We entered the Common Room, Tom leading the way through the door followed closely by me. There was a gathering waiting for us. The atmosphere was intense. Whatever was going to happen next would've scared me before. Now, I didn't feel anything.

All the Slytherins were in the Common Room. Jade, Shalini, some girls who I didn't recognise. There was movement from the couches near the back. I looked closer and saw that throng or boys who assaulted me last night snickering amongst themselves. I must've looked terrible, but I found I didn't care as I looked on emotionlessly. As we walked in it was to me that all eyes were drawn to. I stared back at everyone, equally as intrigued by them as they were about me.

Tom must have arranged it. The meeting.

"Hermione!" Shalini squealed.

"Shalini." Tom said dangerously. "Quiet."

I saw a girl beside her gasp. Jade. I caught her eye for a moment, her familiar face was meaningless to me. Hurt flickered in her eyes for a mere moment before I looked away. I didn't care about any of them anymore. I didn't care about anything.

"I've gathered you all here tonight for one reason." Tom moved to stand in front of one of the fires. I moved to stand beside him, a show of solidarity.

"I have been getting increasingly concerned by a few people in this House who shamelessly have dared to oppose me. But thanks to a few people amongst us this.... problem has been dealt to effectively."

Me. I was the problem, I could tell by the way he said the word. I looked up at him as he spoke. His dark eyes found mine for a brief moment, he looked amused. I was a joke to him, and the knowledge didn't bother me. If anything I was happy that he had found humour in the situation. I didn't feel anything.

"I respect loyalty." He continued, looking back to the students without emotion. His voice was barely louder than the crackling of the fire in the grate behind him. "As good as it is to show that we are loyal to our friends, there is also a time where we must deny them. And you all know what the fuck I am talking about."

The silence in the room was thick. Tom was furious, and it was a fearsome sight.

"I bet you're all wondering what I have called you all here tonight for. Well, let me indulge you. We have had people in this House daring to side with each other against me." His low voice was ice. "This sort of traitorous behaviour will end tonight. Anyone here in this school foolish enough to oppose me from now will learn in due time that behaviour like that is not something we endorse in Slytherin House. Hermione here, who has in the past dared to oppose me, has learnt this lesson the hard way. Haven't you?"

I looked up to see him staring down at me.

"Yes, Tom is correct." I told everyone emotionlessly. "I was a fool, and now that I have been corrected I will not be as I once was before."

"Good girl." Tom said just loud enough for me to hear.

I could see Shalini crying silently, her twin sister Jade put an arm around her. Tom didn't show he saw them, and if he did he didn't bother saying anything.

"Despite all of this turmoil we can see a wondrous resolution has come." He lightened his tone ever so slightly, "It was something of a surprise that I have managed to extract something quite extraordinary from you pathetic bunch."

A cold hand latched onto my upper shoulder, shoving me before Tom himself.

"Hermione. She is the only one who has managed to be able to openly submit herself to me in the way I once desired you all to. She has confessed undying support to me, which makes her a perfect example to you all. Any idiots foolish enough to not heed my authority I will be dealing to myself. And I warn you all now," He flashed a wicked smile, "You wouldn't live to see the next day if you dare try. That is all. Now leave us."

No one had to be told twice. Within a matter of seconds the entire gathering had dispersed back to their designated Common Rooms. Shalini tried to linger behind but Jade took her by the arm and more or less dragged her away beneath Tom's deathly glare.

He and I were the only two left in the Common Room.

"Sit down." Tom told me. "You look like you're going to collapse."

I walked over to sit on a couch, the very same one some of my abusers had been sitting moments before. I had never been sexually assaulted by a group of men before. They were extremely rough. Tom was too. Even though Tom had taken the pain from me, there was a deep part of my mind which sparked agony whenever I thought of that nightmarish night. I leant back on the couch, suddenly feeling tired.

"The House Elves will be bringing you food soon." Tom walked over to me, sitting in the couch directly opposite. In the greenish light of the Slytherin common room his pale skin looked off colour.

"How do you feel?" The direct question threw me off guard.

"What?"

How did I feel? I had no feelings left. I felt like I wanted to die. Or even better, never have existed at all. But sadly for me now that I was in this situation there was no escape. Especially now that I didn't particularly want to go back to the future. It seemed like my whole life had been a lead up to this point. I would go back in time and fall in love with the devil himself. I was broken. Destroyed. By Tom Riddle's own hands.

"I feel fine." I said. "Things are starting to fall into place for the first time in my life."

It was true. Tom appeared surprised by my words but it was me that was the most shocked. I felt stronger. Better than ever. By accepting the darkness I had left myself no fears. Nothing could fuck with me anymore, because there was nothing left to lose. I came to the past with many things I could've lost and now that I had lost everything... I was liberated.

"Your dorm is opposite to mine. You get your own bathroom." He said conversationally. I blinked robotically. He was there acting like nothing was wrong and I felt like I was falling down into some deep void.

"Hey. Look at me."

Tom was suddenly standing in front of me, pulling me up off the couch.

"What?" I said.

"Look into my eyes." His eyes held mine for the longest moment. "You're not well." He looked coldly surprised.

I let out a laugh. "I'm fine."

Tom reached out and gripped my chin roughly. "No you are not. There's something damn strange about your behaviour and I can't quite comprehend it."

He pushed me back down to the couch. We didn't speak for a few moments until a crack resounded in the room.

"I thought apparition wasn't allowed within the walls of Hogwarts." I said. My voice was soft, like a guttering candle.

"I ordered this particular House Elf specifically. My orders are damn worth more than all the rules of the School combined." Tom snapped.

The House Elf hurried forward placing a tray of steaming hot food in front of me.

"Is this sufficient, Master Riddle?" I looked down at the Elf as she appealed to Tom.

He looked down at her in barely concealed disgust.

"Did I tell you to speak to me?"

The House Elf trembled, "No, Master Riddle. I am sorr-

"Leave."

I didn't say anything, and as the House Elf disapparated I took the tray of food and began to mechanically eat. Hunks of lamb with gravy. Carrots. Potatoes. Beans. A whole plate of it. I couldn't taste anything but I wolfed the whole thing down like I'd never seen a plate of food before.

I was barely aware of the tall pale figure of Tom sitting opposite me calculating my every move. I wasn't hungry but I supposed eating food fueled me to keep continue in life. Without food I'd just wither and what use would that be?

I finished my plate and put the tray on the side table beside me. It vanished at once.

"I'm tired." I announced. "I'm going to bed."

I stood up and started walking away. I didn't know where I was going but I kept walking anyway. I went up a flight of stairs to my direct right and found a hall with different rooms each with mahogany doors. All of them were open except one.

I reached out and twisted the shining door handle and entered the room. It was pitch black, the rooms only illumination was the dim light of the bottom of the Great Lake. On the walls were posters of things I couldn't discern. With no particular thought in mind I walked ahead. There was a large comfortable four poster bed, entirely black and perfectly made. I reached it and tucked myself into the blankets, snuggling in. I was so damn tired. I put my hand around the haphazardly beating Time Turner and closed my eyes.

I didn't hear the door close or the footsteps that approached until they reached my side.

"I once heard this stupid muggle child's story," Tom Riddle said quietly above me, "Of a foolish girl called Goldilocks who entered a strangers room and fell asleep in the wrong bed."

"That's not the whole story." I mumbled, turning over away from him. He said something in response and then there was the darkness again. I embraced it, finding myself in buried deep in the valley of a dream.

————————-the dream—————————

Dumbledore fell from the tower, the curse from Severus Snape had hit him. I was running forward but I was slow, my footsteps hit the ground soundlessly. Just as I reached the railing Dumbledore fell out of reach.

"No!" I screamed.

"What are you doing here?" Snape appeared before me in a swirl of black cloak. He looked furious.

"Foolish girl," He said. "This was all in perfect timing."

"What do you mean?" My voice echoed, the wind swept past us, Snape turned to face me one to one. He looked weary in the eyes like he had seen too much too soon.

"Time will tell."

The scene transitioned and was in the Restricted Section of the library accompanied by Madam Pince.

"You are my favourite student." She said leading the way through the bookshelves proudly. "One of the smartest students I have ever encountered at this school. Always eager to learn. I've only ever seen that in one other student during my time here at Hogwarts."

"Who was that?"

I saw her hand whiten ever so slightly around the handle of the lantern she was holding. I couldn't see her face.

"Tom Riddle."

We kept walking until we reached the spot. There was something we were searching for, a particular book.

"Here it is!" She reached out a bony hand and pulled a great volume off the shelf, placing the lantern on the ground and dusting the large black book free of dust. "Time Lore: The Forbidden Mysteries. It's yours. Give my regards to Professor Dumbledore."

"Thank you." I turned to walk away and found myself in Dumbledores office. It was my third year, and he was reaching out and handing my younger self a Time Turner. I watched from the corner. I stepped closer, nearly knocking into something. A perch. I didn't touch it but the creature sitting on it appeared to notice and gave a soft low caw.

"Time is a precious commodity." Dumbledore was saying. "Don't you think, Fawkes?"

The younger me was sitting on the desk before him, appearing as oblivious and happy as someone who hadn't spent too much time in the presence of constant horror.

"Time Turners have deep magic. Not even the Department of Mysteries has a grip on what that book before you knows. I took that book from the Department personally."

"You didn't...." I watched my former self look shocked. "Why?"

"I had no choice." The Dumbledore from my time answered, his light blue eyes grim behind his half moon spectacles. "The knowledge of this book is so powerful it could put a dent in the fabric of time. When I was in the Department Of Mysteries I knew at once the book was in the careless hands. Those workers at the Ministry? Power hungry fools. They would alter the course of time if it only meant they would win personal wealth. Hogwarts is the safest place for these sorts of rare resources."

I stepped closer to Fawkes, suddenly curious. Did he sense I was here? I reached out a hand.

Fawkes turned to look at me. I was expecting the Phoenix to caw at me but instead a musical voice sounded.

"The Time Turner is broken because you are a broken person." For some reason tears fell from my eyes. The words pierced me, waking pain inside. I couldn't help as it spilt over, I wiped my face with my hands. "Timelore is a deeply advanced branch of magic to which you willingly connected yourself to. When you break, you break into layers of time. That could mean splintering yourself as a person. Why didn't you read the book?"