One Last Chance

ONE LAST CHANCE

Chapter 1: In the Beginning...

"HERMIONE GRANGER!!!!!"

Immediately I jerked awake, sitting bolt upright. It was a few seconds before I realized that I was on the couch in the common room. Harry was perched at my feet, grinning.

"About time, I thought you were never gonna get up!!!"

Panic flooded through me. "Jesus, Harry, what time is it??? How late are we?" I sprang up hurriedly, and immediately began rooting through the bookbag beside the couch. He sat there, laughing hard; the sound echoed in the otherwise empty common room. "I see you were up late last night studying," he guffawed.

Face burning, I stood up and shoved my hair out of my eyes.

"And what, may I ask, is so funny? Do you really think we can afford to be late?"

He finally stopped giggling long enough to gasp, "It's Saturday, Mione..." before lapsing into another fit of laughter.

I collapsed back onto the couch then, suddenly more alert at the use of the nickname only he was allowed to call me. I pulled a mock serious face and said sternly, "Now, Harry, I was having a nice dream, why did you have to go and jerk me out of it?"

He caught the hint, and sitting up straight, his face went stern also. "Well, Miss Couch Potato here has gotten more than enough beauty rest for the remainder of the school year..."

Laughing, I threw a pillow at him. Clutching his chest as if mortally wounded, he toppled to the floor and croaked, "Hermione...come closer..."

Trying to stifle my giggling, I clambered off the couch and crouched beside him. "What is it?" I whispered.

He grabbed my hand then, and pulled me down so my face was mere inches from his. And for some strange reason, the world seemed to ground to a halt. I could hear nothing but the steady pounding of my heart. I was only aware of Harry sprawled comically on the floor beneath me as he peered intently into my eyes. In another second, the moment was shattered.

"Blimey, Harry, snogging in broad daylight???"

Immediately I stood up, and brushing myself off, I snapped, "Uh, no, Ron; Harry's one of my best friends."

For a split second, I thought I saw Harry's face cloud over, but I knew I had been exaggerating when he cut in slyly, "That means she'd never make out with you either, Ron."

Ron's face went scarlet. "Oy, that's not what I meant, and you know it!"

I giggled. "Sure, I bet you love thinking about it, don't you!" I proceeded to bat my eyelashes at him in an outrageously overstated fashion.

If it was possible, Ron's face went even redder. "I get your point! Shut up now, both of you! That was when I was a stupid sixth year. Now we're seventh years. Don't you think we're a little too mature to revisit the past?"

At this statement Harry snorted.

"Right, Ron, we all know you're the mature one..." His sentence trailed off and I was reminded of Valentines' Day a year ago when Ron had conjured up a sign in the common room and bewitched it to flash, "I LOVE HERMIONE" whenever anyone came in. I was also rudely reminded that it was now December, and that stupid overrated mushiness would be returning in two short months.

I stopped giggling. "Am I correct in remembering that it was you, Harry, who suggested it in the first place?" I said quietly.

Now the two of them stopped laughing, also. Ron was examining the hardwood floor and elbowing Harry impatiently in the ribs. Harry was staring into my eyes again, but this time there was no mischief in them. His gaze seemed to go right through me -- it was calm and unafraid, but somehow, hesitating. It almost scared me.

"So?" he said softly.

I gulped. Oh no, I thought inside myself. Don't do this again. You promised yourself that after Krum you'd never fall for a Quidditch player ever again...Then I scoffed. Me, Hermione Granger, having a crush on Harry Potter? It'd be more likely for me to get anything less than a perfect grade in Transfigurations. And that wouldn't be till hell froze over.

I cleared my throat.

But would that be such a bad thing? He's just Harry...

Goddamn schizophrenia.

I mean, he is kinda cute...

NO, NEVER AGAIN.

But those eyes...

No. Period.

"Hey, who's up for a trip to Hogsmeade?" I suggested. "It may be winter, but I think it's beautiful down there this time of year."

"Okay, let's get out of here," Ron instantly agreed. But Harry's eyes remained fixed on mine. As if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Stupid thoughts.

Stupid, impossible thoughts.

It wasn't long before the three of us were in Honeydukes' Sweet Shop, absentmindedly browsing through endless racks of candies to tickle even the most creative imagination. Ron ended up buying two packs of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, while Harry stuck with a bag of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans. After I paid for my chocolate frogs, we set out for the Three Broomsticks.

The streets of Hogsmeade were lovely; snowflakes fluttered absentmindedly down from the steely gray sky. Except for Ron's unceasing chatter, it was quiet and peaceful crunching along on the newfallen blanket of snow. Smoke curled from the chimneys of the many cozy cottages, making dust motes dance on the light breeze. I sighed, noting Harry's silence. I nudged him.

"Hey, you, something on your mind?" I asked quietly, not wanting to shatter the serenity of the moment.

For a moment he said nothing, staring straight ahead, but then he turned to me and opened his mouth to speak. But suddenly his body went rigid. Instinctively a hand moved slowly toward his robe pocket. I gulped and stopped walking.

"What?" I asked, a little nervous. Harry had always had a way of sensing when danger was near, and I would trust that intuition with my life.

By this time, Ron had noticed Harry's posture, and he stopped chattering. The silence was almost suffocating, not peaceful any more. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I thought I heard a far-off deep rumbling noise. Harry was breathing hard, and now he had his wand out and ready. "Hermione...get your wand..." he whispered, his hand trembling.

Then, without warning, Harry collapsed.