"#1 Crush"

Chapter four-Fallen Angel

We all looked at each other.

"If they didn't send an owl stating they were getting a divorce, then who did?" Ron asked, slowly.

"I'll give you three guesses," I muttered angrily.

"Whoever's sending Harry those letters," Laurie replied promptly.

"Exactly!" I said, nodding.

"But why say something that isn't true?" Ron asked.

"To throw us off course I bet! This person is obviously playing a dangerous game. He or she is obsessed!"

"I hope to dear God it's a 'she' we're dealing with," Harry muttered.

We managed a chuckle.

"We all do or you've got a big problem here," Laurie smiled.

We chuckled, then fell silent.

"Let's just go out onto the grounds to get some air, shall we?" Ron suggested.

"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. I could use some air," I said.

The four of us got up from Gryffindor table and left the castle. We all sat in the courtyard in front of a large stone fountain and just enjoyed the morning sunshine. The lake shimmered under the sunlight. White, puffy clouds floated by and the sky was a beautiful baby blue color. A gentle breeze fluttered my hair. I thought about what Laurie said last night.

I wanted to tell Harry, but I didn't want to in front of Ron or Laurie. I wanted to tell him myself…in person. Not in any letter or by ear. I was more so worried about losing him as a best friend. But I also wanted the right time to tell him. I didn't just want to blurt it out with out any feeling. It was supposed to have feeling behind it.

Students were walking around the grounds talking and laughing as they went to their classes. Just then, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle walked toward us.

"Aw crap…look what the wind is blowing our way," Laurie moaned.

"Yeah…crap," Ron muttered.

Laurie sniggered.

"Why Potty, Weasley, Mudblood and Mudblood. How convenient," Draco sniggered.

"Shove off, Malfoy," I snapped. "Or else…"

"Or else what, Mudblood?" Draco said, mockingly.

I just sat and seethed, my eyes narrowed almost into slits.

"Or else I will have to hurt you," Laurie said, grinning.

Draco looked at her like she was mad.

"Sure. Whatever you say," Draco rolled his eyes.

Laurie stood up. Her eyes narrowed as well.

"Want to try me?"

Draco just rolled his eyes again and brushed past her, jostling her. She turned around, grabbed his left arm and pinned it behind him, then pushed him to the ground on his stomach. She had her right knee pressed into the small of his back as she held his left arm behind him still.

"Having fun?" Laurie hissed.

"Get off of me!" Draco growled, wincing in pain as she pinned his arm tighter behind him.

"Sure. But not until you apologize to Hermione and I for calling us Mudbloods," Laurie snarled.

"I will never apologize!" Malfoy said.

Again, Laurie pinned his arm tighter.

Malfoy was wincing in pain again.

"Now?"

"No!"

She increased the pressure of her knee into his back.

"Now?"

"Fine! I'm sorry! Let me up!" Malfoy said.

Laurie let him up. Malfoy gave her a look of loathing before he, Crabbe and Goyle started walking back to the castle again.

"You almost had him in tears!" Ron said grinning.

"Yeah. I took self defense classes last year," Laurie replied.

"You could've really hurt him though," I said, quietly.

"Naw, I would've let him up…shortly,"

Ron and Harry laughed.

"Since when do you worry about hurting Malfoy? He's done nothing but harass us!" Ron asked.

"Look, I just don't think hurting Malfoy is going to solve anything!" I said angrily.

I stood up and began walking away.

"Hermione! Wait!"

I heard Harry call as he began hurrying after me. He gently grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.

"Listen. I know you're upset about the letters. We all are. I know Laurie should not have done that to Malfoy. But we'll get through this…trust me," Harry said softly, peering into my eyes.

I stared back into his. I felt tears swelling in my eyes.

"Harry, I'm scared! This person is not afraid of hurting people! Suppose he or she actually goes as far as killing you! Then what?" I asked, as Harry's image got blurry from the tears.

"Nothing's going to happen to me," Harry said, moving his face closer.

"You don't know that…" I started to say.

Before I could say anything more, Harry gently took my face in his hands and brought his face closer until our lips met. He gently and softly kissed me. He pulled back, but still had my face in his hands.

"Don't worry about me, all right? I'll be fine," he said softly and quietly, light pressing his forehead against mine. "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you too," I said.

He threw his arms around me and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around him just as tightly and hugged him. My chin rested on his shoulder and his chin rested on mine. He pressed his face into my hair.

"This will all be over with soon," he said.

"I know," I said, quietly.

He released me.

"Come on. Let's go back to Ron and Laurie,"

I nodded and we walked back over to them.

We entered the castle for dinner that night.

The entire Great Hall was buzzing. I wished we were one of those students that had no worries and didn't have to worry about whether or not they were going to see one of their friends possibly hurt or worse.

Ron, Laurie, Harry and I ate in silence. We decided to see if we can narrow the person who's doing this down.

"It's definitely not Ginny. She would never do something like this," Ron said.

"No she wouldn't. Who else?" Harry mused.

We scanned the Great Hall plus the house tables.

As my eyes scanned over the Slytherin table, they landed on a girl. She had dark curly brown hair and seemed to be hunched over her food. I nudged Harry.

"What is it? See something?" He whispered.

"Look over at the Slytherin table. That girl hunches over her food. I haven't seen her before,"

"Yeah. Who is she?" Harry mused.

"I dunno. Like I said, I've never seen her before. Could she be a new student or something?"

"I don't think she's new. If she was, Professor Dumbledore would've announced it,"

"Maybe not if she's in some kind of danger," Laurie replied.

"True. I don't know though. We're just going to have to keep an eye on her," Ron said.

We all nodded in agreement.

As we got up to leave the Great Hall, I felt the girls' eyes on me.

We all sat around the common room. Laurie and I decided to go to the library for a moment to check on a charm. The corridors were quiet and eerie by the light from the torches. A crescent moon hung in an almost black night sky. The stars twinkled brightly. The grounds were quiet also and a cool night breeze came up. I felt a shiver running down my spine and I pulled my robe tighter around me. Laurie did the same as well.

"Burrrrr. It's gotten chilly now huh?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

We entered the library. We found that girl sitting in a corner reading a book by candlelight. Her hair had fallen over her face, shielding it. The library was dark, except being lit by the candles

"She's definitely spooky," Laurie whispered to me as we grabbed the book we needed from the Magical Charms of the 20th Century section. Laurie wanted to look up a charm her mother had used on her father when he refused to pay the house bills.

"Definitely," I whispered back.

We sat down to scan through the book. I just happened to look up. The girl was leaving.

"Whew. She gives me the creeps!" Laurie shivered.

"She gives me the creeps also. I wonder what's with her?" I mused.

"I don't know, but let's find that charm and get back to the common room," Laurie said.

About 30 minutes later, we found it. We put the book back and left the library.

When we entered the common room, no one was there.

"Ron and Harry must've went to bed. I'm certainly tired," I said, stretching.

"Yeah so am I," Laurie agreed as we passed a table. Then, Laurie grabbed my arm.

"Hey, there's a note from Harry here,"

I took it and opened the parchment.

I read it a loud to Laurie:

Hermione,

Meet me up on the roof of Hogwarts. I have to talk to you. It's serious and I can't talk to anyone else but you. I'll be there shortly.

Harry

"Huh, wonder what he has to talk to you about?" Laurie mused.

"I'm wondering the same thing,"

"Maybe he's going to propose!" Laurie squealed.

"Ssssh! Keep it down!" I hissed, but grinned.

"Tell me the details in the morning," Laurie grinned as she headed into the dorm room.

"Promise!" I called.

I folded the letter up and put it into my robe. I left Gryffindor Common room once again and began heading up to the roof.

I stepped out onto the roof. It was definitely chilly. I pulled my robe tighter around me. I wondered why on earth Harry would want me to meet him up here. This was a spot that he never would've picked. It was strange though. I walked over to the edge and put my hands on a small ledge. I looked around the grounds. It was so calm and quiet. The moon cast a silvery glow over the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid's hut. I could smell the salty air that blew off the lake. A gust of wind came up and blew my hair up from behind. I tucked a few strands behind my ears, but were soon later blown out from behind them.

I decided to just leave it.

I really began wondering what Harry wanted to talk to me about. I wondered if he found out who was sending him all those letters and who hurt Ginny, poisoned me and tried to drag Laurie down an alleyway.

Then I began thinking about what Laurie said. Maybe he was going to propose. In my heart I had hoped so. I would definitely marry him. My heart felt lighter though because I had told him how I felt. It was nagging at me for quite a while.

I heard someone behind me.

I spun around. The person was hidden in the shadows.

"Harry? Is that you? What do you need to talk to me about?" I asked, worriedly.

The person stepped closer and didn't reply.

"Harry? Please answer me! You're scaring me!"

Nothing. The person stepped into the moonlight. It was the person we saw in Hogsmeade in the black hooded robe. The hood was pulled up over the person's face, shielding it from view. Again, all that was visible was dark, curly brown hair, which hung over each shoulder.

"Hey, who are you? What do you want?" I asked, alarmed.

The person didn't reply again.

"I think I should leave now," I said, as I went to pass the person but he or she knocked me backward.

I landed on my back. I propped myself up onto my elbows before I got to my feet again.

I went to pass the person again, but this time, the person grabbed me around the throat and walked over to the edge. He or she then pushed me backward. I fell over the ledge, but managed to grab a hold of it. My feet dangled 10 stories above the grounds. I looked up at the person. I still couldn't make out his or her face. I kicked my legs, hoping to manage to get a hold of something so I could pull myself up. I glanced down.

The ground was silent.

"Help!" I screamed.

"No one can help you now," said the figure as they pulled down the hood.

I screamed.

It was like looking into a mirror.

The girl leaned forward and grabbed my left hand, yanking it off the ledge. Now, I hung on by one hand.

"It's time for you to die," the girl said.

HARRY.

Ron and I had decided to go down to the kitchens to nab some extra food. We headed back up to Gryffindor common room, but Laurie and Hermione were not there.

"Maybe they went to bed?" Ron suggested.

A strange feeling came over me at that point.

"I don't know. I'm getting an awful feeling. Let's go see if she went to see Hagrid," I suggested.

Ron nodded and we left the common room and walked out onto the grounds.

Suddenly, we heard a scream. We looked up. A black robed figure was falling from the roof and was screaming the entire way down. It hit the ground with a sick thud and the scream was cut off instantly.

Ron and I looked at each other. He was pale. I swallowed.

We rushed over to where the figure was lying.

It was lying on its back, with one arm draped across its stomach, the other was stretched out on the grass. Dark brown hair, curly, was covering its face. I noticed a dark red substance pooling around on the grass near its mouth.

"Harry, I don't think that's a doll," Ron said, weakly.

I swallowed nausea.

"I think you're right,"

I crouched down and caught sight of a grey skirt and knee socks.

"It's a girl," I said, quietly.

"Oh no," Ron said quietly.

I saw the Gryffindor shield on the robe.

"It's a Gryffindor,"

Ron gulped.

"Who is it?"

I took a deep breath and reached forward, gently moving aside the dark, curly brown hair.

Ron cried out. I was in shock.

The girl's dark brown eyes were open and were lifeless. A thick ribbon of blood was flowing from the corner of her mouth and pooling on the ground.

It was Hermione.