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The Winter's Disgrace

Chapter 6

Notes:

Tom family is rich and with no heirs.
That's it.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Thursday 28° of January, 1943

Malfoy Manor.

Wool's Orphanage.

 Tom Marvolo Riddle,

 

As you must know, France is ocuppated by the Nazis. Fortunately, they couldn't find something of value yet and even if they decide to waste all their sources, they'll never be able to find what they are looking for… They are not mighty.

Thoros and I had been trying to contact you, but the efficiency of the messenger these days appears to be from the last century with the interventions.

Our families had been talking, requesting for us to be sent to the front as fast as possible. It's a shame that we had our rights restricted to participate for some misunderstanding. 

Thoros's father is furious with the disrespect to his son rights and is moving in the Ministry.

 

When the news arrives, we'll contact you again.

 

Sincerely,

Abraxas I. Malfoy.

 


 

 

The message was clear, the pureblood families were pressing the Ministry to accelerate the return of their kids to Hogwarts –the Muggle and Wizard war scaring the parents about their children's security– and with the most secure place of Europe closed for some investigation, the wizarding population went hysterics with the issue.

"Riddle," a timid voice said and the head of a kid appeared behind the door. "Mrs. Cole requests your presence in her office, now." 

That's new for sure, the woman was constantly trying to avoid him unless she needed a useful adult. And the kid looked like he was a second of crying, so choosing the obvious option he stood and directed to her office.

The first thing he felt was the smell and then the crush.

He knew that the old woman was a person that tended to drown her problems with whiskey but this time he knew it was different. If he had been stupid to not noticed it for the smell, the bottle that just hit the wall would have tell him pretty well. The room stinked with the beverage smell, the rosary beads strangling her hand, cutting the circulation; everything showed that she was out of her mind.

Hermione was sitting right in front of her, looking firmly to the desk where the woman was trying to drown herself.

"Close the door Tom Marvolo Riddle," her voice crawling in the air and Tom knew that something was absolutely fucked up. 

In all his year's in Wool's, Mrs. Cole had ever called him anything other than Tom or Riddle. She suddenly raised her head and looked him blankly in the eye -it was the first time that he felt something near to fear of her. Shivers running through his back.

 

"This Sunday Ms. Granger, you and I will go to church. Both of you will confess your sins, take the communion and make an appointment to get married to the next mass."

 

Marriage.

 

'What the fuck?'

 

"From now, Ms. Granger will be sleeping with me until the moment the both of you are united in sacred marriage. You will make her an honest woman, I know I have a part in all of these –after all I should have never allowed a young woman to sleep in the same chambers of a man– but I really have more faith in you." Her words clouded by the alcohol had a surprising clearance for him. "I will repair that mistake."

Tom just stared quietly.

In all his years in this orphanage, he had never been as shook as in that precise moment. The fury and madness building in his stomach along with the thought of converting her in his second…

 

No.

 

This was great.

She will be his, until death tears them apart.

Never.

Forever.

 

"Alright, we'll do as you say;but there's no point in her sleeping with you. She had been sleeping with me for a month unmarried. She will be my wife so there's no necessity in separing us now." It was out of discussion, his wife will continue to sleep with him. 

 

'His wife.'

 

That's when Hermione decided to look at him.

The idea of Mrs Cole becoming his second horcrux returning as fast as he noticed the blood in her lip and the red check.

 

 


 

 

Hermione was anxious, the 'London and North Eastern Railway' schedule looked to be taking its time to decide from which platform the train would part to York. 

 

She had awakened even earlier that day, leaving Tom's arms to enter in the kitchen where Mrs. Cole was preparing breakfast. 

That was the moment she needed to put into action her plans, starting with the simplest.

"I'm pregnant." The words were followed by a shocked face and then a slapp that threw her to the kitchen's floor. The tears rolling down her cheeks –she deserves an Oscar with this performance, really. "I-I..Tom… I don't know… The-We were sick and I keep- I keep being unconscious… My period is too late and that NEVER happened before… and he's the only one…"

 

'Piece of cake,' she thought.

 

Mrs. Cole was frozen in front of her, while Hermione decided to kneel on the floor to continue the act. She was perfectly aware that the older woman felt a little guilty and was ashamed of her mistreatment to her, and now she was implying that she had been raped by the roomate that she gave her; slapping her for something that was out of her control.

"Oh God, my child… I'm sorry. He- I never expected this from him…. He will make it up for you, I'll make sure. Don't worry, I'll make sure. He'll be responsible for his actions and the consequences. We shall pray, this child“

 

'Bullshit.'

 

Hermione thought while tasting the metallic in her tongue, but still nodded to Mrs. Cole words about the child being a blessing.

It didn't really matter, she just needed to make sure that Tom's stuck with her.

Keeping him under her control.

She had to see how the woman drank the life out of her while, waiting for Tom to arrive and give him the news.

Hermione also noticed that he wasn't annoyed with the idea of getting married or be a father but with something else.

She discovered it before the locomotive entered the platform.

 

"Don't ever let anyone touch you again. You will become my wife. I'm the only one that can make you bleed," Tom whispered to her ear behind her. "Am I clear?"

 

She only nodded, knowing that the machine would drown any words she said.

He kissed her, sucking the dry blood in her lower lip and grabbing her hand to get on the wagon.

"Perfect."

 

 


 

 

They had been three silent hours and a half in the wagon, Tom grasping her hand during the trip, both looking at the toddler that slept over the lady in front of them; when he stood up. York was almost four and a half hours from London by train, so this was obviously one of the middle stations; Hermione just followed him. Like the puppy he would like her to be until she got off the train and read the sign that indicated the name of the town.

 

Little Hangleton.

 

Her eyes directed like a gleam to his hands. There was no ring in any of his fingers.

As the realization entered her mind, her gaze raised to a certain hill, where an esplendid house stood.

'Son of…'

She didn't bring her wand, how would she explain the blood in her clothes –because if there was something that Hermione was sure about was that blood will be …spilled 

But Tom just pulled her, just as he took her from Mrs.Cole's office and walked into the village. 

The people looked. Some of them gap their mouths, others with confused expressions and some completely paralized by his image. There were only a few people that noticed the woman that walked next to Riddle.

Because that strange young man was a Riddle, nobody in Little Hangleton had a doubt. 

 

"Of who?""Maybe a cousin?""No, he's a copy of Sir Riddle""An illegitimate?""You mean bastard."

 

Hermione observed the man walking next to her, trying to find what was going on in his mind. 

'There are too many witnesses… Something is off, different for sure,' trying to remember what Harry had told her about Tom's visit to his family.

If they were going to kill the Riddles and Gaunts, it wasn't clever to show themselves like this. But Hermione was sure of one thing, no matter the timeline –Tom Riddle wasn't stupid. Maybe overconfident, but he always had a plan. 

She just needed to know it to assure that her own were primarily successful.

 

 


 

 

 

They return in silence but looking each other in the eyes. A golden ring with a black stone weighed in Hermione's finger. The Riddle Mansion deeds were light in Tom's pocket as well as the title of heir waited in his mansion for him to finish school –but Hermione had her consciousness calm, there was no blood in their hands this time. Only some Crucios, Imperios and Obliviates but nothing mortal that they need to clean.

 

//

 

The Gaunts were an easy task, entering the house with a simple parsel word –finding a drunk man in the kitchen, Tom just knocked him and took the ring that was in his little finger.

 

While he revised it –taking out his wand and starting to disenchanting the different curses that contained it– Hermione started looking around, paying attention to the house and the details. The golden portrait of an old man and the snake's carved in the wood floors and doors were the only reminders of better times for the house.

 

"Give me your hand," her fiance's voice resonated in the room, taking her ring finger while he adjusted it with the wand.

 

The Resurrection Stone.

The Second Horcrux.

 

She smiled at him, before turning to the pass out man on the floor, touching his forehead whispering "Obliviate"

'This was easy'

The only difficulty appeared when an older man crossed them while they were returning to the town. Screaming in what Hermione supposed was french and parseltongue. He looked out of his mind, throwing curses and spells –particularly to Tom.

 

"Crucio." 

That was it, the man convulsing over the grass for a few seconds and then the birds sang.

 

//

 

 

The Riddles were a different deal, shocked by his existence, the old woman was completely static over his image when she opened the door.

Tears filled her eyes while she invited them to the salon, explaining that her husband and son were in London –war taking them apart from there 

Then the interrogation.

Name, age, address –even his nationality– if he studies or works, where, what. How did he find them, what about before. The woman wanted to know everything about the young man who showed up at her door, the only weird gesture appearing when he named his mother –Merope Gaunt.

It was then that her eyes landed on Hermione, having listened quietly the whole conversation, she was prepared for any type of question or even aggression that the woman could throw at her.

 

"Hermione Granger, my fiance," Tom commented, paying special attention to his grandmother's reaction. "She's the reason why I'm here today, convinced me about how important Family Values are and that if we are gonna have a future together I couldn't avoid my past." He explained, the fake smile on his face growing as if he was the happiest man alive.

The old lady frowned a little bit at her presence, looking up and down –thinking that she was like the whore that corrupted his son.

And it was enough of the facade, a pity that her grandson could read minds.

 

"Imperio," his voice dropping the kindness in it. "It was getting boring anyway. Now, for what we came here."

 

 


 

 

"Would you prefer any date in particular?" Tom asked, his eyes moving slowly from the ring to her eyes, then her lips and over again. 

"Not really, maybe two weeks would be the best for preparations." Hermione answered calmly, even if her body was alert under the hunter's gaze –trying to appear like the prey that she was supposed to be. "I have no one to invite so I think it must be better for you to establish the day, so your acquaintances can attend."

 

"Well, but it must be soon, you must return to Hogwarts as my wife, Mea Dea."

 

Oh, she forgot about that part.

 

Well, not really, as if she could ever forget such an important detail. It's only that she focused her mind on the future wedding and birth that she ignored the next months in Hogwarts.

"Am I allowed to go?" Honestly, even if she would like to finish school in any timeline, it will be beneficial if she can stay outside of Hogwarts. Away from Dumbledore and future death eaters, preparing for the baby necessities and managing her new Mansion. "If I concur, it will only give me a month or two before giving birth…"

"Your only worry must be to not leave me," almost midnight and with only the light of the corridor on, his whispering came out as a threat while leaning over her. "Become my wife and give birth to a cute child, the rest is on me."

Hermione nodded and smiled, practising her role before letting her lips touch his.

 

'That's what I'll make you believe.'

 

 

 


 

 

Sir Thomas Riddle II

 invites to the Ceremony of Marriage of his son

Tom Marvolo Riddle

to 

Hermione Jean Granger

in York Minster, Deangate York

on Wednesday, February the third

Nineteen hundred and forty-three, 

at eleven o'clock a.m.

 

 

 

An answer is requested addressed to Lady Mary Riddle; Riddle Mansion, Little Hanglenton.

 

 

 

 

Notes:

Damn, this chapter took me a lot of time.

Honestly have already finished the story, its just that I'm not sure if I like it –pretty sure that I will constantly edit it.

Also I'm into new fandoms and new ships, so I'm spending my time reading fanfiction instead of writing, sorry. (Not sorry)

I'll try to bring the last chapter quickly but I make no promises and maybe is not what you want.

I'll also have some more ideas about this au, so maybe this will have a second part.
With the Riddles, the future deatheaters, the kid...
But next chapter is the end.

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