Wow! I'm totally shocked at all the reviews I've been getting lately since I brought this story back up! :) It's been great!

Yes, admittedly, the last few chapters have been a bit rushed, but can you blame me? lol.

I just want to take this oppertunity to say a big thank you to all those who reviewed my story! And an even bigger thank you to all the original readers for actually forgiving me! :) Means a lot!

I love all of you guys!

I have to give a BIG, MASSIVE shout out to IcyLugia101 (hun, how many times have you changed your name now? ;P) Hope you enjoy the new update, it's all for you! lol! So I expect a review! hehe. And Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, Happy Valentine's day to you too! (you forgot Happy Birthday! lol! It was in December ^_^)

This chapter was actually written out a few days ago, before I'd updated chapter 14 ^_^

ENJOY! :)

Chapter 15

Tom would never let it show, but he was desperately hoping that he would get down to the dungeons in time to see Hermione blowing up in front of Slughorn. It was sure to be a promising show. He walked quickly, yet calmly, with his hands clasped behind his back. Making a bee line for the over stuffed professor's room.

He was only a couple of turns away form said room, when he heard a loud bang.

When no one else was around him, Tom picked up his speed slightly.

He had just reached the classroom door when it quickly swung open, doing a good job in stumping his foot.

Tom's face went beat red, and he bit his lip in an attempt to suppress the need to cry out. The door swung back and he was able to catch a glimpse of Hermione's retreating figure. When she was out of sight, Tom was able to let out a slow and shaky breath.

Straightening himself, and making himself more composed, Tom turned to the now shut door. He knocked three times.

"Come in?"

Tom furrowed his eyebrows. It sounded more like a question.

Tom opened and entered. What he saw, he most certainly didn't expect.

"Ahh, Tom, my boy. Thank goodness it's only you."

Tom looked around, resisting his urge to laugh. Hermione had 'blown up' alright.

Slughorn's desk was in pieces. Bits of it lying all over the place. Everything that had been on the desk looked either burnt or smashed. Slughorn himself looked rather burnt. His mustache was stretched out, now tinted in black. His suit was a little scruffy and seemed to be covered in soot. And much to his own amusement, the old man's bald patch had grown wider, with soot also covering the bald part.

"Sir. What on earth happened?" Tom fained concern as he made his way across the room.

"Miss Granger was not too pleased with the party plans." Slughorn said shakily as he stood and attempted to dust himself off.

Tom cast a quick 'repairo' on the desk, and watched as it pieced itself back together again.

"What exactly happened in here, sir?" Tom asked, hiding the knowing smirk form his face.

The flustered professor came out from behind his fixed desk and stood in front of Tom, arms folded across his chest, leaning against the desk. A thoughtful look graced his features. "She just charged in here. Screaming all the way. When she finally stopped screaming at me, she demanded I gave her an exclamation for trying to make her a date, when she'd already told me she planned to come with her new friend. I tried to explain myself, but then she got really defensive about Miss McGonagal. The next thing I knew, my desk had blown up in my face, and she'd charged away and out the room." Slughorn shook his head. "Amazing."

Tom raised his eyebrows at him. "Amazing?"

"Yes. She truly is amazing. Beauty, intelligence, power, and tempered. Quite a catch you've got yourself, Tom. A true Gryffindor Lioness."

More like a tigeress. Tom thought.

Slughorn stepped forward and threw his right arm over Tom's shoulders. "I still hope to see you accompanying her to the party. You would make such a wonderful couple. I simply cannot wait to introduce you both to some of my friends."

Tom inwardly groaned. He wasted no time at all in turning to that particular subject. The teacher was still serious about the whole date thing. For being the head of Slytherin, he's bloody well stubborn.

"Professor, I hope you understand that there is little chance of her liking this idea, let alone actually agreeing to it." Tom reminded him. The teacher only had to think back to ten minutes ago to realise that.

"Yes, I noticed that today."

Both of them walked towards the door again. Tom trying not to show his outward disgust at having the man's arm draped over him, or his relief when the man stepped forward and slightly away from him. The man seriously needed a shower. He smelt like burnt rubber.

"But I do believe that she has a chance of coming around in the end. Just give her some time."

Trying not to sigh in annoyance, Tom nodded stiffly. Slughorn pushed the door open for him before saying, "Thank you my boy. You were a great help."

Tom began to leave, but just before he started to walk away down the hallway, he was stopped by Slughorn's hand on his shoulder. Tom turned to find the old man giving him a rather sad and concerned look.

Tom was confused at first.

That is....... until Slughorn actually opened his mouth.

"I'm I really that fat?"

Hermione stomped around the castle for a good half hour, until she finally allowed herself to calm down. Maybe Madame Lara had been right when she suggested that Hermione needed to get some sleep. All the anger and magic she had used up today was finally gaining on her.

Hermione was silently thankful that most people seemed to still be in class and would therefor miss her dragging herself on the way to the Gryffindor common room.

She was only half way there when she finally decided to stop walking altogether and just lean against the wall for a couple of minutes. A loud yawn escaped her lips.

"Someone looks tired."

Hermione barely managed to turn her head to look at him. "That, Mr Riddle, is a great understatement."

She vagely heard him chuckle before he stood next to her.

"That was quite the mess you left in Slughorn's room earlier. I couldn't possibly imagine why you would do such a thing." She could however see the smirk on his face as he said those words.

"I'll give you three gue-...[yawn]... guesses."

"Does it have anything to do with what I asked earlier?" Tom asked amused.

"Maybe."

"You called him fat?"

"I'm an honest person."

Tom snorted at that one. Hermione could no longer look at him, it took too much energy. Her head turned back round into a position that wouldn't strain her. She'd be lucky if she even made it to the common room. Maybe letting her temper get a hold of her earlier had been a bit of a mistake. Especially seeing as it had channeled, and then used her magic up.

Maybe she should start meditating.... or try out a Yoga class, or something.

She barely had time to register the fact that her legs were beginning to give out before she suddenly felt an arm go round her shoulders, and another one position itself just below her rear. She felt herself lifted from the ground.

"You.... you don't need to... to... carry me...." Hermione stated tiredly, her heart not really in the protest. His body was warm and comforting as she rested and snuggled her head against his chest. Allowing herself to forget Lord Voldemort and only know the man she was slowly beginning to like even more.

"Yes, but I don't think it would be proper to leave you to fall asleep on the ground against a wall in a deserted hallway either. Just imagine what that sort of thing could do to my charming reputation!" He tried to joke a little. He was trying hard not to think about how warm her body was. How right it felt.

Hermione was so tired that she didn't register the fact that he wasn't even taking her to the Gryffindor common room. Her eye lids sagged as they grew heavier. Hermione knew that she'd loose the fight to stay awake sooner or later.

A couple of seconds later, she finally allowed her eyes to shut. A contented sigh left her lips just before sleep took over.

Tom walked in front of the wall three times before a door finally appeared. Hermione had fallen asleep only a few minutes ago.

Using his back, he was able to push the door open.

Inside was a beautiful luxurious bedroom.

A plush white carpet. A large, four poster bed, built for ten, was against the centre of the back wall with a thick black duvet cover, with three small silver stripes going through it. Two white pillows and two black pillows, that were all marked with the same pattern. Steps led up to the bed, and there was a large white armchair placed next the bed, along with a bedside table and lamp.

Tom carried Hermione over to the bed, and placed her gently on it. He removed her shoes afterwards.

He didn't know what was happening to him, but he lent over, and with a gentle hand, brushed some of the fallen curls away from her face. He stood like that for god knows how long, just staring at her face. From that position he began to notice a lot of things he'd missed the first time round. Like how she had small freckles just on the bridge of her nose. How long her eyelashes actually were. The small, pinky scar that was almost covered by her delicate, shaped eyebrows.

Before he began to unnerve himself, Tom sat himself down on the chair next to the bed.

He went into his satchel and pulled out the first thing that his hand came in contact with. It turned out to be his Defense book. He turned to the first chapter to begin reading, but couldn't seem to make himself concentrate.

He'd only known this girl for just under a fortnight, and she'd already had a big impact on him.

She'd shown up at his orphanage appearing like a six year old. On her first night, she'd already proved to Tom that she wasn't going to be like anybody else. He chuckled slightly, no longer having it in him to be angry at her for locking him inside the kitchen. He hadbeen an arse to her. She'd sneaked into his room and discovered his small dark arts book - that, come to think about it, she hadn't even bothered to question him about yet - and had even taken him further by surprise and bound him using magic. When he'd gotten free he had been extremely angry, only to burst into her room and become shocked. Yes. She had been beautiful on first glance. And still was.

She had haunted his dreams and thoughts, only to appear at his school about a week later.

For the first time in his entire, depressing life, Tom found himself able to actually 'like' someone.

It was sometimes kind of weird, how he was able to recognise a lot of himself in her. But she did with that likeness, was completely different from him.

Tom wasn't a compassionate person. He strived to become great. He had his knights. He had respect. He was extremely knowledgeable. He was in tune with all kinds of magic.

He would become the next Dark Lord.

She was innocent. Light. Untainted. Everything he was not, and despite his future goals in life, she was able to bring out a side in him that he had never known existed.

She had been his many 'firsts' in life already.

The first person ever to stand up to him. The first person to ever completely shock him. The first person to rival his intellect. The first person fool him. The first person to ever.... to ever treat him like he was normal.

And knowing her, she probably wouldn't stop with the 'first person to make him bake a cake' either.

He knew that he wasn't in love with the girl, but somewhere in his overly filled head, he knew that he was slowly beginning to fall for her.

And he'd be damned if he ever let her go. And god help anybody who tried to take her away.

Hermione groggily opened her eyes. Stretching her arms out above her head, and also stretching her legs. A yawn escaped her lips.

That was one of the best sleeps she'd had in ages.

"Good Evening."

Hermione's head snapped to her right only to see Tom sitting on a seat next to her, book in hand. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she allowed her head to turn and take in the rest of the room. She wasn't in any common room, that was for sure.

"We're in the Room of Requirement."

Oh. Well that makes sense.

Hermione pretended to look confused at his statement, not supposed to know what the 'Room of Requirement' actually was.

"It's one of the school's many mysteries. It shapes itself to fulfill your needs. Like I needed a bedroom for you, so it gave me one." He indulged.

A small 'oh' escaped her lips. Hermione nodded her head in full understanding. A thought suddenly made itself clear in Hermione's head. "What time is?" Remembering that he'd said 'Good Evening' to her when she'd woken up.

"Dinner in the great hall will of just ended." Tom answered simply.

As if on cue, Hermione's stomach let out a small growl. She glared at her stomach while Tom let out a small chuckle.

Suddenly, a tray appeared in Hermione's lap. Two cups of Pumpkin juice and about eight chicken sandwiches. Hermione looked at Tom and smiled and said a small thank you, before sitting up properly and reaching for one of the sandwiches. Tom nodded and lent forward to retrieve one of the glasses of Pumpkin juice.

Once they had both had an equal share of sandwiches and had both drunk their juice, they'd decided that they had better leave.

Hermione would have to head to the Hospital wing and explain a few things to Madame Lara. Tom said he'd accompany her, but unfortunately, he needed to head back to the dungeons.

They walked together in a comfortable and content silence until they had to part ways.

"Hermione?" Tom said just before she disappeared around the corner and out of his sight.

"Yes?" Hermione asked curiously.

"You know how Slughorn wanted me to accompany you to the party?" At her nod he continued, trying not to show his nervousness. He was never nervous!

Is he... nervous?" Hermione thought slightly confused. It would be unlike him if he was.

"Well.... If he'd never mentioned it, and I'd still asked you.... what would you of said?"

His question caught Hermione completely off guard. What would she of said? She must of looked as surprised as she'd felt, because Tom looked away, and seemed to be resisting the urge to walk away right then and there. Hermione was even further shocked, however, when she found that her answer didn't really need much thinking about.

"Yes." She turned and walked down the hallway, missing Tom's half smile and shocked expression.

A.N.

Okay! That was a little more fluffy than usual, but I felt that if I wanted to get this story up to a better pace, then I would need to get the pair closer together.

I can't promise speedy updates after this one. But I hope to get one up soon enough!

Please continue to R&R It means the world to me that you do, and gives me tonnes of motivation!

Always & Forever yours

Madame Dee! :) xxx