From a distance, Abraxas watched Hermione. It was rare that he had enough time to concentrate on his surroundings during Care of Magical Creatures, even though he had not chosen it as N.E.W.T. class. Too rarely did they actually sit in a classroom and study as they did in other lessons. But today was one of those few lessons where they were merely supposed to read a section from their textbook and summarise it for their notes. Before he knew it, his eyes wandered to Hermione.

She sat far in the front during this class, as in many others, and, due to the unusual layout of the classroom, right next to the Gryffindor students with whom they shared the subject. She had got on well with her seatmate, Ignatius Prewett. Hermione had told him that at first they just sat silently next to each other, but once Prewett brought her History notes to her after she forgot them, they had at least shown polite interest in each other.

At least until recently.

For a few weeks now, there had been such an icy silence between them that Abraxas could almost grasp it with his hands. Actually, pretty much since that day he had found Hermione in an argument with the Gryffindor. Even now, as the two sat working intently next to each other, he could clearly see the tension in them. Something had happened.

Abraxas looked at Tom, who was sitting in the front row a few seats away from Hermione. Did Prewett's sudden coldness have anything to do with Hermione being with Tom? After all, it was no secret that the Gryffindor students hated Tom. He was too perfect, too exemplary to fit into their image of vile snakes. Had even Prewett taken more than a friendly interest in Hermione and, wounded in his vanity, insulted her?

On the spur of the moment, he resolved to accompany Hermione back to the castle after the lesson. If another student, even just one from Gryffindor, caused her grief, he wanted to be there for her.

oOoOoOo

"You know nothing about her!" Markus hissed angrily.

"She's a cold-blooded snake like everyone else in Slytherin!" Ignatius returned just as angrily, "She sits next to me like nothing ever happened! And anyway. Why do you keep defending her? She did something with Riddle that hurt Augusta. You of all people should show a little more anger."

With a sideways glance at Malfoy who had just come out of the classroom behind them, Markus lowered his voice. "You don't know what Miss Dumbledore and Riddle's relationship is really like any more than I do. After all, to the outside world they pretend to be the perfect couple, but I'm still sure she hates and fears him."

To his dismay, Ignatius obviously did not notice the Slytherin student because he made no effort to be quiet. "Oh, please. She's literally glued to him! How can you talk so casually? After all Augusta has been through? Can't you see how she suffers? How she's changed? And we don't even know what happened!"

Ice-cold anger crept up inside Markus. He knew exactly what had happened to Augusta, and he knew equally that Tom Riddle was indeed a monster. But equally he felt that Miss Dumbledore had been honest when she had come to him in tears so that he could save Augusta. Yes, Augusta had changed. She was no longer the fun-loving, naïve girl he had known. Instead, she had become a sharp-tongued, sarcastic young lady who rarely let him see behind the mask. Of course he regretted that, but she was still Augusta. To him she was open, to him she could show her sorrow. And he would be there for her forever. He did not have to keep reminding her of her sorrow by talking about Tom Riddle or that cursed day at the Three Broomsticks. Ignatius only made things worse without having a clue.

"I didn't want to burden you with the knowledge, Ignatius, but since you seem unable to drop the subject, I guess I have to," he whispered angrily, "I know what happened. I saw it with my own eyes. And I know about the extent to which Hermione Dumbledore is involved. She is not a willing perpetrator. She is as much a victim as Augusta. I swore to her that I would not reveal any details, and I won't. But please understand at last that some things are not as they seem on the surface."

Abraxas had heard enough. He had wanted to accompany Hermione, but she left so quickly without paying attention to anyone that he abandoned the plan. And now this.

What were the two Gryffindors talking about? What was Hermione involved in? From what he had understood from the conversation, Tom had been up to something with a certain Augusta - he guessed it meant young Miss Bargeworthy - and apparently Hermione was involved? The other Gryffindor had also portrayed her as a victim. As a victim of Tom?

With quick steps he ran down the corridors to the common room. The world had suddenly become so difficult. Ever since Hermione Dumbledore had come to Hogwarts, he doubted everything, especially himself. And she was not even the real trigger in this. Actually, it was Tom. Tom and the sides she brought out in him.

The common room was empty when Abraxas arrived, apart from Rufus who was sitting on the sofa in front of the fire with a book. He looked up and folded it shut when he saw Abraxas enter with a scowl.

"I see you are in good spirits, my friend," he greeted Abraxas cheerfully.

He just rolled his eyes. "Rufus, you should save yourself some commentary. It could cost you your neck one day."

Nevertheless, Abraxas joined him on the sofa. He had resumed his old friendship with Rufus, and even if the youngest Lestrange sometimes went too far, he was grateful to have an intelligent companion who helped him understand Tom better. Sighing, he closed his eyes and laid his head back.

"Do you ever feel that Tom has changed since Hermione joined us?"

Rufus snorted. "Earth-shattering observation, dear friend. We've talked about that often enough, haven't we?"

Abraxas turned his head to look at his friend. "Certainly. But have you ever really thought about it? What is it about her that has changed him?"

Sceptically Rufus raised an eyebrow. "You're not really asking me that now, are you?"

He just shrugged his shoulders. Incredulous, Rufus stared at him. "Do you really want me to put it in such plain words? Please, but don't complain. Tom's been thinking with the wrong body part since Miss Dumbledore arrived."

Abraxas blushed. "It may well be that Tom has fallen in love, but ..."

But he was immediately interrupted. "Please. In love? Tom? Don't be so naive. He's sleeping with your holy Miss Dumbledore and losing his mind over it."

The blush on his face deepened. "You ... you really think that Tom and Hermione ... I can't imagine that. Hermione might be a little different from us. But so ... she's still a decent girl."

Involuntarily Rufus burst out laughing. "Abraxas, are you suffering from memory loss? You told me what Tom did to her in front of you! And after that you think there isn't more going on between them when the doors are locked? You must be joking!"

His thoughts pulled an image from his memory. Hermione, just before she had spoken the Cruciatus. Hermione, in the arms of Tom, who was doing unspeakable things to her. Abraxas had attributed it then to the intoxication of magical power that she had allowed herself to be touched like that. What if this kind of intimacy was in fact normal between them? Before he could stop himself, another image of Hermione, completely naked, on her bed, her hair tangled around her head, leapt into his mind. Agonised, Abraxas groaned. It was enough that he was showing Hermione more than friendly interest. Now thinking about her in this way too would not end well.

"It bothers you that Tom got the girl first, eh?" Rufus asked unabashedly.

Grimly, Abraxas stared at the ceiling of the common room. "You will not get me to speak ill of Tom. And even more so, I will not say such things about a lady."

Rufus grinned wryly. "You really are an old school Malfoy. So polite, so proper. So boring."

Angrily Abraxas sat up. "Are you trying to provoke me? I'm sorry I don't want to talk about other people's intimate private lives. That's how I was brought up. It is not right to talk about such things."

The other man did not stop grinning. "But the fine society does nothing but talk about these things, as you call it. Of course, they don't do it in public, but behind closed doors it happens all the time. If you see our classmates giggling and whispering, you can be sure they are talking about the love life of this or that man."

Annoyed, Abraxas ran his hand through his long blond hair. "Don't treat me like a boy. I am well aware of these things. I can still despise them and voice that it is not right."

Rufus became serious. "You're right, indeed. I'm actually just trying to warn you against falling into jealousy against Tom. That wouldn't be healthy."

Mollified, Abraxas leaned back again. It was sometimes difficult to deal with Rufus' overbearing manner. He just tended to flaunt his superior intellect. Slowly he explained, "It is impossible for me to be jealous of Tom. He is in every way the best choice a woman can make. But I feel that Hermione sometimes brings out sides of him that we don't know. And after so many years of friendship, that is surprising, isn't it?"

Silently, Rufus nodded. It was obvious that he had a lot to say on the subject, but Abraxas could not shake the feeling that he should not be open with him. Finally, Rufus replied hesitantly, "A man's relationship with another man is always different from a woman's. Of course, Miss Dumbledore can appeal to him in a completely different way. In addition, for some reason Tom seems convinced that she excels in intelligence and magical talent."

"For some reason?" Abraxas shot back, "Didn't you see her duel him?"

Uninterested, Rufus shrugged. "She lost both times. Who knows if Tom held back because she's a lady. Anyway, I haven't seen anything to impress me yet. She won't convince me until she proves she's not afraid to get her hands dirty once in a while."

Abraxas blanched. Of course, that was exactly why Tom had made them speak the Cruciatus. That was the classic initiation ritual. Why had he not understood that it also meant that sooner or later she would be introduced to the circle? Tom had always emphasised at their meetings that he expected his followers to get their hands dirty for him too. She was a girl, that's why this idea had never occurred to him himself, but actually it was obvious. He was with her because she had impressed him. And she had already proven to him, as Abraxas' own body knew all too well, that she could speak a Cruciatus.

Tensely, he replied, "Don't underestimate her. She's not in Slytherin for nothing. Besides, I told you about the Cruciatus, didn't I? Isn't that proof enough?"

Slowly Rufus nodded his head. "Yes, perhaps. It actually doesn't fit the rest of the picture I have of her. In fact, nothing you say about her fits the image she's built up."

The door to the common room opened and through stepped none other than Tom Riddle. Abraxas froze instantly. While he had not spoken ill of Tom, their friendship seemed fragile more often of late, and so he wanted to avoid appearing suspicious at all costs. He forced himself to smile noncommittally while Rufus, completely relaxed, raised a hand in greeting.

"Well, what are my two favourite comrades doing here alone?" Tom asked after he settled down in the armchair next to them, "Are you plotting secret things against me?"

"Indeed," Rufus confirmed calmly, "We were just wondering when you were going to bring Miss Dumbledore to one of our meetings. I'd love to see what you see in her."

Abraxas turned as white as a sheet. Had Rufus forgotten how little Tom liked being challenged so directly? With bated breath, he looked at Tom.

He, however, was outwardly unimpressed. "Interesting question, my good man. In fact, I was planning to call everyone together again this weekend. Shall we introduce her to the group there?"

Abraxas choked on his own spit. So the Cruciatus had really been an initiation ritual. "You really want to initiate her?"

A strange smile played around the corners of Tom's mouth. "Initiate may not be the right word. But that's all I'll say about it for now. You will understand when we meet."

A shiver ran down Abraxas' spine. He remembered the Cruciatus Hermione had spoken. He remembered the conversation he had just overheard between the two Gryffindor students. He remembered the rumours that Tom was increasingly spending hours in Hermione's room in the evenings. Did she possibly already know? How deep into this whole thing was she already? Had he been so wrong about her? Was she really only innocent and vulnerable on the outside, in reality devious and sly like Tom was?

Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Rufus' expression also stiffened. The arrogant Lestrange did obviously not expect that. Still, Abraxas was sure that Hermione would have to prove herself again to be accepted by him. He prayed to Merlin that they would all get through the weekend unscathed.