Chapter Six:

The Creature Feature Section

It almost seemed like the night was coming to the greatest end imaginable. Here, in a bed, Hermione lay breathing heavily. In almost a millisecond it seemed that her knight in shining armor had rescued her, and there again she lay beside him. To where it seemed like the Room of Requirement got a bit bigger every year, or maybe this is just what she asked for. Room with the one she loved, as she lay beside him, tangled within the velvet sheets.

In almost an instant did it feel like she found where she was supposed to be. She looked to him, raking her fingers through his shaggy hair, and snuggling within his arms. As the sun began to rise she realized she had not gotten sleep, but she wasn't at all tired. She waited patiently for his green eyes to meet hers within the morning mist. Her heart beat slowly and when he slowly began to stir, her heart began to race away from her once bleeding chest.

"Good morning, love," She whispered sweetly, kissing his forehead.

"Good morning," he smiled. "How long have you been awake?" He asked with a sleepy start.

"A while… I couldn't sleep." She smiled as she felt his softened hand reach her waist.

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked, a bit worried, and would not lose eye contact with her.

"Yes, I'm fine." She smiled. "I'm aware last night was very tiring for me, but for some reason I found more interest in watching you sleep." She smiled.

"I would hardly find that interesting!" He teased and she shook her head.

"No it was… except you snore like an ogre." She teased.

He just stared at her, but before she could say a word, he had seized the blankets and covered himself. She watched him fuss around before he had eventually faced the wall on the opposite side. She would poke at him a bit, but she got no words out of him, just a few simple giggles.

"Stop it!" He laughed as she constantly continued to poke him.

"No, it's actually quite fun!" She smiled.

In almost an instant she had stopped. She lay straight, breathing deeply, as she felt a warm mist upon her stomach. She could feel his hands upon her sides, and his body situated almost on top of her. She clutched the sheets within her slim fingers as she felt lips touch gently around her abdomen. She wanted to question him, but she did nothing but lay, paralyzed, with her eyes closed attempting to melt into him. She slid her fingers gently under the comforter and she folded it upwards.

She revealed him, as his green eyes looked up at her with a smile and a gleam in his crystal eyes that made her swoon. She grabbed his hands, attempting to pull him forwards, and, with his help, she had found his lips. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck and loosened herself below his muscular body. He pulled away, looking down on her, pulling his fingers through her hair, and with a gentle smile she had spoke to him once again.

"Do you know what you're doing?" She whispered, doubting his actions.

"Does it matter?" He asked, inches away from her lips.

"I don't want it be too hasty…" She breathed, a bit heavier than before.

"Then it doesn't have to be." He smiled.

Before she had anytime to speak again her lips were tangled in a loving kiss upon his lips. She just rolled her fingers within his hair and happily felt her body tucked neatly beneath his. With every kiss she felt happier, and with every breath he captured felt like an angel sing, she smiled between kisses, and wanted nothing but to stay in this forever. She wanted nothing more than this.

Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together
And I just wanna stay with you
In this moment forever, forever and ever

Hermione woke with a start and breathed in the Saturday afternoon mist. She looked around, and though she felt like she had just fallen asleep, Harry was no where to be found. In an instant she felt a very heavy force in the pit of her stomach drop what felt like ten feet. She took a deep breath and held the sheets to cover her skin. She looked to the ceiling and with no other things in mind to do; she fell back upon the velvet sheets and sighed, thinking over everything.

She couldn't help but get confused as she tied herself into the thoughts of the morning that had now faded into a glorious afternoon. She could here the birds chirping from outside as she lay in the window-less room that barely anyone knew about. Even through the walls she could hear people walk by and be completely unaware of where she was or what she had done.

The candle in the corner burned ever so brightly, and slowly it died into the nothingness of cloudy smoke. She felt lonely now for she now cowered under the sheets in the once lit room that now had its warmth washed away. It almost seemed like her own colors had washed away inside herself and now remained a ghostly white color that almost could pass her off as dead.

"Hermione?" A voice whispered as the door creaked open.

Her heart pounded gently as the candle had once again ignited and the colors return to the way they were once before. She looked up from the sheets, no longer feeling alone, and faced the man that had left her, but only for a mere hour she expected. She gently pulled her sheets close to her and with a widened smile on her face she had responded to her questioning name.

"Harry," She said happily. "Where did you run off too? And what's on that tray?" She wondered, looking down at the antique platter.

"You told me you didn't get any sleep, so while I let you sleep I ran down to lunch, and here I am with some food for you so you don't starve too." He joked.

"Well, how thoughtful of you," She said sarcastically.

"My pleasure." He laughed, kissing her lips gently.

A few minor seconds after they parted did she feel the drop in her stomach again and realize she was hungry. She moved the tray in front of her, still hugging the sheets to not let him view her exposed skin, and even though it did not matter for after what they had gone through. She ate, almost like she hadn't had real food in days, and when she had swallowed the last of her pumpkin juice she turned back to Harry.

His crystal green eyes had a certain angelic glaze over them as she felt her honey ones melt calmly into his. She took a deep breath and broke their contact after she moved the tray to the table on the bedside. She turned back to him, a smile calmly creeping up her face, and he leaned into her, gently kissing her lips once again. She just responded with the same reaction and then broke away.

"Say, what time was it when you went down?" She asked.

She turned to her side after asking the question, and while she waited for a response she attempted to get dressed, feeling awkward when he was already. No longer did she care if he saw her, for she stood up, no shame in her whatsoever, and changed before him and he acted as if it were normal. No weird look, no weird noises, and no weird actions. It was calm, and she liked it.

"Ummm, it had to be around 1:30." He said, trying to think back. "Why?"

"Wait," she stopped, looking back at him. "Was Ron there?" She wondered.

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't recall seeing him there. I was sitting with Dean and Seamus." He noted. "Strange really, but why do you ask?"

"Oh dear," She said tiredly. "I feel so bad… I promised to meet him in the Library to help him with Ancient Runes." She sighed.

"Didn't he take that last year?" Harry wondered and Hermione sighed.

"Yes, he failed." She laughed. "That's what he has to retake every Monday morning… poor thing."

"That prat!" Harry laughed. "He told me he was getting special training for Quidditch from the rest of the team. No wonder he hasn't looked any better!" He shook his head. "Wait till I see him again."

"Quidditch … is that all you ever talk about?" She asked, with a bit of annoyance in her voice. "It seems like that's the most important thing to you nowadays." She sighed. 'With no room for me, either.' She noted.

"Hermione, you're the most important thing." He said flatly. "It's just Quidditch was the best thing that happened to me when I first started Hogwarts, and when it was taken away in 5th year, I basically just realized how badly it hurt to know I could no longer play it. I had to be on the sidelines… useless."

She smiled gently but inside she was feeling pain with knowing after what they shared the previous night, it had meant nothing to him. He had responded as if it was just the next move in a mere game of chess. And even though it was much to her, it was just one new move to enter him into winning the game of life. To him, maybe, but to her it would never be anything even close to a game.

"Hermione," he said worriedly as he cupped her chin in his hand and turned her to face him. "You do believe me, don't you?"

'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream will never do

"Yes," She lied. "Of course."

'Cause I'd still miss you, babe
And I don't wanna miss a thing

Check Mate.

Hermione felt embarrassed, and half felt like she was a loner in a sea full of people. Yet she wanted to disappear, for she felt that they would never understand her. If only she had a permanent invisibility cloak could be cast upon her. If only she could exile herself into a horrid black room where she could slowly and painfully rot herself to death, which would be her heaven. She cared, but he did not, and it was almost like her insides were burning as he smiled.

It seemed as if the more she thought about it, the more everyone else knew. Everyone that looked at her would cause her cheeks to turn a bright rose color. She was in a bubble and placed on display as the world looked down on her as a symbol of evil, a rhythm for hate, or even an item placed upon a wood stove. As each person was a pellet and help the fire grow, she was the only one that would not fall in.

"Ron," She said quickly as she entered the tall oak doors, revealing the library. "I'm so sorry! I'm over an hour late!" She said sadly.

"Yeah, I know, but that's not what's bothering me." Ron said angrily.

"Well, you seem very frustrated with me, so that has to be the reason." She said instantly. "I'm sorry Ron!" She pleaded.

"Hermione, my owl is missing. You know what I found on the floor this morning?" He asked angrily.

"… A suicide note?" She said jokingly, but he found no humor in it whatsoever.

"Orange cat hair." He yelled. "A large clump of orange cat hair placed upon the table where his cage sat."

"You're not suggesting Crookshanks?" Hermione said angrily. "You always blame my lovable cat because you can't decently take care of a bloody animal, Ron. So stop blaming me for your problems! REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THE LAST TIME?"

"WILL YOU BOTH STOP YELLING?" Professor McGonagall shrieked as she packed books into the shelves. "I've been working in here only a day, and by now you two should know the rules of a Library. That's way under the talents of a 7th year. Unless you would like to re-take 7th year and stay here and learn manners." She glared.

"Sorry, Professor," Hermione said truthfully. "I got a little out of hand."

McGonagall had said nothing more but returned to organizing books. Hermione thought for a minute, for something was wrong. Why on earth was a Transfiguration teacher working in the Library? She thought for a mere minute, and turned to Ron who had the look of utmost anger upon his face. He was livid, Hermione was curious, and the librarian was missing.

"Where is Madame Pince?" Hermione asked curiously.

"MAYBE CROOKSHANKS GOT HER TOO!"

Ron had stormed out of the library, books in hand, and steaming with anger of the thought of her sweet cat to be a beast. Though it seemed most unfortunate, Hermione felt guilty about what they had done, and when she stressfully placed her forehead to a book she started crying. Not only were they tears of guilt, but also of embarrassment. How could she… how could they… why would he?

Almost two months passed and more and more did Hermione feel the need to ignore the world, including Harry. She would speak to no one, and spent her days hiding within the corners of the Library, holding a secret within her that was screaming out, but she could not tell. She would only be spoken to a few times and they always seemed to say the same thing: Harry is looking for you. Everytime she saw Harry, she'd hide, and every time she saw Ron, she did nothing but stand still and look at her shoes. And once again she found her self crying once again into the face of a book in the Library.

She looked up, wiping the tears quickly off her face and looked around. She watched the sweetened couples around the library hold hands and just have fun with each other… like she used to do. Now, though, it was nothing but fights, hell, and torturing of the good. It was everything less than fun. Everything wanted now turned into everything hated with so much it hurt.

The tears rolled down her cheeks, and yet these people would not notice her. They were drowned into their own happiness and she was invisible. She screamed in her head: I am here, see me… right here, why won't anyone understand? She felt trapped, and then it all came together. She wanted to be invisible and now that she felt that way she hated it. The problem was, she didn't want to be judged either.

I am alive, so why is it inside that I feel so dead? I've been sitting here for days and I feel alone, but yet there are so many people around. If it wasn't for Harry I wouldn't be alive, but why is it that so badly I desire to be dead when he has once again given me life? Why must we fight like children and why is it that I doubt every word imaginable? Why is it that I have no clue as to what I am doing and I have no clue what I should do in times like these? Why must we fight like first years as we run around searching for nothing but spotlight when all we really needed was someone to talk to?

"George?" she asked instantly as she was snatched from her daydream. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"So you can see me?" He asked as strands of his fiery red hair fell across his eyes.

"Yes, you're standing right there aren't you?" She asked. "Now please leave me alone." She said sadly. "So much has happened and I don't know what to do."

"Yes," George said surprisingly. "A lot has happened. Why did you do it… you are but a child still."

"What?" Hermione felt a blush crawl upon her cheeks again. "What are you talking about, I've done nothing!" She insisted. George shook his head.

"Obviously you've done something because you can see me." He winked and Hermione gulped.

"You're… You're… You're…" She stammered.

"A Varadie? Correct, and you know exactly how it works… don't you?" George said disappointingly. "Well, who was it with? Not your boyfriend surely, for then you would be happy and not moping about. It wasn't Ron was it?" George asked, sickened.

"For Heaven's sake, no!" Hermione swore. "It was with Harry, but… so much just fell apart. I can't say I didn't enjoy it… but so much is wrong."

"How so?" George asked, but Hermione turned her head away.

"You would and could never understand. I must leave." She said, wiping away one last tear and grabbed her things, but George had stopped her and pulled her into the back of the room.

"You're not going anywhere, Granger, without telling me the truth." He said strictly.

"Leave me be!" She demanded as she tried to fight back.

"The reason why I want to know is because I was sent here. Harry did something wrong and now you are mad at him, I want to know why you are trying your hardest to avoid him!" George begged. "Christ, Hermione, why can you realize how much you mean to him. After all that happened I assumed you would realize... what happened to being the smartest witch?"

"Nothing! I know, but this is bigger than that! If anyone found out… oh my… I can't even think about it." She traced back to his words. "I'm not trying to avoid him either!"

"Sounds like you're pretty much running." He said, arms crossed and feeling a bit self-assured.

"Well, I'm not, so leave me be!" Hermione begged, tears falling down her face.

"Tell me what's wrong!" George demanded.

"No, I can't." She said, breath growing short.

"Hermione, it can't be that bad!" He said, getting a bit louder.

"Yes it is!" She growled.

"TRY ME!"

"I'M PREGNANT!"

It seemed like for a mere second time had just stopped in its place. All she could feel was her heartbeat and kids were eagerly trying to figure out who had yelled these words. The thing, though, that lost Hermione from her train of thought was that exactly afterwards there was a loud thump on the other side of the room. She looked around, embarrassed, and tried to find the source for the noise. Her head pounded.

"Now you tell me what that was!" Hermione said angrily.

"Well," George sighed. "That was an invisibility cloak that Harry was under in the Creature Feature section."

Author's Notes:

Okay, so here's the deal. I stopped writing this a while ago, but someone recently asked me to start writing it again, and so I figured I would to redeem myself for my past horrific grammer/bad plot line. So here is a dramatic twist and a new chapter to hopefully make people like it more, for I was deffinitely bored with the first five chapters! Haha, thanks to everyone who loved them before though.

Song: I Don't Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith

To My Reviewers:

Ms. Sakura Moon - Yeah, sorry it wasn't soon.

dreamergirl86 - Oh, yeah, a Phoenix... how predictable, haha. Sorry it's been so late!

DraginPhlie - You're too kind, for I found a bazillion things that I flamed myself for. Haha, but I thank you.

Ellimere Ancelstierre - Lol, I thought Hermione seemed sort of dumb in that chapter. She noticed the green eyes, and the line, but she couldn't notice it was Harry? Omg, what is wrong with her? Lol, and flame me all you want for mistake like that, it's how I learn. wink

mysteriouscharm - Thank you, so much, and I just hope everyone that used to will still read this.

THAT'S ALL! Thanks again!

Airalynn

UPDATED: (SATURDAY) SEPTEMBER 30, 2006