[I don't own any of these characters. None. not that I don't wish I did.]
Hermione woke with a start sometime after midnight. Jolting up in bed, she peered wildly about, as though terrified that someone – or something – was there. After a moment, she gave a sigh and leaned back into her pillows, her heart racing. A nightmare. It was only a nightmare.
This wasn't the first time that this had happened, at least, not to Hermione's knowledge. For the past month, she'd been having these horrible dream... that is, she thought the were horrible. She never could remember what had happened in them, but she knew there was a mirror, a great, ancient one bordered with jewel-studded oak. You don't think that that's scary? You're wrong. Thinking of it terrified Hermione to bits, and there was no answer as to why.
Willing her heart to be still, Hermione rose from her bed and made her was to the pitcher by the window. After pouring a cold drink for herself, she sunk into a chair and stared out at the night, waiting for sleep to tug at her mind and lure her back to bed. The moon shone like a diamond in the sky, casting a peaceful glow over the world and lulling Hermione into a sense of complete safety and tranquility.
Staring out over the moon-lit world, Hermione's gaze fell upon a small shadow slinking along. Rising, she slid open the window and stuck out her head, intently watching the shadow sneak across the log. Was it a person? What were they doing out at this time?
It's not a person, she suddenly realized, it's a coyote. But what was a coyote doing here? She'd never seen a coyote slinking about Hogwarts. Oh my gosh, it's a person, transfigured, here to destroy the mirror! she suddenly concluded. I've got to tell Dumble-
What was she thinking!? A mirror? Why would someone want to break a mirror? She'd probably never seen a coyote here simply because she'd never looked, seeing gone now didn't mean a thing. It was that nightmare, that was all. She was just worked up, and now she was seeing things.
Granger, get a grip! Hermione ordered herself, sliding back into her bed without so much as a yawn. She didn't feel at all tired, but still she lay there in the dark, waiting for sleep to claim her.
Only half-awake, she sleep Hermione mumbled, "Five more minutes..."
There was the sound on cloth rustling, and Hermione felt someone shaking her. "But classes start in fifteen minutes! Get up!"
"What!?" For the second time that day, Hermione jolted up out of bed, this time with a frantic look on her face. "Fifteen minutes!? Why didn't someone wake me? I'm going to be late!" She leapt from her bed and dove toward the shower, missing the reply of, 'We didn't think you'd sleep this late!' which was called after her.
Even after the five-minute shower she'd taken, Hermione still felt as though she'd only gotten to sleep a couple of hours ago (which was a lot more true than you might think). Using a spell to dry her hair, Hermione shoved her things into a bag and tore down the stairs to get a bite of breakfast before Charms.Hard as she might try, Hermione found it very difficult to keep her mind on Anti-Cheating Charms. Memories of the past night flowed through her mind, making her restless, and causing her to wish very dearly that she hadn't been forced to sit by Draco, where the only remaining seat had been, so that she might talk to them. Why did that nightmare keep haunting her? Had she seen that mirror before, or was it simply a figment of her imagination? She had to find out, and she would, right after these classes. Right now, the most she could do was write notes.
So she did.
Yes! Hermione silently cheered, as she escaped a horrible double potions period taught by none other than the slimiest, greasiest person at Hogwarts. Harry and Ron accompanied her, although they didn't make the slightest effort to suppress groans when she trouped into the library.
"Oh, be quiet," Hermione muttered, selecting a very think book and flipping through the faded pages of it's index. "And help me look, will you?"
"Help you look? How can we help you look when you haven't told us what you're looking for?" inquired Ron, earning himself a disgusted, if incorrectly used, glare from Hermione.
"Mirrors."
"Mirrors?"
"'Member my dream?"
"Dream?"
"Honestly, Ron! The nightmares!"
"So what about them? That doesn't mean that this mirror exists."
"It exists. I know it does. You're looking for a old mirror with rubies in its frame and strange symbols at the top." With that, Hermione became very interested in looking at her book and answered no further questions.
"Oh, come on, Hermione! There's nothing here! It was only a dream; there's not a real mirror." Harry looked rather fed up as he slammed 'Ancient Magical Wonders' shut and added it to the tower pile of book they'd checked.
Hermoine looked up as though shocked. "But, Harry, I know it's in here! You two go on to dinner, I want so spend a little longer here, I really thin that this book has it..." And she flipped to the back of the book and looked up 'The Mirror of Erised' as her friends made for the door with promises to return later.
"Page 792, Desrever Mirror, The..." Hermione mumbled; her eyes suddenly grew wide as she turned to the correct page. "Oh!"
"What is it, 'Mione?" questioned Harry, looked at her from around the door.
"Ron! Harry!" Hermione called softly. "Look!"
Her pals scurried over, giving her strange glances as they read about The Desrever Mirror...