"Alright, now that we are all here," Slughorn gave a pointed look to a smirking Gryffindor. "we can begin. Now, I have made my seating chart previously, so you do not get to pick your partners." A groan emitted from the class.
Hermione turned to look at the room. Each row on both sides of the class had four seats, with two tables and one cauldron on each table.
"The first row, first desk will be Thompson and Malfoy," One Gryffindor and a cocky Slytherin made their way up to the front, "Shoemaker and Black," Alice turned to give her a pointed look that said 'See?', "Riddle and Stevens" Tom made his way to sit down with as a frightened, small boy with big, rimmed glasses trailed behind him. "And the last group in that row is DeLance and Coroner."
Great, she thought, hopefully he's smarter, funnier, nicer, and not as arrogant as his grandson. She turned and gave Jesse a smile and led them to their seats. She could feel Tom's eyes on her as she sat down.
"At least I'm not stuck with Malfoy again." Jesse had whispered into her ear.
"I'm not sure I'm much better..." Hermione said with a smile and without looking at him.
Hermoine assumed he took that sentence as the end of their conversation for the time being.
"Today we are making Pozione Sognando! Miss DeLance, if you could just tell the class what that means..." Hermione sighed, they had made this potion in 5th year.
"Pozione Sognando means the Dreaming Potion." He smiled at her.
"And what does it do?" This must be a test, she thought. To try and see if she was intelligent enough to be in his class.
"The Dreaming Potion is given to someone who is having continuous nightmares, unlike the Dreamless Sleep Draught, this one will make you relive your happiest moment, over and over, until the time when you wish to be awoken. It only works for so long, then the person becomes immune to it. Although it can be right useful when you want the nightmares to stop, it is likely to cause hallucinations at random points in the day if you've taken it for over two weeks." She knew her stuff, and she was going to let everyone know that.
"Fantastic! 10 points to Slytherin! Tom, seems to me like you have a little competition now." Professor Slughorn said while giving Tom a huge smile.
"I'm sure, Professor, that it's nothing to worry about." Hermione gave him a death glare. She knew what he meant. 'Nothing to worry about..' Like she was nothing. He was holding his truce...but he was cheating in some small way.
When Potions ended, Hermione had successfully brewed the Dreaming Potion. Next she had DADA, a free period, lunch, Herbology, then Transfiguration. All with Tom, who had kept a close eye on her all through Potions. She had a feeling that he didn't like to feel threatened. And she was doing just that.
During the rest of the day, Hermione continued to answer every question thrown at her correctly. Surprising Madame Louis, her Herbology teacher, Dumbledore, her Transfiguration teacher, and a very handsome man, named Antonio Berrati, who was her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He said on Thursday they would be having a duel.
This wasn't exactly good news to Hermione. She already knew if she was somehow disarmed, she would automatically resort to wandless magic. Well, I just won't get disarmed, she thought. Hermione really, really, REALLY, did not want people knowing what she could do, or what she's done in the past.
Before she knew it dinner was over and she was on her way back to the dorm. Let's see, things to do. Get grades up to where they used to be, don't let her powers out during that duel, find a way to change Tom...she felt a presence behind her, she slowed her pace, but before she could do anything a hand a gripped her around her mouth and a arm had snaked its way around her waist.
Hermione was being drug in the opposite direction, she kicked and bit, but that didn't seem to get her anywhere, the arms around her were just too strong. She heard a door opening behind her and then there was nothing but black inside the room.
Hermione was thrown to the ground with binds around her arms. The light came on and she could see who her attacker was. It was Malfoy, whose name she had come to know as Abraxis, then there was that girl who was always with Tom, whose name was Romilda Black, but she had heard people calling her Romi.
They must of put a Silencing Charm on her, because she could see ther lips moving, but she wasn't hearing anything.
They took the charm off and began to speak to her.
"Ah. Miss DeLance. Welcome to Hogwarts, don't get too comfortable with that mudblood Shoemaker, Slytherins do NOT associate with them..." Abraxis had leaned down with his face hovering mere inches above hers.
"And don't forget the blood traitor, Coroner." Added Romi.
"Oh yes, you see, we are going to let you off this time, because you just did not know. Tom should of told you, but I'm sure he had his reasons of not. You see, Hermione, when one of our own is caught speaking to people of less value, for reasons other than school or business, we punish them.
"Oh yes, don't look so surprised, surely you've heard of Slytherins reputation? You belong with us, or else you wouldn't be here. Romi, in second year, forgot this rule...right Romi?" Abraxis turned around to address Romi.
She looked down at him with a sneer on her face.
"Of course I remember, Malfoy! You guys tied me to a goal post and stole all my cloths!" Hermione looked at her with pity, she could obviously tell that was a soft spot for her.
"Do you understand, Hermione? I'm only looking out for your safety..." Hermione rolled her eyes and struggled with her bindings even more.
"Pardon me, Malfoy, for not quite understanding these terms. And what, might I ask, will happen if I disobey?" God, she hated this Malfoy more than Draco!
"Well, then we kill you! It's simple really, you do as we say, or you die..."
Hermione was about to retaliate with her own comeback, when the door opened and Tom Riddle strolled in. He halted at the scene before him. He looked at Romi who had her arms crossed over her chest pouting, then to Abraxis who was hovering very close to Hermione who was on the floor in binds.
She stared him directly in the eyes, as if daring him to aid in what they were doing.
"What's going on here?" He asked, no demanded.
"Why Tom," Tom had never really liked Abraxis, he was just a good someone to have around, "Miss DeLance has been hanging out with those Ravenclaw prefects, and we decided to teach her a lesson."
Tom smiled at him.
"Well. You're lucky she's tied up, or else you'd probably be dead. Because with the look she's giving you right now, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near here when those binds give, which looks to be pretty soon." Malfoy gave Tom a confused look then looked back to Hermione.
When he saw her, he immediatly jumped up. Hermione's eyes were a dark brown if not black, which was odd, since her eyes are usually light brown, and they had a red tint in them. It was the look in her eyes, more so than the color. Anyone would have chills sent up their spine if that had someone look at them like that.
She wanted to kill him. And Tom could tell, her binds we getting extremely thin.
"Abraxis, Black, you two should probably leave..." Tom said while looking at Mione with intrigue.
"Right!" They said simultaneously, while running out the door.
As soon as they were gone, Tom took out his wand and ended the incantation placed on her. She layed there for about a minute before abruptly standing up and running toward the door.
Before she could get fully out the door Tom, grabbed her around the waist, spun her around and pulled her back into the room.
"Tom! Let me go! You saw what he was doing! Trying to tell me who I can and cannot speak with! I'm going to fucking kill him!" She didn't know if she meant it, but as of right now, she knew she would severly hurt him if he were near. One would normally only hear Hermione curse like that if she fell...but, this was different. And with the annoyingly tight hold around her middle, Tom had to let her go, because she knew she wouldn't be able to get out of his muscular grasp.
Tom merely raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.
"Mione, my dear dorm mate, you are but 17, you don't need a murder under your belt already!" Hermione gave him a cold stare, he shouldn't speak of what he doesn't know.
"Thomas! My dear nuisance! You shouldn't speak of what you don't know!" With that she wiggled as he let her out of his grasp and headed to the door, "Don't worry, I won't kill your precious follower...yet."
Once again, Tom was dumbfounded. Did she just say that she has killed? And follower? What does she know of my followers? Is there a rat about?Surely not. No one would ever defy me. Tom let out a frusterated sigh. He seemed to be doing a lot of those lately. Mione DeLance intrigued him more than anyone had...EVER! It was bloody annoying!
It was odd. Too odd. He knew he shouldn't even care, but he did. Someone like her just didn't come from nowhere.
She was intelligent. Powerful. Gorgeous. And seemed to know a hell of a lot about him. Saying things like 'people are stupid to believe you' and 'blah blah blah followers' and 'I know Tom Marvolo Riddle!' He mimicked her voice in his head. How the hell did she even know his middle name!No one knew that. Except for Dumbledore possibly. I bet thats who told her. Always meddling in people business, that Dumbledore.
He honestly did not know what was going on. He knew why Malfoy attacked her and told her to stay away from the mudbloods, but he didn't know why Mione sat there all the way thru it. She could of easily gotten out of that hold and hurt Black and Abraxis pretty bad. So why had she just sat there? Perhaps to hear what he had to say...perfect strategy if you ask me...