A/n- Fanfiction dt net is STILL not working. Geez, how annoying!
Disclaimer: I can't think of any more witty responses to this.
Summary: Mostly Harry, but then, I thought of how mean that would be, not having any Draco/Hermione moments, so they have a little bit of air time.
Jackknifed
Harry wrapped his cloak tighter around his body, the chilling halls channeling the cold wind outside.
The portraits overhead cast long shadows upon the ground and upon Harry's figure as he walked.
His steps echoed off the stone walls, a hollow sound.
It gave Harry the creeps, although he wasn't sure why. He always felt at ease in the castle, but something about it in winter just threw him off balance.
Maybe it was because the snow packed in around the stone, hibernating the people within, creating a tomb of silence and bitter white.
And the cold.
It chilled Harry down to his bones, that cold.
Half way down the stairs towards the Library, Harry nearly turned back, weighing the risk and the reward of this little endeavor.
It was just homework wasn't it? It didn't need to get finished that badly. Just wait for Hermione to come back.
But something made him continue on, passing a few groups of students milling about the Entrance Hall.
.o.o.o.o.
Hermione stepped gingerly up to the Owlry, careful not to slip on the icy stone.
Reaching the top, she leaned over the side of the stone railing, looking out over the white snow covered grounds, breathing in a chill that scalded her lungs with a refreshing cold.
She blinked away the snow that had gathered on her eyelashes, blowing hot air into her palms to warm her face.
She stood, alone, for a good five minutes, looking up and over at the sky, completely grey, watching for a little flicker of green or a streak of white gold.
Someone made a noise behind her.
Twisting, she saw Draco land softly upon the Owlry staircase, his broom in his hand, his other clasped in a fist. He still wore his Quiddich uniform, the leather squeaking slightly as he moved.
Hermione grinned, watching him step up onto the landing, leaving his broom leaning against the stone.
He reached out to her, grasping her hand with his leather glove.
Hermione looked up at him with large eyes, his gaze down to her palm.
A rosy color held within his face, either from being windswept or from her contact, it was the same.
He smiled and placed his fist within her cupped palms, slowly letting go of whatever was in his hand.
Hermione felt a thrill run through her.
.o.o.o.o.
Harry stepped over the threshold of the Library, looking around, vaguely aware of the way Madam Pince was glaring at him.
He ducked behind a pile of books, walking up and down the book cases, peering in each row, looking over the heads of a few students, straining to see if Hermione was hidden behind them.
She wasn't.
This troubled Harry and a slightly swell of annoyance began to rise.
Thinking maybe she was seated at one of the Library tables, he moved away from the books.
She wasn't there either.
He searched for another good five minutes.
She still wasn't there!
Harry even looked in the Forbidden Books section.
She wasn't there.
Very annoyed now, Harry went up to the front desk of the Library, leaning against the wood.
"Uh, Madam Pince?"
The woman looked up at him over her glasses.
"Huuhmmmm?"
"Well, you see ma'am, I was looking for Hermione Granger."
"She is not here." Madam Pince looked down at her book again.
"I know she's not here."
The woman looked back up at him.
"I was just wondering if you had seen her. She said she was coming down here."
Pince shook her head. "I haven't seen the girl for a while now, only comes in about once every other week. Most unusual! Now, if you mind!" She looked down at her book, finished the conversation.
A cold chill swept over Harry.
Every couple of weeks?
Not in a while?
Didn't she always tell him and Ron that she was going down to the Library? He could see if she would get sidetracked some of the time, but when she came back they always asked how it was and she had said fine.
Had she lied?
Without thanking the Librarian, Harry ran out.
.o.o.o.o.
The little golden snitch was vibrating softly in Hermione's palm.
She had taken off her glove.
It hummed, its wings twitching every so often, its body warm against Hermione's skin.
"I- Draco." She whispered, turning the object over and over again in her hand, the wings furling and unfurling as they rotated.
"I caught it."
Hermione laughed.
"I know." She said softly, feeling Draco touch her arm.
"Careful." He said sharply, the snitch's wings suddenly beat hummingbird fast.
They watched it flit for a moment in Hermione's palm, darting up to fly around their heads, dipping in and out of the pair, round and around.
Hermione lost sight of it for a moment, yet, Draco's eyes, sharper, held the little streak of gold until it zoomed off back towards the quiddich pitch.
Malfoy grinned, Hermione smiling back.
.o.o.o.o.
Harry ran out of the Great Hall almost in frenzy.
She wasn't there either.
What if something happened?
He could never forgive himself.
Harry sprinted back up the stairs towards the Common Room, nearly running in to a group of girls heading in the opposite direction. Yelling the password at the Portrait, it swung open, and he burst in
Those milling about looked over at the boy who was clamoring through.
"Have any of you seen Hermione?" He gasped.
Lavender, Dean, a little first year, and a gaggle of other people Harry didn't bother to identify all shook their heads.
"Someone must have seen her!"
No answer, just complete silence.
Harry ran over to the couch Ron was at, still sleeping. He tried to shake him awake but the boy just murmured, turning over.
It was then that Harry had an idea.
Sprinting up to his dorm, Harry skidded to his knees in front of his chest of drawers, pulling off the lid.
Rummaging through, tossing a few pairs of socks onto his bed, Harry pulled out a very old a wrinkled piece of parchment.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He murmured, tapping his wand to the page.
Ink bloomed under his hands, stretching out like veins, covering the pages with intricate passageways.
Sitting down upon his gold and red comforter, Harry pulled his legs up, the map against his lap.
Slowly, he picked through the map, piece by piece, double-checking and rechecking all the places he had already looked.
Plus ones he didn't.
The empty classrooms.
Hagrid's hut.
The fringes of the forest.
Even the quiddich pitch!
With a frustrated yell he tossed the paper across the room, it falling into a little crumple on the ground. As if unfurling, a flap on the upper right corner of the map un-creased, folding down upon itself, revealing a little square of parchment Harry hadn't even looked at.
The Owlry.
Disgusted with himself at not finding his friend, Harry squatted down in front of the map, taking it into his hands and looking at it, slightly dumbstruck.
There she was, a little dot, Hermione Granger.
Harry laughed, relieved, but then…
Draco Malfoy.
Harry squinted at the paper, disbelieving.
The dots moved away from each other in a swift motion, a rise of anger swelling within Harry.
How dare he corner her!
What if he attacked her?
But then, Hermione moved closer to him, willingly, the two dots blending into a little stain of black.
Understanding slowly crashed upon Harry and all the pieces of what had been happening for the past months clicked into place.
Her absence…
Her little smiles in Potion's class…
The Quiddich game…
Pain flickered across Harry's featured as he folded up the map, calmly placing it back into his trunk.
Calm.
Calm.
Breath.
Breath.
His heart thumped dully against his eardrums.
A sudden cry of anger bubbled up from deep within him and Harry kicked violently at his four poster bed.
A/n- Told you I'd update sooner!!!
Will Harry confront Hermione? Will he tell Ron?
What will Draco say?
Please review!