A Riddle to be Told (Hermione x Male Reader)

Chapter 2: Sirius Black & the Dementors

   Finally the night bus had arrived to the leaky cauldron. Damned infernal thing and driver hardly had any sense of decorum or grace. The boy imagined Draco getting on it; the thought was certainly an amusing one.

 It was the dead of night, early in the morning, and so Tom hardly expected anyone up. Entering the pub, indeed, it was barren; except for one -- Hermione Granger sat on the table, a cat next to her, sat reading a big book... Typical.

   Tom did not initially speak, nor move. It was most frustrating: she'd gotten even more beautiful than he last saw her, and slightly tanned -- she looked different in muggle clothes. He hardly saw her in them...

  The boy shook his head; 'Hermione?' he finally called.

   The girl jumped slightly, turning back to see Tom -- she smiled weakly. 'hello, Tom. How was your summer holidays?' she asked. 

  The boy nodded, taking a seat next to the girl; 'perhaps not as productive as yours, as it seems' Tom said, thinking upon the hunger tantrums of William and the younger ones -- it was a poor yield for this year's harvest, indeed.

  'How was your summer?' asked Tom. It must've been good, for the girl's eyes lit up just by thinking about it.

  'I went to France with my parents, actually. It was fantastic! the sights in Paris, and the fascinating history, and the magic' 

   Tom nodded along, though had nothing to compare it to. The furthest Tom had gone from where he grew up was Hogwarts.

   'sorry; I over-shared, didn't I?' Hermione said, sheepishly.

   'you didn't; I'd rather hear you talk about France than Ron about Egypt' Tom said. Hermione laughed, deciding to close her book and turn to Tom head on.

   'Tom' she said.

    'yes?'

    'about last year...I should've talked to you about... you know...'

   'my father?' Tom queried, sighing. Still, the girl seemed to have not gotten over it.   

    Hermione nodded, looking down; 'I should've spoken about it to you, but I didn't -- I half doubted it myself until I woke up last year and you told me...it was an awful lot to take in. I just don't want you to think I hate you over it' she said, looking down.

 Tom straightened his back, and cleared his throat. 'that is fine. I did not expect the reaction to be much better, truth be told' Tom responded.

    Hermione nodded; '...did you look like him? down at the chamber?' Hermione asked, inquisitively. Tom gulped, and shook his head.

   'not at all...'he said.

  'well, I was reading a chapter about him just now...red eyes and no nose? you're lying to me, Tom' Hermione said, laughing. 

  Tom smiled, turning to the girl; 'it's a coincidence, you know, that I was just reading a book about mountain trolls; and you happen to be --'

   The two turned their attention upstairs, where shuffling and hushed whispers came from a room where light escaped from an ajar door. The two exchanged a look, getting up from the bench. 

   'goodnight, Hermione' Tom whispered, as the two walked slowly up the creaking stairs. Hermione went off to her and Ginny's room, leaving Tom alone in the corridor. He could voices whisper harshly in the room above.

   Indeed; he was not tired just yet.

   How someone hadn't heard him as he ascended the second creaking staircase, Tom had no idea. But he most certainly was not complaining.