Prologue
The big tower clock already stroke midnight, when a door opened in the girl's dormitory silently and secretly and a slender figure slip through it.
She was wearing nothing but a nightgown, which blew around her bare legs as she ran hastily down the stairs into the common room.
In her haste she did not see how someone stepped out of the shadow of the fireplace sofa and followed her.
Her way led through various corridors and finally to the stairs. Although her eyes wandered around again and again in fear to insure herself that Filch or his cat Mrs. Norris was not turn the corner, she didn't notice her follower.
Her destination was the dungeon, which was dustier at that hour than it usually was.
The last meters she became more and more anxious or panicky. Her heart was thumping like mad. Her eyes wandered more often around than before now.
Then finally the familiar picture appeared in front of her. It showed an old man in nightgown, who glowered at her, when the light of her wand stroked his face.
„You again…", he muttered unfriendly and crossed his arms. "Password?!"
"Mischief", the young woman with the lion's mane answered.
The painting swung aside and gave the view of a dark passage free.
She did not hesitate and pointed her wand at the door, which was only a few feet in front of her.
As soon as she entered, the painting swung back behind her, so that her pursuer had no time to follow her.
She knocked at the heavy oak door and listened.
Steps could be heard a moment later, the door was teared open with a violent jerk and a black-haired man in black robes stood before her.
Without a word he caught her in his arms and kissed her hungrily.
A little later they staggered over to the adjoining bedroom.
Her secret follower couldn't witness anything of their action, but he could guess what was happening behind the wall, which separated him from them.
Just before the tower clock could strike the fifth hour of the morning, Hermione awoke with a start and turned over to her Professor, who had shaken her out of her sleep.
"It's time to leave", he muttered coldly and showed her the door.
She sat up to do as she was told, but then she changed her mind and looked at him pleadingly.
"Can I stay?", she asked hopefully.
His face, which looked stonily before, turned into anger.
"No, go!", he said and grabbed her shoulder to throw her to the ground.
Her head was pounding, when it stroke the edge of the bed and she felt cheap because of that humbling treatment.
She bit her lip to swallow the upcoming tears and stood up.
She pulled herself together, while she went to the door.
The Professor was watching her like a big cat and couldn't calm down before the door clicked shut.
In the meantime her pursuer walked up and down the corridor or crouched down next to the painting trying to combat the fatigue.
In that moment he decided to abandon the picture swung aside again and the young woman stepped out.
She was crying while she pressed her hand against a huge bump.
Her follower felt sorry for her and wanted to huge her, but he had to be undetected.
He didn't follow her again, when she left the corridor.
The young Gryffindor didn't know exactly why she visits her potion teacher each night.
He was far from being an attractive man. He was not even nice. Some weeks ago he made her look like a fool in class and also she had sworn that day she wouldn't visit him again, she had visited him the same night.
He was surrounded by secrets, which was one of the reasons why she was attracted by him.
For her love was a secret which had to be uncovered.
She loved him as she had never before loved, although she knew that she wasn't more than a short affair.
He hurt her dreadfully tonight but there were no doubts that she would visit him next night again.
It was Hermione 's first love. She was young and naive. Desire made her blind and didn't allow her to realize the truth.
All too soon she would pay the price for her gullibility.