For starters, I really need to thank all my gorgeous readers and reviewers who have stayed with this story all the time, regardless of the bumpy updates! The reaction to the last chapter was amazing and it's really made me think about the fate of this story. Unfortunately, my baby (story) is coming to an end soon but hopefully you will be satisfied with the final chapter. I won't give anything away, only that I have planned it all out and am very pleased with what I have come up with- hopefully you'll be happy with it too! I think it is more than necessary to mention my beautiful reviewers because you're all so amazing that I couldn't not mention you! Here are just a few: supeanaturalgal, innocent as far as you know, Jake's Chew Toy, OregonMissy100, , CeliaEquus, slayerb8, amilie481516, Hermitt, Jenna, desirable69, Leanora, Chelseabaabyox3, sweet-tang-honney, SAVAGEGRACEx, among other! On another note, there is this semi-new wrock band that are around called Let's Lumos, they're really good and sing Harry Potter themed songs that are amazing and I'd recommend you YouTube them or something- if you like them, spread the word because I think they deserve to be noticed! That's all for now folks, on with the story..
Chapter Twenty-three: Cold-Case Love
I felt his tongue tickle my lower lip before forcing my mouth open. I squealed, punching his chest with my fists, trying with all my might to force him off me. My attempts failed and I earned a grunt of disapproval from Draco before he tore his lips from mine and clutched my thighs tightly. Draco stood up quickly, wrapping my legs around his hips tightly.
"Draco," I growled, "let me go."
He laughed and removed one of his hands to trail slowly down my throat. "Just wait, Hermione; you'll be screaming my name in no time."
My eyes narrowed at his words and just as I was about to kick off with another struggle, I was interrupted by someone entering the room.
"What the fuck is going on here?" Tom hissed.
Hermione Granger P.O.V
"Tom!" I gasped, struggling in Draco's grip again wanting Tom to hold me so badly, but the anger radiating off him made me think that wasn't on his mind at the moment. In fact, by the expression on his face, he was only thinking one thing- how to murder Draco. He was pissed off; extremely pissed off.
Draco suddenly let go of me and I felt the bed cushion my fall, luckily. He reached inside his robes to pull out my wand and tossed it onto the bed beside me before watching me carefully as I smoothed my robes and stood up straight, with a blank expression on his face before marching from the room but not without giving Tom a disgusted look. I stared after him in shock, my wand hanging limply in my hand and my other hand subconsciously holding my slightly round belly.
I was stupid to expect Tom to be fussing over me, to take me to the hospital wing to find out if the baby and I were ok- I stood waiting for Tom's reaction, and it came soon enough. Tom bolted out the door without a second word, his hand gripping his wand and eyes blazing with anger.
I stood alone in silence for a few seconds, although for all I knew I could have been standing there for longer; hours even! But I found myself too shocked to even process what had just happened.
My fiancé- the father of my child- the future Dark Lord, was raging around Hogwarts after Draco Malfoy: Slytherin God. I shouldn't have allowed myself to feel swayed by another man when I was pregnant with the man I loved! Maybe I should have thought of that before my raging hormones got the better of me and decided that regardless of my massive bump and Muggle-hating fiancé, I could still let Draco seduce me! I must have been mad to think he had any other suggestive thoughts circling his brain.
My hand rose to my cheek, running my trembling fingers over the marble skin. My other hand was gently rubbing my bump when it suddenly occurred to me that whilst I was stood daydreaming in my common room, Tom was probably torturing Draco. My eyes widened and I quickly grabbed my wand from the bed and ran from the room to find the two Slytherin boys.
It didn't take me long to find the source of the shouting from the entrance of the common room, in fact I almost immediately met one of the most traumatic sights I had ever seen. I admit that being in the midst of a battlefield was the most frightening experience I would ever have. Not only had I watched my closest friends die before me, but I had also seen my first love fall into an early grave, lifeless and leaving me behind in such a cruel and twisted world with no hopeful path to journey…just an ancient castle was left for me, and even now with Harry, Ron and all those other lost souls gone it was difficult for me to think straight and believe that one day, after all this anger and fighting, there would one day be peace. And maybe my peace would be beside Tom and our child… but there was no knowing for sure, and thinking back to what I had already experienced, I would give my own life to keep Tom from becoming that monster and destroying the lives of so many different people. If that meant that my existence would be put at risk for the happiness of others, I would gladly oblige. I at least owed them that.
My vision blurred with unshed tears as I discovered my friend hunched and trembling beneath the shadow of my lover.
"Tom.." I cried, "p-please, leave him!" taking an unsteady step towards him and reaching out hesitantly to touch his shoulder, but before I could touch him a painful shout was heard from the shivering wreck before us both.
Tom's voice was almost unrecognisable and I felt myself cower away from him immediately, my eyes wide and tears splattering my cheeks. "He hurt you- he doesn't deserve a second chance" the voice growled dangerously, malice spiking me from his words. I almost felt like he hated me as well as Draco for a moment.
I wanted to stop him so badly, but my hands became incapable of movement and although I had my hand gripping my wand, I hadn't the strength to use it against him. It would be betrayal in his eyes…and I couldn't lose him to anything. So instead, I sunk to the stone ground, not bothering to wipe the tears away or fight the two wizards before me. I just cradled my swollen abdomen and watched the events unfold before me with no energy to do anything.
Tom allowed Draco to rise from his crumbled stance, albeit painfully, and raise his wand once again to his furious opponent. Blood dripped from his bottom lip and seeped into his white shirt, creating a puddle of ruby liquid at his feet. Taking a confident step forward Tom struck again, shouting "Crucio" at the top of his lungs, aiming his wand directly at Dracos' chest causing him to fly backwards before screaming with pain, writhing on the ground with excruciating tears pouring from his eyes.
Tom's laugh filled the air, sending chills down my spine.
He carelessly fiddled with the point of his wand as Draco trembled and gasped from the impact of the curse, failing to recover until the raven haired wizard barked a heartless pun from his sneering lips.
"Honestly, Draco" he mocked, "I had believed you were better equipped than this- not one shot at me, how do you suppose to fight for our beliefs if you cannot even fight for yourself, mm?" he chuckled huskily before stepping in my line of sight, looming over Draco like an unwanted spirit.
His next words sent shivers through my body, made my eyes bulge and sweat run down my forehead. My hands shook violently and my wand clattered to the ground as my world began to unravel at my feet by the words he hissed like a serpent, "You're utterly useless, you might as well have been born a Mudblood for all the good you do!"
Draco snorted in amusement, his eyes flickering over to me for a second before a smirk appeared on his face and he spoke in a dead tone, "yes, well Hermione would know all about having dirty blood, wouldn't you?" his gaze once again flickered over to me and with a clatter, Tom's wand slipped from his fingers.
My eyes widened further and the beat of my heart seemed loud enough in my ears for everyone else to hear as well. I felt my bottom lip tremble slightly, tears threatening to spill from my eyes but I bit my lip and held them back; maybe Tom wouldn't believe Draco? Maybe I could get away with it- he didn't need to know I wasn't a Pureblood, he loved me. He would still love me no matter what I was! But surely he would have a different attitude towards his child, a halfblooded child. Maybe if he discovered my true heritage, he would not only leave me but also our child.
The silence said it all. You could have cut the butter-thick silence with a knife!
I ordered my legs to work, to stretch and get the feeling back in my toes so I could stand and see the expression on Tom's face. But I couldn't move, I physically couldn't move and by the looks of it, neither could Draco.
Only now did his eyes show the regret he was feeling, only now did his eyes actually show any emotion- mostly that it had only just sunk in what he had just done. The impact his words had made, now opened a whole new can of worms. Anger soon consumed me.
Red blurred my vision as I flexed my fingers before reaching forward to retrieve my wand. I held it with a firm grip and steadied myself on the palms of my hands, lifting myself from the ground by my knees. My hand lifted, the tip of my wand pointed directly at the blond haired Slytherin below me. The words came from my mouth without a second thought, I was out of control of my words but I knew I was saying what I had been dying to say for so long!
"Stupefy" I whispered before putting him in a body bind and hanging him from his ankles from the ceiling. I would have liked to do a lot more, but I had no desire to spill more blood than I already had. Draco had caused enough trouble already, but ultimately it was my fault for even getting involved in Tom Riddle. It was all my fault.
The silence was painful. No one spoke, no one moved, no one even breathed. No one, certainly not me, dared. I was scared; I had no idea what would happen next but I silently prayed that Tom would somehow forgive me. Deep down I knew that was impossible. He would never allow that kind of betrayal. If I were in his shoes, I would probably find it difficult to trust me after keeping such a vital piece of information from him. No doubt about it, Tom would be disgusted with me. He wouldn't touch me again. He would return to being the vile, cruel, blood thirsty murderer that he was destined to be…and it was all my fault.
I took a shallow breath and chose to tell the truth. There was no point in lying to him anymore because there was no choice in his next decision. He would either kill me, or he would forget me and I would be forced to return home. Maybe it would be best to return home, bring up our child as if it had no father. I would rather my child have no father, than have a murderer as a role model. I was certain we didn't need a man in our lives anyway; it would only complicate things further.
How could I have been so stupid? Why did I get pregnant? Why did I fall in love with Tom? Why did I even agree to come here? Why was I even born? All these questions spinning around my head and I only managed to come to one conclusion. An inevitable conclusion that I should have thought of before any of this even happened! I was so stupid to think I could change the future, make a difference in Tom's life..
I was wrong. The future could not be changed. I was wasting my time.
"It's true" I muttered quietly, not daring to look him in the eye. And with that, I spoke the truth. The entire truth, not missing one detail. I don't know if I thought it would make a difference, he didn't seem to be very shocked or bothered. He just stood in the same spot, not moving, not talking, and staring off into space with his hair hanging in front of his eyes. He had a very sinister look about him, but at the same time he seemed very vulnerable, almost fragile.
"I know you probably hate me now, Tom" my voice faltered on his name and my bottom lip trembled. I didn't bother to hide the tears in my voice or stop them from pouring down my face because he needed to know how it was and maybe my tears and the truth were the way about it, "Originally, my goal had been to stop you…but since then I discovered a completely new and fantastic side to you. And somehow, I fell in love with you. I am still in love with you! You may have a dark side to you, Tom, but I know that there is also a good side because I have seen it. We are having a child together! Doesn't that prove that we should be together? Am I not the first person you said 'I love you' to?" I took a shaking breath and stepped back from him, "I cannot stay here, Tom. If I could then I would, but the only thing that's keeping me here is you! Without your love, I don't belong. Please, don't make me go home and raise our child as a single mother without the love our future family needs."
Silence.
"Tom, talk to me" I sobbed, clutching my bump, "I need you with me. Our child needs you. If you don't speak now then I'll take it as you don't want me anymore. If you tell me to, then I'll stay."
Silence.
I nodded sadly, my heart tearing in two, the scars from Ron reopening.
"Goodbye then, Tom. I love you."
Albus Dumbledore nodded silently, his eyes not sparkling any more. He fingered his beard delicately as the cool breeze from his open balcony whistled through the chambers.
"Are you certain, Hermione?" he asked, "You must understand that the future may be even worse than before you arrived"
I nodded firmly, my eyes not meeting his. There was no point in staying around any longer, I still had the remaining Weasley family back home, and McGonagall was also there. The future may not have changed, but I could cope. Me and my child could go into hiding, away from Voldemort and the stench of death surrounding him. We could be happy, we could live.
"It will take me a moment to perfect this spell, in the meantime you can bid farewell to whom ever you wish, Hermione" Dumbledore said softly.
I nodded again, my heart set on one place in particular. I knew where he would be, he was so predictable like that.
The Slytherin common room was completely empty. At least that's what I thought, until the silhouette of a trembling body appeared by one of the sofa's.
"Hello?" I said, "Is someone there?" I took a hesitant step towards the trembling body, almost too scared to take the next step. Don't be ridiculous, scolded my Gryffindor pride. So much for bravery.
The person moved from the sofa but their face was shadowed. As they moved towards me, the pale, angelic face began to transform into a very familiar one.
Tom's dark eyes shone through the thick darkness of the room, his movements were smooth and graceful but his eyes were thick with tears and his face twisted with sadness.
"Tom…" I whispered, tears welling in my eyes at the sight of him. I wanted to leap forward and hold him, I wanted to be with him for as long as possible, I wanted to tell him that I love him and him say it back. I wanted to spend my life with this man.
I was being stupid.
Suddenly, the silent Tom disappeared and a heartbroken man stood in his place, gazing at me with such sadness and desperation. I needed him back.
"Please, don't leave me, you can't leave me! You can't!" he shouted, cold tears streaming down his pale cheeks.
Boldly stepping forward, he clutched desperately at my robes. Green. Not red. Green. That fact still shocked me. My own tears blurred my vision as I felt the hairs on the back of my neck raise and I knew that Dumbledore had arrived for me.
I shook my head and wiped the tears away as he rose to his feet in front of me, clutching my hand with tears wracking his body. It was heartbreaking seeing him such a broken man. But what could I do? I needed to go home.
"Please, I'll beg you if it will make you stay. You know, I love you…so much..." his voice faltered as he told me he loved me. My heart went out to him. No. My heart broke.
I cupped his cheek tenderly and stared lovingly and regretfully into his dark eyes, which were gradually growing red. This is when I knew I had to leave. I could do no more good now.
I kissed him gently on the lips, savouring the warm feel of his soft mouth on mine, his sweet breath mixing with mine. My hands stroked his cheek as his arms wove around my waist- ignoring the bump separating us from each other. This was the lost man I loved.
I took a step back from him. Professor Dumbledore took my hand in his whilst I still gazed at Tom. I smiled softly, ignoring his eyes as they changed from black, to brown, to red. I knew it was only a matter of time before my sweetheart, Tom Marvolo Riddle, transformed into Lord Voldemort.
To be continued