Disclaimer in Chapter One.
Author's note: I don't know what to say. This chapter was horrible to write. First I had ideas and then they all went down the drain. It was like both, Hermione and Tom, just said: 'Well, good luck with the chapter, but we're off.' And then they abandoned me. At least the chapter's a bit longer, because I took so long to update.
Thank you so much for reviewing! It kept me going. Really.
Fantasmarific Amalia, JFrancis, DArk 16EtErnIty z8, Tiara2010, Tall dark and magic, sKyLaR KnIgHt, Hokey, Andy Black Riddle, hollanddj13, RiddleMeThis, sweetsails13, Chelseabaabyox3, Monnbeam, CrazierThanYouSince96, sonea91, santisela, Vita Artista, BeNeRre, trestreschic, lucy, nutmegtrees, jjang556, kjoyp, ALR, Lady Riddle-Black, GenaLovesJames, QueenyT, AvoidedIsland, Ceralyn, erinelle, PinkMusicalCherry, JordanGoombette, lizzywithfire, HereToRead84, NadiatheNinja123, Alyette, Angellwriter, Lady Whitlock LoveNotes333, azulaiii, Evie Siri, enchy1204, funnygirl, Tahlsrulz97, Tyffanie. T, LadyNorth76, Rommy, LilyGirl101, MisheardLyrics, Kirtash R, reesessweetie, DArk 16EtErnIty z8, THESE VOICES WONT SHUT UP, sumthinblu, mxbb, cathy loves heath, SamarKanda, Blank, iregretit, once and future, 372259, Sum, KamiaKeller, NY GE Pyromaniac, forbiddenluv, PintoNess, messy-hair-day, MuggleBornWY, Starrgirlfish, bassment, dmw0991
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Chapter Seven: By Every Word
Riddle lazily twirled the wand through his long fingers as he glared at the Founders' book. It had helped him find Ravenclaw's Diadem, but now turned into a dead-end. No glue on the whereabouts of the other three objects was hidden between the book's pages. He would have to go over the text again. A frustrated sigh left Riddle. His gaze left the troublesome book and wandered to the small form lying on his bed. The Mudblood was fast asleep. A malicious smirk twisted Riddle's features as he raised the wand and pointed it at the sleeping girl.
"Crucio."
Riddle's magic was eager to comply. Full of the sweetest of dark intents it rushed into the wand and…
… promptly crashed into a wall. No curse left the wand and the Mudblood girl remained to be asleep, quite peacefully.
Useless piece of wood. Riddle wrinkled his nose in disgust as he eyed the bright-red wand in his hand. Obviously Penny's stupid toy-wand would sooner burst into two than let anything stronger than a Tickling Charm pass. Now completely revolted, Riddle threw the red wand into the fireplace. While the flames feasted on the worthless wood, Riddle was hit by the urge to throw the Founders' book into the fire as well. His frosty blue eyes wandered back to Penny. She was still fast asleep, her body defensively curled into a small ball.
Maybe the little Mudblood could distract Riddle a bit from the annoying Founders. After all, a lot of inconsistencies had accumulated around her person. She was not as stupid and uneducated as he had initially thought. What really interested Riddle, though, was her unexpectedly strong magic and the role she had played in taking down Ravenclaw's wards.
Dirty-blooded or not, Penny could prove to be quite useful, Riddle decided as he pondered her. Maybe he should just force her to spill her secrets? After all, Riddle's own wand was a lot more obliging when it came to the Torture Curse. Obviously Penny was no stranger to violence, but Riddle was confident that he could still break the girl.
A sadistic smile tugged at his lips and his fingers itched to pull his wand. Then again, there was no need rushing the matter. If his suspicions were correct, then Penny was a lot more powerful than expected. In that case, Riddle intended to exploit her powers. Broken and scared of him, she wouldn't be of much use.
Riddle's cold gaze rested on the Mudblood, the evil smile never having left his face. He had other ways of getting the truth. After all, he could be very persuasive. Riddle snickered softly. Draco really was an idiot for having left Penny with him.
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Hermione was at a loss.
She had woken a few hours ago and Riddle had yet to speak to her. Seemingly he was absorbed in that book he always read, but every so often Hermione could feel his penetrating gaze on her. It made her stomach churn with fear. Any attention a wizard showed her was usually bad news. On top of that, Riddle still had to punish her for her rebellious behaviour from the day before.
Hermione was in a gloomy mood as she washed the dishes – by hand as she somehow couldn't find her capped wand. Riddle was still busy with his mysterious book. Copying something, his quill danced over a roll of parchment.
"Say, Penny, the book I found on you, are you able to perform all the charms described there?" Riddle asked airily.
Hermione tensed as she heard the unexpected question. Slowly she turned around to him. Riddle still sat bent over his parchment, not even looking up at her.
"I… How-" Hermione swallowed thickly. "How would I be able to do that?"
Riddle stopped his writing and looked up at her. He arched an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Of course you can't cast them. How silly of me," he replied carelessly. "Even the easiest of charms should be beyond you."
Hermione pressed her lips tightly together. She wanted to shake him and show him how much this was 'beyond' her. She knew, though, she needed to play her 'stupid' role. Suddenly a smile took form on Riddle's face, flashing his white teeth at her. The smile changed him completely. Suddenly Riddle didn't look so intimidating anymore but rather…
…attractive?
"Please," he said kindly. "Sit down."
Hermione hesitated but as he patted on the sofa, still his smile in place, she obeyed. Nervously she sat on the edge, trying to have as much space between herself and the wizard as possible.
"Are you sure you don't know how to use those charms?" Riddle asked gently.
Hermione's heart sank. He didn't want to drop the matter. Afraid her shaky voice would give her away, Hermione only nodded. Riddle slid closer to her, his leg now gently brushing against her own. Her head was bent, curly hair obscuring her face.
"Well, you are just a Mudblood," Riddle mused, scanning her contemplatively. "It's not your fault that you're stupid. The cerebral cortex of Mudbloods is significantly thinner than in Purebloods and is lesser developed. Clearly your intellectual capacity is limited."
An odd mixture of anger and hopelessness hit Hermione. Those arguments, she knew. How could she prove Riddle wrong? Crack her skull open and show him that her brain was no different from his own?
"Makes it all the more intriguing-" Riddle continued innocently. "-that you managed to overcome Ravenclaw's ward."
Hermione stopped breathing at the word 'ward'. Did he mean the warding magic around the oak tree? Hermione felt her blood freeze over with dread. Riddle wasn't supposed to know that she took down that ward. She wasn't allowed to use a wand and she certainly wasn't supposed to know that kind of magic.
"Who is Ravenclaw?" Hermione asked, hoping to distract Riddle.
He arched an amused eyebrow and lectured, "Rowena Ravenclaw was a very powerful witch. Although she lived a thousand years ago, her theories and workings are in many magical fields still accepted. She is also famous for having founded the very first school for magic."
Nervously Hermione chewed on the inner side of her cheek. She couldn't tell Riddle that she had the habit of sneaking into the Malfoys' library and reading books she was forbidden to even touch. After all, Riddle had almost chocked her just because she had opened one of his books.
"So?" Riddle pressed on. "How did you destroy Ravenclaw's ward? That was quite impressive."
Hermione blushed slightly at his praise. Riddle's sharp eyes narrowed marginally as he saw it. Still, the friendly smile on his face never wavered.
"I didn't," Hermione asserted shakily. "I swear, that ward just fell, Master Riddle. It had nothing to do with me."
"Then why did you pick up that wand?"
"I… I…" Hermione stuttered frantically. "I don't know. I saw that wand and… and I didn't think. I just wanted to… touch a real wand."
As Riddle just continued to fix her with a steady gaze, Hermione shuffled nervously in her seat and whispered pathetically,
"Sorry."
It made him snicker softly. Riddle slid even closer to her. To be in close proximity to a wizard always scared Hermione, but with Riddle it was even worse. Hermione could not read him at all. She cringed as his fingers lightly skimmed over her cheek. It would have been an intimate contact, maybe even welcome, if it hadn't been for Riddle's absolutely emotionless eyes. It seemed there was nothing behind those beautiful orbs of blue. Riddle leaned a bit down to her so he could speak into her ear. Amusement tinted his silky voice as he spoke to her. As soon as his sweet words hit her, Hermione knew that Riddle was a liar.
"Little Mudblood, you don't need to be afraid of me. I would never hurt you."
_._._._._
For the rest of the day, Riddle did not bring up the matter of Ravenclaw's ward again. Still, Hermione was unbalanced and jumpy as she did her chores.
It was rather late, probably after midnight, that Hermione stood beside the sofa. Riddle once again was obsessed with his book, and she waited for any orders. Her feet hurt and she was getting tired. Hermione suppressed a yawn as she watched how Riddle turned another page in his book. Before he continued to read, he slightly turned his head and looked over at her. Hermione tensed as she was hit by his gaze.
"You look dead on your feet, Penny. Why don't you lie down a bit?" he said in his smooth voice.
Hermione couldn't help it, her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Y- yes, Master Riddle."
An amused smirk touched his lips as Riddle heard her hasty reply. Then he lost interest in her and looked back at his book. Hermione didn't wait to see if he changed his mind again. She turned and quietly crossed the room. As she reached the rug, lying in the corner beside the kitchenette, she sank down on it. Trying to find a comfortable position, she curled around herself on the small rug. Once again, Hermione was happy about having been given her new clothes. Maybe tonight she wouldn't have to feel so cold. She closed her eyes and pressed her knees against her chest, preserving all the warmth. Before she could drift off to sleep a deep voice interrupted her,
"What are you doing here?"
Hermione's eyes shot open. Riddle was standing right beside her. An expression of mild curiosity washed over his face as he regarded her. Hermione hastily scrambled up from the floor. She stared at Riddle anxiously. Had she misunderstood his dismissal?
"Is… is there something you needed, Master Riddle?"
As a reply a sharp frown appeared on his face and Hermione pressed herself fearfully against the wall behind her.
"You are not going to sleep on the floor," Riddle snapped.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him. Hermione's eyes grew wider and wider as he led her over to the bed Draco had used before he left. Riddle gestured at the bed and said,
"You'll sleep here."
Hermione's gaze wandered from the bed to him and she stared at him confused.
"That is Master's bed," she mumbled timidly.
Riddle cocked an eyebrow at her. "So what?"
"I… I can't just take… He would never allow me to…"
He continued to eye her unimpressed then Riddle sighed. "You're quite the troublemaker, aren't you?"
Hermione quickly shook her head, causing an amused smirk to appear on his face. He stepped closer to her and wrapped an arm around her waist. Hermione tensed in his arms. Her breathing accelerated which only caused her to breathe in more of his scent. Riddle smelled good. It seemed to cloud her senses so that she felt inclined to rest her head against his chest. But Hermione couldn't very well cuddle with him. Riddle's fingers skimmed over her cheek, making her gasp softly. A soft chuckle washed over her.
"Malfoy's gone."
Riddle stepped away from her and Hermione was hit by a strange feeling of loss. She flinched as Riddle suddenly pulled his wand. Ignoring her fear, he waved his wand at her. There was a fluttery feeling around her. After that her clothes lay in a neat stack on a nearby chair and Hermione was left wearing a black t-shirt. The shirt was a few sizes too big for her and reached her mid thighs. Riddle smirked down at her before he raised his hands and put them on her shoulders. Gently he turned her around and pushed her towards the bed.
"From now on you sleep here."
Baffled, Hermione obeyed and lay down on the bed. She watched how Riddle strolled over to the sofa, a self-satisfied expression on his face. Soon tiredness overcame Hermione and she snuggled into the warm blanket. Shortly before sleep pulled her down, she contently noted how the black shirt smelled of him.
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The next day right after breakfast – which Riddle had again shared with Hermione – he did not start his reading as usual but instead ordered her,
"Get over here."
Hermione quickly obeyed, fear bubbling up in her. Had she done something wrong? Her gaze darted to his face but it was once again unreadable. Hermione tried to suppress the tremble in her voice as she bowed before Riddle and asked,
"How can I help you, Master Riddle?"
She peered up at him and almost jumped as she found a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"No," Riddle said in his silky voice. "The question is how I can help you."
As he saw the confusion on Hermione's face, Riddle raised his wand and waved it at the chest of drawers standing not far away. Hermione watched in wonder as one drawer opened and a wand soared out of it. She immediately recognized it. The wand flew through the air towards Riddle, who caught it deftly. He never released Hermione from his penetrating gaze as he slowly extended his hand to her, offering her the wand. Hermione's eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at the wand in his hand. Slowly, very slowly, she raised her face at Riddle and looked at him helplessly.
"I know I'm not allowed to have a wand."
Riddle merely arched an elegant eyebrow. "Well, yes. But I'm permitting you to have one now."
She glanced up at him anxiously, not daring to move and reach for the wand.
"Come on," Riddle said soothingly. "I know you can cast Aresto momentum."
As Hermione opened her mouth, he raised his hand to stop her. "No need to deny it. I've seen you doing it. I just want to know what other spells you are able to perform."
As Hermione still hesitated to accept the wand he added, "I promise you won't get punished for using it."
She didn't feel at all reassured but driven by a destructive desire to once again hold a wand, Hermione raised a shaky hand. She knew it was deeply wrong. She, a Mudblood, having a wand? Her fingers curled around the wand and she almost gasped. Her magic freely rushed into the wood, thrilled to have free reign. A small hesitant smile lit up Hermione's face as she looked down at the wand in her hand.
A real wand!
"I see you do have an affinity for that wand," Riddle's silky voice told her.
Distracted by the ecstatic state her magic was in, Hermione had completely forgotten he was still there. She tensed and looked up at him.
"Well?" Riddle inquired amusedly. "Do you like it?"
The smile on her face widened until she was positively beaming up at him. "Yes. Thank you!"
"Let's practise a few spells," he suggested lightly.
Hermione's fingers excitedly tightened around the wand in her hand.
"Yes, Master Riddle," she replied happily.
"Let's start with something easy first," Riddle said silkily. "Show me a Stunner."
Hermione nodded at him and raised her wand. An exhilarating feeling hit her as she waved the wand and allowed her magic to stream through the wood.
"Stupefy."
A red light left the wand's tip and soared through the tent. With a small crack it impacted on the wall. Riddle pursed his lips in contemplation. Then he said,
"Not bad."
A shy smile washed over Hermione's face.
"Can you tell me the counter spell to the Stunner?" Riddle asked.
She nodded enthusiastically. "Ennervate. Though the Stunner will wear off with time even without the counter curse."
Riddle smirked as he heard her answer so readily. "I see. How would you protect yourself against a Stunner then?"
"The Protego charm," Hermione instantly replied.
Riddle nodded as his gaze wandered over her eager face. He gestured at the wand in her hand and encouraged,
"Go on."
Hermione smiled and quickly waved the wand in the familiar movement while she cried, "Protego."
As soon as the blue shield flawlessly protected her, Riddle waved his own wand. He didn't say the incantation verbally but a red light left his wand's tip and rushed towards Hermione. She shuddered slightly as she felt the Stunner detonating with her shield. It held.
"Very good," Riddle said as he eyed her bluish shield.
Hermione's smile widened under his praise. With a wave of her wand she ended the Protego charm. Riddle raised an inquiring eyebrow as he continued to quiz her,
"What are the disadvantages of the Protego charm?"
"It's a rather weak shield and can only ward off minor curses."
"That's right," he said, making Hermione beam proudly. "What other shield charms do you know?"
"Well, there's Protego Horribilis and Protego Totalis," Hermione said quickly. "Then is the Arceo shield or the Defensio-"
"Correct," Riddle said. "How about we try the Arceo shield? Did you ever use it before?"
Hermione nervously shook her head.
"Do you know the incantation?"
"Arceberis?" she mumbled.
Riddle inclined his head in approval. Then he raised his wand. In one fluid movement he brandished it and said,
"Arceberis."
Instantly a yellow shield sprang up out of no-where. Like a bubble it completely surrounded Riddle.
"Did you see the wand movements?" he asked, his voice strangely muffled behind the shield.
Hermione nodded. With that Riddle cancelled his spell and ordered, "Try it."
Hermione raised her wand and waved it. She felt rather clumsy in comparison to Riddle's smooth movements but she still manage to summon the yellow shield. It was a duller than the one Riddle had conjured but he still said,
"Hm, on your first try. I'm impressed. Let's see how strong it is, shall we?"
Hermione's hand nervously tightened around the wand. Riddle slashed his wand through the air. A dark spell detached itself from his wand. It crackled with magic as it sizzled through the air towards Hermione. Riddle's curse slammed into her yellow shield. It shuddered heavily with the impact. Then the shield cracked and broke down. Before his curse could hit Hermione, Riddle cancelled it. The remnants of the curse's power were still enough to push Hermione a step away. Her chest hurt lightly as Riddle commented,
"That wasn't too bad. Though you need to practise the shield a bit so it gets stronger." A rather vicious smirk curved his lips as he asked, "Care to duel?"
Hermione's eyes widened and she blinked at Riddle. He wasn't serious was he?
"D- duel…?"
Riddle didn't reply anything but swiftly raised his wand and said clearly, "Tarantallegra."
Hermione wasn't ready at all. The curse hit her and before she knew what happened her legs started to move on their own accord, dancing like crazy. With shaky movements, Hermione waved her wand and cried,
"Finite!"
Thankfully the uncontrolled dancing stopped. Hermione stood, breathing hard, and gazed over at Riddle. Smirk still in place, he again brandished his wand and said,
"Incarcerous."
Instantly thick ropes sprang from his wand's tip and flew towards Hermione. Not wanting to get hit again, she quickly flourished her wand.
"Protego!"
The now familiar blue shield protected Hermione and Riddle's ropes uselessly fell on the floor where they disappeared. She narrowed her eyes at him, scanning him suspiciously. Riddle held his wand loosely in his hand and smirked nonchalantly at her. Hermione huffed at his relaxed posture. He didn't expect any form of counter attack, did he? Angrily Hermione released the Protego shield and used the same wand movement to send a spell at Riddle.
"Petrificus Totalus."
Riddle very lazily whirled his wand and Hermione's spell was easily averted. She glared at him darkly which in turn made him arch a mocking eyebrow. Not needing any more of an invitation, Hermione irritably slashed her wand through the air and cried,
"Rictusempra."
Again Riddle barely had to raise his wand to ward it off. He even smirked at her and scoffed,
"If that's all you got, you could have used your old toy-wand."
Anger was now definitely burning up in Hermione. She pressed her lips in a thin line as she glared at Riddle. A spell she had read about just recently came to her mind. Yes, that might work. Hermione whirled her wand, trying hard to not mess up the movements, and said clearly,
"Duro!"
A pale yellow spell raced towards Riddle and Hermione was quite satisfied to see his eyes widening slightly with surprise. Before the yellow spell could slam into his chest, Riddle quickly moved his wand. As if an invisible force crashed laterally into Hermione's spell, it was suddenly diverted from its original trajectory. Instead of hitting Riddle it impacted with a paraffin lamp, standing by the sitting area. Instantly the lamp turned into stone, fell from the table and shattered.
"I see. Not that useless, are you?" Riddle mocked lightly. "Let's step this up."
He raised his wand and flicked it. He never said the incantation and soon an unknown curse rushed towards Hermione. She had no idea what it could be and quickly raised another Protego shield. In no time Riddle's curse had reached her and cut through her Protego as if it were paper. Hermione barely had a second before the curse would hit her. Quickly she hurled herself out of the way. Still, Riddle's curse sliced her arm. She gasped as she could feel it leaving behind a deep cut in her upper arm. Hermione ended up lying on the floor and instinctively swirled her wand, conjuring another shield.
Paries!
A thick shield erected itself around her like a dome. Hermione cringed as she felt a heavy impact on her shield. Riddle again attacked and she felt his power reverberating through her whole magic. He was ripping her shield apart, still that infuriating smirk on his face. Hermione quickly scrambled up from the floor. There was blood flowing down her arm, soaking into her pullover.
Damn. He wasn't joking about stepping it up.
Hermione determinedly grabbed her wand. If Riddle thought she would just give up, he would have to think again. Her gaze fell on the kitchen table and she narrowed her eyes in contemplation.
Might work…
Another of Riddle's attacks hit her shield and it yielded completely. Quickly Hermione raised her wand, biting her lower lip in concentration as she waved it at the table.
Bestia Verto.
There was an incredibly strong pull at her magic. Hermione almost lost her focus. The spell still worked. The kitchen table trembled shortly. Then it changed. Fur grew and strong muscles took form. Hermione was especially delighted as she saw razor sharp teeth appear. Not long and a fully-grown spotted hyena stood at the table's place. It was incredibly huge and easily weighted more than a hundred and fifty pounds. Its hackles were raised aggressively as it snarled angrily at Riddle. Completely ignoring Hermione, the hyena sprang into action and pounded towards Riddle.
It was extremely satisfying to see him stumble a step back, confronted with the furious animal. Riddle waved his wand. Unimpressed, the hyena crouched on the floor, ready to jump and sink its sharp teeth into Riddle's neck. Hastily he again waved his wand, just as the hyena pounced at him. In the air, the animal transformed back into the table. Before the table could hit Riddle he again flicked his wand. It burst into splinters and rained down on him.
Hermione was quite disappointed with how easily Riddle had warded her attack off. She couldn't dwell on it as suddenly he attacked again. A dangerously crackling curse sizzled towards her. Hermione had no idea what it could be, so she jumped out of the way and quickly crawled behind the couch. Riddle sent another curse her way. It slammed into the couch, sending feathers everywhere. Hermione gritted her teeth and peered at Riddle over the backrest of the sofa. He grinned at her smugly and even had the audacity to give her a mock bow.
That's it!
Furiously, Hermione slashed her wand through the air while thinking, Aequore. Out of thin air, a huge wave of water formed itself. Hermione threw that cocky grin right back at Riddle as she flicked her wand. The wave of water crashed over him with force. He managed to break most of the water's fury with a hastily erected shield. Still as Hermione's conjured wave disappeared, Riddle was soaking wet, looking like a drowned cat. A few strands of his dark hair were plastered to his forehead and Riddle wiped them angrily away. Hermione couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him.
Riddle's icy eyes landed to her. At least the smirk was gone. He waved his wand. The couch in front of Hermione disappeared into a wisp of black smoke. Another wave of Riddle's wand and his magic descended upon Hermione. She couldn't do anything as she was pushed to the floor, Riddle's magic preventing any movement. Hermione struggled against the bonds as she heard soft steps coming towards her. Hermione looked up at Riddle. He still had his wand pointed at her, maintaining his hold. A jolt of fear rushed through Hermione, but she felt strangely re-assured as suddenly the smirk was back on Riddle's face.
"Not that bad," he told her silkily. "…for a Mudblood."
Hermione stared at him with huge eyes. He waved his wand and she was suddenly free to move again. While she stood up Riddle again brandished his wand, repairing everything in the room. As his attention dropped back to her, Hermione raised her wand at him and whispered,
"Seresce."
Quickly the water disappeared and Riddle's clothes dried. He flashed his white teeth at her and raised his own wand. A quick wave and the sharp pain in Hermione's arm was gone. Even her pullover repaired itself.
"Thank you, Master Riddle," said Hermione, still breathless from the duel.
She smiled up at him. Riddle raised an amused eyebrow and commented, "I knew you're quite good with magic. You didn't have to lie about it."
The compliment made Hermione blush. A smile crossed Riddle's face. He seemed to be quite pleased with her and she felt proud.
"I think we'll continue this lesson tomorrow," Riddle suggested.
Her eyes lit up and she eagerly nodded. "Can we really?"
He chuckled softly. "I don't see why not."
Hermione didn't know what it was – maybe her excited magic rushing through her or the adrenalin from the duel – but she temporarily forgot her place. She stepped closer to Riddle and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
"Thank you."
The words had barely left her mouth as she realized what she had just now done. Her arms were still wrapped around Riddle, but her whole body froze over with panic. As if having been burned by him, Hermione hastily removed her arms from Riddle. Her eyes wide with fear, she took a shaky step away from him and immediately averted her gaze.
"I- I'm sorry," she stammered fearfully. "I shouldn't have done that. Please, forgive me, Master Riddle."
He didn't reply in any way and Hermione's fear spiralled up. Suddenly Riddle took a step towards her. His fingers were clasping her chin and she trembled under his touch. Then he forced her face up. Hermione could hear her pulse thundering away in her ears as she stared up at Riddle. Surprisingly enough, on his face wasn't the expected angry snarl. He looked calm and composed like always, his blue eyes studying her face.
It was then that Riddle leaned down to her. Hermione didn't know what to expect and pressed her eyes shut. Her thoughts came to an abrupt standstill as Riddle's lips brushed against hers, barely touching. The fleeting contact sent shivers down Hermione's spine. Her head swirled and she didn't know what to do. It was Riddle who solved her problem. Hesitation gone, he pressed his mouth tightly over hers. His hand cupped her cheek while he moved his lips against hers. Although Hermione still didn't dare to respond in any way, she couldn't deny that strange fluttery feeling in her stomach. It urged her to lean in, to…
Abruptly Riddle broke the kiss. Hermione looked up at him, dazed. He scanned her, his blue eyes slowly raking over her. While she felt incredibly shaky on her feet, a smirk started to curl up Riddle's mouth.
"Give me the wand," he ordered, his tone poised just as if nothing special had just now happened.
Hermione blinked and forced herself out of that stupor she had fallen into. She offered him the wand. Riddle took it and slipped it into his pocket. Hermione watched, feeling unsteady with emotion. This had been her first kiss! she realized with shock. It had been surprisingly nice, even though Riddle was a wizard. During it Hermione hadn't been scared. She had enjoyed it even. To her horror, she felt a heat wave hitting her face. Riddle snickered as he saw her blush and a rather smug look crossed his face.
"Come on," he said amusedly. "Let's sit down."
Riddle strolled over to the sitting area and waved for Hermione to join him. She mechanically followed him and plopped down on the sofa beside him.
"Why didn't you want to admit that you actually can use all those charms in your little book?" Riddle inquired conversationally.
Hermione breathed in deeply, trying to gather her thoughts. "B- because Master would never approve of me knowing the spells."
It was strange that Riddle would ask something so obvious. Still caught up in her state of shock, Hermione didn't anticipate Riddle's next question at all.
"Which spell did you use to destroy Ravenclaw's ward?"
Hermione took in a sharp breath of air, unsettled by the abrupt change of topic. She could only stutter stupidly,
"I- I didn't destroy it."
"You really didn't?" An innocent smile played around Riddle's mouth. "A pity. There was a complex charm involved, holding the whole ward together. I would have loved to discuss how you destroyed it."
Hermione couldn't think straight. The feeling of his mouth on hers still ghosted over her lips. So, she automatically corrected him, reverting to her know-it-all voice,
"It was a curse. Not a charm. It enhanced the properties of the ward, clearly with ill-intend towards the victims of that warding system. Hence, it was a curse."
Riddle glanced at her. As Hermione saw dark triumph burning up in his blue eyes, she knew she had messed up. Slowly a smirk curled up his lips and he said languidly,
"Really? Might I ask how you know that? After all, only someone who tried to manipulate the ward would know about the curse."
Hermione's blood turned cold as she heard it. Terror invaded her and she stared at Riddle with wide eyes. His blue eyes glinted maliciously as he concluded,
"You were the one who broke down the ward, Penny, weren't you?"
Fear coursing through her, Hermione knew she had lost. There was no way out of this one so she confessed shakily, "I- I- We were trapped. I didn't know what else to do…"
Quickly the reassuring smile fell from Riddle's lips and now a disturbingly hungry glint burned up in his eyes. They wandered over Hermione, greedily taking her in. She felt vulnerable and naked under Riddle's hard gaze.
"How did you know how to take the ward down?" he demanded to know.
Hermione's breathing was shallow and she gulped nervously.
"I asked you a question," Riddle said sharply.
By now there was a threatening tint in his voice. Hermione recoiled from him and her stomach turned into a fearful knot. Shyly she glanced up at him. The easy smile had long since left his face and the understanding warmth in his eyes had gone out.
"Please, Master Riddle," Hermione whispered shakily. "It was just luck. I- I really don't know any powerful spells."
Riddle glared at her, clearly telling her that he was not buying it.
"B- books," Hermione stuttered, hoping he wouldn't ask where she found those books. "I read a lot of books?"
"Hm," Riddle made.
He snaked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Hermione tensed as she felt him so near that his body heat was flowing through to her. His fingers carded in a very possessive gesture through her curly hair. Riddle's nearness, his every touch, made jolts of fear flashing through her. Curiously, though, her fear was interrupted by memories of their shared kiss. It made her blush as she realized a small part of her enjoyed Riddle's nearness.
_._._._._
He had known it, Riddle thought contently while he scanned the little Mudblood. She was indeed quite powerful. How that could be, considering her dirty blood, Riddle did not know. Still, her magic was certainly something valuable. Riddle's emotionless eyes wandered over her. The Mudblood still lay in his arms. His close proximity seemed to scare her. Riddle loved that intimidated look on her. She even blushed. He could work with that…
How could a mere Mudblood be so powerful? Penny was a paradox. In the end, though, it was her magic Riddle was interested in. And magic was always pure even if locked in such an unworthy body.
"You are quite the puzzle, Penny," Riddle purred darkly. "It's a good thing I love solving them."
{{{{{{{{+}}}}}}}}
"It's rude to stare, you know that?"
Hermione stiffened and quickly mumbled, "I'm sorry, Master Riddle. I was just… just…"
"Curious?" Riddle supplied and his eyes wandered to her.
She nodded. He didn't react to her at all but just continued to scan her with his emotionless eyes.
"Curiosity killed the cat," he finally stated.
Hermione bit her lip hard. Seeing the fear building up in her, Riddle said lazily,
"Merlin, I'm not going to hurt you just because you stared at my book." His eyes wandered back to the book in question. "It's useless anyway."
"What's it about?" Hermione asked cautiously.
"The Founders of Hogwarts," Riddle replied while he scowled at the book. "Hogwarts is the school I go to. It has four Founders: Slytherin, Ravenclaw whom you already heard of, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. They were very talented witches and wizards and invented a lot of spells and potions. History also claims that each of them created an incredibly powerful object. Over time, those objects were lost and their existence slowly turned into legend."
Riddle stopped talking and again looked pensively at the book. Her curiosity now definitely sparked, Hermione inquired,
"What were those objects?"
"I don't see why you would need to know that," he snubbed at her.
"Sorry," Hermione quickly said. But then she again couldn't hold herself back and blurted out, "The Diadem is one of those objects, isn't it?"
Riddle peered at her shrewdly. "You are rather sharp, Penny. Yes, the Diadem was Rowena Ravenclaw's."
"I see… So, you are trying to find all four objects." Hermione was so deep in thought she didn't even notice how she talked out loud. "And now you need to find the other three…"
"Yes," Riddle said calmly. "That's the problem. I don't know where to search. And this-" He gestured at the book still lying on the table. "-is completely useless."
"Well, how did you find the Diadem?" Hermione inquired.
A rather nasty smirk appeared on his face, then Riddle drawled, "I actually talked with one of Ravenclaw's relatives."
She frowned at him. "They still live?"
The smirk on his face widened as he said, "No, not really."
Still lost in the story of Hogwarts' Founders, Hermione missed the dark inflection in his voice. Her eyes wandered over the heavy tome as she mused,
"Maybe you should do the same with the other three objects."
Riddle raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean?"
Hermione didn't realize she eyed him as if she thought he was slow.
"Well, talk with the Founders' descendants, of course," she supplied in quite the bossy tone.
Riddle scowled at her and asked irritably, "And how do I find the descendants of Hufflepuff and Gryffindor?"
"How should I know?" Hermione replied snippily. Ignoring the angry expression on his face she continued, "Wait. Only Gryffindor and Hufflepuff? What about Slytherin? Do you already have his artefact?"
"No," Riddle said slowly.
"Then you know his descendants?"
He looked down at the golden ring on his finger as he replied in a dangerously soft voice, "Yes."
"Well, there you go," she lectured him obnoxiously "You should pay them a visit and ask them."
Riddle's eyes flickered back to her and Hermione tensed as she saw anger burning in them. With a loud thud he snapped the Founders' book shut, making her flinch away from him. A horrified expression appeared on her face as she realized what tone she had used with him. She had been so lost in the mystery of the Founders, she had completely forgotten whom she talked with.
"You might want to watch that tongue of yours," Riddle hissed at her threateningly. "Lest someone will cut it out of your mouth."
Hermione threw in a shaky breath of air. She averted her eyes from him and whispered, "I'm sorry. I was out of line."
"Yes, you were," he hissed at her.
His blue eyes rested on her quite heavily. After a while, Riddle informed her curtly,
"We are leaving tomorrow."
{{{{{{{{+}}}}}}}}
'You smiled, you spoke, and I believed,
By every word and smile deceived.
Another man would hope no more;
Nor hope I what I hoped before:
But let not this last wish be vain;
Deceive, deceive me once again!'
- Walter Savage Landor
(*1775 †1864)