Chapter 4
Everyone had their theories on why Hermione kissed Professor McGonagall. Some believed she was under the Imperio curse, or the prank of a new Wesley Twin's product, or even a dare given by her friends. The next idea just as ridiculous as the previous. Over time everyone seemed to forget about that kiss. Being Victor Krum's partner at the Yule Ball also seemed to help people forget the incident at the Quidditch match. 'Bloody brilliant plan Hermione' she grumbled lying in bed. Minerva hadn't talked to her since the ball.
"Come on Hermione!" Ron yelled from down in the common room. "We're going to be late!" he whined. Pushing back the sheets, Hermione quickly changed and rushed downstairs.
"What is so important!" she demanded tying her hair into a ponytail.
"Hogsmeade!" Harry shrieked.
"Oh… right" she mumbled. "Harry, can … can I talk to you" Hermione muttered.
"Sure" he nodded moving back to her. "We'll catch up with you" Harry said to Ron who gave a shrug and left.
"What is it?" he asked a little impatient.
"Can…" she paused knowing she was going to ask the impossible and break the rules. "Can I borrow your Invisibility Cloak?" she whispered.
"What on earth for?" he frowned.
"I… I need to talk to McGonagall but I know she won't even look at me so I need your cloak so I can talk to her without her running away" Hermione explained in a low voice.
"Why do you need to talk to McGonagall?" Harry asked getting even more confused.
"I need… Harry you have to swear you won't repeat this to anyone!" Hermione begged.
"Ok" Harry promised looking around the slightly empty common room.
"I… I need to explain why I went to the ball with Victor Krum" Hermione said staring at him.
"Because he likes you" Harry questioned.
"No to make people stop talking about the kiss if they saw me with a guy" Hermione sighed turning away. Harry's mind was racing realising his best friend was in love with their transfiguration professor. Slowly taking a step forward, Harry walked past Hermione and disappeared into his dorm.
"Here" he said moments later handing over his cloak.
"Really?" she squeaked stuffing the cloak into her bag.
"Yeah, you go tell McGonagall the truth" he smiled staring at the stunned Hermione.
"You're not freaking out?" Hermione queried.
"A little" he admitted making Hermione go bright red in the face. "But you are my best friend. And that will never change" Harry added grinned.
"Oh Harry thank you!" Hermione squealed hugging him tightly.
"Come on, or we'll miss out too" he said grabbing her hand and guided her over to the Fat Lady's portrait and down to the Entrance Hall. They raced towards the crowd and saw Professor McGonagall ticking off the students from her list. She paused coming to Hermione's name and quickly scrolled up the parchment then shooed the students to start walking.
"See what I mean!" Hermione muttered into Harry's ear as they followed the crowd to Hogsmeade. Ron quickly caught up with them and Hermione temporally forgot about Minerva from the conversations with her friends. Twenty minutes later of walking, they heard excited screeches of student's first visit to Hogsmeade Village. Glancing over her shoulder, Hermione smiled seeing McGonagall try to control the chaos of students. Half raced to Zonko's Joke Shop and the other half to Honeydukes. Looking around, she found a little shop which would be perfect for the gift she needed to buy. "I'll see you later" Hermione said rushing off.
"Where's she going?" Ron frowned to Harry. He just shrugged his shoulders following Ron into Zonko's Joke Shop.
x-x-x
A bell rang out as Hermione entered the shop.
"Yes dear, how can I help you?" the woman behind the counter asked.
"Just browsing for the moment" Hermione smiled weakly walking around looking at the jewellery behind the glass counters. After several minutes of perusing the shop, Hermione came around a gold chain necklace with a pendant of a cat.
"I'll take this one please" Hermione said watching the woman move to the other side of the room.
"This one?" she said taking it out from behind the glass.
"Yes please" Hermione nodded.
"That would be three Galleon's dear" she smiled watching Hermione fetch the money from her bag. "Would you like that gift wrapped dear?" she asked watching Hermione.
"Hmmm" she paused to think. "Why not" she shrugged. Hermione watched as the woman bent down and grabbed some red wrapping paper and began her task. The woman smiled as she handed it over to Hermione who smiled back and stuffed it into her bag. Smiling once again, she quickly left the shop and looked down the lane. She spotted Harry and Ron leaving Zonko's Joke Shop. Hermione quickly caught up with them and they entered The Three Broomsticks. Hermione pushed open the door and the noise of students chatting washed over them. Hermione immediately noticed McGonagall sitting alone at the bar.
"No!" Hermione cried out loudly seeing Ron pick the closet table to him "This one" she muttered quickly moving over to the table near the window. She choose the seat carefully for the maximum viewpoint of Minerva. She looked closer and saw Minerva's eyes dark with sadness as she drained butterbeer after butterbeer.
Hermione was busying staring at Minerva that she didn't notice Ron get up to order drinks. She sighed watching her favourite Professor drown her misery. Ron came back carrying three mugs and placed them down on the table. Half way through her butterbeer, Hermione couldn't stand seeing Minerva so upset anymore.
Excusing herself from the table, Hermione crossed the room and pushed back the door to the girl's bathroom. Double checking that it was empty, Hermione pulled out the Invisibility Cloak and draped the cloak around her body. She waited for someone to enter so it wouldn't look suspicious that the door opened by itself. Moments later Ginny came rushing in with hands covering her face. Hermione made a mental note to speak to her but at present there was only one person on her mind. Walking up to the bar, she stood beside Minerva and took a breath.
"Minerva" she called softly. Getting no response from Minerva, she called her name again. This time Minerva sat up straight on the stool and looked around recognising the voice. Frowning, Minerva back to her butterbeer and finished the mug. "Professor! We need to talk" Hermione begged. Minerva leaned across the bar and murmured something to Madam Rosmerta. She nodded her head and Minerva got to her feet. She nodded her head towards the door at the top of the stairs. Minerva quickly straightening out her robes and climbed the stairs. She held the door for a moment then shut it. Minerva moved across to the other side of the room and leaned against the window.
"What do you want?" she sighed turning around and to stare at the empty room. Suddenly Hermione appeared out of nowhere. "What the…?" Minerva frowned confused wondering how she mastered becoming invisible only being in the fourth year. Hermione placed the cloak on the back of the couch and moved to Minerva's side.
"It's Harry's" she quickly explained.
"Potter's?" Minerva asked intrigued.
"Oh forgot about the cloak!" Hermione groaned. Shaking her head, Hermione moved over to the couch and sat down. "Can't you just listen to me!" she screamed anger fuming inside. Minerva stared at her in shock and then slowly moved over to the couch and sat down next to Hermione.
"You have two minutes to explain then I'm going back downstairs" she said crossing her arms over her chest. Hermione took several deep breaths before starting.
"Look, about the Yule Ball. It was my plan to go with Krum" she paused to look into her professors green eyes. "That doesn't mean that I want to be with him. And for the record he asked me" she said.
"But you still said yes. You'd rather be with Mr Krum rather than silly old me" Minerva cried getting to her feet and moved away from Hermione. She also got to her feet and walked around the coffee table to be with Minerva.
"I love you! I only said yes because I thought that it would stop people talking about us" she shrugged. "Now I'm starting to see that it wasn't such a good idea. I hate that you're mad at me" Hermione smiled.
"I'm not mad" Minerva sighed.
"You're not?" she squeaked.
"No" Minerva smiled. "Just heartbroken" she muttered the smile fading from her face.
"Oh Minerva" Hermione sighed taking her hands into her own. "I said I love you" she whined.
"You needed a decoy so people wouldn't think you were with your Transfiguration Professor. So what you're saying is you are ashamed to be with me?" Minerva frowned shaking Hermione off.
"Never!" she shrieked. Staring at Minerva, tears swelled in her eyes and she moved over to the wall. Pressing her body against it, she hid away from Minerva not wanting her to see how upset she is.
"Hey…" Minerva mumbled standing behind Hermione and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be upset my love" she whispered turning her around. Minerva smiled faintly wiping away Hermione's tear running down her face.
"Why are you smiling?" she frowned rubbing her eyes.
"Because I'm so glad that you want to be with me" Minerva said beaming.
"Of course I do" Hermione sighed and leaned up on her tippy toes to kiss her.
"Put this on" Minerva said moving back to the couch and grabbed Harry's cloak. Hermione smiled as she wrapped it around herself and followed Minerva to the door.
"I'll see you back at school" Hermione said her appearing in the middle of the air. She quickly gave her a kiss and then opened the door. Hermione watched as Minerva walked down the stairs and back to the bar. She was about to head back to the table where her friends were talking and drinking their butterbeers but then she remembered they last saw her going to the bathroom.
Harry looked up seeing McGonagall entering back into the main area of the pub. He also noted that she looked as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"How long does it take her to pee?" Ron grumbled. Harry shook his head and looked up seeing Hermione sitting back down.
"Everything sorted?" he asked pushing Hermone's mug towards her. Hermione smiled weakly blushing and nodded.
x-x-x
Back at Hogwarts, everyone was sitting around the common room showing off their product they bought at Hogsmeade. Hermione noticed Ginny had slipped away to the girl's dormitory. Hermione also slipped away from the crowd and pushed back the door.
"Ginny?" she called out walking over to her four poster bed. "Ginny…" Hermione said sitting down her bed.
"Ryan, he…" Ginny stopped to blow her nose "he dumped me" she said trying again. Hermione smiled faintly and moved over to her bag lying on her bed. She digging out a Chocolate Frog from her bag and moved back to Ginny.
"Here" she offered.
"Thanks" Ginny muttered opening the sweet. Ginny tossed the card a side and Hermione picked it up. She smiled faintly staring at Minerva McGonagall on the card. Ginny began to sob once more and lay down on Hermione's lap. She cradled the younger witch in her arms until she fell asleep. Hermione gently laid her against her pillow and pulled the curtains shut. Hermione then moved back to her bed and noticed Minerva's gift was still inside her bag. Quickly grabbing it, she exited the room and rushed down the stairs.
"Hey Hermione!" Ron called waving her over.
"Not now Ron" she replied leaving the common room. Quickly walking down the corridors, she made her way to Minerva's chambers. Stopping before the door, Hermione knocked on the door and waited for a response.
"Come in" Minerva answered. Hermione pushed back the door and slid inside. She froze on the spot seeing Minerva wearing a green tartan dressing gown and her hair flowing past her shoulders. "Yes Hermione?" she asked wrapping the gown tighter around her.
"No need for that" Hermione chuckled grabbing Minerva's hands. "I've seen you naked remember?" she giggled.
"Is there a reason for this late night rendezvous?" Minerva asked grinning.
"Yes" Hermione nodded pulling the present from her pocket. "Here…" she said holding it out for Minerva. "I forgot to give it you when we were at The Three Broomsticks" Hermione muttered watching Minerva rip the paper off. Minerva stopped staring at the golden necklace in her hand and lightly traced the cat pendant.
"It's beautiful" she gasped.
"Here let me" Hermione said taking it from her. Hermione put it around her neck and carefully avoid her hair. "There" she smiled faintly tracing the necklace then let her hand wander down Minerva's body. "I'll see you in class tomorrow Professor" Hermione smiled quickly kissing Minerva before leaving.
x-x-x
The next day at Transfiguration class Hermione smiled seeing a glint of gold under Minerva's robes. At the end of the lesson Minerva began to pack up without giving any homework.
"There is something different about her" Harry muttered gathering his belonging. "Why didn't she give us her normal pile of homework?" Harry frowned.
"Who cares!" Ron cried nudging him in the side. "No homework!" Ron grinned. Hermione shook her head gathering her books and packed them into her bag. Hermione stayed behind, Minerva got up from the desk and walked down the aisle of the desks towards the door.
"Miss Granger?" Minerva frowned still noticing some students lingering near the classroom. Hermione took a step closer and looked up at Minerva.
"I just wanted to see if you were wearing your necklace. I guess so given I saw a shimmer of gold during class" she grinned. Hermione had leaned up to kiss Minerva but she heard someone approach behind them. "Professor Dumbledore sir" Hermione squeaked spinning around.
"Follow me Miss Granger" he said looking from Hermione to Minerva. Hermione slung her bag over her shoulder and followed Dumbledore out of the room. "No Minerva, just Miss Granger"
"But Albus…" she began but stopped seeing Dumbledore hold up his hand.
"It's ok Minerva" Hermione said momentarily forgetting Dumbledore was standing behind them. "Everything will be fine" she smiled softly stroking her face. Minerva looked bewildered seeing Dumbledore staring at them raising an eyebrow. "I'll see you later" Hermione whispered waving before following Dumbledore to his office.