Author's Note: Finally, another chapter. I'm getting lazier and lazier. I'll probably not update again for a long time, because I'm currently revising the first few chapters, writing a fic for a secret santa fic exchange, finishing this oneshot I started, and dealing with real life. Sorry. Though, I might write drabbles and other pointless stuff from time to time, so add me to your author's alert list if you want to read those.

I got a twitter as well, so you can follow me there and talk to me if you want. Don't worry; I don't bite. Mariico_97 . Add me. Talk to me. Entertain me.

My fabulous beta is dealing with real life right now, so this chapter is unbeta'ed.

And whoops, I feel like I revealed a bit too much in this chapter. But meh, the whole pacing these past few chapters has been dreadfully slow, so I decided to speed it up a bit.

Also, I'm in the middle of switching around the chapters, so the chapter number might differ from the time you see it to the time you review. I don't think (hope) that it'll affect if you can review or not, but we'll see. Feel free to send me a PM and/or tweet if the review button doesn't work and you have something to ask me.

Thanks for reviewing guys.

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"Cy, I need to talk to you."

"Orion," Cygnus stood up, a look of relief flooding his face as he looked at his brother. Violetta sat on the bed behind him, twirling her ring around nervously. Hermione stood next to Black, unsure whether or not she was invited to stay in this close knit group. She was, after all, relatively new. Violetta had been in their lives ever since they were little children, and she knew that both brothers were extremely fond of her. And herself? Probably a friend at best. "You came back."

"Of course I came back, silly," Black ruffled his brother's hair, and Cygnus cracked one of his rare smiles. They traded looks of affection. However, Black's face immediately became grim. "You should know something." He paused and took a deep breath. "I saw Mother."

"Mother?" Cy's face immediately turned pale. "Our mother?"

"No, Hermione's," Black snorted. "Of course it was her. Hermione and I saw her in knockturn alley." He paused for a second, as if deciding whether or not to say it. "She was talking with Tom."

"Tom Riddle?" Cygnus repeated incredulously.

"What other Tom do we know, Cy?" Black rolled his eyes. "Of course Tom Riddle."

Cygnus immediately turned to Hermione, narrowing his eyes. It had been such a long time that he had shown such hostility towards her that it took a great deal of self restraint to keep herself from cowering under the glare he sent her.

"Why was Tom there?" Hermione didn't miss the anger in his voice, nor did it go unnoticed that he took a giant step towards her so their noses were almost touching. Hermione simply met his gaze evenly, refusing to back down. She knew he had every right to be upset, but she refused to let him intimidate her. What Tom did had nothing to do with her. If she could control Tom so easily, she would've never let herself be interested in him.

"How am I supposed to know?" Hermione shrugged. "I'm not his babysitter." The notion struck Hermione as hilarious, and she pictured Tom lying in a crib as an older woman tried to change his diapers. That, Hermione knew, could never end well, and she pictured some broken bones, spilled blood and maybe even an 'accidental' death.

That thought made Hermione of what Tom was like as a baby. She could guess that he didn't cry at all, and she slightly pitied the people who were to take care of him. Having a baby stare at you with no expression on its face was truly unpleasant indeed.

"You should know," Cygnus growled, his eyes flashing angrily. Now that she thought about it, he and Tom were quite similar; they could both be quite scary when they wanted to, and they had very little control over their temper. The major difference was that Cygnus knew what love was, and was going to marry the love of his life. Tom, on the other hand, probably thought love was a synonym for tolerance.

But then again, Hermione didn't think she would quite like him the way she did now if his personality was more similar to Cygnus'. There was just something about Tom that drew her to him, like a moth to a light source.

"Well, I'm sorry," Hermione said evenly, refusing to let any emotion leak through his voice. Sometimes, she had learned from her father, showing anger was just as bad as giving up. It was important to keep a impassive expression on your face at all times to intimidate the opponent. It also frustrated the hell out of them to show that their insults were having no effect. "I don't follow him around all day,"

She knew she shouldn't use her father's lessons on her fellow students, but whenever she felt challenged, Hermione threw all her shields up. She was awfully defensive of something when she thought—or rather, knew—she was right. If Cygnus wanted an argument, then he would get one, and she wasn't going to stop halfway. It would be a war.

Fortunately, Violetta stepped in and grasped his arm. "Cy," she said soothingly, intertwining her fingers in his. "Let's talk about this rationally. There's no need to snap at Hermione. Come on, let's sit down and talk. There's no use in screaming at each other."

Cygnus visibly relaxed at his fiancé's touch, and he sat down on his bed next to Violetta, but still scowled at Hermione. "You're dating the wrong man," he said darkly. "You don't know what Tom can do."

"Abraxas warned me too," Hermione said. Saying his name reminded her that he was still mad at her. It seemed as if she was now slipping, letting parts of her cover seen by others. Another thought crossed her mind: if Abraxas couldn't even handle this, how could he handle the big truth? How could any of them handle it?

Tom was probably the only one who could handle it. He must have, after all, seen some pretty strange and gruesome things in his life. However, she knew he'd be extremely angry that she had been keeping such a big and dangerous secret from him. He liked knowing everything, after all.

But honestly, there was nothing else she could do now except to keep hiding it. She had dug herself in too deep and it was too late to try and climb out.

"You'd think that by now you'd take a hint," Cygnus said hotly. Hermione was sure that if Violetta hadn't laid a reassuring hand on his knee, he would've jumped up and tackled her. "Tom is dangerous. You know what he can do, yet you still continue to stay with him."

Hermione shrugged. She had done quite a bit of thinking about this topic when she was alone. Why did she stay with Tom? Why did she bother? It wasn't love, like they both deluded the public to think they were both in. It was mutual attraction, sure. But she had a feeling it had to do with him being dangerous and her being dangerous. As a rule, opposites attract, but she couldn't imagine Tom being satisfied with a good girl nor her settling down with some nice guy. She was not good and he was certainly not nice and the two of them made quite a pair.

Besides, she always liked a challenge.

"I know what Tom is capable of," Hermione said firmly. "And I believe that I can handle it."

Cygnus snorted. "Obviously you don't," he muttered under his breath. "Otherwise you would be running and screaming for help now." He looked at her. "You know what I really hate? People who think they're so good they can take on everything. Let me tell you. There are very dangerous people in the world. I know you think you're so great, but you're not infallible."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. She had tried to keep this ugly side hidden as best as she could, but now her nasty temper was beginning to come out. She had always had anger management issues when she was little, just because she was stubborn and refused to give up until the opposition realized that she was right. "And exactly who do you think you are to tell me what I should or should not do?"

"Tom tortures people," Cygnus said. "Tom tortures people for entertainment."

"Cy," Black finally cut in. He had been silent ever since he had revealed that his mother had been in the pub with Tom. Hermione knew that he was probably having difficulty choosing which side to be on, and the thought enraged her. Didn't anyone think she could handle herself? She did not need everyone to constantly watch out for her. "I think that's enough. She doesn't need to know that."

"I already knew that," of course she knew that. It had been rather obvious to see. How Tom had managed to fool all the professors for so long, she had no clue. Perhaps he had just blinded them with his charming, handsome self—just so irresistible.

Maybe he had blinded her as well.

"You knew that?" Cygnus repeated incredulously. "You knew that and you willing stayed with him?" he shook her head. "You're sick."

Those were the exact words Alphard had said about her, when he still had his memory. And perhaps that was true. They didn't even know all of it yet. They didn't know how many people she had helped torture, how many people she had killed, just because she had been too cowardly to say no to her father. But she had an excuse. She was not a sick person because she was born that way, but because of her upbringing.

It was because of her father. He was to blame for this. She was just a girl, a girl in love with books and had a bit of a temper, a studious girl that would've gone to Hogwarts and achieved all 'O's on her OWLs and NEWTs had she not been born in to the wrong family.

But she was born a Grindelwald, so she was born a murderer.

"I know I am," Hermione said evenly. If she thought his little name calling trick could faze her, he was terribly mistaken. He could make her angry if he insulted some of her decisions, but she couldn't care less what he chose to call her. Her father certainly had a more creative and scarring arsenal of nicknames than anyone else could even dream of having. "But I really don't think that's any of your concern."

"Cy, that's enough," Violetta said firmly. "I know you're upset about your mother, but Hermione has nothing to do with this. Leave her relationship with Tom out of this. It is completely irrelevant and you're just trying to add salt to the wound."

"But Vi, he was there with her," Cygnus retorted. "My mother was talking with Tom Riddle. Do you not find that the least bit suspicious? I'm doing Hermione a favor here. She has to know what she's getting in to so she can walk out before it gets too late."

"Cy, calm down," Black said, and then turned to Hermione. "Why don't you go and ask what Tom was doing there?"

Hermione snorted. "Like Tom would ever tell me."

Cygnus raised an eyebrow. "He can keep secrets from you," he said. "On top of all his obsession with torture. And you have absolutely no complaints?"

Perhaps, now that he mentioned it, she did have one. He never told her anything. Of course, she knew that that was the way he was, and that she never told him anything either, but all his secretiveness was making her more curious. She would've imagined that he would've let something slip by now, but he was a pro at keeping secrets. The only thing she knew about him was that his father was a muggle who was dead, and he was like her father in every way.

It was strange that Hermione hated her father—to some extent—yet she was still willing to stay with Tom. Perhaps, Hermione thought to herself, she wanted to prove that if she could conquer one of them, she could conquer both.

"Fine," she snapped, seeing this as a rather good opportunity to give herself an excuse to question Tom. "I'll go question him, but only if you agree to stay here. I am also under no obligations to tell you more than I deem necessary. And if any of you try to eavesdrop, I will know about it, so don't even try." She looked around the room. "Are we clear?"

Black nodded and shot her a grateful smile, which she didn't return. Violetta nodded solemnly. Hermione wondered when the main topic of the argument had shifted from Cygnus' and Black's mother to her relationship with Tom. She was beginning to think that all her Slytherin companions just wanted her away, thus trying to separate her from Tom.

Hermione knew they were worried about her, but honestly, she wasn't a little baby. She could take care of herself. Unfortunately, she couldn't properly show that without blowing her cover.

Cygnus frowned and looked like he wanted to say more, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Hermione simply looked at him before turning around and heading downstairs.

She found him in the deepest corner of the library. It was early morning, so most people did not even wake up yet. However, Tom had always been an early riser, so he now sat alone in the back of the library, pouring over some book that was undoubtedly dark and dangerous. Hermione was grateful that there were no nosy fangirls who could possibly eavesdrop on their conversation. She was rather on the edge, and one giggle about Tom's looks could possibly send her in to a fully fledged tantrum.

He looked up when she sat down across from him, a slow smirk appearing on his face as he tucked his book away and leaned in closer, his warm breath fanning her cheeks. His eyes were a soft grey now, a sharp comparison to the red color Hermione knew they could become. "And what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked smoothly.

Hermione absentmindedly thought that if she wasn't her and he wasn't him, he would reach and pull her closer in to a passionate kiss, cuddling her and whispering love declarations all day long. But she was Hermione Granger, and he was Tom Riddle, and perhaps that was what made their relationship so unique and interesting. They could still get along quite well—or as well as she could get along with anyone with his nature—without all the unnecessary touching.

Though they often spent their time in pointless arguments, at least they were doing something productive, which was more than she could say for the couples who spent their time locking lips.

She prided herself in being intelligent, but she knew Tom was cleverer than she would ever be. He could weasel any information he wanted by using different tricks and tactics. If she had even half the cleverness Tom had, she would slowly and subtly drag the truth out from him. However, she had never considered herself to be particularly subtle, she was terribly impatient, and she knew that Tom rarely let any information out without intending it, so she just cut whatever attempt she could've tried at being subtle and said, "What were you doing with Black's mother?"

He raised an eyebrow, though nothing showed on his face. She frowned; she had wanted to catch him off guard, to see some surprise on his face. "Were you following me?" he quirked his lips, looking a bit too amused for Hermione's liking.

"Don't flatter yourself,"

"So you weren't following me,"

"I didn't say that,"

Tom smirked again, but he didn't say anything. He didn't go back to reading his book either. Instead, he just sat there, two hands placed in front of him, and continued to stare at her with that eerie expression of his. It was a perfectly innocent expression, almost like a doll, and that was what made it so eerie. Because if there was one thing Tom Riddle never was and would never be, that would be innocent.

He was also just as stubborn as her, and the two of them sat there, him smiling and her glaring, because neither wanted to be the first one to give in the break the silence. An unsaid challenge had been issued, and both of them were too prideful to be willing to lose.

However, Hermione actually had a purpose and she needed him to tell her before people started coming down for breakfast. She highly doubted that if he were to tell her, he wouldn't tell her with so many people around. And if she didn't get an answer, she didn't know what Black and Cygnus would do to their relationship. She already had Abraxas mad at her; she didn't need them to be as well.

"Well, are you going to tell me?" she huffed when he continued to smile creepily at her. Hermione absentmindedly noted that his breathing was peaceful and calm—barely making any noise. He was so composed and still as well. He could easily be overlooked. And he was definitely someone that you did not want to overlook.

"Are you going to ask?"

Hermione scowled at him. "I'm not going to beg you."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "I never said you had to beg. However, it is a nice a touch." He smirked. "Are you going to get down on your knees and kiss my robes? Place your head to the ground and say 'Tom is the best?' Don't worry, you don't need to say that. I know that already." There was a smug smile on his face as he said this, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm not going to kiss your robes,"

"Such a pity," Tom sighed. "What about my shoes?" He shifted his feet slightly to the left so he could admire them.

Hermione stared at them. If they got any shinier, they would've sparkled. "Tom. What were you doing with Black's mother?"

Tom regarded her curiously. "You should know, Hermione," her name rolled off easily off her tongue. After hearing it for so long, she still liked the way he said it. His voice was so melodious. It was better than her father, who spat it out like a curse. "I don't give things for free."

Hermione nodded. "What do you want?" she wanted to help both Black and Cygnus, that was for sure—but if it made her reveal anything about her background, she was going to draw a fine line between that and just walk away. She did not consider her friends to be more important than her life, and perhaps that was her main weakness. She wanted to live and feared death, and was willing to sacrifice whatever she could in order to stay alive.

"Why did you follow me?"

Hermione blinked; it seemed a bit too simple. Perhaps there was a hidden motive to this question, like there always was. Hermione chose each word carefully. "I was talking to Black," she said slowly, the smirk on his face not helping at all. He probably knew everything, and just wanted her to slip up and make a mistake so he could watch her squirm. "And we saw you walking on the field, so I dragged him along to follow you. That's all. There was no other reason." Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

Tom looked amused, for some reason. "Did you like what you saw?" he purred, locking his eyes with hers and giving her his insufferable smug look.

"You were cheating on me," Hermione rolled her eyes. Only Tom would flaunt such a fact. He seemed to be under the impression that she would be glad that he was flirting with Black's mother. That, or he liked to watch her upset. She had a feeling that there should've been bigger explosives—maybe some tears and some screams—but frankly, she couldn't be bothered by such petty antics. "With one of your friend's mothers." Tom seemed to twitch slightly at the word 'friend.' "Who is about thirty years older."

"Were you angry?" he smirked. "Did it make you angry to watch me with her? Did you feel your heart breaking in two? Did you feel like crying?" he shot a cruel smile at her.

She honestly didn't know why anyone would ever want to date Tom Riddle. For all his charming and wittiness on the outside, he was so malicious inside. She knew he had 'dated' others before, but she was surprised that not a single rumor had leaked out about his cruel personality. But then again, this was Tom they were talking about, and he was awfully good at covering up his tracks.

He patted her head like she was a pet when she continued to glare at him. "It's alright, Hermy," he soothed. Hermione moved away and glared at the offending hand. He simply smirked at her. "You don't need to be jealous. You're not threatened by her."

Hermione decided right then and there that she was going to kiss as many guys as she could, and make sure that Tom knew about every single one of them.

It looked like he could read her mind, as he retracted his hand and sighed. "I wanted a snake," he said simply. "And it was by coincidence that they sent Black's mother to sell it to me." He did not comment on his flirting, and Hermione did not ask. "I knew, of course, that you had followed me. The two of you were making as much noise as a mandrake. I was surprised that his mother didn't hear."

"Why would you purchase a poisonous snake?" Hermione pressed, ignoring his last statement. "It costs a lot of money that I doubt you'd have," that abruptly wiped off the smirk on his face and he scowled at her. Tom rarely had anything that could make him show much emotion, but she knew that his background was a touchy subject for him.

It was something she could use if she ever needed anything to help win an argument against him.

He looked thoughtful, and then said, "Tom Riddle and his non-venomous snake?" he said, smirking cruelly. "That would be terribly out of character, no? It doesn't have the same dramatic ring to it either."

Hermione raised his eyebrow. "And what are you going to do with this venomous snake? Poison everyone on earth?" She wouldn't put it past him to try that.

Tom smirked mysteriously, but ignored her question. She hadn't expected him to answer it, anyway. "Too much talking," he said simply, and that was all Hermione heard before he reached behind her head and pulled her to him in to a searing kiss.

Hermione and Gabriel. Hermione and Gabriel.

Abraxas' mind was whirling as he headed down the dark dungeons, trying to clear his thoughts. What had he witnessed the other day? Hermione had been trying to curse Gabriel. Hermione, the girl who he often thought was too innocent to be in Slytherin. How wrong he had been. She had been cursing his brother.

He knew Hermione well enough to know that she didn't do something without a reason. It was hard enough to get her to do something when she wasn't motivated. She was either extremely lazy or couldn't be bothered, or a combination of both.

But she had cursed his brother. Abraxas couldn't imagine what hell of a motivation there had to be.

He was still ignoring her, and she hadn't approached him ever since that incident. He was still in the process of deciding whether to ask Hermione or Gabriel what happened in that room. His brother…he didn't know if Hermione damaged his brain during her cursing, but his brother seemed different. More cruel than usual. And though he had never radiated love, what he was now was nothing more than an empty shell.

It was just coincidence that he passed by the empty classroom when he did. He heard a boy's and a girl's voice, and he was about to walk by without a second thought. The school was infested with horny students filled with lust, and he really wasn't in the mood to find two students naked and all over each other. That, and it wasn't his job. Of course, he could report the incident to Tom, who was the prefect, but it was too much work for him and he knew that Tom wouldn't be appreciated if Abraxas gave him even more work than he already had.

However, he froze in his tracks when he recognized the voice. He stopped walking and opened the door slowly and quietly. Quickly, he peeked in, his suspicions confirmed. Sitting on the teacher's desk was Eileen Prince, though an uncharacteristic cruel smirk was on her face. She had always been a rather mild girl, so seeing such an evil expression on her face was surprising.

And pacing around the classroom, hand on wand, with blue hair that was unable to be missed, was Nick Porter—Hermione's best friend.

It did not look like a makeout session. Rather, the two of them looked to be in a heated argument.

Eileen cackled gleefully. "Oh, it wouldn't be fun if I just inhibited Gabriel's body," she sneered, and Abraxas immediately felt his heart stop beating. They were talking about his brother. His brother. What did she mean by inhibited? "I needed someone to do the dirty work, but also someone to keep an eye out on things." She looked down at her hands and smirked. "Eileen proved quite useful. She was an introvert and stayed out of everyone's way. Very observant girl. But there's no way anyone would believe her to be a murderer. So I used her body to keep an eye out on things from the background. Pity that I'll have to destroy her." She shot him a smug look. "But you had it all figured out from the very beginning, didn't you, Nicky? You were always a very observant boy. So smart." She licked her lips and shot him a seductive look. "That's what I love about you."

Porter looked angry, clenching his fists. He, Abraxas noted, quite determinedly ignored Eileen's advances. "You let them both go," he said. "Don't harm any of them. They're not part of the mission, thus there's no use in causing any more harm than necessary."

Abraxas frowned. Both of them, Porter had said. Did that mean what Eileen said was true? That she was in both Eileen's body and Gabriel's? How was that even possible? And what was the motive behind this? And how did Porter, of all people, know?

"I don't think Gabriel would want me to let him go," Eileen—or whoever she was—chuckled madly. "You see, I used his body to kill those two girls. Daisy and Erica, I believe? They were so foolish. So innocent." She licked her lips. "I had the pleasure of watching the twinkle die in their eyes, to watch their mouths open wide as they screamed." She sighed. "So delicious."

Gabriel, Abraxas thought. Poor Gabriel. He felt guilty, though when he felt relief to know that he hadn't imagined it, that he really hadn't killed those two girls. He had spent many nights laying awake, wondering why he didn't remember even laying a hand on Daisy and Erica.

However, to think that his brother—even if he had been inhibited by someone else—had, made him feel rather sick.

Porter looked at her in distaste. "Only you would brag about a failed mission."

Eileen's face immediately contorted in to a look of fury. "I had to!" she screamed. "Those stupid bitches wouldn't leave me alone. My cover would've been discovered if they had kept their constant pestering." A cruel smirk appeared on her face. "I crucio'ed them a couple of times, to soften them up. And then I introduced them to death. My favorite job."

"That's what they were saying," Porter said slowly. "When they said Malfoy. It wasn't Abraxas they were talking about, but Gabriel." He paused. "But you wouldn't care either way, because you could just ditch his body if you ever needed to. It would be him taking the blame."

"Exactly!" Eileen clapped her hands together. "You're catching on, Nicky! I'm so proud of you." She leaned in as if to grasp his arm, but Porter pulled back and shot her a look of distaste. Eileen merely pouted, unfazed by the rejection.

"How did you do it?" Porter hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Normally, it is extremely difficult to have that much control over one person for such a long time, and from so far away as well, but two?"

"Maybe I'm just extraordinary powerful," Eileen giggled. "Are you finally coming to realize my talent, Nicky? Are you finally coming to respect me?"

Porter scoffed. "He probably gave you a spell to use,"

Eileen scowled at first, before her face turned in to a big smile. "Of course he did. He takes care of me so well," there was a loving adoration in her eyes. Abraxas wondered who 'he' could be. He also wondered if what they said was true; was Gabriel's body really being taken over completely? Was that why Hermione was attacking him? Because she realized? She had been trying to protect him, but he didn't even stop to think about it.

Then again, there was the problem of how Hermione knew. There was something fishy going on about the three of them. Something that Abraxas hadn't quite figured out yet. And something, Abraxas knew, that would be very important for him to figure out fast.

"I'm going to turn you in," Porter declared. "You, knowing what a coward you are, are probably residing very far away from here lest your temporary bodies get in trouble." Eileen scowled at him. "But I can still tell everyone about how you took over two bodies and forced them to do unthinkable actions. I can get them to strengthen the wards so that you can never come back. And that would symbolize a failed mission, would it not?"

Eileen looked nervous all of a sudden. "It is not a failed mission," she said, thought she sounded as if she were trying to reassure herself. "You can't tell them. If you tell them, they'll want to know how you know. And then your own cover would be blown, wouldn't it?"

Porter. Porter had a cover as well. Did that mean he was in on this madness? Did he help this psycho take over his brother and kill two girls? Did Hermione know about this? Did she know that her best friend was a killer?

"I don't care about my cover," Porter said calmly, and that made Eileen even more nervous. "I am perfectly willing to turn myself in as long as that means you stay out of the castle. Who knows what else you'll do if you continue to stay. My life is not worth all of the people you will hurt."

"What about Hermione?" Eileen asked. "You don't care about her? What will happen to her if you blow the whole thing open? I'm sure you'd understand; she's in the worst position right now. Even worse than me," she winked. "Do you want to let her go through all this, just because you wanted to play hero?"

"They won't listen to you," Porter clenched his jaw. "Your word holds no credibility,"

"Of course it won't," Eileen smirked. "But it will throw some suspicion on her, would it not? Word travels fast in this castle. And poor Herms already has a lot on her shoulder," she cackled. "Would she be able to keep her secret under all the pressure? Because we all know that if she cracks, she's as good as dead."

Abraxas narrowed his eyes. It sounded like Hermione herself had a very big secret that she must hide. Was she also involved in this secret group? He couldn't tell. It sounded like it, but she had also tried to save him from the person inside his brother. That, or the two of them had just got in a jealousy fight of who could please the higher ups better.

"Leave Hermione out of this," Porter clenched his jaw. "She has nothing to do with this, and you know that."

Eileen raised an eyebrow. "But do they know?"

There was a pause. Abraxas could almost see Porter's mind whirling, trying to find the best choice of action. At least his affections of Hermione hadn't been an act; it was obvious by the way he was trying to protect her that he still loved her like a sister. But what exactly was he trying to protect her from? There were so many secrets; none of which he knew the answer to.

Though the situation was just plain confusing to Abraxas, he couldn't help but admire Porter a little bit. He was such a loyal person, always protecting Hermione and putting her before his own needs. He wondered sometimes if the boy wasn't just desperately in love with her—enough to be willing to let her stay with Tom as it made her happier.

Eileen broke the silence first. "It's such a pity," she sighed, hopping off from the table and approaching Porter. His eyes followed her movement warily, his hand touching his wand in his pocket. "Why do you have to protect her so much? You and I can be happy. We'd be so powerful. You don't need to do this for her. She'll be gone soon, and we'll be undisturbed." She shot him a seductive grin and leaned back on a desk to give Porter full view of her body. "I can give you so many things that she can't."

"How many times do I have to tell you this, Bellatrix?" Porter scowled, his eyes never straying from her face. Bellatrix. So that was her real name. The name of the person who had taken over Eileen's body and destroyed his brother's. Abraxas clenched his fists angrily. This Bellatrix would have to pay. He would make sure of it. "I am not interested in you, nor will I ever be." A thought seemed to pop in to his head. "However, I will consider your proposal if you go and turn yourself in."

Bellatrix cackled. "Nice try, Nicky," she said. "But I'm no idiot. I know what you're trying to do. And if you won't love me," she leaned in, her voice becoming a teasing whisper. "I'll make you love me."

"That will never happen," Porter said coldly.

"Oh, but it will," Bellatrix smiled gleefully. "Once that damn bitch is out of our lives, you'll find yourself running back to me for comfort." Her face darkened suddenly. "She's so annoying, so stupid, yet she gets to play such an important part. And the funny thing is, she doesn't even know." She laughed and laughed, as if it was the funniest thing that she had ever said. "So oblivious, so naïve."

"She won't be gone," Porter said calmly. Abraxas, for the first time, admired his demeanor. How he could remain so calm and peaceful when faced with an obviously insane woman who was plotting the death of his best friend. He himself would've crackled and ran for help hours ago. But perhaps Porter was already used to it. "There's no proof on Hermione. There never will be."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Bellatrix said, a smug look on her face. "There's no real evidence. But Nicky, do you honestly think that we're not skilled enough to produce our own evidence? It's so easy." She grinned. "Soon, that bitch will find herself under fifty two charges for murder, as well as some for torture and trespassing. The list will go on and on." She sighed contently. "I daresay, even a lifetime in Azkaban wouldn't be a fit punishment."

Porter looked like he wanted to say something, but then Abraxas did what was probably the stupidest thing in his lifetime: he barged in to the room, drawing both their attentions to him. Bellatrix immediately relaxed when she saw that it wasn't Dumbledore, but Porter had a tense look on his face, glaring at the door as if it should've closed and silenced itself.

"Stop it," he said. Now that he was in the same room as the two of them, he felt all his confidence leave him. Bellatrix certainly was frightening; she had the insane look on her face as she regarded him as if he were just a little rat. "You can't do that."

"I do as I please," Bellatrix simpered. She shot Porter a triumphant smile. "What are you going to do now, Nicky? He heard everything. He could go babbling to the professors. Think of what'll happen to Hermione then."

He was still rather confused about the whole thing, but if he knew one thing, it was that Hermione was not responsible for all the damage this insane woman had caused. He had doubted her too many times, and this was one time he wanted to stand by her. However, that did not mean that he wouldn't question her when the two of them got to talk later.

"I won't tell," Abraxas said, glaring at Bellatrix. Porter visibly relaxed, and he shot Abraxas one of the few grateful smiles that Abraxas had seen the boy give. "I won't let Hermione get in trouble for something you did."

"Do you hear him?" Bellatrix cackled. "He's talking as if he knows what's going on." She smiled at him as if he were just a little baby. "You think you know what's going on, don't you? You think you're so smart?" She cooed at him. "Who's the smart one?"

Porter narrowed his eyes, and then made a frantic gesture. "Malfoy," he called out. "Malfoy, get out of the way, watch out!"

Abraxas barely had time to register his words when he saw Bellatrix's face immediately wiped clean, a dangerous look replacing her smile. Her eyes glittered darkly and her mouth was pulled up in a vicious smirk. Before Abraxas could comprehend anything else, an unbelievable pain hit him, and Abraxas blacked out.

"Found you,"

Hermione looked up and was surprised to see Tom, his usual smirk on his face, standing in front of her. His eyes swept around, taking in the surroundings—clearly, he had never been down here before—before he sat down opposite her.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione said warily, eyeing him. She had not told him she would be coming down here, so she had no doubt that he had been looking for her. She wondered who he had asked. She had been spending some time with Ron before she came down, so he was the only one who knew. Had Tom went to go ask Ron? That couldn't have ended well.

"Can't a man be hungry?" Tom said, before waving over one of the house elves. They disgusted him to no end, but he was forced to be polite as news travelled fast around Hogwarts. Had it been anywhere else, he wouldn't have hesitated to kick and curse them. "Get me a firewhiskey."

"Tom, you're a prefect." Hermione said as the house elf scuttled away.

"It's the weekend," was all she got in response. Tom's eyes zeroed in on the little object on the countertop, and he reached over for it. "What's this?" he asked as he picked it up, tilting it back and forth.

SPEW, it said. Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. Tom couldn't prevent a cruel smirk from appearing on his face.

"This is what you spend your time on?" he sneered coldly. Hermione flinched slightly, but still met his gaze evenly. "This little childish organization of yours?" this was disgusting. Why would she want to promote the rights of those disgusting creatures? They didn't deserve any rights. They were slaves and were meant to stay slaves.

"That's rude," Hermione said. "It's a work in progress, though I want to make it official before Valentine's day. Maybe the house elves won't be so afraid to find some love them." She had a dreamy look on her face, and Tom wanted to pull out his wand and curse her.

"That's disgusting."

"I know. You said that already," Hermione said offhandedly, taking out her bag. Inside were millions of buttons that were the same as the one he was holding. Tom glared at it. He could almost feel the filth that it was radiating. It was making him sick. "Say, would you like to join?"

"Would I like to what?"

"Join," Hermione said simply, as if she hadn't just insulted him by offering. "You're fairly well known around the school, are you not? It'll help promoted the popularity if you wear the button. You don't even have to do anything, just wear it and hand out some when people ask to join." She smiled at him. "Not too hard for you, is it? It's not rocket science, Tom."

Tom stared at her, trying to determine whether or not she was joking. She didn't seem to be. "I'm not wearing something that I completely disagree with. Though," his lips twisted in to a cruel smirk. "I will help participate in burning the buttons." Tom glared at her. She was a Slytherin, and she was promoting house elf rights. It was a disgrace for the entire house.

Hermione scowled at him. "Do it. Or I will forcefully glue it to your robes." The look on her face clearly said that she wouldn't hesitate to so do either.

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Resorting to threats, are we now?" He tsked. "I didn't figure you'd use such petty tactics."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I learn from the best," she said sweetly, and Tom glared at her. She paused. "Please? I'll do anything." She looked at the house elf sadly, who had returned with a glass of firewhiskey for Tom. He accepted it without sparing it a single glance, resisting the urge to do something absolutely horrid to it.

Tom looked like Christmas had come early. "Anything?" He repeated, a smug look appearing on his face. Perhaps he could weasel something out of this after all. Hermione seemed to be desperate enough to make him wear the button.

"That I deem is appropriate, yes," Hermione said, a little bit worried. With Tom, she didn't have to worry about consequences such as running naked around the school. It was more about the personal information on her background that she was afraid that he was going to ask. And quite frankly, she would prefer to run around the school naked any day.

"I want to know about your mother,"

It was certainly not the worst of the questions he could've asked, but Hermione didn't feel comfortable sharing either. She had never shared it before—not to anyone. However, she thought of the SPEW buttons laying in her bed, the poor house elves who were kicked and tortured every day, and forced herself to start.

"Fine," she said. "My father loved another woman when he met my mother—or as much as he could love someone, anyway. When the other woman died, he changed my mother to be an exact replica of her to compensate for his loss. That is why, I have never known my mother to be who she really was, just who my father wanted her to be."

"Porter's mother is the other woman?"

Damn, as always, he was so perceptive. She decided it would be wise to ignore his questions, lest she gave something important away. "I never really knew my mother," she shrugged. "She was usually away, and the times we spent together were rather awkward." She didn't add that her mother had once saved her from Grindelwald, and that after that incident, Hermione had respected and loved her more than anyone to this date—except, maybe, Nick. "I was only four when she died. The memories are very vague now."

"How did she die?"

Hermione was silent.

"Hermione," Tom grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. For a moment that was supposed to be sad and sympathetic, Tom certainly was doing the exact opposite. Hermione didn't feel comforted, but perhaps, she wasn't looking to be. "How did she die?"

Unable to help it, tears started flowing down her cheeks. Tom look startled, almost as startled as she was. She never cried. Ever. Not even with her father's cruciatus curse, not with anything. It was a moment of uncharacteristic weakness, yet she could not stop herself.

"I…" Hermione trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut. "I killed her."

She buried her face in Tom's robes, and though he shot her a disgusted look, he didn't try to push her off. They sat like that for a long while—her bawling her eyes out while he tried not to react violently as she soaked the front of his robes with her tears.

"Oh Tom," she said, sniffling. Her voice was muffled. "I had to. I did."

Tom's hand was rested in her hair and he stroked it. Hermione couldn't help but notice that it wasn't a loving gesture, but rather a possessive one. "It's not your fault," he soothed. "There's nothing wrong with killing."

"That's easy for you to say," Hermione snorted. "You hated both your parents." There was a long pause. She then realized that he had never told her about his mother either. What kind of woman was she? She couldn't help but wonder. Was she cruel and evil? Tom certainly didn't seem to have gotten that bit from his father. However, she knew that this was not the time to say it.

"You said you were halfblood," Tom said finally. Hermione nodded the best she could with her head still buried in his robes. "It sounds like your father was the one with the wizard blood in him," again, Hermione nodded. She couldn't imagine Grindelwald ever being anything but pureblood. "That means that he willingly used a Mudblood to impersonate someone else." He sneered. "He must've been so desperate."

Her father had been desperate, that she knew. His most prized possession had just slipped out of his fingertips so unexpectantly, he needed something to quickly replace it in order to keep himself sane. It wasn't love; more like he went in to withdrawal that something he thought he possessed could slip through his fingertips so easily.

That was when her mother came in. She was so innocent, so unaware of the huge part she played. Hermione couldn't help but think that if her mother hadn't fallen for Grindelwald's charming self, that Grindelwald might've just fallen in depression and died of shock. And though she would've never been born, the world would've been a better place.

But then, her selfish side kicked in and she told herself that no matter what kind of hell the earth was in, she still wanted to be able to live in it.

"You stopped crying," Tom noted. Indeed she had, though she hadn't noticed. Perhaps she had exhausted her tear supply. She hadn't cried in years, though, and it felt nice to let it out. Though, she had never expected that it would to be under these circumstances. She had imagined herself in her room, crying silently in to her pillow. She had never revealed her mother to anyone. Nick was the only person who knew about it, and it was not because she told him. He had been there, had comforted her.

He really was too good for her. Everyone was too good for her. Even Tom.

"You sound surprised," Hermione commented dryly as he sat up. She noted the huge stain in the front of his robes. Tom caught her looking and smirked at her. Hermione merely scowled at him. "I have some self control, thank you."

"I'm not sure about that," Tom teased. "You did throw yourself at me after all. I was wondering when you'd crack." He had a smug look on his face. "I'd say it's a victory for me."

"Don't be silly," Hermione scolded. "Remember that time when you were drunk and slobbered all over me? You're lucky I didn't reveal that to the entire school. I daresay your reputation would plummet quite fast if people found out that you were really like that," she stuck her tongue out at him.

Tom didn't even flinch. "What about the time where you were drunk and molested me? I think people would pity me. After all, I am just an innocent, naïve little boy, being molested by an angry mountain lion."

Hermione scowled at him, standing up. "Remember to wear the button."

"You're leaving already?" Tom pouted in a way that made him look like an adorable puppy, on contrary to his real personality. "No good bye huge? No farewell kiss? I'm disappointed." He held on the hem of his robes. "You destroyed my robes, so it's only natural you should kiss it to make me feel better."

"In your dreams, Riddle," Hermione sniffed, before turning around and slamming the kitchen door on him. She could still imagine the smirk that must be present on his face.

Hermione would've expected to feel terrible after that. After all, she had just revealed one of her deepest and most personal secret to someone who would only wear a button in exchange. However, she felt rather lighthearted. Tom had listened to her, and rather than trying to comfort her, had simply been himself and that was what she wanted him to do. Of course, his insults to her father made her feel a lot better as well. There was nothing like insulting the world' most dangerous wizard.

She and Tom suited each other just fine.

Abraxas peeked in to the room. Tom sat in the dorm by himself; Black and Cygnus were nowhere to be seen. He was relieved that there was no one else to listen in on their conversation, but now that there was no one around, he would have to play along with Tom's silly desire to be all powerful.

He was thankful that Tom didn't know occlumency yet. Otherwise, he would be writhing on the ground, under the cruciatus curse.

"My Lord," he dropped down on his knees, crawling over to kiss the hem of Tom's robes. The boy barely paid him any attention, continuing to flip the pages of his book without even looking up. Even as he sat, there was an air of superiority to him. His posture was perfect, and his fingers elegantly turned the pages.

After a couple minutes of tense silence, Abraxas spoke up again. "I have something I need to ask of you, My Lord," he tried. Again, no response. Steeling himself against the possible torture he might face for mentioning her name, he added, "It's about Hermione."

It worked better than he expected it to. Tom immediately slammed his book shut and looked down at Abraxas. "What?" he asked harshly, all of a sudden interested in what Abraxas had to say. Abraxas almost raised an eyebrow that he was so interested in something regarding Hermione, but then he remembered that it was Tom in front of him, and made sure to respectfully keep his head down.

He had been truly surprised when he woke up with all his memories intact—and even more so that he was still alive. He expected that at least one of them would have killed him, or removed his memory as a precaution. He had a feeling that Bellatrix had wanted to, but no doubt Porter saved him. Yet the boy still let him have his memories. Did he trust Abraxas wouldn't blab? It was an awfully big secret he was entrusting on someone he barely knew. And it wasn't even his own secret; it was Hermione's.

Or perhaps Porter and Bellatrix had gotten in to a fight, and he had woken up and got away before either of them got back. It certainly seemed more plausible. Porter obviously didn't harbor any hidden feelings towards him. In fact, he was quite sure that if the two of them were alone, Porter wouldn't hesitate to curse him.

Nevertheless, he wasn't going to reveal Hermione's secret. At least, not until he figured the whole thing out himself. And he knew that Tom was extraordinarily perceptive; it would only be a while before he figured it out. Abraxas figured that he might as well be helpful for once and tip him in on it. Tom would certainly figure it out faster than he could, and maybe he'd be nice and actually share the information he worked out.

Abraxas snorted. Tom Riddle was never nice.

"My Lord," Abraxas said. "Do you know anything about a woman named Bellatrix?"

Tom paused for a second, narrowing his eyes. "Bellatrix Black," he said finally. "A very distance relative of Orion and Cygnus. They avoid talking about her because they're embarrassed to be related. They would probably get kicked out and locked in Azkaban if anyone found out their relation, though only an idiot wouldn't notice their surnames." He raised an eyebrow, slightly curious of why Abraxas wanted to know. "She's one of Grindelwald's closest followers." There was a look of disgust as he mentioned Grindelwald's name. For someone who was so like him, Tom had never liked Grindelwald.

Abraxas froze. Bellatrix was one of Grindelwald's closest followers? And she had been in Hogwarts, not through one body, but two? And in his brother's body? And somehow Porter and Hermione had something to do with this? It made some things more clear, but it also made many more questions arise. There were still many mysteries that he did not have the answer to.

Then, Tom narrowed his eyes and asked the question that Abraxas wanted desperately to find out. "What does Hermione have to do with this?"

They all stood on a hill, Grindelwald standing on the very top. Bellatrix was not too far away from him, affection written all over her body. Five was there as well, grasping hands with his girlfriend. Unlike her, Five was completely tense and unhappy to be in this meeting. His girlfriend, however, couldn't be more excited. She was chatting excitedly, though for once, he couldn't hear a word she was saying, nor did he care. He didn't want to hear her talk about how wonderful Grindelwald was. Grindelwald was not wonderful, nor nice, nor caring, nor any of the other adjectives that she used.

Grindelwald raised a hand, and instantly, everyone fell silent. "My minions," he said, his voice deep and rumbling. Even the people in the very back of the group could easily hear him. "We have made great success this year." A cheer went through the crowd. Five remained silent, but when his girlfriend looked at him, he let out a halfhearted cheer. She smiled and squeezed his hand again, and he decided right then and there that he would make more of an attempt to cheer when Grindelwald spoke.

He was still very much in love.

Grindelwald waited for silence before continuing. "Thanks to some people," he said, and Bellatrix made a big show to draw the attention to her. Five rolled his eyes; if there was anything that insane girl did during the entire operation, it was screw things up. He was surprised that Grindelwald hadn't tossed her off the team yet. She made too many mistakes for someone in the professional level. "This mission is going along faster than expected. We are much closer in getting him on our team."

He paused. "Many of you are unsure why we spend so much effort to get him to join us," Grindelwald said. "You do not know of the magic he is capable to performing, what power he has when he wields a wand, the terror he can cause among the population." His eyes darkened excitedly as he scanned the crowd. "With him, we will be able to rule the world. There will be no opposition. No one will be able to go against us." He paused. "Anyone who opposes this can speak now."

But of course no one protested, because he was Gellert Grindelwald, and his words were the law.

"Very well," Grindelwald said maliciously. "My daughter has been, and will be kept in the dark. She is to remain oblivious." His eyes glowered dangerously. "Are we clear?" There was a chorus of nods around the crowd. Five couldn't help but notice that Bellatrix looked sour that Hermione had been mentioned in his speech and she hadn't.

"Poor Bella," the girl next to him whispered. Five didn't think Bella was poor at all. Rather, that title went to anyone who had the misfortune of meeting her. "She always wants to be talked about at meetings, but Master never mentions her." She herself had never mentioned Hermione, so Five didn't know what her feelings were towards her. Were they good? Bad? Murderous?

"I have one last thing to mention," Grindelwald's eyes glittered in the darkness. There was a cruel smirk on his face as he addressed the crowd. Bellatrix, Five decided, was looking a little too pleased with herself. "Should any of you come across this opportunity, do not hesitate to act on it," he scanned the crowd, speaking each word slowly. "Kill the spare."


Author's Note: Next chapter will be around the halfway point, or maybe even more than that already. Nonetheless, this story probably won't exceed 48 chapters, but right now, I'm going to try to aim for 30 and not get ahead of myself.

Thanks for reading. Till next time.