Over The Rim

By Little~Trixta

Genre: Romance

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Basically, I don't own anything but the idea and plot of this story.

Over The Rim: Chapter Four: Illusion Fusion

Rating: PG

"Harry, admit it. We're hopelessly, without a doubt, clear as the scar on that thick head of yours LOST." Hermione crossly stated while kicking the dirt beneath her shoes. She was right. It was almost completely dark out, and Hermione could almost swear she'd seen that same willow tree with the

insignia of 'Beth Loves George' carved out on it for the fifth time that evening. Harry on the other hand, with ever exceeding 'boyish' genes running through him, assured himself of one thing; that he knew exactly where he was going. But that assurance began to loose its certainty with every passing moment and Harry was beginning to wonder himself weither or not he really did know where he was going.

"Stop worrying Hermione. I'm sure Hogwarts is just past these trees."

"Harry for cripes sakes, there are damned trees everywhere we turn." Hermione said well past the 'irritable' state. "Can't we at least stop to rest for a while?" Not even bothering to wait for an answer Hermione plunked down beside the trunk of an old oak.

Harry looked at Hermione's worn out figure and sighed. "Yea, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a short rest. Professor Mcgonogal will have our heads no matter how late we return to Hogwarts." Harry said sitting down beside Hermione.

"I'm sorry I got us into this position Hermione. I didn't mean to though. All I wanted to do was have some fun. You know, with the finals no longer beating at us. Haha, but of course, I forgot. You love finals. All I'm trying to say 'Mione is. I didn't mean for it to turn out this way, and despite the tough rut we're in now, I still had a great time with you." When Harry re-played his last words in his head he started to realize that it sounded a lot different then it was suppose to, and he felt a tinge of embarrassment surge through him. It was sort of strange seeing as how he didn't normally feel the least bit awkward or embarrassed around Hermione, that is except for the small 'scene' in Three Broomsticks.

When Harry noted that Hermione hadn't said a word in the past three minutes after his so called 'speech' he turned his head to look down at her, only to find she was asleep and breathing easily. He smiled. There was a good chance Hermione hadn't heard a word Harry said to her, but now he knew to edit out the last part for the next time he apologized to Hermione.

Feeling his own eyes droop, Harry slumped back to better suit himself to the hard ground and the barky trunk against his back. Harry then felt something shuffle beside him and a light weight being put against his left arm. Lifting one eyelid, Harry looked down to see a head of chestnut colored hair leaning beside him and the next thing he knew was the feeling of a dreamless slumber.

(Ron: So, what happened when ye' woke up?

Harry: I'm getting there. Hey, where do ya' suppose Hermione went off to? She should've been back by now shouldn't she?

Ron: Oh she's fine! Probably had the bean soup for dinner ay! Now get on with it will ya!

Harry: Hold on. Let me think.)

When Harry awoke he had a strange curiosity toward the fact that there was a rocking motion beneath him. The ground doesn't rock does it? Well of course not. Well there are earthquakes, which would probably be an obvious exception, but it was more of a light swaying movement, rather then a horrendous rumble. Plus there was the occasional wet splash on his face. Harry opened his eyes and raised the upper part of his body to glance around at his surroundings. First thing he noticed: he was in a boat. Second: He was surrounded by water. Harry was pretty sure he wasn't in a boat when he fell asleep, and he was quite certain that he didn't have the habit of sleep walking, much less sleep swimming. There was water filling the boat and he had the impression that the boat was sinking.

'How in the world did I get into this boat? I'm pretty sure Hermione and I didn't have a boat with us when we left Hogwarts..Wait a minute.Hermione! She's not here!'

"Hermione!!" Harry shouted. But the only response Harry got was the echo of his own voice sounding through out the forest. He had to do something. He had to find Hermione. But first he had to find some way to get out of that boat and back to solid ground. Harry glanced around the boat and spotted a hole where the water must have been leaking out of at the bottom of the boat. He looked around some more. There was no paddle, and there wasn't anything else he could use to possibly steer himself back to shore. The only option left was.

"Okay Harry. Now's the time to make good use of those swimming lessons Uncle Dursley gave you when you were three. (Actually, they were more like 'drowning lessons' ^.^)" Harry told himself before making a head-first dive into the lake.

(Ron: Hah! Then what happened? Did a fish come up and bite you on the ass?!

Harry: NO. For goodness sakes Ron! Won't you just shut up and let me finish already before I corrode? You know, for someone who's made it quite clear he wants to know the whole story without leaving a thing out, you'd think the person would actually keep quite and actually listen to it.

Ron: Well, EXCUSE ME for trying to be a lively audience.

Harry: *groan*)

By the time Harry reached the shore he was wet with mud dripping off his robes and leaves poking through his hair. So he wasn't looking quite as -neat- as before, but at least he'd finished the first task of getting from the boat to the edge of the lake. Now all he needed to do was find out where Hermione went off to and how he'd gotten into that boat.

Out of the corner of his eye Harry spotted a brief flash of someone running through the woods. Instinctively, Harry picked himself up and ran as fast as he could in the direction that he had spotted the fleeting figure. As moments passed, Harry's stride began to lessen and he felt he was in a no win pursuit. He couldn't even see the thing he was running after anymore, and he didn't even know where he was running to or what it was he was running after. The further Harry went the darker the surroundings became. It was almost pitch black when Harry was brought to a dead end of nothing but bushes and a remainder of dead trees.

"Hermione?" Harry spoke into the brush.

After convincing himself that he had just been hallucinating, Harry scratched his head and turned around to walk back the way he had come. But when Harry turned around all he saw was a blockage of bushes, that he was sure hadn't been there before. Harry had the assumption that something was wrong. He looked about himself. He was trapped, cornered. Without a moments notice Harry felt a swift wisp of air move past him. He turned around, nothing there. He turned back, nothing there. Just then Harry felt a strong forceful shove to his back, and moments later he was face first into the dirt.

'What in the devil was that?!' Harry thought to himself. There was the smallest thought in the back of his mind that beat at that very question. Harry knew who he thought it might be, but he didn't actually think it could really be him. Could it?

Everything looked blurry when the boy made a hopeless attempt to stand up. And there was no longer a weight on the bridge of his nose. It was rather obvious what the problem was. His glasses were missing.

Harry almost tripped over himself while trying to look for his glasses. It was hopeless really. All Harry could visualize were patches of green and black. Ever so carefully, Harry made a few steps forward then bent over to try and feel the ground. Nothing. All Harry felt was dirt beneath his fingertips. Harry made a couple more steps then reached down again. This time feeling something that soon squirmed out through his fingers. Harry cringed. His feet inched over a couple steps further until Harry heard a crunched noise. One he knew was definitely a bad one. Harry dropped down to pick up what he assumed was his now demolished pair of glasses. Looking down at the perfectly round pair of frames held in his hands, Harry was sure that's exactly what they were.

'Great Job Harry. You're wet, blind, and lost. It can't get any better then this.' Harry walked around a little not exactly sure of his destination. He found what he assumed was a tree trunk and slumped down next to it, closing his eyes. His head hurt. Part of the reason was because of his loss of sight, and the other part was because he was confused and completely unaware of what was happening.

"Hello, Harry."

Harry hastily got to his feet only to be greeted by a blurry distorted figure standing a couple paces away. Looking down upon the figure, all Harry could throw together was a brown blob near the top and black smudges all down through the middle. It was completely oblivious to Harry of whom this person was, but there was that one key as to how the person said his name. It sounded chillingly familiar.

Not exactly sure how to react to his new guest, Harry backed up a few steps before asking,

"W-who exactly are you?" Harry asked with caution.

With his new vision setting in, Harry wasn't sure whether this-thing's- mouth was moving or not, because at the moment, everything seemed to be swishing in, out, and in all directions Harry could think of.

"It is me, Hermo-ninny." It said.

Harry had to stop and think about this one. 'Hermo-hermo.Ninny?' Harry questioned. It sounded like something.

'Hermo-ninny.Hermi-No.' Suddenly Harry's brain snapped into motion. 'Hermione!!' That must have been it.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled stepping forward. "Are you okay? Where did you go?" Harry asked spurting out questions by the minute.

"Yes, Harry, It is me. Hermo-ninny." This made Harry stop for the second time.

'Wait a minute. There's something wrong here. Since when does Hermione not know how to pronounce her own name?'

(Ron: Whoa.

Hermione: So you guys decided to start without me?

Harry: Hey Hermione. Yea, Ron kept bugging me to continue.

Hermione: Well looks like I came back just in time.

Ron: Why's that?

Hermione: Because Now It's my turn.)



(Ten Minutes Earlier)



"Argh! I knew this was a bad idea! But did Harry listen? NO! He just HAD to pull me into this dark and murky forest, so that WHO KNOWS what could jump out and eat me in a matter of seconds!! Ahaha. Wonderful, simply wonderful.I haven't even graduated from Hogwarts yet and I'm already walking through the pit of death." Hermione rambled on to herself. Besides, there was no one else within a two mile radius she could pour out her words to anyways. She might as well pour them out right back onto herself.

"Oh, figures I'd be in a situation like this anyways. Since I've met Harry all I've managed to do is get sucked into troubles right along with him.But I guess that's what makes knowing Harry so fun. If I didn't, my life would probably be just as dull as I take it for sometimes..." Hermione sighed and grasped the edges of her cloak. It was starting to get just as cold as it was dark out. It was obvious that she wasn't getting anywhere, but she had a feeling that walking through the forest would be safer then sitting by a tree as a dead target for creeping predators.

"Haaaaarrrry!!!.." Nothing. Same as it had been the last ten times she had called out his name. She had received no response.

"Where could Harry be? And why did he just up and leave like that? I mean, leaving me asleep, on a branch, at the top of the highest tree in the forest, to fall to my death is not exactly what I would call romantic." Hermione muttered to herself.

Pushing away a large bushel of leaves, Hermione spotted a gap between a set of trees to walk through. So Hermione did exactly that. The only bright light she'd seen in the past hour was poking through the cracks of overhanging leaves where she stood. Everywhere else she turned was covered in darkness. It was strange, but she got the brief feeling she was on spotlight.

Not only that but she could hear steps. She could hear a crushing of leaves approaching closer and closer. Hermione was just about ready to turn around and make a sprint when something stopped her. The next thing she knew she was staring at something red. As her eyes trailed along higher she realized she was staring strait into Harry's face.

To Be Continued.

A.N: OH! I know!! This was a horrible chapter with a soggy ending.. I am completely drained of ideas, and I just wanted to get the next chapter OUT before school starts (which is tomorrow -.-) So, please.try to be even the least bit discrete on your comments. Thanks a lot guys. And If you have any ideas. I mean ANY I could use um until something pops into my head. And don't worry.there'll be more mush as chapters go on.BUT.not too much. ~.^

Chapter Five: (?)