"No, that cannot be correct! I'm meant for Gryffindor! I have to be! What assets could I possibley have to make me be in Slytherin?" She asked in her shocked state.
"Miss DeLance, I assure, Slytherin isn't all a bad house. The hat knows whats best." Dumbledore said reassuringly.
"But sirs, I've...I've heard so many stories of that house, you can't possibley believe that I-I belong there! It's for...the, well, the bad kids!" God, that is the weakest arguement I've ever put out!
"Hermione. It will be fine. Slytherin has its quirks just like any other house!" Came Dippet.
Hermione sighed, defeated.
What would Harry and Ron say to their favorite muggle-born getting placed into Slytherin! Would the traitor Snape like her? Would Malfoy be her friend? This is insane, she thought, Slytherin's are for the deceiteful. Not people like me.
The Headmaster took a long look at the young woman in front of him. She's been through a lot, he thought. You can see it in her eyes. The loss, and sorrow.
"Hermione, could you possibley want your own quarters? I mean, it must be hard being here, without anyone you know," Hermione perked up instantly while hearing this. "There is an available room. For there has not been a Headgirl for two years now. We could also use a Head Girl if you're interested, and looking at your transcripts, I see that you could easily handle it." Armando said cautiously.
"Of course, that would be fantastic, but why hasn't there been a Headgirl for two years?" She inquired.
"Well, a couple of years ago, the Headgirl was killed by an unfathomable monster." he replied.
"Would her named happened to be Myrtle?" Hermione asked in a knowing tone.
"Why yes. I suppose you heard, not many that haven't. I shall have the Headboy come fetch you to take you to your dorm." Hermione blanched.
Why? Why her? She had completely forgotten that Tom-the-bloody-dark-wizard was Headboy. And now she was going to have to share a bloody dormotory with the bloody wizard himself! Hermione hardly took notice that the Headmaster had stuck his head in the fire to call for Tom. Honestly, how was she going to go about her buisness of secretly destroying him, while he was around? Hm?
"Tom will be here any minute now, Hermione. I trust that being a 7th year, and NEWT worthy, that you can safely Transfigure robes to match those of Slytherins?" After getting a confirmational nod from Hermione, that sat in silence until Tom arrived.
"You called Headmaster?" Tom said in a sickeningly sweet way, while he entered Dippets office.
"Ah, good evening Tom. I would like you to meet your fellow Slytherin, Hermione DeLance. She has been homeschooled her entire life. There was an unfortunant attack on her home in Finland, that has led her here. We've decided that she would be more comfortable if she were to have her own quaters. So we gave her the Headgirls room. Now, if you wouldn't mind taking her back to the common room and showing her to her classes tomo-"
After pouting all the way through Dippets speach, she heard him say something about Tom showing her around.
"I know where everything is!" She said quickly and suddenly. All three men turned to look at her as if to elaborate.
"Uhm, in Hogwarts: A History, th-the map in the back. I know where to go..." She finished softly.
"Alright then. You two are free to go. Hermione if you have any questions, Tom is more than capable of answering them. I bid you a goodnight."
"Goodnight, sir. Dumbledore." Hermione spoke as she was walking toward the door with Tom a meter in front of her.
To say that there was the most awkward silence of awkward silences' between them, would be an understatement. Hermione could tell by just the way he walked that he thought he was better than everyone. He said a safe distance away from her, not turning around at all to see if she was still there.
This is riddiculous. Hermione Granger has to share a dormotory with Tom Riddle. Someone is bound to get hurt. Especially if he speaks to me like I'm lower that him.
She stopped abruptly as Tom turned around to face her. She nearly ran smack dab into his chest.
"I don't tolerate much from many people Miss DeLance, but I'm going to let go of the fact that you fire a spell back at me, for you did not know who I was. You will come to see, that I am somewhat of a Lord around here. And to undermind me, is usually a wrong idea." He said in a smug voice.
Oh, boy, what an arrogant little prick! Acting like this and we don't even know each other! How could anyone possibly think he's great! Tsk, tsk. No one talks to me like that.
"Oh, I see, Lord Riddle, forgive me," she started with a disgusting sneer, "for I had no clue everyone in this school is stupid enough to believe that you are something great. Mr. Riddle, you will come to see, that I am not one to be messed with. Bad things, will happen if you cross me. So please, do not tempt me." Ah, that felt good. Taking a page from his book.
He laughed. Not one of those happy-jolly laughs, but the kind of laugh that makes your skin crawl. "I see. May we both learn from what is to come, Miss DeLance." And with that he led us to our dorm, which was behind a picture of a girl in a red dress, that stays stationary in a chair in the far right corner of the painting. She looked lonely. Tom gave the password, Mandrake.
He pointed to the left and said, "There are your quarters, there is a bathroom that connects our rooms, never enter mine without knocking first, and I will do the same to you. Sleep well, Miss DeLance, for classes start tomorrow." She glared at his retreating figure until he was in his bedroom, and she was in the common room all alone.
The common room was beautiful, to say the least. There was a huge black marble fireplace in the center of the far wall and on both sides were book cases, the floor was made up of the same black marble around the fire place. In the center of the room were two beautiful beige leather couches and two comfy recliners next to the fire place. This place was amazing, she thought.
Looking to the left she saw the door to her bedroom. Slowly she went over to it, only to see one of the most amazing rooms she's ever seen. Right directly in the center of the room on the far wall was her king size bed. It had a green mosquito net around the bed. The comforter was a huge white blanket. It looks so inviting! She had two wardrobes on the far left wall, one to the left of a coffee table and one to the right, next to the door was a gigantic mahogany desk. Wow. On the far right was was a pair of stained-glass doulbe doors, that led right out on to the balcony. She scowled when she realized it was connected to Tom's.
Thank goodness she opted for her own room.
With a wave of her hand all her old Gryffindor robes were laying out on her bed. Then with another wave of her hand, they had all changed into Slytherin robes. How much could the uniforms change over 50 years? Tom looked to be wearing the same thing that Harry and Ron always..Ron. She missed him so. I wonder how he would react to this...she could feel tears coming to her eyes. Two months and 18 days since he went missing.
Hermione picked up all her robes and brought them over to her wardrobe. She opened it with another wave of her hand, and took a step towards it only to drop everything she was holding and scream as loud as she possibley could.
A man, or a dead man caming falling out of her wardrobe onto the floor as soon as she opened the door. Automatically you could smell him. She felt like vomiting. She wasn't aware that she had been backing up until her body hit the wall. She had seen many dead bodies, and they all have an everlasting imprint in her mind.
Seconds later Tom walked through the bathroom door to ask her why she was bloody screaming, he had made himself more comfortable and was still in his school pants, but had a plain white cotton t-shirt on. He took one look at Hermione then to where she was looking and took a couple steps back.
There was a bloody body on the floor! A body! From the looks of it he had been there for awhile, you could see the blood stains through his cloak. He grabbed Hermiones arm and led her out of the room.
"We're going to get Dumbledore, his quarters are just down the hall." She only nodded her head in consent, she was still in a state shock. No matter how many times she had seen a dead body, they still scared her and haunted her dreams. Especially when they fly out of stupid closets right at you!
They saw Dumbledore in the hallway, Tom immediantly explained what happened. He glanced from Tom then to Hermione and headed towards there room. Tom turned to follow, but Hermione was still rooted on the spot. He let out a groan of annoyance and grabbed her arm once more.
Hermione wasn't sure of what to think! Tom was acting like he didn't know! So does that mean that he didn't do it? Or that he didn't want anyone to know that he did it?
Tom and Hermione walked back into her room to see Dumbledore covering up his body and pointing his wand at the body to be lifted into the air.
"Who was that, Professor?" Tom asked hesitantly.
"That, Tom, Hermione, was a man named Marcus Goodrich. He's been missing for quite sometime now. Wanted on a murder charge I'm afraid."
"Why, um, h-how, did he, uh..." Hermione started, but failed miserabley.
"What she means, sir, is why was he in there," Tom indicated the wardrobe, "and how did he get there?" He finished for her.
"That Tom, is the question. We will speak about this tomorrow after classes. I advise you not to tell anyone please. Goodnight." Said Dumbledore solemly.
Tom and Hermione were left alone in their common room.
"Well," Tom said, "I guess I'll be going to bed..." He wasn't exactly sure of what to say. Hell, they had just met and she ended up with a dead body in her room! He honestly had nothing to do with it! Although, for his first kill as Lord Voldemort, he would have been a good one, but then people would have got the wrong impression and thanked him for killing a murderer!
He will get his time soon. Tom took a quick glance at Hermione or Mione or whatever, who had moved to the couch. She looked like she was in deep thought. She thinks she's better than me. Talking back like that, why if my "friends" saw that, I would of had to automatically kill her.
"Tom," she caught him in midthought, "you didn't do this did you?"
To say that he was floored, would be an understatement.
"What? That's absurb! You don't even know me, and yet you assume something like this? How dare you!" He said while drawing his wand. What does this girl know, for Christ sake!
"Tom, I don't want to duel with you! I know more than what you think! I know! Thomas Marvolo Riddle! You aren't so great, you know.." She was cut of by Tom yelling "Taglio Bruciante!"...which she knew as a Cutting Curse, little, deep cuts would sprout all over your body, and you would die quickly unless you got help.
Hermione just raised her hand and sent a wandless, wordless blocking spell towards him.
"Tom...you really don't want to do this..." She said softly.
"Oh don't I? You do NOT know what you are talking about! Indietro!"
Tom had caught Hermione off guard and she was sent backwards sprawling on the floor. She had enough. If this is how he wanted it to be, then so be it. She may not be more powerful than Voldemort, but she was at least as powerful, if not more, as Tom Riddle.
Hermione slowly stood up to face Tom. She raised her hand, and with one simple swipe and a shout of "Affascina!" Tom was suspended backwards and slammed against the wall. The spell she sent caused the person to held against the wall with so much G-force that that can't even lift there arms.
"Tom, I am going to say this once! Do not mess with me! You do not know what I've been through, nor what I've seen. I am just as capable as you Tom. I don't want to have to do this again. We both know the Dark Arts...and it could be a tough duel, but thats not what I want. We are equals whether you like it or not." She let go of the spell, and he slumped to the floor. "I do not want to hurt you or get into this again." Oh man was that a lie, but she couldn't kill him.
She knew that, you can't go back in the past to kill someone unless they were meant to die at that exact time. She was here to change something. She just didn't know what yet.
Tom stood up. And subconsciencously pushed his slightly long, ebony hair out of his eyes.
"You don't know anything, Mione! You may think you do, but you don't! We shall call a truce for now, but do one thing against me..." He paused, either to collect his thoughts or to change his mind about what he was going to say. "I'm going to bed."
With that he walked away. Hermione turned to go in her room. No matter how beautiful this room is, she couldn't sleep in there. So she thought of the black silk nightgown that Ginny bought her last Christmas, then snapped her fingers and she was wearing what she thought of. It was beautiful. It came down to about midthigh and had lace around where it V'd down to her cleveage. Kind of sexy, she thought, but I'm not try to impress anyone. She summoned the comforter and a pillow from the bed, and walked out to one of the leather couches.
While laying down she thought of the days events. Meeting Tom, getting sorted into Slytherin, the dead guy in her room, to the fight just now. She had let it known that she could do wandless magic. It really isn't all to common among teenagers, I hope he doesn't use this against me, she thought. Hermione could see why everyone liked Tom, he had a gentle and extremely handsome face. And an extremely gentleman like persona.
If he wasn't so arrogant and wasn't about to become one of the worst wizards of all time, then she would have a go at him. He was honestly one of the most gorgeous boys she had ever seen. Being around 5'11, slim, but not skinny. You could see his clearly well defined biceps and stomach through his t-shirt. Damnit. That doesn't change anything. No matter what he looks like. Harry and Ron would kill her for thinking like that, especially Ron
Hermione didn't exactly know what stopped her from telling Ron she loved him back. The crush she had on him in fourth year only lasted a month. Maybe it was because she didn't want to loose his friendship or maybe she just didn't love him like he loved her. She needed to sleep, today was the longest day ever, and tomorrow was going to be even longer. She closed her eyes, and with one final thought of zombies coming out of her closet to eat her, she fell asleep.