A/N: Hey guys! We are first of all SO SORRY for the incredibly late update. For those of you reading this that are in highschool can probably completely understand. It's been three weeks till our school has started and the work load has just been unbearable. Speaking of, I have two tests this week and a presentation the next. AAARGH. So we are really sorry this chapter is mostly a filler (No Tom/Elena action, sorry) but it will introduce two important things that need to be taken into account. And one very important subplot twist. But I won't spoil that for you guys now. Read on and we really hope you enjoy it :) Chapter 14 is about 1/4 done so expect an update in at least two weeks.

Important Warning: If you have any problems with homosexuality I suggest you stop reading now.

Chapter 13 –Resolutions and Realisations

Elena could not sleep that night. This was unusual in itself because normally she slept like a log, never waking once. She hardly ever had nightmares anymore, which had started after Camilla had been murdered; but they too had resided over time. Now, here she was lying awake in bed, in the Slytherin dormitory, her mind operating at a hundred miles per hour.

So really, who is Tom Riddle? She got a mental image of Tom, as handsome as ever, poring over a book, dueling with all his might and excelling in all his classes. But she couldn't picture him, as he was now, with slits for nostrils and blood red eyes, brutally murdering innocent people in cold blood and immersing himself in Dark magic.

No, she thought vehemently (if thoughts could be vehement). I will not let Tom become Voldemort. It is my mission to do this, and I will succeed. And with that determined thought in mind, she fell into an uneasy sleep.

But sleep didn't offer a respite from her anxiety. For the first time since she had traveled back in time, Elena had a nightmare.

She dreamt that she was walking out in the Hogwarts grounds. The lake was eerily calm and looked almost black; reflecting the setting sun and a slight breeze was playing with her hair. There was no one around, but she couldn't shrug off the feeling that something was very, very wrong.

Eventually she saw someone walking out of the Forbidden Forest. As the figure came closer, she recognised her mother. She was frowning, a frequent expression on her elegantly beautiful face, which was so much like her own. She swiftly walked to Elena. She looked at her in anger then, crossing her arms, only to begin rebuking her as if she was eleven years old again.

"Is this all you can do? Fraternise with mudbloods, and not even manage to stop Riddle from learning the Dark Arts? Your father was right; we should have dumped you the moment you were sorted into Gryffindor and mingling with those mudblood twins!"

"How dare you, it's none of your business!" Elena tried to say, but nothing came out. An invisible gag seemed to have blocked her mouth and she could not speak. Then, just as her mother's scowl deepened, another figure came prowling out of the woods. Severus Snape.

"What progress have you made, Ms. Colden? After all, you have had nearly two months," Snape drawled, his black eyes glistening with malice. After a few seconds, during which Elena struggled furiously to speak up, he said again "So nothing then. I see. Well maybe we did make a mistake in sending you back. I thought you cared about what was happening, but you surely cannot care very much, when you haven't managed to accomplish anything yet."

And then she saw Camilla and Carmen come out of the woods, still twelve years old, and looking at peace. They came to where the three people were standing and Camilla looked up Elena and said "Elena, I have complete faith in you. I know you're trying your hardest and, well, Carmen and I are counting on you." She continued to gaze sweetly up at Elena, and her unconditional trust hurt more than anything. No sooner had she finished speaking, when someone else walked towards the little group.

The sun had set now, and the grounds were lit up in moonlight. The lake reflected everything like a mirror and everyone's faces were thrown into sharp relief.

The figure approached them, robes billowing behind it in the breeze. Whoever they were, they were very tall and lean. When they were a few yards away, Elena recognised him. Tom Riddle was striding towards them, frowning and staring directly into Elena's panicked eyes.

He came closer, and looked down at her face. Elena gazed up at him, still unable to speak and found her hands trembling. Taking a deep breath, Tom leaned down and whispered into her ear "You cannot stop me."

And those words unleashed a strange power in Elena. Frustration rose in her like a wildfire and she shattered the silence with her fury.

"I will stop you! You will not turn into that monster Tom!" She shrieked. Snape, her mother, Camilla and Carmen did not flinch, nor did they seem to notice she was shouting. After glancing at them, she looked back at Tom, determination swirling in her eyes, stood on her tiptoes and, like him, whispered in his ear "I won't let you."

"And who are you to let me? I am going to be the greatest wizard of all and will beat Death itself! Tell me Elena, why should I pay any attention to you?" Tom sneered in her face and stood waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Because I care, Tom. I care what happens to people. And, for some reason, I care what will happen to you. I don't like you now, but I know I hate what you will become Tom. You don't know what you're going to turn into," she answered him sadly. All the fight had gone out of eyes suddenly, and she inexplicably felt on the verge of tears. Tom did not say anything after that but turned and walked away, back into the Forbidden Forest. Then the world went black.

…

Elena woke in the dark dormitory, gasping for breath. An owl had let out a loud hoot, and shaken her out of the nightmare. Breathing heavily, she let go of the covers she'd been clutching. It was just a dream, don't panic, it was just a dream.

She couldn't believe she'd had a nightmare now. And it had seemed so real too! Her mother, her ever-complaining, never satisfied mother had just said her deepest fears. She wasn't getting anything done.

Sighing, and wide awake, Elena slipped out of the sleeping dormitory and into the Common Room. It was deserted, and she went out and into the dungeon corridor. It must be around three in the morning now, she mused. But she had to get out of the Slytherin area; it was suffocating her and just reinforced her feeling of failure.

Riddle's long stride brought her into the Entrance Hall very quickly. She glanced around, unsure where she wanted to go, when she remembered astronomy class, and made way for the tallest tower in all of Hogwarts. Upon reaching it, she unlocked the door easily and went out. The cool night air calmed her down and as she looked down at the pristine Hogwarts grounds, she was overwhelmed with deep remorse.

They dream had only reiterated the fact that she was failing this mission.

She shut her eyes, squeezing them tightly willing the images of her angry mother, the disappointed Snape and the innocent, loving Camilla and Carmen to disappear but it was as if they were burnt on the back of her eyelids, causing new fresh wounds to open up in her mind.

She could still hear their voices. God, it had been so long till she heard them. She remembered when she too was once an innocent twelve year old but seeing her friends killed before her had changed something in her. She was never the same again…until she decided to pursue this mission.

She had forgotten what it was like to have friends, forgotten what it was like to be loved, to laugh genuinely; not those false chuckles she forced when the Carrows suggested they torture the half-bloods.

Seeing this dream finally showed her how much she had to loose. If she stopped Tom, everything in the future would go back to normal. Her best friends would be back, her parents would accept her again because the world would no longer be prejudiced about muggleborn. It was now she realised the extent of her mission. She held so many lives in her hand and she needed to do something about it; fast, lest they all slip away from her weak grasp.

Two floors up in a broom cupboard there was an entirely different story. Two bodies were pressed up against the wall, snogging as if their lives depended on it before one of them paused, gasping for air, before leaning against the taller one's chest.

"God, Noah you know we can't go on like this…"

"And, why not," Noah asked, raising his eyebrows before leaning in for another kiss, "You like it and I like it so I don't see anything wrong with two people doing something they enjoy."

"Noah, come on you know what I mean."

"No, I don't," the blonde said smugly, before beginning his assault on his partner's neck, peppering light kisses up his jaw before claiming his lips once again.

"Noah, I am serious stop. No one will approve. We're fucking poufs for god's sake, can you imagine the rumours that will spread? A Slytherin and a Gryffindor? They'll think I, being the big bad Slytherin, probably have you on a love potion or something. No one will believe us. After all, my parents certainly made it clear that two men being romantically involved is anything but normal."

"Gavin, relax. Besides, I have it on good accord that Dumbledore is gay."

"As if I would believe that," the brunette was indignant.

"I saw him eyeing up ol' Sluggy."

Gavin cringed. That was one mental image he did not want burnt in his mind, "Still not convinced Bennett."

"I know something that can convince you," the blonde grinned cheekily. His dark haired companion grinned. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

And once again their lips met in a battle of dominance; this time not against each other, but against the world. They were fighting for their relationship to survive in a bigoted society.

A/N: Gavin, Gavin, Gavin. Where have we heard that name before? Those of you have haven't already realised who he is, go back one or two chapters and I am certain you will find the answer there. Noah/Gavin (found out who he is yet guys?) was part of the story from the very beginning. Remember Noah bumping into Elena that time in chapter 6 or something looking thoroughly snogged? And his notebook…what did that contain? ….Remember, hot and smart guys are assholes, hot and nice guys are dumb and smart and nice guys are nerds BUT hot, smart and nice guys are sadly gay. ;)

And a random side note. I just watched Brokeback Mountain yesterday and it was just HEARTBREAKING. I don't think I have ever cried that much in a movie it was so BEAUTIFUL. It was so unfair, they never even got to tell each other they loved each other. :( Although this chapter was written like...a month...ago I now have a new inspiration for the Noah/Gavin relationship. (It was originally Maxxie/Tony from Skins...although they were never together their friendship was cute).

AHEM, back to the actual point of the author's note: What did you guys think of the chapter? Elena's dream? Do you think she's on the right track and her dream could possibly come true? Has she already changed Tom or does she still have a long way to go? What do you guys think about Noah/Avery? (it was actually planned from the very beginning that they would be together).

So anyway, PLEASE PLEASE leave a review.

WE LOVE YOU DEAR READERS,

SinisterlySexy