Breaking Hermione

Run

"So." Tom stared at me, his dark eyes inscrutable. "You're the sneaking little thief." From where he stood wickedly tall from the doorway he extended a pale arm, his hand outstretched in expectation.

"My diary." He said coldly. "Give it to me."

It was terrifying how he could manipulate his own damn voice to sound so commanding and terrifying at the same time.

"You wrote about me." I said.

Tom watched me, his face impossibly blank. "I did." He affirmed carelessly, but his dark eyes were sharp as they gauged my reaction.

"You are a fascinating thing to decipher." He added. He leant back against the doorframe his head tilted back just enough to appear he was at ease which was ironic considering I was certain we were both not relaxed.

"Why?" I thought very hard about what I was going to say. "Why would you write about me? For what purpose?"

There. Perhaps injecting a note of straight logic instead of resorting to an emotional rant would appeal more directly to his heartless nature. And sure enough, Tom rose to the bait.

"I admit I do find myself somewhat attracted to you in ways I cannot understand." He stepped towards me, and I swear the temperature in the room dropped beneath sub zero. My hand involuntarily locked around his diary for a fleeting moment, I swore his eyes darkened ever so slightly.

"I will ask you again." Tom said, staring me directly in the eye. "Give me back my damned diary."

"You're not even going to use your manners?"

"You're stalling." Tom observed. He walked forward and made to grab his diary from me but I was too quick for him. I darted out of his reach standing on the opposite side of the room. Tom laughed at me.

"Do you really want to play this game?" He asked. "Surely you're smart enough to know this isn't going to end in your favour."

"Why don't you just hex me?" I said breathlessly. My heart was pounding so hard, I had no idea what I was dangerous game I playing at and judging by the look on Tom's face neither did he.

"I can easily overpower a small thing like you without resorting to magic." He said coldly. "But if you want me to..." He drew his wand out from his cloak, pointing it at me directly. I felt my limbs lock, felt myself fall flat on my face before him before I could even defend myself.

"I'll have that." Tom kicked me over onto my size and yanked his diary out of my stone like grip as easily as taking candy from a child.

"It's interesting that you even knew about where I hid this." He said standing over me flicking through his diary like a muggle magazine, his voice conversational, light - but I knew it was only a front, he was pissed off.

"Go through my room again," He said, putting a foot directly against my ankle, "And you'll be sorry."

He applied enough pressure with his foot just to make tears spring involuntarily to my eyes, my ankle sparking with pain. It was my recently healed ankle but it still hurt like hell and made me look weak and helpless which, judging by the satisfied look on his face, was just what Tom wanted.

"Are you going to tell me how you knew where my diary was?" Tom moved his wand hand and suddenly I felt my tongue loosen- I could talk again. I used my newfound freedom to grit my teeth in defiance. I wasn't going to say shit.

"I can't hear you." Tom stepped on my ankle harder this time, I gasped involuntarily.

"What was that?" He said sadistically. "I think I missed that."