Again, thank you, thank you, thank you to all the reviewers out there. You really are the reason why I keep updating :)
kk, this chapter is extra long guys as it's the last one for their first year. Next chapter – year two :) :) :)
Review, review, review :) :) :)
Oh, and I'd just like to add that I chose Dumbledore to find the cure instead of Hermione mainly because as a youth he had immersed himself in the darkness so to speak whereas Hermione has always been of the light so yeah...to find a cure for a dark curse you'd have to study that same darkness. So yeah... :P
Chapter 18
Although he had made a full recovery Raven himself was never the same again after that. He was now jittery and would glance behind his shoulder every few minutes. Most pitied him although the same could not be said for Mary who stuck to his side every waking minute that she wasn't in class. She would glare at anyone even remotely suspicious as they passed by Raven in the corridors and had on occasion hexed several students who had allegedly thought he deserved it.
Other than that the year passed by relatively peacefully.
Sighing happily she plumped herself down on the armchair that sat beside the common room fire and looked wistfully at the flames dancing merrily together.
She highly doubted Tom would attack the boy again; teachers had begun to patrol more frequently and in pairs while prefects were in groups of threes now.
Even without all of the added security which she anyway doubted would hold off Tom, Dumbledore had begun to keep a closer eye on him and it was clear to both Tom and herself that he knew exactly who was to blame.
Tom wasn't stupid she firmly decided, beginning to doze off on the chair. He wouldn't attempt to attack the boy again any time soon.
Just as her mind was about to slip into unconsciousness, she vaguely made out Tom sitting on another armchair placed in the corner of the room, a book propped up on his lap. She snorted when she made out the title.
It seemed he had not forgotten that someone had obliviated him all those months ago. Chuckling she made herself more comfortable on the chair, content. She had only obliviated him to keep her powers secret but he had figured that much out later on and so there was no real danger of him finding the truth.
Thinking hard, guilt began to creep up in her again and forced her mind awake once more. She had been harsh, harsher than she had needed to be. She shouldn't have left him there either.
Sighing she pushed it out of her mind. There was no point in dwelling on it for now. She wasn't perfect and she did make some mistakes here and there.
This just happened to be one of them.
Pushing past the bustling students on the train she desperately tried to find an empty carriage to calm her frazzled nerves.
She had chosen Tom's orphanage from the list Dumbledore had given her a few weeks back but she was yet to inform Tom of her decision. She wasn't quite sure what his reaction would be and she was in no big hurry to find out.
Breathing in relief, she lay across the seat, relieved to find an empty carriage. She suspected Tom was sitting with Malfoy and Elaine was probably with Avery and her other 'family friends'. Shaking her head clear of all thoughts her mind slipped into darkness, her ears all too happy to ignore the loud and hustling students outside.
It was in this state that Tom found her while trying to locate a bathroom.
He froze outside her carriage as the sun had chosen that moment to peep through the clouds and bathe her in a brilliant haze of orange light and splendor.
His stomach knotted itself into a ball and he had to force his feet to keep moving, uncomfortable with what he was feeling.
Harold was waiting for him on the corner of Kings Cross with a firm sneer in place. His nose was upturned, as if smelling something unpleasant and his arms were folded sternly together as he glanced down at Tom in disgust.
He didn't move though and kept staring off into the distance until Tom's curiosity got the better of him.
"Sir, would it not be prudent to head off now?"
"Don't speak unless spoken to Riddle and as it is we're waiting for another…thing to accompany us."
Eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, he too regarded the individuals leaving the station, trying to guess who the surprise visitor was. Not one minute later an awfully familiar bush of hair began walking towards them, a smile ready on her face while she hastily tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
"Hello sir, my name is Hermione Granger. Pro-"
"Yes, yes, I don't really care who you are. Now come along the both of you and don't make a sound."
Hermione's eyes betrayed her shock and slight uneasiness before she covered it up quite effectively and followed them silently through the packed streets of London to where a tiny car awaited them. It looked like it had come from a garbage dump but she kept that particular thought to herself.
"Get in, the both of you. Now."
Frowning at his words she followed a sullen Tom into the car but not before hastily cramming both their trunks into the back of the car. Just as they closed the lid to the car she caught a glimpse of his face and winced. Although his face was as expressionless as ever his eyes were spitting fire at her.
The trip, although it only took at most fifteen minutes, dragged on, a heaviness clinging to them like a wet blanket, drenching them with its weight.
As they reached the orphanage she barely had time to take a good look at it before she was pushed hastily through the doors and up the stairs to the fourth bedroom on the left where, upon entering, sat a menacing looking girl whose eyes were squinting heavily through her glasses.
"Who are you?" She spit out aggressively and it took all of Hermione's willpower to refrain from glaring at the girl in disdain, her beefy arms reminding her forcibly of Millicent Bulstrode.
"Hermione Granger. I'm new."
"Clearly," the other girl muttered while her lips curled cruelly into a gleeful smile.
"This is my side of the room while that is yours." Hermione's eyebrows lifted on their own accord as the girl motioned towards a shabby looking bed in the corner.
"Is that it? Don't you think there's room enough here for the both of us?" It wasn't one of her best moments she had to admit as the next instant she found herself in a headlock with the other girl as she pulled on her hair forcefully.
Letting out a squeal of surprise and pain she tried to wrestle her way out of the other girl's grasp but to no avail.
Laughing at her poor attempts the girl threw her roughly across the room until she landed in a heap on her bed, the mattress squeaking under the sudden weight.
"And let that be a lesson to you. Now shut up, I'm busy."
Harrumphing at the other girl's abysmal behaviour she wondered if all the other children here were like her.
It would certainly explain Tom's hatred towards muggles.
Shaking her head she began to unpack her belongings, not that there was much to unpack.
Heart sinking she sat on her bed with nothing to do. Eventually her boredom got the better of her and she forced herself to interact with her roommate once more.
"Excuse me, am I allowed to visit the other children in their rooms?" She asked her hesitantly, almost afraid of the girl's reaction. Without magic she could hardly do anything to stop the girl from beating her up as she was in no way muscular or tough.
The girl nodded without taking her eyes off her doll and smiling Hermione bounded out of her bed into the corridor beyond. Almost immediately a shrill voice pierced through the air and she turned to see a woman glaring daggers at her, brandishing a wooden spoon at her which sent flecks of soup flying through the air into her hair.
"Where do you think you're going Missy?"
'What kind of hellish hole was this?' She wondered frightened.
"S-Sorry, I was just going to visit my friend who-"
"You do not leave your room unless supervised or if we personally call you down, idiot girl."
"I'm sorry," she mumbled feebly before turning back to her room as fast as she could. Just as she reached the doorway the woman added almost as if in an afterthought, "And you won't be receiving any supper for your impudence."
Tom lay on his bed, enjoying the peace that had befallen, when out of nowhere he could here Mrs. Cole yelling down the hallway. Peeking through the crack in his door he could see the back of Hermione's head hanging low as the matron scolded her. Smirking to himself he returned to his bed, thinking that perhaps this holiday wouldn't be as bad as he had first thought it would be.
"Dinner!" Hermione immediately jumped out of her bed and made her way down the stairs, following the smell of food to its source. A cook was in what she presumed was the kitchen, piling a lump of…something into the plates that were placed around the entire dining table.
"Find a seat and wait for the others," the cook muttered to her with a kind smile before continuing her way around the table.
Smiling in gratitude she did as she was told and waited for the others.
As they began to eat dinner she couldn't help but to notice the tense faces of the children around her, even her roommate was sharing a similar expression of fear and anxiousness. All except for Tom of course who was as unemotional as ever.
Wondering what had happened she continued with her dinner as peacefully as she could until a roar erupted around them and in stormed the man from earlier who was now glaring at each child in turn. She hastily lowered her head to keep from getting noticed but it seemed he had already found his prey.
"It was you, wasn't it?" He growled, lifting Tom out of his chair by the ear and throwing him across the room into the stove, which must've burned him as he withdrew all too hastily from it.
"I don't know what you're talking about, sir," he muttered and Hermione was surprised to detect a flicker of truth seeping through his words.
That was a first.
"Don't lie to me boy! I know it was you. How else would anyone have gotten into my room?" He demanded, once more grabbing the boy by the cuff and pushing him against the stove forcefully.
"By turning the knob?" He answered spitefully and Hermione groaned into her hands. His witty comeback would only enrage the man some more.
"The door's locked and you know it." The man spit in his face, grabbing a pan from the stove and raising it above his head, ready to hit the stoic Tom.
"STOP IT!" She screeched, pushing back her chair and standing up fiercely, eyes burning with rage.
Everyone stopped breathing as the man slowly turned his head to look at her, eyes pinched in hatred.
"What did you say girl?"
"I said stop it" She replied just as steadily, beginning to move around the table towards them. He hadn't moved from where he stood, nor had anyone else for that matter, too shocked to do so, and she used this to her advantage. Grabbing Tom she pushed him behind her, refusing to tear her gaze away from the cruel man.
After a minute or so he seemed to snap out of it and instead grabbed her by her hair and pushed her out of the room, leading her to Merlin knows where.
Gulping but staying strong as she saw the cellar in front of her, she was thrown carelessly in. Landing on her jaw a whimper escaped her and she tenderly fingered it, satisfied when she felt no irregularity in the bone structure.
"You'll stay in here until you learn some proper manners girl." He yelled at her before slamming the door shut and locking it behind him.
Looking around her, she desperately searched for any holes to escape in but found nothing.
Crawling to the corner of the cellar she wrapped her arms around her knees, drifting to sleep as the hours began to slowly pass by.
Tom lay uncomfortably under his sheets, his sides aching with each movement more painful than the first.
Harold had ignored him after sending Hermione away, presumably to the cellars below. Mrs. Cole had ignored him too and followed Harold out of the room leaving him alone with the children and the cook who, after checking that they weren't going to return, immediately grabbed him and lifted him into the sink.
Lifting his shirt up she had narrowed her eyes at the red marks but had nevertheless ran cold water over them.
She wasn't able to do much after that in case either the matron or the caretaker noticed and so after hastily eating the rest of his dinner he was ushered into his room, clothes still wet and sticky. The children had neither snickered nor glanced his way throughout it all but he was still blushing to his roots, furious with embarrassment.
Forcing his mind blank he ignored the pain and willed himself to go to sleep, ignoring any of his thoughts that might've begun to travel to Hermione.
She looked up surprised as Mrs. Cole called them down the stairs. She was sure it wasn't dinnertime already.
"What's going on?" She asked Sarah who glanced up at her before hastily looking away. She had become much more shy around her after the incident in the kitchen two weeks ago.
Shrugging she left the room and slowly made her way down the stairs, spotting Tom up ahead but remaining silent.
"You will be spending the day at the playground today for our monthly outing. Mrs Jones will accompany you lot," she said, pointing towards the cook who was smiling eagerly at the children. "Any child who misbehaves will spend the rest of today in the cellar without supper. You have been warned." Glaring pointedly at the more younger children she walked off, her shoes clacking loudly against the smooth floor.
"Come along children."
As they finally left the establishment Hermione caught up to Tom, beaming from ear to ear.
"Finally, a day to ourselves," she smiled but he ignored her, looking up ahead instead.
"How's your body?" She whispered, pretty sure that he wouldn't want everyone to overhear their conversation, but he didn't answer her again.
Rolling her eyes she walked contently beside him until they reached the playground where she squealed in joy before tugging him along but he refused, instead walking off to the edge of the playground and sitting regally down on the bench, his back to her.
Rolling her eyes once more, she made her way across to him. If an eighteen year old could still enjoy a playground, so could an eleven year old.
"Tom," she said, sitting beside him. "Everyone is already having fun here. Don't you want a break from everything? To just…be?"
He scoffed at her comment and turned his head to the side.
"I am not as immature as those brats. I have a little more self-control."
Shaking her head in exasperation she pulled him up, thanking Merlin that he was eleven years old rather than sixteen.
"You Tom Riddle are going to enjoy yourself today whether you like it or not."
"I was enjoying myself before you disrupted my quiet." He hissed, pulling his arm away but she refused to give up.
"It might have escaped your notice but sitting down alone on a bench is not what most people would call 'fun'."
"I'm not like most people Granger. Surely you know that by now." His smirk only infuriated her some more.
Huffing she gathered all of her strength and pulled him up again, ignoring his protests and refusing to let go of his arm.
Dragging him to the swings she pushed him into one and before he could get up again she pushed him forward.
Laughing as he nearly toppled onto the grass below she helped him up and once again forced him into the seat.
"Are you trying to get me killed Granger?" He demanded, seething at her giggles.
"You're supposed to hold onto the chains and lift your feet off the ground idiot."
"Granger…" He warned but she ignored him and grabbed his hands, placing them around the chains.
"Now hold on tight and lift your feet up."
"No." He said simply, crossing his arms across his chest and planting his feet firmly on the ground below.
"Just let go Tom," She whispered desperately. "Just this once."
She was just as shocked as he was when he did as he was told and smiling gently she pushed him lightly. He wobbled on the unfamiliar contraption and she chuckled as she noticed his white knuckles.
"Relax Tom, I won't let you fall." Forcing his muscles to slacken he closed his eyes and let her push him once more.
It was…nice.
She was pushing harder now and he was going higher and higher until just as he reached the pinnacle he opened his eyes. He froze, time having stopped for him, and he was momentarily stunned by the world beneath him, bathed in the sun's radiant light and warmth. Rushing back down, feeling the wind rush past him he couldn't help but to smile, letting out a little gasp of something akin to delight. Her hands once more landed on his back and he felt her push again. This time he left his eyes open and pure childish laughter escaped his throat soon joined by her light laughter and the two sounds mingled beautifully in his ears, creating the most exquisite symphony imaginable.
She had asked the cook an hour later if they could go exploring and with her approval she dragged Tom into London, the somewhat familiar streets giving her enough confidence to drag him to her favourite place.
"Where are we going Hermione?" He asked her for the hundredth time, breathless after running for what seemed like hours.
"You'll see," She replied, pulling him along to the ice cream shop she was sure would be there; the owner from the future had told her the story of his great-grandfather who had founded the little business innumerous times.
Sighing in both relief and anticipation she located the shop and dragged him to the counter.
"Which flavour do you want?" She asked him but he looked at her stumped.
Frowning she added, "You have had ice cream before right?"
Shaking his head he looked away but she didn't let him mope for long as she grabbed his hand and made an order.
"Two chocolate chip mint ice creams please," she said, digging out the muggle money that she had traded for her galleons just before they left for the holidays.
The old man smiled kindly down at them and when he handed Tom his ice cream he made sure to give the boy two scoops instead of one.
Tom looked up confused at the man when he gave Hermione an ice cream half the size of his.
"On the house," The man replied and Hermione beamed at him before thanking him and dragging Tom to a nearby fountain.
As they sat down to eat their ice creams a comfortable silence settled between them as the sun started to sink towards the horizon.
"Do you like it?" She asked him, peering cautiously at him but her only response was his smile.
She continued to watch him out of the corner of her eye, a devious plan forming in her mind, and just when he finished his cone she cupped some water into her hands and threw it at him, laughing at his yelp.
"I didn't know you screamed like a girl Tom," She teased him, backing away as an equally mischievous smirk erupted across his face.
"I do not. However I wonder if you do," and with that he too threw some water into her face.
Their laughs filled the dreary streets of London and the young man who had served them ice cream chortled at the antiques of the two children who were by now in the fountain spraying each other with water.
As they walked back to the group an owl could be seen flying through the air towards them and they both stopped as it flew nearer and nearer until it dropped a thin roll of parchment into Tom's outstretched hands. He seemed to recognise whom it was from because within that second his entire demeanor changed and his smile completely disappeared from his face. What surprised Hermione the most though was how self-loathing suddenly filled his eyes and in an instant he had left her side and was walking a few paces in front of her.
Refusing to back down she caught up to him and forced him to stop.
"Tom, no! Look at me!" She demanded but his face was once more the unreadable mask that she so hated.
Nearly screaming in frustration she grabbed his chin and tilted his face down to meet hers.
"Didn't you enjoy yourself today?" She asked him but he only sneered before pushing past her.
"I have better things to do with my time than act like an uncontrollable two year old."
Jogging up to him she stopped him in his tracks once more.
"You didn't answer the question Tom. Did you or did you not enjoy yourself today?"
A moment passed before he replied.
"No."
"You're lying," she challenged but he only raised a mocking eyebrow at her before once more striding past her back to the group.
"Tom, don't." She replied almost desperately but he ignored her and continued to walk away.
Sighing, she gave up and followed him back to the playground where the others were.
He sat on his bed, letter propped open on his lap and a frown marring his features.
Picking it up once more he read through it again even though he had it memorised by now.
Master,
I was unable to locate any wizarding family by the name of Riddle and so, forgive my boldness, I searched under the name "Marvolo" instead and what I have found my Lord is remarkable. Marvolo Gaunt was a direct descendent of Salazar Slytherin himself. Your mother is Merope Gaunt and you have an uncle, Morfin Gaunt.
I hope this pleases you master.
Happy holidays
Your servant,
A. Malfoy
Tom stared at the words confused. His mother wasn't a witch; she died like a pathetic muggle would.
Although the part concerning Salazar Slytherin…well, he had known he was great from the very start didn't he?
It seemed he'd have to do his own investigating again. Although it would explain why he had never found any traces of a man named Tom Riddle in the library's newspaper archive.
"Dinner!" Mrs. Cole's shriek interrupted his musings and he gracefully hopped off his bed and made his way to the kitchen, passing Hermione's empty room on the way.
He really shouldn't have lost control like that; acting like an imbecile.
There was a tiny part of his mind though that seemed to anticipate the next time he'd be with Hermione again but he stomped on the thought, hard.
Here he was, a descendent of Salazar Slytherin himself, besmirching his name by hanging out with such a lowly creature.
Pathetic.
As they sat around the dinner table Harold entered once more fuming, holding roughly onto the arm of Shirley Smith, a snobbish eight year old who had infuriated Tom on countless of occasions.
"This girl tells me that both you and the girl snuck away from the group this afternoon to wander about London by yourselves. Is this true?" He demanded from Tom, eyes spitting fire.
The cook hastily tried to explain what had happened to him but he cut her off.
"I didn't ask you. I asked the boy. Speak up!"
Tom sat there unaffected by the man and replied in a steady voice.
"Yes."
"Why you little-"
"It was my fault!" Hermione interrupted, standing up once more from her place on the dining table.
"No one's explained the rules to me so I thought I could do as I pleased and I forced him to come along with me. He tried to oppose me actually but I have a firm grip you see." She smiled sweetly at the cold-hearted man, expecting to end up in the cellar again but what she didn't expect was for him to growl and drag the both of them down to the cellar, leaving them for only an instance before returning with a wooden stick in his hand.
"Lift up your shirt boy!" He rasped out.
Hermione stared horrified as Tom began to do as he was told.
"NO!" She screamed, running forward to grab the stick from him but he roughly pushed her away, grabbing her by the hair and flinging her across the room where she banged her back painfully into the wall.
"Due to your little interruption he will receive twice the amount of beatings." He snarled and her eyes widened in fright.
"NO!" She yelled even louder running towards him once more and placing herself between Tom and the crazed man.
"Punish me! It was all my idea, not his!" Grabbing her by the shoulder he pushed her away again and immediately began to beat Tom's back with the stick, leaving red, scorching marks in its wake.
"I SAID NO!" Running forward she hastily jumped in between the stick and Tom just as it came crashing down once more.
Screaming she clung to her chest pitifully as it began to throb painfully.
Her screams only got louder though as the madman continued to beat her while Tom just stood there, shocked and unsure.
As the stick beat her for the last time she crumpled to the floor in a heap, tears running down her face in rivers.
Mentally she had been ready for the beating but her tiny first-year body had not been. Curling into a ball she jumped when a hand gingerly touched her shoulder.
"Idiot," she heard him whisper from above her.
"You should've just let him hit me." She was astounded by his words but appreciated them nonetheless.
"It's okay. That's what friends are for." She winced as she tried to move out of her fetal position and he once more lay a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't move. It'll only hurt more."
She nodded in understanding.
Hours passed and just as she was about to slip into the welcoming darkness, she heard his voice whisper from above her once more.
"For what it's worth, I really did enjoy myself today."
Smiling she fell asleep contently.
He shook his head in bewilderment. Why had he said all that? Her sappiness was really beginning to rub off on him. Muttering darkly to himself he once more concentrated on his future plans, refusing to analyse what had just occurred.
The rest of the holidays transpired quietly and Hermione barely managed to get a word in with Tom before it was time to head back to Hogwarts again.
In the quiet of his room, surrounded by spells to keep intruders from listening or entering, he threw his instruments in a fit. They smashed and broke into tiny little pieces, glittering brightly in the light from the chandelier.
Roaring he punched the wall in suppressed rage, hissing in pain as blood began to leak from where skin met glass.
He had to find this person. He had to! Proving Dumbledore wrong had been the focus of his life for the past Merlin knows how many years.
Without the information from the trespasser he was never going to acquire the three hallows.
Growling in frustration he slumped onto his bed, the night's shadows comforting him and lulling him to sleep where he dreamt of days come and gone; Days where Dumbledore and he would walk down the street and command the attention of all there. Days where Dumbledore's eyes were on him alone.
Remember everyone, R&R :)