"You say he hasn't abandoned you, but at the same time wandering around Wolf Trap in the middle of the night."

Harry stood in front of the grand door of Riddle's home. He breathed in deeply and rang the doorbell before he could convince himself to leave. He told Ron he would at least try to talk to Riddle.

It wasn't going to do any harm to try to get to know the man better. He had already rehearsed the words in his head. Riddle would open the door, Harry would smile, introduce himself, and say he wanted to talk about Ginny. Is there any chance we can sit down and talk? Ginny always said you were a good person to talk to. I need someone to talk to.

Harry kept rephrasing the words in his head, until what seemed like a couple minutes later, the door swung open.

"Oh." Tom looked genuinely surprised. "You're Hermione's friend."

Harry hadn't expected Riddle to remember him, he only opened his mouth, say you were Ginny's friend. The words caught in his throat.

"She isn't home right now," Riddle said. There was a pause. "Are you alright?"

"I'm Harry," he finally said.

"Hello Harry, Hermione is out right now, did you need to see her for something?"

I was Ginny's friend. I wanted to talk about her. About what happened. I wanted to talk. Harry

couldn't find the right phrasing. It didn't sound casual at all. Riddle was staring at him now.

He needed to say something. Anything really. "I- Ginny."

"You were Ginny's friend." Tom stared for a second before stepped aside, motioning for Harry to come on in.

"I'm afraid you've caught me in a bad time, I'm still with a patient," they were walking through the entryway now, Riddle shut the door behind Harry. "If you just let me finish up, we can talk in a few minutes." Harry looked around, everything seemed very dull and expensive. Nothing like the Weasley's or even Hermione's apartment which felt homey. "Have a seat Harry, make yourself at home, I won't be long."

Harry was left in a large living room when he watched Riddle walk right back down the hallway.

He closed his eyes and sighed loudly. He really should have practiced his greeting more before ringing the doorbell. He tried to then. He'd ask about Hermione. He'd mention meeting her in Hogwarts and maybe Tom would tell him about his years there. Maybe he was a very misunderstood kid, maybe Billy exaggerated his experience with Tom. He seemed like a very polite man now. Maybe he was a completely different person now.

Before long, Tom was back. He had shown his patient out and was now sitting across from Harry, a friendly smile on his face. "So, you're the famous Harry Potter. Hermione has spoken wonders about you."

"Really?" Harry tried to smile back.

"Of course," Tom's smile faltered. "I'm sorry if you came to see her, she left earlier today. Hasn't been back yet." He looked down at the watch on his wrist and forced a smile at Harry. "Hasn't even called actually."

"Oh?" Harry felt at loss for words. Why was he here again? "She use to do that a lot," he said without thinking much.

"Did she?" Tom seemed hopeful, like he was glad to hear this wasn't an odd way for Hermione to behave.

"No, actually she wasn't.." Harry scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know why I said that. We use to do that, just leave without telling her where. She was always really considerate of us, never really gave us a chance to worry about her."

"I'm not the type to worry over small things," Tom almost laughed at himself, "It's what makes me such a good therapist.. Hermione. Hermione is bringing out a lot of feelings inside me. Feelings I didn't know I was capable of."

"She's a great person. Did she uh say where she was going?"

Tom shook his head. "She left without saying a word. I shouldn't have said anything to her, but I-" he stopped and looked at Harry. "You're very close to Hermione, and I hope it's okay for me to ask, but I just don't know who else I can turn to. Has she mentioned anything to you? What am I doing wrong?"

Harry was shocked. This man in front of him did not seem like the big evil man Billy talked about, or even the creepy, suspicious guy Ron said he was. "I- I actually haven't really talked to Hermione lately." Harry tried not to sound bitter as he said, "She actually didn't even tell me about the uh.. The pregnancy. Congratulations by the way."

Tom thanked Harry and continued, "Hermione hasn't been very attentive lately, she's begun to distance herself from many people. I keep telling her she should go visit you all, the Weasley's too. I'm sure her company can help ease the pain of losing someone as great as Ginevra was."

"We all sort of fell apart after Ginny…"

"It's not an easy thing to deal with, everyone copes in their own way. Hermione is drifting away, you seem to be on edge," Tom stared into Harry's eyes, and yes, Harry did feel on edge. He fidgeted with his hands and looked away. "Hermione mentioned Ron's paranoia. What he said to her the other day was just uncalled for, I'm sure you agree."

"Wha- What did he say to Hermione?"

"Oh. You didn't know?" Riddle looked up and sighed, as if he shouldn't have mentioned it. "It was nothing."

"Tell me."

"He just.. Insulted her, he didn't mean it. I hope he didn't. I couldn't bring myself to go talk to him after it, I was afraid I'd be too angry to face him but I wouldn't want to regret my actions later. He's just not in a good place right now."

"What did he say to Hermione?" Harry insisted.

"It's embarrassing for me to even say," Tom rubbed his hands over his eyes and sighed, "He called her a whore, in short words. It wasn't pleasant to hear, Hermione was very upset."

Harry blinked. Ron didn't mention that.

"I know she stopped talking to him after that incident, I didn't think she stopped speaking to you as well Harry."

"We've spoken, just not very often." Harry tried to seem relaxed, he let himself rest against the couch. It wasn't as soft or worn out as the Weasleys.

"Hermione use to tell me how close you all were," Tom said solemnly, "I know this isn't the time to bring it up … I really don't know how else to put it really, but it worries me terribly. It's how Ginny use to act. Hermione is being distant and temperamental. I try to tell myself it's the pregnancy but the truth is, I don't know what's gotten into her."

Harry felt his heart drop at the mention of Ginny, he really was never going to get over that. For a second he wondered what it would be like to lose Hermione too. He wouldn't be able to take it. "Maybe we should talk to her," Harry said.

Tom smiled. "Do you think you would do that for me? She's long stopped listening to me. I only want what's best for her, I try to check up on her and she refuses to answer, doesn't tell me where she's gone anymore. I hear so many horror stories, so many patients of mine lose their way, they end up in wrong places. Dangerous places Harry, just to find relief. I don't want Hermione to end up like that. I want her to talk to me, to talk to you all if she doesn't feel comfortable enough to talk to me even. I want her to know I love her and the child we are going to have."

Harry nodded, "I'll try to talk to her."

"Oh," Tom said it as if he was only now thinking about it, "maybe she'll answer your call. She hasn't answered mine. I just want to know she's safe. Harry would you mind calling her?"

That seemed to bring Harry back. He cursed silently and remembered his whole reason for coming. He knew since the moment he drove there that Hermione wasn't going to be home, she was on his way to meet him. In his place though, was going to be Ron, who had claimed Hermione was only mad at him for speaking badly of Riddle.

Harry was supposed to talk to Tom and somehow get him to confess his crimes, or any clue of him being a bad guy. It had somehow ended up with Harry promising to help him get on Hermione's good side again.

"Actually, I - uh," Harry stood up too quick, nearly falling back onto the couch when Riddle also stood. "I didn't bring my phone with me." The phone felt heavier in Harry's pocket than it ever had before.

"Didn't I see you with it a minute ago?" Tom smiled as if it were a joke, "Check your pockets Harry."

Harry patted his pockets, his face already turning red as he planned to say, Nope, not here. So sorry Tom. Maybe next time.

"See, there it is," Tom was looking at the side of Harry's pants, right over the pocket that held his phone.

"Ah, yes," Harry cleared his throat and pulled out the phone. "I'll uh- just go on and call Hermione.."

"Thank you Harry, I just want to see that she's well."

Harry briefly thought about calling a wrong number, but Tom was now hovering over him, seemingly excited for this moment. It made Harry nervous.

His stomach was in knots when he called Hermione and waited. Don't answer, don't answer.

"Hello?" Hermione's voice was nice and clear.

"Hermione," Harry greeted, he looked nervously at Tom who was mouthing, don't tell her you're here, complete with hand signals and all.

"Harry? I thought you were going to be here."

"Oh? How are you 'Mione?"

"Good? Just confused, Ron is gone mad I'm afraid, he's here trying to convince me Tom is a bad bad man." Hermione's voice was mocking.

"Good? I'm glad Hermione! Well that's all I wanted to hear, I'll talk to you soon!" Harry couldn't hang up quickly enough. When he looked back at Tom, there was no way to tell if he had heard Hermione or not.

"She's good?" Tom's expression was relieved, inside he was boiling with anger.

"You choose the version of the truth that suits you best and pursue it,"

Hermione stared at Ron, arms crossed, lips tight. She tried to adjust her look to read I'm still incredibly angry with you.

"I'm sorry," he said for what seemed the hundredth time since they sat down in the mostly empty diner. "I didn't mean any of those things."

"What did you want to talk about Ron?" she sounded impatient.

"Riddle, we found new things about him."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "You could have saved me the trouble and told me about this on the phone."

'You weren't answering my calls."

"Because you were being a dick Ronald," her voice was lighter now. Ready to hear him out, ready to hear his apologies.

"I was," he agreed. "I'm sorry. I really am 'Mione."

There was silence.

"What did you hear about Riddle." Hermione straightened up, kept her arms tightly crossed, and held up her chin. Bracing herself for what she was going to hear. She always felt on edge these days. Someone was going to come in, any moment now, questioning Ginny's death.

"He was a bad guy."

"You've said that already, you just haven't said why you think that."

"Listen, Harry and I were just looking around, mostly asking around and there's some sketchy stuff about Tom. Did he ever mention his mom?"

"She is paralyzed before it leaves her body. Which doesn't mean she can't feel pain. It just means she can't do anything about it."

Hermione couldn't get to Cissa fast enough. She was the only person Hermione could talk to about Tom.

It was such short notice, Cissa had invited Hermione to her home and talk. She figured Tom wouldn't, or couldn't be angry at Cissa for speaking to Hermione there. But as soon as Hermione began to speak, Cissa realized how furious Tom would be if he ever found out.

"Tell me about him, You know about him, I know you do. You tried to warn me." Hermione's eyes were pleading. She leaned into Cissa, her wild curls, carelessly pulled back.

Cissa had seen Hermione before. Before she was with Tom, before graduating Hogwarts even. She seemed like a very elegant young woman, mature for her age even then in a group of young adult. She knew she was a special girl, she wouldn't have recognized her now.

Long gone was the confident, intelligent woman. In her place was a scared girl, trying to piece together what was real and what was just another part of her paranoia.

It was remarkable though, how desperately that smart young woman wanted to come back. Hermione was being pushed down by Tom, the manipulation Tom Riddle was so famous for wasn't sedating Hermione completely though.

Narcissa wanted to tell Hermione everything. Every single thing she knew Tom was responsible for and all that he was capable of.

The words were thick as she said them, "I can't. We all can't. Anyone who knows too much are hooked one way or another. We wouldn't know about him if he didn't know things about us. He knows what or who to use against us." And although the name was left unsaid, Hermione could hear Cissa pleading. Draco.

Hermione felt her own breath stuck in her throat as she felt the bump in her stomach.

Cissa wasn't saying anything, that much was clear. But short response was enough confirmation.

Tom Riddle was not who he appeared to be.

Ginny couldn't have been his first.

Ron told Hermione the few things he knew about his past. The bullying, the isolation and the tragedy of his mother.

How much more was there?