Authors Note: Hey my lovely readers =] I am extremely pleased to say that I have finally received over 100 reviews from all you magnificent people! I would especially like to the user who posted the 100th review; BlackWerewolfOfPurpleRoses!!!!!!! Thank you so much ;D Onto a more serious note; basically, although I am more than happy with the reviews I receive, I really wish those of you who add to favourites, or alert or w/e…why don't you reply as well? I would love you forever if you did xD and please please please, if you DO review, tell me what you wish to happen in future chapters, what do you think should happen? Ending? Sequel? w/e just review with a little more than "great chapter"

^^Now, on with the story…

Chapter Sixteen: Forgiveness

Previously: Dear me, Tom, I thought proudly, you do indeed have a way with women.

Yes, I continued, but Hermione is the only one I will waste my time on, I thought as I rested on the green sofa and pulled the locket from my pocket. My finger traced over the emerald encrusted "S" and I smiled to myself.

Oh, what I wouldn't do for my witch.

Draco Malfoy P.O.V.

My morning so far had been rather boring, no action at all. Although, there never really was any action apart from pathetic tiffs between rival houses. Gryffindors really were fat headed twats; did they honestly think they could ever exceed to Slytherin level? 'Cause if they did, I'd make sure that thought would never cross their tiny minds again. It angered me so much! Potter was just the same as that, and his bum chum Weasel. They obviously used people to their advantage just so Scarhead could kill the Dark Lord. I suspected they used Hermione too; she was intelligent, could persuade people easily and knew things even Dumbledore couldn't have been aware of! Who wouldn't want a girl like her on their side? I'm sure if she hadn't had Muggle parents, the Dark Lord would have found her useful too.

People in the future only seemed to see Hermione for her intelligence. Even from first year I could see her for who she was and although I called her such…abusive and repulsive names, and made such crude and heartless comments on her part…I could always see herself as a person. As the beautiful, beautiful person she was! It frustrated me to know that those two attention junkies hadn't even bothered to move past the know-it-all Hermione and discover the blossoming witch who had so much to live for…

I watched her now as she sat once lonely at the far end of the table, her face a mask of concentration, desperately attempting to disguise her inner emotions of sorrow and anxiety as I could see now, radiating from her aura. It was a sorry sight to see one so sad, especially one whom I cared for deeply. It was even worse to know the cause of this sorrow and be unable to act as I so wished I could. It was not that I didn't have the strength to be a man, more that I had not the power to do so. Once upon a time I had power, wealth and everything I could ever wish for. Not I find myself in the past, with a young hormonal Dark Lord practically rutting over a girl whom which he was not aware was in fact a Muggle. I prayed and prayed he would not discover her secret; discover our secret for if he did…I could not imagine the damage one could create in time for such a mistake as to let a tiny secret tumble from ones lips. It would be so simple to change time forever; people could be unborn, lives could be saved, Oh the possibilities! Although it was most tempting to reveal ones secrets, I feared for Hermione's safety above my own.

Secrets, secrets, secrets. Stacked up like books on a shelf just waiting to be opened, just waiting for an innocent soul to succumb to their own mischievous desires and delve in the Oh so mysterious secrets and memories of mine. No doubt if people knew the tales I and Hermione could tell, they would be queuing like peasants at a water pump. But no, shh, once must not divulge in such matters for as I had previously said; I could not imagine the damage one could create in time for such a mistake.

I wanted to talk to her, but she seemed to be immersed in a world of her own, much like she used to during the preparation for the wall. No one had seemed to notice how she had changed during then; everyone had changed though, we all had to change. We had to grow up and realise that Hogwarts was not the safe harbour it had once been. We had to realise that our lives were in grave danger and finally, we had to choose which side to be on and fight for our lives and the lives of so many others. I did regret my decision to become a Death Eater, but at the time I was young, power hungry, and I looked up to my father as if he were a saint. How wrong I was. I did not tend to dwell on the fact that if I had not joined the Dark Lord, Dumbledore would possibly still be alive along with so many other people. My mother might have lived as well…

"No way..." I heard from my right, "Is that Hermione and Alistair?"

I turned my head absentmindedly to gaze upon what my fellow students found so intriguing. I wasn't completely shocked by what I saw; Hermione wasn't all Slytherin and if the students around us had known us from our time then they wouldn't have been so surprised as to see our "Slytherin" genius conversing with the Gryffindor heart throb like they had known each other for years.

I regularly wondered if she ever noticed me looking at her from behind other people. Maybe she honestly had never noticed just how much I looked at her, or maybe she chose to ignore it. How could I not look at her? She was beautiful and intelligent and everything I wanted. If I said she was everything I wanted in a girl, then I would be lying. Because she wasn't just any girl; she was herself, and no one was anything like her. She was extremely pretty and had a great body, but she didn't flaunt it. She was intelligent and liked, but she didn't brag. She was perfect. And if I couldn't have her for myself, then I just prayed that Riddle could see what I saw. I prayed that he cherished her with all his might. I prayed that he would never hurt her. And I knew that if he did hurt her I would hunt him down and slaughter him.

She was smiling. Really smiling; her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkled when she widened her lips to reveal a set of pearly white teeth. Her golden brown curls framed her face messily, and she held the book between her delicate fingers like a ruby. She always amazed me when it came to her love for books. I felt jealous of this fair haired, brown eyed Seeker…but she wouldn't like it if I showed my jealousy and resulted in violence as I had done too many times before. I regretted so much from the past- or rather…the future. Maybe this was my chance to change it all for good. If I'm honest, my life depended on that hope.

I was torn from my thoughts when the hall was filled with such sudden and vocal gasps that caused me to believe the Dark Lord himself was standing before them. Well, I suppose it was the Dark Lord in a way…in Tom Riddle form.

I mentally chuckled and thought, I see I am not the only jealous one, as I watched him standing beside Hermione and Alistair before swooping down to lock lips with Hermione and I felt my eyes widen with shock and a tint of satisfaction. This wasn't just amusing, this was humiliating! Riddle never showed his emotions before other people yet here he was, allowing himself to be read like an open book. It seemed I finally knew his weakness and I could, and would definitely use it against him; I wouldn't let a chance such as this just slip through my fingers.

I have to admit, I did feel a little jealousy, but I blocked it out before I punched someone in the face. I had to laugh at the expression on Hermione's face when he marched from the hall like a soldier with an amused smirk plastered on his face, obviously satisfied.

I had to give it to the bloke; he knew how to put a stubborn girl like Hermione in her place.

I certainly wasn't surprised to find hoards of girls circling Hermione after breakfast, all with hyena like expressions, teeth bared and tails wagging for a slice of gossip. I felt like throwing up at the sight. She looked practically terrified as she stared at the gossip junkies leaning almost threateningly over her.

Girls haven't changed much then, I thought with an amused smirk as I joined Mulciber who was leaning against the wall watching the scene unfold before him. We gave each other a serious look before bursting into laughter which echoed along the walls and silenced the creatures surrounding Hermione. They each turned to stare at us with raised eyebrows and we quickly changed our laughter into hysterical coughing fits. They obviously didn't approve of our acting because they left, wearing masks of disapproval and annoyance.

"Alistair Duggan, then?" Mulciber called over to the distressed girl, his eyebrow raised and an amused smirk playing at his lips.

Mulciber reminded me an awful lot of Blaise. He was such a great friend to me and agreed with my ways of thinking to the letter. Unfortunately, that was the death of him; he was too much of a free thinker according to Father. Free thinker, my arse! He could tell the difference between what was wrong and right, and that was the reason the Dark Lord murdered him. I'd do anything to see the Italian bastard again.

Hermione instantly bristled up and I could see her cheeks flaming red along with her eyes almost burning holes into the floor with anger. "Will you screw your head on properly?" she hissed, "we were only talking; why does everyone assume otherwise?!"

Woah, she's angry, I thought.

I presume she heard me because the moment the thoughts emerged in my mind, her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed to slits before she flicked her wand in our direction, sending us crashing into the far corner of the common room and stormed to the girls' dorm.

Tom Riddle P.O.V.

"How did you get in here?" she spat, obviously avoiding eye contact with me as I lay sprawled on one of the beds with my hand behind my head and a triumphant smirk plastered across my face, "The stairs are charmed to not let boys in here."

I chuckled, "State the obvious, Hermione." Yet another death glare zoomed towards the drapes around the bed, "But if you haven't noticed; I am Head Boy." I replied calmly.

She snorted loudly and spun away from me to shout into the fire for a house elf with Coffee and biscuits. Comfort food, I assumed with a silent laugh.

I had seen the numerous girls swarming around Hermione for the latest news on myself and Alistair. Honestly, who would prefer him over me? He may have the hearts of many Gryffindor girls, but I had the hearts of almost every girl in every house. Not that I needed that; I had Hermione after all.

I watched with interest as she tossed her caramel ringlets over her shoulder and pouted her pink lips with frustration. Her cheeks were glowing red and her jaw was jutting as she grit her teeth together. One fist clutched angrily at the bed sheets and another gripped her wand in a vice like grip until her knuckles were white. Merlin did she look delicious.

"You had no right to do that in front of so many people." She snapped, still avoiding eye contact.

"I had every right," I replied smoothly, "You're my girlfriend. I can kiss you when I want."

Her eyes blazed and her head snapped to the side once she heard my words. "I am not your girlfriend!" she hissed, standing up and aiming the tip of her wand to my chest as I sat up and leant on my elbows as if we were having a calm and pleasant conversation.

"Hmm, if you say so, Hermione." I answered, a small smile twitching at my lips before I hardened my eyes and transformed my amused expression into a blank one and continued in all seriousness, "But that fact is, Hermione, that you were flirting with the Gryffindor Seeker." I growled, leaning forward so that our faces were only inches apart.

I almost smirked when she flinched away from me, but I wanted to prove this wasn't a joke. She never took me seriously I don't think, but it would have been so much easier for her if she had taken me seriously. She was lucky who she was; other people ended up seriously injured if they didn't take me seriously.

I watched her for a moment, considerably amused by the anxiety and excitement flickering in her eyes. Of course, she was still slightly angry with me, but seemed to simmer down quite a lot as I stared hard into her eyes and attempted to move just a tiny bit closer in the hope that she wouldn't notice. I could feel her warm breath tickling my cheek and the fruity smell assailed my nostrils. I raised my hand to run my fingers through her soft caramel curls and breathe in the scent, earning a nice shudder from my witch. My eyes flickered from hers to her nice plump lips, slightly parted as she graced her tongue over the bottom unconsciously and breathed deeply. My other hand secured at her hip and held firmly as I pulled her closer to me as gently as I could. The urge to yank her forward and tear her clothes off in the process was almost too much to bear, but I bore it and preceded with caution yet confidence.

"Hermione…" I whispered, deliberately breathing on her lips, "I cannot apologize more for what I said yesterday. Please, can we not just forget what we said?" I inwardly prayed that my hesitant seduction would work charms as it did with other girls, but I couldn't help but doubt. She wasn't like other girls.

I waited a moment for her reply before her lips twitched into a tiny smile and her hand lifted to stroke my cheek lovingly as I held back a shudder when I felt the softness of her fingers against my skin. I allowed myself a shaky, cautious smirk and removed my hand from her face to grip her waist and pull her body against my chest and between my legs. Merlin, I loved being so close to her.

"So," I said smoothly, nuzzling her nose with mine and earning a giggle, "have I earned your forgiveness, my Lady?" I inquired, smirking.

She laughed and reached behind me to run her fingers through my once neat hair which was surely now sticking up in odd angles. "Yes, my Lord. I forgive you," she replied with a kind smile and pressed her juicy lips to my forehead.

My Lord…those words repeated their selves over and over again in my mind, those words which I longed to hear tumble from those luscious lips…I was certain, one day she would know me as my Lord, and not that filthy Muggle name she so loved to call me. Oh, how I longed to have her call me that, and hopefully as soon as she became my Lady, my wish would come true.

"It's Christmas day tomorrow," Hermione whispered, leaning her forehead against mine and smiling.

"Ah yes," I replied, "so it is."

She smirked, "I have a present for you; unfortunately it isn't very much compared to your birthday present," she blushed slightly and bowed her head, seemingly embarrassed.

I chuckled and lifted her chin back up with my thumb before staring longingly into her eyes and saying, "Do not fuss, my dear. I'll be happy with whatever you give me,"

Draco Malfoy P.O.V

Tonight was Christmas Eve; my first Christmas away from home, away from my mother, away from the fear of war and death. In some ways, I missed the old days, the days of being a teenager, being able to do things expected of teenagers; drinking, having sex, smoking, getting in trouble and annoying other people. All part of growing up my mother told me. Oh, how I wished I had held on to it a little bit longer, but I was forced to grow up too quickly in order to please the Dark Lord and follow in the footsteps of my father.

I sat quietly, a bottle of whisky at hand and a cigar in the other, silently listening to the ticks of the clock as time passed slowly. In only a few hours, it would be Christmas day. Was I the only person dreading such a day? No doubt, I would receive no presents at all and I would stay in my dorm alone with nothing but my memories, which was fine with me; all I had left to contain my sanity were those few happy memories with my mother. If I didn't have those, I'd be in St Mungo's by now!

Both Mulciber and I had been aware of Riddle sneaking into the girls' dorm awaiting Hermione when we had our encounter with the feisty witch. Really, that boy had a rocky road to cross before Hermione would forgive him as easily as a quick and meaningless thank you was spoken.

He was a bloody lucky bloke if Hermione had forgiven him after insulting her ex-fiancé and sneaking like a peeping Tom into the girls' dorm. How ironic, I thought with a chuckled and downed the remaining content of the bottle.

Alcohol didn't help me in the slightest, it just fucked me up even more; made me paranoid, made me angry and upset, made me sex crazed and made me want to shout at Hermione so fucking much! How could she not fucking see how I felt towards her? All the Slytherins could see it, so why not her? She was supposedly the most intelligent witch in the country, but geez, sometimes she was as thick as two short planks!

Sometimes I just wanted to hold her close and kiss her and hold her even closer and kiss her even more and tell her that I loved her…but I couldn't. She was obviously with Riddle, and for once, I had a feeling that I couldn't compete with someone over a girl. Back when Hermione and I were in Hogwarts, I could have my way with any girl I wanted, whether or not they were in a relationship. They swooned at my feet. They practically worshipped the ground I walked on! So what I didn't understand was how I could have any girl I wanted, I could win hands down against any wanker in the school, but I couldn't have Hermione, and I certainly couldn't compete with Riddle. Merlin, my life was shit.

I wanted Hermione more than I had ever wanted anyone, and he may have been the Dark Lord…but nothing was going to stop me from claiming the only woman I had ever loved. And if he honestly thought he would win; he had another thing coming!

Well, that's chapter sixteen! Read and review m'lovelies, and remember; requests requests requests!!!! :) xx