Hermione was sitting in the slytherin common room, reading. She has grown to find comfort in the grandiose elegance the room was shrouded in, though the gryffindor common room will always be her home. Hermione had gone back to the room of requirement and asked it for the room where Harry had hidden the half-blood prince's book. The room contained so many useless things, it took hermione a long time before finding what she was looking for. Stacks upon stacks of muggle novels. She had carried them to her dormitory and had already read through a couple.

Hermione had always loved muggle books, finding them to be much more beautiful than any novel from the wizarding world. There were very few fictional novels in the wizarding world, and to be honest books, movies and music are much better in the muggle world. Which is why she had still been reading muggle books, watching muggle films and listening to muggle music all her life, even after finding out she was a witch.

"What are you reading?" Riddle stood in front of her, looking down at her on the couch with his beautifully dark gaze. "The Grapes of Wrath." Hermione answered simply. She tilted her head down to the novel in her hands, playing with the worn edges of the yellowed pages. "A muggle book." Riddle said in mild astonishment.

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" Hermione asked him sharply. Riddle's surprise was not unexpected. Hermione knew that even though Riddle had been raised in the muggle world, he had lived in a rather poor orphanage all his life. There probably weren't any books. And with having such a bad experience with muggles, Riddle had most definitely never sought out any muggle books, either.

Even with his prejudice, Hermione thought he would quite like muggle literature.

"I haven't seen many people at Hogwarts read muggle books. It is quite surprising that you would, being a slytherin and all." Riddle took the seat next to her on the couch, laying back gracefully and stretching his long legs out, crossing them at the ankles.

"Yes, well, I adore muggle literature. And I believe, if you gave it a chance, you would enjoy it also."

Riddle laughed loudly. "Yes, I'm sure," he said sarcastically, shaking his head in amusement. He looked at her patronisingly, like she was a silly little girl with silly little ideas. She bristled. She'll prove him wrong.

"You really would enjoy them, Riddle." Hermione reached into her bag and rummaged for a novel she thought he would like. Hermione shoved the tattered book into his hands. "Here, read this. It's Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky. You'll like it."

Riddle turned the book around in his hands, running his index finger down the spine thoughtfully. And then he lifted his head and chuckled again "I'm not reading a muggle book, Hermione." He handed the book back to her.

"Please, Tom, just give it a try." She shifted her position so she could face him, her foot nudging his in the process. Hermione caught his gaze. "Please." his face softened infinitesimally, but it was enough. "Okay" Riddle mumbled.

Hermione's grin was so wide that her face ached. She can't believe she actually convinced him to read a muggle book. Her smile was apparently contagious because Riddle's lips quirked up slightly. Not exactly a smile but almost.

And so, Hermione sat in the slytherin common room with Tom Riddle, reading her muggle novel and him reading his. Even though he glamoured the cover to look like a Charms textbook.

/

"No my lord I apologise but have not acquired any new information" Dolohov spoke fearfully. His body was tense, awaiting the torture to come. And surely enough, it did.

Dolohov's screams would have woken the whole castle had Tom not asked the room of requirement for a soundproof chamber.

"Malfoy, have you recruited Orion Black yet?" Tom turned to face Abraxas who was looking at the ground, flinching slightly from the sound of Dolohov's screams. "Yes my lord, he is ready to become a knight." Tom nodded, Abraxas was one of his only competent followers, it seemed. "Good, bring him to the next meeting." Abraxas murmured a timid "Yes, my lord"

"As a reminder, Lestrange and Yaxley, you will be searching for Slytherin's locket during the Christmas holiday." Tom looked at them, cowering before him. He loved the power he felt when commanding his followers. Their fear made him feel strong.

He dismissed his followers with a lazy wave of his hand.

/

Abraxas and Hermione have been talking more as of late. They got on quite well, Hermione realised. It was most likely due to the fact he reminded her painfully of Ron. Currently, they're walking around the perimeter of the castle chatting. Abraxas and Hermione were munching on the sweets they snatched from the kitchen and laughing. Abraxas was telling a funny story of the time the peacocks that roamed the gardens of Malfoy Manor had been let inside by a cheeky nine year old Abraxas. "And then, they attacked our house elf!" Hermione laughed at his expression and his imitation of a house elf fighting several peacocks.

Abraxas suddenly grabbed onto her hand, holding it and intertwining his fingers with hers. He gave Hermione a timid look and blushed slightly, the redness on his cheeks seeming even more so on his pale face. Hermione didn't want to pull away, she liked Abraxas and didn't want to hurt him. She had suspected Abraxas had a bit of a crush on her, and this confirmed it. Hermione enjoyed his company, she really did. She didn't know if she felt anything romantically for Abraxas…but she could, in time. And so, she didn't pull away.

Hermione felt as though she were being watched, and scanned her surroundings. Up ahead, behind one of the pillars, was Riddle. He was watching them, his darkened gaze solely focused on Abraxas and Hermione's joined hands. Riddle had a strange look on his face, one she couldn't make out in the distance. She suddenly wanted to rip her hands away from Abraxas. She felt kind of guilty, even though there was no reason to feel such a way. Would Riddle be angry that she was getting closer to his follower, was he afraid that Abraxas would tell her about the knights. Hermione had implied that she already knew about them, every so often calling them his followers.

Perhaps he was…jealous?

No, no, what is she thinking? Of course Riddle isn't jealous, that would imply that he likes her and he doesn't. She knows he doesn't. Even though he did try to kiss her. And they do spend a lot of time together. And she has seen him smile and laugh genuinely in her presence.

But no he couldn't actually like her…could he?

/

Hermione wasn't his. He had no claim over her, she wasn't his girlfriend, or his follower. He didn't even know if they were friends, as he had never had any friends before. So why did he feel such feral anger watching Hermione and Abraxas? There was a bitter taste on his tongue and his chest felt hollow but it also somehow ached.

Why was he so angry? He had no reason to be. And yet his jaw was clenched and his fists were balled tightly and he wanted to hit something.