Sorry, can you make a Tomione prompt where Hermione becomes Tom's nanny from childhood, but Hermione doesn't age at all, while as time goes by, Tom starts to like his nanny.
This one is harder to do as a one shot, so this is gonna be multi chapter for as long as people are interested in it I suppose.
Hope you enjoy
~Kyoki
Some things were meant to change, some for the better, some for the worst.
Tom had learned that at the age of ten when his father had come to the orphanage and collected him. It had been strange, going to the Riddle manor, of being away from the other children.
Part of him wondered if his father had just found out he was at an orphanage or if the man had known all along and had left him there to rot. He never asked, a part of him assuming the worst of his father.
It was easy to believe as well, the man seemed to be distant, almost as if he was put out by the very idea of Tom. It made him wonder why his father had even bothered to come get him. He received an answer almost as soon as they got to the manor.
Tom starred up mildly surprised, not having expected that his father would live in such a fine place. He felt a bubbling of resentment towards the man. All this time he lived in luxury and Tom had suffered for no reason.
"This is where you live?" he asked. Surely there was a mistake. Perhaps the man lived here as a servant.
"Where you will live as well, with myself and your grandparents" Thomas Riddle Sr answered, not looking at the boy who bore his name.
"My Grandparents?" Tom was surprised by this, had he just received an entire family in a matter of hours?
Tom Sr nodded, but said nothing more as they pulled the Lagonda LG6 into the driveway of the manor. Tom looked out the window, seeing some people gathered out front. Tom's eyes passed by them, wondering which were his grandparents, if any of them.
Tom's father got out of the car, going to his side and opening the door for him "Come on boy" he commanded, "Time to meet the staff"
Tom kept his face blank as he slid from the car. Anyone else would have felt nervous or overwhelmed, but Tom kept his emotions behind a tight mask.
Thomas Sr put a hand on the boy's back, guiding him forward until they stood before the steps.
"This is my son , Thomas Riddle Jr." the man boomed, looking at the employee "as my heir he is to receive your full respect and dedication"
There was a chorus of agreements from the staff.
"Where is Hermione?" Tom sr asked, looking through the crowd of people.
"I’m right here Lord Riddle" a girl said. Tom watched as a girl around the age of 19 came from the back of the crowd. Tom noticed two things as the girl appeared from behind the crowd, the first is she looked rather thin, her figure looking like she rarely ate, much like himself.
The other thing he noticed is the way his father looked at the girl. Tom had seen some of the men that delivered goods to the orphanage look at some of the nuns the same way. He also noticed how his father opened his arms, as if expecting the girl to walk into his loving embrace.
Hermione had other ideas, instead she stood next to Tom, smiling at him.
"Tom, this is your nanny, Hermione Granger."
"Nanny?" Tom asked, taking a closer look at the girl in front of him. Weren't nannies supposed to be older? "I'm too old for a nanny" he stated.
"Nonsense," his father stated, placing his hands on the girls’ shoulders, stranding behind her like an imposing figure. "I kept my nanny until I was 18 years old. She will be in charge of your needs, education and in charge of your budget as well.
"Budget?" Tom inquired. This was all new to him, he had his own budget?
"Yes boy, your budget" Tom Sr stated looking frustrated. Tom half expected the man to lose his temper and try to hit him, but the nanny, Hermione took a step forward, turning around to face tom sr instead, giving him a smile "He's probably overwhelmed Tom" she said sweetly, "Remember I was overwhelmed by the idea as well" she took his father’s hand in her own, giving it a light squeeze " He will adjust quickly"
Tom's father looked at Hermione quietly as if contemplating whether to punish her or not for protecting the boy from his wrath.
"Very Well Hermione, you know what is best for him"
Hermione nodded, waiting for his father to leave before she turned to Tom.
He was expecting her to sneer down at him like the nuns at the orphanage had, instead she turned a smile to him, and he noticed that it didn't quiet reach her eyes. "Hello Tom, it's nice to meet you" she said, holding out her hand for him to shake. He reached out and took her hand, secretly liking the warmth of her.
"It's nice to meet you as well" he said, watching her as she went to the back of the car, and opened the boot, pulling out his only belongings. Whatever she was thinking she kept close to her chest, cause Tom didn’t sense the normal pity or disgust coming from her.
“Are you and my father… friends?” he asked curiously. Would this young women be his step mother?
The girl looked mortified for half a second, before she schooled her features “No, I’m an employee, nothing else” she responded
Tom nodded quietly, following the girl into the manor, wondering what all waited for him in the future.
____
Hermione was a constant figure in his life from the moment he met her. She helped him with his thirst for knowledge, knew his favorite foods and kept them on hand, despite their rarity from the war. She didn't talk down to him like most adults did, she talked to him as if they were the same age.
It was refreshing.
Hermione herself was different than most adults. She didn't look down on him because he was a kid, but there was more to it then that. She was intelligent, kind, cunning. Special like himself.
It was about a week after he arrived that he overheard a conversation between Hermione and his father.
"We could always get rid of the boy, start anew" he heard his father say, making Tom peek into the room.
"That would be highly Irresponsible Lord Riddle" Hermione had said, looking rather uncomfortable "Plus I told you, i want to be here for Tom"
Thomas Sr took a step towards her, bringing Hermione into his arms as if they were long time lovers. He buried his face into her neck. Tom watched as the girl stiffened under the man's touch, but didn't move away.
" I've told you, Tom is special" she said the words so softly he almost couldn't hear her "Like his mother, like me"
Thomas sr stiffened, moving away from her "must you remind me of that?" he demanded.
Hermione pulled fully away from him. "It's merely the truth." She looked towards where Tom was peeking in and caught him, her eyes locking with his own. She didn't say anything though, merely looked away and continued her conversation with his father.
Tom had left, wondering if Hermione was really like himself. If she was, then his mother might have been as well. It was an interesting concept, for he knew his father was ordinary as were his grandparents.
It was later that same night that he approached her.
“What you said to my father earlier, about my mother being special, what did you mean?” He asked her curiously, putting down the book he was reading .
Hermione who had been sitting across from him reading her own book “ looked up giving him a stern frown “ eavesdropping is below you Tom” she commented before closing her book.
Tom didn’t answer, merely waited for her to continue.
“Do you think I wouldn’t notice? The strange things that happen around you?” She asked him gently “ or how the other kids at the orphanage feared you?”
“How did you know-“
She cut him off by raising her hand “ I’ve known about you for a long time. Unfortunately I could only get to you now”
“How do you know about me?”
“I did research on your mother’s death. She’s distantly related to my dad’s step sister. I wanted to connect our families again, but found out that she had passed, but not before giving birth to you.” she leaned forward looking at Tom “It took me two years to find your father and to convince him to bring you back here.”
Tom was surprised she was telling him the truth about his father being reluctant in taking him in, most adults would treat him like a kid, would tell him that his father loved him dearly, that he was a normal kid. Hermione didn’t seem to see him as a kid, but as an equal.
“How did you convince him?” he asked curiously. Did she threaten him or scare him into submission?
He noticed how she wrinkled her nose as if smelling something foul.
“That doesn’t matter, what matters is that you are here now and so am i” she gave him a smile “and together we can do anything”
Tom frowned at his nanny, a little upset that she didnt tell him how she subdued his father. “Tell me how you control him” he sadi the words firmly, his fists clenched till his knuckles were white.
Hermione looked at his fists and sighed softly. “You should work on your anger, it will get you nowhere” she replied gently “ I didn;t subdue your father, everything he is doing is his own choice. He just believes in an outcome that will never bear fruit. An outcome he fabricated by himself.”
“Is that why he was talking about having another child and getting rid of me?” he asked
He noticed how she stiffened slightly” Heard that did you?” she sighed softly, “Yes, he believes us to become lovers.” she smiled softly “but you don;t need to worry about that. You won’t be having a sibling”
Tom pondered this for a minute, feeling a sense of relief, though he wasn't sure why. Some part of him didn’t want Hermione to focus on anyone else. He enjoyed their time together, reading, conversing, and being educated. It was refreshing. He could see her with another child, playing with them, teaching them. He didn’t like it at all.
He felt it then, the thing that made him different came roaring to life. He felt the flames before he understood what was happening, the darkened fireplace between them bursting into high flames for no reason. To anyone ese it would have sent them into a panic, but Hermione just looked at the fire as if amused “YOu know, my first bit of accidental magic was turning my cat blue” she informed him.
“Magic?” he asked, watching as the flames crackled.
“Yes Tom, Magic, you have it, as do I. That's what makes us special” she gave him a smile “You’re a wizard Tom.”
“You’re lying” he replied setting eyes on her, watching her coldly “You think i’m stupid”
Hermione frowned at him “I think you are many things Tom, stupid was never included,” she replied “You don’t have to believe me, you’ll see once your letter arrives in the summer.”
“Letter?”
Hermione smiled at him , brightly “ Yes, your letter to Hogwarts.” she responded before getting up and putting her book away “I have a meeting with your father, i’ll be back later and we can talk about it then.”
Tom nodded, watching her go, his mind whirling with possibilities, especially if she was telling the truth. He would just have to get her to show him her ‘magic’ and see if she was lying or not.
