A/N: Sorry for the delay! My vacation was awesome. But my exam results were bad, haven't been that bad in years. So give me some comfort with/in reviews please. Enjoy! Thanks to Lily for betaing!

But I'm lost, and crushed, and cold
and confused with no guiding light left inside

You were my guiding light

~'Guiding light' by Muse~

There he stood before her. The one and only Tom Riddle. The man that would scare the living and the death soon. She realised she was one of the only things that stood between him and war.

He was clad in a dark trousers, a white crispy shirt with a dark grey woollen sweater and a dark cloak that nearly touched the ground. You could see that he is a fit guy as you could see his strong arms because he had rolled up his sleeves. His face was still the same as in the mirror but with only one difference. His eyes, they were cold as ice with no light inside them. No love, no compassion and no hope in them.

When Hermione looked in them her heart stopped. She was shocked by what she saw in them. They were as cold as a grave. She quickly looked away to Malfoy who was looking scrutinizing at Riddle. Like he was a puzzle he couldn't unravel. Then his face changed like he made a decision about the man in front of him. You couldn't call him a boy as his face looked like he lived a thousand years. She would have given a million galleons to know what decision Malfoy made as she couldn't read it of his face. Maybe how he reacted towards the man would help her unravel the riddle.

Suddenly Malfoy stepped forward.

'Draco Grey' Malfoy said stiffly 'pleased to meet you.' He stretched out his hand towards Riddle who shook it averting his grey eyes to meet the almost same grey of Draco Malfoy's eyes. Malfoy continued 'this is my cousin Hermione Grey'.

He gestured with his hand towards her and smiled politely at her. Then Tom did something Hermione never expected instead of shaking her hand he took it in his hand and brought it towards his mouth and placed a light kiss on it.

'Very nice to meet you' he said in a velvet voice and a seducing smile on his face. It was all a charade that much Hermione knew. As Harry had warned her before, he was a very charming but manipulative young man. But nevertheless she was after all a girl and could appreciate the gesture. But that was it.

'Now you are all introduced I would like to ask you Tom to escort Miss Grey and Mister Grey to the Slytherin dorms and install them in their proper room. After that I would like the three of you to come back to my office and floo to Diagon Alley to shop for your school supplies. Now of you go children.' Proffesor Dipped said breaking the awkward silence between the teenagers.

'Follow me then' Tom said straining his voice.

Of course Malfoy knew the way by heart but he could not let that see. But Hermione was happy to have a guide as she never been to the Slytherin dorms before.

They walked deeper and deeper into the castle, the awkward silence still stretching between them. Hermione couldn't quiet put her finger on the reason behind the tension that hung in the air. But shrugged the thought away.

They passed many paintings of different scenes: two children playing with a dog in the grass, a pub in London where people were drinking their beers and were singing merry songs and a mermaid combing her hair on a rock in the middle of the wild see.

She never saw those before.

'Good morning young girl! Would you like to have a drink? I made the butterbeer myself!' the bartender in the painting exclaimed to Hermione.

Tom answered before she could

'No, Edward, she is not interested in having your butterbeer. She would probably double over because of the amount of alcohol.'

Hermione's mouth hangs open in shock.

Wow, bye bye charming young man when professors are gone.

She knew it was all fake before. She would like to hit her head against the wall that she even appreciated the gesture.

The rest of the way towards the dungeons was uneventful. They arrived at the painting that guarded the Slytherin dungeons; it was one of a vampire.

She had long brown locks that fell down in soft curls on her back. Her eyes had a golden colour, her nose was fine and straight and her lips were a delicate pink. Her skin was as white as a pearl and glistened in the sun like she had a thousand diamonds imbedded in her skin.

'Good morning, Bella! How are you today? Still looking for your prince charming? It might be your lucky day as we have a new addition to our school body. Mister Grey, he is a fine young man I can assure you.' Tom teased and flashed a charming smile towards Bella.

Bella was lazily checking her nails and finally looked up to meet Tom's smiling face.

'The last time you said something like that. The guy had a face covered in acne. It was terrible. I want someone beautiful!' her high musical voice rang.

'I can assure you this is a fine specimen of mankind. He has long silvery blond hair, silver eyes, pale skin and is as fit as a lion. Tom Riddle laughed gesturing towards Malfoy.

Bella looked up at that and looked around and dropped her eyes on Malfoy. Her eyes went big as plates when she looked at him, surprise and appreciation written all over her face.

'Indeed, a fine specimen more than fine. He is gorgeous, Tom. Finally somebody who can compete with you after you turned me down. Look at that hair, it is just like Abraxas. But it is richer and fuller than his. Such an aristocratic nose and the lines of his face almost sculptured by an artist. I would love to take a look at that cute ass of him. What do you think, mister ...' Bella chirped.

'Mister Grey.' Tom answered in Malfoy's place and grabbed Malfoy's shoulder and turned him around. He grabbed the rim of Draco's cote and pulled them up to reveal his indeed cute ass.

Malfoy was too surprised by what Riddle did to react. But was not too stunned to react as soon as he was in this embarrassing position.

He turned around and grabbed Tom by his shoulder and turned him around and pulled his robes up to reveal his ass.

'Well Hermione, what do you think of this fine specimen?' Draco said his voice strained by suppressed anger.

Hermione couldn't utter a word and just blushed for the first time in her life.

'Well, 'Mione?' Draco said taunting using her nickname to shake her out daze.

'It is okay.' Hermione whispered.

Suddenly Tom turned around and pushed Draco hard towards the painting pinning him down with his arm on his throat and his wand on his throat. He looked more like Voldemort than ever such anger and hate was written on Riddle's face. He breathed heavenly and silver eyes were competing with other silver ones. Draco didn't look afraid at all. He just looked coolly back into those eyes. Like he was just having a pleasant conversation.

Hermione was just about to react when 'Boys, stop it!' Bella exclaimed 'You don't have to fight over me! I think you have both cute asses!'

Suddenly all anger disappeared out of Riddle's face and he began to laugh hardly. He took a step back and brushed Draco's robes and clapped him on the shoulder and said still laughing.

'Great act you pulled of Grey!'

And then whispered viscously 'But don't pull it twice because the next time you will have my wand stuck up in your cute ass.'

'Forks, Bella. Let us in.' Tom smiled tears glistening in his eyes.

'Okay, cuties get in!' Bella giggled.

They entered the dorm and Tom let them towards their rooms. Their suitcases were already in place.

Hermione's room was big and she shared it with four other girls. They all had green velvet sheets and big wooden drawers. Even the curtains were green only the walls were white.

Soon after they entered they left again towards the headmaster's office. When they arrived there professor Dippet had everything arranged for their trip. The floo powder was standing on the mantelpiece above the fire. Tom grabbed some and screamed loudly 'Diagon Alley!' Draco and Hermione followed suit.

They arrived in the bar before Diagon Alley. Tom had already pulled his wand out and was ticking certain stones on the wall.

'I am sorry but I have to go to the bathroom. Do you think you could wait for me for a minute?' Hermione asked Tom.

'Okay make it quick if you aren't back in two minutes I come and get you. I don't have all day!' Tom grumbled.

Hermione hurried to the toilet and locked the door behind her. The thing was she didn't need to go to the bathroom but she thought it was the ideal time to take her plan in action and give Tom's soul back.

She stayed into the toilet for about three minutes when she heard Tom banging on the door and screaming 'Would you get of it now?'

'I can't open the door!' she yelled back.

'Alohorma' Tom whispered and stormed the bathroom in.

'Well can't even unlock a simple door! Are you dumb or what?'Tom Riddle yelled in her ear his eyes flashing dangerously and turned around walking out of the bathroom.

This is it. This is the moment. I should stun him now. I will never get him alone and his back turned towards me again. If I don't do it know maybe he will kill me next time because he looked murderously just a moment ago.

But he was already turning around. It was like he turned in slow motion while her wand trembled in her clenched fingers. It was now or never...

'Miss Grey ...'

A/N: guess to which book I referred in the story in a review!

What is going to happen next do you think?