Braving the Past

Chapter 24: In the Palm of His Hand

Tom watched as Hermione was flooded with praise. Just a moment ago she had looked absolutely helpless. How was it that she had been able to cast a corporeal patronus? It had looked so real, and had lasted longer than he'd ever seen.

What had she thought about that allowed her to cast such an animal, and how could he learn to do the same?

And why in the name of Merlin's Shaggy Beard did that witch have to best him in everything??

The rest of the day found Hermione followed by students of other houses, the tale of her powerful patronus already having spread throughout the school. He could tell her friends were eating up the attention, but near the end of the day, Hermione herself seemed mentally exhausted.

Tom allowed her some peaceful silence as they sat in the common room. A small fire burned, its warmth not needed for much longer as the new season progressed. Hermione sat in her usual spot, her legs curled up underneath her as she read in the corner of the sofa that directly faced the fireplace.

He pretended to be reading Hogwarts: A History, while stealing glances of the brown haired witch across the room from him. When he'd walked in, she had been engrossed in reading some new book she'd borrowed from the library. Now, she held something small and gold in her delicate fingers, inspecting it closely.

"Not trying to run away, are you?" he voiced light-heartedly.

Hermione's eyes shot up and back down quickly. She hid the time-turner back inside her robes.

"I was just curious how it worked..."

"You don't know how it works?" Tom wondered. "You're the one who used it to get here, what's not to know?"

"You forget I wasn't planning on coming to this time specifically," Hermione said. "It just kind of...happened." She pulled it back out and looked down at it once again. "I just wish I knew why it brought me here. How."

Tom watched her with furrowed brows. Did she still want to leave?

"What's that book there?"

"Oh, it's nothing." She tucked it beneath her legs. "Just some light reading."

Tom stood up and paced across the soft rug that separated them, snatching up the book. Hermione tried to reach for it, but Tom was too quick.

"Fundamentals of Time," he murmured as he read the cover. He looked up at Hermione. "You're trying to find a way to leave, aren't you?"

Hermione's shoulders were high and taut, her hands fiddling nervously in her lap. "It doesn't matter, this time doesn't know enough about the subject to help me anyway."

She wouldn't look him in the eye.

Tom squeezed the hard cover in anger before shoving the book back into Hermione's hands. He turned his back and tried to focus on controlling his temper.

After a moment Hermione spoke. "I really don't see why this is such a big deal to you."

Tom turned around in surprise.

"You know I don't belong here – both Professor Dumbledore and I have explained it numerous times," she continued. "This isn't the life I'm meant to be living."

"You don't know that," Tom countered. "That thing brought you here for a reason."

"Tom, I belong in 1998 where I can help those who need it. I'm the only one left who's fought Vol – my time's Dark Wizard. I'm the only one who knows how to get rid of him once and for all."