Chapter Four

Even though the sun was bright as the pair walked, it was obvious from the dampened grass that the rains had only just stopped. Hermione's toes grew chilled as the late fall wind picked up and the rain threatened to rear its ugly head yet again when they were only about halfway there.

"You don't have a jacket, Granger," Tom realized as he stopped and took his off to wrap around her.

"No, Tom, I don't need your jacket," she protested with a blush. But her rebellious heart sped up as she caught his scent in the warm fabric, and after wrapping her in it he did not immediately move away. She suspected he knew precisely the effect his nearness had on her in that moment, since he sighed softly as he let her go.

"Yes, you do," he said as he looked her over. "You don't want to catch a chill, do you? What was the weather like outside when you went to sleep?"

"Fall had only just begun," she said. "School was not even a month in."

"Well, my dear, it's rather close to Halloween here and I'm sure your body has not adapted to the chill," he commented. "Now be a good girl and stop arguing, since you're not going to change my mind anyway."

Hermione raised an annoyed brow and asked, "Do I look like a child to you?"

"Of course not," he replied. "Far from it."

"Then you ought not to speak to me like one," she pointed out, though she wrapped the coat closer around her even as she spoke. Tom eyed the action with a satisfied smirk, and the discussion was dropped.

"Want to go to Honeyduke's first?" he inquired hopefully.

Hermione laughed. "Got a sweet tooth, Riddle?"

"You make me want to have chocolate," he said with a jaded grin. "Maybe we could eat it together later."

"Do you ever stop?" asked Hermione with a deep blush.

Tom leaned into her shoulder as he said directly against her ear, "Not until I get what I want."

"Why do I find that so easy to believe?" she inquired cryptically.

"What, do I always get what I want in the future?" he asked hopefully.

"No, but you never stop trying to," she commented wryly.

"And why do I find that so easy to believe?" he mimicked with a laugh. "But what about you, Granger? Do you ever stop before you get what you want?"

"I—" she began, but she couldn't answer him. In a way, she was here because of that very trait. She had been unable to get what she wanted in her own time, and so the room had taken her to this one, to this young man beside her who was so much like herself. It was uncanny how easily the two had gravitated to each other. Like two peas in a pod. But she didn't want that pod to turn out being an evil one, and she wondered how she would be able to prevent it from turning out that way. "I suppose I must not have been too satisfied there, if I ended up here, wouldn't you say?"

Tom grinned at her. "Perhaps it was in pursuit of what you really wanted?" he inquired.

"Maybe," she answered with a sidelong glance, and then she sped up her pace, heading for the sweets shop, as the wind kicked up yet again. Tom had to run to catch up to her, and ever the gentleman, he held the door for her so she could step inside.

000

"Are you sure you don't want me to help you shop in there, too?" Tom teased Hermione as she tried to shoo him out of the intimate apparel section of a clothing store. "After all, Granger, you are supposed to be pleasing me. I'd be very pleased to know you were wearing the undies that I'd picked out for you."

"Out!" Hermione protested. "The last thing I need is to know that you'd seen my undies, whether I was wearing them at the time or not."

"On the contrary, my dear, me seeing your underwear could be exactly what you need," he told her as she pushed at his unyielding arm. "You're too uptight."

"If I'm uptight, you've got only yourself to blame for it," she told him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked curiously.

"Never mind," she answered. "Please just go. We can meet up at the book store in about half an hour."

"All right, I'll go," he grumbled, but before he stepped out the door he moved forward and spoke in her ear again, his lips leaving behind a trail of heat as he said, "Besides, it'll give me a chance to shop for your bubble bath supplies while I get me a new toothbrush."

Hermione would have told him how incorrigible he was, but before she knew what happened he had nipped her earlobe and then disappeared in the blink of an eye. Disapparated was more like it. She shook her head and smiled as her fingers went up to touch where his lips had just been.

She really must be going crazy, she told herself. She really must be insane to have come back into the past in search of Tom Riddle, and to crave his attention and his touch. What could she possibly be thinking? This was the evil Lord Voldemort she was flirting with so blatantly. Did she really think she would be able to have a future with him? Did she really believe she might even be able to change what the future would be? Impossible!

As she looked at the undergarments, Hermione was very aware of the fact that they were all what in her day were termed "granny panties". But of course they would be, she reminded herself. This was when her grandmother would have been a young woman. She wandered into the more risqué section and selected her items from there.

She tried not to consider what sort of panties and bras Tom would approve of as she shopped, but then she came across the most lovely set of green silk with black lace, and found herself purchasing them as well. He may not get to see them anytime soon, but it would sure be fun knowing what she had on nevertheless.

As she met back up with Tom, Hermione had to try not to smirk. She had gone into one of the fitting rooms and changed into her new naughty attire, and the very idea was really turning her on. She hoped he wouldn't realize just how naughty she was feeling, so she tried to avoid eye contact so he wouldn't find out.

"I like the coat, Granger," he told her as she handed his back to him. "Did you get some warm socks, too?"

"Yes, Tom, I've got my clothes well in order now, thank you," she said with a smile. "Now I've got to get all the books and supplies I'll need, and then we should be all set."

"I was thinking we could have dinner together while we're here," he said nonchalantly.

"Are you asking me out to dinner, Tom?" Hermione teased him.

"We're already out anyway, woman," he reminded her, but then he linked his arm to hers and drew her a bit closer as they walked. "Besides, I had a couple of friends of mine at the Hog's Head I'm supposed to meet this evening. Might as well stay here till its time, don't you think?"

"Friends?" she inquired, hoping he wasn't talking about his knights. She didn't want to have any part of that sort of a meeting.

"Yes, just some fellow Slytherins," he answered. "You need to meet them eventually anyway, so it may as well be now."

"Is Abraxas going to be there?" she inquired just to annoy him.

Tom scowled and pulled her a bit closer. "Unfortunately, yes. But don't worry, he won't be able to seduce you while I'm around."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that," she chuckled, and laughed when he scowled even more. "But don't worry, my handsome prince, I doubt I'll be waking up in his company any time soon."

"Did you know you snore?" Tom asked her with a grin.

"I had no idea," she answered in lofty tones. "I always thought it was the cat."