Time Changes All Things: Now Complete

Twists ahead that you may or may not like! Let me know! Thanks to my readers and reviewers, you make it all worth the time I spend writing this story.

Nicole is always the one who makes it possible getting this story out! :)

Chapter 22: Happy Christmas

There was a river of blood flowing in front of her. She could smell the stench that fresh blood emanated. Reaching down she put her hand out to touch the river; it was cool and wet as she rubbed her fingers together. Looking around for the source of the blood, she was startled by a moan. Sounds of agony drew closer and stronger. She stood in the dimly lit cave cautiously waiting for the source of the anguish to approach.

“Why?” she heard a voice roughly speak, “Why did you do it?” Around the corner stepped Justin Widden with the 12-inch blade stuck in the side of his neck. She sucked in her breath as he eyes glanced at the blade and the ever flowing stream of blood gushing out of his neck. No words escaped her mouth as the tears started falling from her eyes.

“I need an answer,” he said as he stepped closer to her. “Are you happy now?” and Justin reached up to the knife and yanked it out of his neck. A gaping hole was left allowing more blood to flow and splash out her face and robes.

As her body shook, he brought the knife close to her face, “No, please don’t do this!” she heard herself scream.

A wicked laugh burst out of him, “You didn’t listen to my pleas of mercy and I will not listen to yours!” She watched as he swung the knife up high and stabbed down towards her. As she started screaming she felt herself falling…

“No! No!” Hermione yelled and felt strong arms curl around her. “Hermione, wake up, love,” Tom tried to calm her as she struggled in his arms. Still asleep, Hermione continued trying to break free from her attacker’s grasp; while Tom tried desperately to wake her up. “Hermione…Hermione, it’s me Tom.”

Slowly she woke from the nightmare and looked into Tom’s eyes, “It is you, thank the Gods!” and she put her hands on his face making sure he was really there.

“Yes, it’s really me; you were having a bad dream.” He looked at her worried about the dream that had been haunting her sleep.

“It was him, Justin, he came back to kill me.” Tom could see the true fear on her face, “He had a knife that…you know.” She struggled trying to tell Tom what had happened in her dream. Even now awake, she still had horrific pictures in her mind from the nightmare. “The blade was still stuck in his neck and there was so much blood…”

Tom had heard enough, pulling her close to him he kissed the top of her head and comfortingly rubbed her back.

“What time is it?” Hermione inquired.

“It’s a little before 6:00.” He laid her down and curled up behind her, setting his arm protectively behind her. “Go back to sleep for awhile, I have a surprise for you later.” Giving her a squeeze, he didn’t allow himself to fall back to sleep until her breathing signaled that sleep had taken her away again.
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He had tried to sleep. But Albus Dumbledore knew that he had a job to do. Even if it was Christmas Day and his chance to sleep in; damn it! He wanted to know, he needed to know how Tom and his followers were involved with the Gryffindors disappearance.

What an ideal time to go hunting for clues. There were only five students, all from Ravenclaw, that had stayed at school for the holidays. Dumbledore was free to roam about Hogwarts with no distractions or wandering eyes. Just to be safe, he cast a disillusionment charm on himself and headed down to the Slytherin dungeons.

First, he went to the girl’s rooms, specifically Hermione’s and Lucretia’s. He unlocked the door easily, entered the room and looked around. Of course no one was there, but for some reason his nerves were a bit jittery. Heading over to Hermione’s trunk he cast an unlocking charm. With the trunk opening, trouble-free, he levitated all of the items out, to hang mid-air. With annoyance, he quickly realized that there absolutely nothing incriminating in either girl’s trunk. Dumbledore went through all their paperwork and nothing but regular schoolwork was present. He searched under beds, even in the tub and shower area, but came up with nothing.

With increased frustration he went next to the boy’s rooms. As he came to Tom Riddle and Abraxas Malfoy’s room, he knew here he would find what he was looking for. As he attempted to get into the room he was blown back roughly against the wall.

Tom, suspicious and cautious as always, had set a trap for anyone trying to break into his room. He had cast a Pugnus ala Permities hex; a sudden expulsion of pressure as though there were an invisible object hurtling towards someone. It had felt like being hit with explosives, Albus thought. He lay in the hallway, dazed and shocked. Riddle was more prepared and ruthless than he had determined. Why would he be protecting his room?

Gathering his wits about him, he soon determined the hex that had been cast on the bedroom door and ten minutes later had the gained entrance to the room. Heading straight to Tom’s trunk, he again levitated everything out, layer by layer. Nothing out of the ordinary was found in Tom and Abraxas’s room. Of course, even Tom’s schoolwork was the most tidy and organized out of any students he had ever seen.

Leaving quickly, he went next to Alphard and Casper’s room .Once he was effortlessly in the room, the same technique was used to sort through the contents of the trunk. Feeling even more frustrated than before, he again found nothing. As he moved the final things back into Alphard’s trunk, he heard a clinking sound as something dropped to the floor. Reaching down to retrieve the item he gasped as he stared down at a Gryffindor tie pin. Why would Alphard be in possession of one of those? Only the boys in Gryffindor House owned a Gryffindor tie pin. Maybe this was the thing he needed to tie Tom and his followers to all of the missing Gryffindors?

With a smile on his face he tossed the tie pin in the air catching it with his other hand. “Happy Christmas to me!” he shouted out. Gleefully he headed out of the dungeons very hungry now for the Christmas feast.

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“Are you going to give him his present before breakfast?” Lucretia was so bubbly she was flitting around the room like a small child.

Hermione just shook her head no, “Later, he needs to be patient and wait.” The girls all rushed into the dining room looking as beautiful as ever .As tradition at Malfoy Manor, all the women wore traditional dress robes on Christmas day. The men all stood mouths agape as they helped seat them.

Hermione coyly looked over Tom, puzzled by the look Tom gave her, “What, Tom, why are you staring?”

Tom shook his head, “I have never seen you this way before.”

Hermione looked at him quizzically, “What way?’ she laughed softly as she arched an eyebrow at him

“You look very pureblood and traditional, like the lady of a manor.”

With a flushed face Hermione looked down at her hands and mumbled, ”Thank you,” always thankful she had the power to block Tom from her thoughts.

The breakfast before them looked even better than the norm they were used to at Hogwarts. With wide eyes the teens hungrily looked at the table loaded down with food. There was, traditional black tea for all, orange juice and coffee, scrambled and poached eggs, potato cakes made with onion and rosemary, bacon, sausages, fried mushrooms, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, black pudding, scotch kippers and fried bread. Hermione did not know where to start, but the males quickly jumped in and tried a little of everything.

As Hermione was enjoying her potato cakes and tomatoes, she glanced over at Tom who flinched in pain. Jumping up from the table he threw his napkin down, “Fuck!” he cried out. The room’s inhabitants sat speechless as Tom stood shaking by the wall.

Hermione stood quietly walking to Tom as he massaged his temples, “What is it, Tom? What happened?” Hermione tried to touch him but he hurled himself away. Walking back to his seat he fell into the chair with his hands over his eyes. Abraxas’s face showed the concern knowing something horrible had happened to get this type of reaction from Tom.

Hermione sat back down with tears in her eyes. It hurt, a little, that Tom had brushed her away.

Tom looked up and made eye contact with all of them in the room, “The wards have been breached on our rooms at Hogwarts.” Tom hesitated again before speaking, “You know what this means?” he looked straight at Abraxas. “There is only one wizard, still at Hogwarts, capable of breaking the complex wards that I set to protect our room. “

Hermione’s felt sick inside; it had to have been Dumbledore. With clipped speech Tom demanded, “I must know if anyone left anything incriminating in their rooms?” Tom glanced at each of them and they shook their heads no; all except for Alphard.

“Oh Gods, Alphard,” Hermione hissed at him, “What have you done?”

Tom jumped from his seat, grabbed Alphard by his dress robes, “What, man, tell me now!” so close to Alphard to spit into his face.

The tears were starting to swell in Alphard’s eyes as his bottom lip was quivering, “I…I…I took Justin Widden’s Gryffindor tie pin and hid it in my trunk, “he muttered quietly.

Tom threw Alphard into the wall and pulled out his wand and pointed it at Alphard, “Crucio!” Tom shouted between clenched teeth. Not letting up he held the curse as Alphard screamed and twitched on the floor. “Crucio!” Tom yelled, cursing Alphard once again. Hermione sat crying in her seat wondering what this would mean to all of them now. Would Dumbledore figure out that it was them who had killed the Gryffindors? Would they be expelled from Hogwarts or worse yet be sent to Azkaban?

Tom stopped his torture of Alphard, “Let-this-be-a-lesson-for-you,” Tom fiercely spat out at Alphard. “The next time you fail me I will not be so lenient!” Alphard could only nod his head, “Casper, Radbourne, get him out of my sight…for a very, long time!”

Tom looking around saw Hermione upset, pursed his lips and glared at her, and then he left the room. The front doors crashed open as Tom fled the manor. Abraxas looked at the dining room entrance as his father peered around the corner, Lord Malfoy stood there grinning, gave a nod to his son and turned to retire to his room upstairs.

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Hermione looked at the clock, it was now 7:00 p.m. Tom had been gone for nine hours now. Hermione kept reaching out to him mentally, but Tom had blocked out all methods of communicating with him. Hermione sat at the bottom of the grand staircase with her head in her hands. It had scared Hermione to her core, to see Tom attacking Alphard; one of his followers. She knew what he was capable of, seeing it first hand, as he had fought against Harry in the final battle. Tom would only become more powerful and fearful as he would age. Would her love be strong enough to tame the wild beast in the Voldemort that she remembered? Gods, it made her heart hurt to even thinking about the older Voldemort and trying to compare him with the Tom that she loved.

Lost in her thoughts Hermione didn’t hear when Tom came through the front doors. He walked up to Hermione and she looked at his feet. Slowly lifting her head up he could see her puffy eyes and red cheeks. She gave an inner sob, that rose from her chest and she shot into Tom’s arms. All of the worry and intense frustration at Alphard finally broke in on Hermione and she began to sob. Tom hugged her close and rocked her trying to soothe her.

“Tom…” and she pushed away from him as he sat her down. “Don’t you ever run off and stay away this long…ever!’ she shrieked out, sniffing loudly. Her body shook stirring up her extreme anger and powers.

Tom stood there with no expression and then grinning, pulled Hermione back into his arms kissing her forcefully. As they stood there devouring each other in the hallway, Abraxas and Lucretia came out of the sitting room, “Oh joy, things are back to normal, ”Abraxas said smugly, “They are attached at the lips again.” Abraxas and Lucretia walked over as Tom and Hermione looked over at them. Abraxas and Tom shook hands and Lucretia and Hermione hugged each other.

“I know why he came back, “Abraxas suggested with a smile.

Lucretia piped in, “He was hungry and it’s time for Christmas dinner.”

With a smile Tom inquired, “Did you open up gifts without me?”

“No, we have all been in different areas of the house, “Hermione told him.

“It’s not really that hard to do here at Malfoy Manor; as you well know,” Abraxas laughed.

“Yes, Hermione was glued to the stairs, “Lucretia explained cheekily, “She didn’t want to move until you walked through those doors.”

“By the way, “Hermione asked, “Where were you? I have tried to imagine what you were doing for nine hours.”

Tom shut his mouth tightly and shook his head, “I am not telling, it is of no one’s concern except my own, “and he walked away.

“I guess now that we can finally eat,” Abraxas mumbled as he marched off to the dining room, leaving the girls who stood silently in the hallway.

“Are you sure that you are fine?” Lucretia asked as she brushed Hermione’s stray curls away from her face.

“Yes, I will be fine…for now,” Hermione gave a small grin back that suddenly left when she said, “What worries me more, is what awaits us when we return to Hogwarts. “ Lucretia nodded and linked her arm with Hermione’s and they headed towards the dining room.

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After eating a delicious Christmas dinner that consisted of roast turkey with rich nutty stuffing, goose, brussels sprouts, roasted potatoes, cranberry sauce, tiny kilted sausages wrapped in bacon and hot gravy. The best part of the dinner, of course, was the Christmas pudding. What made it so good was the hot rum sauce covering the pudding. Everyone at the table made one silent wish before eating their pudding. They were all excited to see who would find the silver coins that were hidden in the Christmas pudding. Those lucky few who found the silver coins would have good fortune. Hermione and Abraxas were the fortunate ones who found the silver coins. Hermione hid it in her hand when Tom jokingly tried to take it away from her.

Gathering, once again in the sitting room, the group all settled down to open presents, minus Alphard. He had heeded Tom’s warning, and did not want to raise his ire. Alphard was leaving the next day to go to Radbourne’s house to spend the rest of the Holidays away from the Dark Lord.

“Who is going first?” Lucretia had been on pins and needles ever since the night before. She loved to open presents and give them as well. Running over to the tree she found a big package and took it over to Abraxas. “This is for you,” she grinned in anticipation. Abraxas took the package and slowly started to open it up, “Go faster…please” Lucretia begged him. Abraxas, smirking, continued at his slow pace until Lucretia decided to help him. Taking off the lid of the box, Abraxas pulled out some of the most handsome dress robes anyone there had ever seen, they were a cool grey color lined with silver piping along the collar and sleeves. Abraxas was actually speechless for a moment, “These are so stunning,” he managed to whisper out. He reached over pulling Lucretia into his embrace, “Thank you so much, love. I will need to take you somewhere special so I can wear them.”

Lucretia beaming giggled, “I was hoping that you would think that. I am glad that you like them.”

Looking at the tree she coaxed Abraxas, “Where’s my present?”

Abraxas looked around the room, “Hmm…I am not sure I remember where I put your present,” and they all could see that he was teasing her.

Lucretia was almost bouncing out of her seat, “Don’t torment me like that, I want my present now!”
Walking back to her, Abraxas pulled out a small box and handed it to Lucretia, tearing the paper off she opened the box up and squealed, “Look, it is a bracelet with my favorite gems.” Abraxas put it on her and she showed it off. It was a very elegant bracelet made up of diamonds and sapphires. After showing everyone her extraordinary gift, she went back to Abraxas and planted a lengthy kiss on his lips.

“Excuse me,” said Tom, “but the rest of us would like to continue with the gift giving.”

Lucretia looked up, “Who says that wasn’t what I was doing?” and she winked at Abraxas.

Radbourne and Clarice then exchanged presents, giving each other almost the same type of presents that Abraxas and Lucretia had done.

Tom then walked over to the tree and picked up a petite box and handed it to Hermione. Looking at the box, she swallowed and felt her heart beating quickly. With shaking hands she tore the paper off and took the lid off of the small box. Hermione caught her breath when she saw what lay inside; a spectacular ring with a deep green emerald oval in the Center and diamonds on either side. Looking up at Tom with questioning eyes he only smiled at her. Taking the box out of her hand, he picked up the ring and placed it on Hermione’s ring finger. Still speechless she stared down at the ring, “Do you like it? If not I can replace it with something else.”

Hermione spoke quickly, “I love it so much!” and jerking her hand to her body she exclaimed, “No one is touching this ring,” and she looked down with loving eyes to admire the ring again. Then turning to Tom she placed her hand on the back of his neck and drew him near, then proceeded to show him how much she really loved her present.

Pulling away from the kiss Tom lovingly spoke to her, “I hope that you realize that this is more than a promise ring.” Lucretia and Clarice jumped around at the side as they heard Tom make his announcement. “So do you accept this ring and me?”

Hermione, with enthusiasm replied, “Oh yes! I am yours!” Abraxas and Radbourne looked at each other rolling their eyes, feeling the pressure that Tom had now put on them, knowing their girls would expect a ring from them as well.

Abraxas walked over to Tom and shook his hand, “What a way to stir things up my friend, “and he hugged Hermione. Of course by now, the girls were huddled around Hermione squealing about the beauty of her engagement ring.

When the excitement had dissipated a bit, Hermione walked over to the tree and retrieved a package. “This is for you, my love, “and she handed the present to Tom.

Not taking long to unwrap it he looked shocked as he gazed at his present, “Where did you get this, Hermione?” he asked in disbelief. Looking at her seriously he asked her once again, “How did you ever get a hold of something this rare?” Hermione was so happy that her present, to Tom, was affecting him so much.

He held up the book to show the rest of them, in the room, what he had received. There were gasps of astonishment as they read the title of the book, "The Personal Memoirs of Salazar Slytherin." As Tom perused the book he struggled for breath, “This is in his personal handwriting,” again he looked at her with inquiry.

Hermione, with delight, answered, “I know a rare book dealer that was able to acquire this for you.” The truth of the matter was, that Harry and Hermione had gotten lost in a secret dungeon room their last year at Hogwarts. In the room, they had found several artifacts of Salazar Slytherin and had been shocked that Voldemort had not found them during his student days at Hogwarts. One day last week, she had located the room again and taken the book to give to Tom for his Christmas present. Hermione was still trying to decide whether or not to show Tom the room. But for now, she enjoyed watching Tom showing off his new possession. Hermione knew of his love of acquiring things from the founders of Hogwarts. The only problem had been the nagging fear that he might turn it into a Horcrux; even though he hadn’t used it as one before.

“Did you know that I am a direct descendant of Salazar?” Tom asked her as he put his arms around her waist. “This is the best gift that anyone has ever given to me.” And he kissed her in appreciation.

Christmas had turned out fine, despite the commotion that occurred that morning. As Hermione stood clinging onto Tom, she held up her hand to admire her new ring that fit perfectly on her hand. No need to worry about tomorrow or next week, for tonight she was safe, warm and very happily engaged.

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So what lies ahead for Lord Voldemort and his followers? I'm not telling, you will just have to keep reading!;)