"What?!" Ron and Harry exclaimed together, looking at Hermione with
dumbfounded expressions.
"I'm not going to Hogsmeade." She repeated patiently, tugging the pair by
their rob sleeves out of the way of some other students heading toward the
front door of Hogwarts.
"But...Why on earth not?" Ron asked, looking more perplexed.
"Professor Hyland." Hermione answered confidentially, obviously expecting
the two to know what she was talking about.
"What about her?" Harry spoke up, sharing a confused look with Ron.
"We still don't know what happened between her and Oliver. You two may
have forgotten, but I plan to find out what's going on."
Putting her hands on her hips, Hermione glanced between the two.
"Do you know that people say that despite how much time they've been
spending together, they never touch?! That's not normal!" Hermione
declared, throwing her hands up, irritated.
"If they're only friends, they wouldn't be all touchy-feely."
"That's not what I mean, Harry, though if you watch them, they're more than
friends! I'm sure of it. Anyway, Oliver and Angel avoid touching...No
offered hand if one trips, no accidental touch when handing each other
something...Nothing!"
"That's...freaky!" Ron stated.
'Yeah, even Ron and Hermione touch accidentally at times, no matter how awkward it is.' Harry thought, glancing at the two before looking at the front door, where the caretaker Finch checked the students for permission slips. "Do you need us to stay too?" Ron asked dismally, drawing Harry's attention back. Hermione's answer made both teens grin widely. "No. I think I can hang closer to Professor Hyland without you two...She'll feel the need to befriend me, I think." Thumping her on the back with thanks, the two boys quickly disappeared out the front door for Hogsmeade.
Hermione was absolutely right about her newest professor. About an hour later, she was walking down the hall toward the Gryffindor tower when someone called her name. Turning, she found Professors Hyland and Wood walking toward her. The latter was dressed in his old Gryffindor practice uniform and Quidditch pads while carrying the box of Quidditch equipment as Angel carried two expensive looking brooms. "What are you still doing here, Hermione? Hogsmeade was this weekend." Oliver pointed out with a frown of concern. "And where are Ron and Harry?" Angel asked, glancing at Oliver with an interested glance as he leaned casually against the castle wall. "They went to Hogsmeade. I just needed a break." "Too much guy time, luv? Or did you forget a homework assignment?" Chuckling slightly, Angel shook her head. "No, Oliver. She's no the sort to leave homework to the last minute. If you're alone, you can come with us. I'm helping...well, attempting to help Oliver with Quidditch practice." Brightening, Hermione nodded and took one of the brooms to help Angel as they headed for the Quidditch field.
Sitting in the stands after helping Oliver with goal tending, Hermione and Angel laughed as he did flying tricks on his broomstick. He'd just done an upside down loop that occurred only inches from their head and made Hermione yelp in surprise. Angel tried to concentrate on the writing in her lap as an ache throbbed in her chest, but could not, the words blurring together. Pain, not from the curse, but form her own emotions, had been growing steadily for days. She knew she was falling in love with Oliver more by the second and the ache of not being able to touch him in any way was driving her to distraction.
'More so then this damn pain in my shoulder every time he opens his gorgeous mouth and speaks with his amazing voice...Oh, Lord, I'm gushing...' Surprising the girl beside her, Angel dropped her had in her arms with a self mocking sigh. "Professor Hyland?" Hermione asked hesitantly, placing a worried hand on Angel's arm. "Aye, luv?" Angel answered absently, lifting her head and attempting to change her mood like a someone shakes the rain out of their hair. "What's wrong? You seem upset...ma'am." She added politely. "Oh, I'm alright. I just...It's nothing that..." Just then Hermione let out a yelp of surprise and fear and Angel jerked her head upward following the girl's gaze. Oliver was at the other end of the Quidditch field circling the goal posts when he suddenly grasped his head and fell from the broomstick like a sack of grain. Hermione glanced over at the professor with a horrified expression to she'd become deathly pale before setting off at a sprint for Oliver's unmoving side. "Go get the Nurse, Hermione! Use the broom to go quickly!" Angel shouted back, jolting the girl from her frozen shock and sending her scurrying for the broom propped against the first bench. Hermione was already at the castle doors when Angel made it to Oliver's side and she dropped to her knees beside his motionless form. Yanking off the soft kid gloves she wore, Angel reached to take Oliver's pulse or caress his face, she wasn't quite sure which, but as usual she was brought up short by the barrier between them. Letting out a string of curses, she pushed against the barrier in frustration and tried to fight past the wall with all her strength, sweating with the exhaustive, pointless effort. "Angel. Let us." A calm voice spoke up as a hand was laid on her right shoulder. Glancing back, Angel found Professor Dumbledore with Hermione and Madame Pomfrey behind him looking worried. Both females eyes widened with surprise suddenly and Angel realized why as Dumbledore bent slightly to gently wipe tears from her face. Rubbing her face roughly with the palm of her hand, Angel moved out of the way and hovered worriedly. "He just...dropped off the broom from up near the goal rings. I didn't see anything in time to stop or slow down his fall! Will he be alright?" She finally demanded anxiously, running out of breath at last. "He's unconscious." Madame Pomfrey informed them all calmly. "We'd best get him up to the infirmary so I can examine him more thoroughly." Nodding agreeably, Dumbledore flicked his wand to lift Oliver's body and gently place it on a newly arrived, floating stretcher that promptly moved toward the castle, the three adults and young girl in hot pursuit.
Sitting on the floor outside of the Infirmary, Hermione was incredibly still as she watched Professor Hyland pace up and down the hallway in front of the closed double doors. She hadn't been still since they'd all arrived at the Hospital wing and only Dumbledore's firm, calm command kept Angel in the hall instead of at Oliver's side. Opening her mouth to offer something calming for her professor, Hermione shut it as the doors opened and Dumbledore appeared. "Madam Pomfrey is ready to tell us her diagnosis if you're interested."
'That's an understatement.' Angel thought testily, turning and breezing past the headmaster into the bed lined room. Dumbledore shared an amused, twinkling smile with the wide-eyed Hermione before offering her his hand then allowing her to proceed him into the room. "Will he be okay?!" Angel demanded as she reached Oliver's bedside where Madam Pomfrey waited. "At the moment, I am healing the concussion and broken arm Professor Wood sustained in the fall. There are bumps and bruises from that as well." Nodding impatiently, Angel waved for the woman to go on then scowled as she waited for Dumbledore's word instead. "He's...dying, sir." She stated sadly as both Angel and Hermione gasped. "It's the curse at work and only the cursor can remove this." "Curse?! What curse?!" Hermione blurted out, her brown eyes skittering from one adult's face to another's. Not answering, Angel reached out a hand to where Oliver lay unconscious on the bed, stopping short of his face. A determined look hardened her features and then she turned and hurried from the room without a word to anyone.
"Gone?! What do you mean, she's gone?!" Ron and Seamus demanded together as a few other Gryffindors crowded around Hermione before their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Giving Ron a withering look, Hermione spoke in a low voice. "You know how Professor Wood is sick?" Everyone nodded and she continued: "The professor is trying to get someone to...help him. Professor Dumbledore expects her to be back eventually." He also expected Hermione not to tell everyone why Oliver was really sick, though he figured on her telling Harry and Ron and gave her permission to do so, but in private and under promises of secrecy. Sighing sadly, the Gryffindor's pain was multiplied as the classroom door opened and their substitute teacher entered. Servius Snape.
'Yeah, even Ron and Hermione touch accidentally at times, no matter how awkward it is.' Harry thought, glancing at the two before looking at the front door, where the caretaker Finch checked the students for permission slips. "Do you need us to stay too?" Ron asked dismally, drawing Harry's attention back. Hermione's answer made both teens grin widely. "No. I think I can hang closer to Professor Hyland without you two...She'll feel the need to befriend me, I think." Thumping her on the back with thanks, the two boys quickly disappeared out the front door for Hogsmeade.
Hermione was absolutely right about her newest professor. About an hour later, she was walking down the hall toward the Gryffindor tower when someone called her name. Turning, she found Professors Hyland and Wood walking toward her. The latter was dressed in his old Gryffindor practice uniform and Quidditch pads while carrying the box of Quidditch equipment as Angel carried two expensive looking brooms. "What are you still doing here, Hermione? Hogsmeade was this weekend." Oliver pointed out with a frown of concern. "And where are Ron and Harry?" Angel asked, glancing at Oliver with an interested glance as he leaned casually against the castle wall. "They went to Hogsmeade. I just needed a break." "Too much guy time, luv? Or did you forget a homework assignment?" Chuckling slightly, Angel shook her head. "No, Oliver. She's no the sort to leave homework to the last minute. If you're alone, you can come with us. I'm helping...well, attempting to help Oliver with Quidditch practice." Brightening, Hermione nodded and took one of the brooms to help Angel as they headed for the Quidditch field.
Sitting in the stands after helping Oliver with goal tending, Hermione and Angel laughed as he did flying tricks on his broomstick. He'd just done an upside down loop that occurred only inches from their head and made Hermione yelp in surprise. Angel tried to concentrate on the writing in her lap as an ache throbbed in her chest, but could not, the words blurring together. Pain, not from the curse, but form her own emotions, had been growing steadily for days. She knew she was falling in love with Oliver more by the second and the ache of not being able to touch him in any way was driving her to distraction.
'More so then this damn pain in my shoulder every time he opens his gorgeous mouth and speaks with his amazing voice...Oh, Lord, I'm gushing...' Surprising the girl beside her, Angel dropped her had in her arms with a self mocking sigh. "Professor Hyland?" Hermione asked hesitantly, placing a worried hand on Angel's arm. "Aye, luv?" Angel answered absently, lifting her head and attempting to change her mood like a someone shakes the rain out of their hair. "What's wrong? You seem upset...ma'am." She added politely. "Oh, I'm alright. I just...It's nothing that..." Just then Hermione let out a yelp of surprise and fear and Angel jerked her head upward following the girl's gaze. Oliver was at the other end of the Quidditch field circling the goal posts when he suddenly grasped his head and fell from the broomstick like a sack of grain. Hermione glanced over at the professor with a horrified expression to she'd become deathly pale before setting off at a sprint for Oliver's unmoving side. "Go get the Nurse, Hermione! Use the broom to go quickly!" Angel shouted back, jolting the girl from her frozen shock and sending her scurrying for the broom propped against the first bench. Hermione was already at the castle doors when Angel made it to Oliver's side and she dropped to her knees beside his motionless form. Yanking off the soft kid gloves she wore, Angel reached to take Oliver's pulse or caress his face, she wasn't quite sure which, but as usual she was brought up short by the barrier between them. Letting out a string of curses, she pushed against the barrier in frustration and tried to fight past the wall with all her strength, sweating with the exhaustive, pointless effort. "Angel. Let us." A calm voice spoke up as a hand was laid on her right shoulder. Glancing back, Angel found Professor Dumbledore with Hermione and Madame Pomfrey behind him looking worried. Both females eyes widened with surprise suddenly and Angel realized why as Dumbledore bent slightly to gently wipe tears from her face. Rubbing her face roughly with the palm of her hand, Angel moved out of the way and hovered worriedly. "He just...dropped off the broom from up near the goal rings. I didn't see anything in time to stop or slow down his fall! Will he be alright?" She finally demanded anxiously, running out of breath at last. "He's unconscious." Madame Pomfrey informed them all calmly. "We'd best get him up to the infirmary so I can examine him more thoroughly." Nodding agreeably, Dumbledore flicked his wand to lift Oliver's body and gently place it on a newly arrived, floating stretcher that promptly moved toward the castle, the three adults and young girl in hot pursuit.
Sitting on the floor outside of the Infirmary, Hermione was incredibly still as she watched Professor Hyland pace up and down the hallway in front of the closed double doors. She hadn't been still since they'd all arrived at the Hospital wing and only Dumbledore's firm, calm command kept Angel in the hall instead of at Oliver's side. Opening her mouth to offer something calming for her professor, Hermione shut it as the doors opened and Dumbledore appeared. "Madam Pomfrey is ready to tell us her diagnosis if you're interested."
'That's an understatement.' Angel thought testily, turning and breezing past the headmaster into the bed lined room. Dumbledore shared an amused, twinkling smile with the wide-eyed Hermione before offering her his hand then allowing her to proceed him into the room. "Will he be okay?!" Angel demanded as she reached Oliver's bedside where Madam Pomfrey waited. "At the moment, I am healing the concussion and broken arm Professor Wood sustained in the fall. There are bumps and bruises from that as well." Nodding impatiently, Angel waved for the woman to go on then scowled as she waited for Dumbledore's word instead. "He's...dying, sir." She stated sadly as both Angel and Hermione gasped. "It's the curse at work and only the cursor can remove this." "Curse?! What curse?!" Hermione blurted out, her brown eyes skittering from one adult's face to another's. Not answering, Angel reached out a hand to where Oliver lay unconscious on the bed, stopping short of his face. A determined look hardened her features and then she turned and hurried from the room without a word to anyone.
"Gone?! What do you mean, she's gone?!" Ron and Seamus demanded together as a few other Gryffindors crowded around Hermione before their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Giving Ron a withering look, Hermione spoke in a low voice. "You know how Professor Wood is sick?" Everyone nodded and she continued: "The professor is trying to get someone to...help him. Professor Dumbledore expects her to be back eventually." He also expected Hermione not to tell everyone why Oliver was really sick, though he figured on her telling Harry and Ron and gave her permission to do so, but in private and under promises of secrecy. Sighing sadly, the Gryffindor's pain was multiplied as the classroom door opened and their substitute teacher entered. Servius Snape.