Chapter Seven

My eyes meet yours

I got tired of waiting

Wondering if you were ever coming around

My faith in you is fading

"Hermione Granger?" Professor McGonagall called and Hermione felt the knot in her stomach tighten as she followed Professor McGonagall into the great hall for her final exam, the potions practical exam. It was not Hermione's favorite but she knew despite her recent distractions that she was sure she had prepared herself as much as possible.

"Read the instructions next to the caldron," Professor McGonagall said firmly "you have one hour to complete your task." Hermione picked up the parchment in front of her it read

Make potion suitable for extracting information out of an ill person there are ingredients provided.

Hermione looked to her left and indeed there was pile upon pile of ingredients in such variety and quantity that it really gave no help to the potion the exam wanted. Veritisieum was the obvious choice but that took a lot of energy out of a healthy person let alone an ill person. Hermione looked at her watch and realized she only had fifty-five minutes left.

Picking up and carefully counting whole scarab beetles she decided on a tricky, light but still potent truth serum Professor Snape had told them about but had never made them make.

"It's over," came a happy shout made Hermione jump somewhat. She looked up into the face of Ron.

"What did you do?" Hermione asked brightly "I thought…"

"Hermione we don't want to sit the exam twice," Ron smiled

"I am sure you did brilliant Hermione," Harry came up from her right.

A few hours later Harry and Ron where playing a game of wizarding chess which Harry was losing rather badly despite Ginny helping him. Hermione was sat in an armchair beside the fire reading a muggle book her mother had given her several years ago that she had not yet got round to reading despite it living in her trunk for most that time.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but was distracted by a large tawny owl that flew through the open window right into her arm depositing a role into her lap before flying off.

She opened the letter and the smile vanished from her eyes although it remained on her face.

"It's…errr…McGonagoll wants to see me about something,"

"At this hour?" Ron asked looking at his watch that indicated it was well was well past ten o'clock.

"Yes," Hermione said lightly grabbing the cloak she'd left on a nearby chair. Pushing her way out of the common room door she set off at a run. As soon as she was away from Gryffindor tower she turned direction heading away from Professor McGonagall's office to the third floor opening the note as she did.

Hermione,

I know I have no right to ask this of you but please meet me just outside Hogsmeade past Dervish & Bangs tonight 10.30pm please. I just want to talk.

R

Hermione knew she shouldn't go or at least that she should tell someone where she was going but the moment she opened the note and saw his handwriting her heart leapt.

She climbed through the hole behind the statue of the one-eyed witch that Harry had used in their year. The tunnel was longer than she believed possible occasionally she thought she had taken a wrong turn because it seemed to be taking forever to reach the end. It was already well passed the time Draco had asked her to meet her and Hermione hoped he had waited for her. Finally and unexpectedly her head hit the trapdoor she supposed led to Honeydukes cellar.

"Owww," she thought nursing a growing bump on her head she pushed open the trapdoor.

"Lumos," she whispered and her wand it up. There was no one about as she hoped. Whispering "Alohamora," on the doors she met she found herself on a warm late spring evening on the main Hogsmeade street. All the shops seemed closed apart from the Three Broomsticks Pub where the windows emitted a cheery light. Hermione continued down the main road, past the pub, past the bookshop until she reached the Hogshead. It was the last building in the village and still she couldn't see Draco. Suddenly she felt an invisible arm pull at her and she meant to scream but she had a hand pushed over her mouth.