(Hiya Everyone, here's Chapter 2… There's a nice Ron and Luna moment in here… Enjoy! R/R is greatly appreciated as always.)
Chapter 2
The day had flown by fairly fast for Harry. He couldn't keep his mind on what Professor Latakin was saying in Transfiguration, he was trying to figure out Hermione's secret and he couldn't help but enjoy the mischievous grin she had given him. It was almost as if Hermione was… well… flirting with him.
Harry pulled the curtains around his bed and shook his head.
Hermione couldn't have been flirting with him, she was just being, playful, yes that was it, she was just comfortable about acting like that around Harry, because they were close friends.
Harry lay in bed and made sure to keep his eyes open. He listened carefully for the boys in the dormitory to begin snoring; as he waited, his mind began taking Harry on an adventure through the past.
Harry desperately fought to keep the terrible images out of his mind as his scar gave a painful throb. Normally, Harry would have been advised to speak to Professor Dumbledore about the painful burning sensation of his scar; but now that Voldemort was back, gaining half the wizarding world's support and killing innocent people daily, it was no surprise to anyone that Harry's scar was acting up.
Harry couldn't help but recall the pain he felt when he returned to Hogwarts for his sixth year of schooling, only to learn that over the summer, Hagrid, the half giant professor, and a good friend of Harry's, had died a tragic death while trying to persuade the Giants to join Dumbledore's side again. Hagrid was the first person to introduce Harry to the magical world; he was Harry's first friend and the first person to treat Harry with love and respect. It took months for Harry to accept that Hagrid wouldn't be coming back to Hogwarts and that he, Hermione and Ron would no longer be able to sit down in his hut, with a cup of hot tea and have strange conversations. Just as things began to settle back down at Hogwarts, and Harry was beginning to accept the way things had changed, the school was informed that Professor McGonagall had lost her life to a Death Eater. It was as if Harry had been stabbed in the back and just as the wound was beginning to heal, the sharp blade returned to re-inflict the wound and make it bleed once more. Harry knew that Voledmort had deep satisfaction and was having immense pleasure in painfully plucking Harry's sanity. Voldemort enjoyed taking that knife into Harry's back and carefully turning the blade to widen the wound, sending trickles of blood down his spine; it was a sick game that Harry had no choice but to play.
Harry was later told that Professor McGonagall was a target because she was so close to Dumbledore and that this attack has nothing to do with him, but Harry wasn't stupid, he knew that Voldemort's focus was to destroy him first and then he would worry about Dumbledore. He was fairly sure that Voldemort didn't fear Dumbledore as much as he feared Harry, because the Prophecy stated that he, Harry would be Voldemort's downfall, not Dumbledore.
The sound of Ron's snoring filled the Boy's Dormitory. Harry quietly hopped out of bed making sure to keep the curtains around his bed closed, quickly put his socks and shoes on, and threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself. Before leaving the Boy's Dormitory, Harry took the Marauder's Map and glanced at it, to make sure his path was free from anyone that could catch him walking around the school at night. He grinned to himself as he saw that Professor Snape was nowhere in sight, Filtch and his cat Mrs. Norris were chasing Peeves down a corridor in the far end of the school, Professor Dumbledore was pacing in his office and everyone else seemed to be sound asleep.
He carefully made his way down the stairs, past the Common Room, and through the passageway covered by the Fat Lady's portrait. Harry went up the Grand Staircase to the next floor, and up another set of stairs leading to two large, cedar doors. Harry gave three gentle taps on the door to the right of him, and waited. The empty silence rung in his ears, the only noise Harry heard was the soft breaths that left his lips as he inhaled and exhaled in anticipation.
He heard the locks click and the door creaked open slightly.
"Its just me." Harry whispered.
She smiled and widened the door for Harry to step inside.
"Thanks."
"Not a problem." She answered closing the door behind him.
"Hermione?"
"Yeah?" She answered settling herself on the large bed, as Harry removed the Invisibility Cloak and gently placed it on Hermione's trunk beneath her bed.
"Listen… if… if you don't want me to come here anymore, just tell me alright?"
"Harry, don't be silly. I was the one who suggested it in the first place. Besides, we've been doing this so long that I… well… I sort of look forward to it,"
"You do?"
Hermione's eyes widened. "No, Harry, no not like that… I didn't mean that, you know I didn't… I just look forward to, well, just being with you… alone. It's just, kind of nice that way."
Harry gave her a lopsided grin and sat down on the bed beside her.
" Hermione, you don't have to worry about explaining yourself constantly… I know what you meant."
She grinned back at him. "Okay, I'll try not to… now, lets try and get some sleep okay." She said fluffing her pillow and pulling the blanket up to her neck.
"I don't know if I'll let you sleep tonight."
Harry looked into her hazel brown eyes with tired guilty eyes.
"Don't worry Harry, I'll be fine." She said with a reassuring smile.
He gave her a kiss on the forehead, placed his glasses on the bedside table and turned the light out. It felt so good to be lying next to Hermione Granger. She looked so innocent and peaceful and her scent of ginger, cinnamon and vanilla intoxicated him; it would drive any man to suicide for her love.
As he listened to the sound of her steady breathing, his eyes became heavy, and he slowly fell asleep.
*
Harry was falling and falling down an endless pit of black. His scar was searing, but he was falling so fast, he couldn't put his fingers over it to ease the pain. He tried so hard, but he couldn't clear his mind enough to make a difference to the stinging sensation that stabbed at his forehead.
He heard Hermione's voice nagging him for not clearing his mind before going to sleep, she was furious with him for allowing Voldemort to see through his eyes and for allowing Voldemort to feel his emotions.
He hit the ground hard. For a moment, he thought he was dead, until he heard a hissing tone of voice that made his gut toss and heart pound with anger and fear.
"Potter… Potter… I've been waiting for you Potter." He hissed in a singsong manner.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Oh… I see, the boy who lived is scared of the Dark Lord now… you thought it as a fun game to play with me Potter, until you had seen my power, seen what I could do to those you care about."
"You can't scare me Voledmort!" Harry yelled pulling himself to his feet on the grassy surface.
"Oh, but I can scare you Potter,"
He cackled diabolically beckoning a bony finger to the ground before him, and mumbling a quick enchantment under his breath.
A large portion of the earth's surface before Voldemort turned to a liquid jelly. Slowly, Hermione emerged from the liquid. She was gagged; her hands and feet were tied together so tightly before her, that her delicate hands were pale and streams of blood covered the knots. Tears began to glide down her soft cheeks; she was shaking and whimpering softly.
"NO!" Harry called out trying to reach out to Hermione, but he was thrown back by a spell and his scar began to throb savagely. "HERMIONE!"
*
Harry felt something cold touch his face, he felt two hands on his shoulders shaking him; he heard a voice, it was distant and unclear at first.
"Harry, listen to me, wake up… wake up Harry, come on, wake up!"
Harry's emerald green eyes fluttered open, he heaved himself into a sitting position, struggling to catch his breath as his lungs searched for oxygen.
Hermione pulled him into an embrace and ran her soft, gentle fingers up and down Harry's neck. She cradled him rocking back and forth, hushing him as he began to cough repeatedly.
"It's okay Harry, I'm here, it's okay… I'm not letting go."
Harry choked and struggled for a breath of air, she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze and whispered reassuring words into his ear.
"It was just a nightmare, your safe, its okay."
His coughing began to decrease and he was able to catch his breath.
She rubbed his back while allowing him to rest his head on her shoulder.
"Thank You." He mumbled.
"Shh, don't talk… it's alright, just relax."
Harry tasted the warm blood that filled his mouth. Gently he disengaged himself from Hermione's embrace as blood began to drip from his nose.
She placed a tissue to his nose with one hand and pinched his nose with the other.
"The nosebleeds are getting worse Harry, maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey or tell Dumbledore… I'm really worried."
Harry allowed Hermione to reach for her wand while he held the tissue to his nose.
Hermione pointed the tip of her wand at his nose and gave it an energetic swish "Amendo Sangrante Neus."
Harry no longer felt the warm blood filling his mouth and his nose was no longer bleeding.
"Thank You."
"You need to learn that one, along with `Occulas Reparo', it's been seven years and you still don't use that spell." She teased.
Harry smiled back at her. He never fixed his own glasses because it was something that he and Hermione shared, like a secret.
She delicately traced his hot scar with a cool cloth and wiped his sweaty, tired face.
He had never had a nightmare with Voldemort hurting Hermione before; it had never crossed his mind what an easy tool Hermione would be for Voldemort if he ever found out how much he loved her.
He loved her more then anything in this world, and she meant more to him then what all the gold in the universe could buy, but now he knew, now he understood.
Hermione is someone that he would always want, but could never have, even if she did have feelings for him like Ron said, Harry would never live with himself if Hermione was hurt. He needed to protect her, he promised to protect her, and he would, by pushing his love for her aside.
Her chocolate eyes were sad, afraid and worried as they allowed him time to return to reality.
"Harry?" She whispered.
"I'm okay Hermione, everything's okay." He answered pulling her into another embrace; she sniveled slightly, and held him closer.
He didn't know how he was ever going to repay her for everything she had ever done for him and continued to do for him. His heart clenched and the lump in his throat tightened when he thought about how difficult it would be to face these nightmares alone, but he wasn't alone, he had Hermione, he had his Hermione and she would remain "His Hermione" forever… in his heart.
He allowed Hermione to fall asleep in his arms before he carefully tucked her back into bed, he silently prayed for a dreamless sleep so that both he and Hermione could get some rest.
A cold breeze swept through the room and Harry felt Hermione shiver under the blankets, he sighed and began to lift himself out of bed to close the window, but he was stopped when Hermione's arm rested across his chest and her head rested against his shoulder. He stiffened like a board, breathing rapidly; he dared not move in case he would wake her. Harry carefully bundled the blankets around her and attempted to sleep.
"Goodnight Hermione." He whispered.
Luna Lovegood made her way up the Grand Staircase to the floor above the Fat Lady's portrait, and up another set of stairs leading to two large cedar doors, she tapped three fingers on the door to her right and waited. Nothing happened. She tapped the door again, this time a little harder. Nothing happened. Luna removed her wand from behind her left ear, pointed it at the large wooden door and muttered "Alohamora." Still, nothing happened. She raised an eyebrow, and thought for a moment before a clever smile filled her face.
She raised her wand to the cedar door again, this time she muttered "Aloh-ognuno-amora." The locks clicked and the door opened.
It wasn't normal for Hermione to sleep this long, she was always the first person to begin breakfast in the Great Hall, or she was easily found in the library.
Luna yawned as she strolled into the brightly lit room and meandered her way towards Hermione's bed. There she was on her large bed, with the covers pulled up to her neck and her bushy hair sprawled across her pillow. Luna thought it would be highly amusing to jump on the bed and scare Hermione out of her wits, but something caught her eye; there seemed to be someone else in bed with her. Luna's protuberant, almond shaped eyes widened and she let out a faint gasp.
"I really shouldn't be here." She mumbled softly, backing up as slowly and quietly as possible.
Her fingers curled around the handle to the door, she cringed as the door creaked open.
"WHAM!"
"Oof!"
She backed right into something, no someone; in fact, the `someone' broke her fall and she happened to be sitting on the `someone'.
"Luna… can't… breath… off… please,"
"Alright, alright, hold your Thestrial's Ronald." She stood up, pulled Ron to his feet and brushed the dust from her robes.
"What were you doing?" Ron questioned placing Luna's wand behind her ear.
"Oh, just searching for a Crumple-Horned-Snorkak." She answered with a dazed look.
"Really?… did you find one?"
"Yes… her name is Hermione." Luna laughed.
Ron frowned at her until Luna wrapped her fingers in his fiery, red hair and gave him a lascivious kiss.
"Well, good morning to you too Lady Love-good."
Luna gave him a playful grin, took his hand and started leading him away from the Head Boy and Girl's rooms.
"Aren't we going to wake Hermione up?"
Luna nearly jumped at Ron's question, she fidgeted with her necklace of butterbeer caps for a moment before she returned to her relaxed composure and simply stated "No."
"Why not? … Come on Luna, she'll be furious if she doesn't get time to study before classes start, besides, it'll be fun to wake her up for once."
Luna took Ron's hand and pulled him down the first flight of stairs. "Because Ronald, Hermione isn't sleeping, she's taking a shower and getting dressed… Besides," She looked at him mischievously and batted her large blue eyes at him. "We have better things to do."
Ron grinned and wrapped his arm around Luna's waist. "Yeah, I guess your right, who needs `em."
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