Part XXI

Diagon Alley was busy, but not as busy as it would've been if they'd waited until the last weekend before term to get the rest of their school supplies. Sirius led both of his charges to Gringotts, promising to leave them to their own devices once he knew they had plenty to cover their shopping. Sirius ended up going to the vaults on his own anyway, since Harry decided to wait in the currency exchange queue with Hermione.

When Tom Riddle followed a goblin out of a door that Sirius knew led to consultation rooms and management offices, Sirius chided himself for being surprised to see him. Judging by the slightly amused expression on Tom's face when he caught Sirius' gaze, the elder of the two wizards was well aware of the younger's plight.

"Surely you drive her up the walls with this shite," Sirius muttered.

Tom ignored the statement and continued to smirk as he walked up to Griphook's desk and presented the goblin with two keys. "Do you mind if I join the pair of you on the ride down? Galbren and I were finishing up some changes to my account."

Griphook was studying one of the keys Tom had handed him. It was as new and shiny as the key Sirius had been given after his release.

"Why the new vault?" Sirius asked him.

"Not mine," said Tom as Griphook agreed, hopped down from his desk, and led them to one of the carts.

It wasn't until they were flying through the tunnels, and Sirius had gotten some control over the anxiety spike the dark, damp, enclosed space had caused, that Tom spoke up again.

"She's exchanging what her parents sent her, correct?"

Sirius gave Tom a puzzled look. "As far as I know, yes. She got a letter yesterday."

Tom nodded thoughtfully as he watched the tunnels and vaults fly past them. "Fifty pounds, then," he muttered. "A little over two-hundred galleons."

"Is that going to be enough for her to get the rest of her supplies?" Sirius asked. "They weren't able to get the books for their electives when we went last month. I know the prices of those can vary…"

"She'll have enough for her books," Tom said. "But not much else."

"Hence the new vault," said Sirius.

"Not a new vault," said Tom. "Just a new key."

"She know about it?" Sirius asked.

Tom snorted. "No. I did mention setting up her accounts back in July. But will she figure out her new vault is one of my personal vaults? Not until I want her to."

Sirius shook his head. "I know I'm new to this whole role-model and guardian thing, but I'm pretty sure communicating with them spares a whole lot of headache."

Their cart squealed to a stop before the Black vault as Tom shrugged. "She'd fight me regardless. Giving her advanced time to think about it means she'll have time to think of a way around it. Or she'll rebel by buying used copies of her textbooks instead of brand new ones, despite how much she hates having a textbook that has ink smudges and underlines in it already. Or buying lower quality items elsewhere. Making choices that completely nullify the point of having a Sponsor." Tom gave Sirius a look. "I appreciate the concern, but I know who I'm dealing with and she's thrice as stubborn for me as she'll ever be for you."

Sirius snorted wryly as he got out to venture into his vault and fill his galleon purse. "Fair enough."

Harry's vault was next, where Sirius repeated the process, but made a point to pad Harry's coin-pouch with triple what he needed, just in case Harry wanted to buy himself something nice, or get higher quality supplies this year.

They went deeper into the vault caverns until they reached a secluded area where their cart pulled to a stop. Sirius didn't pay much attention to what Tom did inside the vault, but he came out with one pocket heavier than the other and a dark green leather-bound tome.

"Nearly forgot that I'd been tucking things away in there for years," he muttered as he and Griphook joined Sirius on the cart again.

"Such as?" Sirius asked, though he didn't move from his reclined position, nor did he decide to stop resting his eyes.

"Anniversary gifts mostly."

Sirius blinked his eyes open, surprised that Tom had given him a legitimate answer. "Movin'em, I assume?"

Tom hummed, but his eyes were far away. "To my main vault," he said as Griphook started taking them back to the surface. He took a deep breath and loosed it before rubbing his hands over his face and kneading his temples briefly.

"How long has it been?" Sirius asked hesitantly. "Or will be, I suppose?"

Tom gave a soft snort. "The last time I saw her was my last day of 7th year, before Abraxas, Flynn, and I rode our boats across the lake," he said. "If we're basing this question on the time between then and meeting her as a 2nd year, then I waited forty-seven years, ten months, twenty four days, and about…eight hours. If you mean how long between losing her and reuniting with the Hermione I remember?" He snorted again. "Fifty-three years, almost dead even, in fact. Depends on if I see her on her graduation day or not, and if so, when on that day."

"Bloody hell," said Sirius.

Tom shrugged. "I'm closer to the end of this hell race than not," he said. "Doesn't exactly help that she's enlisted my best and brightest to do her bidding retroactively."

When Sirius' silent confusion continued, Tom added, "She left Brax and Flynn notes. Instructions that they can only show me under extreme circumstances, which have yet to occur, and typically involved commanding them to do something that's meant to help me get through the next few years." His tone was sour and slightly offended.

"Can hardly fault a woman for taking care of her husband," Sirius said gently.

Tom grunted as the tunnel began to lighten. They were nearing the surface again.

"I just wish I knew how she knew when I'd need a nudge or a shove back into reality," he grumbled. "It's the one thing I've yet to figure out."

Sirius couldn't think of an answer to that either.

Tom disappeared into the crowd that had filled the bank's lobby before Sirius could wish the man a pleasant afternoon. He found Harry and Hermione sitting on the floor near the doors, waiting for him. They were so deep in conversation that they didn't notice him until he put Harry's pouch of galleons on top of his head.

"You two are free to wander as you see fit," he told them. "Just meet me at Rosa Lee Teabag by four alright? You've got your wands and your Atendo Stones?"

They each pulled their small enchanted rocks from their pockets as proof before safely tucking them away again. Sirius gave them a wink. "If you lose each other or have trouble finding me, use them, but stay together."

Harry and Hermione parted from Sirius after promising to do as he asked, neither noticing his fond smile as they left the bank and the two of them made their way up the high street.

They decided to save their favorite shops for last, so the pair ventured to Eeylops Owl Emporium to get a nicer cage for Hedwig - Sirius' idea earlier that morning - and restocked on things Harry would need to take care of her during the school year.

Shopping for Harry's pet reminded Hermione that she'd been wanting to get one of her own - something she'd discussed with her parents in one of their recent letters. As long as she got something that could be house trained and wouldn't potentially destroy the house beyond the realm a normal, non-magical pet would be capable of, she was allowed to get whatever she liked.

Hermione thought a cat would suit nicely, but when they passed the Magical Menagerie and she saw the sheer volume of people there, she decided to maybe save it for later, if not another day entirely.

"We can tell Sirius it was too busy to get a proper look," Harry suggested.

It was as good of an idea as any she might've had.

They got their books from Flourish and Blotts, had them shrunken, and tucked them safely in their pockets. Hermione had cringed at the prices. She didn't realize how much the books for her electives would cost. Getting the rest of her supplies would be a pinch, especially since she still needed new robes…

Seeing the small crowd inside Madame Malkin's, Harry and Hermione decided to briefly venture into Scribbulus Writing Implements while they waited for the shop to clear.

They were pleasantly, if not hesitantly, surprised to spot Draco and three other Slytherins from their year.

Draco's head turned when the bell on the door chimed and his grin was instantaneous, though a bit muted since they were in public. Hermione found comfort in being able to see through his mask and knew she and Harry were likely wearing their own as well.

"Cousin, 'Mione!" he greeted, parting from his group to hug Hermione and shoot Harry a grin. "I wondered if I'd see you today. Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone."

Harry and Hermione followed him to the corner of the store full of various quill displays, where his friends were waiting.

"Harry, 'Mione," Draco began, "meet Theodore Nott, Tracey Davis, and Blaise Zabini - formally, that is."

Theodore's quiet, cordial hello was nearly drowned by Tracey's bright smile and far more emphatic welcome. Blaise, however, was neutral bordering on stoic.

"I didn't realize we hung out with lions now," he said, the words neither sneered nor asked with earnest curiosity. Hermione narrowed her eyes, too focused on trying to read the blank-faced boy in front of her.

It wasn't until Draco's arm, which had stayed around her shoulders, slipped away that she blinked and realized the blond had gone very still as Blaise had spoken. And now Draco had moved directly in front of her, effectively putting himself between Blaise, herself, and Harry. She aimed her confusion at the back of his head, the clenched fist as his side making her frown.

Something about this entire situation was making her brain itch. Like she was missing something. Or was this just some Slytherin-ism she and Harry had never been exposed to? Something they wouldn't know to expect living in their fake house.

"Malfoys aren't in the habit of repeating themselves, Zabini," Draco said coldly.

What he didn't want to repeat was only a mystery to Harry and Hermione, apparently.

She took note of Tracey's expression - lips pressed together, brow slightly furrowed - and Theodore's almost amused shake of his head.

Blaise, though Hermione couldn't see him around Draco without an awkward, unsubtle shuffle, sounded unimpressed. "Who told you that one, Malfoy? Daddy or Grandpa?"

"Don't be a dick, Blaise," Theo said, his tone bored. "It's not Draco's fault you're thick."

"Theo," Tracey muttered as she nudged him in the ribs. "Don't egg them on. I haven't finished shopping."

"And Blaise has a death wish - what's new?"

"My grandfather," Draco said tersely, stressing the word far more than Hermione thought was necessary to make…whatever point he seemed to be trying to make.

To her surprise, Blaise didn't immediately bite back with another jab. But she did see Theo roll his eyes.

"Seems Blaise finally did some arithmetic. Well done, mate," he said, his words honeyed but his expression vicious.

"Really?" Blaise said, annoyed. The question was aimed at Draco. "Both of them?"

"How slow are you, Blaise?" Draco asked.

"Very," Theo answered before Blaise could. He threw a quick smirk in Hermione's direction. "You've a sponsor, right, Granger? Father mentioned that Lord Riddle had taken an interest in someone in our year. And you're…" he paused briefly, his lips fighting to twitch into more sincere amusement. "You're the only non-Slytherin with marks good enough to catch his attention."

Hermione swallowed the nerves bunching in her throat as she nodded, hoping the motion hid the nervous tell. "Yeah. Tom's my sponsor," she said. "What of it?"

None of the Slytherins said a word until Blaise loosed a tired sigh.

"Cut the guard dog act, Malfoy," he said, his tone bored once again. "Though you might've explained this whole thing better this morning."

"I told you they'd be here," Draco said. His shoulders relaxed minutely, but he shuffled over two steps, putting himself back at Hermione's side as if they hadn't just had a standoff in a quill shop. "Do try to keep up, Blaise."

"Yeah, yeah," Blaise said. "Pleasure to meet the pair of you on more pleasant terms, I guess," he said to Harry and Hermione.

Hermione felt her jaw clench. She didn't know what being Tom's sponsee had to do with Zabini's sudden shift in demeanor, but she didn't like it. She didn't like not knowing what was going on and it bothered her that Draco, that all of them save for Harry, seemed to know something she didn't.

"I can't say I return the sentiment," she said slowly.

Theo's smile widened at the venom in her tone. Even Tracey seemed pleasantly surprised, if not worried the conflict would continue.

Blaise openly smirked.

"If those were your fangs, Granger," he began, "you might consider sharpening them."

She wanted to tell him it was easier to control the amount of effort exerted with claws, that fangs were for finishing blows. That she'd save her venom for when she had a target worthy of using it all but the voice in her head sounded like Tom's, younger Tom's, and that realization made her press her lips together and give the boy a withering glare instead.

"Enough, Blaise," Draco snapped. "Either knock it off or piss off. They're with me - period. Anyone who has a problem with that, however, isn't."

Blaise gave him a tired look. "Didn't I say you could drop the guard dog crap?"

Tracey sighed and rested her hands on her hips, swiveling a warning look between the three official Slytherin boys. "Can we be done with this? They'll never want to switch if this is what they have to look forward to."

"You should see Gryffindors bicker up close," said Harry. "Though that's something of a safety hazard."

Tracey offered him a smile and latched onto the ice breaker with determination that surprised Hermione. But the rest of the tension in the group, save for Draco's, seemed to evaporate by the time Tracey had dragged Harry, and Theo, over to the quill displays. Blaise wandered off to look at parchment, leaving a confused Hermione with a still-guarded Draco.

She bumped her shoulder against his. "Oi."

His eyes had been following Blaise, calculative and as stony as the grey of his irises, so he blinked at the touch. His gaze turned to her, relaxing now that his focus was on a friend instead of a perceived foe. Hermione chewed the inside of her lip as she studied him.

"I need to look at sealing wax," she said. "Walk with me?"

He nodded stiffly, following her to the other side of the blissfully empty store. Hermione didn't want to think about how long the supplies shop would be quiet and peaceful.

She picked up a stick of wax, aware of Draco hovering beside her and asked, "What do you know?"

He let out of a short breath in a sound that was barely loud enough to be considered a humorless laugh. "Well, I know about the diary, clearly," he said. "That shouldn't be a surprise."

"It isn't," she said, checking the price of the wax in her hand. She winced and shuffled down the aisle towards the less expensive varieties. "I just hadn't put much thought into a few details until just now."

"You've had a busy summer," said Draco. "Which details? I can't guarantee that I know significantly more than you do. They've kept me on a 'need to know' level so far. I doubt that will change."

Hermione dropped her voice. "Well, for starters, that your grandfather is one of Tom's right-hand men, not just a mate of his..."

She saw his head bob briefly out of the corner of her eye. "You've spent more time with the version of Riddle where your initial assumption was sufficient. I don't think anyone would've thought too hard about that at first, Hermione."

"Still," she said, her mind working furiously as she tried to focus on the task at hand while also processing and analyzing the mini-epiphanies exploding in her head. "He's got…a plan of sorts. Tom, I mean. Do you know why?"

At that Draco shrugged, picking up a few of the expensive wax sticks she'd walked away from. Dark green and dark, blue-ish silver. She wished she was in a mental state where she could bring herself to smile.

"I know it has to do with not buggering all this time nonsense," he said carefully. "Poppy- um, grandfather, that is - said they were trying to prevent something. I don't remember the word. Started with a 'P'."

"Paradox," she said, the answer sliding through her head. That made sense. That put some things into better perspective, very little, but still.

"Yeah," said Draco. "That was it. Something about time collapsing in on itself if one happened."

Hermione had only delved into quantum mechanics once or twice, mostly in passing, but she'd tried to read up on timelines when she was at home earlier in the holiday.

"It's…difficult to explain, but let's just say the results of paradoxes can vary from no obvious signs of change for anyone to extreme consequences," she said. "There are a lot of theories about it. Theories that can't be proven unless someone went back in time, or had knowledge of the future from the past, and created a temporal paradox."

"So Riddle," said Draco. "Since he already lived through what's currently happening. Our present is technically his past."

"Yes."

Draco nodded sagely as she picked up a few cheaper sticks of wax and they moved on to another aisle. "You said multiple things were bugging you."

She thought about her current situation, about Draco and Harry and the small hoard of Slytherins she could now call acquaintances. Then she thought about Tom, Abraxas, Avery, and the Order of Hermes. "Are paradoxes the only thing they're trying to keep under control?"

"…No," he said. "He hasn't told you?"

She glanced up and blinked at him.

"Right, then…um…" He started to fiddle with various sticks of wax with barely concealed anxiety. "I don't know how much I can tell you…or if I should say anything at all, but that terrorist group, the ones who killed Potter's family? They never really disappeared. They're laying low and I know our families—" he inclined his head towards the other side of the store, where the others were "— have been working against them since they first rose up. The whole Order has some powerful, dangerous enemies… I'd imagine they're trying to protect us from that."

"So he built himself a cabinet of sorts," she murmured. "But do you see what's wrong with this scenario?"

Draco raised a brow and she frowned at him.

"He's building me one too," she said softly. "Abraxas and Avery. You and Harry. He doesn't talk about anyone else in his circle, younger him, I mean. I don't know who else is in the Order aside from Sirius and Professor Lupin."

"Theo's father, Tracey's parents, Blaise's mother, though I think she's more of a…consultant than a full member. There's more, but those are the one's I hear of the most," he said, nodding solemnly. "I guess we're the next generation. You're in his pocket, you're his stand in with us…"

Hermione slowly let out a breath as she picked up one of the least expensive spools of twine on the shelf. "So we know he has some sort of plan. Something that will involve me, so he put the stepping stones in place that way I would end up with the right people by my side," she said, something cold and dense settling in her chest.

She was his soldier.

For what war, she didn't know, but that explained part of why he was so adamantly controlling about certain things. Whatever was to come in the next several years would require her to fit his mold.

Or would it require her to be exactly as he remembered her? Was there even a difference between what he'd sculpt her into and the girl he'd known decades ago? The girl she was, the girl she would become?

She didn't ask Draco any more questions and she didn't pull away when he reached for her hand and squeezed it.

"You're important to him," he murmured. "P-Grandfather used to tell me stories when I was really small... I thought they were just fairy tales until last year. He said that they - him, Riddle, and Avery - had made friends with a fairy girl when they were in school. He told me about adventures they had, things that sounded so far fetched I can't even remember most of them well enough to repeat. That apparently she was closest to Riddle out of the three of them and that she was important to him too. But now I wonder if those were stories or sugar-coated memories."

"A fairy girl?" she asked. As the words passed her lips, she stilled. "Did he give her a name?"

Draco frowned. "He did. Odd though. It's nothing like yours."

"What was it?" she asked him quietly. Her blood was rushing in her ears. She already knew. It was obvious and she knew Tom thought the parallels were funny.

"Wendy, I think," Draco said. "Little Wendy Darling."

They joined his friends again and she reunited with Harry briefly. They still had plenty of time - nearly two hours until they needed to meet Sirius - but she still needed to get supplies without using all her money for robes.

"Come on." She beckoned Harry to follow her to the aisles they needed. "Let's finish shopping so we can try to get to Madame Malkin's as the rush is leaving."

Happy Tuesday~ Well. Angsty Tuesday, I guess. :P Diary Veterans have some idea of what to expect come Friday...