She saw him there, at the end of the corridor, dark and mysterious, so intriguing. She had first noticed him the day he transferred in; it was in their seventh year. She was propped against a column, rereading Hogwarts: A History when she looked up into those deep onyx eyes and her heart began to pound. They gazed at each other for a few more moments and then he slipped away through the curtained doorway.
As time went on she realized her feelings were more than mere curiosity about this dark stranger with sable hair and such a smooth name, Eden. He was a Slytherin and she, well she was a wise Gryffindor known for her intellect and bravery. They were both in highly advanced classes, many were university level. She sat 3 rows behind him and 1 row over in potions, from her vantage point she could watch him dice ingredients, and walk silkily to the supply cupboards, he reminded her so much of someone, but who?
"Attention, class, today we will be brewing a simple potion for the relief of minor headaches, the directions are on the board, you may begin" stated Madame Trommel. Madame Trommel had replaced Professor Snape very suddenly in the middle of Hermione's 6th year, the circumstances of his disappearance were not released to the general public, so she was never sure what had happened, rumors flew about saying he was hit with a potion, taken by vampires, or had returned to the dark side. She knew that very few of the many, many rumors flying about could even have a miniscule amount of truth in them, and yet she listened closely, for she had begun to enjoy his company in the weeks preceding his disappearance. She missed his sarcasm and sardonic sense of humor in class, they way he would glide from table to table glancing into each cauldron with those beautiful black eyes, wait, no way did I just think that he had beautiful eyes...no, no, NO....he is, well was a teacher and isn't even here anymore. She, unlike most Gryffindors missed him, probably more so than even the Slytherins were capable of. All of a sudden she jumped as the harsh sound of the bell signaled the end of class.
As she was walking down to the Great Hall, lost in her thoughts, she slammed into someone. Great, it was Eden, the one person she really didn't want to see her clumsy side. As he helped her to her feet she noticed those eyes, who is it that he resembles so much? "Are you alright Ms. Granger? you look as if you're in a daze" he said with that sweet yet bitter voice of his. "Sure Professor Snape, how about you?" she replied. How does she know? Thought Eden I'd better take her to the hospital wing and then go see Albus, no, now I must refer to him as Prof. Dumbledore. "Here, you have quite a bump on your head, let me help you to see Madam. Pomfrey" he said as he offered her his hand. Why is Prof. Snape being so nice to me she thought whilst placing her hand in his large callused, yet oddly soft, hand. They walked in silence until they reached the hospital wing
Madam Pomfrey heard the door open and called out "whoever just entered, I'm in the back, in my office, come on in here". Hermione suddenly tumbled to the ground, landing in a heap at Eden's feet. He looked at her prostate form, so beautiful, for a moment before bending to pick her up. "Ms. Pomfrey, Ms Granger collided with me in the halls and hit her head, I walked up here with her to make sure she'd be alright and once we got here she fell to the floor, she kept confusing me with professor Snape. Could you please help her? I must go see Dumbledore" he hurriedly said. "Of course Mr. Michaels, just lay her on the 4th bed over there and I will see to her" poppy said "hurry back from Dumbledore's office, I need to know whether or not to administer a memory potion to stop her from.." she hurriedly looked around "remembering the truth" "of course poppy, I'll be right back" he said while already half-way out the door.
When he reached the gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office, he tried to remember the password he was told at breakfast this morning hmmmmm, what is it, licorice whips? No, that was last Tuesday, oh I got it "tootsie roll!" the gargoyle nodded and slid aside revealing a circular staircase which he painstakingly began to climb, while remembering the last time he went up them. Last time I was going up these stairs I was about 6 inches taller and quite a bit older, it's much easier with the muscles of a 17, soon to be 18, year old boy
As he finished up that last thought he realized he was at the top, well that took about 1/5 of the usual time he noticed as he walked into the room at the top of the stairs and set in a comfy chair that looked like an Oreo cookie.
"What do we do prof. Dumbledore?" he asked. "it's alright, I have a plan",
"and what exactly does this plan involve?" asked Eden very sharply, "well", began Dumbledore, "first we need a hippogriph, a truth potion, some chocolate frogs, and a large amount of pillows- get to the room of requirements and set it up with these items" "okay, I get the veritaserum, so we can find out what she knows, and the chocolate, you're obviously hungry, and the pillows so she can vent a little bit of anger, but a hippogriph?" Eden said while looking an odd mixture of snarky, confused, and amused. "Okay, okay I'm going" he said and left the room.