Hermione fumbled with her books, shoving them into her bag. She had slept
late and had to hurry and most likely skip breakfast. She checked the clock
in the common room headed downstairs as quickly as possible. She was late.
Why did she have to be late on the day she that had Potions first thing?
She cursed herself mentally and rushed down the stairs to the dungeon.
She flung the door open and slipped into her seat not noticing Snape. She got an icy chill up her spine but ignored as she removed her books for class.
"Ah, Miss Granger, you have decided to join us," Snape said coolly.
"Yes, Professor, I'm sorry I slept late," Hermione explained.
"Yes well don't tell me your troubles, go to Dumbledore's office and explain it all to him, you have already missed to much of the class to retain anything important."
Hermione gathered up her books soberly. She told Harry briefly to explain to Professor Flitwick if she was late for Charms and left. She trudged up the stairs trying to prolong her walk as much as possible. She had been to Dumbledore's office before but she still hated it every time. The pit of her stomach began to grumble and she began to felt like she was going to vomit. She considered going to the bathroom but decided against it as she was supposed to be going straight to Dumbledore's office.
She reached his office rather quickly. She walked up to the door trying to remember the password. She had no clue. The last time she had been was six months and she was sure he would have changed it by now. She remembered faintly writing it down in one of her books and began to hunt through her books.
Before she had even gotten anywhere near the bottom of her bag the door opened. She became immediately confused. How could Dumbledore know she was there? She didn't have a meeting with him. Regaining herself she looked up to find not Dumbledore but Oliver Wood.
*
1 She panted heavily as she ran through the halls of Hogwarts. It was after midnight and if she was found she would definitely get a detention. She heard footsteps and ducked into the closest classroom without looking to she if it was occupied.
When she recovered enough she turned around to examine where she had ended up. It was an empty closet not much bigger than the Gryffindor common room. She surveyed the room but found nothing there though there were many shadows. She slid her back down the wall and sat, happy finally to have some peace. And then something came out the shadows.
"Oliver?" Hermione said at the figure.
"Yes Hermione, what are you doing here? It's after midnight," he said sternly.
"I know, I'm sorry, I was just looking for something in the library and I didn't realize how late it was," Hermione said trying to hide her pleasure to seem him by sounding innocent.
"Alright, I have no reason not to believe, but I insist on walking you back to your room," Oliver demanded.
"That is fine with me," she said pulling herself slowly. She exited the room in front of Oliver who quickly followed. She turned right out of the classroom and tried to get her bearings. Her seven years at Hogwarts had gotten her very accustomed to its halls but it was still very large and it was nighttime and the corridors were dank and filled with shadows. She moved through the hallways with uneasiness displayed on her pale face. Oliver didn't notice though. They took several turns before she was able to find her bearings again.
Oliver was very close to her. She could feel the heat resonating out of his body. She had never felt warmth like this. It went from the tips of her toes to the top of head and blanketed her with happiness. Heaven was nothing compared to the way she felt at that moment. Slowing her pace to his Hermione tried to be as close to him as possible without arising suspicion.
She was moving along quite well and was almost to the common room when she heard a noise almost like a ghost yelling BOO! She screamed and jumped back, terror filling her entire body and landed in the safety on Oliver's arms and passed out.
Waking slowly she didn't remember exactly where she was. The floor beneath her was cold and hard and she wanted to move dearly. As she opened her eyes she saw Oliver sitting next to her staring into space. She felt his hand clasped tightly around hers. She mumbled something and within a second his face was over hers.
"Hermione, are you okay?" he said with an edge of nervousness.
"Yes, I'm just cold and uncomfortable, can I please stand up?" she said pragmatically.
"Of course," he said holding out his other hand. She grabbed and started to pull herself up. She only got halfway before she collapsed into Oliver's arms again. This time he was more prepared and held her close to his body supporting her. She turned her head and her hair swished gently against his face. Before she knew what to think he was leaning to kiss. For a split- second she thought, what are you doing, like always. Then she had no time to think because his lips had reached hers and she felt a whole ocean come crashing down upon her head.
It all happened. The waves crashed. The fireworks flew. Everything. And he held her there for what seemed like forever. When he finally did pull away she almost fell over again. He caught her…and she woke up from her dream.
*
Pushing the dream to the back of her mind, she smiled at Oliver.
"Oliver what are you doing here?" she said trying not to smile like a hyperactive leprechaun.
"I had a meeting with Dumbledore, I told you at the Quidditch match remember?"
"Oh, yes, I do. Well I would love to stay and chat but I have to see Dumbledore myself," she said and whisked past him before he could say anything or the door could close. She regained as much of her composure as possible and stepped into Dumbledore's office.
"Hello Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore said with his wide fatherly grin.
"Well I was late to Snape's class and he sent me here, I really didn't mean to be late, Headmaster, I just slept late and well you know how sleep is sometimes, I had a huge History of Magic paper to finish last night and I didn't get to sleep until late and well…" Hermione panted nearly out of breath and scared out of her wits.
"Miss Granger calm down, it's fine, it was rash of Snape to send you here for such a silly offense," Dumbledore smiled.
"Silly? So there will be no punishment?" Hermione asked slowly.
"No not this time, but be warned the next time you are late there will be consequences, so do not take this lightly," Dumbledore said a little more seriously.
"Of course, Headmaster, I consider myself warned."
"Then you may go," Dumbledore said.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she left Dumbledore's office. She had never thought that she would get off that easy. Dumbledore was kind yes, but he knew when the line was being drawn. She checked her watch and saw she still had time for lunch before Charms. She hurried downstairs to find Ron and Harry and tell them that she was all right.
When she arrived in the lunchroom she saw Harry and Ron right away and ran over to sit with them. She began to eat and simultaneously explain what had happened between her and Dumbledore. Still at the back of her mind, her dream nagged at her, wanting to be given a thought. And it would be.
She flung the door open and slipped into her seat not noticing Snape. She got an icy chill up her spine but ignored as she removed her books for class.
"Ah, Miss Granger, you have decided to join us," Snape said coolly.
"Yes, Professor, I'm sorry I slept late," Hermione explained.
"Yes well don't tell me your troubles, go to Dumbledore's office and explain it all to him, you have already missed to much of the class to retain anything important."
Hermione gathered up her books soberly. She told Harry briefly to explain to Professor Flitwick if she was late for Charms and left. She trudged up the stairs trying to prolong her walk as much as possible. She had been to Dumbledore's office before but she still hated it every time. The pit of her stomach began to grumble and she began to felt like she was going to vomit. She considered going to the bathroom but decided against it as she was supposed to be going straight to Dumbledore's office.
She reached his office rather quickly. She walked up to the door trying to remember the password. She had no clue. The last time she had been was six months and she was sure he would have changed it by now. She remembered faintly writing it down in one of her books and began to hunt through her books.
Before she had even gotten anywhere near the bottom of her bag the door opened. She became immediately confused. How could Dumbledore know she was there? She didn't have a meeting with him. Regaining herself she looked up to find not Dumbledore but Oliver Wood.
*
1 She panted heavily as she ran through the halls of Hogwarts. It was after midnight and if she was found she would definitely get a detention. She heard footsteps and ducked into the closest classroom without looking to she if it was occupied.
When she recovered enough she turned around to examine where she had ended up. It was an empty closet not much bigger than the Gryffindor common room. She surveyed the room but found nothing there though there were many shadows. She slid her back down the wall and sat, happy finally to have some peace. And then something came out the shadows.
"Oliver?" Hermione said at the figure.
"Yes Hermione, what are you doing here? It's after midnight," he said sternly.
"I know, I'm sorry, I was just looking for something in the library and I didn't realize how late it was," Hermione said trying to hide her pleasure to seem him by sounding innocent.
"Alright, I have no reason not to believe, but I insist on walking you back to your room," Oliver demanded.
"That is fine with me," she said pulling herself slowly. She exited the room in front of Oliver who quickly followed. She turned right out of the classroom and tried to get her bearings. Her seven years at Hogwarts had gotten her very accustomed to its halls but it was still very large and it was nighttime and the corridors were dank and filled with shadows. She moved through the hallways with uneasiness displayed on her pale face. Oliver didn't notice though. They took several turns before she was able to find her bearings again.
Oliver was very close to her. She could feel the heat resonating out of his body. She had never felt warmth like this. It went from the tips of her toes to the top of head and blanketed her with happiness. Heaven was nothing compared to the way she felt at that moment. Slowing her pace to his Hermione tried to be as close to him as possible without arising suspicion.
She was moving along quite well and was almost to the common room when she heard a noise almost like a ghost yelling BOO! She screamed and jumped back, terror filling her entire body and landed in the safety on Oliver's arms and passed out.
Waking slowly she didn't remember exactly where she was. The floor beneath her was cold and hard and she wanted to move dearly. As she opened her eyes she saw Oliver sitting next to her staring into space. She felt his hand clasped tightly around hers. She mumbled something and within a second his face was over hers.
"Hermione, are you okay?" he said with an edge of nervousness.
"Yes, I'm just cold and uncomfortable, can I please stand up?" she said pragmatically.
"Of course," he said holding out his other hand. She grabbed and started to pull herself up. She only got halfway before she collapsed into Oliver's arms again. This time he was more prepared and held her close to his body supporting her. She turned her head and her hair swished gently against his face. Before she knew what to think he was leaning to kiss. For a split- second she thought, what are you doing, like always. Then she had no time to think because his lips had reached hers and she felt a whole ocean come crashing down upon her head.
It all happened. The waves crashed. The fireworks flew. Everything. And he held her there for what seemed like forever. When he finally did pull away she almost fell over again. He caught her…and she woke up from her dream.
*
Pushing the dream to the back of her mind, she smiled at Oliver.
"Oliver what are you doing here?" she said trying not to smile like a hyperactive leprechaun.
"I had a meeting with Dumbledore, I told you at the Quidditch match remember?"
"Oh, yes, I do. Well I would love to stay and chat but I have to see Dumbledore myself," she said and whisked past him before he could say anything or the door could close. She regained as much of her composure as possible and stepped into Dumbledore's office.
"Hello Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore said with his wide fatherly grin.
"Well I was late to Snape's class and he sent me here, I really didn't mean to be late, Headmaster, I just slept late and well you know how sleep is sometimes, I had a huge History of Magic paper to finish last night and I didn't get to sleep until late and well…" Hermione panted nearly out of breath and scared out of her wits.
"Miss Granger calm down, it's fine, it was rash of Snape to send you here for such a silly offense," Dumbledore smiled.
"Silly? So there will be no punishment?" Hermione asked slowly.
"No not this time, but be warned the next time you are late there will be consequences, so do not take this lightly," Dumbledore said a little more seriously.
"Of course, Headmaster, I consider myself warned."
"Then you may go," Dumbledore said.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she left Dumbledore's office. She had never thought that she would get off that easy. Dumbledore was kind yes, but he knew when the line was being drawn. She checked her watch and saw she still had time for lunch before Charms. She hurried downstairs to find Ron and Harry and tell them that she was all right.
When she arrived in the lunchroom she saw Harry and Ron right away and ran over to sit with them. She began to eat and simultaneously explain what had happened between her and Dumbledore. Still at the back of her mind, her dream nagged at her, wanting to be given a thought. And it would be.