Heartless Acquaintance
Chapter 2 – Something's Missing
Throwing the covers off his bed, Ron exclaimed, "Its not there, for god sake, where is it?"
Covering a yawn, Harry replied, "Where's what? Wally?"
Temporarily confused, and thrown off the scent to his lost pin, Ron replied, "Wally…?"
Awoken by all the noise, Dean Thomas put in, "There's these books for kids. There's lots of people in big pictures, and you have to find this one person – Wally."
"That sounds exciting," Ron replied in an I-Think-Not tone of voice, then added, "I've lost my Gryffindor pin. Can you see it anywhere?"
Both of the other boys got up, and looked for their own. Finding them, they put them on, and woke the remaining boys up.
"Seamus, wake up! Honestly, he sleeps like a log," Dean said, chattering away to Harry, knowing Ron was greatly frustrated. Dean continued shaking him, and, to Harry's amusement, Seamus hit him on the head, then turned over, pulling the covers over his head, and went back to sleep.
"Well, his pins on his bedside cabinet," Harry said, prodding at the snoring Neville, "And so is Neville's. Where were you last night, Ron? Maybe you left it there?"
Ron sighed, and replied, "Bloody pins, so much hassle. I'll slip down to the Common Room and check there, if it isn't there, I'll go to the storage cupboard outside the Entrance Hall, and get one out of there. Provided Filch isn't lurking there. Will you help me look?"
Dean gave him such a look, one that was clearly implying there was insanity in the Weasley family, and wordlessly went back to bed, falling asleep practically instantly. Harry looked at Dean, grinned, then tore back to his own bed, hurriedly dressing and running a comb through his unruly locks. Ron himself removed his too-small pyjamas, putting in place of them tattered, outgrown robes. When they were both fully dressed, Ron led them down into the Common Room. After five minutes searching, Ron said, "This is hopeless. It'll be simpler to just slip another pin out!"
At that point, a pale, upset looking Hermione dashed in, and out, of the Common Room, her only communication with the boys being a scared glance. Both boys seemed to be nervy and guilty, and shifted restlessly, then finally Ron said, "She didn't seem too happy."
"No, she didn't," replied Harry, "I wonder what's up with her. D'you think I should go after her?"
"No, no," Ron said instantly, "She probably just woke up and found a book in pieces or something."
"Yeah," Harry murmured half-heartedly. Something was up with his pal, really up, but what?
"We may as well get some breakfast," said Dean Thomas, coming up behind them, still looking half-asleep.
"Bloody hell, don't sneak up on us like that!" Ron replied emphatically.
Dean grinned, and all three exited the Common Room, and descended various staircases until they arrived in the Great Hall. For some reason the boys weren't too sure of, the entire school seemed, well, slow. Nobody was lively, or immensely talkative, and the hall was relatively quiet, compared to normal. Leaving Dean stuffing his face, Ron and Harry grabbed toast, and went outside, to lie in the sun for their free period. On their journey, they didn't notice the small, still figure under the lonesome tree.
[A/N: Hope you like. Sorry its so short, the spacing SHOULD work *frown at incapable software* Anyway, all is not as it seems!]