FORTY-FIVE
Tuesday, 25 November 1944
The few days that followed Riddle's release from the infirmary had Hermione on edge all the time. She tried her best to hide it from Draco, but she knew he noticed. It only flared her guilt that he thought it was just her normal fear of Riddle. He had no reason to suspect anything else and each time she met his gaze, told him she loved him, or heard him say he loved her back, her heart broke as shame seized her gut and made her sick.
On Tuesday, Hermione felt dread flood her system as she and Draco walked to the library after Defense. She had felt Riddle's presence in her mind as well as felt his gaze on her through most of class. She knew he would be making an appearance shortly after Draco left for Ancient Runes. She had half a mind to ask him to cut class and take her to the pitch, regardless of the weather, but every time her lips parted, the words died on her tongue.
So when the bell rang through the castle, Hermione went still in her seat and watched as he packed his things. When he saw her, he tipped his head to the side and narrowed his eyes as he studied her. "Do you want me to stay?" he asked.
She did. She had never wanted anything so badly in her entire existence, but she found herself shaking her head and forcing a smile. "I'll stay here where there are witnesses," she told him, knowing Riddle wouldn't let that stop him.
He stared at her for another moment with worry etched in his eyes, but he nodded and came around to kiss her goodbye. "I love you."
"I love you too," she whispered, watching as he disappeared through the stacks to get to class.
Hermione tried to get back into the book she had been reading, but she couldn't sit still in her seat long enough to read more than one word. The anticipation and fear of Riddle's arrival had her more on edge than ever before. If it hadn't been for the ache in her jaw the next morning, she would have thought it was nothing more than a bad dream.
And just as she found herself wondering if he had something else to do, his presence slammed into her mind, jarring her in her seat. He slid into the seat across from her, placed his elbows on the table, pressed his palms together and rested them against his lips. There was a faint smirk on his lips and a simmering hunger in his eyes as he stared at her.
She swallowed hard and stared back at him, unsure of what to do. Her hands gripped at arms of her chair, her knuckles going white. Her breaths came in shallow pants as she tried to anticipate what he would demand of her here.
"Tomorrow is the new moon," he said after a moment, moving his hands to the side of his mouth.
Fear licked up her spine and she shivered. Her body tried to turn in on itself as she tried to make herself as small as possible. She gave a curt nod and forced a weary smile. "Nine o'clock then?"
"I can walk you from the common room," he said, dropping his hands to the edge of the table as he sat back in his chair.
She wet her lips, realizing too late that the action only stoked the desire in his eyes as his gaze tracked the movement. She pressed her lips together into a thin line and he tapped the edges of the table for a moment before his gaze dragged back up to hers. "I have plans…" her voice trailed off in her feeble attempt to excuse herself from enduring him any longer than necessary.
The corners of his lips lifted for a moment, but he inclined his head. "Of course." He drummed his fingers once more and then got to his feet. "See you in Astronomy," he said and disappeared, his mind leaving hers as quickly as it had entered it, leaving her stunned.
She went back to staring at her book for a bit, trying to ignore the way her tongue felt as though it were made of cotton. The more she tried to swallow, the more she remembered the way he had felt in her mouth; the way his release had hit the back of her throat as it poured down. With a violent shudder, she shoved her things in her bag and forced herself to walk calmly to the kitchens. She asked for a large glass of water and rinsed her mouth out, spitting in the sink several times. She even scrubbed at her tongue with the sleeve of her shirt, but nothing would erase the feel of him there.
Instead of going back to the library or even the dorms, she made her way towards Draco's class and paced along the wall opposite the door while she waited for class to let out. When the bell rang to dismiss everyone, she stilled and stared at the door, eager to lay eyes on him. He was one of the first people out the door and did a double take at the sight of her.
"Everything alright?" he asked, looking around the corridor.
She nodded and smiled at him. "Yeah, just wanted to see if you wouldn't mind eating in the kitchens with me."
He frowned at her for a moment. "Did something happen while I was in class?"
"No."
She had to force herself not to wince at how fast she had responded. She saw the disbelief and anger flicker in his eyes as he looked around again. "Then why are you here? Why didn't you just use your book and have me meet you there?"
She had forgotten about the books. She hadn't touched hers since writing to Riddle to tell him she was skipping their meeting. She shook her head and forced another smile. "I just felt like taking a walk. Was going a little stir crazy."
He wasn't buying it, but he sighed and gave a nod before turning and gesturing for her to take his hand. They walked towards the kitchens and ate at the little table they always did. She hoped that her stomach would digest what she'd managed to swallow. Her nerves were getting the best of her by the time lunch ended. Draco even offered to walk her to Astronomy. Riddle gave them a nod as he passed them on the way into class, his eyes lingering on Hermione.
"I'll be right here after class for you," Draco assured her once Riddle had disappeared into the room.
"Thank you," she said and ducked inside at the last minute.
Her eyes darted around the room, taking stock of the twenty or so students and Professor Daedalus. She took a deep breath when her eyes landed on Riddle at their usual desk at the front of the room, closest to the door. She forced her legs to comply, but each step towards him made her feel more and more as if she were made of stone. She tried her best to ignore him as she set her bag on the table and began extracting her things.
"Today, I would like you and your partners to take a look at your projects and come up with a short presentation for the rest of the class. I will give you ten minutes before I call the first team," Daedalus announced.
Hermione couldn't help but groan along with the rest of the class. She was all for doing the work, writing her papers, and answering questions when presented, but she hated speaking in front of groups. It wasn't fear of not knowing what to say or finding the words, it was fear of rejection. She could understand the material forwards and backwards, but the moment she started talking about it, the way people's eyes glazed over and the whispers back and forth always made her panic.
Riddle's hand on her knee made her jump out of her thoughts. He kept his hand there as she turned in her seat towards him, the heat of him against her skin made her shiver. "Should we volunteer to go first?" she asked.
"Are you in a rush?" he asked, his fingers tracing patterns on her skin.
"N-no," she stammered, clearing her throat and shaking her head. "No, I just hate speaking in front of groups."
His head tipped to the side and a few strands of hair fell out of their usual place. An image of him in the hut flashed in her mind and her throat went dry as his hand slowly began to dip beneath her skirt, his palm ghosting along her inner thigh.
"Then perhaps we should go last," he suggested, smirking as she bit her lip and glanced nervously around the classroom. "Give you time to…relax."
He shifted closer to her, making it appear as though they were discussing their notes. Her lids fluttered, her lashes kissing her cheeks as his fingers hooked around her knickers to pull them aside. She stiffened and ducked her head to hide the crimson that stained her cheeks. Riddle hummed in approval as his index finger slid between her slickened folds.
"Riddle-"
She bit down hard enough on her bottom lip to draw blood to stifle the moan that threatened to sound as he brought some of her slick to her clit and began to trace circles around the sensitive nub. "What should we focus on?" he asked, his other hand bringing his own notes closer to hers across the table. "Should we mention the new moon's effect on potions and spells or should we stick to the symbolism of change?"
"I th-think-"
"Do not think," he demanded, his voice husky. "Just tell me which you would prefer. This?" he asked, one hand pointing to his notes about effects while his other hand finally touched her clit, making her nearly jump out of her seat. "Or this?" This time, he pointed to the notes on symbolism in her book as his finger sank lower to slip inside her core.
Her lips parted and she gripped the sides of her seat hard enough she thought she might break the chair. She didn't trust her voice and her eyes kept flickering about the room. The last thing she needed was to be caught.
"Answer me."
"This," she bit out, one hand shooting out to tap at the effects.
He inclined his head and brought his finger back to her clit. Her hips moved forward slightly in attempt to add more friction and she bit at her bottom lip again to keep from crying out. "And what is it that draws your attention there?"
"M-more effective," she stammered, the words falling from her lips in hushed whines.
"How so?"
His middle finger joined his index, forming a valley around her clit, allowing him to increase his speed. This time, she couldn't stop herself from arching her hips and she turned her moan into a cough, hoping it was enough to cover it. She pitched forward to make it look as though she were getting something from her bag.
"Symbolism is o-only…" She paused to swallow hard as he brought up more slick. "Only useful if you al-already know what…" Another roll of her hips. "What the effects can be."
"Meaning?"
Her nails scratched at the wood of the desk as she resisted the urge to dig in and beg for release. "You can only really un-understand the symbolism if you know the ef-effects first."
Daedalus called on the first group to stand at the front of the class to speak of their project. Just as she had suspected during their first night of observation, this duo had picked the full moon to discuss. As they talked about their project, Riddle's mind reached out to hers and she let her eyelids flutter at the warmth that permeated her mind.
Stop moving.
She stilled immediately and set her gaze on the students up front, despite the fact that her gaze was blank.
Stop thinking. Just feel.
Don't stop, she begged, her inner voice barely more than a whimper. Please don't… Don't stop.
His movements were so slow, but he was in the perfect spot. Her body felt as though it were on fire. She could feel the tingle starting at the soles of her feet; could feel it work its way up to her head. She felt weightless, as if she were floating along a sea of stars as he worked her steadily towards oblivion. The classroom faded away until all that was left was her and Riddle.
Please don't…
Her head tilted back slightly and her lips parted as the fire below her navel exploded. She could feel the heat in every crevice of her being as Riddle continued to stoke the fire within. It was a miracle that she was able to keep from crying out. Tears streamed down her face as the euphoria pushed her into an unexplored territory of pleasure.
When the fire began to quell and the tingles subsided, she felt Riddle's fingers trail back down her thigh, leaving a streak of her slick behind on her skin. She watched, transfixed, as he brought his fingers to his mouth and cleaned them of her essence; his eyes never leaving hers. Her thighs clamped together and she began to shake uncontrollably.
She could barely concentrate on the rest of class. Each group's presentation sounded about the same. When they were finally called to the front, Hermione's mind was a fogged mess. Riddle did most of the talking and by the time class was over, she felt the self-loathing begin to settle in. When the bell rang, she was on her feet and out the door before it even finished chiming.
Wednesday, 26 November 1944
The following night, Hermione had parted ways with Draco in the hall outside the Room of Requirement. She felt his eyes on her until she disappeared out of sight on her way to meet Riddle. Each step towards the tower made her stomach heavy and by the time she reached the entry way, she found it hard to breathe. But fear of what would happen to Draco if she turned away propelled her forward, ascending the winding staircase.
Hermione knew they were no longer there to discuss their project. That in reality, they had learned all they were going to after the first few nights. It was just a way for Riddle to keep tabs on her. Another level in his show of power. Still feeling betrayed by her body's reaction to his touch the day before, Hermione decided to take matters into her own hands. She didn't pause at the landing; didn't give him any outward indication of fear or doubt, just crossed the distance between them and sank to her knees like she had in his dorm.
She blanked her mind as she took him into her mouth again, focusing on the tugs to her hair as his fingers sank into it. She listened to the wind howl around them on the outside of the wards around the tower, focusing on that instead of the sounds of him sliding along her tongue. She everything she could think of into her ministrations and before long, he was emptying himself down her throat.
He drew her up by her hair, lightening his hold just a little. Instead of giving her a moment to wipe at her mouth, his lips closed over hers and she felt his tongue dart out to taste himself. As he pushed forward, shoving her up against the railing, they stilled at the sound of the door below opening and closing again.
He stepped back, tucking himself back into his trousers and she hurried to the telescope, her heart thundering in her chest at the thought of Draco choosing now to brave his fear of the tower. Instead, it was only Claudia who took several deep breaths at the top of the stairs and waved at them.
"Sorry, I know it's for class, but someone set off a slew of traps in the main hall. Dippet asked me to find you to help do a sweep."
Riddle gave her a smile and inclined his head. "See you in the morning, Harmony," he said after turning briefly towards her before following Claudia down the stairs.
The moment they were gone, Hermione dashed down the stairs at a speed she would normally scold someone for and didn't stop racing until she reached the Room of Requirement. She paused to catch her breath, paced in front of it to ask for entry, and then slipped inside to find Draco at their usual spot.
"That was fast."
"Claudia came by. Apparently a bunch of students set off some traps."
"Ah," he said, a smile on his lips. "Well, it's back. Just like we thought it would be."
She nodded and turned her gaze towards the door. Please let us leave. The thought looped through her mind at breakneck speed as they stepped forward. Her fingers curved along the knob and her heart skipped a beat as it gave way and opened inwardly, just like the last time. Last time, the door had opened into nothing. They had looked around the frame, but it just disappeared into thin air. It could only be seen when looking at it from the front. This time, there was a space behind it, almost like a broom closet.
"That's how it looked when I pulled us into it," Draco said, peering around the edges of the frame.
"Draco, don't-" she started as she watched him step inside the little closet. He turned around, inspecting it to see if there was anything else, his hands running along the walls. He shook his head and stepped back out.
"We're close. Maybe the next new moon?" The hope in his voice brought tears to her eyes. The disappointment of still being here brought all of her emotions surging forward into one strangled sob. Draco's arms were around her before her knees gave out and she clung to him. "Hermione-"
"I just want to go home," she cried though her sobs, wondering if her words were even coherent enough to be heard.
They must have been, because he responded. "I know you do. And we will. We'll get back there. You'll see everyone again, Hermione. I promise you we'll get home."
She knew he was uncomfortable with her tears, but she couldn't turn them off. All she kept thinking was that since they weren't able to go home now, that meant there was another month. Another month of Riddle's hands on her; of his cock in her mouth. Another month of his threats against Draco. Another month of lies and guilt to twist away at her insides.
And there was nothing to say the following month would send them home either. She was stuck here with a fate worse than death and there was no telling how long she would have to endure.