FORTY-TWO
Tuesday, 18 November 1944
That weekend, Hermione and Draco weren't able to take their usual weekend stroll along the Black Lake due to the snowstorm. The draft in the castle was beyond anything she had ever felt before and she hadn't realized how much she loathed the dungeons until the lake nearly froze over. As if it wasn't cold enough down there. She missed the Gryffindor tower more than ever once the snow had hit.
On the flip side, because everyone was forced indoors, they didn't feel the need to be alone. Most of Saturday and Sunday was spent playing games with their housemates in the common room. The fact that she was being included and considered friends among the people here in this time made her ache a little. She had wished time and time again that this was how it was back in her own time. She wasn't excluded by anyone other than herself.
It had just boggled her back then how people could celebrate and party with the impending doom looming over their heads. She wondered if it was something that she worried about more than most because of her blood status. Halfbloods weren't the enemy to Voldemort. Just Mudbloods and Blood Traitors. Either way, the more she learned, the less distractions she allowed herself, the more secure and confident she had felt in the days leading up to war.
Each night, Hermione would sneak off to the bathroom and experiment with Grey magic. By Monday night, she had been able to get her hair to change color and have it last for five minutes before it turned back to normal. She had attempted to change her eye color once on Sunday night and watched as they turned green. Had she not turned her hair black just before, she would have tried it again, but her thoughts turned to Harry and she left the bathroom before her thoughts got the better of her.
Tuesday night, Hermione was restless. She had every intention of going to the library to read; something to distract herself from her thoughts. She wasn't particularly fond of fiction as they were just stories; something to pass the time with, but occasionally they were good for her. Especially when she had to clear her head. But right now, the idea of sitting still was far from ideal. So instead of turning towards the library, she cast several warming charms on herself and stepped out of the entrance.
Her feet crunched against the fresh layer of snow as she made her way towards Hagrid's hut. Even as it sat empty now, she would always think of it as Hagrid's. She didn't care if she left footprints behind. With the way the snow was falling around her, there was a good chance they would be covered by the time she returned.
As she passed the spot where Buckbeak had been chained while waiting for the executioner, she paused. Her gaze lifted to the trees just behind it and smiled at the memory of her and Harry trying not to be seen as they saved the Hippogriff. She even smiled smugly as she thought of the way Draco had ignored all of his teaching and learned a hard lesson by getting injured. Everything was easier when they were all being dumb kids.
She turned and moved towards the little hut. She used her sleeve to wipe some frost off the window and peered inside. From what she could tell, it was uninhabited. She tried the knob and the door gave way with a deafening groan. She looked around to find it empty. It had the furnishings she was used to, but in that abandoned way. Whoever lived here last was long gone. Swallowing over the lump in her throat, she closed the door and turned back outside. She wasn't sure what she expected to see, but she had to see it regardless.
She looked back towards the castle and sighed. She still wasn't ready to go back inside, but she didn't want to be out her by herself either. She laughed at herself then, the sound disturbing the silence around her. The fact that she felt safer inside the castle with the Dark Lord versus outside with mostly harmless creatures was ironic. Smiling to herself, she trudged back up the path, pausing in the little courtyard she'd kissed Draco in not too long ago.
It felt like a lifetime ago as she stared at the spot, the kiss replaying in her mind. And when she turned her head to the side, an even longer lifetime before, she could relive the moment she punched him. There was a certain amount of power that came with the way he squirmed under her wand, cowered, and then ran after her punch. She didn't care how much her hand stung; it had been worth it at the time.
And she wouldn't trade any of it if it would continue them down the path that led them to how they were now. She wandered over towards the pillar and peered back down at the hut. It was hard to see with only the light of the moon, but it was there. She touched the stone tentatively and then leaned against it as she thought of the moment she had leaned on Harry and Ron when they heard what they thought was Buckbeak's murder.
She jumped as a shriek cut through her thoughts followed by a soft thud into the snow. She turned to see a small indentation in the snow and moved towards it. She inhaled sharply at the sight of a little bird lying on its side. She assumed one of the wings had broken from the unnatural angle it dangled. It looked as though another creature had tried to make this its dinner. There were marks and welts all over its body and some of the feathers had been completely torn out, leaving bald patches. Its chest rose and fell unevenly and Hermione watched as it took a few large gulps of air and then stopped moving.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. She had seen enough death in her lifetime, but it would always be sad. Especially when an animal was involved. Even the biggest and meanest of beasts deserved humane deaths. She understood the nature of predator and prey; the need to eat something smaller and weaker in the animal kingdom, but that didn't mean she wanted to see it.
As she reached out to cover it with snow, she noticed the Grey magic shimmering around her wrists, floating down her fingers in wisps. She went still for a second and then took a deep breath. Just like with altering her appearance, she thought back to all the laws of magic and its uses that she had learned. One of the first things she had been taught was that you couldn't bring back the dead. That the Resurrection Stone was unique in nature and dangerous because of its value.
But she had been able to change her appearance thanks to Grey magic. It stood to reason that she could bring something back to life as well.
Slowly, she shifted closer and gathered the bird into her hands. She concentrated, watching as the magic swirled around her hands, encapsulating the bird in wisps of smoke. Her heart beat faster and faster with each passing second as her breathing came in rapid, shallow pants. And just when she thought it was a good try, but it didn't work, the bird took a breath and started chirping. Her magic kept it in her hands as it not only brought the animal back to life, but healed all its damage as well. The feathers returned, seeming to sprout from thin air. The wing popped and crunched beneath her palm until it was whole again and the bloody welts stitched back together.
When she retracted her magic, she opened her palms, and the bird took off. It chirped excitedly around her a few times and then disappeared off into the night. Hermione smiled at her feat and dragged her eyes from the sky to the entrance of the courtyard. She did a double take at the sight of Riddle watching her.
And from one breath to the next, her vision swam and her lungs began to burn as if she couldn't catch her breath. She put her hands on her stomach as pain laced through her from head to toe. Her warming charms disappeared and the chill of the snow penetrated her skin as though she had been outside all this time without any charms at all.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still and she drifted aimlessly in the recesses of her own mind. She felt herself being lifted as though she weighed nothing and she heard someone's voice. It was deep and familiar. It wasn't comforting in the traditional sense as it filled with a sort of trepidation, but there was something about it that warmed her nonetheless. She clung to the voice, afraid that if she stopped hearing it, she'd be lost in space and time.
She jolted as the heat of a thousand suns rolled through her body. Her eyes opened as she took a large gulp of air. It took a moment for the world to right itself and for her to figure out that she was inside the hut. A fire was lit in the fireplace and she was lying in front of the hearth with Riddle standing above her with a guarded expression on his face.
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes again. Once her heart rate went back to normal, her breathing regulated, and she didn't feel too hot or too cold, she opened her eyes again and pushed herself into a sitting position. The action caused the room to spin for a moment, but she blinked and rubbed at her temple before looking at Riddle from the floor.
"I believe my instructions were to read. I have not advised you to practice yet."
"I didn't mean to," she said, taking her time to say each word lest she slur them. Her tongue felt heavy and thick in her mouth.
"You brought the bird back to life."
"Healed it too."
She finally registered the look on his face. There was a gleam in his eye that told her she had crossed into dangerous territory. She was everything he wanted and whatever sense of decency he had in him was near gone. Hermione had proven that Grey magic not only existed, but she could wield it.
She had brought an animal back from the dead.
Could she do the same with people?
She shuddered at the thought and closed her eyes to rub at her temples again. Either way, she had nearly burned out her core with just a small bird. Had it not been for Riddle, she might have died in its place on the snow. Guilt hammered in her heart as she imagined the look on Draco's face had he had to wake and discover her that way. The thought of her dead had devastated him once already.
"Did you enjoy the show?" she asked, pushing herself up, only to drop into the armchair.
"Which one?" he asked, his voice lowering a tad. "The resurrection or the exhibition in the alcove?"
The way he moved towards her, like a snake in the grass, had Hermione going still in her seat. He stopped before her and set his hands on the arms of the chair, right next to hers. She leaned back as he bent, his face eye level with hers.
"Your mind is the most exquisite one I have ever come across. You can do things that witches and wizards do not dare to even dream about. I just witnessed you bring something back from the dead, Hermione. It may very well be something no one else will ever be able to do."
He paused and pressed his face closer to hers. She swallowed hard, but didn't move.
"Yet you continue to act foolishly. Had I not seen you sneak out of the castle, you would have died. Next time I give you instructions, I expect you to follow them as given." His lips twitched into an amused smirk. "And might I suggest that if you plan on getting anywhere in life with that mind of yours, perhaps you should focus more on your aspirations rather than whoring around where anyone can see you."
Hermione's face twisted into a scowl and anger formed a knot in her stomach. "So sex with someone I care about is the same as whoring myself around?"
"Carnal pleasure can cloud the mind and keep the best and brightest from achieving the level of greatness they were destined for."
"You never indulged and look where it gets you."
She realized too late that she should have kept her mouth shut as Riddle's hand wrapped around her throat and hauled her to her feet. He spun and shoved her up against the wall of the hut; his knee wedged between her thighs, arm pressed between their chests. She cried out and reached up to try and pry him off as he squeezed, shutting off her air supply. "Whores get killed every day because they forget their place. Have you forgotten your place with me, Hermione? Should I treat you like one to remind you?"
"N-no," she choked out.
He relaxed his hold on her throat and her body sagged against the wall as she gulped for air. "Then stop acting like one." His tone was sharp and the unspoken threat behind his words made her tremble twice as much.
His lips curled into a snarl and he withdrew completely from her, watching as she nearly staggered to her hands and knees before him. She was able to steady herself with one hand on the wall behind her as her other hand remained at her throat. Something inside of her snapped as she caught her breath and she couldn't stop the laughter bubbling past her lips. Laughter for the irony that she was in Hagrid's hut before it was Hagrid's. Because the Dark Lord had saved her from death. Because he had called her whore, but looked at her as though he was just waiting for her permission to replace Draco as the one between her thighs.
When the hysteria began to ebb, she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at Riddle who had narrowed his eyes in confusion at her outburst. "I fail to find the humor in our discussion."
She smiled and shook her head. "I've been told I'm not all that funny."
His gaze roamed over her from head to toe slowly. "Far from it," he said, stepping forward again. She straightened, but refused to back down. Even when his hand lifted to drag his knuckles along her cheek like he had done on the Astronomy Tower. "Your failure to comply with my instructions deserves a punishment. Perhaps I should repay Draco the favor of making him witness what I did?"
She began to tremble again as she absorbed his words and grasped their meaning. She swallowed hard as she forced herself not to look away. "Please, don't-"
The corners of his lips quirked into a dangerous smile. "Something else then," he breathed, his fingers curling around her chin. "You want to be on display?" he questioned, his voice low. He leaned in, tilting her head to the side so he could press his lips against her ear. "Then give me a performance."
She swallowed hard and shook her head as best she could in his grasp. "I don't-"
"Either perform a solo act for me, or I will drag you to my dorm and we will show Draco firsthand what I removed from his mind at your request."
Hermione shuddered as she realized what he was asking. She remembered the time she had gotten herself off in front of Draco in the Room of Requirement. How they ended up doing so in tandem with each other. This was nothing like that. She had no idea what Riddle's true intentions were aside from his need to remind her that he had power over her.
His fingers tightened on her chin as he pulled back to look at her. "Were my instructions unclear?"
"N-no, I just-"
"Would you prefer that I make you? The Imperius Curse, perhaps?"
Hermione's mouth went dry at his threat. If he did that, he would be in full control. Without the curse's influence, there was still a fair bit of control that she could maintain. She didn't want to surrender to him; not completely. "No," she whispered.
His lips curved into a deadly smirk and his eyes flashed with lust. He let go of her chin, his hand slowly lowering down between them until his hand slid over hers. He moved them away from the wall and back to the chair he had yanked her from moments before. He gently pushed her down onto the cushion and tipped his head to the side, waiting for her to start.
Her hand trembled as she leaned back and moved it towards the waistband of her pajama bottoms. He hadn't said he wanted to remove them and unless he ordered her to, they were staying on. With a deep breath, she let her fingers slip beneath the band and her knickers all in one. She bit down on her lip and closed her eyes as her middle finger slipped through her folds. She thought of Draco. Of his hand between her thighs instead of her own. Of the way he-
"Eyes open."
Her lids fluttered for a moment before she opened her eyes fully and found her gaze connected to his. He was standing there, still as a statue, staring down at her. She inhaled sharply as his mind slipped into hers. She could feel his distaste from seeing the memory of her and Draco in the Room of Requirement. There was a push of his mind against hers, hard enough that she flinched on the chair, and all thoughts of Draco disappeared. For the first time ever, her mind was completely blank. It was just her and Riddle in the abandoned hut.
The slick that appeared beneath her hand at that thought flamed her face with shame.
His smirk widened a touch. "You say you are not a whore, but here you are, wet for a man who is not your current lover. A man that you consider a monster." A strangled gasp escaped her lips as she tried to think of Draco again, but his presence in her mind kept her thoughts from shifting. "If you try to think of him again, I will take control." His voice was cold and flat. "This is not about him. In this moment, he does not exist." He took a half step forward, his gaze never wavering from hers. "This moment is mine."
The moan tore past her lips before she even knew it was there. It filled the room, reached every corner, and filled every crack in the walls. Her lids fluttered, but never fully closed as a tear slid out from the side of her eyes. She could feel her arousal coiling through her body, licking up her spine like the flames dancing in the fireplace. Her back arched involuntarily, signaling the beginning of her release.
She held his gaze as he sank to a crouch before her. His hair had fallen forward, nearly covering his eyes. He bent one elbow, resting it on his knee, his hand coming up towards his mouth. His thumb pressed under his chin while his fingers curled loosely in front of his mouth. His eyes were black with pupils blow wide. The intense hunger of his gaze made her moan again.
Her hips canted towards her hand. She could feel her core clenching, aching for something to fill her in her need. Her teeth gnashed down on her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, the metallic tang on her tongue drawing another moan. Her entire body was buzzing with the need for release; for more.
Her middle finger slipped into her core in the hopes of appeasing the ache. Another moan echoed around them and she watched as he dragged his bottom lip between his teeth and then slowly letting it fall back into place. Her lips parted to cry out, but she quickly clamped down on the urge to say a name. She pulled her finger from her core and moved it to her clit again, her hips jerking in response.
"Are you close?" His voice was gruff with is own desire.
She nodded as best she could as she whimpered with need. It was right there. Just a few more circles with her knuckle and she would reach that sweet release she'd worked herself towards.
"Stop."
Her movements stilled immediately, but the whine that left her throat from being denied lingered in the air around them. He withdrew from her mind and he stood up again, his gaze still on hers. "I thought-"
"Enough," he nearly growled. "Get up." She withdrew her hand and got to her feet quickly. She wiped her fingers on her pants, shifting uncomfortably as her core throbbed with need, her arousal seeping into her knickers. He reached up to grasp her chin again and leaned his face so close she could feel his breath warming her skin. "Rewards are for those that follow directions."
A shiver erupted down her spine and she stepped to the side, intending on running from the hut, but the moment she did, he stopped her. She squeaked in surprise as his hand clamped over her mouth while his other hand wrapped around her middle. In a movement too fast to be human, she found herself kneeling in front of Riddle with him kneeling at her back behind the chair. The fire in the hearth disappeared without a trace, plunging them into almost complete darkness. Her lips parted to scream, but she felt his breath on her ear. "Not one sound," he warned.
She went completely still as she heard voices from outside the hut. She could see the flickering light of a lantern filter through the windows, casting eerie shadows on the walls. She squirmed against Riddle, wanting to break free from his hold, but she went still when the hand that pinned her arms to her side moved, his palm flattening against her stomach, fingers resting along the edge of her waistband.
His hand on her mouth tightened as his other hand sank lower, beneath the fabric. She whimpered and groaned against his palm as his fingers slipped easily between her dripping wet folds. She felt him shudder at her back and heard the sharp intake of breath hiss between his teeth. He turned her head so he could nuzzle the crook of her neck as his index and middle finger sank into her core with no resistance. She choked back of wail of pleasure as her inner walls clenched hard around him, refusing to let go.
"Everything was going according to plan until you showed up," he growled before inhaling her neck, the action bringing goosebumps to her skin. "I had it all under control."
The voices outside became closer and Hermione jumped at the sound of footsteps on the stoop before the door. "I swear I saw light from inside," came a voice.
"Who would come out here in the snow, Pringle?"
Hermione's lids fluttered as Riddle's fingers crooked inside of her, hitting that spot that always pushed her over the edge. A throaty moan started to sound, but Riddle quelled his movements and tightened his hold on her mouth. "Silence."
As the door to the hut opened, Riddle's thumb slid across her clit. She arched forward and lifted her hips in attempt to get as much friction as she could. His teeth dragged along the column of her neck as she began to ride his hand, not caring that Pringle and another staff member were looking around the hut.
"See, Pringle? Nothing. Let's head back in."
The moment the door closed, Riddle removed his hand from her mouth and used it to grab a fistful of her hair and yank her head to the side. His tongue tasted her flesh, following the path his teeth had gone. She couldn't hold back her moan as she ground her hips against his hand, chasing the release he had denied her earlier.
"Are you sure you are not a whore? Fucking my hand while we try not to get caught." He pulled her earlobe between his teeth and Hermione shuddered around him. His fingers tightened in her hair and she yelped from the pain of it, but her body betrayed her by convulsing around his fingers as she rode them.
She whined loudly and chased after him as he tried to remove his hand. "Please, don't-"
"Do you want to come for me, Hermione?" he asked, his lips back on her neck. "Or do you want me to stop?"
Her eyes had closed and she felt them rolling back into her skull as her release started to build again. "I… Please, just…" She sobbed at her inability to be coherent. She wanted the release, was desperate for it, but she wasn't ready to admit she wanted it to be at Riddle's hand.
"Gods, you feel good," he purred against her skin. "So tight and wet. I could give you what you want, Hermione. All you have to do is beg."
"No, please…" Her hands had landed on his thighs behind her, where they caged her body. Her nails dug into the fabric of his trousers in a feeble attempt to keep him there. As he started to withdraw his hand again, she clamped her thighs closed around his hand and shook her head. "Please, please," she whined. "Riddle… Please let me come. I'll do better. No more mistakes, just please- Tom-"
And right as she began to crest, he yanked himself away, shoving her forward into the back of the chair. She gripped at the leather as she emitted a sound that was half whine and half sob. Her body was thrumming with pain as it realized she had been denied release a second time. It took a minute or two before she was able to pull herself together and turn around to face him, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
He was crouching as he had been before when she was on the chair. His hair was hanging in his face again, but this time, he was licking his fingers, cleaning them of her essence. All the while he held her gaze, drowning her in his hunger and anger. Finished, he got to his feet and extended the same hand down to her. She knew better than to refuse and took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet.
He brought his other hand up to her face again, wiping her tears with the back of his hand. "I will not lose focus of my ambitions for you," he said. Hermione blinked at him, wondering if it wasn't a declaration for himself. "But ambitions change."
Her mouth went dry and her lips parted on their own accord.
He gave her that dangerous smile of his and dropped his arm away before offering his elbow. She took it cautiously and allowed him to lead her away from the hut and back to the castle in silence. When they entered the common room, he removed his hold and she dashed away from him without a second thought. She didn't even stop at the bathroom as she had intended, instead, she went right for the safety of her wards and tried not to think of the aching need between her thighs or the slick that dampened her knickers.