Chapter One: A Dream, and Unknown Emotions
Hermione Granger awoke with a start, and looked around her at the other beds in her dormitory. Lavender Brown was snoring lightly, and peaceful breathing was heard behind the curtains of the other three beds. She moaned and tripped out of bed in her haste to get to the window. She looked frantically about for a moment, waiting to see Crookshanks prowling around the Dark Forest. After about three minutes she still had seen no sign of him when she heard soft padding footsteps behind her. She whirled around and saw him walking towards her, with a frog clamped tightly in his mouth. "Crookshanks!" she whispered, relief creeping through her. She turned to lie back down in bed, but nearly choked as she saw a lump in it. The relief drained out of her and was replaced with dread, panic, and an emotion she had never felt before. Slowly, trembling, she approached the bed, and yanked the covers down. She looked down for a moment, and then sheepishly pushed her mattress back down; in her hurry to get to the window she had kicked it up. It was only a dream. She thought, settling herself back into bed and pulling the curtains closed. She tossed and turned, but she couldn't stop thinking about Harry. After about an hour of this, she got up sighing and picked up a book, then she walked down the stairs to the common room, expecting to find it empty. She had settled herself down in a large poofy chair and just begun to read when a loud snore made her jump. She looked around and saw Ron lying slumped over his herbology book, a peaceful expression on his face. She approached him quietly, intending to see how far he'd gotten in his homework, when he suddenly sat bolt upright and turned to look at her. "They won't leave me alone!" He shouted at her. Hermione stared at him for a moment, then said "...Who won't leave you alone?" "They just won't, and I don't want them to, because I'm squashing spiders! They just don't understand! They're so ugly!" He replied, and his eyes grew larger. Hermione looked at him for a moment, utterly bewildered, then realized he was still asleep. "Well why don't you ask them to...to go away?" she asked, turning to go back to her chair. "Ask them to go away. Right." he muttered, then slumped back onto his book.
Half an hour later, Hermione heard footsteps coming down from the boys dormitory, and saw Harry hurrying towards her. "Good morning." He said smiling, glancing at Ron, who was still snoring. Hermione felt a strange wave of emotion at the sight of him, and said "Good morning indeed! What are you doing up so early for?" "I was looking for Ron." He replied. Ron sat up and, rubbing his eyes said "Someone say m'name? Wha..what time is it?" Harry and Hermione exchanged looks as Ron stopped rubbing his eyes and looked out the window. "Hmmph, dozed off for a minute." He said. Then, looking around, "Where'd everybody go? They haven't all gone to bed already?" He gave Harry a puzzled expression. "Oh Ron! For goodness sake! It's morning!" Said Hermione exasperatedly. "What!? I still have to finish my potions essay, and my charms paper!" "Well, it's not my fault you put your homework off until the last minute, then fell asleep doing it!" She snapped. Ron opened his mouth to retort, but Harry interrupted him. "Can we please just go down and eat breakfast?" "You go ahead, I should finish this." Said Ron, shifting his herbology book aside and grabbing his potions one. "Oh just give it here Ron, go eat breakfast and bring me some toast." She said, reaching her hand out for the paper. Ron looked at her for a moment, then handed her his paper, his face full of relief. "Thanks Hermione, I don't know what I would do without you!" Hermione snorted, and then finished Ron's potions homework without even thinking about it; she was still thinking about the way Harry had smiled at her.