QoH: Luckily, everything is back to normal after the officially Crummy weather that hit recently. A mess of ice and snow all the over place, not to mention rain, sleet, hail, etc… -_-' Definitely not a lot of fun sitting in your house with absolutely nothing to do (especially after dark), with no heat or anything. I was one of the fortunate ones who got their power back fairly early, but that didn't help with the library situation… Anyway, I'm glad to be back on track now! ^_^

Chapter 4: Sleeping Beauty

Harry's POV

                When I heard about the fiasco in the dungeons yesterday, I couldn't help but wince. Being the target of Snape's unadulterated wrath on multiple occasions, I could just picture the scene down there. So, after a bit of deliberation as to who would do what, the three of us decided to pitch in and do our part to help. While we helped some fourth-years with that essay, Hermione went to calm down that poor Cassie girl. Since she's also from a muggle family, as well as a stickler for details and such, she figured she was the best choice. She'd said she would be eating breakfast with her this morning, after she'd come back. I knew they'd hit it off well.

Truth be told, she probably has a point. I wonder sometimes at how she takes the constant harassment she receives for being so bright. It's a wonder the only time I've ever known her to cry was that time during Halloween in our first year. That wasn't quite Ron's "shining moment," so to speak, but I'm glad he realized his mistake later. Still, most likely, it wasn't to the extent she would prefer. He and Hermione affect each other more than they know, or care to admit, I think.

                Speaking of Ron, he and I are currently turning the castle upside-down for Ginny, he taking the east while I have the west. Being a typically overprotective big brother, he worried how she was doing when the rumors had started flying. He began pacing after noticing she hadn't come back from wherever it was she'd ended up last night. By the start of breakfast this morning, he was near to tearing his hair out. But, to be totally honest, I wasn't exactly what anyone would call "calm" by that time, either.

                All right, so I was a nervous wreck. So sue me. Can you really blame me, though? When people go missing, even here at Hogwarts, it's usually not for a good reason, particularly when they're close me. Anything, and I do mean anything, could've happened to her, and that scares me, a lot more than I'm willing to think about at this moment. I managed to maintain my outer facade only by the fact that the moment any "Voldemort trouble" was spotted, that everybody would know immediately. Since that hasn't happened, I force myself to think positively. For all I know, she could've just fallen asleep in the library (the only reason I think of this is because I'm passing by it), like I've done a few times before.

                The realization bursts over me like an exploding star and I shake my head, marveling at my denseness. Of course! She's got to be in the library, researching that moronic paper Snape gave her! Why didn't I see it before? I start to go for Ron immediately, but something holds me back. What if she's not in there at all? I should probably check, before getting his hopes up.

                'You sure have a lot of excuses you keep fooling yourself with. Do you stockpile them, so you don't use the same one twice in a row? Why don't you just admit it, already?'

                'Shut up,' I tell the snide little thing. 'I don't have time for you right now, or any time for you, in fact, so why don't you just leave me alone?' If it makes a response, I don't really know or care, since I'm making a conscious effort to block it out as I pull open the heavy doors and step through. The eternally musty smell of the room assaults me as soon I do, but I'm used to it by now. Walking among the bookshelves, with no sign of her, I begin to wonder if my hunch was wrong. Maybe she'd just checked out what she'd needed, and is up in her dormitory as I stand here like an idiot.

                Pondering other possibilities of her whereabouts, I start to head for the door, but stop when I hear the barest whisper of sound from somewhere off to my left. Curious as to what it was, I follow my ear to the back of the library to a little secluded area I hadn't previously noticed. For a moment, I wondered whether the castle was having fun at my expense again, since it'd been known to spontaneously change and put me somewhere that tended to be the exact opposite of where I'd wanted to be in the first place, and other various little tricks. How Dumbledore is always so calmly amused by the whole affair is beyond me, but then, he has been here for an untold amount of time. I swear, this place is as eccentric as he is.

                I'm abruptly plucked out of my wool-gathering when I find myself in front of a small table, Ginny peacefully asleep over it. She's exhausted, judging by the faint circles under her eyes. With the light from the window beside her and the old-book dust around us, the feeling of the moment is almost ethereal. Come to think of it, it's not unlike that golden mist I'd had to fight in the maze of the third task. Everything has just that sort of atmosphere, and it's as though I'm suddenly upside down, rooted to the ceiling. There's something different about it this time, however. I'm not in the least afraid; it's more like awe, really. Not so much of our surroundings as her. Ginny...

~Oh…~

                Her hair falls across her face like she'd just dropped her head down, unaware that she'd even gone to sleep at all. She still holds a battered quill in her hand, though it seems like it might fall at any moment. Worn as she obviously is, she looks so real, and yet so fantastic, I almost feel that if I might stretch out my hand to brush her cheek, as I'm tempted to do, she'd disappear in a fluttering of fairy dust.

                I'm not quite sure if that thought makes sense, but it seems to reflect my conflicting emotions. I drag my eyes away from her, searching for what had made the noise I'd heard. I laugh silently as I notice a small puddle of fabric beside her chair. Evidently, she'd hung her cloak on the back of it, and it had fallen off at just the right moment. I wonder if this was coincidence. Knowing this place, probably not. Oi, a match-making castle, is there anything worse? Er, don't answer that.

                My attention drifts back to Ginny and my eyes soften, watching her smile as she dreams. Glancing at the wizarding world's version of a clock overhead, I debate with myself on whether I should wake her or not. Her classes, according to Ron, should be starting fairly soon, but I hate to disturb her, especially when it seems like she could use the sleep.

                My decision is made for me as the pealing of the bell nearly startles me out of my skin. But, then again, Ginny doesn't move in the slightest. How is it possible that she didn't hear that? She must really be knocked out. Plainly, she was only asleep now because her body had demanded it, not because it was her idea. Annoyance fills me as I think about the reason she's here in the first place. What's Snape's problem, anyway? Why does he find it necessary to be such a blasted scuz-bucket to everyone but his own house? If you ask me, ordering your students to complete a five-scroll report in two days is beyond comprehension. But, hey, who listens to me? Certainly not him, that's for sure.

                Since I don't want her to get in trouble with whatever teacher she's got next, I make up my mind and tap lightly on the table with my knuckles, close to her ear. Hopefully, the vibrations or something will rouse her. She stirs a little, but doesn't seem intent on coming out of Dreamland, so I try again. This seems have a bit more of an effect; she jerks a bit and makes a little irritated sound. Hearing that, I'd guess she's figured out she fell asleep.

                When she finally opens her eyes and blinks sleepily up at me, I smile and raise my eyebrow a notch or two good-naturedly, "Hey, Sleeping Beauty." Wait a minute! Did I just say that out loud?! "World War Three couldn't wake you up, huh?"

                She sits up and rubs her eyes, sighing groggily, "What time is it?"

                "Well, the first bell just rang." I reply, hitching my bag over my shoulder.

                "Oh, my God! I'm going to be so late!" Ginny's eyes widen in panic as she scrambles to collect her things, "I've got Charms next, and it's way too far to make it on time now!"

                I help her stuff her homework back in her backpack, muttering a spell under my breath to make it feather-light. When she finishes, we stand up and I push her gently toward the door, "You'll make it. Just hurry."

                "What about you?" Ginny looks back at me, "Aren't you going to be late, too?"

                I shake my head, smiling, "Don't worry about me; just get going." She turns and runs as fast as she could out the doorway, and I remain where I am for a moment before coming to my senses and dragging out the Marauder's Map. Thankfully, there was a passage I could use nearby that would bring me by the Divination tower. Tucking it back in my robes, I head for the second suit of armor across from the library.

QoH: Hm. Longer than I expected, but that's all right ^_^ As usual, please review!