A/N: Third installment^-^ I have a few more chapters with quotes, but I really can't find enough, so a few sayings might be repeated, like the early chapters. Keep on reading guys(:

P.S Terribly sorry for the tremendous gap in updates, took me forever to get the right inspiration for this chapter, but I have splendid ideas for the next couple(:

"You can't stay in your corner of the forest forever waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."

October 3

Hermione scribbled the last of her Ancient Runes notes down on her parchment before leaning back and letting out a sigh. She'd been study for far too long. The only thing that kept her sane during these times was the overall feel of the library; she had never been in a more magnificent place.

The walls were built from old stone, and it was lit with the blaze of fire from the scones flickering against the walls and the flames from the fireplaces. It reminded her of the fantasy books her mom would slip her every now and then when she was young. This place was her paradise. She could sit by the windows and watch the weather roar, read a novel by the fire, or learn something she had never even knew existed in the world. Hermione looked around and spotted a few tables occupied by various students studying together, until her eyes fell on one particular man who had, quite annoyingly, been in the back of her mind for the past few weeks.

Theodore Nott.

The raven haired boy with lavender eyes.

The boy who stood up for her.

The guy Harry wanted to trust.

And he was alone.

Hermione's body moved on its own accord, and she soon found herself on the other end of the room sitting across from the quiet boy. "Hello." He greeted, not looking up from his textbook. Hermione sat there somewhat stunned, and completely blamed her fried mind for coming.

"Hello." She replied, studying him while he did the same to his notes.

"Nott again is it?" He smirked, looking up through his fringe. Hermione's lips quirked up and she tightened the robe around her body trying to warm herself up. Why the boy in front of her hadn't of lit the fireplace beside their table was beside her, but it was his area of study, and she wouldn't change it. Maybe it was a snake thing.

"Should it be otherwise? When was the last time we talked?" She smiled, cocking her head to the side.

"Let me see," He raised an eyebrow and put the end of his feather quill between his lips, "September I believe, when I got the Slithering Skanks off your back." He quipped, making Hermione give a small chuckle. "And I believe you called me Theo." He finished, his gaze going back down to his parchment.

"Alright Theo, does this mean you'll start calling me by my first name?"

"That'd only be fair, Hermione." He purred, probably not even realizing it, and Hermione rolled her eyes at him and the group of 4rth years watching googgly eyed at the Head Boy. Honestly, the boy was attractive, but goggling at him must be rather annoying on his part. She glared at the group of girls and smirked when they all looked away.

"Scaring away my admirers are we?" He chuckled, reacquiring Hermione's attention.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Does knowing you're the fancy of a few third years help you concentrate better?"

His smile widened and she swore she saw a small glint in his eyes, "Well yes it does." He remarked, causing her to scoff and raise her eyebrows in amusement, "But since it's you, and I have to share a dorm with you, I'll let you off with a warning. No more scaring my gaggle of giggling girls though." She laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind Theo." She replied, before slipping back off into her novel, giving him the quiet he needed to finish his essay. They spent the next hour or so in comfortable silence, each preoccupied.

"So what is the Bookworm reading today?" Theo asked, leaning back in his chair and running his hand through his shaggy hair. Hermione smiled at the nickname people always gave her; she was proud of it despite any negative connotations.

"A book about a girl with two different colored eyes. In her world if your eyes are different you have special abilities, and this is a story about hers basically." She answered. She looked up after a few quiet moments and met his studying gaze, "yes?"

"Can you recommend me a book?" He asked, causing Hermione to smile again.

Merlin, he loved that she could smile easily.

Godric, she loved recommending books.

He watched as her eyes grew even more alive and her face lit up. "Have you read Hogwarts: A History?" He shook his head no and listened to her go on and on about the secrets of the book, the things she learned that few others knew. Theo couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she got into telling one of the adventures she had with George during the summer, how the two explored secret passage ways, learning new ways to sneak his products into the school. She helped pack up his things as they made their way down the corridor, her voice now bringing to life the secrets of the moving stairs and how she used them to her advantage when she had played a muggle game of manhunt with her friends from all houses. When he realized her bag was getting in the way of her story telling he quickly took it off her shoulder and placed it on his, not wanting anything to hinder her words.

He received a smile when the weight was lifted off her shoulder and she opened the portrait of Rome and a gypsy that gave way into the Head Dorms. "So that book taught you all of those things?" Hermione nodded in reply, waving her wand to draw the drapes back and once again to send the fireplace blazing. "When do you think I could borrow it then?" He chuckled, placing both of their bags on the coffee table. Hermione beamed.

"Well it's on the mantle. Eager to learn new ways to slither around the school?" She joked, flopping herself down on the leather couch.

"Well you had your fun prowling." He shot back, walking over to the mantle and plucking the book off the shelf. "It's only fair that I get a turn too." Hermione snorted, and snuggled herself deeper into the couch cushions.

"Is it now?" She murmured, closing her eyes. Theo studied the tired girl in front of him, really studied her this time. She was ghostly pale, but she didn't really seem like the one to spend time tanning so that was understandable. She was fit though, that was for sure, whether because she wanted to be, was lucky to be, or because she was still nervous from the battle and kept so just in case, was beyond him. Not that he was complaining. Her hair seemed to wrestle with itself, crisscrossing between golden brown threads and weaving out of darker locks. The light from the fire and now the moon made her seem at peace, as well as make the bags under her eyes stand out. Had the Gryffindor Princess not been getting enough sleep?

"I hope so." He answered, his voice a whisper, yet she seemed to hear him and she started to stand up, eyes half closed.

"We'll see." She yawned and waved good bye before retreating into her room.

Hermione made her way to the caged owl on her desk and fed it a small cookie from a jar, "Ello Poe. How've you been today?" The owl had been one of the things she bought from her reward money. Hermione sat herself down on her chair and quickly scrawled off a note to Harry.

Dear Harry,

"You can't stay in your corner of the forest forever waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."

Maybe we should have realized that earlier. I had a pleasant evening with Theo today, and it's all because of what you told me in class a month ago. Maybe you were right, it's completely okay to let others in.

I say we give him a chance.

Hermione~

Night mate.