It Starts With A Dance

It Starts With A Dance

Chapter 2: Settling In


Hermione was still standing outside the Gryffindor common room when the Fat Lady harrumphed at her.


"I remember the last time you stood here with that look on your face, Professor Granger. You were one of my charges back then, dear girl. But now we're in your charge," the Fat Lady smiled at Hermione, who spoke the password and entered quietly.


"And you were just as heartbroken."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Hermione had a sleepless night in her old House. Her rooms weren't ready yet, and she was just as glad to be in a somewhat familiar room. The students weren't back yet, as Headmistress McGonagall had slightly postponed the start of the school year in deference to all those that had died in the final battle. It was a Thursday night, and the students would be trickling in Saturday night and Sunday, save the first years, who would all be arriving together Sunday evening in time for the sorting and the opening feast.


Around four o'clock in the morning, Hermione gave up on sleep and decided to roam the castle. She grabbed her cloak in a fit of humor and decided to do something she'd always wanted to do as a student: lurk around the castle, pretending to be a big, black bat, like her sometime favorite professor.


Hermione drifted from corridor to corridor, chatting with the ghosts as she played. She had just turned eighteen, so she felt she could afford to be a little silly in the dark. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, and soon she ended up in a dark corridor without any torches. She stopped flapping her 'wings' and looked around.


"Damn," Hermione muttered to herself, trying to orient herself to the unfamiliar surroundings. She was completely blind in the utter darkness, and she couldn't even sense any of the ghosts nearby to help her.


"If I knew that playing big bad Severus would have landed me here I wouldn't have done it," Hermione said, turning around in the darkness. She'd left her wand in her room, and was therefore defenseless. "Some Auror I am."


"Some woman you grew up to be," a voice breathed in her ear. Arms came around Hermione's waist as music began to play. "I only ever got one dance with you, Granger."


"Severus?" Hermione breathed, turning in the tightening embrace. "You?! How'd you get here?!"


The ghost of Neville Longbottom smiled at Hermione, releasing his tenuous grip on her waist. He shimmered, closed his eyes, and was once again almost alive.


"Got you, Hermione," Neville laughed, his chuckles reverberating down the hallway. "I can't believe you actually thought I was Snape. And when did you start calling him 'Severus' anyways?"


"Very funny, Shimmer-boy. Seriously, how did you end up here?" Hermione asked, not caring that she was standing in a dark corridor illuminated only by the shine of her friend's ghostly form. "Actually, how did any of these ghosts end up here?"


Neville shook his head. "I don't know about any of the other ghosts, Hermione, but all I remember is being struck with a spell and Harry and Ginny yelling. After that, I woke up floating in the Great Hall with Minerva McGonagall screeching for me to get my ghostly form down and prepare some lesson plans."


"Excuse me? Lesson plans?"


"Yes. Professor Sprout was mortally wounded in the last attack on the school, and has since died quite painfully."


"So why isn't the ghost of Professor Sprout teaching, like some of the other professors are?" Hermione asked, triumphant yet a little depressed.


"After all those years helping me study and seeing my grades you expect me to have all the answers now?" Neville quirked an eyebrow at his friend.


"You have a point. Care to light my way back to my room, Professor Longbottom?"


Neville presented Hermione with an arm, but had expended too much of himself for her to be able to actually hold his arm. Neville gave her a regretful smile and instead floated before her, shedding light and ensuring she got back to their former common room safely.


Before Hermione mounted the stairs to her room, Neville asked her a question.


"When I approached you like that, why did you assume I was Snape, Hermione?"


Neville shimmered out of the room and Hermione returned to her bed.


"I think the more important question would be, why was I so excited at the prospect?"