Don't Repeat History

Don't Repeat History

By Clairvoyant Snake

Chapter 6~1^st of September, 1942

...At least now, when I go back to my time, I'll be able to tell Harry and Ron what the Slytherin common room looked like fifty-four years ago as a comparison to the time they got to go. Ha! Now we're equal! She bit her lip, wondering just when if ever, she would get to go back to her time and be given the chance to tell her tales at all.

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Hermione got up off the stool, lay the hat down after her and noticed Tom Riddle waving her over. Deciding, as she knew he would continue to bother her anyways, Hermione made straight way to his side of the table. She observed that none of the other students sat next to him, and it seemed as if they feared him. She knew he was going to be evil, and perhaps the rest of the house already knew it; But she had to pretend not to know anything, she needed to lay low, and what better than the house she was now in?

After scaring the child up in the front of the hall earlier, Hermione realized then, that she had to maintain the façade of being pissed off at the world, no matter how happy she was. It was the only way people would be afraid to approach and question her, not to mention, the only weapon she possessed.

Tom's hand crept onto hers, as it lay on the tabletop, and she rolled her eyes. Time to et into action and play the part, she demanded of herself.

"What. Do. You. Think. You're. Doing?" she enunciated each word with a punctuated and hardly veiled displeasure. She grit her teeth and snatched her hand away from his, as if it were on fire.

Tom raised his eyebrows, and daringly told her, "What I did earlier today, without your protests, may I remind you."

She sulked and crossed her arms, waiting for the damn food to appear so she could go to bed. This day just kept getting longer and longer. Tom just sighed, raised his hands in the air, as if in defeat, and tucked in when the food appeared. Her appetite was barely there and she just up and left the table altogether, causing a scene. Jeez, I create problems for myself, don't I? She asked herself angrily.

Storming through the empty halls, she remembered that she had no clue where the Slytherin Common Room was. Luck was with her, for Tom had also left his seat in the Great Hall as soon as she barged out.

"Why'd you run out Tori?"

"Because I'm not hungry," she answered lamely.

"But you wouldn't have known where to go anyways; you've never been here before."

He came up to her, reached out a hand, which she took grudgingly in hers, as he led her to the Common room.

"Are you sure you're not hungry?"

She nodded.

"The girls' Sixth Year dorm is down there to your right," he said as she took off in the direction he pointed to. Sighing, he lay down on the leather sofa, trying and failing to figure out the mysterious girl that jumped into his life earlier that day.

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After dinner, everyone else arrived into the dormitories. A few girls, Hermione's age peeked into the room, deciding all was safe, and just maybe the new girl wasn't going to bite their heads off, they peeled off their clothing and jumped into bed, pulling the cover around their four poster beds. This was their dorm before Hermione, or 'Victoria' had ever arrived, and they be damned, if they let that be a cause for not having fun. In other words, gossiping.

"Is she asleep, you think?" came a small whisper from the corner of the darkened room.

"Yeah, I think so..."

A rustling of covers was audible, and Hermione heard the girl join the other in her bed. Again, the whispering commenced once the curtains around the bed were closed shut. She could still make out the muffled words that the Slytherin girls spoke.

"Can you believe how she told off those Gryffindor's? I thought Tom would just die of laughter. No ones' ever really been that nasty around him, can you imagine how he'd treat us if he found out we can be just like that?"

"Well then, it's a good thing he hasn't heard us being like that. I would hate to find out how much he would be interested in us...Stupid Gryffindor's... They have no idea what's best for them to stay away from."

"I guess we could say the same about, what's her name?" a pause, "Victoria Valasen; what an unusual name. I wonder if she's a squib and just now got her letter?"

"Charlotte, I have to disagree on one point. I don't think we have to worry about that Victoria getting into trouble with Tom...as if she'd keep her tongue in line to prevent him from not hurting her! She's a smart one she is, so it seems at least," a deep intake of breath, and an even more quietly whispered, "I must confess in having the same thoughts as you on her being a squib. I never knew Hogwarts accepted students after the age eleven, and I thought the only people allowed in were foreign transfers, but you know as well as I do that with Grindewald on the loose out there - it'd be perilous for someone to ask to be here."

"I agree on that one Anna. Go now, we have to be up early for school tomorrow, and gods know how hard it'll be trying to down all that horrid food for breakfast."

"Well, then the only thing left to do after breakfast is, you know what..."

The two girls let out noises of remembered pain and hurt but also self-confidence and reassurance.

Hermione wondered why they were acting they way they were, and just why she should be so worried to even be mean around Tom. It was slightly illogical in her opinion to act nice to a potential snake waiting to strike. Why should those girls not want to be mean to him, if all they want is for him to leave them alone.

That was it.

Hermione figured out exactly why those Slytherin girls were in the right house. If I'm not his enemy, if I'm not the object of his affections -- .if I just ignore him...he'll get bored with me!

The girl known as Anna silently opened Charlotte's curtains and made way for her own four-poster.

Hermione peeped one eye open as she observed her fellow dorm-mates, and as soon as she was convinced of their slumber; the heavy breathing of one that slept deeply, she slowly got out of bed and slipped her fuzzy black slippers on.

Creeping through the Common Room, she caught site of someone working in the very back corner of the room. Curiosity overcoming her hunger, which had taken control of her stomach for not having eaten earlier, Hermione quietly walked up to the figure in the room.

It was Tom, and he was bent over a little black book.

"I know you're there Tori," he said, without even turning his neck.

"Ho- How did you know?" she asked. So much for staying unobtrusive.

"I just did," he answered matter-of-factly, while turning around now, and giving her a little flirty smile. His black eyes twinkled in the dimly lit room, and she found herself stepping to the side more and more, trying to evade his mesmerizing presence. She bit her lower lip as he rose out of his seat, placing the Eagle quill he used on the table, flipped, and sealed the book shut with a simple binding and protection spell.

"Whadda ya say about going for a midnight stroll with me, Sugar?"

Her eyes widened in protest, which was lost on him, evidently, for his back was now turned to put away his belongings in the knapsack he carried. He turned back to her, and slung the black bag over a shoulder casually.

Tom reached her and formed a 'U' shape for her to hook her arm through. She nervously accepted his proffered arm and said in a squeaky voice, which she berated herself over later.

"As long as we can visit the kitchens, I'm starved."

He nodded, tightened his hold on her, and together they exited the common room.

The head of house's room was located directly across from the Slytherin common room, so as they carefully padded their way, Hermione performed a spell to muffle the sounds their shoes made.

"Mutilis," Hermione muttered on her footwear, and his in turn. Tom turned his head in her direction, giving her a look that said, 'Where would you learn something that sneaky?' Then again, he had little reason to doubt her, for she was after all a Slytherin.

Turning right, they continued padding across the long hall and finally reached a back staircase, which they took two at a time in their rush to get to the kitchens. Hermione felt her foot catch on a broken step, and she was sent sailing forward and in danger of hitting her head on the stair in front of her. Her nose was a centimeter away from hitting the step and her eyes were wide in fear, as she breathed in and out fast, her heartbeat pumping blood twice the normal amount, pouring adrenaline throughout her body.

Tom's strong hands had now once again saved Hermione from falling. It seemed that, no matter how much Hermione would try (and fail) to overcome falling for Tom, the forces of gravity and fate would keep pushing and shoving her into his ready arms.

"Maybe you should get better shoes," he said with a quirk of his lips.

Hermione mentally groaned at her luck and quickly retrieved herself from her previous position. She muttered a thank-you and hurriedly strode ahead of him, leaving him to stand on the step watching her retreating back.

"Hey! Hey, wait Tori! You don't know where to go!" he followed her at a fast pace, trying to catch up with her power walking.

"Then show me the way dammit. I told you I'm hungry!" What Hermione had really wanted to say, and stopped herself in time was, "Don't be so sure of yourself you dolt. I know where the kitchens are; Any half-wit in Hogwarts would know by now." But of course, Hermione had not attended Hogwarts previously, or at least in his time, and she felt no need to confuse him or lead him into disbelieving her sanity; Which would undoubtedly be questioned had she said what she wanted to say.

As he reached her again, taking her arm in his, Tom led her through the familiar halls, the lighting was barely viewable, and cast dark shadows on his hair and their path. Finally they came to a stop in front of the painting with fruit on it. Tom gave her a quick glance, and said in her ear, trying and succeeding to make her shiver with un-wanted pleasure, "Can you figure out how to get through this painting? If you do, I won't kiss you. If you don't, I get full reign on your beautiful pink lips." She mentally groaned, wondering what deity had been possessed enough to allow this to happen to her.

"OK, fine, I'll take a guess." She gulped and prepared herself for the inevitable. All the while, Tom and his grin could not be wiped off his handsome face -- And she found her stomach protesting with loud noises, proclaiming its need for food. When it came to what she wanted, nothing, and no one could stop Hermione Granger.

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TBC...