It had been three weeks since Harry had first joined the Order of the Phoenix. The Quidditch finals came and went, Gryffindor snatched the cup from Slytherin's grasp and they didn't even know what hit them.
Tonks and Snape had increased their efforts greatly with teaching Harry and Ron more inside and out of class, which was pleasantly appreciated on Harry's part. Ron seemed to think it was useless extra homework.
They both found themselves being loaded down with much more assignments from every one of their teachers. And every time The Order held a meeting before, after or during classes, Harry and Ron had to find someway to sneak out. Harry's grades didn't seem to be affected by it, though Ron's procrastination only increased. Before long, they were so busy both boys never talked to anyone outside of The Order. Needless to say, this formed suspicions.
//------------
It was a beautiful May afternoon and Harry and Ron had managed to weasel their way out of a particularly boring meeting which consisted of everything they'd already talked about. So, they were enjoying their brief freedom lounging on the deep, springy grass by the lake. The sun was basking them in a welcomed glow and the light, cool breeze kept kissing their faces and nipping their hair.
"God, I think I could've killed myself if we didn't get a break soon," Ron said closing his eyes.
Harry sighed with a smile and tucked his hands beneath his head," Well, its not like Voldemort goes on vacation, you know?"
Ron shifted," I know...Its just...Well. There's not much use in running us ragged before we actually have to face him or those Death-Eaters of his. We're not any good if we can barely hold up our own heads."
Harry chuckled," Stop complaining. We're apart of something bigger than ourselves...We're included in this huge secret organization that's going to save everybody."
Ron smiled and sat up squinting down at Harry from the sun's glare," You're totally loving this, aren't you?"
"Course!" Harry said with a grin." I'm practically an Auror in some ways. Tonks and Kingsley are training me casually, saying I'm a shoe-in at the Ministry if I keep up training and studying."
Ron shook his head with a sigh," You're impossible. I can't believe you actually ENJOY all this extra work and long hours and hardly any sleep and stress about Voldemort....Simply IMPOSSIBLE."
Harry laughed a little just as a sudden outbreak of shouts and cries came from far off.
Ron and Harry bolted upright as several students came running across the lawn and dashed into the castle. Harry frowned quickly scrambling to his feet.
Draco sprinted towards them, panting and a look of terror on his face," There's been an attack at Hogsmeade!!"
Harry and Ron instantly jumped to their feet. "Go get Dumbledore IMMEDIATELY!" Harry shouted at the frantic pale boy.
Draco nodded and dashed inside, pushing past all the running students.
Ron and Harry made a mad dash all the way to Hogsmeade, never pausing for breath. When they arrived, they were thrown into the middle of a blatant state of paranoia.
The normally peaceful village was a chaotic mess. People were frantically running this way and that, screaming and yelling for their loved ones.
Harry led the way through the town, running in the direction everyone was seemingly trying to get away from. But what he saw knocked the wind out of him. Once a tiny, innocent little section of the town, was now only rubble and ash.
Harry hurried forward, hearing Ron's heavy steps behind him, as he weaved his way through the bricks and splintered wood, hoping with all his heart the little cafe was let alone.
He stopped abruptly, seeing just a pile of ruin where Madam Puddifoot's cafe should have been.
His heart didn't hesitate from dropping into his gut," NO!"
And before Ron had a chance to hold him back, Harry dove straight into the shaky remains of the doorway.
Pieces of ceiling kept dropping and there was nothing but ash and smoke to see. Harry picked his way carefully through the broken tables and made his way around the room. He was obligated to do his job before anything else, so, he quickly whipped out his wand and shouted," Locomotor Corpses"
Four bodies rose from the ground infront of him and he hastily lead them out of the building. Harry made two more trips before he could quickly go into the backroom. It was worse than the main cafe.
Suddenly, a soft groan made Harry jerk his head towards a large cupboard. He darted towards it and felt his heart wrench painfully.
Cienna was trapped beneath the large furniture's weight. She opened her eyes and broke a sigh of relief," Harry! Oh god, Harry! Help!"
Harry quickly knelt down and peeked under the cupboard. From what he could see, the cupboard had her entire body pinned to the ground and one of the doors was digging into her side.
He stood up and pointed his wand at the object and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Instantly, the cupboard lifted up and Harry quickly moved it aside, letting it fall safely several feet away. Harry knelt down once more and scooped Cienna carefully up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, cringing and groaning in pain.
Just as he was about to step out of the door, Cienna clenched her teeth and strained, "Wait...Puddifoot..."
Harry looked over and saw the form of the round woman lying still on the floor near where Cienna was recently pinned. Harry pulled out his wand once more and said, "Locomotor Corpse"
Madam Puddifoot's body rose gently and was lead out of the crumbling building by Harry. As soon as Harry set her down, what was left of the structure of the cafe collapsed into a heap of clutter.
Dumbledore and McGonagal rushed forward, helping Harry ,Cienna and the rest of the unconscious people further down the road, far away from any destruction.
Immediately, Madam Pomfrey hurried over to Cienna's side, examining her."Oh my-...We must get all of them straight to the infirmary!"
Dumbledore let Harry take Cienna back into his arms and start to hurry away.
"I'm afraid that aid is useless to most of these victims..." Dumbledore whispered sadly.
Harry's stomach churned and his heart thumped frantically as he lead the way back to Hogwarts, Cienna clinging to his neck.
As soon as he saw the school in sight, Harry shifted into a sprint, hearing several others follow his lead into the school and straight to the hospital wing.
Dozens of students stood back to let them streak by, worry and fear scrawled across their young faces.
Harry gently laid Cienna down in the first available cot, finally glancing around to see Snape lower two injured students as well, followed by Madam Pomfrey with 2 more and Tonks with a very young girl.
It took Madam Pomfrey an hour or so to administer appropriate potions, all the while Harry refusing to leave Cienna's side. Ron eventually walked in, followed by Dumbledore, McGonagal, and Lupin, each trailing behind separate pairs of forms draped with white sheets.
The three adults let their forms gently drop onto beds farther down, Ron following a rather large sheet-covered figure.
Harry watched their solemn faces as they joined the others with the slowly recovering victims. Harry's insides squirmed and he could feel the truth thick in the air. Softly, he mumbled," They didn't make it...Did they?"
McGonagal's mouth was as thin as ever, her eyes looking very shiny," No. No they didn't."
Harry tightened his grasp on Cienna's hand, feeling it start to regain its warmth," Who did this?"
"No witch or wizard alive could've possibly accomplished such a cruel attack on innocent lives," Dumbledore said, looking over the six injured people lying on the close by cots.
"Do you think it was You-Know-Who?" Ron asked with a squeaky voice, a clear tail sign he was scared.
"I have no doubt Voldemort was behind this, if not he, himself," Dumbledore replied, his blue eyes losing their twinkle.
"Shouldn't this be reason enough to move in on them? Attack immediately?" Lupin inquired, stepping forward with his arms crossed and face set with fury.
"Not when we are weak. This senseless attack has undoubtedly made us all very anxious to kill, which also makes us reckless and irrational. It would be only too easy to bring about our downfall if we were to act now," Dumbledore answered quietly.
Snape started pacing back and forth behind them all, looking like a caged panther. Tonks ran her hand through her blonde curls as her lip quivered.
"But we must do SOMETHING," Lupin exclaimed, frustration embedded into his tired looking face.
"Yes. But not now, Remus. Let the hurt gain back their strength," Dumbledore spoke gently to Lupin.
Lupin sighed heavily and sank down into a chair.
Harry looked down at Cienna who was staring up at him intently. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss onto her forehead, finding her sigh softly and hold onto his hand tighter.
//------------
Harry felt a nudge at his shoulder and his hand sharply vanished from beneath his chin and jerked him awake harshly. Looking up blurrily, Harry yawned and shifted in his chair. He barely realized just how sore he was from the awkward position he had fallen asleep in at Cienna's bedside.
"Harry?" A soft voice mumbled through the darkness.
Harry reached over and lit a candle, seeing Lupin crouching down by his chair's arm.
"Lupin? What is it?" Harry asked, still thick with sleep.
Lupin guided Harry away from the sleeping Cienna and drew him into a corner. "There's...there's something we just discovered only an hour ago."
Harry frowned and glanced out the window. It must be somewhere around midnight, for there wasn't any sound of people stirring or voices. Just the soft chirping of crickets and the occasional dulled hoot of an owl.
"There's been another attack...Evidently made at the same time as Hogsmeade," Lupin mumbled quietly.
Harry leaned back against the window sill, crossing his arms," Where? Was anyone hurt?"
"Yes. Yes there were casualties. Three infact...In London," Lupin replied even softer, so Harry had to strain his ears to hear him.
"What does the Order want to do? Was it even Voldemort related?" Harry pressed, becoming frustrated with Lupin's vagueness.
"There is no doubt Voldemort ordered this attack," Lupin went on.
Harry peered at Lupin questioningly, barely noticing he was now eye-level with him since last he remembered. Was Harry always this tall? But the thought quickly vanished from his mind as Lupin's face fell further. "W-what?"
"Harry....The Dursleys are dead."
Harry felt the air sucked from the room and left his lungs gasping for breath. No, no, he must've heard wrong." Impossible...T-they couldn't...They're protected..."
"He attacked them while they were on their way home from the grocery store. They're dead.." Lupin mumbled sadly.
Harry's knees became wobbly and he had to lean back against the wall to support himself up. He felt as if he was in a bad dream, trying to wake himself up uselessly. "But...but..."
"They've been taken to a London hospital...We've made it to look like they were shot," Lupin muttered, not daring to speak above a whisper.
Harry didn't speak a word well into the next day. Cienna and the two other non-student victims were allowed to leave once their wounds healed, but none were brave enough to do so. So, they were given spare beds in the dormitories and permitted to come down for meals.
Harry never left Cienna's side apart from classes and sleep. And even then, he'd stay outside her door some nights or let her sleep in his bed while he slept on a chair nearby.
One night, Harry woke with a start as he heard creaks and shuffling coming from downstairs. He glanced at Cienna, making sure she was deep in slumber, before grabbing his wand and cautiously going down the staircase. He peeked around the corner to see a bushy haired girl poking at the fire in the common room.
Harry lessened his tense muscles and stowed away his wand, but still remained pensive as he walked forward," You shouldn't be up, you know."
Hermione whisked around and startled Harry with her pale features and frantic eyes, "Oh. Oh its just you, Harry..."
"Course its me. Who did you expect?" Harry questioned as he stood a few feet off.
"N-no one...No one at all," Hermione stuttered.
Harry frowned and surveyed her forgotten appearance, noticing that she'd let her hair return to its original chaotic state and her face became cleansed of all makeup. Her clothes were big on her as they hung haphazardly over her thin body.
"Hermione...are-are you all right?"
Hermione's eyes twinkled like they used to, before tears came spilling out," Oh, Harry! I heard! I'm SO sorry! I feel simply horrible for the way I've been acting!"
Harry stumbled on his words, not expecting an apology." Wait…huh?"
"I know I've been acting like a bloody git, going mad around you and yelling at you and such. I was just hurt. And then I see you've moved on and found another girl and I couldn't help myself. I...I got jealous..." Hermione muttered miserably.
Harry walked over and sat down in a chair near her," You were jealous?"
"Yes...Oh, i feel so ridiculous now. There're more important things to worry about than being jealous...I'm sorry I made things worse for you...I-I just lost my head," Hermione replied shakily.
Harry reached down and gently touched her shoulder. He felt her shudder beneath its weight, but leaned into it nonetheless, "Its all right..."
Hermione reached up and laid her hand atop his, shivering at how warm he was compared to her," I'm so sorry."
"Its ok, Hermione...Really."
Hermione smiled despite her tears and gripped onto his hand, finding comfort in his presence," You really are amazing..."
Harry shrugged a bit as Hermione got up onto her knees and came closer to him. He held his breath out of shock as she leaned in and gently pressed a kiss onto his lips. For a brief moment, he felt himself go back in time, back to the day at the beach, back to their first kiss in Madam Puddifoot's, back to the Room of Requirement. As she pulled away, Harry was jerked back to the present, left with his insides burning with both longing and guilt.
"Stay safe, Harry...I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you," Hermione whispered, letting herself drift away from his warmth.
Harry opened his mouth to reply when a soft voice came from the stairs," Harry?"
Harry looked up and saw Cienna standing at the foot of the staircase, frowning.
"I...I woke up and you weren't there, so I thought something had happened..." She mumbled, shifting her gaze seeing Hermione knelling suspiciously close to him. Cienna's honey eyes narrowed as hurt couldn't help itself from stinging them. She flicked her eyes back to Harry's, silently asking him for an explanation.
Harry stood up and walked over to Cienna, gently wrapping his arm around her," I just came down here to check on some noises. It was just Hermione."
Cienna frowned at him, as if to ask 'what else?'
Harry softly kissed her cheek and led her back up the stairs, not taking a second look at Hermione, " Come on. Lets get you back to bed."
//------------
"Attention. May I have your attention please," McGonagal called with a waiver in her voice.
Dumbledore stood up as the Great Hall quieted down from their dinner, not that it was very noisy to begin with. Harry put down his fork, abandoning his effort of getting some food down. Cienna gently rubbed his arm as Ron turned in his seat opposite Harry and looked, as did the rest of the room, at Dumbledore's upright form.
"As all of you well know by now, and for those of you who don't, there has been a ruthless attack made on Hogsmeade just a few days ago. Six innocent witches and wizards, four of which were students, have been killed. I'm sure those friends of the late Christopher Coughlan of Hufflepuff, Kristin Faford and Denise Munoz of Ravenclaw, and Jessica Miller of Slytherin, will pay their respects as according," Dumbledore said in the most solemn and sad voice Harry ever heard him use.
"At this point in time, I have come to the decision every Headmaster regrets to say.. " He paused, his eyes looking tired and faded." Effective at dawn tomorrow morning, all students of Hogwarts will evacuate immediately, and return home until further notice."
At this, there was gasps and screams all around. The teachers added to the uproar, frantically asking Dumbledore if it was necessary. Dumbledore simply sat down and let the pandemonium consume the Great Hall.
Hogwarts is being closed, Harry thought to himself horrendously. Dumbledore would only close the school if he thought we were in great danger...and indeed, we must be .
Tonks and Snape had increased their efforts greatly with teaching Harry and Ron more inside and out of class, which was pleasantly appreciated on Harry's part. Ron seemed to think it was useless extra homework.
They both found themselves being loaded down with much more assignments from every one of their teachers. And every time The Order held a meeting before, after or during classes, Harry and Ron had to find someway to sneak out. Harry's grades didn't seem to be affected by it, though Ron's procrastination only increased. Before long, they were so busy both boys never talked to anyone outside of The Order. Needless to say, this formed suspicions.
//------------
It was a beautiful May afternoon and Harry and Ron had managed to weasel their way out of a particularly boring meeting which consisted of everything they'd already talked about. So, they were enjoying their brief freedom lounging on the deep, springy grass by the lake. The sun was basking them in a welcomed glow and the light, cool breeze kept kissing their faces and nipping their hair.
"God, I think I could've killed myself if we didn't get a break soon," Ron said closing his eyes.
Harry sighed with a smile and tucked his hands beneath his head," Well, its not like Voldemort goes on vacation, you know?"
Ron shifted," I know...Its just...Well. There's not much use in running us ragged before we actually have to face him or those Death-Eaters of his. We're not any good if we can barely hold up our own heads."
Harry chuckled," Stop complaining. We're apart of something bigger than ourselves...We're included in this huge secret organization that's going to save everybody."
Ron smiled and sat up squinting down at Harry from the sun's glare," You're totally loving this, aren't you?"
"Course!" Harry said with a grin." I'm practically an Auror in some ways. Tonks and Kingsley are training me casually, saying I'm a shoe-in at the Ministry if I keep up training and studying."
Ron shook his head with a sigh," You're impossible. I can't believe you actually ENJOY all this extra work and long hours and hardly any sleep and stress about Voldemort....Simply IMPOSSIBLE."
Harry laughed a little just as a sudden outbreak of shouts and cries came from far off.
Ron and Harry bolted upright as several students came running across the lawn and dashed into the castle. Harry frowned quickly scrambling to his feet.
Draco sprinted towards them, panting and a look of terror on his face," There's been an attack at Hogsmeade!!"
Harry and Ron instantly jumped to their feet. "Go get Dumbledore IMMEDIATELY!" Harry shouted at the frantic pale boy.
Draco nodded and dashed inside, pushing past all the running students.
Ron and Harry made a mad dash all the way to Hogsmeade, never pausing for breath. When they arrived, they were thrown into the middle of a blatant state of paranoia.
The normally peaceful village was a chaotic mess. People were frantically running this way and that, screaming and yelling for their loved ones.
Harry led the way through the town, running in the direction everyone was seemingly trying to get away from. But what he saw knocked the wind out of him. Once a tiny, innocent little section of the town, was now only rubble and ash.
Harry hurried forward, hearing Ron's heavy steps behind him, as he weaved his way through the bricks and splintered wood, hoping with all his heart the little cafe was let alone.
He stopped abruptly, seeing just a pile of ruin where Madam Puddifoot's cafe should have been.
His heart didn't hesitate from dropping into his gut," NO!"
And before Ron had a chance to hold him back, Harry dove straight into the shaky remains of the doorway.
Pieces of ceiling kept dropping and there was nothing but ash and smoke to see. Harry picked his way carefully through the broken tables and made his way around the room. He was obligated to do his job before anything else, so, he quickly whipped out his wand and shouted," Locomotor Corpses"
Four bodies rose from the ground infront of him and he hastily lead them out of the building. Harry made two more trips before he could quickly go into the backroom. It was worse than the main cafe.
Suddenly, a soft groan made Harry jerk his head towards a large cupboard. He darted towards it and felt his heart wrench painfully.
Cienna was trapped beneath the large furniture's weight. She opened her eyes and broke a sigh of relief," Harry! Oh god, Harry! Help!"
Harry quickly knelt down and peeked under the cupboard. From what he could see, the cupboard had her entire body pinned to the ground and one of the doors was digging into her side.
He stood up and pointed his wand at the object and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Instantly, the cupboard lifted up and Harry quickly moved it aside, letting it fall safely several feet away. Harry knelt down once more and scooped Cienna carefully up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, cringing and groaning in pain.
Just as he was about to step out of the door, Cienna clenched her teeth and strained, "Wait...Puddifoot..."
Harry looked over and saw the form of the round woman lying still on the floor near where Cienna was recently pinned. Harry pulled out his wand once more and said, "Locomotor Corpse"
Madam Puddifoot's body rose gently and was lead out of the crumbling building by Harry. As soon as Harry set her down, what was left of the structure of the cafe collapsed into a heap of clutter.
Dumbledore and McGonagal rushed forward, helping Harry ,Cienna and the rest of the unconscious people further down the road, far away from any destruction.
Immediately, Madam Pomfrey hurried over to Cienna's side, examining her."Oh my-...We must get all of them straight to the infirmary!"
Dumbledore let Harry take Cienna back into his arms and start to hurry away.
"I'm afraid that aid is useless to most of these victims..." Dumbledore whispered sadly.
Harry's stomach churned and his heart thumped frantically as he lead the way back to Hogwarts, Cienna clinging to his neck.
As soon as he saw the school in sight, Harry shifted into a sprint, hearing several others follow his lead into the school and straight to the hospital wing.
Dozens of students stood back to let them streak by, worry and fear scrawled across their young faces.
Harry gently laid Cienna down in the first available cot, finally glancing around to see Snape lower two injured students as well, followed by Madam Pomfrey with 2 more and Tonks with a very young girl.
It took Madam Pomfrey an hour or so to administer appropriate potions, all the while Harry refusing to leave Cienna's side. Ron eventually walked in, followed by Dumbledore, McGonagal, and Lupin, each trailing behind separate pairs of forms draped with white sheets.
The three adults let their forms gently drop onto beds farther down, Ron following a rather large sheet-covered figure.
Harry watched their solemn faces as they joined the others with the slowly recovering victims. Harry's insides squirmed and he could feel the truth thick in the air. Softly, he mumbled," They didn't make it...Did they?"
McGonagal's mouth was as thin as ever, her eyes looking very shiny," No. No they didn't."
Harry tightened his grasp on Cienna's hand, feeling it start to regain its warmth," Who did this?"
"No witch or wizard alive could've possibly accomplished such a cruel attack on innocent lives," Dumbledore said, looking over the six injured people lying on the close by cots.
"Do you think it was You-Know-Who?" Ron asked with a squeaky voice, a clear tail sign he was scared.
"I have no doubt Voldemort was behind this, if not he, himself," Dumbledore replied, his blue eyes losing their twinkle.
"Shouldn't this be reason enough to move in on them? Attack immediately?" Lupin inquired, stepping forward with his arms crossed and face set with fury.
"Not when we are weak. This senseless attack has undoubtedly made us all very anxious to kill, which also makes us reckless and irrational. It would be only too easy to bring about our downfall if we were to act now," Dumbledore answered quietly.
Snape started pacing back and forth behind them all, looking like a caged panther. Tonks ran her hand through her blonde curls as her lip quivered.
"But we must do SOMETHING," Lupin exclaimed, frustration embedded into his tired looking face.
"Yes. But not now, Remus. Let the hurt gain back their strength," Dumbledore spoke gently to Lupin.
Lupin sighed heavily and sank down into a chair.
Harry looked down at Cienna who was staring up at him intently. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss onto her forehead, finding her sigh softly and hold onto his hand tighter.
//------------
Harry felt a nudge at his shoulder and his hand sharply vanished from beneath his chin and jerked him awake harshly. Looking up blurrily, Harry yawned and shifted in his chair. He barely realized just how sore he was from the awkward position he had fallen asleep in at Cienna's bedside.
"Harry?" A soft voice mumbled through the darkness.
Harry reached over and lit a candle, seeing Lupin crouching down by his chair's arm.
"Lupin? What is it?" Harry asked, still thick with sleep.
Lupin guided Harry away from the sleeping Cienna and drew him into a corner. "There's...there's something we just discovered only an hour ago."
Harry frowned and glanced out the window. It must be somewhere around midnight, for there wasn't any sound of people stirring or voices. Just the soft chirping of crickets and the occasional dulled hoot of an owl.
"There's been another attack...Evidently made at the same time as Hogsmeade," Lupin mumbled quietly.
Harry leaned back against the window sill, crossing his arms," Where? Was anyone hurt?"
"Yes. Yes there were casualties. Three infact...In London," Lupin replied even softer, so Harry had to strain his ears to hear him.
"What does the Order want to do? Was it even Voldemort related?" Harry pressed, becoming frustrated with Lupin's vagueness.
"There is no doubt Voldemort ordered this attack," Lupin went on.
Harry peered at Lupin questioningly, barely noticing he was now eye-level with him since last he remembered. Was Harry always this tall? But the thought quickly vanished from his mind as Lupin's face fell further. "W-what?"
"Harry....The Dursleys are dead."
Harry felt the air sucked from the room and left his lungs gasping for breath. No, no, he must've heard wrong." Impossible...T-they couldn't...They're protected..."
"He attacked them while they were on their way home from the grocery store. They're dead.." Lupin mumbled sadly.
Harry's knees became wobbly and he had to lean back against the wall to support himself up. He felt as if he was in a bad dream, trying to wake himself up uselessly. "But...but..."
"They've been taken to a London hospital...We've made it to look like they were shot," Lupin muttered, not daring to speak above a whisper.
Harry didn't speak a word well into the next day. Cienna and the two other non-student victims were allowed to leave once their wounds healed, but none were brave enough to do so. So, they were given spare beds in the dormitories and permitted to come down for meals.
Harry never left Cienna's side apart from classes and sleep. And even then, he'd stay outside her door some nights or let her sleep in his bed while he slept on a chair nearby.
One night, Harry woke with a start as he heard creaks and shuffling coming from downstairs. He glanced at Cienna, making sure she was deep in slumber, before grabbing his wand and cautiously going down the staircase. He peeked around the corner to see a bushy haired girl poking at the fire in the common room.
Harry lessened his tense muscles and stowed away his wand, but still remained pensive as he walked forward," You shouldn't be up, you know."
Hermione whisked around and startled Harry with her pale features and frantic eyes, "Oh. Oh its just you, Harry..."
"Course its me. Who did you expect?" Harry questioned as he stood a few feet off.
"N-no one...No one at all," Hermione stuttered.
Harry frowned and surveyed her forgotten appearance, noticing that she'd let her hair return to its original chaotic state and her face became cleansed of all makeup. Her clothes were big on her as they hung haphazardly over her thin body.
"Hermione...are-are you all right?"
Hermione's eyes twinkled like they used to, before tears came spilling out," Oh, Harry! I heard! I'm SO sorry! I feel simply horrible for the way I've been acting!"
Harry stumbled on his words, not expecting an apology." Wait…huh?"
"I know I've been acting like a bloody git, going mad around you and yelling at you and such. I was just hurt. And then I see you've moved on and found another girl and I couldn't help myself. I...I got jealous..." Hermione muttered miserably.
Harry walked over and sat down in a chair near her," You were jealous?"
"Yes...Oh, i feel so ridiculous now. There're more important things to worry about than being jealous...I'm sorry I made things worse for you...I-I just lost my head," Hermione replied shakily.
Harry reached down and gently touched her shoulder. He felt her shudder beneath its weight, but leaned into it nonetheless, "Its all right..."
Hermione reached up and laid her hand atop his, shivering at how warm he was compared to her," I'm so sorry."
"Its ok, Hermione...Really."
Hermione smiled despite her tears and gripped onto his hand, finding comfort in his presence," You really are amazing..."
Harry shrugged a bit as Hermione got up onto her knees and came closer to him. He held his breath out of shock as she leaned in and gently pressed a kiss onto his lips. For a brief moment, he felt himself go back in time, back to the day at the beach, back to their first kiss in Madam Puddifoot's, back to the Room of Requirement. As she pulled away, Harry was jerked back to the present, left with his insides burning with both longing and guilt.
"Stay safe, Harry...I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you," Hermione whispered, letting herself drift away from his warmth.
Harry opened his mouth to reply when a soft voice came from the stairs," Harry?"
Harry looked up and saw Cienna standing at the foot of the staircase, frowning.
"I...I woke up and you weren't there, so I thought something had happened..." She mumbled, shifting her gaze seeing Hermione knelling suspiciously close to him. Cienna's honey eyes narrowed as hurt couldn't help itself from stinging them. She flicked her eyes back to Harry's, silently asking him for an explanation.
Harry stood up and walked over to Cienna, gently wrapping his arm around her," I just came down here to check on some noises. It was just Hermione."
Cienna frowned at him, as if to ask 'what else?'
Harry softly kissed her cheek and led her back up the stairs, not taking a second look at Hermione, " Come on. Lets get you back to bed."
//------------
"Attention. May I have your attention please," McGonagal called with a waiver in her voice.
Dumbledore stood up as the Great Hall quieted down from their dinner, not that it was very noisy to begin with. Harry put down his fork, abandoning his effort of getting some food down. Cienna gently rubbed his arm as Ron turned in his seat opposite Harry and looked, as did the rest of the room, at Dumbledore's upright form.
"As all of you well know by now, and for those of you who don't, there has been a ruthless attack made on Hogsmeade just a few days ago. Six innocent witches and wizards, four of which were students, have been killed. I'm sure those friends of the late Christopher Coughlan of Hufflepuff, Kristin Faford and Denise Munoz of Ravenclaw, and Jessica Miller of Slytherin, will pay their respects as according," Dumbledore said in the most solemn and sad voice Harry ever heard him use.
"At this point in time, I have come to the decision every Headmaster regrets to say.. " He paused, his eyes looking tired and faded." Effective at dawn tomorrow morning, all students of Hogwarts will evacuate immediately, and return home until further notice."
At this, there was gasps and screams all around. The teachers added to the uproar, frantically asking Dumbledore if it was necessary. Dumbledore simply sat down and let the pandemonium consume the Great Hall.
Hogwarts is being closed, Harry thought to himself horrendously. Dumbledore would only close the school if he thought we were in great danger...and indeed, we must be .