Summer is drawing to an end
A/N: I'm sorry updates have been so infrequent I had the flu then caught covid 2 weeks later. I'll do my best to update as often as I can.
A/N: I actually started writing this chapter in January, but I have been really busy with work and college, so I haven't had the chance to update! Sorry!
Tom watched Hermione with amusement gleaming in his eyes and a hint of a smile that he was unaccustomed to wearing; she was giggling excitedly and spinning around as they walked down Diagon Alley. Although she had been to Diagon Alley before, there was something particularly special about it in this era, perhaps because she had gotten used to the drab colours, rubble and bomb sirens of war-torn London. She turned to look at Tom, giving him the doe eyes.
"What is it that you want Mia...?" he asked her cautiously, the feigned innocence in those wide whiskey eyes could only mean trouble for him. Not that I'm inclined to give in to her every whim, he thought to himself, I'm simply gaining her trust to mould her into the perfect little knight in my army, perhaps even an advisor. Tom knew he was lying to himself when he claimed he was only manipulating her, as he had found himself smiling slightly or giving in to Mia's ideas.
"IreallywanttogotothebookstoreTom" she rushed out, pleading with him and grasping his large hand with both of her own.
"Sorry, what? That was completely incoherent, darling." He chuckled with amusement at her childlike excitement, his cheeks gaining a very pale flush as he realised he used a term of endearment towards her.
"Well, darling," she emphasised the name he used for her with a teasing grin and faint blush, "I said, I would like to go to the book store." Tom ducked his head in an uncharacteristic display of embarrassment, having not meant to use any form of nicknames with her. He quickly recovered and grasped her hand in his, dragging her towards Flourish and Blotts. She giggled at the fact he seemed just as excited about books as she did, and let him lead her.
Tom looked down at her while she analysed the display of texts about dark creatures, realising that he felt warmer than he had ever felt inside, like she had wormed her way into some small crevice in his chest and festered there like a wound gone bad. Not that I'll ever tell her that... he thought to himself. She looked up at him and tilted her head, confused as to why he was staring at her like that; his face was a blank mask and she couldn't read what he was thinking. He just smiled at her blandly and asked, "Are you done in here? We need to be heading back soon..." Her face pulled into a frown, thinking of that horrid place she now had to call home. Tom sighed at her expression and offered her his arm, "we won't be here much longer, Mia, we get to go to Hogwarts soon, and I promise you'll love it so much. I do hope you're in Slytherin, it just won't do for you to be a Puff... or worse... a Gryffindor." He spoke like being a Gryffindor was a disease and she giggled at him softly, "Wherever you go, Tom, I follow, and since you're a Slytherin, I simply must be one too." Her decisiveness on the matter made him smile slightly.
2 weeks later
Hermione woke Tom by shaking him excitedly, "Tom! Tom! Get up, we need to be leaving soon!"
Tom's sleepiness immediately left him and he jumped out of bed faster than you could say quidditch. Pure joy filled his eyes, knowing he'd get to go back to he only place he'd ever truly called home. Hermione looked at him as though she had just seen him for the first time and he raised his eyebrows in silent question.
"Well, I've never seen you look this happy, Tom, it suits you, you look ever so handsome." she flushed at that and turned away in a strange display of shyness. He lifted her face to look up at him by placing two fingers under her chin and tilting it up gently, "Mia, Hogwarts is home, the only place I have actually felt myself. I simply cannot wait for you to see it."
A few hours later they were staring at the wall between platforms 9 and 10 at Kings Cross station. Although knowing exactly what to do, Hermione turned to Tom and asked, "How on earth do we get to the platform?" he didn't answer, and simply took a hold of her elbow and their trunks and walked her straight through the wall.
"Riddle!" a deep voice could be heard calling to him, as a head of blonde hair came flying through the crowd to greet his powerful friend. "Riddle! I thought it was you! I didn't hear much from you over summer and I-" he cut off abruptly and looked Hermione up and down, taking in her slightly plain face and simply ghastly mane of hair, "who are you?"
"Abraxas!" Tom cut in sharply, before Hermione could spout off an offended response, "This is Mia, she's new, met her at the Orphanage, but it turns out she's a witch and her parents had kept her hidden away because of the Grindlewald situation. She's in our year, hopefully our house too." Abraxas looked chastened at his housemate's response to him, and turned back to Hermione.
"Sorry, Mia, I did not mean to seem rude. My name's Abraxas. Malfoy." His nose turned up in the air when he declared his name, and Hermione was grimly amused at how the Malfoy arrogance had apparently been passed down to this boy's son and grandson.
"A pleasure." She, too, turned her nose in the air and appeared indifferent to Abraxas. Tom squeezed her elbow slightly and gave her an approving nod when she turned to look up at him, apparently she had passed some kind of test when dealing with his followers. An air of awkwardness hung over them as they made their way to an empty carriage and settled themselves.
"Mia, I need to go to the prefect carriage for a bit, I'll be back soon." He turned to his housemate, "Look after her." he sent a meaningful stare at Malfoy, before turning on his heel and marching purposefully towards the prefect carriage.
"So, um, Mia, how are you liking staying with our Tom?" he asked her uncomfortably, apparently small talk with people he viewed as beneath him was a struggle.
"I've quite enjoyed myself actually, Tom is ever so nice to me." At this, Abraxas' eyes widened slightly, Hermione perceptively took this to mean that he was surprised his master had a nice side to him. Sure Tom is nice in front of the teachers, but he sure as hell isn't nice one on one, so what on earth is this girl playing at? More importantly, what is Tom doing with her? He thought. He didn't have much time to ponder on this though, as Avery, Nott, Rosier and Lestrange all stalked into the carriage.
"Who the fuck are you?" Lestrange asked rudely.
"Oh! Um- My name is Mia, I'm a friend of Tom's..." she answered, attempting to mask her fear, she knew the progeny this man would produce, she didn't need an introduction, his facial features were close enough to his two sons. Tom, she could face, she had come to know him as a separate entity to Voldemort, but his greedy and downright disgusting little followers invoked a feeling of pure dread within her.
"Shove it, Rufus, Tom asked me to look after her while he's with the prefects. She must be important, I guess." Abraxas reluctantly rose to her defence, if he didn't Tom would surely show him his displeasure in some gruesome way. The carriage remained in a very uncomfortable silence until Tom returned, the boys staring at each other in silent discussion, whilst Hermione stared intently at her fingernails wishing she were anywhere else.
"Well doesn't this look cosy." Tom deadpanned as he re-entered the carriage. His followers greeted him with silent nods of respect, whilst Hermione looked up at him with relief flooding her face. Tom silently came and sat next to her, reaching an arm around her shoulders like it was something he had always done.
"I hope they haven't been too awful, Mia, they don't often take kindly to strangers," he whispered in he ear, taking delight in the involuntary shiver he caused in the girl next to him. "I don't think they like me much." was all she whispered in return. He retracted his arm from her shoulders and placed his hand on her knee, squeezing it in reassurance. "They don't have much of a choice in the matter, Mia, they will accept you and respect you when they realise that I consider you my... friend" The last word of his sentence came out uneasily, he wasn't quite sure if friend was the right word, but he couldn't really find another to summarise their relationship. He felt oddly disappointed at the idea of his Mia being a friend, but he wasn't sure why. They sat for the rest of the ride in a comfortable silence, reading together from her book in perfect synchronisation. His followers looked on at the duo with strange looks on their faces, going unnoticed by Tom and Hermione, did he fancy her or something?
A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. Please leave reviews so I know its up to scratch :)