August 1945
The summer sun was beating down on Diagon Alley. It was hot. Swelteringly so. To combat this most wizards were wearing cloaks with light and breathable fabric. Others were wearing muggle clothing. Tom and Hermione were walking down the lane surrounded by upcoming Hogwarts students and their families. Tom felt sweat dripping down the back of his neck. He rubbed the sweat away with his hand. Hermione had chosen to forgo makeup for the day as the heat was combating the all day sticking charm. He had only seen her without makeup before they would fall asleep together. He thought she was pretty both with and without makeup. He noticed sweat dripping down her collarbones. He wanted to lick the sweat right off of her. It dripped down lower into her shirt.
"Its hot." Hermione said.
"Agreed." Tom replied.
They walked for a while and complained in agreement about the state of the weather. Thier clothes were sticking to their bodies. It was so hot and sticky it was all they could think about.
"How about some ice cream? "Hermione asked.
Tom smiled and took her wrist and started walking quickly towards Florean Fortescue's Ice cream shop. As they stepped inside they noticed a sharp decrease in temperature.
"They use a chilling charm to keep the place cold and the ice cream frozen. Interesting bit of magic." Hermione says.
"You think every bit of magic is interesting." Tom teased.
"I grew up muggleborn. All magic is fascinating to me." Hermione replies.
There was a vast menu on the wall. Hermione slipped her hand into his and squeezed. While she was trying to read the menu Tom was trying to not faint with excitement. Thier fingers were laced together. His mind was buzzing. Her hand was smaller than his. It was so soft.
"What are you going to get?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know. I am still deciding."
The man serving their ice cream was rather old. He was in a very cheery mood, He joked back and forth with Hermione and Tom started to feel irritated. He didn't like how the man was looking at her. Hermione didn't notice anything amiss. The old man didn't mean anything by it.
"Cookie dough ice cream please. Can I get extra chocolate chips?" Hermione asked.
"Coming right up missie. You know you remind me of my granddaughter. She just graduated Hogwarts a few months ago."
"Can I get chocolate with chocolate frogs in it?" Tom asked.
"You bet. Coming right up."
The man hummed a tune as he worked. Hermione and Tom stepped towards the end of the line. Thier fingers were still interlaced together. It felt right. Tom looked down at their interlocked fingers and marveled at the size difference between their hands. Hermione was busy chatting with the old man. Tom felt the smoothness of her palms. He ran his thumb over her fingers. It felt like heaven. It felt like comfort. All Tom could think about was the fact that their hands were touching. Hermione seemed oblivious to his euphoria. She didn't seem to notice that they were still holding hands.
"How long have the two of you been together? You make quite a dashing couple." the ice cream man said.
Hermione and Tom looked at each other. The eye contact was quite awkward. The tension between them was noticeable. They immediately broke apart and stood further from each other. There was so much unspoken between them. Thier relationship was in a weird place. They were friends. Friends don't look at each other the way Tom looked at Hermione. Hermione's face turned bright red. Hermione had noticed the long looks Tom was giving her but decided it was best to ignore them. Sometimes when he was focused on something intently Hermione caught herself staring at him. He was so beautiful.
"We are just friends actually." Tom said.
Hermione could barely squeak out a response. The man looked taken aback. Hermione was staring at her shoes. They were a nice deep red color. Tom paid the man and took the ice cream in his hands. Hermione swallowed hard as she was looking at his hands. He has nice hands, she thought. Long fingers, her mind started to drift off imagining what those fingers were capable of. Did she really just imagine being fingered by Voldemort? She snorted derisively at herself. He was the enemy. He was her friend. He was sexy as fuck. Get a grip Granger. Hermione chided herself mentally. They headed outside and sat down. The didn't speak for several minutes as they ate their ice cream. Tom's eyes were glued to Hermione's mouth as she licked at her ice cream. Her tounge darted out from her mouth. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He had never been very interested in sex. He had far much more important matters to think of. Hermione had awakened something in him. Something primal and powerful. She was getting ice cream all over her face. Hermione noticed Tom's lips as he was sucking on the ice cream. They were pink and delicious looking. She wondered what kissing him would be like. Would his lips be soft, or would they be chapped?
"How is your ice cream?" Hermione asked.
"Good." Tom replied.
"The old man was nice."
"I didn't like the way he was looking at you."
"Why? You aren't jealous are you? "Hermione asked.
"Me. Jealous? I'm not jealous."
"Whatever you say." Hermione said.
"What do I have to be jealous of? An old buffoon and his dairy products?" Tom said.
"I think you didn't like the fact I was giving someone else attention." Hermione teased.
She was right of course but he wasn't going to let her know that. He noticed how men looked at her. It made his blood boil. He kept his head on a swivel. He often saw lust in the faces of passersby. She was a beauty to behold. She was his. He hated how territorial he had become over her. His obsession with her had only grown over the weeks that they spent together. She had called him beautiful. He knew he was good looking. Girls often had made their affections known to him at Hogwarts. Even as recently as a few days ago a girl had come up to him and ask him out. He used his looks to his advantage, whether that was obtaining followers or at his job at Borgan and Burkes. He never really cared about how he was perceived before. With Hermione however he often caught himself in the windows of shops straightening his robes or running his fingers through his hair. He wanted to look good for her. He wanted her to desire him. They kept eating their ice cream.
"You know I applied for a post as a Hogwarts Professor?" Tom said.
"Oh really. I can't really picture you being a professor." Hermione said.
"You don't think I would be good at molding young minds?"
"It doesn't seem like something you would be interested in. Too boring for you." Hermione said.
"Dippet turned me down because of my age. He told me I was too young. It really stung, Hogwarts was the only place that felt like home." Tom said.
At his words Hermoine's face fell. She looked crestfallen.
"What's wrong? Why the long face?" Tom said.
"Sorry, but what you said... it reminded me of one of my oldest and dearest friends of mine. His name was Harry. I miss him dearly."
"Why don't you owl him? Does he live in England?" Tom asked.
"No, he's... he's dead." Hermione whispered quietly.
They finished eating their ice cream in silence. Tom didn't really care about Harry, but it was upsetting Hermione. If it upset Hermione then it mattered to him.
"Do you want a hug?" Tom asked lamely.
Hermione didn't answer him. She looked far away. She looked lost in thought. Hermione missed Harry. It ate away at her every day. It felt like an ache in her chest. She was so caught up in spending time with Tom that she hadn't thought about Harry for a few days. It made her feel guilty. Here she was enjoying herself with Harry's murderer. For the past week or so Hermione forgot that she was supposed to hate him. His charm and charisma swept her off her feet. Hermione was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Tom looked over and nodded in acknowledgement. One of his followers was heading towards him. The man had platinum blonde hair. His face was set in a determined line.
"Abraxas. what are you doing here?" Tom asked.
At the sound of Tom's voice Hermione was snapped out of her reverie. She noticed the platinum blonde hair and pinched expression. He must be a Malfoy. Hermione knew of the Malfoys long association as death eaters. Death eaters, the very thought of those words caused panic to rise up in Hermione's throat.
"I have news my lord." Abraxas said.
Tom tensed and looked over at Hermione. She was staring at Abraxas's hair. It reminded her of Draco.
"Well, what is it?" Tom asked sounding annoyed.
"I think it would be best if we had this conversation alone. No offense miss."
"Anything you can say to him you can say in front of me." Hermione said.
"Hermione, I'm sorry but I need to hear what he has to say. I'll catch up with you later. Meet back at my place by 9 tonight." Tom said.
"But Tom-"
"That was not a suggestion. It was an order. See you later darling." Tom said.
Who did he think he was giving her orders? She was Hermione Granger. She didn't take orders from anyone. Had he just called her darling? It had sounded nice coming from his lips she thought. Whatever it was they were up to Hermione intended to find out. She watched as they started to disappear from view. Hermione quickly cast a spell of invisibility. She kept a bit of distance between the two men. They were talking quietly to each other. They walked through the winding streets. After a while they entered what appeared to be a deserted alleyway. Nobody was around. The empty buildings stood looming over the street. All of a sudden five people apparated into the alleyway. They were wearing dark cloaks. The fabric looked heavy, which was odd on such a hot day. Hermione crept closer to the group. Tom looked around making sure the coast was clear.
"Well, what was the news?" Tom asked.
"The recruitment program is going quite well my lord. More are joining the cause every day. Your death eater army is on the rise." Abraxas said.
At the mention of the words Death Eater Hermione froze. She felt bile rise up in the back of her throat. Her mouth tasted sour. She kept listening.
"Within a few years we should have the numbers required to follow through with our plans. We will bring the world to its knees. Muggles and mud bloods will show deference to their betters. They will be put in their proper place. The war will begin with a surprise attack. Many of their lesser kind will be extinct by the time we are through. They won't even have time to scream." Abraxas said.
At the mention of mudbloods Tom tensed. Hermione was a mudblood. His most precious girl had a target on her back now. How could he protect her while still saving face? Tom thought for a moment wracking his brain. He was the leader. If he demanded it they would have to obey.
"Actually, I think we should handle the transition carefully. Mudbloods may be inferior but they have thier place in society. Killing them would only weaken our hold over Britain. The more subjects we have the more we can control." Tom says.
At Abraxas words Hermione's hands began to shake. Images of her friend's lifeless bodies assaulted her eyes. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run away. She was rooted to the spot. She felt fear in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to throw up. She felt dizzy. Hermione fell to her knees with a loud thud. She couldn't breathe. Tom's eyes narrowed.
"We aren't alone here." Tom said.
"Homenum Revelio" Tom said.
Shit. She was found out. The men in cloaks looked at her in surprise. They eyed her carved up arm with disgust.
"A mudblood. This is the girl you were eating ice cream with. Associating with mudbloods now are you?" Abraxas sneered.
Tom felt his mouth go dry. He saw Hermione rocking back and forth with her hands over her ears. She was screaming at him to make it stop. To make what stop? Tom turned towards his followers.
"No, Harry. I'm so sorry Harry. Ron..." She sobbed.
He could only take care of one thing at a time. He made eye contact with each of his followers. He put on his most intimidating look.
"She is my mudblood. You will not harm her. She is mine. If I see any of you sniffing around her you will be severely punished. I don't care what you do to anyone else but leave her be. She is mine. Do you understand me?" Tom bellowed.
"But she is a mudblood. You don't want to dirty yourself with her soiled blood. Sir. I mean no disrespect." Avery said.
"She is not soiled. Do you dare disobey a direct order from your better? Let me make this clear for those of you who don't understand me, she is off limits. She is a mudblood. But she is my mudblood. She is mine. She is to be kept safe from any of our plans. Is that understood?" Tom said icily.
Hermione gripped her wand. She was back there. She could hear the screams of pain coming from her friends. Bodies were falling all around her. She was developing a headache. She could hear crying. Was that her crying? She could feel the blood pumping between her ears. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. Everyone was dead. Everyone except her. She looked around franticly trying to assess for threats. She couldn't hear what Tom was saying to his followers. All she knew was she had to get away. She had to defend herself. Tom slowly walked towards her. She could hear her own voice sobbing out how sorry she was. She felt as if she were outside her body looking down at it.
"Stupefy. Bombarda." Hermione screamed.
Hermione felt all her muscles tense. She wanted to run but she couldn't She curled herself into a ball and sobbed. All those people. Her parents. They were all gone. She was seeing all the faces of her dead friends. She kept seeing them die over and over again. One of Tom's followers fell over. There was a crack and a loud explosion. The empty buildings crumbled into pieces. A huge gaping hole was left where the buildings stood. The five men ducked.
"What the bloody hell is wrong with her? Your mudblood's got a screw loose." Avery shouted.
Tom ignored him. He looked at her sobbing form. She kept apologizing. She kept screaming out names of people he had never heard of. Her distress was obvious. The only thought in his mind was protection. He knelt down next to her and hugged her to him. He couldn't show vulnerability in front of his followers. Weakness was not tolerated.
"Leave us. Now. Get out of my sight." Tom screamed.
The five men disappeared with a loud crack. He grabbed her and hugged her tight to his chest. She had to be ok. He had to make her be ok. Seeing her like this, it hurt him. She was sobbing into his shoulder. She kept apologizing. He didn't know why she was apologizing. She had nothing to be sorry for.
"Its happening all over again. Its' happening all over again." Hermione sobbed.
"What is? Hermione explain to me what's going on. What's wrong?"
He didn't understand. Nobody could ever understand. She kept seeing body after body. Thier cold lifeless eyes. Dead. All of them. Every single one. And it was his fault. It was all his fault. Rage built up inside Hermione. The very man who was comforting her was the evil villain who took her friends from her. He was angel and devil both. He was savior and executioner.
"Get away from me! You evil bastard. It's' all your fault. It's all your fault." Hermione sobbed.
In response to this Tom held her even tighter. He had no idea what she was talking about. It was his fault for what? All he wanted was to protect her.
"Hermione, its alright. Come back to me. Whatever is happening inside your head, let me help. Hermione look at me." He commanded.
She could smell the burning flesh of the dead. Voldemort was standing over Harry's body. He was cackling with glee. She reached out and buried her face into Tom's shoulder. The smell of his cologne started to ground her. The screams were growing fainter. He smelled wonderful. She could faintly remember the feeling of glass against her skin. As her eyes met his it all faded away. Savior and executioner both. She was back in the present with a faint ringing in her ears.
"Are you alright? You really scared me. What happened?" Tom asked.
Hermione brushed her hair away from her face. She felt faint. She didn't answer him. She kept staring into his eyes. Warmth and concern showed on every feature of his face. The pressure of his arms around her, his smell, his green eyes. He was her anchor to the present right now. She didn't want to slip back into those painful memories. She was starting to come back to herself. She felt the summer heat again for the first time in what felt like hours. There was nobody else around but her and Tom. Tom her friend. Her enemy.
"I was in flashbacks. I have PTSD." Hermione said.
"Ptsd what's that?" Tom asks.
"Its a muggle term. Its an abbreviation for Post traumatic stress disorder. Its caused by trauma. "She said.
"Trauma, did someone hurt you? Is it the same person who carved up your arm? Tell me. Tell me who did this to you. Who hurt you?" Tom said.
Hermione smiled. The irony of Tom Riddle wanting to protect her was not lost on her. She laughed and sobbed at the same time. She couldn't keep it in anymore. She had to talk about it to someone. She probably needed therapy. Talk therapy wasn't as established in the 1940s. She couldn't lie to him anymore. Maybe if she told him about what the war cost to win he would be dissuaded from his dark path. She had to get through to him. He couldn't become Voldemort. She wouldn't let that happen.
"You did. Or rather, Lord Voldemort did." Hermione whispered.
"What are you talking about? I told you I would never hurt you. I meant it. I will always keep you safe." Tom swore.
"Don't become him Tom. Please. Don't become him. Don't make any more horcruxes. Don't tear your soul apart trying to attain immortality. Its not worth it. You have such a promising future. You could help so many people. You are brilliant. One of the most powerful wizards to ever exist. You might not harm me now but in the 1990s your reign of terror hurt alot of people. It hurt me. I get nightmares. My hands are covered in blood as I try to use dittany leaves on Ginny. She bled out in front of me. It was a bleeding curse that one of your followers invented. Sometimes I get triggered and I go back to the war. Loud noises, sudden movements, enclosed spaces. I have so many triggers and they are all because of you. Because you cared for nobody but yourself and power and immortality. You can stop this Tom. Stop it before it begins. Stop while you still have a soul left. I care for you." Hermione said.
"You are from the future? I caused that. Impossible. You are alright now? You seem more yourself. I was so worried." Tom said.
"It would be better if I could show you. Do you trust me?" Hermione asks.
"Yes." Tom replies.
She apparates them to the Forest of Dean. They are surrounded by greenery. The chirping of birds can be heard throughout the canopy. It was a beautiful place. It was calm.
"This place brings up mixed emotions for me. Its a secluded place so we should be safe enough to practice legilimency here. I wanted someplace cozy, someplace I recognized and connected to." Hermione said.
Hermione got out her bag with the extension charm. She dug around until she found what she was looking for. She still had the tent that her and Harry had used during their hunt for horcruxes. Slowly she waved her wand and set up camp. She remembered setting up wards. She remembered Harry's pale face. Harry. Her best friend. Dead. Ron, dead. Luna and Ginny. They were all dead. She let out a blood curdling scream. They all died in front of her. Every time she closed her eyes she was haunted by the faces of people she couldn't save. Tears were falling down her face. Tom stood next to her unsure of what to do. She turned to him and anger blazed in her eyes. It was pure white hot rage that seeped through her veins. It was all his fault. It was all his fault. She ran towards him. She punched him and kicked him as she sobbed. She wanted to cause him pain. She wanted him to hurt like she did. She poked her wand into his cheek.
"It's not fair. It's not fair. Why did I survive and they didn't. Why did Lord Voldemort let me live? Its all your fault. Its all your fault. I hate you, I hate you for what you did to my friends. You are an evil monster. You are a murderer. You took my girlhood from me. I want you to hurt like I do. I want to cast an unforgivable on you. I hate you. I hate you." She screamed.
They stood together, her wand was indenting into his cheek. Her chest was heaving. Tom swallowed and took off his cloak.
"Do you really want to hurt me Hermione? Then cast crucio on me. If what you say about me is true then I deserve it."
Hermione stood stone faced, he walked towards her and pressed his body up against her wand.
"You have to mean it Hermione. You have to want to cause pain. I don't think you are capable of directly causing pain."
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do. You piece of shit. Fuck you! Crucio." She screamed.
Tom flinched. For a brief moment he felt pain. Then it subsided.
"Crucio."
"Crucio"
"Crucio" Hermione screamed.
Nothing happened. She threw her wand on the ground and punched him and kicked him with all her might. Tom just stood there and took it.
"Fight back. Fight back you piece of shit. You are the reason why all my friends are dead."
Tom wrapped his arms around her and sighed. She grabbed the back of his shirt and dug her fingers into the fabric. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks. She sobbed into his chest. His scent enveloped her. His smell was so calming to her. She sobbed for what felt like hours. Tom pushed her hair away from her face. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Shhh... Hermione I am here. Let it out. Let it out. I am here. I am not going anywhere." Tom cood.
Her knees felt weak. She almost fell. Tom slowly brought their bodies down to the ground. After a while she finally spoke.
"I didn't hurt you did I? I am sorry. I am so conflicted. You mean so much to me Tom" Hermione said.
"You hurt me for a little bit, but then it went away. You didn't actually want to hurt me. I could feel it. I am so sorry. I am so sorry Hermione."
"You're sorry. You're sorry. My friends are dead. I am stuck in the 1940s with the man who murdered everyone i ever loved. The worst fucking part is that I care for you. I can't stop caring for you. I care for you despite myself. Despite knowing what I know. Despite knowing who you turn into. I care for you. I care for you Tom. It fucks me up inside. I feel like an awful person. I feel like an awful friend."
"Give me the pain Hermione. Let me see. Let me see what you are dealing with. I want to help you. Let me help carry the load." Tom says.
Hermione has started to calm down. Tom has his arms around her. A sense of safety envelops her. The way he was holding her in his arms, she felt utterly and completely safe. She knew she shouldn't. She knew he was dangerous. Thier faces were inches apart. Tom stoked her cheek with his hand. They held each other for a while.
"Are you ready?" Tom asks?
"Yes." Hermione replies.
"Legilimens." Tom says.
He is thrown into her mind with a horrible force. Millions of memories flit by. He is not sure where to start. He feels Hermione guide him to memories of the war. He wants to peek around and see her memories. He sees a memory of her floating books towards her as a young child. A memory zooms past of her playing catch with her father. He sees her in primary school. Memories of her time at Hogwarts float into view. Being sorted into Gryffindor and meeting Harry and Ron. He sees her riding on a hippogriff. She is dancing at the yule ball. Her and a group of friends fighting people in the department of mysteries. She guides him further back. Finally they get to the memories that haunt her. The final battle and when Bellatrix tortured her. She can feel Tom flinch at what he is seeing.
"I want to have a little conversation with this one. Girl to girl." Bellatrix says
"You went into my vault. What did you take? What did you infect with your filthy mudblood hands" Bellatrix says.
"I didn't take anything" Hermione says.
"I don't believe you"
Bellatrix slowly carves into her arm. Hot red blood spurts out of her arm. Hermione is screaming at the top of her lungs. Tom holds her tighter. She is writhing around in pain. Slowly she carves the letter M into her skin. Hermione's eyes burn with tears. In the present time Tom holds her as close as he can. Hermione has started to shake. She was reliving it as if it had just happened.
"You filthy little cunt. You think you can steal from me? Stealing from me is like stealing from the Dark Lord. You deserve to be punished." Bellatrix screams.
She carves the letter U into Hermione's skin. The pain feels white hot. It is sharp and throbbing. Every slice to her skin feels like agony. Bellatrix carves the letter D into her skin.
"I didn't take anything." Hermione sobs.
Tom pales and presses their foreheads together. Tom keeps repeating how sorry he is. He wraps his arms protectively around her body and pets her head with one of his hands.
She carves a B into her arm. The glass drags across her skin. It bites into her arm. The letter L is carved into her arm Hermione sobs and lets out a blood curdling scream of pain.
"Hermione I don't know how to handle this." Tom says.
"You said you wanted to know about my trauma. This is it. Right in front of your eyes."
"Its alot." Tom says.
"I know. I lived through it."
In the memory Hermione is trying to push off Bellatrix but Bellatrix is using her body weight to keep Hermione in place. She carves in two letter Os into her skin.
"Stop. Stop." Hermione screams
"Shut up you mudblood bitch! Tell me what I want to know. Tell me now!"
Bellatrix carves the letter D into her skin. Hermione feels like she is going to pass out from the pain. The memory ends. The memories shift towards the final battle.
In the final battle she is running. Bodies are falling. Ginny is dying. Her blood is running down her hands. The dittany can't stop the blood that Ginny is losing. Blasts of green light shoot past her. The killing curse hits Luna in the chest. She drops like a stone. Neville runs over to her. Harry, Ron, Hagrid... on and on... body after body... memory after memory bombards Tom. Hermione's first kiss, her first time having sex, her first time seeing him. He freezes. He notices the thoughts that Hermione is having about him in the memory. He pushes to another memory of them, of when he helps her undress. Memories of thier time spent together bombard his brain. She is attracted to him. It was plain as day in the thoughts of her memories. He pulls out of her mind.
He holds her close and swallows. He looks visibly pale and like he is going to be sick. He holds her as tight as he can.
"I caused all that? No wonder you hate me." Tom says.
"I don't hate you Tom. I am angry with you. But I don't hate you. I hate Lord Voldemort. Not Tom Riddle."
"I am Lord Voldemort. He is my past, present, and future."
"He doesn't have to be. You are brilliant Tom. Absolutely brilliant. Your magic, there is nothing else quite like it. You could help people."
"I hurt you Hermione. I hurt you. By killing Harry I hurt you. I saw other memories. Memories you probably didn't want me to see." Tom says
"You saw me lose my virginity. I noticed you lingered in that memory. Now you know. Now you know why some nights I wake up sobbing and drenched in cold sweat." Hermione says.
"Seeing you being tortured. It broke me." Tom says.
"Can I see your memories now? You saw mine. It's only fair." Hermione says.
"No, absolutely not. There are things I have done that I don't want you to see. I don't want you to be afraid of me." Tom says.
"I'd be an idiot if I wasn't at least a little afraid of you. With magic like yours, you are dangerous. I feel safe enough with you though. I know you would never hurt me. You have proven that to me."
"I noticed your thoughts in your memories. We should talk about it." Tom says.
"Which thoughts?"
"The ones where you imagined my fingers inside you. You are attracted to me. That much is clear." Tom says,
Hermione huffs and stands up. She stood next to the fire pit and aimed her wand.
"Incendio" Hermione said.
Dusk had creeped in. Thier legilimancy session had gone on longer than either of them realized. Tom gets up and walks over to her and sits down next to the fire. Hermione hands him a stick. A hot dog is on the end of it. They roast their meats in the fire. Hermione gets out buns. She could carry anything and everything in the bag. They eat their hot dogs and they roast marshmallows. A silence had descended upon them. Until finally Hermione spoke.
"I was hoping you wouldn't notice that I feel attracted to you. It has made everything more complicated."
Tom scoots closer to her as night falls. He wraps his arm around her. He looks deep into her eyes.
"The feeling is mutual Hermione. When you touch me it burns. It feels like fire. Electricity shoot across my skin wherever you touch." Tom says.
"You want me to be honest with you?" Hermione asks.
"Yes"
"I've wondered what it would be like to feel you inside of me. Whether it would be different than the other times I have had sex. I wonder what your fingers can do. You have such nice hands." Hermione says.
"You imagined us having sex? I have imagined it too. Feeling you underneath me, your cheeks turning pink, your eyes rolled back in pleasure. So what does this mean for us? Are we friends or... are we more?" Tom asks
Hermione swallows and won't meet Tom's eyes. He was surprised she would be so bold as to admit her affections. He presses his lips to her cheek. He kisses her cheek tenderly. Hermione doesn't answer him. She gets up and heads inside the tent. So, he felt the same way. It didn't change things between them. It couldn't. She couldn't have feelings for him. She couldn't get into a relationship with him, it would tear away what shred of decency she had left. Tom sat outside as the last rays of sun set in the night sky. Why hadn't she answered him? If she felt the same way does that mean that they were more than friends? He felt horror in his chest. What had happened to Hermione, it was horrible. It made his blood turn to ice just remembering her cries of pain. He hadn't been there. He hadn't protected her. He was resolved. Protect her at any cost. Tom walked into the tent. Hermione was wearing one of his shirts. She was in nothing but his shirt and her panties. She was huddled underneath the covers.
"You look good wearing my clothes." Tom said.
Tom slipped off his clothes and stripped down to his underwear. He climbed into bed beside her. The sheets were soaked with sweat. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. She smelled like apples and rain. His nails dug into her hip and he snuggled into her hair. He heard her breathing hitch and he smirked. He turned her around and got on top of her. Her eyes went wide. A shocked expression played across her face.
"So you admit it. You want me." Tom whispers into her ear.
Hermione is silent. He grabs her face with one of his hands and whispers more lewd things into her ear.
"You want me inside of you. You want to ride me until we are both spent and satisfied. Isn't that right?" Tom whispers
Hermione swallows and closes her eyes. He was so close to her. The feeling of his weight on top of her. It was having an effect. His voice was deep and alluring.
"You want my fingers inside of your cunt. You want me to make you moan. I want that too. I want you Hermione. I want to fuck you until you can't walk straight. I want to see your body shiver and shake and know that it was because of me. I want to fill you with my cock. The question is, will you let me? What are we Hermione? What are we?" Tom asks.
Hermione opens her eyes. He was staring down at her. A fire was blazing in her belly at his words. He was turning her on. How utterly shameful she thought. They couldn't be more than friends. She wouldn't allow it. No matter how much she wanted him. She couldn't have him. She wouldn't let herself have him.
"We are friends. We are just friends Tom. Thats it. There can't be anything more between us." Hermione says.
Tom snarls at her words. He stares down at her, her hair is splayed out in different directions. Her cheeks had started to turn pink. She looked like an Angel. She was his. She had to be his. He would make her his.
"Friends don't look at each other the way I look at you. I want more Hermione, I want more. I want to wake with you in my bed every day. I want to fuck you every night. You could become my queen. I desire more than just friendship with you. I want you to be my girlfriend." Tom says.
Hermione, despite her words, wraps her hands around Tom's neck and pulls him close to her. His hot breath was felt in her ear. His head was buried beside her, his lips mere inches from her ear.
"We can't Tom. I'm sorry. We can't. I want to but we can't." Hermione says.
"We can Hermione. Nobody can stop us. Nobody can stop me from getting what I want. I always get what I want. Always." Tom says.
"I would be betraying my friends memories. Being with you, I want it Tom. I want it desperately. But we can't. We have to stay friends."
Tom hovers over her mouth. Thier lips are almost touching. He moves his hands to her sides and grabs her hips. The feeling of his hands on her hips. It was driving Hermione wild. His hands were big, his fingers were long.
"I want to kiss you. You want it too. Don't deny it. Don't deny me." Tom says.
Hermione licked her lips. He was so close. It was getting hard to think.
"I'm sorry. Tom, I can't. I want to but I cant." Hermione says.
Tom places a kiss on her forehead and then kisses her cheeks. He rolls off of her and spoons her. His hand rests on her lower stomach. He kisses her shoulder lightly. Hermione gasps at the contact. Why did she have to be so stubborn. Why couldn't she just give in to her desires? They would be just friends for now. He would convince her to obey. She would be his. Slowly they fall asleep.
They are woken up by the sound of thunder. Rain pelts the tent. Hermione feels Tom's arm wrapped protectively around her body. She reveled in his touch. It was such a guilty pleasure. She shakes him awake. They lay together listening to the sound of the rain. Hermione gets up and slips on her shoes, still only in Tom's shirt and her underwear. Tom follows her. She runs outside into the rain.
"What the hell are you doing?" Tom shouts
A clap of thunder booms. Lightning streaks across the sky. Toms shirt sticks to Hermione's skin.
"I am enjoying the rain." Hermione shouts back
Tom walks over to her still only in his underwear. She grabs his hands and places one hand on her hip and takes one of his hands into her own. They dance together in the rain.
"This is like every muggle romance movie. Its so romantic. The characters kiss in the rain." Hermione says.
Tom twirls Hermione around. Did she want him to kiss her or not? She was sending mixed signals. Slowly they stopped dancing. Tom lifted Hermione up and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pressed his body into her. His skin was soaked from the rain. He carries her back into the tent. He places her down on the bed and climbs on top of her. They were both breathing heavily.
"Can I kiss you? Please Hermione?" Tom begs
"I want to kiss you but I can't. I couldn't do that the Harry."
Tom kisses her collarbones and bites at her shoulders. He kisses her pulse point on her neck. Hermione sighs. He kissed her neck and licks it. His kisses were hot and fiery and filled with need. Hermione wraps her fingers in Tom's hair.
"Tom. Oh my god. I want this but we can't. You have to stop. We have to just be friends." Hermione says
"Who says. Why are you denying yourself what you want. You want this. You want me. Fine. Fine Hermione. If friends is what you want then that is what we will be." Tom says.
The way he was looking at her made her heart stop. She felt like she couldn't breathe. His eyes were intense. Fire and desire mixed with tenderness. Tender and Voldemort don't belong in the same sentence. He pressed their foreheads together and pushed away Hermione's wet hair. Her hair was starting to frizz from the humidity. Tom thought it made her look cute. He layed back into the bed. He turned his back towards her. He had been rejected. Rejected by a mudblood. By his mudblood. Angry thoughts made his fingers twitch. If friends was what she wanted then he would have to oblige her. Hermione grabbed his hand with her own. She brought their joined hands up to her mouth. She kissed his fingers. She peppered soft light kisses on his hand. Tom turned back towards her.
"What are you doing?" Tom asks
"Kissing your fingers. You have such nice hands Tom. I want you to spoon me like you normally do. I want to fall asleep with you holding me." Hermione says.
What? Was she mad? She had asked to remain friends. It would kill him to just be friends with her but he would do it if it made her happy. Now she is saying she wanted him to spoon her. It didn't make any sense. What did she want from him? It was all very confusing. She confused him. She felt torn. Torn between what was right and her own desires. Torn between the man she knew and the man he would become. If he became Voldemort he would break her heart. Better to keep her distance than get crushed by his inevitable betrayal.
"You want me to hold you like I would hold my lover. Yet you say all you want is friendship. Make up your mind. I don't do things half way. I care about you deeply. I want you deeply, with my whole being. When you shared your trauma with me today, it changed me. It broke me. It tore me apart seeing you in so much pain. I normally don't feel empathy but with you it was different. I cursed the fact that I wasn't there, that I couldn't save you from what you went through. I have sworn to myself that I will protect you with everything I have. You are mine. You are mine Hermione. You will be mine. You will obey me."
Obedient? He wanted her to be obedient? Who did he think she was? She didn't belong to anyone. Yet, the thought of submitting to him, trusting him in that way, it sounded appealing. She had never wanted to be owned by anyone before. She was a person. People couldn't own other people. That was slavery. She had practiced BDSM before. Memories came towards her, of her first foray into submission. Perhaps, perhaps she could start to think it over. Being owned by him in a consensual power exchange, it wouldn't be her first time. She was a feminist. She should feel disgusted at the thought of being owned but instead she found herself wanting it. She wanted to be obedient. The thought terrified her. She was Hermione Granger. She was contemplating a power exchange with Tom Riddle. She had to reject him. It was for her own good. He already held a terrifying amount of power over her. If she were to give in, if she were to become his then she could never forgive herself. He was beautiful. His persuasiveness was unrivaled. He could make everyone do whatever he wanted. People were puppets to him, mere pawns. Hermione had been quiet for awhile.
"I want you to hold me but we can't be together. Can't you just let me have this without having to make things be so serious?" Hermione said.
Tom didn't say anything but he scooted closer to her and threw his arm around her. He couldn't say no to her. She was too precious to him. He didn't want her far away either. They talked for hours until the sun rose. As the sun rose in the sky they packed up thier things and headed back to Tom's place.