I own nothing!!!! Not one little thing in this story!!! I figured it is safer to say that then to get sued… which I really wouldn't like!
Feel free to R/R however, no flames. This is my first HP fic! Different from what I am use to. I figured since I liked reading the fanfiction, I'd give it a go myself.
Be kind! Besure to Review! Stary
The OWLs were upon them. It was only three weeks until all the fifth years at Hogwarts would be crammed into the classrooms taking tests that would drain the knowledge right out of them. Every fifth year seemed to be on edge during the last few weeks of class. Students filled the common rooms all with open books. All the younger years feared to make a lot of noise during this time and the older years thanked their lucky stars that they were done them.
"I'm never gonna be able to pass potions!" Ron cries out, startling his friends who were immersed in their studies, "Honestly, what point does changing the color of a potion have in the long run?!"
"Honestly Ron, can you PLEASE stop whining!" Hermione tells him, "I am utterly sick of it!"
"Well you're in poor spirits." Ron says growling at his bushy haired friend.
"Because you won't shut up!" She growls.
"I have every right to be worried about the OWLs. Not all of us are as perfect as you Hermione."
Harry snickers at his comment, but refuses to look up from his Defense against the dark arts book.
"What are you laughing about?! Always taking his side are you?" Hermione exclaims, annoyed at the fact that Harry would even think about laughing when she was this irritated at their red-headed friend.
Harry sighs, he knows better than to argue with Hermione, he'd just lose, "Not at all Hermione, but if I could say this, you are the one person who should be least worried about the OWLs. You are the best in our year and you know it."
"I am not. I need to study just as hard as you! And if two would just pay more attention in your classes and not always depend on my notes from class you would not be as worried!"
Harry shakes his head smiling as he turns his attention back to his work. He watches Ron switch to the History of Magic and hears his groan once again, "What is it now?" Hermione asks, flustered.
"History of Magic, what a total bore. Why do we have to sit there and learn about something that happened ages ago?"
"Are you mental!" Hermione says, "You need to know about it because it was our past! It is exactly what happened to obtain the certain charms! It is telling you everything that you need to know in order to succeed as a wizard or witch!"
"I just feel that it was in the past! Things of the past are boring. They should not be revisited."
"What in the world are you talking about?!" Hermione says with venom in her voice, "I really…"
"I don't think he really knows." Harry says, smiling, getting a grin from Hermione, "He's just trying to get a rise out of you, isn't that right Ron?"
Ron smiles and shrugs his shoulders, "I would like it if you would quiz me later though Hermione."
Hermione pinches the bridge of her nose, possibly from annoyance, "Ron… sometimes… just once…." She can not finish her thought and chooses to just stay quiet.
Harry laughs and pats Hermione's arm to get her to calm down. She smiles at him, "Quiz me on the Defense of Dark Arts. That is the one subject I am quite nervous about."
"Even after all that training for the 'DA'?" Harry says.
"Especially after that. I really don't want to forget anything." She sighs.
"You ought not worry about this Hermione. You are gonna do fine." Ron says, trying to redeem himself for the bit of torture he has put her through.
"You are wasting my time." Hermione says, closing her book, turning her back to Ron and focusing on Harry, "Well, on with it Harry."
Harry thinks about important questions that would possibly be on the OWLs. He spends the next hour quizzing Hermione, who is getting more frustrated by the second, "You are thinking about this too much 'Mione. You know this stuff."
"I know I do!" She practically shouts, "I don't know where my head is tonight!"
"Maybe you just need some sleep." Ron suggests, looking at the clock on the wall, "It is after all almost midnight."
"Maybe I just have to face it. Maybe I just have to realize that Defense against the Dark Arts is no longer within my reach."
"That's not true."
"Sure it is! I can't even get a proper patronus."
"You did it the other night." Harry reminds her.
"Yes, but have I done it since? Can I still do it? I have no idea." She groans, grabs her books and stands up, storming away from her two best friends, muttering as she leaves.
"Blimey. What was that about?" Ron asks.
Harry shrugs, "Maybe the pressure is getting to be too much for her to handle."
"She bloody well knows that she is going to do fine with the OWLs. It's us who need to worry." Ron says, as he and Harry work on potions together for an hour before they too retired to the four post beds in the Gryffindor tower.
They next morning, as usual they all woke up and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Normally Hermione is waiting for them in the common room, however today she wasn't, "Where do you think Hermione is?" Harry asks his red-headed friend.
"Dunno. Maybe she went off to study some more first. You know how she is always working in the library."
"Could be." He says, "You think we should wait around and see if she is coming?"
"She'll be around shortly I suppose." Ron shrugs.
Ginny comes down and says, "Looking for Hermione?"
"Yeah." Ron says, "You seen her?"
"Yeah, she just woke up. It will be a bit before she gets around I suppose. She slept in late for her." Ginny smiles, "That's good I suppose. She was in a bit of a mood last night."
"Tell me about it." Ron says, agreeing with his little sister. "Right, well then let's go. She'll catch up."
"Right." Harry says as they head down to the Great Hall. Harry and Ron were just about done eating when Hermione showed up. She looked a bit disheveled as she sits down in her usual seat next to Harry, "All right Hermione?"
"I'm fine." She says, pouring herself a glass of juice and a piece of toast.
"That all you're eating?" Ron asks, through a mouthful of oatmeal.
Hermione turns her head away in disgust, "Unlike YOU I don't have to stuff my face at every meal. I'll thank you to keep your nose out of my eating habits." After eating a couple bites of toast and a sip of her juice she pushes the plate away.
Harry looks at her with a bit of concern, "Feeling alright there Hermione?"
"Fine." She says, feeling her temperature raise. The truth is she was not feeling alright. She felt utterly exhausted, hot and cold all at the same time, and nauseated. She could not bear to look at food let alone eat it.
"You're looking a bit pale 'Mione." Ginny says.
"I'm fine." She says again getting annoyed. She could NOT be getting sick. The OWLs were less than three weeks away now and she has a lot more studying to do, "We best get off to potions." She says, standing up at the table, a bit too quickly feeling herself start to sway. She grabs the table to balance herself, before heading out of the Great Hall.
Harry and Ron follow their dragging friend to their most hated class with their most hated Professor. Ron and Harry watch Hermione at the end of their table. She sat in silence with her hands folded on the table, her chin resting on top of them. Her eyes were glazed over as she stared off into space. This was not the usual behavior of Miss Granger.
Professor Snape must have also realized that his normal know-it-all pupil was not paying attention. He asks the class a question that normally Hermione would jump up out of her seat to answer, however as he watched her, he realized that she was in no way going to answer his question. A cold sneer came over his face, "Miss. Granger, I am utterly surprised." He sneers, getting Hermione's attention quite suddenly, "No comment? No answer? Could it be possible that you were not listening in my class?"
"I'm sorry sir." She says, her cheeks begin to flush with color.
"Or is it that you honestly don't know the answer to my question. Could it be that you are not the know-it-all everyone has made you out to be?"
Hermione looks away from the grilling Professor Snape. Her eyes are downcast as if she was staring a hole through her potions book. She felt as if she could craw into a hole and die.
Harry glares at Snape with total hatred for what he is doing to his best friend, "Would you care to answer the question Potter? Increase Miss Grangers utter humiliation by answering the question that she failed to do so?"
"No sir." Harry says.
"Well then, might we continue, and Miss Granger, I would suggest you begin to listen when you are in my classroom, although it is quite a nice change in pace not hearing your voice calling out every minute or so. Shall we continue?"
"Yes sir." Hermione says, her eyes still staring a hole in the book.
Harry was actually beginning to worry about her. This is not the Hermione that everyone knows. She is very withdrawn. She is always involved in the class, no matter whose class it was. Harry put hand on her forearm and gave it a reassuring squeeze as Snape had his back to the class. She looked at him and sighed, trying desperately to focus on what Snape was saying.
"Just focus." She keeps telling herself, "Get through the classes and then I can go back to the tower and study, or better yet to the library. Get through today and I'll be fine."
The class watches Snape write on the board about what they were going to be using in their potions. After the informative part of the lesson they began their hands on part.
Ron and Harry struggle through the potion. They were supposed to turn the potion a deep violet color. So far, Harry manages to make his blue and Ron had somehow made his orange, "Orange is close enough to purple right?"
Harry laughs, "Only if blue is."
"Bloody hell Hermione! What is taking you so long?" Ron asks his drowsy friend.
"Bugger off." Hermione growles at him. She was only on the third step when Snape came around to check their work.
"Well Miss Granger, you seem to have caught up with your friends in getting a big, fat, zero for your effort today. It seems you have been hanging around with them so long that what little talent you had, has left you. Potter, Weasley, Granger, zero's."
Hermione shot him a look that would turn any rock to dust, not gone unnoticed by Snape, "Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape says smoothly as a response for Hermione's lack of effort and hellish look. "Homework tonight is to be 12 inches high. It will be on why your potions did not work. Figure it out, write about it, and turn it in. Dismissed."
Hermione, Ron, Harry, and the rest of the class pack up for their next class, "Hermione, are you sure you're alright?" Ron asks.
"Fine."
"Maybe you should go get some sleep. It looks like you haven't slept in weeks."
"I'm fine!" Hermione says, louder than she intended to be, "Just let me be."
Harry shakes his head at her, "Hermione, maybe you should skip Defense against the dark arts and get some sleep…"
"Thank you Harry for that, but no." She growls, and heads into the next class.
After the class ended, Harry and Ron parted ways with Hermione to attend two different classes. Hermione is glad to be away from the two boys. She didn't want to admit to herself that she wasn't feeling well, let alone to those two mental friends of hers.
Lunch came quite quickly after. Hermione joins them, once again barely touching any of her food. They head off to their last classes of the day, and then met in the common room to study a bit more for the OWLs before dinner. The three of them sat in their normal chairs by the fire, books spread out over the tables before them. Hermione had since moved to the floor, laying her head on the table as she worked on her homework for Snape. Her entire body felt heavy as she tried to remember where she went wrong with the potion. Her eyelids kept drooping as she continues to press on with her homework. Finally she gives up, stands up and says, "I'm going to head up to my room and do a bit of studying."
"Right." Harry says, "See you for dinner?"
"Yes." Hermione says, as she walks up the stars towards the girl's dormitory.
At six O'clock the boys are patiently waiting for Hermione to come accompany them to dinner. "Maybe she is still studying?" Ron says.
"Probably." Harry sighs, "She'll catch up."
"You don't think she's sick do you?"
"I don't think she's feeling too well right now." Harry tells his friend, "But it's Hermione. She'll push through it."
"She's so stubborn. She'll never admit that she is sick."
The boys go and eat without Hermione. Ginny comes over to the table and sits across from Harry and next to Neville, "You seen Hermione?" Harry asks Ginny.
"Yeah, she's up in the girl's dormitory."
"Doing what?"
"I dunno. Studying I reckon."
"But you said you saw her."
"I did Harry, but I don't know what she was doing. You know how mental Hermione gets before tests. Do you think I'd wanna bother her?"
"Oi, I wouldn't either." Ron says to his sister.
"Hermione's in the tower sleeping." Katie says, as she overhears their conversation, "I reckon she's not feeling too well."
"I didn't think so." Harry sighs.
"I checked on her before we came down to dinner and she told me she wasn't hungry, so
I left her to sleep." Katie shrugs and heads off to meet with her other friends.
"I should go check on her." Ginny says, standing up.
"No, I will." Harry says, "I'm done eating anyway."
"You can't get up there." Ginny says, "The alarm will set off in no time!"
"Use your cloak." Ron says, behind food.
"My thoughts exactly. Will it work though?"
"Couldn't hurt to try." Ron shrugs.
"I don't know if that will work or not." Ginny says, deep in thought.
"I can try can't I?"
Ginny shrugs, "It's your funeral if Umbridge finds you."
"She won't." Harry says as he walks off to the Gryffindor Tower. He grabs his cloak from his trunk and heads back out to the common room. He stops at the bottom of the girls stairs and pulls the cloak around him. He holds his breath as he climbs up the stairs, praying along the way that he doesn't set off the alarm. For some odd reason, unbeknownst to him it did not set off. When he reaches the girls dormitories he heads straight for the room on the far right, and finds Hermione in bed, her books spread all around the foot. He slowly goes over to her bed and sits at the foot of it, "Hermione." He says, as he watches her shiver under the blankets. He pulls off the cloak realizing that no one else is there, and puts his hand on her forehead. He pulls back in alarm at the heat radiating from her. He's tempted to go and get Ginny and tell her to get someone to help her, but instead he stays right next to her, "Hermione, wake up."
She groans and turns her head, looking up at the blurry face looking down on her, "Harry?"
"Yeah." He says.
"What are you doing here?" She mumbles, closing her eyes again.
"Checking up on you. You alright?"
"Fine." She says, her eyes still closed. "How did you get up here?"
"Cloak."
"MMMMh." She moans.
"What's going on?" He says, as he watches her features mellow.
"I'm just tired." She says.
"Come on Hermione, you are burning up."
"No I'm not." She fights, but is not winning.
"I think we should take you to the hospital wing." He says.
"No." Hermione says, "I need to study. I can't study there."
"You need a potion or something. You're not well Hermione."
Hermione opens her eyes again and looks up at him, tears pooling around her deep caramel eyes, "Don't make me go." She says.
Harry shakes his head, "Well… I'll just come back up and check on you in a bit." HE pulls on his cloak, but is stopped by Hermione.
"Will you stay with me?" She asks, looking up at him. Her cheeks flushed with fever. She looks pathetic really, very vulnerable. Harry smiled and put the cloak aside. Hermione smiled weakly as he put the cloak on the foot of her bed. Harry smiles at the side of Hermione that no one has ever seen before.
"So, how are you really feeling 'Mione?" He asks.
"Horrid." She says, lying back on the pillows, curled on her side. "My head, my stomach, my body, everything hurts. I can't be sick Harry, we've got the OWLs coming up."
"And if you don't take care of yourself then you won't be taking the OWLs at ALL this year. You've worn yourself down Hermione. You can't keep going at the speed you are going."
"Please don't preach." She says, rubbing her temples.
"Sorry, but it's true." He says, "You need rest."
"I know." She says, tears flowing down her pale cheeks. She closes her eyes and wipes the tears away from her cheeks. Harry stays with her as she drifts in and out of a very uncomfortable sleep. Harry spends the time reading over her Dark Arts book, keeping a close eye on his best friend. Ginny comes into the room within about fifteen minutes to tell him that everyone was going to be staying far away from Hermione with the OWLs coming, so it was just Harry and her for the time being. No one else wanted to risk the flu she has.
Nearly thirty minutes later, Hermione wakes up with a start and rolls over to the side of her bed. Harry is oblivious to her being awake until he hears the horrible retching sound. Grimacing a bit as he realizes that she was vomiting over the side of her bed, he quickly pushes past the disgust and sits next to her, holding her hair back and rubbing her back as she continues retching. He ignores the puddle of sick that was beginning to develop on the floor and cares for his ill friend. When she finishes, lies back onto her bed, hot tears stinging her eyes.
"Alright?" Harry asks her, as she shivers. She nods and wipes the tears away from her eyes. Harry then takes out his wand and says, "Tergeo" and instantly the room is back to the way it was before, sick free.
"I'm sorry." She mutters, not looking at him.
"For what?" Harry asks, "Getting sick?" Getting more tears from her as a response, "I'm not worried about that Hermione. If I was, I'd have sent Ginny up here to check on you, instead of coming up here myself. I just didn't want you alone when you weren't feeling well. Everyone needs someone for support when they are sick, wither it is a friend or your family. It makes you feel better when you aren't doing it alone." He watches her facial expression and walks out of the bedroom to find a bucket for her, one that was very likely going to be used by a student who took a Wesley's puking pastille. He smiles at that. It was going to be quite a long night.
After sitting with her for three hours, and her being sick three times during his stay he asks, "Are you sure you didn't take the puking pastille?"
Hermione, in no joking manor and gazed up at him as he talked. He sits next to her, his back against the 4 post bed. She curls up against his chest, closing her eyes yet again. He started to worry that she was getting worse. He places a hand on her forehead and felt that she was burning up. She is much hotter than she was before, "Ok Hermione, enough's enough. We need to get you to the hospital wing." Hermione groans as he said this to her. "There is no way we are staying here with your fever being that high. You need medicine or something." Harry tells her.
"Ok." Hermione says, as he helps her to her feet. Harry doesn't even worry about putting the cloak on as he helps her down the staircase. Nearly ten thirty by now, everyone was in the library or in the common room studying. Walking made her extremely weak as Harry tried to get her without too much notice to the hospital wing. The alarm sounded on the girls' floor as he reached the bottom of the steps. By the time McGonagall came running to the dormitories, she ran into Hermione and Harry coming out from behind the fat ladies door, "Good heavens, Miss Granger, are you alright?" She asks, seeing the gray complexion of Hermione's face. Hermione's response was to retch yet again, all over the floor in front of the Professor. McGonagall jumped out of the way as Harry supported Hermione's weight as she was sick.
"We've got to get you to the hospital wing." The Professor exclaims, placing a cool hand on the girls forehead, "Terego" McGonagall exclaims as the hallway was restored to its usual cleanliness. "I've got to go find out why the alarm is going off."
"It was me Professor." Harry says, not caring if she knew or not.
"You set the alarm off?"
"Yes."
"Why did you go up into the girls' dormitory?"
"I knew Hermione was ill."
"Mr. Potter, do you know what kind of trouble you are in? Breaking into the girls' dormitory? Professor Umbriage will be furious!"
"She won't know." Harry smiles, "I was under the cloak since dinner. I've been up there since. I just couldn't maneuver Hermione with me down the stairs while wearing it."
"Well… let me go shut off the alarm, and we'll get Miss Granger to the hospital wing, and then you and I will have a very long talk."
"Yes ma'am." Harry says, as he and Hermione begin their walk to the hospital wing.
"Her fever is quite high, but I think after the fever reducing potion she should be better." Madam Pomfrey says.
"Very good." Professor McGonagall says, "Thank you Poppy."
"Of course the potion is only good if she can keep it down, which is proving to be quite a challenge at the moment." She says, spoon feeding the potion to a not so content Hermione.
"Harry, come with me." Professor says.
"Can't I stay with her Professor? She asked me up in the dormitory not to leave her, and I feel guilty."
Professor McGonagall thinks deeply for a moment, "There is no way I can keep you away from her for right now is there Potter?"
"I promised her Professor, that I wouldn't leave her."
"Very well, we can talk later then."
"Thank you Professor McGonagall." Harry smiles as he sits next to Hermione. He stays with her all night, which is usually not procedure, but Professor McGonagall gave permission. Madam Pomfrey forced him to drink a tonic that would prevent him from getting whatever Hermione contracted. He left the next morning only to go to classes and found himself right next to her chair afterwards. It wasn't till the next morning when she finally awoke. Her fever reduced dramatically. She looked over and saw Harry staring down at her, "Alright Hermione?"
"A lot better now." Hermione says, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"You gave us quite a scare." He says, looking at her. Concerned he says, "You sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, a lot better." She says, still looking pale.
"Good."
Hermione smiles weakly at Harry, "Thanks Harry, for staying with me."
"Anytime. Just remember this the next time I'm sick." He teases her.
"Alright Hermione?" Ron says, coming into visit his friend.
"Getting there." She smiles at Ron as he pulls up a seat next to her.
"Good. We were worried about you." Ron says, "You were quite sick."
"Well spotted." Hermione says, rolling her eyes.
"I didn't mean to state the obvious 'Mione, but you were."
"Well Hermione, you must be feeling better." Harry smiles, "You're quite sick of Ron already are you?"
"No, of course not!" Hermione says, "I'm quite sick of being stuck here when I have OWLs to study for! Sorry Ronald." She says to her friend.
"Don't mention it." He says, shaking her comment off.
They stay there talking for about fifteen minutes, before Professor McGonagall arrives again, "Ah Miss Granger, glad to see you awake now." Her tone sounding gruff, yet sensitive, "On the mend are we?" She asks, placing a hand on her forehead.
"Yes Professor." Hermione says, giving her a smile.
"Good. Potter, I need a word with you, now that Miss Granger is feeling better."
"Yes Professor." Harry sighs, standing up. He was wondering when the whole wandering undetected into the girls' dormitory would come about. Hermione couldn't stay sick forever.
"Professor…" Hermione says, "Please, it was my fault that he…"
"Miss Granger, save your voice and strength." McGonagall says to her as they walk out of the hospital ward and over to her office, "Sit Potter." She says, as she points to a chair with her wand, "Now, I understand how worried you were about your friend, however that does NOT give you permission to prance around the girls' dormitory, especially under the cloak of invisibility."
"How else was I suppose to get in then." He mutters, his eyes downcast.
"That's the point Potter! You weren't suppose to get in! Now we'll have to put a spell on the girls staircase that prevents the use of invisibility cloaks, potions, or anything else. If you thought she was ill, you should have come right to me, and I would have gotten her. Professor Umbriage however to your divine luck, does not know that you were up there, and I am not quite sure how. Do you know how lucky you are Potter?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Well, what do you have to say for yourself? Sneaking into the girl's dormitory like that?"
Harry thinks for a moment, "Professor, not to be disrespectful, but Hermione is my best friend, and I'd do it again in a second. I knew she was ill, she asked me to stay, and I'd do it again."
McGonagall sighs, "I figured just as much."
"She was ill Professor. I needed to make sure she was alright. I'm sorry I snuck in there, but I would do it again, if one of my friends needed me."
"I take it you will not go gallivanting into the girl's dormitory while she is healthy?"
"No Ma'am."
"Well, I am glad you talked her into going to the medical ward, but do try and stay away from the girl's quarters, alright?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Very well, consider this your first and final warning. See you in class Mr. Potter, if not before."
Harry smiles and nods to the Professor and he quickly makes his way out of her office and back down to the medical wing. Ron and Hermione were sitting talking.
"You didn't get in trouble because of me did you?" Hermione asks.
"Not because of you." He shrugs.
"Detention?" Ron asks.
"Surprisingly no. McGonagall didn't really yell at all. I think she knew that I meant no harm. She let me off with a warning."
Ron smiles, "You're bloody lucky mate."
The next day Hermione is let out of the Hospital Wing once her fever broke. She was however, confined to the Gryffindor tower until the day after that, when she should be fully recovered. Harry was up late one night, studying for his potions test. He is the only one up in the common room, until he hears footsteps behind him. He turns his head towards the noise and sees Hermione coming down, "What are you doing up?" She asks.
"I might ask you the same thing." He says.
"I've gotten a lot of studying to catch up with. I thought coming down here would be better for my roommates. They don't need my wand light blinding them while they were trying to sleep."
"Try it already?"
"Yes, and Ginny nearly bit my head off."
"You shouldn't be up this late 'Mione. Not when you are getting over your illness."
"I'm fine Harry." She says, sitting next to him in her favorite arm chair, "You worry too much."
"You don't need to go getting sick again." He says, shaking his head.
"Stop worrying so much." Hermione says, "And, if I haven't told you enough, thank you."
"Not a problem Hermione." Harry smiles, squeezing her shoulder.
"No, really. It meant a lot to me Harry."
Harry shrugs, "You're one of my best friends Hermione. I didn't think twice about it." He smiles. She hugs him quickly and they say good night to each other. Being nearly two in the morning exhaustion was setting in for the two of them.
It was only a bit over two weeks from the OWLs, and they needed all the rest they could get. For repayment of how Harry had taken care of Hermione she made sure that she revised all of his papers before he turned them in. When Harry asked her why she was going through so much trouble and taking time away from her studying for the OWLs, she smiled and said, "You're one of my best friends Harry. I am not going to think twice about it." He smiles gratefully at her as they continue their homework and their studies of the OWLs.