Chapter 2: Seperation of the Waters: The Second Day
Hermione awoke early the next morning feeling decidedly unrested. She had tossed and turned all night worrying about Harry and Ron. She glanced at the clock. It was still a few hours before breakfast started so Hermione decided to go try to find out where Harry was. Hopefully, where she found Harry, she would find Ron.
First she tried the boy's dorm. A sleepy Neville answered her knock and informed her that neither Harry nor Ron had come to bed that previous night, but heard that Harry had gotten hurt and might still be in the infirmary. Hermione thanked him, swallowing her slight panic, and calmly walked to the hospital wing. She wished she could have apparated, but you couldn't apparate in or out of the Hogwarts castle due to the charms put on it for security reasons. She tiptoed past the Fat Lady and paid Winky and Dobby a quick visit in the kitchens so as not to look too eager to find Harry, though who she thought was watching, she couldn't tell.
Finally she made it to the hospical wing about fifteen minutes later. Hermione spied Madame Pomfrey dozing in a chair behind a desk.
"Excuse me," she said softly. Madame Pomfrey awoke with a start.
"Oh, Hermione, what a surprise, can I help you with something?" she asked, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.
"Yes, you can," Hermione said politely, shifting from foot to foot, "I'd like to see Harry, if it's not too much of a bother." Madame Pomfrey straightened.
"I'm afraid that's not possible," she replied, "He's sleeping right now, which is a miracle considering what he's been through in the past-- Hermione?" When Madame Pomfrey had taken a long blink, Hermione had used that opportunity to slip into the sickroom.
There were a few students in some of the beds and then Hermione found Harry chained to a metal four-poster, tossing fitfully in his sleep.
"Oh Harry," Hermione murmured, "What did you do?" She walked to his bedside and lay a gentle hand on his shoulder. Harry awoke with a start and began thrashing violently around on the bed, the chains straining against the bedframe and cutting into his circulation.
"I'm not crazy dammit!" he cried out. Hermione clapped a hand over his mouth and looked around wildly, hoping that Harry's outburst had not alerted anyone.
"Harry, it's me!" she whispered urgently. Harry turned his wild-eyed gaze to her face and relaxed, heaving a long, heavy sigh.
"I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, "It's been a rough night. Just get me out of here, please!"
"Okay," Hermione whispered back, "Just stay quiet and I'll set you loose. Hold still." She set the tip of her wand to the chains and they fell away noiselessly to the floor. Harry groaned softly and stood up.
"Oi, my aching back," he complained, "Is there somewhere we can go to talk?" Hermione nodded, shushed him, and walked silently to the door where she saw Madame Pomfrey back sound asleep again. They tiptoed past her and made their way back to the Gryffindor common room.
When they arrived no one had stirred yet so they had the common room to themselves for a while. They sat in some comfy chairs, staring into the ever-blazing fire.
"Harry," Hermione began, "Where's Ron?" Harry's mouth opened and closed a few times and Hermione could see the beginning of tears forming in his eyes. "Harry?"
"I don't know," he said quickly, shaking his head as if to clear the horrible memory from it, "He was with me a minute before you found me in the step, and then he... disappeared. The blood told me he was dead, and I guess I'm beginning to believe it."
Hermione looked at Harry strangely, "The blood?"
Harry sighed and looked down at his hands, "On that piece of your robe. You only saw a bloody mess, but I saw a message of Ron's death writtin on it in my blood. I was so scared at the time, I, I didn't know what to think. First I believed it, then I didn't, then Dumbledore said I was crazy, then I belived, and then I didn't, and now I do again! I'm so confused Hermione!" Harry was breathing fast, trying to stay in control of himself.
Hermione looked troubled as she gazed into Harry's eyes, noting how the flames danced and played across his green orbs, even through his glasses, making his pained gaze come alive and sparkle with a determined flare. "What did Professor Dumbledore say to you?" she asked him at last, "He's always been understanding and completely trusting."
"I know," Harry's voice had taken on a deadpan, "He just said I was seeing things, that Ron and many of the other students had taken a trip, that he'd be back in five days... it would be four now, wouldn't it?" he shifted in his seat, "He told me that what I saw in the trick step was only in my over-active imagination. He talked to me like I was a small child, like I was insane and couldn't comprehend what reality was, like he felt sorry for me."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something more, but then a stream of Gryffindor's came pouring out of their dorms, ready to go down to breakfast. She sighed, "I guess we should go eat, huh?" Harry nodded and slowly stood up from his chair.
"Wait," he said suddenly, "won't Madame Pomfrey miss me if I'm not in my bed?" Hermione smiled.
"Remember all those memory charms we had to learn?" Harry frowned.
"I guess I remember I was supposed to learn them, yes," he consented.
"Well, I 'suggested' to Madame Pomfrey that Dumbledore gave you the okay to go. And Dumbledore will just assume that she thought you were okay to go." Hermione smirked.
"You've really changed, haven't you?" Harry commented as they walked down to breakfast, "A few years ago you won't have even thought about putting a spell on a teacher just to help me."
"You've changed me," Hermione's voice became softer, "You showed me that it's okay to live on the wild side occasionally." Harry half-smiled.
When they took their seats at the table, Hermione noticed that a large number of students were missing. She looked at her own table. No Ron. No Ginny. No Fred. One first year, one second year, a third year, and a fourth year were all missing. One student from each year was absent. "This is creepy," Hermione murmured. Harry understood what she meant, also noting the lack of pupils, "Somethings is really wrong."
"No shit," Harry mumbled, "I could've told you that."
"Hush, you git," Hermione smacked him lightly on the arm, "You know what I-- uh oh."
"Uh oh what?" Harry asked tiredly. Hermione pointed to a peeved-looking Dumbledore moving purposefully towards their table, "We should leave. Now." Harry appeared frozen to the spot as he stared at the advancing Headmaster. "Harry!" When Hermione saw that Harry was not going to move on his own, she grabbed his hand and physically dragged him out of the Great Hall.
Harry proved unresponsive until Hermione bodily took him by the shoulders and shook him after returning to the empty common room.
"Harry, what's wrong with you?" Hermione sounded deeply concerned. Harry shook his head, a shock of dark hair falling across his eyes.
"I... I don't know," he sounded genuinely disoriented, staring at the ground, "He...I... we locked eyes... and I just couldn't move, couldn't think... and then we're here..." he looked up into Hermione's worried eyes, "What's happening to me, 'Mione? I'm usually so in control, so focused. I can't concentrate any more, all I know is the here, the now..." His eyes locked with Hermione's.
"Well, I'm here, now," Hermione whispered, "and we're going to get through this. We've gone through everything else together..." They stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity, and then Hermione felt herself unconsciously pull Harry towards her, their lips meeting in a sweet, intense kiss.
Harry broke away first, backing up slowly, eyes wide, and before Hermione could say anything, he fled back to his room.
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Harry slammed the door shut and leaned against it, breathing hard. "What the hell did I just do?" he demanded from himself. He had just kissed Hermione. HERMIONE. No, he reminded himself, SHE kissed HIM. But still, it was... Hermione. The mousy little girl he had argued with, played with, adventured with, studied--however infrequently-- with. It felt like a floodgate had been opened up inside of him, all the emotions, feelings, logical reasonings, boiling inside like a raging river. He didn't like her like that, did he? No, he didn't. And why did this have to happen now, of all times? Ron was missing, possibly dead, as were dozens of other students, why on earth would sensible Hermione choose now to let him know her feelings for him? Harry knew his heart belonged with someone else, not his best girl friend, but his mind told him that maybe, just maybe, if he let things continue, he'd find a support to cling to in the rough days he knew would be ahead. Shoving what his heart was screaming aside, Harry decided to follow what his mind was telling him-- go with Hermione.
AN: *ducks flying veggies coming from H/H haters and supporters alike* I"M SORRY! I just had to do that though! You'll understand when you're older... like... when chapter six comes out... Thanx for reading and reviewing *sarcastic* I loooooove all the reviews i've been getting, what, all 9 of them? Love the support guys, nice to know you care.