Tom Riddle's change of attitude did not really surprise me. When I walked into the hall during breakfast, he had arrived right behind me and not so subtly herded me to his usually spot at the head of the table. And that was how I found myself surrounded by the most narcissistic and ego inflated students that Slytherin had to offer. I felt trapped like in a viper's den. How fitting.

Although Abraxas and the others seemed a little surprised at my presence, they did not mention a thing. Aleissa, however, had narrowed her eyes when I sat at Tom's right side. His arm that was resting against my side, did not help things. She was sitting next to her twin, across the table.

He had briefly introduced me. "This is Hermione, she will be sitting with us from now on."

Then he set the conversation on quidditch where I could feel the tension fading away slowly. The boys at least were getting heated up on the bets they had made. Theodore Nott and Vincent Rosier I found were the two brown haired boys. Tall and lanky in the ways boys were before they grew into their own. I glanced over at Abraxas who carefully pushing his long hair out of the way before picking up his utensils.

I almost choked on my eggs when he started running his fingers up and done my side. I glared over at him but he was quietly watching his surrounding while eating toast, commenting every so often to the table's chatter. I angled my body slightly out of the way.

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In divination we were to read tea leaves. Tessomancy. Madam started her lecture softly before rising until her voice wavered towards the high notes, coughing twice, and then resuming in a murmur. Divination in a nut shell. The tea leaves were said to be soaked in water in the light of the full moon. We were to ground them ourselves to more accurately guess our future. I saw the appeal of prophecies, but there was a grudge within me for the amount of faith people put in them. Actions taken to avoid a terrible fate, lead ironically towards that fate. The loss of free will and consequence made me unnecessarily angry. If people did not take so much stock in them, I thought of a particular bald nose-less man, then maybe Harry's parents would not have been hunted down and slain. It was another faucet of life I supposed. Magic complicated the natural progression of life and will. And at last, here I was, purposely meddling with time.

I methodically pricked a finger and let a drop of blood soak into the black remains. Then put a teaspoon of it into a glazed white china cup. We then poured water until the leaves were submerged before rotating the cup in our hands once, twice, and then once counter clockwise. We then evaporated the water out of the cup. Madam was gripping before how the youngsters in the Divination society were pushing for these quick readings. Loss of culture and tradition she mumbled. The more tradition method was waiting a month for a reading, preparing the materials all by hand by the diviner and waiting on the slow evaporation of the liquid in the sun. I preferred this method.

Madam went around the room checking on our progress. She had large glass spectacles on her face that bounced whenever she got too excited. As it did now, when everyone was now ready for their reading. "Now I will go around to each table and read yours aloud to you. However, use the textbook to see what yours means in the mean time!" She quickly bustled to the right side of the room.

"Look at her go", Ben mused.

I laughed with him. "Did you figure out yours yet, Ben?"

"No. It looks like dirt to me. It most likely means I am destined for greatness"

"I am sure it does."

Trying to match the splatter of the tea leaves against the interpretation in the textbook. I could only make out something about the sun I assumed from seeing a circle. The professor came over and looked into Ben's cup first.

She immediately exclaimed, "An acorn! A large one at that. Looks like some good boon is coming your way, my dear" Ben grinned. I elbowed him before I gave her my cup as well. She mulled over it for a few seconds. I started getting anxious and count the strands of hair she had escaping out of her bun.

"My dear there is a lot going on with yours…Let us see…Definitely a sun. There is happiness in your future. And you have the blessed elephant with its trunk up!- look here at that curve- as well a …falcon. That represents a deadly enemy, but look it is on top of the trunk. Elephants represent strength, wisdom, and luck as well. It seems that you will meet someone who could fortify you or become your enemy. It seems that you will have to make a choice. That is all I can tell you."

She quickly walked away onto the next table. My mind whipped up like a storm of its implications. I could only think of Tom. He was the falcon for Harry, his trials and suffering. Compared to that time in Trelawney's class my reading fared better than Harry's, but what did this mean for me. I felt a headache rising.

I reasoned that tea leaves had no absolute control over our lives. Look at how badly the grim was interpreted for Harry. Poor Sirius. If only we knew earlier, we could have spent more time with him. It was laughable that Tom could be my strength. Although the deadly enemy could not have been more on point. The time line had already changed. Small effects lead to big ripples. I sighed.

No matter, it had to be changed anyhow. A future that bleak, I would have to change Tom. This world would not know a Lord Voldemort if I could help it. That will be my sun.

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In Potions, I was sitting next to Tom again. That was only to be expected. Lou raised an eyebrow and I could only smile and shrug. She rolled her eyes at that. I was starting to get the feeling that he was just an intensely possessive person. About objects, that I already knew. But Lord Voldemort didn't care about people. He used them and that was the story. But Tom now, he was not letting me out of his sight. If we were to collaborate, I would make sure he understood the point of personal space. I was loath to admit, but I couldn't think when he surrounds me like he does.

I confronted him after class when walked me to class. I looked around at the not so friendly faces around us. Mostly of the XX chromosomes. They were not being overly hostile, not with Tom right here at least. When we got on the revolving staircase, I hissed out "Tom you are attracting unneeded attention to me."

He raised an eyebrow, "I am merely guiding a new student to her next class."

"I have been attending for weeks. I already know my way around the place. More importantly, I do not feel like dealing with your fan girls"

His eyes sharpened, "Have someone been bothering you lately?"

"No, not lately. But if you keep around me… I will have to keep dodging random jinxes in the washroom and double checking my cauldrons."

He straightened and seemed intently focused, "That will not be needed. I will introduce you as my girlfriend, it will keep them at bay"

My jaw dropped. I splayed my hands open, wanting to push the idea physically away from my person. It took a second to get my bearing, and Tom looked irritated with me.

"If I was not who I am, I would be offended by your attitude" he stated.

Oh for the love of merlin. Are we actually going through this? I took stock of the aging brown bricks that made up the walls. The white hat on the sailor who waved frantically at the students that passed by his painting in which he inhabited. It all seemed very real. Too much detail to be a dream. Before I lost my grip on reality, I pushed through the weirdness of being Lord Voldemort's girlfriend.

"Tom.." I thought of a good way to let him down, "...We just met. Its too soon."

He didn't agree.

"As you said you have been here for weeks." He didn't need to stress it like that. Nothing quite irked me as much as having my words thrown back at me.

He continued, "And we have spent time closely together to the consternation of others. But if we were to enter into a relationship, then it would not seem out of the ordinary. It would make those girls leave you alone, and I would be able to better protect you if something arises. Grindelwald has been amassing power, it wouldn't surprise me if his contacts were in Hogwarts as well."

I resisted my first instinct to roll me eyes. Arguing as if it was for my sake, he most likely just wanted to make sure I don't tell anyone else my secret. But, this was a good chance to investigate him further…

I would have to swallow my distaste for the situation. As his girlfriend, I would have access to sensitive information. Information I could gather to use against him. I would take it with me back to the future, it would give clues to what his weaknesses were. I inwardly shook my head, that was for the worst-case scenario. This Tom in front of me still had a chance of being a decent human being. Time meddler. I couldn't deny now that I was not actively trying to manipulate time. But it would save Harry's parents, and so many others. Stars guide me.

"Fine" I stated. And because it was still too much, I walked swiftly away. Feeling a headache coming.

He apparently did not like me having the last word, but strategically just dealt with it. He gave me an arrogant look but kept pace with me. Stubbornly guiding me to the entrance to my next class before leaving in a flourish. I kept myself preoccupied with class, answering questions every so often.

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On my way to lunch with Lou, I saw Tom next to the mighty brown doors. He saw me approach and made his way over to me.

"This is where we will be seated. I will make the announcement there." I could only gape at him.

That Is too soon! We barely each talked out the details. He could apparently see what was going through my head for he replied.

"The sooner the better, we can discuss the particulars later."

He half dragged me over to his usual spot. His crew was already there, staring at me even more curiously. He motioned me to sit next to him. I did it begrudgingly.

All eyes were on us. I looked forward towards the table next to us, staring at a shiny golden goblet.

With a hand at my waist, he announced, "I would like to introduce you to me girlfriend. You know Hermione. She will be joining us in our activities from now on." He sounded regal. I inwardly cringed, hating the attention. The only thing good to come out of it was Aleissa's gasp of horror. The brown haired boys Nott and Rosier, had equal wide eyed looks.

"But Tom-" She was cut off with a stern glare from said person.

"Yes, Aleissa?" he spoke the words gently, which made it all the deadlier.

The platinum blonde visibly deflated, "Oh, it was just so out of the blue. We are your friends and had no clue…"

He smiled. "That is exactly why I am telling you, my loyal followers, first. The rest of the school will follow."

I could roll my eyes at his power play. he seemingly could feel this, for he dug his fingers tighter into my side. Not painful but pointed.

I got the message. If I were to enter this pit, rather play the game well or not at all. I leaned back against him and rested my head on his shoulder. Giving the table a small smile. Him stiffening against me, was payback. And from the end of the table Lou, who declined Tom's offer of sitting next to us, grinned.

Hey Lovelies~~~

I know I finally updated! Haha I promised myself to take my exams seriously and finish at least a portion of my work before writing this chapter. To all my reviewers, I love you. Imagine Patrick when he selling chocolate with spongebob. Each review gives me a small kick of feelings.

Also someone brought up a good point about continuity. In this story the shrieking shack was already built before lupin came to Hogwarts and the whomping willow was planted, I think of it as a gift from the "proud sons of the north", seems their style. Also Hermione is a 6th year and so is Tom, im curving things a bit that tom got the position even though he is not a seventh year. Dippet just likes him that much. And Hermione is studying for her newts even though it's a year away, because she is that much an overachiever.

ALSO more importantly, I wrote a short story with Tomione, a total AU. One shot. For mature readers only, because its mostly just shameful smut.

See you all soon. FEEL FREE to PM me ideas and pointers. I am friendly, I swaree.