New Colors of Life

One person was mentally raped for betaing this chapater- please applaud Nerys who had to dig up facts about the story I myself didn't remember very well (we already established I am touched in the head. HEAVILY).

Serpent In Red suffered less, but still...THEY RULE!

P.S Here comes the ANGST part. Muhahahaaa...

ENJOY!


Everything is possible


Everything was changing. The air itself swirled with anxiety and anticipation.

Hermione Riddle was once again alone, sitting in the library of the Slytherin Manor, reading a book about time travel. She was getting worried more and more with each passing day. The very idea about the time paradox they had created was eating her mind and soul. What could be the consequences?

This was the question Hermione asked herself day after day.

Tom was behaving even more suspiciously. Gone were the smiles, gently embraces and quiet evenings. More and more Tom could be seen with an impassive expression on his handsome face. His once beautiful eyes were now mostly rimmed with a red glint, and the aura around him darkened even more than before.

Hermione could see and feel that something was really bothering him, something in his mind that he could not let go of, and she was sure, it had something to do with her.

xxxxx

"Hermione!" Tom's voice echoed through the halls of the mansion as he returned home from yet another trip.

The situation was getting too dangerous and too disturbing. Tom was quickly approaching the position of the most feared Dark Lord ever. He was still doing it quietly, without drawing attention from Dumbledore and avoiding the mistakes made by Grindelwald. He needed Dumbledore out of the picture and he needed to make that happen fast. He had already made himself very well known to Grindelwald after he clashed with him in Nurmengard on his previous trip. The old fool wouldn't tell him a thing. But with Grindelwald's help or not, the Hallows would be his anyway.

Damn old morons, both Dumbledore and Grindelwald were in his way, especially the old, muggle-loving sheepherder running Hogwarts these days. He should be quietly sitting in his rocking chair at an elderly house, knitting socks. Of course, Dumbledore was a great opponent; Hermione's memories had proved that much. And Dumbledore already knew who and what Tom really was, he'd always been in his way, even at Hogwarts. So, his chances of rising to power completely unnoticed were slim to nothing. Damn meddling coot. Fortunately, he knew how Dumbledore's mind worked and wasn't making the same mistakes twice.

Begging for a job Lord Voldemort knew he would not get just to gain access to the Room of Requirement, I think not, Tom thought haughtily.

No, there would be no surprise coming from the old man in the near future, but Grindelwald standing in his way … Tom had not expected that. Too many distractions from too many sides, and Lord Voldemort did not like that at all.

Another issue that was constantly banging his brain was his wife. He was not as naive as she was, and the amount of knowledge he had regarding the Dark Arts gave him a clear overview of what was going to happen. He was sure that it would not take long for Hermione to either disappear to Salazar knew where, or to simply vanish as if she had never existed. They had wrecked the time-line too severely, even before the ritual with the book. But after that …

He knew what was inevitably coming, and at the moment, he could not decide what to do.

Hermione, his wife – at that word he half sneered half smirked – was too pure. She could have done numerous things in her life that could have branded her as "Dark", but he knew better than the others that it was too farfetched. One Crucio on a ferret, edged on by his voice, didn't quite cut it. Her soul was still too pure, too innocent to accept him the way he wanted to. She trusted him. Yet, there was this border which he could not overstep without breaking that trust. He hadn't really shown her all his actions, his Dark Arts dabbling. He wasn't sure he could trust her not to run away. Were Hermione to stay with him, he needed to be sure that she would not turn her back on him. He needed to be sure that were she to remain by his side, she would accept him fully and support him in any way possible, without those damn morals of "good and evil" holding her back.

Lord Voldemort had to decide quickly what to do with her. He needed to know what was more important to her: he, and only he, or the world.

xxxx

"Tom." Quickly running down the stairs, Hermione approached her husband.

Dear God, he looks even more gaunt than before, Hermione thought, hugging Tom tightly.

"What is going on," she whispered into his shoulder, while still hugging him and feeling him return her embrace.

"Nothing you should worry about, darling."

His replies were always similar to one another. Do not worry. Mind your own business. Nothing. Let me deal with everything, and so on…. Never would he tell her what he really thought or what was really going on. As if she was clueless … As if she had not seen it all before …

She had had enough.

"Oh really," Hermione snarled at Tom, pushing him away. "Nothing ever happens, does it, daaarling?" she drawled just like he used to.

Before Tom could start his own sentence, Hermione was already in full "mortal combat" mode. With blazing eyes, she stepped closer to the now angry Dark Lord and pushed a finger into his chest with every sentence that flew out her mouth.

"You treat me as if I am made of glass when it comes to your 'business'. You never tell me anything. You hide your trips from me. I don't know where you go, where you've been, and what you've done there."

When Tom was obviously getting ready to interrupt, Hermione raised her voice even more.

"And don't you dare shut me up! I have had enough! I am no Walburga or any other stupid ass-licker you have in your merry company of 'friends'." At the word friends, Hermione made a deep bow as in mocking the way the Death Eaters would bow to their master. "I demand an explanation, and I have had enough of the bull you've been giving me for the last months."

"You'd better shut up now, Granger," Voldemort, as Hermione had no doubt this was no Tom Riddle anymore, hissed through clenched teeth, his eyes blazing red.

He used her real last name only when he was beyond pissed. Hermione winced at the though. It was going to get ugly, but it had to be done now or never.

"It's Riddle, in case you forgot, husband of mine," she snarled. She could hiss as well, though not as good as he. But hey, she was only married to the Heir of Slytherin, not born one.

"I know what you have been up to. I experienced that already, remember?" Hermione tapped her head, reminding him that she was one of those who had fought against him. In the un-paradoxed, old time-line. "What I want to know is how far have you gone already? What have you been doing all that time when you have been away: creating more Horcruxes, killing Mudbloods, plotting evil deeds with your insipid followers?" Hermione felt as if she was going to drown from the foam coming from her mouth at her angry, spit words.

What happened to us? Hermione thought, as she looked directly into his red, angry eyes filled with hate and disgust.

"Look who's talking," Tom spat. He moved towards his wife, hastily grabbing her chin. "You, my lovely, darling wife, single-handedly destroyed your world. You gave all the necessary knowledge to the person whom you hated so much and who, you knew, would use this knowledge to destroy everything you care about on his way to power. You knew, knewthat I would never change. But did that stop you from marrying me, and then, giving in – completely? No, it most certainly did not."

Hermione shivered as his words sank in. It was nothing but the truth, however …

"I did not give in, you bastard! I kept my part of our deal, but I did not know to what it would lead. I did not know what was going to happen. I did not even imagine in my wildest dreams that I would be the person responsible for killing Har-"

Hermione could not finish her sentence, as Tom's strong hand squeezed her jaw so painfully that she choked on the last words.

"Ah, yes, darling Harry." Venom was seeping through Voldemort's words as he glared at his wife. "Our hamster, our sweet, tiny, fluffy hamster." His chilling laugh filled the room. "You made it so much easier for me, my sweet. So much easier. Now though, you have to choose. Time is up."

Hermione could not believe this was happening. It was one thing to know that your husband was a Dark Lord, gathering an army. All this time, she did not have to see it or take part. It still made Hermione feel awful, but she could pretend. She could withdraw into an imaginary world where everything behind the walls of the Manor was all right.

It was a whole other thing entirely if Tom planned to make her see and take part in Voldemort's rise to power. Then, she wouldn't be able to pretend anymore. It would merge her two lives: her "homely" life and the life as a spouse of the Dark Lord, being by his side no matter what. She did not want that.

No, she did not even know what she wanted anymore.

She knew that Tom had never tried the potion for soul mates, but she had. She had already known for some time that he was her destiny. He was a part of her. She had seen Tom Marvolo Riddle shimmering in so many different colors in that potion that it had blinded her for a second. She'd understood then that there was no going back. She could not live without him, did not want to live without him, knowing full well that she would not have a normal life even if he did release her. Knowing that a part of your heart, your very soul, was walking on earth, near you; knowing that you could be together, but being separated instead … she did not want to think about that.

At the same time, she did not think she would be able to deal with Voldemort's "business". It was just too wrong, and Hermione could not make that choice to support his cause. Something deep, deep inside of her was telling, urging her to give in. As Tom had said, just give in completely. And maybe, just maybe, she could change the future somehow by influencing little things, minor decisions and such. Hermione knew very well that she would not be able to change Tom, as he had been and always would be Lord Voldemort. No one could change him. She just had the option to either accept him to lighten up the future or step aside in order to suffer and let others suffer as well. She had to choose, but she just couldn't.

"I am not going to let you stop me, Hermione," Tom continued as if she'd not been silent for a long time. "So make your choice. Is it me or …" –he leaned closer and whispered into her open lips– "the Light? You either accept me as whom you know I am and we'll live happily ever after or I am letting you go with an Unbreakable Vow attached and you can fend for yourself in the future to come without me."

Placing feather soft kisses on Hermione's lips, Voldemort went on as if he was talking about the weather and not life in general.

"You can stay by my side, darling. Forever. Or … you can step aside and watch from the shadows how I take over the world, in which case you will stop existing for me and I will have other women surrounding me." He stared at her silently, his face a blank mask while hers was flooding with emotions. "Decide, Hermione," Voldemort softly whispered to his wife.

With a swirl of his elegant robes, he abruptly disappeared again, leaving behind a shocked Hermione alone in their home.

xxxx

I cannot and will not give in, Hermione thought, angrily pacing the library. Other women, phooey! Arse.

Still, despite the infuriating thought of someone else in his arms, in his bed, flashing continuously in her mind's eye, it didn't take away her reservations concerning his other activities. His quest for power, his need to control the world and discriminate against people like her should be stopped. Right?

Tom could be stopped only by Dumbledore, and she knew he should be stopped. For the greater good. But did she want Tom to be stopped?

She was pathetic, she decided, when she couldn't imagine what she would do if Dumbledore were to kill Tom. The thought alone made her throat dry and her heart ache.

Tom or Voldemort, she already saw no difference between them, and perhaps, she never had. He would destroy the world if given the chance. Sure, she could make it a bit better by fighting him in small details, but then she would have to accept his Dark Reign, not to mention his ridiculous bigotry. Plus, being referred to as "The Dark Lady" made her want to run to the bathroom and scrub her skin off. Disgusting.

Still, losing him was an option that made her sick to her stomach.

She needed to decide, but how?

She needed an outlet that would allow her mind to be free of emotions, so that she would not be thinking with a clouded mind. She needed to be rational about this, logical. She needed a break. She needed some fresh air, and maybe, some company, seeing that being alone at the manor did nothing to help her in any way. Especially on Halloween.

Putting on her cloak, Hermione casually stepped outside Slytherin Manor, glancing at the huge gates with sorrow. She remembered very well how Tom had found this mansion and how exited he'd been, his dark blue eyes shining with amusement. She could remember how he'd taken her on the steps to the front gate. She recalled how he'd carried her bridal style the first time they'd entered the house. Every memory connected to this house was all about him.

I am no whiny chit, Hermione thought angrily, as she turned away from the house. She would not give in; she would not let Tom destroy her mind with his darkness. For the first time in her life, Hermione Granger could not decide what to do. Even making huge lists did not help anymore. What could help her? This was the ultimate question on her mind when she heard a soft pop behind her.

Hoping to see Tom and being, finally, able to talk to him normally, she turned around and met hard blue eyes that in the old time-frame used to twinkle with joy and amusement.

Gathering herself, Hermione smiled at the visitor. Nice Halloween, she thought.

"What can I do for you, Professor Dumbledore?"

xxxxxxx

He observed her with a hard stare. This was the woman who had caused so much despair, who'd turned to Tom Riddle, and quickly, had paired up with him. Tom was already shaking the world, trying to do it quietly but failing as his army of followers grew larger with each day.

Since he became the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore tried to do everything to prevent Tom from rising to power. But it seemed that Tom would supersede even Grindelwald in his march to greatness. The only one who still could, and Albus hoped, would try to stop Tom was standing right in front of him.

"Mrs. Riddle." He greeted her with her formal name and saw a small pained half-smile appear for a second on her face before it turned expressionless again.

Her husband taught her well, Dumbledore thought with a heavy heart. This young woman had so much potential, so much passion in her, and he did not want to see it being used for the Dark.

"I am very sorry for appearing without a warning, but it seems some things cannot be left alone anymore."

His voice was soft but grave at the same time, and Hermione had a very bad feeling about it. She did not need Trelawney to guess what Dumbledore was talking about: Tom.

After the Headmaster remained quiet for some time, just looking at her with this pained expression in his eyes, Hermione spoke.

"I am afraid I do not quite understand what it is that you are talking about," Hermione replied innocently, even though knowing very well what, or whom, he was talking about. "I am sorry, Professor, but we'll have to talk at a later time, as I have to return home now."

She needed to get the hell out of here.

Before Dumbledore could answer, Hermione was already at the gates, quickly moving back into the house. She turned back and saw that she had Albus Dumbledore on her steps now.

"This cannot wait, Hermione."

He was very serious, she understood and panicked. She was no Tom, and even though she was a great witch, she had no chance against Dumbledore if he planned to fight her.

"I mean you no harm, Hermione. Please, just listen to me."

He tried his best to keep the situation under control, but he could feel the wards of the manor hissing angrily at him, alerting their master that something was very wrong.

Dumbledore saw the huge panic in Hermione Riddle's eyes, as she looked to his left, outside of the Manor. He looked back and saw nothing that merited such panic, just a bit of fog.

"Noooooo!"

A piercing scream erupted from Hermione, as she saw the lawn before the manor surrounded by fog.

Dumbledore turned again, narrowing his eyes at the fog and examining it more closely. Swiftly, he whipped his wand out, not understanding what was happening on this Halloween night. He came to talk, but something beyond his understanding was going on. That fog was magical.

"Noooo, Tooom!" Hermione screamed.

She raced towards the fog where she could see Tom struggle with an invisible force. She kept running as fast as she could, her legs carrying her towards her dear Tom who was now on the ground.

No, not him, anyone but him, she begged and fell next to the lying form of her husband.

She could hear shouts and spells flying towards her. Wait! She could see the frantic face of Professor Dumbledore, who tried to banish the weird fog that closed in on him to no avail.

She could care less since Tom was not breathing, and she did not understand what was going on. She remembered the fog very well, but what was Tom doing here, dead?

Hermione suddenly had a feeling that something was more than wrong. She heard another pop and saw her husband arrive: alive and well, looking shocked at the scene before him. Dumbledore was fighting off the fog and Hermione was inside the already formed twister.

With horror Hermione looked more closely at the Tom she'd run to, the one who was dead, and saw wide-opened red eyes with slits for pupils. Hermione's scream was muffled by the fog that engulfed her.

Then, everything turned black before her eyes.

xxxxxxx

What is going on? What happened? Where is Tom?

There were so many questions running through Hermione's mind when she woke up on a deserted beach, a strong wind blowing through her wet clothes.

In terror Hermione looked up and saw the place she had landed in: Azkaban.

"Welcome back, Mrs. Riddle."

A familiar voice greeted her when she got up from the wet and cold ground. Judging by the clothing, she was kicked forward in time, to which time frame exactly she did not know. But she knew one thing.

Professor Dumbledore was standing right before her with several guards surrounding him. That meant that …

"You are guilty of aiding the late Dark Lord Voldemort, also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Late … that meant …

Hermione did not have the time to brainstorm on all the details of that message, but she understood one thing before she fainted.

Tom had lost to Dumbledore. He was dead.

P.S ooopsi...Serpie has been a bad, baaaad girl...Killing Harry, then HIM...lalalala...