With Every Breath I Take...

A With Every Breath I Take...- Chapter 1

Under the dark, starry nighttime sky of Britain, Hermione Granger lay on the grass beside her house in London. She stared up at the mass of midnight blue and the stars which were sparkling silver specks in the sky. This. All of this reminded her of one thing, the only person who was impossibly more beautiful than the magnificent sky. Harry Potter. She had met him when she was eleven, on her first day to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. That was four years ago. And those long four years Hermione had kept her feelings a secret. She had thought about him so often she nearly forgot about her other priorities. But she couldn't stop, she didn't want to...

The past summer had gone quickly for Hermione, and soon she found the day that she returned to Hogwarts was upon her. Eagerly, she packed her robes and other needs and fixed her bushy chestnut brown hair into a high bun. She, Harry, and Ron had planned to meet in Diagon Alley two days ago, but they lost contact with Harry, therefore, could not arrange any transportation. Hermione sighed, her shoulders dropping drastically. That would have been the perfect time to tell him. Hermione looked into the mirror on her vanity. I'm coming back for you, Harry...

And this time, I'm going to tell you...

The trip to Platform 9 3/4 was pleasant, but Hermione was nervous to see Harry again. She knew it wasn't going to be much different from the other times she went back to Hogwarts, but she did much more thinking about him over the summer that she ever had done. Hermione stepped into King's Station with a pounding heart. Hermione made sure her ginger cat, Crookshanks was in her pet carrier on her trolly. She took a deep breath, and walked hastily into the wall that would transport her to the Hogwarts Express.

Once she was on the platform, witches and wizards dressed mainly in black were fidgeting and hurring around like a mass of little lost mice. Hermione saw a few familiar faces like Harrys obsessor Colin Creevy, the Quidditch commenter Lee Jordan and a pudgy boy named Neville Longbottom. Harry, however was nowhere to be seen. This was odd for Hermione. He usually met her and Ron at Diagon Alley the day before term started.

Dissappointed, Hermione got on the giant scarlet colored Hogwarts express and sat inside a small compartment. She put Crookshanks on her lap and longingly stared out the window. She thought about what she'd say to Harry once she saw him. Probably sit there wide-eyed and look like a complete arse, she thought bitterly. A few minutes later, a fimiliar red-headed and freckled face appeard in the doorway. He carried a cage with a medium sized, energetic brown owl.

"Ron!" Hermione smiled and got up to greet him. Hermione had met Ron also in her first year. He was her other good friend and he accompanied her and Harry on their usual death defying adventures. Hermione did something she had never done before, due to their unsteady friendship and gave him a hello-how-are you-doing hug. He returned it, slightly surprised.

"Oy 'Mione how've you been?" he asked, his voice muffled by her a little longer than usual hug.

"Oh," she said, lightly blushing "Fine, and you and your family I hope as well," she said as she returned to her seat.

"Yeah we're all fine. Fred and George still turning innocent children into canaries, but we're managing," he replied, taking a seat next to her.

Hermione giggled, and looked back at Ron.

"Seen Harry, have you?" she asked casually, trying not to seem too concerned though she was.

"No, actually. He sent me an owl only once in the beginning of the summer and told me he'd meet me at the platform, guess he forgot, or Dudley ate him or something..."

Hermione gave a slight chuckle.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation-"

Ron cut her off.

"Reasonable? Harry? Honestly 'Mione where have you been?"

Hermione considered what Ron had just said. True it was that the words 'reasonable' and 'Harry' could not possibly fit in a sentence together, but she could figure many other words that could...

"'Mione?, Hey awake, are you?" Ron asked.

"Huh? Oh sorry Ron I must have been lost in my thoughts."

Heh, she thought. Thoughts. If you were THINKING Hermione, you wouldn't have jjust 'thought' about what you were dreaming about. A guilty feeling swept over Hermione. Keep dreaming, girl she told herself, because that's all you'll be doing, dreaming.

But Hermione knew that she'd be doing a little more than dreaming if she kept her hopes high.

"So you want to get anything from the trolly?" Ron asked, taking handfulls of candy like Chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans. Hermione wanted so badly to get some but remembered what her dentist parents had said about too much candy, not to mention she didn't want to waste her money.

"Oh, no thank you," she said to the stubby little woman pushing the colorfull cart. She smiled and continued her trip.

"Sure you dont want any?" Ron said looking at a famous wizard card he'd gotten from his chocolate frog container. Hermione looked at him and thought about how goofy he could be when it came to candy.

"No I can manage," she said smiling at him.

He picked up a chocolate frog box.

"Believe me, no one can manage without chocolate," he said tossing the peach-colored box to her. She caught it with outstretched arms.

"It's essential." he finished, looking at her in a serious manner.

Hermione smiled and started on her Chocolate. A strange feeling lurched in her stomach, and it wasn't the chocolate.

The next five hours flew by with Ron and Hermione talking about their Professors and courses and what kind of deadly creatures Hagrid may have in store for the fifth years at Hogwarts. Hermione didn't think she ever actually conversed with Ron that long without starting some kind of row.

"Bloody hell, where is Harry?" Ron inquired for the fourth time that hour.

Hermione gave a slight giggle and stared out the window,

admiring the vast landscape that flew by in a green blur. The strong sunlight penetrated the window and shone in Hermione's eyes. She looked the other way to dodge the rays and saw a sweep of black. It was connected to a man with jet-black, shoulder length hair. He stepped into the compartment.

"Hello young Gryffindors," he said lazily eyeing Ron and Hermione. "Where may I ask is the celebrity?"

Ron's famous Weasley trait was exhibited when his face turned blood-red.

"Snape, could you ease up on Harry for once?" he asked, angrily glaring at the greasy professor.

Hermione shot him a look of approval then spoke up herself.

"He isn't here now, sir." she said, sounding remotely polite.

Snape smirked maliciously and left the compartment.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Slimy bat, he is," he said reaching for another chocolate frog.

"Watch yourself Weasley," said a low, boring voice that was Snape's again. He appeared in the doorway again.

"Talking like that could get someone," he paused and shot an evil glance at Hermione,

"Hurt...." he finished and with a swish of his cloak, was off.

Ron stared at Hermione, a look of utter disbelief and disgust on his freckled face.

"Was that a threat?" he asked, his hazel eyes narrowing.

Hermione gave him an uncomfortable look and bit her lip. Was it a threat?

~*~

And finally, the giant train stopped next to the enourmous castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hermione got off the train with Ron and stared up at the building. She'd seen it so many times before but she never really took into view actually how large it was, and what would go on inside that castle in the coming year.

Soon Hermione found herself in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor Table. The next three tables over were Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, which was the house that Draco Malfoy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione's rival since thier first day at Hogwarts resided in.

But Hermione wasn't thinking about Malfoy now, her thoughts were set on Harry. Where was he? Is he alright? What happened? These inquiries flashed in red letters across Hemione's mind. She picked up her fork and nervously poked at her blank, golden plate. She sighed and propped her head up on her elbow.

"You alright, 'Mione?" Ron asked.

Hermione let a small, fake smile come across her face.

"Yes, fine, thank you,"

Ron gave her a closed-mouthed smile back and turned his brilliant red head to talk to Dean Thomas.

She wasn't fine. Harry hadn't sent her an owl all summer and he usually did. On Harry's birthday, Hermione had sent him a gift, and he never sent a thank you letter back. That was unusual behavior for Harry, plus the fact that he wasn't exactly on great terms with a powerful murderous dark lord. Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat and stared at the ceiling that was bewitched to look like the real night-time sky. Letting down her brunette bun, she sighed.

Suddenly, the great wooden doors of the Great Hall opened. A dark, hooded figure stood in the doorway. Next to the figure, a smaller one stood. The tall one muttered something to the short one and then was off, its black cloak flowing graciously behind it. The shorter, also hooded figure stepped into the great hall. All of the children stared at it, waiting to see his next move. Some kids nervously muttered to eachother. "It's You-Know-Who! I know it is!" said a second-year Hufflepuff, rather loudly. The hands of the figure went to it's head and removed the hood. Harry Potter stood there and in vain smoothed his messy black hair.

~*~