Chapter 6
Hermione rolled over and felt around the bedside table for her wand. Finding it she whispered "Lumos" and a faint light filled her room. She grabbed her bedside clock and looked at the time. "Ugh! Why can't I be normal and wake up when everybody else does? No, I have to go and wake up at 5:00 in the freakin morning."
She flopped back on her bed and covered her head with her blanket. After a few minutes of tossing and turning she decided to get up. Throwing off her covers she swung her legs over the side of the bed. A small "eep" escaped when her feet hit the cold stone floor.
Transfiguring a pair of comfy slippers she walked downstairs to her private common room. Grabbing a cover off of the back of one of her overstuffed chairs, she curled up on the couch. Her eyes were drawn towards the hearth where a dying ember emitted a soft glow before its light flickered and died.
Hermione's eyes were transfixed on the ember as its heat slowly ebbed away. A feeling of pity and loss for such a beautiful thing filled her mind. As she stared unblinkingly at the embers blackened body the beating of her heart pounded in her ears.
Hermione started to feel dizzy and her breathing rate increased before she suddenly collapsed back into the couch, her limp body slowly sliding to the floor.
Several minutes passed until Hermione regained consciousness. She pressed her hand over her eyes willing the pounding in her head to go away. When the pounding eased a little she took notice of her surroundings. She was confused on how she had ended up on the floor in her common room. Picking herself up off the floor she resettled onto the couch.
When a warm breeze caressed her cheek she looked around for the source. When her eyes landed on the fireplace she found a small fire was lit. Her eyes widened in surprise as the memories came flooding back.
Hermione sat in silence mesmerized by the dancing flames. The chime of the clock told her that an hour had passed since she had woken up. Standing up she yawned and tossed her blanket onto the couch.
Hermione climbed the stairs and entered her bathroom. She drew a warm bath and added lavender bubble bath to it. Climbing in she let the hot water seep into her bones relaxing muscles that she hadn't even known were tense.
As the lavenders sweet smell flooded her senses she felt herself begin to drift off to sleep. An hour later Hermione woke in her now cold bath. Getting out she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body. When she reached her room she used a lotion that was scented with the same lavender.
Half an hour later a cheerful group of marauders found an unusually subdued Hermione staring into a mug of hot chocolate in the Great Hall. She didn't look up until she felt someone plop down onto the seat beside her. Hermione sighed and pushed her mug away before pulling a plate towards her. She piled eggs and bacon onto the plate and began to eat ravenously.
A chuckle from Sirius caught Hermione's attention as she polished off the last bit off her eggs. "Just a little hungry this morning?"
"Not anymore"
"I should hope not, otherwise there would be no food left for us poor starving boys"
"Aw, is poor wittle baby Sirius hungry?"
"Hey, I resent that! I am not a baby."
"Really? I had no idea."
"Aw shut up"
"Your wish is my command. I'm off to get a headache potion. See you later."
"Later gator"
Hermione smiled and walked out of the great hall. The mediwitch looked up from her desk when Hermione entered the hospital wing. "Can I help you dear?"
"Can I please have a headache potion?"
The mediwitch got up and walked over to one of the many cupboards lining the wall. She grabbed a vial filled with a light green potion and pressed it into Hermione's pal. "If you have anymore headaches come back and see me."
"Thank you"
Hermione walked out of the hospital wing and headed down to the lake. Settling on the grass she opened the potion and downed it in one gulp. Making a face at the bitter taste the potion left she tucked the empty vial into her robes.
Staring out across the lake she watched the giant squid wave one of its tentacles in the air before it disappeared leaving only a slight ripple to betray its presence. Pulling off her shoes and socks Hermione wadded through the water letting the cold water numb her feet.
For once Hermione was glad that she didn't have any classes that day. After the confusion of that morning she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything. The picture of the ember kept intruding her mind.
One minute she had been awake watching as the last ember burnt out and the next she was waking up on the floor with a small fire in her fireplace. She knew that the house elves hadn't lit the fire because they would have seen her and got some help. So what happened?
"I know what I'll do! I'll go to the library. There goes my free weekend" Hermione said to herself as she got out of the water. A quick drying spell later her feet were back into her shoes and she was walking up to the castle.
Hermione got to the library without any mishaps. Upon entering she found it deserted by all except the librarian, Madam Pince. Striding up to where the librarian sat she cleared her throat to get Madam Pince's attention.
"Yes?"
"I was wondering if you could help me to find books that have anything to do with fire."
"Right this way." Madam Pince stood up and led Hermione to the back of the library into a dusty corner. "This shelf contains all books on fire. Should you need any help, you know where to find me."
Hermione started pulling books off the shelf and organized them into two piles. One pile contained all the books that she thought might help her, while the others were rejects.
When the shelf was empty of all books Hermione started to put the books back. An hour later found her checking out 10 books. Hermione floated the books back up to Gryffindor tower. Climbing in through the portrait she found the Marauders and Lily settled around the fire talking quietly.
"Hermione! Where ya been all day? Off snogging with some cute boy?"
"Padfoot of course she hasn't, Remus has been with us the whole time!"
"Right you are Prongs."
Hermione blushed at the mention of Remus. "Sirius, I spent the whole day in the only place in the school that you've never been, you probably don't even know about it."
"Yeah right. I know about every place in this school, and I've been to all of them."
"To all of them huh? Well I really don't want to know what you were doing in Snape's dorm room; I honestly didn't think you swung that way."
Sirius turned red in the face. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He closed his mouth and then opened it again.
"Nice impression of a fish Sirius. Besides I thought that it was quite obvious as to where I've been all day." Hermione said as she pointed to the books that were hovering beside her.
I'm going to go get all this dust off of me and then read for a while. Hermione left and deposited the books onto the couch in her own common room. After a much needed shower Hermione picked up the first book and began the laborious task of sifting through all the books.
AN: I'm really sorry for the long wait…I had a bit of writers block, and homework from school didn't help. I'll try to update soon with another chapter that is hopefully longer than this one. Talk to ya later.