Disclaimer: Credit goes to JK Rowling...(and a few other companies, people, etc. who probably own a little bit of The Boy Who Lived...)

A/N: This was my first fanfic EVER. I wrote this about two years ago, WAAAAY before OOTP, so there are a lot of things that won't fit in with canon. My writing was horrible, and I switched back and forth between plot lines...but I still think this is a pretty darn good story. However, it is the only thing I have EVER completed in all the fanfics I've ever tried to write...so I thought I'd just post it online...It is a love triangle sort of thing...Hermione likes Harry, Ron, and there's some Draco in there too...so if you don't like this...then don't read it... Well, enjoy my REALLY old fanfic...

Chapter Six - Snuffles

Just then Harry saw a large black dog running across the Hogwarts grounds. "Sirius!" Harry whispered to himself. He immediately stood up and peered out the window to make sure it was really him. The dog was headed for Hagrid's hut...

Harry debated whether or not he should wake Ron; he decided he shouldn't. Harry put on his shoes and opened up his trunk, digging down into the bottom to find his Invisibility Cloak. Apparently he was rummaging very loudly and woke Ron.

"What're ya doin Harry?" He asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

"Uh...uh...Shh, go back to sleep Ron." Harry stammered.

"Is that your cloak?" Ron asked loudly, when he first saw the cloak Harry was trying to hide.

"Ron! Hush!"

"Oh, right...sorry..."

"Look, Ron, 'Snuffles' is outside, I saw him. He's over by Hagrid's hut. I'm going to see him, alright? Stay here." Harry stood up and began to put the cloak on.

Ron got out of bed and stopped Harry from putting it on. "I'm going with you." He said.

........

Harry and Ron moved as fast as they could under the Invisibility Cloak. They made their way over to Hagrid's hut and in the shadows, they saw the dog, but it somehow looked different.

Ron threw off the Invisibility Cloak. "Snuffles?" Ron whispered. Harry took off the Invisibility Cloak and laid it next to the wood pile stacked neatly up the wall of Hagrid's hut. Harry made his way up to the large black dog.

"Snuffles, is that you?" He asked. The dog ran off behind the hut, and around the other side came a tall, lanky, scruffy looking man. "Sirius it's really you!" Harry murmured.

"Harry, it's great to see you." Sirius said, embracing Harry as if he was his own son. Then he looked over at Ron. "It's great to see you as well, Ron." He said and motioned the two of them to sit on a nearby log.

"Why are you here?" Harry questioned as he and Ron sat down.

"I've heard some rumors, they may not be true of course, but I thought you ought to know."
"Like wha?" Ron interrupted.

"There are some nasty things goin' on in the world right now. Both in the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. There's word, that you-know-who, is gettin' some followers again. But really, no one is for sure that he's even back, you know." Sirius began. "But I've heard that there are plans to attack the school...from the inside...there are some people here that want you dead, Harry. All I've heard is that there is a student involved, maybe more than one student, I'm not sure. But all I know about what may happen is..." Sirius was interrupted by sticks snapping in the woods. He paused, and then there was another snapping. "Quick...get under the cloak!" He gasped.

Harry and Ron threw the cloak over themselves and watched as Sirius transformed back into a dog and ran off into the forest. Harry and Ron just stood there, holding their breath, waiting to see who was out there. Then they saw Hagrid walking around his hut, to the pumpkin patch.

"It was only Hagrid!" Ron said, relieved and throwing the cloak off him and Harry. He looked over at Harry but he was just standing there, gaping in the opposite direction. "Whatsa matter, Harry?" He asked. Then Ron turned around and there was a white ferret. It was running off in the direction of the castle. Ron was confused and he looked back over to Harry. "What's the deal with that?" He inquired.

Harry just shook his head. "I don't know Ron...I really dunno."

Harry and Ron made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower, moving very slowly under the Invisibility Cloak. When they got back up to the Common Room, it was completely bare of any students. They didn't say a word and just went back to bed.

........

Hermione got up before anyone else in Gryffindor that morning and decided to go down to the Great Hall to get some breakfast. She was one of the only students in there, but she just sat down and began eating.

Draco and all of his Slytherin cronies made their way into the Great Hall not long after Hermione had got there. She looked up at him when he walked in and watched him sit down. She forgot about her food and just sat there staring at him. Draco looked up from talking to Crabbe and Goyle and saw Hermione staring at him. He smiled and looked back down.

Ron had obviously woken and decided to come down to the Great Hall too because he came and sat across from Hermione.

"Morning." He yawned.

"Good morning." Hermione replied.

They ate in a kind of awkward silence, until Ron finally mentioned the dance.

"So tonight's the big night, eh?"

"Yeah..." Hermione said, not looking at Ron.

There was a long pause.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to." Ron mumbled.

"Not go to the Ball?" Hermione responded.

"Yeah, you don't have to go with...with me..." He said reluctantly.

She smiled. "Oh Ron, don't be silly. I want to go with you."

"Really?"

"Really..." Hermione nodded. "Well, I'm going to go get ready for the Ball now...I'll see you later." She said, getting up. Ron grabbed her wrist.

"Why are you leaving so early?"

"It will take me a while to get ready, trust me, it will be worth it..." Ron let go of her wrist and she walked out the Great Hall.

Draco saw Hermione walk off and decided to follow.

"Hermione, wait"! He said, running up next to her. "Are you going to the Ball with anyone?"

Taken aback by the sudden question, Hermione had to stop to think. "Oh, yeah...I am..."

Draco looked disappointed. "Oh..." He started to turn back around. "I'll see you tonight I guess..."

........

A/N: Please Review!