I.

Hermione was sitting alone in a Hogwarts Express cabin when Tom found her for the first time.

He'd pressed the door back as though he knew she was there, barely looking at her as he stalked in and sat down, drawing his ankle over his knee. The pair simply stared at each other, seconds turning into minutes before she finally narrowed her gaze and hissed, "What?"

He shook his head. She went back to her book.

"Professor Snape informed me that I would be Head Boy next year."

"Congratulations. I'm sure we'll all be better for it."

"He also mentioned that you would be Head Girl."

She looked up to see that he was curious, if only barely, about her response. She hadn't known for sure, but she knew that she was the obvious choice. "Isn't that a surprise," she raised an eyebrow before returning to her book.

He chuckled. She felt her spine tingle and glanced up to see that he was still staring. Pointedly. Curiously. The word greedily came to mind.

"It gets interesting around page 1039," he told her, voice low. There was no need for him to even look at the title.

"You mean darker."

He shrugged. "We both know why you're here reading it, Granger, and not with your friends."

She hummed.

"It's okay, you know…to be curious. A great mind has to be."

He seemed thoughtful, and it threw her off. They were not friends. They weren't even acquaintances. Over the last six years, she couldn't think of a time that he'd even breathed in her direction. And yet…

She shook it off –whatever it was. "Can I help you with something, Riddle? Because I'm here for some peace and quiet."

"I want to extended the white flag."

"Get out," she told him quickly. Tightly. Her spine burned this time, from bottom to top. Sparking against her skull. Encouraging her: take it.

He chuckled. "I mean it."

He offered her a book.

It was white –pure, blinding white-with thin red lettering along the spine. When she didn't take it, he left it on the bench beside her. "I'll see you on the first, then."

She said nothing.

He smiled. His knee brushed hers as he got up.

"I hadn't noticed before. You're quite beautiful."

She cringed.

His scent lingered in the cabin when he left.

She turned to page 1039.

II.

A month later, she met him in the Ministry library. It was an accident. Her mentor had let her go for the day and Hermione had chosen to stay in the library rather than return home. He seemed to be researching something, if the stack of heavy tomes floating behind him was anything to go by.

Both were dressed in black, inky robes at their shoulders. It was the required uniform for summer interns. His hair was in a state and, for once, hers was still in place. He laughed before she did.

"Isn't this a surprise," he murmured, eyes appraising.

She wasn't sure what he wanted from her. She wasn't sure why she was so comfortable with the idea of giving it to him, either.

They didn't even know each other. They hadn't even spent time together, really.

I hadn't noticed before. She heard the words in her head, over and over, as she tried to say something. At length, she pulled the book she'd been reaching for from the shelf above her head and said, "I'm interning."

"As am I."

Neither said anything more about it, which made it too obvious that they were both in the Department of Mysteries. She was thankful that she hadn't run into him any sooner. You're quite beautiful.

She was blushing when she sat back down at the table. He sat down across from her. It took a long time for her to remember what she was even doing, flipping through pointless pages and taking spotty notes on nothing. The book he'd given her was tucked away safely in her bedroom pillow, but she felt it burning away in her mind…against her hands and on her tongue, even.

"Why did you give that to me?" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. She managed to clamp down on her tongue before asking: why would you want me like that?

He didn't stop writing. She leaned over to see that he was studying chalices.

"I had to," he told her. It was such a simple answer that she nearly believed him. She even wanted to. "Did you finish it?"

"Yes. It was interesting."

He smiled, but didn't look up. "I heard about the Potters."

They'd been killed during a raid in Muggle London, where Grindelwald supporters were planning to attack King's Cross.

"Are you happy?"

He frowned, looking up at her for moment before going back to his work. "No. He's a sod and they're all arrogant fools, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Even if we are nearly out of school."

"Wish what, Riddle?"

He set his quill in his inkpot. "Nothing."

She let it go. "But, you're a Grindelwald supporter."

"Where did you get that idea?"

She frowned. He smirked.

"I support power and intelligence. Neither Dark nor Light leader posses both. They are both incomplete –not to mention incompetent. Makes you wonder."

"Does it?" She hadn't meant for her voice to be so light. Really, she wasn't interested in the conversation at all.

He licked his lips. "Doesn't it?"

She looked back at her work. "Why are you-"

"Don't ask. Read the book again. If you still don't know, keep reading it until you do. I don't want you to mention this again until you figure it out."

"That's rude."

He smiled. Dark and handsome and I hadn't noticed before. You're quite beautiful.

She cursed under her breath.

A/N - I'll update this every day.