A Word of Advice

Category: Harry Potter

Genre: General/Humor

Rating: G

Characters: Gilderoy Lockhart, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Harry Potter

Summary: Gilderoy Lockhart calls Hermione Granger after a DADA class for her to wait behind, due to a teacher/student talk. No serious romance, just cute schoolgirl fluff. Based in CoS. Daring souls will be rewarded.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or the characters.

(A/N: Yes, here it comes...one of my strange obsessions. This is a sort of cute story I had in mind, between Gilderoy Lockhart and Hermione Granger, about teacher crushes. Now, if you don't like this sort of thing, turn away now. That is your final warning. I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter, sadly enough...lol. Please read and review! You brave ones will be rewarded.)

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"Miss Granger, may you stay behind after the lesson, please?"

Hermione's head shot up from her studying and she gazed at the teacher in surprise. She could feel the whole of the class with their eyes on her, and gradually a muffled talking broke out, many whispering and pointing at Hermione behind her back. "Y - yes, Professor Lockhart," She stammered out, her heart thudding. "May I ask why?"

Gilderoy Lockhart sat at his desk with stacks of books at either side, and his periwinkle blue robes draped over his shoulders. His golden hair was, as usual...presentable and neat, and his eyes almost twinkled merrily when the light caught them properly. His voice was smooth and deep, and often made the girls of the upper years almost swoon at the sound of it. It was a known fact that he was admired for his looks, many times his talent was forgotten in the bask of his presence.

Guiltily, Hermione had also fallen a little for his appearance as well as his books. She couldn't help but blush every time he spoke to her, or gave one of his dazzling smiles. She knew that he was impressed by her work, and was rather proud of his attention, though she would never admit it.

Lockhart flashed her a sparkling grin. "Nothing...absolutely nothing to worry about, Miss Granger. There just needs to be a discussion made that intends to be private, no need to fuss. Stay behind after the lesson, will you? The rest of you may leave," he added, as a bell rang down the corridor. He closed his book and placed it on one of the towering piles.

Jealous looks from girls were cast in Hermione's direction, and boys started whispering to one another about what they thought the teacher had meant. Hermione stayed in her seat, getting astonished stares at her two best friends, Harry and Ron.

"What've you done?" Ron mouthed to her in a whisper.

Hermione gave him a look. "Nothing!" she whispered back, ushering them with her eyes. "Of course I haven't done anything, he'd say so otherwise!"

"Then...what is it?" Harry wanted to know.

"I'm not sure...I'll only know when you two have gone, if you ever leave!" she snapped.

Ron leaned in towards her, his face lighting up. "Tell us later, O.K?"

Hermione turned away from him, her expression forcing a strange smile. "Maybe. I might, depending on what it is, Ron. I might not be allowed to say."

"What's that supposed to - " Ron started crossly, before Harry had to pull him away by the neck of his robes and lead him out of the door, ignoring his shouts of pain and complaint. Hermione listened to him grumbling all the way down the corridor and almost let out a laugh. That was when she noticed that Lockhart was watching her. She blushed again, hiding her giggle.

"Come up to the desk please, Miss Granger," he commanded.

Shakily, Hermione got up from her seat and stepped over towards him, trying not to trip and make a fool of herself. She shyly tried to reply, but nothing wanted to come out. Instead, she just smiled.

Lockhart sat back in his chair. "Why do you think I called you up here?" he asked slowly.

Hermione froze, completely lost for words. She wasn't expecting this...what was she meant to say? She didn't know what she had done, and she really didn't want to guess, in case she sounded a little full of herself. Not knowing what to do, she stared blankly at her crush. "Um...I'm not sure, Professor," she squeaked out.

Lockhart now presented her with another gorgeous smile. "Great Scott, there's no need to look so startled!" he chuckled, watching her expression take on a turn of terror and shock. "I may have forgotten to mention that you are far from a distasteful scolding, and you can have that down in writing if you want," he added, praying for the chance of a signing.

Surprised, Hermione stared at him. "I - I'm not in trouble?"

"No! Absolutely not! You don't think I would have settled this matter with a simple explanation - no! I called you up here, on the behalf that you are producing outstanding work in every lesson. You try your hardest, and that's what I expect in a top pupil, Miss Granger. At my standards, you are doing accordingly well."

Hermione blinked, her mind spinning but at ease. "I am?" she smiled.

"Yes, of course! I see no reason to punish you at all! You behave well in class, you have the will to succeed, and look at this!" He pulled out Hermione's exam paper for another time and proudly read the remarks. "Full marks on the first test of the year! You should be enormously proud of yourself. I hope you are considering to go far when you leave Hogwarts."

"Oh, I am! I mean to do well in every subject I take! I plan to revise for the second-year exams as soon as possible, even though it's quite a while away yet."

"Marvellous!" Lockhart interrupted. "My girl, what every school would give to have a Miss Hermione Granger in their midst. I cannot tell you enough the countless number of times I have longed to come across such a talent as yours. You are a very lucky girl, and you have earned that mind of yours."

Hermione blushed again, looking at her feet. "Thank you, Professor Lockhart."

"So you should be grateful, my dear child! I had no intention of lecturing you in any such manner, and you can tell your friends, and even maybe your enemies the very same thing, if they're willing to accept the truth about this, that is."

"Oh - oh, I will!"

Lockhart grinned at Hermione with a likeness in his eyes. "I may also begin to start wondering that you could become my most favourite student yet, Miss Granger," he muttered in a low voice, almost a whisper but Hermione heard it none the same. He presented her with another glittering smile, along with a wink.

Hermione's cheeks went a shade of magenta. Her heart was pounding and her head spinning. "Thank you, Professor."

"You're quite welcome, Miss Granger - and here!" He quickly snatched a piece of parchment from off his stack pile, pulled out his quill and began writing on it, noticing that Hermione was trying to lean over and read upside down. He wrote a small, quick message before straightening up and handing it back into her hand. "Let that be as a reminder to this little talk, shall we?" he gushed.

Hermione looked down at the parchment and carefully read the words carefully. It read: "To Hermione Granger, May success be in all your ways, With love, Gilderoy Lockhart." She didn't know what to say. Instead, a delighted gasp wormed its way out as a reply.

"Now, you'd better get going," Lockhart ushered her out with a wave of his hand. "You'll be late for lessons, and I'm sure we both can't have that, can we? I'll see you bright and sharp back in my classes soon. Go on!"

Hermione broke away from the desk and hurried to the door, picking up her schoolbag on the way. It was only when she was at the entrance to the classroom, that she was stopped by Lockhart's voice.

"Oh, and Miss Granger?"

Turning her head towards the teacher, Hermione waited patiently for him to finish his sentence, not caring how long that he took as she knew she had an excuse, but still wanting to make it to class on time...for the first moment she wondered how much of a lesson she had missed due to this talk.

"Don't let failure stand in your way of a decent career," Gilderoy finished, noticing the wait in Hermione's eyes, and the urgency in her step. "You keep your chin up. That's my word of advice to you."

With a final look of appreciation and a lasting smile, Hermione fled from the door and hurried down the corridor, in long pursuit of Harry and Ron. She had lots to tell.

{END}

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(A/N: So, what did you think? This is completed, no excuses! You can't hoax me into it this time, no matter what you do! smile Of course, I'd never stoop to the stage of something serious going on, if that's what you dreaded first reading this, but I hopefully got the characters right, especially Lockhart. I'd love reviews for this, as the subject is something I like to read about. I promise to thank you in a list at the end if you do!)