Chapter 6
"Sorry about that," Hermione said, blushing nervously.
"No, no," Oliver said, chuckling again. "It's alright, lass. You didn't do anything wrong. See, I knew you were smart. I'm just surprised that I never thought about that... Or the twins," he said laughing again.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, well, Fred and George are always complaining about having to carry it down to practice," Oliver said with a wink.
Hermione just laughed, picturing the redheaded, fun-loving, obnoxious twins she'd met earlier in the week in her head.
"So," Oliver asked, and pointed to the chest. "Care to do the honours?"
Hermione pulled out her wand again, pointing it at the trunk and gave it a wave. "Wingardium Leviosa," she said and Oliver clapped as the trunk rose gently in the air.
"Aye, that's perfect," he said, grabbing the handle and pulling it toward the castle. "Come on," he said and waved Hermione to follow.
"Are you really alright, lass?" Oliver asked, looking at her in concern as he moved the trunk into the hall a few minutes later. "I mean, with Harry and Ron?"
"With Harry, yes, I suppose so," Hermione replied and then sighed. "With Ron... not so much."
"STOP!" came a shout, making both her and Oliver jump in surprise, and they looked up to see Filch barreling down the stairs as he yelled, "Magic is forbidden in the corridors! Magic is forbidden in the corridors!"
"Oh, no," Hermione murmured fearfully, and looked to Oliver in panic.
"It's alright," Oliver said and stepped in front of her.
"MAGIC IS FORBIDDEN IN THE CORRIDORS!" Filch yelled again as he approached them.
"I'm sorry, Mr Filch," Oliver said smoothly. "It's my fault. You see, my arms were tired of lugging the Quidditch trunk back up the hill after training with Potter and I'd already sent him on up to the castle..."
"WHAT is going on here?"
Hermione groaned at the new voice and closed her eyes. Now she was in for it.
"Professor McGonagall," Mr Filch said. "I caught these students using magic in the corridors."
"Very well," Professor McGonagall said. "Thank you, Mr Filch. You may go now," she continued, seeing Hermione peer out from behind Oliver and could still see the evidence of magic present in the trunk still floating in the air. "As these are my students, I shall take care of this."
"Yes, mum," Filch replied, and left after sneering at them.
Professor McGonagall waited a moment, looking down at them and eyeing the floating trunk. "Now," she said as she descended the stairs toward them slowly and nodded toward the trunk. "Whose spell is that?"
Hermione swallowed, and stepped out from behind Oliver, her wand still slightly raised to keep the spell active. "It's mine, Professor," she said quietly.
"Is that so?" Professor McGonagall asked again.
"Yes, Professor," Oliver agreed.
"Very well, then," Professor McGonagall said, stopping before them. "Show me."
Hermione swallowed and looked at Oliver who smiled and nodded encouragingly as he let go of the trunk. Stepping forward, Hermione raised her wand and the trunk drifted higher.
"No," Professor McGonagall said, and shook her head. "From the beginning."
Hermione glanced at Oliver and he nodded again.
Slowly, Hermione lowered her wand and the trunk followed until it bumped lightly on the ground. "Finite Incantatem," Hermione said, and it settled on the ground regaining its weight.
Professor McGonagall arched her brow, looking at her with interest, and looked back to the trunk.
Hermione swallowed, closed her eyes briefly before she waved her wand again, "Wingardium Leviosa," she said, and the trunk slowly lifted into the air again.
"Well, so it seems," Professor McGonagall said. Looking at Oliver, she continued, "You have my permission to use magic in the corridors only to take this back to Madam Hooch's office," she said. "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Professor," Oliver and Hermione said, nodding.
"Then," Professor McGonagall continued. "I'd like you both to meet me in my office. You may go."
"Yes, Professor," they both said again, Hermione's slightly delayed and much quieter, her eyes downcast, unable to look at her Head of House.
"Hey," Oliver said gently, and tugged on her sleeve. "Come on."
Hermione nodded and followed him up the stairs as he led the way to Madam Hooch's office.
"It's all my fault," Hermione said forlornly as they knocked on the door to Madam Hooch's office after she had ended the spell on the landing, and Oliver had picked up the trunk to take it the rest of the way so they wouldn't have to explain to yet another teacher they did indeed have permission to use magic in the hallway.
"It's all right, lass," Oliver said. "You were just trying to help."
The door opened and Madam Hooch allowed Oliver inside to put the trunk away while Hermione waited out in the hall. When he returned, they headed back down to Professor McGonagall's office as requested, reaching her office on the 1st floor, Oliver knocked.
"Enter," Professor McGonagall called. As they stepped inside and the door closed behind them, Hermione felt her doom.
"Wood, Ms Granger," she greeted them, motioning to the chairs in front of her desk, and they sat down.
"Professor," they replied.
She arched a brow at them and pushed a tin closer to them. "Have a biscuit."
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Ah, don't look so worried, Ms Granger," she said, motioning to the tin again. "I said, have a biscuit."
Oliver met her eye as she glanced at him in confusion and just shrugged as he reached in the tin and retrieved a biscuit, before taking a bite. Hermione sighed and reached for one as well.
"Professor," she said, her voice filled with uncertainty. "I don't understand... we broke the rules."
"Yes," Professor McGonagall said gravely. "And that's why you are here..."
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, her brow wrinkling.
"You are here because I want to know exactly why you were performing magic in the corridors, outside of classes," Professor McGonagall said, looking at Hermione. "And then," she said, turning to Oliver, "I want to know exactly why Ms Granger accompanied you and Potter to the Quidditch pitch. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Professor," they answered.
"Alright," Professor McGonagall said, turning to Hermione. "Because of the gravity of using magic outside of class, you go first, Ms Granger. Why, exactly, were you using magic in the corridors?"
"Well, we weren't exactly in the corridors," Oliver spoke up.
"Silence, Wood," Professor McGonagall said, glaring at him before turning back to Hermione. "Ms Granger?"
"Well," Hermione said, and swallowed dryly. "Oliver is right, we had only just stepped inside the door when Mr Filch saw us and came barreling down the stairs yelling at us." She stopped, pausing when Professor McGonagall arched a brow. "I - I mean, that is to say... Oliver and Harry worked so hard in practice that their arms were bothering them, so I just wanted to help them out by making the trunk lighter. Honestly, it surprised them and because Oliver had wanted to talk with me, he sent Harry up to the Gryffindor common room while we were going to put the trunk back in Madam Hooch's office and then meet him there."
"I see," Professor McGonagall said, making Hermione squirm under her scrutiny. "Wood?" she said, turning her attention to him. "Would you care to tell me why, exactly, Ms Granger was with you and Potter at practice this evening? I believe that we talked about this, and his training was to be kept secret."
"Aye, Professor," Oliver said. "That we did."
"So what happened?" McGonagall asked, arching her brow.
"Well," Oliver said. "I guess you could say that I took Hermione here under my wing."
"And why is that?"
"Well, she kind of reminds me of me, at her age," Oliver said. "I didn'a make friends too well either... wouldn't have if not for Quidditch. I noticed that she was having a hard time that first night, so I started writing to her." He paused and glanced over at Hermione who smiled weakly. "I didn'a think it would be all that big a deal to have her come along with Potter so that we could meet in person until I found out that he didn't know she'd come along. In fact, Professor," he said as an afterthought. "I invited her out to tryouts before I even knew Potter was going to be training as the new Seeker."
McGonagall arched a brow and turned to Hermione. "You didn't tell Mr Potter about any of this, and instead, followed him secretly?"
Hermione flushed slightly, turning red. "I - I tried to tell him," she protested. "B-but we haven't been getting along very well lately so he didn't really give me the chance."
McGonagall sighed and shook her head. "5 points," she said severely. "Will be taken from both of you. For your lack of judgement."
Hermione winced.
"Now," Professor McGonagall continued. "That was an impressive bit of spell work, Ms Granger. Particularly given that you've yet to attend your Charms lesson. Ten points," she paused, waiting until Hermione peered up at her. "To Gryffindor for exceptional spell work."
Hermione smiled timidly.
"And," Professor McGonagall continued, looking at Oliver. "Ten points," she said. "To Gryffindor for your act of chivalry."
"Thank you, Professor," Oliver and Hermione said, though Hermione's response was slightly delayed with surprise.
"That is all, you may go," McGonagall told them.
"Good night, Professor," they intoned.
"Good night, Wood," McGonagall said. "Good night, Ms Granger."
Hermione sighed in relief as they exited the office and Oliver laughed.
"That was close, wasn't it?" he said with a chuckle.
Hermione nodded. "A bit too close, if you ask me," she replied, but shook her head and smiled as they headed up to the Gryffindor common room.
"So what happened?" Harry asked, when they entered. "It took you long enough!"
Hermione glanced over and saw Ron glaring at her, he humphed and crossed his arms before turning away.
"Had a run in with Filch," Oliver said. "Then we had to report to Professor McGonagall's office after we returned the Quidditch equipment to Madam Hooch. Hey," Oliver said and Hermione blinked, looking back at him. "What's his problem?" he asked and motioned to Ron.
"Oh," Harry said. "That's my fault."
Hermione blinked at him.
"Don't worry about him," Harry continued. "He's just sore that Hermione got to go down to practise with me." Harry turned and looked at Ron, raising his voice as he continued, "Even though I told him I didn't know she'd come along until we were outside. Oi!" he finished, lowering his voice again. "Seriously," he said, rolling his eyes and turning back to Oliver and Hermione. "Don't mind him. He'll get over it."
"Well," Hermione said. "I'm not going to stay down here and watch him glare at me. Good night, Harry, good night, Oliver."
"Good night, Hermione," Harry said and headed back toward the seats by the fire.
"Hey," Oliver said, lowering his voice as he followed Hermione to the stairs to the girls' dorm, leaning down a little and tugging at her sleeve to get her attention.
"Yes," she asked, turning back to Oliver and blinking at how close he was.
"You're welcome to join me in the Great Hall any time... if you like," he said quietly and inclined his head back toward where Hermione could see Ron and Harry playing a game of wizard chess. "That way you don't have to deal with that hot head."
Hermione smiled. "I'd like that, thank you."
"You're welcome, lass," he said, his voice still low.
"Well," Hermione said. "Good night, Oliver."
"Good night, Hermione," Oliver murmured and then quickly leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Sleep well."
Hermione blinked in surprise at the kiss to her cheek, and blushed, but he'd already turned away and headed off to the other end of the common room to join Fred and George. Hermione turned and headed up to her dorm, lightly rubbing her cheek. That night was the first time she'd slept well since she'd first come to Hogwarts.