Chapter Five: A Needle in a Haystack
By the time Hermione was done reading the letter her hands were shaking and she had tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe it. Now, after 5 years of searching she had found him, or more truthfully he had found her]/I]. What was the difference? They had found each other. That was all that mattered.
"Wait." She said, I don't even know who this is. she paused and thought. Well I know he is a Slytherin in my Speaking of Magic class. she laughed.
"Well, that makes it so much easier." And at this she laid down in bed and set the letter next to her. She pulled the cover's over her head, stared into the blackness, and smiled the brightest smile she could in the pitch black.
As she drifted off into sleep, she dreamt of the boy again. She found herself under a tree in the cold, but it was awfully cold, colder than anything she had remembered. She looked around, nobody. Where was he? She looked around again. And, this time, she could see in the distance a figure walking towards her. He was dressed in black from head to toe, and looked awfully familiar. But before she could see his face, she felt a small shove and she rolled over in her bed. She awoke to Ginny's face, with a small smile. Hermione cracked a smile too, it had been a long time since she had seen Ginny happy about anything, so she decided not to take it for granted. "What are you so happy about?" Hermione's just-woke-up-voice crackled.
"Nothing in particular. Ron and his new 'friend' were out again last night." She whispered.
Hermione sat up in bed and looked around at the clock on the wall. It was really early, and had Ginny just said "Ron and his new 'friend'" were out again last night? What does that mean? she thought.
"What are you talking about Ginny?" asked Hermione.
"He left around midnight, Harry saw him, and he just now is getting to bed." She said, a gleeful expression could be seen on her face.
"Wait, Ron met someone at midnight?" Hermione asked confused.
"Yea, he's done it a few times now, you didn't know?" she asked amicably.
"Um, no. Does Harry know?"
"Yea, I think Ron actually told him what was going on, but he won't tell me anything." She said.
"Then that's what he was talking about." Hermione said to herself.
"What?" Ginny asked anxiously.
"Nothing." Hermione answered quickly. She couldn't believe Ron was sneaking away without tell her. She was right, Ron and Harry were becoming better friends.
They sat in silence for a moment before Ginny asked, "Hermione, what's that?" she said pointing to the letter she had received last night. It was laying completely open at the end of her bed where Ginny sat.
"Long story." Hermione stated hoping that this would through Ginny off the sent. But it failed. "We have loads of time." She said, and she was right.
"Well," Hermione started, trying to prop herself up in bed, "ok, don't think I'm stupid or childish."
"I won't, is this a love letter?" Ginny asked picking it up and beginning to read it. Hermione grabbed it out of her hands quickly.
"Not yet. That's a recent development." She said smiling, fully awake now, Hermione was remembering everything that had happened last night.
She told Ginny the long story and about an hour later they were both blushing and smiling. It felt good to have Ginny laughing, Hermione had been wondering whether or not she would ever laugh again, let alone smile.
"So what are you going to do to find him?" Ginny asked.
Hermione sighed. She hadn't thought about that. What was she going to do? When it was time to get ready for breakfast, Hermione felt extremely relieved. It was Friday and that meant no classes for two days. But she was also discouraged. It was Friday and that meant no classes for two days, which meant no chance of her being able to spot the boy. She thought that it was kind of not fair of him to know who she was, but she couldn't know him.
She drug herself through all of her boring classes by thinking about him and when he would decide to tell her who he was. Or how he would, and where, what would he say? She hoped he would be handsome, and smart, not childish, and funny, and charming. Basically she hoped he would be perfect. Not an immature dork like most of the boys here. When classes were through, she followed awfully close to Harry. She had wanted to tell him that she knew about Ron and his late night meetings. She wanted him to tell Ron and finally know exactly what was going on. But she had never gotten he chance. Ron was always closest to Harry and never left his side. By the end of the night this was beginning to p.i.s.s. her off because she had never realized how much closer friends Harry and Ron were. This was further proof that they would soon leave her to be nobody's friend but her self's. After dinner Ginny came darting up to her from behind.
"Hermione!" she whispered loudly trying to get her attention.
Hermione whipped around wondering who was calling her. Ginny grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the group.
"He's going tonight!" she whispered, this time in lower tones.
"Who? Ron?" she asked.
"Yes, he's meeting his friend. Her name is Rosalind Howla, she's a Hufflepuff She quickly stated looking around to make sure no one was listening.
"I've seen her!" shouted Hermione, "She and Ron were watching each other the day we were studying outside. He acted like he didn't even know her. Liar." She said in a menacing tone.
"So yea, I've got to go bu-." But she was interrupted.
"Let's follow him." Interjected Hermione.
Ginny stepped back to her spot and looked at Hermione strangely.
"Ok." Said Ginny, with an odd approval plastered across her face.
"Tonight, we'll wait by our dormitory doors and when he leaves we'll go after him. And when he's caught in the act of..whatever, that'll teach him to hide something from me." Ginny and Hermione exchanged anxious glances and walked back to the Gryffindor common room together.
As night approached the two girls became more and more eager about their scheme. They almost wanted to blow it off and just beat the information out of Ron. When it was around 11:oo both of the girls watched as Ron and Harry went upstairs, Ron pretending that he was tired and "going to hit the sack early". So soon after they were in their rooms, Ginny and Hermione left to go upstairs also. They each hid behind a column for almost an hour and a half. "Maybe he really is going to sleep, maybe they aren't meeting tonight." Ginny said in a barely audible whisper.
"Let's just keep waiting." Hermione said as she positioned herself better on the cold stone floor. But just as she let herself slump down and get comfortable, a door creaked open across the common room, Ron's door. She straightened herself up so she could not be seen. It was quiet for a few moments and then they heard slight footsteps down the stairs, and what had to be the opening of the portrait door. Hermione slowly made her way around the column and looked avidly around the room to make sure Ron had gone.
"It's clear." Hermione whispered. Both of them bolted as quietly as possible down the stairs and out the portrait whole. They didn't want to loose him and have waited for nothing. As soon as they had set foot outside the common room they stopped, listening for anything that would tell them where Ron had gone. And sure enough they heard his
footsteps about halfway down the hall, and then they went, quieter than him. They followed him through corridor after corridor, finally they saw him move swiftly into a teacher's classroom up ahead. They waited, they were not sure if the girl would be there yet. They stood still for about five minutes and figured that she was already there. But when they made a move to scurry down the hallway they heard more footsteps. More than one persons, actually. They hid behind another corridor where they could see the people coming. A few moments later they saw two girls turn the corner shyly. One was the blonde Hufflepuff girl, they other, they did not know. She had brown hair and looked to be about the same age as the blonde.
"We should of known they would be fashionably five minutes late." Said Ginny.
When everyone had gone into the classroom and it looked safe, Hermione and Ginny made their way to the door.
"Ready?" asked Hermione.
"Wait, what are you going to do?" she asked urgently.
"Just swing it open and walk in." she said.
"What if there.busy?" asked Ginny and her face recoiled in disgust.
"Their not." She said reassuring Ginny.
Hermione pressed her ear to the door and nodded her head.
Without counting to three to prepare her friend, Hermione flung open the door and walked straight in. Much to the horror of the other girls, Ron's face lit up with fright. But when he noticed who had interrupted them he stood up and walked towards her.
"Hermione what are you doing here?" "I should ask you the same thing!" she said in a harsh whisper.
"I-I am allowed to be here!" he retorted.
"Technically none of you are allowed to be here." Said a cold voice from the door.
They all whipped around to stare directly into the eyes of Professor Snape.
"Follow me." He said in his low drawl and everyone did. The girls exchanged frightened looks and Ron just sighed and rolled his eyes. He met up with Hermione and said,
"Look what you did!" in a low whisper.
"I did? You're the one sneaking around behind everyone's back to meet up with your lovers!" she said.
"QUIET!" cried Snape in his stifling manner.
They were silent for a second and then Hermione asked,
"What are you doing sneaking around with two girls in the middle of the night?"
"They are my friends Hermione." He said.
"Well I'm your friend too ya' know! And why couldn't you tell me that you were meeting with your girlfriends late at night?"
"There not my girlfriend's." "SILENCE!" Snape's voice boomed through the empty hallway.
The girls behind them were silenced in fear and Ginny was no where to be found. She must have seen Snape coming and crawled into a corner to hide.
Soon they were at Snape's office.
"Your Heads of House will be notified the second I set foot in my office. I suggest you do not waste your time sprinting to your common rooms. Wait there for your punishment." He looked down at Hermione, and with his low cruel voice he began to laugh.
"I'm afraid to say Miss Granger," and he paused, "but three strikes," he bent down to look her directly in the face, "your out."
Laughing at a low tone he walked into his office. Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him with her towards their common room. He made it very difficult as he obviously wanted to say goodbye and sorry to his girlfriends before they parted.
"What is your problem Hermione!" Ron shouted at her.
"I have no problem! You do!" she said.
"Oh yea, and what's that?"
"You don't know who your real friends are!" she said through gasps for air as they bolted down the hallways and up a flight of stairs.
"For your information, I know exactly who my real friends are! I was talking to Alexandra Sanders for Harry because he likes her and she is a friend of Jo's. I was doing him a favor." But he couldn't say anymore. He was so out of breath. And Hermione was not able to say anything anyways. She was already beginning to understand what was happening. "And is 'Jo' the blonde? The one you acted like you didn't even know the other day outside?"
He took in a deep breath as they came upon the portrait.
"Yes, that's her." He said as he bent down and held his knees trying to catch his breath.
"Bubbles Banyu." Hermione said. And the portrait swung open.
"Night jog my dears?" the fat lady remarked chuckling.
Professor McGonnagle was waiting for them as they came panting into the Gryffindor common room.
They looked at her with expressions of Oh-God-what-now? The next morning Hermione awoke late. It was around 12:30 and lunch had probably already started. She cringed as she remembered the events of last night, actually this morning. She had gotten detention for three weeks. It was reasonable, she could have been expelled. Look on the bright side she thought, I'll have a lot of "me" time.
So as she got dressed and headed for the Great Hall she thought about her situation.
I've got a best friend who is mad at me, one who will be upset with me, detention for three weeks, and I haven't a clue who he is.
She stood before the door to the Great Hall and took in a deep breath. She opened them and walk in ready to face whatever was coming
By the time Hermione was done reading the letter her hands were shaking and she had tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe it. Now, after 5 years of searching she had found him, or more truthfully he had found her]/I]. What was the difference? They had found each other. That was all that mattered.
"Wait." She said, I don't even know who this is. she paused and thought. Well I know he is a Slytherin in my Speaking of Magic class. she laughed.
"Well, that makes it so much easier." And at this she laid down in bed and set the letter next to her. She pulled the cover's over her head, stared into the blackness, and smiled the brightest smile she could in the pitch black.
As she drifted off into sleep, she dreamt of the boy again. She found herself under a tree in the cold, but it was awfully cold, colder than anything she had remembered. She looked around, nobody. Where was he? She looked around again. And, this time, she could see in the distance a figure walking towards her. He was dressed in black from head to toe, and looked awfully familiar. But before she could see his face, she felt a small shove and she rolled over in her bed. She awoke to Ginny's face, with a small smile. Hermione cracked a smile too, it had been a long time since she had seen Ginny happy about anything, so she decided not to take it for granted. "What are you so happy about?" Hermione's just-woke-up-voice crackled.
"Nothing in particular. Ron and his new 'friend' were out again last night." She whispered.
Hermione sat up in bed and looked around at the clock on the wall. It was really early, and had Ginny just said "Ron and his new 'friend'" were out again last night? What does that mean? she thought.
"What are you talking about Ginny?" asked Hermione.
"He left around midnight, Harry saw him, and he just now is getting to bed." She said, a gleeful expression could be seen on her face.
"Wait, Ron met someone at midnight?" Hermione asked confused.
"Yea, he's done it a few times now, you didn't know?" she asked amicably.
"Um, no. Does Harry know?"
"Yea, I think Ron actually told him what was going on, but he won't tell me anything." She said.
"Then that's what he was talking about." Hermione said to herself.
"What?" Ginny asked anxiously.
"Nothing." Hermione answered quickly. She couldn't believe Ron was sneaking away without tell her. She was right, Ron and Harry were becoming better friends.
They sat in silence for a moment before Ginny asked, "Hermione, what's that?" she said pointing to the letter she had received last night. It was laying completely open at the end of her bed where Ginny sat.
"Long story." Hermione stated hoping that this would through Ginny off the sent. But it failed. "We have loads of time." She said, and she was right.
"Well," Hermione started, trying to prop herself up in bed, "ok, don't think I'm stupid or childish."
"I won't, is this a love letter?" Ginny asked picking it up and beginning to read it. Hermione grabbed it out of her hands quickly.
"Not yet. That's a recent development." She said smiling, fully awake now, Hermione was remembering everything that had happened last night.
She told Ginny the long story and about an hour later they were both blushing and smiling. It felt good to have Ginny laughing, Hermione had been wondering whether or not she would ever laugh again, let alone smile.
"So what are you going to do to find him?" Ginny asked.
Hermione sighed. She hadn't thought about that. What was she going to do? When it was time to get ready for breakfast, Hermione felt extremely relieved. It was Friday and that meant no classes for two days. But she was also discouraged. It was Friday and that meant no classes for two days, which meant no chance of her being able to spot the boy. She thought that it was kind of not fair of him to know who she was, but she couldn't know him.
She drug herself through all of her boring classes by thinking about him and when he would decide to tell her who he was. Or how he would, and where, what would he say? She hoped he would be handsome, and smart, not childish, and funny, and charming. Basically she hoped he would be perfect. Not an immature dork like most of the boys here. When classes were through, she followed awfully close to Harry. She had wanted to tell him that she knew about Ron and his late night meetings. She wanted him to tell Ron and finally know exactly what was going on. But she had never gotten he chance. Ron was always closest to Harry and never left his side. By the end of the night this was beginning to p.i.s.s. her off because she had never realized how much closer friends Harry and Ron were. This was further proof that they would soon leave her to be nobody's friend but her self's. After dinner Ginny came darting up to her from behind.
"Hermione!" she whispered loudly trying to get her attention.
Hermione whipped around wondering who was calling her. Ginny grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the group.
"He's going tonight!" she whispered, this time in lower tones.
"Who? Ron?" she asked.
"Yes, he's meeting his friend. Her name is Rosalind Howla, she's a Hufflepuff She quickly stated looking around to make sure no one was listening.
"I've seen her!" shouted Hermione, "She and Ron were watching each other the day we were studying outside. He acted like he didn't even know her. Liar." She said in a menacing tone.
"So yea, I've got to go bu-." But she was interrupted.
"Let's follow him." Interjected Hermione.
Ginny stepped back to her spot and looked at Hermione strangely.
"Ok." Said Ginny, with an odd approval plastered across her face.
"Tonight, we'll wait by our dormitory doors and when he leaves we'll go after him. And when he's caught in the act of..whatever, that'll teach him to hide something from me." Ginny and Hermione exchanged anxious glances and walked back to the Gryffindor common room together.
As night approached the two girls became more and more eager about their scheme. They almost wanted to blow it off and just beat the information out of Ron. When it was around 11:oo both of the girls watched as Ron and Harry went upstairs, Ron pretending that he was tired and "going to hit the sack early". So soon after they were in their rooms, Ginny and Hermione left to go upstairs also. They each hid behind a column for almost an hour and a half. "Maybe he really is going to sleep, maybe they aren't meeting tonight." Ginny said in a barely audible whisper.
"Let's just keep waiting." Hermione said as she positioned herself better on the cold stone floor. But just as she let herself slump down and get comfortable, a door creaked open across the common room, Ron's door. She straightened herself up so she could not be seen. It was quiet for a few moments and then they heard slight footsteps down the stairs, and what had to be the opening of the portrait door. Hermione slowly made her way around the column and looked avidly around the room to make sure Ron had gone.
"It's clear." Hermione whispered. Both of them bolted as quietly as possible down the stairs and out the portrait whole. They didn't want to loose him and have waited for nothing. As soon as they had set foot outside the common room they stopped, listening for anything that would tell them where Ron had gone. And sure enough they heard his
footsteps about halfway down the hall, and then they went, quieter than him. They followed him through corridor after corridor, finally they saw him move swiftly into a teacher's classroom up ahead. They waited, they were not sure if the girl would be there yet. They stood still for about five minutes and figured that she was already there. But when they made a move to scurry down the hallway they heard more footsteps. More than one persons, actually. They hid behind another corridor where they could see the people coming. A few moments later they saw two girls turn the corner shyly. One was the blonde Hufflepuff girl, they other, they did not know. She had brown hair and looked to be about the same age as the blonde.
"We should of known they would be fashionably five minutes late." Said Ginny.
When everyone had gone into the classroom and it looked safe, Hermione and Ginny made their way to the door.
"Ready?" asked Hermione.
"Wait, what are you going to do?" she asked urgently.
"Just swing it open and walk in." she said.
"What if there.busy?" asked Ginny and her face recoiled in disgust.
"Their not." She said reassuring Ginny.
Hermione pressed her ear to the door and nodded her head.
Without counting to three to prepare her friend, Hermione flung open the door and walked straight in. Much to the horror of the other girls, Ron's face lit up with fright. But when he noticed who had interrupted them he stood up and walked towards her.
"Hermione what are you doing here?" "I should ask you the same thing!" she said in a harsh whisper.
"I-I am allowed to be here!" he retorted.
"Technically none of you are allowed to be here." Said a cold voice from the door.
They all whipped around to stare directly into the eyes of Professor Snape.
"Follow me." He said in his low drawl and everyone did. The girls exchanged frightened looks and Ron just sighed and rolled his eyes. He met up with Hermione and said,
"Look what you did!" in a low whisper.
"I did? You're the one sneaking around behind everyone's back to meet up with your lovers!" she said.
"QUIET!" cried Snape in his stifling manner.
They were silent for a second and then Hermione asked,
"What are you doing sneaking around with two girls in the middle of the night?"
"They are my friends Hermione." He said.
"Well I'm your friend too ya' know! And why couldn't you tell me that you were meeting with your girlfriends late at night?"
"There not my girlfriend's." "SILENCE!" Snape's voice boomed through the empty hallway.
The girls behind them were silenced in fear and Ginny was no where to be found. She must have seen Snape coming and crawled into a corner to hide.
Soon they were at Snape's office.
"Your Heads of House will be notified the second I set foot in my office. I suggest you do not waste your time sprinting to your common rooms. Wait there for your punishment." He looked down at Hermione, and with his low cruel voice he began to laugh.
"I'm afraid to say Miss Granger," and he paused, "but three strikes," he bent down to look her directly in the face, "your out."
Laughing at a low tone he walked into his office. Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him with her towards their common room. He made it very difficult as he obviously wanted to say goodbye and sorry to his girlfriends before they parted.
"What is your problem Hermione!" Ron shouted at her.
"I have no problem! You do!" she said.
"Oh yea, and what's that?"
"You don't know who your real friends are!" she said through gasps for air as they bolted down the hallways and up a flight of stairs.
"For your information, I know exactly who my real friends are! I was talking to Alexandra Sanders for Harry because he likes her and she is a friend of Jo's. I was doing him a favor." But he couldn't say anymore. He was so out of breath. And Hermione was not able to say anything anyways. She was already beginning to understand what was happening. "And is 'Jo' the blonde? The one you acted like you didn't even know the other day outside?"
He took in a deep breath as they came upon the portrait.
"Yes, that's her." He said as he bent down and held his knees trying to catch his breath.
"Bubbles Banyu." Hermione said. And the portrait swung open.
"Night jog my dears?" the fat lady remarked chuckling.
Professor McGonnagle was waiting for them as they came panting into the Gryffindor common room.
They looked at her with expressions of Oh-God-what-now? The next morning Hermione awoke late. It was around 12:30 and lunch had probably already started. She cringed as she remembered the events of last night, actually this morning. She had gotten detention for three weeks. It was reasonable, she could have been expelled. Look on the bright side she thought, I'll have a lot of "me" time.
So as she got dressed and headed for the Great Hall she thought about her situation.
I've got a best friend who is mad at me, one who will be upset with me, detention for three weeks, and I haven't a clue who he is.
She stood before the door to the Great Hall and took in a deep breath. She opened them and walk in ready to face whatever was coming