Authors note: Short chapter this time, hope that's okay!
And it's all in Tom's pov.
Tom surveyed his followers with visible disdain. "You couldn't even accomplish one simple task" Riddle spat at Rosier. He had assigned Rosier the task of extracting information from a ministry worker who was rumoured to be affiliated with the great great granddaughter of Rowena Ravenclaw. He had hoped that it could lead to the discovery of Ravenclaw's diadem, in which he planned on creating a Horcrux.
"I have no use for imbeciles, Rosier" Tom declared vehemently, watching with a sadistic smirk as all his knights cowered. They stood tall, but their hands were shaking and none of their eyes met his.
"Crucio" whispered Tom. Rosier fell to the ground in excruciating pain.
"Now, Lestrange. What information have you acquired on the whereabouts of Salazar Slytherin's locket?" Tom said with his wand still pointed at Rosier.
"I have acquired some information, my lord. Seventeen years ago, the locket was sold to Caractacus Burke who worked at a pawn shop in London." Lestrange answered in a timid voice. Tom relished in his fear.
"I assume this Caractacus is the owner of Borgin and Burkes" Tom mumbled to himself in consideration.
Tom glared at his knights as they stood before him in a semi circle, their heads bowed and their eyes lowered to the ground.
"Lestrange and Yaxley, during the Christmas holidays, you will go to Borgin and Burkes and see if the locket is there" Tom ordered.
"Yes my lord." His knights murmured. One by one, they filed out of the room of requirement. Tom was left in the room alone, stewing in his thoughts. Those thoughts were all circling one thing…Hermione. He couldn't stop thinking about their last interaction, when he'd tortured her. The twinge of remorse he'd felt was still there, and he didn't know why. It unnerved him. Tom never felt guilty for anything. Everything he did was to gain power. And there was no good or evil. No light or dark…just power and those too weak to yield it. Tom was not weak. Therefore, Tom should not feel remorse of any kind, and so, he buried that emotion as far as he could.
But still he could not stop thinking of Hermione.
Tom hadn't obliviated her. Would she tell anyone? The headmaster, or Dumbledore? He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.
Hogwarts was his home, it is everything that matters. If she told anyone, he would be expelled, or locked in Azkaban.
No. Tom would never allow that to happen.
/
It had been three days since Tom had spoken to Hermione. She was in his classes of course, but she sat as far as she could from him.
Then he saw her sitting in the library. The same spot they sat in when they met up for their potions assessment a week ago. The table at the furthest end of the library, hidden behind shelves. She sat near the same circular window that overlooked the forbidden forest. She was alone, with a multitude of thick books and parchment filling up the surface of the long wooden table. He decided to approach her. Tom needed to know if Hermione planned on telling anyone of their ordeal.
"What are you working on?" Tom asked, assessing her body language. Hermione looked up from her book, her gaze focused on him. Her fear was quick, brief, almost as though it was never there to begin with. Then she was indifferent. Uncaring in the face of such superiority, of such power. It angered him, she should be trembling.
"Just the Charms essay…thought I'd get an early start."
Hermione had nice lips, Tom thought abruptly. They were a nice shape, and were full and soft-looking. Tom wanted to kiss them. He shoved those thoughts just as far as he'd shoved his guilt.
"What do you think about the use of the Piertotum Locomotor charm in the first wizarding war? Was it more harmful than beneficial?" Tom asked, curious to see what she thought on the matter. And if aligned with his.
"Honestly, I think it is foolish to use such a charm. The inanimate objects can be turned against the caster with a simple charm. While it would be useful in some circumstances, in most it is just a stupid and unwise waste of magic. Especially in a duel, where a witch or wizard would need to conserve their magic." Hermione was surprisingly passionate when speaking, he found that he quite liked it.
"I agree," Tom said simply. A short uncomfortable silence stretched before it was broken by Hermione.
"Why are you talking to me? I won't tell anyone about before. No matter how disgustingly cowardly it was. No wonder you're not in Gryffindor." Hermione spat vehemently. She was angry at him, he found that he quite liked that too. Tom had gotten his answer, but he couldn't trust it. Only a fool trusted the words of others. But Tom could not do much to ensure her promise. She was apparently resistant to torture and mind reading…how wonderful.
"Good because if you even think about doing so, it will be the very last thought you have" Tom threatened in a cold, deadly tone. The tone that made his knights quiver.
Hermione didn't though.
"If you think death threats are going to scare me, you're wrong" Hermione rolled her eyes and stuck her head back into her book. Ignoring him. Him. How could she ignore him. Why was she not terrified of his presence, especially after what he'd done to her. After he'd let down his facade in a fit of rage and shown her his true self.
It seemed as though she had expected it. Like she knew more about him than she let on. Otherwise, she would have been at least a little surprised that he had resorted to torture, and not only torture…but an unforgivable. Tom was reminded again that Hermione had known about his father. How?
After some deliberation, Tom sat across from Hermione on the large table. "What are you doing?" Hermione asked sharply. Her head shot up from the Charms textbook. "Sitting, obviously" Tom replied, while moving her vast array of books to make room for his own. "Though you were intelligent, Greene. I must have been mistaken" Tom joked. Watching with fascination as red coloured her cheeks, and her eyebrows pulled together in frustration. "That's not what I meant," Hermione exclaimed.
Hermione and Tom studied in a peaceful silence. Tom enjoyed studying with another person, there was an odd comfort to it. Perhaps he did not enjoy studying with other people, only Hermione.
Hermione seemed to be the exception to many rules.