Well folks…we're near the end. Actually, we're *at* the end, just not the end of the end, it's the beginning of the end. And before I continue with the not-so-exciting-but-still-worth-reading last chapter of "Hermione's Admirers", I would like to make some acknowledgements.
Qoheleth, shmo, Celeste41, ednyadove: I don't know which of you reviewed first you're all on the same day. Thank you for being my first reviewers.
Thank you to everyone who mentioned Ford and Concord in your review, I did name them that for a reason.
Leona-da-Quirm: That was without a doubt the most random and least logical review I have ever received. Congratulations.
Cute-crazy-chick1: Thank you for your comment about my teasers. I wanted them to tease. I mean, that's what a *teaser* should be for, right?
Lyra Silvertongue2 and Nymphadora: you each reviewed 7 times as far as I've counted, which is more than everyone else. You get a prize. A hug. *Hug*. And Nymphadora, awesome name, Tonks rules.
Enough of that. I would also like to thank all the rest of my reviewers, every single one, this story is totally completely for you. I know you're tired of this, so I'll get on with the story. You know, you could have skipped the acknowledgements.
Chapter 15- The End
When Hermione shouted "Immobulus!" the man holding her immediately went still. She hung there, waiting for the others to pull her up. Ron and Harry, once she had been extricated from Nova's grip, each took an arm and heaved her through the window. She fell into Ron's arms and began to sink to the ground. He went down with her, empathetically knowing her legs wouldn't hold her.
She had cried in the midst of her panic. Now that it was over, she felt a numb sort of calm. She raised her wand, inspecting the single shining unicorn hair twisted around it. She looked into the patiently, worriedly expectant faces of her friends and the headmaster. "I didn't think you would reach me in time," she told them. "Ginny must be faster than I thought."
"I didn't even make it to Dumbledore's office," Ginny replied incredulously. "I met them on the way there, and Ron said 'West Tower. Hermione's in trouble' and kept going. A moment later, Dumbledore and Harry ran past as well, and I followed."
"But how…?"
"This." Ron held up the lock of her hair she had given him on Valentine's Day. "I could just- feel it. And then I told the others where you were and just started running."
"But it seems you didn't need our help after all," Harry noted.
Hermione told them the whole story from the floor. There were many raised eyebrows, shocked looks, and growls of anger- the latter mostly from Ron.
"I knew I should have watched him more closely," Dumbledore said with a shake of his head.
"Why did you hire him in the first place?" Later, Hermione could never remember which of them had asked.
"I needed someone who was certainly not a Death Eater, needed a job, and knew what they were doing," Dumbledore explained. "I did not think he would know about the unicorns to begin with. I certainly did not expect him to be completely unhinged." A note of regret had deposited itself in Dumbledore's voice. She was not sure whether it pertained to hiring Nova, or to his unhinged-ness.
"Hermione, we should take you to the hospital wing. After a trauma like this, Madame Pomfrey will have a fit if she is unable to fuss over you. Come." She was helped to her feet and supported by all four of them all the way to the hospital wing, despite her constant insistence that she was perfectly all right.
The bed was quite inviting, and she sank weakly down onto it. After a large cup of hot chocolate, she fell sound asleep, hand in hand with Ron.
She woke to find him next to her, watching her silently. "Have you been here the whole time?"
"Yeah."
"You gave up dinner for me?" This new gesture was beyond all belief.
"Yeah, well, I wanted to make sure you were all right." They exchanged a smile.
"Good morning, lovebirds!" Ginny exclaimed gaily as she entered with Harry. "Sleep well?"
"Hermione did," Ron said.
"We know you missed dinner last night, so we brought you some breakfast," Harry said, holding the stash out to Ron. He took it hungrily.
Hermione stretched and surveyed the room. All the other beds were empty. "Lupin's gone."
"Lupin?" Harry said, surprised.
"I asked Dumbledore about it," Ron said between bites. "Lupin was cured and left middle of last month."
"Why was Lupin here?"
Hermione explained this one. Harry was a bit miffed that they hadn't told him, but he told them to forget it. And they did.
***********************************************************************
In a quite typical occurrence, Hermione received top scores on all her exams. Ginny had done well, and Ron and Harry had managed at least to pass all their subjects. The four of them sat under the sprawling branches of a tree by the lake, and talked about going home. Since the night of Nova's attack, they had not spoken of it, for which Hermione was grateful. They all knew what happened, and that Hermione was trying to put it behind her. She was coming close to succeeding, as well.
Malfoy, rather surprisingly, never even came near them where Hermione was there. Ron and Harry had told her of his halfhearted efforts whenever she was not around. He seemed to be afraid of Hermione, and he seemed to still have feelings for her. Mingled disgust and pity was Hermione's reaction.
One night, when Ron had somehow ended up in her room again, she finally remembered the question she had been meaning to ask him. She took the dragon and peals carefully out of their box. "Ron, have you ever seen this before?"
He scratched his head. "Oh, yeah. I bought it at the same place we got the cloak. Harry didn't know."
"How much money did you find in that box?"
"A lot," Ron said.
"Now, why would you spend so much money on me?"
"I cannot think of a reason, now that you mention it." Hermione shoved him playfully, and he fell backwards onto her bed. After carefully packing the necklace away, she jumped on him, and then she was lost in his embrace.
Their last night at Hogwarts brought just as wonderful a feast as the school had ever given them. Dumbledore, during his end of year speech, surprised them greatly. "I award fifty points each to Harry Potter, Ron and Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger for their aid in fighting the dark arts. Twenty points to Miss Sarah A. Brown, for the most genuine sarcasm I have heard for quite some time." The anonymous seventh year Gryffindor stood to acknowledge the gift of points.
The train ride back to King's Cross was relatively uneventful. Hermione, on an impulse, turned to the others. "You realize that when we go back to Hogwarts, we'll be in our seventh year?"
"Our last year," Ron commented.
"This'll be my last summer with the Dursleys," Harry said happily. "I can probably get a job right out of Hogwarts, and no one can make me go back, I'll be of age then."
"Do you want to visit this summer?" Ron asked them.
"Of course," Hermione said.
"Do you have to ask?" Harry replied.
When they got off the train and passed through the barrier with their belongings, her parents were waiting for her. Ron's parents were there, and the horribly magic- hating Dursleys. She turned and gave Harry a hug goodbye. Ron grasped his hand, and Ginny gave him a long kiss. She saw Harry note with pleasure the Dursleys' wariness of Ginny.
After embracing Ginny, she turned to Ron. "I'll see you soon."
"Not as soon as I would like," he murmured back. He left a gentle kiss on her lips before his family departed.
"Who was that, Hermione?" Her mother asked fondly.
"Ron, you remember him," she said as they left. "You met him, years ago in Diagon Alley…"
End of Story
That's all, folks. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, this is your last chance to review!! Or, as far as I've planned it is. So review please. Thank you. I enjoyed writing and reading your reviews. Review so I can enjoy reading them some more. I'm done now, really.
P.S. (I think that's kind of an oxymoron, don't you? I mean, think about it) Lyra Silvertongue, a.k.a. Sarah, the anonymous seventh year's name was all for you. The A. stands for Anonymous. Literally.
Qoheleth, shmo, Celeste41, ednyadove: I don't know which of you reviewed first you're all on the same day. Thank you for being my first reviewers.
Thank you to everyone who mentioned Ford and Concord in your review, I did name them that for a reason.
Leona-da-Quirm: That was without a doubt the most random and least logical review I have ever received. Congratulations.
Cute-crazy-chick1: Thank you for your comment about my teasers. I wanted them to tease. I mean, that's what a *teaser* should be for, right?
Lyra Silvertongue2 and Nymphadora: you each reviewed 7 times as far as I've counted, which is more than everyone else. You get a prize. A hug. *Hug*. And Nymphadora, awesome name, Tonks rules.
Enough of that. I would also like to thank all the rest of my reviewers, every single one, this story is totally completely for you. I know you're tired of this, so I'll get on with the story. You know, you could have skipped the acknowledgements.
Chapter 15- The End
When Hermione shouted "Immobulus!" the man holding her immediately went still. She hung there, waiting for the others to pull her up. Ron and Harry, once she had been extricated from Nova's grip, each took an arm and heaved her through the window. She fell into Ron's arms and began to sink to the ground. He went down with her, empathetically knowing her legs wouldn't hold her.
She had cried in the midst of her panic. Now that it was over, she felt a numb sort of calm. She raised her wand, inspecting the single shining unicorn hair twisted around it. She looked into the patiently, worriedly expectant faces of her friends and the headmaster. "I didn't think you would reach me in time," she told them. "Ginny must be faster than I thought."
"I didn't even make it to Dumbledore's office," Ginny replied incredulously. "I met them on the way there, and Ron said 'West Tower. Hermione's in trouble' and kept going. A moment later, Dumbledore and Harry ran past as well, and I followed."
"But how…?"
"This." Ron held up the lock of her hair she had given him on Valentine's Day. "I could just- feel it. And then I told the others where you were and just started running."
"But it seems you didn't need our help after all," Harry noted.
Hermione told them the whole story from the floor. There were many raised eyebrows, shocked looks, and growls of anger- the latter mostly from Ron.
"I knew I should have watched him more closely," Dumbledore said with a shake of his head.
"Why did you hire him in the first place?" Later, Hermione could never remember which of them had asked.
"I needed someone who was certainly not a Death Eater, needed a job, and knew what they were doing," Dumbledore explained. "I did not think he would know about the unicorns to begin with. I certainly did not expect him to be completely unhinged." A note of regret had deposited itself in Dumbledore's voice. She was not sure whether it pertained to hiring Nova, or to his unhinged-ness.
"Hermione, we should take you to the hospital wing. After a trauma like this, Madame Pomfrey will have a fit if she is unable to fuss over you. Come." She was helped to her feet and supported by all four of them all the way to the hospital wing, despite her constant insistence that she was perfectly all right.
The bed was quite inviting, and she sank weakly down onto it. After a large cup of hot chocolate, she fell sound asleep, hand in hand with Ron.
She woke to find him next to her, watching her silently. "Have you been here the whole time?"
"Yeah."
"You gave up dinner for me?" This new gesture was beyond all belief.
"Yeah, well, I wanted to make sure you were all right." They exchanged a smile.
"Good morning, lovebirds!" Ginny exclaimed gaily as she entered with Harry. "Sleep well?"
"Hermione did," Ron said.
"We know you missed dinner last night, so we brought you some breakfast," Harry said, holding the stash out to Ron. He took it hungrily.
Hermione stretched and surveyed the room. All the other beds were empty. "Lupin's gone."
"Lupin?" Harry said, surprised.
"I asked Dumbledore about it," Ron said between bites. "Lupin was cured and left middle of last month."
"Why was Lupin here?"
Hermione explained this one. Harry was a bit miffed that they hadn't told him, but he told them to forget it. And they did.
***********************************************************************
In a quite typical occurrence, Hermione received top scores on all her exams. Ginny had done well, and Ron and Harry had managed at least to pass all their subjects. The four of them sat under the sprawling branches of a tree by the lake, and talked about going home. Since the night of Nova's attack, they had not spoken of it, for which Hermione was grateful. They all knew what happened, and that Hermione was trying to put it behind her. She was coming close to succeeding, as well.
Malfoy, rather surprisingly, never even came near them where Hermione was there. Ron and Harry had told her of his halfhearted efforts whenever she was not around. He seemed to be afraid of Hermione, and he seemed to still have feelings for her. Mingled disgust and pity was Hermione's reaction.
One night, when Ron had somehow ended up in her room again, she finally remembered the question she had been meaning to ask him. She took the dragon and peals carefully out of their box. "Ron, have you ever seen this before?"
He scratched his head. "Oh, yeah. I bought it at the same place we got the cloak. Harry didn't know."
"How much money did you find in that box?"
"A lot," Ron said.
"Now, why would you spend so much money on me?"
"I cannot think of a reason, now that you mention it." Hermione shoved him playfully, and he fell backwards onto her bed. After carefully packing the necklace away, she jumped on him, and then she was lost in his embrace.
Their last night at Hogwarts brought just as wonderful a feast as the school had ever given them. Dumbledore, during his end of year speech, surprised them greatly. "I award fifty points each to Harry Potter, Ron and Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger for their aid in fighting the dark arts. Twenty points to Miss Sarah A. Brown, for the most genuine sarcasm I have heard for quite some time." The anonymous seventh year Gryffindor stood to acknowledge the gift of points.
The train ride back to King's Cross was relatively uneventful. Hermione, on an impulse, turned to the others. "You realize that when we go back to Hogwarts, we'll be in our seventh year?"
"Our last year," Ron commented.
"This'll be my last summer with the Dursleys," Harry said happily. "I can probably get a job right out of Hogwarts, and no one can make me go back, I'll be of age then."
"Do you want to visit this summer?" Ron asked them.
"Of course," Hermione said.
"Do you have to ask?" Harry replied.
When they got off the train and passed through the barrier with their belongings, her parents were waiting for her. Ron's parents were there, and the horribly magic- hating Dursleys. She turned and gave Harry a hug goodbye. Ron grasped his hand, and Ginny gave him a long kiss. She saw Harry note with pleasure the Dursleys' wariness of Ginny.
After embracing Ginny, she turned to Ron. "I'll see you soon."
"Not as soon as I would like," he murmured back. He left a gentle kiss on her lips before his family departed.
"Who was that, Hermione?" Her mother asked fondly.
"Ron, you remember him," she said as they left. "You met him, years ago in Diagon Alley…"
End of Story
That's all, folks. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, this is your last chance to review!! Or, as far as I've planned it is. So review please. Thank you. I enjoyed writing and reading your reviews. Review so I can enjoy reading them some more. I'm done now, really.
P.S. (I think that's kind of an oxymoron, don't you? I mean, think about it) Lyra Silvertongue, a.k.a. Sarah, the anonymous seventh year's name was all for you. The A. stands for Anonymous. Literally.