A Visit to Tom Riddle’s Apartment (Part 3 of 3)
Hermione is stepping out of the bus and walking towards Tom’s apartment, a bit later than she wanted ‘cause of traffic and some kind of accident, when her phone buzzes.
She grapples for her purse, ungraciously, half jogging, and freezes when she reads the text of the screen.
SOS, it reads. From Ronald.
Not good. Not good at all.
She clicks on it for more information, but that’s it. Just SOS, no further context.
What kind of emergency texting etiquette is this???, Hermione thinks exasperated, stopping at the front door of the apartment complex.
Elaborate, Hermione texts back.
Dots appear and disappear.
It does not make the situation better.
Her smartwatch tells her she has 6 minutes left before Riddle will make the same ‘late to work’ joke again.
Just spit it out, Ron, she adds, whipping her foot nervously.
Don’t be mad but, is the first line she sees and Hermione almost sighs the biggest sigh ever.
Don’t be mad but I went to Lav after work yesterday just to see her and I wasn’t planning on going inside her flat but I had to pee and then I kinda stayed and I fell asleep beside her and Mione she’s so amazing even when sick but that’s not the point, the point is, I woke up at her flat, with, don’t be mad, with a sore throat and itchy eyes and my nose is stuffed and I’m real sorry Mione I swear on Scabbers i didn’t mean to i just didnt think this through please dont be mad please please please i forgive you for the brownie and i wont even get mad if you bring riddle to my thanksgiving dinner this year okkkk??? :((????
You’re sick and can’t come to work, Hermione writes back.
Yeah :((, Ron answers.
Hermione closes her eyes, deep breath. It’s okay okay okay.
You didn’t go home, right? So Fred and George are healthy? Hermione adds.
No!! Didn’t want to get them sick, too. Will stay at Lav’s for the time, Ron texts back.
Good. Okay. I’m not happy with the situation, obviously, but I know you didn’t do it on purpose, Ron. Things happen. Get better asap and try to help each other recover. Drink tea, take warm baths, sweat it out, eat soup, rest and take your medicine, Hermione types, fingers strained and tensed.
Ye Mione! I’m real sorry, love yu :(((
Hermione smiles slightly, fondness in her eyes and types back, love you too. Greet Lavender from me.
“Tardy much, Granger?” greets Tom when he opens the door with a smug smirk. His sweater is a blood orange color and it’s precious. Precious.
Hermione’s heart glows a bit at his sight. It can’t seem to chill out now that she has given up and admitted to herself she is a bit smitten with him.
It’s nerve-wracking and annoying.
“Easy for you to say when you live here,” she quibs.
“Touché, Granger. Touché."
He makes to take off her jacket and she adds quickly, “Ron messaged me. He got sick, too, so we are down another member.”
Tom does not look stoked. Neither does he look shocked.
“But it’s fine! Maybe Bellatrix and the twins will get more work done when he’s not here to bicker with them, huh?”
C’mon. Bring back the smug smirk.
It works a little and Tom throws her a conspiring look, losing some frowning lines. “Fine. Let’s eat breakfast then and bet on when the others are going to arrive.”
Hermione slips her shoes off and makes a confused noise. “Not much to bet on when we know the official work time starts in the next 18 minutes, is it?”
The smug smirk is back, Hermione sees when she’s done slipping into the fluffy loafers Tom put before her. “Didn’t you see the flood of alerts in the group chat? They are stuck in traffic.”
“Oh, I muted the chat last night before bed. All of them?”
“All of them,” he agrees.
Huh.
“Even Bellatrix? I thought she lived right around the corner.” And she’d use the chance for one-on-one time with you. Well, and me involuntarily, Hermione thinks.
“Even Lestrange,” Tom scoffs. “She picked up Longbottom. Merlin knows why.”
Hermione’s eyebrows jump up. “Wow! That’s so –” unlike her “-- nice of her! I hope it doesn’t make her second guess being kind after it resulted in a traffic jam incident.”
“She probably started second-guessing the minute she said yes.”
“You would know. You’re the resident grumpy cat, stingy with favors.”
“I’m not stingy.”
“With favors you are.”
They step into the living room. “Name one time I was stingy when you asked me for something,” he says.
“Well, not with me but –” Huh. Hermione puts the thought away for later. “And I did notice you didn’t say anything against the grumpy cat part.”
“I decided it was too stupid to comment on.”
Hermione laughs. “Of course, grumpy cat.”
“I’m not grumpy.”
Tom turns towards her, looking grumpy.
“You’re grumpy right now!” Hermione points at his face.
Tom grabs her pointing finger. “Check your eyes, Granger. I’m not grumpy. I’m neutral.”
“You call that neutral?” She tries to point again but he hasn’t let go yet.
“It’s my normal face.”
“Your normal face is grumpy.”
“If you have to give it a name,” Tom relents, “call it a bitch face. Not grumpy cat.”
Hermione grins. “You’d rather be called bitchy?”
Tom moves her held finger until her hand forms a fist and puts it on his chest. Boom. Boom. Boom. She can feel his heartbeat. Steady. Loud. “Yes.”
She blushes.
He can be so shameless. Unbelievable. “I’ll make a note of it in my planner under preferred nickname.”
Tom smiles, the real one, before teasingly replying, “You do that, Granger. I’m looking forward to you calling me that infront of people.”
I would never, she thinks.
I know, Tom’s eyes say. Dare you.
OFFICE WORK CHAT
Fred Weasley: Traffic is kicking our ass, going to be LATE LATE.
George Weasley: [audio message] (cars honk loudly, people shouting, Fred singing a catchy song in the background)
Fred Weasley: George told me to tell you he sent that audio as proof of our honesty. Forgive us, Boss Lady. ← Still from George. I promised not to call you Boss Lady!!
Tom Riddle: Ok. Don’t spam the work chat.
Bellatrix Lestrange: Also stuck in traffic. Longbottom, too
Tom Riddle: Longbottom?
Neville Longbottom: she decided to pick me up! my car didn’t start :(
Ron Weasley: why would she
Bellatrix Lestrange: random acts of kindness. not that it’s ever any of your business
Ron Weasley: kindness? from you? who are you and what have you done to
Tom Riddle: Don’t spam the work chat.
Harry Potter: I don’t like to be a follower but I’m in the same STUCK IN TRAFFIC boat. Sorry, not sorry. This radio show I’m listening to is BONKERS
Tom Riddle: I have no idea what Slughorn saw in any of you.
Hermione checks the group chat and sits down on Riddle’s couch. She shakes her head and can’t stop the smile from coming out.
Hermione Granger: It’s okay, guys. Please use the unexpected free time to have some fun before work so we can get everything done efficiently later. Sing in the car, eat snacks, chat or listen to a fun radio show.
Harry Potter: you and riddle have the good cop bad cop routine down perfectly
Fred Weasley: thanks mum!
Hermione Granger: Fred.
Fred Weasley: Mum?
Hermione Granger: Don’t call me mum.
Fred Weasley: Roger that, boss.
Hermione looks up when a plate is put down in front of her. It’s a cheese plate. Cheese and cheese and cheese and crackers and grapes and cheese. There’s music on. When did he put music on? It’s soft music. Like in a fancy restaurant. Not loud but still there.
Tom puts another plate down. It’s french toast, bite-sized french toast. Sweet, savory.
“Cheese plate or french toast?” he asks.
"Both?”
Tom smirks and sits down beside her, their thighs touching. He’s so warm.
“Good. Now you,” he nudges.
“Ummm, cheese plate or french toast?” she repeats.
Tom laughs. “Cheese plate, but I meant another this or that question, Hermione.”
“Oh, we’re playing a game?”
“If you want to call it that,” he grins, “then yes.”
What does that mean? If I want to.
Her eyes fall on the bookshelf and she says, “Long books or short books?”
“Long,” he answers immediately.
That was fast. “Why?”
“I like to know everything about a topic. The obvious, the details. Everything I can possibly find out. Get the full picture. The whole experience. Immersion."
Makes sense, Hermione thinks. Fits him.
“Hot or cold weather?”
“Cold? No, hot. Mild? Depends.” Hermione cringes. “Sorry.”
Tom’s smirk fades and his eyes suddenly look a bit serious. He looks away and eats a cracker with a bit of gouda cheese. “I actually like that about you, Granger. You’re not a black or white person, but always more on the grey spectrum. The opposite of me.”
Hermione almost chokes on her own spit and her heart flutters like a moth. Oh Merlin.
Don’t blush.
Don’t scream.
Don’t kick your legs.
“Thanks,” she whispers, before clearing her throat. “Thank you. That’s –” the sweetest thing and I love you so much “-- really kind of you to say, Riddle.”
“Take a bite,” he responds and shoves the french toast plate in her lap. “Your turn.”
Is he trying not to make eye contact?
Did I say something wrong?
Should I have told him a compliment in return or ignored it?
Are his cheeks a little red? Are my cheeks red?
Have I ever seen him blushing? Seems unlikely. Would he blush on a date? Is he more the type for —
“Marriage or casual dating?”
Probably casual, right? Of course –
OH NO THAT WAS A PRIVATE THOUGHT.
Tom chokes on the cracker. He coughs and coughs when the doorbell rings.
OFFICE WORK CHAT
Fred Weasley: George told me to tell you that the guy on the radio just made a stunner of a joke, he’s an honorary Weasley trickster sibling now. More of a joker than you, Ronald. You need to work on your art, brother.
Fred Weasley: oops this is the office chat
Bellatrix Lestrange: I agree you’re a loser
Harry Potter: ohhh snap. Ron, a comment?
Lavender Brown: Ron is busy right now
Fred Weasley: Ronnie, don’t take your girlfriends phone
Harry Potter: ohhhh snap part 2. Ron, a comment?
Lavender Brown: you are horrible people and i will tell mum how you take part in bullying and a hostile work environment you wankers
Harry Potter: Ron you’re still on Lavenders phone you know
Lavender Brown: oh
Fred Weasley: I just screenshotted this chat and send it to Charlie and Ginny lmao
Ron Weasley: I hope Bellatrix eats all the blondies Neville made in the car while stuck in traffic and you get none of them
Bellatrix Lestrange: I did already
Harry Potter: ohhh snap rare winning comeback from Ronald Weasley
Hermione tries not to choke.
She doesn’t know if she’s glad for the interruption or disappointed. Tom looks confused and flustered and his hand moves weirdly at his side when he stands up. He walks to the door but he’s not fast enough for it not to ring again.
Tom presses the open button, Hermione gathers from the sound.
She’s held captive by the urge to follow him to the door or use the timeout to come up with a conversation change.
The weather, no. Work, no. A sudden phone call? Maybe. I could fake that, right?, she thinks in a trance-like state, overwhelmed by her own stupid thoughts.
Another sound: the door opens. One of the others, maybe.
Good way to end their conversation!
Again that weird feeling of glad and disappointed. UGH.
“Hello?” Tom sounds as if he’s repeating himself.
Someone answers. Sounds male, vaguely familiar but also not.
Hermione straightens up, back sharp. A bit of unease floods through her.
Not one of the others.
Where does she know that voice from?
“Pardon?” Uh-oh. Tom sounds posh and pissed.
The door closes. Tom rounds the corner, barely stepping into the living room.
“Hermione,” he says, pinched, “do you know a Cormac McLaggen? He’s at my front door. Apparently the absence notification of your email forwarded him to my address and he felt it prudent to appear here to inform you he could not get a hold of you.”
No.
He did not.
No no.
Please, Merlin.
She closes her eyes tightly and holds back a scream.
“He’s a client – No, he was a client. Calls the office once a week every –”
“Friday? Like today.” Short and snappy.
“He calls the office every Friday to talk ab–”
“To talk to you, apparently.” Ouch.
“He uses the official client hotline and asks questions–”
“Ah-ha.” He makes an agreeable sound that does not sound agreeable at all.
Is he angry at me? About something another man did?
Well, does?
A tight coil of frustration festers in her stomach.
“Don’t say it like that, Tom!”
Now she sounds short and snappy, too.
“How close does he think you are to make it okay for him to visit my residence?”
“Your residence? Are you a regency novel character? It’s not my fault!”
“Did you tell him he’s harassing you?”
“Not in that many words,” she answers, ”but I forwarded him to other workers, hung up on him and told him not to call for personal matters!”
“It seems,” he presses out between clenched teeth, ”he did not take the hint.”
“It appears so!”
“Did you file for harassment with HR?”
He says it like he already knows the answer, that prick.
“It’s not that bad!”
“He’s on the other side of my wall,” he states, deadpan. “My home. He visited my home because the notification said we were currently stationed here while the office gets rid of the rats. It was mentioned as a temporary post office address in times of need with the phone call rewired to my work phone. Only phone and post. No personal visits. But.”
“I correct myself, it wasn’t that bad before,” she agrees, whispery, helplessly. Fidgets.
They stare intensely until a knock interrupts them again.
“I–st–h—” Muffled voice.
“You will write to HR immediately.”
“Yes.”
“You will block his number from your work phone.”
“Yes.”
“I will get rid of him now.” Tom holds his hand out, holding Hermione at a distance when she stands up from the couch, hunched over and pouting. “You will stay out of his way.”
“Yes. Tom.”
He leaves. She stays in the room.
Holding her hands, sighing. Shaking her body in annoyance.
What a day. What a week.
What an idiotic thing.
OFFICE WORK CHAT
Bellatrix Lestrange: Longbottom says we arrive in half an hour. i need a bagel and an espresso so we will arrive in 45 minutes.
Ron Weasley: I’m not going to say anything but –
Bellatrix Lestrange: you just did. shush
Fred Weasley: first! we will be there in 20 approx. boss, can you come downstairs then cause we got some heavy lifting in the back?
Hermione Granger: Of course! We have espresso here, too, Bellatrix :)
Bellatrix Lestrange: i just spent two and a half hours in a car with longbottom and six flower pots and i am going to get a bagel and an espresso from the expensive coffee shop two streets down from tom. questions?
Hermione Granger: Happy eating/drinking! Can you bring the pistachio white chocolate cookie for Tom? I will pay you back of course. :)
Bellatrix Lestrange: ….yes but you owe me
Bellatrix Lestrange: stop with the smiles it’s making me itchy granger
27 minutes later Hermione and Tom make their way to the parking lot before his apartment house, waiting, watching each other from the side, not speaking.
It’s awkward.
‘cause of her stupidly embarrassing question or/and Cormac McLaggen, that barmy stalker. Doesn’t matter. Mood ruined.
What a piss of a lad, Hermione thinks surly.
She feels like pouting and whining but she has some pride.
Not much, granted, working for Slughorn does that, but enough still.
Boys, she sighs silently, just mouthing her lips.
At least McLaggen is gone now, hopefully forever.
A pale vomit green car parks beside them and Hermione hears them before seeing their figures.
“Freedom! Real air!” Rusty car hinges. A deep theatrical breath and red hair.
“Polluted air and freedom from the car only not work. Ehh, I’ll take it, Freddie boy.”
Two heads of hair, tall and lanky.
“Morning, Weasleys.”
Flinches.
“Boss!” Fred and George turn, and correct, “Bosses!” when they see Tom standing beside her, too. They cringe as subtly as their car looks.
audio file: 45 secs
“Ready? Welcome to Slughorn's Potions. My name is Hermione Gan– sorry. (...) My name is Hermione Granger and I’m going to show – hm, no – share with – no – give you a brief look into our everyday work here! Today, we – (...) Fred, are you sure the video is on? There’s no red dot on th– here, let me take a loo– Fred. You’re recording an audio file right now, there is no screen recordi–”
audio file: 15 secs
“Test. Test. Boop. Boop boop. Bloody bonkers. Boob. Boobs. Test test. (...) Mayday. Mayday!!! (...) haha. (...) sorry, boss.”
audio file: 20 secs
“I’m Hermione Danger – ah, Merlin, wait, again – Hello, I’m Hermione Granger and today I will give you a short look into our everyday work here at Slughorn’s Potions – Fred, what are you – [...] that’s still audio recording! Fred! Get George instea–”
audio file: 15 secs
“Hello! I’m Hermione and I’m going to take you with me today to give you a little [loud noise] And the door, of course. Silly me. Of course –”
audio file: 15 secs
“Hi! I’m Hermione and this is Slug – Can someone please get the door? Fred? Fred! [sigh] this day is –”
audio file: 35 secs
“Hi! This is Slughorn’s Potions and I’m Hermione and – yes, hello, Neville, hello, Bellatrix – I know, it’s fine, Neville, really, you don’t need to – We’re filming right now actually – wait, what do you mean there’s no red dot – [laughter too close to mic] George! You – don’t run away from me – get over here you –”
Hermione is on the loo, frantically searching for toilet paper when Tom’s voice comes from right outside the door.
“Are you bribing me?”
“Should I be?” Talking to Bellatrix it turns out.
“Your work is subpar today, even not taking into account the tardiness, and I just got an email with a complaint that you missed a scheduled call with a client. So, yes, you should probably bribe me.”
“Oh. Do you want a muffin?”
“This muffin? The one you just took a bite of? No.”
Steps. Tom walking away.
“Your loss,” mumbles Bellatrix, barely loud enough for Hermione to understand.
The walls of Tom’s apartment are very thin.
“Hermione, your phone is ringing!”
“Thank you, Harry, but just ignore it!”
“Okay, but it rang for the second time already, just so you know.”
“Yes, thank you!”
“Alright, seems urgent, though. Just a feeling.”
“Harry, I’m on the loo!”
“I know, I’m standing in front of the door.”
“It was a hint to stop talking, Harry! Obviously!”
“Do you want me to put the phone beside the door?”
“No! Just put it back, Harry! Are you stalling??”
“Yes!”, he whines, a dramatic breath behind the door. “The twins are on Riddle’s balcony filming a video project and Riddle is in his bedroom having a zoom meeting and it’s just Neville, Lestrange and me in the living room, Mione. It’s so awkward and weird because they are talking to each other! I think they became friends during the car ride, Mione! Bellatrix and Neville!”
A thunk. Hermione guesses he knocked his head against the door.
“Good!”
"Good?!"
“Bellatrix finally likes someone from the office besides Tom! Great news!”
“Hermione,” Harry sounds aghast. “Neville is a marshmallow and Lestrange is a thunder cloud. What if she corrupts him?!”
“Harry, Bellatrix is more like a fungus than a parasite,” Hermione calls back, her butt getting colder and colder. She’s been distracted from her toilet paper search by his ridiculous crisis. “And sometimes two unlikely people make the best duos!”
“Do not put that out into the universe, Mione!! What if they become best friends?!”
“Then maybe Bellatrix will be nicer, isn’t that a great possibility?”
No answer.
“Harry?”
Further pause, and then,
“Hermione,” his voice is grave. “Do not make me go back inside there alone.”
She gives up, on both the search and the conversation.
“Fine! Get me paper tissue from the kitchen, I can’t find the toilet paper!”
from: [email protected]
I’m sorry, Seamus and Colin, I tried my best to create some content for you but it’s been a bit difficult. Hope you still find something useful. Speedy recovery and well wishes,
Hermione
attachments:
- photo of Harry eating from the rest of the cheese plate
- photo of Bellatrix’s car with plants all over it, you can see Neville’s figure through the car window making the photo smiling
- a handful of audio files
- a video of Fred and George doing viral challenges for the new social media account for the office (it was their idea, obviously)
- snippet of Harry guessing answers on a radio show quiz show and getting all but one wrong
- snapshot of Tom on the zoom meeting, his client has a filter on that makes it look like he is on the beach with sunglasses on
- a photo of Neville and Bellatrix talking on the sofa (Bellatrix doesn’t look THAT annoyed, it’s a miracle)