Chapter 113

Hermione didn't get to open her package till it was nearly lunchtime. Her schedule was just too full for the day. She debated opening it between Potions class and lunch but Harry and Ron were both wanting her to hurry putting her books away and she didn't want to be pestered by them, so she left the box tucked away in her bag and only swapped out the books from the morning for those in the afternoon before swinging her bag back on her shoulder and heading downstairs to meet them and head to the Great Hall. So, it wasn't until her break going to the library that she got a chance to open it.

Hermione reached the library and went to the back table, both surprised and relieved that she made it before Viktor appeared. It wasn't that she had been avoiding him since the second task, because things seemed to have gone back to the way they were between the tasks when he was preparing for the next one, and to be honest, though she had decided to use the time to open up her package in a relatively public place, she didn't feel like she wanted to share its contents with anyone.

Digging in her bag, she pulled out the box and set it on the empty table.

"Finite Incantatum," she said, waving her wand over the box and watched as it grew in size returning to its original dimensions, blinking as she realized it was quite large, and wondered what she'd find inside. She hesitated only a moment before breaking its seal and opened it to find another three boxes, each of varying sizes but that fit perfectly into the larger box.

Opening the smallest of the boxes, she found it lined with wax paper and pulled that back to reveal a box filled with home-made chocolate chip cookies. Her eyes closed as the scent of warm, freshly baked cookies filled the air, realizing that they'd been charmed to maintain their freshness. She'd have to thank Oliver or Hick for that later. She quickly closed the box, since Madam Pince didn't allow food in the library and moved on to the next box.

She couldn't help the smile and giggle that escaped her when she opened it to reveal a slightly dirty, well used stuffed hippogriff.

"Awww," she murmured quietly to herself and pulled it out of the box to pet it, noticing a note underneath. Reaching for it, she unfolded it and read:

Hello Kitty cat,

You said you wanted something to help you sleep. This here is Beaky and he helped me when I was younger. I hope he continues his tradition.

Oliver

PS. I've also sent you something else in the other box. Something I tucked away inside that will help you in the day time too. Hope you enjoy them.

Hermione looked around, still finding herself alone in the back, and tucked Beaky back into his box, dropping it in with the cookies before turning to the last box. It was larger than both the others had been, but flatter too, reminding her of a garment box. Opening it up, she found that's just what it was. Standing up behind her chair, so she could pull them out with ease, she lifted a thick, soft, light brown jumper out of it. Smiling, she held it up to her and realized that it would appear oversized on her when she wore it.

Folding it and setting it aside, she then pulled out a thinner shirt that bore the Puddlemere United colours and logo. This one looked like it would fit her just perfectly when she held it up. Folding it and setting it aside as well, she reached in and pulled out the last garment that she saw in the box and gasped softly as she realized it was Oliver's own winter cloak that he'd worn last year when he'd been at school with her.

Pinned to it was another note, and she read:

Hey Kitty cat,

I couldn't really figure out what to send you. I hope this is alright. Before I went to my folks' from practice I stopped by the coach's office and asked if they had any team shirts. I had to guess your size. I hope it fits.

I also included a jumper you can wear on weekends and my old cloak if you want something to keep you warm on the winter days. Though both might be a bit big on you. I hope that won't be a problem.

Oliver

No, Hermione thought to herself as she gathered up the garments and put them back in the box, returning it to the original one again. It wouldn't be a problem at all. She might even have to write a letter to Greene to thank him for helping Oliver decide what to send. It really did seem like what she needed.

Waving her wand over the box once it was all packed away again, she shrank it and tucked it back in her bag. She waited, but Viktor never showed up, so with ten minutes to get to her next class, she headed out of the library.

That evening before dinner, Hermione stored the box from Oliver and his parents in her trunk and headed off to dinner with Ron and Harry.

"Where'd you get that?" Ron asked, noticing that she was wearing an oversized light brown jumper.

"None of your business, Ron," Hermione snapped at him as she folded back the cuffs of the jumper, so she could freely use her hands, and brought the sleeve to her face. Ron looked at her oddly when she appeared to sniff at it before pulling her hair out of the collar and letting it fall down the back. "Are we going or what?" Hermione asked him when she saw him staring at her.

"Alright, alright," Ron said. "Yeah, keep your shirt on."

Hermione glared at him, but didn't retort.

Later that night she bid Harry and Ron goodnight and headed up to her dorm. Making sure she was alone, or that her dorm mates were already asleep, she went to her trunk and retrieved the box of cookies, enjoying a couple before bed, having purposely skipped dessert to save some room. Tucking them back in their box in her trunk when she'd had her fill, she dusted her hands and gathered her toiletries before heading off to prepare for bed.

When she returned, still wearing the light brown jumper, she retrieved Oliver's cloak and Beaky from her trunk and cuddled up with them, the cloak spread over her bed like a blanket as she curled around Beaky. Surrounded by Oliver's scent, she sighed softly and was soon fast asleep.

Hermione gasped softly, her breath coming in soft pants through slightly parted lips. She shifted in her sleep, rolling from her side to her back, her legs bending at the knee, her feet on the bed shoulder width apart as she whimpered briefly before a soft low moan escaped her.

"Oliver..." she whispered breathlessly, but the sound was loud enough in her silence charmed four-poster that it woke her. She blinked slowly, taking in her surroundings and then groaned as she realized she'd been dreaming.

Hermione was glad that she still had silencing charms on her bed curtains, and that they were drawn shut. Where she wondered. Had a dream like that come from? Sure, she'd had dreams of Oliver before, but in her previous dreams he'd only kissed her, hugged her. She swallowed as she thought of it. She recalled the Pensieve she'd borrowed from Madame Pomfrey in her second year, and thought about asking to borrow it again, but... what would she do with the memory? She didn't want to leave it in her trunk like she had the others. The others hadn't been quite so... private.

She swallowed as she thought of writing about it, but that, too, caused issues with privacy if someone decided to invade hers. As she turned over the possibilities in her mind of what to do, she came to the realization that what she felt about it wasn't that it was necessarily a bad feeling. In fact, the dream had left her feeling quite good, it was just... embarrassing if anyone found out about it. Deciding there was no other option, she got up and readied herself for the day.

8 March 1995

Dear Oliver,

It has been simply awful. On the fifth, Pansy Parkinson showed me an article from Rita Skeeter in Witch Weekly about Harry, Viktor and I. I knew about it already of course, because Harry warned me about it and then I'd seen it before Pansy showed it to me, trying to poke fun. Apparently she told Skeeter that I was making illegal love potions and the hag printed it! I hadn't read that part before. I knew it was rubbish when I first saw it. It was made worse by Professor Snape reading it aloud to the class, or at least I thought that was the worst that would happen, but this morning I got such a hateful letter from someone I didn't even know!

It said: YOU ARE A WICKED GIRL. HARRY POTTER DESERVES BETTER. GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM MUGGLE!

I didn't even know that strangers could send anything to students. Isn't there some privacy protection? Can I just write to anyone they mention even if I don't know them personally and it will get to them? That just seems so strange.

On the day Pansy showed me the article, Harry found the dog he named Snuffles near Hogsmeade, you remember me telling you about him last year, don't you? Anyway, he wanted to play with us and Harry took him some food. I really don't think he's doing well. He looked rather dishevelled when we saw him and was staying in a cave somewhere outside of town. I'm not sure exactly which one now.

Anyway, Harry told us about Mr Crouch who seems to be acting strangely whenever we see him. Harry asked Ron to write to Percy asking him if he might know of anything going on with him that would cause him to act like he has been.

Hermione

PS. Oh, I wanted to thank you for the items you sent. They've been very helpful in helping me sleep... I... I can't say its exactly restful sleep... I have been having some strange dreams lately, but it is sleep and better than what I was getting. I–I really don't want to say more about it in a letter, though.

Finishing her letter, she headed off to the Owlery, looking to escape the taunting of the Slytherins about the old Witch Weekly article. It seemed that she couldn't even visit the library any more since that morning when she'd received her first ever hate mail. She'd made the mistake of opening it in the Great Hall and everyone heard. She was tempted to join Harry, who had shrugged it off, in the Kitchens for meals, but there were still classes to attend with the jeering students.