Author's Notes: Wow. I cannot properly express my gratitude to all my reviewers…I am just so incredibly happy that you all are enjoying my writing! Huge thanks to Maelys, Maria8765, The Enchanted Teakettle, Phinea, All-American Vampire, Wren, blueforest, Larken27, Kiki, GoodQueenA, aarzu, LovinLovegood1, and Nosilla!

There has been a lot of speculation about the fate of Honora's locket. All I can say is this: someone does have it, and it is out of her reach. Also, the situation is not as bad as some of you might think! (Yet. Ha.)

Now, this next chapter is the beginning of what is essentially a three-chapter scene. It's a big night for both them. So with no further ado, here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe; JK Rowling does.

Recap of Chapter 15:

Honora stared at Damaris. 'Are you serious? He stood up for me to one of his little Death Eater friends?'

Damaris nodded. 'So, see? He's not all bad.' She winked. 'Sweet dreams, Honora.'

'Thanks,' Honora said weakly, 'you too.'

Chapter 16

Timing Is Everything

Honora had a very vivid dream that night that she was back in Polaris, except Tom Riddle was there, too. He was teaching her defensive spells because the Death Eaters were coming to get them. Freya Lief was teasing her that Tom liked her, and then Lithia Poundstone started yelling in rage. She said that Honora was supposed to marry Marlow Woden, not Tom Riddle, and that Marlow would send the Dementors after her for being such a traitor.

She woke up feeling panicked, expecting to see Dementors in her bedroom. She also felt guilty, for not feeling guilty. Marlow's death had not affected her the way that it should have. He was one of her best friends from childhood, and when she should have been mourning him she instead had been excited to be with the centaurs, excited to go back in time, excited to have her own new life. In the pre-dawn darkness of her bedroom, Honora was sure that Marlow's ghost was looking at her with sadness and disapproval.

Then she remembered that Marlow could not be a ghost; even his soul was lost to the Dementors. For some reason the thought relieved her.

I couldn't have done different, her head said. I had to step up and come back in time. It's not my fault that I didn't really want to marry Marlow Woden and live the rest of my miserable little life in an underground cave. She shrugged her bedcovers more tightly around her and tried to go back to sleep. There was nothing to be done about any of it now.

If Tom Riddle really had defended Honora to Avery, he certainly was not showing it in his everyday treatment of her. He was his usual cold, uncommunicative self during their Head duties, and he never once mentioned her funny, if ill conceived, telling-off of Connor Coppertone. To top it off, Honora felt increasingly like she had to make a move and just kill him, once and for all. The promising optimism of summer had soured, somehow, and Honora felt thwarted at every turn.

It all changed one night in late November. It was nearly midnight, and Honora had just finished her bubble bath and set her hair into its waves for the next day. She was humming around the bathroom, her fine black and gold satin kimono wrapped loosely around her figure. Honora loved the way its sleeves draped and the way it clung to her; it made her feel grown-up. She was admiring her own reflection in the mirror and trilling a Billie Holiday song to herself (Honora's voice was terribly off-key) when she heard an urgent pounding on her door.

'Honora?' Damaris was outside, sounding frantic. 'Honora! Open up!'

She wrapped her sheer kimono a bit more tightly, and with a wave of her wand removed the locking charms on her door.

To her absolute horror, Tom Riddle stepped into her room, Damaris directly behind him. His dark blue eyes met Honora's light blue ones. She was highly conscious of the fact that she was wearing nothing but a risqué, partly see-through wrap.

Tom stared at her for a moment of charged silence, and then cleared his throat, awkwardly. 'Two first-years have gone missing,' he said. 'We think they're in the Forbidden Forest.'

Honora did not say anything right away. She was mortified that he had seen her like this. 'Damaris?' she asked, peeking around Tom to her friend, who was biting her lip.

'He was sent to get you,' Damaris explained, gesturing at Tom. 'Dippet told him to, so I thought…'

'It's fine,' Honora said quickly. 'Give me one minute, and I'll be downstairs.' Damaris turned obediently and left. Honora raised her eyebrow at Tom. 'You too, Riddle.'

His lips turned up slightly, glancing at her one more time. 'As you wish.'

Honora slammed the door after him and quickly threw on some clothes and her old furs from Polaris. It was freezing outside.

The two missing first-years were Gryffindors, typically. According to their friends, the two boys, Ferriman and Fawcett, had been dared to run twenty feet into the Forbidden Forest. They had gone in as their friends watched from the castle, but had not come out. All the professors were up and Dippet mumbled directions to split up and start searching the forest. Honora noticed that Dumbledore was absent.

Tom had already severely scolded the prefects on night duty, a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff, for not paying more attention. A group of Gryffindor first-years must have made a lot of noise, he said, so why were they not caught beforehand? The prefects had shrugged sheepishly.

'Useless,' Tom muttered under his breath to Honora.

'Hufflepuffs,' she murmured back, causing him to smile a little.

Together they walked into the Forbidden Forest. It was bitter cold, and very dark. Honora could see her breath fogging around her. Crunching through the blackness, their way lit only by their wands, Honora felt a more than a little apprehensive. Suddenly she was glad that she was with Tom; after all, no creatures in the Forest could be as evil as he was, right?

'Okay, where are the little buggers?' Honora said in a low voice.

'Probably eaten by an Acromantula.'

'Riddle! There aren't Acromantulas in here, are there?'

'I think there are.' He sounded amused.

'Oh, no. I hate spiders.' Spiders really were the only creatures that truly gave Honora nightmares. They just had so many legs, and moved so fast… she shivered. Her Boggart actually took the form of a giant spider.

Deeper and deeper into the forest they moved, occasionally calling out to the first-years. The undergrowth was getting thinner. Funny little grey wisps draped from the lower branches of some of the trees.

A thought popped into Honora's head. I could kill Riddle here, in the forest…'Hello! Little first-years!' Honora called instead, her voice echoing.

'Gryffindor idiots!' Tom added.

'They really are.' Honora felt a bit disloyal saying it; after all, most of her Weasley ancestors had been Gryffindors, and brave ones. But, she herself was a Ravenclaw. A little inter-house teasing never hurt.

No response came from the darkness.

Suddenly, Honora glimpsed a dark, multi-legged shape scuttling through the trees ahead. She tensed immediately; it was an Acromantula, she knew it was. With a whimper, she slipped her hand into Tom's. 'Did you see that?' she whispered. Her adrenaline was rushing through her blood.

Tom glanced down at her scornfully. He did not pull his hand away, however. 'I doubt there's more than one of them,' he said.

'Oh, great. Only one giant killer spider.'

'Come on.' He pulled her through the trees. More wisps appeared; Honora realised they were part of a web. This kept getting worse and worse. If those first years are still alive, I'll kill them myself for putting me through this.

Tom stopped abruptly, and Honora stopped, too.

A fearsome sight confronted them. A large, hairy Acromantula was industriously weaving its way around two small human-shaped lumps. Honora could just barely see their panicky faces peeking out, eyes wide with fear. The two boys were nearly covered in white, sticky material. The great spider clicked its mandibles together, sticky venom dripping from the long fangs, its grape-clustered black eyes shining in the darkness.

Tom released Honora's hand as he reached for his wand.

Honora had a wild realisation. If she Stupefied Tom now, she could leave him to be killed by the Acromantula.

She reached for her own wand.

Yes, she could Stupefy him, then attract the attention of the huge spider, and then somehow escape herself…she would run back through the woods, and hysterically explain that the spider had killed Tom Riddle. No one could possibly blame her. The hasty plan ran through her head. It would solve all my problems! Now, now is my chance to kill Lord Voldemort! Honora was breathing hard as she raised her wand.

She delayed action a second too long . The best chance in months to dispose of Tom Riddle slipped through her fingers as Tom brought out his own wand and directed it at the great spider.

'Arania Exumai,' he whispered softly. A jet of light shot out from his wand and the Acromantula let out a startled squeal as it was thrown back from its web. Tom stepped towards it fearlessly, and ropes shot out of his wand, wrapping around the huge spider and binding its legs close together. Honora could hear its protests; the spider sounded unnervingly human-like.

While Tom took care of the Acromantula, Honora muttered to herself; her hesitation to Stupefy Tom had lost her a golden opportunity. Putting her intense disappointment aside, she used a strong cutting charm to get through the layers of sticky web to the trapped students. She peeled away layer after layer of the disgusting stuff, all the while feeling as though she could cry. Whether it was frustration, or relief that she was temporarily off the hook, Honora could not tell.

Finally, one of the little Gryffindors was free. Tom appeared at her side to free the other one, and once he was out of the web, Honora and Tom each grabbed a Gryffindor and hurried back through the forest. On the way back, Honora chastised herself internally for hesitating to do her duty. My Weasley ancestors would be ashamed of me, she thought with a twist of her mouth. But I didn't want to condemn someone to death by giant spider, her inner voice protested. Honora wondered if she really was too weak to go through with her mission.

Sighing, Honora decided to just go back to normal for now. She would continue to gain Tom Riddle's trust. And the next time I get the chance, I'll kill him, she added to herself, although the thought lacked resolve.