Breaking Hermione

No More Love

"She's in Headmaster Dippets office?" Tom said in a unsuccessful stab at carelessness. If it wasn't for the fury in his eyes I might have thought he wasn't interested at all.

"Yes, she should be there right now." Dumbledore said airily, clasping his ringed hands together. "Why don't you go and have a look since you doubt me."

Tom turned on his heel and began walking down the hall towards the Headmasters office, not without that sort of pissed off arrogance that I came to associate with every annoyed Slytherin. I looked at Dumbledore. What was he doing? He'd just given Tom a false lead.

"Do not take off the cloak, Hermione." Dumbledore said quietly. "He will be coming back. He doesn't believe me."

I froze. How the hell did Dumbledore know these things? How did he even know I had an invisibility cloak? And how the hell did he know it was me?

"Tom." Dumbledore said conversationally.
"You're back."

Sure enough Tom had sauntered back out of the shadows, his pale face an emotionless mask. He was very tall, and distractingly handsome even when he was angry. It was unnerving. I could feel my heart racing. He was after me. He wanted to find me. What was wrong with me? Why did I now want him to find me?

"This isn't the end of this." He said quietly. I noticed how his eyes were looking around and not at Dumbledore standing before him. He knew I was there. There was no other reason for him to have come back other than me, and we all knew it.

"I should hope not," Dumbledore said cheerily. "Violence against students is a very serious matter, Tom."

Tom permitted a half smirk before turning on his heel and walking away. This time he truly did leave, continuing to walk until we couldn't see him at all.

"Keep yourself concealed, and follow me." Dumbledore said very quietly. He began walking up the hall where Tom had been walking only moments before.

"It is not safe for you at Hogwarts anymore. It isn't even safe to discuss this matter now. As soon as we are out of the open I will continue this particular topic."

I followed along behind him, my heart still beating erratically from before. Shalini was now my arch enemy, but seeing her lying on the ground of the girls bathroom writhing in agony was a sight that pained me. I didn't like seeing any sort of violence against anyone. I just wanted everything to stop. I wish it would, but that was of course asking too much. This was my life now. Going to the future was an absolute disaster. I couldn't even think about Ginny without getting crippling anxiety. Last I saw she was stunned. Was she ok now? I clasped the beaded bag tightly to me. Since I had taken a potion for luck I was sure I would be fine. But even with all the luck in the world it always felt like Tom had just that bit more of an advantage.

We arrived in Dumbledores office, I went and had a seat as he closed the door firmly behind me.

"Where is the Time Turner?" Dumbledore walked over and sat down behind his desk, his light blue eyes concerned.

I took the invisibility cloak off, revealing myself finally.

"Tom has it. He took it from me. I think I've done something terrible Professor." I admitted heavily. "I went back to the future and Tom tracked me down. I've ruined everything."

I didn't want to cry but this was one of those moments when I couldn't stop myself. Seeing Dumbledore was reminding me of how he was dead in the present. He didn't even know he was going to die in the future because of a curse. He didn't know any of these things yet, and sitting before him staring at his friendly features was setting me off.