Somehow, the table became covered with food without him noticing just when or how. The smell was overpowering after so long a ride on the train. He became aware of something inside of him other than his heart. His stomach was now calling for his attention. The food was excellent, far better than he'd ever thought could be had outside of Texas. Frequently he looked up to see her looking at him, her smile warming him despite arctic blasts that danced about the castle.
Polishing off the last of the dessert, What do they call it here, oh yeah, afters. he let his gaze linger on her a bit more before the headmaster called the school song. West heard only her dancing soprano voice. Somewhere at the edge of awareness, somebody said "Fanged Frisbees."
Ron's brother, the prefect, was droning on in his self important way about rules and regulations of the house.
When he got to the part about the two dormitories, West felt a jolt. Of course they would be segregated, but somehow the thought of being separated from the girl for even a few hours was unsettling.
Percy had finished and everybody was heading for the stairs. West and Hermione glanced at each other and smiled slightly. "Um err, good night Hermione."
"Good night, West." Their hands started for each other. Just before contact they realized the impropriety of holding hands on such brief acquaintance and quickly shifted to a hand shake.
Dean Thomas was grinning at him. "So cowboy, you have a girlfriend do you?"
West tried to skip the cliché of denying his feelings, but at the same time didn't want to give a false impression of them, especially as he wasn't really sure what these feelings were. The whole experience was totally new to him. In the five years he'd spent in elementary school he'd never really caught on the fundamental difference between girls and boys beyond simple anatomy.
Now his heart was doing things he'd never imagined. When they were apart he could barely think straight for missing her. And when he was with her he couldn't think at all for delight. And when he thought he might loose contact with her he was so scared the colossal fear of the school and all was as nothing. Is this love? Well if it's not, I sure the bleep don't know what it is.
"Well, Dean, I wouldn't want to answer for another person but I can certainly say that I'm, well, fond of her."
Ron, Neville and Shamus grinned and shook their heads while Dean gave laugh that asked, "Who do you think you're fooling?"
The light was blown out and the bed curtains drawn closed West slipped off into sleep with the image of Hermione before his mind's eye. But just before he gave himself up to oblivion, he remembered an earlier thought, Just what do they want of me?
Unknown to West, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were discussing that very thing. In an office high in the castle, its walls filled with books and the floor cluttered with strange devices, the old lady was worried.
She worried not only for the safety of one of her students, but for her own integrity. "Professor, I just don't know. It…it's just not right to endanger this boy in order to protect Harry Potter, no matter how found you are of him."
The headmaster shook his head wearily. "Minerva, protecting Harry goes far beyond my personal feelings for the boy, even beyond my fondness for his parents, peace to their ashes. He must survive. He must live and grow strong so when he becomes a man he can face down and defeat Voldemort."
She started as if she'd been shot. "But…but…He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is no more. He destroyed himself when he attempted to kill Harry."
"Don't believe everything you hear from the heralds. Voldemort’s body may be destroyed, but he survives yet in some form. And he may yet regain his former status." He held up his hand to forestall any objection she might voice. "I can't tell you any more on the subject. By rights, I should not have told you that much. Just believe me when I tell you it's necessary. And I have not put Mr. Westinghouse into any particular danger."
"No danger? But, if he's in Potter's place..."
"He is in Harry's bed, Harry's seat at the dinner table, Harry's desk in the class room, but he does not replace Harry in the prophecy. He was not born on the correct date, nor of the proper parentage. Mr. Westinghouse is in no more danger than any other student here. In fact Harry's absence makes Voldemort’s attacking the school highly unlikely making the boy from The States even safer. He could be in no better hands if he had gone to Dragon Fang after all, which he could not have as his family does not have the money."
The old lady had nothing more to say. She left without a word.