I was in love. Not only was I in love, I was in love with a teacher. Not just any teacher ether, but one that hated teaching and hated his students. On top of that it was the middle of a war that would probably kill him—and me—in the end. Add to that the fact that my best friends (one being my ex boyfriend) hate him and would probably stop speaking to me if they found out. Other then that my life was great! I was in love, not that he would ever find out let along return my feelings. I chose to ignore that fact and instead tried to be around him as much as possible. My name is Hermione Granger and this is my story…
I really started to notice him in my sixth year, just before the war got really bad. Harry, Ron and I were starting to go to all of the Order meetings, so Headmaster Dumbledore had to tell us about him. Harry and Ron reacted just like he thought they would. They did not trust him or Dumbledore for that matter. They believed completely that he would turn on us in the final battle. I was not as sure, so I watched him. All the time. I paid more attention to him then anyone else did. He noticed, but did not say anything. Not right away anyways.
I asked Headmaster Dumbledore to inform me when he left. He agreed, and I have never seen the Headmaster's eyes twinkle so much. I would wait for him at the gates, then walk up to the castle with him. He never said a work…neither did I.
Harry and Ron started to notice me leaving after awhile. One night they followed me. That was the night everything fell apart, the night I think we lost the war. Or started to anyway. Everything started out normally; I left the dorms and walked down to the gate to wait. I don't know if Harry and Ron followed me right away or found me later. They must have found me after—when I was waiting—because they do not have the patience to wait that long. And I waited a long time that night, longer then normal.
That should have been my first warning that something was wrong, I guess I did not notice the time. I should have though…maybe if I noticed I would have left sooner. Then Harry and Rom would have left as well. They would not have seen him…seen us.
Every night that I waited for him we had a pattern. It never changed. He would appear—just outside the gate. I would open the gate for him. He would walk past me—never saying anything and head towards the castle. I would close the gate and follow slightly behind him. We never spoke and the pattern never changed.
But that night it did. I knew nothing would ever be the same after that, and it never was. I remember turning from the gate expecting him to be walking away, but he was not. He was waiting for me. We walked up to the castle together that night. Later, I found out from Harry that they didn't know who it was until we walked past their hiding spot. Maybe they wouldn't have known who it was if he had left his hood up like he always did. Who really knows though, everything happens for a reason. Even the bad things right?
When we got the Hogwarts main doors he stopped walking, so did I. As did Harry and Ron. I remember him turning and looking out towards the lake. Then he asked me, "Why do you wait for me?... Hermione."
If there was any doubt to his identity Harry and Ron should have known after he spoke.
I remember answering his softly, "Because I care about you."
"Even though I am evil? I am on both sides!"
"Yes, even though you are a spy." After I said that he turned to face me.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes more then sure."
I remember him walking towards me, and leaning down to give me a hug. He left before I had a chance to say anything. I remember standing on the steps for a few minutes, grinning like an idiot and thinking I wanted more then a hug.
Later, Harry told me that Ron had almost gone after him that very night. I'm glad he didn't. The next week he came back with information that Lord Voldemort was planning an attack on Hogwarts in three days.
The next three days past faster then I could have imagined and I was still meeting him at the gate and walking to the castle with him. He never said anything to me after that, and I don't know if Harry and Rom ever followed me again. The night before Lord Voldemort was to attack the school he stopped at the doors again. So did I.
I did not come back to the Gryffindor rooms that night. I spent my first full night with someone else, with a man. In the morning we walked into the great hall together, holding hands. I never thought he would be the type to like holding hands, but we were at war and that could have been out last chance together.
When we walked in nobody noticed us at first, and then everyone seemed to. The hall broke out in whispers. I remember it being very loud. He leaned over and whispered into my ear, "Come sit with me?" I nodded. He led me up to the Head Table and summoned an extra chair.
"Good morning Mrs. Granger." I remember the Headmaster saying. I smiled and nodded at him, I was a little embarrassed. Ron stood up; Ginny was trying to pull him back down.
"Hermione Granger!" He bellowed glaring at me. The hall went so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
"Yes Ron?" I remember answering him in front of the school.
"What are you doing? You should be with me! Where were you last night? I was looking for you!"
"I'm sorry if I worried you, but clearly I am fine."
"You should have been with me last night! Not that, that… Death Eater!" Ron screamed.
"Ron!" Harry and Ginny both snapped trying to pull him down.
I stood up, "Ronald Weasly! How dare you! If you knew me as well as you think you do, you would realize that we would never have worked Yes Ron, I love you but not in the way that you want. I can't change the way I feel about you or him. Do not make me chose because you will not like my decision!"
"You don't really mean that Hermione."
"Yes I do." The hall remained quiet for all of five seconds before it exploded into noise again.
I remember turning to the man beside me, "When will it happen?"
"Soon…A few minutes probably."
"Shouldn't you leave then? So they don't see you with me."
"No Hermione, I'm fighting on our side today."
"I'll stay with you then."
"I knew you would." He smiled at me. Then the world around us exploded as the attack started.