Author's note- I'm almost to the end! This chapter will be sort of the
beginning of the end, and it's where the battle between Harry and Voldy
will be held, so that's probably going to be about 3 more chapters left,
not including the prologue, in which-hint hint- there will be some
weddings.
"Come on," Harry whispered to Ginny from underneath his invisibility cloak. Ginny giggled as they stumbled across a tree root, Harry's broom stick sticking out at an odd angle all by itself in midair.
"Harry, if we get caught-," Ginny started.
"Then at least we'll be in detention together," he interrupted. Ginny giggled again. Her bright red hair fell against his should and he urged himself to go faster.
Finally, after many trips and awkward stumbles, they made it to the Quidditch pitch which was lit brightly with stars. Harry slipped the invisibility cloak off them and swung his leg over the broom, gesturing for Ginny to do the same. She did as she was told.
"Hang on," Harry said as he kicked hard off the frozen grounds. Ginny gasped. He had let her wear his furry cloak, and it flew behind her along with her hair as they gathered speed and slipped into the clouds.
Ginny tightened her grip around Harry's torso, and it certainly was not from fear. Her toes brushed the tops of the feathery clouds. She looked up, and bright stars and a full moon light the night air romantically.
Harry, thanking his Quidditch skills, turned around to face her. She pulled his shaggy black hair behind his ear and removed his glasses, holding them tightly in her hand. She smiled and Harry's stomach, which he was now thinking would never be the same, did a huge flip flop into his throat.
She said something he couldn't hear, but it didn't matter anyway. He leaned in to kiss her, and she did the same. Their lips met perfectly and molded instantly together like soft clay. Harry felt his heart rate race and, instead of the usual butterflies in his stomach, it was more like hyperactive elephants.
Finally, with heir kiss nearing an end, Harry pulled the broom steadily to the ground and they stumbled into the grass. Harry picked up the invisibility cloak, and without a word from either, they raced up the stairs of the castle once again and to the abandoned Gryffindor common room.
The fire, which was smoldering, looked like glowing red fireflies. Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry and looked up, into those beautiful green pools of light.
"You're a real romantic, you know that?" she said to him. He smiled into her hair.
"I wouldn't be without you."
* * *
"Harry's not here," whispered Ron through the crack in the boy's dormitory doors. Hermione giggled and tip-toed inside. Ron grabbed her hand and ran eagerly across the room to his bed. Hermione sat obediently on it.
"I love you," she whispered in his ear. He kissed her on the mouth and Hermione felt all of her doubts and fears drain out of her. She moved away from him, however, when she heard an unpleasant THWACK against the wood of the four poster.
"shit," Ron said. He had banged his shin on the bed side. He fell on his knee and yelled louder.
"Ron, are you all right?" Hermione asked, hopping off the side of the bed next to him. Ron began to reply when a small note caught his attention from under the bed. Hermione's stomach hurled into her chest as he reached for in and withdrew his hand, unfolding the note.
His facial expression hardened as his eyes scanned the letter.
"Ron, I-," Hermione began, but her words caught in her throat.
"A forgetfulness potion?" Ron said venomously. Hermione nodded. "Do you know what kind of long term damage that might have done? I could have lost my memory for life!" he shouted. Hermione felt tears well up in the ducts of her eyes. She didn't say a word.
"So, what did I do?" he asked deadly.
"What?" Hermione squeaked. "when?"
"In the astronomy tower. How did I act when you kissed me?" he asked her.
"W-well, you- you sort of fainted," she said. "I didn't have time to see what you would have done." Ron clenched his teeth and got up from the ground, walking to the door.
"Goodbye, Hermione," he said before slamming the door so loud that she could hear the hinges weld. She hoped to god that they had not broken up, but she knew.
* * *
The next morning, Harry came down the stairs to meet Ron and Ginny, who both looked vexed. When Ron turned around and saw Harry nearing them, Harry saw that there was something else in his eyes he couldn't quite put his finger on- anxiety?
"Hermione's gone," he said. Ginny looked at her brother confoundedly. Harry could see that she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. She rolled her eyes.
"I can't BELIEVE that you're over reacting like this. I'll bet you five galleons that she went to the library," she said, holding out her hand. Ron shook it.
"Hermione would never worry us like this," he stated.
"Well, er- there was the time in our fourth year when she went to look for animagus, and the other time in our fifth year when she studied up on the order for the whole last semester, and then in our sixth year-," Ron glared at him. He was still in a terrible mood from the night before.
He knew that if he didn't fix this, it would screw up his entire life.
* * *
Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and if she was able to scream, she would have. But all that came out was a muffled cry from beneath the charmed bandana that was stuffed between her jaw, nearly choking her.
She tried to move, but found that tight bound cords circled around her entire body, gluing her to the splintery old chair that she was stuck to.
She did the best she could to look around- the petrificus totalus spell must have been put on her to make her stiff as a board. She seemed to be in the lowest, dirtiest dungeon of Hogwarts. She'd never seen it before.
Lars laughed quietly to himself from a corner of the room Hermione couldn't see. It was so convenient that she had happened to be in the library that night- alone. Harry Potter was sure to come and save her, and he could only hope that Ginny would follow.
It didn't matter much if the stupid red-headed prat Ron came, Lars had no use for him. He would most likely kill him with his brand new wand that Voldemort himself had carved.
"Come on," Harry whispered to Ginny from underneath his invisibility cloak. Ginny giggled as they stumbled across a tree root, Harry's broom stick sticking out at an odd angle all by itself in midair.
"Harry, if we get caught-," Ginny started.
"Then at least we'll be in detention together," he interrupted. Ginny giggled again. Her bright red hair fell against his should and he urged himself to go faster.
Finally, after many trips and awkward stumbles, they made it to the Quidditch pitch which was lit brightly with stars. Harry slipped the invisibility cloak off them and swung his leg over the broom, gesturing for Ginny to do the same. She did as she was told.
"Hang on," Harry said as he kicked hard off the frozen grounds. Ginny gasped. He had let her wear his furry cloak, and it flew behind her along with her hair as they gathered speed and slipped into the clouds.
Ginny tightened her grip around Harry's torso, and it certainly was not from fear. Her toes brushed the tops of the feathery clouds. She looked up, and bright stars and a full moon light the night air romantically.
Harry, thanking his Quidditch skills, turned around to face her. She pulled his shaggy black hair behind his ear and removed his glasses, holding them tightly in her hand. She smiled and Harry's stomach, which he was now thinking would never be the same, did a huge flip flop into his throat.
She said something he couldn't hear, but it didn't matter anyway. He leaned in to kiss her, and she did the same. Their lips met perfectly and molded instantly together like soft clay. Harry felt his heart rate race and, instead of the usual butterflies in his stomach, it was more like hyperactive elephants.
Finally, with heir kiss nearing an end, Harry pulled the broom steadily to the ground and they stumbled into the grass. Harry picked up the invisibility cloak, and without a word from either, they raced up the stairs of the castle once again and to the abandoned Gryffindor common room.
The fire, which was smoldering, looked like glowing red fireflies. Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry and looked up, into those beautiful green pools of light.
"You're a real romantic, you know that?" she said to him. He smiled into her hair.
"I wouldn't be without you."
* * *
"Harry's not here," whispered Ron through the crack in the boy's dormitory doors. Hermione giggled and tip-toed inside. Ron grabbed her hand and ran eagerly across the room to his bed. Hermione sat obediently on it.
"I love you," she whispered in his ear. He kissed her on the mouth and Hermione felt all of her doubts and fears drain out of her. She moved away from him, however, when she heard an unpleasant THWACK against the wood of the four poster.
"shit," Ron said. He had banged his shin on the bed side. He fell on his knee and yelled louder.
"Ron, are you all right?" Hermione asked, hopping off the side of the bed next to him. Ron began to reply when a small note caught his attention from under the bed. Hermione's stomach hurled into her chest as he reached for in and withdrew his hand, unfolding the note.
His facial expression hardened as his eyes scanned the letter.
"Ron, I-," Hermione began, but her words caught in her throat.
"A forgetfulness potion?" Ron said venomously. Hermione nodded. "Do you know what kind of long term damage that might have done? I could have lost my memory for life!" he shouted. Hermione felt tears well up in the ducts of her eyes. She didn't say a word.
"So, what did I do?" he asked deadly.
"What?" Hermione squeaked. "when?"
"In the astronomy tower. How did I act when you kissed me?" he asked her.
"W-well, you- you sort of fainted," she said. "I didn't have time to see what you would have done." Ron clenched his teeth and got up from the ground, walking to the door.
"Goodbye, Hermione," he said before slamming the door so loud that she could hear the hinges weld. She hoped to god that they had not broken up, but she knew.
* * *
The next morning, Harry came down the stairs to meet Ron and Ginny, who both looked vexed. When Ron turned around and saw Harry nearing them, Harry saw that there was something else in his eyes he couldn't quite put his finger on- anxiety?
"Hermione's gone," he said. Ginny looked at her brother confoundedly. Harry could see that she wasn't going to jump to conclusions. She rolled her eyes.
"I can't BELIEVE that you're over reacting like this. I'll bet you five galleons that she went to the library," she said, holding out her hand. Ron shook it.
"Hermione would never worry us like this," he stated.
"Well, er- there was the time in our fourth year when she went to look for animagus, and the other time in our fifth year when she studied up on the order for the whole last semester, and then in our sixth year-," Ron glared at him. He was still in a terrible mood from the night before.
He knew that if he didn't fix this, it would screw up his entire life.
* * *
Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and if she was able to scream, she would have. But all that came out was a muffled cry from beneath the charmed bandana that was stuffed between her jaw, nearly choking her.
She tried to move, but found that tight bound cords circled around her entire body, gluing her to the splintery old chair that she was stuck to.
She did the best she could to look around- the petrificus totalus spell must have been put on her to make her stiff as a board. She seemed to be in the lowest, dirtiest dungeon of Hogwarts. She'd never seen it before.
Lars laughed quietly to himself from a corner of the room Hermione couldn't see. It was so convenient that she had happened to be in the library that night- alone. Harry Potter was sure to come and save her, and he could only hope that Ginny would follow.
It didn't matter much if the stupid red-headed prat Ron came, Lars had no use for him. He would most likely kill him with his brand new wand that Voldemort himself had carved.