The Error of My Ways

It seemed as if the next week simply flew by. Another Saturday had arrived and Hermione was starting to worry about the Yule Ball. What was she going to wear? Last year, she and Ron had gone together but it hadn't really been as a couple. They had just wanted to have fun...and they did. Hermione smiled at the memories. He really was such a great friend.

Still yawning, Hermione stumbled down into the common room, intent on getting an early start on breakfast. She noticed Harry and Ron sitting by the window looking over a piece of parchment and hurried over to where they were.

"Good morning. What's up?" she asked.

Harry and Ron looked at each other quickly as if debating whether or not to tell her.

"Here," Harry held out the parchment which she took and read over.

Hermione's hands were trembling when she handed the parchment back to Harry. He looked at her strangely.

 "Are you all right?" he asked with concern.

 "I'll be fine. It's...it's just a little unnerving...that thing about Peter Pettigrew," she shuddered involuntarily.

 "Slimy git," Ron whispered under his breath.

 "Snuffles is right. We had better be careful. Peter knows how to use Dark Magic and he isn't afraid of killing...he has done it before," Harry said in a low voice.

 "Here comes Malfoy," Ron said suddenly. Harry put the parchment away quickly. He wasn’t ready to trust the former Slytherin with everything just yet.

 "Morning Malfoy," Hermione called out, forcing a smile on her face.

 "Morning," Ron and Harry said in a friendly sort of way.

 Hermione was pleased that her two friends were making an effort. It really was all she had asked them to do.

 "Morning all," Draco answered.

 There was a bit of an awkward silence.

 "Hey Potter, don't you have quidditch practice this afternoon?" Draco suddenly asked.

 "4:00 pm...the pitch has already been booked," Harry answered with a ghost of a smile on his face.

 "Mind if I join you? I haven't been up on my broom for a long while and I thought we might get a game of three on three going after you are all done."

 Harry and Ron both smiled.

 "Sure. Why not? And we won't even ask you about those secret Slytherin strategies," Ron laughed.

 Draco laughed as well.

 Hermione smiled.

 "Typical male bonding over quidditch," she thought to herself in amusement.

 "Hermione! I am having a crisis of the worst kind!" Ginny's voice was suddenly heard over the laughter.

 "Uh oh," Ron suddenly pulled Draco and Harry backward, "When Ginny is in a crisis, make tracks...fast."

 "I guess we will see you at breakfast," Harry called as Ron hurried them to the common room entrance.

 "Weasley, you’re choking me...see you," Draco managed to say before disappearing with the other boys.

 Hermione turned to her friend who looked rather panicky.

 "What's up Ginny?" she asked.

 "I have nothing to wear for the Yule Ball. All these years that I hoped Harry would ask and now he does and all I have is an old set of Mother's dress robes which are horrible. Luckily I saved the money I made running errands for the Ministry of Magic butI can't go to the local dressmaker shop by myself. Hermione, you have to come with me. You just have to. I want to look...perfect."

"Ginny, you could show up in a burlap sack and Harry would think you looked perfect," she said sincerely.

Ginny blushed.

"You know what I mean. Besides, what are you going to wear?"

"I haven't decided yet. The robes I wore last year I had borrowed from Lavender. I think I might like to buy something for myself this year."

 "Percy would think you would look perfect if you wore a burlap sack." Ginny teased.

 "Well, be that as it may, I think I would rather make a better entrance with a proper set of dress robes."

 "So, shall we make the trek to the local dressmaker after breakfast?"

 "Not without me you won't," Percy's voice sounded suddenly as he entered the common room.

 "I think we are perfectly capable of taking care of ourselves, brother dear," Ginny protested.

 Percy walked up to the two young women.

 "Now, Ginny, I am well aware of that but I promised Mother that I would watch out for you," he said with a smile, "Why don't you get your money and that way we can go right after breakfast."

"Okay. I don't suppose you will mind being left alone with my brother, will you, Hermione?"

"I'll manage," Hermione answered with a grin. Ginny quickly scampered to the dormitory entrance.

"Hermione," Percy turned to her with a serious expression on his face, "You know I have to come with you to Hogsmeade. Harry told me about the letter from Sirius Black...yes, I am well aware that he is innocent...Dumbledore told me quite some time ago. The point is that I cannot let you leave the safety of Hogwarts without..." he was searching for the right word.

"Protection?" Hermione offered.

Percy nodded.

"Peter Pettigrew is a ruthless killer and I agree with Sirius that it is highly likely he was responsible for the attempt on Draco Malfoy's life. You know that it was my original assignment to protect you. Well, things have changed and...well, I...I don't want anything to happen to you."

 Hermione looked up at him with shining eyes and gently caressed his cheek, causing his breath to catch.

 "How can someone like you be related to someone like those twin brothers of yours?" she asked with a sudden smile.

 "I guess I am just lucky," he grinned.

 "No, I am the one who is lucky," she answered, standing up on tiptoe and brushing her lips against his cheek. They held each other for a moment, savouring the closeness.

"I almost forgot...I brought you something," he gave her a small bunch of gardenias.

"Oh, Percy, they are lovely. Thank you so much," she inhaled the heady fragrance. He coloured slightly but looked pleased.

"I've enchanted them so that they won't fade for a couple of weeks at least. I thought you might like to put them in your hair," he added shyly.

Hermione beamed.

"Hey there!" Ginny called from behind the dormitory entrance, "Is it okay for me to come down?"

Percy and Hermione looked at one another and started laughing.

"You can come down, Ginny," they said in unison, causing more laughter.

 Percy realized that he had gone where angels feared to tread as he accompanied the two young women on their shopping excursion. Hermione had not had much of a chance to look for anything herself as she tried to help Ginny find something perfect. As he looked around, he noticed the dressmaker motioning for him. Sighing, he walked over.

"Good morning," he said.

 The older woman smiled at him.

 "I think you are a reluctant third party, Professor Weasley," she smiled.

 "Well, I have an obligation to make sure my sister does not spend all her money...have to instill responsibilities you know," he laughed.

"I don’t think I have ever seen Miss Granger come in here to buy dress robes," she mused.

Percy looked at Hermione as she patiently listened to Ginny talking about how that robe was too contemporary and that one was too revealing and that one was not revealing enough and that one clashed with her hair...

"Would you be able to make a suggestion for Hermione? I don’t know if she will ever be able to look for something herself. It seems Ginny is rather frantic about making the right entrance."

The dressmaker smiled. Something in the young man’s voice was very endearing.

"I think I have something in the back. It’s just arrived. You can take a look and tell me what you think."

Percy followed her to the storeroom. Hermione saw him go but could not leave Ginny in the state she was in.

"Hermione, what am I going to do?" Ginny pleaded.

"First of all, calm down. Sit over there on that nice comfy chair. Let me take a look around."

Ginny sat down but her expression was wary as if somewhat ill at ease with having Hermione choose something for her.

"Don’t worry, Ginny, I am not going to pick out a set of professor robes, as attractive as they might be," Hermione smiled.

Ginny exploded in laughter at the very thought.

Hermione glanced over the newest dress robes and something caught her eye. It was tucked in between a set of dark blue robes of gabardine and a set of russet coloured robes of some sort of crepe-chiffon sort of fabric. All she saw was the colour and she reached in to pull out the hanger.

"Perfect," she thought to herself.

She walked back to Ginny and held the robes out for her to see. Ginny gaped in astonishment. The robes were in a brilliant emerald green colour with intricate gold embroidery around the sleeves and neckline. The fabric was something like silk but much softer and it had a sheen to it which added to its elegance.

"That is beautiful," Ginny said simply.

"Why don’t you go try it on?" Hermione suggested.

Ginny jumped up off the chair, grabbed the robes and hurried to the dressing room. Hermione smiled and was reasonably certain of success.

 "Now, let’s see what I can wear," she thought to herself.

 She started looking through some beautiful dress robes from China.

 "Any luck?" Percy had come up right behind her.

 "I’ve only just started looking. I think I found something nice for Ginny though," she answered.

 "I found something that you might like. Why don’t you go try it on," he handed her a garment bag.

 "Be back in a moment," she smiled at him, "And tell Ginny she looks wonderful...she is so nervous about the Yule Ball."

 Percy nodded as Hermione made her way to the dressing room next to Ginny’s. He sat down on the chair and waited patiently.

In a few moments, Ginny came out.

 "I feel like a princess, Percy. What do you think?"

 Percy smiled at his little sister in her emerald green robes.

 "You look beautiful," he said sincerely as her face flushed with happiness.

 "My dear, those robes bring out the colour of your eyes. Why don’t you come over here and I will hem them for you while we work out a price?" the dressmaker called.

Ginny practically floated over to the hemming stool. Percy grinned. His little sister was all grown up now.

The other dressing room door opened and Hermione stepped out. Percy stared at her with unabashed admiration.

Hermione was wearing robes in a lovely shade of deep amethyst. Here are there, silver stars were embroidered on the flowing silk fabric. The styling was simple but the effect was profound. The robes gave her figure a definition that was certainly never apparent in her school robes. She looked like...

 "Like a goddess," he thought to himself in shock.

 Hermione was smiling as she twirled around in front of the mirror. She turned to face Percy, waiting for a reaction. He didn’t say anything. He was just staring at her.

"Percy? Are you all right? What do you think?"

"He’s lost the ability for the time being," Ginny called with a knowing smile on her face.

Hermione grinned and walked over to Percy.

"I guess I should look for something else," she whispered in his ear.

Percy’s eyes widened.

"No, you can’t...I mean...I have already paid for them," he protested, not realizing that she had not really been serious.

 Hermione simply smiled and so did Percy.

 "Honestly, you two," Ginny said in mock disapproval. The dressmaker simply grinned.

 Hermione looked at her new robes where she had hung them carefully outside her closet so that they would not wrinkle. They really were very lovely. Percy had a good eye when it came to clothes. He had refused her offer to repay him so she decided she would pick up a couple of books she knew he would like the next time she was in Hogsmeade.

She lay down in her bed and thought about the day’s events. Her last conscious thought before succumbing to the pull of sleep was that she felt safe with Percy...safe...

Hermione jumped up and looked around her in a panic. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest and she shivered as she realized that she was covered in a cold sweat.

"Percy!" she thought to herself, "I have to find Percy."

She didn’t give herself a chance to think, she simply threw on her dressing gown and practically flew out of her room, wand in hand.

"I can’t let anything happen to him," was her only thought as she meandered through the hallways at a full-out run, robes streaming behind her.

"Head girl. Head girl. Why are you out of bed girl?" Peeves floated by with an insolent grin on his ghostly face.

Hermione glared at him with such force that he almost toppled out of the air.

"Don’t tempt me," she hissed through clenched lips as she ran by him.

She reached the area where the professors’ quarters were. She quickly muttered the opening spell which, as Head Girl, she was privy to and hurried down the hallway. Halfway down, she realized that she had no idea which room was Percy’s.

 "Honestly, I am a witch am I not?" she muttered angrily as she quickly performed a rudimentary locating spell. Still breathing heavily from the exertion and the overwhelming sense of dread that seemed to hang over her, she watched as a trail of silvery light emanated from her wand and paused at each of the doorways. It finally stopped at one doorway and she ran over to it.

"Hermione? What are...how...you’d better come in here before anyone sees you," he whispered as he pulled her into his room.

Closing the door, Hermione noticed that he looked very pale and was shaking somewhat.

"Are you all right, Percy?"

"Am I all right? What are you doing here, Hermione?"

The images of her nightmare came back in an instant and tears came to her eyes.

"I was scared...I had...I thought I saw...I thought you were in danger...somehow..." she completely broke down in relief as she realized that nothing had happened to him.

 Percy quickly walked over and embraced her. Hermione felt his warmth drive away the coldness that had seemed to envelope her heart and relaxed somewhat.

"Don’t worry. I’m fine...I just...well, I was worried about you too," he murmured into her hair.

Hermione pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes. He looked as if he had feared he would never see her again.

"Why?" she asked quietly.

"It’s silly, really, now that I think about it. I mean, it’s not as if I have ever put much stock in these things," he stammered, blushing, "But, well, at the time, it frightened me. I have been having a recurring nightmare for some time and tonight, well...it was more vivid than usual. I thought you...needed my help."

Hermione looked at him in surprise.

"I had a nightmare too. I thought it meant that something had happened to you."

They looked at one another in sudden realization. They kissed each other, almost as an affirmation that they were, in fact, all right, reveling in simply being in love and being alive.

Percy looked at her and suddenly looked pensive.

"What is it, Percy?"

"I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you. You don’t know how I felt...I thought I had lost you forever...I felt so empty...I never want to feel that...never want to be without you..."

 Hermione reached up with her hand to touch his mouth, gently forbidding him from saying anything else.

 "I feel the same...I don’t ever want to know what it is like not to have you in my life. Nothing is going to happen to me," she whispered as she felt his arms tighten around her and his lips touch hers. All her fears seemed to take flight and vanish at his touch...

 "I think you should go back to your room, Hermione," Percy murmured through his kiss.

 "I think that might be a good idea," she answered, somewhat unintelligibly.

 Without letting go of each other, they managed to make it to Percy’s door and opened it. However, Percy tripped over the sash of Hermione’s dressing robe and they both tumbled onto the hallway floor in a heap.

 Percy and Hermione looked at one another in a panic. Then they heard it, the click of a doorknob...

 Professor Lupin poked his head into the hallway. He looked very sleepy. His eyes fell on the two young people, hopelessly tangled on the floor and smiled.

"Professor Lupin, " Hermione stammered, blushing furiously, "I was...I mean, I was just checking...I mean."

"You had best return to your quarters, Miss Granger. I highly doubt Professor McGonagall would be as understanding of what it is to be young and in love," Professor Lupin laughed quietly and both Percy and Hermione felt that he was not angry or outraged but merely amused. They each smiled in return, somewhat guiltily.

"I had better go before someone else shows up," Hermione whispered to Percy. Percy nodded. They each got up carefully, adjusting their clothing with as much dignity as they could muster.

"Good night, Percy," she smiled.

"Good night, Hermione," he smiled back and went back into his room.

As she passed Professor Lupin, she stopped suddenly.

"Professor..." she started somewhat nervously.

"This never happened and I never saw you," he smiled.

Hermione looked at him in gratitude and raced back to her room.

Professor Lupin, still smiling, re-entered his room and closed the door carefully behind him. He went over to his old, battered suitcase and quickly found a small ebony box. Opening it, he pulled out a photograph...it was a wedding announcement. He looked at it thoughtfully for several moments.

"I never did tell when I found the two of you in a similar situation, did I?" he asked the photograph quietly, a wistful expression on his face, "Funny how history repeats itself."