"Hermione." Another rattle at the door. "Hermione!" A bang. "Granger - I swear I'm going to knock this door down if you don't open it now."
Hermione stood at her window, wrapped in a dark blue shall. She'd tried tying up her rather messy hair with a bit of ribbon - an old bookmark, much like Tom had done the other day. She was watching the vas-et-viens of the wintery city. Men directing carts left right and centre, women haggling market prices, children playing in the streets of Paris. It had been three days since the ball. She'd spent three days in her room, alone, receiving no one.
The door crashed open.
There stood Tom, looking absolutely furious. "Fucking woman." she heard him mutter under his breath. She closed her eyes.
"This is supposed to be a holiday, isn't it?" he spat. "And yet you've been stuck in here for three days. Three bloody days Hermione." He clenched his fists. She noticed he wasn't holding his wand, his knuckles looked reddened, bruised. He must have punched the wall down the muggle way, how strange. "Listen - I understand that maybe you don't want to be with me on this-"
"It's not that." she said shakily. "Riddle- Tom, Tom, you know it's not that. But messing with worlds is extremely dangerous. It's never been done before and I- well.. it's not safe. And you just took me by surprise, that's all. Do you realise what could happen if-"
"And you? Do you realise what will happen when our worlds divide? Besides you were the one who first- that is to say-" his voice began to falter.
She sighed, and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Let's not fight. Please, Thomas?"
His eyelids fluttered shut, his expression calmed. "Yes. Let's not fight." His lips curled into a grin. "Well then! Germany next, or more precisely, Bavaria. Didn't you want to see Neuschwanstein castle?"
"Skipping to the 1800s? So, we're not doing this chronologically, are we? And, of course I want to see Neuschwanstein." she said with a light smile. "Are you coming for breakfast?" she asked, pausing at the door.
He nodded. "Granger - why do you call me Thomas?"
She grinned. "Why ever not, Thomas?"
He rolled his eyes, before following her down the stairs. "You do realise that's not my name? I was never christened Thomas. I'm simply Tom, that's it."
She laughed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You could never be 'simply Tom', to me."
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A blizzard had just begun when they left. Hard pellets of snow hammering at the windows, Hermione and Tom, hands clasped tightly together, trunks in their hands, traveling cloaks wrapped around their bodies, standing in the front room of their Parisian house, the finely carpeted floors covered in odd symbols drawn in ash.
It was with a swirl that they disappeared, and found themselves again surrounded by snow.
The castle which greeted them was different from the Neuschwanstein Hermione had pictured. In fact, it wasn't Neuschwanstein at all, now she looked at it. Shivering, she stared pointedly at Tom.
"This isn't it, is it?" she said at last, breaking the silence.
He shook his head. "Since we're a little off-"
"Downwards flick on the balance symbol." she muttered.
"What?"
"I- nothing. We- you didn't write lighwatz properly." she murmured, remembering the conversation she'd had with the other Tom, the other Tom, the one from the future, their common future, the one she'd met the very first time she'd tried traveling though worlds, "the flick on the balance symbol should always be an upwards one, and though most textbooks say it's interchangeable, it's not."
He stared at her in disbelief. "Where the hell are you pulling all this information from?"
You can tell we've had this conversation already, can't you? The other Tom had said.
She swallowed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "I- research. Anyway point is, small change, big difference in time or place, meaning we've made another mistake somewhere - but our intended 'goal' for being here should be the same… It's a similar process to how we are linked. So, since the goal of whoever was drawing the symbols was blatantly not to see the castle," she said, looking at him reproachfully, "I'm guessing your contact must be somewhere in here."
He let out a small sound of disagreement. "I doubt the contact's in there."
"Oh well, do you see any other options? Know any 19th century inns we could apparate to?" she asked pointedly.
"Speak any German, Hermione?" he retorted. "Enough to get us in without a contact?"
"My German is.. perfectly adequate. Besides I'm sure that they're in there, whoev-"
"Of course they're not, we're at least several miles off!" he spat.
"Then apparate to Neuschwanstein!"
"Granger - considering the fact I have no fucking idea where we are, except for maybe Bavaria, there's no way I'm risking our lives by trying to apparate a potentially inhuman distance away!" he snapped.
"Maybe Bavaria?! Of course we're in Bavaria! This is Hohenschwangau castle! Neuschwanstein castle is just-" she began.
"Just?"
"Good Godric. Our timing is definitely wrong as well. Neuschwanstein should just be up that hill, but it's not so-"
"Our timing?" he repeated with horror.
"Yes, Riddle, our timing, or should I say your timing, since you drew the runes." she said coldly. "I knew we should've come up with a plan for those runes at least, you always, always want to do things at the last minute-"
"Shall I remind you that you were the one who shut yourself in your room for three days. Oh, and couldn't you have mentioned your 'you need a downwards flick for lighwatz'-"
"That was not my fault, if you hadn't kissed me-"
"Oh, so now you're against a bit of kissing? What are you, twelve? Am I so terrible at it that you have to hide in your room for days on end? You're just.. pathetic- shall I remind you that you were the one who first kissed me in the library-"
"Pathetic?! I was trying to be kind! And that's completely false, you were the first one to kiss me, remember? What was it, our first, second meeting?" she said, exasperated.
"I was sealing the contract!"
"You only needed to seal it once Riddle, not twice. It was frivolous."
"Frivolous? Oh so I'm the frivolous one? I- That's- anyway. You initiated our first 'proper' kiss, if we're going to be petty. Besides, you could have mentioned the need for a downwards flick." he said bitterly.
"It's.. an upwards flick Riddle, but that's hardly the-"
"Oh upwards is it?" his temper seemed back up again. "Well every single textbook I've seen says the two are interchangeable-"
"Well, clearly they're not, Tom and-"
"Perhaps you could have mentioned it!"
They were almost shouting again by this point, any cold they had felt subsided as hot anger filled their expressions.
"Perhaps you could have mentioned your contacts before we embarked on this mad goose chase!" she huffed, taking a step towards him, her 18th century silken shoes trudging through the snow.
He then took a step towards her, as if daring her to take her wand out. "Oh really? Didn't you want the 'mad goose chase'? I really want adventure in my life, Tom," he simpered away, mocking her voice and words, "I want to see the world Tom, anything Tom, take me away Tom, oh, oh Tom. You're getting your Dickensian adventure, this is it, get over it."
"I- You have no idea- no idea what the past few days have been like for me. I've lost- I've lost more than you could- No bloody idea, it's not- not your place to judge, you, of all people-" They were now inches away from each other, he could feel her warm breath on his cheek.
"So I took you to a ball and kissed you. The horror, Hermione. Truly, truly tough. It's not like you had a dead body on your hands. Would you like an award, for putting up with Tom Riddle for five days? For looking pretty at a party?"
She couldn't help but laugh. A manic sound escaped her throat. She drew her wand out.
"Playing tough, Granger? Want to try your chances in a duel? Naughty naughty, no wonder you're in Gryffindor with a temper like that. Does anyone even find that attractive or have guys-" he began taunting.
She started to walk away. Rather quickly, actually. So much so, that by the end of his rant, Tom Riddle felt quite alone.
"Don't you walk away from me!" he shouted. "Wait. Hermione. Wait!" Panic seeped into his voice, he hadn't even realised he'd started chasing after her.
She spun around, her brows furrowed, her nest of hair shaking in the cold night air, snowflakes resting on her curls. "Fuck off, Thomas."
"I didn't mean- Hermione, wait, Hermione. Look, it's simply that-"
"Seid ihr verloren?" came a smooth voice.
A young man, with light brown hair, dressed in a scarlet overcoat had made his way over to both of them. He had a cheerful demeanour about him, and regarded them with such trustful ease, that Hermione couldn't help but return his smile and Tom couldn't help but eye him with studied disgust.
"Wie kann ich Sie helfen, junge Dame?" he asked softly, placing a small kiss on Hermione's hand. Tom glared at the pair. "Is your companion annoying you? What is your name?"
"I- that is- Wir kommen aus England und.. mein Name… mein Name ist Hermione, und das hier, ist Tom, wir-"
Tom let out a frustrated noise, taking out his wand. Confundo, he muttered, pointing it at the man's temple. Instantly the stranger's eyes glazed over.
"Ah, ja, Hermione und Tom, Freunde aus England, friends from England." he said in a detached voice.
Riddle nodded in appreciation of his handiwork. Hermione just looked disgusted. "And what is your name, friend?" Tom asked in rather smooth German.
"Otto. Otto Wilhelm Luitpold Adalbert Waldemar von Wittelsbach."
"And you live in the castle?" Tom asked in an imperious tone.
"Yes."
"Would you care to tell us your rank?"
"Lieutenant. I am also the King's brother. King Ludwig."
"King?" repeated Hermione, a little surprised. "But surely then you should be- unless… What of King Maximilian?"
For a moment Otto looked more lucid, then the light faded from his eyes once more, "My.. father died earlier this year, in March."
Hermione clicked her fingers, delight spreading across her face, "We're in 1864 then!" This is before the Prince goes to war, and comes back insane, she thought sadly.
Otto looked confused for a moment, before breaking out into a smile, his green eyes still clouded by the mist of the charm. "Come friends! Tis soon Christmas time - a season of joy and merriment! I cannot leave my english friends out in the cold, surely you will sup with me? And my brother, of course."
.
.
.
Ludwig II of Bavaria was not what Hermione had expected. She thought she'd see a slightly crazed young man, famously extremely shy, whose brilliant creative mind had been repressed by the burdens of the state. Whilst this was what partly what she saw, there was a hint of dangerous intelligence in his glass-green eyes, a newfound confidence, yet his general demeanour reminded her a little of Luna Lovegood's aloofness.
Their supper had been a quiet one - just Otto, the King, Hermione and Tom. They'd then moved to a small anti-chamber, a sitting room of sorts to talk. Tom wasn't quite sure whether this was customary, Ludwig had been eyeing him all evening as though sizing him up, and he couldn't quite tell whether His Majesty liked him or not. He made a mental note to remind Hermione to keep on teaching him about lying sincerely. Otto chose to retire early to his chambers - he had a headache, he said.
Now, only the King, Hermione and Tom remained. The guards and servants were quickly dismissed.
"An admirable confundus charm. It's quite unusual for them to stay that long." said the King, gazing at the door out of which Otto had exited just moments earlier, the corner of his lips tugging into a smile. "You will have to lift it of course."
Tom stood up, as though anticipating a fight.
"Are you a wizard?" Hermione blurted out. "It's just I- we"
"Not exactly. But I know enough about magic to recognise its effects." Ludwig said, his eyes twinkling in the half-light.
Tom's hand went to discretely rest on his wand, sitting in his pocket. "Then why entertain us in your palace? Why let us stay?"
"Because I was intrigued by you." he hummed, avoiding looking at them too much.
"So.. You're not our contact!?" Hermione blurted out. Riddle shot her a look of extreme annoyance, meaning, 'Of course he's not our contact, we're twenty years off target'. She raised her brows at this, as if to say 'And whose fault is that?'
"Contact? Tell me, are you perhaps a spy?" The King laughed lightly. Seeing their appalled looks, he added. "Don't worry, I know you're not. And, no, I'm not your contact."
"You said you were intrigued by us." Hermione finally said, "Since it's not magic, as you're no stranger to it, what intrigued you?"
Ludwig laughed. Hermione couldn't help but feel like she was being made fun of. "The young man who looks like he's been carved out of stone, of course." he grinned admiringly, walking towards Tom, lifting a gloved finger to stroke his pale cheek. "Michelangelo himself could not have done any better."
Hermione could feel her nails digging deeper into her palms. For a brief moment, she thought Tom didn't look wholly pleased, but a smile seemed carved onto his features nonetheless.
"Ah, is he already spoken for?" asked Ludwig, turning to Hermione with an insolent smile, as though he were daring her to say something, react in any way, defy a king. Instead, she remained motionless on her gilded chair, staring obstinately at the wall opposite her, as though the fairytale like motif of the tapestry had suddenly become the most fascinating aspect of her life.
Yes. Yes he is spoken for.
She stayed silent, lips pressed firmly together.
Tom eyed her carefully for a few seconds, disdain finally clouding his eyes, "No, I am not, ah, spoken for." he said at last, turning to Ludwig with a slow grin.
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.
Hermione had been shown to a splendid room, covered in various tapestries, with an ancient fireplace at the foot of a large velvet bed. A view of the valley greeted her from the windows - like a scene from a fairy tale. This would have pleased her immensely normally, yet this time she couldn't bring herself to admire the architecture or marvel at the historical significance of those whose portraits hung on the walls.
She found she couldn't sleep. At two am, she heard a sound at the door.
It was Tom. His dark hair, was tousled, he looked a little dishevelled - he was still dressed. "I'm in the room next to yours." he said. She nodded, letting him in, before lighting the candles - the muggle way, Tom noted - and going back to her bed.
"How was your evening?" she asked at last.
"Enlightening." he yawned, before dropping down onto the bed.
There was a rather pregnant pause.
Tom sighed. "Didn't you notice what he said? 'I'm not your contact.' He knew who and where our contact was. As do I of course, hence why I knew it wasn't him. Well, except for the 'where' part, which is why I needed him."
"This is where you tell me who and where this person is." she said, gazing at him intently.
"I can't tell you where they are right now, but I met them tonight."
She rolled her eyes. "Without me? Unbelievable, every single time I-"
"Hermione, we could bicker about this or you could simply get over it. Besides, you know I don't know that much about her." he muttered.
"Can you at least give me a name? So, is it the same woman we saw in Versailles?"
"This time, her name was Aphaea. I think it's always the same person, just under aliases, but I'm.. I'm not sure. She was wearing a mask at Versailles, after all."
"But you saw her here?"
"She was hidden behind a screen in the king's apartments, but yes, I spoke to her, only for a few minutes though, then she went."
"In the king's apartments." Hermione repeated shakily. Control yourself, Granger. It's completely up to him what he does with his body.
"Yes, Granger. Where else do you think we went after dinner, the stables?"
She swallowed. The contact, Hermione. Focus. Athena, Aphaea, who was this woman? "Why the wild adventure through time and space, why doesn't the contact just stick to one era-"
"I don't know, Hermione. I'm tired." he said, irritated. The room was silent for a while, and despite the blazing fire in the chimney, she felt colder than ever.
"Why didn't you..say anything?" she asked at last in a small voice.
"What? About the contact? Seriously, can't you drop the topic? I really don't know much about them, just that-"
"No." she said, shaking her head. "To King Ludwig. About being spoken for."
He gazed at her for a while, his expression as unreadable as ever. "He was looking at you, not me." he said finally. "You didn't answer."
"I couldn't say no to a King, Tom. Besides, I didn't know what you wanted me to say."
"Since when has that been an issue?" he laughed mirthlessly, leaning back on the bed. "Anyway, I needed information. So for that moment, I wasn't spoken for."
"So.. so.. you thought," her voice had started to shake at this point, vowels and consonants echoing dangerously in her ribcage, "that it would be…" she couldn't quite get the words out, "And what if I had said something? Would you have still gone with him?"
"You seem rather affected, Granger."
"And if I am?"
"Well, you'd definitely got me thinking I was the more attached of the two of us."
"Clearly not." she said bitterly. "Since you're off…prostituting yourself with- with the King of bloody Ba-"
He let out a hearty, high laugh. "Sweet Salazar 'Mione." he murmured, cupping her face with his hands. "Were you imagining that then?" He leant in to whisper in her ear, her eyes widened, "Did it get you all hot and bothered, picturing us together? Him, holding my-"
Her hand cascaded down on his cheeks with a force he wouldn't have quite believed possible was humanly possible.
"Get out."
He blinked, as though trying to register what had just happened. "Hermione, I-"
"You always go too far, Riddle." she whispered.
"Listen, Hermione I didn't mean- I-," he was stumbling on his words now, franticly trying to find a smooth way out of the issue, but failing to grasp the words, "Nothing happened. I didn't- I didn't sleep with the man, Hermione, I couldn't- I would never. Not to you. I-You're the only one I'd-" he ran a hand through his hair. He'd lost his composure. "It was cruel of me. I'm sorry." he said at last, the word strangling his throat. Such an unfamiliar word, an apology. At least unfamiliar when spoken with true intentions.
She smiled weakly. "It's my fault. I should have spoken up."
"To.. say I'm spoken for?"
"Yes. To say you're spoken for. Forgive me?" she asked in a small voice.
"Forgiven." he smiled. "And me? Do you forgive me?" he asked quickly, worry almost creeping into his voice.
She placed a small kiss on his lips. "Of course, Thomas. Of course."
Of course. Of course. He thought he felt giddy, strangely euphoric. Probably something in the atmosphere.
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A/N - Hi! Thank you so much for reading. Just a bit of a disclaimer, I obviously do not own the characters, they all belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling, I'm just playing around with them a little.
I don't own Ludwig and Otto either - both historical figures, with really tragic lives. Granted, these are set in a parallel world, so I've changed a few personality aspects of Ludwig. The real Ludwig was indeed gay, but struggled a lot with it, living in a time where it was not only a crime, but an aspect he personally had difficulty with, since he was a Roman Catholic head of state in a primarily Lutheran part of Europe, thus felt he needed to set a religious example.
Ludwig II was rather shy, quite melancholic, appreciating the finer things in life - he was a great lover of Wagner. He had a troubled childhood - towards the end of his life, he was deemed unfit to rule (all politics) and is often referred to as the mad king. His brother, Otto, succeeded him. Originally far more cheerful and outgoing in disposition, Otto changed after fighting in several wars, one of which being the Franco-Prussian War (which he'll be going off to soon-ish after Tom and Hermione's stay). He then suffered immensely from what we would now call Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and was later diagnosed as schizophrenic. Neither of these men left any children, but both are well worth remembering. So if you go to Bavaria, please see their castles!
Thank you ever so much to Karuizawa, Guest (whoever you are? But yay! Take my recommendation! :) And go to the Bavarian castles too!), Guest (whoever you are, too?), Christine Rose and Vaneesa85 :) I really appreciate it!
Please do leave a review/feedback/cake recipe! Always always happy to get a review.
x Calliope