"I know I've been a real prat these last few days." You could definitely say that again, Hermione thought. "It's just that, well, what you said is true!" Alice said the last part in a whisper.
"Is it?" Hermione asked tentatively. Tom would never go for a girl like Alice, right?
"Yes. And I'm sorry I blew up at you, it's just...I always thought I hated him, and now I don't...and you made me realize it with just a couple of words! Oh, I'm so sorry Hermione!" Alice flung herself at Hermione to give her a hug. "It won't happen again."
Alice and Hermione got into a friendly conversation about the weekend, and how hard or easy the homework was. Hermione decided to leave the part about Andy (so far she hadn't seen said boy, which is definitely a good thing) out of her story, and told her she just sat around with Tom the whole weekend.
"Er, Hermione? Do you mind if I ask you a question?" asked Alice.
"Of course not, go ahead..." Hermione had a feeling that she knew what Alice was going to ask...and she didn't know if she had the right answer.
"Well, it's just that...you and...Tom are always together in that room, and he waves to you in the hallways, and walks you to class, and carries your bag for you..it's just...what I mean is...you don't li-like him, do you?"
Great. Let's see. Do I like Tom? Thought Hermione. He has been really sweet...and he does carry my books. He also protected me from Zambini...but he's EVIL! Hermione what is wrong with you! You could never like Tom...HE IS VOLDEMORT! She certainly needed Harry right now...she needed some sense knocked into her.
"Er...no! No, of course not!" Alice let out a sigh of relief. "Tom is so not my type. We are just friends...and he IS my roommate after all. We kind of have to get along..." Hermione let out a giggle remembering their duel on her first night at Hogwarts. "Anyways...I'm done with all my classes, so I'm going to head back to my room to write my Charms essay. I'll talk to you later Alice."
On the way back to her room, Hermione thought about what would happen if Alice and Tom started dating. Would Alice be in their common room all the time? Would she come back from class to find her and Tom making out on the couch? What about if she heard them having sex from Tom's bedroom? Could she still stand to even look them in the eyes? Alice is a mudblood though! So are you, thought her conscience. Yes, but Tom would date me, she thought back.
"But I don't like him!" Hermione said out loud.
She let out a loud sigh and continued down the corridor. I don't like him, I don't like him, I don't like him. Good, I just need to keep telling myself that...and everything will be fine!
The rest of the weeks classes came and went, they were still so far behind from when Hermione was in Hogwarts. She still had some of the old essays she's written, so half of the time she didn't even have to write her essay, which gave her more time of precious sleep.
On Thursday mid-morning, the morning of the duel in Defense, Hermione spotted Alice and Amy walking with Tom. Alice kept on accidentally bumping her shoulders in Tom's. She would apologize each time, and Tom would give her one of his charming smiles. She could tell he was getting annoyed, but Tom has always put on a good show about not saying 'mudblood' or anything derogatory in front of his other classmates. He's very conniving, isn't he? she decided. Must be the Slytherin.
"Are you ready for the duel, gorgeous?"
Hermione gasped and turned around, only to be face to face with Zambini.
"What's wrong Hermione, don't want to talk to me now?" He said in his (now) disgusting Italian accent while reaching out to cup her face
"No! Get away from me Zambini..." Hermione said as she slapped his hand away. "Tom's threat is still valid!"
"Tom's threat is still valid." He said mimicking her. "Right...Tom's off with his other girlfriends now. He left this one all alone..." Hermione was backing up into the wall now.
"Hi Hermione, Zambini...what's going on?"
Hermione turned around to face the voice. Oh, thank goodness. Arnold Boot!
"Arnold! Nothings going on, just going to class. Care to walk me there?" Hermione would do anything to get away from Fedele Andy Zambini right now.
"Sure...better hurry Zambini, class starts in five minutes..." Arnold called out to him.
Hermione linked her arm through Arnold's and asked him questions about his day. She tried to listen to his answers, but her mind was racing. Andy was going to try something again. He's blatanly ignoring Tom's threat. Hermione knew she could easily take Andy, but her mind just goes blank when he's around. It's like everything goes numb and she can't think straight. Should she tell Tom? Would he actually come through with his threat? Would he even care?
She honestly didn't know how she felt about Andy, aside from the obvious, like hating him and never wanting to see him again. She really didn't know if she wanted him dead. Hermione's been through death...what would Zambini's parents do?
Alright, not telling Tom, she thought.
Arnold led her up the stairs into the Defense room where the dueling table was set up and everyone was in their appropriate groups. The people who lost last time were all sitting at their desks. Arnold walked her over to her group, kissed her hand and said what a pleasure it was to walk her to class. Hermione laughed. Arnold was always goofy...and it was always funny to see him act proper.
"Listen up!" Shouted Professor Berrati. "I don't exactly have who your partners are, but I'm going to try and stick you with people in different houses. Okay, we have five Slytherin's, four Gryffindor's, and two Ravenclaw's. Eleven, alright, whoever is left without a partner can pick a loser at the end of all the duels to duel. Sound good?" He asked the class.
"Yes, proffesor." We replied.
"Okay, we have Austin Steen and Romi Black, Michael Revalee and Andy Zambini," He winked at Hermione, who in turn flipped him off. "Next we have Renee Bell and Hermione DeLance, Aiden Smith and Tom Riddle, then we have Marcus Prince and Amanda Cooper. So that means, Alice, you get to choose at the end. Let's begin!" Professor Berrati finished.
Austin and Romi stepped up to the table. Gave each other a quick bow, and Steen immediately threw out a 'Petrificus Totalus!' which Romi easily side-stepped.
"Stubefy!" Yelled Romi.
Steen took a page out of Tom's book and made a desk go flying in front of him to block the spell.
"Oculous Preventi!" Austin chanted back at Black.
Romi let out a scream as her vision was temporarily disabled.
"Impendimenta!" Steen yelled.
"Protego!" Romi yelled out, luckily she was facing the right direction, and blocked his spell. "Finite Incantantum!" She said with her wand pointed at herself.
"Arestolous!" She screamed at Steen. He obviously wasn't expecting her to get her own eyesite back. Steens arms were now trapped above is head, held in invisible binds, and his legs were clamped together with the same binds. "Accio!" She yelled, Austin blocked it...
"Expelliarmus!" Austin yelled, and Romi's wand came zooming into his hand.
"Fantastic! Good job, Austin! You also Romi. A good duel! Finite Incantantum..." Austin was released from his binds and he and Romi made their way back to their seats. "Up next we have Zambini and Michael Revalee."
Hermione already knew that Revalee was going to lose, so she hardly paid any attention to the duel. Instead she watched Tom. His eyes were transfixed on the duel at hand. As if he were trying to memorize what spells they used, their stances, and how quickly they recovered. He really is a great wizard, she thought.
By the time her thoughts came around to the duel, Zambini came out victorious and looking very smug.
"Zambini, once they're down, take the wand! If this were to happen in real life, you are just giving them chances to try and kill you!" The Professor repreminded him. "Alright, next duel, next duel. Hermione and Renee...get up there."
Hermione was taken from her thoughts again at the sound of her name. She took a glance at Renee to try and remember how she did the last time she dueled. Malfoy. Indietro. Incarcio...anything else? Oh yes, mostly voiceless spells.
Hermione gave Renee a bow and took her stance.
"Diffindio!" Renee yelled as soon as the Professor said 'Go!'.
"Protego!" Hermione couldn't believe it. That's an actual battle spell. It could have broken her arm or possibly taken it off!
"Rectusempra!" Renee said quickly. Meanwhile, Hermione had Accio'd a desk and threw it towards Renee knocking her spell off track and making it hit the chalkboard. Renee jumped out of the way just in time before the desk could hit her.
What was wrong with this girl? Why was she attacking so viciously?
"Incendio! Incarcerous!" Shouted Hermione at Renee.
"Aguamenti! Protego!" Renee shouted back. She was good and Hermione definitely wanted to end this, like now.
"Langlock!" Hermione said. Renee didn't realize 'Protego' wouldn't stop this, so her tongue is now stuck to the top of her mouth.
"Levicorpus!" Renee was then flipped upside down hanging from one foot, she was panicking because she couldn't talk and her skirt kept rising up. Hemione felt bad, so she Accio'd her wand and let her down.
"Langlock and Levicorpus...I have never heard of those Hermione, are they your own?" Professor Berrati asked with an odd look on his face.
"Yes," she lied.
"Well, congratulations. That certainly was an interesting duel. Renee, nice job. Oh, and if any of the rest of you ever use 'Diffindio' in my class, you will not be allowed to use your wand in here ever again. Tom and Aiden...go ahead." The Professor finished.
During Tom's duel, Hermione tried doing what Tom normally does. By calculating both Aiden's and Tom's moves, by memorizing the spells they used, and by trying to predict what spell was next.
"Levicorpus!" Tom yelled.
"What!?" Hermione said out loud. How did he do that? It's damn near impossible to hear a spell, then say it and get it right on the first time.
Tom ended up winning the duel by disarming him after saying 'Levicorpus'. Hermione was impressed. And was kind of scared to duel him without using the dark curses she had used before.
"Congratulations Tom! I knew you could do it," Hermione assumed the last part was supposed to be a whisper, but she was pretty sure everyone in the class heard the professor say it. "We have Prince and Cooper up next, but let's take a five minute break."
Hermione walked back to her desk and sat down. She took a glance over at her last opponent to see Renee glaring daggers at her. Seriously, Hermione thought, what the hell?
"You did well on your duel Hermione," she heard a silky voice from behind her, "I wonder, how ever did you come up with that lovely spell 'Levicorpus'. I must say, I like it quite a lot." Tom finished.
"Er, I was just bored one day I guess. You did well too, I noticed that you changed your stance." she said.
"Smith is different than Michaels. He's more aggressive. And my right foot foward is my passive stance, where left is my aggressive one." Hermione couldn't help but stare into his dark eyes. She can usually read men through their eyes, with the exception of Zambini of course. Tom was different. He was mysterious and she couldn't figure out what his eyes were saying. Or if he liked her. She couldn't even tell if he ever checked her out!
Hermione cleared her throat and looked away as soon as she realized he was staring deep into her eyes too. Damn, I left my mind open! She glanced towards the window to see if the sun had come out yet. It had been raining non-stop since Tuesday. Professor Berrati called Prince and Cooper up to duel, Hermione decided she didn't care that much and opted to stay in her seat. She didn't know if Tom had decided the same thing, or if he was only staying behind for her cause.
"Is it weird that I find it odd that you aren't afraid of me?" Hermione felt Tom whisper in her ear. Chills went down her back.
"Why would I be afraid of you?" Hermione said as she turned to face Tom. Their faces were only two inches apart now.
"No..." he chuckled as he leaned forward more, "the question is 'Why should I be afraid of you?' I can look into anyone of these girls' eyes and make them squirm, but you stare back. It's like you are looking for something...care to tell me what it is?"
Hermione inched forward ever so slightly also.
"Well, you know...sometimes I can see who people really are by looking through their eyes, but not you. You're hiding behind something, maybe an inner-demon..." Hermione whispered, their lips were mere centimeters apart.