authorsnote: I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and exploring some new characters (who will be very present in the story to come!), do read on...

let me know watcha thought, I love your feedback

songrecs: my head & my heart - ava max

'The key is not in spending time,

but investing in it'

- Stephen R Covey

-x-

As soon as the lesson had ended, she was up like a shot and out of the door before anyone could even hope to follow her.

Anyone being him.

Her heart was racing, hands shaking, and she knew she had barely paid attention in the lesson (and subject to what she'd thought, that standards would be lower this far back in the past, no, no, Professor Dumbledore had been tough on the material, and she was just thankful she'd studied Non-Verbal spells, and could answer the two questions Professor Dumbledore had called her on, or surely she'd have made a bad impression), which was unlike her and annoyed her.

This wasn't her, scatter brained and nervous, she was almost like a bull in a China-Shop (an expression she'd taught Ron and he'd found hilarious, she thought with a sad sigh), stubborn and refusing to waver from her grades, and the importance of being focused.

Tom Riddle had completely paid dust to that usually impenetrable focus of hers.

Even as she hurried to lunch, for Transfiguration had been a double, her cheeks even flaming as she thought about what he'd said to her.

"Why are you sitting next to me?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Many reasons"

"Such as

"My heritage" "Our …conversation earlier"

"I found it thrilling" "You are one of the few people not scared of me"

"I am" "You're terrifying"

"Isn't that useful to know" "But you still argue with me"

"It's my nature "Yours too it seems"

"Oh indeed" "That makes it even better"

He'd teased her almost, flirted with her, Tom Riddle, one day to become Lord Voldemort had made her heart thud and her cheeks flame; she felt like the worst kind of traitor, and if she wasn't so flustered, she was sure she'd be berating herself.

Instead, she was just aghast, boys didn't speak to her that way, regardless of who they were. Even now in 6th year, with better teeth and the attempts at effort she made, and boys still didn't give her much of a passing glance, her pathetic little crush on Ron had died when he had been so obviously oblivious, and she hardly counted the glances Cormac McClaggen would shoot her.

So, not only was Hermione flustered because Harry's mortal enemy (and hers by extension) was messing with her, but it was also because a boy, (and in truth) an attractive boy, like Tom Riddle was openly flirting with her.

Even though he knew her heritage, he'd still done so, made no effort to hide it in front of others (though she supposed others still thought she was pureblood), and had offered her that dashing smirk of his, and even a wink as they'd had to hush down for the lesson.

She wasn't used to this, to say the least, and so as she stumbled to Lunch only a part of her was angry at herself, for being so affected, considering who had affected her, the larger part of her was still a touch baffled, and completely flustered.

Though, when she arrived at Lunch, she hurried to sit in the middle of the Slytherin House Table, it was quiet, people just trickling in, but she hoped to get lost among the other students.

No such luck.

Just as she was debating what to eat, and it irritated her that everything seemed so stodgy, like the food her Gran (and God another family member to miss) had cooked her, pies, lobster, meatloaf, sure Hogwarts had always been behind the times, but she'd have liked something green, when she glanced up at the door, and of course caught Tom Riddle's eye.

Tom Riddle, because he wasn't Lord Voldemort yet, as her mind tried to justify her flustered state, not that it mattered, it didn't, and even the separation of the two in her mind didn't make her feel any better.

But as he caught her eye, she quickly dropped her gaze, she felt she'd done enough poking the bear, and wanted to scream out loud at how foolish she'd been.

The whole point was to fly beneath the radar, keep quiet and work towards taking down Riddle before he could hurt the future, could hurt her friends futures, if that was the one purpose she had here then she would run with it, run with it and make it work, a worthy sacrifice to ensure Harry had his parents, and so many others didn't come from broken and mourning homes.

But then she'd done just the opposite and near groaned as Tom Riddle suddenly slid opposite her, only just smothering it, reaching for a small piece of pie, as she realised, she had done just the opposite;

Caught his attention.

Again, it still baffled her a bit, and she was sure it was his open defiance of him rather than anything else that had, but it was exactly not what she was supposed to do.

Brightest Witch of her age? Hardly here, she'd already been a fool.

"Hermione" He said in greeting, his name rolling on her tongue, if her cheeks hadn't been pink before they were now, and his smug smirk made her want to slap it off his face, instead she fought for composure and just nodded, taking a bite of the pie, it was delicious as all Hogwarts food was, but stodgy.

Homesick didn't even begin to cover how she felt.

"Everyone this is Hermione" He said to his … friends? She'd always presumed his little gang were minions, like Crabbe and Goyle had been to Malfoy, and yet he seemed to laugh with them, relax with them, they'd even teased him, and he'd just laughed.

She'd need to learn that dynamic, if she hoped to take him down, though without going near it, that could only ensure trouble surely.

They all nodded at her, a couple of them had lingering gazes and she dropped hers to the pie she was eating, she didn't want anyone taking notice of her, she'd already messed that up with Riddle, she didn't need anyone else looking too closely.

Not that she flattered herself she would, she knew Tom only was because she'd spoken back to him, a novelty of sorts, nothing to actually be interested in … it unnerved her how that made her feel.

Upset.

Thankfully, she was well adept to shaking that kind of emotion away and was more concerned with why she was feeling that. She had no interest in Riddle, other than one day maybe needing to murder him (she internally blanched at that, that it was likely to come down to it), nothing more.

She scolded herself too, she shouldn't be thinking about the kind of attention Riddle was paying her, or why he was doing so, only to get him to stop it, she didn't need his eyes on her when she was planning to take him down.

Though she'd already screwed up the first part of her objectives; don't get noticed.

"Hermione what?" Someone asked, interrupting her murderous inner musings, she lifted her head to find someone with platinum hair asking her, a snooty expression on his face, though he had kind eyes.

She had to avoid a grimace though, this was clearly Abraxas Malfoy, the resemblance to Draco was uncanny.

"Dagworth-Granger" She offered, normally she'd have thrown a 'not that it matters' by default on the end, but unfortunately it mattered here more than anywhere else, she felt slimy though, especially as he glanced at Riddle (without meaning too) and saw him smirking, mocking sparkling in his gaze.

Bastard.

"Ahh, a pleasure to meet you!" Some of the snootiness was gone then, as he clearly deemed her worthy of their company, which made her dislike him more, she was worthy of it, regardless of her heritage, "Abraxas Malfoy, I've read some of your late Fathers works, I was sorry to hear of his passing" He offered, there was that hint of kindness again; weird.

"Thank you" She knew she sounded sincere then, but only because for a moment she thought of her own Father, which left her with a well of sadness in her chest.

God, she missed home, and it wasn't getting easier, homesickness was meant to ease, but if anything, it was getting worse; perhaps she just needed more time.

"Hermione is in almost as many NEWT classes as me" Riddle said, though he somehow sounded complimentary and smug at the same time, "Maybe the smartest girl Hogwarts has ever seen"

"Or maybe you underestimated the others" Hermione threw back, annoyed at him lifting her up by putting others down, she tried to ignore the flutter in her chest that was always accompanied praise, and instead shot him a glare, even as he laughed.

"Maybe" He said with a smile, and then went for an apple on the table. "Most likely not though" He said with a shrug.

"Don't underestimate Ursula Bullstrode, or do at your own peril" One of them mumbled, "I like her though" He grinned, eyes flashing, he seemed dangerous, or maybe mischievous, weirdly his energy reminded her of Fred and George, "Fort Lestrange" He said with a nod.

"Fortunade is his full name" One of the other boys mocked, which earned him a cuff around the head from Fort, to which Hermione ignored, a little annoyed instead.

"And what do you mean almost?" She asked then, eyebrow raised, she was taking practically every NEWT available, prided herself on how much she'd pushed out her curriculum, all in she was taking Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Potions, 7 NEWTS, how could anyone beat her on that? "Hardly taking Muggle Studies, are you?" She asked to which Riddle only laughed again, as did his friends.

It was very interesting, she'd expected a dynamic where his so-called friends cowered at his feet as they had as adults, here Riddle just looked like he was hanging out with school chums, it was unsettling.

He was not yet Lord Voldemort, that was true, but she had to remind herself he was still evil, still capable of that evil, lest she forget it.

Especially as he looked at her, dark eyes meeting her brown …

Her cheeks were pink she knew.

"No, I'm taking Charms, Defence, Herbology, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, Runes, Potions and Care of Magical Creatures" He said with a shrug, though the arrogance practically bled out of him, "So 8, beat you by one"

"How OWLS did you get?" She fired back, no idea why, her rational mind leaving her for one moment to make room for something much more pressing;

Competitiveness.

"How many did you get?" He fired back, clearly never one to reveal anything without getting anything first.

"11" She threw back, smirking a little herself, she was proud of her academic achievements. "Papa made sure I was well studied" She threw on the end, feeling the need to add the home-schooled element in in case anyone questioned her sitting British exams.

"12" He hurled right back at her, completely smug, especially as her mouth opened a little in shock. "All O's, and you?" He asked.

"10 O's, 1 E" She responded begrudgingly, she could have lied but that wasn't in her nature, her gaze narrowed as Riddle shrugged, though he seemed smugger than ever.

She wanted to slap him, of course Harry had told her how brilliant Riddle was known to be, outstanding in everything, always top of the class, charming and liked by all.

He was right.

It was unsettling, she'd expected to find a dead-eyed soulless monster, and though he was still terrifying, clearly inhabiting some of the evil that would one day flourish, he was also a person here, a real person.

She couldn't waver from her task, but it was a touch harder when she was looking down the barrel of a real man, a boy even, laughing with his friends, smug about beating her on the number of OWLS they both had, not just plotting world domination.

But then she thought of her heritage, of his hatred for muggles, of what he'd one day become, and her resolve hardened a touch. He would still become that, would still try to kill her best friend as a baby, would succeed in killing his parents and committing other atrocities.

She shouldn't be blushing at his praise, sparring with him and marvelling that he seemed normal here. He was still the enemy, forget at her peril.

"Almost competing with you their Tom" One of his friends said with a grin, before turning to her, "Oliver Mulciber" He said with a nod, he was handsome, not as handsome as Riddle and she scolded herself for thinking the devil incarnate opposite her was handsome (though he clearly was).

"Pleasure" She said, her tone clipped before taking one more small bite of lunch, and then pushing her plate away, "Well, I'm going to lessons" She said with a nod, and stood up quickly, there was still ten minutes before Double Potions started but she was eager to get away.

"We've scared her away boys" Another crowed, "Though Tom could do that alone" He teased, and again more laughter.

"Shut it Rosier" Tom said with a roll of his eyes.

Still strange to her, and she noted Rosier had called him Tom.

This was too much to take in, too much to process, this was not the picture she'd expected, it couldn't change her plans, but it certainly made them feel more difficult.

She needed to leave before she got sucked into more conversation. So much for flying under the radar.

What a nightmare.

"I'll walk you" Riddle said and was up and walking around the table before she could protest, though she went to, opened her mouth but closed it as he came to her side, even held his arm out to her.

She felt some perverse satisfaction in ignoring it and instead stomping out of the hall, head completely scrambled again, ignoring the laughter, and Tom hurrying after her smiling.

Smiling.

That she'd expected least of all.

slightly smaller chapter but introduced some fun characters!

also, time will move on, the first two weeks will be a lot of set-up but there'll be some jumps, we need to establish the slow burn that is to come!

because yes do be warned slow burn and angst is on its waaaaay

speak soon