Locked Library Doors

A/N: I know the first chapter was extremely short, it was meant to be! This chapter is the past but its being told like it's the present. The same will happen until the end of the story. The last chapter will be the present, like we experienced in Chapter 1. Er, on with the story I guess!

Disclaimer: J.K Rowling owns it all.

It was the first Saturday back in school and Hermione was outside with Ron and Harry, doing their homework.

"Hermione" Ron whined, "What does Snape want us to do again?"

Hermione inwardly groaned at her best friends' stupidity, "He wants us to write a foot on the uses of Moonstone"

"Oh" Ron stayed quiet for a few seconds then, "What are Moonstones?"

The next few hours were spent by Hermione teaching the boys about Moonstones and its properties, effects and uses. They all spent the last half hour before lunch putting the finishes to their essays.

"Done" Hermione announced happily as she rolled up her parchment and sealed it, putting it in her bag. Harry finished not long after. Ron still hadn't finished so Harry and Hermione had to tempt him with food to stop his ranting about Snape.

"Oh its lunch time Ronald. Foood" Hermione teased.

"Mmmm, is that Shepards Pie I smell?" Harry said to his friend, grinning.

Rons head snapped up and he started sniffing the air, "Nice one, I'm starved", He then proceeded stuffing everything into his bag. The trio made their way back up to the castle, talking about how hungry they were.

They sat down at the Gryffindor table. Hermione looked suspiciously at the food.

"Mione, you're not going to stop eating again are you? You'll be starved" Harry pointed out.

"Mmph, zelvz fuzbee ofundyud" Ron said, his mouth full.

Hermione looked at him, disgusted. "What did you say?"

He swallowed. "The elves would be offended" He then took a large gulp of pumpkin juice and returned to his mountain that was Shepards Pie.

Hermione took some chicken and fixed herself a chicken salad sandwich. She chatted animatedly to Harry all through lunch about house elves and how she could make a difference.

"Yeah, great" Harry said not one bit enthusiastic. Ron choked on his ice-cream at Harrys' roll of his eyes. Hermione didn't notice - she was too caught up in house-elves rights. After lunch Harry said he was planning on going out to the pitch to practise his Quidditch. Ron asked could he join him and have a go on the Firebolt. They left Hermione who decided she'd go up to the library. She put her bag over her shoulder and set off.

Hermione rounded the corner that led to the library and saw that the library was closed.

That's odd. The library's never closed. Ever.

She was puzzled by this so walked quickly to the door and knocked – five times. Then she put her bag on the floor and started banging the double doors with her tiny fists. She sighed in frustration. Then went back down to a broom cupboard she'd passed before entering the corridor. She picked a broom out and then marched, matter-of-factly towards the library. She stopped around ten meters short of the doors and put the broom out infront of her. She then charged at the doors with the broom.

BANG!

Hermione was in a daze on the floor. The broom had snapped in half. She heard chuckling come form somewhere.

"Hey, you need some help?" A guy was speaking to her. She couldn't see who he was though as she still felt like she was spinning.

"Who are you?" He chuckled again and helped Hermione to her feet. Finally, she found her balance and everything stopped spinning. Then she saw who it was.

He was quiet tall and had grey eyes.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" Hermione asked him, hoping she didn't sound rude.

"I dunno, I think I've seen you somewhere aswell"

A silence followed, both of them trying to remember the other. Then, he remembered.

"You were with the Weasleys weren't you? At the Quidditch World Cup?"

Then it dawned on her, "Yeah I was. I'm Hermione by the way. Hermione Granger"

"I'm Cedric, Cedric Diggory. Er, do you need to get into the library?"

"What makes you think that?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

"Er, because you smashed a broom trying to open the doors" He said, obviously not catching the sarcasm in her tone.

Hermione, in defeat, slid down the wall opposite the doors. Cedric did the same.

"Why do you want to be in the library anyway?" She cringed after noticing how she'd said 'you'.

"I actually like the library. It's my haven. Though you wouldn't understand"

"Actually, that's exactly how I'd describe the library. Well that and the fact it's a fountain of knowledge!"

He smiled at the passion in her voice as she talked about the library.

"So, you come here a lot then?" He inquired.

"Practically every day. Sometimes, I sneak in here, just to think" She added quietly.

Then Hermione cast the Summoning charm on her bag, it dragged across the floor making a loud noise. The doors opened and Madam Pince stuck her head out.

"What are you doing on the floor making such a racket?" She snapped at them.

"I – we – the doors were locked!" Cedric managed at last.

"So?"

"So, it's after lunch!"

"OH!" She closed the doors leaving a bewildered Hermione and Cedric sitting on the floor. Then, a minute or so later Argus Filch stepped out of the doors, looking as though he hadn't slept. He glared at them.

"Irma – until we meet again" He said to the librarian in a different voice than the one he usually used to students, it was softer. He sent another glare at the two students and shuffled away, off down the corridor, out of sight.

"Come in" Madam Pince said roughly and opened the doors. Hermione got up, put her bag on her shoulder and entered Hogwarts library, shortly followed by Cedric. Madam Pince left them and went into her office.

They walked into the depths of the library before laughing. There were tears in Hermiones eyes. Cedric was doubled over and looked like he was having trouble breathing.

"Filch and Madam Pince?" Hermione squealed. After a few minutes they'd calmed down. Cedric was standing again and was nearly twice the height of Hermione.

"I better go and get my book. Bye" She said to him

"Bye"

She set off, taking a left and then another left then, finding it she sat down on an armchair. And got into Hogwarts: A History. She couldn't concentrate though. So tore off bit of parchment and wrote down one of her favourite quotes:

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself.

She folded it up and continued reading, feeling a lot better. Then, an hour later decided to leave, so put the book back on its shelf.

Hermione was halfway through the wilderness that is the library with its many tens of thousands of books on thousands of shelves when she saw a lone figure trying to tear his hair out while reading a book.

"Cedric?" She asked tentatively.

He looked up, his grey eyes wide in surprise.

"Hermione - hey. Did you find your book?"

She nodded, "What are you reading?"

"My History of Magic book, it's my worst subject. I can only ever get Acceptable and my father wants me to get Outstanding in all my N.E.W.T's.

"Well, that's kind of mean. Shouldn't he just be happy with what you achieve rather than what you didn't?"

He smiled at her and looked at her as if she was naive, "You don't know my father. I'm his bloody perfect son. Cedric this…Cedric that. Did you hear how he talked to your friend Harry at The World Cup?"

Hermione shifted uncomfortably from her right foot to her left foot before answering.

"Well History of Magic, is one of my best subjects. I don't care for it much, but I have pretty steady grades in it. I'll leave you get back to your work then. Bye"

He waved at her and she left him surrounded by books. She was after passing three shelves when she felt someone grip her arm. Turning she saw it was Cedric.

"I, uh, know you might not know NEWT History of Magic" Hermione glared indignantly at him and he hastened to continue, "But you seem to be extremely smart, and, er, I was wondering of you could sort of, tutor me in the subject" He said not looking at her but looking at his feet.

She considered him for awhile, and then decided, "Yeah alright. I could do that" He ruffled her bushy hair, "Once you never ruffle my hair again!"

"Deal" He smiled toothily down at her, "So, when do we start?"

"How about Monday from seven to eight, since the library closes then"

"Okay"

"See you then"

"Thanks Hermione"

She waved and left the library, desperate to find Ron and make him do Snapes essay.

Who would've thought that, I, a fourth year, would be tutoring, Cedric Diggory, a sixth year, in History of Magic? Not me!

"Harry! Wait for me. How was Quidditch?" She caught up with Harry as she neared the Gryffindor tower, and they entered the portrait hole talking about Quidditch. But after a few seconds Hermien was back to talking about house-elves and how they were so poorly represnted in the Ministry and how they should get paid for their fantastic work.

A/N: Just let me know what you think. Chapters may be short, but I couldn't wait to get it up and running. They'll increase in length! Review! And make me happy!

Love, FirebolTPheoniX

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