NOTE: Once again I want to point out that english isn't my first language,
so I would appreciate if you all would tell me when the text doesn't make sense to you.
Thank you.
_

1.

It was winter and the snow was falling down like heavy clouds from the sky,
painting the entire world in beautiful shades of white. Harry didn't know there could be so many different whites but it fascinated him. It was one detail he had never really noticed before. The snow was so white and bright in the afternoon sun that he had to squint his eyes to see anything at all.
He sat by the window in the Gryffindor tower, looking out at the world from the other side of the glass where it was warm and cozy. Downstairs the fire was burning; he could hear the cracking noise of the wood through the silence. Except from him the tower was completely empty. Everything around him was silent and still and it made him feel relaxed for once. He had walked up to the tower in hope of sorting out some chaotic feelings he had had for a while, with these dreams haunting him. The long corridor, the door that he wanted to open so desperately, it all was a mystery to him. Since Voldemort had risen last year with the help of his blood, perhaps there could be a connection there. He was too tired to think about it, the dream could mean anything. Right now, he just wanted to have a moment to himself.
Downstairs he could suddenly hear the door open and footsteps moving up the stairs and to the boys' room. Harry turned around and saw Ron stepping inside. He was wearing casual clothes, a knitted sweater from his lovely mother Molly, and a pair of brown pants. His red hair was all over the place and still wet from being outside in the snow, small drops of water dripped down on the floor.

"So this is where you've been hiding all afternoon." He said and took another step in to the room. "Hermione thought you'd be here. "
Harry nodded and rose to his feet, stretching out his body to wake it up from sitting still for so long.

"I just needed to think for a while."

Ron gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder and smiled. In some weird way it made him feel relieved and he smiled back towards his friend.

"Come on, let's get a snack."

They walked out of the room and to the great hall, eagerly discussing quiditch along the way. So far, nothing in particular had happened. The first match would be in a few weeks and Gryffindors first opponent would be Ravenclaw. A match they most definitely would win, Ron was convinced. Harry too but he didn't want to brag before the match – anything could happen.
In the great hall Hermione sat waiting for them with her nose deep in a book. The book was surely about some very complex potion or spell and the book was bigger then her entire upper body. As usual.

"Hey Hermione, watcha reading there?" Ron asked and sat down in front of her while Harry sat down to her right.

"I don't really have the energy to explain it to you Ron, no offense." She said without looking up. "Hi Harry."

"Hi Hermione." He answered and grabbed a piece of bread and started buttering it. Ron gave out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

"Could you please stop reading for a second Hermione and be social?"
She looked up from the book and gave Ron a cold glance before she closed the book.

"Do you have anything important you want to talk about?" she asked with a poisonous smile. Ron gave Harry a look that said 'make something up, quick', but Harry actually had something he wanted to talk about.

"Well, I was thinking about tonight's DA meeting and thought that we could try out some dueling for once, you know, use the spells we've taught them in combat. I mean, not really a duel, just with some simple spells, not the dangerous ones. I thought it could be helpful."

Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement.
"You're right, anyone can use a spell in day to day living, but when it comes to a real combat with pumping adrenalin and real fear… that's a completely different thing." Hermione said.

"We could use a spell to make our practice-dolls move around. We haven't really tried to hit a moving target before." Ron said eagerly.

They all seemed to have such great ideas about tonight's lesson that Hermione had to start taking notes. In Harrys five years at Hogwarts had he never been this excited, it felt as if he was actually doing something for once. Most of the time he was waiting around, worrying about Voldemort and the whole dying thing, letting others protect him and help him. But now he was actually taking the matter in to his own hands. He was changing his destiny, he would win this war and it made him feel confident and strong, like he could do anything.

"I wonder if Hannah will be absent tonight again, she's been missing out on the last sessions we've had." Hermione gave out a sigh and put the pen down, massaging her fingers after the intense writing.

"I've met her in the corridor and she looks fine, but she's acting like a completely different person. When I said hi she gave me this look…" Hermione shivered demonstratively and gave both Harry and Ron that look, that look that said 'something is not right so we should investigate'.

"I haven't really noticed that she's any stranger than usual, she is pretty shy." Ron glanced over at the Hufflepuff table and Harry did the same but they couldn't see her among the other faces.

"I mean, she's a prefect now. You don't behave like that unless something is wrong. What if something happened?" Hermione looked at the boys with worried eyes and started to bite her nails, a habit she had had for a while now. She herself absolutely loathed her new habit and had asked both Ron and Harry to point it out whenever she did it. She said she wanted to save out her nails, and perhaps paint them in a nice color. This shocked the boys almost to death.

"Hermione, don't bite your nails." Harry pointed out. Her hand flew down to her lap where she braided her fingers together.

"First of all, I don't really think that's any of our business." Harry continued and gave both Hermione and Ron a long look.

"Second of all, we all have problems and baggage. I think we should just leave her alone for a while, perhaps she will talk to us when she's ready."

Hermione crossed her arms and gave Harry a disappointed look but he ignored it. He looked over at the Hufflepuff table one last time but there was no sign of Hannah. It was probably nothing or some stupid love issue. It didn't really matter what it was, either way he didn't want to get involved with it. He had enough on his mind as it was.