Disclaimer: don't own, don't sue
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Harry sat indain-style silently on his bed. It was a Friday night, no classes tomorrow, so he wasn't even bothering to go to sleep tonight. It really wasn't worth it.
I wonder how long I can stay awake... Harry thought.
Harry heard Ron yawn and thought he'd best get up. He silently made his way downstairs to the common room.
"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked.
"He's coming," said Harry. Ron came down a few minutes later.
"Guess we'll have to do this every night now," he said.
"No, really, you don't have to."
"Of course we are, Harry, we're your friends," Hermione said.
"Really--," Harry began.
"No, Harry, we're going to keep doing this whether you like it or not," Ron said. Harry rolled his eyes.
"*Really,* Harry," said Hermione.
"*Really,* you don't have to."
"We *want* to," Hermione said. Harry sighed.
"Fine."
"Good," said Hermione, in a satisfied sort of way.
"Want to play chess?" Ron asked.
"Not really," said Harry, knowing he would lose.
Harry shot straight up in bed, having awoken from a terrible nightmare. Harry placed a shaking hand on his burning scar, shivering and breathing deeply.
*This can't go on,* he thought to himself.
The idea hit him.
It almost worked before... why shouldn't it work now?
Carefully silent, he got out of bed, and went to his trunk. He opened it up, and found what he had been looking for. He glanced around the room, and covered himself with his Invisibility Cloak. He creeped out of the dormitory.
Hermione wasn't in the common room yet; it was completely empty. Harry left the portrait hole, which at the moment held no fat lady: she had gone visiting.
It was a long walk. All the time, Harry was thinking, *It's going to end.* It brought him such great joy.
Harry met no one as he walked briskly through the corridors. Reaching the hallway under the tallest tower, he paused, smiling slightly, then began hurrying up the long stairs.
***meanwhile***
Ron yawned and stretched. He turned and sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes, his bare feet on the carpeted floor.
Looking up, he saw the hangings open on Harry's bed. But... he didn't hear the shower running. Maybe he's already downstairs.
Ron made his way easily down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room.
"Hi, Hermione."
"Hi, Ron." She paused. "Where's Harry?"
"You mean he's not with you?"
"No, he's not with me. Are you sure he's not up there?"
"Pretty sure... let me check." He ran back up the stairs. No, the bathroom door is open. Harry's not here.
"Hermione, he's not there."
"He's not?!"
"No."
"Where do you think he's gone?"
"Maybe he's gone to meet Cho Chang," Ron said, laughing, thinking how he would make fun of him when he got back.
"Don't you think he would have told us?" Ron stopped laughing.
"I don't know... Let's check the map." He and Hermione went back up to the dorm.
"You're really not supposed to be up here."
"Like it matters."
Ron knealt by Harry's open trunk.
"He's taken the Invisibility Cloak," he whispered. He dug through Harry's posessions, feeling a bit guilty, until he found the old piece of parchment. He took out his wand.
"I solumnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered, and the lines began forming over the map.
"Let's go to the common room. There's no light up here," Hermione suggested.
They sat together on a couch, scanning the map.
"I've found him!" said Hermione, pointing. Her face fell. "He's going up the tallest tower."
"And Cho Chang's not there either," said Ron, angry. "Dammit! He's going to jump again!" He lept up, and he and Hermione left the common room at a run.
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Harry sat indain-style silently on his bed. It was a Friday night, no classes tomorrow, so he wasn't even bothering to go to sleep tonight. It really wasn't worth it.
I wonder how long I can stay awake... Harry thought.
Harry heard Ron yawn and thought he'd best get up. He silently made his way downstairs to the common room.
"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked.
"He's coming," said Harry. Ron came down a few minutes later.
"Guess we'll have to do this every night now," he said.
"No, really, you don't have to."
"Of course we are, Harry, we're your friends," Hermione said.
"Really--," Harry began.
"No, Harry, we're going to keep doing this whether you like it or not," Ron said. Harry rolled his eyes.
"*Really,* Harry," said Hermione.
"*Really,* you don't have to."
"We *want* to," Hermione said. Harry sighed.
"Fine."
"Good," said Hermione, in a satisfied sort of way.
"Want to play chess?" Ron asked.
"Not really," said Harry, knowing he would lose.
Harry shot straight up in bed, having awoken from a terrible nightmare. Harry placed a shaking hand on his burning scar, shivering and breathing deeply.
*This can't go on,* he thought to himself.
The idea hit him.
It almost worked before... why shouldn't it work now?
Carefully silent, he got out of bed, and went to his trunk. He opened it up, and found what he had been looking for. He glanced around the room, and covered himself with his Invisibility Cloak. He creeped out of the dormitory.
Hermione wasn't in the common room yet; it was completely empty. Harry left the portrait hole, which at the moment held no fat lady: she had gone visiting.
It was a long walk. All the time, Harry was thinking, *It's going to end.* It brought him such great joy.
Harry met no one as he walked briskly through the corridors. Reaching the hallway under the tallest tower, he paused, smiling slightly, then began hurrying up the long stairs.
***meanwhile***
Ron yawned and stretched. He turned and sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes, his bare feet on the carpeted floor.
Looking up, he saw the hangings open on Harry's bed. But... he didn't hear the shower running. Maybe he's already downstairs.
Ron made his way easily down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room.
"Hi, Hermione."
"Hi, Ron." She paused. "Where's Harry?"
"You mean he's not with you?"
"No, he's not with me. Are you sure he's not up there?"
"Pretty sure... let me check." He ran back up the stairs. No, the bathroom door is open. Harry's not here.
"Hermione, he's not there."
"He's not?!"
"No."
"Where do you think he's gone?"
"Maybe he's gone to meet Cho Chang," Ron said, laughing, thinking how he would make fun of him when he got back.
"Don't you think he would have told us?" Ron stopped laughing.
"I don't know... Let's check the map." He and Hermione went back up to the dorm.
"You're really not supposed to be up here."
"Like it matters."
Ron knealt by Harry's open trunk.
"He's taken the Invisibility Cloak," he whispered. He dug through Harry's posessions, feeling a bit guilty, until he found the old piece of parchment. He took out his wand.
"I solumnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered, and the lines began forming over the map.
"Let's go to the common room. There's no light up here," Hermione suggested.
They sat together on a couch, scanning the map.
"I've found him!" said Hermione, pointing. Her face fell. "He's going up the tallest tower."
"And Cho Chang's not there either," said Ron, angry. "Dammit! He's going to jump again!" He lept up, and he and Hermione left the common room at a run.