9: The Loss of Two Friends

Hermione walked down to the Great Hall with Kathleen the next morning. "Abraxas is taking me to the Black Lake today for a picnic. Try not to be bored or kill Riddle during Dinner. On second thought. . ."

"I'm not killing Riddle," yet.

Kathleen gave her a half hug. "I know you won't. Something tells me that you will tame the beast within him."

Hermione shrugged at the thought of what Kathleen was implying. "I'm not hooking up with Riddle in any time. I already have someone that I gave my heart to and it's not about to change anytime soon."

"Whatever you say." Hermione just shook her head at Kathleen. The girl wouldn't be able to understand her reasoning for not wanting to get with Riddle.

Kathleen tugged on Hermione's arm, pulling her to a stop. Her blue eyes were round as she stared at Hermione. "You have someone you like! Who!"

"Someone who is no longer here. I lost. . ." Hermione's voice choked, unable to voice the loss that she didn't want to come to terms with. Well, she hadn't technically lost Ron, he just wasn't born yet. She couldn't wait till she would be allowed to return to her own timeline. Hopefully she would get to see not just Ron but also Harry.

Kathleen wrapped Hermione in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry," cried Kathleen.

Hermione pat Kathleen's arm to try and comfort the crying girl. She was glad to have made a friend like her while she was stuck in this time.

They entered the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table. Abraxas and Riddle were nowhere to be seen. Actually, quite a few of the Slytherins seemed to be missing.

"What are your plans for summer break?"

"I'm not sure." What was she going to do? If she wasn't returned to her own time then she'll be stuck there during summer. Would she have to stay at the castle? She made a note to herself to ask Dumbledore what she should do if she found herself stuck there during summer break.

"You should come visit me! I'm sure my mother won't mind," squealed Kathleen.

"I'll have to see." Hermione didn't want to make any promises that she wouldn't be able to keep. The only promises she didn't mind breaking were the ones she would and will probably make to Riddle.

"Stupid Slytherins with not taking no for an answer," mumbled Abraxas as he plopped heavily onto the seat across from Kathleen.

"What did they do this time," chuckled Kathleen. Hermione had learned that Abraxas often complained about the other Slytherins and she had to admit that she found it amusing and apparently so did Kathleen.

"Them and that stupid club." Abraxas's head shot up and he looked at the girls worriedly. "You weren't supposed to know that."

"What club?"

Hermione had the feeling that she already knew the answer to Kathleen's question. "Are you talking about the De. . .Knights of Walpurgis?" asked Hermione.

Abraxas's head whipped around to her. His grey eyes were large with shock. "He told you?" His voice sounded dumbfounded to Hermione.

Hermione shook her head. "I've learned a few things."

"Don't let him know you know," warned Abraxas.

"Know what, and who shouldn't we tell?"

Hermione and Abraxas looked around but didn't see anyone who was associated with Riddle and the Knights of Walpurgis. "We should tell her. Knowing could help keep her safe."

"I know," sighed Abraxas. He looked at Kathleen nervously before telling her what he knew. On the parts that he didn't know or wasn't sure of, Hermione filled in, leaving out the parts about how Tom Riddle's persona Lord Voldemort becomes like Grindewald in the future.

"Is that why you are close to him? Are you going to tell your grandfather?" asked Kathleen when they finished.

"Yes and no. Dippet is wrapped around his finger. Dumbledore is the only one who is suspicious of Riddle."

"What are we going to do?"

Hermione looked at her two newest friends. She couldn't risk letting what happened to Harry happen to them. "Nothing. Act like you know nothing. I'll handle everything."

"You can't do everything alone, Hermione," Abraxas' tone was neutral though his eyes pleaded with her.

"You don't know what he's capable of."

"And you do?" Hermione had never heard Kathleen's voice so hard and fierce before.

"More than you could possibly know," said Hermione truthfully.

They parted ways after that since neither of them had any classes together.

. . .

Hermione found herself in the Great Hall once again, but this time for dinner. Unfortunately, this time she was alone. Abraxas and Kathleen should be at the Black Lake by now having their picnic. She didn't understand why they didn't just date officially instead of this game they seemed to enjoy playing.

She stared out into the Great Hall out of boredom. She noticed that the Slytherin table was unusually quiet. Most of the Slytherins seemed to be missing.

"What is on your mind?"

"It's unusually quiet today," sighed Hermione. She wasn't the biggest fan of Riddle but she was bored and really wanted someone to talk to. "Where are the missing Slytherins?"

Riddle sat down across from her and grabbed himself a plate in one elegant movement. "They're working on a task," said Riddle absentmindedly as he filled his plate. Hermione understood what he meant. Riddle's knights were doing something that he ordered. She hoped it wasn't something bad.

"How's your Runes essay coming along?" asked Hermione instead. They've been working on an essay assigned for Runes that is supposed to be two feet long.

"Finished."

Hermione nodded. She had finished hers during her time in between classes earlier that day. "Same."

A Hufflepuff girl with brown pigtails walked up to them. She held her hands behind her back and looked toward the ground. Her cheeks were turning a light shade of pink. "Riddle?"

Riddle spared a glance toward the girl before turning back to his dinner. "Yes, Miss Reigner?"

The girl's cheeks turned an even brighter shade of pink with the knowledge that Riddle knew who she was. "I-I was wo-wondering i-if you would-"

Riddle held up a hand to silence the girl. "If you are confessing your feelings or asking if I would court you then stop. I have no interest in those kinds of things," said Riddle without looking at the girl.

"Ye-yes." The girl turned away from their table and ran away with tears in her eyes.

"Tom! That was extremely insensitive!" Hermione fixed a glare on him. Even if she didn't understand why girls fell for Riddle, she still felt bad for the poor girl. Just working up enough courage to think about confessing was difficult let alone actually doing it. She thought about Ron and how long she kept her feelings bottled up.

"Would it not be considered insensitive in letting her believe she had a chance when she does not?"

Hermione felt her glare slip off her face with his question. Riddle did have a point.

"See," Riddle smiled when she said nothing.

"Why are you not interested in dating?" Hermione had the feeling that she already knew the answer but she was still curious.

"Why bother with dating when I will be unable to feel the emotions. It seems pointless to do something that I cannot feel for," said Riddle with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What if you find a reason to want to feel those kinds of emotions?" asked Hermione curiously. "What if you meet someone who piques your interest. Or at least makes you feel something other than anger and superiority towards them."

Riddle paused as he thought about her words. "You sound as if you speak of more emotions than just lust and love." Riddle shuddered when he said the word love. Hermione wondered what would make him hate the emotion so much.

"I do. When you're in love you feel lots of emotions. From experience, I felt anger, confusion, perplexity, sadness, curiosity, love, and wanting. I wanted to know more about him, his interests and dislikes, his favorite foods, even his habits."

Hermione looked up to find an astonished Riddle staring at her. His eyes were wide and shining a brilliant green. How had she not noticed that his eyes were green? "You're in love with someone?"

Hermione thought about Ron. She felt a smile slide onto her face. "I am," nodded Hermione. She felt her smile slide off her face when she realized that Ron was stuck in the midst of a war in a different time.

"Sorry."

Hermione felt her eyebrows knitting together in confusion at Riddle's apology. Her confusion slid away and anger began to boil in her blood. "Sorry that I fell in love? That I show that kind of vulnerability?" She spit the word out in distaste.

Riddle shook his head, his perfectly wavy auburn hair staying in place. "I'm sorry that you lost him. Or at least I'm trying to be. I heard that losing a love one can be quite devastating and you have lost multiple love ones at once."

Hermione felt her heart melting a little with his honesty. It both surprised her and warmed her heart in knowing that Riddle was at least trying to understand. That or he was just feeding her pretty words.

Before she could say anything more, the doors to the Great Hall burst opened. "Headmaster Dippet! Professor Dumbledore! I need to see you immediately!" shrilled madame Dhavies, the school's healer. The two rushed down from the professor's table and followed Mrs. Dhavies.

"What do you think happened?" asked Hermione.

Riddle gave her a wicked smirk. "One way to find out." He stood up from the table and gestured for her to follow then he disappeared out the doors. Hermione jumped up and followed after him before any professors could stop her.

"This is wrong," hissed Hermione once she caught up to Riddle.

"That's why you are a Gryffindor and I'm a Slytherin," teased Riddle.

Hermione huffed but otherwise stayed silent. The two of them followed the professors at a safe distance. Her heart raced at the possibility of being caught while her mind raced through possibilities of what was wrong.

They followed the professors to the Hospital Wing. "Some idiot must have injured themselves," hissed Riddle in disappointment.

Hermione disagreed with him. It had to be something serious to call for the headmaster and the head of the Gryffindor house. She was about to tell Riddle this when the sad pleas of Abraxas Malfoy reached her ears. "Please! You have to save her! She can't-" Hermione was unable to hear the rest of Abraxas's pleas when his voice broke into a sob.

With a sinking heart, Hermione burst through the doors. Professor Dumbledore and Dippet stood over a bed with tears running down their faces. Abraxas sat in a chair, his hands clasped desperately to small delicate hands that seemed far too pale for Hermione's taste.

Dippet looked up at her entrance. "Stay back my dear." He tried to stop her but Hermione fought her way through. She didn't stop fighting until she reached the bed. Laying on it looking as pale as the bedsheet was Kathleen. Her beautiful, freckled face was covered in cuts and bruises. Her red hair was muddy and clumped together.

"What happened!"

Abraxas looked up at her with dull, tear-filled grey eyes. Dry and wet tear tracks ran down his pale face. "She sa-saved m-me." His voice came out in broken sobs.

Hermione felt a warm arm drape itself over her shoulders, its hand squeezing her arm. "I'm so sorry. I know she was a friend," said Dippet in a soothing voice. Hermione felt the tears spring out of her eyes.

Dumbledore placed an arm on Abraxas's shoulder. "We'll ask you questions about the accident after you and Miss Norris have time to grieve."

Dippet released Hermione from his comforting grip with a squeeze. "I'll call you to my office in a few hours, Mr. Malfoy." With that, both Dippet and Dumbledore left. Mrs. Dhavies gave them a sympathetic look before retreating to her office.

"It was Riddle," said Abraxas so quietly that Hermione almost didn't hear him.

Hermione felt her blood boil with hatred for Riddle. He took her friends from her time from her, why must he take her friends from this time? Wait. . . Wasn't Riddle with her during dinner? Her mind flashed back to the nearly empty Slytherin table.

"They're working on a task."

Those were Riddle's words. That evil prick must have sent his knights after Abraxas and Kathleen.

With her hands balled into fists, Hermione stormed out of the Hospital Wing. She made her way back to her room where she grabbed her purse. "Accio, Marauders Map! Accio, Invisibility Cloak!" She was suddenly grateful that she still had those items in her bag from when the trio had been on the hunt for Horcruxes.

Flinging the cloak over her shoulders, she unfolded the map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The map revealed itself to her. "Show me Tom Marvolo Riddle." The map showed the footsteps of Riddle heading rapidly to the seventh floor. In a flash, his name disappeared from the map. He must have gone into the Room of Requirement.

"Mischief Managed!" Hermione folded up the map and put it back into her bag. She was taking her things with her just in case something would come in handy if everything went horribly askew.

She rushed out of her room while keeping the cloak pulled close to her. She reached the spot right outside the hidden door and paced back and forth three times while thinking about Riddle. Soon, the door appeared before her. She entered only to find a horrid scene that made her blood run cold.

Riddle's back was turned away from her. His wand was out and pointed at the twenty or so boys in front of him. All of them were on their knees writhing in pain.

"All you had to do was recruit Malfoy! Why did things go wrong! Why is an innocent dead!" shouted Riddle. Hermione couldn't see his face but she had the feeling that his eyes were blue.

"She. . .jumped in the. . .way!" screamed who Hermione assumed was Avery.

"That is no excuse!" Riddle shot another Imperio curse at the group. "No more recruiting for now. That dimwit professor will be onto us." Riddle turned away from them, giving Hermione a chance to see his terrifying icy blue eyes. Hermione's blood ran cold with fear.

Riddle dipped his head into his hand. "No more torturing," said Riddle before he left the room.

Hermione slipped out the door before it could fully close. She found Riddle slouched against the wall. "Why did it have to be her? She didn't need to lose another one."

Hermione paused, puzzled by his words.

Riddle shook himself just then. He stood up to his full height and Hermione could see that his eyes were back to their normal color. He looked down the hall before taking off, leaving Hermione left to her anger, confusion, and sadness.

Long minutes passed by with Hermione still standing outside the Room of Requirement, the Knights of Walpurgis long gone. Finally, she pulled herself together and took the map back out of the bag. She wanted to make sure that Abraxas was still in the Hospital Wing.

She found Abraxas's name heading away from the headmaster's office. He must have gone to explain what happened to Dippet. Hermione kept the map out and headed for Abraxas. He didn't need to be alone during this time and truthfully, Hermione didn't want to be alone.

Hermione found Abraxas outside of the Hospital Wing. To her horror, his wand was against his temple. Hermione lunged forward to grab his wand, the Invisibility cloak long forgotten as it fell to the floor.

Abraxas looked at her with confused filled eyes. "Miss Norris?"

"Formalities now?" Hermione firmly gripped Malfoy's wand in her hand.

"Why would I call you by anything else? We don't know each other."

"Of cour- Abraxas, what did you do!" screeched Hermione in horror.

"It's Malfoy to you. Now, may I have my wand?" He held out his hand.

"Before I give it to you, answer one question, please?" Abraxas looked at her with his head cocked sideways in annoyance before he nodded. "Who is Kathleen?" Please, don't let it be true, Hermione silently pleaded.

"Who?"

Hermione's heart broke for the second time that day. Abraxas used a memory charm on himself to forget all about Kathleen. Fresh tears threatened to spill out.

"May I have my wand now? I answered your stupid question."

Hermione handed over his wand in stunned, heartbroken silence. Abraxas seemed so completely different. As soon as he had his wand, Abraxas left.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

Hermione turned toward the softly spoken voice. "I hate you!" She shouted over and over again as she pounded her fists into Riddle's chest. Riddle made no move to stop her. Tears flowed freely down her face, dripping onto the brick floor. Hermione lowered her fists and turned away from him. "Stay away from me."