"What do you mean, who am I?" he asked confused. "I- My name's Tom Marvolo Riddle. I- Hermione what's-"
She placed a finger to his lips. "Why lighwatz as a rune? For the traveling spell? I've looked it up and it's not a time travel rune. Just an imprint one. Where did you get the imprint from?"
He frowned. "It's in my instruction book. The notes on how to travel to and from different places. The magic did the trick the first time so that I could find you. I managed to get it to work the second time, but once we sealed the contract, my runic magic took an imprint of yours and vice-versa, making it far easier for me to find you. Lighwatz - if drawn correctly, ensures that you and I are in sync. Wherever and whenever you are in the world, the rune will always find you. Of course, if you mis-draw the rune, you might get the time-frame wrong, but otherwise you should always get the same version of the person."
She raised an eyebrow. "Same version?" So that other Tom, the older Tom she'd seen… That had definitely been her Tom, hadn't it? … Since when was he 'her' Tom-
He shrugged. "I'm just quoting from the book. It says 'same version'. I'm not entirely-"
She hushed him. He looked slightly miffed. "We're not time traveling." she said suddenly. A wave of calm, mingled with slight panic washed over her. If this was what she thought it was.. Then this-
He blinked. "Of course we are, what else-"
"I mean, we're not just time-travelling. You're not the Tom Riddle of my world. And I'm not the Hermione Granger of yours." she said, if there even is a Hermione Granger.
"Come again?" he asked. He searched her features for an answer. Then his mouth dropped into a small 'o'. He shook his head. "Surely you're not implying that we're in fact traveling between two different universes? That's preposterous. It's never been done."
"That, or no-one has ever noticed it being done. Because the time-line differences in parallel universes has never been so apparent!" she grinned. "Tom Riddle in my world opens the Chamber of Secrets in his fifth year. Don't ask me how I know this - I refuse to go into detail about it, as I have no wish to tamper with the future in your world either, it's still dangerous. You're in your sixth year. Now, the real question is… why is your world so different?"
He narrowed his eyes. "It isn't though, is it? The two worlds look identical - yours is just fifty years ahead of mine."
She shook her head. "No, no. It's a massive difference. And now I think about it, the more different our worlds grow, the further apart they'll be and the harder it will be for us to travel between them."
The colour began to drain from his face. "What do you mean?"
"The reason why lighwatz is so effective is because it's joining two incredibly similar worlds - with only one different factor - the timing of the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. The more dissimilar our worlds grow, the harder it'll be for us to travel between them and see each other. The imprint of lighwatz will grow weaker." She sighed, and began to comb her hand through her tangled hair. "I believe we actually travel between parallel universes quite easily, almost on a daily basis, and it's easy to do as we don't notice it. Lighwatz ensures that the travel is deliberate and that you and I will always find each other. No matter which universe we're in, where or when in the world we are, I will always find this version of you and you will always find this version of me." She smiled.
Tom felt himself getting dizzy - world travel. The possibilities! They were endless. Just thinking about it- but… what had she said? Something about differences in worlds?
"Did you say you believed it was growing weaker? I haven't seen any evidence of that."
She nodded. "Perhaps not actively, but it will do the further apart our worlds grow."
"So from now on we have to maintain the timeline you know in your world if we want to keep seeing each other? Can't we just find a stronger alternative to lighwatz?" he asked in a slightly strangled voice. "What's my future like in your world?"
Her eyebrows knitted together. Should she be honest? "I can't - I shouldn't reveal much about that," after all, she couldn't tell him about the future, lest he learn from his mistakes and inflict a worse Voldemort on his world, but a little honesty couldn't hurt, could it? "You're doing surprisingly well."
"Surprisingly?"
"Better than I would like." she said sadly.
His mouth curved upwards into a sneering smile. So his plans would work, wouldn't they? "I suppose we're on different sides, aren't we?"
She shrugged. "Why did you open the chamber this year and not last year?"
"I wasn't fully sure I was the heir, even then. And I was distracted - trying to translate the book I used to find you. It took up most of my time, actually."
"So the book is the cause of the split.. Interesting."
"We still need to sort out how I'm going to get away with it."
She raised an eyebrow. "We?" He shot her a grin.
"I'm guessing the version of me in your world successfully pins the death of Myrtle Warren on that oafish Gryffindor boy you call 'friend'. I'm… willing to compromise. For a price, of course."
She glared at him. That little- Perhaps the their worlds weren't so different after all. "Go on."
"Your memories."
"Not going to happen."
"I had a feeling you'd say that." He got up. "Poor poor little Rubeus." He said with a sly grin.
She gritted her teeth. She knew the rational course of action would be to hold stand her ground. Hagrid would be taken care of by Dumbledore, right? But that poor boy. How was it fair? How is any of this fair?
He gazed back down at her. She looked tired. Her hair was a mess, her lower lip was quivering. Her hands were curled up into a ball, her knuckles bone white, nails digging into her palms. Her expression flickered between pain, exhaustion, sorrow and fear. Perhaps this was her breaking point? He always made a point of looking for people's weaknesses when he first met them. Granger's was obviously the internal struggle between her moral compass and her rational mind. So why did he not get that same gleeful feeling at this discovery? Why did this picture - one of victory - for lack of a better word, sicken him?
"I-" she began.
And this time it was his turn to hush her.
"The reason why Rubeus Hagrid is going to have to take the fall for me stems from two reasons. Firstly, he's got an acromantula. In the castle. The teachers need to know. They are classed XXXXX under the Ministry for Magic's beasts registry. And they kill. He's had that thing since last year and it's not getting smaller. They get to up to fifteen feet in size. And I doubt Hagrid can control his monster." But I can control mine.
His voice was urgent as he spoke the next few words, almost whisper, the breath of the vowels and consonants tripping quickly off his lips. "That, and we need to keep the timeline relatively intact if we want this to work. Otherwise the connection between our two worlds will falter and-" And I'll lose- I'll lose you. And you'll lose me. And if we lose each other, there's no hope for either of us to find happiness in any world- "the contract we sealed is hardly negotiable. You still need me and I need you."
She looked like she was about to speak- he placed a finger to her lips. Her eyes widened in surprise at the gesture.
"This is where I'm willing to compromise. Since the timelines have to look similar, it means that whatever you know about the future has to happen, or at the very least appear to have happened. I will tell Dippet about Hagrid and his monster. I won't say explicitly that his acromantula killed the girl, I won't go back and plant acromantula venom on her corpse - but I will tell Hagrid's secret. I-I'll also look after the boy." If I make it through this. "If that means I have to bend a few rules - so be it. But I'll make sure the boy is safe, fed, not completely stripped of his magic - which will happen if he's expelled - and.. and happy. I won't make the Horcrux you seem to think I'm planning." …yet… "That is my compromise."
"And the Chamber?" she asked at last.
He ran a hand through his dark hair. "I-I'm going to have to close it. I can put my basilisk back in a dormant state. She's been like that for a thousand years… She won't mind a little more hibernation, I don't think." He smiled sadly. "But I- I can't have them close the school."
She nodded. "I- For the memories, which do-"
"You really don't want to do this, do you?"
She swallowed. "Of course not. It's too dangerous, and… and I'm not sure I-"
She still seemed perturbed.
"Then I've changed the terms of the compromise."
"No- wait, that's not-"
He leant in, to take a good look at her eyes. Fearful, confused - but warm. The warm, secure brown of comfort. "Instead… Come away with me."
"What?"
"I- the trip around Europe. You said you'd come. This summer. Just for a month. Once school finishes." If we get through this. He tried to keep the uncertainty out of his voice. His failure at doing so irked him immensely. "I'm sure that you can think of worse things to do than-"
"Of course I'll come!" she spluttered incredulously.
"Brilliant." he flashed her a wolfish grin. "Oh, and when I next need help with the finishing touches of a rune or spell, I expect my actions not to be questioned every five seconds. Your full cooperation is needed."
She narrowed her eyes and nodded. "You should get to work. Raising the alarm on the acromantula will take longer than you think. You need to wait for the enquiry to happen. That should be another two or three weeks. You'll probably be closely watched till then."
"So see you in three weeks?"
"Yes."
"And you're happy with our deal? I'll take you away once school is over, then."
"Yes." she whispered.
He leant in to cup her face.
And pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and before she knew it, her hands were in his hair, his fingers were- she pushed him away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she spat out angrily.
He smirked. "Why, sealing the contract, of course. See you in three weeks, Miss Granger."
And with that, he disappeared.
.
.
.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of newts exams and probing constant updates on the Harry-Dumbledore situation.
Whilst perhaps she'd considered sharing her discovery of this Tom from another world with Harry, the fact that she'd been entertaining some form of relationship with him for the past six months made her feel like it would be too much of a betrayal for her friends to stomach.
Tom. Each time she thought of him, something in her stomach twisted. Her heart would tense up and yet- somehow thinking of him would give him an overwhelming feeling of calm and warmth. It should really be the opposite, shouldn't it?
She'd actually started to plan the trip. Traveling in his time period, with the muggle war going on and most of Muggle Europe being either under communist or fascist rule would be difficult. So she'd started to compile a list of places she wanted to see, things she needed to do. It was a good way to pass the time, when she wasn't worrying about exams.
Then chaos.
She was holding a small vial of Felix Felicis.
She was running through the castle corridors, wand in hand. She heard voices shouting hexes and curses. She thought one of them was her voice. Did she cast a-
She was running and she- she-
There was something- something sticky on her hands. Metallic. She couldn't make it out in the dark. Was it blood? It wasn't coming off. It wasn't coming off. Why-Why- why was it still on her hands- she'd washed them? hadn't she? Why was it still- what- Get it off. Get it off me. Get it off me. Her nails ripped through the palms of her hands, scratching off raw skin. Red, bloodied skin. There's blood on my hands.
There was a scream. A woman's scream. Shrill and-
She was the one screaming. Why was she screaming? Was that a body on the floor? Whose body- oh God, oh God - she thought she saw red hair - Ron? No- please - anything but - The face was so mangled and torn that-
A shriek. Molly Weasley running towards her and the body. What was Mrs Weasley saying - Bill. Bill. My son- please. The old woman cradling the youth's body.
Hermione ran to get help.
Dumbledore's dead.
Panic. More blood. More pain.
She thought she saw Luna lying on the floor. No - just a death eater. Just a death eater? These people have families and-
Pain again. The relentless pain of the cruciatus curse. It felt like she was being dismembered, like every inch of her body was on fire, her skull splitting apart, the flimsy nerves in her body were being cut and torn open, her muscles ripped apart and her blood bursting in her veins.
She screamed again. Or she tried to. There was no breath left in her lungs.
Then the pain came again.
And again.
And she sank into darkness.
When she woke after what seemed like centuries, she wasn't in the hospital wing as she'd expected. She was shivering in a corner, Nymphadora Tonks standing over her, a weak smile of encouragement on her saddened face. Thorfinn Rowle's limp body next to her.
"He's only stunned." Tonks whispered. "Come on Hermione. We need to go. Can you stand?" she asked urgently.
She got to her feet - shaking.
"Good. Luckily you weren't hit that much. You should be fine." She placed a cloak around Hermione's shoulders. "But of course you're not, are you?"
"I- are they-"
"As far as I know - everyone's fine. The battle's drawing to a close. We need to get you to the hospital wing." said the Auror. "I couldn't bring myself to kill Rowle whilst he was unconscious - call me foolish, but this just isn't right. None of it is- but getting you out is more important. Everyone's safe. Don't worry."
Except for Dumbledore.
.
.
.
She'd spent the next day in a strange stupor.
Then she'd gone to see Tom. With every intent of killing him.
His eyes had widened - he'd finally sorted out his alibi. The school had bought it.
She'd stayed silent, and taken out her wand.
He'd looked at it. "Hagrid gets to keep his wand too, you know? It's customary for them to break it, but I've spoken to Dippet. I'll be the one giving Rubeus lessons from now on, since the boy can't stay at the school properly."
She'd dropped her wand.
Her face had scrunched up into an odd grimace of pain and tears and she-
She hit him, her fingers clawing at his face his chest, anything. She grabbed his hair, his shirt, screamed and wailed.
He'd remained impassive. Then confused.
"He's dead. Dumbledore's dead. And it's all your fault." she'd choked.
He didn't feel the glee he'd expected at that news.
"I'm sorry." was all he could say. "I'm so sorry."
She'd calmed down. It wasn't his fault. That Tom hadn't done anything to her. Not yet. Or… maybe never?
He'd wiped her tears.
"Tom- I want to go."
He'd looked quizzical. "I want to go today. The trip. You said- we'd agreed-"
"Hermione- we've still got a week till the end of term-"
"Please." She'd closed her eyes. "Please Tom. Just take me away. Anywhere."
He'd held her close. "Of course." he'd murmured, stroking her hair. "Anything."
A/N - Sorry, rather short chapter. I love traveling - so next chapter/or two might be quite travel/history-centric... Sorry in advance. In case it's all a bit confusing - here's the situation. The Tom Riddle Hermione knows is from a parallel world - well done to Christine Rose for guessing that! ;) The reason why they can travel so well/quickly/efficiently is because their worlds are so far, pretty similar, with only one change, when the Chamber of Secrets gets opened. The more different the worlds get, the harder it'll be for them to meet. :o You can see where I'm going with this. So... they do want to maintain the timeline to a certain extent - but Hermione doesn't want Tom to know too much either, as if he does, he might become a more indestructible Voldemort, which she doesn't want to inflict upon any world. The clever thing for both of them to do would be to call it quits... and each to go back to his or her own world. That idea doesn't seem to have crossed their minds yet... or if it has, (probably has), there's a lot of reluctance in accepting it. Drama drama! Anyway thank you so much for reading! As always, please do review - I love getting feedback - makes my day! :) Thank you so so much to geekyassangie, angel987, Vaneesa85, Karuizawa, Christine Rose and Garden Gnomie for reviewing! You guys are awesome! I really appreciate it.
Have a wonderful day!
x Calliope