Chapter Fifteen: A Pilfered Potion

"That meeting went rather well," Tom commented as the last prefect went out and the portal clicked shut behind him. He was walking around magically cleaning up cups and plates that had been left on the coffee tables.

"Yeah, I can't wait for the Halloween party," Hermione agreed. "Maybe we could bob for apples."

"Only Muggles bob for apples," Tom said, his brow furrowing.

"It kind of catches on by the time I get here," she explained, trying to act like she hadn't just slipped up.

Tom chuckled.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Well, how do we know you're not the one who introduces it?" he inquired, still smirking. "Do you really want to risk changing when bobbing for apples becomes popular? It might upset the entire time continuum or something."

Hermione's face grew red as she replied, "That's not funny, Tom."

"Never mind that," he said, turning and taking her hand in his. "I've got a better topic for the evening anyway."

"Like what?" she said, though she had a pretty good idea. Her pulses began to race as he brought the hand to his lips and began to kiss each finger, making her giggle. When he'd gotten them all, he bit her thumb while casting her a wicked grin.

"You'll see," he chuckled.

"How about now?" she asked impatiently as she tapped her foot.

"Come sit with me by the fire, and then I'll tell you," Tom suggested.

"What fire?" Hermione teased him as she looked at the unlit hearth.

Tom waved his wand, and a cheerful fire burned where there hadn't been one before. Hermione chuckled as he took her hand and brought her with him to sit on the nearby sofa. Then he waved his wand again and a little table sat in front of them with two cups and a decanter with some sort of drink in it.

"What is that, Tom?" asked Hermione suspiciously, but ruining her stern effect with another giggle as he poured her a drink.

"Where did you get strawberry juice?" she wanted to know.

Tom smirked even more as he brought the drink to her lips. She took a sip of it, and then he sipped it right after.

"Hey, why'd you get out two cups if you're just going to steal mine?"

"It's more fun," he said. "Besides, that way if you ask me what is in there later, you'll remember that I had the same stuff you did."

"What do you mean, if I ask you?" she said. "What did you do to it?"

Tom chuckled. "Did you know a mild dose of Amortentia is a great aphrodisiac?"

"What?" Hermione gasped. "You nicked some of that potion from class, didn't you?"

"I might have done," he said, smirking even more.

"Oh, I should toss the rest right in your pretty, pretty face!" huffed Hermione.

"But you won't," Tom said confidently. "You're too interested in learning new knowledge for that. You'd far rather continue with the experiment."

"Is that what this is?" she wanted to know. "An experiment?"

"Not really," he said with another smirk. "I just thought it could enhance the mood a bit."

"What mood?" she grumbled, but she was already feeling totally hot and bothered by then, as he knew full well.

Instead of bothering to answer, Tom sat down the cup and encircled her in his arms, bringing her lips up to his as he drew her onto his lap. Hermione gasped as his questing fingers found a nipple, and he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue into her mouth. He could feel her heart beating rapidly against his chest, and she could feel his. She didn't seem to notice when his fingers undid her buttons, and she jumped in surprise as his fingers slid inside her bra.

"Tom!" she yelped, grasping his shoulders so she wouldn't fall out of his lap and land on the floor. But she slipped anyway, landing right on her bum.

"That is not part of the experiment," Tom said mirthfully as he slid to the floor as well, and crawled right over top of her as Hermione laughed almost drunkenly and lay back on the carpet. "Methinks you are having quite a reaction."

"Do you have any idea how much I want you, Tom Riddle?" asked Hermione as he plied her lips with sweet, hot kisses. "Gods, you are the sexiest man alive—at least you are when you're this age. I think you might not be quite as good-looking later, what with all that happens, but I'll bet even then you're still sexy."

"You mean you don't know?" he asked curiously.

"Not precisely," she admitted. "Although I'm told you look like you blended with a snake."

"Silly girl, that's love potion, not truth serum," he commented. "So I get to blend with a snake somehow? That sounds interesting."

"I shouldn't have told you that, I think," she said.

"Well, too late now," he chuckled. "But I have a snake right here you could see."

"That's got to be the lamest way to ask a girl for sex ever," she giggled. "Let's see it, then."

"What, just like that? You don't even want to douse the lights or go up to my bed or anything?" he asked with an even bigger laugh.

"I think you've given me too much potion, Tom," Hermione said softly.

"Why do you say that?" he asked as he leaned his chin between her breasts.

"Because I think I might love you with all my heart."

"That's nice, Hermione, it really is," he commented with his lips grazing her bared breast before he took a taste. "Because I haven't given you any potion at all."

"But the strawberries—" she began.

"Didn't I tell you I knew?" he smirked. "And now, my dear, about that visit to my bed?"

"Well, I suppose after that admission, it'd sound pretty silly to refuse," she answered huskily.

"Yes, it would," he agreed as he got to his knees and pulled her up with him. "And I suppose that since I haven't had any potion at all either, it'd sound kind of silly to admit I've fallen for you as well."

"No, Tom," she said with a smile as he drew her body against his again. "It doesn't sound silly at all."