Disclaimer: All HP characters belong to J.K Rowling
Chapter 4: Second Year
As promised, Oliver wrote to Hermione over the summer. His first letter was sent to her the day after school ended, and it was delivered by the most beautiful owl she had ever seen. He had coffee brown feathers with large golden eyes, and the small charm around his neck let Hermione know that his name was Silas. Oliver's letter was rather simple; making sure she made it home alright and asking basic questions about her plans for the summer. Hermione was so excited to write back she practically forgot her parents existed as she ran up to her room.
The two spent the summer exchanging letters with relative frequency. They made sure to write at least once a week if not more. Hermione looked forward to Oliver's letters because they made everything real. The friends that she made at school weren't going anywhere, and she was able to stay connected to the magical world. Hermione loved writing to Oliver. He was witty and smart, and his conversation broke up the monotony that was her time while her parents were at work.
Hermione was amazed at how many things they were able to talk about. Everyone thought that he was quidditch crazed, but he was passionate about so many other things as well. Their topics ranged from educational debates to sweet stories from their childhoods. Her favorite letter so far was one where Oliver confessed how much he enjoyed baking in the kitchen with his mum. Hermione was shocked and couldn't stop the giggles that surfaced as she imagined him in a flower apron. Oliver also tended to include little drawings in the margins of most of his letters. There were little stick figures she assumed were quidditch players, and there were little doodles of different plants that she had mentioned she enjoyed.
Over the course of their educational debates, Hermione decided that people did not give Oliver enough credit. She remembered the day that he wrote to her explaining that he had received nine OWLS…NINE! To say she was impressed would be a severe understatement. Hermione looked forward to their correspondence, and she always felt closer to him when she had a new letter. Her parents laughed each time she bolted to the window in order to receive another letter that Silas had brought. While Hermione appreciated the letters, towards the end of the summer she knew that only seeing Oliver would really be enough. They had become so close over the summer and she was honest enough to say that she missed him terribly. Only the fact that he had started to sign them "Yours" was able to assuage the longing to see him.
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Oliver's summer was quite interesting. His mum and dad had asked him repeatedly over the summer who he was writing to. When Jordan was over, he would stir the pot by saying that Oliver "secretly admired" someone. The first time Jordan said that, Oliver punched him in the arm for it. Jordan had just died laughing and proceeded to make fun of Oliver for the blush staining his cheeks. When his parents enquired, he told them that he and Hermione had become fast friends, and he promised to write over the summer.
On the whole, his summer had been entertaining. He and Jordan spent practically every day together flying through the ground of his family's estate as well as playing mini games of quidditch. While Oliver's father was away at the ministry, his mother was typically in the kitchen. She spent her afternoons there, and Oliver had decided at a young age that he enjoyed spending time with her. As a result, he had become quite the avid baker. He was always making different cookies, cakes, and pies when he was home on the holidays.
One day his mum walked into the kitchen to see him making peanut butter cookies. "Wha' are ye makin' those fer?" his mum asked, "Ye aren' a fan af peanut butter." Oliver just shrugged his shoulders and said, "A felt like makin' something differen' fer a change." He didn't mention to her that he decided to make them because Hermione mentioned that they were her favorite. His mum watched him as he carefully packed some up and sent them off with Silas.
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To say that Oliver was happy Hermione would be able to meet up with him in Diagon Alley the week before school would be an understatement. He did not jump because no 16 year old boy would do that, but if his heart felt light and he thought he could fly then that's a different story. As he walked into the alley, he felt considerably better. He hadn't thought that he was feeling badly before, but he must have been for there to be such a noticeable difference. He stood there for probably 0.2 seconds before he had his arms full of a bushy-haired witch. He heard a chuckle behind him and could already hear the ribbing he would get from his parents later.
Hermione stepped back from him with flushed cheeks and said, "I'm so sorry where are my manners!"
Oliver decided to save her some embarrassment as he said, "Mum an' Dad A would like tae introduce ye tae Hermione Granger."
Hermione gave a gentle smile as his mother moved forward to hug her and said, "It's so nice tae meet ye dear."
Hermione smiled at Oliver over his mother's shoulder, and he said, "An' Hermione, these are me parents Beth and Julian Wood."
Oliver then turned to the couple standing behind Hermione and stuck out his hand, "A'm Oliver Wood."
It was Mrs. Granger, who responded first and gently took Oliver's hand and said, "It's so wonderful to meet you Oliver, we've heard so much about you."
"All good A hope," he replied with a laugh.
"These are my parents Jean and Daniel," Hermione offered.
"Well, now tha' the introductions are oot af the way let's get started!" Julian suggested.
As one, the rest of the group nodded and moved further into the alley, and Hermione started filling Oliver in on what had happened in the week since they had written. He asked questions here and there, and it was seeing this that lessened Dan Granger's anxiety. She had told him about her other friends, but he could tell that it was Oliver she was closest to. She couldn't stop gushing about him the entire summer. It warmed his heart to see someone treat Hermione with such gentleness and respect.
As Hermione and Oliver stepped into Flourish and Blotts, they were unprepared for the mass amounts of people that were crowding around a golden haired man. Hermione saw Harry standing next to him, and she couldn't help but feel bad for him when she saw how uncomfortable he looked. Hermione didn't recognize the man, but she certainly saw his face on many different book covers throughout the store.
As Harry pushed his way through the crowd towards her, she rushed forward to greet him. She was so happy to see him that she very nearly missed the approach of Lucius Malfoy. Hermione always hated encounters with his son, but she decided that Lucius was much worse. Hermione walked away from the encounter with a heavy feeling in her chest. Oliver noticed Hermione's change in demeanor, and he instantly wanted to make her feel better. He couldn't stand watching purebloods like Malfoy look down on people like Hermione when he knew how brilliant she was.
To cheer her up he suggested that they head to get some ice cream before they continued with the rest of their shopping. Hermione ordered a strawberry sundae while Oliver got the triple chocolate chunk. They happily ate and chatted with their parents before Harry and Jordan wandered into the shop. They were nearly done with their ice cream when Hermione's parents mentioned that they had to make a stop by Gringotts, and Oliver's parents decided to join them. Hermione, Oliver, Harry, and Jordan finished what was left of their treats before rising to finish the rest of their shopping.
Hermione wanted to head towards the potions ingredients, but she was outnumbered by the boys who all wanted to go to Quality Quidditch. As they approached the store, the boys got excited about the new Nimbus 2001 that was displayed in the window. While Hermione didn't particularly enjoy flying on a broom, she did enjoy watching the boys animatedly talking about it. She followed them through the shop, and Oliver made sure to explain to her what all the different equipment was used for as well as what circumstances you would use it. Hermione found that when Oliver talked to her about quidditch, she didn't get annoyed or bored like she did with Harry and Ron.
In turn, Hermione pointed out all of the ingredients or other tools that she would like to try when she was able to officially do more advanced potions. Oliver thought to himself that she could probably do those same potions now, but he thought that she had too much respect for the rules to even attempt it. The group made their way through the rest of the stores gathering robes, quills, and anything else they could possibly need for the school year.
When it was time for them to go, Hermione gave Harry and Oliver both hugs before she disappeared through the wall. Her hug for Oliver was a little tighter and longer than Harry's, and he didn't care if people noticed that he kept his eyes on her until he couldn't see her any longer.
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The train back to Hogwarts was spent much the same way as her previous train rides. She started off chatting with Jordan, Neville, and later Percy about their summers, and told them about her own. She was happy to hear that Neville's grandmother had actually bought him a new wand to help "channel his powers". Hermione thought that this would be an absolute game changer for him since he was previously using his father's old wand. Neville had told Hermione at the end of last year that he wasn't able to be with his parents, and, without prying too far, she found out that they weren't able to care for him due to events that had happened at the end of the war.
After the conversation had died down, Hermione pulled a book out of her bag and began to read. She didn't realize that she was even tired, but she was soon slumped over with her head on Oliver's shoulder. He chuckled as he looked down at her sleeping face, and simply settled down into his seat and draped his cloak over her form. Even Jordan's teasing about the situation couldn't entice Oliver to rouse the sleeping witch from her position. Oliver sat carefully until they were approaching the school, and he gently shook her awake.
"Hermione," he said as he moved her shoulder, "It's time tae wake up. We're almost tae Hogwarts."
Hermione didn't respond, but wrapped his cloak further around her body. "Hermione," he tried again a little louder.
Hermione opened her eyes that were still heavy with sleep and said, "What's going on?"
Oliver laughed as he said, "We're almost tae Hogwarts. Ye have tae get yer robes on."
Hermione nodded and rose to collect her robes from her trunk. By the time she returned to the compartment, all of the boys were changed. She was much more awake as Oliver handed her book bag over to her as she sat. Hermione was happy to discover that the book she fell asleep reading was already safely stowed away in her bag.
She was in awe as she stepped off the train and saw all of the carriages that were pulling themselves. She had wondered how all of the other students got up to the castle, and Oliver claimed one for himself, her, Jordan, and Neville. On the way up to the castle she wondered how the journey was for Harry and Ron. She wasn't hurt that they hadn't sat with her on the train because she knew that Ron had his brothers, and he might have wanted to sit with them. She also enjoyed the train much more with Oliver than she did listening to Ron talk about the same things over and over.
It was when Hermione settled herself at the Gryffindor table for the feast that she realized something was wrong. Harry and Ron hadn't just not sat with her on the train, they weren't here! She decided that she would have to notify Professor McGonagall directly after the feast to find out what had happened to them. For the meantime, she enjoyed her first sorting as an older student and welcomed Ron's younger sister, Ginny, to Gryffindor.
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Hermione woke on the morning of September 19th with more excitement than normal. She didn't really make a huge deal about her birthday at Hogwarts, but it was still a special day nonetheless. Because her birthday was so close to the beginning of the year, she wasn't surprised when nobody knew about it. She wasn't one to go searching for attention, and she didn't want to make her friends feel like she expected anything from them. She thought that this birthday would pass quietly like her last one. She was excited, though, because 13 was sort of a milestone in the muggle world. Hermione headed down to the common room, happy to face the day.
What Hermione was not expecting was to see Oliver standing at the foot of the staircase with a bouquet of azaleas. They were the most vibrant color of purple she had ever seen, and she had no idea such beautiful flowers could ever exist. As she approached him, he beamed as he held them out to her. "Happy birthday, Hermione," he said as she reached him. It took Hermione a second to process exactly what he had said. She didn't think anyone at Hogwarts knew about her birthday!
As soon as she got over the shock, her manners returned to her and she replied, "Thank you, Oliver, but how did you know it was my birthday?" He laughed and gave her that smirk she was growing to love and said, "Well, when the school year was endin' A realized tha' ye hadn't stopped tae celebrate yer birthday. A made sure tae ask yer mum when it was when we were in Diagon Alley." Hermione was not only touched by the fact that Oliver went through so much to even find out when her birthday was, but was honestly quite surprised that he had gotten to talk to her mum without her noticing. Hermione gave him a smile and said, "Well thank you for the effort, and these flowers are really quite beautiful." Oliver seemed to puff out his chest a little bit at the complement, and she giggled at the rare show of pride.
"Will you wait for me while I put these in water?" she asked him. He simply nodded, and she turned to race back up the stairs to her dormitory. She ignored the gasps and million questions that started coming her way while she grabbed a glass on her bedside table and filled it with water. Hermione couldn't help but smile as the arrangement took up most of the space on her table. She felt like her whole room was more beautiful simply because they were in it. She thought that it was a pretty wonderful morning as she descended the staircase once again and she and Oliver finally headed down to breakfast.
While she was sitting at the Gryffindor table, Hermione was happy to see the owl her parents had purchased before she went back to school, Athena, coming towards her. Athena was a glorious owl who had snowy gray feathers with bright green eyes. She held a letter in her beak, and there was a small package tied to her leg. Hermione read the letter and smiled at the loving words and well wishes that came from both her parents. As she set the letter aside, she noticed Oliver's eyes on her. He gave her a nod as she reached for the box. Nestled inside was a gorgeous bracelet that she realized matched the necklace that they had given her for Christmas. She took it out of the box and turned to Oliver with a silent plea. He smiled at her and gently took the bracelet from her to clasp it around her dainty wrist.
"Ye really do look like the Gryffindor Princess," he said.
Later that night, Hermione was sitting at one of the tables in the Gryffindor common room when Oliver approached her. She could tell by the look on his face that he was up to something. She watched him suspiciously, and when he was close enough she said, "What have you done now?"
He laughed and asked, "Why do A have tae have done somethin'?"
She narrowed her eyes and responded, "Because you look like you've done something."
Oliver just grinned wider as he said, "Maybe…..does tha' somethin' have tae be bad?"
At this Hermione sat back in her chair and said, "Perhaps not."
"Come on, Hermione, A have a surprise fer ye," he said as he held out his hand.
Hermione had barely grasped his fingers before he had her up and out of her chair and was dragging her out of the portrait hole. In his excitement Oliver was walking very quickly, and Hermione was having a hard time keeping up with his long strides. "Oliver, wait up!" Hermione exclaimed as she was practically dragged along behind him. Instead of slowing down, Oliver let out the loudest laugh Hermione had ever heard from him and turned to scoop her up. Before she knew it, she was flung over his shoulder, and he was running through the castle halls. The few people in the hallways moved out of the way as the laughing pair came hurling down the corridor. Oliver abruptly stopped in front of a picture of a bowl of fruit. He gently set Hermione down and instructed her to tickle the pear. She gave him a look of disbelief before his pleading eyes finally got her to agree.
She wasn't expecting the pear to turn into a door handle, or for that door to open up to the Hogwarts kitchens. Oliver led Hermione over to a small table that she hadn't noticed before. They sat down, and were approached by a young elf who was carrying a cake. The elf, Hermione learned her name was Sylvie, set the cake down in front of Hermione and magically lit the candles.
Oliver broke out into "Happy Birthday" and Hermione couldn't keep the smile off her face. When he was done, he urged her to make a wish and blow out the candles. As they ate the cake, Hermione chatted with Oliver about his day while he kept trying to get her to tell him what she wished for. Oliver looked at the clock and announced that they should get back to the common room before curfew. When he said goodnight to her at the bottom of the staircase, it felt like too soon.
As she laid down in her bed that night, Hermione decided that her 13th birthday was definitely the best one yet.
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Other than the hiccup with Harry and Ron arriving at Hogwarts, Hermione thought that they were about to have a normal year. Well, as normal as one could have with Lockhart teaching them. Hermione had listened to all of the girls practically swoon over the professor, and she just didn't get it. Sure, one could find him conventionally attractive, but his personality left much to be desired. Hermione was grateful that she wasn't blinded by hormones like the rest of the female Hogwarts population. Plus, Lockhart didn't have an accent, and Hermione was starting to think that it was something she preferred about men.
Unfortunately, everything started going downhill when Harry started hearing voices and there was the rumor of the Heir of Slytherin circulating the castle. Hermione was able to handle all of the events with a cool head until the night that Filch's cat had been petrified. Hermione had already been exposed to the word 'mudblood' but she didn't think that people would actually want to harm her because of it.
Hermione thought back to the first day that Malfoy had called her that awful slur, and her heart swelled for her boys. When it passed Malfoy's lips, Hermione didn't have a full understanding of what exactly it meant, but the reaction from the Weasley boys and Ron gave her enough information. They had all immediately moved in front of her as if to protect her. Hermione was most shocked to see the pure rage and power radiating off of Oliver. He looked like he was going to pound Malfoy into the ground, and only Fred and George holding him back stopped him. She stood next to him and grabbed his hand in an effort to calm him, but he had swept her away from Malfoy before she could even ask any questions. That night in the common room, the boys had explained to her and Harry what that word truly meant. Hermione realized that prejudice and racism weren't just muggle problems. She made sure that no one saw the tears that came as she laid in her bed.
Thinking about the second time Malfoy had called her a mudblood sent chills down her spine. The bright blood on the walls and him looking her dead in the eyes as he said that she would be next. Hermione didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was scared. She found herself sitting in her typical alcove on the 5th floor where she often went to think on a night near the end of November. Hermione knew that it probably wasn't the best idea to be on her own, but it was still long enough before curfew. She was surprised to see Oliver flying down the hallway.
Hermione got up to meet him and immediately asked, "What's wrong? What happened?" Oliver came to an abrupt stop before her when he replied, "Ye weren' at dinner. That's wha' happened."
Hermione's eyes got wide as she said, "I didn't even realize that it was that late."
Oliver waved his hand as he said, "It's fine, Hermione, A jus' wanted tae make sure ye were alrigh'. It's not like ye tae ferget dinner."
As Oliver took the opportunity to really look at Hermione, he realized that she didn't look alright. He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to look at him. The tears in her eyes alarmed him. He had never seen Hermione cry, and he immediately was worried that she was hurt. He asked in a worried voice, "Hermione, wha's wrong? Did something happen?"
Hermione shook her head and looked away. In an uneven voice she responded, "It's nothing. I'm fine, really."
All Hermione had to do to see that Oliver really did not believe her was look into his face. He didn't say anything, but she could see the question there.
"It's just," she began, "I'm a little worried about the warning that was written on the wall."
Oliver didn't say anything as he wrapped his arms around her. Hermione didn't realize how much she needed it as she sank into his embrace. Something about being in Oliver's arms made her feel better, and she felt some of the anxiety ebb away. She didn't notice she was crying until he leaned back to wipe the tears from her face.
"It's okay tae be afraid, Hermione," he whispered, "Ye don' have tae hide it from me."
It was like a dam had burst inside of her and Hermione buried her face in his chest as huge wracking sobs left her body. Oliver led her over to her place by the window and sat against the wall. He gently pulled her onto his lap, and she laid her head on his shoulder. As they sat there she told him all about how she was afraid that she would end up like Mrs. Norris. Oliver listened to her while he rubbed comforting circles on her back. Hermione realized that she would never be vulnerable with Harry and Ron like she was with Oliver. She always had to be the strong one who had the answers with them. With Oliver she felt like she didn't have to have everything figured out.
When she finished pouring her heart out, Oliver said, "A'm sorry tha' A can't make the problem go away, but A can promise ye that A will do me best to keep ye from harm."
Hermione simply nodded and allowed him to help her up. He dried her face and gave her another long reassuring hug before he led her back to Gryffindor tower. Hermione may have a long year ahead of her, but she figured that everything would turn out alright in the end.
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For his part, Oliver worked very hard to keep an eye on Hermione. He wanted to make sure that she wasn't wandering around Hogwarts feeling uneasy. He didn't worry about her during the day because she was always going from class to class with Harry and Ron. He did, however, make sure that he went with her when she wanted to study in the library, and she never had to walk back to Gryffindor tower alone after dinner.
For once, Jordan didn't tease Oliver when he noticed how much time he and Hermione were spending together. Instead, he offered to help in any way he could. Oliver was grateful that his friend was understanding, and when Oliver had quidditch practice it was often Jordan who escorted Hermione. She didn't say it out loud, but Hermione appreciated Oliver's near constant presence in the evenings. She thought that she would eventually get tired of him being around all of the time, but instead something in her heart hummed whenever they were near. Hermione didn't think anything of it, but she did make a mental note that the more time they spent together, the stronger that hum got.
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As the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff match approached, Hermione could tell that Oliver was getting anxious. She knew how important quidditch was to him, so she sometimes would accompany him to practice and watch from the stands. She loved watching them practice complicated maneuvers, and she had even offered a couple of suggestions to Oliver when they were sitting in the library. She would forever remember the shocked expression he had when she first offered him advice. Oliver took the opportunity to have her look over the rest of his plays for the team. To say that Hermione was a quidditch genius would be an understatement.
Oliver felt confident about the performance of his team, but that didn't take away his anxiety. From the moment he stepped foot into Hogwarts, he had wanted to win the Quidditch Cup as captain. He only had so many opportunities left. Winning this upcoming match would put them in the lead, and that was something that just had to happen.
The day of the match, Hermione did everything she could to help calm his nerves. Eventually, she pulled him to the kitchen for a tea laced with a calming tonic and rubbed the tension out of his shoulders. After it was clear he had relaxed, she sent him off towards the pitch with a smile and a promise she would be right behind him. Oliver felt much better as he headed down to the locker room before the game, and was thankful that he had Hermione who apparently knew what he needed before he did.
As he was giving the team their pep talk in the locker room, he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. He took a deep breath as the team walked out of the locker room and mounted their brooms. As he kicked off into the sky, Oliver looked over at the Gryffindor stands. He didn't see a head with wild curls, and that worried him.
Gryffindor was up by 50 points when Oliver saw McGonagall striding across the pitch. He seemed to notice before anyone else, and he was halfway to the ground before Madam Hooch's whistle halted the game. Oliver reached Professor McGonagall and immediately said, "Please, tell mae it's not Hermione."
The desperation in his voice was enough to make even McGonagall's throat tight as she gave a grim nod and said, "She was found outside the library."
Oliver felt like his soul had been ripped out of him as he asked, "Where…?"
He hadn't even finished his question before McGonagall responded, "The hospital wing."
Oliver was halfway across the grounds before Harry and Ron even knew what happened. As he raced through the castle, he tried to get a bearing on his emotions. When he finally reached the hospital wing, he burst through the door. Oliver quickly scanned the room, and when he finally spotted her, his blood ran cold. He slowly approached her bed and looked at her. He wasn't aware someone could be so still, so pale, and still be alive.
He sunk heavily into the chair beside her bed and tried to get his breathing under control. He was on the verge of a panic attack before Madam Pomfrey approached him and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. He was brought back to reality just as Harry and Ron entered the room behind Professor McGonagall. He listened as the professors recounted what had happened to her. He heard Madam Pomfrey explain that she could be revived with the rest of the affected students.
No matter how many people told him that everything would be fine, he didn't feel like it. Hermione was not alright. She could have died! He had left her alone. The guilt tumbled into his stomach like an avalanche as he thought about it. He had promised to look after her; assured her that she would be safe. Oliver didn't notice Hary pull the note from her hand or he and Ron hurry out of the ward. He didn't hear Madam Pomfrey try to console him.
It was only when they were left alone, a curtain pulled around her bed, that Oliver finally dropped his head into his hands and let the grief and worry consume him.
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For the first two days after Hermione was petrified Oliver was sat vigil by her bedside. He didn't attend lessons, and he was barely sleeping or eating. He knew that she would be upset with him for not taking care of himself, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It wasn't until Professor Dumbledore came in and gently pushed him out of the hospital wing that he even remotely got back into his routine.
The weeks bled together, and he felt like he was walking around in a haze. He moved through his day mechanically, only attending meals when Jordan dragged him there. Oliver made sure to stay by Hermione's side as often as he could. He woke early so that he could check on her before classes, and he did his homework by her bedside. He wasn't sure if she could hear him speak, but if she was conscious he wanted to give her company. He talked to her about the assignments that he was completing, and he even brought books with him.
He was currently reading Hogwarts A History, and a small part of him felt better that he could read her favorite book to her. He knew that the longer Hermione was petrified the more he would miss her, but damn was he not ready for how much it hurt. The day it happened he felt like someone had ripped out his heart, but the days without her were destroying his soul. He didn't realize just how much he needed her.
He needed to hear her nagging at Harry and Ron to do their homework and then complaining to him when they didn't do it. He wanted to hear her excited ramblings when she learned something she found interesting or accomplished a new task. He wanted to get her opinion on Quidditch and hear her laugh. He wanted to be able to fix her tea in the morning while she fixed his toast. He just needed her. Everything about her.
He was slightly shocked at the strength of his feelings, but he knew that it was 100% true. In the past year and a half Hermione Granger had become an important fixture in his life, and he wasn't ready to give it up. After she was petrified a permanent ache had settled itself in Oliver's chest. It was the same ache he got over the summer when he couldn't see her, but it was multiplied by 10. The only thing that even slightly lessened the pressure was being near her. Being able to smooth her hair and hold her hand gave him some semblance of comfort.
He hadn't been able to express any of his worry or grief to those around him because he himself didn't understand where the feelings were coming from. He knew that Hermione was important to him, but he felt like he would die without her.
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After Ginny Weasley had been taken to the Chamber of Secrets, the whole school thought that they were doomed for sure. Fortunately Harry Potter saved the day, and the school couldn't stop buzzing about what happened. There were rumors flying about what had really happened, but all of them seemed to agree that the threat the students had been facing this year was over.
It was only a couple days after Harry defeated the basilisk that the mandrake treatment was ready for those who had been petrified. Oliver sat at Hermione's side as Madam Pomfrey administered the antidote. He held his breath as he waited to see if it would actually bring Hermione back to him. He couldn't help the wide smile that pulled at his face as he felt her hand start to twitch in his. He rubbed the back of it gently and waited. Oliver stayed by her side as she gained consciousness and as Madam Pomfrey explained to her what happened. When the mediwitch bustled away, Hermione turned to Oliver and said, "I could hear you."
Oliver's heart stopped for a moment as he asked, "Ye could?" Hermione just nodded and grabbed his hand. She scooted over on her bed and made room for Oliver to slide in next to her. As Hermione laid her head on his shoulder, the ache in his chest finally subsided and he breathed a sigh of relief. He dozed next to her and thought that he was so grateful Hermione was safe. He didn't want to let her go.