On her way to Charms, Hermione walked right into Oliver Wood. She was turning a corner and apparently he was too, for they collided. The collision sent her bag all over the hallway, books flying everywhere. His broomstick fell to the ground and a rather large Transfiguration book fell on top of it with a horrible crunch.

As students filtered by, going into their classrooms, Hermione picked up her books. She stuffed them carelessly into her bookbag. When she was finished, she looked at the former Quidditch captain. He was holding his broomstick looking ashen-faced. One end of the broomstick sat in his left hand, the other in his right. Its fall to the ground and the book falling on top of it, had smashed it into two pieces.

"Oh, Oliver, I am so sorry," said Hermione quietly. "I didn't mean--"

"It's not your fault," he cut her off. "I wasn't watching where I was going." He shrugged. "I've got a lot on my mind." He looked down at the splintered broom looking like his best friend had just been killed.

She set her bag on the ground and put her hand on his arm. "I'm really sorry, Oliver."

He shrugged and sighed deeply, "It's all right, Hermione." Oliver raised his eyes to hers and managed a small grin.

She smiled back at him. "I can probably fix it, if you give me a day or two."

"No, I don't think you need to do-----"

She grabbed the two pieces of broomstick from his hands and held them in front of her, eye level, examining them. "Actually, if I skip class I can get it done sooner. Just a simple together spell should work."

He stared at her, "Since when do you know how to repair brooms?"

She blushed, "Well, when I----over Christmas holidays I checked out a book on broomstick repair from the library. Official broomstick manufacturer's guide, I believe, to broomstick repair." She shrugged like it was no big deal. "Then I borrowed Harry's broomstick repair kit book."

Oliver shook his head in disbelief, "You are the smartest witch I've ever met."

Hermione blushed again, looking down at her hands. "Anyway, it shouldn't take long."

"Thank you." He breathed. "That would mean a lot."

She nodded, "When Harry broke his broom I felt horrible, but that was beyond repair. Yours is a simple crack...and then a sever. It is easy enough to fix I think." She paused, gathering her thoughts. He was still watching her with mild curiosity.

"I wanted to talk to you anyway," she said.

"Oh? What about?"

"Well, I just wanted to ask you a question. About....."

"Yes?" he prompted, standing up. He grinned at her and she had to place a hand to her chest, to slow her breathing. What was it about him that made her so weak?

She stood up and brushed her robes off after gently placing the broom pieces in her bag. "Where were you earlier? I haven't seen you for a couple days."

Oliver chuckled, "Classes. You know. I've been busy. My---er---team has asked I return early and so I was checking it out with Dumbledore."

Hermione suddenly couldn't breath. Was he leaving? She cleared her throat. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Go for it," he grinned.

She smiled slightly back, "If I weren't a student and you weren't a professor---well----would there have been---"

Hermione had no idea why she said it. She wished she hadn't the second the words had popped out of her mouth. She wanted to pull them back in. But they lay in the air between she and Oliver, just taking up space.

Oliver stood there, wondering what to say. "Hermione, I---"

"Nevermind. I shouldn't have said anything. You ARE a Professor and I AM a student." She waved her hand, "Nevermind. Forget I said it." She looked down at the floor, pretending to be interested in the intricate design.

"Hermione, I would date you in a second if you weren't a student."

She raised her head to look at him and she saw that he was smiling. "Oh."

Oliver laughed, "You aren't my student....but Dumbledore seems to think that doesn't matter." He shrugged. "In any case, I do like you. What I said before was a lie."

Hermione nodded slowly, taking it all in. She wished this memory would live on forever.

"Miss Granger!" squeaked Professor Flitwick from down the hall. "Are you going to join us?"

Hermione blushed very red, "Could I take the class off, Professor? I have a broomstick to repair."

Professor Flitwick looked very shocked, but Hermione swore she could see his brain working as he pondered his answer. "Yes, sure. Come and get a pass, though."

Hermione nodded as her tiny teacher ducked back into his class.

"I should go," she said. "It'll take me a whole period to get it finished I think."

"Hermione, Professor Dumbledore told me that it would be okay if we....spent time together. As long as it wasn't....in front of the whole school."

"Did he suggest we have a secret relationship?"

"Not so much secret, as....non public. He said that he wouldn't fire me or expel you if we were to spend time together. But in no way, shape or form were we to---er---snog in public. Or show anything other than friendship in public." Hermione smiled inwardly and she thought maybe she saw a hint of blush on Oliver's cheeks. "I assured him we wouldn't be snogging in public....well, actually I said at all....but..."

Hermione grinned at him, although a part of her was very sad there would be no snogging. "When did this occur?"

"He told me the other day in the Great Hall. I would have said something sooner except, he told me about your relationship with Malfoy."

Hermione swallowed, "Draco and I aren't even friends any more. He used me."

Oliver nodded. "I see."

Hermione looked around the corridor. "I really should go."

"Did you want some help with the broomstick?"

"Don't you have a class?" Hermione inquired.

"No, not til this afternoon."

Hermione shrugged as she picked up her bag, "Sure."

Hermione and Oliver walked down the hall to Charms where she got her pass. Then they went back to his office to work on the broomstick.

Hermione and Oliver were both late for lunch and it seemed that gossip was as thick in the air as the fog was outside. Hermione had fixed his broomstick just in time.

Hermione knew she had missed Arithmancy, but she barely cared. She could make it up. The thing that meant the most to her right now was her pending relationship with Oliver.

It seemed they were just friends right now, but she longed for more.

Although that could wait. She was happy just being around him and speaking to him. Maybe she should rethink her 'no boys' decision after all.

*

Only Ron and Harry knew that Hermione and Oliver were friends by the time March rolled around. The air had a nice springy smell to it but the rain caused them to stay inside more than normally necessary.

Hermione and Oliver spent time together polishing the school broomsticks. They also spent time together in the library for long hours at a time.

Dumbledore spoke to Hermione about her friendship with Oliver and assured her it was quite all right with him. In his words, "Far be it from me to step between two young lovers. You are not unlike Romeo and Juliet, Miss Granger."

"Sir," she said, "they kill themselves in the end."

Dumbledore rose an eyebrow at her, "Do they, now? I should have finished the book, I suppose." The twinkle in his eye suggested he wasn't being entirely truthful with her.

Even though Hermione and Oliver were far from lovers (they hadn't even kissed yet), Dumbledore seemed to think the potential was there.

Hermione wished with all her heart that Oliver would just kiss her, but he hadn't even shown any slight need nor want to. So she held back all those times when he smiled at her. Every time he made her knees go weak, she held her ground and did not fall.

She wouldn't fall. Not yet.

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