Invictus [Tom Riddle / Tomione]

The Phoenix and the Serpent

Hermione was walking so quickly down the hallways of Malfoy Manor that she was almost running. She was out of breath, her heart pounding as she sought out a private place where she could be alone. She didn't want to return to the ball as she was quite out of sorts. Hermione vaguely remembered the layout of the Manor from her private tour with Abraxas, so she sought out the one place she thought would be unoccupied so she could gather her thoughts. She knew the library was across the hall from the drawing-room, which is where she had inferred that the death eaters were likely having a private murderous Death Eater meeting. She hoped they weren't in the hallway when she arrived.

She made her way through dark corridors that were lit only by small sconces as the music from the ballroom echoed through the manor. She cast a silencing spell on her feet so she wouldn't alert anyone to her presence. At length, she turned down the long hallway where the library doors came into view, and she was grateful that the corridor was empty. She heard voices coming from beyond the drawing room doors, but she slipped inside the library instead, closing the door quietly behind her. She leaned back against the wall and released her breath in halting degrees.

She had almost kissed Voldemort.

She thought she might be sick. For several minutes she simply breathed and tried to process what had happened on the balcony.

She was also shaken by her encounter with Walburga Black, but Hermione secretly thanked the woman for reminding her of who Tom Riddle really was, as it was apparent she had lost sight of it momentarily. Walburga was right. She was Hermione Dumbledore, and Tom Riddle was a master manipulator. She imagined him laughing to himself as he left, mocking her for being such a gullible witch.

Hermione did feel as if she had captured his attention in some way. But at the end of the day, she was here to undermine him, destroy his horcruxes, and then kill him. Those were her only goals. She saw Ron's face in her mind. Would he be disgusted at how she had smiled and flirted with handsome Tom Riddle?

You have to get to the horcruxes, Hermione. It's just a game.

Hermione had always been rather self-deprecating at times. It was hard not to feel ashamed when she found herself flirting with the enemy and enjoying it. That was the part she couldn't wrap her brain around.

Tom Riddle was just too charming. Harry had said he was charming, but she had imagined someone who was falsely polite and overly flattering, who gave fake smiles and artfully crafted compliments. But the real Tom Riddle was clever and bold, with just enough humility and a dark sort of rawness so that it all came across as genuine and authentic.

Tom Riddle was dangerous. She was more frightened of him now than ever before.

Hermione bent down and covered her face with her hands. She hadn't realized she was shaking and was feeling quite faint. She had left her beaded bag at home for fear of losing it, so she couldn't take another Calming Draught. Should she go home? Perhaps it was rude to leave without saying goodbye to Abraxas.

Then there was him. Malfoy was also quite charming in an entirely different way than Tom. He treated Hermione as if the sun rose and set for her, but she knew it was all an act. She would never trust a Malfoy . Birds of a feather flocked together, and he and Tom Riddle were as thick as thieves.

She had felt some sparks between them, but Hermione attributed it to the heat of the moment, the romance of the ball and the gowns and the champagne. She was not worried about Abraxas.

She was definitely worried about Tom Riddle.

Perhaps she could use Abraxas as a part of her plan. She could get close to him, and in turn, get close to Riddle. She needed someone who had influence and wealth and would back up her efforts in the public eye, and even if Malfoy didn't see eye-to-eye with her on many issues, perhaps he would help her if they had a romantic connection? It was worth exploring. The old Hermione would have recoiled from the notion of that kind of manipulation, but this version of herself was ruthless, cunning, unyielding... Perhaps, Hermione Dumbledore was a Slytherin after all?