Hey Guys!
Sorry again for such a huge gap between posts, I was on holiday in the South of France for a month! ...with no internet.
Anyways it gave me a lot of time to write and I've got a good framework for the end of book six, which is good.
I came home to all this talk about Pottermore stuff... still not really sure what it is. Anyways still excited about it!
Hope you like this chapter, it proved very difficult to write, and didn't seem to want to end.
Hope you enjoy it!
Read/Review!
Oh and anything you recognize belongs to JKR!
I would also like to say a BIG thank you to the people who have reviewed!
It was sosososo nice to come home to reviews from MyCatSammy, 31EliZAbeTH919 and MrsWolfGirl
REALLY made my day, you all had such nice things to say!
Chapter 25
Sports, Spells and Secrets
SPOV
It was now Friday, five days had passed since Hermione had learned the truth about the anti-venom. Severus was surprised at how easily his spirits had lifted after telling Hermione about the prophecy. With her encouragement and constant speeches about how they could finish it in time, he truly started to believe that he still had a chance. All these thoughts were cut off when he heard his name being called,
"Severus?" he looked up to see Hermione giving him a slightly annoyed look. "Were you even listening to me?" she said putting her hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry that I do not hang on to your every word, I do have other things on my mind besides what the brilliant Miss Granger has to say," Severus said jeeringly.
"I was simply asking if you were planning on attending the Quidditch match tomorrow," Hermione said somewhat affronted.
"I hadn't planned on it. Slytherin isn't playing so I don't see much of a point," Severus said shrugging his shoulders.
"What if I told you that I knew something that you didn't? Something that I think would make it worthwhile?" Hermione said giving him a mischievous look.
"I'd say you're bluffing," Severus said confidently.
"Well then you'd be wro-ong," Hermione said in a sing-song voice.
"What do you know?" Severus said now truly curious, he hated not knowing something that others did, especially when the other person was Hermione.
"You'll just have to come to the match tomorrow and see for yourself."
"I think I'll pass. You can give me the highlights afterwards. Or better yet, you could not," Severus said going back to the letter he had been trying to write before she had interrupted him.
"Oh come on. You need to get some fresh air," Hermione said trying a new approach.
"I appreciate your sudden concern for my respiratory system, but I assure you I shall be fine," Severus said not looking up from his desk.
"Suit yourself," Hermione muttered, giving up.
"Will you be going to the hospital wing after the match?" Severus said trying for coy, but utterly failing.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at his question, "I was planning on it but certain things have transpired recently that have me thinking otherwise," she said evasively.
"And what would those things be?" Blast him and his infernal curiosity! Severus said, scolding himself internally. He should not care about things that have transpired in her life.
"It's Lavender. She thinks I'm after her man as she likes to call him. Which couldn't be farther from the truth! Every time I go to visit him, Lavender is there, and when she sees me she has some annoying remark to make. I almost feel bad for her, really."
"Why on earth do you feel bad for her?" Severus interrupted, trying to ignore the sudden feeling of euphoria caused by Hermione's previous statement.
"Because she knows that Ron no longer wants to be with her. Instead of getting angry with him, she has decided to blame the whole thing on me. It's kind of sad to watch, that's all," Hermione said shrugging her shoulders.
"Don't deny that you are enjoying it," Severus said seeing right through her.
"Well perhaps I am a little," Hermione said looking sheepish.
…...
HPOV
"Hermione! Ready to go?" Ginny called to her as she crossed the common room. "The game will be starting soon and I don't want to be late," she said grabbing the book out of Hermione's hand.
Hermione had been about to protest but bit her tongue. She had after all promised to watch the match. Even if Severus wasn't coming, it still promised to be an eventful match. She smiled as she remembered who Minerva had asked to be the announcer for the game. Severus was going to be upset that he'd missed the show.
"So how are things going with your special project?" Ginny asked wagging her eyebrows up and down suggestively.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione replied, "Fine actually, I have been making a lot of headway, I think that book that I was reading is actually going to have a lot of answers." Hermione had stopped giving Ginny any details about that part of her life. The more she told Ginny, the more she felt like she was betraying Severus.
"Come on Hermione you know that's not what I was asking. How is it going?"
"I know what you mean Ginny and there really isn't anything to tell. Its …fine."
"There's something you're not telling me," Ginny said giving her a scrutinizing look.
"The only things I'm not telling you deals with the work we're doing," she said as they walked down the dirt path towards the Quidditch pitch. "Don't worry Gin I'm sure you'll do brilliant," she said seeing that Ginny looked quite nervous now.
"It's not me I'm worried about. It's him," Ginny said nodding her head in the direction of Cormac. Hermione looked over to see him giving beaters, Coote and Peakes, a lecture about their position.
"Where's Harry? Shouldn't he be here by now?" Hermione said looking around for a sign of the boy with messy brown hair.
"He probably lost track of time in the hospital wing with Ron. I'm sure he'll be along any moment." Ginny said looking up the path that led to the castle. "You go find a seat before there are none left. It looks like almost everyone from Gryffindor is here already."
"Okay! I'll meet up with you after the match." Hermione said waving goodbye. "Good luck!"
"Thanks! See you then." Ginny yelled after her.
As Hermione made her way up the spiral staircase of the wooden structure she thought she heard someone behind her, when she turned around however, there was no one in sight. When she made it to the landing, at the top of the Gryffindor side of the pitch she was unceremoniously yanked by an invisible being, through a doorway she had never noticed before. "What on earth- ," Hermione began to say, but was then cut off by someone else.
"Shh! It's only me," whispered the voice of Severus Snape.
"Professor? What are you doing? Where are we?" Hermione whispered looking all around for the body that belonged to the voice. "And why cant I see you?" Suddenly she felt something wash over her, almost as if she had walked through a ward unknowingly.
"Better?" said the tall, dark man looming in front of her.
"What was that?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I'll explain in a moment, I want to show you something," Severus said turning abruptly and walking up a staircase, similar to the one she had just been walking up. 'How had she never noticed this before? Surly in all the time that she, Ron and Harry spent at the Quidditch pitch they would have noticed this. When they reached the top of the stairs, and Severus opened the door Hermione gasped at what lay before her. "Has this always been here?" She wondered aloud.
"It has been for the past twenty years or so," Severus stated flatly.
"You made this?" Hermione asked surprised, eyebrows raised, as she made the connection.
"I don't see why that's so hard to believe," Severus snapped.
"I just don't understand why you made it on the Gryffindor side of the pitch, surly the Slytherin side of the pitch would have been the obvious choice," Hermione said looking at the view. She marvelled at what Severus had done. He had in short made the roof above the Teacher's box a private seating area. With no ceiling or walls they had an unobstructed view of the match, Hogwarts, and Hogsmeade in the distance.
"The teacher's box, while being on the Gryffindor side of the pitch, is the only one with a roof," Severus stated plainly.
Hermione walked over to the two chairs in the centre of the roof. "Have these always been here? Or did you come by earlier and put them here for today's match?"
"They've always been here. This is the first time I've been up here since I graduated," Severus said looking around awkwardly.
"Why? If I had access to a place like this I would be up here all the time," Hermione said sitting down in one of the chairs. "Sit down, stay awhile," she said patting the chair to her right. "So what changed your mind about coming today?" She said as Severus sat down next to her.
"I was in the Professor's lounge this morning and I overheard Minerva talking about who was commentating today. I can't believe that you almost let me miss it," Severus said with a wry smile.
"I tried to warn you. But you just wouldn't listen," Hermione said with glee. She probably wasn't hiding it very well but she was rejoicing internally that Severus had decided to come. Also it seemed by bringing her here he was opening up ever so slightly to her about his personal life. Something she was sure he hadn't done in a very long time. Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by a whistle blowing. The match had started.
"How has no one ever discovered this place? " Hermione said watching Harry zoom around the Quidditch pitch.
"I've disillusioned it so nobody can see it or us."
"I don't know of a disillusionment charm that lasts more than a few hours. You mean to tell me that you were constantly recasting the charm all these years?" Herminone said confused.
"Of course not, I made up my own form of the disillusionment charm to fit my needs. This one lasts until the caster either dies, or says the counter curse. The curse also repels anyone but the people I choose from the place."
"You made your own spells?" Hermione said impressed.
"Don't act so surprised, where do you think spells come from? Other wizards and witches made them up at some point, they don't just come out of thin air you know," Severus said trying to stop the compliment that he knew was coming. It didn't work.
"Severus that's amazing! What other spells did you come up with?" Hermione asked curiously.
Severus raised an eyebrow at the sudden show of enthusiasm, with a quirk of his mouth, he shook his head. "I can't believe I'm telling you any of this."
"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked leaning her head on her hand.
"You know why," He shot back. "You know that I cannot tolerate most people for more than a few moments."
"Oh I'm so honoured that you can stand my presence for more than a few moments," Hermione said mockingly.
"Just barely," Severus said dryly, as Hermione slapped him playfully.
"Did you always just make improvements on spells or did you ever make any up from scratch?" Hermione asked.
"Well, some I made based on other concepts, but still had to, as you say start from scratch. There's one in particular that combines the effects of the imperious curse and polyjuice potion. By drinking a potion with a piece of the person's hair in it I can take over their body, as if my mind has been transferred into their body. While their mind goes to sleep. When the potion wears off they will remember everything as their own decisions and thoughts, they would never think that anyone else was controlling them."
"What happens to your body while your mind is somewhere else?" Hermione asked eager to know more.
Severus had been surprised by the show of enthusiasm, he had expected an expression of shock or horror not one of intrigue and curiosity. "Essentially my body goes limp, you would need to be in a very secure location because while in someone else's mind you have no way of knowing what is happening where your real body is. The potion is a tad flawed though."
"How so?"
"If I am at anytime surprised by something I loose contact with their mind. It takes a lot of concentration, more than even occlumency. Im sure you can imagine how the sudden state of shock would break your concentration even if only a fraction of it. Luckily I usually anticipate everything so it doesn't happen often. I find it also to be a good thing because if somehow this does get into the wrong hands very few would actually be able to achieve it."
"Why on earth would you make a potion like that?"
"It has come in handy many times over the years with serving the Dark Lord. Trust me," Severus said darkly.
Hermione instantly felt stupid. Of course that's what he had been using it for. And there she was dredging up old memories of things that could not have been pleasant to dwell on. Their conversation was cut short by the spacey voice of Luna Lovegood, "And that Smith of Hufflepuff with the quaffle, he did the cometary last time of course, and Ginny Weasley flew into him. I think probably on purpose it looked like it, Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor. I expect he regrets that now that he's playing them. Oh look! He's lost the quaffle, Ginny took it from him. I do like her, she's very nice."
Laughing at the very original commentary Hermione said, "Aren't you glad you came?"
"Very," He said with a small smirk. Hermione marvelled at how he could keep his composure during all of it. She noticed after a moment that he was still staring at her, and with a look that she had never seen before.
Gaining her composure again, Hermione said, "So what exactly was the spell you put on me?" Hermione asked.
"Excuse me?" A startled Severus said, shocked.
"The spell that allows me to see you." Hermione said in way of explaining.
"Oh that, it is a disillusionment spell. It's as if there is a cloak or bubble of invisibility around me and you were able to see me once I invited you in. Does that make sense?" Severus asked.
"Completely."
Cadwallader scored then making the Slytherin and Huffelpuff side of the pitch cheer.
"Severus? Were you walking behind me the whole time?" Hermione said suspiciously.
"No, I was waiting at the bottom of the steps to the Gryffindor stands." Hermione felt a wave of relief at hearing this, the last thing she needed was Severus learning about her feelings for him. In response to her silence she felt a poke on her mind. "I would prefer if you stayed out for the moment, thank you very much."
"Why? What are you hiding from me?" Severus said surprisingly light hearted.
"Just my personal thoughts, nothing to worry yourself about." Hermione said appeasing.
"Mm hmm," Severus said with a sceptic gaze.
"And Harry Potter's now having an argument with his keeper..." Came the dazed voice of Luna Lovegood.
"Can you believe Cormac! I cant believe he is starting a row with Harry in the middle of the game. Honestly someone could get hurt!" Hermione started shouting at no one in particular.
"I don't know why such actions surprise you. It seems quite typical of a Gryffindor if you ask me." Severus said with a sneer, looking at the specticale the two players were making.
"It is a wonder that we ever became friends with the opinion you have of Gryffindors!" Hermione huffed.
"Oh look the Gryffindor keeper's got hold of one of the beaters bats." Luna said interestedly.
"Merlin what is he doing now!" Hermione said standing up and walking over to the edge of the roof. "Oh dear this isn't going to end well." Hermione said biting her lip in anticipation. She watched Harry fly over to where Cormac was dangerously swinging the bat. As Harry got closer Hermione realized what was about to happen. Before she could even form words, it happened. Harry had been hit, and he was falling. "Severus! Severus! Do something please! Help him!" Before she had even finished Severus was on his feet pointing his wand in the direction of Harry's limp body, now falling through the sky. Hermione then realized that he was falling too slow. She looked at Severus and realized that he couldn't stop Harry from falling, people would be too suspicious about who had done it. She realized that he was giving Coot and Peaks enough time to catch Harry. She let out a sigh of relief as the two beaters caught him and brought him safely to the ground. Turning to look at Severus she said, "I've got to go I want to make sure he's all right."
"It's not the first time I've had to save the boys life and I'm sure it will not be the last. He will be fine, there is no need to worry yourself." He said grumpily.
"I better get going, can you undo the disillusionment charm?" Hermione said looking back at him.
"As soon as you're more than twenty feet away from me the charm breaks." Severus said pretending to be more interested in the view than the conversation.
Hermione, who was in such a rush didn't seem to register that he was in a mood, and quickly ran to the door shouting a goodbye over her shoulder.
…...
"Ron! Is he all right? I saw the whole thing from the stands! It was just horrible!" Hermione shrieked as she entered the hospital wing.
"What happened? Nobody would tell me anything when they brought him in. They all just told me he fell, but something must have made him fall." Ron said in a rush.
"It was that dunderhead McLaggen! It was all his bloody fault." Hermione said throwing her hands up in the air.
"Whoa! Calm down Hermione, you sound like Snape!" Ron said trying to calm her down.
"Well I'm as mad as Snape right now! He was utterly out of order today and it nearly got Harry killed!" Hermione raged, her face turning redder by the moment.
"Don't worry Pomfrey said he would be okay. Just a fractured skull it's already been healed. He'll be up sometime late tonight." Hermione sighed in relief. He was going to be all right. "Tell me what happened Hermione," Ron asked in a tentative whisper, afraid of setting her off again.
Hermione then went into a detailed recount of everything McLaggen had done all leading up to when Harry had been hit in the head with the beater's bat.
"I heard most of what happened, I could hear Luna's voice all the way from the pitch. Luna's brilliant she is. I hope she commentates every match!" Ron said with glee in his eyes, something Hermione noted that she hadn't seen in a long time.
"I agree. It certainly does make the game more entertaining. You should have seen McGonagall's face, I doubt she will allow Luna to commentate again."
"I hope you're wrong, She couldn't have done better if you ask me." Ron said lying down with his hands behind his head. Their conversation was interrupted by Luna's voice, "Oh dear it seems Gryffindor has lost three hundred and twenty to sixty.. That's not very good is it, perhaps their locker room has an infestation of curaburra bugs. That would indeed explain the erratic behaviour of the keeper."
"Is it bad that I'm happy?" Ron asked. Hermione laughed at the guilty look on Ron's face.
"I think I'm not surprised. You might want to hide that grin though, because I expect that the team will be up here in a moment to check on Harry."
"Good point!" Ron said trying to school his expression in to one of sorrow and disappointment.
…...
A few hours later Hermione exited the Hospital wing after many assurances from Madame Pomfrey that Harry wouldn't be up for hours. She said goodbye to Ron and Ginny, who hadn't left Harry's bedside since she had entered the Hospital wing three hours ago, much to Dean's discomfort.
Instead of making her way back to Gryffindor Tower or the lab she made her way to the Great Hall realizing it was almost time for supper. When she got there however she noticed that Severus wasn't there and that she didn't really have anyone to sit with at the Gryffindor table. Instead she decided to go see if Severus was in his quarters, maybe they could have supper down there together. As she was walking down the secret passage way she realized in horror that she had never even thanked him! "Severus? Severus are you here?" She said walking into the lab, looking for the familiar dark figure. Not seeing any sign of him she went into his living room to find it empty as well. Thinking that he might have just gone to supper late she decided to wait for him to return. Sitting down on the couch she started reading the book she had been reading when Ginny interrupted her earlier that day.
The next thing she knew she was being woken up many hours later by and odd chocking noise. Opening her eyes she looked around groggily trying to find the source of the noise. She supposed that she should go to bed but she couldn't without seeing Severus. The fact that she was still here meant that he hadn't come back yet. Hermione finally realized that the noise was coming from Severus' office. Curious to see what it could be she went to open the door. When she peered around the door she gasped almost inaudibly. There, lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood was Severus Snape.
"Severus! What happened!" Hermione said running to his side. Apparently he was unable to answer, he looked up at her and then his eyes closed.
"Severus! Wake up! Wake up!" Hermione said running over to him, kneeling by his side. When it seemed clear that he wasn't going to wake up she ran into his bathroom, where she knew he kept all the potions that he usually used for after revels, which is all she could assume was the cause of his injuries. When was he even summoned? How long has he been lying here? Hermione thought to herself. After pouring down the majority of the potions and still not seeing any difference, she began to panic. By now she usually saw an improvement in his breathing or something
Thinking quickly she went into the living room grabbed some floo powder and put her head in, shouted "Albus Dumbledore's office!" When her head had finally stopped spinning she looked around the office, finally spotting the Professor by the window. "Professor Quick! It's Professor Snape. He needs help! He's hurt sir, very badly hurt."
"Where is he." Dumbledore said without missing a beat, turning around swiftly and walking over towards her. Hermione was glad for that, she didn't have the patience to deal with tons of questions.
"In his office. I wasn't able to revive him." Hermione said tears beginning to fall now that she had alerted someone, the reality of the situation had started to come down on her.
"Go see to him. I'll be there momentarily." his voice making it clear that she was not supposed to protest, not that she wanted to really. Nodding her head, she lifted herself up out of the fireplace. Then running back into Severus' office to check on him. He still looked the same, luckily he hadn't gotten any worse. Finally what seemed like an hour but was only a minute or two, Dumbledore walked in. Looking at the scene for a moment his eyebrows raised infinitesimally with out saying a word he walked over to Severus' body and put something around his neck.
"Miss Granger, its time to let go." Dumbledore said calmly. "I need to send him to the hospital wing. I cant do that with you attached to him." He reasoned While it took all the effort she had she separated herself from him. In the background she could hear Dumbledore chanting some sort of spell. The necklace around Severus' neck began to glow and then with a "POP!" he was gone. "Miss Granger I need you to tell me everything you have given Severus tonight I will need to inform Madam Pomfrey."
After she had recited every potion that she had tried she asked, "Will he be all right?"
"Sadly I cannot say. Stay here we have things to speak about. But first I must give this list to Poppy I shall return as swiftly as possible. With that he turned to go into the living room to use the floo, leaving Hermione sitting in a pool of Severus' blood.
An hour later Hermione was still sitting in the same spot. She hadn't even thought about moving, all she was thinking about was Severus.
"It's time to get up Miss Granger." Came the weary voice of Albus Dumbledore. She looked over at the direction the voice had come from and looked right past him unseeing. The next thin Hermione registered was the feeling of her body being levitated up into the air, she realized then at some point someone had cleaned all the blood off of her as well, which she was very thankful for. Before she had even been moved out of the office she had fainted.
…...
When Hermione next opened her eyes it felt like she had been asleep a very long time. It was light out now She realized now staring up at the familiar white tiled ceiling that she was in the hospital wing. She then heard the familiar sound of a page turning to her right. Looking over she saw the man that she had been so worried about sitting next to her reading a book. It must have still been quite early in the morning because she could only just see the light coming in through the window. She breathed a sigh of relief in knowing that she hadn't missed any classes.
"How is it that I find you in a pool of your own blood but yet I am the one lying in the hospital bed?" Hermione said gesturing to herself. As soon as she had started talking his eyes were on her.
"I have to admit the story did make me laugh when I awoke." Severus said smugly.
"And what version of the story did you hear exactly?" Hermione asked curiously.
"You found me in my usual state after a revel but the usual healing methods weren't working. After you got Albus you fainted from worried nerves. I took it as a compliment that you would faint over worrying about the likes of me." Severus finished.
"I only fainted because I was tired. It had nothing to do with you." Hermione said defiantly crossing her arms over her chest. She did not want to give him the satisfaction.
"That's not true and you know it." Severus said suddenly serious.
"Well of course I was worried about you. You were barely breathing and none of the usual potions were working. Im not heartless you know. Plus I was surprised, I am usually aware of when you have been summoned. Can you imagine how I felt opening your office door to see you lying there almost dead!"
"Oh I am so sorry that it was such a shock for you! I'll try and be more considerate next time I'm in that state!" Severus retorted sarcastically. "usually you are with me when I am summoned Dumbledore said that I wasn't brought to the hospital wing until two in the morning. He was wondering what you were doing there so early in the morning. "
"What did you say?" Hermione asked suddenly cursing her stupidity for not thinking about the consequences of what she had done.
"Luckily I had no idea why you would be there so late. So I said as much. I expect he will want an answer at some point."
"Okay, thanks for letting me know. But honestly its not some big secret I came down to thank you for saving Harry. You weren't there so I decided to read for awhile. And I just happened to fall asleep, and your arrival back to our office woke me up. Its hardly scandalous."
"Im afraid its not that simple. He will be wondering how you were able to get into my personal quarters without me putting the wards down."
We've been working together intensively for almost a year, surely it wouldn't be a surprise for you to give me access to your wards?"
"Not really I was working with Jarvis for far longer and while he had been in my personal quarters many times I never gave him the freedom to come and go as he pleased."
"Really? Who else has access to your wards?"
"You and Dumbledore. That's it." Severus stated simply.
Hermione took a moment to think about what he was telling her. "Just tell him the truth if he asks. Tell him that I wouldn't stop going on about how dangerous it was to not give anyone access, especially with the revels. Tell him that I usually help you when you get back."
"Have you gone mad! I cant tell him you help me! You're a student for Merlin's sake!"
"Fine then just tell him that I was bothering you about using your library and that it was better to give me access, that way you would have to hear me complaining about not having the right book all the time."
"I suppose that could work. Hopefully he wont bring it up."
But he did bring it up. Hermione was released only an hour later. Because Harry and Ron were in the hospital wing at the moment and Dumbledore wanted to avoid anyone finding out about last night he had assigned Hermione to the private rooms in the hospital wing usually used for professors. Only half an hour after she had been released Hermione, who had been in Transfiguration at the time, got a missive from Dumbledore requesting her presence in his office.
When Hermione arrived at the Head Masters office she was happy to see that she was greeted with a warm smile and not a firm expression. "Good morning Professor." She said cheerily.
"Good morning my dear. I trust that you are feeling better?"
"Oh yes much! I believe that I was just a bit tired from lack of sleep, I feel much better now."
"Im glad to hear it. I have to say that Severus was very lucky that you were there." Dumbledore said not wasting any time with pleasantries. "He almost didn't make it as it was." He paused at seeing Hermione expression, "You look surprised, I would think, judging by your reaction last night that you would be anything but."
"Its just that I saw him this morning and he looked quite well and seemed to be back to his usual snarky self. I thought that I had perhaps overreacted last night." Hermione said sheepishly.
"Not at all. Severus has simply become a master at recuperating." Dumbledore said looking at her for a moment. "So how have you had access to his wards?" He asked giving her a knowing smile. There was obviously no point in lying to the man.
"Errr... Around the time that Kingsley and I found him almost dead in his rooms at Grimmauld Place. After he had recuperated I demanded that he give me access for cases like that one and the one last night."
"I see," Dumbledore said thinking her answer over for a moment." Knowing Severus as well as you do you must realize how out of character it is for him to trust just anyone with access to his personal quarters."
"Honestly, I think he did it just to get me off his back, I was driving him crazy with the constant nagging." Hermione said trying to cover for Severus, all be it quite poorly.
"Be that as it may Severus doesn't trust anyone. You must understand why Im concerned that he gave you access."
Hermione blushed at the insinuation. "I promise sir NOTHING of the sort is happening. I mostly go into his quarters when he's not there so I can take advantage of his library. At Grimmauld Place I never entered his rooms, but once when I thought something was wrong.
"So why then were you able to save Severus at two in the morning? Do you always wait for him to come back from revels?"
"No quite the contrary. He doesn't like me, or anyone really to see him like that. I hadn't even known he'd been summoned." Hermione was circling around the issue now and they both knew it.
"Then why were you in his quarters at such an odd hour?"
"I came to thank him. For saving Harry I mean. And when he wasn't there I decided to read and wait for him. I guess I was waiting longer than I intended because I fell asleep. I only awoke when I heard Severus stumble into his office." Hermione sat there waiting for Dumbledore to say something until she couldn't wait any longer. "Sir, please don't tell Professor Snape about what I have said, Im sure you can understand how cross he would be if he found out," Hermione said biting her lip.
"Your secret is safe with me." Dumbledore said smiling. "Now off to your next class, I have already kept you longer than I had intended.
"Thank you sir." Hermione said before closing the door.