I blinked, the last moments of sleep leaving me. Oh hell no. I was.... in the solitary room in the Hospital Wing. Again. At first I thought it was a dream, or for a better choice of word a recurring nightmare. But then I saw Professor Dumbledore sitting in a visitors seat directly opposite my bed. I rubbed my eyes.

"What happened? Why am I back here?" My voice was extremely dry like old parchment, I reached for the glass of water on the bedside table next to me and took a shaky sip.

Dumbledore sighed heavily, "You collapsed yesterday, quite unexpectedly. As it appears Tom Riddle seemed to have decided to return your missing memories." He explained. "It was quite out of the blue. I had no choice but to bring you here to the care of Madam Pomfrey since there were too many enquirers asking after you and causing a bit of a ruckus with the Nurses at Saint Mungos."

Inquirers....

"That would've been Tom and his mates." I realised. Frowning in thought I placed the glass down on the bedside table with a little too much force.

Crack.

The glass shattered in my hand and the sudden searing pain told me the wetness dripping down my hand was definitely not water.

"I've seen worse, don't worry," Dumbledore conjured a bowl of Essence of Murtlap, I took it and more or less plunged my aching hand into it. "Rest your hand in that for a while. It should help heal those cuts quickly. You didn't get glass in it, did you?"

"No, I don't think so -" I stared at my hand dumbfounded. "So.... if I'm back at Hogwarts I'm going to have to discover why Tom gave my memories back, aren't I."

"Actually... that's why I'm here." Dumbledore said calmly. "Tom Riddle is standing outside the hospital wing this very second. According to Madam Pomfrey he is determined to see you. We didn't want to let him in before we told you first."

"I bet he is." I muttered. "Well, then. Let him know I can see him now."

"Make sure you find out why he has given your memories back." Dumbledore frowned. "I can't imagine the motive would've been innocent..." With one last meaningful look in my direction, he turned and strode out of the room. I sat up in my single bed. Any minute Tom was going to walk in. My heart raced, I sat up in bed, accidentally knocking over the bowl of Murtlap onto the floor.

Smash!

"Ugh- idiot." I muttered to myself. I didn't have time to clean it up. I rushed around, brushing my teeth and throwing my hair into a messy braid. I didn't look as hideous as I feared, my reflection in the tiny room mirror made my eyes look incredibly big, the pupils dilated.

I heard Tom's low voice outside my room. He was talking to someone: Madam Pomfrey?

Either way, my hand was dripping with blood and I really needed something to stanch it. I snatched up the hand towel by the sink just as Tom Riddle stepped into the room, tall as ever before his lean figure took up most of the doorway. There goes my escape plan.

"What have you done to yourself?" His low voice demanded by way of greeting. In two steps he was in front of me, my hand seized by his own colder one.

"You're bleeding." He said. "How?"

"I cut myself." I admitted. "This morning. I was drinking water, and I placed the er, cup down too hard and it shattered..." I trailed off, Tom's dark eyes were staring at me intensely making my thoughts scatter. "That's it really..."

Tom raised his eyebrow.

"You don't need to tell me you cut yourself. I mean, it isn't as if it isn't blatantly obvious."

He turned my hand so the palm was facing upwards, a pointed gesture to reveal just how many cuts lined my skin.

"Oh. I'm sorry." I said stupidly. "I shouldn't have said-"

"Sit down." He shoved me lightly to the single bed, his sure footed steps towards made me think unwillingly of lions and their predatory manner.

"What are you-"

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm playing Doctor, since you're a idiot who can't even manage to take care of yourself."

"Tom I don't need you to-"

"Look, even your foot is bleeding." His tone was harsh. "How the hell did you manage to do that?"

He stepped back, his shoe crunching on the broken pieces of bowl.

"Merlin..." I could only watch as his dark eyes roved around the blood and Murtlap mess on the floor, he looked emotionless but I could tell he was angry.

With a casual swish of his wand the broken bowl repaired, the Murtlap and blood cleared the ground as though nothing had happened. All I could do was sit on the hospital bed stiffly while Tom's pale face became progressively angrier.

"You're unbelievable. Even with your mind in tact." He scolded. "What am I going to do with you..."

He took my hand. Dragging his wand over the cuts I watched as they knitted before me. Since when the hell did Tom start caring if I was hurting or not?

I looked up only to lock eyes with him, I could feel my cheeks burning, not even Ron had looked so intensely at me before.

"Why did you give my memories back to me?" I asked, basically too worn down to be angry. He took one step towards me, his long lashes shadowed against his pale skin as he looked down.

"Why not?" He said quietly. "Maybe I had a change of heart." He looked up, as though trying to gauge my reaction. I couldn't exactly say it was hard for him to read me, my mouth was hanging open.

"You stole my memories, and then gave them back to me... Because you had a change of heart..?" I frowned. "That makes sense." I went to stand but Tom's hands pushed me down.

"Don't." He said. I don't think I've heard of one single word uttered so venomously before. And sure enough, when I looked up at him he looked absolutely mutinous.

"You should be thanking me for my mercy." He reprimanded me coldly. "You wouldn't have your memories back if it wasn't for the fact I bothered to reverse the Curse. And not only that," He stepped closer, towering over me menacingly, "You owe me. If it wasn't for my actions you would've stayed helplessly dependent and vulnerable in the Hospital Wing, sadly torn from your little search and rescue mission or whatever reason it was which made you decide to time travel here in the first place."

I didn't speak, his spoken words slowly crashing over me. He thought that I owed him. Me, the best friend of Harry Potter who lost his life trying to defeat the asshole standing in front of me.

"You know what?" I stood up, and shoved Tom back with force. "I don't owe you a damn thing. You stole my memories-" I shoved him again, "and destroyed lives. As far as I'm concerned, you can go fuck yourself, Tom Riddle."

I was breathing heavily, anger coursing through my veins with the power of Firewhisky. Tom, who'd just stood there letting me rage, had a new glint of danger in his eye. A sort of madness, as though this was a game and I'd just unlocked a level of untapped darkness.

"What did you just say to me?"

His voice was pure danger, it seemed to just be emanating from him in waves. His hand came for my neck, bodily he lifted me. I fought him but he stepped towards me, I kept moving back until I fell on the bed. The next thing I knew, he was bent over me, both of his hands pinning my arms to my sides. "I admire your weak attempt at bravery, Hermione." His voice was pure ice. "But telling me to go fuck myself? You've crossed a line."

Staring at him, it only took me about 3 seconds for my mind to piece it all together. Do you want to die?

Tom smiled slightly, humouring me for a mere moment."Judging by the way you're trembling it has already expired. You're a coward." His eyes glinted black. "All the ones that oppose me always are." He yanked my hair, dragging me unwillingly to my feet.

"Madam P-" My scream was cut as he slammed a hand to my mouth.

"Don't bother calling Pomfrey or Dumbledore for help. Do you want me to hurt them too? Because I will, if you provoke me."

I froze. Tom was an absolute maniac, there was no way in hell I wanted him to go after anyone.

"No, I'm sorry." I muttered.

"I thought not." His voice was edged in amusement, obviously my fear was pleasing to him.

"You will be punished for this. But not yet." His cold breath grazed my ear and then suddenly he was off, stalking out of the solitary room he left me to fall back on my bed in defeat.

I'd really done it now. Was I always so reckless with my life and the lives of others? Or was it just when I was around him? I tried to take deep breaths to control myself, I placed my head in my hands only to see a pool of blood at my foot.

Great. My cut foot. Tom only healed my hand, I totally forgot that my foot was a bleeding mess. When did I even step on the broken china?

Limping, I managed to clean myself up as best I could before taking my single beaded bag with me and heading out. I had to get to the Hospital Wing.

To my luck, I didn't run into anyone. Not even Madam Pomfrey. I was just feeling too shaken after my encounter with Tom to talk to anyone. I headed out of the Hospital Wing, and as I made my way down the first staircase a tall guy with short blond hair approached me.

"Are you Hermione Granger?" He asked.

"Who are you." I snapped. I could see he was a Slytherin, and all the Slytherins have done to me so far was to be arrogant and ruin my life.

The guy smiled slightly. "I'm Daniel Dolohov, I'm in your House... Hey have you seen Isabella by any chance?"

I frowned. "I'm not sure who you're talking about sorry. I don't know an Isabella..."

"Isabella. You know, your mate Jade's friend." He looked at me imploringly, giving me a clear view of his blue/green eyes.

"Ok first of all, Daniel - Jade is not my mate. And second of all, excuse me, I really must be leaving." I pushed past him, my bushy hair was almost out of its braid thanks to Tom. I couldn't even bother to fix it, instead I stormed down the halls, I had no idea where I was going. I kept going, realising I must be somewhere near the west wing of the school. I walked past endless lots of students. No one in this day and age was recognisable, it made me feel lost in a school that I knew so well. I didn't even run into Shalini or Jade. And then....

And that's when I saw it. The most horrific thing ever. Well, to me at least. A tall boy with white blond hair. It was Xavier Malfoy - and he was making out with Shalini in a darkened corner very back end of the main Ravenclaw tower hall. His hands were all over her, her legs around his waist. I had to walk past the Ravenclaw common room, luckily there was a turnoff just before them where I could double back around.

I rolled my eyes, I wasn't just going to stop and stare like a pervert. Whether Shalini was getting action was irrelevant to me, she was my enemy until proven innocent. As much as I couldn't believe every word Tom had said about how Shalini and Jade had lied to me, I wasn't going to be sure about it until they told me themselves.

"Hermione!" I stopped in my tracks, staring around. Someone had called my name, well more or less shouted it.

"Up here." I looked to the bottom of Ravenclaw staircase to see a short girl about 5'5 with long dirty blonde hair waving at me eagerly. "Come on!"

I looked around. Well, I've broken so many school rules already I guess it wouldn't hurt to break more. I ran over to the girl and up the staircase. Now I was concealed from view. Up close she looked strangely familiar, her skin was so pale it almost emitted a pearly sheen like a Veela, her eyes wide and surprised looking.

"We can't exactly talk here." She said quietly. "Too many Slytherins down the hall."

Something told me it was safe to follow her upstairs to the Ravenclaw Common Room, we reached the enchanted bronze eagle door knocker and the musical voice began speaking at once.

"What is greater than god,

More evil than the devil,

The poor have me,

The rich need me,

And if you eat me you die?"

The girl turned so her large light coloured eyes were focused on me. "If you answer correctly, the Room will let you in." Her voice was soft, light as the wind.

I thought hard for a second. It didn't take me long to realise what it was referring to.

"The answer to the riddle is nothing." I said clearly. The girl looked pleased.

"Sharp mind you have, your answer came quickly!" The door praised me. "You may enter."

The girl stepped inside the Common Room first, I followed. "I can't believe you're not in Ravenclaw." She said airily. "You've got your head in the right place."

"Who're you talking about, Pandora?" I looked over in the far corner of the room to see who spoke. It was a girl with long strawberry blonde hair poring over study books alone at the table nearest the fireplace. I saw her squint at me, and then she stood, jaw dropping to the floor.

"Oh Merlin! You're Hermione! But- how did you even get here?" She squealed, rushing over. Her face reminded me of a doll, her eyes were wide framed by thick dark gold lashes. She was extremely pretty.

"I'm Isabella Rey. This is my friend Pandora Lovegood."

"Hey." Isabella Rey, the one Daniel Dolohov was talking about. And Pandora Lovegood.

Lovegood...

Pandora beamed at me, a smile I gladly returned. This was obviously my friend Luna's mother in her prime before she passed away leaving Xenophilius to raise his only daughter all alone in the world. She looked the splitting image of Luna, even her dirty blonde hair was extremely long at the same length, however no Spectrespecs to be seen.

"Jade was right." Isabella more or less announced. "You're extremely smart. And pretty. But then again, of course right," She slammed a hand on my shoulder, "Tom never goes for the ugly type. I've been watching him for a long time, and trust me, he doesn't just go out with any girl."

"Great." I didn't want to talk about if Tom was attracted to me, I hated his damn guts.

"Looks shouldn't matter at all really." Pandora said thoughtfully. "As for Tom Riddle I think he's smart, but shallow." Her voice took on a serious note. "He could've been a Ravenclaw if he wasn't such a rebel without a cause."

"Fair point," Isabella said. "And actually from what I've heard about you Hermione... and well, considering how fast you solved that Riddle at the door you should be in Ravenclaw."

Both girls were staring at me. I walked over to one of the bookshelves, scanning the books.

"I would much rather be here than in the Slytherin Common Room..."

There were so many books in this common room, it was like a dream. I walked over to one of the large windows to gaze at the view. I could see the Lake, the Forbidden Forest, the Herbology gardens and the Quidditch pitch. I leaned against the window.

"I don't care." I said suddenly. "I'll stay in your Common Room tonight. Anything is better than staying with the Slytherins."

"Well, I'm heading downstairs anyway to meet up with my boyfriend so I'll make sure to ask our Head of House Professor Flitwick for you on my way back. And don't worry, I'm sure he'll let you stay here at least for a couple of nights. He's told us before he pities Slytherins because they have the intellect but are in the completely wrong environment for it... I'll just make you up a really good sob story, he'll totally fall for it. Anyway. I'll see you soon."

"Wait-"

Isabella turned to me expectantly.

"Please don't let anyone know where I am. Especially Tom, Shalini or Jade." I fretted.

Just that very moment, a tiny slip of parchment was shoved underneath the door.

"Guys..."

Isabella raced over and picked it up. It was definitely a note, I watched in horror as her eyes widened, swallowing the words.

"It's from Daniel."

"What does it say?" I said quickly.

"Tom is searching for Hermione right now. He's angry. Stay where you are, and keep her away from the windows."

Both of the girls looked horrified. "Hermione get away from the window!" Isabella yelled.

I couldn't help it. Turning I looked down into the Herbology gardens to see someone standing at the foot of Ravenclaw tower staring directly up at me. Tall, pale and dark haired... Someone that I could see from all the way up here. It was Tom Riddle.

And now he knew where I was.