Chapter 1: A Flying Change.
After arriving back at Hogwarts on the train with Harry and Ron, she was feeling excited about starting her 5th year, because it was O.W.L year which meant that they would all be learning more advanced spells and she was going to take up extra flying lessons to try and get over her fear of flying. She smiled to herself as she headed out of the common room with Harry and Ron to The Great Hall for the start of term talk.
"So you're going to take up flying again?" Ron asked. "Why?....each time you get on a broom you almost die of fear!!" He giggled.
She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "That's the whole point Ron; I am trying to get over my fear by facing it silly!" She chuckled.
Harry and Ron laughed as well and they began to make their way across the Entrance Hall and into The Great Hall; all the students in years two to seven were trying to get in at the same time, so the three of them had to force their way over to the Gryffindor table, they finally made it, Harry and Ron sat opposite Hermione between Seamus and Dean, while Hermione at next to George. They all sat chatting happily for ten minutes before Harry turned his head to the teachers table; he furrowed his brows before turning back to the group.
"Hermione, I don't think you'll be having those extra flying lessons. Look Madame Hooch isn't there..." He said matter-of-factly as he pointed to the spot where Madame Hooch should have been.
Hermione and the rest of the group turned to look where Harry was pointing and he was right, there was no sign of Madame Hooch; Hermione looked confused.
"Surely someone would have told us if she wasn't coming back??" Hermione asked pointedly.
Harry shrugged. "Maybe she took ill suddenly…."
Hermione sighed and watched the first years enter the hall looking like frightened little lambs. Most of them kept their heads to the floor as they walked towards the Sorting Hat, which was placed on a chair in front of the teachers table. Once all the first years were there the sorting ceremony began. It seemed to take a lifetime but once the final new student was at their new house table, Dumbledore stood up and the hall fell silent.
"Now before we get the usual announcements out of the way," He cleared his throat. "I have to tell you that dear Madame Hooch will not be returning this year, she has taken ill and will need to long time to recover."
There was the sound of hurried whispers around the hall from many of the students. Dumbledore cleared his throat again but louder, causing the hall to fall silent once more.
"But I have found a very capable replacement for her…."
Hermione felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that it was going to be Viktor, and if it was she was not looking forward to it because she hadn't written to him over the summer, and the fact that that he may be teaching her in her extra flying lessons was not a nice thought.
"Her replacement will be one of the best Quidditch Captains any of our teams have ever seen…."
Hermione sat up in her chair a little as the relief washed over her. "At least it's not Viktor…." She thought.
"The person that will be replacing Madame Hooch for the foreseeable future will be Oliver Wood." He said smiling over his half moon spectacles.
The whole hall, except the Slytherin Table, erupted into loud applause as Oliver walked out from a door to the left of the teachers table, grinning widely at the students. The Gryffindor table was cheering the loudest, the twins were making whooping noises and Hermione was clapping so hard that her hands were beginning to sting badly. He took his seat next to Professor McGonagall as the applause and cheering gradually died down and Professor Dumbledore gestured towards Wood indicating for him to say a few words. He stood up and smiled nervously.
"First of all I would like to thank Professor Dumbledore for allowing me the chance to take this position," He said in his crisp Scottish accent. "I may only be nineteen but I assure all my prospective students I will help them the best I can." He smiled and sat down.
After this Dumbledore went over the usual start of term announcements, before allowing the students to tuck into the nights wonderful feast. Everyone was talking happily around Hermione about how great it was that Wood was back and the fact that he would be staying in Gryffindor Tower because Peeves had ransacked Madame Hooch's old office in celebration of her being ill. Hermione kept glancing over at Wood every so often, she was glad it was him and not Viktor that would be teaching her. She looked at him again, this time he caught her eye and smiled widely at her, Hermione smiled back and found herself blushing. She looked down and continued to eat George looked over at her and saw her cheeks were rosy.
"Hey….Hermione why are you blushing??...a little hot or just really glad Oliver is back?" He grinned.
She blushed harder and continued to eat trying to avoid everyone's eyes. They finished the feast, Hermione had to endure sniggers all throughout but she finally managed to look at them all again as they got up from the table and began heading back to the common room. They walked along the Fat Lady's corridor to her portrait. They all stopped outside and looked at Hermione.
"What?" She asked.
"Um…we all forgot the password…." Fred said with a slight embarrassment in his voice.
"You're all useless…." She shook her head and smiled. "Bertie Botts"
The portrait swung open slowly and they all stepped inside, Fred, George. Seamus and Dean went straight up to the boy's dormitories, Ginny to the girls leaving Hermione, Harry and Ron to sit in the chairs by the fire. Harry was yawning widely and Ron was gradually dozing off in the chair opposite her. She laughed.
"Will you two go to bed! I'm going up in a bit." She smiled. "I'll see you in the morning."
Harry and Ron both nodded gratefully at her and stood up. They both leant down in turn to kiss Hermione's forehead before turning and walking tiredly up to the boy's dormitories. Hermione laughed softly and shook her head as she got her diary out of her robes and reached for a quill that was lying about on the table in front. She sat quietly and began writing.
"I found out that Madame Hooch isn't coming back this year,
We have a new flying teacher and it's Oliver Wood. I thought it was
Going to be Viktor for a few awful minutes, but I'm really happy its Oliver
We always got on well and hopefully I'll be able to get to know him
Better now that he's going to be around all year, I haven't spoke to
Him properly in a couple of years and I have actually missed him not
Being around Hogwarts. So it's really nice he's back."
She had been writing for around ten minutes when she heard the portrait swing open again, followed by the sound of someone struggling through it with something heavy, she looked up and saw Oliver struggling with his trunk; she jumped up and threw her diary and quill down and ran to help him. He looked up as they put his trunk down; he smiled tiredly as he collapsed into a chair.
"Well at least someone helped me out." He wiped his forehead. "Thanks so much Hermione, and by the way, it's really great to see you again." He smiled. "I hear I'll be seeing more of you too," He raised his eyebrow. "You are taking my class as an extra aren't you?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes I am, I need to get over my fear of flying." She laughed. "And it's good to see you as well Oliver."
He smiled back at her and felt his cheeks get warmer, he looked back at her and she was now staring into the fire, he tilted his head, noticing how much she'd grown up and how beautiful she'd become. "Look at her, her smile, and her figure…her…." He snapped out of his daze and shook his head to himself. The truth of it was, no matter how beautiful or grown up he thought she was, she was still a student and he was now a temporary professor; he would have to keep his thoughts about Hermione at bay. She took her eyes away from the fire and noticed he was staring into space, the shadows of the flames dancing on his face.
"Oliver?....Are you ok??" She asked, tilting her head slightly.
He looked across at her and smiled charmingly.
"I'm fine, just thinking about tomorrows classes." He got up. "I'll be down in a few minutes; I just want to take this thing upstairs." He struggled to pull his trunk up and began walking slowly to the stairs.
Hermione bent down to pick up her diary and began writing again.
"I'm sat here now with Oliver and I really think he's going to make a great professor, but I think a lot of the girls will love him teaching them because
they will all think he's good looking, they will all swoon over him and not
pay any attention to the class, I mean he is incredible looking and his smile is amazing but….after all he's just a professor. But he is defiantly hands-…."
She sighed and put her quill down and stared widely into the fire, why had she just written that about Oliver, I mean he was handsome and she'd always loved his accent but all that nights diary entry had been about him. She shook her head, even if she did like him, what chance did she stand? He was older than her and would never be interested in her at all. She looked back to the stairs and smiled weakly at him as he walked back over and sat down again. She closed her diary and stood up.
"I should go to bed now; I have your class first thing…" She yawned. "Night…um…Professor Wood, I guess I have to call you that now…" She smiled.
"Hermione, don't call me Professor, Just call me Oliver or Wood, whatever is best. Professor makes me sound old and I'm only nineteen." He laughed and looked softly at her. "Sweet Dreams Hermione."
She smiled and turned around as she began to walk up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Oliver watched her go, he watched the way she moved and found himself longing to go after her, just so they could talk some more like they had just been doing. He felt comfortable talking to her, like he could be himself; she was right though, he was her professor but he did like her….a lot. Knots formed in his stomach, even though he'd only just seen her again after almost two years it felt right the way he was feeling, he sighed heavily and got up. He took one last look at the fire and began walking up the stairs to his temporary dorm, he needed to get a good night's sleep before his first classes tomorrow but his mind was full of thoughts about Hermione and how glad he was that he'd gotten to talk to her alone. He shook his head and finally closed the door to his dorm.