Rain hammered against the tiny window near us, and I thought longingly of being in bed cosy and warm with a book. But sadly for me, this wasn't going to happen for a long time since I was still trapped in Headmaster Dippets old office at a Dinner party with the brooding bad boy Tom Riddle.

I stood slowly, my legs tingling after sitting down for so long. Tom was already standing, looking down at me like I was some piece of dirt he'd just kicked off his shoe.

"If I find this conversation has reached others you will be sorry." He promised.

"I will be sorry?"

I raised my eyebrows, crossing my arms across my chest defensively. Only moments before he'd just told me that he'd wait until I was ready to kill people. I couldn't handle him at all.

"More threats." I said blandly. "What will you actually do to me if I did tell someone? Like what else do you actually have up your sleeve-"

It was more curiosity that made me open my big mouth, and before I knew it Tom's dark eyes were flashing scarlet with danger. You're pushing it!

"I could seriously hurt you. Even more than I have." Tom's voice was very low and very soft, a deceptive lure while the rest of him emitted terrifying waves of anger. "Since you don't seem to be showing me much respect how about I give you a little more of a taste of just what happens when I get pissed off ?"

As silent as a shadow he moved out from behind the table, his tall figure approaching me with the slow, easy grace of a predator. I felt my eyes widen like a frightened gazelle. We were alone, no one was down this end of the office.

"What are you going to do?" I asked. I licked my lips which were suddenly dry.

"That's for you to find out." Tom said dangerously. "You wanted to push me by opening your mouth and provoking me. What? Don't look at me like you're going to fucking cry. You brought this on yourself."

I could almost envy how easily he seemed to get the upper hand of every situation, leaving me in the dark and clawing the walls for an escape which was never there. I blinked rapidly. "I was just asking, Tom-"

"And I was just saying." He adjusted his tie, walking slowly past me so I had to turn to face him. "I suggest you be very careful over the next few days." He threatened.

"Why? What are you going to do?" My mind was racing with all sorts of hideous possibilities. Would he steal my memories again? Hurt one of my friends?

"Nothing too extreme."

Tom's voice was edged in amusement. "I have power and authority in this school, Hermione. All of these puppets, did you ever think about who was pulling their strings? It was me. All along. I hold a great deal of power over many people. And if one thing is for certain, by the end of this you are never going to want to contradict me ever again."

He turned so his face caught the light of an overhead candelabra, shadow breaking across his face as he stepped away from me. "You'll see in the end just who's the smarter one out of the both of us Hermione. And I can promise you this. It won't be you."

"Tom my boy!" Slughorns untimely presence made me jump out of my skin. "There you are..." Tom didn't even flinch as Slughorn approached, slamming his hand down on his shoulder with a drunken smile.

"Enjoying the festivities are we?" He boomed.

"We are." Tom's eyes locked on mine. Don't say a word.

"How about you Miss Granger ? Are you enjoying yourself?" Slughorn turned to me, a good natured smile on his face.

"Yes, Professor." I lied. "I am."

Slughorn squinted over at me. "Are you sure? My dear you look paler than a ghost! Are you not feeling well?"

Tom's fingers toyed with the sleeve of his suit jacket, the very place I saw him tuck away his wand not too long ago he and in that second I interpreted a very clear warning that if I tried to speak about anything that had just happened he would hex me on the spot. I looked away.

"No- I'm fine." I said hastily. "One too many Firewhisky's I think." I gave my best impression of a laugh, my throat muscles tightened and I swallowed uncomfortably.

Tom's eyebrows rose ever so slightly. Was that impatience?

"Don't worry yourself, Professor Slughorn." Tom distracted him with a brilliantly disarming smile. "Hermione has been worse before, believe it or not Sir." Our eyes met for a split second before Tom broke contact.

"If you insist.... Also while we are at it, that essay I set you, Tom. How are you finding it?"

"Fine, Professor. I have it here, actually." From his coat he produced two perfect sheets of parchment each piece generously adorned with line upon line of his own elegant script. I raised my eyebrows while Slughorn's eyes widened in shock.

"Riddle you surprise me each and every day, you do!" He appeared to sober up at once. "That extraordinary mind of yours.... I knew this would be easy but I hadn't the slightest clue just how much so..."

"Wow, what an accomplishment." I said in such a scathing, lofty voice Draco Malfoy would've been proud. "Tom completed an essay."

I couldn't help myself, it was all getting too much. But Tom clearly wasn't willing to put up with my antics, his jaw clenched at once and his fists too- he was pissed alright.

"No, no, Grangular."

"It's Granger, Sir."

Slughorn waved me off airily. "I set him this essay yesterday and he's already done it! The standard time I allocate students is roughly 2 weeks - and he's gone and done it in barely 2 days! Brilliant work indeed, Tom!" He boomed. "I will mark this tonight, and return your result in the morning."

And as simple as that, Slughorn had taken the essay out of Tom's extended hand and disappeared.

"I didn't know we had another essay to do." I said distractedly. "What was that one?"

"We?" Tom said rudely. "I was the only student in class that Slughorn requested this of."

Maybe I was hearing things but there was an extremely arrogant tone in his voice that made me want to slap him. If only I could actually do it without being hit with a killing curse.

Completely oblivious to my inner turmoil Tom continued.

"Often he sets me essays outside my allocated schoolwork so he can teach me highly advanced potions while all of you idiots are still slaving away with those boring text books."

"They are not boring textbooks." I said heatedly. And plus we are not idiots. Besides do you forget that I too get asked to complete extra assessments as well?"

Tom looked me over in one disinterested glance. "That's only sometimes. I get essays from almost all teachers I have."

"Almost." I couldn't help but grin. "So there's a teacher out there who isn't giving you additional work?"

"By my request." Tom's voice was low, terrible. "I made a choice to decline extra work given to me by my Divination teacher. How further could I go with that subject over others?"

"You study Divination?"

I couldn't believe it. I always loathed it thinking it to be one of the more useless subjects there were.

"Of course." Tom said irritably. "Ancient Runes, Divination- I'm not going to stop myself gaining knowledge of these branches of magic," He toyed with the cufflinks on his jacket - whatever they were made of they looked pretty damn expensive.

"Especially just because those two types of magic are not frequently used in the modern day world."

I grimaced. Technically speaking the modern day world wasn't even this day and age however I mustered my features into what I felt was a blank, emotionless look.

Tom frowned.

"Are you alright?" He asked sadistically. "You look ill."

He was doing it again. Provoking me so I would lash out.

"Don't start." I retaliated. "I'm too tired, ok?" I held up both of my hands in defeat.

Tom surprised me by relenting, but it was in a sort of intolerant grace that didn't help my mood one bit.

"The point I'm trying to convey here is that I am more academically advanced than the other students." Tom's voice was crisp with irritating condescension. "So I dare say that does make me smart, and the rest of you stupid."

"So hold on a second..." Tom looked like he would rather not but kept silent anyway. "...you think because you get a few extra essays on the side of it all you're better than most people?"

"Finally. That head of yours finally starts working." Was sarcasm just a part of his personality? I frowned, walking away from him and into the safety of the party goers.

I had barely gone 5 steps before a cold hand locked around my wrist.

"Where the hell are you going?" Tom Riddle growled.

I whipped around to see mr tall dark and angry standing right there behind me with an annoyingly mocking tilt to his head.

"I-I wasn't running." I stepped back reflexively.

"Of course you weren't." Tom placated. "Come on." He made for the door and looked back in annoyance. "Well?" He said. "Aren't you coming?" It was hard to hear him over the music and the chatter. When I reached him, a infuriating smirk appeared on his face. He reached for my arm, and before I knew it the door was shut and I was standing alone with him on the spiral staircase.

I wrapped my arms around myself, it was absolutely freezing out here and all I had to wear was this tiny thin dress that left my whole chest on display.

Tom turned, appearing to notice the sight of me standing there shivering. The next thing I knew he'd shrugged off his black coat and fitted it loosely around my shoulders.

"It's really quite a pity you're cold," He said quietly, turning and leading the way down the stairs. "I was really enjoying just how damn revealing that little dress of yours is."

I froze for a brief moment and then regained myself - I couldn't let him get to me. We started walking.

When we finally reached the Slytherin common I gratefully entered in after Tom. The walk down was awkward because he'd groped my ass and had attempted to push me up against a wall right outside the Slytherin Common Room entrance.

"No! Ok? Try that again with me and I'll hex the hell out of you!" I'd exploded. Some of the school portraits on the walls had muttered angrily amongst themselves about the din, much to my utter humiliation. Tom became suspiciously silent after that.

We kept walking. We were the only two in the hall, I was walking ahead of Tom feeling extremely uncomfortable. At least I had his coat to cover some more of me.

"There's got to be a reason you dressed like that." He said lowly.

The hairs on my arm stood, and fear twisted in my stomach and I picked up speed away from him, starting to hyperventilate. My bright idea of wearing a provocative dress to lure Tom in worked a little too well. Now he wanted me, and what could I do about it? Where in hell was everyone anyway?

Tom pulled his coat back off me, leaving me standing there before his tall figure shivering helplessly.

"Now let's have some fun." He growled.