Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.

A/N: *bows* I am sincerely sorry for the lateness of this chapter. Our internet connection was put on restriction by the telephone company because we did not pain on time last Wednesday. My dad paid on the same day, I swear, but stupid telephone company. We were only able to have our internet TODAY. UGH! I'm so frustrated. But, anyway, I'm here now. So yeah.

Anyway, since it's Christmas a few days from now, I won't be able to post the next chapter next Thursday. My cousins will be here and I won't have time to at least use the computer. AND SO, as an early Christmas present, I'll be posting Chapter 9 today, too! Yay, aren't you all lucky?

So, enough of my rambling and here it is. Enjoy!

Chapter Eight: Of Tulips and Quidditch

Her eyes darted from left to right, making sure that no one had followed her. After making sure that she was all alone in the Forbidden Forest, she continued her small journey.

'It's been awhile,' she thought, ducking to avoid a low-hanging branch.

For some strange reason, Hermione felt excited today, visiting her grave that she hadn't visited ever since the start of the school-year. She was only able to visit it twice, but after that, she was too busy to go.

She had some difficulty explaining to Teddy and Blaise where she was going. Teddy kept on incessantly begging her for him to come with her, promising her that he would share half of his supply of sweets if she agreed. The brunette only shook her head at his immature compromise and told him sternly that she had to go alone.

Blaise was another story. He also kept on telling Hermione for him to accompany her. She understood his kindness… goodness, that was the only attitude Blaise kept on showing to her these past few weeks. Ever since the incident in Knockturn Alley, Blaise seemed to be really looking over her like a big brother. His sudden concern was astounding for the brunette, but she appreciated it nonetheless. And like what she told Teddy, she explained to Blaise that she had to go alone. Thankfully, he was able to understand it soon.

Teddy was upset at first, but was immediately distracted when Malfoy told him that they needed to discuss something about Quidditch. Being a typical Quidditch fan and athlete, Teddy had forgotten that Hermione had to go somewhere alone and had gone to Draco to discuss whatever they should discuss.

'Speaking of Malfoy,' she said, releasing a soft sigh. Hermione felt like she was in debt… she felt like she owed her life to Draco. If he weren't there in Knockturn Alley… if he didn't arrive just in time, maybe she was probably in some dark and dingy room molested by those hags.

She involuntarily shivered whilst hopping over a protruding root on the ground.

Hermione was almost nearing her grave and instantly, she smiled.

Her first few weeks in Hogwarts had already been eventful. She had bothered a lot of people already, especially Malfoy ('Oh especially him.') and visiting her fake grave was like a breath of fresh air. Because there, she would be able to reminisce the good, old times.

She would be able to reminisce the time when she was still Hermione Granger.

Finally, she had arrived. Her tombstone seemed out-of-place in the forest. While everywhere was full of life and happiness, her grave looked gloomy and lifeless.

Hermione sighed once again and chose to sit on the natural green carpet, cross-legged. "Hey," she whispered, brushing her fingertips across her old identity. "I've missed you."

She smiled wistfully, finding slight humor in her current situation. Here she was, disguised as Hermes Austen, a guy, for goodness' sake, while she talked to a grave containing a pillow charmed to look exactly like her. She could not believe she landed herself into this… outlandish situation.

Hermione had expected she would undergo challenges that normal teenagers could not handle. She chose herself to be the best friend of the one and only Harry Potter. Of course, it was her fault why she had to grow up faster than her other classmates. Being the best friend of a boy part of a huge prophecy was no joke. And so, she knew that if she was being carefree and such, she could have been dead right now.

But she never predicted that she would one day fake her own death and pretend to be some guy who did not actually exist. Merlin, she never predicted that one day, Voldemort and some of his followers would barge into her home, kidnap her parents, and burn down the whole house.

She hated times when she did not foresee events. Even if she was not a seer, she had brains, and she was able to use them to at least calculate the ending of a specific adventure she had with Harry and Ron.

This situation she was forced to undergo was one of those times. Hermione had no idea where her deceit would lead to. There were a lot of possibilities and it was still too early for her to guess what the possible ending would be.

Sometimes, she wished her life would have just been like a Potions essay or a Transfiguration essay. She immediately knew the answers. And if she was confused, she could just consult a book and viola! She had the answers.

But then again, life was truly a fickle thing. There were times when she found herself so challenged to the point of giving up. During the battle of the DA Core in the Department of Mysteries, Hermione almost gave up and welcomed the Killing Curse with open arms. But one glance from Harry, fighting and resolute, she would reprimand herself for thinking such silly things. She then would deflect the Avada Kedavra and continue to fight.

There were also times when she thought that she was the happiest girl in the whole world. Being coined as the most intelligent witch of her year was enough to make her feel so proud of herself. Being surrounded by friends who loved her wholeheartedly was enough to put a big smile on her face.

Being loved by parents unconditionally was enough for her to wake up in the morning and battle life itself.

'Things are now changed,' she forlornly thought, sighing in exhaustion. She gazed up at the blue sky and envied its peaceful condition. But then, she remembered that there were times when it would turn gray and mourn, sharing its sadness to everyone by shedding its tears. It was a comfort for the brunette.

"I wish everything will be back to normal soon," she thought. And by that, she meant that her parents would be safe once again… that she would be Hermione Granger once again, not some deceitful boy, and that she would be surrounded by her friends, who would be loyal to her through and through.

Her musings were cut short as soon as she heard the school bell, signaling the resume of classes after lunch.

Hermione released a wistful sigh, wishing that she could have stayed here longer. Being a seventh year student made her truly busy; therefore, she was not able to find a perfect time to visit her own fake grave. But then, she remembered that this week would be a light one for the seventh years. The teachers thought of cutting their school work so they could focus on studying first.

This memory brought a smile on her face. 'Maybe I can bring my books here and read,' she thought, now slowly standing up. She brushed off dirt from her bottom and was about to stride back to Hogwarts, when she caught an object lying on top of her tombstone.

Frowning, she walked closer and bent down only to see a flower.

A tulip.

She looked from left to right before gently clutching the flower with her right hand.

'Weird, I'd never seen a tulip here before,' she thought, absentmindedly rubbing her thumb against its stem. 'Or maybe I was not being too observant.' She frowned, trying to rack her brain if she had seen any tulip placed on the top of her grave the last two days she had visited. But still, she was not able to remember anything.

She cursed herself for not being too observant before. It was surprising to know that someone had at least visited her grave and gave her a flower… a tulip, which was her most favorite flower in the whole world.

"Hmm, I wonder," she thought, now observing the flower. She was surprised to see that it was not charmed everlasting. It was just an ordinary one.

She then decided to charm it everlasting before pocketing it. 'Maybe it's from one of my friends,' she thought, making a mental note to ask Harry if he was the one who placed tulips on top of her grave or if not, he knew anyone who would be doing such a sweet thing.

"Oh well," she mused aloud, now walking back to Hogwarts. "Then I just have to visit the next few days, I guess."

Hermione was now walking towards the Room of Requirement, another tulip clutched tightly in her hand. It had been three days after she first saw a tulip on top of her grave. The next day after she had visited her grave, she was surprised to see that the same flower was present. She visited her tomb for the next two days and as expected, two more tulips were found.

It was a mystery for the brunette. She concluded that she had a faithful visitor and for his or her souvenir, he or she would leave a tulip on her grave.

She thought it was now time to find some answers, therefore, she asked Harry to meet her in the Room of Requirement once again. She had a great feeling he would probably know who her 'faithful visitor' was.

"You're late," Harry pointed out as soon as Hermione appeared in the room, a dazed expression on her face. His eyes landed on her tulip. With eyebrows raised, he asked, "You have a new secret admirer?"

That snapped Hermione off her trance and scowled, a blush threatening to creep up into her cheeks. "Of course not," she interjected. "Just… a faithful visitor who always leaves a tulip on top of my fake grave. That's all."

"A faithful visitor?" the Gryffindor asked, amused. "You have a faithful visitor?"

"Hmm… yeah, apparently," she said, plopping down beside Harry on the couch. The Boy-Who-Lived immediately wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist and kissed the top of her head. "Anyway, I actually thought it was you who kept on putting tulips on top of my grave. You know that it's my favorite flower."

Harry shrugged, confused. "Eh, I don't," he said, "well, consciously, I mean. Maybe I suddenly became a sleepwalker and as a habit, I walk into the woods towards your grave to place tulips on top of your grave."

"Oh honestly," she said, rolling her eyes at his boyish grin. "Do you suspect anyone as my faithful visitor? Are there any Gryffindors who are acting suspicious or something?"

He knitted his eyebrows, deeply thinking. "Well… not really," he said. "Ron still tends to be dazed and stare off into nothing. Ginny's still touchy sometimes. The others… I don't know. Sorry."

Hermione absentmindedly scratched her chin, confused.

Harry frowned. "What's with that 'I'm-confused' look on your face?" he asked, concerned. "Is it bothering you?"

The brunette just sighed and thoughtfully looked at the beautiful tulip on her hand. "Whatever," she said. "I have to discuss a more important thing than this 'faithful' visitor of mine." Hermione shifted on her seat so that her body was now facing Harry. "I… I talked to Dumbledore a few days ago."

That had caught his attention; his eyes widened and he looked highly curious. "What did he say?" he asked, unable to suppress his enthusiasm. "Is it… a good one?"

Harry's heart sank when Hermione shook her head, eyes downcast. "He said… Voldemort already found a spell to break the enchantment on my parents. Totus specialis ostendo sum."

The Gryffindor, unfamiliar with the spell, only looked at her questioningly.

"It's… pretty complicated, I think. The spell," she continued. "The long incantation is in Latin and the wand movements are more advanced than what we are currently learning. But Voldemort was able to do it. I can't say I'm surprised." She paused to sigh, closing her eyes in exhaustion. "I have ten months, Harry. Ten months to save my parents. According to Dumbledore, the full effect of the spell will happen for approximately ten months. If I failed, the side effect of the ancient enchantment will happen… They'll die."

Silence settled after Hermione's dreadful news. Harry worriedly glanced at the brunette, who chose to avoid his searching eyes.

This time, Harry was the one who sighed. He gripped Hermione's chin and gently forced her to look at him. The Slytherin allowed him, her brown orbs connecting with Harry's emerald ones.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing the unshed tears coating her eyes.

To his surprise, Hermione manage to crack a smile, albeit a sad one. "Oh, I'll be fine," she said. "You know me."

Harry only frowned, looking as if he wanted to say something in return. In the end, he only shook his head and drew his disguised best friend to him. He dropped a gentle kiss on top of her head and whispered, "I'm here, okay? And you know that I love you."

Hermione softly chuckled, closing her eyes. "I thought it's awkward for you to say it or hear it from me when I'm disguised like a man," she playfully said.

The Gryffindor chuckled and fondly ruffled her hair. "Oh, yeah. Hmm, whatever. I said it already," he said nonchalantly, giving her a boyish grin. "I don't mean to offend you but do you still have to tell me something?"

The brunette's eyes narrowed, suspicious. "Why?"

Harry sheepishly rubbed his scar, a habit he developed when he was embarrassed. "Umm… I'm not yet done with my Potions essay. So can… OW! What did you do that for?"

Hermione shook her head, disappointed. "Now that I'm living in the Slytherin common room, you have the nerve to slack off? Shame on you, Harry Potter! Shame on you!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" the Gryffindor said, laughing boisterously. "For a moment there you perfectly imitated Mrs. Weasley! Congratulations, Hermione! Oh, now look at the time. It's almost curfew. I have to leave now. Goodbye, 'Mione."

He sprinted towards the door, wanting to leave his enraged best friend as soon as possible.

Hermione, unable to control herself, laughed and weakly threw a throw pillow to his direction. "We're not yet done talking, Potter!" She heard him chuckle loudly before completely leaving the room.

She shook her head and soon, she also left the Room of Requirement.

"Hermes Austen! Just the person I wanted to see!"

Hermione almost had a heart attack when Teddy suddenly launched himself into her as soon as she arrived into the Slytherin common room.

She took a peak above Teddy's back, only to see some students cramming their homework. "Um… where's Blaise and Malfoy?" she asked, subtly pushing the eager boy away from her.

"Eh, Blaise needed to see Professor Snape," he enthusiastically answered, taking a few steps away from the brunette. "And Draco had some work to do in the library. So, I'm left here."

"Hmm," she said, nodding her head. "So, what's with the sudden enthusiastic greeting you gave me?"

Teddy sheepishly grinned. "Sorry about that but I really wanted to talk to you," he said. "You know Quidditch, right? Of course you know Quidditch! You just came from the same school where the great Viktor Krum once studied." He vigorously shook his head, realizing his babble.

Hermione's heart sank upon hearing the word 'Quidditch'. She was seriously allergic to that word, especially because of the fact that she had a fear of flying. Her fear had slightly diminished as she grew up, having to ride the airplane countless times during vacations. But flying on a broomstick was still a different story.

"What about Quidditch?" she asked slowly, eyes trained intently on the boy in front of her.

"Sign-up for the try-outs, please!" he pleaded. "We only need two Chasers and I think you'd like it. I mean, who doesn't like Quidditch? You'll have fun!"

The brunette blanched. "Uh… I'll think about it." Inside her mind, she planned to lie to Teddy that a lot of Slytherins already signed-up for the position and there were no spaces anymore to write her name. 'That would be a nice lie,' she thought.

"GREAT!" was Teddy's gleeful shout as he patted Hermione's shoulder. "I wrote your name on the sign-up sheet already. Blaise said I had to inform you first before writing your name but, whatever. So the try-outs will happen this coming Saturday, okay? Don't be late. Our Captain hates people who aren't punctual. Trust me."

Teddy flashed his usual adorable grin. "It will be awesome if we become teammates, Hermes. I'm looking forward to it! So, good luck. Anyway, I got to go now. I still have to finish my Potions homework."

He ran up the stairs towards the boys' room. Before he was completely away from Hermione's sight, he once again turned around and shouted, "Don't be late!" He waved his hand excitedly before entering their room.

Poor Hermione, left frozen on the spot, mouth agape.

"WHAT?"

A/N: That's it for now! Do review, please! Oh, I'll be posting chapter 9 now.

With love,

2booklover4 :D