Harry had been quiet for the last two weeks. Not that Ron had noticed at all of course. Harry spoke enough words but there was something distant about him and Hermione had noticed him falling eerily quiet at several occasions. His mind seemed occupied by something. Of course every time she'd spoken to him at one of these moments he had simply grinned and continued the conversation as if nothing had happened. Harry spoke of Quidditch and essays but hardly anything else. Hermione poked the lone potato on her plate with her fork and glanced at Harry who was once again quiet.
”What do you think? Eh, Harry?” said Ron with his mouth full of potato.
”Huh?” Harry said. ”Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about next weeks practice. What did you say?”
”Do you reckon Annie Hollander is good?” Ron repeated enthusiastically.
”I've seen her around. Strong arms on that one,” Harry replied with a smirk.
”Yeah, you better watch yourself, eh?” Ron smiled and nudged Harry.
”She still needs to aim,” Harry replied.
Hermione sighed. She had long lost her interest in both the potato and in Hufflepuffs newest beater. There was a Charms essay due for Wednesday she could go and distract herself with but what she really wanted to do was speak to Harry alone. But how was she to approach him? She knew him too well to think he'd just come out and tell her.
Hermione rose from her seat at the Gryffindor table. She picked up her bag and as she straightened up she momentarily locked eyes with Fred Weasley who gave her a friendly smile.
Probably thinks I'm off to the library.
She froze for less than a second. That had given her an idea. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and turned to her friends.
”Boys, I need you to come with me to the library. We have several essays to work on and I want us to get ahead because I'm not doing yours at the last minute this time!”
”Come on 'Mione,” Ron whined. ”This is important stuff! Harry needs to be ready when they play Hufflepuff!”
”Oh, come off it, Ron! The startup match is against Slytherin and that is not until November!” Hermione said with slight annoyance but only as much as she needed.
The two boys starred at her for a moment. After knowing her for a year they had come to expect her to know the answer to every question in class but they were still surprised every time Hermione knew anything about Quidditch.
”Fine, we'll come,” said Harry resigned.
”We bloody well won't!” huffed Ron. ”The next one isn't 'till Wednesday 'Mione! I'm not going to sit in some stuffy library for the rest of the evening.”
”Suit yourself,” Hermione replied with indifference.
That seemed to get to Ron for he merely grunted in reply.
”Harry, are you coming?” She inquired, noticing that Harry once again had fallen quiet.
”Huh? Yeah, yeah, I'm coming.”
Harry got up and followed Hermione out of the great hall. Hermione lead the way to the library and tried her best not to smile. You could always trust Ron to be scared away by homework.
Hermione looked over her shoulder to see if Harry was still following. It hadn't occurred to her until then that they had been walking in silence.
”Come on, let's find a quiet place,” she smiled as they entered the library.
”Hermione, I don't have my books. I just realized. I'll come back later, okay?” Harry suddenly said.
Hermione's eyes went to her shoes and she stopped dead in her tracks.
Oh, no. Oh, no. Think. Just think.
”Ehm, that won't be necessary. I've got my books and we can share. Oh, hurry Harry! There's a good spot there! Quickly before someone takes it!”
And with that Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and rushed him towards an isolated table as if she'd seen a bookstore sale. Hermione kept herself from pushing Harry into the seat and simply put her bag on the table. She took a seat and together they took out her books and placed them in front of them.
”Do you have an extra quill?” Harry smiled faintly.
”Of course,” Hermione replied and handed him not only the quill but also the sheets of parchment that Harry had yet to realize he needed to borrow.
Harry grabbed a book entitled A guide to simple locking charms and opened it to a random page. Hermione pretended not to notice as she took one of Professor Lockhart's works and did the same.
”Harry?”
”Yeah?” Harry mumbled with his nose in the book.
”There's... There's something I need to talk to you about,” Hermione whispered.
”Huh?” Harry looked up, a flash of surprise and fright in his eyes.
Curses! I need to think of something quickly!
”Uhm, yeah. You see, Harry, I've been a little down lately... I thought I could talk to... Never mind... It's nothing..”
Hermione quickly returned her eyes to the pages but she could feel Harry's eyes upon her.
”Do you want to talk about it?” Harry said quietly.
”No, forget it. You wouldn't understand,” Hermione replied, biting her lip as she spoke those words.
Harry remained eerily quiet. Then he returned to pretending to read. A moment passed as they sat there saying nothing. Then, suddenly, Harry spoke:
”Did you lose one of your books?” Harry asked.
Hermione paused and thought for a moment.
”My mothers scarf. It means so much to me. I just want it back.”
Harry continued to look at the book in front of him.
”I know how you feel,” Harry replied in a quiet sad voice.
Good, I'm getting somewhere.
”What did you lose?” Hermione carefully inquired.
Harry sighed.
”A picture... Well, I didn't lose it as much as my aunt burned it.”
Hermione closed her book and looked at Harry.
”A picture of mom. Holding me. It was the only one of just the two of us in the picture book.”
Hermione froze. She remembered the book Hagrid had given Harry too well.
”What happened?”
”I had taken it out to look at it. Then I left it on my bed by mistake.”
”Come on,” said Hermione putting her book back in the bag. ”Let's take a walk.”
*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*
A few days had passed. Harry was sitting alone in a window – pretending to enjoy the view. In reality he was waiting and his eyes busy listening for footsteps on any kind. Then he heard someone tripping lightly up the stairs.
”Hey, Harry!” Hermione called.
”Did you find it?” Harry asked with eyes full of excitement.
Hermione smiled and Harry understood the message.
”When?”
”Let's do it tonight. There an unused classroom that would be perfect. Did you get a camera?”
Harry smiled and held up the camera he had borrowed from Colin Creevey.
”Are you sure it'll be fine?” Harry asked – uncertainty poking him in the back for a moment.
”It doesn't look too complicated and I promise I'll never tell anyone. I took the book with me just in case.”
”Good, let's meet in the common room at midnight. I don't think anyone will be up. I'll bring the cloak,” Harry smiled.
”Deal,” replied Hermione and skipped down the stairs.
Later that night two people moved carefully through the corridors towards an empty classroom. Once safely inside and certain that Mrs. Norris hadn't followed them they carefully closed the door and Hermione put on some light.
”Put it over there,” Hermione said and pointed to a desk.
Harry placed the camera and turned to Hermione who was trying to stuff the invisibility cloak into her bag at the same time as she was pulling out a book. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph of a woman with red hair and green eyes.
Hermione came closer – having successfully retrieved the book.
”All you need is the picture?” Harry said.
”Yes, so it says right here. I've never done this particular glamour spell before though,” said Hermione with her nose in the book.
Harry leaned over and looked at the pages.
”Looks complex to me,” he muttered.
”Well, it would, wouldn't it?” grinned Hermione.
Harry stuck his tongue out at her and placed the picture on the table.
”Shouldn't I do it? Is it a good idea to cast a spell on yourself?” Harry said suddenly.
He didn't want Hermione to get hurt – after all it was only a picture. Hermione was irreplaceable.
”Oh, please, Harry, I've done it lots of times,” Hermione smiled and took the picture.
She placed it on her forehead and took her wand. Harry gulped.
Oh, please 'Mione, be as good as I hope you are!
Hermione flicked her wrist and spoke loudly:
”ADSIMULO!”
Harry watched as Hermione grew taller, paler and well... redheaded. The woman in front of him smiled as she turned around to get a look at herself. Harry just stood there with an open mouth. Suddenly 'Lily's face grew serious.
Oh my!... Mom!...
”We don't have long. It lasts about 15 minutes or so. Ready the camera.”
Harry turned and set the camera to take 3 snaps in a minute before he skipped to a chair in front of the desk. 'Lily' went by him with another chair and sat down besides him.
Harry tried his best not to look up at her but kept sneaking glances.
Is this what she was like in person? Is this what I would have felt like sitting next to her?
”Put your arm around me,” Harry blurted out.
”Huh?” said 'Lily'.
”She would have done that,” Harry explained.
”Oh, yeah, of course!”
The woman draped her arms around him and smiled at the camera. Harry couldn't help but smile himself. He only managed to look up just in time for the camera begin taking the snaps. 3 Polaroids fell to the floor. Harry wanted to get up and look at them but he didn't want his mother... Erh.. Hermione to let go of him. He didn't have to make the choice because 'Lily' got up from the chair and walked over to pick up the pictures. Harry watched her with wide eyes.
”We will have to wait a few minutes. I need to change back before we go,” she said.
”Uh, huh.”
Harry got up and went to look at the snapshots that were slowly appearing on the paper. He held one of them up and watched as two smiling faces appeared. He choked on a sob and coughed in an effort to mask it. Once all three picture where developed he stuck them in his pocket and turned to 'Lily'.
”Hey, Hermione. Thanks. You didn't have to do this for me.”
”It's nice to have treasures. I just want you to be happy, Harry,” smiled the woman.
Harry blinked trying to prevent tears from flowing. Even if the words came out in Hermione's voice, they had been spoken by Lily's lips and the thought of those words coming from her was almost too much.
”Now we wait,” said 'Lily' and sat down again while Harry placed the camera and book in the bag.
20 minutes later anything had yet to happen and the woman began to look nervous.
”What's happening?” Harry asked.
Oh, no. Oh, no! This can't be happening! It just can't be happening!
”I don't know. I feel... dizzy. I should...” said the woman as she got up and promptly fell to the floor.
”HERMIONE!”
Harry pulled her up as 'Lily' stumbled to her feet and they staggered towards the door.
”I can't leave. They will see..” she said between breaths.
Harry ran to his feet to get the the cloak but then realized that he could not possibly keep Hermione upright and keep the cloak on her at the same time.
*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*-_-*
Severus Snape was creeping down the corridor. He was sure that blasted little Hufflepuff ran down here! Snape stopped and listened carefully for any sign of students out of bed.
”Hmrpf! Lumos!”
The light glowed in the empty corridor.
Where on earth is that horrid girl? She thinks she can outrun me? Well, she has another thing coming! Hmm, perhaps she DID go downstairs. Blast! She'll be halfway to her common room by now!
Severus sighed – having been deprived of a capture and thus the only possible joy of patrolling. As much as he wished to stop these constant violations of curfew he didn't have much faith in the students' ability to cease their nightly activities. What was the point of his being thorough when the other staff members let them run amok every other night?
Just then something caught his attention. A faint sound but the great bat's ears were as good as they had ever been. Could it be the little Hufflepuff? No, it had come from the floor just above him.
Probably Potter and the fan club.
Severus smirked. This was the perfect opportunity for an ambush and he'd be daft if he didn't take it!
Just you wait, you little brats! You're about to get the scare of a lifetime!
With that, Severus put out the light and crept back towards the stairs. He did his best to be as quiet as possible. This time no one was running from him. As he made his way up the stairs he could hear voices. He strained his ears to hear what was being said but could only hear muffled sounds. One of the voices was much louder. He walked down the hall as he noticed a glow of light coming from a classroom – the door slightly ajar. The louder voice was now becoming clearer.
”Just try.. I'll... Yes..”
AHA!
Severus kept his face from smiling as he came up to the door and readied himself by putting on the most icy glare he could manage.
I've got you now, Potter!
Just then the door flew open. Severus didn't even take notice of Harry nor the expression of utter terror on the boys face as he starred into large green eyes framed by red hair. His eyes went wide. The glare disappeared and gave way to surprise. His limps were frozen and he gasped for air.
”Li... Lily?” He stammered.
And then the darkness surrounded him in a cold embrace.
Story Notes:
I'll let this take me where it wishes! Written in response to a challenge by Alexannah
Author's Chapter Notes:
Hello, this is my first published fic and I'm a little unsure of whether I did everything right. None the less, I hope you like it and feedback would be amazing. ^_^
Snap! Snap! Snap!