Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, brilliantly created by J.K.
Rowling. Most situations are based on those created by J.K. Rowling.
Chapter Twenty: News from Outside
By the beginning of April, only Hermione knew the details of Harry and Ginny's now numerous dates - and kisses. Whenever Ginny would return to the common room she would whisk Hermione away for some gossip. Ron started to get suspicious.
"Is she dating someone again?" he asked Harry one night.
"How should I know?" Harry asked, doing his best to act nonchalant.
"Well, you spend a lot of time with her," said Ron. "I thought maybe you would know."
"Sorry mate," said Harry. "That's one topic we stay away from."
"I'll have to ask Hermione," Ron said with a sigh, as though he had come to a great decision. "Obviously Ginny tells her everything."
"But does Hermione tell YOU everything?" Harry asked.
"What?" said Ron, and Harry immediately regretted what he had said. "You don't think she does?"
"Well, I didn't mean that," said Harry. "I just meant that she probably doesn't tell you... y'know.. Girly stuff. Like whatever she and Ginny are talking about."
"Oh."
At that moment, Professor McGonagall entered the common room. From the look on her face, Harry and Ron knew immediately that something was wrong. Word spread quickly to everyone that the head of the house was in the room, and soon Hermione, Ginny and some other students who had been in the dormitories began to appear. "Students," she began. "It is of dire importance that you follow me to the Great Hall. You will receive instructions from Professor Dumbledore when we arrive. You will spend the night there."
Ron and Hermione found each other before following the crowd out of the common room and down the Great Hall. "Any idea what's going on?" Ron asked.
"Must be big," Hermione said. "Last time this happened, Sirius was here."
"You don't think? You-know-who? Is here?" asked Ron.
"No. I think they'd send us home if that happened," Hermione suggested. "Whatever this is, it's big, but not THAT big." Ron agreed.
When they reached the Great Hall, they were greeted with a sight much like they experienced their third year. There were piles of sleeping bags in the room and the chairs and tables were moved to one side. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny each grabbed one and dragged them over to the same corner they had gone to three years earlier. They sat on their sleeping bags and waited to hear what was going on.
Professor Dumbledore waited until all the students were present, and then raised his hands for silence. "Students, I regret to inform you that there was a major Death Eater attack in a village not too far from here. We have brought you all here for the night so that we can keep and eye on the students and survey the castle and grounds."
"Excuse me, Professor," Harry ventured. "What happened at the attack?"
"An excellent question, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said. "One that I will gladly answer as soon as I learn all the details. All I currently know is that the death toll was quite high. Near one hundred. Now, I need to see the following students: Henry Hapley, Hannah Abbott and Parvati and Padma Patil."
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny watched as the students whose names had been called stood and left the room, their faces grave. "Oh, my," Hermione said. Ron, Harry and Ginny knew she could only be imagining the worst, as they were thinking the same thing.
Ron put his arm around Hermione and pulled her close. Harry longed to do the same for Ginny, but they still hadn't told Ron and now did not seem like the best time. All four were thinking the same thing, that even though they knew the threat of Voldemort was always there, with their life at Hogwarts it very rarely became the reality. They ran on the assumption that they were safe in the gates of Hogwarts. Now and attack had happened - close by - and their safe little world was shattering.
* * *
An hour later the lights went out, and Hermione noticed that the students who had been called out had not returned. She tried to put them out of her mind but it was difficult, even snuggled up next to Ron on their sleeping bags. This was the first time since they became a couple that they were sleeping in such close quarters, but they didn't even notice.
Harry took advantage of the dark, and Ron's preoccupation with Hermione to take Ginny's hand. When she felt his skin make contact with hers she instantly relaxed, and vowed that they had to tell Ron soon. She wanted to be able to seek comfort in her boyfriend in case anything else should happen. She squeezed his hand in reassurance.
Sometime in the middle of the night Hermione dozed off. Ron kept her close to him. The news of the attack had scared him, and made him afraid he would lose the ones he loved. The memory of his father's near-death experience was fresh in his mind as he remembered the real threat that Voldemort posed. He pulled his arm tighter around his girlfriend. "I will always protect you," he whispered into Hermione's ear.
Chapter Twenty: News from Outside
By the beginning of April, only Hermione knew the details of Harry and Ginny's now numerous dates - and kisses. Whenever Ginny would return to the common room she would whisk Hermione away for some gossip. Ron started to get suspicious.
"Is she dating someone again?" he asked Harry one night.
"How should I know?" Harry asked, doing his best to act nonchalant.
"Well, you spend a lot of time with her," said Ron. "I thought maybe you would know."
"Sorry mate," said Harry. "That's one topic we stay away from."
"I'll have to ask Hermione," Ron said with a sigh, as though he had come to a great decision. "Obviously Ginny tells her everything."
"But does Hermione tell YOU everything?" Harry asked.
"What?" said Ron, and Harry immediately regretted what he had said. "You don't think she does?"
"Well, I didn't mean that," said Harry. "I just meant that she probably doesn't tell you... y'know.. Girly stuff. Like whatever she and Ginny are talking about."
"Oh."
At that moment, Professor McGonagall entered the common room. From the look on her face, Harry and Ron knew immediately that something was wrong. Word spread quickly to everyone that the head of the house was in the room, and soon Hermione, Ginny and some other students who had been in the dormitories began to appear. "Students," she began. "It is of dire importance that you follow me to the Great Hall. You will receive instructions from Professor Dumbledore when we arrive. You will spend the night there."
Ron and Hermione found each other before following the crowd out of the common room and down the Great Hall. "Any idea what's going on?" Ron asked.
"Must be big," Hermione said. "Last time this happened, Sirius was here."
"You don't think? You-know-who? Is here?" asked Ron.
"No. I think they'd send us home if that happened," Hermione suggested. "Whatever this is, it's big, but not THAT big." Ron agreed.
When they reached the Great Hall, they were greeted with a sight much like they experienced their third year. There were piles of sleeping bags in the room and the chairs and tables were moved to one side. Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny each grabbed one and dragged them over to the same corner they had gone to three years earlier. They sat on their sleeping bags and waited to hear what was going on.
Professor Dumbledore waited until all the students were present, and then raised his hands for silence. "Students, I regret to inform you that there was a major Death Eater attack in a village not too far from here. We have brought you all here for the night so that we can keep and eye on the students and survey the castle and grounds."
"Excuse me, Professor," Harry ventured. "What happened at the attack?"
"An excellent question, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said. "One that I will gladly answer as soon as I learn all the details. All I currently know is that the death toll was quite high. Near one hundred. Now, I need to see the following students: Henry Hapley, Hannah Abbott and Parvati and Padma Patil."
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny watched as the students whose names had been called stood and left the room, their faces grave. "Oh, my," Hermione said. Ron, Harry and Ginny knew she could only be imagining the worst, as they were thinking the same thing.
Ron put his arm around Hermione and pulled her close. Harry longed to do the same for Ginny, but they still hadn't told Ron and now did not seem like the best time. All four were thinking the same thing, that even though they knew the threat of Voldemort was always there, with their life at Hogwarts it very rarely became the reality. They ran on the assumption that they were safe in the gates of Hogwarts. Now and attack had happened - close by - and their safe little world was shattering.
* * *
An hour later the lights went out, and Hermione noticed that the students who had been called out had not returned. She tried to put them out of her mind but it was difficult, even snuggled up next to Ron on their sleeping bags. This was the first time since they became a couple that they were sleeping in such close quarters, but they didn't even notice.
Harry took advantage of the dark, and Ron's preoccupation with Hermione to take Ginny's hand. When she felt his skin make contact with hers she instantly relaxed, and vowed that they had to tell Ron soon. She wanted to be able to seek comfort in her boyfriend in case anything else should happen. She squeezed his hand in reassurance.
Sometime in the middle of the night Hermione dozed off. Ron kept her close to him. The news of the attack had scared him, and made him afraid he would lose the ones he loved. The memory of his father's near-death experience was fresh in his mind as he remembered the real threat that Voldemort posed. He pulled his arm tighter around his girlfriend. "I will always protect you," he whispered into Hermione's ear.