but he'd never threatened her the way he had Ginny. It was a chilling reminded of exactly who he really was. Hermione felt a little discomforted with how easily she'd been able to forget. It also made her dread the inevitable meeting between Riddle and Harry. Feeling her headache increase a notch in intensity, Hermione sunk into the chair Riddle had so recently occupied. Ginny followed her example and sat across from her.

"Will you be alright? With him being around?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not letting him intimidate me. You're my friend and I'm not going to abandon you."

"That's not what I meant, Ginny," Hermione said softly.

"I know. I could have dealt with that better. I thought I was ready. When Dumbledore told me what happened..." Ginny drifted off, caught in recollection. "I knew it was my chance to put it all behind me. Then I saw him and I- I just felt so scared and that made me angry. I swore to myself that I'd never let myself feel like that again. I'm not sorry I hexed him, Hermione. I'm not."

"I don't expect you to be."

"Thanks but I'll try not to start a duel next time," Ginny said with a small brittle laugh.

"How are classes?" Hermione finally asked, knowing that for now the subject was closed.

"Pretty boring. Everyone has given up learning anything with the end of the year coming up," Ginny sighed.

"What you're learning now is as important as anything taught at the beginning of the year," Hermione found herself saying.

"I know but I can't wait until I can go home. This year feels like it's lasted forever," Ginny groused.

"The idea of home is nice," Hermione admitted.

"Merlin, Hermione. How are you going to cope with Riddle in the middle of a muggle neighborhood?"

"Ah, well, Mr Suave made an appearance while my parents were visiting," Hermione said and rolled her eyes. "I think Riddle realized he'd be at the mercy of my parents and has resolved to charm them into submission."

"Now that's something I would have given my last knut to see. Just don't let him get away with it."

"Don't worry; my parents weren't too convinced. Dumbledore told them who he was."

"I known but knowing is different from believing," Ginny spoke in an undertone. "He's good, Hermione. He can make you forget all your doubts."

Hermione flinched a little at Ginny's words. Hadn't she just reprimanded herself for forgetting, if only for a little while? Uncertainty made her stomach twist. Just where was the line between getting along with him because she had to and being lulled into complacency? Was there one? Suddenly, she was very glad that Ginny had stopped by.

"He got to you, didn't he?" Ginny breathed in sudden realization.

"Would you believe I don't know?" Hermione admitted.

"Then he has."

"It's not that simple," Hermione said. "We have to get along, compromise, so we don't end up going mad."

"So you've told me," Ginny murmured stiffly.

"That's not fair, Ginny. How else should I handle this?"

"Buggered if I know but... don't let yourself get too comfortable."

"You've hit upon the exact problem."

"Come on, he can't be that easy to live with," Ginny snorted.

"He's not but they say you can get used to just about anything," Hermione said sardonically.

"You just need to keep your guard up. Don't let yourself, or him, get complacent."

"How do you mean?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Don't let him put you in a box. Keep him guessing and don't let him think you're easy to dupe."

"This has to do with what you said the other night. About challenging him?" Hermione clarified.

"When I began writing in the diary, he was very charming," Ginny began. "He learned just what to say to put me off guard and to manipulate me. I became less than a person and more like one of your muggle machines. All had to do was press the right buttons and I'd perform. If you keep him on his toes, he won't be able to do that."

The interactions of the last few days returned to haunt Hermione. Was that what he'd done? Without a doubt they were learning more about each other. Already she'd learned enough to appeal to his common sense in order to pull him back from a full rage. Could he do something similar with her? What if he had already? She'd certainly been more than happy to have him make the first move after their argument. He'd been the one to set the terms of their truce. She'd just sat there and agreed. That thought made her stomach begin to cramp again.

"I think you're overestimating me, Ginny. I'm not that hard to read and he's better at this than I ever will be."

"Don't say that, Hermione!" Ginny cried. "Riddle is a bully. A good one, maybe, but that's what he is. You've never backed down from a bully before."

"I'm no going to," Hermione began and then paused to collect her thoughts. "It's only that things aren't so clear-cut. Alienating him isn't my plan."

"You have to tolerate each other, not be friends," Ginny argued.

"Yes but it's more than that. What you're saying, I have to keep every advantage and to keep Riddle's hands tied. If I do that..."

"If you do that, what? I think that is exactly what you should do!"

The venom in Ginny's voice made Hermione's heart ache. It reminded her that was exactly what Tom had done to Ginny through the Diary. He had completely controlled Ginny until she was nothing more than his puppet. Hermione didn't blame Ginny for hating Riddle or even wanting revenge on him. It did, however, cast what her friend had said to her in a different light.

She had been right to question herself. Hermione knew she wasn't the consummate manipulator that Riddle was, but Ginny was wrong. Forcing Tom into a situation where he had no control what-so-ever would be counterproductive. There was no way Hermione could contain him like that for long and he would do everything he could to escape. What would happen then was better not contemplated. She had been right to discard that as an option.

The difficulty was that Hermione still being eaten alive by her niggling doubts. At first, she'd hoped that she could confide in Ginny. She had been quickly disabused of that notion. In her own way Ginny was more uncertain than she was. Desperately, Hermione wished for a sounding board that was something resembling neutral. In the meantime, she had to calm Ginny who looked like she was about to go on the rampage.

"Treating him like a rabid dog will only make him act like one," Hermione reasoned.

"You don't try to cure a mad dog, you kill it before it kills you!"

"Or you cage it, so it can't hurt anyone," Hermione spoke with certainty. "My job is to supply a cage we can both live with."

"Hermione do you have any idea what you just said sounds like?" Ginny blurted. "Do you really think he'll play by the same rules?"

"I don't. I fully expect him to try to manipulate me. I'm scared to death that he'll succeed but if I play by his rules I know I'll fail."

"I think you're mad," Ginny muttered.

"Then I'm mad but even wonder why Dumbledore did this?"

"Of course I have. He chained my friend to a monster!"

"He did it for the same reasons I've just told you. Riddle is far more dangerous when he has nothing to lose. Give him some degree of control and he'll fight to keep it."

"Fine. I still think you shouldn't be so concerned with making nice. At least you're not like Lavender or Parvati. If you were then I'd accuse you of being dazzled by his good looks."

Hermione blushed. Under the love potion she'd been exceedingly dazzled. How Snape could brew something that provoked emotions that put sappy romance novel clichés to shame, she didn't know. Thankfully her judgment had returned after the potion wore off.

"He could be a male equivalent of a Veela, for all the good it would do him," Hermione replied in quelling tone.

"Okay, then maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm worrying too much. I'm here for you and if he gets past both of us, we'll have Harry hex him," Ginny teased with a stiffness that showed the effort it took her.

"Thanks," Hermione chuckled.

"Seriously, my dear bookworm, I might have been wrong," Ginny replied with honesty, despite her light tone. "I see Tom and all I want to do is hex him until his eyeballs pop but I'm not the one stuck with the prat. Do what you have to but just remember there is life outside of Tom Riddle."

"I'll have to remember that threat if he ticks me off in the future," Hermione replied and the two girls giggled.

According to unspoken agreement the two girls chatted about less serious subjects. To Hermione it was a balm to her fragile nerves. She didn't really find Quidditch scores or who was dating who, all that enthralling but she hung on every word. It was nice to remember that not everything was life or death. When the lunch period was over, Hermione shooed Ginny from the common room.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione savored blessed solitude. Bonded as she was with Riddle, Hermione was well aware that such moments would be rare. It might not last long but she would enjoy it while she could. She figured that with Riddle safely occupied in the library she would have at least a few precious hours. A quick accio later and two items came zooming towards her. The first was a collection of short stories she'd been reading when she'd had the time. The second was a bag of dark Honeydukes chocolate. Taking a piece, she opened her book and began to read.

The appearance of Harry Potter as he rounded the corner was so clichéd, Tom was tempted to laugh. It was the simmering threat in those eyes that stopped him. Instead, Tom leant into the bookshelf in a purposefully nonchalant pose, resisting the urge to move his hand closer to his wand. Tom refused to let the wretched Potter boy that he had gained from him a good measure of caution. In the Chamber he had made a mistake. Who would have thought a twelve year old boy, would have posed a serious risk to his plans when he had Slytherin's basilisk under his command?

"I see you're as curious as ever."

"Not this time, Riddle. I know all I need to but I wonder if Hermione does," Harry replied deftly.

"Is this where you threaten me, if I harm one hair on your mudblood's head?"

"This is where I tell you that while Hermione has other in her corner, you're standing alone. Take that under consideration when you make your move."

"I am almost flattered that you think I have a dastardly plot up my sleeve," Tom replied coolly, inwardly seething.

"Don't you?"

Flat and uncompromising, Potter's tone of voice dared him to argue. Tom felt his respect for the boy rise. So he wasn't just luck and bluster. Then again, it had been five years since their first meeting. This ridiculous confrontation had clearly been planned. The boy's inference to friends suggested Ginny's timely visit wasn't so coincidental. Tom felt his lips contort into a sneer. He'd deal with that silly little girl later but for now he had to concentrate on Potter. Convincing Potter he only had good intentions towards Granger was a waste of time. Perhaps a partial truth would do.

"I have plans to insure my future is as bearable as possible. Since we are linked together, those plans by default must include Granger."

"That's a nice way of putting it," Harry snorted contemptuously.

"Regardless, of how I put it, I have my plans and I am not going to pretend that I won't do my best to see them realized."

"You always were stubborn," Potter said with a flash of teeth.

"And you ridiculously persistent. I fail to understand how my older self could have been destroyed by such as you," Tom sneered.

"Voldemort was destroyed because he underestimated the importance of love."

"That ridiculous concept," Tom scathingly barked.

"Yet it had the power to bring together those that bested you," Potter returned.

"I doubt that was the reason I fell."

"I expected you to say something like that," Harry shrugged.

"Have you come to the point of this conversation?" Riddle sneered.

"More or less," Harry replied evenly. "I just thought you'd like to know the people who destroyed your older self... they're the ones in Hermione's corner. See you this summer, Riddle."

Tom watched until Potter disappeared amongst the stacks.

"You ought to congratulate Ginny. She did a perfect job of flushing me out in the open for Potter," Tom said with deceptive calmness. "Tell me, was this something you cooked up together?"

"What!" Hermione gasped.

Astonishment at what Riddle had announced to her had Hermione's thoughts chasing themselves in circles. The tall Slytherin's mood had proceeded him and Hermione had known something had happened the second he entered their shared common room. What it was took her unawares. She didn't want to believe him but she knew Harry's over protectiveness too well. Still, Harry had promised her, he wouldn't go after Tom! That frustrated her, especially when it had made things worse just as Hermione had guessed.

"Potter cornered me in the library."

"I didn't feel anything... so you can't have dueled," Hermione pondered.

"I'm not that stupid, Granger," came Riddle flat response.

"What makes you think Ginny had anything to do with it?"

"Maybe it was the ever so convenient timing, or perhaps it was the speech Potter made about the usefulness of friends."

"If they planned it together, I had no idea," Hermione replied honestly.

"And how can I trust you?" Tom demanded.

"You trusted me?" Hermione said with purposeful obliviousness.

"I certainly don't now."

"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Hermione swore. "I had no idea Harry was going to confront you. That Ginny had to come here to distract me, only proves I had nothing to do with it."

Tom threw himself into the other chair and stole a piece of her chocolate. The theft of her one indulgence put a frown on her face but Hermione was willing to overlook it, if it would calm Riddle down. He probably didn't want her to know it but Hermione could tell that he was unnerved by his confrontation with Harry. When Harry put his mind to it, he could be rather intimidating.

"I'm sorry about Harry. He probably did it for my sake but I told him I didn't want him interfering," Hermione spoke, tentatively making peace.

"What, you didn't want someone to threaten to break my knees if I didn't treat you right?" Riddle hissed but without spite.

"Eat more chocolate," Hermione said, huffing at his sulky tone but extending her peace offering anyway.

"Girls... they don't change even after fifty years."