My Once In A Lifetime

Chapter One: At The Beginning

The first thing Hermione Granger did upon entering the cheery Leaky Cauldron was shake the snow from her hair and coat. //God,// she thought. //This much snow is ridiculous for October.// Once she was satisfactorily dry, she glanced around at the other patrons. Where on Earth were Ron and Harry?

After a moment, she spotted a splash of color towards the back and, slowly, she made her way towards it.

"Hey, Ron," she said by way of greeting, smiling at the red head waiting for her at the table. She slid into the chair across from him, removing her thick winter coat. Still smiling at him, she ordered a butterbeer from the waitress. After the woman had left again, Hermione returned her gaze to her boyfriend.

"Where's Harry?"

Ron shrugged, but a slight frown played on his face. "He can't make it this time, 'Mione. Says he's sick."

"Oh, no," Hermione worried her lip as he spoke. "Poor Harry. What's wrong with him?" Suddenly, her voice dropped a bit. "It's not You-Know-Who, is it?"

Ron shook his head. "No," he assured her. "It wasn't his head, just his stomach. Maybe his breakfast went down the wrong way. . ."

Hermione nodded, accepting both the beverage the waitress had returned with and the gentle assurance Ron had given her with a nod for her head. She waited until the other woman had left to attend another table before speaking.

"I'm glad. I was worried there for a minute," When Ron shot her a curious glance, Hermione continued. "Well, you know how bad Harry's nightmares were last term, what with the Dark Lord's rise and everything. . . But then, ever since this summer, he's been so much. . ." she searched for the word as Ron reached understandingly for her hand.

". . .Better, I guess. I'm just glad that it wasn't a lapse, you know?"

Ron assented with a small murmur, and squeezed her hand lightly. They smiled at each other over the beaten surface of the old wooden table.

"I don't know what it was that's helped Harry be happy-but I really hope that it doesn't go away."

~~~~

To any students not visiting Hogsmede, especially those who had heard him beg off this visit due to "acute pain in his stomach," the sight of Harry Potter pacing the length of the Potions corridor might have come as a shock. Even more if one took into account that he had donned both a handsome new suit and his best dress robes. Why, one might wonder, would the Savior of the Wizarding World be standing in the midst of what was decidedly Slytherin territory, in his best clothes, no less, when only an hour before he had proclaimed himself sick to his dearest friend?

If he had told them, they wouldn't have believed it.

//Hell!// Harry thought, running a hand through his hair nervously. //Even I don't quite believe it. . .It's just too wonderful. . .//

Harry anxiously checked his watch, a gift from Hermione to celebrate his sixteenth birthday. 2:07. He bit his lip. Sev was only seven minutes late, after all-he shouldn't worry so. Yet, despite this mental self-reproach Harry couldn't help but visualize what horrors might have delayed his quasi-godfather's arrival.

//Maybe he was eaten by one of Professor's Sprout's man-eating Lochii (1), or was hit by a mysterious flying rock, or maybe he accidentally zapped himself with his wand and he's lying helpless in his rooms paralyzed in his rooms, unable to call for help. . .No, that couldn't happen. . .still, maybe-//

"Or maybe your over-active imagination is simply continuing to create completely absurd worries."

Harry whipped about as Severus Snapes' voice came from behind him. As Harry smiled, he observed that the Professor, too, wore his best robes; not, quite surprisingly, black, but a deep, deep blue. Harry raised a brow, wow, Sev looked pretty good in blue.

After a moment, though, seeing that Severus alone, Harry felt a twinge of panic.

"Where's-"

"Not here," Snape cut him off easily. He wasn't a mind reader, but he could guess what the young man meant; Harry was easy as a book to read, sometimes. "With Black-don't worry. Besides wouldn't have done any good for them to tag along." He sent Harry a look that was almost a glare, but was a bit too amused to pass for one. It was, Harry reflected, a look too knowing for his liking. "Bad luck. . .you'll need that for tonight. . ."

Harry blushed. But not from shame, from joy. He, too, knew what he would need the "luck" for. . .tonight. . .

"Ready to go, then?" the Professor called as they headed towards the door leading to their carriage. . .and beyond-to the one place that Harry so desperately wanted to be.

"Yeah," he grinned, the happy blush once again claiming his cheeks as he followed Severus.

Today, he repeated over and over to himself softly, nothing could make him sad, today his world would finally be complete.

Today, he would become the happiest man alive.

. . . TBC. . .

(1): Just a plant I made up, 'cause. . . well, 'cause I'm the author and I can! :p