Disclaimer: don't own.

That's what happened in chapter 18:

A/N: I'm really surprised how many people hate Edward. I don't like him either that much. But don't worry – it's still a Hermione/Tom story and not a Hermione / Edward crossover. Everything will work out fine. Enjoy.

Against, his will, Tom turned around. "Everything is possible in the wizarding world, in case you haven't noticed." he sneered. "Hermione travelled through time to change the future – and obviously she failed. That's why she is back – and she will be turned tomorrow."

"Will she?"

"Don't play dumb, Edward. You know everything anyway."

"I do. And I also know that you don't want her to be turned. You want her to go back in time and change everything. You hate being a vampire and you hate having lost her love." Edward sighed.

"Yes."

"Want me to help you?"

Tom rolled his eyes. "You can't."

Edward grinned, holding out an arithmancy book, Tom had never seen before in his life.

"What is that?"

On with the story:

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Hermione:

It was cold and dark and Hermione was far from falling asleep easily. How could everything have turned out so wrong? She now knew exactly what she should have done: she should have stayed in the past. With Tom. Hermione mentally slapped herself. It would have been so easy… And poor Draco. He didn't deserve to die. So what should she do? Hermione came up with a blank – and that wasn't often.

Suddenly, the door slid open and slowly Hermione turned around to look at the intruder.

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Harry:

Where in the world were Hermione and Draco? Harry looked up at the dark sky and shuddered; maybe they hadn't heard the alarm and the army of dementors had gotten them? Hermione had always had trouble with the anti-dementor spell, and Draco? He didn't know. Harry shivered at the thought of both of them getting a dementor's kiss. That was too awful to contemplate. Maybe, he should ask Dumbledore – he usually had a solution for everything. But Harry slumped back down on the green Slytherin sofa: Dumbledore wasn't the man anymore he used to be in the other future.

He groaned. This future was awful. It was chaos. Even worse than the future they left. Harry knew one thing now: They should never have gone on that mission; Dumbledore should have sent someone else. The trio had seriously fucked up.

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Tom & Edward

"Where did you find that?" Tom asked astonished, rifling through the little white non descript arithmancy book. "It's not like you understand magic."

"But I can read the minds of those who can."

'What an annoying roommate.' Tom thought once again. "Fine then." Tom plopped down on the sofa – just out of habit – and hastily shuffled forwards to the chapter he wanted to read. "Arithmancy and Timetravel." Tom read the bold title out loud. It sounded promising.

Eagerly, Tom looked at the big clock on the wall. 1 o clock at night. Jolly good that vampires didn't need any sleep.

Edward smiled sadly at his companion. He knew now that the future would turn out differently – how it would affect his life, he had no idea, but he vowed that he would never join Aro again. This was not the life he wished to live. Maybe, in another life, he found the love of his life? Or maybe he could even stay human? Edward smiled at the thought.

"You are brilliant!" Tom said suddenly, jerking Edward from his thoughts. "I can't believe it, Edward. I've never found anything alike."

"Because you never really searched. You never really knew that she was from the future, did you?" Edward shrugged modestly. "It's alright. It's not too late."

Tom put his face in his hands. "Look, Edward, I might have been a good student – "

"The best… or so I have been told."

"But this is a very complex spell." Tom shook his head in concentration, staring intently at the page. "I've never done it. And if you get any of these numbers wrong, then Hermione is going to die. And lastly – only if she really belongs in that time, will she go there. Otherwise she will die. All these death threats. Do you think they make me confident?"

Edward grinned. "First of all, what happened to the Tom Riddle I know? The confident one? The one who would do anything for power?"

Tom wanted to interrupt, but Edward ignored him. "Besides, I've heard it in your thoughts that Hermione DOES belong in your time."

Tom shrugged, suddenly self-conscious again. "I'm not sure."

"And lastly, you won't do the spell wrong. If you do, then she will die – and that's still better than living the life of a vampire." Edward said sadly.

"Fine." Edward had convinced Tom. "Will you help me write the numbers?"

Edward nodded but his face was serious again. "Oh, and Tom? Hermione must not know what you are doing or the consequences – "

"Will be fatal, I know. I've memorized the death threats of this spell." Tom rolled his eyes. "Let's go then."

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Normal POV:

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked for the umpteenth time and her voice wobbled. Two handsome vampires (one of them Tom) were in her cell, writing various numbers around her (yes, around her – in a circle) and chanting spells she had never heard of. It was good to have some company on the one hand, but on the other hand, it made her slightly nervous. It's not like she was a guest of honor, after all. And she was sure, it was something dodgy.

"Just a little preparation for your change tomorrow." the vampire who was not Tom said that in a lofty voice, which sounded just too innocent to Hermione. "So it is not going to hurt so much."

"So it's true then? The transformation really does hurt?" Hermione asked with wide scared eyes and tried to swallow away the bile. Her dark cell now seemed oddly comforting. Tomorrow, there would be pain, pain and pain.

Tom and the other vampire looked at each other for a split second, but Hermione noticed. "Like you wouldn't believe it." Tom answered finally. "It's like the cruciatus but ten times worse. But don't worry. Everything will work out fine." He turned to the other one. "Edward, are you finished?"

"Yes. You?"

Tom nodded. "Now I just need to chant the last spell and you know; it either happens or it doesn't."

"What will happen?" Hermione screamed out in panic. She wasn't a Gryffindor (not anymore) and she dead scared.

Edward and Tom pointedly ignored her. "Go on then." Edward encouraged Tom.

Hermione banged her fist against the floor, but still no one cared.

"Tempus reversio." Tom shouted and pointed his wand directly at Hermione.

Oops. What was that? Tempus… doesn't that mean… something with time? Nothing happened at first, but then Hermione saw that Tom, Edward and her cell were slightly blurry. A moment later, she felt a familiar sensation; as if she were falling falling falling – falling back in time, and with a jolt of happiness, she knew that she would finally land in the time where she truly belonged. And thus, Hermione fainted.

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When she woke up, she held her head which ached horribly. Slowly, she took in her surroundings. Where WAS she? It seemed to be girls' room with the colours white and pink dominant. The bed had frilly, pink hangings and Hermione couldn't hide her distaste. It looked like another Lavender or Parvati lived here. But where was she?

Cautiously and quietly she opened the pink door.

And was in a grand hallway. Paintings of famous witches and wizards in expensive frames were looking at her curiously. They either shook their head, raised one eyebrow or glared at her. To Hermione's surprise, most of them had white blonde hair. Just like Draco Malfoy. And her heart ached at that.

"Miss?" she suddenly heard a snide voice ask. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione abruptly turned around and was almost face to face with a man with a pointed chin, white blonde hair, icy blue eyes and a sneer.

"I… I don't k…know." Hermione stammered. It was true, she didn't know where she was.

"How did you get here?"

"I don't know that either. My head is killing me." Hermione answered. She knew that Tom and Edward had sent her back in time, but how was still a mystery to her. Something with arithmancy and spells about the reversal of time.

"What's your name?" the man asked coldly.

"Hermione Delacour." Hermione answered promptly. She had to keep up appearances.

Immediately, the man's behavior changed. "Ah… pureblood?"

"Yes." Hermione said slowly.

"My name is Maximus Malfoy." the man held out his hand and Hermione shook it. Ah, she had landed in Malfoy Manor, so Aro's place – the dark side's place – must have been in one of Malfoy's manors. But how come Draco hadn't recognized it then? Too many questions and her head felt as if it would burst.

"Nice to meet you." Hermione half smiled at Abraxas' father.

"Where are you from? And how did you get in here? We have tons of security in Malfoy Manor."

"Uhm… I don't know. I am supposed to be in Hogwarts though." Hermione answered truthfully.

"Ah, Hogwarts. So, I'll send you there." Maximus said grandly. "The nurse will help you with your head – she is really good."

"Thank you."

"Just out of curiousity: in Which house are you in?"

Hermione smiled in earnest this time: "Slytherin, of course."

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Maximus apparated with her to the Hogs Head and from then on, they had to walk. She wondered why Maximus helped her. He didn't really know her and apart from that, he was a conceited, stuck up pureblood. But then, she was a "pureblood" too and a Slytherin at that.

Hermione was more than glad that she had escaped the vampires. And this awful future? How could she ever have survived in a black world? She loved the sun and the brightness, the warmth and the daylight. It must be horrible, being a vampire.

So, Tom had sent her back into the past. She owed him big time. She smiled a little – before the war, she had always considered Dumbledore to be the greatest wizard of the century, but now she knew that it wasn't the case. Tom was the best.

Hermione got excited at the thought of seeing him again. Would he remember her? How much time had past? They had barely reached the gates, when Hermione heard a jovial voice.

"Mister Malfoy. And Miss Delacour." It was Slughorn.

"Good evening, Horace." Maximus said snidely. "I believe, that is one of your students?"

"Yes." Slughorn beamed. "Miss Hermione Delacour. Tom has been looking for you everywhere."

"Uh… really? For how long?"

"For the past hour." Slughorn grinned saucily. "He has a thing for you, Miss Dealcour. Did you know that?"

Yes, she knew. Hermione was so relieved that only a little time had passed. Thank God.

"I'll take her from here." Slughorn said graciously.

"Actually, I would like to have a word with the headmaster, if it isn't too much trouble, Horace." Maximus said. "I've been meaning to talk to him for ages."

"Sure, Mister Malfoy." Slughorn turned to Hermione. "I trust, you know your way?"

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, Mister Malfoy for taking me here."

"No problem." Maximus smirked the trademark Malfoy grin. "It was a pleasure. Besides, I had to meet up with headmaster Dippett for ages. Go to the nurse; you seem to suffer from memory loss if you don't remember how you landed in Malfoy Manor. And I for one have to tighten the security system."

Trust a Malfoy to act selfishly. Hermione was glad, however, and excitedly made her way to the Slytherin common room. Was Tom already there? Was he excited to see her?

She felt her heart beat faster and butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't wait to see him again, to kiss him, to hold him…

"Snake venom." she said to the Slytherin common room entrance, but the door didn't budge.

Huh?

"Snake venom." Hermione repeated loudly.

"Hermione." A familiar voice called out. It was Abraxas. Hermione was so glad to see a familiar face, that she almost wept. "Tom has been looking for you for ages." He rolled his eyes. "He is driving me crazy."

Hermione grinned. "I'm here."

"Really?" Abraxas mockingly raised an eyebrow. "Can't get in? The password changed – Tom's doing. He thought then you would be stuck here and he would find you sooner." Abraxas laughed. "But he is in the common room now, so come in with me. Password is Clean blood."

Clean blood?

Hermione immediately spotted him sitting broodily on the nearest sofa in front of the fire. He eagerly looked up and his beautiful face lit up, when he saw her. Smiling happily, Tom got up as fast as humanly possible and wrapped his arms around her.

"I was so worried." he mumbled into her hair.

Hermione just felt his arms around her; she felt safe and warm and happy; she felt HOME. "I know." she croaked.

Tom looked deeply into her eyes and kissed her senseless. "I love you."

"I love you too."

After what felt like ages, they broke apart. "So how come I haven't found you? What were you doing?" Tom enquired, raising a perfect eyebrow.

Hermione stopped. Ugh, she hadn't thought that through. Not yet, though. Shit, what should she answer?