Chapter 7: The Hearing

Tom Riddle walked briskly down the path toward the ornate doors of the Hogsmeade courthouse. It was Victorian-esque with intricately carved decorations around the many tall, narrow windows, and a few pointy towers, one of which showcased a large clock. It had become a popular spot for pigeons to nest, as there were many small crevices and ledges that provided convenient perches. The grandeur was all lost on him, however, as his mind was running a mile a minute. There were a few last minute changes he had quickly made that he hoped would improve the situation. He was almost to the door when a voice called out to him.

"Riddle!"

He stopped and turned toward the silver blonde man striding towards him. "Malfoy," he greeted Lucius, waiting for him to catch up. As he did, something flashed before his vision. He flinched back, then realized too late what had happened. He heard his companion laugh before he looked down to see the disgusting white glob of bird poop that landed right on the toe of his left shoe. He cursed under his breath.

"How unfortunate," Malfoy commented, though he was clearly still trying to suppress his laughter. "I do hope you have an extra pair."

"Unfortunate indeed." He looked up, trying to catch sight of the stupid bird. There it was, looking right back at him. He glared at it, though it did no good. Looking back at Malfoy he sighed, "I'll meet you back in the courthouse. Everything is in order."

Tom stalked back to his car, fuming. Today of all days, of course. It was a good thing he always showed up much earlier than needed. He rummaged through the glove compartment and arm rest, looking for a napkin, a water bottle, anything that could help clean it off. Then he paused as he remembered. The shoes.

Good gods, there had to be another option. Hermione would never let him live it down if he showed up wearing those vegan leaf nature atrocities. He looked down at the ruined suede of his current pair. Cursing, he opened the trunk of his car, pulled out the shoe box and opened it.

There they lay. Looking, actually not that bad. The vegan leather was perhaps a tad shinier than the authentic kind, but they were otherwise very similar to the ones he normally wore. He replaced his shoes and walked around a few steps, testing them out. They were comfortable.

Feeling mildly disgusted, he tossed his ruined pair in the trash bin as he once again walked up to the courthouse. The hearing would take place in a medium-sized room, meant for events more informal than full trials. There was a long table set up for the panel, a screen connected to a government laptop, a small desk, and a podium. Five or six rows of chairs were set up in two sections facing the panel table. Only the first row and a half were currently filled. Tom walked to the desk and began setting up his material. He pulled out a flash drive and a few sheets of paper, laying them face down.

"Ready to cut down some tree-huggers?" he felt a clap on his shoulder as Malfoy approached him again. He had a cup of coffee in one hand. The blonde looked down. "Nice shoes. Leave it to you to always be prepared."

"Thank you, Malfoy. I'm very optimistic about the outcome of this hearing."

"Excellent. You've never let us down before," Lucius grinned before turning and heading toward one of the seats.

Tom looked down at his papers. He felt a small twinge at Malfoy's statement, but found he didn't really care. This might be the first, and likely the last, time he would disappoint the firm.

He heard the door to the room open and a wave of people washed in. He recognized a few of the people he had seen with Granger at the Three Broomsticks; the ginger siblings, Glasses, and the blonde. They were with others he didn't recognize. He continued searching the crowd until he realized he was looking for Hermione. He wasn't sure how, but she had managed to worm her way beneath his skin without even really trying.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw her. She looked like herself, yet different. Her hair had been styled into a pretty half up-do, and it hung in light brown curls past her shoulders. Her face was radiant, her eyes brighter than normal. She was wearing a light blue-grey suit that was snug around her waist and flared out slightly at the hips, accentuating curves that were normally hidden beneath her frumpy sweaters. Small, gold lion earrings caught the light whenever she moved her head. She was laughing with a tall, muscular man that he hadn't met yet, though he looked a bit familiar. He had brown hair cropped in a short hairstyle and thick eyebrows that looked permanently furrowed. He was handsome in a rugged, sulking way. Tom Riddle hated him instantly.

Across the room she caught his eye. She smiled and nodded at him, then returned to her conversation with the man. Tom could vaguely detect some type of accent. They embraced, then she began heading over to where he was standing at the desk. Tom quickly turned away, not wanting to be caught staring.

Who was he? Why was she smiling at him like that? Was there a history there? With a jolt, Tom realized he sounded like a jealous lover. Jealous. There was no way he could be jealous. No, because that meant that there was something to be jealous of. It was impossible, right?


Hermione strode through the courthouse, both hoping to see Riddle and dreading it. She didn't know which emotion was stronger. Her friends, in a big shower of support, had come with her. Dean hadn't been able to make it, but Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna had come. Even Neville, who was visiting for the holidays. But the biggest surprise was when Viktor greeted Hermione in the parking lot. It had been a few years since they'd last seen each other in person. They kept in contact, occasionally calling and texting, but it was rare to find a time when he was not in training or touring with the Bulgarian football team to visit him. Hermione had casually mentioned the impending hearing a few weeks prior, and he had immediately made plans to come support. He reasoned that since it was so close to the holidays, he may as well come for this as well. She hadn't expected him to actually be able to make it, but was overjoyed to see him.

Ron was exceedingly happy to see him as well. He was deep in conversation with the Bulgarian about their most recent game against Ireland when they entered the room designated for the hearing. Viktor turned to her.

"Vell, Hermy, I vish you luck," he smiled warmly at her.

She smiled back. "Thank you so much for coming, Viktor. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"It seems that my visit is more for Ron," he chuckled, and Hermione laughed with him.

She hesitated a bit before saying, "There will be an open floor time for people to briefly speak on my behalf for the forest and park. Testimonials. Of course, I would never expect you to say anything, but I just thought that-"

"Nonsense, of course I vill speak. Anything for you, Hermy." Viktor smiled again and pulled her into a quick hug.

"You're the best," she said before turning and walking towards the desk where Tom Riddle was standing.

He wasn't looking her way, which was just as well, because he looked dashing as usual. His hair was once again sleek and shiny, not a strand out of place. His black suit was tailored perfectly, making him look like a model who just stepped off the runway. Gods, those cheekbones and that jawline made her want to melt into her shoes. She mentally steadied herself as she approached him.

"Good morning, Tom," she greeted him, glad her voice was not as shaky as she felt.

He met her eyes and solemnly replied, "Good morning, Hermione." He briefly glanced over at her pack of friends taking their seats and then back. "I see you brought along the cavalry."

Hermione did her best to stifle the surge of disappointment she felt when Riddle gave no reaction to her appearance at all. What had she been expecting? She remembered the dark haired woman with him at the Three Broomsticks. They had seemed rather chummy then, and she was a beautiful woman. Of course he wouldn't spend time looking at her.

"I see you're wearing your new shoes," she retorted, smirking down at the vegan leather. She couldn't help but feel a swell of warmth at the sight, and a bit of smugness. "My friends wanted to be here to support me," Hermione began pulling her own papers from her briefcase, as well as a flash drive. "Are you ready to lose?" She was only half teasing, as she felt the intense desire to win course through her veins.

Riddle scoffed. "Stop gloating, Granger. These shoes were an emergency back up, as they are marginally better than soiled suede. And I thought you might have done your research since our little talk yesterday. Half the panel has some type of relationship to partners at my firm, and two others are large shareholders in commercial brands, just waiting to sink their claws into another mall."

Hermione was shocked, all thoughts of shoes gone from her mind. "What?! That's hardly neutral."

"Did you think Borgin and Burke was the only party interested in further urbanizing Hogsmeade?"

Hermione was reeling. Every panel member was supposedly an impartial government employee, ones who would have the relevant knowledge and position to make such a decision. She hadn't even thought to consider that the panel would be so incredibly biased. She felt something deflating in her chest. No! She told herself. It's not over yet.

She raised herself to her full height. "I will not be intimidated. Whatever mind tricks you're trying to play aren't going to work on me."

She stepped up to the podium as the panelists filed in and took their seats. They ranged from late 20s to early 60s she estimated. She recognized Amelia Bones, who was in charge of the Park Ranger program, as well as Rodolphus Lestrange, the Chief Land Registrar, but Hermione also knew that he was somehow related to the Malfoys. She was surprised to see Percy Weasley, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Levelling Up. She quickly glanced at Ron and saw that he was just as shocked. The two brothers hadn't been on good terms in the last few years, mostly because Percy had been neglecting his family in favor of climbing in rank in his new job. Clearly, it had worked. He gave no indication that he even recognized her. She couldn't count on him for his vote. Hermione also knew of Dolores Umbridge, an unpleasant, toad-like woman who served on the Board of the Dept. of Revenue and Customs. She wasn't too pleased, having dealt with the woman before. Umbridge only cared about money, and a mall meant more taxes, which meant more money flowing in. Hermione didn't recognize the other two men sitting at the table. She supposed they must be the other ones with relationships to the Malfoys.

A slightly pudgy man with blond hair and watery blue eyes stepped up before everyone. "Welcome in, everyone. I am Ludo Bagman, and I will be moderating this hearing. To be clear, this is an informal case to settle the matter of rezoning the Hogsmeade Forest for commercial use. If the motion is approved, then this shall also act as the official presentation for Borgin and Burke Inc. for their intended use of the land. Said company filed to rezone it, and S.P.E.W has filed multiple protests against this action. We shall begin with Hermione Granger, who is representing S.P.E.W."

Hermione plugged her flash drive into the computer and opened up her presentation.


Riddle had to admit, Granger had done her research. Her presentation was thorough, it listed out statistics to back her arguments why a park would be more beneficial to the land. She pulled data from the most recent census, environmental impacts, she even had pictures of some of the animals that resided there. She also had a development plan for a park. Even he had to admit that it looked pleasant, with the kids' jungle gym, swing set, basketball courts, tennis courts, and everything in between.

Several of her friends lent their voices during the open floor time. Viktor Krum, international Bulgarian football player, made quite an impact, as he talked about the benefits of having an outdoor space for children to get involved in sports and train. Riddle had to squash the small flare of hatred down as the athlete spoke. How did Hermione even know this man?

Then it was his turn. Riddle walked up to the podium as Hermione took a seat behind it. He opened up his own presentation and walked to stand in front of the podium, rather than stay behind it. He always felt better when he could walk around freely. "Ladies and gentlemen of the panel, as well as this city," he inclined his head toward the audience, "we all can agree to the beauty of nature and the health benefits of outdoor activities." He paused, seeing the approving nods of everyone. Malfoy looked as if he was watching a magic trick and waiting for the big reveal. Riddle continued, "But what if rezoning to a commercial area meant that we could still enjoy the same privileges, with even more economic advantage to the community?" Riddle clicked to his next slide, showing off the new plans for an indoor, outdoor sports complex connected to a mini-mall.

Nearly every game court imaginable was depicted, with a large, sprawling area of forest for hiking. The actual mall portion had been cut down to a quarter of the planned size, with healthy food and takeout options for picnics, sporting goods shops, and athletic wear. It was a fairly rough rendering, as it had been so last minute, but Severus Snape was the best architect he knew. With less than 24 hours to work, the man had managed an impressive piece.

There were mixed reactions around the room, and he heard a small gasp from behind him. In front, Malfoy was barely concealing his outrage at the new plans. The panelists all looked interested, if a little puzzled. They had undoubtedly already known of the original plans for a supermall.

The support was overwhelming, and the motion to rezone the land was quickly approved, as well as the plans for the sport complex. Malfoy was furious. As soon as the hearing was over, he stormed up to Riddle. "How dare you, Riddle? This is NOT what we agreed on? You are done! You'd better have your office cleared by the day after Christmas or I'll personally have all of your items burned." There was a fire in his eyes. "You will regret this! After I'm done with you, you won't be able to find employment anywhere in the country!" With that he stomped out of the room.

Riddle watched him leave. It was more or less the reaction he expected, and he found that he really didn't care. No more dealing with the Malfoys after this.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Hermione staring up at him in disbelief. "What did you do?"

"I believe I just won," he replied smugly, though without any bite.

She slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "No, really. Malfoy clearly wasn't happy with it. You changed your plans. Why?"

The way she was looking at him, and the way she looked. It was almost too much for him to handle.

"Because the Malfoys are a bunch of arrogant pricks who think they own me, or thought they did." He shrugged. "As you said, what good is a bank full of money with no family or friends?"

"But you just got fired!"

"I believe the words you're looking for are 'thank you'."

She hit him again, then pulled him in for a hug. Startled, his eyes widened as he took in her scent. Lavender, with a hint of something else, something enticing. He wrapped one of his arms around her back and patted once before letting go. There were actual tears in her eyes as she looked at him and said, "Thank you, Tom."

He felt it like a punch to his gut. In that moment, he knew he would do anything to make her happy, to see the look of gratitude and joy in her eyes again. Something must have shown in his expression because she asked, "Is everything alright?"

He cleared his throat, "Yes, I'm fine."

The rest of Hermione's friends had started gathering around them now.

"'Mione!" Harry called out. "What… exactly happened?"

"Do we console you? Congratulate you?" Ron looked a bit bewildered.

Hermione smiled at them. "This is amazing, it's definitely a congratulations. But not to me." She glanced at Riddle then back. "Tom Riddle is the one who did all this."

"Er," Ron looked between the two of them and whispered very loudly, "isn't this the bloke we're supposed to hate?"

Ginny elbowed him and he gave a muffled yelp. "Excuse my brother, he's usually a few steps behind." She held her hand out to him. "Ginny Weasley."

Riddle shook her hand, amused. "A pleasure to meet you."

"I haff liked your presentation, Hermy," the foreign man from earlier stepped forward, smiling at Hermione. He held his own hand out to Tom. "I am Viktor Krum."

It was a very firm handshake.

"Pleased to meet you," Tom forced a smile. He wanted to continue talking, but was introduced to the two remaining members of Hermione's group, Luna and Neville. Riddle was faintly uncomfortable, tending to dislike large groups that he could not slip away from. However, he tolerated it, considering these were Hermione's friends. They exchanged pleasantries, and he briefly explained away the redesign, saying that he had creative differences with Borgin and Burke, and had decided to end things with a bang. He could also tell that Hermione didn't fully believe him.

"Let's head back to our place to celebrate!" Harry called, and there were head nods around the group. They began to head for the door, but Riddle stayed in his place. He didn't think he was a part of this celebration. Instead, he walked over to the little desk and began collecting his things and putting them away in his briefcase. He was not alone. Hermione had also come to collect her own items.

"Are you coming?" she asked him.

"Hmm, I don't know. I already had plans to spend a depressing Christmas alone in my big, cold house, showing no festive spirit, getting drunk and pretending I don't care." He raised an eyebrow and gave her a sidelong glance.

She snorted. "Right, sounds a lot better than 'disgustingly bland plans with my little group of friends' and 'getting cornered beneath the mistletoe'."

Riddle hesitated. The idea of going both enticed and repelled him. Christmas stirred up a lot of old, painful memories. The last time he let himself believe he could have a happy one, it was ripped away. "Hermione," he said at last, directing his gaze downward to his briefcase. "I'm not sure if I can come. Christmas is, well, complicated for me."

She took a step towards him and looked up into his face with those damned gentle eyes. "It's okay if you can't, I understand. But it would make me very happy if you did." She smiled at him then, a soft, genuine smile. He knew then he was doomed. How could one smile hold so much power?

"I suppose I can squeeze it in. I have a very busy schedule, you know," he did his best to hide the wealth of emotions washing over him.

"Well, between your bottles of Gin and Vodka, you're welcome to come over for Butterbeer to change it up." She was definitely grinning now. "You have my address?"

Riddle nodded. "The package you sent me."

"Good, you can get more use out of your new shoes."

They both looked down at them. Riddle rolled his ankle, examining the shoe from different angles. "I must admit, they have grown on me a bit, like a black mold."

"Shut up," she said, smacking him lightly on the arm, though she was smiling. She had finished gathering her things and turned to leave. "I'll see you later, then?"

"Unfortunately."

She gave him a look of mock disgust, then left the room. Riddle found himself alone, conflicted, confused, and oddly happy.


A/N: We're almost done! Thank you again for all those who have been reading this. I appreciate any and all feedback :)