I opened my eyes, more or less forced awake from my slumber by a sharp pain in my back.

"What the hell..." I grimaced. I looked up, suddenly realising what was happening.

I was lying on the ground on the floor of my room with one of my shoes jutting awkwardly into my back. I rolled over painfully. By the looks of things, I had fallen out of my four poster bed and hit the floor.

Guess today wasn't going to be my day, then. I frowned, getting to my feet. On my bed was a folded piece of parchment. I quickly opened it, my eyes racing across the fine cursive print.

Hermione,

Meet me at the Hogs Head at 2:45pm. Any later and you will be sorry.

Tom

I reached for my Time Turner, a thrill of adrenaline coursing through me. I sighed in relief. It was only 1pm. I looked at the note again, my eyebrows raising.

Any later and you will be sorry.

Who was he kidding? I was already sorry.

Sorry that he existed.

I screwed up the note and tore it into pieces. I had wasted the day being unconscious which made me feel terrible. I didn't know what had happened to me, to make me pass out in the secret room and Tom wasn't exactly here to explain it. I would have to go and meet up with him at the Hogs Head to get an actual understanding of the events which had just transpired.

All I really knew was that he wasn't happy with me. If anything, he should be convinced I hated him. Essentially, I had told him I thought that his feelings towards me were fake, and motivated by a hidden agenda so it was unusual that he wanted to invite me to the Hogs Head of all places. Tom Riddle was far from easy to decipher, and I knew that if I was going to get answers that I had to meet him. What choice did I have? I was going to have to face up to him sometime.

I got fresh clothes from my beaded bag, and headed to the bathroom. I thought I would feel marginally better after a hot shower, but all I felt was worse. I was panicking again, the familiar tight feeling in my chest making it hard to breathe. If I couldn't pull myself together I was certain I was going to have a panic attack.

"Breathe, Hermione... You've been through worse..."

But had I? How did I know what Tom Riddle was going to do to me once I got the Hogs Head. He could kill me, for Merlin sake. It wasn't like murder was a foreign concept to him...

I brushed my hair, tying it in a tight ponytail. I frowned at my reflection in the mirror before realizing that all this worrying about my appearance was in vain. What was I trying to do, impress Tom? I pulled on my clean clothes, a white long sleeved shirt and jeans. I didn't look my best but I really didn't care. I didn't feel my best, so this was just going to have to do. It wasn't a date, at least I didn't think it was.

I tidied my room thoroughly with the time I had left to kill. Soon enough, it was time to meet up with him. When I finally made it to Hogsmeade I was very close to running late. I stood outside of the Hogs Head, smiling grimly and staring down at my Time Turner. Tom had wasted months of my time, and I decided grimly that I was going to be one minute late and see what happened.

1:01pm.

Laughing to myself, I pushed open the door of the Hogs Head. There were several witches and wizards dressed in dark, brooding cloaks, surprisingly no Hogwarts students. I wondered for a fleeting moment if Tom had somehow gotten them to vacate the premises, and then I remembered it was the holidays. Students would be home with the families. Happy and safe. Free to enjoy themselves.

I felt a twinge of jealousy as I made my way into the Inn. Tom Riddle was an orphan, often preferring to spent his holidays at Hogwarts instead of going back to the orphanage. I guess I didn't blame him, for that at least.

"Excuse me." A short, balding wizard poked me in the chest with a gnarly finger, "Are you lost?"

"Do I look lost?" I snapped. "I'm here to meet someone, actually."

"Who would a pretty damsel like yourself want to meet in the Hogs Head?" The strange man frowned.

"Me." Tom Riddle stepped towards us, all pale white with that wicked smile I could only associate with the Devil.

"Mongulin, if you would excuse us." Tom stared at him in a way that said very clearly get the fuck out of my sight before I curse you however the old man looked between the two of us, understanding dawning on his features as if just piecing a puzzle together.

"I see you've scored yourself a pretty maiden Mr Riddle! Good going, young man! She's a looker alright. You two enjoy your date!"

We watched as he scurried off, leaving Tom and I standing mere feet apart.

"My old friend, Verlac Mongulin." Tom explained. "Editor of the Daily Prophet. He wanted to interview me about a report I had done on the course components of Hogwarts School curriculum."

"Oh." I didn't know what to say.

"I expect you'll see your name on the second page of the Daily Prophet tomorrow morning as well." Tom looked at me, a smile momentarily gracing his features. "He always had a soft spot for a pretty woman. Now let's find a table, shall we?"

Tom extended his arm like a gentleman, and I, playing the part, took it and let him guide me up a staircase to a more vacated nook of the Inn. I was confused by his cold and considerate manner, but I knew it was very characteristic of Tom to have a somewhat bipolar personality - charming one moment, and a psychopathic monster the next.

It was highly unnerving. I found that by playing along I could find a lot of the answers I was looking for.

"The table on the far end. By the window."

I took a seat opposite him, taking in the surroundings. I didn't realise the Hogs Head Inn had a small dining area upstairs. Then again, it might have been off limits during my time at Hogwarts.

"Drinks?" Tom lowered a menu, his dark eyes piercing me through the dim candlelight above our head.

"Firewhisky." My voice shook slightly. "That will do me."

Tom raised an eyebrow. Placing the drinks menu on the table neatly before him, he looked up giving me his undivided attention.

"You look sickly, Hermione. How are you feeling after your daring attempt to resist me yesterday?"

I felt quite unwell still. I originally thought it was the panic and fear of meeting up with Tom getting to me, but even as I was getting ready today I was hit with a dizzy spell out of nowhere. Something unusual was happening and I had no idea what it was. However, despite the horrific situation I didn't want to give Tom the satisfaction of playing another round of tormentor with me.

"I'm feeling fine." I said.

"If you were feeling fine," Tom said calmly, "Why do you looked so pained?"

"Because I'm in your company."

"What would we like to order for drinks today?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. A small curvy waitress with brown hair was standing on Tom's left. It was perfect timing really, he really did look like he wanted to throttle me across the table.

"What will it be for you today, Tom?" She said sweetly. Tom cleared his throat, exhaling slowly.

"Firewhisky for me, thanks Kellie." He shifted in his seat slightly.

"And you?" I noticed her smile become a tad strained as she turned to me.

"Well, I actually don't want-"

"That will be two Firewhiskys." Tom cut over me rudely.

"Two Firewhiskys coming right up." The waitress Kellie beamed at Tom before flouncing off down the staircase.

"Another acquaintance?" I said, struggling to keep my voice light.

"Something along those lines."

I noticed Tom's eyes linger as she walked downstairs. There was definitely something going on between the pair of them, and realising that made me feel pissed off. Tom was such a fucking liar. He told me he had feelings for me. Obviously not.

I stood suddenly, compelled by a sudden burst of rage. Tom looked up at me, leaning back into his seat he raised an eyebrow.

"What on earth are you doing?" He asked. "Did my dear Kellie upset you?"

I paused, my temper causing a montage of violent images to flash through my mind, all of which involved me murdering Tom.

"I have to go to the bathroom. Turns out I am feeling sick."

Sick of you.

Tom smiled one of those I know I am getting under your skin sort of smiles.

"Then what are you waiting for?" He said, smirking at me as if I was the funniest thing in the world.

"Go."

I turned and walked down the staircase. When I got the last step I saw the waitress Kellie behind the bar, talking to about five young men at the same time. I rolled my eyes. Of course, Tom was having a fling with some girl who had all the time in the world to entertain other men beyond the bounds of her workplace duties.

I looked behind me to see whether Tom had been tracking me however the coast was clear.

"Kellie." I said, walking over and hopping on a bar stool. "Can I have a word with you?"

Several of the men looked at me, probably pissed off that I was now the centre of all of Kellie's attention.

"By all means." Kellie fixed one of the men a drink, and after having passed it over the bar counter turned and shot me a rather unfriendly look. "Well?" She said. "Speak up, then. Or did the cat get your tongue?"

I realised that with someone as unpleasant as Kellie I had to just cut to the chase.

"Look," I said heavily. "I need you to answer something for me. Are you in a relationship with Tom Riddle?"

I didn't know why but I felt that Kellie needed to be the person to answer my question. Asking Tom would be the equivalent of kicking a hornet's nest - he'd most likely think I was asking because I was interested in him, which was the last thing I wanted. This was the only way to be really sure whether Tom was lying about his feelings towards me or not.

"Why are you asking?" Kellie raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "How do you know him? He has never mentioned you to me at all. Do you have feelings for him?"

Do I?

"He has declared his feelings for me."

Now it was my turn to smile sweetly.

"He has admitted he is in love with me... Which is why I sort of wanted to know if there was "anything" between you and him."

"He can't have declared feelings for you." Kellie said on a laugh. "Like no offence or anything but you're not exactly pretty. I mean you sort of are like you have nice skin and nice eyes but it's not like you look like me. He likes popular girls. Everyone knows that. Shalini Black, you might have heard of her? He dated her for over a year. You know what they say right? Bad guys like bad girls." She winked at me and I frowned.

"I have never heard that saying before."

"I'm so surprised!" Kellie said, in a falsely shocked tone which was just straight bitchy. "You don't strike me as someone that anyone would want to leave out of the loop!"

"Ok, look. As flattering as all of your insults are, I need you to stop fucking around here and just tell me the truth. Did you sleep with him or not? Or are you just trying to mess with me?"

"I don't know you well enough to want to mess with you." Kellie said coldly. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got drinks to make." She passed me two Firewhiskys over the counter, I took just one of them and left.

"Hello? You forgot your other drink."

I turned around to see Kellie staring at me with a simpering look on her face.

"Keep the fucking drink, I never wanted it anyway." I snapped.

I walked back toward the staircase leading up to the second floor of the Inn slowly, thinking very hard-

So Tom was messing me over. He was sleeping with the bitchy waitress Kellie all the while declaring undying love for me?

I put one foot on the bottom step of the staircase debating mentally what I should do next. Should I leave? Or should I stay and see how far Tom was going to go with this lie? I knew that Kellie was going to tell him about what I had said to her anyway. There was no reason for her not to.

I decided to go back as if nothing happened. I walked up the stairs to find Tom wasn't at the table anymore.

So where was he?

I placed the two Firewhiskys at the table.

"There you are." I knew Tom liked sneaking up on me but I was pushed past endurance by his behaviour. I just wanted to leave.

"Here's your drink." I gestured to the table and started making my way downstairs.

"You're not leaving." Tom put his hand on my shoulder. "Come and take a seat."

"No." I snapped, turning around. Tom looked at me closely.

"I have put a jinx on you." He told me seriously. "If you leave me, no one else can take it from you. Only I can do that. So are you going to stay and behave? Because if you don't," He stepped closer and jabbed me in the chest with a pale finger, "You might die."

"I've heard all of that before, Tom. And you know what? I'd rather actually die than be here right now, as dramatic as that sounds. Get out of my way."

Ok maybe not the smartest choice on my part. But I'm sure he wasn't the only one who could remove the jinx.

"Hermione. There is nothing going on between me and Kellie, if this is what you're upset about."

"Have you told Kellie that?" I demanded.

"You're not understanding what I am trying to tell you. Kellie can and will get under your skin if you let her. My advice," He lifted my chin, "Is to not give her the chance."

"But she said that-"

Tom grabbed me by the arm roughly and hissed in my ear,

"Has it ever occurred to you that she was only saying those things because she was jealous you were with me?"

I pulled back, but Tom was far from finished.

"I know I may appear alike a monster to you, Hermione," He said, dark eyes flashing dangerously, "but to most others I am something revered, a highly sought after and wanted man. I have become almost sacred amongst these people. So consider yourself privileged that I want to be near you, because it isn't as though the whole world gets to be as graced by my mere company as you are. In fact, right now, there are many fighting for that which I just gave you. Me. Embracing me opens so many doors. None of which you understand, or want to understand."

As much as Tom wanted to go off on a different tangent of thought, I still couldn't shake Kellie's smirk from my mind.

"Kellie seemed quite certain that you-"

"I lied to her." Tom said crassly. "I had to convince her there was no other. I knew that if she believed otherwise, you'd most likely be in danger. When I was with Shalini, numerous girls were against her - all because she was mine. Women, in general, are fools for a brooding bad guy like myself. It's like they're naturally drawn to me. How could you expect to not encounter problems like her? Are you that oblivious to the situation?"

"Did you sleep with her? I just need to know."

"Do you think I have?"

I focused on Tom's face intently. He looked expressionless, however that black flame still sparked life behind his eyes. He wasn't smiling that wicked smile I had come to know so well.

He seemed withdrawn somehow.

"Yes. I think you have. I think you're lying to me."

"Ah, here we go again with the trust issues." Tom eyes were glowing appearing feverish. He was getting impatient.

"What on earth could I possibly do now to prove I am not lying? Should I take Veritaserum? Would you like me to tell Kellie I would prefer you to her?"

I thought about that for a moment. As tempting as it was, it didn't exactly prove anything. He could tell Kellie to play along and act out some elaborate break up scene with her.

"I want you to chose her," I said confidently, "And stay away from me."

"I'm not a man who could ever walk away from what he has started." Tom said icily. "You have no idea. I would follow you to the ends of the earth, and it still might not be enough to amend things between us."