Disclaimer — J. K. Rowling is the second richest woman in England (actual fact, go check it out) and I am a lowly American college student. Who do you think owns Harry Potter? All I have are my two-bit ideas and odd writing technique. Cheers!

Chapter 6: Sisters in Arms

Hermione almost skipped and danced her way back to the dormitory, she was so thrilled with the night's strange, unexpected, and altogether glorious turn of events. She didn't even both to question Professor Snape—Severus' strange behavior, it wasn't worth it and she just didn't dare, not after what he had done for her. Finally! She gloated inwardly, Finally, he recognizes all that I put in, all that I do! Finally! She could no longer contain herself and did a little skip as she rounded a corner (somehow she had wound up on the opposite side of the castle from the Gryffindor dorm). Now if only he would notice everything else that I have, a smaller and more cynical voice in her said, nearly dampening her mood. Nearly. After all, with these books and this unexpected resource, nothing would or could stop her now. Nothing at all. Not even a stupid crush, she told the cynical part of her mind loftily.

After nearly twenty minutes of navigating corridors that really mustn't have been there last year, Hermione finally made it back to the common room. Sighed contentedly as she shoved the door closed behind her, she made her way over to the luscious overstuffed couch by the fireplace. Plunking herself down on the couch, she began examining the books she had been given in earnest. They were truly works of art, made of the highest quality leather, and bound by a magical professional. Each books seemed to contain an endless number of pages for indexes, appendices, and notes. She didn't find any notes, but she suspected they were invisible to anyone but the writer.

Just as she was settleing herself in for some all night reading, a sound from the corridor caught her ear. As she turned, she saw the portrait door open and Ginny stumble in, laughing. She was fallowed by two other sixth year girls, a fifth year girl that Hermione thought she recognized, and two of the seventh year girls. Hermione smiled at them when they saw her, and they waved and whipsered greetings to her. Ginny bit them all goodnight and came over to sit net to Hermione on the couch.

"Having a girls night out this early in the school year?" Hermione quipped, smileing at her friend.

"Oh you know," Ginny said, waving her hand vaugly, "girls will be girls." She laughed and turned to look at her friend. "So where were you all night? Ron and Harry came back without you and wouldn't say where you went. Ron looked all red and guildy like when Mum yells at him, and Harry looked like a kicked puppy!"

"Oh, really?" Hermione asked, thinking back sheepishly to the events that had led her to the potions master's library.

Ginny, seeming to sense the underlying story in Hermione's tone began prodding her for more information. At first all Hermione would say was that the boys had overreacted her to dinner apparal and she had gone to the library to study without them. Ginny then informed her that she and "the girls" had been hanging out in the library, waiting for a few un-named boys, and that she didn't remember seeing 'Mione there once. Hermione blushed and attempted again, saying that she had meant to go to the library, but had ended up at. . . the um. . . well. . .

Ginny just stared at her with piercing brown eyes and try and she might, Hermione just couldn't pull anything together. Sighing she hung her head and sighed. Ginny put an arm aroung her shoulder and gave her a small hug.

"It might not be visible to those dunderheaded friends of yours, but I can sure as hell see that there's a very long story behind those eyes of yours and it's screaming and pounding on the walls to be let free. Come on then, out with it."

Hermione stared at her feet for a moment, then took a breath and let it out. All of it. How she had been feeling all summer, how she wanted to be different, to be better, to be more. How she had flirted with the "Greasy Git" and had managed to develop a crush on him. How they had danced, and then how terrible it had been to see him on the train, and how mad she had been with Ron and Harry and even with herself, though she only then realized it. And finally how she had gotten completely lost and pretended to faint and then had been whisked away to the most magical library she could ever imaging and how she had actecd like a complete moron once she was there, managing only to calm herself by focusing on the books, rather then have to look at that man, and how now she had no idea, just no idea what to do.

As Hermione let loose all of her innermost feelings at what must have been approaching warp speed, Ginny sat and listened intently nodding and interjecting the appropriate "Hm" and "Mhmm" until Hermione was quite though and sat panting, her head reeling from the truths which had just escaped her lips.

At last Ginny spoke, slowly and seeming to choose her words very carefully. "So. . ." she bagan, "You really are much deeper then anyone at this school gives you credit for, aren't you?" She laughed as she said it, and smiled.

Hermione burst out laughing at the sheer absurdity of the situation. She, the head girl of Gryffidor and best student at Hogwarts since Albus Dumbledore himself had a stupid bloody crush on Severus Snape, the most masterful potions making in all of the wizarding world and every first years waking nightmare. More then that, she even wanted to wear makeup and show up late for class. It was moronic, but it was true. She she laughed Ginny laughed with her.

At last Ginny managed to quell her laughter and adopted a very serious expression. "Now then, Miss Granger." She said, in her best imitaion of McGonagall. "We need to discuss your future!" Hermione laughed even more, but Ginny manged to maintain her composure. "Miss Granger!" She chided, rising from her seat and scowling down at Hermione. "This is a very serious matter! You have no idea how to go about winning over the man of your dreams, much less how to arrive to class less then on time!"

"I. . . you. . . !" Hermione gasped out, unable to complete a single train of thought. Laughing even harder she let herself slide off the edge of the couch onto the floor where she sat, attempting to catch her breath, still giggleing and chuckleing. Ginny rolled her eyes and collapsed onto the floor accorss from her friend.

"Honestly, 'Mione!" Ginny exclaimed once Hermione was just about through laughing. "Why didn't you tell me?! I might have been able to help! Or at least I could have helped you prepare for a grand entrance at dinner tonight as the new and I dare say improved Hermione Granger! Rather then you flouncying about half-assing it and pretneding to faint just to get close to, as my brother loves to put it, the 'great greasy git!'"

"I just. . ." Hermione said, searching for the right way to explain why she hadn't told Ginny sooner. "I suppose I was just so embarrassed about wanting to be. . . well, different. And I mean really, Ginny, how was I supposed to know that you wouldn't disown me for falling for everyone's least favorite professor?"

"Perhaps because I have overies and a brain, unlike my brothers?" Ginny answers, smirking.

Hermione laughed again. "I guess so. . . but. . . what now? I mean, I've completely bungled things, haven't I? How do I make this right?"

"Well, for starters, I'll need to have a few minutes with you and your wordrobe. And then we'll need to go over your new study habits, as well as a new daily schedule."

"What's wrong with my current schedule?" Hermione asked, trying not to sound wounded and failing.

"Nothing!" Ginny said, rising to her feet and hauling Hermione up as well. "If you want to be on time and prim and porper for the rest of the year!"

"Oh. . ." Hermione said, allowing Ginny to pull her in the direction of her prefect's suite. "Wait!" She cried, "The books! I need to finish reading them! And I haven't even started taking notes!"

Ginny turned to glower at her. "Hermione," She said, her tone serious and mildly sour. "If you want this New You, you're going to have to try to think a little bad. Remember what Severus said?"

"That I could borrow them for tonight, but no longer?"

"No no no, you specifically said that he told you that you were allowed to borrow them for tonight and that if you were not able to finish with them before potions tomorrow you could arrange an after dinner study time."

Hermione nodded, uncomprehdning. "That means," Ginny said, rolling her eyes once again, "that if you haven't finished with them by tomorrow then you get to spend all evening with him in his private library!"

"Oh. . . oh. . !" Hermione said, realization hitting her squarely in the noggin. Ginny nodded, satisfied, and began dragging her off once again. "Um, what are you going to do to my clothes, Gin?"

"Only what is neseccary." Ginny answers, flashing Hermione a none to comforting smile over her shoulder.

Notes from the author. . .

So, really sorry this chapter is so short, I just. . . well, I'm having some trouble with the flow, as in keeping it, which is why this chapter is obscenely short. Anyway, I hope you like it and there will be more just as soon as I'm able. Until then, enjoy!

Notes to YOU!

Yugia, eac-dudette, notwritten, Tom Felton is SO HOTT, mysticpammy, and Southernswimmer - Thank you so much!!