The day passed in a blur for the pair. But it passed especially fast for Harry Potter.
'A boy,' Harry continued to think to himself, and indeed he thought this throughout the rest of the day. Throughout classes, throughout dinner, even when he crossed paths briefly with Malfoy once again in the Great Hall as he stood up to make his exit. But nothing, nothing could bring Harry down from cloud nine. He was going to have a son…
Harry, who simply could not contain his excitement, had spilled the beans at dinner and told Ron the good news.
Ron slapped Harry on the back and with a grin, shouted, 'Well done, mate – well done! Wait until we teach him all the in's and out's of Quidditch!' Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's statement, but smiled none-the-less.
After dinner, Harry, Ron, and Hermione settled in the common room. It was, of course, time for a bit of homework, so the three took their seats at one of the old oak tables in the common room. The table was situated in front of a window that looked down upon the courtyard of the castle. Every now and then, Harry would steal a moment and glance at the window, taking in the beautiful evening sky. The sky had turned from the deepest orange, to a rust color, and finally navy. Stars soon began to peak through the clouds, and Harry had to admit that it did look quite lovely.
Hermione was writing mid sentence, when she paused, and looked up at Harry. She looked down at her parchment, took a glance at Ron, who's head was on the table, drooling on his Transfiguration book, obviously trying to learn by osmosis. She then looked at Harry again, swallowed, and addressed him.
'Harry?' she asked quietly, looking up at him.
'Yea 'Mione,' said Harry, still continuing to scratch his quill on his parchment, working on a Charms assignment.
'You know what happened today...how you pulled me out of the lake,' she added in a small voice.
'Yea – and thank God I was there…' said Harry in a low tone, still not bothering to look up and continuing to concentrate on his homework.
'Well, after you pulled me out…I…I sat there, and I looked at Malfoy, and…and I just felt this thing, all this anger come over me…I…I thought these horrific thoughts, about what I would do to Malfoy if I got a hold of him…' said Hermione, with a worried look on her face, staring out at the night sky. 'I'm sure it's nothing, though…you know, it was just probably a hormone thing or something…' she said, her voice trailing off. She turned her head to look at Harry, who all of a sudden, popped his head up to look at Hermione.
He was silent for a moment, face masked with concern. Hermione was not an angry person in general, but she did at times have a bit of a temper. But for her to feel something like this? It was all a bit out of character for her. Maybe it was just hormones, Harry continued to think. Or maybe it was something else.
Harry moved his body around to face Hermione, as he started to open his mouth to speak to her. 'Mione, I-' Harry said, but he was soon cut off.
They were suddenly interrupted by a very out of breath second year student by the name of Thomas. He had come flying through the portrait into the common room as if his arse was on fire. He scanned the common room, and stopped right in front of Harry.
'Hey Thomas, what's up?' asked Harry.
'I have a message…a message from…from Professor Snape,' Thomas said, looking at Harry, as he was trying his darndest to catch his breath.
'He said…he said that your detention is changed from tomorrow evening to tonight. He said that…that Hermione is expected as well,' said Thomas, as he looked at Hermione, and back at Harry.
'Well, what time does he expect us to be there?' asked Harry in a somewhat annoyed voice.
'Um…' Thomas said. '…in fifteen minutes. Eight o'clock -Yea, that's what he told me…eight,' said Thomas, who was still trying to catch his breath.
Hermione turned her head to look at the grandfather clock behind them.
'7:50 – we only have ten minutes!' said Hermione, who was not prepared to serve her detention on such short notice.
'Blimey, you two better get a move on,' said Ron, who in the midst of hearing Thomas stampede through the common room, had awoken and cursed at the wet puddle of drool on his book. After a brief moment, Harry spoke to Hermione.
'Well, come on,' he said to Hermione. With a disgruntled look, she took his hand, thanked Thomas for the message, and lifted herself off of her chair.
'Good luck guys,' said Ron, taking out his wand, about to administer a drying spell to his book.
'Don't wait up for us…' trailed Harry's voice, as he made his way through the portrait of the fat lady, and walked quickly with Hermione down towards the dungeons.
I wonder what made him change the detention to tonight, thought Hermione as she carefully made her way down the marble steps of the grand staircase.
But the only one who knew the answer to that question, was the Potions Master himself.
The same man, who was right at this moment, waiting for the pair down in the dungeons. The same man, clad in all black, who was seated in the front of his potions classroom, an empty glass of brandy by his left arm, unmarked papers strewn ever so carefully about his desk. With his right arm propped up on the old wooden desk, he placed his head in his hand, sighed, and with his eyes closed ever so softly, waited in silence for Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.