A/N: I started writing this awhile ago but I've made some changes because the plot has changed, so it's back in revised form. Any comments, suggestions, criticisms very welcome.

Disclaimer: As per usual; No I don't own these characters. No I'm not making any money out of this. Yes I wish I was making money out of this......

Unlock My Heart

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Chapter One

A Shock and A New Teacher

Flames reflected around the cosy room, lighting up the faces of the two people sitting beside the fire.

"Albus, you know I trust your judgement, but are you seriously telling me that you think that this is a good idea?"

"You trust my judgement?" asked Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.

"Well...most of time"" replied Professor Mc Gonagall smiling slightly. "I understand your reservations Minerva, but it is my belief that everyone deserves a second chance, and Gilderoy has certainly made amends." Dumbledore said seriously. "With Flitwick away at such short notice, and the reputation this school has got for, ahh shall we say, inviting danger, I didn't have a lot of applicants." Dumbledore continued with a sigh.

"I hope you're right Albus...I really do...."

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Hermione sat in the corner of the Gryffindor common room, reading through the chapter on weather charms in preparation for tomorrows lesson. Typically everyone else had gone to bed. She tiredly pushed some hair away from her face and wished, not for the first time, that she could maybe relax just a bit. It was exhausting always trying to be top of every class, to be the smartest person in seventh year. She thought back to the conversation she'd had with Harry earlier that day.

"Hermione maybe you should, I don't know, take things a bit easier this year?" Harry had suggested when Hermione had walked into breakfast with dark circles under her eyes, her face pale and withdrawn.

"Harry!" she had said almost frantically "I don't understand how you can say that with our NEWTS coming up and everything. I mean I've barely had time to revise for all the lessons today!"

"Hermione sometimes you just need to realise that there's more to life than exams" said Harry, feeling not for the first time that he had had this conversation a great many times before.

"Uh huh, like chasing girls maybe? Gee that's really going to get you a good job when you leave here" Hermione said sarcastically. "I can see you in a job interview now "No sir, I didn't get any NEWTS but I can say that I held the impressive record for dating the most girls at Hogwarts while I was there".

Instead of getting mad Harry had just looked over at Ron with a worried expression. Which had made Hermione feel even worse. The truth was that since the start of fifth year when the teachers had given them a little speech about how important it was to do well from then on because they were now entering the serious part of their schooling, Hermione had become even more obsessive about studying and doing well than before. When other people were going on dates, or to parties she was in the library. Harry and Ron had tried to convince her to go out more and to not take things so seriously but she wouldn't let them. Lavender and Parvati had also attempted on numerous occasions to get her to go on dates with people but Hermione always acted like she was above all that. What no one knew, and she would never tell, was that after things with Krum had never really progressed past the pen pal stage following the Tri Wizard Tournament she secretly thought that there had to be something wrong with her. She was, she admitted, afraid to be with anyone. Slowly, without her even noticing, tears began to silently run down her cheeks.

"What's wrong with me?" she wondered. "Here I am at seventeen and I've never even kissed a boy". That was also something she would never, ever tell anyone. Closing the charms book, Hermione got up and made her way to her room. Luckily Lavender whom she shared a room with was asleep so she would not have to put up with stares at her tear stained face, or even worse with Lavender's unconvincing sympathy.

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Hermione awoke suddenly, wondering why her alarm hadn't gone off. Reaching out to see what the time was she was horrified to see it was 8:50am.

"Oh I don't believe this " she thought, "How could I have forgotten to set the alarm? I never do that". Hurriedly she threw on her shirt and skirt and grabbing her robe she rushed out the door and ran down the stairs. Charms was the first lesson of the day and she realised, as she sprinted through the west corridor, that she was going to be late. It would be the first time in three years she had been late for a class she reflected. Luckily Flitwick was an old softy at heart and since awarding her 110 per cent on her charms exam in second year he had become rather incapable of seeing Hermione in a negative light. It was lucky, Hermione thought, that Professor Flitwick would be back today from visiting his sick mother and she would not have to incur any pointed comments from Professor McGonagall who had been temporarily filling in.

Hermione pushed open the door to the charms room and rushed over to her seat sitting down quickly.

"I'm so sorry Professor Flitwick.." she began breathlessly "My alar..." she started to say finally looking towards the front of the classroom. Her words died in her throat as she saw it wasn't Flitwick, or even McGonagall standing at the front. A tall man with short blond hair wearing a plain black robe was writing on the blackboard. He turned around. Hermione couldn't help the gasp that came out of her mouth. It was Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Miss Granger isn't it?" he asked in a rather cold voice glancing down at a class list lying on the bench. "I hope you are not going to make a habit of showing up late to all my classes".

Hermione's mouth was open, and to the rest of the class it appeared as though she were trying to speak but no words emerged.

"Or make a habit of arriving half dressed." he added with a raised eyebrow.

Hermione looked down at her shirt and blushed a bright red. Her shirt was half unbuttoned and she had forgotten her tie. This was so uncharacteristic that the class was whispering and looking at Hermione strangely. Being confronted by none other than their old Defence against the Dark Arts teacher and then Hermione's surprise lateness was the most exciting thing that had occurred all week. Hermione caught Harry's eye. He looked at her and then at Lockhart and shrugged as if to say "I know! What's going on?"

"Um...no sorry Professor" said Hermione pulling her robe around her to hide her unbuttoned shirt. The class was whispering even more loudly.

"Silence!" said Lockhart in a way that strongly reminded Hermione of endless potions lessons with Snape. The room was instantly quiet.

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