I awoke with a start, utterly disconnected from reality. It wasn't as if that feeling was anything unusual to me. Every day I'd felt the same, ever since Voldemort rose to further power after killing my best friend Harry.

And that exact mass murderer had my Time Turner and was not only aware that I had gone back to the present day, but extremely angry.

An extremely angry Tom Riddle wasn't something I liked to think about.

I rolled over on my side feeling more sick than anything. I had been moved to a spare bedroom, tucked by caring hands into a soft bed. But even the serene artwork on the walls and the crashing sound of waves breaking that could be heard from outside my window did nothing to quell the fear twisting inside my gut. Logically, Tom could find his way to me at any given moment. My heart began to race.

I got out of bed and made my way out to the main lounge room to find Ginny on the couch eating a bowl of cereal. She was in an old oversized Weird Sisters band t shirt and jeans, her long red hair uncharacteristically unkept, spilling down her shoulders in partial tangles.

"Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Out gathering up as many Aurors as possible. Just because Dumbledore and Harry are gone doesn't necessarily mean anyone has decided to give up yet."

"Oh...."

"You look awful." She looked me straight in the eye. "Did you manage to sleep through the night?"

"No. But I could say the same about you." I pointed out somewhat unhelpfully, "You don't look too well either."

Ginny sighed. "Every time I do anything all I find myself doing is remembering him."

I didn't have to think hard to know she was talking about her boyfriend Harry. I could relate to her on some level, but Harry wasn't my romantic interest, he was my best friend.

"Have you ever been in love with someone and then lost them?" Ginny placed her cereal down on the small table in front of the couch. "It kills you. And there's nothing you can do about it. It's complete hell."

Have you ever been in love with someone...?

Much to my absolute horror the first person that came to mind was a tall, pale young man with dark eyes and a cruel smirk. Tom. I couldn't believe myself. Was this really happening? Was I really developing true feelings for the psychopath who was now probably plotting to kill me? What the hell was wrong with me?

"Go and get some food. You need to eat. Especially given the situation."

I was happy that she left out the part about us both knowing damn well that Tom was probably trying to track me down right this very second. I was certain he would find me, and kill me. It was that thought that stopped me from eating breakfast. What would be the point if I just threw it all back up? I had to do something. In the back of my mind I realised the hard truth. I had to go back to the past.

"You know I can't stay here, right." I told Ginny heavily. "Tom could come to the present at any moment and I wouldn't forgive myself for endangering you all. One Voldemort in this time is more than enough."

"I thought you'd say that." Ginny looked crestfallen. "Well, you know what's best to do. I can't stop you."

She leant back on the couch, her face distinctly more pale than before.

"When the piece of Riddle in the diary was talking to me, he always lied. I hope you're not growing to trust him or anything."

"What do you mean?" I said a little too quickly. Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"When I was younger, I believed everything Tom told me through that damned diary without actually considering that he's a master at manipulation. He got his hooks in me and in the end I couldn't actually resist it. That was only a Horcrux.... You're dealing with the whole of him. You better be careful, Hermione."

I walked over to the window and looked out at the ocean. I didn't have much time to lose.

I stayed with Ginny for another half an hour, just talking about Ron and everyone, getting updated on everything. Apparently Voldemort had massacred a lot of the Ministry of Magic. and the Department Of Mysteries had been closed off to everyone except the Death Eaters. The thought sent waves of fear prickling down my spine.

I gathered up my things and left. There was no use delaying anything, and I didn't look back as I walked out the door.

"Hermione, wait!"

I turned to see Ginny running out the door towards me.

"I want to give you a few things. She held out her arms. Books on Time Travel that I'd never seen before, a Sneakoscope and a small vial of shining gold. Felix Felicis?

"How did you get that?" I took the books, examining the vial closely.

"I made it. In this time a lot of people are dealing luck potions just so they can get an upper hand against unthinkable odds. Many people who could've died have lived just because of this. I think you should take the whole thing now."

I put the books carefully into my beaded bag, the extension charm still holding perfectly. Without a moment to spare I took half the potion, offering the other half to Ginny.

"I'm not taking that." She said stubbornly. "You're the one that is in danger."

"I know," I said, "but just by talking to you in the present I've endangered your life. If Tom finds out I've been here.... Look, just drink it."

Ginny looked defeated, a look I knew only too well.

"I've already taken some." I wasn't stupid, I knew she was lying.

"Oh really?" I said a little irritably. "Take more."

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Within a single heart beat Tom Riddle had materialised before us. Ginny raised her wand to defend herself but Tom was too quick, with a single slash of his wand Ginny fell down against the sand. Dead?

"I didn't kill her." Tom said carelessly. "I'm not stupid enough to murder someone in the future, who knows how that would impact the past?"

"How did you find me?" The fear was clouding my mind making it hard to think.

"How do you think." Tom's eyes turned a darker shade of black. "As soon as you and that hideous goblin escaped me I knew exactly what to do. All in all.... It's amusing that you thought you could run away."

He reached over and gripped my arm.

"Don't you remember making a Unbreakable Vow with me?" His voice took on a dangerous edge. "Can you remember it?"

He stepped closer to me, he was so tall he blocked the sunlight from reaching me.

"Not... exactly."

"I vowed essentially to look out for you at all times. You endangered my life by escaping me. And now you're going to pay for it." From around his neck Tom produced my Time Turner throwing it at me.

"Take us back to the past. Now."

If you can imagine how nauseous time travelling is, you could only imagine how time travelling with Tom Riddle was. I didn't want to stay in the present especially now that Tom Riddle was aware of it all.

As soon as we touched foot in the past I lurched over and was sick on the ground in front of the Slytherin Common Room.

Tom didn't care apparently. He grabbed my arm and began dragging me down the hall. I knew what was going to happen as soon as I saw the Room of Requirement.