For just one moment, everything was gone.

She forgot everybody. She lost her complete identity. For that brief amount of time, she was nothing but a being capable of sensation and feeling. She was no longer human, and there was no longer thought. Her existence was nothing but his lips, her eyes closed and so she was blind to everything. She forgot all her morals, all her beliefs, and all about her mission. She forgot everything, except the cool lips that made her melt with their lack of temperature and the fact that she herself was on fire, consumed in flames fuelled by something unknown. She didn't care to understand, she didn't care about anything.

It was only one moment, half a minute or less, but it absolutely terrified Hermione.

The realisation of what she was doing came to her in a flashing, fantastic beacon of light. Her peace vanished into thin air, and a deep sense of dread enveloped her. Before she could even think, she was pushing him off her, shoving him hard and standing up herself from her chair. She couldn't get in a proper breath and her face was boiling, as was her blood. An unexplainable rage soared up her chest, and she desperately wanted to hit him, only the look in his eyes stopped her in her tracks.

"What the-how could you- why?" she stuttered, backing away from him. His eyes were like two cubes of ice, boring into hers.

"Why did I what?" he muttered in a low voice, and he sounded almost as angry as she was.

"Why did you kiss me?" she cried, and her voice sounded terrible against the cool quietness of the rest of the library.

"Because I felt like it," he said, and the ice flashed in the light. He was looking at her lips now. "Because whatever I want, I get. You'll learn that soon enough, Zabini."

But she wasn't Zabini! The use of her fake second name startled her. She wasn't who he thought she was. She wasn't who he wanted to kiss. But how could she have-? No, she would have to think about that later. Her head was too muddled up to be able to articulate any sensible thought or logic. She still couldn't breath. His eyes on her lips were making them sting, and she needed suddenly to get away from him.

He was in her way though. Behind her, all there stood was bookcases. The narrow clearing of bookcases was right behind him. She wanted to shove by him but she realised she was too scared, and that he was not going to let her. His mood was completely different than before, dangerous, and she didn't really know what to do.

"Leave me go." Her voice was harsher and stronger than she felt.

"No."

"Leave me go." A plea this time. She let herself down but she couldn't help it. She felt nowhere near strong now, and not prepared to take on Tom at all.

"Why? What's wrong?" There was a hint of mocking in his low voice, and no concern.

"Leave me go now." He was right in her way. Dare she risk getting closer to him again, in order to get out?

Desperation clawed at her like it was trying to scramble from a wet open grave. She couldn't think, but she had too.

"What's going on?" A new voice entered their world.

For one beautiful moment, Hermione thought it was Malfoy coming to save her.

Then, once she'd seen him, she thought that it was a miracle and Ron was here.

Lastly, stupidly, she realised it was only Law and he was of no advantage to her.

Or maybe he was…

Tom turned to face Law and said, "Nothing, Law, why don't you run along off a cliff or something?"

With those eyes averted from her, she suddenly realised this was her chance of escaping. With a speed she'd never experienced before and a great wave of adrenaline, she half-leaped past Tom, banged Law out of the way (Ouch!") and bolted from the library, finally breathing at last, and into the hallway. She heard Tom's shout behind her to Law, "Stop her!", but nobody could compete with her at this rate, and she didn't stop running until she was safe inside Dumbledore's office and clutching a painful stitch on her side.

"Miss Zabini," Dumbledore smiled gently, "what a pleasant surprise." He took in her flushed cheeks, her messy tousled hair and frantic eyes and said, "A matter of urgency, perhaps?"

"Professor," she gasped. "Tell me everything you know about Tom Riddle."

"Ahhh," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, "I'd better out the kettle on."

"The first time I met Tom, I thought he was a normal boy. Sorted into Slytherin, my opinion of him did not change for I feel the sorting tells us very little about who we, as people, really are. However, another student started that year, Hagrid – have you met? I should really introduce you – and I was rather fond of him. However, he was the first to bring it to my attention that Tom was quite an unhappy boy. Hagrid was not liked by Tom, and subtly bullied. Hagrid is made of stronger stuff than to let words get under his skin, but I began to see others – Muggleborns or half bloods, mainly – react to Tom's words. I met with the boy to have a chat about this sort of behaviour and he, at eleven years old, was as calm and mature as a man triple his age, full of curt manners and cold civility. There was really little I could say to the boy. I inquired then about a meeting with his parents and was told, in calm callous tones, that they were both dead, his mother after committing suicide when Tom was only a baby, his father dead to him after abandoning him and his mother just when they'd needed him most and, in Tom's opinion, sentencing his mother to her despair and death."

Hermione felt a chill up her spine.

"It was only then, when I looked into his eyes, that I saw something different and dark in Tom. He was only a child, after all."

She nodded, swallowing down a lump that had formed in her throat. The blood was still rushing in her ears.

"It doesn't do well for a child not to grow up without any sort of love. Tom's childhood consisted of orphanages and people who never really cared for him. Forgive me for saying this, but the people in those orphanages are not doing their jobs correctly. They didn't understand him, punishing him for any unexplained outburst of magic or any abnormal behaviour. I wonder, perhaps, if I'd reached Tom a little sooner, he would be now more childlike. I hate to think of a child not getting to enjoy the happiest, most carefree, time of their life. It saddens me to think of it."

The story was so much like Harry's. Tom's story. It wasn't fair. No boy should have to grow up with that. But look at Harry, he wasn't bad, he wasn't evil. But then, neither is Tom now. Is he?

"My suspicions grew. There was an unfortunate incident when the Chamber of Secrets –Oh good, you recognise the name, I was afraid I'd have to explain it all - yes, it was nearly opened. Hagrid was blamed but I neither feel nor believe that a kind-hearted boy such as Hagrid would be capable of such an act. I've never been able to prove Tom responsible nor do I wish to, but I do have my suspicious. I've been keeping an eye on him ever since."

"There's something dark inside Tom Riddle, Miss Zabini. Something strange and powerful. I…I do not know how to prepare for it." Hermione looked up into Dumbledore's grave face and was startled by the brief expression of fear there. "Miss Zabini, I know better than to pry into the future, I know what's to be done is to be done, but something very bad happens, doesn't it? Something concerning Mr Riddle? Things must be very terrible for you to come all the way back here, Miss Zabini, and that worries me a great deal."

She looked into his face. He looked so old, even now. Something very bad does happen, she thought, you die. Dumbledore was dead. And, as the tears dropped on to her face and those thin frail arms wrapped themselves around her to comfort her, she finally realised it. Dumbledore was dead. He was alive now but, in her real time, all hope was lost, and he was really dead.

She left Dumbledore's office with the weight of the world on her shoulders, to find Malfoy waiting for her.

"What happened to you?" he asked in an unconcerned tone as she walked to meet him, "I've been looking for you."

"We need to talk," she said, "somewhere private. Outside. Let's go for a walk outside."

He nodded his reluctant consent and they walked side by side in silence. She wasn't crying but she'd never felt so troubled in her life. He kept glancing at her as they walked along but she was in her own world and did not notice.

The air was clear and cold, the sky was covered in a blanket of stars with no moon and only a whiff of cloud, and silence surrounded them. They walked for most of a half hour before he finally reached a thick tree by the lake and sat down. She paused for a minute that sat on the opposite side on the tree trunk, so their backs were to the trunk and so to each other, and they weren't looking at each other, he looking at the rippling lake, she at the twinkling lights of Hogwarts castle.

"So, what happened?"

She took in a breath. "It's over, Malfoy."

"What?" His tone was so openly surprised that she flinched.

"It's over, Malfoy," she told him again; relieved that she didn't have to look at him and there was no way he could look at her. "I thought I was cut out for this, I thought I could do this. But I can't. I'm not able to do this. I can't…I'm not strong enough."

"What's after bringing this on?" His voice was not angry or full of acquisitions, he was merely inquiring.

"I forgot," she said honestly.

"Excuse me?"

"I forgot who he was. I forgot!" The anger rose in her chest again, the anger that had always been directed at herself. "I forgot that he was Voldemort, Malfoy. He kissed me and, for that minute, I forgot that he's the murderer that killed Harry's parents, and tried to kill mine! He's the one person that is responsible for the pain of the Wizarding World. All those people's deaths and suffering and misery, and I just forgot!"

"He kissed you?" Malfoy's voice was tight.

"Yes, in the library. Merlin, Malfoy, I enjoyed it! I think I even may have kissed him back! He was looking at me with those dark eyes and those pretty lips, and I wanted him to kiss me! I should have run from him then, but I didn't. I didn't want to. I actually fancy him, Malfoy!" She'd never felt so ashamed of herself or so disgusted. "What would Ron say? How could Harry ever forgive me? How would Ginny ever be able to look me in the eye? How would my parents ever be able to understand?"

She was thankful that he wasn't looking at her because tears were streaming down her face. She wasn't even aware of his presence, really, more talking to herself.

"He has power over me. I'm too weak. I'm too weak to ever compete against Voldemort! I should have known that! But I was foolish and stupid and too proud, and thought I could really change things! Nothing ever changes, nothing's ever easy, and I'm too weak and silly to do anything of any real importance. I've completely lost control of the situation, Malfoy, and I can't do this! I can't do it alone! I can't do this alone! I just can't!"

There was silence for his side of the tree.

"Malfoy?"

And then a hand was on top of hers. She stared at it, barely believing her eyes. All she could see of him was the little bit of his arm and his pale white hand, resting over hers, squeezing slightly, a gesture of comfort.

"You're not alone," he told her quietly.

Ooooh, I liked this chapter. Thanks to anyone who pointed out the mistakes, and I changed them and used a line by Ptrst. I actually really tried to proof read this one; I'm sorry. I think I'm going to have to get myself a beta:( Honestly, I don't even know what's going to happen until I read over it again and realise I'm after writing another chapter and look! This wasn't what I thought was going to happen in this chapter at all! Oh well! I really like it though, this chapter and the last chapter have been my two favourite's so far, and I think this story is really coming far!

Thanks to:

Ardent Entity: You're a couple of chapters behind I think, but hopefully you'll catch up with us soon. Thank you, as always, for your funny and truthful reviews, and I really appreciate and respect your opinion, and I'm delighted your reading this story! What I wanted to ask you, is how do you feel about Shadows of Light being finsihed? Are you sad? you've been writing that story for so long! You were writing that when I was writing Sudden Changes, I think!

Lisi: Thanks for your reviews! Sorry I'm only continuing Deal With The Devil now, but hopefully, when i;ve finsihed that, you''ll still read this one (which I personally think is better.)

El Ci Aech Johnson: Glad the pairings to your taste! i actually didn't know any of them existed but, after a bit of research, I've realised there's actually a couple of good ones out there! thanks for the review!

Unspeakable May: Thanks as always! I plan to write this story a lot more than my others, basically because I think it's the best at the moment.

Annavignola: I thoiught that chapter was good too! What did you think of this one? And thanks!

Roses4u: There's Malfoy! Thanks for the review!#

Sakuya Kaleido: I did update pretty quickly, and hope you're still reading! Thanks!

Seghen: We're reviewing each others works, and it's really helpful for both of us. I like it. Keep up the good work and keep updating Seeing What Should not be Seen. Oh, and if anybody's reading this, I urge you to read Seghen's story. It's one of those odd ones with an OC that's actually GOOD and not annoying to read. I am a fan.

Alenor: Hope you have a good time, and I hope you updated before you came back! Tell me all about it, if you're still reading! I'd love to be going away! Sorry about the cliffie in the last chapter.

S: Now you know! Hehe! thanks!

Hoochrules: Hermione is weak at the moment, I know, but she'll find her strength! She isn't going to give in easy at all. Actually, that's what the next chapters all about.

The Cardboard Moon: I was actually going to do that (Malfoy walking in) but then I realised that, in real life, people don't just walk around and wait to be summoned, so I didn't. Law came in instead though! So...um..can I have that gallon and 12 sickles then? taht;d be cool! Thanks for the review!

PinkTribeChick: You're always reviewing, aren't you? I LOVE people like you! Keep it up! And thank, thank, thank you!

Ptrst: You've been awfully quiet lately? I thought you may have forgotten me! How are you? And I won't...but she's gonna find it a challenge not to!

Vedgirl1201: It's strange, how death threats can make a person smile so much...and yet it does! Cheers!

sadsoulz: your review kind of confused me, but thanks!

Anichan: Hehe, thanks for the review, and I was pretty quick for, you know, me.

CareBearErin: Tom's mysterious to me! i know nothing about him, at all! I'm not sure how I can even write him, I don't think I've ever read a full fic about him! Thank you!

Illyria-Light: THANK YOU AS ALWAYS! I love the people who stick with you, even through your bad-drabbles phrase and your lack of updates phrase! So thank you, and I hope you know how much I do appreciate it!

I just realised my thanks were not up to date at all! I';m sorry I don't do them at every chapter - it really does take the longest of times - but I do hope you all know how chuffed I am when I get them beautiful review alerts!

And don't forget to review for this chapter either, and tell me what you think!

Hermione will get her strength back; she just needs to accept things and get a little support off Draco! Watch her in the next chapter!