Chapter One:

"Revenge is barren of itself: it is the dreadful food it feed on; its delight is murder, and its end is despair." ~Friedrich Schiller

Hermione stared up and down the desolate street that had once been alive with laughter and hope. Yes Diagon Alley had changed, and rapidly. The once thriving village wasn't the only thing to change in such a short span of time. Hermione herself was a completely changed being. At age eighteen her hair reached her waist in loose curls, the weight of her hair keeping them unfrizzed. Her body was toned and littered with healed battle wounds. Her eyes though were the biggest change, her once warm, innocent brown eyes were no longer such. They were dull, cold, emotionless. The once outgoing girl now only spoke when necessary. The distinctive sound of apparation echoed loudly in the desolate street.

Shrinking back into the shadows of the closed down building she looked to her right and nodded slightly to the pair of eyes staring back at her. The second in command took this signal and passed it along to the others in their group. Hermione, the leader of this mission, waited patiently, quietly for their targets to step into view. The final battle, or what was supposed to be, had taken place almost a year ago. On that horrifying night Harry Potter, the boy who lived, their savior, fell dead by the dark lord's hand. The battle had frozen as hope filtered through the air and into nothing. What now? They lost the key to Voldemort's defeat, they were done for. Except they weren't. The battle raged on until the light pulled back. They went into hiding to mourn and regroup. Harry's body was recovered and believed to be burried some location near Godric Hallows.

Hermione knew differently though, she knew the truth. Harry was hidden safely away in the headmaster's office. The whole order knew from day one Snape was meant to kill Dumbledore. He was on their side and now he was their most valuable asset. Snape had recognized Harry not to be dead, but in a coma. It was a coma they had yet to bring him back. The black haired boy was as good as dead, so they let everyone believe he was. The approaching footsteps had Hermione stiffen, her wand gripped in her hand, her eyes searching for her target. The group she was with was small, and the last friends she had. Her second in command, Ginerva Weasley, crouched down.

Hermione scanned the locations she knew where her other fighters stood in attack stance. Slight movements were the only indication that Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, and Seamus Finnagin were even there. They were the only four to accompany her, they were the only ones who were willing to go against Lupin's orders. With Dumbledore, McGonagall, Harry, Mad Eye, Arthur, and Kingsley dead he took charge of the Order. Lupin specifically told them to forget this vengeful suicide but they couldn't, they wouldn't! They had all been there, they had all seen that traitorous bastard slit Ron's throat. They all had to suffer through him quickly killing the twins, a light of happiness in these Dark times. Now they will all sit through his death. They will kill the spares, and they will all take their personal revenge. For Ginny it had been her siblings, for Luna her fiancée Ron, for Seamus it had been friends, for Neville he lost his lover in George, for Hermione she lost her husband in Fred.

No one knew of their marriage, no one knew anything of their relationship except for Ginny and George. As Dean Thomas entered her sight, flanked by Malfoy junior and senior the brunette's breath hitched. This was their time, this was their turn to not care. Moving smoothly and silently she slinked through the shadows to behind the too overhappy men. They were rehashing a raid they had rathered enjoyed. Before Hermione could even form the killing curse with her lips a black cat streaked out from an alleyway. The bad omen had the two younger ones jump. There change of position had given Draco Malfoy enough time to spot Hermione's dark form. The battle began instantaneously, Hermione's comrades jumping out of the darkness to join in the fray. Lucius Malfoy had already summoned back up and they were outnumbered. Their anger and hatred for those dressed in the itchy robes kept them going, their spells hitting their targets. The cobblestone street was beginning to be stained with red. The dark sides blood mingled with the lights, forming pools of the dark sticky liquid.

Hermione, who was limping from a slicing hex to her leg and bleeding from her head due to a fall, searched desperately for her once housemate. He couldn't escape, they would fight until they died before they let him. The sparkling of a familiar gold chain around Lucius Malfoy's neck had Hermione stopping in her tracks. The blonde aristocrat smirked at her realization. No! It wasn't possible, how could it be? They had all been destroyed in the Department of Mysteries three years ago! The second right hand man of Voldemort walked confidently towards her knowing she recognized the small hourglass shape.

"It's a beautiful thing, isn't it? Time is the key to life... and death." His wand swished sending a nonverbal spell towards her. Quickly she blocked it, shocking Malfoy with the fact that it was nonverbal as well. She needed to get the Time Turner away from him. She knew there was no possible way for him to use that for anything but evil, "Tell me mudblood, how did it feel to watch your husband die?"

Her eyes snapped to his as they filled with anger and hatred. Her fingers itched to kill him but she had to be weary of the necklace he wore. She had to get it! "Don't you dare speak of him!" She hissed through her anger.

They volleyed spells back and forth. A female cry of pain had her turn to see Ginny fall to the ground, blood seeping out of her body, taking the life from her eyes. Hermione let out a strangeled cry and rushed Malfoy, who had turned to see the death of yet another blood traitor. Her small hundred and fifteen pound body slammed into his muscular and larger frame. She had caught him off gaurd though, causing them to topple to the floor in a heap. His momentary shock gave her enough time to rip the chain from his neck leaving an angry red line. Reaching into her pants wasteband she pulled out a knife and stabbed him straight in his chest, between the ribs and piercing the heart. Blood spurted over her hand and with the time turner grasped tightly in her hand she smirked viciously down at him, "Look at this Malfoy, you bleed red just like me. Who would have guessed?"

She pushed herself off of him covered in their mixed blood. Her eyes fell on the prone form of her friend, causing her to retreat further into her hard shell and make her look up. She spotted the dark skin of Dean scrambling through the mass of people. Her heart accelerated in hate as she rushed after him. Her chase was cut short though as she tripped over the fallen body of Dolohov. The time turner smashed under her palm, the glass slicing her skin. Her head bounced on the stone ground. Darkness swam in her vision as the wind blew the sands of the time Turner around in a cyclone. The brunette attempted to stay conscious but the blackness was too thick and consuming, engulfing her into its void.

A/N:

Okay so here is chapter one at my first attempt on a Tom Riddle and Hermione Granger fanfiction. I hope you enjoyed it. This will not be a pretty story and more then likely will not have a happy ending, it all depends whether I want to make this story the first of two. I know how this plot line will pan out and hope you all will be patient.

I do not have a beta but if anyone wishes to be one for this story let me know. I will be very grateful. I type on my cellular phone, and this word document does not have spell check. I try to re read through these but sometimes I will miss things. Be patient and enjoy!

3 Maria