All throughout dinner, Hermoine noticed the concerned glances that came all
too frequently from Harry. Something in his eyes told her that their
conversation later in the evening would not be a pleasant one. The
emotions behind those eyes almost made her shiver.
Needing to look away, she concentrated on her food and excused herself as soon as she finished. As she was leaving, she felt a stare bore into her. But when she turned, Harry was not facing her direction. She could still feel those eyes though. They felt like they were trying to gain entrance into her thoughts. For the second time that evening, she suppressed a shiver, and left the Great Hall.
Upon entering her room, she lit the fire in hopes to relax after dinner. She picked up her book, and began to read.
At 9:30, she was roused from the story by a knock at the door. Annoyed that the aura was now lost, she looked up and called for the intruder to come in. Ron opened the door.
"Nose in a book again?" He chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?" The smile played on his lips.
"Hey Ron. Was there something you needed?" Her irritation could be heard in her voice. Ron chose to ignore it, but didn't want to be in the presence of an annoyed Hermoine Granger for longer than was necessary.
"Have you seen Harry since dinner?" He asked.
Suddenly, the reminder that she had promised to meet with Harry before curfew flew at her. She glanced at the time and saw that she still had 20 minutes before she had to meet with him. Remembering that he wanted to speak with her alone, she looked up at Ron, "Sorry. I've been in my room ever since I left the Great Hall."
Ron shrugged. He would catch up with Harry later. Saying goodnight to Hermoine, he left the room. Hermoine rubbed her eyes, stood up and stretched. When she was sure that Ron would not see her leaving her room, she grabbed her cloak and headed for the astronomy tower.
~@~
Hermoine was making her way quickly to the Astronomy tower. So quickly, that she didn't even notice Professor Snape as she walked past.
"Meeting your little playmate, Miss Granger?" A baritone voice came out from the corner.
Hermoine stopped and looked at Snape.
"Sir?"
"Well, you seemed to be rather anxious to get somewhere, and the only place that I could think of that you would be going in that direction for is the Astronomy tower. I suggest you and Potter try not to sully the ground with your teenage hormones." He said. Watching students cringe under every one of his words was a treat, compared to the nights that he usually had.
Hermoine smiled. If Snape only knew. Harry had confided in her last year that he was gay. Telling her was the hardest thing that he had done, and he asked her not to tell anyone. If Snape had to worry about Harry "sullying" the ground with teenage horomones with anyone, it would be.no, no, no!!! She did NOT want to think about that.
"What do you find so amusing, Miss Granger?" Snape asked, irritated that his earlier words got no cringing action from the student.
"Just reminded of something. Girl stuff, Professor." She said. She felt him flinch, if not saw him, as soon as the mention of "girl stuff" came out.
"Indeed." Was all Snape could say. "Just make sure your not caught out past curfew. It would be very.unfortunate." With that, he made his way down the hall, robes billowing out behind him with his quick, float like step.
Hermoine continued to the Astronomy tower as quickly as she could. She made her way up the stairs, and closed the door behind her.
"Harry?" She called into the darkness.
No response.
Thinking that she was early, she leant up against the wall and looked out the window. Harry would be here soon.
A few moments later, she heard the door open, and close. She turned and saw no one. Assuming that Harry was under his invisibility cloak, she called out, "Harry? Is that you?"
"Yes." And with that, Harry's head was floating in mid air.
Hermoine let out a small giggle. Whenever she saw either Harry or Ron appear from under the invisibility cloak, they would always appear one limb at a time rather than all at once, just to see her amusement. "Well, that was one way to melt some of the tension", he thought. Unfortunately, he was up here for something rather serious. Something he was concerned about. He'd been having one of those dreams again. This one was the most disturbing of all.
"What did you want to speak with me about?" She asked, noticing the tension and fear flit across his face.
"I've been having dreams."
Voldemort. She knew it. For years, Harry would get nightmares that would keep him up some nights, and most of them became reality not long after. She motioned for him to continue.
"It's more vivid than usual, but it feels just as intense." He began. "All I really remember from the dream is staring into some sort of material, feeling like I was cramped and humid, and hearing panicked voices. All of a sudden, I could feel myself rise and then, just black out. Next thing I know, I'm in front of Voldemort, and he's congradulating me.CONGRADULATING ME on a job well done." A slight, but tense pause. "What could this mean?"
Indeed. What could this mean? It was very disturbing to think about it. It could mean nothing. That Harry was just having this dream out of a fear that he cares not to admit or show to many, or it could mean that Harry turns to the other side and fights along with Voldemort, or it could mean that Voldemort would find a way to control Harry. It could even be something that she couldn't see right now. It was very disturbing.
"I think you should go see Dumbledore." She said, quite frankly. "Anything like this, he should know about."
Harry nodded his head.
"It's nearly curfew. I'll speak with him tomorrow." Harry said. "I'll see you at breakfast?"
Hermoine nodded, and bid him goodnight. She stayed a few minutes longer, and then noticed that if she didn't leave, she could definitely be caught. After seeing Snape earlier, she didn't want to risk it. She walked towards the door, and tried to open it. The knob wouldn't move. She brought out her wand.
"Alohomora"
It still would not open, but she heard a slight laugh behind her.
Before she could turn around, she heard a small rumble behind her ear, and a strong presence behind her back.
"Leaving so soon?" The figure grabbed her shoulders, and started rubbing her arms. She wanted nothing more than to just hex whoever it was behind her and bolt. She thought better of it when she remembered that she was having trouble getting out. A bit panic-stricken, she stood there frozen.
"Ah. Good to see you've decided to stay a bit."
She felt the hands move off her arms, and slide around her waist, bringing her closer to the unwelcome presence.
"I've got plans for you, but for now I must do some damage control." He purred in her ears. She shivered involuntarily.
The arms left her waist, and she could feel the cold against her back, telling her that whoever it was had stepped back. She turned around, wand in hand, but she came face to face with a shadow and his rather fast wand.
"Obliviate."
Needing to look away, she concentrated on her food and excused herself as soon as she finished. As she was leaving, she felt a stare bore into her. But when she turned, Harry was not facing her direction. She could still feel those eyes though. They felt like they were trying to gain entrance into her thoughts. For the second time that evening, she suppressed a shiver, and left the Great Hall.
Upon entering her room, she lit the fire in hopes to relax after dinner. She picked up her book, and began to read.
At 9:30, she was roused from the story by a knock at the door. Annoyed that the aura was now lost, she looked up and called for the intruder to come in. Ron opened the door.
"Nose in a book again?" He chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?" The smile played on his lips.
"Hey Ron. Was there something you needed?" Her irritation could be heard in her voice. Ron chose to ignore it, but didn't want to be in the presence of an annoyed Hermoine Granger for longer than was necessary.
"Have you seen Harry since dinner?" He asked.
Suddenly, the reminder that she had promised to meet with Harry before curfew flew at her. She glanced at the time and saw that she still had 20 minutes before she had to meet with him. Remembering that he wanted to speak with her alone, she looked up at Ron, "Sorry. I've been in my room ever since I left the Great Hall."
Ron shrugged. He would catch up with Harry later. Saying goodnight to Hermoine, he left the room. Hermoine rubbed her eyes, stood up and stretched. When she was sure that Ron would not see her leaving her room, she grabbed her cloak and headed for the astronomy tower.
~@~
Hermoine was making her way quickly to the Astronomy tower. So quickly, that she didn't even notice Professor Snape as she walked past.
"Meeting your little playmate, Miss Granger?" A baritone voice came out from the corner.
Hermoine stopped and looked at Snape.
"Sir?"
"Well, you seemed to be rather anxious to get somewhere, and the only place that I could think of that you would be going in that direction for is the Astronomy tower. I suggest you and Potter try not to sully the ground with your teenage hormones." He said. Watching students cringe under every one of his words was a treat, compared to the nights that he usually had.
Hermoine smiled. If Snape only knew. Harry had confided in her last year that he was gay. Telling her was the hardest thing that he had done, and he asked her not to tell anyone. If Snape had to worry about Harry "sullying" the ground with teenage horomones with anyone, it would be.no, no, no!!! She did NOT want to think about that.
"What do you find so amusing, Miss Granger?" Snape asked, irritated that his earlier words got no cringing action from the student.
"Just reminded of something. Girl stuff, Professor." She said. She felt him flinch, if not saw him, as soon as the mention of "girl stuff" came out.
"Indeed." Was all Snape could say. "Just make sure your not caught out past curfew. It would be very.unfortunate." With that, he made his way down the hall, robes billowing out behind him with his quick, float like step.
Hermoine continued to the Astronomy tower as quickly as she could. She made her way up the stairs, and closed the door behind her.
"Harry?" She called into the darkness.
No response.
Thinking that she was early, she leant up against the wall and looked out the window. Harry would be here soon.
A few moments later, she heard the door open, and close. She turned and saw no one. Assuming that Harry was under his invisibility cloak, she called out, "Harry? Is that you?"
"Yes." And with that, Harry's head was floating in mid air.
Hermoine let out a small giggle. Whenever she saw either Harry or Ron appear from under the invisibility cloak, they would always appear one limb at a time rather than all at once, just to see her amusement. "Well, that was one way to melt some of the tension", he thought. Unfortunately, he was up here for something rather serious. Something he was concerned about. He'd been having one of those dreams again. This one was the most disturbing of all.
"What did you want to speak with me about?" She asked, noticing the tension and fear flit across his face.
"I've been having dreams."
Voldemort. She knew it. For years, Harry would get nightmares that would keep him up some nights, and most of them became reality not long after. She motioned for him to continue.
"It's more vivid than usual, but it feels just as intense." He began. "All I really remember from the dream is staring into some sort of material, feeling like I was cramped and humid, and hearing panicked voices. All of a sudden, I could feel myself rise and then, just black out. Next thing I know, I'm in front of Voldemort, and he's congradulating me.CONGRADULATING ME on a job well done." A slight, but tense pause. "What could this mean?"
Indeed. What could this mean? It was very disturbing to think about it. It could mean nothing. That Harry was just having this dream out of a fear that he cares not to admit or show to many, or it could mean that Harry turns to the other side and fights along with Voldemort, or it could mean that Voldemort would find a way to control Harry. It could even be something that she couldn't see right now. It was very disturbing.
"I think you should go see Dumbledore." She said, quite frankly. "Anything like this, he should know about."
Harry nodded his head.
"It's nearly curfew. I'll speak with him tomorrow." Harry said. "I'll see you at breakfast?"
Hermoine nodded, and bid him goodnight. She stayed a few minutes longer, and then noticed that if she didn't leave, she could definitely be caught. After seeing Snape earlier, she didn't want to risk it. She walked towards the door, and tried to open it. The knob wouldn't move. She brought out her wand.
"Alohomora"
It still would not open, but she heard a slight laugh behind her.
Before she could turn around, she heard a small rumble behind her ear, and a strong presence behind her back.
"Leaving so soon?" The figure grabbed her shoulders, and started rubbing her arms. She wanted nothing more than to just hex whoever it was behind her and bolt. She thought better of it when she remembered that she was having trouble getting out. A bit panic-stricken, she stood there frozen.
"Ah. Good to see you've decided to stay a bit."
She felt the hands move off her arms, and slide around her waist, bringing her closer to the unwelcome presence.
"I've got plans for you, but for now I must do some damage control." He purred in her ears. She shivered involuntarily.
The arms left her waist, and she could feel the cold against her back, telling her that whoever it was had stepped back. She turned around, wand in hand, but she came face to face with a shadow and his rather fast wand.
"Obliviate."