A/N: Hi guys...I'm nearly up to 50 reviews - I just need 5 more....So please please keep reading and reviewing and once again a tremendously big thank you to all my reviewers especially those who have been here from the start....you all inspire me so much to keep writing, big smiles for all of you :) :) :)

Chapter 13

A Spell and A Chance

Hermione opened her eyes to the sounds of laughter from behind her. Disoriented she looked around wondering where she was and why she felt sore all over. Rubbing her eyes she realized she was in the Gryffindor common room and the noise she had heard was a group of third years making their way across the room to the portrait hole, chatting and laughing loudly. Sitting up in the arm chair she had slept in all night she shook her head in an attempt to clear the muzzy feeling.. Suddenly everything from the night before came back to her, meeting with Lockhart and feeling overwhelmingly happy and then the confrontation with Harry..... Abruptly Hermione was wide awake, thoughts whirling though her mind. I've got to stop Harry telling McGonagall, but how? Maybe Ron would help?....No he's Harry's best friend.....What am I going to do, I can't let Harry tell a teacher, Gilderoy will be fired and what about me I might get expelled.... How could Harry do this to me, I know he thinks he's helping but can't he see that being with Gilderoy is the best thing that's ever happened to me?

Through her jumble of emotions Hermione's clever mind never the less was busy thinking of ways to stop Harry telling anyone anything. Suddenly she sat bolt upright, her hands clutching the sides of the chair. The Library! Looking at her watch Hermione realized that it was nearly breakfast time and that soon more people would be heading down to the Great Hall. Not wanting to see Harry again just yet, or for that matter any of her other fellow Gryffindors she jumped quickly out of her chair and headed for the portrait hole.

"A comb could go a long way to solving you problems my dear," the fat lady called out after Hermione's rapidly retreating back. Absorbed in her own muddle of worries Hermione absently reached up and pulled her fingers through her hair in an attempt to straighten it. Drawing her robes tightly around her against the cold morning air in the corridors, she made her way as quickly as possible to the library, her haven for the past six years. Entering the dimly lit room lined with rows upon rows of large volumes Hermione instantly felt a little better. She moved over to one of the catalogues and started flicking through various titles.

"Hmmm 'Secrets Told'......'The Book of Influencing Spells Volume Two'......," Hermione muttered to herself as she flipped through the catalogue. Hurriedly she moved over to the shelves and began pulling books out, piling them in her arms, and then made her way over to a table and sat down. Turning the pages of the volumes she thought to herself If I can just find a spell that will stop Harry telling....This task however, proved to be more difficult than she had thought. Despondently she remembered back in fourth year when she, Harry and Ron had sat at this very table together pouring over books hoping to find a spell that would help Harry swim down to meet the merpeople. Those days seemed a very long time ago she reflected, a time when they were all close friends....If only things could still be that way. It was as though her relationship with Harry had suddenly spirled out of control in the last few days and she still couldn't work out exactly why, or if it was somehow her fault. It was so confusing, she thought, because it had been Harry who had made the Lockhart bet in the first place and who had tried to help her win him over. Sighing she kept reading through lists of spells but none of them seemed to be any help...

Harry awoke suddenly, his head throbbing. Pressing his hand against his forehead he tried to make the headache diminish. If it's not my scar hurting then I've got a bloody headache to deal with he thought angrily. Why can't I get things together? It's not fair after all I've been through....Why can't I just have something good happen for once? Thoughts of Hermione and their conversation from the night before rapidly filled his mind. He still hadn't decided whether to tell McGonagall or not...and in fact it had been rather more something he had said out of hurt and anger than something he really meant to carry out....Telling McGonagall might get rid of Lockhart, but what about Hermione? He didn't want to do anything that would risk her future. Sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands, images of Hermione and Lockhart together surfaced, try as he might to not let himself think about that. He felt hot angry tears threatening and quickly pressed his fists against his eyes to stop them coming. If only none of this had ever happened in the first place.....

Hermione had been in the library for three hours and she had missed Arithmancy and Transfiguration, and yet there were no spells that seemed even remotely like being of any help to her. Reaching out across the table she slid an old looking thin blue book closer and without enthusiasm turned to the chapter page when she saw something which suddenly made her heart beat faster.

Chapter 12..................To Reveal or not Reveal?

Turning the pages rapidly she located chapter 12 and began to read hopefully.

The Antitheton Aperio Charm

In your life there may come a time when you wish to prevent someone from revealing something. The Antitheton Aperio charm could be just what you are looking for. This spell prevents someone from revealing something which they have learnt about you, however it is a complex spell and may take some time to accomplish.

In order to carry out the spell successfully the spell caster must focus their attention entirely on the thing which they wish the person to be prevented from revealing. This is very important as any deviation from this focus can result in....

Hermione's eyes skimmed over the text and she sighed with relief. Now she just needed a short time to practice the spell before she saw Harry and hopefully she could prevent a disaster....

Hermione had been muttering the spell to herself for what seemed like hours when she happened to glance over at the large grandfather clock in the corner of the library and realized that she had missed lunch, not to mention all of her morning classes. Feeling a slight panic that she may be too late to stop Harry, she left the library and decided to head in the direction of the common room in the hope of catching Harry before he went off to afternoon class. Remember to focus she told herself as she walked along the corridor, eyes downcast, still thinking of the spell and hoping that she had practiced it enough. The book seemed to think it was a spell which you needed to practice on a willing friend before putting it into action for real, but unfortunately time was running a little short for that. The most important thing seemed to be keeping ones thoughts focused on what you didn't want the other person to reveal. Well I did get 110 in charms Hermione thought, I'm sure I can do this.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't even hear her name being called out.

"Miss Granger!" Lockhart called down the corridor as he saw Hermione hurrying along at the other end, her robes clutched tightly around her. She appeared not to have heard although he had called loudly.

"Hermione!" he called again and this time she stopped and turned around.

"Oh!" she gasped seeing Lockhart standing far down the other end of the hall way. He walked towards her with large strides and she could see the worry in his eyes.

"Darling, what's the matter?" he asked, tender concern all over his face. "When you weren't at charms this morning I didn't know why, I thought maybe...maybe you were having second thoughts?" he let his voice trail away.

Hermione looked up at him tears glistening in her eyes.

"No! oh no, that's not it...I would never....no" she said passionately. "I loved last night, I wish I could have stayed with you all night and never have gone back".

Lockhart wanted to pull her into his arms but they were in the middle of the corridor and anyone might come along. A small tear trickled down one of Hermione's cheeks.

"Oh my beautiful girl, don't cry. What is it? Please tell me, whatever it is the two of us can fix things," he said reaching out to tenderly wipe the tear off her cheek.

Hermione suddenly wanted to throw herself into Gilderoy's arms and tell him everything; the bet, Harry, all of it. But fear of what he mihgt do or say stopped her. She didn't want anything to jeopardize what they had. Giving a large sniff she tried to control her feelings.

"I'm sorry for being so silly. It's nothing really...just the stress of NEWTS" she said, hoping she sounded convincing.

"Are you sure there's nothing else?" Gilderoy asked still looking worried.

"Only the fact that I can't be with you every second," she said, trying to smile.

The urge to take Hermione into his arms suddenly increased a thousand fold and Gilderoy glanced around the corridor. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed her hand. Darting across the passage way he pulled them both into a small enclave between two large pillars. Reaching out slid his arms around her waist and pulled her in close to him. With a small cry she pressed her body firmly against him, burying her face in his robes. Gilderoy softly smoothed one cheek and turned her face towards him. Gently and with a tenderness she had not yet experienced his moved his lips over hers. This kiss was less passionate but no less intense than the ones they had shared the night before. Instead it was so caring and warm that she felt weak with emotion.

Gilderoy pulled back first and smiled at her.

"I've got to go. My class starts in five minutes".

Reaching down he quickly brushed his lips across hers one more time and then quickly moved out of the enclave.

"I can't stop thinking about tonight," he said smiling over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Me neither," Hermione whispered.

Still trembling from the unexpected moment with Gilderoy, Hermione slowly move back into the corridor and started drifting slowly in her original direction, her mind full of thoughts of him.

"Ooommphf," she gasped her breath suddenly knocked out of her.

She looked up to realize she had run straight into a very tired looking Harry.

Her eyes flew wide open when she realized who it was.

Harry was rubbing his nose where she had run into him and looking as shocked as she was.

"Ah, sorry, wasn't looking where I was going," he said not looking at her. "Er, well I'd better be going.." he started to say.

Hermione's heart was beating furiously, she hadn't had time to collect her thoughts but it was now or never. Unexpectedly running into Harry had obviously been a sign and she had to act before he could tell McGonagall.

Reaching under her robes for her wand Hermione said loudly

"Harry, wait! There's something we need to talk about".