Hermione and Harry: Riddle in Time (Tomione/Harmione) UNEDITED

Chapter 18

The Quidditch season started. It is Thursday and the first Quidditch game is on Saturday.

Harry trained the Slytherins harder than ever. As it is the first match between Gryffindors and Slytherins.

At every practice, Hermione and Tom watches them from the bleachers. Tom was only there because it was Hermione's order.

Tom admits that Harry is indeed the best seeker he have seen. Though he doesn't really watch Quidditch.

Hermione ordered Tom to be there with her because she wants him to enjoy. Since Tom made the unbreakable vow, he has been good. He doesn't do anything harsh to anyone.

Hermione feels that their plan is working. But Tom, he thinks that his plan is working. Everyday, Hermione and Harry trusts him more. It is just a matter of time, soon they'll join him.

Harry on the other hand, still feels uneasy about Tom. He still thinks that he is up to no good.

Harry aside from feeling uneasy, he still feels something for Hermione. It's okay for him to leave Hermione with Tom when practicing. But, it makes him hate Tom more. He admits, he is jealous.

As the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, Harry schedules all the practices. Malfoy is still in the team, but this time, he's a Chaser along with Flint and Montague. The Keeper is Bletchley while the Beaters are Crabbe and Goyle.

They just finished practicing and now headed to the common room.

"Harry," Hermione called her attention. "Yes, 'Mione?" he asked looking at her.

"Do you know why Professor Dumbledore wants to see me?" she asked him.

"No." he said. "When are you going?" he asked.

"Well, he said later after Herbology." she answered.

Tom was just looking at Hermione. In fact, he was staring, though he doesn't notice it himself.

Herbology came. Their lesson is about gnarled Snargaluff stumps. Hermione gave the other two an apprehensive look; they all took deep breaths and then dived at the gnarled stump between them.

It sprang to life at once; long, prickly, bramblelike vines flew out of the top and whipped through the air. One tangled itself in Hermione's hair, and Harry beat it back with a pair of secateurs; Tom succeeded in trapping a couple of vines and knotting them together; a hole opened in the middle of all the tentaclelike branches; Hermione plunged her arm bravely into this hole, which closed like a trap around her elbow; Harry and Tom tugged and wrenched at the vines, forcing the hole to open again, and Hermione snatched her arm free, clutching in her fingers a pod just like the professor's. At once, the prickly vines shot back inside, and the gnarled stump sat there looking like an innocently dead lump of wood.

"You know, I don't think I'll be having any of these in my garden when I've got my own place," said Harry, pushing his goggles up onto his forehead and wiping sweat from his face.

"Pass me a bowl," said Hermione, holding the pulsating pod at arm's length; Harry handed one over and she dropped the pod into it with a look of disgust on her face.

"Don't be squeamish, squeeze it out, they're best when they're fresh!" called Professor

Harry groaned. Meanwhile, Tom, who was successfully attempting to burst the pod in the bowl by putting both hands on it, standing up, and squashing it as hard as he could.

Harry did the same, though not successfully. The pod flew out from under Harry's fingers and hit the greenhouse glass, rebounding onto the back of the Professor's head and knocking off her old, patched hat. Harry went to retrieve the pod; when he got back, Tom was saying, "There's gonna be a Slug Club dinner tomorrow, Hermione, we could go together." he said. Harry saw the look in Tom's eyes. And he knew, he was feeling something for Hermione.

Harry suddenly wished the pod had flown a little farther, so that he need not have been sitting here with the pair of them. Unnoticed by either, he seized the bowl that contained the pod and began to try and open it by the noisiest and most energetic means he could think of; unfortunately, he could still hear every word of their conversation.

"Oh, you mean all three of us?" Hermione asked.

"Well, Professor Slughorn said to bring dates." Tom slowly said.

There was a pause while Harry continued to pound the resilient pod with a trowel.

"Sure, it'll be my pleasure." Hermione said.

Harry missed the pod, hit the bowl, and shattered it.

"Reparo," he said hastily, poking the pieces with his wand, and the bowl sprang back together again. The crash, however, appeared to have awoken Tom and Hermione to Harry's presence. Hermione looked flustered and immediately started fussing about for her copy of Flesh-Eating Trees of the World to find out the correct way to juice Snargaluff pods; Tom, on the other hand, looked sheepish but also rather pleased with himself.

"Hand that over, Harry," said Hermione hurriedly. "It says we're supposed to puncture them with something sharp. "

Harry passed her the pod in the bowl; he and Tom both snapped their goggles back over their eyes and dived, once more, for the stump.

Harry wonders if Tom is feeling the same thing he's feeling for Hermione. But he notice how Tom doesn't seem to know about it. But Harry notices it. Tom, he's closer to Hermione. Closer to Hermione than he ever been close to anyone else.

What if he does? What if, they both do?

The rest of the lesson passed without further mention of Slughorn's dinner.

After the class, Hermione set off to Dumbledore's office. Tom and Harry were left, together they set off to the common room. But Harry had other things in mind. He stopped Tom, "Tom? We need to talk." he was serious. He already knows how he feels about Hermione, he wants to be sure if Tom feels the same.

Tom nodded and followed Harry to the seventh floor.

Meanwhile, Hermione is waiting in Dumbledore's office. when Dumbledore arrived, he smiled at Hermione then motioned her to sit.

Hermione was fidgeting. She feels something is wrong.

"Miss Granger, it has come to my attention that you told Riddle that you are a pureblood." he said.

"Well, it was sort of an accident. And I think it is best for it to stay that way." she answered.

"I think so too. But, I have asked you to come here, not because of that. I now understand why you need to be here. I now understand why it's you and Harry that is here." the professor said. Hermione was now curious.

"And why is that, Professor?" she asked.

"Miss Granger, do you know someone really harsh and awful, like Riddle?" he asked.

"Well, there is a lot of Death Eaters, but the one I've personally known is Snape. He was, will be the one to kill you." she said.

"Is anything good about him?" Dumbledore asked.

"Actually, the day before you were killed, you showed me a memory. It showed that Snape loved, loves Lily, Harry's mother. I don't know why you showed it to me rather than Harry. But, Snape, he was good, deep inside." she reveal.

Dumbledore smiled and bid her good night. She doesn't get it. Why?