A/N: Thank you to all those who have read and reviewed this humble submission. I find myself getting quite caught up in the story as well, and can't seem to stop writing it. It is past 2 am and here I am, submitting another few chapters. Can we say OBSESSIVE? lol

By the by, characters and some locations are not mine. I only take credit for anything that is not remotely familiar. JKR RULES!

She reached the top of the ladder and was fighting with another book, trying to dislodge it so that she could remove therequested text. 'Oh bother,' she muttered.

While Hermione was beginning her virtual war on dust and books in the stacks, Oliver walked into Flourish & Blotts carrying a largebag, similar to a messanger's bag, with his treasure in it. He walked back towards Evan's office and knocked politely on the door. Entrance was granted and he walked in seeing Evan speaking to someone in the fireplace. In any Muggle bookstore in the world, this would seem strange, but not in a wizarding bookstore. Oliver waited patiently by the door until the conversation was concluded, only a few moments really.

"Oliver! Grand to see you again. How are you today?" Evan asked, coming around his desk to shake Oliver's hand.

"I am doing well, Evan. Busy day today, eh?" Oliver remarked. He had seen a nice line of people waiting to pay for their purchases nearer the front of the store.

"Always. Our store seems like a mad crush all the time lately. Ever since we began that new catalogue advertising, our sales have tripled. But you don't want to talk financials with me. Do you have the book?" Evan eagerly inquired.

"Yes, it is here in my bag. Can I set it out over here?" Oliver asked, indicating the table Hermione just vacated.

"Certainly. Let me get my glasses."

Evan shuffled through several drawers as Oliver removed the book from his bag and laid it out reverently on the table. A few muttered curses and slammed drawers later, Oliver looked over to Evan scratching his chin, confused as to where his glasses disappeared to. Oliver reached over and tapped Evan on the head, and his glasses slid down onto his nose.

"Oh dear, I get so forgetful when I wear these cursed things. Always tucking them up on my head when I rub my eyes or want to look at something in large print," he chuckled.

"No problem," Oliver replied, with a small smile on his full lips. "Let's look this over then shall we?"

Several moments later, Evan stood back up and looked up at Oliver, who was almost half a foot taller than him.

"I can see why you want this authenticated. If it is what it seems to be, you have a delightful find on your hands there, worthy of your collection." Evan pushed his glasses up on his head again. "I can direct you to our researcher's office and you can fill her in on the particulars as far as purchase location, etc."

"And that is located…?" Oliver asked.

"Oh, yes. Um, one floor up, last door on the left. It is a larger office, but contains some absolutely wonderful texts on ancient languages." Evan started looking around again, patting his robe pockets and then stopped, felt on top of his head, and sure enough, there they were. He removed his glasses, and slipped them into his outside robe pocket.

"Thank you again, Evan. I will see you again soon, I hope." Oliver said as he packed his treasure up and began to exit the office, a full smile on his lips only when he had turned away from Evan.

"Good day Oliver," Evan said as he sat down at his desk to finish hisfigures for the earlier sale.

Oliver walked past several customers who all turned and followed his progress up the stairs. He subtly looked back over shoulder and saw practically the entire store checking out the rearview. 'I really need to start wearing my robe or cloak again' he said under his breath. He came to the last door on the left and knocked. No answer. He knocked again, this time a bit louder and heard a loud sneeze. He cracked open the door and looked in.

"Hello?" he asked the empty room. "Hello?" a bit louder this time.

"Yes, Hello. I am here; I will be right with you. Please have a seat," a slightly hoarse, but still very female, voice directed.

Oliver shut the door quietly and made his way over to the desk. On it, he saw several piles of papers, similar to Evan's desk below. He hefted his bag up and laid it on the desk, making sure to not disturb anything. He had experience dealing with people not liking their workspaces messed up, way back in his 7th year at Hogwarts. He stood there and reminisced about the setting down he had received from a little waif of a 3rd year. She was a fireball when it came to her studies though. Once, he hadwalked into the common room and was planning on working on some prime Quidditch plays, when he discovered his table, his table, was occupied. He flopped his bag down on top of the table, upsetting the young lady's essay on Arithmancy. She looked at her ruined essay then to him, stood up and had given him what for so well, he thought he was getting yelled at by his dear mother. His ears had turned red, as everyone in the room had turned to watch. She proceeded to lift his very heavy bag of books and papers, and toss it halfway across the common room. He looked at her and then at his bag, and then back to her. She had fire in her eyes and her chest was heaving with labored breaths while she stared him down, practically daring him to say something. He walked over to his bag, picked it up, and walked upstairs with as much dignity as he still had after that confrontation.

Oliver mused while he took his seat, 'So much passion at such a young age.' As he remembered the way her eyes flashed at him and her heaving chest. 'I bet sheis a real firecracker now, 12 years later,' he thought. What made him think of her at this moment, he couldn't imagine. Being around all these books certainly could be the catalyst, as he remembered she spent quite a bit of time in the library there at Hogwarts. A loud sneeze was heard as a lady came forward from the back of the large room, a fat book in her arms. Her hair was coming loose from its hold at the back and curly tendrils were caressing her face. Her face looked slightly flushed, and not at all like what he imagined. 'Hot spinster, indeed,' remembering his thoughts fromlast evening. Oliver quickly scanned his gaze over her hands and observed that although she wore rings, none were on her left ring finger.

"Thank you for waiting so patiently, sir." Her voice had that husky quality that made the hairs stand up on the back of neck. He watched her place the heavy book on the desk with a loud thump and reach up to brush her hair back from her face.

"Now," she said, "what do you-"her eyes widening at the sight before her. 'Old crony he is not' was the first thought Hermione grasped onto. Warm chocolate eyes looked back at her with a sparkle of humor and definite intelligence. She was locked into his gaze and felt a spark come to life inside the very depth of her soul, traveling up to her heart and causing her to shudder slightly. Hermione felt a flash of heat and then blinked twice to refocus herself. Her instincts took over and instant walls went up inside her mind and her heart. 'Not good,' she thought. Her gaze traveled around his broad shoulders and his quite handsome face, making sure not to look at his eyes again and noticing a small gap between his full lips as he cleared his throat.

Oliver watched her eyes widen and gaze into his. He could have sworn he saw her shoulders shake and watched her pupils slightly widen with a fire of passion that wassomewhat familiar. He watchedstill as she blinked twice and pulled the shutters down on her eyes. 'Interesting,' he thought. Her eyes traveled to his mouth and he thought he would die right there. He cleared his throat and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs.…"

'He is talking,' Hermione told herself. 'Answer him you dolt!'

"Uh, I am Miss Hermione Granger."

A/N 3: So? What ya think? Is it steamy enough? or not enough? I like a slow build up myself. Launching directly into hot monkey love is not my style. ok, I guess that was a bit TMI. ROFL.

Read AND Review please. Thank you again.