Chapter Ten: His Favorite Student
September 1st, 1997: The Great Hall
It did not surprise anybody at Hogwarts that Hermione Granger was named Head Girl. She had received amazingly high OWL scores and was second to nobody in any of her classes. The only person it could have possibly surprised was herself.
She always hoped that she would be Head Girl, but it wasn't until she gave her Head Girl address, next to her closest friend and Head Boy, Harry Potter, that she realized that maybe she was as good a witch as everyone always thought she was. Of course, she never let it get to her head.
After the sorting and the dinner, all of the students dispersed their own ways. Harry and Hermione were lead to their rooms by their head of house, Minerva McGonagall.
"Miss Granger, you may stay in this room." She opened the door to her left of the spacious common room. "Mr. Potter, you may stay in this room." She opened the door to the right. They both thanked her and she was on her way.
"This is great!" Hermione said in excitement as she looked at the practically bare bookshelves that were around the common room. "I have ample room to put my books." Harry laughed at her and she mock glared.
"Did you get my last letter?" He asked shyly.
"Of course I did." She smiled and then sat down on the couch. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?" She was incredibly nervous but had always practiced not letting her feelings show too much, unlike most Gryffindors.
"We could uhm… unpack first… I mean, if you like." She could see that Harry was definitely nervous. He ran his fingers through his hair and then stared at the ground.
"I guess we could, but I was sort of curious," she shifted in her seat, "of what you were going to ask me." Harry smiled at her and sat down next to her on the couch. She didn't even bother to move over. They had been such close friends that physical contact had never been awkward.
"I missed you this summer." He said earnestly. "I wish you would have been able to come over." Hermione blushed slightly at his straightforwardness.
"I wanted to come but Mum and Dad wanted a holiday in Greece. I learned tons." Harry could not help but smile at the gleam of intelligence in her beautiful honey eyes.
"I'm sure you did." She smiled embarrassedly. "So, you had a good summer?"
"It was great." She smiled, but could sense there was something that Harry was trying to tell her.
"Uhm… I guess what I wanted to talk about was you and me." Hermione could already feel a blush creeping up her neck, but tried not to show it. "We've been friends for… uhm… forever." He laughed nervously as he continued to twiddle his thumbs. Hermione already knew where he was going and had been waiting for him to make a move for the last three years. She couldn't help that she was such a traditionalist. "Well, the thing is-"
Before Harry had the chance to continue his incessant blabbering Hermione leaned forward and placed her lips against his. He hesitated at first but quickly began to deepen the kiss. When they broke off breathlessly, they sat together with their foreheads touching.
"Wow." Harry mouthing soundlessly and felt as Hermione smiled against him. They stared at each other, directly in the eyes and noticed a familiar love emanating from each other.
"You have no idea how long I have waited for that." Hermione said, breathlessly. Harry chuckled and moved his hand up to brush away beautiful locks of her hair. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on her swollen pink lips.
"Why didn't I just make a move three years ago?" He asked and she began to laugh.
"Seriously, Harry." They embraced lovingly and spent the rest of the night talking about each others' summer.
June 31st, 1998: Professor Riddle's Office
"Please, come in." Tom said happily when he heard a soft knock at the door. "Miss Granger, thank you for coming." Hermione smiled in his direction and sat in the seat he motioned for her to sit at. For a moment, Tom only stared at his graduating Head Girl, making Hermione feel slightly uncomfortable. When she shifted in her chair, Tom snapped out of it.
"What is it you wanted me for, Professor?" Hermione asked sweetly. Tom smiled at her kindness and the way she always reminded him of Sarah.
"I wanted to say 'goodbye'." He answered simply. He stood from his desk and went over to a cupboard and took out a journal and brought it back to the desk. "Am I correct to assume that you plan to go to University to study Potions this fall?"
"Yes, I do, sir. Magical University of England has offered me a scholarship to attend." She beamed with happiness.
"I never was incredibly great at Potions." He grimaced slightly. "Sometimes I believe the only reason why I scraped by an O in Potions was because my wife, Sarah, would pester me until no end if I didn't study." Hermione laughed, not being able to imagine someone ordering around the seemingly powerful wizard.
"I am sure you weren't that horrid. You were, after all, Head Boy for a reason."
"Yes, but I still was far behind my dear Sarah." He looked as though he was deep in thought.
"She sounds wonderful."
"She was." He looked slightly morose. "She passed away about seventeen years ago while experimenting on a potion. You see, she was the Potions professor here at Hogwarts."
"Yes, I remember reading about her in the latest installment of Hogwarts, a History."
"She was a great witch." Hermione suddenly felt somewhat sad talking with her favorite Professor about his deceased wife. "Well, anyways." He sat up straighter at his desk. "I guess I wanted to say goodbye in person." Hermione smiled friendly at her Professors' kindness. "You have been a great student to teach, Miss Granger."
"Please call me Hermione, Professor." He smiled.
"It truly has been my pleasure teaching you, Hermione and I am sad to see you leave. It's not every year that a bright young witch such as you graces the halls of Hogwarts." She blushed at his generous compliment. "I feel incredibly honored to say that I have taught you." She could almost taste the sense of pride his words. "You remind me so much of my dearest Sarah in your thirst for knowledge, your cleverness, and most of all, your kindness." She almost didn't know what to think about him comparing her to his wife, but knew it had to be one hell of a compliment.
"Thank you, sir." She smiled nervously. He grasped the potions book in his hands and flipped through the magically charmed pages, glancing at the perfect cursive.
"Even your handwriting is the same." He looked up from the book and smiled handsomely. He handed her the book and she flipped through the pages, seeing a very familiar writing and gasped.
"You are right!" She giggled.
"I want you to keep that. I am not sure what Sarah wrote in it because, like I said, I am really quite awful at Potions, but I know that you will put it to use. It is also charmed to never run out of space, so you could very well use it for the rest of your life." Hermione gasped.
"I can't take this." She said trying to hand it back. Tom only smiled.
"Nonsense." He pushed it back towards her. "If anyone in this world could make use of it, that person would be you." She wrapped her arms around it protectively, waiting patiently for him to excuse her so she could go and read everything that was written in it.
"Thank you very much, Professor Riddle."
"No, Hermione, thank you. Consider it a parting gift. I know that you will make me proud." She blushed again as he stood from his seat and went over to hers. She stood from her seat as well. "I want you to know that I will always be here to help you, whenever you need me." He said as they began to walk towards the door. "Never hesitate to owl me with your troubles or floo over just to talk." Hermione could feel her stomach dropping at the thought of not seeing her favorite Professor every day for weeks on end.
"I'll miss you." She said sadly.
"You are a wonderful young woman, Hermione, and you are destined for great things." She smiled again, feeling a bit of tears coming to her eyes. "Whatever you wish to do with your life, do it your best because you never know when you are going to leave." His eyes became a bit misty as they finally reached the office door and he pulled it open. Before walking away, Hermione gave her Professor a great hug.
"You've always been my favorite Professor." She said as she pulled away.
"And you have always been my favorite student," He smiled happily, "even though you are in Gryffindor." She laughed, the tears in her eyes finally spilling down her cheeks. "Do write me."
"Of course I will." She continued to hold onto the journal he gave her tightly as she walked down the corridor to finish packing the rest of her belongings.
Tom stared at her retreating form, remembering his darling Sarah and how similar they really were. Somehow, giving her that journal and knowing that she would put it to use, calmed him greatly.
"Goodbye, Hermione." He said as he walked into his office and finished grading first and second year final exams.
AN: I am incredibly sorry that I led you to believe that it was over. Looking back, I suppose you were correct in assuming. This isn't the last chapter either... I plan to have the last chapter up soon. Hope you enjoy my story... It's funny to me that I only just thought of it five days ago and I am already starting the last chapter. Sorry also to all of those who really like the Weasley's. This story really didn't need them as main characters. Review as you see fit... smiles.