Thanks againto Adrielle for BETA
Chapter 6. The new swings
Severus opened his eyes. He had gone to bed early last night, well, earlier than usual. He took a look at the clock, which showed half past four, but Severus felt too awake to sleep more. He rose up from his bed. There was something odd about yesterday, he remembered. But in the same moment he remembered it, he immediately wanted to forget about it. The seventh years' lesson and those odd thoughts about Granger, he had thought she was beautiful. Was she beautiful? Severus saw her pretty face in front of his eyes. Oh yes, she was beau… NO. He didn't think about that. He was not interested in Granger's looks. He was too old to like a girl, and who had said he liked her? Oh no, she was a Gryffindor student and he was a teacher, the Slytherin's Head of House. It was impossible for him to like her. Why did he even think about her? Stop it! Severus had gotten dressed in his usual black robe. He sighed and sank down on his bed. He hid his face behind his hands and sighed again. Why did he still have feelings?
ooo
"Come on guys, it's been years since we last visited Hagrid," said Hermione.
"You're right Hermione," Harry said and rose up from the chair. "Come on, Ron."
Ron wasn't slow to put his Transfiguration book away. Hermione smiled and together the three friends left the Gryffindor Common Room.
When they stepped out from the castle, Hermione saw Hagrid immediately. He was carrying ropes and boards. He stopped next to a tree pretty close to them.
"Hi Hagrid, what are you doing?" Harry asked.
"Hello Harry, an' Hermione, an' Ron," said Hagrid with a big smile. "I'm putting this thing up."
"What exactly is that?" Ron asked and looked at the ropes and boards.
Hermione suddenly realised what it was.
"Swings!" She smiled.
"Yer right, Hermione," said Hagrid and threw the rope over a low limb.
Hermione smiled even more; oh God, she loved swings. Hagrid cut of a bit of the rope and tied it around a board. Harry, Ron and Hagrid started a conversation, but Hermione didn't listen. She looked at the new swing.
"Can I try it?" she asked.
"Yeh, do that," Hagrid said as he went to the next tree over to put up another swing.
Hermione sat up on the swing and swung herself up and up and up and… the Forbidden Forest was such a beautiful sight from the swing. Hermione swung herself higher. The wind blew her hair backwards and made her hands feel cold, but she loved it.
"HERMIONE!" Ron shouted.
"WHAT?" she answered and put her feet on the ground and made the swing stop dead.
"We're going back now"," he said.
"Okay, I want to swing more, I'll come up later", she said and swung the swing again.
"Promise to not go in the Forest," Ron said and winked.
"Promise," Hermione answered.
"Bye," Harry said, and he and Ron walked up to school.
Hermione closed her eyes as she sat on the swing. How wonderful it felt to feel the wind blow in her hair. Somewhere she heard Hagrid say "See yer later," and she raised her hand and waved without opening her eyes.
ooo
Severus needed to clear his thoughts. He needed to feel the air; he needed to get outside. Right now. He grabbed his wand, as he didn't dare to forget it again, and went out. Different sounds than some nights before were in the air this evening. First of all he just heard the wind in the trees, then he heard a song. It was a girl's voice, and it wasn't all too good, but he knew the melody. It was the melody he had heard before. He walked beside the forest and soon he saw who the singing girl was. His mind wanted him to run, but instead he stood under a tree. There she was, Granger, singing that melody he had heard. Why had he heard it, when she could sing it? Magic was a bit odd sometimes.
The swings were new; he hadn't seen them before. Of course it was another of Dumbledore's strange ideas. Her hair blew backwards, and this time he didn't try to stop the wrong thoughts. Oh, yes, so wrong they were. He couldn't say that she wasn't beautiful, she was. And thoughts, which should not have been thought, were pondered.