Hi Guys!

This is my first attempt at a fanfic so be gentle. I should be updating pretty regularly because I'm doing absolutely nothing while recovering from surgery. This isn't betaed but I'd love volunteers for betaing later chapters. I'd love to hear what you think too!

Much love!
Catfinkel

Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, despite wishful thinking. So no, I'm not making any money off this.

Frustrated, she closed the book with a snap, exhaling sharply through her nostrils. She simply couldn't take in any more information tonight! Raising a delicate hand, she rubbed her forehead. Somehow, in the time since dinner she'd developed a splitting headache. Splendid. It was then that the absence of noise greeted her. She looked around. The library was deserted. Although her secluded corner was far removed from other tables usually containing noisy students, there were no telltale sounds of activity. No chairs scraping, illicit whispers or frustrated sighs. Just how much time had passed since she began her revision? She didn't remember Madam Pince calling the ten minutes until curfew. Pulling out her pocket watch she bit back a groan, the delicate gold hands telling her it was well past curfew. And tonight wasn't her night for patrolling so it wasn't as if she could use that excuse.

Muffling a groan she stacked her books and parchment into a pile and slid them into her bag, wincing at the noise she made. There was no way of guessing who was out there. Mentally she ran through the patrolling roster and frowned. Nott and Malfoy tonight. Malfoy would surely be a problem if he caught her wandering about after hours. Nott on the other hand... Well, she wasn't sure just what he thought of her. In fact she could hardly place the quiet boy, she vaguely knew of him as a prefect and someone who was in quite a few of her classes. Most of them in fact. Well, it wouldn't do to dwell on that now. She couldn't afford to cost Gryffindor too many house points as Head Girl, and she still had to safely navigate her way back to the tower without the aid of Harry's handy map and cloak. Blast!

She pushed in her chair and swung her bag onto her back, padding her way to the front door of the library. She drew her wand, and with a muttered silencio, muffled her footsteps. Then, tapping her wand on her head, easily disillusioned herself. Pulling an extendable ear out of the front pocket of her bag she was grateful for that small amount of forethought. She pushed it under the door and let out a tiny sigh of relief when hearing nothing outside. The latch of the door was proving more difficult than she first thought and it gave off a faint rattle as she closed it behind her, echoing down the eerie empty stone corridor. Drawing her cloak more firmly around herself, she crept down the hallway, ears pricked for the faintest sound.

She had made it most of the way to Gryffindor tower when the sound of footsteps in the corridor behind her caused her to panic. Silently cursing this night, she ran around the corner, only to collide with a hard body and end up painfully on her bottom. She looked up and met the end of Theodore Nott's wand and his icy blue eyes. "Show yourself, whoever you are. I have little time and patience for such foolishness at this time of night." Hermione winced. Busted. Malfoy's footsteps behind her grew closer. Sheepishly she tapped her head and removed the charm, meeting Nott's eyes with her own. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't startle you." He looked at her flatly. "I got caught up in studying and didn't realize the time." The corner of Nott's mouth lifted sardonically. "I'd expect that from you, Granger". She sighed and opened her mouth to ask how she was to be punished when Malfoy's footsteps drew nearer and his voice rang around the corner. "Everything alright Theo?"

Nott measured Hermione with his eyes, noting how her lips tightened at Draco's voice and the slight fear in her eyes. Sighing, he pushed her gently into an alcove and behind a convenient statue. "Everything's fine Draco. Thought I saw someone but I was mistaken." Draco looked skeptically back at him while Hermione peered anxiously from behind the statue. "How about I finish down here and you go and cover the fifth floor once more and we call it a night?" Draco smiled back at him, the excuse to slack off his Prefect duties erasing any suspicion he may have had. Nott's scrutiny returned to Hermione full force, his eyes boring into her's. "Thanks Nott, um, Theo..." she began awkwardly. He looked at her for a full second, smiled sardonically again and replied. "Best get back to your common room Granger. You need your beauty sleep." Looking equal parts surprised and confused at this remark, she turned to go, walking to the corridor before taking one final look at the boy behind her. He was staring back at her, lips quirked again in that crooked smile. "Oh, and Granger?" She turned, wondering if he was planning to punish her after all. "You owe me," he threw after her with a smirk. Shaking her head, Hermione hurried back to tower. Typical Slytherin.

Ron sat waiting up for her in front of the embers of the fire, his legs dangling over the edge of the overstuffed red armchair and his mouth lolling in a snore. She smiled and went to wake him, kissing his forehead lightly. He woke with a gasp, looking around disorientated and a little confused. "Oh, Mione, I was wondering where you'd gotten to." She smiled at him as he got up awkwardly and threw an arm around her waist. "Sorry love, I got caught up working in the library and sort of... lost track of time." She smiled sheepishly. "S'ok. I'm just pretty tired now," he yawned in reply. "How about we call it a night. I'll see you in the morning, alright?" He sleepily returned the kiss she pressed to his lips and turned to go up the boy's staircase. Hermione followed suit, smiling as she looked over trying to catch his eye. Turning once she got to the top, she realized he'd already disappeared. "Sleep well," she said quietly to the empty common room.