Thanks to:

Voldyismyfather

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The woman on front of Hermione was shell-shocked, "You mean that you're a family friend to the Riddles?"

Hermione nodded, swiping a fake tear from her cheeks, giving Tom a joyful look, "I'd been looking for Tom ever since I found out that we were childhood friends. My parents had died during the War leaving me just one letter…" She trailed off.

Mrs Cole cleared her throat, "So you mean that you want to adopt him?"

Hermione wiped away another tear, "I'll just be his guardian until he's 17, then he can get his inheritance."

"Inheritance?" Mrs Cole echoed, her eyes greedy.

"Yes, inheritance." Hermione confirmed.

Mrs Cole sat back in her chair, "I'm sorry, Miss… Ravenclaw… But I can't let you have Mister Riddle, since-"

Hermione waved her wand at Mrs Cole. Obliviate, Confundus. She thought. She winked at Tom who smirked back and spoke in a clear voice, "You said something about letting Tom go with me?"

Mrs Cole nodded, "Ah, yes… I'll have the papers signed you can leave with Mister… What was his name? Anyway, you can leave the premises."

Hermione smiled at the older woman and took Tom's arm, taking him out of the room.

"How was that for an escape?" She asked Tom, walking with him to his room.

"Not very dramatic as I'd always wished, but still good." Tom replied after a minutes thought, "I have an inheritance?"

"Yes. The Slytherin inheritance." Hermione told Tom as she sat on his bed, watching him gather his things, "Our ancestors, Rowena and Salazar were always close friends and they vowed that if either line was destroyed or forgotten, the other would give their inheritance to the remaining line until they found a descendant of the line or a worthy man or woman that filled the position of the line."

Tom nodded, "Ok."

"I'll give you the key once we get back to the Ravenclaw Castle." She said, taking his hand.

Hermione then dragged him out of the orphanage, into an alley.

"Have you ever Apparated?" Hermione asked, shrinking Tom's things and stowing them in his pockets.

"No…" Tom said cautiously.

"Take a hold of my arm." She commanded. As he took her forearm, they disappeared.

The two people landed in a patch of woods and Hermione smirked, "You ok?"

Tom was bending over, supported by a birch tree, heaving.

"No." He said, slightly green from the journey.

Hermione laughed, "I think that Salazar Slytherin would be jealous of that shade of green on your face." She stroked his cheek softly and turned away into a clearing.

Tom touched the place where her fingers just were and followed her.

"By the blood of Rowena Ravenclaw and Dumbledore in my veins, I command you to show yourself!" Hermione announced, her eyes waiting.

Soon, a doorway appeared in midair.

"Come on, Tom. Welcome to my home." She said proudly, opening the door and stepping through.

Tom couldn't stop the look of amazement and shock on his face as he looked around himself.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" She asked him rhetorically.

He nodded.

"It's going to be your home for the rest of your life if you decide to stay after your two last years in Hogwarts." Hermione said to him, taking out her wand.

"Glamourius Remebrus." She chanted as she brought it down. Hermione sighed with relief as the glamour melted off her skin, leaving Tom in even more astonishment.

She grinned, "What?"

"You're not 20." He said in a state of shock.

"Of course I'm not!" Hermione said rather teasingly, "Would you rather be picked up by a 17 year old kid who should have been in school? Mrs Cold-whatever-her-name-is wouldn't have like it."

Tom frowned, "Shouldn't you be in Hogwarts?"

"Nope!" Hermione said proudly, enunciating the 'p' in the word, "I graduated a year early. Muffin!"

Tom watched in annoyed confusion at the last word, but realised it was a house elf's name.

"Muffin is glad to sees, missus!" The elf said happily, her ears waggling, "Tibby's waitings very impatiently."

Hermione nodded, "Thank you Muffin. Tom, why don't you call for Tibby?"

Tom nodded, "Tibby!"

Another house elf appeared with a crack! "Tibby is heres, mister. What cans I pleases you with?"

"Tibby, this is your new master." She said to the jolly elf, "Could you unpack for him?"

"Yes, missus!" The elf said happily, snapping his fingers and disappearing, along with the small objects in Tom's pockets.

"Now Tom, in my house there will be some rules." Hermione began.

Tom hid a groan.

Don't tell me… No potions experiments, dark books, magic and all that stuff.

"I was also a fifteen year old once, and I know what you want now," Hermione said, "So I'm not stopping you from anything."

Tom was surprised but stayed silent.

"But all I'm asking you to do is to knock on private doors, not fool around with the instruments in my rooms, come to breakfast, lunch and dinner unless you told me or one of the elves about where you are and… Right! Do you have your wand?"

Tom groaned, "No."

I knew it! No magic!

Hermione sighed, "Where is it, then?"

"At Hogwarts." He replied.

Hermione sighed, "Stupid Albus."

"Huh?" Tom murmured.

"I'll be going for a while, explore around, and feel free to use the potions room, spells rooms or my libraries, just don't go into my room which is on the third floor… Potion's downstairs, the spells rooms are in the second floor and the libraries are in the fourth floor… And your room is also on the third floor, the green door. Mine's the silver one." She said distractedly.

She then went out of the Ravenclaw Castle and the doors closed with a slam!

Tom blinked.

Soon, a grin slowly appeared on his mouth.

"FREEDOM!" He yelled maniacally.

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So he's free!