Disclaimer: Hey, you guys all know by now that I am not J.K. Rowling, therefore I don't own any of the characters, only the storyline. Keep that in mind...
A/N: Hey, sorry guys for making you wait an extra week, I just got caught up in the sixth book that came out. It was amazing! But, then again, sad...I will say nomore, for I am still grieving...OH! Why did he have to go!
Also, I got caught up in a Jason Isaacs craze, you know, renting every movie he was ever in, trying to find the sexiest pictures of him, having my thoughts raided by his very presence, so I was preoccupied with that...but I am here now! I hope you read, review, and most importantly...enjoy!
A Silent Wish
Devotion or Deception
Another man had in fact taken over her dreams that night, but along with the many nights afterwards. She dreamed of them going on romantic dates and he would woo her with his wit, charm, and sweet personality, or he would be there for her when they were watching a scary movie so she could grab onto his shoulder, or simply just be with each other and enjoy each other's company. It was probably the only thing that had helped get time go fast until the first day of Auror training.
"Well, I'm off you guys! See you later!" Hermione yelled back in the house as she headed out of the house into the small back yard. When she reached the middle of the small yard, she raised her wand and disappeared with a loud crack.
When Hermione appeared again, she was in a fairly large room, though you wouldn't think it. There were chairs here and there that people had summoned out of thin air so the room came out to be much tinier then it actually was. At the exact moment she had appeared, so had about half a dozen other witches and wizards. Seeing the shortage of chairs, Hermione quickly found one and ran for it. Hermione took her seat and smiled in amusement at the other witches and wizards as they tried to get seats.
The room was not quite what Hermione had expected. The walls were an ugly color of yellow and brown stripes. There were several pictures of famous Auror witches and wizards, all of whom were looking down at the many people, judging to see who could be the next one up on the wall with them. There were all different kinds of people in the room with her. Some were women, some were men; some were young, some were old. It was amazing as to how many people were there for the same reason she was. To her right was a small window was a short, plump woman that was as ordinary and ugly as the walls that she encased herself in. She had big-rimmed glasses the size of baseballs and a plain black robe attire with a simple Ministry patch right over her left breast; she wouldn't have been less then fifty years old. One of the strangest things about the room was that it was octagon shaped and there seemed to be no way out except the very window the old lady was in. It was almost unnerving.
"Anyone person who is here for the Auror Training, please sign on the parchment," the old woman said putting the piece of parchment out on the counter in front of her window.
Hermione got up quickly and walked toward the window seeing the rush of people doing the same. She was just about to grab the quill when someone else grabbed it and she was abruptly knocked away. She fell on her rear-end with an, "oaf." She was about to get back up again when a pair of knees hit her square in the jaw. She groaned in pain and grew angry. Frustrated, she was about to reach out and take the robes that hit her and pull them down too, but a familiar hand reached out and took hers instead. She was pulled up off of the ground with ease and came face to face with a friendly face.
"Well, hello, Neville," Hermione said with a bright smile, "I didn't know you were trying to be an Auror."
"Well, my grand mum didn't think it was best for me to try it, but I decided that I wasn't going to listen to her anymore, I mean, I am of age now. She wanted me to do something less dangerous, something like working at the ministry. I figured it wasn't any fun if there was no danger and thought this would be interesting. After a while, she accepted it and figured it made me more like my dad. So, where are Ron and Harry? I thought that they were planning on being Aurors too," Neville said scanning the crowded room in hopes of seeing them.
"Well, they felt it wasn't the right thing with Ron, that he didn't quite posses the right qualities," Hermione said in a kind of whisper, "And Harry, well, now that Dumbledore is gone, he didn't have much of a chance with Umbridge having a say in it," Hermione finished with a disapproving nod.
"That's too bad, I always thought Harry would make an amazing Auror. Well, I guess it is just you and me then," Neville said putting his hand in his pockets and sighing.
"Yeah, I guess it is. At least I have someone I know and like here, it would have been dreadful otherwise," Neville nodded in agreement.
Hermione was surprised at how many people were there. She hoped that it all wasn't going to be one class; she sure didn't want to be stuck in one room with what seemed like dozens and dozens of Aurors in training.
Together, when the crowd had diminished, they went over to the counter and signed the form.
"Everyone signed in?" the old woman said, but didn't wait for an answer and put the form behind the counter. "OK, everyone in a single file line against the walls."
Everyone quickly complied and Hermione and Neville stood next to each other in anticipation of what was to happen next. The question that was on Hermione's mind, as she was sure on several others, was; where's the door?
Her question was soon answered as the old woman opened up her window and the wall above and below it turned into the door and she stepped out. She closed it back up and the door melted back into the wall around it. She stepped into the middle of the room and with a flick of her wand, a circular portion of the ground started to rise. It was probably five feet in diameter and there was enough room to fit four people comfortably. The circular walls that cover the new object were glass and squeaky clean; it made the rest of the room look even duller then before.
"First four in please," the old woman said irritably. The first four did so quietly, afraid to get on her bad side. Once they were in the cylinder, with another flick of the old woman's wand, it lowered slowly into its depths. The last thing Hermione saw before they people were completely emerged from below were the looks of sheer amazement on their faces.
The same procedure went on for a couple more groups before Hermione and Neville had their turn. Apprehensively, they walked into the small tube and the glass door slid into place behind them. People looked at them curiously as they went down below, looking for any sign of what was beneath them. The faces of the people before them did not let them down. The area below them was an amazing sight to behold. It must have been the very bottom level because there was a room the size of ten football stadiums, if fact, there was probably more then that, farther then the eye could see. She now knew why they didn't have a problem with so many people in the class.
"Wow," was one of the many words that had escaped the lips of many of the people who were with she and Neville on the descent. Hermione herself had made a small noise of something like, "remarkable," but she didn't remember.
"This is where we are training?" Neville asked her as they stepped out of the elevator like device and into the colossal room.
"It sure looks like it…" she responded looking up at the ceiling; they must have dropped at least thirty-five, forty feet.
Within a few minutes, everyone else in the class had made it to the room and all with the same impressive look.
Then, out of the middle of nowhere, a handsome man strode up to the group and everyone fell silent.
"Thank you, I am Professor William Peck, I will be one of your Auror instructors for this course," he said with a bright smile. Many of the girls gave small sighs and some blushed.
"Remind you of anyone?" Neville asked out of the corner of his mouth. In fact it did remind her of someone, it reminded Hermione of her haunting second year when she had Gregory Lockhart as her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
"Déjà vu," Hermione said with a laugh to Neville.
"Now, I would like you all to meet your other instructors for this course, Professor Georgina Vimple, Professor Mattock Egool, and Professor Regina Glenn," Professor Peck said, pointing each one out as the raised their hands. "Now, will you please get out your Aurors in Training course books please and take a seat." Within an instant, rows and rows of desks and chairs filled the portion of the room they were standing and everyone took a seat.
"So, how did it go?" Ginny asked as Hermione stepped in from the back porch with her bag at hand.
"Oh, fine, really good. It was amazing," Hermione said and went on to tell Ginny about the room she appeared in to the last of the meeting. "And, one of the best parts about it is that Neville is there too and in my class! Oh, I'm so happy and it is so nice to have someone you know and like there. Can you imagine trying to re-make friends or at least someone to talk to out of those eighty people? It would be just like going back to school again," Hermione said with a sigh.
"Well, that's good. When is the next meeting?" Ginny asked.
"Wednesday night. The only thing I don't like about it is that it is very tiring. I never thought that doing schoolwork could tire me out, but looks like I've been proven wrong. I was also surprised at the intelligence of some of the witches and wizards there, I'm telling you, I have some competition," Hermione said with a smile.
"Well, that's good, you can't always be the best," Ginny said almost in jealously. It brought back the memory of Harry back in sixth year, how he had beaten her in almost every Potions class with that stupid Half-Blood Prince book. It was one of the one and only times she was ever jealous of someone else having better grades then her (probably the only time anyone has had better grade then her), but she had learned to accept that maybe there are some people out there that are better then her and if so, then so be it.
Hermione yawned and said, "Wow, I'm really tired, I think I'm going to retire for the night. Talk to you tomorrow, 'night." Hermione got up from the couch and headed to her room.
She sat in her room with the lights off, drifting into a dream like state. Her mind was running through the events off the day and her anxiousness started to build. They hadn't gotten far in the first class, but Hermione could tell it was a promising course. Derek was also on her mind. Hermione hadn't talked to him all day, she missed him already.
As she began to fade into a land beyond reality, the bed shifted behind her. An arm snaked around her waist and she felt the warmth of another against her back.
"Hello, Miss Granger," a voice whispered in her ear softly.
She stiffened in surprise, but spoke with an unwavering voice, "I like how you feel you have the right to come in here and into my bed without my permission."
"Hmm, you remember me," he said with amusement in his voice.
"How could I not?" she said in a cold voice.
"I knew you would," the man said ignoring her tone, "You know, I was waiting for you to fall asleep, but I thought you might like to see me again," he finished snuggling up a little closer.
Hermione flipped over to face him and found they were a mere inch or two apart. "Well, maybe you thought wrong," she said in a defining tone.
"You can't keep the truth from me, Miss Granger. Just admit it, I haven't been by recently (or that you know of) and you missed me," he said vainly.
"Or maybe you are too cocky for your own good," she responded.
"Now, Miss Granger, I always thought you were honest. Never, in my wildest dreams, did I think you would try to lie your way out of a situation," he said and she was sure he cocked his head in mocking laughter.
This obviously wasn't getting anywhere, lying to him, so she said nothing.
"Ahh, the silent treatment. I get that a lot; don't worry, I don't mind. In fact, it is exactly what had planned for you, my little puppet," he said removing his hand from her waist to brush back a piece of hair from her face.
She snapped up her hand and grasped his wrist, throwing his hand from her face.
"Hmm, a little touchy are we?" he said yanking his hand from her grip.
"Well, I think I have the right to be," she said defensively.
"Of course," he said plainly. "Well, now that we're over that…how about we get to why we are here," he said seductively and leaning in to her.
"Well, I'm here because I live here. You, on the other hand, I don't know considering you weren't invited," she said moving away from him.
"Oh, don't pretend you don't know why I'm here," he said in an almost bored voice.
"Why is it always about you? Why is it that you always have to come here, play games with me, and leave abruptly?" Hermione asked before she realized the words had come out.
"Oh, it's not just for me, Miss Granger, no. It's for you, whether you will admit it or not, the games are just my fun of it," he said as he brushed her side with his fingertips.
She shivered at his tickling touch and said nothing in response.
"Well, now that I've got your attention…" he said stopping abruptly on her hip. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Hermione felt a new sensation rush through her like a shock of electricity. He didn't wait for her response and pressed his lips to hers.
The spark of mystery ran through her veins. They same feeling she experienced twice before. She felt herself roll on to her back as he rolled on top of her and perched himself over her.
He did not hesitate and swiftly maneuvered through her every curve. The thin cloth of her pajamas did nothing to hide the shiver that went jutting through her body and she felt him smile against her lips.
As she slithered her arm around his neck, a little voice, much like her own, said, "What would Derek say?" Hermione froze in mind breath.
He stopped as well and hesitated. "It's Derek, isn't it?" he asked in a disappointed voice.
"Yeah," Hermione said with a deep sigh, "wait, how do you know about Derek?" Hermione asked taking her arms from him and pushing him away from her.
Her sighed dramatically and said, "Once again, you have little knowledge of when I'm around."
Hermione looked at him slack jawed. "What is that suppose to mean?" she asked stupidly.
"Miss Granger, you're being silly, you need your sleep. What does it sound like it means?" he asked.
Filly with anger again, at how he made her feel stupid, she crawled out of the bed. "Get out of my house! Get out now!" she screamed moving to the door and the light shown through the room from the lights in the hall. To her surprise, he wasn't there.
What? He was right there! I felt him right there…she thought to herself. I'm not mad…
Just then, a hand grasped her shoulder. Another hand gently brushed back another piece of hair from her eyes as his voice whispered in her ear, "Always throwing me out the door, only proper, I suppose." He hesitated there for a moment, soaking in the feeling, and started to move away, but stopped and leaned back into her ear, "You're not mad." With that said, he stepped back from her, his hand slipped away from her shoulder, and was gone with nothing but darkness I his wake.
"What was that about?" Ron said from the doorway with Harry and Ginny behind her.
Hermione looked back up at them in their pajamas and was about to tell them that he was there again, but Harry and Ron would definitely think she was mad, so she choose against it.
"Oh, I must have been sleepwalking," she responded glancing quickly at Ginny.
"And you were dreaming about throwing someone out of your house?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Umm…yeah…I dreamt that I was throwing Lavender out for lying to me," Hermione said slowly.
"Ok, then, 'night guys," Ron said looking too sleepy to argue. Harry said his goodnight and walked off after Ron. Ginny, however, said nothing but stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.
"OK, what happened?" Ginny said knowing already what the problem was.
Hermione was planning to tell Ginny about what had happened, but something was telling her not too.
Do not tell her, a voice said in the back of her head.
"Nothing happened," she said before she realized what she was saying.
Tell her! An honest voice said
No, a firm voice, that vaguely sounded like her, said back.
"I was simply sleepwalking, just like I told you," she said with pure confidence. Ginny looked at her as if she was never seen Hermione, as if she was a stranger.
After a minute or so of staring at her for another response, Ginny nodded slowly and said, "OK, well, good night, Hermione." Ginny walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.
Once the door closed, Hermione felt her head throb. She rubbed her forehead and sulked back to her bed feeling suddenly exhausted. Hermione crawled into the bed and was asleep before she got the covers over her.