OMG guys, Thankyou so much for the wonderful response. I decided to sit at my PC the first chance I got and here it is….

Let me know what you think and for those of you waiting for the heated scenes "I'm really sorry but you will have to wait for long"

I know it will be interesting to make them kiss but I am trying to make this story as realistic and enjoyable as possible at the same time but lighten up cos it will definitely happen in my story.

So remember the quote "The more the reviews the more the updates"

HERE WE GOOO………….

CHAPTER – 16

Tom was lying in his bed with the curtains drawn shut. He had come back after his confrontation with the girl and he was now not able to sleep. He never could sleep with a curious mind. He had learnt that ages ago, he just needed to know everything and he usually did. This girl was proving to be, he could not put his finger on it but he would say that this had to be done in the 'Hard way' as he liked to call it. He could very well ask some of his followers to bully her and make her talk but he didn't think she would, even then. The secret she was holding must be very very important for her to fight this hard but what could it be.

He himself didn't know if his guesses were right but after today he was sure the girl was hiding something very important. He always was right. He allowed a smirk to grace his face as he thought that. Miss Broston didn't know what he could do to her but somehow doing those things to her didn't seem appealing to him now. He was disappointed by that train of thought. If it were someone else he would have simply used his death eaters to get his answers but this girl was really a challenge to him and he had finally agreed that he indeed liked the challenge. He would have to take another route though as she proved to not bend to aggression tonight. And he knew just what would make her tell him willingly. However, he had to plan carefully for the stubborn griffin was very intelligent and wouldn't believe him right away. Anyway one thing he knew for sure was that this was going to be fun.

Hermione was scared. No scared was a real understatement. She was terrified. For one mad second she thought of collecting the time turner and jumping to her own time very far away from Tom Marvolo Riddle but then again she was a logical person and she would have to deal with this. And besides that, she was a bloody Gryffindor. However, that didn't prevent her from shaking as she walked to the first class of the day unfortunately for her, with the Slytherins. She did plan to stay far, far away from the young dark lord. Who knew, maybe he'd loose interest in her then?. She thought 'fat chance' but then again a girl could dream right.

She went with Claudia at the front and Freda behind and Rowan and Bradley at her side. She was desperately trying to stay out of the way of a certain someone. She sat down at the far corner making Claudia and Bradley sit by her side. Hermione put her head down and refused to look up as she sat with her favourite book 'The History Of Magic' but even that didn't comfort her.

Riddle sat with his followers as always but today he had left the front seat to observe a certain someone. Riddle observed as the object of his attention put her head down and pretended to be seriously reading. Oh he knew she was pretending. She was so tense that even the stupid Gryffindors eyed her worriedly. He turned back and saw like he expected to see that Eastwood was also casting glances at her and his eyes were a mixture of anger and care. Riddle didn't understand that boy either. He was able to see emotion in the boys eyes without even having to use Legilimency. Riddle knew that almost every Slytherin knew to mask their emotions and the boy still appeared to be fit only for a Gryffindor.

Finally Hermione decided to lift her head to see Professor Binns walking into the class. As usual the Professor droned and droned and everyone except Hermione and Riddle were dozing off. Hermione didn't raise her hand today while the Professor asked questions.

Riddle was surprised by her behavior to say atleast. He was sure she would want to fight by the last thing she did yesterday but today she was acting like a sacred puppy. For once in his life he was stumped and he didn't know what to think. This girl confused him so much. Maybe she was like the other girls who played hard to get only to attract his attention but somehow he didn't want to believe it and now he was even more confused. Why would he not go along with what his logical mind said?. The girl made him so unsure of his hunches about her. He'd think one thing and she would just do something completely out of the equation again.

Riddle sighed. He was not supposed to be thinking about a girl, a mere silly little girl for so long. However, he really believed she was more than what the eyes saw. He would have just let it rest if she weren't so bloody interesting. He was just going to go along with his plan anyway.

By the end of the day Riddle truly thought about reconsidering his judgement. The girl had not even turned an eye towards him. Not a glance or a glare or as she usually did she had not even scowled at him and although he was not always observing her he knew she did it from the first day she came to Hogwarts. She was irritatingly frustrating. Riddle was cautious enough to not show his inner turmoil to his peers or his teachers. He still played the perfect student role very well.

Riddle's surprise though was nowhere near to Hermione's though. She was really starting to get freaked out and she was happy at the same time. Riddle had not even looked at her today. He didn't try to confront her. She was sure he would after her stupidity last night but he didn't and she was elated. She almost wanted to dance around in joy and as she knew that would just be stupid so she just skipped away to her most favourite place in the world, the library.

Riddle turned a corridor to see Miss Broston skipping in joy to the library. He had to stop himself from opening his jaw wide. So now it was clear the girl had acted in front of him just so she could confuse him. This made him furious with the girl as well as himself. How had he been careless enough to not know it was an act? No it wasn't that, it appeared that Miss Broston must be very good at acting but he couldn't very well believe that as well as he knew what a horrible liar she was. Either it was that she was very good at acting or she was avoiding him. Somehow he believed it to be the latter. This was a good time as ever to put his plan into action. He followed her quietly to the library.

On entering Riddle saw Hermione already seated in a table at the far corner and absorbed in a book. He really did wonder how she managed to tie up that bushy mess of hair in a bun and still it came out and she had to push it back only to have it falling back again. It seemed that her hair was also like her in a way of being stubborn.

He walked forward silently. He stopped by the bookshelf suddenly. It seemed that Eastwood had just decided to drop by at that time. Tom was disappointed but nevertheless he stayed behind the bookshelf. He put a spell on the area so that he could hear them clearly.

"What happened yesterday and I want the truth?" Harry said.

"Well he kind of confronted me and asked me to tell the truth but then the DADA Professor came and took me. So, no harm done, you don't have to worry"

"No harm done" Harry said with a disbelieving look "He could have killed you Hermione, you are so turning down the prefect badge and I mean it"

"Harry, I know you're worried but please, my being a prefect may come in handy sometimes Harry"

"ARE YOU LISTENING HERMIONE GRANGER, YOU COULD HAVE DIED" Harry whispered angrily as he was aware of the librarians anger and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of her temper tantrums.

"I know that, Harry"

"I DON'T THINK SO" Harry said getting up and he started to pace back and forth.

"Harry please, listen to me, I know I'm putting myself in danger Harry but it's something we have to do for all of them we left behind, we are their only hope Harry and you can't just want me alone to be safe and sound. We knew what we were up against Harry, I knew and we made a decision. We're here now, we have to go on, dangerous or not."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Harry said getting angrier at the moment. "I know what we have to do"

"But you aren't prepared. Harry you can't take this on your shoulders alone and you're going to have to allow me to help. Patrolling with him inside Hogwarts' corridors is far less dangerous than anything else"

Riddle suddenly couldn't hear anything after that but he was in a state of shock. These newcomers knew way too much about him and he was really unnerved. Thousands of questions were whirring through his mind. Who had they left behind?, Why did they know what he was capable of?. Why did the girl keep calling the boy as Harry?.

However, he knew who they were talking about when they said dangerous. It was him but that didn't solve the question. What did they want to do to him?. Although they wouldn't be able to do anything he had to know. Was this a plan of Dumbledores. He had a lot of thinking to do and he hadn't heard anything important but only some clues. He would've liked to hear more and he was glad that he did stay behind. He tried another spell from what he learned in dark arts and he could only hear murmuring. He was so far unsure of his presumptions because of the girl but now he knew she and the boy were hiding something very important from him. He thought that maybe it was time he learnt legilimency but he hardly had any resources at school as it was a forbidden art to learn at his age. Things like these were what frustrated him most.

Riddle decided to leave after them and he observed as Eastwood gestured something frantically with his hands and the girl started to cry. Actually crying was an understatement. She began to sob and Eastwood looked at her for a moment with hesitance before trying and failing to comfort her. Riddle couldn't remember a time he had been more confused in his life. He might have to ask his followers to take care of the boy while he concentrated on irking the girl to insanity and he knew she would let something slip. If anything he knew that although Miss Broston was very intelligent she was a Gryffindor and they always tended to be stupid. He was far more intelligent and collected than her and he would definitely get answers to his questions and while he was at it he would have some fun too. Nothing was going on according to his plan. He had come to confront the girl but now he was all the more confused and intrigued.

That week Riddle noted that Hermione Broston was dutifully avoiding him. She had somehow gotten herself scheduled with someone else for patrolling as well and although Riddle had tried asking Dippet he wouldn't have any of it. She only raised her hand to ask questions or to answer them in class. She had not challenged Riddle on a single topic for a week. She remained normal enough, talking and laughing with her friends. Riddle also noticed that she was making Slytherin friends as well. While she was like this, Eastwood was always casting worried glances at her and whenever Riddle saw the boy he knew that the boy was desperately trying to control his temper. The boy looked at him with pure hatred and although Riddle was indifferent to this he still wanted to know what he had done to the boy to deserve such a treatment.

"You have to lay low like this, Hermione. Even the Slytherin girls have stopped plotting against you" Harry said as they sat in the Gryffindor common room. They were alone as everyone had retired to bed already and they didn't forget to use a 'Muffliato' spell to prevent the others from hearing their conversation.

"Really Harry, I can't and I don't know how long I can keep this up, It's really, really ……."

"Hurting the Gryffindor pride" Harry supplied with a smile.

Hermione too laughed and said "Maybe but I know I can't keep up this charade for long"

"Long enough would be good"

Harry suddenly jolted up with a start. Hermione saw the look of terror on his face and said "What happened Harry?"

"SHUT UP, Hermione"

Harry had the most disbelieving look on his face mixed with pure anger. Hermione was really very scared to see Harry this way but she forced herself to stop asking questions.

Harry on the other hand could not believe what was happening. The reason for his shock was that he was hearing the basilisk again and although it didn't sound too close it still terrified him.

After a few minutes Hermione couldn't contain her worry anymore "What is happening Harry?"

"The basilisk Hermione, I can hear it" Harry said as he looked up at the ceilings and the walls.

"What?" Hermione asked with a look of pure shock on her face. She had almost forgotten that the thing existed at this time and it was only going to be killed by Harry after fifty years. "What it is it saying?" Hermione asked nervously.

Harry looked at her before concentrating hard. "It's calling him" Harry said after a minute.

"Are you sure it is the basilisk Harry, It could be a pet like Nagini or something……." Hermione trailed off unsure.

"No. I definitely know what it sounds like" Harry said as he shook his head.

"This isn't supposed to be happening. You said he didn't open the chamber after Myrtle's death…"

"I don't know if he opened it again or not. All I know is that he knew Dumbledore knew it was him"

"Right so either he did open the chamber again or we are making it happen" Hermione said with a guilty look on her face.

"We" Harry said and he didn't understand what Hermione said.

"Our presence Harry, it affects the events happening not only in the future but in the present as well" Hermione said with a chastising look at Harry that he ignored.

"Shit, what are we going to do?" Harry asked pacing back and forth with sweatbeads falling from his head out of pure agony.

"I have a plan" Hermione said and they started a late night discussion again because Harry didn't hear the sound after that.

I know this was unexpected but please R&R……….GOODBYE!!!!!