♡

Hermione P.O.V

"Hey. Hermione. Wake up. Wake up!" Someone was shaking me awake.

My eyes shot open, panic and adrenaline surging through me like lightening. Tom. My mind said. It's Tom Riddle.

"Get off me! Go away!" I screamed, clambering to my knees. My hands found wet grass, the dirt from the earth was caked on my shoes causing me to almost slip as I staggered to my feet. I looked down. The Time-Turner was wrapped around my wrist so tightly there was a deep red mark.

I squinted through the darkness of the storm. It wasn't Tom standing beside me. I knew who it was, but I couldn't believe it.

"Lumos." Corbin stepped toward me, his hair dripping with water. He smiled at me slightly, or at least enough to not have to wince in pain. The bruises were a lot worse now that I could see his entire face beneath the light. They even travelled down his neck.

"Corbin?" I said, all other thoughts leaving my head. "What are you doing here?"

"I- don't know." He admitted. "Well, I followed you after you ran out of Gryffindor Tower. It's a long story, but it can wait for now. Tom Riddle is after you. And I heard he isn't happy at all."

Corbin looked apologetic, he obviously didnt want me to feel any worse than I already did.

"What?" Fear flooded me making it hard to think. "Where is he?"

I scanned the area, half expecting Tom to jump out from behind a tree. Rain was starting to fall again, the skies were darker than I had remembered.

"I don't know. Let's just get out of here. We can talk about it later."

We started making our way back to the castle, everywhere Corbin's wand light fell revealed muddy ground. I must have been out here for hours after having fallen unconscious on the cold hard ground. I was soaked, it had been pouring this entire time. I was freezing, I hurried alongside Corbin back to the Castle desperate to be somewhere warmer even if it was closer to Tom.

We pushed open the door of the Great Hall.

"Why the hell is it even open at this time?" Corbin asked. "It's late as fuck."

"I have no idea." I said, my mind reeling with despair. I couldn't think, and I was finding it hard to breathe. My leg was aching something awful, and I knew I had to get back to the Hospital Wing.

"Corbin." I said. "Look."

Corbin turned. I lifted my cloak revealing my left leg. The wound had opened, my skin slick with blood and turning a sickly shade of blue.

"Shit." Corbins eyes widened. "We really need to get you to the Hospital Wing."

We made our way out the Hall, Corbin leading the way with his wand raised with me limping behind him. It was really a different place without all the students on the 4 house tables. I scanned the area. Tom Riddle was nowhere in sight. We burst into a Hall, the coast was clear.

"Hang on." Corbin said. "Isn't that Mrs Norris?"

We froze at the beginning of the Hall leading up to the Hospital Wing. Sure enough, a tawny looking cat was trotting up the Hall towards us, gathering speed.

"Oh for fuck sake." I snapped. "I'm not getting my ass kicked by a damn cat."

A delighted laugh sounded, followed by rapid footsteps.

"My dear, have you found those trouble makers?" I heard Filch wheeze. His footsteps were close, he must've been just around the corner.

"In here!" I grabbed Corbin hauling the both of us into a random broom closet.

"Great thinking." Corbin said under his breath. I was gasping for mine, and I realised I was making far too much noise. If I wasn't careful I would give us away. I clasped a hand to my face to quieten the sound, locking the door very quietly.

"What the bloody hell?" I heard Filch scream. "I heard them! They must've been here! Look at that mud. Those vermin have made a mess on the floors!"

"Never mind the floors." Tom Riddle said impatiently. "They must be here somewhere. Look at the footprints."

My eyes widened, Corbin swore under his breath. So Tom was hunting for the both of us, was he?

I felt around on the walls, trying to find some way out. There was a handle on the opposite side of the broom cupboard. I tried it, and it opened into pitch darkness.

"Quickly!" I gasped. Corbin was first to dive into the blackness, I followed after him quickly closing the door behind us making sure to be extremely quiet.

I didnt know where the hell we were, but it didn't matter. In the broom closet we just vacated the door unlocked.

"That is impossible."

Tom Riddle's cold voice said. I closed my eyes, hoping beyond belief he wouldn't see the other door.

"Don't touch that door, Mr Riddle." Filch growled at Tom. "That's off limits. Dippets orders."

"What is in there?" Tom said sharply. I heard his hand knock twice on the wood, the sound loud and sharp right beside me.

"Something dangerous." Filch growled. "If those troublemakers are in there, that'll be the end of them."

I waited until I couldn't hear anything any longer. Corbin illuminated his wand, the light revealing where we were. A large room with no windows and in the center of it.... A large Mirror.

"The Mirror Of Erised." I breathed.

"The Mirror of Eerie Eyes?" Corbin said in confusion.

"No. Read that." I walked around to the front of the Mirror, pointing at the ornate letters that marked the head. Corbin raised his wand until the light hit the mirror.

"That makes even less sense than what I just said." Corbin frowned.

"Not if you read it backward." I told him. "The Mirror of Desire..."

I had never looked in it before. My heart started pounding, thoughts of what I might end up seeing clouding my mind.

"Does that mean if I was hungry and looked in that mirror, I would see a roast lamb?"

"Is roast lamb the deepest most personal desire of your heart?" I raised my eyebrow. "Or your stomach?"

"Both." Corbin shrugged. I smiled, he somehow reminded me a lot of Ron. Even though I knew he still didn't remember anything about me, I was happy he was here.

I walked until I was standing in front of the Mirror directly. When I summoned the mental strength, I looked up into the Mirror.

I gasped.

"What is it?" Corbin said, alarmed.

"I- I came top of the class." I lied. There was no way I could tell him what I could see.

Inside the Mirror I saw myself holding hands with Ron. Beside me, I saw Harry. He was alive. In my right hand I was holding the Time-Turner, and it was broken. The me inside the Mirror dropped it on the ground and stepped on it with a smile.

I stepped backward, averting my gaze.

My eyes sparked with tears. I hadn't seen Ron in months. And Harry was dead in my time, the last time I saw him was when the Battle Of Hogwarts was taking place. In the Mirror, I was happy and didn't care about Time Travel.

"Why are you crying? You always come top of the class."

"Hold on." I froze. "How did you know that?"

Corbin frowned. "I don't know you, but I remember that. Have we met before or something?"

"I've been in your classes." I told him, eager to get off the topic. Tom had erased his memory, didnt he? Maybe someone else erased it because it seemed like they did a terrible job. Corbin seemed like he was starting to remember me again.

"You have a turn." I stepped back, wiping my eyes on my sleeve.

"I'm not going to stand in front of that thing." Corbin said wisely. "I mean, if it made you cry and all. Let's leave."

"Wait." I said, suddenly forgetting about the Mirror. "Tom could be standing outside that door. We've only been here for about 3 minutes."

"Tom is standing outside two doors at once?" Corbin looked around in bewilderment. I looked alarmed, and Corbin laughed. "Hermione, look at this. Another door. Did you seriously think he could be in two places at once ?"

"He's done something along those lines before..." I said, thinking of those wretched 7 Horcruxes.

Beside Corbin there really was another door. I breathed a sigh of relief, there was no way in hell I was confident going back out the other way after hearing Tom out in the Hall.

"Is it locked?" I limped over and twisted the handle. It opened.

"Here goes nothing." Corbin said from beside me.

We stepped out onto a completely different Hall. Panicking, I looked for Tom, but he wasn't there much to my intense relief. I didnt know where we were at first, but upon a closer look I could see we were on the fourth floor of the School which was good enough. After all, the Hospital Wing was on the same floor.

"What now." Corbin shut the door behind us.

"Well, we get out of here." I paused, thinking very quickly. I didn't want Corbin to get hurt, and yet I had to go to the Hospital Wing. Inevitably, we were going to have to split up soon. What if Tom ambushed Corbin again? He had already injured him so much already, and I couldn't afford to lose him. He was somehow making me happier than I'd felt in a long time.

"Kreacher." I said. "Kreacher." I said again, loudly.

"A creature? What, where?" Corbin spun on his heel, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, a loud crack rent the air, Corbin jumped at least a foot swearing loudly.

"A House Elf? I didn't know House Elves could apparate in and out of this School."

They can time travel, too. I thought.

"Yeah, a lot of people don't know about the magic House Elves have." I explained, staring at Kreacher who was looking up at us in confusion.

"The ever elusive Mistress Granger." He bowed deeply before me. "You have summoned Kreacher into this time and he has come to help."

"Much appreciated, Kreacher." I smiled down at him, kindly.

"Why is he speaking in third person?" Corbin whispered beside me.

"Out of all the things to say." I said to Corbin.

I knelt down.

"Kreacher, I missed you!" I reached out before I could stop myself and gave the small House Elf a hug. Kreacher, to my surprise, actually gave me a slight hug back even though I knew he didn't particularly like Mudbloods.

I suppose a lot of things had changed since Harry, Ron and myself had helped him out regarding his previous Master Regulus Black. And House Elves had an impeccable memory.

"Ok Kreacher, please can you take Corbin back to his Common Room. And can you please watch over him, to make sure Tom doesn't hurt him again."

"Kreacher can't stay in this time for too long." He explained in his gravelly voice. "Kreacher is not a witch like Mistress Granger, or a wizard like her friend."

"But you can apparate in and out of Hogwarts." Corbin said. "Doesn't that mean-"

I waved him down impatiently. "House Elves have a different brand of Magic, I'll explain after."

"Mistress Granger, Kreacher is happy to follow through your request of him. But Kreacher has been asked by Ron to see if you are safe. And Ron has asked if Kreacher ever did find Hermione, to ask when Hermione will return?"

"Who is Ron?" Corbin asked. "And what does he mean by return?"

"Ron is my...." I thought for a moment. "Family." I looked at Kreacher, tears swimming to my eyes. "I haven't seen him in a long time."

"That's sad, mate." Corbin said. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." I told Corbin with a small smile. I turned to Kreacher, realizing I had to be careful with my words. I couldn't give anything away about the future, especially not in front of Corbin. "Kreacher, please tell Ron I am fine. I am doing Dumbledore's work here at Hogwarts. Let him know I will be back as soon as I can."

"Kreacher will do as Mistress Granger has asked." Kreacher said, bowing again. "And Kreacher will tell Ron that Hermione and her new male friend are doing well."

"Leave out that end part." I said quickly.

"Kreacher will leave out the end part for Mistress Granger." Kreacher bowed, and walked over to Corbin putting his tiny hand on his leg.

"Take him to Gryffindor Common Room, up in the Gryffindor Tower. Watch out for him for as long as you can. Don't stay if it is dangerous or risks your health." I told Kreacher.

He bowed, and then disapparated, Corbin vanishing into thin air with him.

Great. Now I was alone with this stupid bloody mess of a leg to deal with.

I paused, making sure no one had heard Kreacher disapparate and was now looking for me, but the coast was clear. I reached into my bag and pulled out Harry's invisibility cloak, making sure I was covered head to toe before I started to make my way up the Hall. It didn't take me too long to reach the Hospital, I reached out to open the door and a cold hand landed on my shoulder.

"Surprise." Tom Riddle said.