Chapter 1:
"I wish the way I was livin' could stop
Servin' rocks, knowin' the cops is hot when I'm on the block"

June 1945

Tom wanted to wait for Hermione but he was a stickler for time and if he waited any longer he would be late. So heeding her advice he grabbed his jacket, summoned his Slytherin Graduation Robes and departed his home for the past year. He made his way towards the group of students gathered by the front doors and scowled at the teary scene. He supposed he should act melancholy about leaving Hogwarts but he was far from it. He would not deny some sort of attachment to the castle but he was ready to put his plans into action. He rolled his eyes as Slughorn attempted to use his authority to line the graduates up. Tom, still technically the Head Boy, jumped to help the overweight potions professor and managed to get the students in order, Hermione still missing. Tom stepped into his spot in time to hear Hermione enter the room. She rushed past him into her spot and he spotted the paleness of her skin.

The raven haired boy had no idea why she would be nervous. This was the beginning, their beginning. Did she not realize that after last night? Tom Riddle never pictured marriage in his future when he outlined it. However, if it was what kept her at his side and in his bed he would take the leap. After all, it wasn't like he already made exceptions for the mudblood. Tom wanted to stand beside her to remind her it would all be okay and to keep a happy face on. Professor Dippet though called for silence and started their walk.

The grounds were littered with watery eyed family members, calling to their children about how proud they were. It made him sick. What did they accomplish to make them so proud? They graduated Hogwarts, most of them just skimming by. He shook his head at the idiocy of the guests and fought to keep his smile in place as he took his seat. The metal chair was stiff and for the life of him he couldn't understand the reasoning of conjuring such an uncomfortable seat. They were wizards after all were they not? What was wrong with just a little cushion?

Tom allowed his mind to wander as the speeches began. He would be going up after the diplomas to give the farewell speech. It was a task he was not thrilled about but knew it would look good on his records when he applied to the ministry. Tom had countless offers to join the government department but he had turned them down. While he knew how to keeps his thoughts and emotions hidden as if they were never there he did not want to enter that laughing stock of a job until he was ready to take it over.

Somehow he had gotten so lost in his thoughts he had skipped the first portions of students receiving their diplomas until Hermione was called. Tom jerked his head up to see her still sitting in her seat, her hand on her chest. He frowned at her lack of action and wondered if he should check on her, after all everyone knew they were together and she was making him look bad. Tom was just about to call her when she stood up. She turned to look at him and he had planned to encourage her walk but he spotted the mocking silver chain.

The silver chain held a part of Hermione he wanted her to forget, a part of her he wanted her to never think about. He hated those wedding bands, he hated Fred Weasley. What made that ginger so much better than he that she could not let him go? Tom knew she still loved him, he knew she was not over him, and it made him furious. The man was dead; he was decades in the future rotting away somewhere deep underground. Tom clenched his fists and glared at her only to have her turn on her back on him.

The Head Boy always took pride in his ability to be able to read people as if they had their thoughts and emotions writing across their face. He had never been wrong in his calculations either. He also never found someone that gave him such trouble with reading them. He supposed that was one of the most addicting things about Hermione that drew him to her in the first place. Not only her ability to keep him out of her mind, which almost killed her several times, but her hard exterior. Tom had thought he had learned all the ticks, creases, and curves that were Hermione Granger. He had been wrong. As she turned from him he felt a feeling of dread boiling over in his stomach.

He had no idea what was running through the girls' head. He had no idea why but he knew something bad was going to happen? His thoughts transported him back to the previous night. She had never answered him. Sure he didn't give her a chance to answer him because he knew she loved him. He figured she would be over the moon with the chance of tying herself to him in a way only one person could. But she never said yes, she never questioned anything; was she going to run? The dark wizard shook his head lightly. No. She would not leave. She would not go anywhere away from him. He was her rock, her protector, her love.

His eyes followed her across the stage and that feeling of dread intensified when he spotted her walking up to Dumbledore. That meddlesome old fool had been sticking his nose into things that were not his business for years. He was always trying to pin Tom with the attacks he so meticulously covered his tracks in. He was always trying to persuade Tom that the path of dark, of evil, was not a wise path. Then he had to go off and drag his crooked nose into his relationship.

What right did that grey haired fool have, forcing Hermione into that pensive? What did he plan on accomplishing by showing her the things she had already know? He had accomplished something though, hasn't he? Hermione had been behaving differently ever since her meeting with the epitome of good. She swore up and down that nothing was different. That she still loved him, she still was her old normal self. But she wasn't and he had known that. He ignored it though. He forced his presence on her hoping that it would smother whatever insignificant doubts she had.

His eyes were glued on her form. He hated thinking about his feelings, he hated having something as crippling as feelings. There was just an aura about the brunette that continued to dragger him deeper and deeper into her. He could not get enough of her. Her sassy attitude, her fit body, her continuing denial of her dark side; it was intoxicating. He refused to say the words that he knew she craved to here because he was not able to come to terms with them. There was no way in Merlin's saggy ball that he loved her. Tom Riddle never loved anyone, it only caused problems. It was a debilitating emotion that he had been so positive would never afflict him. However, he had also been positive that he would hold a hatred for all muggleborns. He had sworn he would never lay with one either.

Tears started rolling down her face and Tom jumped from his seat. He had known something was wrong, something was off. Dumbledore's lips were moving but he could not hear anything. Tom climbed over the legs of the hushed students who were also surveying the scene that was unfolding before them. He stumbled slightly but could care less. The feeling of dread was clawing at his throat. He reached the stairs of the platform just as she touched her diploma. Her face started to turn red, her arms clutching around her stomach as she slammed onto the ground on her knees before disappearing.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Tom shouted, rushing to the spot that his girlfriend, his dark angel, his soon to be queen had just fallen. He was not stupid, far from it, he knew Dumbledore was behind it. Tom stood up, pain ripping through his chest as he turned on the old man, "YOU MEDDLESOME OLD FOOL, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"

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1999

Hermione felt Fred pull back as his hand caressed her face, obviously surprised by her sudden display of affection. His eyes roamed her face before lowering to the emerald green robes she was wearing before his brow furrowed. Hermione glanced down and was shocked to see she was still in her graduation robes. She ran her fingers over the material, her hand traveling the cloth up to her neck where her wedding jewelry still hung down to the blue sundress. It hadn't been a dream, it had been real, it had really happened.

As the realization dawned on her she felt her heart break all over again. It was just as when she watched Fred die. The ripping, the burning, the aching; it was killing her. She was having trouble breathing and from the panicked cries of the people she had thought she lost forever they thought something to be wrong. And they were right. There was so many things wrong. She was overjoyed to see all of them together, alive, even if they were still in the midst of a battle. She was heartbroken to know she had been taken from Tom by her own doing. Guilt ripped at her soul. All in all she was drowning in overwhelming emotions.

"Fred, do something!" Ginny shouted as her friend clawed at her throat.

"Do something he already snogged the hell out of her!" Ron screamed and Hermione could picture the red faced teen.

"Stun her!" A masculine voice, much like her husbands shouted. And then there was blackness.

Hermione awoke once more to see another familiar, yet stern face staring at her. Remus Lupin looked just as haggard as she remembered him. His face was sporting a heavy beard and his eyes were hard yet welcoming. Upon seeing her eyes open he raised his wand. Hermione sat up and reached for her own to find it missing from her persons.

"What is your name?" He demanded and Hermione relaxed. He was just following protocol.

"Hermione Jean Granger."

"What is your patronus?"

"An otter."

"Who defeated the Dementor's in your third year?"

"Harry even though he swore it was his father, he did not know about my time turner at the moment."

Lupin sighed with relief and handed her back her wand. She snatched it away, having felt naked without it. She was antsy and unable to handle being around everyone knowing what she had done and not feeling bad about it. She felt bad about betraying them, though they did not know it, and she felt bad about forgetting them but she did not feel bad about falling in love with Tom Riddle. In fact she felt guilty for leaving him there. The werewolf raked his hand over his face.

"Where have you been for the past month and a half Mione?" He asked solemnly.

This is where she clammed up. How in the world was she supposed to tell them? Who would believe her? After all it was confusing to even word in her head. She had been fifty years in the past after being sent there from a week in the future only to wind up back in the future that was really the past? It was enough to give her a headache.

"I don't know…" Hermione said glancing down at her hands.

She could feel his eyes boring into her and knew that he did not believe her. Tom's stern face floated in her mind eye. He always said she was like an open book. She ran her hand through her hair. This was all so much. How did she end up back here? Sure, she had meant what she said to Dumbledore but at the same time she regretted her words. Tom had been her rock, her everything…

"Hermione, I know you are lying." Remus spoke, his voice filled with confusion.

"I can't…" She said shaking her head.

"Were you hurt?"

Hermione let out a bark of laughter and threw herself onto her bed. Was she hurt? Oh yes. She had been hurt. She had been crucio-ed, she had been choked, and her mental barriers were attacked with force she never thought possible. So yes, she had been hurt. Her boyfriend, the man she loved, had cheated on her. Her boyfriend, the man she loved, the man she left behind, had wanted to marry her. But she was already married. With another man she loved…loves…loved? Hermione groaned only to sense an amateur trying to enter her mind. She moved faster then she thought possible and had her wand pushing into Remus's shallow throat.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" She growled.

"What do you think you are doing?" Remus questioned his eyes wide.

"I don't like when people try to enter my mind without asking Remus." Her voice was dripping venom and her eyes were hard. The door to the room she had been sharing with Ginny for several months opened with the high pitched squeak she had believed she would never hear again. Sharp intake of breaths had her realizing there were other's entering the room. She saw out of the corner of her eye Neville raising his wand to help his former professor but with a twitch of her free hand she summoned his wand, to the utter silence to the others.

"Wandless magic Hermione?" Remus asked raising an eyebrow, his own wand still in his hand.

"Drop your wand." She spat.

"Hermione." Ginny said in desperation.

"Drop it. Now!" She demanded only to see him release his grip on the wooden stick and for it to clatter to the floor. She went to take a step back when she felt her arms being bound to her side and her body fall to the floor.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Fred screamed his wand raised the obvious caster of the binding spell.

"I don't know…" Remus shook his head, "She won't talk. I believe we need to get some veritirisum. Floo the safe house please."

Fred looked from the obviously fuming Hermione to the disheartened Remus. Hermione watched as Fred fought this inner debate and felt her anger intensify as he turned to do as he was told. Tom would have never left her tied up to do someone else's bidding. Tom also would not have tied her up for disarming someone who was trying to enter her mind without permission. She was not in the wrong here; she had every right to protect herself. Sure Tom had tortured her but that was in the beginning. He never hurt her physically or emotionally ever since the Brielle problem.

Hermione closed her eyes tightly. Did she make the right choice? Of course she did! What kind of thinking was that? She had Fred back. She had George and Ginny. She still had a fighting chance to kill…to kill Tom… the man she loved in a way that Fred would never be able to compare to. What had she done? What had Dumbledore done? What was she going to do?

Author's Note:

Alrighty. Well… I know it was far from an exciting chapter. I liked it, but I didn't like it. It's a very iffy chapter but I am following my outline. I guess I also really wanted to get this chapter up because everyone's review was just so touching! I never thought I would have so many people who enjoyed my writing so thoroughly and wanted me to write more.

The one favor I have to ask you is do NOT ask me who she is going to end up with because in all honesty…I have NO FUCKING CLUE!

All questions you have asked will be answered throughout the whole story. I did not finish the outline completely ::Sheepish Grin:: I've worked up to chapter seven but I think there will be approximately 30 chapters…

Anyway…Please…read… try and enjoy! I will not say when I can post but I will try not to make it too long in between!

Maria