Hermione P.O.V

I walked back to Hogwarts with the rest of the students, Selice Slytherin's dress slung over my arm in its silken encasing. Even though it was a lightweight material walking with it was like the equivalent of holding a 10kg bag of Hagrids notorious Rock Cakes. I felt like I was becoming everything I feared to be. A different version of the Hermione I thought I was. Would wearing Selice's dress just be the crowning jewel on my identity crisis?

I got to the Castle walking a safe distance behind the Slytherin guys. If they couldn't see me they wouldn't trouble me. Tom apparently had told them to ease up on raining hell on my parade but nonetheless being around them still made me absolutely terrified. And that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

There wasn't long to go until the Winter Ball began. I thought I would be terrified about this night but now since the onslaught of Tom Riddle's constant attempts to kill me had dissipated I was beginning to feel something almost like excitement. I felt for once just like the other students of Tom's era at Hogwarts. Happy go lucky. Eager. Adrenalised. I thought of my date Isabella Rey. None of the teachers had minded that my date to the Ball was going to female. Witches and wizards had better things to worry about other than the sexuality of others, unlike in the Muggle world. I relished in the chance to present another offence to Tom, not the fact my date was a girl but the fact I had declined his advances. He deserved it. He was so arrogant and overall so ignorant to who I was as a person. For months he was walking all over me. This was my chance to put my heels on and step on his heart right back.

I had just about reached the Slytherin Common Room when I froze in thought. There was no need for me to get ready with the rest of the Slytherins. I wasn't even going to the Ball to mingle with them anyway. I turned on my heel and marched the other way. I would go to the Room Of Requirement. Maybe I could imagine a dressing room for myself. I had my heels in my beaded bag, and most of my belongings since I didn't trust anyone in my House enough to leave my possessions lying around.

I reached the hall where the Room Of Requirement was. It was crazy to realise that this room would be engulfed in Fiendfyre in years to come, the disastrous effect of Gregory Goyle's Horcrux destroying fire. I remember coming to this room to be alone when everything around me seemed to be Ron and Lavender Brown lusting after each other in my sixth year at Hogwarts. It was one of the only places in the School asides from both the Gryffindor Common Room and the Library that felt safe to me. And now... I was going to be using it to put on Selice Slytherin's dress to go to a Ball that Tom Riddle was going to.

I closed my eyes, concentrating as I walked past the hidden entrance, envisioning in my head clearly what I was needing the Room to be. A door slowly grew into form before me, tall and dark wood with a shining ebony handle. I checked the hall looking to my left and my right. The last thing I wanted was for someone to be watching me. No one was in the Hall. Clearly I was in luck. I took told the handle without hesitation quickly shutting it behind me. It was gratifying hearing the snap of the door closing. No one could get me now.

I turned around to find a splendid sight. A very small but elaborately decorated room adorned with mirrors everywhere, cosmetics perfectly lined on the dressers.

I walked over to the nearest dresser, casting a skeptical eye over the foundation and blush, my hands coming to find eyeliner, mascara and a wad of pink lipstick. I didnt care for brands but I knew as soon as I started applying my lipstick that it wouldn't be coming off. The distinct sheer hinted of a magical property, and as I placed the eyeliner over my eyelids carefully I realised upon accidentally smudging it with my shaking hand that it wouldn't smudge the entire night.

The pre Ball anxiety was now starting to hit me. It was like I had the Time Turner in my hand and had fast forwarded into the future. I had just over half an hour. We must have stayed later at Hogsmeade because I hadn't been roaming the halls for hours, I'd only just come back.

Where the hell had time gone? I let out a exasperated laugh noticing the Time Turner around my neck in the mirror. Time was hanging around my neck, literally. And speaking of which, I couldn't just casually waltz into the Great Hall wearing that thing around my neck.

Not only did the Ministry not approve of students having Time Turners, Hogwarts in this day and age certainly did not. The safest place for my Time Turner would be my beaded bag. Even though it wasn't going to go with my look at all. Not that I cared of course. The more pressing thing on my mind was this damn dress.

I shimmied out of my uniform and carefully unwrapped the dress from the invisibility cloak and the wrappings the staff had placed over it. I couldn't believe what I was holding. It was making me nauseous just thinking about the value of this dress in the eyes of a Slytherin. Especially in the eyes of someone like Tom. Would he even realise whose dress this was? And if he did, would it change the way he thought about me?

I placed the dress over myself. It fit perfectly. And it looked gorgeous, the dusky coloured silk flowed and emphasised my body in a very flattering way, but not overly done either. Like I still felt like I had some modesty about me. At least Selice wasn't like Shalini, all about showing off everything in the most revealing ways. It was a different time back then of course.

It didn't take me long to get ready. My hair was actually behaving itself. I found a bottle of taming serum and with only 5 drops my hair was silken and easily manipulatable. I put my heels on, and decided to just give my face enough powder to hide the slight shine stress was giving me, and a hasty spray of some amazingly fragrant perfume.

This was it. It was time to find my date. I left the room.

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Tom Riddle P.O.V

The only thing I could appreciate about my pathetic parents was that I inherited a fairly striking physical appearance. I was moderately attractive, tall yet always lean, and very pale. My jet black hair and dark eyes added to my "mystery" according to some. I adjusted my white tie in the mirror, thinking how to control the more stubborn parts of my hair. Fuck.

"You look so fucking hot. Oh my god."

Shalini walked into the room, her dark eyes shining in desire as she saw me. She was barely dressed in anything, and I wasn't surprised. But tonight seeing her exposed body wasn't turning me on at all. She was wearing this slutty long black dress which left absolutely nothing to the imagination and at least an entire bucket of that makeup females slathered onto their faces to stop them feeling like trolls. I couldn't believe I had actually asked her to be my date. But there were no other hot girls in Slytherin, Hermione had already got a date.

"Are you ready, baby?" Shalini said, acting all sultry. She walked over to me and slid her hands across my shoulders seductively. I looked at her reflection in the mirror before me and frowned. Honestly she was so desperate it was painful. I got off the chair in my room before she could act any more than a succubus in a shitty Muggle horror film.

"Aw, Tom. Why do you have to act like that?" She pouted, giving me such a sappy look I was instantly reminded about Hermione functioning beneath mind control.

"If we don't leave now we're going to be late." I said impatiently. "Are you ready? Or did you want to stay here."

"I'm ready." Shalini said in a hurt voice.

"Excellent." I said. "Then let's go."

We left quickly, I was leading the way. I hated these stupid fucking School events, but I was eager to see Hermione and who her date was. What type of man would be found with her hanging off his arm?

A dead man. My mind intoned.

I clenched my fists. I wanted to beat up this mystery man and I hadn't even arrived at the damn Great Hall yet. Hell, I didn't even know who the fucking guy was.

"Tom, slow down!" Shalini whined from behind me. "I'm in heels!"

"Take them off, then. I don't have time to be waiting around for you."

I finally arrived outside the Great Hall. I was of course slightly late. But that was planned. I wanted to make an entrance, and arriving later was ideal considering I wanted to show off in front of Hermione. I looked pretty damn good, wearing shirt cuffs which cost more than most people's entire lives and a black suit I had purchased which cost almost twice as much. My shoes were polished, I was wearing fucking cologne, even. I was here to impress.

"We are so fucking late." Shalini said from beside me. "Everyone is already here."

"The Ball hasn't started yet. I've only just arrived." I told her.

"You're so hot when you're arrogant." Shalini said.

"Am I?" I said. To be perfectly honest this conversation was so boring I could feel my mind bounding miles ahead in entirely different realms of thought. Where was Hermione? I couldn't see a single sign of her at all.

I stepped in the Hall, heads turning in my direction. Shalini left me as soon as we entered the room, saying something about getting us drinks. I wasn't going to wait around for her. And I wasn't keen on mingling with people, either. Keeping appearances didn't matter to me right now. I only had one person in mind. And she didn't even appear to be here. As I walked further into the Great Hall, I noticed how lavishly everything was decorated. I always liked the decorative enchantments, the Winter theme of falling snow. Hundreds of golden chandeliers hung above me, the four House flags momentarily absent and in their place lavish streamers made to look like they were flowing in an invisible breeze. The winter theme was one of my more favoured looks for the School, I hated seeing the enchanted ceiling looking like a summers day. It was Britain for fuck sake, we never had sunlight and if we did it was at least overcast. The shit wasn't realistic at all.

I was starting to get aggravated, I accepted a drink from a House Elf relishing in the sharp taste of Firewhisky. I had a flask of Oak Matured Mead in the lining of my coat, I decided to take a swig.

"May I have everyone's attention!" Headmaster Dippet's voice was magically altered to volume. I looked at the front of the Great Hall to see him standing with a handful of other teachers I knew by name.

"Welcome to yet another Winter Ball at Hogwarts. Another night, but one like no other! Tonight we have special guests with us. Give it up for the Gadding Ghouls !"

There was a roar of approval from the crowd, I rolled my eyes. At the front of the Great Hall was an assortment of the worst looking musicians I had ever seen. The Gadding Ghouls was probably the worst band I'd ever heard in my damn life. The sort of rock music that was so shit Muggles would fawn over it.

Dippet finally stopped talking after a dreary speech about having fun but being safe at the same time. I had almost no patience left. How dangerous could a Hogwarts School Ball be? Especially with this many damn teachers. It was basically an over glamourised Muggle daycare.

"Are you even listening?" Shalini said. I turned to see her standing beside me with two full glasses of alcohol.

"Thanks." I took one of the glasses and almost finished it off before she snatched it off me.

"Look, I know I'm not Hermione and all but you're really starting to hurt my feelings." Her eyes were wide and filled with tears. I couldn't really focus.

"No, you're not Hermione." I told her. "Maybe if you were it would make all the difference."

Shalini left instantly, pushing past the crowd on the way out of the Hall. Thank fuck. I hated being in her presence. She was hot, and I needed to be seen with a hot girl to maintain image, a role she played well.

I watched her leave, and the second she exited another two girls came through the entrance. One was in a blue silk gown, confident, blonde hair in a half braid coming out slightly. Isabella Rey. On her arm, a slightly smaller more shy girl with wide doe eyes and silken chestnut coloured hair dressed in a beautiful floor length gown. I didn't know who it was, but she looked stunning. Momentarily distracted, I placed the glass down on a nearby table, walking back down toward the entrance from where I came. Who was she? For someone so small she appeared to take the attention of the entire room, but didn't seem aware in the slightest.

"Lesbians." Someone snickered from beside me.

"Hermione and Isabella." Xavier Malfoy approached me with a smirk. "Daniel is going to be so pissed off. I don't even think Issy knows he's here tonight."

I swore under my breath.

"Bro, you all good?" Xavier frowned. "You look like you're high."

"Fuck off." I walked past him, hardly believing my eyes. Hermione Granger was the taking up my attention. She wasn't overly attractive, but there was something about her which captivated me. I couldn't understand it. Was it her innocence? Was it her eyes? Her personality? I felt myself walking closer to her, wanting nothing more than for her to notice me. Know that I was there.

"I see you've finally arrived." I approached her, getting a kick out of seeing her brown eyes widen, her cheeks flush as she saw me.

"I was helping my date Isabella get ready." She said pointedly. Ah yes. Pushing the knife in a bit further, but what was new. Hermione was a spitfire, a rogue bludger who always seemed to catch me off guard. I looked at her again. She had done her makeup really nicely. It was subtle, not overdone. I liked her at her most natural, it was more her. Her hair wasn't bushy, but sleek and shining in a half up half down look with a few stands framing her face. I felt like I couldn't find the words to say to her. I felt momentarily stupified.

"Oh my god. It's Daniel, he's here!" Isabella squealed.

Hermione looked lost for a moment. "Who?"

I was two steps ahead of her.

"Go, Isabella." I told her, a slight edge to my voice. I wanted Hermione to myself, that's all I could think about. Fuck watching her have another woman over me. Now that it was just the two of us Hermione looked deeply unnerved, her hands coming to clutch that beaded bag of hers for comfort.

"Who's your date?" She found her words.

"Mine?" I smirked. "Well, that was a problem that sorted itself out." A classical sounding music started around us. Whatever it was, it was damn better than the Gadding Ghouls.

"Oh." Hermione looked concerned. I wanted to laugh. The expression was so endearingly familiar.

"Nothing to be concerned about."

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked me.

"Of course. Now, would you like to dance?"