Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that I write about in this story, with the exception of Derek, and anymore to come. However…I do envy J.K. Rowlings creativity and imagination. Thanks all for reading!

A Silent Wish

Realizations

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed jumping up and down with the letter in her hands.

"What is it?" Ron asked turning his head from his letter he was reading.

"I got the opprotunity to be an Auora! The training starts next week!" Hermione said with a grin that spread from one corner of her face to the other.

"Well, of course, Hermione. You are the brightest witch of your age, no matter what some people say," Ginny said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, well good for you, Hermione," Ron said with a weak smile. Hermione looked at him and noticed he was not as pleased as she thought he would have been.

"What's wrong, Ron?" Hermione asked with concern.

"Well, it's just that…I wasn't accepted. They felt that from my N.E.W.T.S., I should become a professor. I know what they really mean, they feel bad for me and couldn't think of anything better for me to do," he said with dissappointment in his voice.

"Oh, no, I think they're right, Ron, you would be an excellent professor," Hermione said walking over to him and giving him a reassuring smile.

"It's OK, you don't have to pretend. I guess it's true; I am just not right to be an Auora. I'll just be a professor all my life," Ron responded with defeat.

Hermione didn't know what to say, if she fought, he would become more depressed, but if she admitted what she really thought, he would be depressed and mad at her. She decided silence was the answer.

"Consider yourself lucky, Ron, they don't even want me to even consider a job or career because of this hole Voldemort thing. They don't want me to have anything else to worry about. A job would be the only thing to keep me sane. I have faced Voldemort before! I don't know why they think I am so incapable of defeating him, yet they make me rot here and do nothing about it!" Harry said raising his voice with every surg and piece of anger that filled him.

"Harry, calm down. It's OK, just calm down," Hermione said and Ginny went to his side to help him.

"Sorry, just kind of caught up in the moment," he said with a smile. They nodded in understanding.

There was an awkward silence before Hermione said, "Well, when training starts, I will have almost no time anymore. How about we go out and celebrate?" Hermione said trying to pump up the spirits. They all agreed in unison.

"Well, I say we go out eating," Hermione suggested with a shrug. "I hardly think clubs are the way to celebrate this occasion. Plus, I am getting a little tired of it," Hermione admitted.

"Yeah, I am starting to feel the after effects of it," Harry said arching his back and had his hands behind his neck.

"I'm hungry anyway," Ron said rubbing his stomach. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione all looked at him with weird faces, looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"What?" Ron asked with a confused look on his face.

"Nothing, Ron, nothing," Harry said holding his stomach now in amusement now thinking of old memories of Ron at school. He never could wait for the sorting to end so he could stuff himself.

Within a few hours, they were all ready to go.

"Humm, I can't seem to find my purse," Hermione said pacing across the room in search for it.

"Do you want me to help you try and find it?" Ginny asked heading toward Hermione's dresser.

"No, it's fine, I'll try to find it. You guys head down to the restraunt, I'll be there in a few minutes," Hermione said without looking back at her.

"OK, you sure you don't want help?" Ginny asked again.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Hermione said getting up from her knees and heading to the bathroom to look.

"OK, then, I'll see you there. Don't be long," Ginny called to her as she left the room.

"I won't!" Hermione called back.

Hermione opened the cupboard under the sink and fondled with the items in it. She looked under the toilet paper, nothing. The razors, nothing. Where can it be? She asked herself.

"You know what, I don't need my purse. Why is it important anyway?" Hermione told herself and headed out of the bathroom toward the front door. Maybe they will still be here, she thought as she quickened her pace. She had just reached the front door, when she stopped.

"Ugh," she said. She had forgotten to turn off all of the lights; she always did that when she left the house. She had turned off the bathroom and bedroom on her way out, so she didn't bother with those.

Hermione had just the last light, the porch light, and closed the porch door when she was grabbed by the arm. She gasped and said, "Harry?" There was no response. "Ron? Ginny?" She asked again. The grip was firm and she feared it was neither of them.

"No, Miss Granger," the voice said. It was him.

"Let go of me! Get out!" Hermione said ripping her arm from him and stepping from him. He did not answer. "Get out!" she repeated, annoyance in her voice.

"Why? Why can't you leave me alone?" She asked now, feelings of anger and confusion mixing inside her. She heard him sigh, but he didn't reply. "Tell me! Why am I so special? Why do I have to be your little project? Why can't it be someone else, like someone who wouldn't mind all the sick mental games you play with me?" She said with enthusiastic gestures.

"Don't be upset, love," was all he said, but Hermione couldn't help but calm slightly at his voice. She wanted to fight back, but his voice was hypnotising.

There was a long silence and in that silence, he stepped closer to her. She didn't recoil, but she kept her guard.

"Why must you always be in the dark? Why can't I see your face?" Hermione asked looking up at where she was sure his face was located.

He was silent at first, but then he stepped closer and took her face in his hands. "It puts spark into the relationship," he said to her. She could feel the skin-tight gloves that he wore that were soft on her skin.

"There is no relationship," she said suddenly in disgust and ripped his hands off her face. "Now will you please get out of my house?" She asked pointing toward the door that was around the corner, though she was sure he couldn't see her hand.

"And so the game begins," he said with what she was sure was a sneer. He popped away and Hermione was alone.

"Sorry about that," Hermione said as she sat down at the table with Harry, Ron and Ginny.

"It's OK. Are you all right? You look shaken," Harry said, noticing her uneasiness.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she responded taking in a deep breath and giving him a comforting smile. She turned her eyes to Ginny and looked her in the eye. Ginny got her message and cleared her throat.

"I have to go to the ladies room. Hermione, would you care to join me?" Ginny asked her as she stood up from her chair.

"Excuse us," Hermione said to Harry and Ron. They gave each other apprehensive looks, but nodded.

Hermione and Ginny walked to the bathroom and didn't say anything until the door was completely closed. "What's wrong, Hermione?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"He was there," was all Hermione said while she closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"The guy I was telling you about, he was at the house. I don't know how, but he was there. I was turning off all of the lights in the house like I usually do and I was turning off the last one on the porch when he appeared and grabbed my arm. He didn't really appear, because I couldn't see anything because I had turned off all of the lights-"

"Hermione, you're rambling," Ginny said, stopping her. Hermione looked back up at her and nodded. "Now, you're fine, like he didn't touch you or hurt you?"

Hermione hesitated, but then said, "Well, he didn't hurt me…" slowly. Ginny looked at her strangely. "Nothing bad, he just touched my face, that's all," Hermione said with a reassuring nod.

Ginny became uneasy and said, "So, you're OK? Nothing I need to be worried about? Do you need to talk?"

"No, nothing. I guess I was a little shaken, but I'm fine, I just needed to tell someone. I just thought you should know," Hermione said.

"OK, that is good, just remember I am always here," Ginny said looking up at her.

"Thanks, Ginny," Hermione said.

"You're welcome, now let's go back out there before the guys start worrying, don't want them suspicious," Ginny smirked and headed back out the door with Hermione following.

The four friends enjoyed the rest of the evening eating dinner, laugh and talk about Ginny's last year at Hogwarts; she was just as glad, upset, and ready to enjoy it as much as Harry, Ron, and Hermione did. It ended with a near death experience on the way home; Ron almost got run over by a carriage and Harry, Hermione, and Ginny had to pull him out of the way just in time.

"Well, I'm going to retire, 'night," Hermione said and went off to her bedroom.

"'Night," they responded on their own accord.

Hermione entered her room and headed to the bathroom. She got out of her clothes and put on some more comfortable pajamas. After taking off her make-up and brushing her teeth, she got into her bed and under the soothing covers.

As she sat up looking at the dark ceiling, Hermione thought about the night's dealings. What was going on with this man? How long did she have to put up with this? More importantly, who is he? These questions kept her up for quite awhile.

Then there was a question about Derek. She really liked him; he was shy, but not afraid to be himself. Sweet, but not overwhelming. Funny, but had a sense of humor about himself as well. He was charming, but wasn't dependent on it. He had given her his number. This showed that he wasn't desperate, she liked that; maybe he wasn't after her for a one-time thing.

However, what if this kept on going? The man that kept on coming back, would it interfere with her potential relationship with Derek? She hoped not, but then again, she hoped this man would go away…it was not until one A.M. in the morning that sleep came to her and she feared what her dreams might consist of.

A/N: Wow, I really appreciate the reviews! I love how some of you guys will comment on a certain part of the story, it let's me know that you read the whole thing instead of skimming through it. Thanks a lot, it really makes me feel proud of my work! Keep it up!