Chapter 7
A Narrow Escape
When Harry and Hermione entered the Hogwart's library about fifteen minutes later, it looked the same as it did in their own time. Madame Pince sat at the main desk stamping books that had just been returned, and Harry and Hermione slid along the far wall to hid between the shelves.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Harry whispered, choking a little on the strong smell of mildew. Hermione shushed him and began searching through the books.
"Not sure exactly. Look on the other side and see if you can find anything on magical inventions, and TRY not to cough or sneeze. We don't want Madame Pince to hear us!" Hermione shooed Harry away before continuing her search. She suddenly noticed a book--a VERY old and dusty leatherbound one--that was sticking out of the shelf a bit and went to inspect it.
Harry, meanwhile, was having a rather misearble time. He wandered up one isle closest to the back of the library and the dust made his nose itch and eyes water. He realized he was staring at a section of books that began with the letter " I ".
"Excellent." he whispered to himself as he peered closely at the book titles. "Illness curses, Idiotic muggles--" Harry then came to a book titled "Inherited Gifts."
"Hmm," he thought ot himself as he pulled it off the shelf. It had nothing to do with the original search but he thought he'd check it out anyway. He opened the musty book cover when suddenly he felt his nose twitch. 'Oh no,' he thought, holding it with his finger. 'Not now--' Too late. Harry sneezed loud and hard, knocking himself into the bookshelf. Harry saw through the books Madame Pince look up from her work and look over towards him. He quickly ducked behind the shelf. Hermione came running towards him.
"What do you think you're doing?" She hissed harshly.
"I found a book," He replied, showing her the one in his hand. "I thought it might be interesting."
Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head sorrowfully. "Idiot." She muttered. "You almost got yourself caught. Then what would we have done?"
Harry's eyes widened as he saw Madame Pince standing just a few shelves away. "Quickly!" Harry whispered.
He grabbed Hermione's arm and began to run with her. She tripped on her robe, crashing into Harry, causing them both to tumble to the ground. Harry twisted his body so that his back took the brunt of the fall. Hermione landed face down ontop of him. They awkwardly looked at each other, feeling a slight tension that left them both temorarily dazed. Harry came to his senses, grabbed Hermione by the arms, and rolled her and himself into the nearest bookshelf. They pushed the books out onto the other side of the shelf. Harry's arms wrapped around her tightly, concealing them from view.
Madame Pince walked by; Harry could see her shoes made out of dragon hide. After a few moments, she left for the next aisle. Harry sighed. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath.
"Is she gone?" Hermione whispered meekly, almost as though she were afraid to distract herself from her own thoughts.
"Yes," Harry said breathlessly. After a few minutes in the shelf, Hermione finally asked:
"Shouldn't we get out of here now?" Hermione sounded like she hoped that he'd refuse. Harry found that he was having trouble speaking.
"Uh-uh." He mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Westaylikethisok?" He rambled together, flushing red. Hermione grinned, pleased, yet wickedly at the same time.
"What was that?" She asked again, knowing full well what he had said, only wanting to hear it again. "Whisper it closer, in my ear." She commanded.
"Ok." Harry said dumbly. He put his lips close to her ear. "Let's stay like this a little longer, you know, just to make sure that she's back at her desk." Hermione grinned. That was not what he had said before.
"Yes, let's." After a while, Hermione started to sniff.
"What are you doing?" Harry wondered confused.
"Is that you?" Hermione's asked. Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.
"I think I'm me." He replied.
"No, that hint of cinnamon." She sniffed again slightly. "You smell good."
"Oh, yes, that's me." He blushed again. "I thought you were going to say was it me who fart-"
"Shhh!" Hermione interrupted him harshly. "Someone's coming down this aisle; I can hear them." Harry turned his head so that he could see the other side of the aisle, the side where they had accidently pushed the books onto in their attempt to hide in the bottom shelf.
"This way!" Harry ordered, rolling out of their hiding spot into the empty aisle. They crawled on the ground, noticing that they had just gotten out of their hiding spot in the nick of time. They hid on another empty bottom shelf cadicorner from where they had just been, and saw none other than Snape peer his greasy black haired head from the other aisle. He looked at the empty shelf conufsed, and walked over to Madam Pince.
"That was a close one." Hermione said relieved. "Let's get out of here." She said. Harry nodded, still holding the book he had found in his hand.
"That was actually a close two." Harry said, trying to be funny. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, letting him know that it hadn't been.
A Narrow Escape
When Harry and Hermione entered the Hogwart's library about fifteen minutes later, it looked the same as it did in their own time. Madame Pince sat at the main desk stamping books that had just been returned, and Harry and Hermione slid along the far wall to hid between the shelves.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Harry whispered, choking a little on the strong smell of mildew. Hermione shushed him and began searching through the books.
"Not sure exactly. Look on the other side and see if you can find anything on magical inventions, and TRY not to cough or sneeze. We don't want Madame Pince to hear us!" Hermione shooed Harry away before continuing her search. She suddenly noticed a book--a VERY old and dusty leatherbound one--that was sticking out of the shelf a bit and went to inspect it.
Harry, meanwhile, was having a rather misearble time. He wandered up one isle closest to the back of the library and the dust made his nose itch and eyes water. He realized he was staring at a section of books that began with the letter " I ".
"Excellent." he whispered to himself as he peered closely at the book titles. "Illness curses, Idiotic muggles--" Harry then came to a book titled "Inherited Gifts."
"Hmm," he thought ot himself as he pulled it off the shelf. It had nothing to do with the original search but he thought he'd check it out anyway. He opened the musty book cover when suddenly he felt his nose twitch. 'Oh no,' he thought, holding it with his finger. 'Not now--' Too late. Harry sneezed loud and hard, knocking himself into the bookshelf. Harry saw through the books Madame Pince look up from her work and look over towards him. He quickly ducked behind the shelf. Hermione came running towards him.
"What do you think you're doing?" She hissed harshly.
"I found a book," He replied, showing her the one in his hand. "I thought it might be interesting."
Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head sorrowfully. "Idiot." She muttered. "You almost got yourself caught. Then what would we have done?"
Harry's eyes widened as he saw Madame Pince standing just a few shelves away. "Quickly!" Harry whispered.
He grabbed Hermione's arm and began to run with her. She tripped on her robe, crashing into Harry, causing them both to tumble to the ground. Harry twisted his body so that his back took the brunt of the fall. Hermione landed face down ontop of him. They awkwardly looked at each other, feeling a slight tension that left them both temorarily dazed. Harry came to his senses, grabbed Hermione by the arms, and rolled her and himself into the nearest bookshelf. They pushed the books out onto the other side of the shelf. Harry's arms wrapped around her tightly, concealing them from view.
Madame Pince walked by; Harry could see her shoes made out of dragon hide. After a few moments, she left for the next aisle. Harry sighed. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath.
"Is she gone?" Hermione whispered meekly, almost as though she were afraid to distract herself from her own thoughts.
"Yes," Harry said breathlessly. After a few minutes in the shelf, Hermione finally asked:
"Shouldn't we get out of here now?" Hermione sounded like she hoped that he'd refuse. Harry found that he was having trouble speaking.
"Uh-uh." He mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Westaylikethisok?" He rambled together, flushing red. Hermione grinned, pleased, yet wickedly at the same time.
"What was that?" She asked again, knowing full well what he had said, only wanting to hear it again. "Whisper it closer, in my ear." She commanded.
"Ok." Harry said dumbly. He put his lips close to her ear. "Let's stay like this a little longer, you know, just to make sure that she's back at her desk." Hermione grinned. That was not what he had said before.
"Yes, let's." After a while, Hermione started to sniff.
"What are you doing?" Harry wondered confused.
"Is that you?" Hermione's asked. Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.
"I think I'm me." He replied.
"No, that hint of cinnamon." She sniffed again slightly. "You smell good."
"Oh, yes, that's me." He blushed again. "I thought you were going to say was it me who fart-"
"Shhh!" Hermione interrupted him harshly. "Someone's coming down this aisle; I can hear them." Harry turned his head so that he could see the other side of the aisle, the side where they had accidently pushed the books onto in their attempt to hide in the bottom shelf.
"This way!" Harry ordered, rolling out of their hiding spot into the empty aisle. They crawled on the ground, noticing that they had just gotten out of their hiding spot in the nick of time. They hid on another empty bottom shelf cadicorner from where they had just been, and saw none other than Snape peer his greasy black haired head from the other aisle. He looked at the empty shelf conufsed, and walked over to Madam Pince.
"That was a close one." Hermione said relieved. "Let's get out of here." She said. Harry nodded, still holding the book he had found in his hand.
"That was actually a close two." Harry said, trying to be funny. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him, letting him know that it hadn't been.