Chapter Sixteen

That night was the best time I had in all of my time in the past. It was like I was in heaven.

After I had kissed Tom in the middle of the great hall, accompanied by cheers and wolf whistles, we pulled back and just looked at each other. I barely noticed the rest of the students and teachers in the room. I could only see him.

Without any words, Tom grabbed my hand and led me out of the hall and up to his head common room. The two of us sat on one of the green couches and I lied in his arms. We still had not said a word to each other but I knew that it was coming.

I sat up and faced Tom. He understood my meaning completely and sighed. "We have to, don't we."

It was not a question, more of a defeated statement.

I nodded. "Yes, we do. Do you want to start or should I?"

He grimaced. "I will," he took a deep breath before starting and looked at the floor. "Hermione, the minute you came here, my fate was sealed. It was decided before I could even have a say in it. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since that first potions class where you managed to best me. That marked the beginning of Voldemort's downfall.

"I learned too late that keeping the death eaters, would mean losing you. I didn't want to have to make that choice and I figured that I didn't have to. But I do Hermione, and my life, even if I accomplished everything I've aimed for, wouldn't be worth living if I didn't have you in it.

"I choose you, Hermione. Over power, over immortality, over control, over everything. Nothing even compares to what you are and I would give it all up, if you were with me.

"I'm in love with you, and you don't have to say it back Hermione. Just know that I will always love you."

There was a pause and I felt wetness on my cheek. Startled, I realized that a tear had escaped my eye and slid down my cheek.

Before I could wipe it off, Tom brushed his fingers against my cheek and looked into my eyes.

Just like I had been so many times before, I was hypnotized by his captivating eyes. How could I look away when they held so much emotion? He had let down his guard and was showing his soul to me. That gesture, the openness, was what made my decision and without looking away, I started talking.

"Tom, when I kissed you this morning, I still had doubts in my mind. Had you really changed? Were you just tricking me? I was so full of skepticism and questions. Now there are none.

"I love you, Tom. Who knows how it happened, especially when I resisted so much, but it did. Right now, you are what I'm living for. I have nothing else. No home, no money and no family. Just you."

Tom grabbed my shoulders and crashed his lips onto mine. This kiss was one that I had never had before. It held everything-passion, lust, love, hunger and still a sweetness.

Without hesitating, I put my hands under his sweater and brought it up over his head. There was a brief moment, when the sweater was over his mouth, that we stopped kissing, but in a matter of seconds we were back together.

He pushed off my sweater as I started unbuttoning his collared shirt. The two of us, in unison, started moving toward his bedroom.

Before we entered it, I stopped the kissing and put a finger to his lips.

"Promise me," I whispered. "Promise that you'll stay this way, good, forever."

Tom murmured back. "I will. I'l be as good as I can be. As long as I know that it makes you happy."

I smiled slightly and resumed kissing him. Shedding more clothes, we headed into the bedroom and he kicked the door shut behind us.

The two of us went on to have the most incredible night that sealed our fates. We were joined even deeper than before and now there was no turning back. We were in love.

A/N: Yup. They had sex. I know, I know, pretty awful way to write it, but give me a break, I'm only thirteen. How explicit can I get? And plus, I'd rather that it not be any more R-rated than that.

Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. I just thought of the how I want the next chapters to go so (lucky you) I think I'm going to start writing them now. THey'll probably be updated in an hour or two. :D

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