It All Ends
-5-
As days became warmer and school less important, Hermione and Rose used to spend their time on the Hogwarts grounds, laying around, talking and reading. Both, of course, already studied for their next year, not bearing to not learn and not being better than the rest.
"Where's Tom?", Rose asked one afternoon, wondering why the boy who always was at her best friends side suddenly had disappeared for days. It wasn't as if she cared, she prefered having Hermione for herself, but it felt strange - somehow.
The other girl didn't look up when she answered. "He's inside, where else?" Rose blinked confused. Hermione obviously was in a bad mood, which meant that she didn't know where Tom was and that she was angry because of it. He hadn't told her.
As it became colder, they went in. "I wonder if they have mousse today.", Hermione said, dwelling in her imagination and smiling at her friend. "I wonder, if they have framboises", Rose replied. "Because you know, these two good things combined result in heavenly enjoyment." They giggled at the thought of it.
The Slytherins were cheerful, just as the other houses were. In three days they finally could go home for summer holiday and according to that, everyone was in a good mood. It made Hermione even forget the fact that Tom wasn't with her - untill he came, of course.
She didn't see him when he walked towards her, but Rose did. And Rose also instantly felt how unimportant she actually was.
Tom Riddle didn't sit down, he was too excited to remain still.
"Hermione", he whispered in the girl's ear. She recoiled slightly, but when she turned around to face him and saw his glowing, with anticipation filled eyes, all anger was forgotten - not as if she ever would have mentioned it towards him. He needn't to say any more words, so he just grabbed her by the hand and dragged her with him. She left her with mousse filled bowl behind, not even remembering it.
The two ran through the corridors as if their lives depended on it. And Merlin, she couldsense the happiness and simultaneous nervousness raddiating off of Tom. It surrounded them both and made her feel as if on an adventure.
"Tell me, Tom! What is it? Could you do it?", she burst with curiosity.
"Wait for it.", was the only answer she got.
They entered a dark room in the fifth floor, a place where nearly nobody lost his way at this time of the day. With a flick of Tom's wand the lamps illuminated and revealed a table-and chairless classroom. On the floor there were objects arranged in a circle, in which the boy stepped and turned to face her.
"Oh, wait!", he exclaimed. Tom reached out to give her his wand.
"Yes, right.", she confirmed and took it.
Wandless magic.
He then returned to the middle. His eyes closed.
He opened his arms. For a moment he held still, then he made an upward movement.
Hermione breathed out in excitement as she felt the magic in the room. It was breathtaking. In the same moment as she bathed in his magic, the objects around him started to float. At first they stayed a few feet over the floor, then they went higher until his shoulders height. Tom opened his eyes. He smiled at her proudly and in a way only a wizard could smile who felt his own magical power.
She returned the smile in the same way, because she, in this very moment, could feel what he felt. And it was beyond great.
Tom's smile grew wider as he started to play with the objects, arranging them spirally, extending the circle, shrinking it again, until dropping them.
They then just stood there with half closed eyes and enjoyed the intoxicant feeling of the magic around them. When they came to themselves again, they decided to go to their common room. On the way to the dungeons they didn't say a word. The dizziness still ruled over them.
The Slytherin common room was crowded, but they managed to find a place by the windows. Tom and Hermione just sat there for a while, before he started talking, susurrating in her ear, making sure she was the only one who heard him.
"I told you that I could move objects before, and I told you that I only could do it because I practised." She nodded, remembering. "I lied.", he explained. Before she could say anything, he continued: "Listen, please."
She was angry, furious, how dared he?
"I could move things before getting my wand. Back then everyone told me that nobody should know, because being this powerful is dangerous." She still didn't look at him, so he continued. "Hermione, please-", the girl interrupted him. "So you must belong to a very powerful family, but I'm afraid there is no pureblood family with the name Riddle, or am I mistaken?" He breathed to respond, but she just had waited for it, so she could interrupt him. "I warn you, do not lie to me again." She was calm and cold, just as she had been brought up to be.
Meanwhile he felt uncharacteristically guilty. But he was determined to not tell her. Not now.
"I won't.", he said.
With that he stood up and retired for the night, not looking back or apologising for anything.
And in the exact same way they parted into the holiday.
