Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter, that honor belongs to Miss J.K.
Rowling. Please R/R and don't flame; this is my first fanfic.
Moonlight Journeys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ChAPTER 1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He slipped out of bed quietly, hoping he wouldn't be noticed. He took a quick look at the clock. The old-fashioned handles told him all he needed to know. It was time for him to go or risk being late.
He donned the usual black Hogwarts robes swiftly and eagerly. He strode over to the window and glanced out quickly. Grabbing a red and gold scarf, his Astronomy book, a star chart, the Marauders' Map, and his Invisibility Cloak swiftly, he exited the dormitory.
She was sitting in an armchair by the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, staring dreamily into the flames when he appeared.
"Hermione?" he whispered anxiously. "Come on, we have to get a move on." She nodded like a small child taking orders from an adult and strode over to him briskly. He swung the Invisibility Cloak around their shoulders and they climbed through the portrait hole.
Pulling the Marauders' Map and his wand out of his bag, he whispered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." As he tapped the parchment and said the words, lines started materializing from the center of the dirty parchment to create a map of the school. "Well," he whispered to Hermione, "seems like there's nobody still up except for the house-elves in the kitchen." She nodded comprehensively and they started down the stairs.
Once they had slipped out onto the snow, she turned on him. "Harry!" she exclaimed, obviously in a rage. "What took you so long to get to the common room?"
"Well, I, well, I actually did fall asleep in my bed and only just woke up in a nick of time," Harry answered awkwardly.
"Harry!!!! You know you're not supposed to! I was waiting for at least fifteen minutes and I didn't want to come get you in case I woke the others up!" she stormed.
"I'm sorry Hermione. I was tired from Quidditch practice. It's been a long day," Harry replied wearily.
Hermione suddenly shivered, very cold, as though a sudden chill had come over her. "Are you okay, Hermione? Cold?" Harry whispered anxiously.
"I-I-I'm c-c-cold, but I-I-I'll be okay H-H-Harry, it's j-j-just a l- l-little ch-ch-chill, I'll get over it," she said, her teeth chattering. But before she had completed her sentence, Harry was taking off her scarf and handing it to her, as he hugged her tightly.
"Maybe we should go back. It is a little cold. I don't want you getting sick!" he whispered. "No, no, this is a great opportunity for studying tonight, see?" she asked, gesturing at the sky. "A perfect, cloudless night, and the moon is shining brightly. I'll be ok, really, Harry."
"Alright, alright," Harry said, defeated. "We'll stay." And he hugged her tighter as she buried her head in his robes.
And at that exact moment, somewhere in the castle, a light flickered on.
Moonlight Journeys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ChAPTER 1~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He slipped out of bed quietly, hoping he wouldn't be noticed. He took a quick look at the clock. The old-fashioned handles told him all he needed to know. It was time for him to go or risk being late.
He donned the usual black Hogwarts robes swiftly and eagerly. He strode over to the window and glanced out quickly. Grabbing a red and gold scarf, his Astronomy book, a star chart, the Marauders' Map, and his Invisibility Cloak swiftly, he exited the dormitory.
She was sitting in an armchair by the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room, staring dreamily into the flames when he appeared.
"Hermione?" he whispered anxiously. "Come on, we have to get a move on." She nodded like a small child taking orders from an adult and strode over to him briskly. He swung the Invisibility Cloak around their shoulders and they climbed through the portrait hole.
Pulling the Marauders' Map and his wand out of his bag, he whispered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." As he tapped the parchment and said the words, lines started materializing from the center of the dirty parchment to create a map of the school. "Well," he whispered to Hermione, "seems like there's nobody still up except for the house-elves in the kitchen." She nodded comprehensively and they started down the stairs.
Once they had slipped out onto the snow, she turned on him. "Harry!" she exclaimed, obviously in a rage. "What took you so long to get to the common room?"
"Well, I, well, I actually did fall asleep in my bed and only just woke up in a nick of time," Harry answered awkwardly.
"Harry!!!! You know you're not supposed to! I was waiting for at least fifteen minutes and I didn't want to come get you in case I woke the others up!" she stormed.
"I'm sorry Hermione. I was tired from Quidditch practice. It's been a long day," Harry replied wearily.
Hermione suddenly shivered, very cold, as though a sudden chill had come over her. "Are you okay, Hermione? Cold?" Harry whispered anxiously.
"I-I-I'm c-c-cold, but I-I-I'll be okay H-H-Harry, it's j-j-just a l- l-little ch-ch-chill, I'll get over it," she said, her teeth chattering. But before she had completed her sentence, Harry was taking off her scarf and handing it to her, as he hugged her tightly.
"Maybe we should go back. It is a little cold. I don't want you getting sick!" he whispered. "No, no, this is a great opportunity for studying tonight, see?" she asked, gesturing at the sky. "A perfect, cloudless night, and the moon is shining brightly. I'll be ok, really, Harry."
"Alright, alright," Harry said, defeated. "We'll stay." And he hugged her tighter as she buried her head in his robes.
And at that exact moment, somewhere in the castle, a light flickered on.