Author note: Ok, hopefully this chapter will explain what was going on in the last chapter, you know, filling in some of the blanks, that kind of thing. I really have no idea where I'm going with this story, so if it seems a bit rambling I can only hope you forgive me. Any suggestions with regards to my writing, or some kind of plot, would be gratefully received. The chapters would be longer if it wasn't for my childlike impatience. Anyway, read on.
Hermione was beginning to get worried. The last thing she remembered was being in the library. That is to say, the last thing she remembered before waking up, locked in a strange classroom, was being in the library. She had tried various spells that should have, in theory, let her out with minimal fuss, and when they didn't work she tried the traditional methods of banging on the door and screaming loudly for help. After several minutes of that, she sat down and thought about her options.
Where were Harry and Ron when she needed them?
"Maybe she... got an invisibility cloak and is following us around to see how worried we are about her."
"That doesn't really sound like the kind of thing Hermione would do."
Ron looked at his sister impatiently. "Well I was just trying to think of something, seeing as we've looked everywhere. In fact, I think we've been down this corridor already."
They had been wandering around for ages. Harry was thinking out loud. "We've checked the Great Hall, the library twice, Hagrid hasn't seen her, no one else we've asked has seen her. Maybe we should just stop and think about this a little more carefully." Ginny looked at him, rolled her eyes, then walked to the wall and sat down, pulling her legs up and leaning her chin on her knees.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked.
"Thinking of course, now shut up for two minutes."
There was a moment of silence.
Ron turned his head slightly. "Do you hear something?"
"No."
"I thought I heard something."
There was another moment of silence.
"Actually, I think you might be right, there was some kind of..."
"Shh," Ginny interrupted, "Ron's definitely right, listen."
A faint tapping echoed through the corridor.
"What is it?"
They moved towards the sound, treading as softly as they could. They headed up a narrow spiral staircase, which had seen better days.
Tapping became banging.
"I think we're getting closer."
"Why are we even trying to find whatever's making that noise? Maybe it's just a regular occurrence, I mean, it's not like we wander around this part of Hogwarts that often."
"It's just natural curiosity, isn't it? If you hear something strange, you go and see what it is."
"That's a marvellous argument Ron, what if it's an angry dragon or something?"
"Then we'll be grateful that Harry's at the front."
Harry looked round, as if reminding Ron that his hearing worked.
"Just joking mate, anyway, it probably won't be a dragon."
"I think there's a light up ahead."
They emerged into a corridor that was barely wider than the staircase they had just climbed. There were several doors on either side, but there were no paintings, and the narrow windows were few and far between.
"It's really loud now, it must be coming from one of these rooms." Ron began walking up the corridor.
"Interestingly, sounds aren't actually loud or soft, they only seem to be, depending on where you are in relation to whatever's making the sound."
Harry and Ron both turned to stare at Ginny.
"What? A girl's allowed to read isn't she?"
Seeing the confused look on their faces, she smiled brightly.
"Shall we try a door then?"
The first door was locked. As was the second.
Ron tried the third door, which suddenly flew open, knocking Ron on the head, causing him to fall to the ground, unconscious.
Harry and Ginny turned with astonishment as a gaping Hermione stared first at Ron, then at the door, then at them.
Chaos ensued.
"...so after I had tried all the spells I could think of, I tried to think of what you and Ron might do under the circumstances."
"And that's when you started kicking the door."
It was an hour later and Ron was still unconscious, lying in a bed in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had declared him 'merely bruised' and said she would give him a potion when he woke up that would fix him completely. Harry and Ginny were standing as Hermione, sitting on the bed stroking Ron's forehead (which is where the door hit him), told them about the strange events of the day.
"I don't understand it." Harry was confused, and was only thankful that he hadn't been the one hit on the head by a door.
"Well, it was clearly an old door, and I was persistent."
"No, I mean, I can believe that the door was on its last hinges, but why didn't magic work?"
"It must have had protection spells on it, so that no one could use magic to open it. Who would have thought that good old-fashioned kicking would work?"
"Ok, but why would someone kidnap you and lock you in a room with a dodgy door, only to then do nothing? It makes no sense whatsoever."
"I agree. The only thing that can give us a clue is this." Hermione held up a red book. "This was in the room with me, but it's not one of the ones I was reading in the library. It's similar to The Standard Book of Spells, but it seems to be really old, and I don't understand parts of it."
Ginny opened her mouth to ask a question, but at that moment Ron groaned and opened his eyes.
"Are you all right Ron? I'm so sorry."
Ron locked eyes with Hermione for a moment, who hastily removed her hand from his forehead.
"What happened?"
Harry spoke first. "Well, I don't need to hear the story twice, I'm glad you're all right mate, I'll see you later."
Ginny followed his example. "Yeah, but I'll come and see you soon Ron."
They left as Hermione began her story all over again.
"Did you see that?"
"See what?"
"The... look between my brother and Hermione."
"There was a look?"
"I thought that's why you left?"
"I just didn't want to hear everything again, I'm sure we'll be discussing it in great detail later, so why hang around once I knew Ron is going to be ok?"
Ginny looked at Harry as though he were an idiot.
"There was clearly some kind of look."
"Well I'm glad you're being so specific, I mean a look, that sure gives a lot away, I'm looking at you just now but I don't see you going on about that."
Ginny frowned, but she wasn't going to give up easily. "Could you just do me a favour then? You see them more than me, pay a little more attention to them than you usually do and see if there any indications that they like each other."
"Of course they like each other, we're all best friends."
They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
Ginny gave it one more shot.
"Just try and remember if they do anything unusual, you know? Like if they fight over something that wouldn't usually bother them, or if they're just looking at each other more than usual."
Ginny then smiled as sweetly as she could.
Harry relented slightly, partly so that Ginny would stop going on about it, and partly because it was quite a smile.
"Ok, I'm not sure about this whole looking thing, but I'll try."
"Thanks Harry, see you later then."
Harry stared at her departing frame, before heading into the common room and collapsed on a sofa, trying to work out when Ginny started talking to him so much.
Author note: Ok, I realise not much really happened with the whole kidnapping thing, but who knows, maybe it foreshadows future developments. Suggestions for such developments are welcome. As are reviews. Cheers.