Sorry about the Hermione/Andy thing! Don't worry, it'll get better, probably starting this chapter, okay? Stick with me, please!
Hermione awoke with a start, and with a groan realized an intense, throbbing pain in her head. Gingerly, she felt it, and came across a tender spot in the back of her head and recalled the events of a while ago. Now that she thought about it, the more her headache increased. She assumed Antares must have carried her to her bed, since Madam Pomfrey had already gone to sleep by the time Hermione blacked out. She guessed she had hit her head somewhere, and, looking around, came across a wooden table holding a plant that she must have came in contact with.
She looked to her right, and saw Andy lying there, presumably asleep. Wondering exactly why she was doing it, she strode over to the window cautiously. It was still dark, but the moon was shining as bright and innocent as ever. She looked out and saw a figure on his knees by the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Creasing her brow, she strained to see who it was, but his head was bent, and she was unable to see his face.
Slowly, she forced herself away, and, placing a quick kiss on Andy's cheek, she quietly went out the door. Once outside, she ran the short distance to the great Hogwarts doors. Wincing at the scraping sound they made, she anxiously looked around to see if anyone noticed, but it appeared that they did not. Slipping between the small gap of the door, she blessed the pitch darkness and her completely enveloped form.
She saw the young man glance up, and him obviously seeing the doors open, he scrambled up, brandishing his wand. Hermione froze for a second, but continued on across the grounds more quietly. She saw his eyes darting around, the uneasiness in them shining with the light. Startlingly, she stopped dead once again, barely preventing herself from fainting again. It was Tom.
Hermione felt a beam of moonlight glimmer in her eyes, and with a sinking feeling realized it was too late to hide. "Tom?" she said nervously. She saw him lower his wand a fraction.
She took a small step forward onto the lawn, but saw him taking larger, more cautious ones towards her. He had almost reached her. "Tom, where did you—"
She was stopped by his warm and full lips completely covering hers in a harsh and undying kiss. Her heart started racing frantically, but she felt herself giving into her desires. She kissed him back with more passion than ever, and felt something even more intense radiating from them than she did with Andy. It was everything she had ever dreamed of. She lost control of all her senses except the one telling her to keep the connection going. She laced her fingers in his dark hair and found it slightly untidy but she only felt more for him.
His warm hands were now on the lowest part of her back, and she realized that he was indirectly asking her permission to go further. She gave a ghost of a smile, and pulled him closer to her. She placed her hands on his face, finding him to not be clean-shaven, but she felt that it pleasantly contrasted with his uptight exterior. Hermione was now aware that he was grasping her in closer, their kiss deepening with more desire and hunger than ever.
She opened her mouth, almost subconsciously yet enjoying every minute, and felt his tongue now joining hers, pleased that he obliged. It was the most ecstatic feeling she had ever had, and she couldn't stop herself from being elated and sensualistic. A small moan escaped her lips despite her self-control, and she felt his lips twitch against hers. Something unknown coming over her, she extricated her hands and slid them under his shirt, feeling his muscular stomach.
He inhaled trivially at the shock of her cold hands, but she found hers warming up at his intense body heat. Hermione never wavered from the kiss, but found herself still perusing his tanned stomach and tense shoulders. Hermione started to take her hands back out again, but she was stopped by his hand on hers, holding it there. Her skin felt on fire at his touch, but it was a pleasurable burning, and she only concentrated on heightening and inflaming the kiss and her satisfaction from it.
Hermione did not dare to dwell on the dark fact that she was now blissfully making out with the man that would become the darkest wizard known to everyone. She did not see how someone who could give off so much blazing cravings and fulfill Hermione's every need would become a cold and heartless murderer. It just didn't seem to fit. Harry had told Hermione that Tom was quite handsome and charmed nearly everyone when he was younger, and Hermione couldn't help but feel it rubbing off on her. Now that he was attracted to her, Hermione just had to get him to trust her so he wouldn't hurt Harry in the future. The only problem was that as he hit a particularly sensitive part in her mouth with his, she was overcome with the feeling like she never wanted to leave him.
Not wanting to, and frankly wondering why she was doing it, Hermione broke away, regretfully taking her hands off of him, but keeping them on his bare chest. He stared at her in wonder, confusion, but also in lusting hunger. "Tom, I—I need to ask you something." She said breathlessly.
He stared at her now, his eyes not losing their forcefulness, but distress coming into them. "Anything." He said in a low voice.
She downcast her eyes. "How is that you can be so concupiscent and alluring, but yet so evil?"
Hermione lifted her eyes to his, and he looked at her with sadness in them. "Hermione, I…I told you I'm not who you think I am. I'm not a good person."
One solitary tear made its way down her cheek, but she made no move to brush it away. "Tom. You said you wanted to know why I came here."
Tom did nothing but stare at her. "Yes…" he agreed.
"Well, the truth is," Hermione started and flicked her stare to him again, "I'm here to stop you, Tom. I'm here to stop you becoming evil. And every moment I remain in this time with you is affecting the future. I don't know how much it has already."
He tilted her chin to look up at him, and he promptly planted a fierce kiss on her lips, sending hot shivers up her body. "I could never become evil with you around."
She smiled grimly and kissed him back again. He picked her up and swung her around once, Hermione producing a small squeal, and a soft breeze rustling the leaves in the nearby forest. She, surprising even herself, swung her legs around his waist and held on to his shoulders as he supported her weight. She was honestly impressed that he didn't even stagger at the additional force placed upon him. Quite the contrary, he smiled and put his hands again on her back as his mouth claimed hers even more fervently than before.
Antares woke up groggily, but he had no fathomable idea why, for he estimated it was still either very late at night or early in the morning. Perhaps it was the bright moonlight streaming through the window, or the shrill squeal from outside. His green eyes widened in wonder as to what it could be. Dreading what he would find, he peered over to the left, but to his dismay, he found Hermione's bed empty.
He jumped up from his bed, his ribs now feeling sore but better, throwing aside his blankets and walking to the great glass window. What he saw made him feel absolutely sick to his stomach. Just outside were two figures—a tall male one, supporting a female entity, who was entwined around his waist. But it wasn't just this scandalous display that disheartened him. It was the fact that in the brief second the light had shone on the couple's faces, he saw that it was not only Hermione in the embrace, but the legendary Tom Riddle.
He felt a surge of both jealousy and hurt go through him, but he realized sadly that he could do nothing about it. If Hermione's heart was set on the villainous Riddle, then that had to be so. Even so, he told himself, he and Hermione had just met, and although they had shared a kiss, it was not like it lasted very long or contained any true feeling. To him, he had to admit, he had felt something between them, whether it was her fragile persona, or just their touch when they connected. Either way, he confessed that (considering her and Tom's provocative position), she obviously like Riddle a lot better than she did him.
"Heartbreaking, isn't it." A voice said sarcastically from behind Andy.
Whipping around, he came face to face with a handsome boy leaning casually against a bed frame like he did it every day. He had disheveled dark blonde hair which fell loosely over his piercing gray eyes. His features were softly defined, and his mouth was curved elegantly into a constant smirking position. He wore dark pants and a form-fitting dark blue shirt which complimented his eyes. With a disgusted grimace, Antares figured out immediately who it was.
"What are you doing here?" Antares sneered, his wrist twisting painfully.
"I've been sent on a mission. You see, you and I have some things to discuss." The boy said convincingly, crossing his arms but not moving from his pose.
"We have nothing do with each other, Avery." Andy spat venomously.
"Ah, but that's where you go wrong, Black. For I now know you have feelings for that little witch Granger over there. Unfortunately for you, my friend, it seems she neither acknowledges nor returns your obvious ardor."
"So? I still have no business with you."
Avery seemed to have noticed Andy's flicker of consent at Avery's words. He smirked wider. "Wrong again. Haven't you realized? You have feelings for Granger, she has feelings for Riddle, and he her. Riddle has sent me on a mission concerning her, and business with her is business with you. Therefore, you and I—" he pointed to them both, "—have dealings."
Andy's mind reeled quickly with answers. "And what mission is that exactly?" he asked.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough."
Before Andy could block it, Lawrence swiped his wand out and said, "Somnus mobilicorpus!"
Antares passed out cold without a second thought, and then rose into the air a mere six inches. Avery manipulated Antares's unconscious body unceremoniously out the door with an almost too satisfied grin on his face. He struggled out the Great Hall doors, letting Andy's body hit the outdoor steps sickeningly. Avery saw with his stomach twisting, Tom and Hermione still in fascination with each other, and quickly transformed into his hawk. With a sigh, he let out a shrill squawk, alerting his Master to his presence.
A loud call resounded through the air, and Hermione pulled away from Tom, her eyes anxious. "There it is again!" she whispered, still wanting more of him.
He looked at her enticingly. "There what is?"
"The bird!"
A wave of annoyance and anger swept over Tom's brown eyes, as his head snapped towards the front of Hogwarts. As he came across a jet-black bird staring at him with anticipating yellow eyes, he groaned at the extremely inconsiderate timing. Slowly letting Hermione down from his arms, but still holding onto her waist, he gave a sharp jerk of his head at the bird.
In a flurry of wings, the hawk came to rest but five feet from Tom and Hermione. With a venomous glare at her, Avery transformed, causing her to shriek in surprise. "YOU!" she yelled.
He looked much different to her now. His hair was shades lighter, and although his eyes were expressionless, they no longer contained the absolute evilness that they did when she had last seen him. It was actually an odd feeling for her; she noticed similarities between the grown man in the Time Room, and his subsequent baby face. Either way, he gave off an eerie aura; one that she didn't intend on getting to know better.
He looked strangely at her, then peeled his gaze away to look at Tom. "M—My Lord. Black is over there. As you requested."
Avery jabbed his thumb to the steps where Antares lay. Hermione peered into the foggy darkness, barely distinguishing Andy's shape. She clasped her hands over her mouth. "Andy!" she yelped. "How could you?" she said to Tom.
Hermione ran as fast as she could towards the steps, and brushed a piece of hair from Antares's face. "Andy! Wake up, Andy. Wake up!"
She knew Tom and Avery would follow her even before she heard their footsteps. Behind her, she heard Tom turn on him. "AVERY! What did you do?" he admonished sinisterly.
"My Lord, I did a-as you re-requested…" Avery stuttered.
"I DID NOT SAY TO KNOCK HIM OUT, YOU FOOL!" Tom yelled.
Hermione was getting frightened at Tom's tone of voice. It was now sincerely scared her, and she was panicking at wondering what he would do. She looked up to see Avery cringe in fear. "My Lord, please…"
She saw Tom start to raise his hand as though to punish Avery, but her gaze must have alerted him, because he looked down at her. His hard stare that he had used with Avery was now starting to soften as he continued Hermione's. Hermione noticed that with each seeming spark of light in his eyes, he switched from being angry to ashamed, and then finally to a look that he wanted to explain himself. She felt herself melting in it, and she even started to smile as she absentmindedly swept another wisp of Andy's hair from his tanned face.
Avery glanced between the two of them with disgust in his eyes. "My Lord, thank you…thank you…"
"Shut up." Tom said icily, which, indeed, shut Avery up.
Tom pointed his wand directly at Antares, and although it appeared he was going to curse him, Hermione stared into his eyes again, which told her to trust him. "Suscitatio!"
Antares awoke suddenly, sitting up. "Shh…" Hermione said. "Tergeo." She muttered, and the blood at the back of his head disappeared.
He nodded in thanks, and shot a deadly glare at Avery, then at Tom. "What are you doing here, Riddle?"
"I was under the impression that the grounds are open to anyone." Tom retorted, smirking.
"Tom…" Hermione said warningly. He glanced at her in recognition.
"My Lord, do you still want me to—" Avery was silenced by Tom's look.
"There is no need anymore, Avery." He said frostily, indifference on his face. He looked down at Andy again. "Off you go, Black."
Antares swallowed and stood up, though swaying slightly from the head rush. Hermione jumped up to steady him. "Why did you bring me here?" he asked.
Hermione frowned. "Yes, Tom. Why?"
Tom searched her eyes, and at the look of pleading there, he resignedly decided to tell her the truth. "Leave us, Lawrence."
"But—My Lord—" Avery protested.
"Now." Tom repeated in a dangerously low voice.
"As you wish." Avery left with a swish of his robes, entering the castle, and all was still again.
"Hermione, I—well, when you get right down to it—I was jealous." Tom said honestly. She raised her eyebrow perplexingly. "Of—Of you and him."
Hermione's concern and disappointment alleviated immediately, and, forgetting that Antares was there, flung herself upon Tom. This time he did stumble a few steps in surprise. Andy's face suddenly broke out into one of extreme hatred and loathing as he clenched his jaw. Glaring disgustingly at the two of them, he couldn't help but feel the smallest pang of envy course through him. He was so close to having her, but Tom took her away, too. He realized ruefully that he would not come out well of this one.
Andy was still staring when Hermione finally untangled herself from Tom. "You'd better go along now, Black, if you don't want to land yourself in detention." Tom said, and Andy was furious to note the tone of laughter in his voice.
"Yeah? And how would you do that? Tell Dumbledore?" Andy snapped spitefully.
"Nah. But I am Head Boy."
Antares gave Tom a set stare, but unable to do anything further, he too followed in Avery's footsteps. However, Hermione was still able to hear a mumble of 'damn you' under Andy's breath.
"So, where were we?" Tom asked a second later, grinning at Hermione.
She laughed and, jumping into his arms, gave him her most soul-filled and desirous kiss she could handle, and receiving more from him than she had ever imagined.
Yes, I know, Tom and Hermione are rather out of character here, but you guys would have gotten madder at me had I kept up her and Antares's relationship. Hope this one was better!
Thanks to: Moonstone, san01, Purplebubble (thanks so much! Do you feel better for Tom now?), chipped-nails (sorry! Thanks, and I hope this is better!), Mrs Pierre Bouvier (sorry! Haha, I laughed so f-ing hard at that jolly rancher thing! You made me want one! Tommy wont do anything too horrible to Antares…), Angelic Bladez (again, as always-thank you!), amoramor (thank you sooo much! I owe you!), Pozest-Illusion, and hermionegranger2007.
Amy Lee
I see you're still reading my story? Well, if you're going to criticize my writing, please don't read it. Or if you do, don't review please. Because at least I take them as negative and condescending and while I usually ignore them, but they just get annoying and have no point. Because they are actually not really helping, just taking up space in my email and on so just please go criticize someone else. Same goes for inserts raised eyebrow here…
Oh, by the way, I'm not going on tantrums, I'm just tired and annoyed of your reviews. Fanfiction is for fun and I do write my best. I've noticed you haven't written any stories? So perhaps before you go off and "thorn" other people, maybe you should edit your own writing, or start. Because you are being just about the biggest hypocrite ever. Like I said, don't review my story if you don't have anything worthy or good to say.