CHAPTER NINE
Summary: With the War finally won and a rapid decline in the wizarding population, drastic measures are taken in a bid to save Wizarding Britain with the introduction of a new Marriage Law. Under the law, Hermione is forced to marry at eighteen or face being exiled from the Wizarding World. She must learn to deal with her past and look forward to her future with rising Quidditch Star, Oliver Wood. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: All original characters and canon events belong to J.K. Rowling. Non-canon events and characters are my own. I am not making any profit from posting this fanfic. Characters are likely to be OOC.
Updated: 05/02/19
Page count: 23
Wood Apartment – Tuesday 7th July, 1998
Oliver readied for bed and before he allowed himself to fall into slumber, he left his room and made his way to Hermione's, wishing to check on her. He knocked on the door, opened it a little and he peaked inside to see Hermione's sleeping form snuggled up against Quaffle. Feeling a smile pull at his mouth, he closed the door and checked for any Silencing Charms she may have put up, but he couldn't detect any, so he made his way back to his own room.
It was the early hours of the morning when he found himself being woken by a blood curdling scream. Bolting awake, he threw the covers of himself and darted from his bed, running to Hermione's room. Throwing the door open, he stared in horror to see Hermione crying hysterically as she thrashed about on the bed and Quaffle was laid beside her, making whining sounds as he licked her face in an effort to comfort her.
"NO! I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE GOT IT! IT'S NOT REAL! WE DIDN'T STEAL IT! PLEASE NO!" She screamed.
"Hermione, wake up!" Oliver called, reaching out to shake her shoulders but she wouldn't wake.
Running from the room, he quickly headed to the fireplace, threw some floo powder into the grate and called out for the twins. He was surprised to see the twins already sat in the living room when his head appeared in their fireplace and they didn't look surprised to see him calling them at such a time.
"A cannae wake her up," he said, feeling panic rising in him and he moved himself out of the way so the twins could pass through, Oliver leading them to Hermione's bedroom and hearing her cries echoing throughout the apartment.
Fred and George rushed in and closed the door over slightly, before Fred climbed into bed behind her and George in front of her and together they whispered to her until she soon calmed down and her tears silently fell, as Oliver watched from the door way, his skin a little pale.
"Hoo did ye know? Ye were waiting," he asked the twins quietly.
"It always happens around this time. We set an alarm so we can be awake before it starts, then she doesn't have to wait for us for too long," George replied as he rubbed his hand up and down Hermione's arm comfortingly. Oliver nodded silently as Hermione finally woke and she buried her head in George's chest.
Oliver left the room and slid down the wall until he was sat on the ground, leaning back against the wall and burying his hands in his hair. He couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed. He'd assumed Hermione's nightmares wouldn't be pleasant given what she'd been through, but he hadn't expected the screams and cries. Now he knew that she was keeping things from him, things that were so terrible they caused such a reaction from her.
Oliver turned his head slightly, angling his ear to better pick up on the hushed conversation that was happening in the room behind him.
"Which one was it?" One of the twins asked softly.
"Both of them, only this time it was different," Hermione sniffled.
"Different how?"
"Everyone was there, even Oliver. I watched you all die and I couldn't stop it," she sobbed, Oliver felt his stomach turn and his chest tighten.
"We're perfectly fine and healthy, well we've never been mentally sane, but still..." he heard Hermione giggle and felt a smile pull at his mouth. "No one is going to hurt us and you're not going to lose us."
"You need to tell him," the other twin spoke.
"I can't; I don't want him to pity me or treat me differently. I don't want him to know just how damaged I am," she replied. Oliver's smiled dropped.
"He won't treat or look at you any differently. He'll see how strong you are to have gone through all of that alone and to have come out a survivor, and he definitely won't pity you. He doesn't have it in him."
"Why didn't you tell him about all of your allergies?" the other twin asked.
"I'd have to explain why I'm allergic to them; I'm not ready to relive those memories," she replied.
"You have to tell him, Mia, it's dangerous if you don't. We'll give you a week to tell him and if you don't then we'll do it ourselves."
"Please don't push me. I've told you what happened to me, but you haven't lived through it."
"You're right, we haven't live through it, but the more people you tell, the easier it'll be for you to deal with your past. You need to embrace it in order have a better future and that starts by telling Oliver everything. Even the things that you haven't told us. We know that he cares for you" Oliver felt himself blush a little. "We can see it in the way he looks at you and we know that you care for him too"
"I do," she admitted. Oliver smiled widely.
"So tell him,"
"I will but when I'm ready and when I think he's ready to hear it. I don't want to tell him when he's not prepared, but I don't think it will be long before that time comes; I can already feel my defences lowering when I'm around him," she admitted. Oliver's smile widened.
"That's good; it means you're beginning to trust him."
"I already trust him, I'm just afraid of what he'll think of me when I do tell him. You know I don't normally care for how people see me, but I care what he thinks of me. He's different."
"That's because you care for him. He matters to you and therefore his opinion of you matters to you."
They were quiet for a little while before Hermione spoke,
"I'm teaching him the rules," she said and they chuckled.
"How far have you gotten?" A twin asked.
"At the moment, just rule three."
"Never eat your digestive biscuits unless given permission," they recited and Hermione laughed.
"I still have a bruise from when I ran into the wall." Oliver knew it was George speaking as Hermione had told him the story.
"That was four weeks ago," Hermione said amused.
"No, look I have a bruise."
Oliver heard some shuffling.
"There's nothing there, you big baby."
"Yes, there is, right there, look!"
"That's your finger," Hermione deadpanned. Oliver chuckled. "Will you stay tonight?" Hermione asked.
"Of course," they answered and before they knew it Hermione had fallen back to sleep.
As the twins exited the room and closed the door behind them, Oliver stood up from the ground.
"You were listening in, weren't you?" Fred said amused.
"A wisnae," he denied, yet they smirked at him, knowing he was lying. "The spare rooms are doon the other corridor," he muttered, before turning and heading back to his own room.
~000~000~000~
Wood Apartment - Wednesday 8th July, 1998
Oliver woke to the smell of breakfast being cooked and it drifting into his room. He climbed out of bed and walked into his en-suite bathroom and relieved his bladder, before he brushed his teeth and then made his way to the kitchen, where he could hear Quaffle barking and Hermione scolding the twins.
"What did I tell you about feeding him bacon?"
Oliver chuckled as entered the kitchen, the twins looking up at him and smirking when they saw his lack of clothing.
"Mia, you'd better get another plate," George said amused.
Hermione turned around with a smile on her face before it quickly dropped, her entire face flaming red and she quickly turned back around with the twins laughing at her reaction loudly.
"D-do you mind putting some clothes on, please?"Sshe spoke embarrassed. Oliver looked down at himself; he was only wearing his black boxers and he found her reaction amusing and endearing.
He shrugged his shoulders before quickly returning to his room, throwing on a t-shirt and a pair of draw string pajama bottoms and then making his way back to the kitchen. He took a seat at the table with Hermione putting a plate down in front of him.
"Better?" He asked amused and Hermione nodded, still bright red in the face and he chuckled. He picked up his fork and began eating the food on his plate and Hermione placed another plate of bacon on the table and then she sat down and began eating herself.
"Where did ye get all this food?" Oliver asked, knowing it certainly hadn't been from his own cupboards.
"We went home to get changed and brought it back with us," Fred answered, and that's when he realised they'd both been changed and had readied for the day.
The kettle alerting them to the fact it had been boiled had Hermione standing from her chair and heading over to the counter, and he took in the sight she made. Her hair being in a messy bun with a few curls that had already broke free of their restraint and were framing her face. She wore a grey v-neck sweater that hugged her frame, a black skirt that fell just above her knees and white converse were on her feet. He couldn't help the way he tilted his head slightly, his eyes roaming her body before landing on her arse and legs.
The twins shared a look and since Fred was the closest, he leaned over and hit Oliver over the back of the head.
"Ow! What was tha' fer?" Oliver asked, glaring at him as he rubbed at the aching spot.
"We're still in the room and that's our little sister you're staring at," George replied with a shrug.
Hermione broke their staring match as glasses of orange juice were placed in front of everyone, as well as a coffee for Fred, and a tea for herself, George and Oliver. Oliver picked up the mug and took a sip, feeling his eyebrow raise in question. How did she know how he took his tea?
"George, stop feeding Quaffle, he's already eaten his breakfast and I don't want an overweight dog," she scolded him, as she placed more waffles on their plates.
Oliver looked down at his own mountain of food. "Are ye trying tae fatten mae up?" He asked, sounding amused.
"I'm not having you fainting and falling off your broom because you haven't eaten enough," she replied, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.
"An' if a get sick?"
"That's perfectly acceptable; it means you've eaten plenty of food and you're not at risk of fainting due to an underwhelming breakfast."
"She's been living with Weasleys, she's used to feeding people Weasley sized meals," Fred chuckled.
"We'll head to the shop and get ready for opening. Bring Quaffle with you," George said.
"You're sure?" Hermione said.
"Yeah, he's already promised to behave himself, haven't you?" Fred questioned, looking down at Quaffle and he barked in response, his tail wagging. "Besides, the customers will love him."
"Looks like you're the new mascot of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," Hermione said, chuckling when Quaffle barked and spun a circle, trying to catch his tail. "We'll meet you at the shop," Hermione nodded and then they left soon after.
When breakfast was over, Hermione took their plates to the sink and she began washing them by hand.
"I'm sorry we woke you," Hermione said.
"It's alright; ye had breakfast waiting fer me, besides, a usually get up 'round this time anyway," he shrugged.
"I'm sorry I woke you last night," Hermione said, keeping her attention on washing the plates.
"It's not yer fault ye have nightmares, ye went through a war, it's tae be expected," he said softly.
"They're not as bad as they used to be."
"Can a ask what they're aboot?" He asked softly. She shook her head. "Can ye tell mae if it's the same one?"
"I have two different nightmares, sometimes it's them both."
"Can ye tell mae if they're fears or memories?"
"Bit of both, I suppose. Last night was different though,"
Oliver was glad she was beginning to open up to him, the chat she'd with the twins had obviously done her some good. He just hoped she would tell him her secrets soon, before they ate away at her for keeping them bottled up for so long.
"Do ye want tae go shopping tanight? What time do ye finish work?" He asked, wishing to change the subject and he could tell she was grateful in the way her body seemed to relax against the counter.
"Monday to Friday we work nine until seven and Saturdays it's nine until five. We tend to get in the shop half an hour early to make sure everything is set up and clean before opening."
"Should a floo over tae the twins' flat 'round seven?" He asked.
"That's fine," she nodded, before putting the last plate on the drainer and wiping her hands dry. "Well, I suppose I better get to work. I'll see you later, let's go Quaffle," she said and the dog barked and followed behind Hermione, and as she walked past Oliver -and without, too – she pressed a kiss to his cheek.
~000~000~000~
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Hermione had been at the shop all morning and Quaffle had been the centre of attention for the customers, especially the children and he loved it. He sat on top of the counter and when customers came to pay for their purchases they would pet him and coo and he would bark happily. He had been behaving, he hadn't tried to escape and he hadn't bitten anyone, either, in fact, he hadn't moved off the counter all morning; he was perfectly content to just lay there and watch as customers flittered around the stop floor.
It was not long after lunch when Leo arrived unexpectedly, Hermione not expecting as he usually only came to the shop on Tuesdays.
"Hey, Hermione," he said, hugging her tightly when she moved to greet him in front of the counter.
"Hello, Leo, what are you doing here today?" She asked him.
"Mum had some things that she forgot to do yesterday and she said I could come here whilst she did them."
"Well, do you want to help me today?" She asked him and he nodded happily.
Hermione walked back behind the counter and she lifted Leo so that he was sitting on top of the counter near the cash register and he swung his legs back and forth.
"Leo, this is my puppy, Quaffle, he won't hurt you," she said. Leo hesitantly raised his hand and Quaffle sniffed it and then licked him and Leo laughed. "He likes you. He hasn't licked any of the other customers," she said, Leo positively beamed.
A customer walked up to the counter and Hermione placed the products in bags and when she was given the money, she handed the change to Leo who gave it to the customer with a smile and a "have a nice day." Hermione smiled; Leo had come a long way in the time she had known him. When she first met him he could barely speak and now he was talking to customers.
"Hermione?"
"Yes, Leo,"
"You know that because you're..." He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. "Marrying Oliver Wood?"
"Yes?"
"Can I have his autograph?"
"I can introduce you to him, if you'd like."
"Really?" He asked, his eyes wide with excitement.
Hermione nodded. "Of course, who's your favourite team?"
"Puddlemere," he answered instantly, looking at her as if she were stupid for thinking it would be any team other than Puddlemere and she chuckled at him, shaking her head.
"I can definitely introduce you to him. You haven't told anyone about me marrying him, have you?"
"No, I've kept it a secret like I promised."
"Thank you," she said ruffling his hair. "We don't want anyone to know yet."
~000~000~000~
Oliver floo'd into the twins' flat just after seven and he saw Hermione standing up from the couch and approaching him with a smile on her face.
"Hey," she greeted.
"Hey, are ye ready tae go shopping?" He asked with a smile.
Quaffle bounded out of George's bedroom and over to Oliver, so he crouched down and scratched him behind the ear and he barked happily.
"We'll have to leave Quaffle here with the twins and then pick him up later," she said and he nodded in understanding. "I'll pick Quaffle up later!" Hermione called.
"Okay!" Came a chorused reply from the twins.
"What are they doin'?" He asked her.
"Getting changed, they spilled the Kissing Concoction Potion all over them," she explained, before looking down to her puppy. "Quaffle, where's George? Go find George," She said and Quaffle barked and ran straight to George's room. "Okay, we'll have to floo to The Leaky Cauldron and then I'll apparate us from there."
~000~000~000~
Muggle London – The Supermarket
They were slowly making their way around the supermarket, Oliver looking surprised at just how big the building was as well as the many products that were for sale.
"The twins had the same look on their faces when I first brought them here, too," she informed him as she pushed the large trolley down an aisle, heading straight for the fridges.
First she collected four bottles of three litre milk and placed them into the trolley, Oliver raising an eyebrow at her.
"I drink a lot of milk," she shrugged, as she selected some cheese and yoghurts, too.
They continued their way around the shop, Hermione getting the essentials and Oliver choosing things he was curious about and wanted to try, having had no idea that muggles had so many food choices and options available.
"So, did you have a good day at training?" She asked him.
"It wisnae tae bad, we only had one injury an' tha' was 'coz Malloy was messing 'round an' fell down the stands."
Hermione laughed and shook her head. "When's your first match, again?"
"Next Wednesday, we're playin' against the Montrose Magpies. Yer comin', right?"
"If you want me to, I'll ask the twins if I can leave early," she replied and he smiled widely.
He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he desperately wanted Hermione to come to one of his games. He wanted to show her how much he loved his profession, he wanted her to see how hard he worked to be Captain and how much effort he put in when training. He wanted her to be proud of him.
"Hoo was yer day?"
"Exhausting, I've barely had a moment to myself today. Quaffle loved it; he literally sat on top of the counter all day and was petted by the customers." He chuckled at her. "I was wondering if you could do me a favour though."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Well, I had a surprise visitor today, Leo."
Oliver frowned slightly. "A thought he only comes in on Tuesdays."
Hermione beamed at him; he'd remembered. "He does," she nodded. "But his mother had some errands to run that she forgot to do the day before. Anyway, he loves you and he keeps asking for your autograph. Do you think I could introduce the two of you?"
Oliver smiled. "Af course, a'd love tae meet the little guy tha' has yer heart," he joked and she chuckled.
"Thank you, I'll make arrangements with his mother."
They paid for their purchases and when they got into the car park, they pushed the trolley down the alley and banished everything back to the apartment, before apparating back to The Leaky Cauldron, flooing into the twins' flat, collecting Quaffle and returning to the apartment.
~000~000~000~
Wood Apartment - Saturday 11th July, 1998
Hermione and Oliver had been living together for four days now and they already had a routine. Hermione would wake and then shower and dress for the day, before making breakfast and the smell would wake Oliver. They would eat breakfast together before Hermione left for work after pressing a kiss to Oliver's cheek, making him smile. Oliver was always the first one home and he would sit in the living area and through a play book whilst he waited for her to return.
When she did, she would smile at him and he would play with Quaffle whilst she made dinner and together they would sit at the kitchen table eating, asking each other questions about their day and they would talk and laugh, getting to know each other better. After dinner Oliver would clear up and then they would either sit in the living area, on the balcony or in the library and afterwards they would head to bed for the night. There was still some awkwardness now and then, but most of the time they were comfortable around each other and Oliver and Hermione hadn't shared any more kisses since the day she moved in, much to his disappointment.
It was the early hours of the morning when Hermione's screams sounded and Oliver had been expecting it and he quickly made his way to the fireplace, placing a floo call to the twins, only they weren't waiting on the other side like they usually were. Frowning, he tried to floo through but his access was denied.
Oliver feeling worried, left for Hermione's room, hearing her screams echoing through the apartment.
"NO, PLEASE, I DON'T KNOW!"
Taking a few calming breaths, Oliver walked over to Hermione's bed and hesitantly lifted the covers, climbing in behind her and trying to mimic the twins' usual actions by pulling Hermione into his chest, but much to his surprise, she calmed down almost instantly. She had stopped in her screaming and silent tears fell down her face, the only sound he could hear was that of Quaffle whimpering from his place on the dog bed.
"It's jus' a dream. They cannae hurt ye. A won't let anyone hurt ye," he whispered to her, and he found that it came naturally to him to comfort her, as he held her protectively against him.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she quickly realised that the chest she was pulled against wasn't one of the twins. Slowly, she turned around in the arms that were holding her tightly and she came face to face with Oliver. He smiled at her softly and wiped her tears away as she felt her cheeks flaming.
"Sorry for waking you," she muttered. "Where are the twins?"
"They've blocked the floo, a think they've done it on purpose," he answered.
"They definitely have," she muttered in confirmation and she tried to pull away from him, but Oliver just held her tighter, not wanting to let her go.
"Tell mae," he whispered quietly. "A cannae help ye if ye don' let mae in an' our marriage won't work if ye hide away from me. Please, Sparrow, tell mae," he pleaded.
"I don't think you're ready to know yet. It isn't just a story, it's my life; it's what I've been through, it's what I've been forced to endure. The twins certainly didn't take it well, and I don't want you to treat me any differently."
"A won't an; a can handle it," he assured.
"Ollie..." She sighed.
"A can handle it, please tell mae."
Hermione sighed before pulling herself away from him and sitting herself up, crossing her legs beneath her and turning to fact him. Seeing this, Oliver mimicked her actions so they were facing each other. Hermione reached over for her wand that sat on the bedside table and lifted the duvet, wrapping it around herself like a shield.
"Luminaria," she whispered. Hundreds of little orbs of white lights flew out of the tip of Hermione's wand and they floated in the air, bathing the room in a soft glow. Seeing Oliver's confused look, she said, "I created it a while back, they can only be extinguished with the counter curse and you can chose they can be any colour you wish them to be," she explained. Oliver blinked in surprise, feeling himself being impressed.
"Where to start?" She said to herself, reaching up to push her curls back from her face. "I guess we'll start from the beginning. It was Halloween, 1991, my first year at Hogwarts. Ronald had insulted me as I tried to help him with his casting at the Levitation Charm, he wasn't subtle about his annoyance with me. I spent most of my evening in the girl's bathroom crying and so I wasn't aware of the mountain troll situation, until I heard a noise and I left the stall, seeing it standing before me. It tried to kill me and in doing so, it broke a sink and it landed on my leg, cornering me. Everything's a little fuzzy but I know Harry and Ron saved me, and being so grateful for their actions, I forgave Ronald for his mistreatment of me. That night 'The Golden Trio' was born.
Oliver shook his head. "A dinnae know tha', all a remember is Quirrell burstin' intae the great hall an' later passing oot, befere we were sent back tae the common room. A canne believe tha' all happened whilst a was sleeping," he spoke.
She shrugged her shoulders. "But it did. The first Quidditch match of the season saw Harry's broom being jinxed in an effort to kill him, so I set Professor Snape's robes on fire as a distraction." His eyes widened. "At the end of the year and after exams were over, we figured out what we thought were Snape's plans to steal the Philosopher's Stone."
"What's tha'?"
"The Philosopher's Stone was created by Nicolas Flamel, and it had the ability to turn any metal into gold and it gave you immortality. We were able to get past a three headed dog, we were almost killed by devil's snare, flying keys, we were almost beaten to death by a life-sized game of wizarding chess, and I solved Professor Snape's potions riddle. Harry carried on and I took an unconscious Ron the hospital wing with the help of Dumbledore, who thankfully arrived not long after. We later discovered that it wasn't Snape that was trying to steal the stone but rather Quirrell. He was helping Voldemort, sharing his body as a vessel. When Harry was rescued, the stone was destroyed."
She knew he was surprised, his eyes were wider than normal and his mouth parted slightly.
Clearing his throat, he shook his head of his thoughts. "Second year?"
"The Chamber of Secrets was opened by the Heir of Slytherin, and I brewed Poly-juice Potion to help Harry."
"But ye were jus' a second year," he blinked in surprise, knowing how difficult that particular potion was to brew, he'd had trouble with it himself when it came to completing his OWLs.
She shrugged her shoulders. "The plan was to infiltrate the Slytherin common room and hopefully discover information on the identity of the Heir of Slytherin. It was successful for Harry and Ron, who morphed into Crabbe and Goyle. Mine, however, wasn't. I accidentally pulled a cat's hair from the robes of Millicent Bulstroude, meaning I grew fur and whiskers," she chuckled, shaking her head slightly and a smile pulling at her face as she was reminded of that day. "Later in the year I was petrified whilst I was making my way towards the Quidditch pitch. I'd figured out the identity 'The Beast' that was terrorising the school and I had planned on telling Harry, but I didn't make it."
"What was it?" He asked curiously.
"A basilisk," she answered and his mouth dropped open; he'd heard tale of the creatures. "It was able to move through Hogwarts through the use of the water pipes, as the entrance to The Chambers was in the second floor girl's bathroom. Luckily, I had a mirror with me when the basilisk found me and I only saw its reflection, the reason being that I was petrified and not killed. Mrs. Norris saw the reflection in the water, Colin Creevey through his camera lens and Justin Finch-Fletchley through Sir Nick. I was in a petrified state for months."
"What's it like tae be petrified?" He asked quietly.
"It's horrific; you're in a frozen state but you're still aware of your surroundings, of everything that's happening around you, only you can't move, blink, communicate or even sleep. You're constantly awake and left with only your thoughts. I could hear everything and see everyone that visited me, but I couldn't do anything about it. It's like being stuck in time whilst the rest of the world is moving around you. They're moving on and you're left behind," she said quietly, a haunted look entering her eyes as she stared at a spot on the wall over his shoulder. Oliver reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze of comfort. "Anyway, I had already written the answer down onto a piece of parchment and it was in my hand. It took them months to find it and before I knew it, I was revived."
"Third year?"
"Third year was when Sirius Black escaped. He was innocent, you know? He was wrongly incarcerated for a crime he didn't commit; he wasn't even given a trial, they just threw him in Azkaban. Well, this year I got my cat Crookshanks and he seemed to hate Scabbers, Ron's rat. When it came to the end of the year, we thought Scabbers was dead but Hagrid found him alive. Scabbers escaped and we chased after him before Ron was attacked by a large black dog and he was dragged under the Whomping Willow, there's a secret passageway that leads to the Shrieking Shack beneath it. We found our way into the Shrieking Shack where we discovered Sirius was a Animagus, and he was the black dog, and that he was innocent. Peter Pettigrew, a childhood friend, was the actually the guilty one and the reason The Potters died. He was the secret keeper, not Sirius; they changed their minds at the final moment because he was less of a target and not as well known as Sirius. Pettigrew killed all those muggles and he faked his death. Like Sirius and Harry's father, Pettigrew was an unregistered Animagus, a rat in particular." He blinked slowly, the pieces slotting into place before a surprised look crossed his face, and she nodded at him. "You're right, Scabbers was Pettigrew."
"We were heading back to the castle when the full moon was high in the sky and Lupin forgot to take his Wolfsbane Potion, and because of it, Pettigrew escaped. Later in the night Harry and I travelled back in time using my time turner to save Sirius' life as well as Buckbeak's, Hagrid's hippogriff."
"Where did ye get a time turner?" He asked surprised, knowing how rare they were, as well as the dangers that were said to come with the use of one.
"It was given to me by Professor McGonagall for academic use with the approval of Dumbledore and The Ministry. That year I was taking far too many classes that I actually had three separate lessons at the same time on my schedule," she shook her head slightly. "When we got Sirius and Buckbeak to safety, we went back to the hospital wing and I collapsed. It was discovered that I had some internal bleeding that was caused during the incident with the Whomping Willow. If I hadn't been sent to St. Mungo's as quickly as I had been, I could've died."
Bloody hell, he'd never met someone who'd had so many near death experiences and she was barely half-way through her retelling of past events. He was sure there was going to be more, too, and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to hear the rest of it.
"Fourth year?" He prompted gently.
"That was a nightmare," she sighed. "Due to Harry's name being selected, he and Ron refused to speak to each other and I was, of course, left stuck in the middle. And you already know how mean he was during the Yule Ball." He reached out to take her other hand, too, and he rubbed comforting circles on the back of her hands with his thumbs. "The second task of the tournament was for the champions to have something taken from them, something they would miss the most, and have it be put at the bottom of The Black Lake for them to rescue, and I was Viktor's."
"Did ye get hurt?" He asked, hoping that she didn't. There were rumours to what lived in The Black Lake and they weren't known for being welcoming either.
"No, I was perfectly safe; Dumbledore placed us into a deep sleep, it was only broken when we broke through the surface of the water. It was the third task when everything truly went to hell. Harry's blood was used in a ritual to bring Voldemort to full power, he was almost killed and Cedric Diggory was murdered for no reason other than him being there."
He remembered seeing the news paper articles that soon followed, and despite what they'd said, he'd known Harry and Dumbledore to be true. Oliver had spent three years with the younger wizard and knew him to not be a liar, especially about things as big as Voldemort returning.
"Fifth year?"
"That was the year everything officially went to hell," she sighed. "Delores Umbridge had been placed at Hogwarts to monitor Dumbledore as well as change the curriculum for DADA so we weren't allowed to practice any defensive magic. Everything was theory based and one of our lessons had actually been named 'how to run away and hide.'" She said, and Oliver stared at her in disbelief, he hadn't heard something more ridiculous. "Fudge thought Dumbledore was after his position and he wanted to make him look as though he couldn't do his job, by telling lies about Voldemort being back. He believed Dumbledore was preparing an army of students to fight against The Ministry, so they banned practical defensive magic. With Voldemort having returned, we were in danger and so we organised a group we called Dumbledore's Army. It was a secret society of students learning defensive and offensive magic under the radar and without the knowledge of the professors." Oliver blinked in surprise, before a proud smile pulled at his mouth. "Harry was the one to actually teach the students, but I did everything else; the lesson planning, the organising of scheduled meetings to coincide with everyone's studies and Quidditch practices and what not. I even wrote his speeches for him, and we held the meetings in the Room of Requirement."
"Ye found the Room af Requirement?" He said impressed, having heard of it but never have seen it himself.
"Yes, but sometime during April, Marietta Edgecombe gave us up to Umbridge and the club disbanded. I cursed the signup sheet so I would know if someone betrayed us. Edgecome has a lovely forehead filled with acne that spells out 'sneak' and she can't cover it with magic. She's got it forever," she admitted. Oliver wasn't sure if he should be proud or afraid, he was a little of both. "After exams were over, Harry had a vision of Sirius being tortured and we were caught by Umbridge trying to use the floo network. After she threatened him with The Cruciatus and physically harmed him, I knew I had to do something, so I told her Dumbledore had a secret weapon and I led her to the Forbidden Forest where she was carried away by a herd of centaurs and Grawp."
"What's a Grawp?" He asked confused.
"Hagrid's brother, he's a full giant." Oliver blinked. "Well, after that we escaped and flew to the Ministry of Magic and we found our way to the Department of Mysteries. I don't really remember much of that night; it's a bit of a blur, but I know there was battle and The Order arrived to help us. There was a battle between us and some Death Eaters and The Order finally showed up. I was distracted whilst duelling another and Dolohov came up behind me, I was able to silence him but that didn't stop him from cursing me. I just remember the pain, the burning raging through me until everything went black. A week later I woke in St. Mungo's with the healers explaining they'd never seen anything like the curse I'd been subjected to, and they were unsure of how I survived. I had a medication regime of ten different potions four times daily for three months, as well as bed rest for a month. It took me that long to be able to walk without aid. When I woke, that's when I learned of Sirius' death and I never had the chance to exonerate him like I promised him I would," she said quietly, a tear falling from the corner of her eye. Oliver reached up to wipe it away, before taking hold of her hands once more and placing a kiss to the back of each hand.
"Can ye tell mae aboot yer sixth year?" He asked gently. "We're almost done now."
She sniffled and nodded her head, gathering herself and her strength. "That year, Harry was convinced of Malfoy being a Death Eater and that he'd been given a task to complete by Voldemort. It born an on obsession and he all but followed him everywhere. Katie Bell touched a cursed object and almost died although it was partially her fault; she shouldn't have opened the package, especially as it wasn't addressed to her. Ron was poisoned, too, but he was saved by a bezoar. Harry lost his temper and attacked Malfoy with a dark curse that he read in a potions book and he almost died. Luckily, Snape arrived in time was able to heal Malfoy. At the end of the year Death Eaters were able to enter Hogwarts' grounds and a battle broke out with Dumbledore being killed and Bill being attacked by Greyback. I was knocked back into a wall and I hit my stomach off the corner of the stone wall and I fell to the ground, landing on shards of broken glass that pierced my stomach. I was unconscious for a couple of day and when I woke, I was told of Dumbledore's death."
"What happened after yer sixth year?"
"We devised a plan to safely collect Harry from The Dursleys, as we couldn't risk him being harmed now that Voldemort's return was known to the public. There was fourteen of us in total, and we used Poly-juice Potion to transform six of into Harry. The other seven were to act as escorts and we all separated and took separate methods of travel as well as routes to the destination place. The idea was to confuse any possible attackers as no one would know which Harry was the real one. The moment we left the house we were ambushed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters. I was with Kingsley that night, I was hit with a spell while trying to defend against the others and it sent me hurtling off the thestral and towards the ground, and thankfully Kingsley caught me. When were arrived at our destination it was to see George laid out on the couch and covered in blood, Snape being the reason he lost his left ear."r4e
"A was gunna ask, hoo does George have both ears?"
"He doesn't," she replied and he looked at her confused. "I knew that it bothered him, the looks he would get from others, and that's why they both grew out their hair. I created a potion for him, it acts as on illusion; it just looks as though his ear's there when in fact it's not. He takes the potion every morning."
"Tha's brilliant," he said impressed.
"It was the least I could do for him after everything he's done for me," she replied. "Anyway, I collapsed and passed out at seeing him in such a state. When I came I was told of Moody and Hedwig dying, and soon Bill and Fleur's wedding arrived. During the reception, Kingsley's patronus arrived and told us of The Ministry falling to Voldemort and Death Eater's soon arrived. Harry, Ron and I left as quickly as we could and the chaos covered our escape, as we officially started The Hunt."
"The hunt?" He frowned. "A thought ye went on the run"
"We had found a way to destroy Voldemort once and for all, but we had to search for them. Do you know what a Horcrux is?" She asked. Of course he didn't; there were less than ten people in the world that did, and she, Harry and Ron were three of them.
"Naw, what is it?" He wasn't blind to the way her features filled with disgust and so he assumed it wasn't good.
"A Horcrux is a form of magic that is so dark and horrific there's no more than ten people that know of its existence. Due to the nature of the magic, it was wiped from the world and kept a secret."
"An' yer one af them," he said knowingly.
She nodded. "Yes ,I am, as are Harry and Ron. When I first learned of Horcruxes I threw up," she warned him. "The first Horcrux was created by Herpo the Foul, and as I mentioned before, the nature of it is so terrifying that they have been kept from the Wizarding World and only a handful of people know about them. Very few books actually mention them and those that do have as little detail as possible. They are created by committing the most supreme act of evil; murder. When a murder is committed, particularly with a dark form of magic, it rips your soul apart and you lose a fragmented piece." She explained and a horrified look crossed his face. The spell and ritual are performed and that fragmented piece of soul is later taken and encased in on object or living being, with the intention of achieving immortality. The detached fragment of soul will remain the way it was when it was placed in the object. If the Horcrux is created at the age of twenty-five years old and it is opened at the age of seventy-five years old, the soul fragment will reattach itself and revert you back to the age of twenty-five. It took us a while to learn that Voldemort had created seven Horcruxes and in order for us to win the war, all Horcruxes had to be destroyed before we killed Voldemort."
"The Heir of Slytherin my second year, it was Ginny." He frowned in confusion. "Ginny was in the possession of a diary that once belonged to Tom Riddle, a young Voldemort. When he was sixteen he created his first Horcrux, the diary. When Ginny wrote in the diary, his fragmented soul took possession of her body and controlled her actions. She released the basilisk and wrote the threatening messages on the walls. It was all her. When Harry destroyed the diary in The Chamber, we didn't know what it was at that point in time."
"Hoo do ye destroy a Horcrux?"
"With great difficulty," she replied, reaching up to push her hair back from her face. "Fiendfyre or basilisk venom are the only ways to destroy, unless it has a human host and then they must be killed. Harry destroyed the diary with a fang from the basilisk he killed. Dumbledore found another Horcrux the summer before my sixth year and he destroyed it using Godric Gryffindor's Sword. Seeing as it's goblin made, it has the ability to absorb properties, so when Harry used the sword to kill the basilisk, it absorbed the venom and could therefore be used to destroy the other Horcruxes, too."
"So, we were on the run with no idea what we were looking for, only that we knew the Horcruxes would be objects of great value to Voldemort. We learned that he had used Slytherin's locket and after some research, questioning a house-elf, and Mundungus who stole the locket from Grimmauld Place, we discovered that Umbridge had it. Using Poly-juice Potion we were able to break out way into The Ministry of Magic, however, things didn't quite go as planned, but we were able to get the locket and escape. We were unable to open the locket, as well as being unable to destroy it as we didn't yet know how to."
"Ye broke intae The Ministry?" He questioned in disbelief.
"Certainly did," she nodded.
"A'm not sure a believe ye," he said.
She snorted at him, before looking down at their joined hands, a smile tugging at her mouth.
"We were moving from place to place every few days and we were low on food, and Ron was always complaining that he was hungry and all we had to survive on was berries and mushrooms and whatever else I could find. Not being able to take his complaints or knowing Harry needed to survive, I started to give my portion of food to them. They never noticed I wasn't eating as they were always too busy arguing, complaining or hiding away from each other. Due to the dark magic on the locket affecting those that wore it, we took it in turns, making sure no one had it longer than a few hours. The locket affected Ron more so than Harry and I, and before I knew it there was a huge argument, Ron stormed out of the tent and left. He didn't come back. He abandoned us."
Tears fell down her face and Oliver hated seeing her so sad, he hated seeing her being reminded of the pain she'd been forced to endure.
"When Christmas arrived, Harry and I went to Godric's Hollow to visit his parents' grave. He'd never actually seen it before and whilst I was hesitant, I couldn't refuse him anything. Whilst there Harry ran into Bathilda Bagshot and she led us into a trap in which Harry and I were attacked by Death Eaters and Voldemort's pet snake, Nagini. I pushed Harry out of a second floor window and I didn't have time to cast a Cushioning Charm, I don't know how either of us were able to walk afterwards," she shook her head.
"A few weeks after, I was sleeping in the tent when I was woken by a noise and I went to investigate, seeing it to be both Harry and Ron laughing. He'd abandoned us for months and suddenly just turned up out of the blue, expecting everything to be fine. I lost my temper and slapped him and I refused to talk to him, even if he had managed to get his hands on Gryffindor's Sword and destroy the locket. To this day, I still have no idea where he got it. Not long after that we were captured by snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. I threw a Stinging Hex at Harry's face to disguise his true identity. When Bellatrix was alerted to us being in possession of Gryffindor's Sword, she lost her temper. She believed she was in possession of the real sword and had it locked away in her vault, but it was actually a fake and we had the real one. Harry and Ron were put in the dungeons and I was kept upstairs for Bellatrix to question."
She started sobbing uncontrollably and suddenly and Oliver pulled Hermione into him, shifting her so she was leaning against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, rocking them both slightly as he whispered words of comfort into her ear.
"I can't Oliver, I can't tell you," she sobbed.
"Ye can, yer've done so well tae tell mae a'thing up tae this point. Don' let this beat ye, yer stronger than tha'. Tell mae an' don' give in tae yer fears. Don' let her win," he said quietly.
Hermione's cries didn't stop but she calmed herself down a little, she took a breath to prepare herself.
"I was held down with Bellatrix screaming in my face, demanding that I answer her questions. She cast The Cruciatus and I held out as long as I could, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing my pain, not wanting her to win, but there's a reason she was Voldemort's right hand and she broke me. I don't know how long I screamed with everyone laughing at me. They asked me about The Order, what they were planning, where they were hiding, who our spies were, and when I refused to answer it only made her angry and she decided to change tactics. Rabastan Lestrange, Antonin Dolohov, Fenrir Greyback and Amycus Carrow were called forward, all with the intentions of raping me," she whispered. His grip on tightened and he felt his teeth grinding as he rubbed comforting circles on her back.
"I fought them off as best as I could but I was too weak and exhausted from the torture I'd endured, but I was able to knee one of them in the grin," she said, pride filling her tone and he chuckled at her, feeling pride sweep through him. "Thankfully, Lucius Malfoy stepped in and stopped them from being able to harm me, refusing to allow such behaviour to occur in his home even if I was of a lesser blood. Do you have any idea of what it feels like to owe a life debt to a Death Eater? I made me sick to my stomach, knowing he could call in that debt whenever he wished to, but luckily I was able to repay my debt to him before he could call upon it."
"Hoo?"
"I saved his son during the Final Battle, but that's further on in the war. So, after they were denied harming me in such a way, Bellatrix thought it best to take matters into her own hands. She stabbed me in the stomach, leaving the blade inside so if I were to move too much it would cause more damage, and with a cursed blade she carved into my arm. I blacked out from the pain. When I came back to I was being carried by Dean Thomas, and I remember seeing Bill Weasley running towards me. He took me from Dean and carried me inside a cottage. I can't remember much because I kept slipping in and out of consciousness, but no one else could be trusted so I know Charlie was called from Romania, with him being a Dragon Tamer he has some medical training and he did his best to tend to me and heal my injuries. A few days later I came to and discovered Dobby had died. He was a house-elf, a friend and he gave his life for ours. He rescued us all from Malfoy Manor, including the prisoners from the dungeons."
"Once I woke it didn't take long to figure out that if Bellatrix was so protective of her vault, there was something in there she didn't want us to know about, and it was why she had the reaction she did to us possibly breaking in."
"A Horcrux," Oliver muttered in understanding.
"A Horcrus," she confirmed. "We devised a plan and left the following day. Using Poly-juice Potion and the hair I took from her, I turned myself into Bellatrix and with Harry disarming her, we had her wand, too. With the help of a goblin who'd been kept prisoner at Malfoy Manor, we were able to get into her vault. We almost died due to the whole vault being set with traps, but we managed to find Helga Hufflepuff's Cup. The goblin double crossed us and left us to die, but we escaped from Gingrotts on the back of a dragon."
Oliver looked down at the little witch held in his arms and against his chest, surprise filling his features. "A dragon?" He spluttered. She let out a little giggle and he felt his heart all but melt at the sound.
"Yes, a dragon. Harry had a connection to Voldemort and after stealing the cup, Harry learned that the Final Battle was upon us. We snuck into Hogsmeade and Dumbledore's brother helped us into Hogwarts through a secret passage way. With the help of Luna Lovegood we figured out that Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem was what we thought was the last Horcrux, so Harry went to the Room of Requirement and Ron and I went to The Chamber of Secrets to retrieve the basilisk fangs. I destroyed the cup and we were almost drowned from doing so. The Final Battle had already started."
"We met up with Harry at the Room of Requirements and helped him to search for the diadem, and one we found it we were prevented from destroying by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle turned up. Crabbe cast fiendfyre and was unable to control it, all six of us nearly died. Harry saved Crabbe, Ron saved Goyle and I saved Malfoy."
"Payin' aff yer debt tae Lucius Malfoy," he commented.
She nodded. "The diadem was destroyed and we escaped just before the room was destroyed. That only left us with Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake. Harry disappeared and Ron and I separated and went to look for him, I was darting through the battle field and duelling whilst I was searching for him."
Oliver felt himself smiling; that had been she'd saved his life and she hadn't even known it.
"I lost count of how many Killing Curses I'd dodged by the skin of my teeth," she sighed. "When Harry came back from the dead, Neville pulled the Gryffindor Sword from the sorting hat and he killed Nagini. And that was it, Harry and Voldemort battling for the fate of the world. Voldemort fell and Harry stood triumphantly."
He frowned thoughtfully. "But ye said there were seven Horcruxes, a only counted six. The diary, the ring, the locket, the cup, the diadem an' the snake. Tha's six," he listed.
"Harry," she said softly. "Harry was the seventh and final Horcrux." Oliver's eyes widened. "When Voldemort killed Harry, he destroyed his own Horcrux. It's why they had the connection they did, because Harry had part of Voldemort's soul in him."
"Hoo was Harry resurrected? Ye said so yerself, he died."
Hermione felt herself growing tired and she was very comfortable being held by Oliver, feeling the comfort and protection he was offering her and she couldn't help basking in it. She couldn't remember a time she'd felt so relaxed and safe. Oliver was right, telling him did make her feel better. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She wasn't completely fine, but she felt better and she knew with time, it would continue to get better.
"He did. Do you know the tale of The Three Brothers?"
"Ye mean the legend af The Deathly Hallows? The cloak, the stone an' the wand?"
"Yes, Dumbledore left me a book in his will, the tale of Beadle and the Bards and he'd scribbled a symbol on it. A triangle with a circle inside of it, with a line inside of that. It took most of the year, but after some help from Mr. Lovegood I figured out what it was. You see it wasn't a legend. The Deathly Hallows are real, they exist."
"What?" he said dumbly and he pushed Hermione away from him slightly so he could see her face.
"The Deathly Hallows exist, they're real," she repeated. "In Dumbledore's will he left Harry the first golden snitch he ever caught. Dumbledore was in possession of the Resurrection Stone and he hid in the snitch and when Harry died, the stone brought him back. Harry was left a family heirloom by his father and it was entrusted into the safe keeping of Dumbledore before he died. Dumbledore gave it to Harry for Christmas our first year."
"What was it?"
"An invisibility cloak." His eyes widened. "If you only knew how much trouble we avoided thanks to it," she smiled slightly. "That just leaves the Elder Wand. It belonged to Dumbledore and when he died, Voldemort found his grave and stole the wand wanting the control of the most powerful wand in existence, but he was furious when he wasn't able to master it, and that's why he killed Snape. He did so because he was of the belief that he was the true owner of the wand as he was the one to kill Dumbledore."
"A'm gettin' the feeling tha' he wisnae."
"No, he wasn't. You become the Master of the Elder Wand by disarming and not by killing. It was Malfoy's mission to kill Dumbledore and because he failed, Snape did it. But Malfoy disarmed Dumbledore before his death."
"Are ye sayin' tha' Malfoy, the little shit..." She giggled at him, a smiled pulling at his mouth at the sound. "Is the owner af the most powerful wand in existence?"
"Not anymore," she shook her head. "When we were captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, Harry disarmed several of those present, Malfoy being one of them."
"Harry is the Master af the Elder Wand?" He questioned.
"He used Malfoy's wand which belonged to him, to kill Voldemort."
"So he's the Master af the Elder Wand?" He repeated.
"Yeah, Harry has the Elder Wand," she said, but the tone of voice she used had him looking at her strangely.
"Yer lying," he frowned.
"No, I'm not," she said, a little too quickly to be believable.
"Ye are. What are ye hiding from mae? Yer've told mae a'thing, so what aren't ye telling mae now?"
She looked up at him and sighed in defeat. "Fine, but you can't repeat this. Fred and George don't even know what I'm about to tell you."
He felt himself perk up at that news; she was going to tell him something that was so important she hadn't even told the twins? He would know something they didn't?
"A won't tell anyone," he promised.
"Harry's no longer the Master of the Elder Wand. After the battle, Harry still had some residual anger in him and I caught him chasing after a Death Eater and was forced to disarm him before he caused some serious damage."
Oliver stared at her in surprise, his eyes wide and mouth parted. "Are ye saying tha'..." he started, but was unable to finish voicing his thoughts.
"That I am the Master of the Elder Wand? Yes, I am."
Oliver's mind was reeling at a million miles an hour.
"Oliver? Oliver?" Hermione spoke, waving her hand in front of his face to get his attention. Slowly, he blinked before looking at her. "Are okay, you zoned out on me?"
"Aye, a'm alright," he said quietly, staring at her. "Can a see it? The Elder Wand?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders before picking up her wand and handing it over to him. He took it carefully and stared at it thoughtfully, feeling the buzz of its power prickling at his skin.
"It doesn't look like Dumbledore's wand," he commented.
"How do you know what his wand looked like?" She questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"He taught one af mae classes in me first year, he was standing in fer the day as one me professors had a family emergency."
"It doesn't look like his wand because it's my wand, the wand I got from Ollivander's when I was eleven. The way the Elder Wand works is that the person who disarms you becomes the Master, but instead of taking the persons wand and using it for yourself, the power is transferred to the new Master's wand."
"So if a was tae disarm ye, the power af the Elder Wand would be transferred tae me wand?"
"Yes, that's why Voldemort stealing Dumbledore's wand didn't work. Not only did he not disarm him, he had the wrong wand entirely. You're not going to disarm me, are you?"
"Naw," he shook his head. "Tha' kind af power belongs in the hands af someone who knows hoo tae protect it," he said and Hermione smiled at him.
Oliver was quick to notice that her smile was different. Usually you could see that she was haunted by her past, in the way it clung to features, making her seem sad and older than she was. But this smile, he saw a brightness to her eyes that he hadn't before.
"Wait, a've jus' remembered somethin', dinnae ye tell mae the twins disarmed ye befere? Doesn't tha' mean tha' one af them has the Elder Wand?"
"No, when they let me out and gave me my wand back, I disarmed them both as a precaution. I'm still the Master of the Elder Wand."
He gave her wand back to her and she reached over to place it on the surface of the bedside table, before laying down on the mattress and getting herself comfortable. Oliver mimicked her actions, laying himself down and she turned on her side so they were facing each other. Silently, they watched each other, allowing their thoughts and emotions to settle.
"Tell me a secret," Hermione requested quietly. He raised an eyebrow. "I've just told you one of the biggest secrets of my life, only Harry knows as he was involved."
"Fair point, but a don' have many secrets; a'm an open book most af the time," he replied.
"What about the times when you're not?"
He shrugged his shoulders and a thoughtful look pulled at his face. "When a was six, a broke me training broom an' blamed me Da. Me Ma went on a rampage through the manor." Hermione giggled and he smiled at the sound. "He still gets glares from time tae time, she never got over it. Yer turn,"
"I repeat, I have just told you one of the biggest secrets of my life."
"Then tell mae another. What happened tae yer parents?"
She flinched back slightly a pain filled her features. He wondered if he'd pushed her too far for the night, but to his surprise she answered him.
"They died, that's why I don't live with them. Christmas, my sixth year, I obliviated them, gave them new identities and shipped them off to Australia, they'd always wanted to visit but had never had the chance. I sent them away for their safety, to protect them. I had to; I'm the most famous Muggleborn witch in the world." He nodded in understanding and he reached over to wipe away a tear that fell down her cheek. "Before Bill and Fleur's wedding I received word from The Australian Ministry that the trace that had been put on my parents alerted them to something strange. When they arrived at their house it was to find a bloodbath. They'd been tortured and slaughtered, but because I'd taken away their memories, they didn't know who I was. I sent them away to protect them and I failed."
"It wisnae yer fault," he said softly. "Ye did the best ye could tae protect them. It was jus' unfortunate tha' they were found." She slowly nodded and he wiped away her tears with his thumbs.
"Have you picked your wedding party, yet?" She asked, changing the subject and he nodded in reply. "Are Fred and George a part of it?"
"Why?"
"I had planned on asking them to walk me down the aisle; I couldn't imagine anyone else doing it. They're the closest thing I have to a family.
"What aboot bridesmaids?"
"Just Fleur, she's six weeks pregnant and she won't be showing for a while yet, so we won't have a fit getting her in her dress."
"Have ye picked yer dress yet?"
"No, I'm cutting it a bit close; we're going to Muggle London sometime next week. The twins are forcing me to take the day off," she scowled and Oliver chuckled. "I believe it's your turn to tell me a secret."
He frowned thoughtfully. "When s was thirteen, a accidently set Professor McGonagall's hat on fire." Hermione burst out laughing and his mouth pulled into a smile.
"Merlin, imagine the look on her face," she laughed.
He snorted at her. "Don' have tae, a was there tae witness it. Yer turn,"
"Okay, I've never told anyone this before. In my first year, I pranked Marcus Flint."
"Ye did? Why?" He asked, only to see her cheeks colouring pink. "Now a'm interested, tell mae," he said amused.
"I was angry and just happened to become my target."
"Why?"
"It was the first Quidditch match of the season, Harry's first game and his broom was jinxed, so I was already feeling quite scornful, and then Flint was cheating and he stole the beaters' bat and hit a bludger, which then smacked into you and you fell off your broom. I was already in a bit of a mood to begin with, so when he did that I just saw red and I vowed to get revenge." She was blushing furiously and he was grinned at her.
"Ye pranked him 'coz he hurt mae?" He questioned, being amused by her reaction.
"Not entirely," she replied, burying her head under the blanket and he laughed at her.
"A think it's cute tha' ye had a crush on mae," he said.
Hermione sat up quickly and threw the blanket off herself. "I did not!" She gasped in outrage and surprise. Oliver couldn't help when he burst out laughing, seeing her bright red face from both her outrage and her embarrassment.
She picked up a pillow and hit him with it in the face. His laughter cut off immediately and he sat up and looked at her with a serious expression on his face.
"Oh, it's on!" He said, reaching to grab a pillow and hitting Hermione with it.
She yelped in surprise and fell back, sprawling on the mattress and laughing loudly. Oliver began repeatedly hitting her with the pillow and she fought back as best she could. She wasn't sure how, but she'd managed to get the upper hand with Oliver being on back and Hermione kneeling beside him as she continuously whacked him the pillow. Hermione wasn't expecting for Oliver to reach out and grab her arms and he gave a tug, she squeaked in surprise as she fell forward and landing on his chest. She looked at him with wide eyes as they gazed into each other's eyes silently.
"It's early; we should probably get some sleep before we have to get up for work," Hermione said, breaking the silence.
"Aye, we probably should," Oliver agreed, but neither of them moved.
Oliver was watching for her reaction as he slowly lifted his head and Hermione lowered hers to meet him in the kiss. Their lips met and they moved together slowly and softly. The kiss ended all too soon in Oliver's opinion as Hermione pulled away from him and she turned on her side to face away from him and he frowned.
"You should get some sleep, you've got training in a few hours," she said quietly.
Oliver shifted behind her to get more comfortable.
"What are you doing?"
"Gettin' comfortable," he answered.
"You're not going back to your own room?"
"Naw, why does it bother ye?" He asked with a smirk pulling at his mouth. She didn't answer. "A've been thinking..."
"That's dangerous," she quipped.
"Ow, tha' wounded mae."
"I doubt it; you've got a huge ego."
Oliver bit back the retort of 'that's not the only thing that's huge,' knowing she wouldn't appreciate it and she'd likely hex him. "A've been thinking an' ye havnae shown mae any af yer scars."
"That's because they're hideous and a place I don't broadcast to the public."
"A'm gunna see them anyway on our wedding night."
Oliver noticed a change in her breathing, so he pulled her towards him and moved her until she was laid on her back. Her face was a little pale and she looked slightly anxious and uncomfortable. A thought suddenly occurred to him, something he probably should've thought about before.
"Sparrow?" He said carefully and watching her for a reaction. "Are ye a virgin?"
Her face flamed bright red and he already had his answer, he didn't need her to confirm it.
"Yes," she squeaked, embarrassed. "And don't judge me, when have I had time to have a relationship?"
Learning that she hadn't given that part of herself away to someone actually pleased him. It meant that she would be his completely, and no one but him would experience it with her. He thought that maybe he was caring far too much, but he realised that he, Oliver Wood, was falling for Hermione Granger. And he was falling hard and fast. That realisation scared him a little.
"A'm not judging ye," he said honestly.
"Good, now stop asking me awkward questions and let me sleep," she glared.
Hermione turned back onto her side and Oliver pulled her back against his chest, slipping his arm around her before she batted at his hand and then lifted it off her. Oliver chuckled and put his arm back over her waist, she sighed in annoyance and a smirk pulled at his mouth. Once more she lifted his hand off her and she shuffled forward out of his reach and he chuckled. Seeing Quaffle sat on the floor by the bed and watching her, Hermione reached over to pull him up onto the mattress and laid himself down in front of her, and she snuggled against him.
"Before I forget," Hermione said tiredly. "I'm allergic to any and all Pain Relief Potions and Pepper-up Potions. It's a side effect of all the torture. We learned that the hard way."
"A'll remember," he promised.