Riddle Her This

Disclaimer: Tom is definitely not mine! But, Jo has said I could borrow him for this story.

pinkwands: This chapter should answer the Minerva question, and thank you for thinking I am not slushing up Tom.

angel: The chapter title say's it all.

Jamie: Yes Albus and Minerva has always felt right to me.

Avanell: The storys as Jo writes them are from the Gryffindorian perspective, and I am turning the tables on the Gryffindors, and showing a reason... and no, Hermione is not dumb, she's just extremely flattered that the Heir of Slytherin has taken an interest in her, although she is wary of that interest... as for what she did to Minerva and Albus - what would YOU have done?

shygirl: Updated for you sweetie.

Back To The Future

Hermione still felt bad the next day. She had to sort things out with Minerva, and soon, otherwise when she got back she’d come back to a McGonnagal that hates her. And then there was a problem with her promise. She knew Tom would insist on the Unbreakable Vow, and she could do nothing to stop him. She frowned; did she really want to go back to Tom/Voldemort? More to the point, even if she did go back to Voldemort would he want her? The same awful questions pounded through her brain, and gave her a headache.

She rolled on her side and found she was next to Tom, again. Then it crashed in on her. She had slept with him again, and she found herself calling him Voldemort her Lord and Master. She looked at his sleeping form, and shook her head, as she could not believe that this beautiful, dark haired boy was going to be the most fiercesome wizards of all time. She looked at him and resisted the urge to wipe some of his fringe away from his eyes. That showed she cared. She was just about to lift the covers and walk out of the room so that his friends didn’t get another peep show.

She gasped as she felt a hand clamp around her wrist. She looked at the hand, and then her gaze travelled up the arm, and finally landed on a pair of dark glittering eyes.

“You were going to leave me alone, Hermione,” Tom stated. It was not an accusation.

“N-no,” she stammered. “Not leave, leave. I was just going to the bathroom.”

“You were, I can see fear in your eyes, sweetheart. You are lying to me.”

“No, Tom, I was going to ease myself,” she stammered. But she kept her gaze firmly on his eyes.

He relaxed his grip on her wrist and then nodded. She got up and walked to the bathroom. Once inside, she walked through the door at the other end, which opened up to some stairs that would lead down to the Common Room; Hermione was just about to walk down the steps when she found herself face-to-face with Tom.

“LIAR!” He roared. He pushed her against a wall and kept her pinned there using his body. “You were going to run away from me.”

“Tom, please, I didn’t want to be caught without any clothes on by the others,” Hermione stammered. “I was thinking of what happened yesterday.”

Tom slid his arm off her chest and stepped back, he looked her up and down.

“Are you by any chance, ashamed of me?” he asked.

“No, Tom, I am not,” she said. “But I thought that – well – that you’d be ashamed of me.”

Tom cocked his head to one side. She was not lying now, oh no, she was telling the truth. Wonderful, he thought. She thought more of his shame than her own. He stepped up to her and then tilted her chin up.

“I want them to see us naked, and together,” he murmured softly in her ear. “I want them to see how good we look together as nature intended us.”

“I am sorry, Tom,” she said. “It won’t happen again.”

He smiled, and then he stepped aside.

“You best get dressed, as I don’t want you going back to when you belong naked.”

“I-I’m going back today?” Hermione asked.

“I fear that if I keep you here much longer I might not want to send you back at all, and I am sure that you don’t want that, do you?” Tom asked.

“No,” Hermione whispered in reply.

“Good, so be a good little girl, and get dressed,” he said. He pulled her closer to his waist. “It will be 55 years before we get to do this again.” He tilted her chin up and placed his lips on hers and kissed her passionately, ravishing every corner of her mouth he could.

“Can I just do something before I go?” Hermione asked. Tom lowered his head on her neck, and she spread her legs.

“Mmm, what?” he asked.

“I’d like to talk to McGonnagal first,” she found herself saying.

He stopped kissing, and nipping her neck, and then he looked at her. He picked up one of her legs and placed it over his waist.

“If you must,” he said. He returned to her neck, and then he pumped his waist up towards her. She found herself wrapping her arms around his neck. “Now, scream my name.” He thrust himself deeper into her. She scratched his back and screamed out his name. “I love that name on your lips my dearest.”

He eased himself out of her and then let her go with a small, friendly pat on the bum. She blushed and then she walked down the stairs trying to keep her legs steady, and her breath even. She walked into her dormitory, and the other girls were stirring. Greta immediately sprang out of her bed and walked up to her and wrapped her arms around Hermione.

“You are absolutely one of the gang now,” she gushed. “Imagine, catching McGonnagal and Sparkles like that! What wouldn’t I give to be able to see to that myself?”

“It was a pure accident,” Hermione said.

“So,” Greta said. “It was brilliant though, and now Sparkles is gone! YES!” She giggled and then she looked at Hermione. “You know, I never thought there’d be nothing better than sex with Tom, and now I realise there is.”

“You are quite mistaken, Greta,” Hermione said. “I am sure sex with Tom transcends everything else.”

Greta giggled, and she smirked. She gave a good, long look at Hermione, and she shook her head.

“Perhaps, you are his true love.”

Hermione gulped down the reply she wanted to give. She knew Tom didn’t love her, and she didn’t want to go back to him. But once she was bound she was to go to him, or die. She walked up to her bedside cabinet and picked out a skirt and blouse that would not look too bad in the future, she then put on a pair of stockings, and found a nice pair of shoes. She then walked out of the bedroom, and out of the common room to seek Minerva. Before she left she had to tell her the truth.

~*~*~

Minerva was in the library. She was reading trying to ignore the dull pain in her heart. She loved Albus, and now that bitch had ruined everything for her. She then got up, and she bumped into Severus Prince.

“Before you hate Hermione too much,” Severus said, “there is something you need to know about her.”

“Severus,” Minerva sighed. “I love Albus, true love. The sort that stays with you all your life, and I know there is no other man but him in my life.”

“That might be so, cousin dear, but he was a teacher. You just paid for your impatience,” Severus replied coolly. “I think you ought to know, though, that Hermione felt bad about doing what she did. She was crying about it.”

Hermione had stumbled into the library, to find the two people she wanted to find, together. She looked at them, and spotted for the first time, a family resemblance.

“I was hoping to find the both of you,” Hermione said, she was breathless, and walked up to them, clutching a little at her chest. Severus pulled a chair from the table. Hermione accepted it gratefully and she smiled up at Severus. She then looked at Minerva; she gulped, not really knowing how to say this.

“Do you remember how I came to your carriage in the train?” Hermione asked.

“You were suddenly there,” Minerva said. Her lips pursed in a thin line. She was already showing signs of the Transfiguration Professor she would become.

“Yes, well, you see I am from the future. 55 years from the future to be exact. You see, in my time we have these things called Time Turners, and I was turning it and I fell asleep. I obviously continued turning it, and then I found myself here.”

Minerva looked at Hermione, and then she gazed into Hermione’s eyes.

“Hmm,” she said. “Carry on.”

“You see, when I come from I am in my last year of school, and Head Girl, and…” this was going to be the strangest thing to say. “And I am a Gryffindor.”

Minerva’s eyes narrowed, in speculation, at the other girl.

“Why are you telling me this, Granger?”

“I know no one should know the future, and I for one take prophecy and divination with huge lumps of salt,” Hermione said. “But, as I am from the future I believe I can tell you a few things only, please keep it to yourself,” Hermione stopped for breath. Minerva nodded. “You are my Head of House, and Transfiguration Mistress, well, HEADMistress more like.”

Minerva’ s eyes went wide.

“What happens to Headmaster Dippet?” she asked.

“He dies not too far from now, whereupon Albus Dumbledore becomes Headmaster, so you really have to keep your love for him quiet, otherwise our world will never be safe.”

“What of Tom, and me, and Eileen?” Severus asked.

“Tom becomes the most feared Wizard of all time, and that is why I have pleased him now. I hope, but there is something that does complicate the issue, you see my best friend is a boy called Harry, who happens to be the only boy that has survived Tom’s wrath. 55 years from now I defy him at every possible turn. He even almost kills me in my first year in the girls toilets.” Minerva gasped. Severus looked at Hermione.

“Me and Eileen?” Severus asked.

“Eileen marries a muggle, and bears a son, she names him after you, and he has your personality. He becomes Head of Slytherin, for a while.”

“Why only for a while, Hermione?” Severus asked.

“He-he kills someone,” Hermione stammered. She looked at the table. She didn’t want to be a Sybil Trelawney. “Sorry, but I won’t reveal whom it is. As for you, Severus, I am not sure, as your nephew and I don’t exactly get on.”

“My nephew already sounds like an idiot!” Severus mumbled. Hermione bit back her laughter.

“But, Minerva, in my time, you are the Witch I respect the most. In my time, I want to be you when I grow older,” Hermione admitted. “You and Professor Dumbledore.”

“So, I will get to be with Albus again?” Minerva asked.

“Yes,” Hermione said. “Yes, you will. Just please, keep all this information to yourself.”

“I will, Hermione,” Minerva promised. “I’m sorry about yesterday. Deep down inside I know you did what I would have done. It was the right thing to do, but it doesn’t ease the pain.”

“I know,” Hermione said, taking Minerva’s hand and squeezing it, giving the other girl a wonderful, warm smile.

“Anyway, how are you going to get back?” Minerva asked.

“Tom say’s he knows a spell,” Hermione said.

“At a price, Hermione, he’s not doing this out of the goodness of his heart,” Severus said.

“A price I have to pay,” Hermione retorted sadly.

“What is the price?” Minerva asked.

“My freedom to choose a man I love,” Hermione said with a lump in her throat. “I have to pledge my everlasting devotion to him. I become dead or become something foul and horrible.”

Minerva looked down on the table.

“If I do know you from the future, then this information may already have helped you,” she said. “You have given me hope that I get to spend a lifetime with my handsome Wizard,” Minerva said, “I will not sit by and let you be taken by a monster.”

“And if I ever get to meet my nephew, I will make sure he takes you as wife before he even has a chance.”

Hermione snorted. “Wait until you meet him.”

Minerva laughed. She then looked at her watch and sighed.

“Okay,” she said. “It’s time for breakfast. It will be strange not seeing Albus sitting there.”

Hermione’s heart was breaking at the thought of not being able to reconcile herself with Albus before she left. Hopefully, she had done enough to make sure Minerva talks to Albus in her behalf. She followed Minerva and Severus to the Great Hall, Tom whistled over to Hermione and Hermione went to sit down by Tom, but she cast a quick smile at Minerva’s way.

“Hermione,” Tom said. “Do you have the object that brought here?”

“Yes, it is in my dorm,” Hermione said.

“Good, you fetch that, and then meet me in the first disused classroom, Severus shall be there as well, won’t you, Severus?” Tom peered around Hermione to look at the other boy.

“Yes,” Severus replied curtly. He squeezed Hermione’s thigh under the table. Hermione almost jumped at Severus touch. A small part of her hoped that he would meet his nephew.

Hermione ate as much as she could and then she got up. She walked over to the Slytherin Common Room and up to her dorm room, and found the time turner, buried in her underwear draw. She was pleased she could wear late 90’s underwear soon, as the forties underwear was a pain. She then ran down the stairs and walked to the first disused classroom, and standing there was Tom, and Severus.

“Get down on your knees, Hermione,” Tom said.

She did so, and then he clasped her hand in his, and Severus walked up to them, and then Tom began.

“Will you seek me out when I send you back?” He asked.

“I will,” Hermione asked. Severus sighed, as he tapped his wand on their clasped hands, and a flame twisted itself around their wrists.

“Will you follow and support me for the rest of your life?” Tom asked.

“I will,” Hermione said. Severus tapped his wand on their hands again, and another flame erupted out of the wand, entwining itself around the first one.

“Will you love me?” Tom asked.

Hermione’s thumb twitched inside his hand but her answer was clear, and resolute.

“I will,” Hermione said, as she gulped down the bile rising in her throat at this particular answer.

Severus, with a heavy sigh, tapped their clasped hands with his wands, and a third flame, bigger and thicker than the first two put together, spurted forth from the tip and it twisted, and entwined itself all around the wrists, and fingers of the two partaking of the Vow.

“We are bound now, Hermione,” Tom said. He let go of her hand, and Severus helped her up, as Hermione was shaking. She looked down on the floor, and noticed she was standing in a chalked circle. “Give me the item that sent you here.” Tom ordered. Hermione obeyed. She gave him the item and he looked at it. “Fascinating,” he murmured. “The spell is simple, what I do is I turn this into a portkey, after you write on the object itself what time you are from. What date you want to travel to. I suggest you put yourself in exactly the same time and place you were before you arrived. Act to your friends as if nothing has happened.”

“Yes Tom,” Hermione said. Tom handed her a piece of chalk and she wrote, as small as she could, ‘September 1st 1997, Hogwarts Express, Prefects Carriage, 4:00pm.’ She then handed the time turner back to Tom. He looked at the date and then at her. He smirked, and then he brought his wand out and tapped the time turner, and then he gave it back to Hermione.

“You will seek me out, as soon as you can dearest Hermione,” he said. He closed her hand around the time turner, and then she was gone.

“She won’t,” Severus said.

“Oh, she will, if not, she’ll die!” Tom exclaimed.

~*~*~

Hermione had just about enough time to get out of the forties clothes, and back into her late 90’s gear. She scrambled out of her skirt, knickers, and blouse. She then made a scramble for her packing chest, and brought out her school uniform, and quickly got dressed, and then she sprayed herself with body spray to make her smell nice. As soon as I get to Hogwarts, she thought, I’ll run to Minerva’s arms. She never had a grandmother, and Minerva was her surrogate. And now, she felt that she had another reason. If Professor McGonnagal turned her away after this, Hermione would fully understand.

The train skidded to a halt and she stepped down onto the platform. She opened the door and was just about to step off the ladder when Hagrid had bound up to her.

“’Ello, ‘Ermione,” he said jovially. “Yer to take a carriage with Slughorn. He insists!”

Hermione groaned. She walked up to the Thestral drawn carriage and to her surprise she saw Minerva in there as well, she looked down on the floor.

“It’s all right,” Minerva said. “Severus, my cousin, told me what time and date you came from.”

“I’m sorry,” Hermione said, as she fought the tears that were coming into her eyes.

“Oh, come here, you wet lass,” Minerva said, as she held out her arms. Slughorn swapped sides, and Hermione sat next to her Head of House, and let herself be comforted by the older woman.

“I really didn’t want to do it, Min, er, Professor,” Hermione mumbled. “And now he’s dead, and I feel like it’s all my fault.”

“Hey, none of that,” Minerva said. “Now, you listen to me Tom was a persuasive boy, and could charm a rock to fly without using magic I am sure. He charmed you good, and proper. The thing is, you are to be protected.”

“By you?” Hermione asked.

“No, only a Death Eater can be trusted with this. One that has managed to lie to Riddle for more times than I have had hot dinners and still lived to tell the tale.”

“Not Snape!” Hermione gasped.

“Severus Snape, whose mother was a girl you once comforted, remember.”

“What?” Hermione asked.

“Oh, Eileen told young Snape of the mysterious young, and pretty woman who once gave her the bravery and courage of a lion. And his uncle told young Snape of the pretty, and mysterious young woman that he loved, and helped. He told his nephew many times about you.”

“So, when I came to the school, why did Snape treat me like that?”

“He likes you really,” Minerva replied. “He has promised to look after you. And, no, not a word must reach Mr Potter’s and Mr Weasley’s ears about this. They don’t know about your little misadventure.”

“But, Professor, you don’t understand, I am bound to Tom, by the Unbreakable Vow, I-!” Hermione began, but Slughorn interrupted her.

“I am sorry for the neglect of the students in my own house,” he said. “If any blame is to be given, I’ll be the one to accept that blame.”

“How is Snape to look after me, if he is on the run?”

The carriage stopped, and Hermione looked at Minerva, her eyes showed how worried all this made her feel. She saw the door handle being pushed down, and gulped, she scurried nearer to Minerva, and then the door opened, the hinges creaked, and Hermione gulped.

“Not late am I?” a familiar silky voice purred.

“Severus, you scared the poor girl out of her wits, can’t you just do something without being dramatic?”

“Asks the Gryffindor? And I wasn’t aware the girl had wits,” Severus muttered.

“Your Uncle didn’t pass his charm to you did he?” Slughorn snapped.

“Oh calm down,” Severus barked. He then swung his gaze to Hermione. “Hmm, I knew we’d get embroiled in some sort of game together,” he stated simply. Hermione didn’t trust herself to speak, as she cautiously let herself out of Minerva’s clutches. “I am truly sorry, by being married to you, Albus was my family too, Minerva,” Severus said. “I hated doing that.”

“I know, but there’s your chance of redemption,” Minerva said, as she pointed at Hermione. Severus sighed and offered his hand to the shaking girl. Hermione accepted it and she stepped out of the carriage.

“How are you going to explain her absence to her bodyguards?” Severus asked.

“I have thought of something, and no, I am not telling you. Hopefully, you and Potter won’t meet again for a while.”

“Shame, I can’t wait to see the look on his face, when I tell him,” Snape murmured.

“You wouldn’t Severus,” Minerva gasped.

“Relax, of course I bloody would not!” Severus exclaimed. “For a start he would not understand. Secondly, he might not want to talk to Miss Granger ever again. That might not sit too well with the redhead, who’ll feel compelled to take sides. I am fearing for her safety, and as much as I am loathe to admit it, those two imbeciles are what makes her safe.”

Hermione felt dumb. She hated it when people were talking about her as if she wasn’t in the room. She stood a little behind Severus, her small hand tightly clasped in his large, rather rough hands. His hold on her hand was tender though, and Hermione actually felt safe holding his hand. Severus turned around.

“Shall we go then?” he asked.

“Go where?” Hermione asked.

“Back to my place,” he said. “The Order are trying to find a safer location, but my abode will be pretty safe, I am sure of it.”

“But none of you understand, Vol -,” she looked at the unfriendly look in Snape’s eyes, “You-Know-Who,” she amended quickly, “will be expecting me. You have got to take me to him.”

Severus turned around and stared at Hermione. His eyes widened. She obviously did not know.

“I can’t, he will renege on his side of the bargain. We are all pretty certain of that, why do you think he tried to kill you in your first year?”

“To prevent my going back in the first place,” Hermione answered glumly.

~*~*~

Lord Voldemort smiled, as he was being served his daily dose of snake’s milk. He was looking forward to the day, and hour, when he could finally marry her. He knew she would come to him. The Unbreakable Vow is just that, unbreakable. She could resist, and fight, as much as she could but the pull would be just too irresistible. No matter where she was, she would try to get to him. He also understood that McGonnagal would know and try to protect her sweet little hen.

Even Severus would try to protect her, he had stories pound into him from the day he was born about how sweet, and lovely she was. He’d feel honour bound to protect the young woman from him, merely for the gift of confidence she instilled in Eileen. He would soon know, as he had sent Lucius after them. He stood up, and looked into a big mirror hung above the fireplace, and stroked his reflected face.

“Soon, my dearest Hermione, you shall honour me soon,” he whispered.

He walked around Riddle House and snorted with contempt at the furniture and the paintings on the wall, if anything, she could definitely tidy this mess of a house up. He walked into what should be his bedroom, but as he didn’t need sleep, he called it his Contemplation Room. He sat down on the bed, and smiled, as thoughts of Hermione naked in the covers writhing under him like a female snake filled his mind.

“Master!” Lucius exclaimed from somewhere inside the house. Voldemort hissed, as his vision was disturbed.

He sighed, and straightened himself up. He glided out of the bedchamber, and walked down the Portrait Gallery, and thence down the stairs.

“Yes, Lucius, what is it?” he asked.

“Severus has her, Master,” Lucius said.

Strange, Lord Voldemort mused, he could not help but sense déjà vu.

“She will try to fight, in fact I expect her too, but she won’t be able to resist for too long, Lucius. Hermione has a strong sense of loyalty, and obligation.”

“What shall I do, Master?” Lucius asked.

“Nothing,” Lord Voldemort hissed. “She shall come to me.”

A/N I loved writing this chapter, as I felt I was answering a lot of questions, but I feel I have just left more for you to ponder on.