Solving Riddles

The Mind Of A Monster

Tom didn't feel any difference at all after splitting his soul, he felt as normal as he had before. Hermione had been shocked when he had told her that was for sure, but she seemed to be coming to terms with it. In all honesty, the only difference that Tom felt was a greater need for power, being able to accomplish the task of creating a Horcrux had made him realize that he would be able to accomplish anything if he just tried and currently he was working on how to create another.

Tom didn't realize when or how, but he had actually become quite fond of Hermione, she was the only person that he could actually bring himself to care about. She was a mysterious girl with an even more mysterious past but Tom didn't see her as a threat, he saw her as an opportunity for change, never mind her filthy blood she was still an excellent witch, and he'd be damned if he let that hold her back.

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Tom watched as Abraxas screamed and twitched in pain, coward, he thought, you're an absolute coward. Abraxas hadn't done anything extremely wrong, Tom was just annoyed. He had been called for "a little chat" with Dumbledore about the disappearance of Adriana Dorthien, it went smoothly but as usual, Dumbledore could tell that there was something off with his story.

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Hermione's arm was bleeding again and Tom was frustrated that she still wouldn't tell him who the woman who did it to her was or why she did it to her, hacking into her mind would be no use because she'd block him out in a matter of seconds, and she'd also begin to ignore him again, and he wanted neither of those things. Something seemed to be running through her mind though as they sat and tried to stop the bleeding in her arm, and he needed to know what it was this time, or he'd lose it.

"What is it?" He asked looking up at her.

Hermione looked up from her bleeding arm and frowned, "What do you mean?

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." she hesitated before she spoke, she was hiding something.

"You're lying, what is it?"

She sighed, "Seriously it's nothing, just trying to remember something."

Tom felt a bit of anger spark in himself, why wouldn't she just tell him something? She hid things too much, and he was beginning to get quite fed up with it.

"Will you stop?!" Hermione jumped at his outburst. "Stop hiding things from me and just tell me what the hell it is!"

"I'm, sorry but I don't know what you're tal-"

"Don't fucking lie to me." Hermione looked at him with a bit of fear in her eyes, she had to be cautious. She closed her eyes, sighed and threw her head back.

"I have detention with Crichton tomorrow and I'm just pissed off about that, no big deal."

Tom looked at her and raised an eyebrow questioningly but before he could say anything she pulled her arm from his grasp and got up from the table.

"I've got to go there's no point in trying to heal this thing anyway." without another word she turned around and left.

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Tom felt light-headed, his vision was slightly blurred and there was this feeling inside him that he couldn't comprehend all he knew was that he needed some air.

Tom walked into the forbidden forest and smiled, much better. He walked for a while and soon saw something odd, Hermione was sitting on a log leaning against a tree staring up at the sky, a hippogriff stood next to her, it wasn't real though. He noticed something else, she was crying, and he wondered why, but he didn't want to interrupt her. He decided to leave but before he could, she wrapped her arms around herself and bowed her head, "If only you were here, Draco." she said it so softly he almost didn't hear her, but he heard her nonetheless and it enraged him to no end. Tom decided to head back to the castle to go over what she could have possibly meant.

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Tom sat in an armchair in the room of requirement and stared into the green flames of the fireplace. He heard the door open and then heard footsteps, he didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Hermione sat down in the armchair opposite him with a sigh, and they both kept quiet until Tom finally broke the silence. "Who is he?" He asked without looking up.

"Who's who?" Hermione replied utterly stunned by his question.

"Who is Draco?"

Hermione kept quiet.

"You heard me Hermione, who the hell is he?"

"Tom, he's no one."

"Hermione I swear if you lie to me one more time-"

"Just stop it, Tom! I'm sick of it, I'm tired of you acting as if you own me, it's sick, you're sick!"

"Watch yourself Hermione."

"Or what, what in the world could you possibly do to me?!"

Tom shot up from his chair and pointed his wand at her. "I said watch yourself," he began to walk slowly towards her when he reached her he put the tip of his wand on her neck, "just answer my question, Hermione."

"No." she stood her ground. Tom's eyes turned red with rage, Hermione's confidence began to falter.

"Who. Is. He?"

"He's no one okay? He's dead!" Her voice cracked and a tear ran down her cheek, "He's dead, it doesn't matter any more."

The redness in Tom's eyes began to fade, and he lowered his wand.

"Why are you crying?"

"I don't have the right to cry about a dead friend?"

Tom said nothing and just stared at her, "Who was he to you?"

"A friend that I cared a lot about."

Hermione looked at him expectantly and Tom sighed and shook his head, he wasn't going to apologize, he didn't need to and nor did he want to. Hermione grabbed her bag, got up from her chair and walked out of the room of requirement. Tom sat back down in the armchair and sighed, she was still lying, and she was still hiding things and sooner or later he'd find out what they were.

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A/N: Yeah sorry for the shittiness of this all.