DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!

The Kid and I

Chapter 8

"Are you going to shout at me again?"

"No." Tom lay behind Hermione in her bed. They'd just spent the last two hours making love and were both pleasantly exhausted. "I've spent the last few months desperately trying to not want you. Hasn't worked out so well." She smiled in spite of herself.

"Good, because I'm rather comfortable here." He laid his hand on her hip.

"Tom, you have to go back to your common-room. You can't spend the night here; people will wonder where you are. It's past curfew now. And I can't give you a note either."

He sighed tiredly. "Yes, I suppose you're right." He heaved a sigh and sat up in bed, looking around for his clothes. She sat up and watched him as he dressed, eyeing his well-built form that held a hint of muscle. As he adjusted his robes, she sat up in bed and watched him as he secured his tie. They waited in an awkward silence before Tom cleared his throat, gathered his belongings and headed back to the classroom.

She slipped on her silk dressing gown that felt to her knees and tied the sash around her waist before following him back into the classroom. She leant against the archway which joined her chambers to the classroom, watching Tom as he pulled his robes on, adjusting them to make him presentable and smartly dressed. He picked up his bag when she called his name. He turned around. "Come here." Putting his bag on the nearest desk, he walked back over to her, stood in front of her and waited. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she cupped his cheeks and pressed her lips to his gently. Confounded, he simply rested his hands on her hips and kissed her back. She pulled away a second later. "Go." With a sad nod, he turned, collected his bag and left without a word.

"My goodness, Helen dear! What have you gotten yourself into?" The elderly woman in the portrait guarding her rooms asked.

She sighed tiredly. "I have no idea."

!"!

"I wonder what's come over him."

It was lunch a week later. Helen was taking a bite of chicken salad sandwich when she overheard Nurse Davis talking to Professor Wick, the Astrology teacher.

"I'm not sure, dear. He just seems more confident. He's probably just grown into himself."

"Possibly. But it was so sudden. One day he was his normal self and it seemed that the next day he had this new level of confidence that I've never seen before!"

Her curiosity peaked. Leaning over a little, Helen asked, "Who are we talking about?" as she took a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"Tom Riddle, dear."

She choked on the pumpkin juice. Some of it went into her nose but most of it spurted out of her mouth. Coughing and receiving a pat on the back from Nurse Davis, she spluttered. "Tom Riddle?"

"Yes, dear. Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine! Just went down the wrong way, is all." She flushed as she used her wand to clean and dry her robes that now held a faint smell of pumpkin on them. "You think he's more confident now?"

"Yes, I've definitely noticed something. Last year, when he answered questions, there was always a little tremor of doubt in his voice, even though he was usually correct. But now…No doubt, no hesitance. It's like he knows that he's going to be right all the time."

Helen frowned. "Well maybe he's just studying more and knows that his answer is right?" She guessed.

Wick shrugged. "Possibly. But it's also in the way he talks to the students as well. Like he's in charge of them. Pretty much all of the First and Second years are absolutely terrified of him!"

"Well, maybe that's respect." She reasoned. "I mean, he's a Sixth year and a Prefect and he's now over six foot tall. He's probably just a little intimidating to them. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Sarah. But just in case, I'll keep an eye on him. If there's something I don't like, I'll let you know."

Except she knew she wasn't.

!"!

Helen was standing in front of her blackboard, waving her wand diligently at it whilst reading the parchment that she had written on her lesson. The aims and objectives appeared on it, along with her usual playful smiley face and space for homework at the bottom. There was a knock on the door. Calling out a 'come in!' she heard it open and close and footsteps approach her.

"You asked to see me, Professor?" It was Tom.

She cleared her throat and turned around. Yes, Professor Wick was right, he was definitely more confident. She hadn't even noticed over the week until it had been mentioned. Even then, he was already putting his bag on a desk and leaning against it, an eyebrow raised almost seductively.

"Yes, Tom, I did."

"I wonder what for…" He said quietly, his eyes glancing over her dress covered body. It wasn't a usual dress for the forties, being only an inch or two below the knee, but it definitely wasn't too scandalous or raunchy. It was cotton in a deep blue, a fairly modest V-neck cut and three quarter length sleeves. Her hair was in a messy bun at the nape of her neck and she had a little layer of make-up on.

"Tom, put it away." She mumbled. "That's exactly what I need to talk to you about. Some of the other professors are noticing a change in your behaviour and it's concerning them."

He frowned. "What kind of change?"

She walked back over to her desk, stood behind her chair and put a hand on her hip and the chair back. "You're more confident, you're getting a little arrogant and you're supposedly terrifying the littler ones."

He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just growing into myself."

"That's what I said just after I choked on my pumpkin juice at lunch."

He smiled. "I wondered what that was."

She frowned. "Tom, this is serious!"

He shrugged his shoulders and straightened up. "I'm sorry, Helen, I just don't see that it is. I'm seventeen next month; I'm almost an adult-"

"Yes, 'almost' an adult! Remember the 'almost', Tom! And don't call me Helen!" She snipped.

"You didn't mind last week."

"That was an entirely different situation!" She hissed under her breath. "Look, when we're in my chambers; fine, call me Helen all you want. But when you are in my classroom or any other classroom or the grounds or Hogsmeade or…basically anywhere that isn't my room, you call me Professor. Or Miss. Nothing else." She held up a finger threateningly.

He sighed. "Fine, Professor. Is that all?"

"Yes." She checked her watch. "There's six minutes until our class starts. Sit down and get your books out, I'll look over your homework."

Sitting down at his desk, he opened his bag. "Professor?"

"Yes, Tom?"

"What are you doing on Friday night?"