V - LOYALTIES

~O~

Nothing so fortifies a friendship

as a belief on the part of one friend

that he is superior to the other.

- Honore de Balzac.

~O~

Before Hermione knew it, the week was already over and a big weekend was on the horizon. Not only had she sent out invitations to her second salon on Saturday, but Sunday was also the first day of Advent. She was unsure whether Advent was actually celebrated as she knew it in the wizarding world at this time of year. Although many wizards of her own time did celebrate Christmas, she also knew that there had long been a custom of celebrating the festival as Yule, ridding it of all Christian meanings. She still remembered very well how the Yule Ball had taken place on Christmas Eve in her fourth year as part of the Triwizard Tournament. Presumably the witches and wizards of the forties were even more traditionally orientated than in her own time.

Normally, she wouldn't be so absent-minded in Ancient Runes, but as the class was going through content she had already learnt in her own time, Hermione couldn't muster up the right motivation to take notes and listen enthusiastically. There was too much on her mind.

While she was busy preparing for the salon, Tom had also made himself scarce. Normally hardly an evening went by without them talking to each other, but since the weekend he had never sought her company of his own accord. Part of her wondered whether Orion perhaps rushed to Tom to report his misdemeanour and his silence was now merely a harbinger of extreme punishment. But since Orion seemed to be avoiding Tom, she thought that was unlikely.

A glance to her side showed that, unlike her, Tom was fully focussed on his lessons. How could they share so many classes and yet barely exchange a word?

Sighing, she made a note of the homework, closed her books, and stuffed them into her school bag. Ancient Runes was the last class she had on Fridays and she wanted to use the long afternoon to go to the kitchen with Professor Slughorn and plan the salon with the house elves. She probably wouldn't get to speak to Tom again today.

"My heart."

Surprised, she turned to Tom. She was almost out of the classroom and didn't realise that he walked right behind her.

"Tom?"

The smile on his lips as he offered her his arm showed her that he knew exactly how irritated she was by his behaviour. As she descended the stairs by his side, he said quietly, "I've missed you this week."

"You're the one who's made yourself scarce," she replied. If he was going to try and pull the wool over her eyes, he was going to have to come up with something.

"Did you miss me?"

If she was honest with herself, she had. Inwardly, Hermione shook her head at herself. It wasn't just the fear that Orion might have already talked about the incident that kept her thoughts returning to Tom. She actually just missed his company. With Abraxas avoiding her as well, it was lonely at Hogwarts without Tom.

"Yes, Tom, I did," she said honestly.

His free hand rested on her arm. "I'm glad you can be so open with me."

She looked up at him suspiciously. The warmth in his words didn't sound like Tom at all and she involuntarily wondered what he was planning again. Was that why he had been avoiding her? Was he hatching a plan? But what for? He knew after the weekend at the latest that she was there for him, at his side, ready to do anything for him. What more did he need from her? Did he really feel he still had to manipulate her in order to guarantee her loyalty?

"I'm planning to go to the Hog's Head on Sunday," Tom told her without responding to her sceptical looks. "It's time to expand my circle of associates. I need to know how some of the younger students feel about my goals before I leave Hogwarts."

A shiver ran down Hermione's spine. So far only Abraxas and Rufus wore the Mark, but Orion Black, Humphrey Avery, and Peter Nott already knew that Tom was planning big things. She didn't have enough to do with the other students from her house to know who he was thinking about.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Laughing, Tom replied, "Because you're my partner, Hermione. You'll be there too and it's very important for me to have you by my side. I'm not going to talk about my plans in such a public place, but I do want to touch on certain topics. I need you so that the conversation flows smoothly and I have a clear picture of everyone present at the end."

So she was supposed to help him recruit future Death Eaters. Inwardly, Hermione could only shake her head at this development. She carried the Mark, she supported him, and now she would test other wizards and scrutinise their ideals and values. As impassively as possible, she followed up with, "Who did you have in mind?"

Tom lowered his voice slightly, as they now reached the ground floor and smaller groups of students kept coming towards them or overtaking them. "Three sixth year students: Gregory Rosier, James Mulciber, and Antonin Dolohov."

Hermione winced. Antonin Dolohov. She couldn't believe that this wizard had actually gone to Hogwarts and during this time. He hadn't seemed that old when she had first met him at the Ministry. On the other hand, she knew by now that wizards generally grew older than Muggles.

Somehow, she had always assumed that Dolohov had grown up and gone to school in Russia and had only come to England later, when Tom Riddle was already on his way to power. Obviously, she had been wrong. So she would have to face a younger Dolohov without letting on.

"Are you disinclined against these gentlemen, Hermione?"

She could clearly hear that Tom was surprised that she reacted to the names at all. To his knowledge, she didn't know any of the students and shouldn't have an opinion on them. She forced herself to smile and made up a lie. "I don't know any of them, so I can't form an opinion. I only stumbled across the name Dolohov because it's similar to a character in the Muggle novel War and Peace. I was surprised to hear a Russian name here."

With Tom still leading her firmly by his side, Hermione had no choice but to walk with him through the Great Hall and out onto the Hogwarts grounds. Her plan to visit the kitchen with Slughorn would obviously have to wait.

"War and Peace?" Tom enquired as they took the path that led around the castle together.

"War and Peace is an epic work written by Leo Tolstoy. It's about Napoleon's war against Russia," Hermione explained, although she wondered why Tom should be interested in it at all. "Although war is a big part of it, it's basically a character study in a way. There are no real heroes in the book, which makes it quite exciting. Everyone seems human in their flaws."

"That sounds like a very exciting book," said Tom, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Do you think it's worth my while reading it?"

"Are we really discussing literature here?" Hermione retorted. She couldn't imagine that Tom was actually interested in her favourite books.

"Obviously," he replied dryly. To Hermione's relief, however, he seemed to want to drop the subject and return to the starting point of the conversation. "So, you have nothing against the three wizards I mentioned?"

"I don't know any of them, so I can't give an opinion."

Tom stopped and turned her in front of him so he could look her straight in the eye. "All three are Slytherin students, Hermione. How can you not know about them?"

Snorting, she shook her head. "I've been here for three months, Tom. Do you seriously expect me to have got to know every student in that time? I'm glad I know all the students in our year by name."

He tilted his head. "Maybe you're right. Nevertheless, it's important to me that you're there on Sunday and give me your judgement at the end of the evening. As a woman, you're in a position to learn completely different things about men."

She raised an eyebrow provocatively. "What, do you expect me to flirt with all three of them and then report back to you on who was the most into it?"

In response, Tom grinned. "That would also be a possibility, of course, but don't worry, love, that wasn't my intention. I'm simply thinking about how much we men like to underestimate you women. I suspect everyone tends to be a little less cautious around you than around me."

Hermione adjusted her schoolbag, which was getting heavy on her shoulder. Why were they standing here outside the castle walls in the cold talking about this? Why not somewhere warm and better sheltered?

"I think you underestimate the intellect of your classmates. Everyone knows we're a couple, so they'll expect me to report back to you, don't you think?"

In an unexpected gesture, Tom reached for her bag and took it from her to carry it in her place. Thus laden, he continued on his way round the castle and Hermione followed him without being asked. Maybe he had some sort of destination out here?

"You overestimate our classmates, Hermione," Tom turned her objection around. "No one has any idea what our relationship is like. Witches and wizards don't talk openly with each other, especially those from pureblood families. Openness is alien to them. They see it as a weakness. I suspect they'll try to get a few things out of you about me and let you look at their cards."

Hermione could follow that, but another statement from him made her frown. "Are you implying that you don't see openness as a weakness?"

To her surprise, Tom laughed. "That really is a controversial statement from me, isn't it? Me, the heir of Slytherin, talking about openness? My ancestor would be turning in his grave."

Annoyed, Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just don't lay it on too thick. We both know that Slytherin House is known for true loyalty, and that includes candour. I asked you specifically. You're the one who always struts around the school with a façade of politeness and charm, wrapping professors and students alike around your finger to manipulate them."

"But I'm open with you."

Her mocking reply caught in Hermione's throat as she looked up at Tom. A fire flickered in his eyes. He seemed to mean what he said, even though they both knew he wasn't really being open with her. She swallowed. What was wrong with him?

Again, he stopped so he could look directly at her. He dropped both of their school bags to the floor and cupped her upper arms with his hands. "You're mine, Hermione, so I can be open with you. You will always be by my side, or you will die. Do you understand what I'm telling you? You're mine alone and that's why I have no reason not to be open with you."

Her breath caught in her throat. There was a desire in Tom's eyes that captured her completely. His words, spoken with such confidence, carried a dark promise. Out here, in the cold December wind, outside the walls of Hogwarts, Tom Riddle stood and declared that he did indeed consider her his possession, as if it was natural that one person could possess another. Heat rose to her cheeks as she realised that a feverish excitement was spreading through her. She wasn't an object, she should be protesting, she should be resisting the fact that he would obviously kill her if she tried to leave him. But instead, something primal in her called out to him, wanted her to let him bury himself even deeper into her soul than he already had.

"I understand." She nodded slowly. "I'm yours."

Gently, he placed a hand on her cheek, leant down to her, and breathed a kiss on her lips. "My heart."

In a corner of her mind, Hermione realised that he let her get closer to him than ever before. Whether he realised it or not, he actually opened up to her. He trusted her. She actually got him to the point where he trusted her. She was finally ready to fulfil her original mission.