Erm, so hi:3 *ducks from all the rotten veg and fruit being thrown* I haven't updated in 2 months almost! *ducks again* I AM SORRY OKAY. REally though, I started Sixth form and work load you get give, it's sort of ridiculous! I mean, I have to choreograph a dance! Learn a whole script, do a essay! Yes, I love it and I have met some amazing people, but why did I do Peforming Arts! I can't dance! Anyway, I'm straying off subject... I am very sorry for the wait, but this chapter was also very very hard to write, I had no idea where to go with it and I still don't like where I've gone with it, but I will huff and puff to myself as I think I'll like the next chapter - which I hope will be out soon! Also, while I had writers block - I wrote a Dramione fanfcition as, though I love Tomione, Dramione is my OTP and always will be! It's only a one shot though:3 So yeah, I hope you like this very much!

ALSO: I really really need a Beta, like badly! So if anyone would like to be that for me I would be very much obliged! Think of all the perks, you get to help shape my story, and get to read it before anyone else does! So yeah, please and thank-you :3

Also again, sorry guys! Thank you very much to Cloggx for reminding me about Hagrid! of course he will be in it! So yes, this chapter is dedicated to you lovely :3

DISCLAIMER:
I don't own Harry Potter. Actually that's a lie, I do. Just in figurine form. Guess that's not really the same thing though is it? Oh well.

A month had passed since the incident at the Slug Club party and yet no one had thus far questioned Hermione. Not one person had asked her what perfect Tom Riddle had said to her, no one asked why she had run out of the Great Hall, tears running down her face. She began to believe that she has imagined the whole thing, that it was some cruel dream that she had dreamt. But she knew she hadn't, the constant whispers she heard whenever she walked past, or if she walked into a room and it fell silent. Not to mention the looks of pure disgust that Tom threw at her, though sometimes they were also of confusion, as though he didn't think she could possibly exist and at that moment she wasn't sure she wanted to.

But Tom still hadn't talked to her. In truth, she'd expected it, knew it would happen in fact. But it still hurt her a little bit, she was used to people feeling intimidated by her, annoyed by her and even disliking her. But no one had hated her to the point where they ignored her complete existence, not even Malfoy and neither had Voldemort in her time. But she knew she had to keep them separate, he wasn't Tom then, he was Voldemort, and they were two completely different people. Or so Hermione liked to think. Anything to make her missions easier, and lately that was all that was ever on her mind. Her mission, she refused to let herself think of the future, she couldn't. Her heart tore a little bit every time she did; she longed to go back, even if it was for a minute. She had to say bye, she had to explain to Ron, and she so badly wanted to be there, be she knew that she was needed in 1945.

She knew that sooner or later she had to face Riddle, but the mere thought of it made her heart turn, she didn't know how to do it, how could she? He seemed to hate her already, she could apologize. But honestly, why should she have? She wished now that she's never said anything, or that she'd made up some absurd story about having a pure-blooded Grandmother who had given birth to a squib. But she'd already left enough time between the last time she talked to Tom and she knew he wouldn't believe her. She had no idea what to do and with only one person she could ask, who at that time was constantly busy, she had no idea what to do. Hermione was glad that it was the last day or term and that most of the students were leaving Hogwarts for the two weeks. She knew only thirteen people were staying at Hogwarts, though she didn't know who they all were and then there were the teachers. In all Hermione's days at Hogwarts in the future, she had never known that little people to stay there, she knew that this year, Halloween would be lonely as neither Finnick nor Minerva were staying.

"Mione, honestly, you should come home with us. My parents would love you." Finnick sighed, repeating himself for the fifth time that day. Hermione shrugged.

"Honestly Finn, I think I should stay at Hogwarts, I still need to fully figure out the way around this place also I wanted to explore the Library some more."

"Explore the Library more? Hermione, I think you've been in that Library more than anyone else at Hogwarts except maybe Tom." He chortled. At Tom's name Hermione stiffened, but she quickly composed herself so Finnick didn't see it. She just smiled at him - though it was too tight to be real - and shook her head.

"There's always more to explore Finn, though I will miss you both but it's not that long. I'll see you in two weeks, okay?" Now it was Finnick's turn to smile warmly at Hermione, she really had become fond of the boy and genuinely smiled back at him that it reached her eyes and they softened. He pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing, she returned the gesture then quickly pecked him on the cheek before turning to Minerva.

"Now make sure you behave yourself while we are away Hermione Jean. Do all your homework, eat your vegetables and never wear pink on Tuesdays." Minerva said sternly, straightening up like a soldier, however her mouth turned up at the edges with a tell-tale smirk. Hermione nodded quickly and saluted, playing along with Minerva till the pair laughed and hugged each other. Hermione felt so comfortable with the two already, but she was always on her guard, her memories constantly haunting her, she still had the habit of looking around corners before she walked and she kept her wand in a holder on her right arm, her reason being 'just in case.' She never knew what could happen here, Hogwarts was the safest place for a Witch or Wizard, but she knew beyond the walls that war was raging. She had gone from one war to another, two in fact, but this time she knew the out come, she knew that Light triumphed over Dark and that put her at ease.

"Yes mother." She smiled tightly back at Minerva, she mentally scolded herself for thinking of the bad outside when she was saying goodbye to Minerva and Finnick to let them run into it. "But please be careful the two of you. I don't know what I'd do if you got caught or…" Hermione trailed off and gulped, she was scared. Minerva and Finnick could tell this and they pulled her into a hug, the three of them just stood there till Carter the caretaker shouted that they needed to get on the carriages. As they pulled away Minerva and Finnick made promises that they would see her in two weeks and that they would write, Hermione could do nothing but force a smile onto her face and wave away the only two friends she had.

She slowly walked back into Hogwarts and walked into the Great Hall, as they had done in the 1990's, they'd placed the four house tables somewhere else and had replaced them with one long table. There Hermione saw each person that had stayed behind; there were two Hufflepuff's, a handful of Gryffindor, one other Ravenclaw and three Slytherin's. And there sat at the table was the one person Hermione didn't want to see, but knew she had to see. He was leaning back on his chair, absent-mindedly tapping his fingers on the table gazing around the Great Hall while the two other Slytherin's tried to include him in their conversation but he waved them off. Then his eyes fell on Hermione and she saw them harden, his eyes travelled her body and then he looked at her in pure disgust before looking at the Staff Table.

Hermione sighed and made her way to the one other Ravenclaw that was sat at the table next to a Gryffindor; she recalled his name being Christopher something and he was in Sixth Year, she sat next to him, catching her arm on the table and knocking over the pumpkin juice. Both boys sniggered and the Gryffindor waved his wand and the juice disappeared and he leant over and righted the jug, beaming at Hermione.

"Hello, I'm Gale Johnston." He said sticking his hand out for Hermione to shake, she took it and quickly shook it, noticing that he had a firm handshake.

"Hermione Granger. You're in Slughorn's Slug Club, aren't you? You were paired with Emma Asteria at the dance?"

"Yeah, that was me unfortunately." He said awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, a habit that was familiar to Hermione; it was one Ron had always done when he talked about something he didn't want to.

"Why unfortunately? Emma is very beautiful and for a Slytherin, she has a heart of gold." Hermione smirked; it was true that Emma was nice for a Slytherin. In fact, she was a saint compared to the rest of them; she didn't curse any other house or insult them. Oh no, she mostly ignored their existence, constantly with her nose in the air.

"Well, that's the point. She didn't ignore me; in fact she treated me a Slytherin I guess." He laughed awkwardly before carrying on. "And well, I guess we shouldn't have really seen each other the next day, or the day after that either..." He trailed off. Hermione smirked at the boy, now realizing what he meant. A Gryffindor pauper had fallen for a Slytherin Queen. Hermione smiled at the boy warmly and put her hand on his arm.

"Aren't Dumbledore and Dippet always promoting house unity? You could start a revolution." She winked at him, Gale smiled grateful, nodded and went back to his breakfast. Hermione inwardly sighed, if only she could be a real teenager again and have teenage problems again. But too many things inside of her had changed; she had seen too many things to ever be the pure Hermione she used to be. Then suddenly, a painful memory that Hermione had forced herself to forget came to the front of her mind and she gasped, reliving it.

Luna and Hermione had found it. The Huffelpuff cup, they'd actually found it. Hidden deep within a cave underneath Gringotts. As Hermione touched the cold, hard metal she felt the evil pulsing underneath her fingers, trying to draw her in. She quickly withdrew her hand and shook it to get rid of the feeling. She knew what the Horcrux could do to her; she's seen it happen to Ron and Harry. As she thought of them both, she knew she had to hurry; they couldn't stall the guards for an infinite amount of time. She looked at the cup, figuring out what type of wards it might have around it and how she would break them when suddenly Luna grabbed her hand and whimpered into Hermione's ear. She turned her head to the strange blonde girl.

"Luna, what's wrong?" She whispered quickly, Luna only whimpered again. Hermione quickly scanned the room to find the cause of Luna's distress but saw nothing.

"What is it Luna? What's wrong with you?" She let go of the girls hand and stood in front of her grabbing her shoulders, shaking her trying to get an answer out of her. As she did it, Hermione realized what had happened to Luna as a single tear fell down her dirt-ridden face and Hermione felt the disgusting hot breath on her neck. She froze momentarily then snapped out of it and locked eyes with Luna and saw the fear there, the absolute terror. It was then Hermione realized that someone had put a muffling charm on Luna. There were two of them, one behind Luna and one behind Hermione, both invisible. And both Luna and Hermione knew what was going to happen and no matter how hard they wanted to stop it, they knew they couldn't. So Hermione flexed her wrist to unsheathe her wand carefully and slowly, still pretending to not know what was wrong with Luna, then quicker then light she turned and hexed the figure behind her. He flew backwards and hit the wall with a sickening crunch. As she turned to help Luna, she heard someone mutter viscera dessico; she spun round as fast as her body would allow her and cursed the creature who had cursed Luna. She quickly saw that he was not getting up from the pool of blood flowing from his gaping head; he was never getting up again. She ran to the blond-haired girl and saw that it was too late; the spell had already started to take place. She quickly pulled her into her arms and watched as little cuts tore into Luna's chest, each deeper then the last till they formed a circle and carried on getting deeper. Hermione started to cry as she heard Luna's whimpers turn into cries of pain once she took off the muffling spell.

"I am so so sorry Luna. This wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to live a long life, marry a beautifully strange man. You were supposed to prove Nargles exist and so do Crumpled Horn Snorkack. This wasn't supposed to happen Luna, not this, anything but this." She cried into the girls' hair.

"It's...fine...Hermione...just...just...survive...Hermione." She gasped after each incision. Eventually blood ran freely down Luna's chest and Hermione watched as the spell finally found its target, Luna's heart. She watched as invisible knifes sawed at each artery and vein keeping Luna's heart in place, the spell was intended for the worst of people. It would be classed as an unforgiveable, but it has been taught to so few for it had an evil nature. Soon enough, Luna's heart was completely separate from her body and flung across the cave by the spell, it had done its work. Hermione held the girl as she died in pure agony, unable to help her in any way possible. She watched the glow fade from Luna's eyes; she watched the life drain from her cheeks. She watched Luna's blood as it pooled around them both. And Hermione sat for a time she couldn't remember, holding the girls broken body to her chest and crying for everything that happened to the wonderfully strange girl.

"I will survive Luna, I promise you I will survive." She whispered to the body of the girl before getting up and, lying Luna down, reuniting her with her heart and cleaning her body. She cast a Fiendfyre curse at the cup and walked out of the cave calmly with only Luna's body floating behind her. Her expressionless face never changed, even when she heard the screams of pain from the Death Eater that hadn't fully died. Hermione made sure from that moment on she was made of stone.

Hermione gasped, tears coming to her eyes as she recalled the memory. She didn't know why it had chosen this moment to resurface, but she needed to be alone as soon as possible. She quickly stood up, muttered something about the Library to the two boys who were indifferent anyhow and ran out of the Great Hall, tears steadily falling down her face. She ran till she ran into something, or someone. She looked to see Professor Dumbledore looking down at her worriedly.

"Are you okay dear?" He asked cornered, grasping Hermione's upper hands to keep her steady. She nodded quickly, biting her lip to prevent any more tears from spilling over her eyes. He looked at her, all the twinkle in his eyes replaced with worry and fear.

"Would you like to come into my office Mrs Granger, we can talk in private there about anything." He smiled kindly at her; Hermione nodded and followed Dumbledore quickly to his office where upon reaching it and getting inside she slumped into a chair and began to cry softly. Covering her face with her hands. Dumbledore made his way to the broken girl behind his desk and comfortingly put his arm around her shoulders and consoled her till she calmed down then, making sure she didn't break down again. He sat behind his desk, clasped his hands in front of him, and studied the strange time traveller. Just as the time traveller studied the strange wizard, eventually Dumbledore broke the silence.

"What caused you such distress Hermione?" Hermione gulped, not knowing what to tell the Professor, she didn't know whether she could trust him, until she remembered that his future self had told him of the future. She would have to figure it out first; she couldn't let away too much information.

"What do you know of the future Professor Dumbledore?" She asked slowly and he smiled slowly.

"I know enough to know that for Tom Riddle never to love would be very dangerous indeed. I know that you came from war and pain. I know that I am the one to defeat Grindelwald." He sighed and Hermione looked at the old man carefully before deciding that she could tell him.

"I, from the exact time that I came from, as you know there was war. And Professor, do you know what Riddle, made per say?" She said watching his reactions like a hawk for any hint of surprise.

"I dare to guess you mean the Horcruxes Hermione." He nodded, Hermione sighed in relief knowing she wouldn't have to keep anything from Dumbledore.

"In my time, I knew this wonderful girl. You would have liked her, you did like her in fact, she was very odd and strange and fond of anything and anyone, and she really was a peculiar girl, one-of-a-kind you could say. Well she helped with our hunting of the Horcruxes, that is, Harry, Ron and I. And well this girl, Luna she was called. Luna found one of the Horcruxes and as we found it, we also found that Voldemort had hidden invisible guards around it. One for each of us and as I disarmed mine, the other, well he, he killed Luna."

"I do not mean to sound heartless my dear, but surely many of your friends died in the..."

"He used the Viscera Dessico spell Sir..." She whispered, a stray tear falling down her face. Dumbledore coughed abruptly and sat back. As Hermione looked up at him, she saw he had paled in shock and was trying to compose himself.

"But, how would one learn such a spell? All books on it were burned to ashes and then the ashes were buried. For one to use that spell, it is the darkest of dark magic and…" Dumbledore trailed off then quickly looked up at Hermione, realization sparked in his eyes. "Dear Merlin, you had to see your friend killed by that didn't you?" He murmured softly. Hermione nodded and balled her fists to stop the tears from flowing.

"I've seen worse Professor and no doubt they will haunt me for the rest of my life. But I've learned to cope, you have to." For a while both Hermione and Dumbledore were silent, the tension in the room was as thick as blood. Till eventually Dumbledore cleared his throat as Hermione sighed relieved as she knew that the topic would be carefully avoided.

"Well, how are you getting on with your task Miss Granger?" Hermione sighed again.

"Not well Professor Dumbledore, not well at all. In fact, at the moment Tom is completely ignoring my existence."

"And why is that?" Dumbledore frowned.

"I may have accidentally told him I was Muggle-born." She muttered, lowering her head to hide the red shame on her face. Dumbledore laughed softly and she looked back up to see that familiar mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

"Well dear, I will fix that. For now, just enjoy your holidays." He winked and dismissed Hermione from his office. She walked out more confused than she was when she walked in. But she felt a stronger beat in her heart; she knew with Dumbledore's help that is was not likely she'd fail.

As Hermione walked through the corridors of Hogwarts, she thought more about her mission. Where would it eventually lead her? To marriage, she thought to herself. And who knew what Tom would want after that, she didn't know what to expect of him. Tom Riddle had never loved; he wasn't even born from love. He was born from a fabricated love that was made from a potion. Was it even possible that he could love? Hermione would have to find out, though she didn't know how long she had. She knew by now that he had already killed and possibly had made two Horcruxes. But she wasn't sure of anything when it came to Tom he was predictable at the same time he wasn't. He was exactly as his name said, he was a riddle.

A week had passed since the holidays had started; Hermione had spent most of it alone. The Library was her solace, just as it always had been.

On the day before Halloween, Hermione sat in the back corner of the Library as usual; it was stuffy and filled with dust from the unused books. It was Hermione's favourite place, no one ever bothered her there and only one person ever sat at the table remotely near it and they seemed to be just as absorbed by the Library as she did. They were there every day though they arrived after Hermione and went before she left. She never saw them enter the Library, only saw half of them and they seemed different to any other student but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. She never did see the person face on, though she felt they were familiar in a way she couldn't quite grasp.

Once again, Hermione was sat in her corner and her estranged companion sat at their table. Hermione had already completed all the work she had been set in the first three days of the holidays and had re-checked it too many times for her to keep track of. Now she was researching nightmares. Ever since the memory of Luna had forced itself through her mental barriers, more seeped through, always finding her at her most vulnerable, during sleep. For the time being, they were not the worst Hermione had experience. She had gone through this cycle before and since then, she had had much worse and she dreaded to think of what would come. She had subconsciously blocked out so many memories, but she knew sleep would make her relive each one as many times as it liked.

At first she thought a simple sleeping draught would work, but all that happened was that she couldn't wake up from her nightmare, she was forced to live through it all, till the potions effects wore off and she woke up screaming. She thanked Merlin that she was the only girl in the Ravenclaw common room that had stayed over Halloween.

She then thought that a dreamless sleep draught would work. In fact she had no doubts, she's rather have no dreams of happy memories past if would mean that the nightmares would stop but it didn't work. Hermione still woke from a dream of seeing Ron crucio'd by the Snatchers. She realized then, that it had to be a spell someone had cast on her. A cruel nightmare spell, but little did the caster know that her mind didn't have to create nightmares when it already had seen so much worse then it could create.

On the 30th of October, she waited at the door, waiting for Madam Carter to open the Library. Hermione thought she was much nicer then Madam Pince and didn't oppose to keeping the Library open for an extra half an hour to help Hermione with research. So as she sat in her dusty corner she was so engrossed in the book to find a counter spell that she didn't realize her estranged companion had walked over to her.

As they cleared their throat Hermione looked up. Realization flashed over her face as she realized who her companion was. She didn't understand how she hadn't recognized him before, but she had only seen part of him, but still he wasn't very hard to miss. She smiled up at him, her eyes warm. Until now, she hadn't realized how much she'd missed them.

"Hullo." Hagrid smiled at the girl.

"Hello, and who might you be?"

"I'm Hagrid. And yer Hermione Granger, aren't yer?" Hermione beamed at him. Merlin how she'd missed Hagrid, the silly amazing man who had the heart of a boy.

"Yes, yes I am. It's very nice to meet you Hagrid." Hagrid blushed and held out his hand for Hermione to shake. She did and he shook so hard that Hermione bounced up and down in her chair, he beamed at her. "Would you like to sit with me?" She blurted out. She hadn't meant to, she just desperately needed comfort in a world that she did b=not belong to. Hagrid smiled again and nodded before sitting down into two seats.

Hagrid sat with her all day, only leaving her side when she went to dinner. He told her all about his life. How he was training to be games keeper at Hogwarts. How he'd been expelled in his third year. Even how he still had the fragments of his wand in a pink umbrella. Thought Hermione knew all of the things that he had told her, she still listened intently. Glad to have a reason to stop with all the studying and just enjoy someone's company again. Her heart filled with happiness as she sat there hour upon hour listening to Hagrid.

Near to the end of the night, he confided how no one ever talked to him. And he actually came over to Hermione to ask her to help him find one of the books he needed, but he was glad that she asked him to sit down. Hermione told Hagrid that she was know her friend and he could talk to her whenever he wanted, she always would want to listen. Hagrid blushed underneath the start of his beard and insisted on walking Hermione back to her common room. As he did so, she began to tell him bits of her life. How she had come from the war with 'Grindlewald.' How her friends had died in said war. How she missed her home dearly but was glad to be at Hogwarts. Hermione felt a little disheartened when she finally came to the entrance to her dorm. As she bid Hagrid farewell and promised to come see him tomorrow at lunch she walked into the common room and fell into one of the armchairs, she had planned to read the book she had taken from the Library but as soon as her head hit the back of the armchair she fell asleep.

Hermione ran through the Ministry of Magic. She didn't dare look behind her; she couldn't make herself do it. She didn't hear any other feet behind her, but that wouldn't make her stop. She ran forwards, only thinking about forwards.

The sounds of Tonks screams of agony were in front of her. She had to go forward.

"Tonks!" She shouted jerking awake to see a face in front of her.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Finnick whispered, pure panic on his face. His hands were on each chairs arm and he was mere inches from her face. Hermione hated to show weakness; in fact she's learned not to show weakness. But in that moment too muddled from sleep and the screams of Tonks sounding so real, she burst into tear and grabbed onto Finnick. He stumbled slightly and fell on to her but she didn't let go. She just grabbed onto him tighter and pushed her face into his chest while the sobs shook her body. Somehow, Finnick managed to wriggle his way and sit next to her; he pulled her close to him and rubbed her back trying to soothe her which made Hermione worse. No one had comforted her in so long that she craved the feeling. Eventually, she sobbing calmed to just a few sniffs. She leaned into Finnick and rested her head on his chest.

"Are." Finnick said weakly before clearing his throat, his voice sounded hoarse as if he's been screaming. "Are you okay 'Mione?" She nodded and felt him sigh.

"Really though. Because that, well that scared me."

"I, I'm fine Finn. Honestly, just nightmares, memories."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked slowly. Hermione sighed again; knowing she couldn't hide everything from Finnick, not now, not after this.

"You know I was so worried when you left for the holidays?" She said softly and he chuckled lowly before nodding.

"The war against Grindlewald. He, he killed my best friend's parents. He killed one of my best friends, her dad. He killed so many people that I loved and I had to watch it all, I had to fight." She murmured, half hoping that Finnick hadn't heard her, but as she felt him stiffen she knew he had. She held her breath waiting for the answer. She waited until she felt all the tension leave his body then breathed out slowly and waited till he spoke.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I will always be here to protect you, I swear to Merlin. I will never let anyone hurt you, ever." Hermione smiled into Finnick's shirt.

"What time is it Finnick?" She asked him softly after a short but comfortable silence. He took his hand away from her back and shook out his watch from underneath his sleeve.

"Quarter past four in the morning.

"Okay." Hermione yawned. "I'm going to just sleep here for a little while then." She said before closing her eyes, and the last thing she heard before she drifted off was Finnick's low chuckle.

Hermione woke up in her bed still in her clothes, she yawned and sat up and noticed Finnick sat in a chair in the corner of the room. Obviously he had carried her up her and stayed with her just in case she had another nightmare. She got out of her bead and ran a hand through her bushy tangled hair. She quickly went into the bathroom and got ready, when she came out dressed in clean clothes and showered, she saw that Finnick was still in the chair, but now he had curled up. She went over and whispered his name softly, shaking him. He yawned and stretched before smiling up at Hermione.

"Morning 'Mione." He smiled sleepily.

"You didn't have to stay with me you know." She scolded softly.

"So you could have a nightmare and wake up alone? I swore I'd protect you Hermione."

"From nightmares? I can imagine. And anyway, if you'd really had to stay, why didn't you take a bed?" Finnick blushed.

"I couldn't sleep in another person's bed! Let alone girls, when she didn't even know, honestly…" Hermione snorted, finding Finnick's sudden shyness endearing.

"Okay, okay! I get it. But that reminds me…"

"Yes?" Finnick turned to her smiling cockily, leaning against the door frame.

"Why are you here?" She smiled mischievously. His face suddenly dropped and Hermione frowned. He looked down and crossed his arms.

"I had an argument with Minerva." He mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"I, I um." He cleared his throat. "I had an argument with Minerva." He sighed.

"And why was that?"

"She, as you know, disapproves of my friendship with Tom. We argued about it, it got slightly heated. When I left her she was bright green and had blue bubble coming out of her nostrils and ears." Hermione giggled and looked at Finnick, she shook her head at him playfully and walked over to him pulling him through the door and out the common room.

They walked down to the Great Hall, laughing and joking, arm in arm. Finnick led them over to the table and Hermione realized a second too late where he had led her. She sat down on Finnick's left side, while Tom was on his right. She grabbed breakfast straight away and started to eat. As she did, she heard Tom and Finnick make plans to go to Hogsmede at night. And Hermione realized with a start that it was Halloween, of course she thought to herself as she looked around the Great Hall. Black bats flapped around the ceiling and floating pumpkins knocked into each other before flying off in another direction. Hermione smiled to herself, she remembered her first Halloween at Hogwarts, and how Ron and Harry had saved her from the mountain troll. She turned back to her breakfast and carried on eating till she heard Finnick talking to her.

"Hermione, would you like to come to Hogsmede with us tonight?"

"To do what?" Hermione frowned.

"Well, um…"

"To trick or treat like the child he is." Tom said coolly. Hermione started and looked at him; it was the first time he's spoken to her in just over a month.

"Oh. Erm, sure I guess." She smiled half-heartedly at Finnick who beamed back at her. She excused herself from the table and left to go to the Library to carry on her research on Nightmares. At break, she visited Hagrid, who still managed to make her smile even though she had been in a bad mood. She then left him sadly, and waited for the rest of the day till she heard a knock on her door.

"You ready Hermione?" Finnick asked, walking into her dormitory. As Hermione turned to look at him, she saw that Finnick was dressed up in an old-fashioned suit from the 1700's and saw he had a dress draped over his arm. "Here you go Milady." He said passing her the dress and bowing out of the room. She held the dress up and smiled, shaking her head. She quickly put the dress on and did a quick spell that piled her head on top of her head in an old style. She conjured some pumps and put them on before walking out to meet Finnick. He smiled at her and offered his arm to her.

"Nice costume choices Finnick." She smirked and he looked at her and laughed. They came to the entrance hall where Hermione saw Tom stood in a black tuxedo with a mask covering half of his face, but it was clear to everyone that he was in fact Tom riddle. The aura he created was unique, never could another even attempt to copy it. Stood next to him was Bernadette Downsern, dressed in an elegant red dress. Hermione had no idea who the pair were, but she didn't care.

"Hello, are we ready to go then?" Tom said softly, avoiding Hermione and talking solely to Finnick. Finnick nodded back at him excitedly and Hermione laughed softly, following him out of the doors and down to the village. As they walked down, arm in arm, Finnick told her all about the village. How the villagers went all out for Halloween each year for the students. Hermione vaguely remembered Fred and George going to the village in her second year at Halloween but when it came to her third year, she never did. She wasn't entirely sure that they had carried on that tradition.

Soon they came to a bridge and Finnick let go of Hermione's arm.

"I'll be right back Hermione. I just need to go get something." He smiled at her quickly.

Tom watched as Finnick and Hermione walked down the pathway, arm in arm. How could Finnick bear to touch a flithly Mudblood? How could he bear to even breathe the same air as her, Tom just couldn't understand it? It wasn't like Finnick was made to, he chose to. The idea perplexed Tom, the actions confused him more then he liked to admit. He would admit, to only himself, that Hermione was slightly attractive. But her blood cancelled out all of that, it even cancelled out her amazing abilities that even rivalled his own. He didn't even waste his breath on her, why should he? Descendant of Slytherin as he was, he would never and should never lower himself to even talk to a lowly subject as her. But Finnick seemed to; he seemed to want to talk to her, to touch her arm even. And Tom realized instantly that Finnick was more interested in the girl then he had let on. He mentally tutted at him. He would never allow him to be with the Mudblood, how could he think that? Sure Finnick thought himself as Tom's 'best friend' but honestly, he was more of a pet to him. He, in the end, made the choices for Finnick, surely he realized that? But Tom sighed mentally; Finnick was too naive to think badly of anyone.

He watched as Finnick stopped the girl and told her he was leaving. He smirked to himself and bent down to Bernadette, who had been talking to him non-stop, not bothering to stop even when she realized that Tom was paying her no attention. And whispered in her ear.

"Would you mind going with Finnick, Bernadette? He is prone to confusion as you know and may get lost." He breathed into her ear and she shuddered. Tom smirked; he loved the effect he had on people.

"W-why don't you go then Tom?" She stuttered breathlessly from the close contact of Tom Riddle. The anger inside of him shot up but he controlled it to only a flash in his eyes. How dare she question him?

"We don't want two lovely young ladies left all alone now do we?" He smirked before quickly placing a kiss on her jaw line, she felt Bernadette lean into him and he stood up straight. She looked at him sadly, but smiled and quickly walked after Finnick.

Hermione watched Finnick walk away, and then frowned when she saw Bernadette walking after him and calling his name. She wheeled around to see Tom leaning against the wall of the bridge, his eyes looking her up and down before resting on her own eyes. He quickly decided that maybe he would have to waste some of his precious time and breath on her. If only to teach her a lesson.

"Hello little Mudblood." He smirked. "We shall have fun tonight."

Surely you didn't think Tom Riddle thought of people as friends now did you? Till Chapter Seven, farewell!