Chapter Two

To Begin

For the first month of school Harry, Hermione, and Ron did nothing but go to class and study. The sixth year turned out to be harder then they had expected and they had only just started. In the years before this the classes would usually start out slow and work up to being demanding and difficult, whereas now they seemed to just dive right into being completely hardcore.

Ron and Harry both had essays due on the Monday by next week and had already started on a project for Defence against the Dark Arts. That was due in two weeks time and was required to have an essay, presentation, narration, and demonstration to go along with it. Along side all of this they had twice the amount of homework not to mention a little extra from Professor McGonagall. They did not even want to imagine what Hermione had to do, but they barely saw her the entire week and if they did it was either on the way to class or they would find her with her head buried in a book at the library.

Harry however was enjoying himself none the less, he had tons of homework, and classes upon classes, and Quidditch practice 3 to 4 nights a week. He was so busy that he barely had time to eat let alone sink into the depression that he had been in for the entire summer. Ron was probably the least busy out of the three of them. He only had class, homework, and his Prefect duties, so on his spare time he would sit next to Harry and help him with his homework, who usually would have to do it late in the evening after Quidditch practice. Ron would also take on some of Hermione's Prefect duties in an attempt to lighten her load.

It was Sunday, October 1st. It was Harry's and Ron's first day off and they had decided to spend the afternoon with Hagrid. They sat in Hagrid's cabin enjoying a cup of tea and telling Hagrid all about the last month. Although nothing extraordinary had happened, Harry found it soothing to recap such a normal month, or as normal as you can get while attending Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry.

Hagrid was busy in the kitchen making cucumber and cheese sandwiches for their lunch while he listened to the boy's stories. Harry was in the middle of telling him about Quidditch practice and how as the team was basically starting from scratch with the exception of two, and how they're regular accidents, which the more experienced members found rather amusing. Like someone leaning on the broom meaning to catch the quaffle and instead making the broom go into a dive and throwing the rider off into the mud head first. Ron began to laugh about one of the beaters who lost control of his bat and ended up throwing it across the field. (Ron was a regular watcher at the Quidditch practices.) However, Harry pointed out that the bat had ended up falling on Rons head making him land headfirst in the mud. Ron stopped laughing and took a sip of his tea.

"Well it sounds as if ya guys 'ave 'ad a busy coupla weeks, 'ave ye not 'ad any free time to yer selfs at all, no days off or anythin?" Hagrid walked over to the table where the boys were sitting and placed a try full of sandwiches before them. He turned around, got the kettle, and refilled all their cups with more tea before sitting down at the table with them. Ron immediately started eating.

"No, we've been completely loaded, no one told us that the sixth year was so intense. Although, I am rather enjoying all this work…it's keeping my mind off other things" Harry replied before picking up a sandwich, he however did not start eating it but instead began to fiddle with it.

"Yeah, I know…you have been acting quiet strange lately Harry. I can't wait till this load lightens a bit, I miss the good old days when we had little homework and if we did it was rather easy…well easy if you had Hermione in your study group." Ron stopped eating for a second and took a sip of tea, watching Harry fiddle with his sandwich. "Eat it Harry, or I will." Harry took a bite of the sandwich.

"Well, Ron ye will be surprised cuz I don't tink yah will be getin a ligher load any time soon. An seventh year is even worse. Not dat I know, I just seen all de other students in those years, locking themselves in their common rooms or da library." Hagrid picked up a sandwich and devoured it in one bite. He cast his eyes around the cabin as if he was looking for something, or someone. "Why isn't 'ermione 'ere?"

Ron answered, "She has Prefect duties."

"Why don't you?" Asked Harry.

Ron faced Harry, "because I lied and said I wasn't feeling well. I needed a day off mate."

Harry did not seem pleased. "I'm going to go find her. She has been working her ass off all month, what with Prefect duty, dealing with my moaning and yours Ron, and not to mention the amount of homework she had! Double our load and we have twice as much as usual."

"You don't usually care, don't know why you are getting upset. She could have lied and gotten off duty as well."

Harry stood up and wiped his mouth with his napkin, "you know she wouldn't do that." He placed his napkin back on the table before walking towards the door. "Where do ye tink yer goin'?" Hagrid said as Harry opened the front door "going to go keep Hermione company." He said before stepping out of the cabin and closing the door behind him.

Ron stared at the door. "He is going mental I think…he seems too always be looking for her and never likes to leave her alone of make her feel left out. Odd, lost his marbles…well, it was bound to happen sooner or later."

"Will ye stop makin' jokes bout ye mate. 'E 'as been extremely depressed lately, de amount of owls I received from 'im over dee summer." Hagrid stood up and began to clear the table.

Ron protested, "It's not my fault I got grounded for the entire summer!"

Hagrid raised one of his big bushy eyebrows, "I beg ter differ."

Harry walked around the castle searching for Hermione. He didn't realise when he had left Hagrid's cabin that he in fact had no clue where she was, so needless to say it took forever before he found her. He was walking towards the portrait of the Fat Lady when he looked down the corridor and saw her. She was leaning against the corridor wall near the Fat Lady; she must be on guard duty for the entrance to Gryffindor's common room. However, she didn't look very much like a guard. She had her eyes closed and her head was hanging forward as if she had dozed off.

Harry walked over to her, watched her for a couple seconds and then leaned against the wall next to her humming quietly. She let out a small moan but did not lift her head. He took a different approach and stood in front of her. He coughed, deepened his voice and said "Miss Granger!"

Hermione jumped out of her doze looking wildly around; "Oh Jesus…I mean…sorry Professor I just have been so…" she trailed off as she spotted Harry standing in front of her chuckling to himself. "You suck…" she said before hitting him on the shoulder. Harry stopped chuckling. "Ow" he said while rubbing his arm, "you're violent."

She smiled. "What on earth are you doing here? I thought you were with Ron and Hagrid having a relaxing afternoon."

He shrugged his shoulders, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and then said, "I dunno, I finished eating and thought you may like some company. Ron also told me he got off duty by telling the Head girl that he wasn't feeling to well, I didn't think that was very fair on you."

Hermione sat down on the floor and gestured for Harry to follow suit, he did. "I don't mind. He has taken up some of my duties recently, so I owe him big time." She began to play with her hair absentmindedly; "did you have a good time at lunch?"

"Yeah actually, we just talked about this month. Nothing else. It is so nice to be so busy that I don't even worry about reality." His eyes followed her hands as they began to fiddle with the clasp on her robe.

"Well, you've come along way since the train ride…or you've just been to busy to even think about it." She suddenly felt very nervous and began to bite her nails.

"I think the later part is true." His eyes continued to watch her hands, he didn't know why but he could not pull them away from her. "Um…have you finished all your homework? I know you had a ton."

"Almost, I just have one page left of a potions question and answer paper and that's it. I was thinking of going into the great hall and playing maybe a game of chess with one of you guys later after my shift is over."

"A game of chess before homework? That's not like you."

"I need a little break, and the paper won't take more then 10 minutes."

"Well a game of chess Sounds good to me. I am sure Ron will have found us by then. You've taken a liking to the game haven't you?"

A grin slowly began to form on her lips while she continued to bite her nails; "practice makes perfect." Harry suddenly took her hand and pulled it out of her mouth, however he did not let go once it was out. "Bad habit." Hermione blushed and looked down at her hands in his, they were warmed, soft, and gentle. He watched her eyes, let go abruptly and turned to look down the corridor in the direction of the Fat Lady, trying to hide his blush in the process. "Umm…when are you off duty?"

"In an hour."

"Right." He stood up.

"Where are you going?" She was quiet enjoying his company and knew if he left she would probably fall asleep again.

"I was going to find Ron."

"Don't. Play a game with me, I'll probably fall asleep if you don't and then be found by one of the Professors or Head girl or boy and get in serious trouble." She began to tug on his robes. He sat back down.

"Sirius. Yeah, ok. I'll stay. What do you want to play?"

Hermione smiled, ignoring the first word in that sentence. Her goal for this year was to keep his mind as far away from You-Know-Who, his parents, and his godfather. Maybe then he would be happy because she hated seeing her friends depressed. "I dunno. Rock, paper, and scissors?"

Harry laughed out loud, "Man, only you and I must know that one. Does the wizarding world even know of that game?"

She giggle, "No clue, it was just the first game that came into my head!"

"Well, lets play!" Harry said, and he had a smile on his face for that entire hour.