Chapter Text
Hermione sighed and opened the door to her room.
“Crookie you will not believe the day-”
The rest of the words on her tongue turned to ash in her mouth. Where her beloved cat should have been stretched out on her bed, was a man. The man’s arms were crossed behind his head as he lounged against her pillows with a nonchalant grace, and one long, long leg was draped down along the side of her bed to lazily swing back and forth. She gaped stupidly as the man’s dark eyes slowly opened from the light doze he had apparently been taking and a lazy smirk crossed his thin lips.
“Welcome home Mistress.” His words were like warm chocolate to her ears.
“Er,” was all she could manage.
He stood, stretched- her mouth went dry at the sight of his bare chest- and gave a short little bow. “How may I serve you today?”
Serve-? Oh no, she didn’t… she wouldn’t dare!
Keeping her eyes on this handsome stranger she took a few hasty steps back until she was in the hallway. “Muuuuuum?” She called down the staircase.
“Hermione? Are you home already?” Her mother shouted back.
“Mum, why is a man in my bedroom?”
“Oh drat, that was supposed to be a surprise, hold on a moment dear!”
The man stared at her as intently as she was staring at him, his head tilted to the side, much like a curious puppy who had heard something particularly interesting.
Slowly, his eyes traced her up and down and she felt as if he was sizing her up. Chills worked their way down her spine and as if he knew the effect he had on her he grinned, bearing perfectly straight, pearly teeth. Hermione only dared to look away from him when her mother came bounding up the stairs. The older woman was almost trembling in excitement as she looked between her daughter and the handsome man.
“So, what do you think?”
“Mum,” her tone was low, scolding, and the elder Granger’s enthusiasm evaporated.
“You don’t like Tom?”
“Mum,” she repeated. “Tell me he isn’t a wizard. Tell me you didn’t buy him.”
The older woman’s mouth twisted into a frown and she wrung her hands together. “Well I didn’t buy him buy him. I got him at the shelter for a modest adoption fee.”
Hermione’s eyes narrowed. “You mean the orphanage, where they take infants from their parents and sell them as slave labor. ”
The woman sighed and rolled her eyes up the ceiling and Hermione watched as she silently mouthed ‘God give me strength’ before returning her attention to her daughter. “Hermione, dear, you know I love you and respect your little projects-”
“Causes mother, they are causes-”
“Causes then.” The older woman interrupted. “But sweetheart, everyone at university will have a magical except for you. You have had such a hard time fitting in I only thought-”
“No, you didn’t think about me at all, if you did you would know how upset this makes me!”
“Hermione-”
Before her mother could get one more disappointed syllable out Hermione stomped into her room and slammed the door. She quickly locked it, grabbing the handle for good measure so her mother couldn’t pop the cheap lock, and pressed her forehead against the heavy wood of the door. She shut her eyes and took deep calming breaths as her mother furiously knocked.
“HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER YOU DO NOT SLAM THE DOOR-”
Hermione slowly opened her eyes with a frown, it wasn’t like her mother to give up so soon let alone mid rant.
“I do apologize mistress, but she was giving me a headache.”
She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the chocolate voice behind her and whipped around. She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks as the man’s eyes bore into hers again and a sly smirk crossed his lips.
“Forgot I was here?” He tilted his head to the side again. “Mistress.” He added offhandedly.
“Yes- I mean no- I mean,” she took another breath. “Thank you.”
He shrugged, and the lean muscles that covered his torso rippled at the action. Oh good lord.
“It was just a simple silencing spell.”
“Still, I appreciate it..”
“It's my duty to serve.”
A sudden rage pooled in the pit of her stomach. “No, it isn’t!”
He blinked at her sudden venom. “No?”
“No.” She affirmed.
Hermione gently let go of the door knob, her mother had finally stopped fiddling with it. Her hand hovered over the knob a few seconds more, just in case the older woman wanted to try again, before she finally dared to step away.
I am going to pay for this later. She thought with a sigh and tried not look at the wizard as she made her way to her closet. She failed miserably. It was as if he were made of powerful magnets and her eyes were metal. Hermione all but sighed in relief to have the closet to distract her.
“You shouldn’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, no one should.” She muttered, flipping through her wardrobe until she found one of her father’s giant t-shirts she liked to sleep in. Slowly she pulled it from it's hanger and turned to face the wizard again. His black eyes were sharp as he stared at her, and his thin lips were curved into a frown. His frown deepened as she thrust the shirt into his hands.
“What's this for?”
“For you,” one perfect eyebrow went up, “To wear.” She clarified. The other eyebrow joined its twin. She sighed. “I assume it’s rather uncomfortable to just stand around in some stranger’s room with only your trousers on.”
“I've found it rather depends on the stranger.” He said as he slipped the shirt over his head. It did not suit him at all. Manny the Molar is a hard look to pull off though. She thought as she eyed the cartoon tooth that grinned proudly on Tom’s chest.
“I can’t imagine I would ever feel comfortable without all of my clothes on, no matter the situation.”
He casually strolled over to her massive bookshelf, eyeing the titles critically. “So then you lack confidence in your body?”
Her back went ramrod straight. “ I do not lack confidence! ” She hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. “ Normal people don’t feel comfortable without their clothes on!”
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
That brought her up short. “You know Hamlet?”
“Is that so surprising?” He retorted as he pulled out a slim volume whose title she couldn’t see, and started to flip through it.
“Yes.” She responded instantly. “As a matter of fact, I have not met a single well read witch or wizard... at least none that I know of.”
He peered over his shoulder at her, his dark eyes swirling with some emotion she couldn’t name, but it held her memorized. “I suppose that makes me special then, doesn’t it.”
It wasn’t a question, and his boldness startled her. “Who are you?”
He shut her book with a loud snap and carefully slid it back into place. With an elegant turn he was facing her again and maintaining eye contact swept into a low bow. “I am Tom Riddle, pardon my rudeness mistress.”
She was sure her entire body was red. “Please, you don’t have to do that. My name is Hermione.”
He straightened up. “Hermione?” He said her name slowly, and the feeling of being judged returned. “From ‘The Winters Tale’?”
“You are well read.” She muttered.
“My previous mistress had an extensive library.” His smile twisted into something dark and shivers raced down her spine. Usually when a witch or wizard was adopted into a family, they were kept for life. He can’t be much older than I am.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to her?”
“Dead.”
She flinched. “Oh, I am so sorry.”
His lips twitched again. “You wouldn’t say that if you knew her.”
Hermione frowned. “That isn’t polite to say.”
Those black eyes glittered with malice and she took a nervous step back. “She wasn’t a woman one was polite to.”
Leave it be Hermione. A voice that sounded suspiciously like her old friend Harry mentally whispered.
“She didn’t treat you well did she?”
“Oh she treated me exceedingly well,” he purred and she shuddered at his tone. “Very much like a pampered dog.” He tilted his head to the side again and shut his eyes. “Your mother has finally abandoned her post at the door, if you would like to make a quick escape now is your chance.”
“How-?”
“Magic, mistress.”
Hermione glanced at the door, uncertain. “ You should come with me. I won't just leave you here alone with her.”
“I'm afraid that you must, I have not been licensed in your name and therefore I cannot leave the premises until you do that, and collar me.”
Hermione had almost forgotten the disgusting practice. The law was clear when it came to magical kind, without the binding collar and appropriate tags he would be labeled a stray. Any stray caught on the street would either be put down or, if they were young enough, taken back to the shelters. Tom would most like avoid death if she was with him, but having an un-collared magical could get her fined and he would still be taken away.
She reached up to rub her temples and sighed in frustration. “My mother has them doesn’t she?”
“I'm afraid so, mistress.”
“Please, don’t call me that. My name is Hermione.”
“As you wish… Hermione.”
There were those chills down her spine again. Good grief get a hold of yourself girl, you have spoken to good looking men before without loosing it like this, and don’t forget he is a wizard . “Yes, good, very good, I suppose I should go talk to her about it then just- stay here, please?”
The corners of his lips quirked. “As you command.”
Hermione gave a curt nod and all but ran from her room, as she closed her door behind her she could swear she could hear small bouts of laughter coming from the other side. Is he laughing at me? She wondered, scarlet cheeked, then decided it didn’t matter. Tom wasn’t what she needed to be thinking about right now, it was the battle lines that were about to be drawn with her mother.