Ginny's back!! We've not seen her since, what? The second chapter? Hoo-
rah! Well, enjoy.
"Harry?" Colin called to Harry as the boy stepped from the locker room after his quiddich practice. "Hey Harry, did you see anyone else at your practice today?"
"Well, I was actually too busy to really pay any attention. I did see you toward the end, though. Why do you ask?"
"Well, this might seem odd, but I could swear I saw Malfoy walking away as I was coming out to the field."
"That doesn't seem too odd. He was probably sizing up the competition. We do the same thing to them, you know."
"That might explain it then," Colin answered as they walked back up to the castle. He shivered in the cold wind and Harry put his arm around the boy and pulled him a little closer. Colin put his hand around Harry's waist and beamed at him. They walked into the castle and headed to the Gryffindor tower.
The common room was alive with activity. Harry spotted Seamus and Neville with Ron in a corner, Seamus animatedly describing something and Ron blushing profusely. "Let's go save Ron, huh?" Harry asked Colin. He got an affirmative nod.
"…And after the chocolate hardened, Ron, we…Oh hey Harry, Colin, how'd practice go? Are we ready for Saturday?" Seamus said in one breath.
"Hey Harry!!!!" Ron nearly yelled in relief.
"Hey you guys," Harry replied. "Having a good time, Ron?" Harry asked with glee in his eye.
"Oh he's having a great time Harry, I was telling him about how Neville and I used some of that hardening chocolate syrup you put on ice cream last night when we…"
"Okay, Harry, I'm hungry and you have to be starving after practice so let's go get dinner, what do you say?" Ron burst out very quickly and on a single breath. Harry saw the pleading in his eyes as well as the mirth in Seamus'. Harry barely suppressed a smile and nodded. Ron bolted past Seamus and Neville to his side and they left the two boys in the corner.
"Colin?" a very Dennis-y voice called and Colin turned to it.
"Have you seen Hermione?" Dennis asked the two of them.
"Not since last class," Harry responded and Colin shrugged and shook his head no. Dennis looked very sad, so Harry continued on. "You might want to try the library, Dennis, rumor has it that she has a cot there." Dennis beamed back, clearly happy at the thought of finding Hermione and shouted his thanks as he sprinted for the doors.
"SeeyouintheGreatHallinalittlebitguys" he said as he jumped through the hole.
"He certainly has a thing for her, doesn't he?" Ron asked.
"Ron, you don't even know," Colin told him, remembering Dennis' room at home.
"I think it's cute," Harry said and smiled at the thought of the two of them together.
"Not as cute as you two are," Ron said and looked at the two of them. He saw the look of thanks in their eyes, especially Colin, and felt his face begin to flush. "Now come on and lets eat," he added before either could speak. He walked ahead of them to hide his face (gotta love how redheads blush, huh? The slightest thing and *wham*- red.) but as they exited the portrait hole Harry called back to him.
"Hey Ron," he called. Ron turned to him, about half red.
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Thanks," Colin answered.
"Er, no problem, guys." Ron turned around walked on, oblivious to the grins behind him as well as a slight snicker from Colin.
"He is still a bit uncomfortable, isn't he Harry? Just a tad?" Colin whispered to Harry.
"I think so. He's almost over it, I think."
"I hope so," Colin said quietly and took Harry's hand in his own. They continued their walk down the steps to the Great Hall and soon found themselves surrounded by plates of delicious food. Ron was busy talking with his mouth full about all kinds of things at once, as was the norm. Harry kept searching the room and the doorway for any signs of Hermione. She didn't seem herself today.
Harry had tried to get her to open up to him during Herbology, but he seemed to be missing the required Granger gene to force people to spill their inner thoughts and demons. She simply shooed him away in typical Hermione style and told him that she'd be alright and not to worry about little old her. Besides, she told Harry, he had a beautiful boyfriend that needed the attention much more than she did. Harry set off after a smile and one last fruitless effort to find that beautiful boyfriend of his before dinner.
Twenty minutes had passed since they'd arrived and still no sign of her. Even Seamus and Neville had arrived, somewhat flushed, but they had beaten the ever-punctual Hermione to the table for the first time in probably forever. He kept looking up though, hoping that she would walk in and he could talk to her, but instead of Ms. Granger, he saw the younger Creevey enter the Hall looking a bit unhappy. It appeared that he didn't find Hermione after all.
Dennis slowly walked over to their table. He had the look of a boy who'd just lost his puppy dog. He arrived at their side and sat down with a sigh and a humph.
"What's wrong," Colin asked, not liking the look on his brother's face.
"I missed her. I didn't find Hermione."
"Well Dennis, Hogwarts isn't that big of a place you know. You *will* see her again." Harry thought to himself that Hogwarts was a whole lot bigger than most people knew about, but kept that information to himself as Colin spoke again. "Speak of the devil Dennis, there she is now, walking in with Ginny."
Dennis spun around in his seat and fell off. He picked himself up as gracefully and quickly as he could, hoping that she'd not seen him do that. Color was rising to his face and neck as he spoke to her, "Hermione, are you okay? Is everything alright?"
"Yes, Dennis, I'm doing okay." The table took that with a grain of speculation. Hermione's eyes were a little puffy and red making it look as if she was either crying recently or suffering from a bad case of hay fever, and since she'd never had allergies before and it was almost October anyway, she had likely been crying. Dennis looked the least convinced. She put a hand to his shoulder and told him "Honestly Dennis, I'm fine. I just had a girl moment, you know how we get sometimes. Oh, and Ron, I saw that look on your face. Don't even say it. Just go on stuffing your face with potatoes, right?"
Ron started to say something but decided against it and smiled instead. Harry and Colin laughed, as did Seamus and Neville, and Dennis stood in awe looking at Hermione. Seamus looked over to the slack-jawed Dennis and pushed his mouth up and closed. "Mate, you'll draw flies if you keep it open like that, you know." Dennis closed his mouth and grinned at Seamus. "Okay, now you should probably sit down. There you go, that's a good boy." Seamus was helping Dennis into a chair since he was still not quite functioning properly.
"You're sure that you're alright?" Harry asked her.
"Yes, boys. I promise that I am fine. Thanks for your concern, but remember what I told you earlier, Harry," she said giving the slightest head nod at Colin.
"I remember, but I always have an extra few minutes, you know." Hermione didn't reply to that she simply smiled and picked up her fork. Harry looked her over but she'd put up her stone face and Harry couldn't read a single thing off her. He directed his gaze over to Ginny who had so far remained silent since her arrival but she wouldn't meet his gaze. He raised an eyebrow (in that sooo sexy way only he can-or maybe it's just me..) at her but she was closely studying her plate. Harry made a mental note to talk to her after dinner was over.
Small talk took over, none of it dealing with the events of Hermione's day, and they all left the table after another thirty minutes or so. Harry was still going to talk to Ginny once they'd returned to the common room and Seamus had made up his mind that he'd have a little chat with the younger Creevey as well.
One person watched all the excitement and events of the Gryffindor table from across the room. He had barely eaten a single bit of his dinner, in fact all he'd managed to do was migrate his potatoes all the way around his plate twice, pushing the beans before them. "She's going through some major grief over there, but she is laughing and cutting up with her friends," he thought. He looked around his table and saw no one that he would consider a remotely close friend. His two usual companions weren't at his side since he'd left them up at their usual place at the table and come down here past the first years.
He watched as they all left the table in a group. He felt a feeling wash over him, one that he'd not felt in so very long. Longing. Everything he'd ever wanted was laid before him except now. He wanted true friends, ones that would be beside him even if he weren't Draco Malfoy but a simple and unknown child. He wanted what they had over in Gryffindor tower. He heard an old saying pass through his head then, the one that says that money can buy a lot of things but it can't buy happiness. How true. How very true that was.
He glanced up where Crabbe and Goyle were sitting and it seemed like miles instead of maybe fifty feet. He was going to tell them he was leaving and that he'd see them later, but he saw that they were talking with the others around them and seemed to be having a decent time. Draco changed his mind and simply got up and walked to the door instead. "They deserve to have a good time. Besides, I need time to think," he told himself, "and it's a lot easier without the two of them around."
Draco wanted to believe that his father wasn't behind the attacks on the Grangers, but he couldn't. Ever since he'd overheard Hermione and Ginny, that was the only thing he could think about. He certainly knew that his father was a big enough bastard to do it, but he wanted to hope that he didn't. He was getting closer and closer to deciding for sure that he did and it was for some reason breaking his heart.
"I surely don't love my father, I don't think I ever really have," he said to himself as he walked through the corridors. What he was afraid of was another old saying, this one went "the apple never falls far from the tree." Draco certainly didn't want to turn out anything like his father, especially not now after he learned how the Death Eaters attack hurt Hermione.
It wasn't exactly a secret to Draco his father was happy that You- Know-Who had risen, and that he expected his son to take his place at the Dark Lord's side. Up until recently that was what he was going for. No longer. He reached the Slytherin house and said the password of 'Gryffindors suck" with no enthusiasm whatsoever. As he walked in he took a look around his room. Just being in here made him hate himself, everything he'd ever done, and everything he might ever do.
"How many times has he done it before," the voice in his head spoke up.
"Done what, kill?" he asked the voice and the empty room, but he knew the answer already. "dozens of times, I bet. I'm sure he had a hand in the killing of Harry's parents, doing whatever he did to Hermione's, and if it weren't for Ron's dad being in the Ministry, he'd probably have gone after him as well.
Draco went to his room and changed for bed. It was early, but he had taken a liking to being alone in the halls and common room before everyone else rose to think. He crawled into bed and shut the curtains around him. He waved a lazy silencing charm and fell asleep wondering what he should do.
Far away from the sleeping dragon, there were many conversations going on in the Gryffindor common room at that time. Most of them are completely unimportant, but maybe humorous, but they shall not be told here. Instead, we shall focus on Harry and Ginny and Seamus and Dennis.
As they walked into the common room, the group had settled by the fire since the tower had taken a bit of a chill by now. They continued the conversations they had downstairs and a few more. About ten minutes after they sat down Ginny excused herself to use the restroom. Harry thought that this was his chance, so after a another minute he did the same. He waited by the door to the girl's lavatory and when Ginny came out he accidentally scared the life out of her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Ginny, I didn't mean to scare you. I just need to talk to you a minute."
"Um, okay Harry, what's on your mind?" she said, sort of afraid of where this would go.
"I want to know what happened to Hermione today. She won't tell me anything and I think that it is something that is important."
"Harry, I don't know if I should tell you, it was sort of a girl thing, you know?"
"Look Ginny, I don't want to pry, and I certainly can't force you to tell me, but if something is wrong with her, I'd like to know about it." she looked like she was considering his statement, so he went a bit further to seal the deal. "She's been here for me all the times that I've needed help, and as you know, there's been a few of those, so please Ginny, tell me."
"Okay Harry. This is what is going on. She's been getting letters from St Mungos now since the attack happened, and there has been no change at all. She said that she is beginning to lose hope for them. It's really tearing her up inside."
"Oh man, why hasn't she said anything to us before now?" Harry asked himself as much as Ginny.
"Well, she said that with everything that was going on until now she didn't have to worry about it if she focused on your problems and Ron's."
"Hermione, why do you have to be supergirl all the time?" he shook his head and pushed his hair back.
"Harry, please don't tell her I told you, because I'm afraid she won't do it again if she knows I blab it to everyone."
"Alright, I'll find some way to get her to open up, I just have no idea how as yet. Thank you, Ginny. Now let's get back, this tower is bloody cold now." She smiled at him and they walked back down.
Seamus was waiting, biding his time, waiting for Dennis to leave the group for some reason or another but the boy wasn't moving. Finally, after Harry and Ginny returned from the restroom, he'd waited long enough. Seamus stood as if to stretch out his muscles, but instead of sitting back down, he stepped to his left and picked up the young Creevey by the armpits and carried him away. "Nothing to see here, nothing to see, so go on about your business." Everyone stared at him but Seamus was oblivious to it.
"Seamus, what the heck are you doing?" Dennis asked after Seamus set him down in another corner.
"I'm here to help you, and believe me boy-o, you need it."
"What are you talking about, Seamus," Dennis protested.
"What I'm talking about is you need a lesson in love, young master Creevey."
"In love? I might need a lesson in Transfiguration maybe, but not love."
"Oh, puh-lease," Seamus said, rolling his eyes as dramatically as possible, "you certainly need a lesson in love, and the doctor is in."
"Whatever, Seamus. Just make it quick. I wanna get back over there."
"Back over to who, exactly, Mr. Creevey? Hermione maybe?"
"Um, er," Dennis pulled at the collar of his robe.
"I am correct, as usual. You need my help, or all you'll do is fall out of your chair and stare at her. And I'm sure that is not what you have in mind, right?"
"You can't tell *anyone* about this, Seamus, alright?"
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you are about as easy to read as a large print book, master Creevey."
"So you're saying that everyone knows?"
"No, Draco Malfoy probably doesn't know. Ron probably doesn't, since you've not punched him in the groin and yelled that you love Hermione in his face yet. So to answer your question, not *everyone* knows."
Dennis smacked his hand to his forehead. "Oh man, she probably is over there laughing at me now." He risked a glance over there and sure enough saw her laughing.
"They are most certainly not laughing at you. They're laughing at me, most likely. Anyway, I'm going to teach you how to woo her and make her yours."
"Seamus, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but um, will your wooing work on Hermione? She is a *girl* and all, and well, you know, uh, you're going out with Neville."
Seamus had mock shock on his face but was so convincing that Dennis thought that he was offended. He started to apologize but Seamus cut him off. "You're so cute, now be quiet for a minute." He ruffled Dennis' hair and continued after the boy smiled. "Don't worry, Dennis, I'm not easily offended. What I'm about to show you would work on either sex, and although I am dating Neville as you've pointed out, I've honed my talent over time on many people. So just listen and take a mental note or two." Seamus leaned in close in a conspiratorial manner and Dennis did as well. Seamus' tone dropped many decibels and he talked for quite a while with Dennis going wide eyed in a few places and laughing in others. He once got a deep blush and whispered that he could never do that, not in a million years, but Seamus disagreed. The two boys talked for hours.
Neville finally disturbed them at nearly ten o'clock. "Hey you two, it's getting late." he looked at Seamus and continued. "I'm going to bed now, so don't be too long, you crazy boy." Seamus looked into his eyes and realized then just how lucky he was. So lucky to have someone like this by his side everyday and night.
Dennis saw it as well. He saw the warmth in the smiles between the two boys. He smiled at the two of them and yawned. Truth be told, he was actually rather tired. "I think I'm going to bed as well, so Seamus, thank you for your great lesson, and I'll see you two in the morning." he stretched and walked up the steps to his room.
"Goodnight, Dennis," they called together. "And what lesson did you teach, Professor Finnegan?" Neville asked.
"Oh, a little bit of love 101. That's it."
"You're not thinking of sleeping with a student for a better grade, are you?" Neville asked him in complete jest. He knew that Seamus would never cheat on him.
"Well, he does have the nicest face, so cute and all…" Seamus joked. "Of course not, love, I'm yours for life, like it or not. Just like luggage. Besides, he likes Hermione. I suppose if I charmed him enough, he'd come around…"
"Oh, we'll see about that, Professor," Neville said in a mock serious tone. "Now, as I said, I'm going to bed now. Coming with me?"
"Oh yes. Very definitely."
First off, thanks for reading. I still love feedback. Anyway, sorry this has been updated so irregularly recently, but I've picked up a second job to help get me out of debt. So, as you can imagine, I don't have as much free time to type around as I did before. But, the story is almost completely written out in my notebook, so now all I have to do is find time to throw a chapter's worth on my sloth like computer and upload it. We're starting to wind down in case you didn't notice yet so get ready. You might want to get a box of tissue ready, if you know what I'm saying. I'll not know how sappy and sad it will be until I actually type that part, but if it turns out like my notes, stand by.
Well, keep looking back. There will be more in the not to distant future, hopefully no later than Wednesday. Yeah!!
"Harry?" Colin called to Harry as the boy stepped from the locker room after his quiddich practice. "Hey Harry, did you see anyone else at your practice today?"
"Well, I was actually too busy to really pay any attention. I did see you toward the end, though. Why do you ask?"
"Well, this might seem odd, but I could swear I saw Malfoy walking away as I was coming out to the field."
"That doesn't seem too odd. He was probably sizing up the competition. We do the same thing to them, you know."
"That might explain it then," Colin answered as they walked back up to the castle. He shivered in the cold wind and Harry put his arm around the boy and pulled him a little closer. Colin put his hand around Harry's waist and beamed at him. They walked into the castle and headed to the Gryffindor tower.
The common room was alive with activity. Harry spotted Seamus and Neville with Ron in a corner, Seamus animatedly describing something and Ron blushing profusely. "Let's go save Ron, huh?" Harry asked Colin. He got an affirmative nod.
"…And after the chocolate hardened, Ron, we…Oh hey Harry, Colin, how'd practice go? Are we ready for Saturday?" Seamus said in one breath.
"Hey Harry!!!!" Ron nearly yelled in relief.
"Hey you guys," Harry replied. "Having a good time, Ron?" Harry asked with glee in his eye.
"Oh he's having a great time Harry, I was telling him about how Neville and I used some of that hardening chocolate syrup you put on ice cream last night when we…"
"Okay, Harry, I'm hungry and you have to be starving after practice so let's go get dinner, what do you say?" Ron burst out very quickly and on a single breath. Harry saw the pleading in his eyes as well as the mirth in Seamus'. Harry barely suppressed a smile and nodded. Ron bolted past Seamus and Neville to his side and they left the two boys in the corner.
"Colin?" a very Dennis-y voice called and Colin turned to it.
"Have you seen Hermione?" Dennis asked the two of them.
"Not since last class," Harry responded and Colin shrugged and shook his head no. Dennis looked very sad, so Harry continued on. "You might want to try the library, Dennis, rumor has it that she has a cot there." Dennis beamed back, clearly happy at the thought of finding Hermione and shouted his thanks as he sprinted for the doors.
"SeeyouintheGreatHallinalittlebitguys" he said as he jumped through the hole.
"He certainly has a thing for her, doesn't he?" Ron asked.
"Ron, you don't even know," Colin told him, remembering Dennis' room at home.
"I think it's cute," Harry said and smiled at the thought of the two of them together.
"Not as cute as you two are," Ron said and looked at the two of them. He saw the look of thanks in their eyes, especially Colin, and felt his face begin to flush. "Now come on and lets eat," he added before either could speak. He walked ahead of them to hide his face (gotta love how redheads blush, huh? The slightest thing and *wham*- red.) but as they exited the portrait hole Harry called back to him.
"Hey Ron," he called. Ron turned to him, about half red.
"Yeah, Harry?"
"Thanks," Colin answered.
"Er, no problem, guys." Ron turned around walked on, oblivious to the grins behind him as well as a slight snicker from Colin.
"He is still a bit uncomfortable, isn't he Harry? Just a tad?" Colin whispered to Harry.
"I think so. He's almost over it, I think."
"I hope so," Colin said quietly and took Harry's hand in his own. They continued their walk down the steps to the Great Hall and soon found themselves surrounded by plates of delicious food. Ron was busy talking with his mouth full about all kinds of things at once, as was the norm. Harry kept searching the room and the doorway for any signs of Hermione. She didn't seem herself today.
Harry had tried to get her to open up to him during Herbology, but he seemed to be missing the required Granger gene to force people to spill their inner thoughts and demons. She simply shooed him away in typical Hermione style and told him that she'd be alright and not to worry about little old her. Besides, she told Harry, he had a beautiful boyfriend that needed the attention much more than she did. Harry set off after a smile and one last fruitless effort to find that beautiful boyfriend of his before dinner.
Twenty minutes had passed since they'd arrived and still no sign of her. Even Seamus and Neville had arrived, somewhat flushed, but they had beaten the ever-punctual Hermione to the table for the first time in probably forever. He kept looking up though, hoping that she would walk in and he could talk to her, but instead of Ms. Granger, he saw the younger Creevey enter the Hall looking a bit unhappy. It appeared that he didn't find Hermione after all.
Dennis slowly walked over to their table. He had the look of a boy who'd just lost his puppy dog. He arrived at their side and sat down with a sigh and a humph.
"What's wrong," Colin asked, not liking the look on his brother's face.
"I missed her. I didn't find Hermione."
"Well Dennis, Hogwarts isn't that big of a place you know. You *will* see her again." Harry thought to himself that Hogwarts was a whole lot bigger than most people knew about, but kept that information to himself as Colin spoke again. "Speak of the devil Dennis, there she is now, walking in with Ginny."
Dennis spun around in his seat and fell off. He picked himself up as gracefully and quickly as he could, hoping that she'd not seen him do that. Color was rising to his face and neck as he spoke to her, "Hermione, are you okay? Is everything alright?"
"Yes, Dennis, I'm doing okay." The table took that with a grain of speculation. Hermione's eyes were a little puffy and red making it look as if she was either crying recently or suffering from a bad case of hay fever, and since she'd never had allergies before and it was almost October anyway, she had likely been crying. Dennis looked the least convinced. She put a hand to his shoulder and told him "Honestly Dennis, I'm fine. I just had a girl moment, you know how we get sometimes. Oh, and Ron, I saw that look on your face. Don't even say it. Just go on stuffing your face with potatoes, right?"
Ron started to say something but decided against it and smiled instead. Harry and Colin laughed, as did Seamus and Neville, and Dennis stood in awe looking at Hermione. Seamus looked over to the slack-jawed Dennis and pushed his mouth up and closed. "Mate, you'll draw flies if you keep it open like that, you know." Dennis closed his mouth and grinned at Seamus. "Okay, now you should probably sit down. There you go, that's a good boy." Seamus was helping Dennis into a chair since he was still not quite functioning properly.
"You're sure that you're alright?" Harry asked her.
"Yes, boys. I promise that I am fine. Thanks for your concern, but remember what I told you earlier, Harry," she said giving the slightest head nod at Colin.
"I remember, but I always have an extra few minutes, you know." Hermione didn't reply to that she simply smiled and picked up her fork. Harry looked her over but she'd put up her stone face and Harry couldn't read a single thing off her. He directed his gaze over to Ginny who had so far remained silent since her arrival but she wouldn't meet his gaze. He raised an eyebrow (in that sooo sexy way only he can-or maybe it's just me..) at her but she was closely studying her plate. Harry made a mental note to talk to her after dinner was over.
Small talk took over, none of it dealing with the events of Hermione's day, and they all left the table after another thirty minutes or so. Harry was still going to talk to Ginny once they'd returned to the common room and Seamus had made up his mind that he'd have a little chat with the younger Creevey as well.
One person watched all the excitement and events of the Gryffindor table from across the room. He had barely eaten a single bit of his dinner, in fact all he'd managed to do was migrate his potatoes all the way around his plate twice, pushing the beans before them. "She's going through some major grief over there, but she is laughing and cutting up with her friends," he thought. He looked around his table and saw no one that he would consider a remotely close friend. His two usual companions weren't at his side since he'd left them up at their usual place at the table and come down here past the first years.
He watched as they all left the table in a group. He felt a feeling wash over him, one that he'd not felt in so very long. Longing. Everything he'd ever wanted was laid before him except now. He wanted true friends, ones that would be beside him even if he weren't Draco Malfoy but a simple and unknown child. He wanted what they had over in Gryffindor tower. He heard an old saying pass through his head then, the one that says that money can buy a lot of things but it can't buy happiness. How true. How very true that was.
He glanced up where Crabbe and Goyle were sitting and it seemed like miles instead of maybe fifty feet. He was going to tell them he was leaving and that he'd see them later, but he saw that they were talking with the others around them and seemed to be having a decent time. Draco changed his mind and simply got up and walked to the door instead. "They deserve to have a good time. Besides, I need time to think," he told himself, "and it's a lot easier without the two of them around."
Draco wanted to believe that his father wasn't behind the attacks on the Grangers, but he couldn't. Ever since he'd overheard Hermione and Ginny, that was the only thing he could think about. He certainly knew that his father was a big enough bastard to do it, but he wanted to hope that he didn't. He was getting closer and closer to deciding for sure that he did and it was for some reason breaking his heart.
"I surely don't love my father, I don't think I ever really have," he said to himself as he walked through the corridors. What he was afraid of was another old saying, this one went "the apple never falls far from the tree." Draco certainly didn't want to turn out anything like his father, especially not now after he learned how the Death Eaters attack hurt Hermione.
It wasn't exactly a secret to Draco his father was happy that You- Know-Who had risen, and that he expected his son to take his place at the Dark Lord's side. Up until recently that was what he was going for. No longer. He reached the Slytherin house and said the password of 'Gryffindors suck" with no enthusiasm whatsoever. As he walked in he took a look around his room. Just being in here made him hate himself, everything he'd ever done, and everything he might ever do.
"How many times has he done it before," the voice in his head spoke up.
"Done what, kill?" he asked the voice and the empty room, but he knew the answer already. "dozens of times, I bet. I'm sure he had a hand in the killing of Harry's parents, doing whatever he did to Hermione's, and if it weren't for Ron's dad being in the Ministry, he'd probably have gone after him as well.
Draco went to his room and changed for bed. It was early, but he had taken a liking to being alone in the halls and common room before everyone else rose to think. He crawled into bed and shut the curtains around him. He waved a lazy silencing charm and fell asleep wondering what he should do.
Far away from the sleeping dragon, there were many conversations going on in the Gryffindor common room at that time. Most of them are completely unimportant, but maybe humorous, but they shall not be told here. Instead, we shall focus on Harry and Ginny and Seamus and Dennis.
As they walked into the common room, the group had settled by the fire since the tower had taken a bit of a chill by now. They continued the conversations they had downstairs and a few more. About ten minutes after they sat down Ginny excused herself to use the restroom. Harry thought that this was his chance, so after a another minute he did the same. He waited by the door to the girl's lavatory and when Ginny came out he accidentally scared the life out of her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Ginny, I didn't mean to scare you. I just need to talk to you a minute."
"Um, okay Harry, what's on your mind?" she said, sort of afraid of where this would go.
"I want to know what happened to Hermione today. She won't tell me anything and I think that it is something that is important."
"Harry, I don't know if I should tell you, it was sort of a girl thing, you know?"
"Look Ginny, I don't want to pry, and I certainly can't force you to tell me, but if something is wrong with her, I'd like to know about it." she looked like she was considering his statement, so he went a bit further to seal the deal. "She's been here for me all the times that I've needed help, and as you know, there's been a few of those, so please Ginny, tell me."
"Okay Harry. This is what is going on. She's been getting letters from St Mungos now since the attack happened, and there has been no change at all. She said that she is beginning to lose hope for them. It's really tearing her up inside."
"Oh man, why hasn't she said anything to us before now?" Harry asked himself as much as Ginny.
"Well, she said that with everything that was going on until now she didn't have to worry about it if she focused on your problems and Ron's."
"Hermione, why do you have to be supergirl all the time?" he shook his head and pushed his hair back.
"Harry, please don't tell her I told you, because I'm afraid she won't do it again if she knows I blab it to everyone."
"Alright, I'll find some way to get her to open up, I just have no idea how as yet. Thank you, Ginny. Now let's get back, this tower is bloody cold now." She smiled at him and they walked back down.
Seamus was waiting, biding his time, waiting for Dennis to leave the group for some reason or another but the boy wasn't moving. Finally, after Harry and Ginny returned from the restroom, he'd waited long enough. Seamus stood as if to stretch out his muscles, but instead of sitting back down, he stepped to his left and picked up the young Creevey by the armpits and carried him away. "Nothing to see here, nothing to see, so go on about your business." Everyone stared at him but Seamus was oblivious to it.
"Seamus, what the heck are you doing?" Dennis asked after Seamus set him down in another corner.
"I'm here to help you, and believe me boy-o, you need it."
"What are you talking about, Seamus," Dennis protested.
"What I'm talking about is you need a lesson in love, young master Creevey."
"In love? I might need a lesson in Transfiguration maybe, but not love."
"Oh, puh-lease," Seamus said, rolling his eyes as dramatically as possible, "you certainly need a lesson in love, and the doctor is in."
"Whatever, Seamus. Just make it quick. I wanna get back over there."
"Back over to who, exactly, Mr. Creevey? Hermione maybe?"
"Um, er," Dennis pulled at the collar of his robe.
"I am correct, as usual. You need my help, or all you'll do is fall out of your chair and stare at her. And I'm sure that is not what you have in mind, right?"
"You can't tell *anyone* about this, Seamus, alright?"
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but you are about as easy to read as a large print book, master Creevey."
"So you're saying that everyone knows?"
"No, Draco Malfoy probably doesn't know. Ron probably doesn't, since you've not punched him in the groin and yelled that you love Hermione in his face yet. So to answer your question, not *everyone* knows."
Dennis smacked his hand to his forehead. "Oh man, she probably is over there laughing at me now." He risked a glance over there and sure enough saw her laughing.
"They are most certainly not laughing at you. They're laughing at me, most likely. Anyway, I'm going to teach you how to woo her and make her yours."
"Seamus, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but um, will your wooing work on Hermione? She is a *girl* and all, and well, you know, uh, you're going out with Neville."
Seamus had mock shock on his face but was so convincing that Dennis thought that he was offended. He started to apologize but Seamus cut him off. "You're so cute, now be quiet for a minute." He ruffled Dennis' hair and continued after the boy smiled. "Don't worry, Dennis, I'm not easily offended. What I'm about to show you would work on either sex, and although I am dating Neville as you've pointed out, I've honed my talent over time on many people. So just listen and take a mental note or two." Seamus leaned in close in a conspiratorial manner and Dennis did as well. Seamus' tone dropped many decibels and he talked for quite a while with Dennis going wide eyed in a few places and laughing in others. He once got a deep blush and whispered that he could never do that, not in a million years, but Seamus disagreed. The two boys talked for hours.
Neville finally disturbed them at nearly ten o'clock. "Hey you two, it's getting late." he looked at Seamus and continued. "I'm going to bed now, so don't be too long, you crazy boy." Seamus looked into his eyes and realized then just how lucky he was. So lucky to have someone like this by his side everyday and night.
Dennis saw it as well. He saw the warmth in the smiles between the two boys. He smiled at the two of them and yawned. Truth be told, he was actually rather tired. "I think I'm going to bed as well, so Seamus, thank you for your great lesson, and I'll see you two in the morning." he stretched and walked up the steps to his room.
"Goodnight, Dennis," they called together. "And what lesson did you teach, Professor Finnegan?" Neville asked.
"Oh, a little bit of love 101. That's it."
"You're not thinking of sleeping with a student for a better grade, are you?" Neville asked him in complete jest. He knew that Seamus would never cheat on him.
"Well, he does have the nicest face, so cute and all…" Seamus joked. "Of course not, love, I'm yours for life, like it or not. Just like luggage. Besides, he likes Hermione. I suppose if I charmed him enough, he'd come around…"
"Oh, we'll see about that, Professor," Neville said in a mock serious tone. "Now, as I said, I'm going to bed now. Coming with me?"
"Oh yes. Very definitely."
First off, thanks for reading. I still love feedback. Anyway, sorry this has been updated so irregularly recently, but I've picked up a second job to help get me out of debt. So, as you can imagine, I don't have as much free time to type around as I did before. But, the story is almost completely written out in my notebook, so now all I have to do is find time to throw a chapter's worth on my sloth like computer and upload it. We're starting to wind down in case you didn't notice yet so get ready. You might want to get a box of tissue ready, if you know what I'm saying. I'll not know how sappy and sad it will be until I actually type that part, but if it turns out like my notes, stand by.
Well, keep looking back. There will be more in the not to distant future, hopefully no later than Wednesday. Yeah!!