vows // tomione [ON HOLD]

XI

Hermione stayed in the Hospital Wing until the next day, thanks to Madame Clayrin's overwhelming concern for her.

"I promise, Madame. I'm fine." She made the bed she'd been forced to lie in for the past day.

"Well, alright." The woman sighed before she eyed the girl.

"Are you sure it's right to be associate yourself with Tom Riddle?" Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Madame Clayrin was right, it was ludicrous that she was even talking to him. And the fact that she was even about to stand up for him was just.....awful.

A part of her desperately wished she could just tell her the entire truth, and explain why she was even sparing him a second look in the first place. But, unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. 

"I hope so." She responded with a shrug of her shoulders. Hermione thanked the woman for letting her stay and made her way out.

Honestly, she didn't mind staying in the Hospital. But she had more things to do. Starting with getting Tom to use what Hermione thought was that newfound liking for her to spill his secrets. If she kept it up, he could tell her everything and she could ruin them at once.

The brunette girl stepped into the buzzing common room and wasn't phased much when nobody even glanced over st her. She assumed her time as the new girl was over.

As she walked in, she felt an intense stare pierce through her skin and she didn't enjoy it at all. Assuming it was Tom, she moved her eyes towards where he was sitting, and found that he....wasn't looking at her?

She furrowed her brow in confusion and looked around to see who would be looking at her when she locked eyes with Abaraxas. He saw her catch him staring and gave a small smile. Hermione gave a confused one and saw Abaraxas stand up smoothly, his face had an emotion Hermione couldn't read.

She stood there and watched him approach her slowly.

"Hey, Hermione." He sounded very un-Malfoy like, as he had some sort of emotion to his voice.

"Hi....Is something wrong?" She asked, looking around so she could find anything but
Abaraxas' eyes to look at.

Abaraxas gave a small scoff.

"Can we talk...outside?" He asked slowly but in a gentle tone that said 'it's fine if you don't want to but it's going to kill me if you say no.'

She forced a smile. What was this fool up to?

"Yeah sure." She followed the pale blonde out of the common room.

"Did we need to come out here?" Hermione began when they stepped out of the common room. She watched him turn around.

Abraxas seemed to ignore her words and took a deep breath.

"I just needed to apologize for being so rude yesterday." Hermione's eyebrows raised in both surprise and puzzlement. Was this a sick joke?

"Oh...it's fine." She hesitantly said as she tried to think of what his ulterior motive was.

"That's great." He smiled at her and she gave an uncomfortable one back.

"Okay, look. I know you and I haven't really talked or even noticed each other, but I've started to really like you and-and I was wondering if...." he looked away. Hermione silently prayed he wouldn't ask what she thought he would.

"If?" She persisted.

"If you'd be my girlfriend." He said. Hermione stood there, caught off guard in disbelief. She didn't say anything and just stood there staring at Abaraxas, trying to piece together what the hell he'd done.

"Don't you have a girlfriend? Lara?" She reminded him, to which he shook his head.

"She's old news." His inner douche came out there. Hermione was about to go off on him for being so rude, but held it in.

"Oh..." She said. He shifted on his heel as he waited for her answer.

Hermione raced to find an answer that would be all around good. No, because, obviously? He's probably the worst person she'd ever met, aside from Tom Riddle, and that too, an idiot as well. Any other time, she wouldn't even second-guess her answer and straight up say no.

But if she said yes, she'd make Tom jealous. If he did care for her in the tiniest bit, he'd get angry. Which was exactly what she needed. And if Tom won't tell her anything, then Abraxas was the next best thing. He was literally his best-friend. Hermione realized how bad that sounded.

"I'd love to. You seem like a really nice guy, very nice for Slytherin." She finally said, trying to say her words with sincerity.

She felt somewhat guilty, but remembered this way she could be closer to Abaraxas who would reveal secrets about Tom and his plans.

Abaraxas stood there, completely oblivious to what Hermiones plan was, and gave her a smile.

She stiffened when he leaned and pressed his lips on her right cheek to give her a kiss. Hermione used everything within her to not push him off.

As if she were the gag of a sick joke, the common room door opened and Abraxas quickly pulled away. The two looked over to find Tom already staring at them.

Hermione didn't know whether she was either seeing things or her mind was playing games on her imagination, but she could've sworn she saw a hint of anger on his face. But anything she saw was clearly, and obviously, removed from his face in a split second.

"Snogging? Outside of the common room? Please, get a room." Hermione scoffed.

"I'm sorry, did your highness need something from out here? Because as far as I know you were sitting in there distracting yourself with a book." She retorted. Tom raised his eyebrows.

"Staring, Granger? Tut tut, and I thought you were different." He smirked and Abaraxas looked away.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself, you git. Making comments like that only inflates your very large ego even more and makes it hard for your small head to carry all that. " She was about to walk away when Tom retorted, an arrogant smirk plastering his face.

"Funny you can even talk. I thought you were a morbid drunk-" Before he could finish speaking, Hermione threw a spell his way, which he quickly blocked.

Hermione gritted his teeth at how fast he was and glared at him.

"Stupefy!"

"Expelliarmus!"