When I had first been put in the Hospital Wing it felt like I was being confined to a single cell in Azkaban. But now I was starting to enjoy it. Madam Pomfrey, realizing that it cant have been me that had smashed the breakfast tray against the wall, had given Tom Riddle a temporary ban which I was extremely happy about. The best part was actually witnessing Tom getting in trouble. I had barely seen him get punished for anything at all. He was a master of evading teachers and getting away with all kinds of shit. Almost mere seconds after he attempted to ransack the room Madam Pomfrey had approached saying that it would've been logically impossible for me to have done it considering my current poisoned state. I didn't "have the strength to even lift something, let alone pull an entire tray of breakfast off a table." She had dragged Tom by his sleeve (he was so tall she couldn't reach any higher) out the door which made me leap out of bed, clutching the end of the bed in silent hysterical laughter until of course Madam Pomfrey came back and told me off rather sharply.

The absence of Tom meant that I could have visitors. I saw a couple of my friends from Ravenclaw that I hadn't seen in a while and it made me realise I barely socialized with anyone because of Tom's suffocating presence. I was so cut off from everyone, I was actually much happier than I had ever been since returning to the past just because I had a visitor or two a day. I didn't see Corbin. But to my surprise Daniel Dolohov saw me. Even Xavier Malfoy came by for what I strongly suspected was a direct order from Tom wanting to check up on me. But that was a once off. No one from Slytherin approached me after that. After a couple of days, I was starting to worry about nothing except the mission I was on and for Corbin. Had Tom hurt him? I had no way of knowing. I couldn't even leave my bed for goodness sake.

I was in the Hospital for a total of 4 days. The next morning was a frightfully stormy day, the single window in my room revealing skies black as night, thunder rumbling in the distance and rain hammering against the window. I was more than happy to stay in bed, but unfortunately for me I had to get up. My stay at the Hospital Wing was over. Madam Pomfrey said the wound in my leg was healed enough for me to go back to class. And as much as I felt I couldn't do it, it was time to face reality yet again. It felt horrific, constantly having to muster the strength to face Tom time and time again. Each time I felt confident, I would go one day without seeing him and my anxiety would go and blow all my fears out of logical proportion.

But it wasn't all bad. The pain I was in was significantly lessened over the past few days since I couldn't keep myself away from the pain meds. Every morning, I would tell Madam Pomfrey I was in more pain than I was just to get another bottle of that heavy duty medicine that I never got to know the name of (eventually given to me diluted by water by a very suspicious Madam Pomfrey after the the third day I asked for it). So not only was my injured leg healing at a faster rate, but I was feeling more like myself than before. I was rested up. I was recovering. I was starting to feel like sort of invincible feeling I associated with standing up to Tom. I wasn't crippled anymore. I was back. And I was ready for whatever shit Tom had planned for me.

"If you feel dizzy, come back and see me." Madam Pomfrey said, walking alongside me to the entrance of the Hospital Wing. "I worry about you, Miss Granger... being in Slytherin House surely couldn't be all it's made out to be. Make sure you stay out of trouble."

I stepped out into the adjoining Hall. It was cold out here, the Hospital Wing was toasty and warm compared to this.

"Don't worry about me." I said with a small smile. "I'll be fine." I wrapped my arms around myself, watching as Madam Pomfrey bade me goodbye, an awful twisting fear coiling in my stomach.

"Would you look at that." Someone said. "You lie almost as convincingly as me now."

I froze.

A little way ahead of me Tom Riddle stepped into view, his tall figure casting a shadow against the wall. We were alone, just the two of us standing like two chess pieces facing each other contemplating the best battle tactic.

"You look like you've just escaped an Asylum." He said rather rudely, taking in my appearance with the look of someone who'd just found a Blast Ended Screwt in their bed. "Have you ever heard of a hair brush?" I looked at him with utmost loathing. His hair wasn't slicked back but it certainly looked a lot better than mine, and I hated him for it.

"You try getting poisoned after being psycologically tormented for months." I snarled.

Tom's dark eyes shone, his face splitting into a grin. "You call that torment?" He said lightly. "That is nothing to what I could have done, I promise you."

"That's reassuring." I snapped.

"It should be." Tom agreed. "I have refrained from what I could do to you. Why don't you make the most of this opportunity Hermione and thank me? I was the one who saved you from the Merpeople. And did I have to?"

I wanted to slap him for having the audacity to be so rude to me. However I thought quickly, words springing to mind that I spoke before I could actually consider the consequences.

"But you did anyway." I smirked. "I'm not going to thank you. But I could commend you for showing basic human decency. Nice job, mate."

The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I could tell by the look on Tom's livid face that I had blown my chances of a peaceful first day back.

"Has spending time away from me made you grow some sort of backbone?" Tom wondered aloud. "Are you even aware of your idiotic tendencies?"

"If idiotic tendencies refers to putting arrogant jerks like you in their place, then I suppose my answer is yes." I said boldly. I had no idea what I was doing, standing here insulting the hell out of Lord Voldemort. I was expecting him to attack me but much to my surprise he laughed, a cold cruel sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Do you know what happened when you were gone?" Tom said with the air of someone about to reach a startlingly horrific conclusion.

"Obviously not. What happened, then?" I tried to make my voice sound as bored, as flat as I possibly could to hide the fear creeping up inside me and yet Tom's eyes just bored into mine as if he could see right through my facade.

"Your charming admirer Corbin attempted to visit you yesterday." Tom said, his voice becoming a little colder toward the end. "He thought he would make the most of the fact I was banished from the Hospital Wing by that useless bitch Pomfrey."

"Madam Pomfrey isn't a bitch." I snapped. "And I don't understand what you're trying to say. What does that mean? What did you do to Corbin?"

"You want to know what happened to him? Why don't you go," Tom said, the window panes shaking with the hammering rain behind him, "And find out for yourself."

The thunder rumbled outside, and I walked over to the window slowly. It was cold here, but the chill wasn't in the air this time.

"Is he dead?" I asked, staring out into the storm. "Is Corbin dead?" I spun on my heel to find Tom suddenly behind me, the shadow I made that was cast across the wall behind him concealing one of his eyes.

"When people disrespect me, there are consequences." Tom said ominously.

I stepped back, or rather stumbled with my recently healed leg. I fled from Tom, making my way to the Gryffindor Common Room. I finally reached the Portrait of the Fat Lady and for some reason just burst into tears. I didnt know the password. I felt like I was locked out of my own home.

"Goodness! You're going to give me a Migraine carrying on like that." The Fat Lady said, airing herself with a scarlet fan. "Whatever is the matter with you?"

"My friend... is hurt. I need to see if he's ok." I wiped my eyes on my cloak, feeling really weak for showing sign of emotion. I didnt want anyone to see me cry. Especially not Tom. I was ashamed. I was so used to my pain being used to exploit me, I was starting to hate revealing my true feelings to anyone.

"Password?" The Fat Lady asked me.

"I don't know it." I said, feeling smaller than ever.

"I see everyone who comes and goes to Gryffindor Tower." She told me reasonably. "Who is this friend of yours?"

"His name is Corbin." I sniffed.

"I think... Given the circumstances, I will let you in."

Her portrait swung open, I stepped inside the Common Room both grateful and wary at once. A crackling fire was burning away merrily in the grate over in the corner. The plump sofas that Ron, Harry and I had so often frequently were filled with students I didn't recognise. On the furthest one on the far right was Corbin lying on the sofa with his legs curled up, dark shadows from the tree outside the window cast over his face.

I walked over, my heart pounding. Upon closer inspection, the shadows were not shadows at all, but bruises. I gasped in horror. Horrific bruises covered his jaw, he was asleep but seemed to be in pain by the way he twitched.

"Corbin." I breathed.

"A Slytherin!" Someone shrieked. Corbin woke with a start, his light green eyes finding mine.

"Corbin." I said, relieved he was alive and that Tom hadn't killed the only friend I had made who had offered to protect me. I wanted to hug him. "Are you ok? What happened to you?"

Corbin blinked. He looked distant, like he was in a completely different world. Deep inside me, I knew something wasn't right.

"I... don't know who you are." He said, staring at me in confusion. "Did Tom send you here? What do you want?"

"I know her! She's Tom's ex girlfriend." Some random blonde girl had gotten to her feet. "Get out of here! You're not supposed to be in our Common Room. Isn't it enough that your ex boyfriend and his mates beat Corbin up? You people never stop, do you?" She yelled at me.

I stepped backward.

"But I'm Corbins friend." I couldn't find it in myself to believe it. Tom had erased his mind.

"You're my friend?" Corbin squinted at me, wincing at the bruises.

"What is your name? Did Tom hurt you too?" Corbin asked me from the sofa, his bruised face actually concerned for my wellbeing.

I stumbled backwards, running out and bursting through the portrait of the Fat Lady. I could barely see. I ran so much, my recently healed leg started to burn with pain. I started becoming dizzy, the lights of the School hall swimming into my vision disconcerting me. I didn't know where I was. I just had to get away. I ran down Halls, bursting out into the Great Hall and out through the main door. It was pouring outside. It was so dark I could barely see where I was going, the storm still raging above my head. I ran until I reached a desolate place on the fringe of the Forbidden Forest.

"I- can't -do this anymore." I screamed into the rain, reaching down and grabbing the Time-Turner with trembling hands.

My head was pounding, tiny lights glittering on the very cusp of my vision. I was going to collapse. I reached out a shaking hand to turn the hand of the Time Turner, the rain hammering down and making it hard to see what I was doing. I had to go forward in time. I wanted to go home. I wanted out.

"Fuck!" I screamed. "Just take me home!" I closed my eyes, the pain of my leg pulsating agony through me, both of my hands on the Time-Turner like a life support. I stepped back, the tiny lights in my vision expanding. It was so dark out here I didn't see the tree root sticking out of the ground until I felt myself fall backward, landing on the cold, grassy earth. I heaved, curling myself into a tiny ball, the chain of the Time-Turner wrapped around my hand like a handcuff. I closed my eyes.