A/N I'm so sorry for the late update! School has been absolutely crazy. I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: anything you recognize belongs to J.K.R.
Chapter 5: Third Year
When Oliver stepped off the train at the end of last year, he knew something had shifted inside of him in regards to Hermione. It was like she had become an extension of him, and he didn't want to have to be away from her. He wasted no time when he got home, and immediately drafted a letter to her and sent it off with Silas. The ache had lessened after she was no longer petrified, and he didn't want it to come back again.
He knew that he wanted to be able to see her over the summer, so he approached his mum and dad after dinner. They were clearing away the dishes when he spoke up, "Um…A was wonderin' if Hermione could come over tae the manor this summer?"
His dad just raised an eyebrow at him while his mum looked at him with shock. "Really? Ye've never wanted tae have a girl over befere," she said.
Oliver's cheeks went slightly pink, but he pushed on, "Well, A enjoy spending time with her, an' A think she an' her parents would like the manor an' the grounds."
Beth gave Oliver a soft smile as she said, "Well tha' is very true. A loved gettin' tae spend time with Jean."
Oliver looked at his mother with hopeful eyes and she laughed and said, "A'll owl the Grangers in the mornin' an' see if they'd like tae join us fer tea."
Oliver felt like his heart was going to explode from happiness, and did his best to keep the grin off of his face.
It was only two days later that Beth had been able to connect the Granger's fireplace to the floo network, and they were coming to the manor for lunch.
Oliver stood in the living room waiting for their arrival, and Beth laughed at him as she saw him struggling not to squirm. Before she could comment, the fireplace was roaring green and Oliver rushed forward.
He offered Mr. and Mrs. Granger a hand out of the fireplace and led them over to the sofa. He was looking down at the couch when the fireplace roared again. Oliver spun around and his breath caught in his throat. Hermione was delicately stepping out of the fireplace, and she looked beautiful. She was wearing a baby blue summer dress that flared out at her hips as she moved. Her hair was pulled back from her face, and she had white sandals on her feet. She met Oliver's eyes and gave him a dazzling smile.
As soon as Hermione was finished dusting herself off, Beth announced that lunch would be served out on the terrace. She gave Oliver a hard look, and he immediately stepped up to offer his arm to Hermione. She blushed as she slipped her arm into his. As they were walking behind their parents he leaned down to whisper, "Ye look beautiful today, Hermione." Hermione's blush deepend, but she gave a genuine smile as she thanked him.
Lunch went off without a hitch, and Oliver spent the time asking Hermione about the time they had been apart. She explained that her parents were still working during the day, so she just spent her time reading. Oliver realized that she often spent the majority of her summers alone, and his heart ached for her. He didn't want her to be without company, so he told her his house was open at any point. He didn't think she had ever looked so happy as when she said that she would remember.
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Hermione and Oliver spent nearly every day together. She would eat breakfast with her parents and see them off to work before she would floo over to Oliver's house. Most mornings he would be sat on the couch waiting for her, but there was the occasional day that he staggered into the living room with wild hair trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. Hermione would never admit it, but she thought he looked rather adorable with his spiky hair and sleepy smiles.
Their days were filled with all manner of activities. On the days that Jordan joined them they would play boardgames or she would lay out in the grass and watch them play quidditch. Her favorite part was teaching them about muggle games that she used to see the kids in her neighborhood play when she was younger. Who would have thought a water balloon fight could be so much fun! She ran around throwing balloons, and she couldn't help the snort of laughter that escaped her as she caught Oliver in the face. She squealed as he started to chase her, and Jordan pelted balloons at the both of them.
Secretly, Hermione preferred the days when Jordan wasn't able to join them. She and Oliver spent the days reading to each other as they lay in the grass, spending time with his mum in the kitchen, and Oliver even showed her his favorite spot on the grounds. The forest that was on the edge of the grounds held thick oak trees that were taller than Hermione had ever seen. Oliver grabbed her hand as he led her through the trees. They had been walking for some time when they came upon a clearing. Hermione gasped at the small pool of water that was in the middle of a picturesque meadow. The water was so clear that she could see through it, and the sun shone through the thick canopy of trees.
Oliver pulled out a picnic basket and enlarged it with a smile. He laid out a blanket and carefully started distributing the food. Hermione kicked off her shoes and spread out on the blanket before him. As she looked around the clearing, she couldn't help but think that it was amazing such a place even existed. She smiled as Oliver handed her a sandwich, and she took a bite before asking, "How did you even find this place Oliver?"
"Well," he responded, "When A was younger, A got overwhelmed bein' around so many people when me ma' held parties. One day, A went fer a walk, an' befere A knew it, A was in this place. It's calmed mae ever since."
Hermione understood. The attic had always been her go-to spot when she didn't want to have to socialize with whomever her parents had invited over. They spent the rest of the afternoon in the clearing. At one point, Hermione shifted so that her head rested against Oliver's legs while she read the book that she had brought. It was nearly sundown before Oliver packed up their picnic and once again grabbed her hand to lead her back to the house. Hermione followed him silently, but she couldn't help but think that Oliver's hand felt perfect curled around her own.
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As Oliver arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, he wasn't surprised to see the entire Weasley family there. Both Hermione and Percy had told him that they would be staying there before they headed back to school. It didn't take much convincing to get his parents to allow him to join them. He looked around the people in the room, trying to find the head of hair that he was hoping to see. He didn't have to wait long before he heard her annoyed voice. "Honestly, Ronald! If you would just keep your rat away from Crookshanks, we wouldn't have any problems!" He turned around to see her stomping down the stairs with a ball of orange fur in her arms.
Hermione looked up when she reached the bottom of the stairs and spotted Oliver. Her face immediately brightened, and she rushed over to him. He knew that she would have flung herself at him in a hug if she didn't have her arms full. "When did you get here?" she asked.
"A got here a couple af minutes ago," he replied.
Ron came bounding down the stairs after her and said, "Oi don't get too close to the beast there, Oliver."
Oliver gave Hermione a confused look and she sighed and said, "Ron seems to have a problem with sweet Crooks here."
Oliver laughed as she shoved her face into the cat's fur and said, "It's just a cat isn't it?'"
Harry took the opportunity to jump in as he said, "Well, he doesn't seem to like being around anyone but Hermione."
Hermione shot Harry a glare and he put his hands up and said, "Hey, I'm not taking sides. I'm simply pointing out that he won't let anyone touch him but you."
Hermione just rolled her eyes before she whispered to Oliver, "They're being dramatic."
At that point Crookshanks jumped out of Hermione's arms and sauntered out of the room with his tail flicking behind him. Hermione and Oliver sat at the table as Mrs. Weasley called everyone to dinner. They spent the meal listening to the chatter from the Weasleys and laughing at the antics of Fred and George. The twins kept ribbing Percy about making head boy and attempting to turn his hair blue. No amount of glaring from Mrs. Weasley could deter them.
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The next day as they boarded the train, Hermione couldn't help but feel sad. This was her last year at Hogwarts with Oliver by her side, and she wasn't quite sure what she was going to do without him. Oliver seemed to know what she was thinking as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into the seat next to him. "A promise it'll be okay," he said to her. Hermione nodded her head and leaned into him a little bit more.
The compartment was full as Harry, Ron, Percy, Neville, and Ginny piled in. No one really paid attention to the sleeping man in the corner of the compartment. The first half of the ride was spent listening to the Weasley's regale tales of their time in Egypt. Oliver was happy that they were finally able to take a family vacation that they had always wanted.
They were all happily chatting until the lights in the compartment flickered and went out. He noticed that the train had come to a complete stop, and he wondered what was going on. Suddenly, he felt like all of the life had been sucked out of the room. He was imagining a world in which Hermione was taken from him, and he couldn't move. Hermione grabbed onto him in terror, and he wrapped his arms around her and put her on his lap. He wrapped his cloak around her in an effort to further shield her from the shadow that stood outside the door. All of a sudden the sleeping man stood up and cast a spell that shot a bright blue light out of his wand.
When the dark shadow that had been standing in the door disappeared, Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. The lights came back on, and when he looked around the compartment he saw his fear mirrored in the eyes of the others. The man explained that the creature was in fact a dementor from Azkaban. Oliver had heard about the dementors, but he had never been in the same room as one. As everyone started to right themselves and get back into their seats, Hermione made to remove herself from his lap. His arms tightened around her, and one look from Oliver had her leaning back into his arms and resting her head on his shoulder. No one was able to speak for the rest of the trip to Hogwarts.
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The beginning of the year was working out a little differently than Hermione thought it would. She enjoyed having the opportunity to take so many classes and the fact that Professor McGonagall trusted her with a time turner, but she just wasn't ready for how much it was all actually going to be. The increased course load meant that she had even less free time than she normally did.
She was happy that she had been able to bring a familiar to Hogwarts this year, though. She knew that Crookshanks didn't warm up to many people, but that didn't matter to her. The second she had spotted him in the shop she knew that he was meant to be hers. The first week they were back, Crooks would sit and watch Oliver when he was around Hermione. She had started to scold him for it, but Oliver had stopped her.
"He isnae doin' anything bad, Hermione. He just wants to see who is around his mistress," he said. Hermione had given him a broad grin and continued on with her homework. It was after the first week that Crookshanks must have decided that Oliver was acceptable. Hermione was astonished the first time that he had jumped into Oliver's lap and stretched out. Hermione had looked on in shock while Oliver laughed and said, "A knew ye'd come around." Now, Crooks could be seen with Oliver just as often as he was with Hermione. She was happy that they got along so well. It also helped that Oliver would stick up for Crookshanks anytime Ron went off on a rant about how horrible he was to Scabbers.
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Everything changed for Hermione when Harry got that blasted firebolt. She hadn't wanted to spoil their fun, but really, who would take an anonymous gift! There were already dementors surrounding the school because of Sirius Black, and Hermione would not put it past someone to sneak something harmful to Harry in the form of a gift. She was just trying to protect him. The weeks that Harry and Ron wouldn't talk to her because of the broom were some of the worst of her life. She was exhausted. She had hoped that they would understand that Harry's life was more important to her than whether or not Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup.
She had stopped attending meals because she couldn't stand to look at all of the disapproving faces that were sat at the Gryffindor table. She ate by herself down in the kitchen, if she ate at all. She didn't spend any time in the Common Room anymore, and she made sure to never sit at her usual table in the library. She hadn't previously known about the table tucked away in a nook in the far corner of the library. It was difficult to see if you didn't know it was there, and it worked perfectly for her.
She spent hours in the library hiding out at that table. Even after she had finished all of her homework, she would browse the shelves and get a stack of books that she wanted to read as well. She laughed to herself as she realized that she had truly come full circle. While she didn't have any friends in her muggle school she spent all of her free time hiding out in the library, and that's where she was again.
She hadn't had the courage to look at Oliver since the whole broom fiasco. She knew how important winning the cup was to him, and she couldn't bear to see disappointment or anger in his eyes. Having Harry and Ron be mad at her was something she could handle. Seeing Oliver upset would somehow break the tenuous strings that she had wrapped around her heart to keep it together. She would rather have the ache in her chest at being away from him rather than have him hate her too.
She was so intent on avoiding him that she was completely shocked the day he reached out and pulled her into an abandoned classroom. He had locked and silenced the room before she even had the chance to run away. Hermione could feel him looking at her as she stood faced away from him. She felt him approach her and nearly sobbed when he reached out to touch her. "Hermione," was all he said.
She was trying to keep her tears from falling as he turned her around to face him. She refused to look up at him and stared resolutely at his chest. "Will ye look at mae?" he whispered to her. She couldn't help the broken sob that left her as she shook her head. Oliver placed his hands gently on her cheeks and tilted her head to look up at him. He wiped the stray tears away with his thumbs as he repeated, "Hermione."
The tears came faster as Hermione was forced to look into Oliver's face. He looked worn down and tired. "Why have ye been hiding from mae?" he asked her.
Hermione closed her eyes and quietly said, "I couldn't have you hate me too."
Oliver pushed his hand into her hair as he said, "Oh Hermione, A could never hate ye."
"I ruined everything," she rushed out, "Harry has a broom that could have won the Quidditch Cup, but I was just trying to keep him safe."
Oliver's heart broke for this beautiful girl who was so fiercely protective of those she loved. She had been suffering Ron and Harry's wrath all because she cared about him. Those two really could be idiots sometimes.
"A broom shouldn't make tha' much difference. If we can't win without one broom, we don't deserve the cup," he said.
Hermione searched his face for any sign he was lying, and when she found none she said, "You really don't hate me?"
Oliver brought Hermione's head to his chest and buried his nose in her hair. "No," he whispered.
That 'no' was like a prayer for Hermione. She felt all of the stress and heartache slip away as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Please don't run from mae again," he said as he held her tighter.
"I won't," she promised.
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Oliver woke on his birthday the same way he did any other day. He was headed down the stairs to head to breakfast when he was met with Hermione's grinning face. "What are ye doing?" he asked her.
She smiled wider and linked her arm with his as she said, "You didn't think that I would forget your birthday, did you?"
Oliver laughed and let her pull him along as he said, "A suppose A should have guessed."
When he reached the table in the Great Hall he was met with birthday wishes from the quidditch team and Jordan. Hermione sat beside Oliver and carefully prepared his breakfast. He was chatting with Jordan about what they were going to do for the day because it was a Saturday. They decided that an impromptu game of Quidditch would be a fun way to spend the morning. As they headed down to the pitch, Oliver couldn't help but appreciate that it was an exceptionally warm day for the middle or March. They split up into teams with him, Jordan, and the twins against Harry, Katie, Angelina, and Alicia. Hermione had settled down into the stands with a book and offered him a smile as he leapt into the air.
They played three games, and Oliver's team won two of them. He wasn't surprised when Hermione rushed down onto the field to congratulate him on his win. As everyone touched down they were all grinning and red in the face. They were all laughing and talking as they headed back up to the castle just in time for lunch. After the meal they headed to Gryffindor tower where Hermione disappeared. He didn't realize she wasn't with their group when they entered the portrait hole, but before he could go off to find her Jordan was pulling him down into a game of exploding snap. A couple of hours later Hermione came stumbling through the portrait with a wide smile and bright eyes. She walked straight up to Oliver and said, "Will you come with me? I have a surprise for you."
Oliver looked her over before he nodded and rose from the couch. "Lead the way," was all he said before she grabbed his hand and started pulling him from the tower. He was confused before he realized that she was leading him to their abandoned classroom.
Hermione pulled him to a stop before the door and instructed him to close his eyes. He did as she wished and she put her small hands in his to slowly lead him into the room. When he opened his eyes he laughed. She had put together a quidditch themed party! There was a table near the back of the room that held snacks and a large chocolate cake. She had enchanted miniature balls to flutter around like snitches, and she even set up a fountain that was in the shape of his keeper's hoops. Above the table with the food was a banner that said Happy Birthday Oliver. He finally looked over to see Hermione standing there looking almost nervous. "Do you like it?" she asked him. He reached out to her and pulled her into his arms. She squeaked when he picked her up and spun her around as he said, "A love it! No one has ever thrown mae a party befere."
He set her down and Hermione held onto him while she steadied herself. She looked up at him and responded, "Well good. The guests will be here soon." As if on cue Jordan strolled through the door with a grin and said, "Let's get this party started!" The rest of the quidditch team and what seemed like all of Gryffindor followed. Hermione laughed as she saw Fred and George enter with a magical boombox balanced between them. "You can't have a party without music!" they said. Oliver watched all of the people pile into the room with awe. He had never had a proper birthday party while he was at Hogwarts. He wrapped an arm around Hermione and pressed a kiss to the top of her hair as he said, "Thank ye." Hermione just wrapped an arm around his waist and said, "You're welcome."
They spent the rest of the evening laughing and hanging out with all of their friends. As the room was finally clearing out, Hermione grabbed hold of Oliver's sleeve. "I have a gift for you," she said. Oliver led her over to a transfigured couch and took a seat. Hermione sat next to him and handed him a package wrapped in blue and gold. Oliver took it from her hands and carefully took the paper off the box. When he opened it, he pulled out a shirt that was different from any other he had seen. It was simultaneously light and heavy. He looked to Hermione, "It's meant for exercise," she said, "you can wear it under your quidditch jersey and it will keep you warm when it's cold and cool you off if you get too hot." Oliver gave Hermione a brilliant smile as he said, "A can't wait tae try it out."
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The night that Sirius Black snuck into Hogwarts was the day that Hermione saw a completely different side of Oliver. He held her hand and refused to let go as he escorted her down to the Great Hall with the rest of Gryffindor house. As everyone was settling down in their sleeping bags, Oliver pulled his over to be right beside Hermione. The twins had started to tease him about it, but the look that he gave them had their words dying in their throat.
Hermione put a hand on his shoulder and said, "You don't have to do this Oliver. I think I'll be okay."
Oliver didn't move away, but he turned to her and said, "If there's a murderer in the castle, ye can bet that I'll be right by yer side."
Hermione nodded and secretly appreciated that Oliver was so intent on staying beside her. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the fact that Sirius had been able to break into Gryffindor tower had frightened her. She laid down and felt Oliver move behind her. He wrapped his arm around her waist as he settled in to sleep. He thought that Hermione fit quite snugly curled up in front of him. As Hermione drifted off, she couldn't help but realize that being in Oliver's arms was the most perfect thing she had ever felt in her life. It didn't matter that there was a murderer in the castle. She was safe.
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As the end of the year approached, Hermione was more stressed than she had been all year. The professors were trying to prepare the students for exams, and it felt like the workload had tripled. While she was no longer fighting with Harry and Ron, she found that she didn't have the same energy to deal with their immaturity. She was barely finishing all of her own work, and she didn't have time to try and help them with theirs. She shouldn't have been surprised that she got sick with the amount of stress that she was under.
It had started with just a runny nose, but she now was experiencing body aches and had the worst headache of her life. She was slumped over one of the tables in the Common Room when Oliver came up to her. "What happened tae ye?" he asked her.
Hermione didn't have the strength to lift her head from the table as she said, "I don't feel very good."
Oliver swept the hair off her face and his eyebrows furrowed as he got a good look at her. "Hermione, why don' ye go tae bed? It's already 10:30."
Tears filled Hermione's eyes as she said, "I can't. I have too much homework to do."
"Ye can do it tomorrow. A can't believe nobody stopped ye working befere now."
He placed his hand against her forehead and said, "Merlin yer burnin' up. Ye need some rest."
He helped her stand and started to lead her to the girl's staircase when she said, "Stay?"
Oliver hesitated for only a moment before he redirected her over to the couch. He sat first and Hermione followed him onto the couch and placed her head on his lap. He took his sweater off and conjured it into a blanket that he draped over her. Hermione let out a long sigh as Oliver's scent surrounded her. She wasn't aware of how truly awful she was feeling until some of that pain went away. Hermione finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep as Oliver carded his fingers through her hair.
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The rest of the year went by quickly for Oliver, and he was relaxing after finishing his last NEWT when he felt it. Sheer terror shot through him and he sat up straight. He looked around quickly before he realized that there was nothing around him. His heart sank as he realized the feeling in his chest wasn't his. This panic. He knew that he wasn't terrified. The only thing he could think of was…Hermione.
Oliver jumped out of his bed and ran down to the Common Room. He noticed that it was dark outside and his pace quickened. Something was very, very wrong. When he reached the room, he searched for Hermione. When he didn't see her, he made his way over to Neville. "Have ye seen Hermione?" he asked when he got there.
Neville looked up and saw Oliver's frantic face, "No, I haven't seen her since dinner."
Oliver was off before Neville could say anything else. He raced from the tower through the halls. By the time he reached Professor McGonagall's office, he was out of breath.
He stormed in there to find the professor seated at her desk. She looked alarmed when she saw him with his red face and wild eyes. "Can I help you, Mr. Wood?" she asked.
Oliver sucked in a deep breath as he said, "A think Hermione an' the boys are in trouble."
"Why would you think such a thing?"
"Well, A can't really explain it," he started, "A was sitting in the tower when A felt indescribable fear. A know it's not mine, and me gut tells mae that Hermione is in trouble."
McGonagall looked him over for any sign that he was being untruthful. When she found none she looked out the window to see the full moon high in the sky. She was out of her seat faster than Oliver had ever seen her move. "Stay here," she instructed.
Oliver stood in her office after she left. He wasn't sure where she had gone, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sit still while Hermione was in trouble. He took off through the castle not knowing where his feet were taking him. Somehow, he knew that he was headed towards Hermione.
When Oliver hit the grass outside the castle doors, a chill ran down his spine. There was a shrill howl that shattered the peaceful quiet of the night. Oliver ran faster. He knew the rumors that werewolves roamed the Forbidden Forest, and he had an inkling that's where Hermione was.
When Oliver ran past the trees on the edge of the forest he slowed his pace slightly. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself lest he encounter a different deadly creature. He made his way through the forest; following the tug in his chest that he knew would lead him to her.
He wasn't prepared to stumble into a clearing to see Harry standing over two crumbled figures with hundreds of dementors surrounding him. The crippling sadness nearly overwhelmed him until he saw a dementor swoop low over Hermione. With a cry he slashed his wand in the dementor's direction, and a burst of energy shot out of him. Blinding white light surrounded him and the exhausted figures on the ground.
He heard Harry shout a patronus charm before his stag joined Oliver in warding off the dementors. After they had flown away, Harry sank to the ground. Oliver rushed over to Hermione and pulled her to him. She was very cold and very pale. He pulled off his sweater and wrapped it around her as he gently brushed the hair off her face. Her eyelids fluttered and Oliver nearly sobbed in relief. He pulled her closer to him and buried his face in her hair. He was whispering comforting words to her when he felt her hand curl into his shirt. "I'm okay," she whispered.
"A thought we promised no more danger," he said into her hair.
Hermione let out a soft laugh and said, "I think the danger just finds me."
At that time Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore rushed into the clearing. McGonagall gave him a stern look before ordering all of them back up to the castle. Oliver scooped Hermione into his arms and began walking back. Hermione began to protest, but the tightening of Oliver's arms had her settling into them and laying her head on his chest. She let his scent and the feeling of his arms comfort her. She was safe. Oliver felt contentment wash over him as the girl in his arms settled.
When they reached the castle, Dumbledore requested that Oliver, Hermione, and Harry join him in his office. At McGonagall's stern look he said, "I will send them to Poppy as soon as we are finished, Minerva." With a huff she walked off and Dumbledore led them to his office. When they were all settled, he asked that they recount the events of the night.
Oliver listened in astonishment as he heard about them taking on Sirius Black only to find him innocent and then Professor Lupin turning into a werewolf. When they reached the part of the story where Olive was involved, Harry paused. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, Professor," he said, "One minute we were surrounded, and then Oliver set off this great burst of light."
Oliver shifted as both Hermione and Dumbledore's eyes settled on him. Hermione seemed to sense his discomfort as she smiled at him and took his hand. Oliver saw Dumbledore's eyes flicker to their clasped hands.
"That's very interesting, Harry," Dumbledore said, "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to head to see Madam Pomfrey while I have a word with Miss Granger and Mr. Wood."
Hermione looked over to Harry before he nodded and stood to leave. As soon as the door closed Dumbledore turned his attention back to the pair. He sat quiet for a moment before he started to speak.
"Mr. Wood can you tell me how you came to be in the clearing in the Forbidden Forest?"
"Well sir," Oliver began, "A was in Gryffindor tower when A felt very scared. A didn't have anything tae fear, and A just knew tha' it wasnae mae. A knew Hermione was in trouble."
"That's when you alerted Professor McGonagall, correct?"
"Yes sir," he replied, "A felt this tug in mae chest, an' A followed it tae Hermione an' Harry."
Dumbledore sat processing this information for a moment before he said, "And did you produce a patronus?"
"A don' think so sir. A saw a dementor swooping towards Hermione, an' A jus' slashed me wand. Harry produced his, though."
It was a long moment before Hermione interjected, "I'm sorry sir, but what is the meaning of this?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he said, "I believe, Miss Granger, that you and Mr. Wood may have a soul bond."
The room was dead silent until Hermione came out of her shock. "What!?" she questioned, "How can we have a soul bond? How do you know?"
Dumbledore chuckled before answering her question, "Well, it is extremely rare to have a soul bond, but the two individuals are incredibly close from the moment they meet. Almost as if they have an affinity for each other."
Oliver and Hermione looked at each other before he went on, "You and Mr. Wood have been close since the moment you stepped foot in Hogwarts. Additionally, a soul bond is the only explanation for him not only sensing you were in trouble and feeling your emotions, but being able to find you as well."
"I've read about soul bonds sir," Hermione said, "I don't think we have any of the additional powers that the book alluded to."
"No?" Dumbledore asked, "And what would you call producing such magic as to ward off hundreds of dementors?"
Hermione's mouth hung open and Oliver said, "A was able tae do tha' because af a bond between mae an' Hermione?"
Dumbledore nodded and said, "I believe your bond to be in the preliminary stages, but if it is this strong before it has been completed I imagine you two will be extremely powerful if the bond is allowed to strengthen."
Oliver and Hermione sat contemplating everything that they had heard when Dumbledore stood and gestured to his door.
"I believe that is all for tonight," he said, "Mr. Wood please escort Miss Granger back to Gryffindor tower."
Oliver nodded and helped Hermione stand. Just as they were about to reach the door, Dumbledore spoke again, "Oh, and one more thing. Soul bonds are so incredibly rare and…sought after. I believe it would be best to keep the knowledge of the bond quiet for the time being."
Oliver and Hermione nodded before slipping out the door and off to the tower.