Chapter Twenty-nine: Beltane

"Hurry up, Hermione," said Tom as he poked his head through her bedroom door. "You know we're expected to reside over the Beltane feast in less than an hour. We should have been there already."

"Is it my fault you wanted a taste of the real thing before we went to pretend?" asked Hermione with a playful grin. She was standing in nothing but her bra and panties—the silky green ones, and Tom took in the fact with appreciative eyes.

"If you're not covered up soon, I'll be tasting it again," he told her with a grin.

"Out, you!" she told him sternly. "You know they'll take points from Slytherin for sure if we show up late to our own party."

"It'd almost be worth it," he answered as he stepped inside instead of heading in the other direction, drawing her luscious curves into a close and somewhat unchaste embrace.

"Let go, Riddle," said Hermione in an even sterner tone. "I'll hex you good."

"Promise?" he asked unrepentantly.

"Oh!" Hermione fumed.

With an amused chuckle, Tom let her go and pointed his wand at her, making her clothing put itself on her rather quickly. Hermione was dizzy from spinning about afterwards, and had to shake her head to clear it.

"Let's go, then," he said, offering her his arm, which she took as she cast him an annoyed glance. "And do try to smile, Granger. This is supposed to be a happy occasion."

As they reached the stage where they were supposed to be seated along with the Hogwarts staff, Dumbledore met them at the edge. "There you two are," he said, glancing around a moment to be certain they were alone. "I've found an artifact of some interest we'll need to look at as soon as possible. I'd like to do so as soon as the party is underway and they won't be needing us for a while."

"What did you find now, Professor?" Hermione asked tiredly.

"This one is a goblet," he explained. "I strongly suspect its horcrux may belong to Gellert himself. We really must try to get it out, and see if it's possible to keep the thing alive for any length of time."

"Why the deuce would you want to keep Gellert Grindelwald's horcrux alive for any length of time, sir?" Tom wanted to know.

"I suspect his horcrux would be much stronger than the others," he explained. "Would it not take a very strong soul to maintain its horcrux outside of a vessel?"

"Yes, I suppose it would," Tom conceded. "But we must not talk of this here, sir, as well you know. Just because we can't see anyone about does not mean we are unobserved."

"Quite right, Tom," he agreed. "I am usually far more careful than this. I was too excited, I fear. Good of you to point out the flaw."

"As always, sir, I am pleased to be of help."

Hermione felt the tension crackle between the two men, each of whom vied for the upper hand. She hoped Tom would not be forced to show his hand too soon in order to keep the old man in check, for they needed to know what was really going on, and Dumbledore seemed to be the only one who did.

Their eyes met behind Dumbledore's back, hers pleading and his angry. He schooled his features almost as soon as the emotion had flashed across his face, and an easy smile returned to it before their Transfiguration Professor turned back to them again.

"We'd best join the others," he told them, his own voice mellow in spite of the fact his shoulders were so tense. The two nodded in agreement and they all went to take their places.

Armando Dippet stood at the front of the stage, saying a few words to the gathered students below as they all milled about on the field near the Quidditch Pitch. Gathered In the back, the choir began to sing a few songs of Beltane and the pleasures of May, including the coupling songs that spoke of Beltane and its delights in particular, ending with a smooth, sexy number that was the cue for Tom and Hermione to step down and lead the procession over to the Maypole.

Hermione blushed as Tom put her streamer into her hand, for his touch had sent little shivers down her spine. Not for the first time she wondered at how she had come to be here, and how this man had found her and brought her into his world. Her heart thundered in her chest as she set a streamer into his hand as well, and the two could not resist sharing a tender kiss at this point, eliciting a cheer from the other young people as they surged forward to take their streamers as well.

Laughing merrily, Tom and Hermione started to run in circles around a tall pole, and the others followed along behind. By the time they'd finished their frolicking the pole was completely wrapped in the long streamers, and a cheer rippled through the participants as the surveyed their handiwork.

"Everyone, let's eat!" said Tom with a pleased expression, and they all ran for the tables, which had been set up on the field itself. As the others ran in, the male prefect and Tom himself were each expected to grab a torch and toss it into the pit to start a huge bonfire.

Tom and Hermione had been running hand in hand, but now Hermione had to let go so he could tend to his torch. She clasped his hand tighter for a moment as their eyes met in a promise of things to come later that evening, and then he raced off while Hermione turned and went to one of the tables at the front, sitting down beside Dumbledore himself.

"My dear, do you think it wise to entangle yourself so fully with another person?" he inquired. "It is always best to keep a bit of oneself for later, if you take my meaning."

"Why should I do that?" Hermione asked. "I happen to know he's not going anywhere soon—he'll live at least another fifty years, same as you."

"Yes, of course," Dumbledore agreed. "But how do you know that you will? I don't believe I've ever heard there was to be a Dark Lady as well as a Dark Lord."

Hermione's brow rose at this. "What do you know about that?" she demanded, then looked around to make certain they were not being overheard.

Dumbledore flicked his wand, casting a spell to insure they would not. "I know a great deal more than you think."

"Like what?" she asked hotly.

"I know that the reason you've heard of horcruxes was because I told you myself," he said. "Or, at least I will tell you, through that friend of yours. Harry Potter, is it?"

"You know about Harry Potter?" Hermione gasped. "But how?"

"That time turner I will be giving you, of course," he said. "Do you still have it, by any chance?"

"No," she answered warily. "I didn't exactly pack for the journey back."

"Pity," he said. "Two of them would be much more useful than one. But, there is Tom. We shall have to save our little chat for another time, don't you think?"

"I think I'd rather not discuss any of this with you at all," she told him as he dropped the spell in time for Tom's arrival.

"Well done, lad. I think your torch may have been the brightest of them all."

Hermione smiled up at him as he sat down on her other side. "I have always believed it was," she said as she took his hand in hers. They all began to eat, and the food was as wondrous as it always was. Hermione wished it would be possible to remain here at Hogwarts forever, and just for the moment she pretended that it was so.