Breaking Hermione

Blame Me

A/N Dedicated to everyone who loves this book. Breaking Hermione will continue. ♡

Hermione

So Tom had charmed Madam Pince too? I wasn't surprised in the slightest. He was the type to just manipulate his way into people's good books so that whenever he needed to use someone they wouldnt resist him. And it certainly didn't hurt to have the one person in charge of the Restricted Section in his favour. Unfortunately for me, Madam Pince appeared to strongly dislike me. Whether Tom had told her about me or not, I didn't know. But I wouldnt be going near the Restricted Section anytime soon. Tom didn't know that I had eavesdropped on their little conversation about the books Tom had loaned. I was standing by the door, listening intently with one of Fred and George's extendable ears in the library picking the entire discussion with clarity. Of course, no one from this time even knew what Extendable Ears were, which was all the better for me. If anyone saw it in the library they'd have just thought it was a stupid kids collectable.

However I had to quickly throw the Invisibility Cloak over myself as Tom started striding toward the door on his way out. I only covered myself in the nick of time, Tom passed me so close, his cloak almost touching mine.

I exhaled sharply. This was bad. So Tom was trying to find some darker types of Magic now, was he? Didn't he already know enough evil? What more could he possibly need to know about the Dark Arts?

I considered the book that Headmaster Dippet had attempted to destroy not once but 3 times to no avail. What was it? Would I be able to sneak into Tom's room and find out? Or would I just be risking my life again for no necessary reason?

I couldn't just track down Headmaster Dippet and ask him about it.

You know that book you tried to destroy 3 times? What is it called?

I cringed. If I did that, not only would Dippet be suspicious but Tom would most likely be found out when they realised the novel wasn't safe in the library.

Hold on...

That was it. I would secretly snitch on Tom and get the Headmaster onto him. No student was permitted to borrow whatever book that was. Not even staff. I frowned, starting to walk back to the Slytherin Common Room. Perhaps I'd sneak into Tom's room first to see what other books he had loaned. I wanted to know what he was doing.

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.

I had to be aware of what he was doing to get the advantage over him that I needed. And I desperately needed as much time as I could get, yet I couldn't just hang around in the past forever. The end had to come soon. A resolution had to be reached. I wanted to succeed. I needed to succeed. While Tom thought he was just smiting an issue that was bothering him, I was trying to destroy the very path that Tom would take that would lead to the wizarding world becoming corrupt.

And another thing was plaguing my thoughts was coming face to face with Tom again. How was I going to act around him now? I lived in the Slytherin Common Room too, I couldn't avoid him forever. We would see each other again. And sure enough, Tom was already in the Slytherin Common Room as soon as I got back. He looked at me as soon as I walked in. He was sitting in an armchair appearing perfectly at ease, one arm hanging lazily off the side of the seat. He was so tall I was surprised he even fit to begin with.

"Hermione." He smiled at me widely. "Headmaster Dippet told me to pass a message on. He wants you to meet him in his office."

I stared. He was emotionless. Cold. Detached. There was nothing to be found on Tom's face to reveal what the hell was going on. Whatever he was hiding he was giving nothing away.