Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters in Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling does. The plot and any extra characters belong to me :)
She was startled and chilled to the bone, the image of a pair of eyes so full of malice still lingered in her thoughts.
Hermione Granger rubbed her temples before casting her gaze back upon the pale young man that laid on one of the many
beds in the Hospital Wing. Everything in the past five hours was still crisp in her mind. How she had reacted to the
sudden scream from Harry, and how she knew at once things weren't going right. Professor Dawkes wasn't so
confident about the pasty orange potion after that.
The whole Defense Against the Dark Arts class had been gaping at the misty figure, wide eyes, open mouths, everything. Only Draco Malfoy seemed to be able to grasp onto his brain and make some rueful remark about Harry being afraid of evil dust bunnies; in which he accused the misty figure to be.
Hermione frowned, glancing at the clock above the door. Dinner was well over and everyone was probably lounging in the common room and discussing the latest news. When will Professor Dumbledore come...he should have been here an hour ago.
As if on cue, the wise wizard came stroding into the room, a slightly anxious feature on his usually calm and composed face. "Miss. Granger! How are you?"
"Fine, Professor. But Harry..you see.." She stuttered on her words but Professor Dumbledore simply nodded and came to Harry's bedside. Silence hung in the air as the old man seemed to stare right into Harry's soul. "How long has it been?"
"Around..five hours I suppose." Hermione answered as she sucked in a breath. "What's wrong with him? Did he have some brain failure? Was he that horribly scared of that creature? And.."
Dumbledore held up one hand to silence her and she relunctantly fell silent. "Miss. Granger, I know you are a very composed and intelligent girl, that is why we picked you to be Head Girl. Now, if you let all the worry go, you'll be able to think clearly. Is it likely that he had brain failure? That he fainted because the..creature as you put it, is too horrible to look at?"
Hermione glanced at Harry's frozen figure thoughtfully, then back at the headmaster's eyes which were twinkling once again behind his half-moon spectacles. "Well...he could've had brain failure...I mean...well, maybe it's not that likely, but it's a possibility! And his fainting...well, I'm not sure about that actually.." Her voice trailed off but she quickly sat up straighter. "But maybe if I knew him better...I mean, as in, I don't know him that well so he might have some crazy horror over fuzzy misty figures and I just don't know." She finished off with a breath, but her cheeks suddenly burned. "That sounded really stupid didn't it?"
Professor Dumbledore chuckled and shook his head, "No, no Hermione. It's just you and your brain forming wonderful opinions and reasons at why Harry is lying here right now." He turned to face the boy again. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Me?" Hermione held back her surprise. "Of course!"
"Describe to me, this misty figure?"
Hermione stared at him. "Well, it's a misty figure." She blushed. "And to me, it reminds me of a human...a human but with no features of a mouth or hands, nothing of that sort. But its got that shape, and the eyes.." She frowned deeply. "The eyes were the most frightening. They were hypnotizing to say the least...and very very red..gleaming red. In little slits..like a snake." She finished nervously. "That's all there is to it..."
"Thank you Miss. Granger, that gives me a better picture." He nodded, the twinkle never leaving his eye, not a trace of worry or alarm shown on his aging face. "Do you have any clue of what or who it is?"
"No...not at all. Yet Draco Malfoy claimed that it resembled an evil dust bunny."
Professor Dumbledore looked amused. "Ah really? I am sure that, that person wouldn't be so happy to be compared with a dust bunny..." He chuckled hoarsely.
Hermione's alarm was evident on her face for Dumbledore's eyes just gleamed even more. "Yes Miss. Granger, I know who Harry fears."
"Who though? Why was Harry's original fear unchangable even with the potion? It worked for everyone else..." She felt lost, and for once she didn't think an old dusty book would help her either. Her brow furrowed in frustration as she looked at her professor intently, searching for an answer in those misty wise blue eyes.
"Ah..I am sure Harry will tell you someday." He simply answered while patting Harry's bed. "That is, when he finds out what he fears first."
She felt her brain nearly flip with the oddness of the whole situation. Nothing made sense, and Professor Dumbledore didn't seem to want to present a straight out answer for her. She bit her lip a bit hard, almost hurting herself. "But sir, doesn't he know what he fears? In order for him to have that image...but this doesn't make sense!" She finally cried out in frustration as she stared from Harry to Dumbledore.
"Maybe somewhere in there, he does know who he fears. But it feels like an illusion to him, perhaps. But it will come clear, like every obstacle in life, Mr. Potter will face it. And we'll just have to have confidence in him so that he will be able to overcome whatever it is."
"But...what.."
He placed a wrinkled hand upon her own smooth ones and gave it a gentle squeeze. "And you will be there all the way with him, Miss. Granger."
Hermione blinked and swallowed hard. "But he hardly knows me!"
"Possibly. Yet I think sometimes you might know him slightly better than himself. You know when he's nervous, you know how he is insecure about mostly everything around him." A glimpse of sadness crossed the wise man's features. "He has had a hard life, and yet everything he's been through might just be the build up to the climax."
"The climax? Of what?" Hermione felt awfully foolish and stupid, for her questions seemed to never end. She mentally scolded herself that she probably was acting like a little girl in front of the great Albus Dumbledore.
"Like I said before, just breathe.." He paused and Hermione found herself letting out a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. "And everything will eventually clear up. Good evening Miss. Granger, I might drop by some other time, but I'm pretty sure Mr. Potter will be up and going by tomorrow evening at the latest."
"Um ok..good night Professor Dumbledore." Hermione managed a weak smile as a swish of dark purple robes disappeared from her sight and down the corridor. She sighed and propped an elbow onto the bed, letting her chin rest on her palm.
"Oh this is so weird!" She muttered under her breath. "I've just met you since the beginning of the year...which is really weird. And now I feel like I'm invading on something that should be your personal life! You're greatest fear...why would you ever tell me anyways?" She locked her gaze onto the shut eyelids of Harry. "I'm just Hermione Granger..Head Girl of Hogwarts. That's how everyone sees me right?" Hermione mumbled softly as she shut her tired eyes.
"You hardly know me..." She stiffled a yawn. " And I don't know you better than yourself...what was Professor Dumbledore thinking! I don't know your birthday, your favorite colour...you're just Harry Potter, like I'm just Hermione Granger to you right? Ooooh why am I even sitting here talking to you when you can't even hear me?" Hermione paused, suddenly feeling silly. "Actually, I'm glad you're not awake. It would be awfully embarrassing for you to hear my endless mumbling.."
She frowned as she yawned again, snuggling closer to the warm bed and grasping a bit of the blankets covering Harry into her own cold hands.
"You're just Harry... but am I a friend to you? Yeah..I consider you a friend...and..you're nice, sweet, and you seem smart...compared to Ron...sorry Ron.." She felt her arm relax. "Dumbledore...he's predicting the weirdest things..he seems pretty confident we'll become close friends...will we?" Her eyelids were heavy but she didn't care. She was feeling rather peaceful and secure in the Hospital Wing with Harry's soft breaths drawing in and out evenly.
"...will I be there...when you face that...fear of yours?" And that was her last thought before her eyelids completely drooped and nothing seemed to matter anymore.
"Hermione! Hermione!"
She groaned inwardly, feeling herself being rocked back and forth gently by the shoulders. She squinted from the bright sunlight that met her sleep-filled eyes as she yawned. "What? Oh no! What time is it?!"
"Don't worry, it's a Saturday, no classes." The familiar voice of Lavender Brown answered cheerfully.
Hermione sat up, examining the room that she was in. Scarlet draperies...a couple other beds..scarlet blankets... "Am I in the girl's dormitories?"
"Yes..Madame Pomfrey told me to bring you back here because you fell asleep in the Hospital Wing..and since I didn't know the password to the Head Girl's dorm I just brought you back here." She explained before a playful smirk crossed her features.
Hermione didn't like that look at once. "What is it now Lavender? Stop staring at me like that!"
"Oh come on Hermione! What were you doing in the Hospital Wing with Harry Potter anyways?!" Lavender giggled as Hermione blushed scarlet enough to match the blankets that covered her.
"Oh come off it! Ron and I were the ones that brought him to the Hopsital Wing..and then Ron left and I just stayed because Professor Dumbledore was going to come and I was pretty sure I needed to stay to explain the situation to him! It's not what you're thinking!" Hermione cried in desperation as Lavender broke out into another fresh set of giggles. She sighed. "Oh for goodness sake! Stop acting like a silly..silly.."
"Hermione! Stop acting like a silly silly girl who's denying the truth!" Lavender finished for her before chuckling. "Who would have thought! Harry Potter of all people!"
"Lavender Brown!" Hermione said in an accusing tone. "You're being ridiculous!"
Lavender pouted with her arms on her hips. "Of course not! I find it rather sweet though...I brought you back here just before midnight, which means you stayed with him for a pretty long time, my dear."
"Lavender!!"
She giggled in response. "I think he'll be awfully touched when he wakes up and finds out that you watched over him." She winked and skipped towards the door. "Well, I'll be going now! I'm getting hungry and I need some breakfast. I think you should get dressed too before it's almost noon." She stepped out the door but her head reappeared a few seconds later. "And I'm pretty sure you'll want to check up on him too!" She was out and away before the pillow that Hermione had thrown could hit her square in the face.
"Oooh great! Now silly rumours will start flying about! I just know it!" Hermione huffed as she got out of bed, running a hand through her tangled mass of hair. She peeked out from behind the door, hoping that no one was around to see her in such a disarray of wrinkled robes and messy hair. Noticing that no one was around, she quickly stepped out.
"Oy! Hermione!!"
She winced and looked over her shoulder. "Ron! Um uh.."
"Did you get out of the wrong side of bed?" He chuckled as he came up to her.
"No...and yes," Hermione answered with a breath. "Now if you'll excuse me.."
Ron stepped aside as Hermione brushed past in a hurry towards the potrait hole. "Oh! And I just wanted to tell you who I'm going to pick for Seeker!"
Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. "Who?" She questioned curiously without turning around to face Ron.
"Harry! I think he demonstrated the best seeker abilities out of all four people! The thing is...Harry's still in the Hospital Wing isn't he?"
"I..I think so."
"Oh bother. Do you think you can go there after breakfast and tell him if he's awake? I've got to go to detention for Snape," Ron muttered.
"Oh, sure, no problem!" And with that she was out the portait hole and out of sight.
Ron blinked, "Strange."
Harry blinked, his sight was blurred and the sunlight seeping into the room wasn't helping his eyes adjust. He rubbed them and blinked again, sitting up as he did so. "Ugh," He groaned, a numb thobbing pain seemed to last on his forehead. Why am I in the Hospital Wing..?
"Ah, Mr. Potter you're finally awake, I see."
He placed his glasses on hurridly and met the stern eyes of Madame Pomfrey. "Why am I here?"
"Why? Well you fainted dead in class of course!" She handed him a glass of water. "Drink it, it'll clear your mind. I suppose you can leave now since you look fine to me! You should thank Miss. Granger."
Harry looked startled. "Miss. Granger..?"
"Yes," Madame Pomfrey gazed at him warily. "Or do you not remember her?"
"Hermione..?"
"Yes, she stayed with you for a long time," A small smile threatened to appear on the middle aged woman's face. Harry simply looked stunned as he pulled the white sheets back and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"She did?"
He was answered by a curt nod from her. "Oh and look at that, here she is again.." Madame Pomfrey added before turning around to leave, revealing a quiet Hermione standing near the doorway.
"Um, good morning."
Harry sucked in a breath unevenly. "Good morning."
An awkward silence filled the room before Hermione stepped towards his bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine."
Silence.
Hermione bit her lip before looking up again suddenly. "Oh!"
Harry stared at her in confusion. "What is it?"
"You'rethenewGryffindorseeker!!" She declared with a breath.
"Pardon?" Harry raised an eyebrow as Hermione glanced at him sheepishly.
"Sorry, I meant to say, you're the new Gryffindor seeker!" She repeated in a normal pace, looking over at Harry's face to see his expression. First it was confusion, then it was blank, and finally a bright smile lit his face. She smiled.
"Really?" He stuttered, standing up from the bed.
Hermione beamed, "Really!"
He ruffled his hair, making it even messier. Hermione's smile broadened at Harry's reaction. He looked awfully cute with a lop-sided smile and overly messy hair, and still with shock and disbelief written on his face. "Pinch me."
"What?"
"Nevermind.." Harry seemed to be reprocessing the information again because he suddenly looked distant. Hermione shifted her weight from one foot to another, suddenly feeling really awkward.
Yet before she even had time to react, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her in a hug filled with joy. "I'm a Seeker!!!" She heard Harry's muffled cry of joy.
Hermione couldn't help but grin. "Yes Harry...you're a seeker!!" She cried along with him as they danced in a circle. Harry suddenly let go of her and blushed furiously. "Oh god, I'm sorry."
"Why?" The surprise was evident in her voice.
"I just hugged you, out of the blue. I'm sorry. I suppose I was too overjoyed and..and because I've never really done anything in my life..I mean, I've never acomplished much in my life and this is just..really big for me..and so.." Yet he was hushed by Hermione's finger that suddenly fell across his lips. He simply stared at her with those bright green eyes that were flickering with joy she had never seen in them before.
"It's ok Harry...I understand," She said softly before letting her hand drop to her side again. "It's natural to be happy, right?" She gave him a smile.
"Right..." Harry mumbled, still slightly unsure.
Hermione stepped closer, opening her arms and wrapping them gently around him. Harry stiffened, feeling her delicate fingers around his back and neck. "Congratulations Harry."
"...Thanks.." He blushed, raising his own arms to return the hug. "And thanks Hermione."
"Whatever for?" She whispered.
"For..being there..for me. Watching over me, I mean."
It was Hermione's turn to blush. "How did you know..?"
"Madame Pomfrey." He answered before they pulled back, only a couple feet away from each other. He could feel her soft breath and the scent of her hair; wild strawberries. Harry slapped himself mentally before shuffling his feet a bit away from her's. "You're.."
"Hm?" She tilted her head slightly, trying to meet Harry's gaze yet his eyes were downcast.
"You're..." He started again. "Hermione!!!" He finished abruptly.
Hermione's brow furrowed in confusion. "I know I'm Hermione.."
Harry cursed silently under his breath and quickly lifted his head to meet her soft brown eyes. "What I meant to say was, that you're really nice. The nicest girl I've ever met at least." He finished off and quickly brushed past her towards the Hospital Wing door. "No..not the nicest girl...you're the nicest person actually."
Hermione opened her mouth, yet no words formed. She quickly turned around but was surprised to find that Harry was no longer standing by the doorway, and that only the swinging of the door told her that Harry had left.
His voice so filled with new confidence, so soft yet so audible to her ears. ..the nicest girl I've ever met...no...you're the nicest person...