As Tom Riddle is hunting for the diadem in Albania, he stumbles across a strange artifact he's never seen before. Hermione Granger is a lowly Ministry employee on vacation in the mountains of Albania. She's found the perfect cabin for a week of rela...
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A/N: Many thanks to the darling RachaelLA26 for her beta work! If you liked this (or hated it) please let me know about it in a review! I make a new mood board for each chapter of this story, find them on my Tumblr crochetawayhpff, my facebook Shan Crochetaway, or on the AO3 or Wattpad versions.
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Chapter 10: Accession
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December 2002
Hermione's Flat
Diagon Alley, London, England
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Hermione was nervous as she donned the new gown Tom had insisted on for tonight's affair. It was New Year's Eve and Tom was taking her to a gala, hosted by Theo Nott. Hermione had heard the rumor mill at the Ministry. Nott had been hosting loads of parties over the last few months. Tom had gone to them all, insisting to Hermione that she wouldn't be interested when she questioned him about it. The idea of Tom consolidating power in the pure-bloods of her generation still made her nervous, so in all truth, she was glad to not be made to attend these gatherings. She feared what would be said to and about her, the only mudblood in the room.
Scowling into the mirror, Hermione made to turn around when Tom appeared behind her.
"You look beautiful," Tom said simply as he took in her blood red dress. The dress was strapless and set off her shoulders and collarbones nicely. "I have something for you."
Tom draped a gorgeous diamond necklace around her neck. It had a large teardrop that nestled into the swell of her breasts and it sparkled in the dim light of her bedroom.
"Tom, this is—"
"Beautiful, although not as beautiful as you. You should say thank you," Tom smirked at her over her shoulder in the mirror. Hermione rolled her eyes and nodded her thanks. After the argument at Christmas over Tom's gifts, she decided to accept them with graciousness. Obviously, he was getting his money from somewhere, and the less Hermione knew about it, the less she had to worry about it. She just hoped that it was legal. Tom had assured her it was, that his political aspirations wouldn't go very far if he was involved in illegal activities. So she had to trust him, as hard as that was for her. It helped that so far he hadn't done anything untrustworthy. Nothing she knew about anyway. She sighed again and Tom wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his chin on top of her head.
"What's wrong?" he asked. Hermione wasn't sure what to say. She was afraid to admit her nervousness in front of him. He'd mocked her for being a poor Gryffindor. Yet she felt like, in order to tie him to her, she needed to be vulnerable. If she showed her vulnerability, maybe Tom would too. Maybe she could actually pull this off. This reining in of the scariest Dark wizard of her time.
