A/N: Thank you all for the patience with me on this final chapter of the story. I have to admit that I struggled with the motivation to finish it, in part because of real life and in part because I don't feel like I executed what I wanted to when I set out to write this plot line. But at some point, you just have to take a leap. I can't say thank you enough to alpha/beta reader lanamarymack who was so incredibly supportive of me in writing this and just being a cheerleader when I was feeling like everything I wrote was garbage, haha! You can follow me over on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.
I hope that you like what I've come up with - please let me know what you thought of the epilogue!
Eight years later
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Hermione took a deep breath to try and steady her nerves. "It's okay, Hermione," she breathed out, giving herself a pep talk. "You can do this."
She was one of the most sought after solicitors in the south of England, after all. She had far more requests for cases than she could possibly take on and had earned a reputation for being fair and fierce in her representation of her clients. Even the stink of working for Tom Riddle could not dull her shine.
Unfortunately, she didn't have nearly as much time to take on the cases that truly interested her between family commitments and her general workload. After her grueling university course, certification and subsequent training under Slughorn, Hermione had promised herself that she wouldn't allow her career to result in her being locked up in her office for hours on hours at the expense of her friends and family. Work wasn't everything, after all.
And, Tom had made good on his promise to keep her busy. In taking his business legitimate, he had kept her hands full with incorporations and other day to day business needs. The only bright spot was that she was able to interface with Theo a lot in those early days of the business. But, she would be lying if she didn't say that she sometimes envied Adrian's decision to become a barrister instead. Tom's needs when it came to courtroom proceedings were much lower.
But, if she got her way today - and she could be quite persuasive - she would finally be relieved of some of Tom's work.
Biting her lower lip, Hermione cursed when she realized she'd smudged her bright red lipstick, and worked to reapply it. She'd long ago retired her punchy pink lipstick for something a little more grown up once she'd left University. Today it felt like war paint.
But after all, wasn't that exactly what it was? Today, she was going to attempt to take down a dangerous man - a man who wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone who stood in the way of what he wanted - all while keeping him completely unaware that it was her who had pulled all the strings.
The thought of being caught alone was enough to send her heart rate skyrocketing, her breath quickening, until she ground her teeth together, determined to hold it together. "Keep it together," she breathed out, hoping to calm her nerves.
Knowing that she wasn't going to do any good hiding away in the bathroom, she wiped her sweaty palms against her trousers, before striding out into the hall with purpose. Her tall heels were not so high as to be inappropriate in a work setting, but helped her stand tall enough to deal with the difficult personalities she frequently went against. Her fashionable blouse in cream was just sheer enough to entice. She normally felt confident, but today she was wavering.
Adrian met her in the hallway. "He's here, in the conference room," he told her immediately. "It's not wise to keep him waiting longer than we have to."
Adrian had been a constant companion to Hermione once she began University, both in his capacity as Theo's friend and junior mentor to her fledgling law career. It was nice to have someone who'd been through it more recently than Slughorn to give her advice and support when things got difficult. Since they both received their certifications, they had only grown closer, working out of the same office every day, even though they spent their time on different cases. Unless it was for Tom's interests.
"Let's get this over with," Hermione answered with a grimace, before striding into the empty conference room, hoping to project an air of confidence that she currently did not feel.
The man seated on the opposite side of the room was much changed in the past eight years. Tom Riddle never expected a heart attack to sneak up on him, as he regularly exercised and ate a healthy diet over the years. He wouldn't hear any of the doctors' suggestions that it was due to his heavy drinking and smoking and rather blamed it all on the genetics provided by his absent father.
His health troubles had left Tom finally looking his age. A streak of grey could now be found at his temple and worry lines criss-crossed his forehead. He could never be called frail, but his clothes hung a bit baggier now. In a way, it made Goliath not seem so unbeatable to Hermione.
"Tom," she greeted with a tight smile on her painted lips, not relishing the conversation that they were about to have one bit. She knew that he wasn't going to take things well.
"Do I pay you two to keep me waiting?" he asked, with a snarl, though his bark no longer frightened her after working with him for so longer.
Adrian was there to smooth things over. "We were just reviewing out notes, but we came as quickly as we could," he said. "We wanted to make sure that we had considered this from every angle before deciding on a course of action."
Hermione watched as Tom's shoulders instantly deflated, knowing that the outcome could not be good for him. Wanting to put him out of his misery as quickly as possible, she said the words she'd been waiting to. "There is no other way, Tom," she added, firmly. "We've got to arrange for your surrender to the authorities."
Although he seemed to be expecting it, hearing the words out loud made the notorious man rage. Pounding his fists against the table and shouting some creative swear words, he quickly turned on his two lawyers. "After all I pay you, this is the only resolution you can come up with?" he demanded. "You are worthless."
"Please, Tom," Hermione said with a snort. "You must know that you brought this on yourself. If the authorities didn't have your illegal books, then this wouldn't be a conversation that we'd be having. But turning yourself in is the best option. They have enough to convict you, whether you plead to it or not. But, you will get a lesser sentence if you just admit your guilt."
"And you?" he demanded, looking at Adrian. "Is this your belief as well?"
"Hermione is right, although I know that it will be difficult to accept," he conceded. "You'll get a smaller sentence if you cooperate and in a few months we can petition for a compassionate release due to your health issues."
"Health issues," he scoffed, his arms crossed his chest, making him look like a petulant toddler. All that was missing was a lip wobble. "I will not let them think I am some sort of feeble old man."
"It doesn't need to be the truth," Adrian said, hoping to smooth things over. "We pay for a friendly doctor, who will say whatever we want. Let the magistrate think you are feeble - that doesn't mean that you will be."
Hermione pursed her lips, thinking that although Tom couldn't face it, he had grown more feeble as he'd gotten older. She was sure that he still thought he was as tough as he'd been as a twenty year old taking over the neighborhood.
"Tom," she said, with every ounce of compassion that she had in her body. "This is truly the best course of action, otherwise we wouldn't be recommending it to you."
Tom's eyes looked up at the ceiling and after a few beats he started to laugh. The sound was sinister and chilling and Hermione had to remind herself that he wasn't going to hurt her. His dark blue gaze dropped back on her face, his lips curled churlishly. "You must be proud of yourself," he accused her. "You must feel like such a puppet master, pulling all the strings, until you've got me exactly where you want me."
"Me?" Hermione asked, her nostrils flared. "This has absolutely nothing to do with me. I'm not the one who told you to start working with Mulciber again. I'm not the one who gave your books to the authorities. I'm not the one who told you to mix dirty money with legally gained tender!"
"Your husband should have-"
Hermione cut him off with a glare. Theo was off limits as far as she was concerned. "If you'd asked my husband, he would have told you the same exact thing. It was a stupid choice, whispered in your ear by foolish advisors," she said, her voice rising in volume. "Face it, Riddle. You have no one to blame for your predicament but yourself. Take the damn deal!"
The room was so silent that all Hermione could focus on was the ticking of the clock and the hammering of her heart in her chest. Of course, she hadn't been the one to trust Mulciber, but she had maybe given an anonymous tip to the authorities so they knew just how to press him in order for him to give up his boss. Tom's assessment of her as a puppet master had been correct. She'd been lining up the dominoes to fall in her favor for years and she was not about to let the opportunity pass her by.
"Fine. I'll surrender on Monday," he agreed, finally. "But I am not waiting longer than two months for the compassionate release, so get the paperwork started now," he commanded, needing to feel in charge still.
Adrian agreed, before standing to walk Tom Riddle out of the office. Hermione sat in stunned disbelief that she was finally going to be free of him. She didn't think that he was going to last two months in prison with his ailing health. And if not, there were all sorts of ways that she could delay the petitions.
It was finally over.
She'd had a moment to collect herself when Adrian popped his head in the room again. "You've done a lot of work today," he said with a smirk. "Why don't you go home for the weekend? I'm sure that Theo would love to celebrate with you."
Biting her lower lip, Hermione nodded in agreement. Normally, she was not one to duck out of the office early, but all the long nights had been wearing on her. She wanted nothing more than to spend the weekend snuggled up with Theo.
Grabbing her coat, she walked out into the snowy afternoon and made her way to the Underground to catch a train home. She'd never gone back to the neighborhood after University, instead choosing a gorgeous flat to move into with Theo once he'd completed his degree as well. It was luxurious and well-appointed, but she'd gotten over the source of her income. She'd gotten it legally, after all.
That wasn't to say that she and Theo didn't still visit the neighborhood often. Her parents and Uncle were still living there, despite her offer to buy them a home someplace nicer. Theo's father had died not even a year into his first year at University, so her family was one of the last things tying them to it now that Tom's legal business had shaken off the boundary of the geographic area.
The train ride was quiet, seeing as it was still the middle of the work day, but when she rejoined the bustle of the world at ground level, she cursed herself for her impractical, tall heels when she discovered that it was snowing. Her walk home would be a bit more treacherous than usual, but if she'd managed to get Tom Riddle behind bars, surely she could handle something as trivial as the weather.
Her careful steps were rewarded and she was soon taking the elevator up to her top level flat. Throwing her keys down on the counter, she smiled at the slightly lopsided Christmas tree in the window and the cozy fire that was popping away in the fireplace.
"Gummy worm?" came the deep voice of Theo Nott, her husband, from his place stretched out on the couch.
"What are you doing home so early?" she asked, pursing her lips together. Though, she wasn't about to complain about his presence. She slipping into the spot next to him, taking the bag of candy from him and eagerly digging in.
"Ades called me," he said with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "I figured things must have gone really well or really poorly."
"It went better than I could have hoped," Hermione answered. "Although he did accuse me of orchestrating all of this. But, if Tom really believed that, I wouldn't be alive walking around now. He's taking the deal."
Theo let out a sigh of relief, matching her own feelings. "That's good," he said, sitting back against the cushions and unbuttoning his sleeves so that he could roll them up. On his left forearm, an inky black tattoo sat, the eyes of the snake staring up at her. It was a tattoo that Hermione was all too familiar with, seeing as her father and Uncle had a similar one. It was a bit of a brand, showing his allegiance to Tom Riddle or more specifically the neighborhood. Hermione never really understood why Theo felt the need to get one of his own, but she figured it had to do something with any lingering connection he'd felt to his father.
Hermione greatly preferred the candy hearts that he wore on his chest, professing his love for her. Somehow, that felt even more significant than the heavy, silver wedding band that he wore on his left hand. It could have been merely an unfortunate symbol of teenage fancy, something he'd have to explain to any other woman who's name didn't begin with an 'H'. But their love had not fizzled out once it had gotten started, even when they grew into the man and woman that they were today.
She bit her lip, enjoying the secret side of Theo that she knew, one who used to wear buttery leather jackets and drove a shitty car. The one who'd shown her a side of life that she never would have explored without him. The one who'd encouraged her to put herself first for a change, by getting drunk and snogging for hours in backseats.
It was completely contrary to the person that he presented himself as today. He'd always been tall, but he'd grown into his body more, a bit broader and stronger than he'd been as a teenager. His confidence and easy smile had made him a successful man in the financial world. Even without handling Tom's legitimate business, Theo would be well-established on his own. His hair was a little bit on the long side, but that was the only thing that hinted there might be something more simmering under the surface.
She bit her lower lip, wondering what his coworkers would think if they knew about his tattoos.
"What's so funny?" he prodded, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Just thinking about how your coworkers are completely unaware of who you used to be," she said. "I wonder what they'd think if they knew you willingly tattooed yourself with candy to impress a girl."
"I thought you were going to say how dangerous I used to be," he said, sounding put out. "If they knew it was to impress you, I'm sure they'd understand."
Hermione snorted. She knew that she intimidated most of Theo's coworkers.
"In any case, it's not like I've really changed, not that much," he said, turning her face up to his so that she could look him in the eye. "I'm still the same Theo who was so stupidly in love with you that I would have run away from the neighborhood and never looked back, if it meant I got to be in love with you."
"Mm, that would have been nice," Hermione mused. "Maybe we could have gone to America."
"Or Australia," he suggested. "I would have liked to laze about on the beach."
"Ugh. No way! I would have been burnt to a crisp," Hermione countered, knowing how horribly she sunburnt. But it would have been fun to have an adventure with Theo. After a beat of silence, she decided that she preferred their lives as they were. "I much prefer the way that things have turned out."
"Getting all the benefits of working with Tom and taking him out of the picture, with him none the wiser? I shouldn't have doubted you when you told me it was possible," he mused.
"You're right. You should never doubt me," Hermione said, knowing that she was being cocky. That was okay, though. Theo quite enjoyed her bossiness.
"What's next?" he asked her, knowing that she could never stay still for long.
"Well, I was thinking maybe we could spend the weekend holed up, with you ravishing me as much as I desire it," she said with a smirk. "But then, I've got a bit of a break in cases since I'd put everything on hold while I handled the last of the Tom stuff. I've never been on a real holiday. Do you think your work would give you a month off without much notice? Let's travel. I could even be convinced to go to Australia if you promise to put sunblock on my back."
"I can't think of anything I'd rather do," he said, eagerly pulling her up from the couch.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, not ready to leave the cozy haven.
"I think that the first order of business was a ravishing. And I plan on starting that as soon as possible," he said with a smirk. "There is no rest for the wicked, Hermione."
She laughed, but followed him into their bedroom nonetheless. "Oh, and you are wicked, are you?" she teased. "Or me?"
"Mm-hm," he nodded, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "But don't be silly, Sweetheart . You've always been too sweet," he teased, knowing how the word used to irk her.
A younger Hermione would have protested, but she knew better than to deny who she really was. It wasn't that she'd changed, but she'd grown more comfortable with the person that she was deep down.
Leaning forward, she pressed him back against the bed, her lips finding his in a deep kiss, familiar but still exciting after all these years. Theo still made her insides feel gooey, sticky and warm, just like the first kiss they'd ever shared in the backseat of his car. She moaned into him, loving the feeling of being pressed up against him.
She'd never give this up for anything.