Hey there. Firstly thanks to all my reviewers. I really like the support and you don't know how encouraging it is. Please don't forget to leave your reviews after reading this chapter as well.

I thought that in all the Tomione fics there was the typical "Parkinson getting jealous, having masquerade balls, Tom becoming overly kind in just a short time etc… but I don't want my fic to be the typical one. I don't mean I don't like the other writers' stories, In fact I like almost all Tomione fics but I just don't want to be typical.

There will be drastic turns in this story and prepare yourself for it……

I would also like it if you guys could R&R my other fic "NOTHING IS HORRIBLE THAN BEING LOCKED UP WITH YOU" and before you ask it's also a Tom/Hermione fiction. Enjoy!!!

CHAPTER – 10

Harry was really confused. He didn't know if Hermione's plans to befriend Riddle would work out. In fact, he didn't have any hope of the plan working any day. He kept thinking of ways to try and talk to Riddle or atleast get his attention but it wasn't an easy task as every time he saw Riddle he wanted to hex him to the infirmary. Now as Harry thought back he couldn't believe he had survived in Slytherin for so long. He would have probably gone mad if it weren't for Alphard and Sheryl.

As he sat in his common room by the fire place his homework lying discarded on the table he thought he really didn't have an idea of what to do. He could not very well go and talk to Riddle. It would just be asking for trouble. He didn't want to join the Death Eaters although he didn't say it out loud to Hermione when she suggested it. Though he was in Slytherin now, he still believed himself to be a Gryffindor through and through and nothing could change that. In fact being one of the Death Eaters meant that he was just going to be one of Riddles followers. He knew well enough that Riddle did not consider any of his followers as friends. He just saw them as pawns to use to do all the servant works. Harry knew that to be Riddles friend and truly a friend he needed a different approach. He just needed to talk with Hermione first.

Just as he was thinking that he was brought out of his musings by a sharp voice "Hello Mr Eastwood"

Harry looked up to see that it was Riddle. He was once again visited by the urge to throttle him but he suppressed it and cleared his throat and said "Hello Riddle"

"I'm glad to find out you're not deaf like your friend" Riddle said as he dropped down in the couch.

Harry didn't understand what Riddle was talking about and asked "What friend?" with a confused expression.

"Oh, Miss Broston, I met with her in the library yesterday" Riddle said casually.

Harry had to use almost all his self control to not kill the person sitting next to him. Here he was sitting quietly while the maniacal bastard who killed his parents and a lot more people was insulting his friend. Harry sat there with a grim look and observed Riddles face which was completely devoid of any emotion. Harry was mildly curious as to why the young dark lord took notice of him only now.

"Quite airy isn't she Mr Eastwood, although I'm surprised you would befriend a muggleborn" Riddle said still in a calm and cold tone.

Harry after being in Slytherin understood what he was saying. He was practically saying 'You better not associate with mudbloods if you know what's good for you' and Harry also understood that Riddle was playing him. He was trying to get a rise out of the chosen one. As hard as it was to control the Gryffindor temper Harry swore he wouldn't loose to Riddle in whatever game he was playing.

"I don't see her being muggleborn as a problem. We have been friends for a really long time Riddle" Harry said looking at Riddles eyes directly.

"Of course, but then again I find it quite hard to believe that with the history of your family"

Riddle was looking calculatingly at Harry and Harry was at a loss. Were his family members prejudiced, were they loathsome and hated muggles, were they dark wizards, Harry didn't have a clue. How he wished he had Hermione to save him now but he had to deal with this by himself now.

"Well I'm different from the others in my family" Harry said still managing to maintain a level tone which was quite an achievement because he was in panicked and furious at the same time. He was going to kick something after this was over.

"Although she is talented, she still doesn't have high standards when it comes to practical magic"

"Riddle, you would be surprised to know that she had surpassed all her piers in practical magic. She is a very powerful witch, I wouldn't mess with her" Harry said gritting his teeth.

"Perhaps" Riddle said and got up to leave. After Harry saw him disappear through the dormitory he got up and kicked the table hard sending papers flying everywhere. He paced back and forth muttering curses and finally after about ten minutes he flopped down on his couch.

He didn't know what had happened just now but he knew he had a lot of reading to do. He was worried because he didn't think Riddles interest in Hermione was good. He had to keep a closer eye on her from now on. He let his head fall back as only the sounds of the paper crackling in the fire could be heard.

After a few minutes realization hit Harry that he has actually thrown his homework in the fire place. He jolted up with a start and searched for his papers on the table vainly.

"Oh shit" he muttered as he saw the papers he had written on crackling in the fire. "Is this my punishment for throwing Rita Skeeter's journal in the fire" he asked with his head facing the sealing.

"Who is Rita Skeeter?" Harry heard Alphard ask as he came in.

"No one" Harry said back to brooding. He now had to write the entire thing again.

Tom shut the door to the dormitories with a loud didn't understand the two transfer students or so they claimed to be. Back in the common room he was almost sure that Eastwood was trying to control his temper and not blow up. Tom also didn't understand why the boy looked at him with pure hatred. He hadn't even done anything to the boy. Eastwood also had the temper associated with Gryffindors and Tom really couldn't find any Slytherinish characters in him so far. He knew almost every Slytherin had atleast one of the traits. Malfoy was disloyal and cunning, Lestrange was very aggressive but he lacked intelligence, Black was loyal but he still was cunning.

And as for Hermione Broston, she was truly a riddle and a hard one at that. He was still angry at the girl for shouting at him in front of everyone but he decided that it was way too much interesting to seeing her in her angry state that he decided not to get rid off her too quickly. Further more she was intelligent. Tom had never had to face competition in his classes and he didn't think he would've liked any competition but that was before she entered his life. Now he found it very, very entertaining after his boaring routine in life. He also knew that she was hiding something and nonetheless hiding something about him. This was what unnerved him the most and he knew that they were lying about being to Hogwarts for the first time. They seemed too comfortable with the people and the surroundings and this was especially true about Hermione Broston.

Harry immediately rushed to the library pulling Hermione with him the moment they had a free period next day. He sat down at the table and began telling her about the events of last night and after he finished Hermione was looking at him with a contemplative look.

"Atleast he noticed you" Hermione said after a while.

"He was asking to be throttled to death Hermione" Harry said with an exasperated sigh.

"Well let's set about researching. I don't know any details about whether the Eastwoods were interested in dark magic but we have to find out"

"Restricted section" Harry said with a devious glint in his eyes.

"Well you do have your invisibility cloak, don't you?" Hermione asked mirroring back his enthusiasm.

"Yeah and the Marauders map" Harry said reassuringly.

"Hmm…We'll go at night after I finish detention. Wait for me near the dungeons"

"Sure" Harry said thinking of a way to sneak up.

"Hermione, I really think you should take a break from that" Claudia said looking at Hermione's essay with comtempt.

"I will take a break after I complete" Hermione replied non chalantly. She was more used to these comments these days.

"You've worked on your essay for about two bloody hours already" Claudia sighed and turned to her own essay which was nowhere near completion.

"That was another essay I was writing before" Hermione said without missing a beat. And just then Freda Brown came into the common room and dropped into the couch next to the one Claudia and Hermione were occupying.

"Hey, Freda" Claudia said her voice wavering a bit as if she knew what Freda was there for.

"Hello, Claudia" Freda replied jubilantly.

"Hey, Freda" Hermione said looking up from her parchment but Freda hardly acknowledged her as she turned away and began speaking to Claudia. Hermione didn't understand why Freda was being like this all of a sudden but she ignored it and started writing again but she couldn't concentrate.

After about ten minutes of being cold shouldered Hermione was almost thinking of interrupting their conversation but then Freda got up and went to the girls' dormitory after saying her goodbyes to Claudia.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked immediately after Claudia had left the place.

"What was what?" Claudia said looking at her parchment and not meeting Hermione's eyes.

"I think its quite obvious Claudia" Hermione said with an irritated look. It really irked her if someone did not tell her something she didn't know. She just had to know everything or atleast the things that concerned her.

"Well you know she's had a crush on Tom ever since first year and since you took him now I guess she's a bit upset. She will come around soon once she realizes that you two are meant for each other" Claudia finished and Hermione controlled herself from exploding again. Hermione got up from the couch and took steady steps towards the girls' dormitory. She went inside and called for Freda.

"What do you want?" Freda quipped.

"I just need to talk to you for a minute"

"I don't have any intentions of listening to you" Freda said as she tried to shut the curtains but Hermione waved her wand and Freda looked outraged for not being able to pull down the curtains and she yanked her curtains hardly but to no avail.

"Please" Hermione said desperately.

Freda stopped pulling at the curtains and looked at her. Finally after a minute she relented and said "Fine but only for a minute" she said as she followed her out.

Hermione motioned for her to sit with Claudia and after Freda sat down looking stubborn Hermione waved her wand as she cast a silencing spell around them.

"Claudia repeat what you said to me last and don't even try to play dumb" she said looking at both of them.

"Well" Claudia began looking uncertain. "I said 'Freda was a little angry because you took Tom and that she will come around eventually when she understands you're both meant for each other"

"First of all, I didn't take Tom nor do I want to. In fact I never have and never will like him" Hermione said with a compelling expression on her face and that is what made the other two girls to stop from looking at her skeptically. They both knew Hermione was being serious.

"And secondly, meant for each other" Hermione said barely able to control her temper. And suddenly her face took on a sorrowful expression as she tried hard not to cry "I won't fall in love with him even if he is the last man on this earth" she said and she couldn't control her tears as she started thinking of Ron, Ginny, Neville, Lupin and all the others who had been tortured and killed by the dark lord and his followers.

"You don't understand and maybe you never will but it's just impossible. Alright" she choked out and the two girls understood Hermione was being completely serious. "IT'S JUST BLOODY IMPOSSIBLE" Hermione shouted falling on the couch muttering impossible over and over again.

Freda and Claudia came forward and Claudia hugged Hermione and let her cry on her shoulder. Freda looked at Hermione with a guilty expression and she gently took her hand and Hermione looked up with tear stained cheeks as she said "I'm so sorry Hermione, I promise I'll never speak of you both like that here after"

"Yes. Me too. I didn't realize you were being serious but now I do. We both do" said Claudia looking at Freda who nodded her head and she said "If you ever need to talk, we're here Hermione, do remember that"

"Good because I really would like that" Hermione said with a small smile.

"Well what do you say we go and do something to celebrate our reunion" Freda said and both of them eagerly nodded before they stood up.

Ok. Not so much of Tom/Hermione interaction but you'll have to wait before things get heated up between them.

SO R&R. I promise to try and update soon but you will have to wait, sorry!!!