She woke up early the next morning, trying not to breathe at all. The first thing that came to her mind was the previous night's dream. Vivid and beautiful, she remembered, and her Visit.

She placed her fingertips on her lips and gave a small smile. That had been a good dream.

A small weight pressed on her belly when she tried to sit up. Light had not yet reached her room and she fumbled around for her wand for a time before she whispered "Lumos" and the object was illuminated.

It looked like a paperweight. It was a stone, recklessly carved and placed on her abdomen. This, she realized, was another gift…however odd it was. She examined it closely, looking for any conspicuous markings and noting the fine grain of the stone. Odd. Fine grain? She took another look at it and rubbed it against her fingertips before realizing that it wasn't a stone or rock of any sort. If anything, it was closest to petrified wood.

Still confused, she poked at it a bit with her wand and cast a revealing charm, which unearthed something akin to the Fidelius charm deep within the wood. She blushed furiously as she nearly tossed it on her nightstand with surprise. He'd told her that she could choose, but this gift said otherwise. This was not a gift from a father or son…

She walked briskly to her table, where breakfast steamed merrily and a pot of tea had been prepared. Love that Dobby. Then she remembered what she had been planning to ask the house elf, whether he had seen someone coming into her room, or perhaps if he'd been asked to do so. She juggled the thought in her mind for a while, and finally decided not to ask him about it. Dobby would worry, she convinced herself. Truthfully, she didn't know why she'd reached such a decision. The sun was just coming up when Hermione finished with her breakfast, leaving her to ponder how early Dobby left breakfast for her and what charm he used to preserve it.

A forceful string of thoughts burst through her mind. The blue scarf with a small topaz at each end! It would need to be left on the mantle soon, before he came back. She searched her drawers for it, before realizing that it was indeed on her desk just as he had told her in the dream. So he had been awake, conscious while she was sleeping. He'd been able to watch her sleep and join her in her dream at the same time. Hermione wondered if she would be able to stay awake through a dream as he had, and her heart raced at the thought. He had complimented her, saying she had a strong mind.

Perhaps only intelligent people could take part in these dreams. That thought strengthened her resolve and she folded the scarf neatly on her mantle. Hermione knew that she would have to master the dreams, so that she might stay awake through them. And perhaps see his face.

"Mione?" Harry's voice came through into her daydreaming. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, Harry, come in." She tucked the folds of her robe in more evenly and patted down her hair. Morning was the worst; she always looked rumpled and disheveled.

He opened the door and slid into the room, quickly and quietly. He was an odd one. Yesterday, he'd been loud and raucous, playing Quidditch and shouting playful insults to Ginny, the other Seeker. Today, this morning, he reverted to his cautious demeanor, making sure of each step and where he put his hands. It was all Auror.

"Good morning, Harry. You're not usually awake this early." Hermione noted, watching him recoil when he realized his hand was resting on her table. It could, after all, turn into a portkey flinging him across the country into Voldemort's grasps. The thought unsettled her, and she looked around her room uneasily.

"Yeah, Ron's up too. Mrs. Figg woke us up early, telling us to get ready because we were going to Hogsmeade. I swear, sometimes that woman is batty. Half the stores aren't even open yet." He put his hands in his pockets. "But she asked me to come wake you up. I don't know why she didn't come herself, but she seemed distracted. So, here I am." He said cheerfully.

"Hogsmeade? Now?" Hermione looked incredulous. This was the worst possible time to go. She had to sit and contemplate the Visit that had taken place last night, she had to sit and wonder what he looked like and who he might be. "Oh, alright, I'll get dressed. I'll be down in a few minutes…just…wait for me downstairs." Hermione said distractedly.

The scarf would either be there or it wouldn't when she got back. He might come into this room.

Harry went over to her mantle to inspect the scarf, smiling fondly at it. "I remember when I got you this, you wouldn't stop wearing it around for nearly a week."

"Yes." She said tersely, feeling guilty about having to give it away. It's not as if the scarf was important to him, she reasoned.

…………………………

The day in Hogsmeade had been blessedly uneventful. Harry still darted his eyes around from time to time when he realized someone had been staring at him, or watching or stalking. He could never be too careful. Ron was loud as usual, careful to make sure everybody knew that No, we were not scared and Yes, I would be there to defend Harry should the unthinkable happen.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his childish display. There would be defending soon enough.

Bella pulled her aside for a second when Harry and Ron had gone to see the new season's brooms. "Did he come?"

Hermione frowned for a second, but then realization came to her. Bella had been awfully curious the other day, perhaps this was some unlived fantasy of hers, "Yes, he did."

"What happened? No, wait, maybe I don't want to hear about that. How does he hide himself?"

"Nothing happened, don't worry about that. He's actually quite kind. And…I was asleep when he came yesterday, we had a dream. He came into my dream and-" Hermione paused, realizing that she might have said too much. This was not a good conversation to have. "I told him…I told him that I didn't want him to come anymore."

"And?"

"He said that if I didn't leave anything for him, he wouldn't come." Hermione concluded, certain that the lie was solid.

Bella breathed out a sigh of relief and gratefully patted Hermione's shoulder, before pulling on her wrist. "You're not wearing it. Has he. Did you-" She didn't need to say it.

"Oh, no I just forgot to put it on today. No, he didn't, we didn't…" Hermione trailed off, blushing at the thought. She thought about the ugly charmed block that she had found that morning. They hadn't, yet. The thought trickled through her mind and reached her toes.

"Alright. I'm glad. Remember, don't leave anything there that he might misconstrue as a gift. Dumbledore hasn't said anything about it, but I'm quite worried myself."

Bella walked off into a different store, muttering to herself, leaving Hermione to think about it. Dumbledore knew now? Harry and Ron caught up with her, with bags full of Quidditch supplies. She couldn't leave them alone for two minutes before they wasted their money. They would go eat a cheap lunch.

Hermione bumped into Draco Malfoy. Actually bumped into him and knocked him backwards a few steps. He merely scowled and kept walking, with a woman that she deduced to be his mother. Narcissa Malfoy.

He'd spent an entire year with Narcissa Malfoy.

To Hermione, the woman didn't seem particularly smart or interesting. Lucius Malfoy was still in hiding. Did any of this have to do with Draco's subservience? He looked so calm - or defeated. The thought made her shudder. Briefly, she considered running after them with questions, but she quelled those thoughts as fast as they had come.

Harry stared at Draco's retreating back in surprise. He turned his eyes to Hermione and asked his silent question, 'what the hell was that?'

Hermione shrugged and turned around, trying to look nonchalant. This question was reserved for her Dream Visitor.

There were an awful lot of people from Hogwarts here today. They milled in and out of stores, and Hermione recognized and chatted with at least five people. Severus Snape walked out of the Apothecary laden with - nothing. He must have had it all owled to the school. She watched him from her table where she ate ice cream with Harry and Ron. He stood there with his arms crossed, apparently waiting for something. His eyes flitted closed for a second, as if he were in deep concentration. Was this some sort of internal correspondence? He might have been conversing with Dumbledore in whatever methods the Order used to do such things.

He opened his eyes and turned his glare to Hermione, daring her to keep staring. Somehow, he knew that she'd been watching him. Oh, of course, Legilimency. She looked down at her melting Strawberry Surprise and carefully avoided his gaze.

'Pompous, self-righteous prick', she thought. She nearly giggled out loud when she wondered what he would make of that if he were still trying to read her mind. Cold drips of ice cream on her arm brought her out of her reverie and back to the task at hand.

………………………

Hermione went to sleep that night with nervous butterflies trying to find their way out by burrowing into her heart. She was almost too nervous. A million questions fluttered in and out of her mind as she gripped her sheets in anticipation. She didn't know why exactly she waited in bed. She could be waiting at her table or desk. She could be waiting by her gift.

Outstandingly, impossibly, she fell asleep there, waiting for him to come. To her great frustration, he didn't, and by morning, she was still floating in her questions and annoyance.

Perhaps he had come. Perhaps she had been asleep when he left. Her present was still smiling down at her from her mantle, and she briefly considered setting it on fire.

………………………..

Yes, this chapter has been somewhat uneventful, but you'll see o.o Oh yes, you'll see. In any case, I'm quite pleased with the result. I know for many of you it must be maddeningly slow paced. Or not. I can't really tell. I need your feedback! I'm liking the slow paced thing, it sets mooood, and flavor and texture and that apple bit was fun. Hermione's fun to fuck around with, she's too smart for her own good. Without any schoolwork to do, she goes crazy.

I have to say thank you to everybody who offered to beta. Seriously, I've gotten like ten offers. Wow. Anyway, I guess I don't need a beta anymore I hope you all like where this story is going, and with a beta, it will be much better. Thanks to everybody for your support, and pleeeeease leave me a wonderful, detailed review in lieu of payment. cackles

-Jenny Yun