"Shhh shhhh"
Harry could only stroke gently her back and let her cry it out. It had been about fifteen minutes since Ron and Lavender had left the scene leaving only a very depressed Hermione behind. She felt her tears burn and fall with great gravity, she felt Harry's gentle touch and the commotion still going on in the common room.
After five more minutes she had stopped and just looked pensive and tired. Hermione smiled weakly at Harry as she rose from the steps and managed with a small voice to speak once more.
"Um...I'm okay now. Thank you"
"Are you sure? You want me to walk you to the Girl's Dorm Door?"
"No, that won't be necessary. I think I'll just freshen up on my way to the library"
"The library? At this hour? Now? Hermione I don't think that is a good idea"
"Harry, I won't let Ronald and that girl change my original plans: I need to return a book that Madame Prince lent me under very special instructions. The book.."
She looked around and realized that she had left the item back at the common room. She kept shifting her gaze from that direction to Harry, to her luck he managed to read her mind a bit
"You...don't have it with you, do you? Is it...?" And he looked back to the party area
"Yeah...on the table by the fireplace"
"I'll get it. Wait here"
After the briefest moment he was back with a tattered bulky book under his arm. The title read "Incantations of the Eastern World" by F. H. Burton
"Is it good? The book" Hermione had looked confused for a second and felt uncomfortable with her behavior.
"Yes. It is, I've been busy with some extra material for McGonagall's class and couldn't finish it though. I hope Madame Pince will let me use it a bit more so I need to talk to her"
"I see..." Harry's attention had diverted towards a couple of Gryffindors that were walking briskly and arguing. It was Ginny and Dean. He turned to Hermione and gave a small smile trying to reassure her that his focus was on her but she had already noticed his change.
Then suddenly Dean whispered something to Ginny. Whatever it was it made her eyes go big and storm off and pass Harry and Hermione. She felt a bit embarrassed for her obvious displeasure and didn't turn to look at them.
Harry and Hermione watched her and then watched Dean walk in the opposite direction.
"There can't be a moment of peace around here, can there?"
"Hermione?"
"Go to her. I can tell you want to"
"But-"
"I'm fine and need to do this. Can I have the book please?"
"Oh! Right" Harry looked impatient waiting for Hermione to finish talking so he could check on Ginny
"Go! I'm FINE"
"Thanks" Without anything more he turned to leave
"Harry!" He turned with some frustration "Don't wait too long to tell her how you feel. Let her know before its too late"
"...Thanks Hermione"
After watching him run towards the common room, Hermione walked out of Gryffindor Tower and headed to the bathroom close to the library. She fixed her hair and washed her face not wanting to look like another teenage drama in front of her elders. Once she reached the library she got a bit of surprise for on the door, there was a sign:
CLOSED EARLY DUE TO HEADMASTER'S ORDER. Signed, Madame Pince
"Blast! Now what?" Hermione immediately started to think, she needed a change of pace, some solitude and now her favorite refuge was out of reach. So the next place that popped in her head made sense, it would be empty, it would be quiet, and more importantly away from Ron. She decided on the Astronomy Tower
All the way up there she kept trying to think about the book in her hands, her lessons and whatever else that didn't pertain to certain redhead. She hadn't seen Filch anywhere which made her think he was probably chasing Gryffindors or other students somewhere else.
It was very dark and cold. The snow was still falling giving the tower a quiet, magical scenery. There was also something else there or rather, someone there.
Hermione squinted and walked slowly toward the figure looking out the tower. The stranger however sensed her and turned around quickly with wand in hand.
It was Draco Malfoy