Hermione was staying in a shabby hotel in a part of London that no lady should ever be alone in. As it was turning out, she wasn't like any lady Tom had met before. The future she came from must have been gruff and borderline uncivilized. Or many it was just that she was crazy after all.
He had gone to her small room, that seemed to be falling apart, and obviously occupied by spiders and vermin. It was impossible to stay away from her after the note she left, it had, in very intricate detail, described every major world event for the next week. Not even the best seers were able to divine to that degree.
He felt a thrill that time travel might actually be real. Oh the things he could do if he weren't bound to the laws of time. To have the power of a god seemed very appealing indeed, and fitting. He was no mere man after all. He was as close to a god as any man could be, immortal. Time travel though, it would truly place him above all others.
"You're no threat to me, Tom," she replied airily. As if he were some common bully, and not a feared dark lordling. "Or would you prefer me to call you Lord Voldemort. What a stupid name that was, really. You could have fashioned yourself any name, any name, and your imagination came up with Voldemort. You're supposed to be clever."
He ground his teeth at the insult, but held back the curses he was dying to throw her way. Time God, he repeated to himself to cool his temper.
"You are rather rude aren't you?" He thumbed the hilt of his wand absently, a habit he had picked up during his years as a Hogwarts Prefect.
"Just honest, but rude , if you like it, works just as well. Add bossy to the list as well while you're at it. A know it all too, I'm sure you were catching on to that already." She started gathering books and scrolls of cramped notes, a scope, a cauldron to dump them all in, and then her handy beaded bag.
"So what do you need my help for then, or do you just like to stalk and harass strangers Miss Hermione?"
Her response was a roll of her eyes, as if the answer were obvious and he was disappointing her not knowing the answer already.
"I must not be very frightening then, in your future for you to be so disrespectful. What a pity."
"Tom, you know exactly how frightening you can be." Slowly, as if she were trying to be patient. Her?! He was the one who's patience was running thin. "You're mean, and you have no pity for anyone. A right sociopath. It just so happens that your sort aren't at all scary to someone like me."
"Someone like you?"
"Don't you see it already? You and I are the same. Clinical to a fault. Maybe I have a bit more feelings than you, but who can blame you growing up in that awful orphanage? I'd probably turn into a murderous git too." All off this was said offhandedly, like the weather or what she was planning for dinner, and not at all like she had just accused him of murder.
"You go to far!" His voice was high and strained. Color stained his pale cheeks.
She was on him in a flash, wand at his throat. Never had he met someone so mercurial. "No, you have gone to far, and it is a trial of my strength every day not to rid the world of scum like you. It's not my place, and I fear if you were gone I would never be able to go home. You are little use to me dead."
Tom did not fear for his life, he never did, but her rage startled him.
"Now excuse me, we must get started right away."
"Started?" But he knew the answer, she had said it already hadn't she?