Hermione riddle [Wattys 2019] [Dramione]

Chapter 52- Settling in

It was silent as tom lead Hermione through the dark dungeon halls. 

Hermione knew how much their conversation had hurt tom. 

But she knew it was for the best. 

Messing with the timeline, the results were never good. 

Even if the changes had been done with the best of intentions. 

It was easy to see that things could go drastically wrong. 

Walking up to the picture of Salazar Slytherin Hermione family hears tom whisper "Pureblood." Hermione cracks a small smile at this. 

Of course that was going to be the password. 

This was slytherin after all.

Tom leads Hermione into the slytherin common room and Hermione looks around slightly in awe. 

She had never been inside the common room. 

She was after all placed in Gryffindor. Tom couldn't keep the smile from flashing over his face as he watches hermiones reactions. 

From her memories tom knew that Hermione had been sorted into gryffindor before she knew of her true heritage and by the time she had figured it out, it was just better for her to stay there. 

It was safer. 

But since Hermione didn't attend hogwarts anymore none of that mattered now. 

But inside, a part of Hermione wished she had listened to the hat when he wanted to place her in slytherin's house. 

But of course back then Hermiones had wanted to be with her 'friends'. So she made the hat place her in gryffindor. 

"You can sleep in my room for tonight." Hermione looks over as Toms voice breaks her from her gaze. Seeing the confused look on hermiones face tom adds "I sleep alone. I don't have any roommates." 

Hermione nods and tom leads her up to his dorm. 

Of course tom had to carry Hermiones the steps because of the spell preventing opposit genders from enter the wrong dorm. 

Once tom is up the steps he sets Hermione back down on the steps and leads her to his dorm. Hermione observed the small dorm. 

There was one bed inside the room along with Toms trunk. Hermione couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the messy state of the dorm. 

Hermione's father was never a messy person so seeing how messy tom was surprised Hermione. 

"I'll take the floor." Tom says. 

 Hermione shakes her head. "No it's alright. We can share the bed. It's big enough." Tom nods and goes into his trunk before fishing out a T-shirt. 

"You can wear this tonight, if you want." Tom says. 

Hermiones eyes soften upon seeing the shirt. It was one of the shirts her father wore back in her time. 

One of the few shirts he still had from his school years. 

After Hermiones takes the shirt tom turns his back so Hermione could change. Hermione slipped out of her robes and pants before slipping on the T-shirt. 

After Hermione had changed and she had settled on the bed beside tom, Hermione couldn't stop the slip up that escaped her lips. 

"Hey Da- tom?" Hermione whispers slowly. 

Tom looks over at Hermione from his side of the bed. He didn't miss the name Hermione had almost called him.

Tom sighs. 

This was awkward to some degree. 

This wasn't exactly the normal kind of situation for the two of them to be in. And tom didn't know if this awkwardness would ever fade. 

But he hoped it would. 

He wanted to know Hermione. He wanted to know his daughter. Even if he was going to forget it, he still wanted to know.

"I know this is weird to say the least, Hermione." 

Hermione casts her eyes away. Tom sighs once more and slowly pulls Hermione into his arms. Hermione lets him. 

"I know I'm not him but I promise to protect you as he would. Everything is going to be alright. We'll fix this. I promise." 

Hermione sighs and slowly lets her head fall on Toms shoulder while giving a silent nod. 

Shock had began to settle over Hermiones. The reality of everything that had happened crashing down upon her like a heavy brick wall. 

But just hearing tom say this brought a small smile to Hermione face and lessened the blow slightly. 

But Tom was right though. 

He wasn't her father. 

At least not yet. 

But in a small way he was. 

Just a little bit. 

All of this made Hermiones head spin. It made her brain hurt. 

Of course the headache she was feeling was also a result of the spell that had sent her back in time. It would pass by morning. 

Hermione sighs softly as tom gently, almost hesitantly, begins stroking hermiones hair. He wasn't sure how to act around Hermione. 

She was his daughter. But she was also not. 

But, she would be. In about 38 years. 

But tom knew that no matter how awkward he was around her. 

He would protect her with his life. 

Just as he would. 

Tom swore he would find a way to get Hermione back to her time. He would find a way to stop what he saw. 

He wouldn't let it happen. 

Even if that meant changing the timeline. 

"Try and get some sleep. It's late." Tom says softly. 

Hermione couldn't help the yawn that escaped her lips. This made tom smile slightly. 

Slowly nodding Hermione could feel her eyes slowly sliding shut and as she laid in Toms arms. 

Hermione could have sworn she was laying in her fathers arms. 

Safe, warm, loved and protected, Hermione slowly lets the peacefulness of sleep consume her.