It's Halloween Night and Dudley has to admit, after weeks of bringing a Scottish Dame like Minerva under his thumb, he's feeling rather good about himself. The cat woman isn't even in heat anymore, but all of those instructions he gave her while she WAS in heat for a week and oh so impressionable have stuck. Meaning she's his now, one way or another. Both because he told her she's his, but also because if it gets out what the two of them have been doing, not even the Headmaster will be able to protect his protégé from getting in trouble for fucking a student.

As pleased as he is with his new relationship with the Transfiguration Professor, it takes Dudley a portion of the Halloween Feast before he notices Hermione's absence. After all, it's not like they can eat at the same table, or anything. But, as the year has gone on, Hermione has been more and more isolated from her house. She would have been better off in Ravenclaw for sure, but for Dudley's purposes, having the rest of the Gryffindors hate her seems to be working beautifully.

Ron Weasley in particular has seemed to be hellbent on turning their Year Mates against Hermione, to the point that the Gryffindors have given the Slytherins a run for their money in tormenting the brilliant muggleborn witch. Though of course, that probably has something to do with Dudley and his repeated talks with Draco about making use of Hermione's intelligence while also keeping her in her place.

Man, if Hermione could hear a single conversation Dudley had with Draco about her, the way he talked about her and belittled her to Draco in order to bring the powerful, wealthy boy on board with letting her exist… well, she'd probably hate him forever. Even though in the end, Dudley was doing all of it for her.

After all, what hope did Hermione have in a Wizarding World without his cousin? Dudley might not have known EVERYTHING there was to know about the Wizarding World… in fact, much of it he was still learning for the first time, even as his older mind allowed him to excel in somethings and made him something of a little genius as social engineering the young wizards and witches around him.

But one thing that Dudley remembered from the previous timeline quite well was just how grateful Hermione was to Harry. He'd heard more than a few tales about how much of a hero Harry was, and some of them factored Hermione quite heavily. Like apparently, one of their first encounters around the time they actually became friends involved Harry saving Hermione from a Cave Troll of all things.

Dudley didn't know the details, but then, he figured he didn't have to. The point was it was obviously Harry that had saved Hermione from any number of threats. Her best case scenario WITHOUT Harry was probably a lifetime of ridicule and debasement as a member of the Wizarding World's lowest rung. Her worst case scenario from what Dudley had already known as well as learned since arriving at Hogwarts, probably involved a quick death at the hands of some of the older Slytherins for daring to show up their younger siblings in her classes.

In the first timeline, Harry had almost certainly attached Hermione to him early enough that she was able to hide behind him and his reputation for protection. In this timeline, it was Dudley doing the protecting, or rather Draco, hilariously enough. At least in Slytherin, Draco Malfoy held a lot of power, despite being a First Year. His father was a big, big deal, apparently.

So, when Dudley convinced Draco to leave Hermione alone, he'd effectively convinced the rest of the House to leave her alone by extension as well. Which was, of course, helped by the simple fact that Hermione was being bullied by her own house. The Slytherins in this case didn't have to lift a finger to put the mudblood in her place, not when the Gryffindors were doing it for them.

Regardless, it was Halloween, Dudley was on Cloud Nine… and Hermione wasn't at the holiday feast. Dudley knew this, because the ostracization of the young woman had led to her sitting at the very end of the Gryffindor House Table. She had to take her meals with her House after all, but they didn't have to make room for her, and she didn't have to sit among them.

However, the end of the Gryffindor table where Hermione normally sits these days is currently empty… and a quick sweep up and down the table shows Dudley that she's nowhere to be found regardless. Frowning, Dudley lets out a low sigh, slightly aggravated, but also knowing what he has to do. The last couple of times he'd realized Hermione was off somewhere crying, he'd let it pass, figuring he didn't need to go and find and comfort her EVERY time she was bullied.

But as a result, it was about time that he do something to make her feel better, to make her feel like he was a friend she could count on, like he was there for her. Alas, his poor dinner would have to wait. Rising from the table, Dudley puts a hand on Draco's shoulder to draw the other boy's attention, causing him to blink up at Dudley in confusion.

"Where're you going?"

Smirking a little, to remind Draco why he's doing all of this, Dudley makes sure his tone conveys the same sort of message, even as he leans in close and whispers to the wealthy boy.

"Granger's off crying somewhere again. I'm gonna find her, make sure she's alright."

It's a mark of Draco's progress in Dudley's humble opinion that he doesn't wrinkle his nose or ask why. But then, he's already done both of those things before, and Dudley has explained why multiple times at this point. Draco might be young, but he's not stupid by any stretch of the imagination. He gets it now that Dudley has explained it to him. There's a spark of something in his eyes, a hunger, and then he's giving Dudley a grin and a knowing nod and waving him on his way.

-x-X-x-

Dudley doesn't pause when he leaves the Great Hall. He has a fairly good idea of where Hermione would be. After all, he's the closest thing to a friend she has in this school, which is why he knows that when she wants to go hide out and cry, she goes to the girls washroom on the third floor.

Making his way there through empty hallways and corridors, Dudley only slows down a little bit when he finally reaches the bathroom. He's almost completely certain that there's no one else out and about right now. Practically everybody should be at the Halloween Feast at this point, given it's a holiday feast, and those are a bit more fun.

Still, it is a woman's washroom, so Dudley tip toes inside, making sure he's not about to be caught by any other witch intruding where he's not supposed to be. But no, there's no one else in there… save for his prey. The sounds of muffled crying come from the last stall in the washroom, and Dudley makes his way over, quite sure he recognizes the sobbing as Hermione's distinct 'brand'.

Leaning against the wood, he reaches up and knocks, causing the crying to come to an abrupt end as Hermione's breath catches.

"Hey, Hermione. Missed you at the feast."

There's a beat, and then Hermione's watery voice comes through the door.

"D-Dudley? I… I didn't want to go… I just want to be alone."

Putting on a faux frown even though she can't see it (he's always found that applying the proper expression when he's faking a mindset helps to sell it) Dudley shakes his head.

"And miss out on all that glorious food? Well, even if you're not hungry, spending your Halloween Night on the toilet isn't exactly a good idea, Hermione."

"… You shouldn't be in here… this is a girl's bathroom, Dudley."

Grinning, Dudley shrugs, even though once again Hermione can't see it. It helps him sound all the more carefree when he responds.

"Well then, I suppose you'll have to make sure I leave post-haste. Perhaps by coming back with me to the Slytherin Common Room so we can talk about what has you so upset?"

There's another beat of silence, a moment where Dudley awaits Hermione's response. He doesn't think she'll just clam up and wait for him to leave, but it's poss- the door to the stall suddenly opens, and on the other side stands the girl who's going to grow up into a smoking hot, fine-ass young woman he plans on fucking, once they're both a little older. Right now, she's not even remotely attractive compared to his pet Professor, especially with how blotchy her tear-tracked face currently is.

But she is smiling a little, looking at him with something akin to hope in her eyes as she bites her lower lip and nods.

"I… I'd like that."

They've barely made it out of the bathroom, Dudley tugging Hermione by the hand (which had her blushing, even though he meant it in a completely platonic way for the time being) when a sudden groan sounds out from a ways down the corridor behind them. Both look back, and both go bug-eyed at the massive back profile of the Cave Troll they see standing there, lumbering about with its huge club.

Neither were aware, because Dudley left just a few minutes before, but a certain Professor Quirrel had already raced into the Great Hall, alerted everyone to the Troll in the Castle, and then pretended to faint right there in the middle of the hall. While everyone else was panicking and the students were being sent back to their dorms, Dudley was convincing Hermione that she shouldn't spend the night in a girl's toilet.

Needless to say, Dudley covers Hermione's mouth with his other hand, able to tell she's about to start screaming, and hurriedly pulls her away around the corner, out of sight of the troll. Then, he keeps pulling, her, tugging insistently even as she trembles, still on the verge of freaking out.

"C'mon, Hermione… we can't stay here. We need to put as much distance between us and that thing before it notices us!"

His whispered words do the trick on the badly frightened brunette, and she lets him drag her through the castle, all the way down to the dungeons and the relative safety of the Slytherin Common Room. Which is packed with the majority of House Slytherin by that point, who it turns out already know about the troll.

There are a few curious glances at Hermione's presence, but most of the House knows by now that something is going on between the Malfoy Scion and the muggleborn. Or they think they know. They all think that Draco is using Dudley as a go between to groom Hermione to be of use to him in the later years, or something, Dudley is pretty sure.

As such, that combined with the fact that there's a fucking Cave Troll running around the Castle, no one raises a fuss over Hermione's presence, allowing Dudley to pull her into his currently empty dorm and all the way onto his bed, where he pulls the privacy curtains shut.

The girl blushes at being alone in bed with him, but Dudley doesn't have any plans on making a move like that tonight. He just takes her by the hands and gives her a soft, calming smile.

"There. Common Room didn't work out like I'd hoped, but here we are, just the two of us, warm, comfortable, and safe. So, why don't you tell me about what's bothering you?"

Now that Dudley has had some time to think, he's not freaking out about the Cave Troll like everyone else. After all, this was the Cave Troll Harry saved Hermione from back in the original timeline, wasn't it? And now, by complete chance, or perhaps Fate itself was rooting for him, Dudley had transplanted Harry's place in this event just as he'd taken his cousin's spot altogether. He'd saved Hermione's life, and he could tell from the look in her eyes that she knew it… that she was grateful, even.

Dudley doesn't grin, as Hermione talks to him about her housemates, about how vile and rude and mean they all are. He doesn't smirk as she insults Ron Weasley's low intelligence, calling him one of the stupidest boys she's ever had the misfortune of knowing. But he's certainly feeling a level of satisfaction, as Hermione details how cruel and mean and horrid the members of House Gryffindor have turned out to be.

In the end, Hermione winds up sobbing into Dudley's shoulder, crying about how they were supposed to be the 'good' house, how they were the house of Albus Dumbledore and supposed to be better than this, how she wished she could have ended up in any other house besides Gryffindor. And Dudley… Dudley is there for her, rubbing soothing circles into her back, letting her let it all out.

Eventually, the all clear is given and it's well past time for Hermione to return to her own dorm. Which will of course only generate more suspicion and negativity towards the brunette, which was in fact Dudley's plan, or at least part of it, all along. But Hermione has no way of knowing that. As he escorts her to the exit of the dungeons, Hermione turns back to him with a watery smile.

"Thank you, Dudley… you saved my life."

Allowing just a bit of his smugness and satisfaction to bleed through, Dudley grins cockily.

"Of course… that's what friends are for."

Hermione smiles right back, while also blushing prettily again. Dudley watches her go, and for a moment he can imagine her matured, older body transposed over her current, too-young form. Oh yeah… she was going to be all his, once she was as beautiful as he remembered her being. Though he might just have to share her with Draco, to make sure his powerful best friend didn't leave Dudley behind when he almost certainly went places after Hogwarts.

It was fun, realizing he was passing by some of these earlier hurdles from the original timeline with such ease. It really did feel a little like Fate, or maybe Destiny, was actually pulling for him to win. Well, they could sit back and watch, because Dudley was just getting started.

-x-X-x-

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