A/N: Greetings, people who are reading this! Thank you so much to all those who followed and reviewed! Much love! 3

In response to those who reviewed- yes, Ron is a bit of a git in this universe and Hermione is 100% done with it. Also I'm 100% done with it, Hermione is a gem and deserves all the respect and love.

In relation to the story as a whole: I am super excited to get this underway, as my first ever fic, (and thanks again to those already joining me for the ride!). I promise to update regularly and to proofread and just generally deliver the best quality content I can for y'all so yeah! Imma stop talking and trying to be personable so that you can hopefully enjoy this next chapter. :)

So it wasn't just a mirror.

That was…interesting. Although for some reason Hermione also felt that it was wrong. It made her uneasy to know that the arrogant boy on the other side could potentially walk through and be in her special place. Something about him just wasn't right.

He looked, now that she had a chance to examine him, and if she were being honest with herself, too good. Nobody that attractive had ever transpired to be good news. No. She sensed he was the type to get what he wanted far too easily, and with little care for what others thought. It was in the way he held himself. It was in the steadiness of his gaze. It was even in the tilt of his smirk. He was powerful. Hermione had never seen a person who seemed to radiate authority so clearly, especially not a teenage boy. It was unsettling. And what was worse was the fact that, even if only a little bit, she was drawn to it.

He intrigued her for sure. But then he did appear in a magic mirror, gateway, object(?) so that was reasonable.

She didn't particularly care right at that moment. She was far too busy trying to collect her thoughts, which seemed to be alternating between don't let him in and step through. Both of these options seemed problematic to an extent.

He didn't seem to care as much. His eyebrows merely drew together at the realisation that they were connected by more than just a window. She might have said he looked confused but the change was so subtle she couldn't really tell.

Over their silent contemplation of the matter their fires crackled, though for once the sound gave her no comfort. Hermione had never felt unsafe in her room before but now she felt incredibly uneasy; the boy seemed suspect; her room seemed smaller; and the mirror seemed to be spewing frigid air. It coiled round her ankles as she stood before it, wondering what the connection meant, wondering why it was with him, wondering where it would lead…

Suddenly the boy looked up at her, face perfectly composed, almost inviting but for... A fresh chill settled over her as she noticed for the first time how truly dark his eyes were. They seemed to have no colour at all. Just darkness. Endless, fathomless, darkness. Under his scrutiny she felt a new intensity added to her fight or flight responses. The two options became equally compelling magnetic forces and her stuttering heart lay stretched between them.

He seemed to be about to step forward.

What was he thinking?

What was he doing?

What-

A sharp chime pulled Hermione out of her anxious thoughts and stopped the boy in his tracks. It came from the clock above the fireplace, reminding her to get a move on before curfew.

"I have to go." She muttered, for some reason sheepishly, like she was apologetic for having to leave this entirely unplanned occurrence. In reality she was relieved. Yes. Not disappointed. Relieved.

"So you do." Came his reply, and with it a far too charming smile. A blush seized her cheeks at the hint of disappointment in his voice. But then, hadn't he been snide and secretive only a minute ago?

"Yes, well it was a pleasure to meet you Mr…?" She chanced, regaining herself in the hope of ascertaining at least half of his identity.

He tutted playfully. "Perhaps next time Miss Granger. For now though, it was a pleasure." Merlin, his eyes! She could stare into those eyes for eternity.

Despite herself, warmth spread through her cheeks once again. Ridiculous! How was he suddenly so disarming? "Yes, goodbye." She mumbled, hurrying away to grab her things. The quicker she left the better. She didn't trust those eyes of his. Or that smile. Or that voice…

"Miss Granger." He called. She swivelled round faster than she would have liked.

"Yes?" Why did she suddenly sound so hopeful?

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He smirked, holding up the notebook. His head was tilted to the side endearingly.

"Oh, right." She said, coming to retrieve it, but before she reached the mirror he stepped through himself.

He was in her space.

Hermione tried to keep her features steady. She needn't panic. He was just a boy. Just an excessively attractive, slightly intimidating, human boy. With eyes as dark as the deepest depths of hell and a smile as alluring as the devil himself. No sweat.

But then his fingers grazed hers as he passed the notebook back. And he was too close. Too close and too tall, she realised. He practically towered over her. It should have been disconcerting, the way he grinned down at her. It was disconcerting. But at the same time she felt compelled to come closer. "Thanks." She tugged it out of his hands and waited until he'd stepped back on to his side to flee, replacing the tarp with a flick of her wand and already overthinking every aspect of the interaction.


It was a gateway. That made more sense. It meant that what he desired was on the other side, it wasn't the girl at all. He realised this as they stood in silence, regarding one another and considering the implications of such a passageway. It vexed him somewhat that she looked so concerned by the notion. Most girls would have clawed their way through the mirror for a chance to reach him, whether it were a gateway or not.

Not her, apparently.

Distrust clouded her gaze instead. Her arms cradled her torso protectively. Her lower lip was being kneaded by her teeth mercilessly.

But he supposed it didn't really matter what she thought. It wasn't as if she could stop him getting through even if she wanted to. Nothing would stop him from getting what he wanted. Least of all an annoying little girl.

In fact he would go through right-

A clock chimed shrilly from her side. Tom noticed her shoulders sag in…relief?

"I have to go." She muttered. How could it have been relief when she sounded so sad to go? But that was irrelevant, he needed to see if he could get through. Just to know he could would be enough for now. He could come back later and search for what he desired. But, if she was uncomfortable with it, she might get in his way. But he couldn't simply threaten her. He didn't know who else might be on the other side. He didn't know how long it would take to find whatever was on the other side. He didn't even know why only now he was blessed with this connection to the other side. There were just too many unknowns. He would have to tread carefully.

"So you do." He replied, gracing her with his finest smile, though it physically pained him to do so.

It almost had its intended effect. The bushy haired girl certainly looked flustered. But then beneath the blush there seemed to be a hint of irritation. She didn't quite trust him.

With a curt smile of her own she responded. "Yes, well it was a pleasure to meet you Mr…?" She chanced, raising an eyebrow imploringly.

So that's why she didn't trust him. Stupid girl shouldn't give away personal information if she didn't trust people. "Perhaps next time Miss Granger. For now though, it was a pleasure."

A fresh blush passed over her cheeks. For a second she appeared to have bought it. Just as quickly as it had appeared, however, it dissipated. She mumbled a hasty reply and went to speed off. Darned witch! How dare she just walk away from him? He just needed an excuse to step through. Something that wouldn't seem suspicious. Something like-

He looked down. Aha!

"Miss Granger." He called. A natural smirk materialising at the sight of her far too quick turn-around. So she wasn't completely impervious to his charms. Good to know.

"Yes?" She asked. Oh how pitiful she sounded. So hopeful. It was tantalising.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He teased.

An angry tint overcame her cheeks once more, embarrassed this time. Pathetic. "Oh, right." She mumbled, stepping forward. What she didn't anticipate, was him doing the same.

The girl's eyes widened as he stepped through and all the concern she possessed after noticing the connection returned. He held the book out to her. "Thanks." She said firmly. Her voice remained level as she fiercely tugged the notebook away. Her eyes, however, danced to a different tune; they swayed in the light of the fire with a mixture of fear and anger, attraction and defiance. He could see it all there in her chestnut eyes, intensified by the reflection of the fire within them, and it occurred to him that it was rather beautiful. Almost…entrancing.

Then she was away again. Too far away, he thought, randomly. But she wasn't his concern here, why did he care? He had achieved his goal; he had established that he could walk through the gateway; he had established that the mirror was leading him to what he desired most; and he had established that the Granger girl could, and would be persuaded to help him achieve his end.

With this in mind he stepped back through the mirror. Pleased by the unexpected turn of events. Brilliant. He would get his heart's desire- power, power, power!

He might even have laughed at the revelation that everything he wanted lay just beyond a magical sheet of glass. But then the mirror went dark.

Did she- put the tarp back over it?

A pang of fury sprouted in his chest, blossoming as his hands met cold glass. He couldn't get through. Without her there he couldn't get through!

Shit!

And she didn't trust him.

Further shit!

He wanted to know what lay on the other side. It surely wasn't the same Hogwarts. The Room of Requirement surely didn't just split. He definitely hadn't seen her around before.

Maybe it was an alternate universe?

A magical gateway to a dimension in which he could reign supreme?

Perhaps there was an object there that could help him rise to power in his world?

It didn't matter what it was he wanted it!

And that girl. That Granger. She would not stand in his way.

He was Lord Voldemort for Merlin's sake!

And he would not be beaten by a girl.