Author's Note: Sorry about the lack of line breaks in the last chapter. Hopefully you all still understood it and thank you to my awesome little reviewers and alerters out there! You make my days :D
enjoy - and review (remember - i love constructive criticism) :D :D :D
Chapter 11
Christmas was only a week away and the air itself seemed to thrum with excitement. The Great Hall was under construction as night after night the elves began to decorate it and the rest of the school. The lake had frozen over and the few remaining students pretty much skipped to every class with delight.
All except for Tom. He stood there like an outsider, never smiling, never laughing and when Hermione saw him caught under mistletoe once he simply blew it apart before storming down the corridor.
They were sitting together at the Slytherin table the following morning when a heavily wrapped package came flying towards Hermione.
She quickly stuffed it down her bag and resumed her breakfast as if nothing had happened, blatantly ignoring Tom's raised eyebrow.
Tom hated the holidays. First of all everyone was so bloody happy that it was sickening. Secondly, that blasted Granger girl wouldn't stop following him around. Her excuse - she wanted to be best friends with him, not just friends. He snorted at the thought. The second he even started considering Granger his friend would be the day that he'd ditch his plans.
Smirking to himself he fell asleep, content with the knowledge that he would never see that day come.
Christmas had arrived. Waking up Hermione smiled to herself despite the pang of loneliness that came. Sighing she got dressed and made her way down to the Christmas tree in the common room where everyone was crowded around, grabbing their presents in excitement.
Chuckling at even the Slytherins' antics at Christmas she silently accioed her presents and smiled sadly to herself as only one came rushing towards her from Elaine. Opening it she found what she thought was an empty journal at first. Elaine's bright face suddenly popped out of nowhere in front of her, her arms barely carrying all of her presents.
'Do you like it Hermione? You've seemed much more stressed than usual this month so I thought this might help you release all of those pent up thoughts.'
'Thank you Elaine.' Truthfully she had outgrown journals when she was 7 years old but she wasn't about to tell Elaine that.
'It also writes back to you, giving you advice to your problems,' Elaine added as a second thought.
'W-what?' She froze as Riddle's diary sprang to her mind.
'Yeah, it's been in my house for centuries but no one's really used it before so it's all yours now.'
Forcing a smile to her face she thanked Elaine again.
'It's brilliant. I hope you like your present too.' Elaine precariously tried to retrieve Hermione's present from her pile only to drop the rest in the process. Laughing, she helped her pick them up and take them up to their room.
'Thanks Hermione. Now which one was yours again?'
Hermione chucked her the bright red package, mentally congratulating her daring while simultaneously ignoring her journal which now lay on her bedside table.
Opening it, she found a small, white statue of a peacock that immediately began making its way around Elaine's bed, pecking at the pillow and blankets in fascination.
'I remembered you talking about them before, how there were nearly a hundred of them in your manor and how you always spent time with them so I thought you might like this. You do like it don't you?' She experienced a second of doubt before noticing Elaine's eyes which were brimming with tears.
'I love it Hermione! Thank you so much!' Jumping of the bed she rushed towards Hermione and gave her a bear hug. At that second the door opened and in came their other dorm mates. Mary and Rachelle Parkinson entered only to sneer at the scene in front of them. 'I don't know why you spend your time with the likes of her Prince. She's a mudblood for Merlin's sake.' Mary snorted behind her twin and made her way obnoxiously to her bed, flaunting the silver necklace that was now draped elegantly on her neck and chest.
'Oh give it a rest Rachelle,' Elaine scorned. 'She's just as much a human as you and I are.'
Scoffing, Rachelle joined her twin on her bed and blatantly ignored the two.
Hermione smiled at Elaine in gratitude but Elaine waved it off, muttering something about Slytherin pride.
'Tom, can we go outside?' She crossed her fingers behind her back, praying that he was in a good mood.
'Now why would I want to go outside and catch a cold when I'm perfectly warm and comfortable here?'
Cursing under her breath she quickly tried to think of something that would convince him.
'It's a secret.'
She mentally congratulated herself as she saw his eyes flash with curiosity.
'Fine Granger but if you're making me leave for no reason-'
'I'm not.' She quickly cut him off, unable to keep the happiness from her voice.
Rolling his eyes he followed her out of the common room and up the stairs that led to the dungeons, subtly glancing at her from the corners of his eyes.
She promptly sat down when they reached the lake, never mind the snow, and dragged him down with her.
'Now what is it Granger? Tell me!'
'I can't.' She smirked.
'Oh for Merlin's sake!' He began to get up only to be pulled down again by Hermione.
'Granger…'
'Relax. I only meant that it wasn't something that I could tell you about. I have to show you it idiot.'
His curiosity reaching a peak, he leaned forwards eagerly.
Stuffing her hand down her robes, she ignored Tom's disgusted face and pulled out a neatly wrapped green and silver package.
She looked up to see that Tom had frozen in shock and for the briefest of moments she felt pity to the boy who had never received a Christmas present before.
'It's for you,' she whispered, placing it gently into his hands.
His eyes found hers and she could see him desperately searching them for a trap or illusion.
'Tom, it's not a trick.'
His hands shook as he hesitantly took of the wrapping and found what lay underneath.
'Hogwarts, A History,' he whispered.
Smiling she explained.
'It's the newest edition, but it won't be in the markets for another few years. I only have it because I know the publisher and he knows how much of an avid reader I am. I know it looks a bit worn but I couldn't help reading it endlessly.' She blushed bright red at her confession but Tom still didn't tease her, stuck in his frozen state as he was.
She briefly squeezed his hand before making her way back to the castle, looking back once only to see him squeeze the book tightly to his chest.
It made her stop for a second and feel something but she didn't know what and so she continued on her way back to the dungeons, her mind mulling over it all. It was her personal edition from the future but she had vanished all traces of anything that could have hinted towards that.
She hadn't known what else to get him and somehow that had just felt right.
Tom sat there for another hour or so, his backside numb from the cold, but he didn't care.
How could he after what she had given him?
'Thank you,' he whispered to the dark of the night.