A MidAfternoon's Dream


The Fey liked to play tricks on any humans foolish enough to enter their domain. They especially favoured playing within their dreams, as the curtain between the conscious and unconscious was as fragile as a gossamer thread and what was real and not was truly difficult to discern.



Hermione was sitting alone in the library, a book on the Fey open on the table in front of her. It was Saturday and practically the entire school was at Hogsmeade for a Muggle-styled fair. As much as she was curious, even more, Hermione wanted to put a certain plan into action. A plan that involved, she hoped, finding out more about her enigmatic DADA Professor, Severus Snape.

Growing up in the Muggle world, Hermione had already learned much about the Fey; only, she knew them as fairies. She had read the Muggle Shakespeare's, "A MidSummer Night's Dream" many times, and now she was researching the Fey from the wizarding worlds perspective. She was finding more similarities than she had ever imagined.



She had also noted, since coming to Hogwarts this September, that in at least two respects the Wizarding world and the Muggle world were exactly the same.

Neither world could bring back the dead; and neither world had yet discovered time travel...

That was Hermione's problem, and that was why she was spending a beautiful spring day cooped up in the library, attempting to find some way to get into Severus Snapes head, literally!

A familiar footfall sounded in the library and Hermione looked up as the man himself stalked by and went through the doorway into the restricted section at the end of the library.

'It's now or never' Hermione thought to herself and quickly pulled out Harry's Invisibility cloak which she had 'borrowed' after the students had left for Hogsmeade. Pulling it over her head, after acertaining she was alone, Hermione walked the few feet to the door as silently as possible. Fortunately, Snape had left the door open when he had gone in; unfortunately, he was now heading back to the door and Hermione had to hurry to slip under his arm and into the stacks before he closed the door. He had paused for a moment as she brushed past him, turning and looking back into the restricted area, then shook his head, an irritated look on his angular face, then stalked out again his black cloak billowing behind him.

Releasing her breath quietly, Hermione kept the cloak over her head as she searched the shelves for any books on the Fey. Finding one, she took it closer to a light, then quickly took some pictures of the pages which held interesting information.

She held the tiny 'spy camera' above another book as she continued taking pictures.

Hermione Granger was a very clever girl.

Reasoning that a book discovered missing from the restricted section of the library might raise an alarm, in the summer she had sent away for one of these tiny 'spy cameras' from the back page of an American comic book. At that time she wasn't quite sure what she'd need it for, but had had a very strong feeling to bring it with her, and not to let anyone know she had it. At times like these Hermione often wondered if she shouldn't have been sorted into Slytherin House.

The afternoon passed quickly and soon Hermione knew that Ron and the other Gryffindors would be back, dying to tell her about the fair in the most minute detail imaginable.

Slipping her camera into her blazer pocket, Hermione held the invisibility cloak over her head as she made her way to the door, just as Ron burst into the library looking for her.

"Hermione, we're back" whispered Ron loudly, but received no answer.

"Are you sure she's still here?" Lavender asked, looking around as they neared her position.

Ron pointed triumphantly to the table she had sat at the book on the table and her cloak right where she had left them.

"See, she's still here Lavender, this is her second home you know."

"O.k., then where is she Ron?"

Lavender looked a little put out as Ron looked around, and Hermione stifled a yawn from just a few feet away.

"She's probably just gone to ask for a special book or something."

Ron answered, a slight frown crossing his face as he looked down at the book she had been reading, still open to the warnings about the Fey.

"What's she reading now?"

Lavender moved closer to peer curiously down at the book.

"More studying, I guess."

Ron shrugged, then pulled her seat out and sat down.

"We might as well wait until she returns Lavender, I can't imagine she'll be very long at all."

From the other side of the door, an invisible Hermione frowned and stifled another yawn. Looking at the two sitting at her table and discussing the fair, she tried to think of a way to get rid of them so she could leave herself.

Apparently convinced that she wouldn't be able to make her way out of the library alone, the two looked as though they were settling in for a while.

With a grimace of annoyance, Hermione silently made her way to the furthest point in the restricted section from them and sat down on a bench against the wall. The combination of the muted buzz of their conversation with the stress of hiding and the warmth of the library had Hermione yawning almost constantly. Finally, as it was still a couple hours until dinner, Hermione gave up and curled up on the bench, tucking the cloak around her and was asleep in moments.

Expecting to wake up for dinner, Hermione thought nothing of how dark it actually was as she stretched on the bench after opening her eyes. Remembering where she was Hermione adjusted the cloak and hurried to the door. As she had hoped, Lavender and Ron had already left, and she imagined she'd have a few questions to answer once she made it to the Great Hall.

The library was quiet and empty as she slipped through the door, pulling the cape off as she closed it quietly behind her. Gathering up her book bag she stuck the cloak back inside then fastened her own cloak on and walked quickly out of the library.