Love Doesn't Need a Horcurx

Disclaimer: Nothing but this plot belongs to me. This is not being redistributed for money or any sort of profit. Everything goes to its rightful owner(s).

Author's Note: Okay, I know that this is incredibly late and I can't possibly express how disappointed I am in myself for this! I really hope that his chapter might be able to make up for my laziness -_-

Chapter 4: Secrets

After leaving Riddle, Hermione had all the books sent to her room in the Leaky Cauldron before leaving to finish up the shopping. Whenever she saw him, she'd make sure to go into the nearest store and buying something to show (in a rather pathetic attempt) that she wasn't avoiding him.

More than once, she could have sworn she saw a smirk on his face. Quickly, she bought everything on the lists and hurried back to the Leaky Cauldron.

~-0-~

Hermione debated over telling her friends that she'd already managed to get Tom Riddle interested in her within the first few hours of being in this time period. Smartest witch of the age, my arse, she thought.

But they'd end up wondering why the future Dark Lord would be interested in her on the first day of school. What had happened between her and Riddle was stupidity at its finest. From her side, that is; though his reaction hadn't been what she would have thought it would be had the scenario been played out eariler in her head.

When she got back to the Leaky Cauldron, Draco was sitting at one of the tables reading the newspaper.

"Hey," she said, sitting in the seat across from him. He didn't say anything except hand over the newspaper.

Murder in Little Hangleton- 3 Muggles killed; Grindelwald?

Hermione didn't say anything for a minute and just stared at the picture of the manor underneath the title.

"It was him, right?" Draco asked, his voice lowered. A person passed their table and Hermione didn't say anything till they were out of earshot.

"Yes." She sighed and then looked at Draco. "You can't tell Harry or Ginny this, but I kind-of-sort-of-not-on-purpose-accidentally told Riddle I knew where he was from and that I knew that his father died."

Draco was silent. "Please tell me this is one of your stupid Gryffindor jokes; I won't even say anything that goes against your moron-code, just say it's a joke."

"You can't tell Harry or Ginny," Hermione pleaded.

"They're going to find out either way," Draco replied, "When we get to Hogwarts, he's going to be curious and even the Weasel wouldn't be stupid enough to miss that!"

Hermione winced at the thought of them finding out. "Promise you won't tell."

"Fine, but I thought you were supposed to be the smartest witch of our age!"

Hermione groaned and buried her head in her arms. "Don't rub it in."

~-0-~

When Harry and Ginny came down at the time they'd agreed upon earlier, Hermione gave them the school supplies she'd bought for them (Draco's had been given earlier).

"I thought we were going shopping tomorrow," Ginny said, gratefully taking the pile of packages handed over to her.

"I figured it'd be nicer to spend more time on clothes than have to hurry tomorrow," Hermione said, "We have to look as if we were from the fifties."

"You would do well to change your way of dressing," Draco muttered, and Ginny flicked him on the head in response.

"Well, the shops wills till be open for another hour," Harry said, glancing at the clock, "We can start now."

Because Hermione and Draco couldn't protest without giving their reason, they agreed.

Though Hermione did make sure that her hair covered most of her face and she made to keep standing behind Harry or Draco, both of whom were at least 4 inches taller than her. Draco noticed but he didn't comment and Harry and Ginny were too busy looking at the new (or old?) Diagon Alley.

Ginny dragged her into one of the stores and it was there that they stayed till closing, getting nearly everything the two could land their hands on.

There was no shortage of money since both of them had their 1000 galleons (Hermione had only a little less since she'd paid for all their books).

When they did finish, they left the stores carrying at least 8 bags each- even though most had already been sent to their room- and met Harry and Draco in the bakery shop.

"Merlin, how much did you buy?" Draco asked when he saw their arms carrying the bags.

"You bought just as much, Maelroy," Harry muttered.

"That is irrelevant," Draco replied, "And this isn't everything they bought either."

"And how do you know that?" Ginny asked.

"It's impossible for anyone to enter a store with that much money and only buy as much as what you're carrying right now!"

Ginny made a face at him before she and Hermione took the food that Harry handed over.

~-0-~

The rest of the night went by normally, though Draco swore to Hermione that he'd seen Riddle. Harry and Draco were actually civil towards each other during dinner, relieving Hermione and Ginny, and everyone went to bed in high spirits.

Except for Hermione.

All she could think about was that Tom Riddle knew that she knew, and since she knew, that the others knew too. Which was bad, very bad.

It wasn't till Ginny told her to stop moving around and making so much sound that she actually fell asleep.

Author's Note: Oh my god, I am so sorry. This is so late and I can't possibly apologize enough. And it's so short. I hit such a writer's block for this. But next chapter will be them going to Hogwarts.

I promise. They will be going to Hogwarts and the whole train ride and the entrance and everything. Pinky-promise. :)

But honestly, I am so sorry. I doubt there's anything that could make up for the 5-month hiatus, but I really sorry... :(

I probabaly don't even deserve them, but review? I just want to be sure people don't think I've given up on this fic...

Till next chapter (which I'll tr ti finish really soon),

*Star*