Cat and Mouse (Tomione)

chapter 4

(Druella Black above)

As the sun rose so did the student body. It was the fifth week into classes and the rumors of the girl still were whispered between bodies. The very first to take notice of the new girl entering the common room as a pretty brunette with hazel green eyes. She studied to foreign girl with intrigue. She walked as if the ground would break under her from to much pressure. Watching how the new girl approach Abraxas cautiously as if she would frighten him from his work caught the girls eye. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the new girl as she left with Abraxas to breakfast. With this she quickly gathered her things and followed them out. 

Abraxas and Hermione took their places at the slytherin table and began to eat. Out of the corner of Hermone's eye she notice the girl eyeing her in common room enter the great hall. She walked swiftly to the center of the table to sit amoung the other girls of the house. She looked to be about a sixth or seventh year and no doubt apart of a high ranking pureblood family by how the rest of the girls swarmed around her. Hermione was interrupted from her thoughts by her new head of house Professor Slughorn. 

"I was quite surprised to see you scores from your entrance scores darling. You are quite brilliant. Now your schedule. All advanced classes too. I can't wait to have you in potions today Miss Vogel." 

With that he left to his class room before the onslaught of students left for classes. Hermione had no time to look at her schedule before it was snatched out of her hands by Abraxas. 

"You have Alchemy, Potions, Defense, and History of magic with me." He looked over to Tom Riddle to address him. "She has all the same classes as you do Tom." 

With that Tom Riddle took Hermione's schedule in his hands to see if this was true. A strange glint entered his eyes as he over looked her schedule before he turned to address her.

"It seems Miss Vogel we will be seeing a lot of each other." 

He handed her back her schedule and left the great hall to his first lesson. Hermione looked at her schedule to see most of the classes she normally took with no surprise. 

First was Alchemy. Then Charms, Herbology, History of Magic, and Potions all before lunch. After lunch she had Transfiguration, Defense, Ancient Studies, and Ancient Runes.She had a free period after ancient runes until dinner.  After dinner she had Care of Magical Creatures and finally Astronomy. (All classes are advanced placement) 

With that she left with Abraxas to Alchemy. She wondered how classes with Riddle would be. Was he as smart as Harry had told her. His name was in the hall of academic achievement after all. 

Alchemy when by pretty fast for her since she ready knew the material that was being taught. Through most class Hermione tried to think of ways to get home. Before she relised it class was over and she was packing up her materials. I her surprise Abraxas and Riddle were waiting at the door for her. 

"Abraxas wont you be late for your next class if you take me to mine?"

Abraxas gave her a cheesy grin and answered. "That's way Tom is here." 

Hermione let her eyes drift over to Riddle as Abraxas said that. "Since we have the same schedule you might as well follow me around instead if Abraxas. With that he turn on his heel and began to walk way. Hermione woke up from her shock and took off after him.

                                                                     ***

Riddle had brought Hermione to all her classes but the scary thing to her was that he seemed like any other student. There was no way to tell what he would become in his future. He smiled and joked around with the others of his house easily and was the pinnacle of kindness. The only times he would show a tiny sliver of the darkness inside was when things didn't quite go his way. For example, potions class today. 

Hermione sat at the table right behind Riddle and Abraxas. She was seated next to the girl who had been observing her this morning. She came to find out the girls name is Druella Black. She was quite a good conversationalist even with some of her debatable views. 

Class was simple. Slughorn was going over Mopsus potion. Hermione and Riddle had raised their hands to answer at the same time. At this Slughorn was ecstatic and chose Hermione. This caused a dark look to over come Tom's face. To add insult to injury she had finished her potion seconds before him and with complete perfection. Never before had Tom Riddle had an equal in anything, especially a girl at that. 

Tom watched as Vogel sat with Druella being introduced to the rest of the girls in slytherin house. Hermione Vogel...her surpname was not a know pureblood last name but she can't possible be a mudblood. Slytherin would never let a filthy mudblood into his house. She has to be a halfblood. He would have to speak to Abraxas about this since he seems to be close to the girl. He watch as she spoke with elegance and with such grace that she had to at lest have a pureblood parent. Maybe like him her mother is a pureblood witch. All he knew is this girl appeared in the middle of the night covered in blood and dirt. She look like she had came from war. What had Abraxas told him last night still played through his mind. 

Abraxas sat across from him in their dormitory with a glazed over look. His silence was suffocating. He clearly had something to say but didn't want to speak without permission. 

"What has you suffocating my peace Abraxas?"

Abraxas turned fully to face him before he spoke. "It's about Miss Vogel. Or well her story of how she got here that's bothering me." 

This caught Tom's interest. He too wanted to knew about the mysterious girls past. He gave the boy across from his an encouraging nod to continue.

"She has come from Germany fleeing from Grindelwald and the muggle war. She said that her family and friends had been killed but what confuses me is her accent or lack of. "

Tom thought back to how she spoke at dinner. Even though she barely said anything, what she did say proved Abraxas's words true. She really didn't have an accent at all. This brought up a question into Tom's mind....Who was Hermione Vogel really and why was she here of all places?

"Abraxas, keep a close eye on the girl. She seems to trust you. Use that to your advantage and get any information you can from her about herself and her past. Try to ask for where she was born, her parents name, and try to catch her in a lie but don't let her know you have caught her until I tell you to. Is that understood?"

"Yes my Lord."

Hermione laid in her dormitory thinking over the days events. Had she revealed to must or not enough. Druella as an ally will come in handy for later in case anything goes wrong. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that her accidental challenge of the teenage dark lord was not a good thing. Now he would grow suspicious of her. He of all people can not know her past. It's to tied into his own future. Now there was her "friendship" with Abraxas Malfoy. Friend and Malfoy were two words that didn't sit comfortably with her to much even though he was nothing like his descendants. She started to slip into a peaceful sleep as one question popped into her mind. What do I tell them when they question my blood status?