"I kissed him!"  She yelled. 

He smirked, grabbed her waist with his hands, and uttered "I know." 

He noticed confusion mask her face.  "You know?!"  she stepped backwards from his embrace, and he let her go, his hands falling limp at his sides.

"I knew you were from the future, I can sense when you've kissed someone."

"He told you." 

"He didn't."

"You're not mad?" 

"I want to punch his face in.  But it'd be piss poor after he got tortured last week."

"You didn't tell me you knew."

He chuckled deeply, unnerving her. He was amused. She had deemed it morally incorrect to not be hurt nor jealous that one's significant other had kissed someone else. If she hadn't forgiven herself for such an act, how could he in the slightest be amused. She retracted mentally blaming him for not telling her. He almost had right to do anything at all. "Did you kiss him?" He asked firmly.

She furrowed her eyebrows, "I just told you-"

"Did you kiss him?"

She let out a sigh, suddenly feeling she was under the laments of a scorning adult. Instinctually she responded. "No, but-"

"Answer the question Granger."

"I didn't stop him. Am I not at fault?"

"You'd be mental to think Granger, that after all this time I give an actual damn about who's at fault."

She bit her inner lip, as if thinking long and hard about his answer. He could see her mind calculating.

"Are you trying to make me feel guilty? I still do not understand how you cannot be angry."

"Have I not said I'm infuriated?" He spoke louder, yet clear. His jaw clenched. "Yes, I am angry. Yet I have found taunting you over the last few days much more amusing than any cost of anger."

"Taunting me!? How so?" she retorted, folding her arms, still frustrated with the situation. It would have been much clearer on her conscious had he screamed at her, stormed out mad, and ignored her for a bloody month. Then she could be mad at his spite. But now, now she was mad at his ability to make a complete fool of herself.

He smirked. He stepped closer to her, her own figure frozen. "Best you find out before Halloween." His lips seemed to be calling her closer. His body seemed so warm. Oddly he always appeared a cold being. Cold in perception, until she stood inches away from his skin, and was generously reminded how she craved his warmth.

She realized quite well what he meant now. And he intended her to figure it out as well. He was teasing her with such perfection that she almost forgot to hold some resentment. Forgot that their entire relationship required her to tease back. She smirked as seductive as he, let his own game form into her own, as she whispered with every word an airy cloud that would touch his own beckoning lips. "Best you hope I don't go around snogging anyone else before I find out." She flashed her eyes up into his own, satisfied with the want in them, she disposed a greeting "Night Riddle."

His eyes trailed her as she left. Once he was the sole being in the room, he allowed his desire to release. "fuck." he audibly spoke as he let out a heavy sigh. Yet his chest still rose and fell with equal velocity. It took him all the control he had to not chase after her, spin her around and steal her lips in a necessary kiss. He was held in this vice well into the night. Only exhaustion conquered it, leaving his dreams to deal with his suffocating desire.

He was going to kill Granger.

--------------------

"You going to the dance?" Mulciber asked, slinking his arm around Hermione in the corridor the following morning.

Hermione gloated in the jealousy that took upon Riddle's features, as she saw his figure standing by the common room entrance.

"Naturally, just don't know who with yet." She offered to Mulciber, as the two of them approached Riddle.

Tom straightened his posture from the leaning position he had been in a moments prior. She could see the fury in his clenched jaw.

"Hear that Riddle, have you not asked the witch yet?" Mulciber taunted playfully. Hermione felt sorry for not warning him that Riddle was in no mood for playfulness this morning.

"I have every intention." he lamented coldly.

"Yes, he has every intention. The only problem being if I accept or not." Hermione spoke daringly.

"Don't do this Granger." He warned, still bearing a smile for Mulcibers sake.

"Ask me." Hermione said arching an eyebrow.

Mulciber looked cautiously between the two, now confused by the sudden tumultuous tension.

"Ask you what?" He asked innocently, and then strutted away. Though he halted, turned around, glared at Mulciber's arm around her shoulder. "And Mulciber. I'd be best to keep my affections limited towards someone who is already taken by a best mate."

Hermione noticed Mulciber's smirk drop. Once Riddle was gone, she looked apologetically toward him. "Sorry about that."

"It was a friendly gesture." He defended.

"I know. But you know him. His jealousy exceeds galore."

Mulciber stole her gaze to his verdant eyes. "If I were you, I'd go with someone else."

Hermione shook her head. "To the Dance?-No way. You're vindictive aren't you?"

They made their way into the common room.  He plopped down on the leather couch, outstretching his arms to rest on the back. "You realize Granger, men are more attracted when they see you gaining the attention of other's."

Hermione held her quill to the corner of her mouth, trying to understand his point.  "So were you helping make Riddle jealous?" She asked playfully. 

He frowned. "No.  I just meant you should go to the dance with someone else."

"Who?" She asked.

"I don't know Granger. I'm just making suggestions."

She smiled, sitting beside him. "Who are you going with?"

"Do I have to go with someone?"

She bit her lip. "You clean up well in a tux. Ask her."

"Ask who?" He muttered, a faint blush to his face.

"The girl you obviously fancy and are contemplating if she'll reject you."  Hermione looked to her book bag that she had thrown on the couch. "Look, I have to get a jump on our essay for charms. See you later yeah?"  She gathered her things, made to the common room door.  She couldn't hold back her smirk as she walked away. 

She was making her usual journey to the library, but then she noticed movement in the third floor corridor, a shadow shift over the wall. She sighed, and made instead towards the first room, deciding she'd face Riddle.

She got to the chess room. As she entered the flames ignited. But the walls of books were still concealed away. "Hello?" She called. "Tom I know you're down here this isn't funny!"

But in scanning the room her eyes found the door ajar on the opposite side of the room. 

She reached for her wand, before continuing through the adjacent rooms.  She walked slowly, cautiously.

Then, all of a sudden she arrived. She stood on the top step and looked down to the center of the room. It was the mirror of Erised. She was confused as it was stored in the room of requirement for years until moved to a classroom, only entering this very room when Harry had to face it when he acquired the philosophers stone.

She walked towards the center, suspicious as to who placed the mirror. To her knowledge only Tom had discovered these chambers. But surely Dumbledore and Dippet would know of their existence.

She stepped directly in front of it, finding her reflection.

She was startled to see Riddle in the mirror beside her, his features plain.

"Curious isn't it?" 

She jumped at his voice behind her ear. "What is it?" She asked innocently, not sure if he was aware of what it was.  

He moved to walk around the back of the mirror, and her eyes followed his every move. "You should know Granger.  Wouldn't you?"

Hermione didn't know how to phrase her response. "It's a mirror. Does it have an enchantment of sorts?"

"I'm not sure. I found it while entering the come and go room. I moved it here for further-inspection."

Hermione, stood still as Tom returned to her side.  "What do you see?" He whispered.  

She gazed into the depths, finding it alluring. She shook her head. "Nothing, nothing at all." she lied. 

She turned her attention to him beside her. "Riddle." She cooed. Nothing.  His gaze was locked solely into the enchantment of the mirror. 

-------------------------

She stood at the top of the grand staircase.  Not many times had she done so, well actually she had hiked the staircase thousands, but never stood with a purpose.  Somehow the memory of her waltzing down the stairs at the yule ball returned, plastering a nervous feeling to her stomach.  

She inhaled, and then proceeded with courage to descend the steps.  She felt multiple pairs of eyes on her, causing her cheeks to turn a faint crimson.  Her eyes landed on whom she had been trying to find.  He looked up, his cheeks deflating in a way as he clenched his jaw.  He outstretched his hand, and once at the bottom she rested her warm hand in his own.

They maneuvered to enter the great hall. He held his head up high, and she didn't bother to steal a glance. "I cannot believe I'm accompanying you to a fucking dance." He seethed through his forced smile.  

"Do not worry, my feelings are reciprocated-" She said with bitter civility. She gulped before uttering the next word, it almost unfathomable to even herself. "-Malfoy".  

"I loathe you!" He spat.

"But you're merely a foul loathsome evil little cockroach Draco, So naturally It's what I expect." She tested with a small smirk as she cocked an eyebrow. 

"Crucio me now." He muttered, and then steered Granger into the Great Hall.