Veal & Venison {Tomione || 1940s/1990s}

8|| Kingside Castle {King to G8, Rook to F8}

8|| Kingside Castle {King to G8, Rook to F8}

Clarence Nevarse, unfortunately, does not attend Hermione's following classes. Rather, Charms seems to be a course taken with the Hufflepuffs, all of which are clique-ing together, not to Hermione's concern. As usual, the time-traveller sits by herself at the front of the class, the foreign professor eying her curiously, hearing of her talents from the other professors. And though Hermione does not mind the attention, given her years with Harry, the rising of eyes towards her startles her nerves as Tom Riddle sits to her side.

Spine straightening in both discomfort and confidence, Hermione avoids his eyes with every cell and nerve. Class starts and continues with her back pressed straight--rod-like in quality and prompting Tom to grin at her obvious discomfort. The other students watch the two competitors with interest as they compete to answer questions, not quite hostile yet surely not friends. Hogwarts didn't know what hit them with Hermione's arrivval.

Class is not over fast enough, leaving Hermione to flee into the corridor with a worried look sent to her by the professor. But with time, she settles into her nerves, taking steps to the Great Hall for lunch and then taking to her meal outside in solitude. With no one around, Hermione recovers her identity and confidence, steeling herself with the food ingested and no longer feeling deficient in nutrition or strength. Tom Riddle is surely a force to be reckoned with, but no one has overcome the strength of Hermione Granger. She was a fighter since birth.

After lunch, Hermione wanders down to the now-familiar dungeons of Hogwarts, taking different turns to find herself in the Potion's classroom. And though she ought to expect it from the stories, Tom is there before her, discussing some topic amiably with the younger Slughorn. Hermione tucks her head, an immediate reaction that she hopes Tom perceived to be submission, before moving towards a different table with no intention of sitting next to Riddle.

"No, Miss Granger, over here!" Slughorn shouts from nearby, though across the room and drawing her eyes to the exuberant Potion's Master. He sends her a jolly grin that speaks well of his delusions, almost gazing with pity upon her. "Tom will be able to help you on your potion."

Hermione has to hinder an inappropriate comment, shoving her inner-feminist down and smiling at the old man. Tom can see, from the twitch in her clenched jaw, that she is infuriated by the old professor. He grins as she addresses the two, "I think I will be fine, Professor."

"Come, child. Sit here," Slughorn says, patting a chair to the right of Riddle with not so much of a request but a command. Almost growling as she shuffles towards them, Hermione withholds her unusual temper that typically only blows because of Ronald Weasley or the abuse of innocents. She can see Tom's smirking mouth as she takes her seat, dropping to her chair and shoving her bag to the ground. Hermione does not look at him, knowing she'll surely curse him or Slughorn if anything else is said.

The Slytherin class arrives with Gryffindor in tow, all the while Hermione staring forward with fury and Tom smirking beside her. And it continues in this fashion, Hermione becoming more irritated as minutes pass and Slughorn dawdling along in his innocent joy. Looks are sent and Abraxas warily watches Riddle, eyes sharpening as Tom leans to whisper in Hermione's ear.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were avoiding me," he hisses sharply, looking to her face with mischief and a fake sense of charm. Hermione meets his gaze, no longer frozen to her unworldliness, her doe-eyes boring into the darkness of his own with fake innocence.

"Of course not, Tom. I have no reason to avoid you, now do I?" Hermione knows that he perceives her false intentions, but it will not stop her from taunting him.