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

13|| Kingside Castle {King to G1, Rook to F1}

13|| Kingside Castle {King to G1, Rook to F1}

The next Knights of Walpurgis meeting is nothing of new information or company, consisting of the nine Slytherins and harsh criticisms of Voldemort. According to Nott and Mulciber, Grindelwald is keeping a frenzy up north, gathering followers quickly and serving as a flame under the Ministry of Magic. Tom accepts this smaller piece of news, but when Lestrange remarks on their inability to recruit new followers, the Cruciatus is said three times, sending the boys to the ground. Orion Black is charged with his first task of implanting ideas into the minds of his powerful and wealthy family, and Abraxas claims that the Minister for Magic himself has taken the Time-Turner for 'personal purposes.' Rosier is the last one to inform Tom, ending the meeting on a bad note as the boy struggles with the unspoken task Tom gave him. Hermione does not wince at that fourth Cruciatus, horribly numb to such actions nowadays.

The meeting is closed with the swiping of Tom's lean hand, previously just a silhouette in front of the fire, but now a lean and skeletal appendage given her continued position to his side, standing. Looking to him as the others shuffle from the darkness of the Room, Hermione catches his gaze, his head gesturing for her company closer to him by the fire. She moves slyly, into the green and sickly light to stand by his side and look into the fire.

"Is it because of your parents that you despise death?" the Dark Lord asks, presumably Tom Riddle given that Voldemort tends to act rashly and loudly rather than contemplatively. But to the extent that she is grateful for this, Hermione is slightly surprised at the boy's attempt for conversation, no matter the gruesome topic.

"No," Hermione replies steadily, thankful for the flames as a target for her gaze. "I've always strived to be better in every way possible. I wanted to prove my superiority to others in a way that no one else ever has. It only made sense to then defeat Death...It wasn't till recently that I personally experienced Death's terror."

"We often must pay as individuals in order to succeed in our struggles," Tom remarks, prompting Hermione's need to scoff but her consequential choking of it. Sure, the Dark Lord might have been personally injured by the creation of horcruxes, but Tom Riddle has never personally been hurt by the murdering of those he should care for in his pursuit of power.

"But there is always an extent to which we can survive such pain. Remember, Tom, do not fight so hard to defeat Death that you kill yourself in the process," Hermione says, a warning tint to her voice and prompting Tom to turn to her with a sharp and hard expression. This is the first time that the female has called Tom by his name within the headquarters of the Knights, almost defamatory to his title but he thinks little of it. Instead, the Dark Lord is caught on her address, its strong words hiding Hermione's true intentions and her tone reflecting a threat.

Shooing her away with his hand, Hermione only gazes upon a slithering figure in the fire for mere seconds, turning to the door and leaving quickly. Tom does not watch her go, too overcome in his suspicions of her intentions and hidden truths beneath her words. Obviously, the girl is hiding something, and Tom wants to think he is powerful enough to discover those secrets.

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Monday comes with its typical alarm of school work and exhaustion after long and easy weekend nights. Not so different from the week prior, the Castle seems to revolve around in its typical buzz of business and sociality. And yet, the new week has Tom Riddle lurking around, not a new form, but with his eyes stuck on a new target. Now Tuesday, the boy's spent the last twenty-four hours watching Hermione sharply, picking up the smallest hints she reveals but to little success. Sure, the Dark Lord trusts the heroine to do his bidding--given her obvious desire to follow through--but Tom wishes to know her intentions. And all he's found in these investigative hours is that Hermione's avoiding Malfoy and Nevarse as much as she is avoiding Tom himself. For this, he cares not, becoming more irritated by the lack of discovery on her character, likely due to her long hours spent huddled in her room, a place he cannot enter. Each minute, Voldemort becomes more agitated, and Tom knows Hermione is likely to be the target of his anger.