THIRTY-SEVEN

Tuesday, 4 November 1944

In the library with Draco on Tuesday, Hermione was hunched over one of the books Riddle had given her. This was her third time reading it through and she was making notes. Beside her, Draco was leafing through a book of his own choosing. However, as time passed, she realized he wasn't actually looking at the book, he was watching her. She was just too engrossed in the topic at hand to let it bother her.

When the bell tolled throughout the castle, signaling his need to depart, she closed her book and watched him pack his stuff. "Have fun in class," she said.

"I am taking you back out on a broom before the snow starts to fall."

"We'll see," she replied with a grin as she tilted her face up so he could kiss her goodbye.

"Or we can always go in the snow."

She gave him a playful shove. "See you after class," she said and watched as he walked away.

When he was gone, she went back to reading. The chapter that currently captured her attention was on curses. She wasn't new to curses by any means, but it was interesting to see the text on them written as if they were a book for charms. It gave her a deeper understanding of the mechanics behind spellwork in general.

Engrossed in her book, she didn't notice Riddle's approach. It wasn't until she lifted her head to jot down a note that she jumped at the sight of him sitting across from her. She placed a hand over her racing heart and sat back in her chair. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"Perhaps you should pay more attention to your surroundings."

"You could have given me a heart attack."

"Then I suppose all my problems would be solved."

She stared at him, her lips quirking up into the beginnings of a smile for a brief second before she sobered and cleared her throat. "Are you teaching me today?" she asked, looking around at the handful of students at their own tables around them. "Here?"

"Just the fundamentals," he said, producing a book from his bag and sliding it across the table for her. "It should not take more than a few sessions for you to grasp that much. Reading will help."

"Where do you find these books?" she asked, her fingers gently running over the well-worn leather.

"Do you really want to know?"

She paused for a moment and then looked up at him, her hands folding gently on top of her latest read. "Not really, no."

He inclined his head. "What do you know of Legilimency?"

In truth, she didn't know as much, but she never got to tell him that as both Draco and Kerus approached their table. She did a double take at the sight of them and tried not to react to the fact that Draco was frowning at Riddle's presence. "Is it lunch already?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

"Professor McFadden got called away from the castle. She'll be out all week. Family emergency," Draco replied as he slipped into the chair next to her and Kerus next to Riddle. "I thought you guys met on Thursdays?"

Hermione waited for Riddle to say something, but found very quickly that he was prepared to let her do the talking. She held up the book he had given her. "He found something interesting for our project and shared it with me. I had just mentioned this book as well."

Riddle gave Draco a cold smile before looking at Hermione again. "You should be able to finish that before Thursday I presume?"

She nodded.

"We should probably work on that essay, Mate," Kerus said, looking at Draco.

Draco's gaze slowly shifted from Riddle to Kerus with a nod. "I guess we'll all just go about our studying then."

Hermione moved her leg under the table to brush along Draco's and he reached for her hand. "What's your project about?" she asked them.

Kerus' gaze flickered towards her and the tips of his mouth curved into a tentative smile. "Do you really want to know or are you just being polite? Because this shit is boring."

"I wouldn't say it's boring, it's just rudimentary."

"Rudimentary?" Draco fired back, dropping her hand. "Tell me how you really feel," he teased.

She smiled at him. "You know how much I love Divination. Ancient Runes just feels like a different version; like Tarot cards versus crystal balls. It doesn't matter how to try, you'll never be able to see the future."

"Unless you happen to travel to the past. Then I imagine you know the future quite well."

Hermione and Draco turned their attention to Riddle who was looking at both of them with a trace of smugness. "But only to a certain point," Hermione countered. "And technically, they still wouldn't be predicting the future, they would just be citing events that had happened up to the point which they traveled back. They won't have anything but facts. They still won't know what to expect when they return."

"Unless they change the future by doing something reckless in the past."

"Not if time is linear."

Riddle smirked at her. "By your own logic, who is to really say the future cannot be changed just because it is linear? If no one knows what that future is. Too much of a grey area."

Hermione stilled as the meaning of his words sank in. Could she really change the future if she was able to master Grey magic? He simply inclined his head as if he had read her thoughts. For all she knew, he had, but she hadn't felt the brush of his presence in her mind.

"So you could time travel without any risks?" Kerus asked, drawing everyone's attention.

"Nothing we do is ever without risk," Hermione said, making sure not to look at Riddle.

"And some of us take more risks than others it would seem," Riddle said as he stood up. "On that note, I shall see the lot of you later," he added and took his leave of the table.

Kerus cleared his throat and rummaged through his bag as Draco rounded on her. She smiled and leaned over to brush her lips across his cheek. "You guys do your thing; I'm about to get lost in a book."

He stared at her for a moment and then decided to just go with it. While the two boys worked on their project, Hermione cracked open her new book, grabbed a fresh piece of parchment, and dove head first into the fundamentals of Legilimency.

Friday, 7 November 1944

Aside from Kerus and Draco being present in the library on Thursday instead of in Ancient Runes again, the rest of the week had gone by pretty much the same as it always did. Hermione was grateful that Draco never brought up the fact that Riddle was there with her on Tuesday. She knew it was wrong to keep something like that from him, but knowing it was for his benefit, to keep him safe; she would continue to do so.

By the time she left the common room on Friday for the Astronomy Tower, her guilt had been replaced with curiosity. Maybe a little fear if she was being honest. While she wasn't keen on witnessing the loss of innocent lives, she was too intrigued by the process of creating a Horcrux to try and figure out an alternative path.

Not to mention the fact that Riddle's decision to allow her access to his mind was rather alluring.

Curiosity would definitely be her downfall at some point.

"I had hoped we would have been able to progress more before tonight," he said the moment she appeared in the tower. "Professor McFadden's family emergency was ill-timed."

"Is there ever a good time for an emergency?" she asked, placing her bag near the entrance before moving to stand beside him at the railing.

His head tilted down as he hummed his response, signaling the end of that conversation. "What did you learn from the text I gave you?"

The part of her that would always make her hand fly in the air as high as she could reach with the need to be right and hear praise took over immediately. "That the mind isn't easy to read. That it takes a large amount of skill to sift through thoughts. Minds are more like a stream of consciousness. Feelings are easier to come across than memories. If someone looks into the mind of another without any training, there is a risk of damage being done to both minds as it's harder to get back out than it is to get in."

"You will not have to worry about that, Hermione," he told her. "I am equally skilled in Legilimency and Occlumency. You will only see what I deem necessary. You might be in my head, but I assure you, I will still have control there."

That had been her assumption from the get-go. Regardless, she had no intention of wandering around in his mind. She was glad to know that even her curiosity had a limit. "What I'm still not quite sure I understand is the how. I know what it feels like to have someone enter your mind, but how do you…" she waved her hands at her head, "do it?"

"How are you with wandless magic?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Okay," she replied. She knew that it came naturally for her. She had been told by numerous people over the years, Dumbledore and McGonagall included, that they had never encountered anyone that could wield magic as effortlessly as her. Even now, she blushed a little just thinking about it and cast her eyes down.

She stiffened as his fingers lightly grasped her chin, tilting her face up. She was surprised to find anger had darkened his eyes. "Stop underestimating yourself. You will never amount to anything if you continue to be modest." He paused, his fingers tightening ever so slightly. "You are as powerful as you are brilliant, Hermione. You should own it. You could have the world at your feet in no time."

"I don't want the world," she whispered.

His lips turned up into a semblance of a smile as he relinquished his hold on her, his hand slowly falling back into place at his side. She couldn't help the shiver that crept up her spine or the way her heart skipped at the loss of his touch. "I will ask you again. How are you with wandless magic?"

"I'm rather good at it," she answered. It was the best she would be able to give him as she wasn't one to boast her accomplishments and magical prowess. It wasn't in her nature.

He inclined his head at her, only slightly less put off by this answer than her last one. "When you cast a spell without your wand, do you feel the pull of magic from within?"

She thought about the times she had used wandless magic. It was like a flutter in her abdomen or like taking a deep breath. It just depended on the spell. She nodded confidently. "Yes, I'm familiar with it."

"Legilimency is similar. Just a summons of your magic and a push outwards so it bends to your will. I find it is always easier when looking someone directly in the eye. Minds are more receptive that way. Are you ready to try?"

She swallowed hard, but nodded yes. He held her gaze and gave her a nod, signaling he was ready for her to try. She wet her lips and whispered, "Legilimens."

Hermione could feel a part of herself leave her body and cross the distance between them before slipping into Riddle's mind. She was immediately assaulted with darkness. It wrapped around her like a snake, coiling until she felt restricted from every angle, and then it was pulling her down into the depths of despair. She tried to call out for help, but her vocal cords were as immobile as the rest of her. As the darkness threatened to tear her in two, Hermione closed her eyes and gave in to it.

A sudden jolt to her system left her breathless and when lips parted to greedily gulp for air, she opened her eyes to find herself on a floor. When the spots at the edge of her vision disappeared with the reintroduction of oxygen, she sat back on her knees and looked up to see Riddle. He was standing in front of her with panic in his eyes; his skin a paler shade than she had ever seen it before. He extended a hand to her, one that she took right away, and let him guide her to her feet.

"That was my mind's natural defenses to the intrusion," he explained. "I thought I had it under control."

She nodded and exhaled, her breath shaking on its way out. "I'm alright," she muttered.

He nodded, the panic subsiding. She wondered if he knew she could see it. If being in his mind made it harder for him to control his emotions. "Which one would you like to see?" he asked, regaining his composure.

"The ring," she replied. She had no intentions of seeing the Basilisk ever again. And knowing Myrtle as a ghost would make seeing her murder that much harder to watch.

If he was expecting her to choose the diary, he didn't say. Instead, he laced their fingers together, calling attention to the fact that she hadn't pulled away. Unsure of what was to come, she squeezed his hand and stepped closer. And then she was swallowed up by a rush of images.

She watched as Tom Riddle from the previous summer, only a few short months ago in this time, approached a home. It was like watching a movie that skipped and snagged in places. One moment Riddle was at the bottom of a hill, the next, he was inside the home. There were voices and vicious laughter. The home they entered was old and decrepit, falling apart at the seams and covered in filth. A man sat in a chair looking as vile as the interior. There was a skip in time and Riddle was pulling the ring from the man in the chair along with his wand.

Then they were inside of another home. There was another man, one that looked like Riddle in a way. She wondered if this was his father. She was answered by the strong feeling of hatred pressing down on her for a moment. She flinched and squeezed his hand. The hatred lessened. A conversation sounded around her, but she could only pick up on the tone. Then a flash of green light, followed by a body on the floor, staring at her with cold, lifeless eyes.

Everything slowed then, as the memory of Riddle filled the space. He stood over the body of his father and Hermione heard herself gasp as she saw him take out his own wand and point it at the center of his chest. There was a pained expression on his face and his lips moved in rapid succession as he uttered a spell. A small orb of black and red appeared at the tip of the wand and Hermione could hear the agony in Riddle's voice as he continued the spell. Could see the way his eyes glowed red in the otherwise dark room.

Carefully, he held the wand upright, the piece of his soul hovering over it. He then set the ring he had taken from the other man beside the lifeless body. With a level of control Hermione couldn't even begin to comprehend, she watched as Riddle directed his soul shard to the ring. It fought and she could see the exertion on his face as he chanted louder, nearly gritting through his teeth until finally it gave way and absorbed into the material of the ring.

Hermione closed her eyes and turned away. She swallowed around a tight throat and pressed her lips together to keep them from quivering. She had expected that witnessing the murder would get to her. It wouldn't have mattered if it was the first death she saw or the hundredth; she would always be affected. What she hadn't planned on was seeing what it took to carve out a piece of one's soul. She had imagined it to be darker than the void his mind had tried to drag her into at first. She hadn't expected her to feel… Was it sympathy?

She gasped slightly as she felt herself falling, only to realize that she was back in her own mind. She reached out for the first thing she could reach to keep herself steady when the transition slammed her back to reality. When the dizziness subsided, she tried opening her eyes. After a few blinks, she realized the thing she had grabbed was Riddle's shirt. She meant to let go and step back, but the look in his eyes kept her rooted in place.

Gently, his hand lifted to cup her face, his thumb stroking her cheek as it had the last time he had held her this way. She swallowed hard as he leaned in and went still as his lips brushed over hers. It wasn't the first time he had kissed her, but it was the first time she knew it was him. By the time her heart beat again, he was shoving her back against the wall near the railing of the tower. His hand sank back into her hair while the other had found her waist, his fingers brushing against her exposed skin. His lips were greedy, dripping in desire as they moved against hers.

She knew what it felt like to have someone in her head. Each time Riddle and Draco had left, she had always felt a desire to keep their connection going. She imagined since Riddle had never let anyone in before, that he was probably feeling that a thousand-fold. Potentially more since he had not only let her into his mind, but literally let her see a piece of his soul.

It was his hands tugging at her clothes that snapped her back to reality. She forced her head to the side, breaking his kiss, but he only moved his lips to her neck and continued his ministrations. "Riddle, stop." It had come out like a whisper; one she was sure he didn't hear. "Riddle, I can't-" His hand stole up her skirt and her words turned into a moan followed by a strangled cry. She pushed at him, but it didn't affect him in the slightest. When his fingers moved to pull aside her knickers, her magic sizzled. "Riddle, stop!"

It was as though Hagrid's half-brother had picked him up by the back of his shirt and flung him back a few paces. He landed against the telescope and gripped at the railing to keep himself from falling completely. The look on his face was purely animalistic, as if he had been running on his pure forms of instinct. As if every trace of his humanity was absent.

She sagged against the wall and hugged herself as tight as she could, trembling as tears cascaded down her cheeks. She watched as bit by bit Riddle regained his composure, retreating behind the mask he wore so well. He approached her again and she closed her eyes in fright.

"Please, I-I'll give you anything you want. Just not…not that. Anything else. Just take what you want from my mind. I won't fight you, just…" She continued to plead and beg, sounding less and less coherent with each word she spoke.

She flinched as his hand found its way to her face again. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and fought hard to keep her knees from giving out. Instead of picking up where he had left off, she felt his presence in her mind. Much like their previous encounter, he stayed at the edges, radiating a warmth. Once she relaxed under his touch, she felt it spread forth until the trembling stopped and her breathing calmed. When he removed himself from her mind, she opened her eyes and saw him watching her with a stony expression she couldn't quite read.

"Leave."

She was gone from the Astronomy Tower by the time she took her next breath.