To Love Your Enemy

Chapter 3: Introductions

Hermione POV:

We ended up spending 4 hours together, neither of us realizing how late it was. We talked about different books we've read and had fun debating different theories, it was for lack of a better term Magical! I'd never met someone who could keep up with me before, he was the most amazing person I'd ever met so far in my life, his knowledge seemed almost endless and I was having a ton of fun talking with him. At first when he'd seen me fully in the light he'd seemed furious and demanded that I tell him who'd done this. I was horribly embarrassed, after all I was in the presence of a handsome boy while looking like a troll. There was no harm in telling him though, he was a Slytherin but I doubted he'd go against his own classmates for a random girl he'd just met. "Like I said before, the other Slytherins are vile and cruel. I was on my way to DADA and had just made it through the doorway when I was suddenly dowsed in mud and worms. It was too much watching everyone even my own house laugh at me so I ran and that's how I ended up here."

He looked upset but then seemed to be thinking for a minute before he spoke, "Don't move." And with that said he pointed his wand straight at me, I flinched and closed my eyes expecting an attack. "Scourgify." Suddenly I felt all the mud wash away and surprised I quickly opened my eyes to see his smirking face looking me up and down with pride. I looked down at my body and saw nothing, all the mud was indeed gone and I couldn't see even a trace of dust on me.

I can't believe it! He just preformed a cleansing charm! Not even I could do that yet! That was an advanced charm they didn't even teach until 5th year and yet he had just done it! It was apparent that he was either a first or second year so there was no way he could have learned that already! This boy was possibly even more advanced then me!

Just then I realized I didn't even know his name.

"Wow! Thank you so much that was incredible! My name is Hermione Granger, what's yours?" I asked him with a smile as I stuck out my hand.

He looked taken aback by my sudden words of praise and question before shooting me an arrogant smirk. "It was nothing, My name is Tom, Tom Riddle." He put his hand in mine and we shook. Just then I felt a spark shoot up my body, and looking at Tom it seemed he felt it to, we both quickly let go and pulled our hands back. "What was that?" I ask not really expecting an answer. He looked surprised and somewhat confused as well, "I don't know."

It had felt different then getting shocked like you would from electricity, no this felt deeper and it hadn't hurt at all only felt a little strange. We both quickly decided to just let it go and I changed the subject. "So do you like to read?" He looked at me like I was an idiot and I looked to see him holding a rather large book in his other hand, well I guess I should have paid better attention so I wouldn't have said something stupid.

He sighed, "Yes, I thought that would have been obvious considering where we are."

Yeah I felt really dense now, "I don't suppose you've read this years potions textbook have you?"

"Of course I have, I've also read next years as well, you can get copies from the library on the first floor."

I roll my eyes, of corse I'd already read them as well. "I know, I've read them too, what do you think about the teacher? Personally I find him to be terrible, I mean he's a good teacher but he doesn't like me too much."

He laughed a little, "Not at all, I find him to be easy to deal with, he's an ok teacher I suppose, though he seems to be a bit eccentric."

I just stare at him in confusion, Professor Snape showing any emotion besides annoyance was something I'd definitely never seen and to my knowledge no one else had either.

"We are talking about the same person right? Eccentric isn't exactly a word I would use to describe Professor Snape."

Now HE looked confused. "What? Who's Professor Snape? I thought we were talking about Professor Slughorn."

Who was that? I'd never heard of him before, I had thought we'd been talking about the potions teacher but I guess maybe not. "Tom we were talking about the potions professor right?"

"Yeah, but the only one is Slughorn, who is this Snape guy?"

That was really weird, this was so confusing, Professor Snape was definitely the only potions teacher at Hogwarts, so who was this 'Slughorn' guy he was talking about?

"No the potions professor is Snape, I'm confused Tom is there another potions class maybe, I've never heard anything about it but I suppose it's not impossible."

Tom seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before his face lit up. "No I don't think so, Do you happen to have your potions textbook with you by any chance?"

I get it now, that was brilliant! There would definitely be some clue in our textbooks as to what was going on right? I nod my head really fast before opening my bag and pulling out my textbook, I look over and see that Tom has done the same.

We exchange books and read over the covers. I'm surprised to see that they do in fact look completely different! I decide to open it and check when this was published, as soon as I see I almost drop the book in shock, this looked almost brand new but yet it was over 63 years old!

I quickly look over at Tom who also seemed to have a look of disbelief on his face he looks over and we lock eyes. "Hermione what year is it?" That would usually be a really strange question to ask but under the circumstances I was almost wondering the same thing he seemed to be.

"It's 1991"

"It's 1938"

This isn't possible, time travel? There was no way he was telling the truth, but then again that would explain his uniform and textbook. I had only just realized he was wearing a slightly different version then the usual Slytherin uniforms, but seriously that was a 53 year difference!

"Tom where exactly are we?"

He gasped and I about jumped not expecting that at all.

"That's it! We're in the room of requirement!"

I look at him skeptically, "The room of requirement? Isn't that only a myth? I read about it but it was only briefly mentioned in speculation, this can't possibly be it can it?!"

He sighed then explained, "I had thought the same when I had stumbled across this room a month ago but then I did some research, this really is the room of requirement."

This wasn't real, no this COULDN'T be real! "Tom does that mean that somehow this room is connecting us from different times?!"

He looked to be in the same amount of disbelief, "Yes, Hermione this is incredible! This room defies all laws of time!"

Well honestly I shouldn't be as surprised as I am, I mean we are in a world were magic is not only possible but is constantly used on a daily basis.

"Alright, so say we ARE from different times, what are we going to do about it? Does that mean if we leave we'll be back to our own times? Would we never be able to see each other again? This is all so confusing I can't even begin to wrap my mind around all the different-"

He cut me off, "Then don't, stop thinking about it and just accept it, that will make things a lot easier, we will figure this out eventually it doesn't have to be now."

"Ok fine, lets discuss something else then, right now I need something to take my mind off of this."

"Alright then, how do feel about the castle and the sorting system?"

Ok so he was going for a topic we could both talk about that we'd be able to connect with, I could go with that.

This was how we ended up spending 4 hours talking with each other. Our topics had quickly turned from the castle to books and which ones would have been available in his time and discussing them and the different theories they sometimes presented.