"Yes," Alice said, "I would like to duel Romilda."
Hermione knew why Alice picked Romi. From the first day they started talking, Alice would randomly say how much she disliked the whole Black family. Especially Romi. She heard Romi talking at dinner one time about how her father closed down Alice's fathers' business.
Then, the duel began...
"It happened so fast!" Amanda Cooper exclaimed as they were walking down the hallway from Defense. "I would have never thought Alice would do such a thing!"
Alice and Romilda's duel started off like any other duel, some simple spells at first, then it started to get heated and pretty soon they were yelling things at each other about one anothers family and slinging dark curses at each other.
As soon as Alice said 'Sectumsempra!' Hermione was on her feet and by Romi's side in a flash. Hermione had quickly said 'Tergeo' to clean up most of the blood coming out of Romi. Professor Berrati was by Hermione in a second. He had already sent Amanda to go get the nurse.
"I've never seen this curse before!" Exclaimed the professor.
"That's because it's my curse. I don't know how she got it. I have it hidden in one of my Spell Notebooks. She must of seen it and used it on impulse. Luckily this isn't too bad. She just needs a nurse." Hermione explained as she pressed her robe to Romilda's abdomen.
Hermione looked back at Tom to see him scrutinizing her with a calculating glare.
"Thank you Hermione, but you can go stand with the others now." Berrati said in a shaky voice.
Hermione walked back over to get her bag from her desk, Tom met her there.
"So you came up with that curse too Mione?" He asked in a falsely sweet voice.
"Yes, what's wrong with that? It's not like I've ever used it to intentionally hurt someone. Alice must of taken it from me. What?" Hermione asked when Tom was giving her a disbelieving look. "It's true! I didn't give it to Alice to hurt Romi!"
Amanda had gotten back with the nurse by then, which leads us back to hallway outside the Defense room.
How in the hell did Mione come up with a curse like that?! Tom asked himself. I've only just come up with one myself, there's no way she can already be ahead of me! He looked ahead of him and noticed Hermione walking very fast with her head down. Where could she be going? He thought. Tom quickened his pace to catch up with her just enough to follow without being seen. Hermione went up the grand staircase to the second floor. Ah, the common room.
Tom almost didn't make it through the common room door when Hermione went in.
"Bloody Alice!" Hermione shouted as she plopped down on the couch. "How in the ruddy hell did she get that?"
Hermione let out a loud agitated sigh.
Tom decided to let his presence be known.
"So...do you give all your friends lists of your dark curses?" He said smoothly.
Hermione's neck jerked so quickly that there was a small POP that came from it.
"No, I don't know how she got it," she said while rubbing her neck and laying all the way down on the couch. "Who does that? Honestly! Who finds a random spell and uses it on someone and they don't even know what it does! So utterly incompetent!"
Tom walked over and sat on the couch opposite her. Hermione had reclined and had laid her arm across her eyes.
"That's a pretty advanced spell, you know. I hardly think that you came up with that on your own. You are a mystery DeLance." Tom said in a slow drawl.
"Yeah, and you're a bloody open book!" she said in an annoyed tone. "Mr. I'm-so-sweet-and-I-can-do-anything-I-want-because-I-have-all-the-teachers-wrapped-around -my-fingers!"
"Me?! You have everyone thinking you are this 'oh so sweet' girl and who can do no wrong! I don't know who you are, but I will find out Hermione DeLance! If that's even your name..." Tom said in an accusing voice.
"Whatever Tom! You are the one faking! You act like you are some sweet, innocent, caring man! But anyone with half a brain could figure that its a joke! All day I have to listen to girls talking about how cute, how sweet, and how bloody brilliant you are! They don't even know who you really are-" Hermione ranted.
"Oh and you do? You know who I am? Who am I then Mione? Just who do you presume to think I am?" He said in a menacing tone, whilst standing up.
"Oh, I know who you are," Hermione said while getting up to stand right in front of him. "Tom Marvolo Riddle!" She wrote the letters with her wand in mid-air. With a quick flick, those letters transformed into 'I am Lord Voldermort'.
Hermione watched Tom's face as the letters moved around. At first his mouth slowly opened and his eyebrows raised. Then there was a look of pure fury on his features. Tom turned to look at Mione who had a determined look upon her face.
"What's the matter, Tom? Didn't think anyone would find out so soon?" She said in a taunting voice.
"Who I am is none of your business Mione, and what I do is none of your concern either. You think I'm so evil. Look at yourself...I've heard you talk bad about almost everyone you've met, yes, I can hear you through your bloody walls. You're so two-faced! I can hear you crying at night about Ron and that Harry boy. About your parents! What's the matter? Are they all dead?" he said in a smug voice.
Hermione had tears in her eyes. She didn't want him to know things about her past! She didn't want him to be able to hold thing's against her! That was what she was supposed to do!
"Yes, Tom" she started in a small voice, "my parents are dead, my best friend is missing, and the other one is destined for death. And you know what? It's that way because of someone like you!"
Tom started down at her. Someone like me? He thought. She has so many presumptions. Like, she knows that he killed his father. But how could she, she lived in Finland! He had to kill him, he had to, or else Tom Riddle Sr. would of killed his son. "You are no son of mine!" His father yelled while pulling out his gun. He didn't feel bad about killing his father, but I'm definitely not evil! Tom gave Hermione one last meaningful glare and stalked up to his bedroom.
Tom slammed his bedroom door shut and kicked his dresser.
"God damnit!" He yelled.
She doesn't even know what being Voldemort entails! She knows nothing! Mione is always assuming everything, when she knows nothing. She doesn't know where he grew up, or when his mother died, or who his father was. She doesn't know that he is one of the most powerful minds to walk through Hogwarts and she definitely doesn't know what he's all about.
Tom went to his dresser and grabbed a fresh pair of underwear, then his towel off the back of his desk chair. At least I'll be able to relax in the bloody shower, he thought irritably.
Hermione's POV
Maybe that was the wrong thing to say? I really don't know who he is in this time. But a part of who he's going to be in the future has to be in him now, right? 'God Damnit!' She heard Tom yell from upstairs, followed by a THUMP! Great, Hermione has just managed to thoroughly upset a dark lord. He's really not bad yet. But he had no right to say that about her friends and family! He was just asking, he really didn't know.
So what! Her conscience screamed.
He's a foul, rude person. Who has no emotions, except pissed off. Agh! But, I really shouldn't have said a thing like that. Maybe he's not fully evil yet, even if he is planning to be. He has been really nice lately...walking with her, talking to her, carrying her bag. He's even been apologizing when he has to.
I guess I should apologize.
Hermione ran up the stairs two at a time and burst through Tom's door, she noticed he wasn't in there, so she headed to the bathroom door without even thinking that he could be using the restroom or taking a shower.
"Listen Tom, I'm real-" Hermione walked in on Tom just as he had removed his pants. Why her? Why must she be so stupid?
Tom didn't even look mad. He looked as if he expected it to happen.
"Um...uh. I-and..well, you..." Hermione could hardly string together her words. Tom looked amazing. He had a perfectly chiseled abdomen and chest, that much she already knew, and his arms were definitely well worked, as well as his legs...
"Can I help you?" He said in a bored, yet amused voice.
Hermione had never been so embarrassed in her life, and her legs didn't seem to be working at the moment, so she couldn't run.
"I just w-wanted to say sorry for saying what I said," Her voice gained confidence as the sentence went on, "I'm aware what I said was very rude, so I'm sorry." Hermione had fully adverted her eyes by now and was diligently staring down the toilet.
Tom had noticed Hermione looking at him. This was the most a woman had ever seen of him. She looked very uncomfortable. Instead of getting mad right away, he decided to hear her out before kicking her out of the bathroom. He looked down at his body as Hermione's eyes looked him over. Tom knew he wasn't fat, or out of shape by any means, but he didn't think he would ever have anyone look at him like that. With awe and want.
"Apology accepted. Now if you'll excuse me, I was about to do something..." He said as he gestured toward the shower.
"Oh, of course, I'm sorry...sorry, I-yes, this is bad. Not you or anything! I mean, you-you look, yeah, and wow...I'll...just be going..." Hermione stuttered as she backed out the door into Tom's room.
"Hermione?" He asked. "Your room's the other way."
"Right...of course, I'll just..." Hermione scampered across the bathroom to the other door that led to her bedroom. Tom watched her with amusement in his eyes.
Maybe if I just take my shirt off in front of her more, then we won't ever have to argue, he thought with a smile on his face.