A Dark Past [Tomione]

Her first year - the summer holiday

Here it is, lovlies! Thank you all for waiting.

Have fun and vote, if you like it ♡

And I'd love to know what you think about the story!! Kisses :*

Enjoy

Lis

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

As Tom arrived at King's Cross, he talked a while with his 'friends' and their families, pretending to be waiting for his own parents, which he - obviously - wasn't. Instead he just waited till most of the students went, so he could leave the station and slowly walk through Muggle-London and to his orphanage. 

The boy wished to delay the time of his arrival as much as he could, but even with slowing down his steps and taking detours, he arrived in the late afternoon.

Wool's Orphanage wasn't exactly what one would call a great or beautiful home. On the contrary: it was horrific. And now it became even worse because of the war.
Children got lost, parents and familiars were killed, or mothers couldn't care for them anymore... so where were they brought to? Yes, to the orphanages.

 Tom found the ignorance of the wizard minority incredible. They lived in their little bubble and just... they just ignored it. If they wanted to, they could end all this within hours. How could they have the arrogance to claim that they didn't know about the miserable state in which London and the rest of the country and even Europe was?

  If he could, he would help. But he was too young to tell authorities what to do. Yet. One day they would suffer for not helping altough they could have done it.

He had to, just as he had assumed it would happen, share his room with four more boys. Tom Riddle didn't look up as he walked towards his bed. And they, just as he had suspected they would, behaved like hungry animals - not thinking about the consequences of their comportment. 

''What do you think you are doing, bloke?'', the one to his right asked. 

''Yeah, who do ya think y'are t' just enter her'  and don't show som' respect?'', another continued. 

Tom sighted and closed his eyes. He really was too tired for that kind of underclass conversation. ''Now listen.'', he began with his deadly calm voice. ''The only one who deserves respect in here is me. Respect me and you'll be able to sleep well. Don't and I'll show you what you deserve.'' 

One of the boys laughed. They were older than him and seemed to be very brutal and lowbow, but Tom was angry and not in the mood to cooperate as the weak victim they searched for. Therefore they winced in pain just one blinc of his eyes later. 

The handsome boy and young Riddle smiled slightly and satisfied. One more time justice had won and one more time he was greatful and proud for his extraordinary magical abilities. 

This and the remaining nights he slept well and even dreamt of beautiful things.

Hermione Granger - one of those beauties - found herself in her bed at the same time. She, contrary to the boy, couldn't sleep at all. There was too much energy flowing through her vains that kept her awake. The past year appeared before her and it seemed like a dream for her. How long had Hogwarts been unreachable? And now, one year after getting the letter, it still seemed unreal. Yes, she had grown up in a magical family where supernatural events weren't unusual, but even so... the castle's magic was magnificent. It was more than she had hoped for. 

She refused to write Tom, altough it hurt. He had lied to her! How would it look like if she wrote him first? Ridiculous. But now, in the calmness of her room, she started to question why he had lied. Yes, his magical abilities seemed to be above the usual ones of people at their age, but she was his friend... Right? What had been the reason for his decision to let her believe he was 'ordinary'?

The solution she found was the only possible explanation and it warmed her heart, but at the same time it hurt her pride. Hadn't he told her because he hadn't wanted to hurt her? Had he done it out of deference to her?

While thinking about it she fell asleep.

Rose and Hermione met up quite often and grew to be very good friends. By the end of the third week of august, the young Granger was invited to Rose's birthday feast. It was an enormeous convention to which nearly every Slytherin of their year, some of the year above them and children of whealty wizard families were welcomed. It was great to see their friends from Hogwarts out of school.

By the time Hermione arrived at the gathering, Tom Riddle had been out of her mind for weeks... thanks to Rose.

The girl with the savage hair leaned against a table loaded with food and looked at the yelling and laughing children. Their parents were in another hall where they had a party for themselves.

"I thought we could fool them all by using some magic, what to you think?"
Hermione's head snapped to her right to look at the boy who had brought up this tempting offer. She couldn't help it but smile.
"Hello Tom", she said in her soft voice. Both noticed that the other one had grown over the time they hadn't seen each other.

"So you think the ministry won't be able to tell it was us, if we practise some magic around other kids?", she continued after seeing happily how Tom effortlessly returned her smile.
"Yeah", he said and reached for a chocolate praline. "Raspberry or mousse?", he asked while inspecting the little delicacies.

"Raspberry", Hermione said. He reached for the mousse one. The girl nearly rolled her eyes at his provocing behaviour, but then she understood that he had asked her so he could take the sort she didn't want. She took the raspberry praline he offered her, the only one left. 
In the moment their eyes met, Tom did something she would never forget. 

"Forgive me, Hermione."

She gave him a radiant smile. Now this was for him something he would never be able to forget.

"Shall we?", she asked, nodding to the children. He returned her now wicked grin.

"We shall."

The kids weren't aware of what was yet to come.