"Suppress all your thoughts, emotions and memories. Completely blank. Instead, organise your mind into a sort of empty chamber with an impenetrable door and shove your most precious secrets into the darkest corners, into the furthest depths of your mind." Dumbledore instructed with a firm but kind voice. Hermione had requested advanced Occlumency lessons from the professor. While already being a well-practised and rather talented Occlumens and Legilimens, it never hurt to master any form of magic, especially when she was surrounded by Voldemort for almost all hours of the day.
Riddle had already breached the sanctity of her mind. It was only briefly, before she pushed him out, but if he had tried any harder she wouldn't have held on for much longer. That couldn't happen. The thought of him finding out every mistake he had ever made would destroy the future wizarding world, it would make him undefeatable and his reign inevitable. The reason Hermione, Harry and Ron had even made it far enough to destroy most of the horcruxes was sheer luck and Voldemort's own arrogance.
Hermione nodded agreeably and shielded her mind as Dumbledore pushed into it with so much force that it immediately gave her a splitting headache. She did not relent and instead focused on his earlier words. She emptied her mind and shoved all her memories into the darkest corners of the vacant chamber. Hermione imagined a large dense door that would hold against even the most brutal of attacks. Dumbledore pushed and pushed incessantly until she felt him gently pull away from her.
"Well done Hermione! I didn't even get a glimpse, you learn very quickly." Dumbledore praised her with the familiar twinkle in his blue eyes. Quickly was sort of an overstatement considering they have been doing this for the last hour and this was only the third time she had successfully stopped him.
Hermione was struck by the differences in Tom Riddle's legilimency and Dumbledore's. Dumbledore was a strong, immovable force, and she could feel every movement of his magic as he entered her mind but was powerless to stop it. Riddle's legilimency was the complete opposite. His was incredibly quick and striking, like a snake coiling tightly before it attacked. She could barely feel his presence and he was inside her mind before she even knew it.
It seemed rather fitting, and somehow reflective of their individual power.
Another hour went by with Dumbledore teaching her how to strengthen her mental shields even under immense pain such as the Cruciatus curse. It was difficult but not impossible. While her body was under extreme duress, she had to force her mind to be calm. Not an easy feat but considering her high pain tolerance and rather stable mind, it was something she learnt quickly. She had, just in case Riddle decided he had enough of her secrecy.
On her way back to her dormitory she stumbled into a hard chest. Hermione mumbled a quiet 'sorry' and went to move around them. A hand encircled her wrist roughly and yanked her back. She looked up to find malicious brown eyes the colour of mud staring into hers, it was Dolohov. Behind him stood Yaxley and Macnair. "Where do you think you're going, you filthy whore" Dolohov sneered, his grip on her wrist tightening. Hermione was startled at his hostility, she had never even spoken a word to him. She had never spoken to any of the death eaters except for Abraxas and she occasionally made small talk with Lestrange and Rosier.
She steered clear of Dolohov specifically. His face was almost a perfect replica of his son's. Antonin Dolohov was the centre of several of her nightmares. The day in the department of mysteries when he had hit her with an unknown spell, the one that felt like her flesh was being torn apart and burned. The one that left cursed scars on her torso, it was seared into her mind. Hermione distinctly remembered their fight in that muggle cafe, where she binded and obliviated him. She found out later that Voldemort had tortured him for his failure.
His son was a twisted psychopath who took much enjoyment in seeing Hermione in pain, she remembered very clearly his gleeful grin as Hermione writhed in pain at his feet. Every time she saw his father's face, that vengeful fury would rear its head. So she made sure not to look at Dolohov's long pale face.
Hermione ripped her hand out of his grasp. "What did you just call me?" She seethed.
"You heard me, I called you a filthy whore." he bit out through his clenched teeth with a haughty look on his face. "You think you can string Abraxas along while you stare after Tom Riddle like a lovesick puppy. It's disgusting." Dolohov pushed her into the wall in the empty corridors. Her back hit the stone with excessive force which will likely leave a bruise. His wand was pointed at her chest quicker than she thought him capable.
"Neither of them would want an ugly bitch like you" Dolohov smirked at her with utter contempt. "But i wouldn't mind a quick fuck…" He lifted a hand and stroked the silhouette of her body.
"Get your fucking hands off me, you vile bastard" Hermione grabbed his hand tightly and moved it away from her body, with wandless magic she conjured a dark blue flame which engulfed the hand still gripping hers.
Dolohov screamed as his flesh felt like it was melting and sizzling but no actual damage was being done to his skin. His previously derisive face was scrunched up in agony as he lifted his wand and muttered incantations to extinguish it. Nothing worked.
"Stop it…please" He whimpered. With a wave of her hand the flames diminished and then ceased.
"If you ever touch me again, I'll burn more than just your hand." She whispered vehemently, her eyes drifting purposefully to his crotch. Hermione's face lit up when he visibly flinched at her gaze.
With a victorious smile, Hermione turned and left.
/
Abraxas was flying on his broom contemplating the rather confusing friendship between Tom Riddle and Hermione. The dark lord had never spent much time with others, if only ever to fulfil societal obligations. His lord was a solitary man, even while being quite friendly and charming when he wanted. It was an unwritten rule throughout Slytherin house that if Riddle was in the common room or library, that he was to be left alone.
And yet Hermione was always there, floating about in his orbit. And he let her. No, he didn't just let her, he wanted it. He actively sought out her company and Abraxas did not know why. It seemed so impossible that the dark lord enjoyed another person's presence when everything Abraxas knew about him indicated otherwise.
The dark lord's very presence commanded silent obedience and the fearful reverence of absolute power. Perhaps It was the way that he sat so still, like the stiffness of death or the emptiness of a statue. Perhaps, it was the way his magic swirled around him - a dense dark cloud that promised pain and anguish on the road to death and destruction. Perhaps it was his controlled confidence, his measured movements and practised interactions.
Abraxas had known Tom Riddle since he was eleven, and he had been attracted to the easy control he had over his power, even then. It was thrilling to watch the dark lord practice magic, it was natural and effortless and a force to be reckoned with. Abraxas knew with a sort of fearful reluctance that the world would eventually fall to their knees for Tom Riddle. It was that knowledge that drove him to join the dark lord's forces at such a young age.
But Hermione, she's too pure, too kind to be surrounded by Riddle's darkness. He wondered whether even a small part of her knew what he was really like. Hermione was the most intelligent person he knew, only second to Riddle, so it was difficult for Abraxas to believe how easily she fell for his insincere kindness and rehearsed chivalry.
But no, Hermione was too smart for that. So why was she hanging around Riddle so much, and why was he doing the same?
Did he want to recruit her? Was she going to join the knights of Walpurgis?
No, he couldn't let that happen. Abraxas couldn't imagine her following the dark lord's commands blindly, he couldn't imagine her screams when she did something he didn't particularly like. Does Hermione know what she's getting herself into?
Authors note: it was my birthday on the 5th so I'm 19 now!!!
Hope you liked this chapter, I added Abraxas's POV so let me know if you want more of that. Also from here on this story is going to get a lot more action packed and focus more on the plot so get ready for that :)