Hermione's life is spinning entirely out of control when she and Draco Malfoy fall for eachother -hard. Ginny knows about it, and Hermione's okay with that...but when Ginny tells, she's totally lost, and turns to Draco for comfort.
"What's the chance of accidentally having the Cruciatus Curse used on you, I ask you?" Ron exclaimed, flipping through the pages of the library book in disbelief. "If you get tortured, isn't it obviously on purpose?"
""Dunno," said Harry, shrugging. They had been assigned a particularly nasty essay for Defense against the dark Arts, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been working on it in the library. "After what we've heard, it doesn't sound possible to do it by accident."
"What if you were under the Imperius curse?" asked Ron.
Harry thought about that for a moment. "I don't know," he said slowly, scratching his chin with his quill tip. "Can the Imperius curse be used to make you want to hurt somebody?"
"Ugh, this is getting complex," grunted Ron in disgust, "I never thought I'd have to think about it so much." He looked up. "Oh, Hermione's coming."
The pair exchanged a highly significant look.
"Hermione, this is really hard!" Ron complained loudly. Loud enough to be on purpose.
"Yeah, it is," added Harry. They glanced over at the girl, who was looking through the newly returned books anxiously.
"Er, Hermione?" began Harry.
"That's it!" Ron said, throwing down the book and leaning back in the chair. "I give up! I'm not doing this assignment!"
They both looked at Hermione eagerly. "Good idea, Ron," said Harry loudly, and deliberately, so that Hermione could overhear them. "I don't think I'll do mine, either."
Hermione obviously found the book that she was looking for, and she carried it over to the table and flipped through it.
"Er....Hermione?" asked Ron with a puzzled look on his face. The book was entitled "Hexes for the Lovelorn", which Draco Malfoy had been angrily telling his rather ruffled ex-girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson, in Potions earlier that day.
"Yeah?" she asked absent-mindedly, reminding the boys of Luna Lovegood.
"Didn't you hear us?" asked Harry incredulously. "We're skipping our Defense Against the dark Arts homework."
"That sounds lovely," Hermione said dreamily, as though they had asked her out for tea.
She furiously turned the pages of the book and found a piece of paper, taking it out, glancing at it, looking around in caution and then placing it her pocket. She patted the pocket lovingly.
"I have to go," she informed them. Then she picked up her things- she hadn't brought many of them, not even any books for classes, just books to return and some perfume, of all things- and dashed out, humming. Harry distinctly noticed her spritz some of the perfume onto her neck before she vanished from sight.
Ron and Harry stared. "Well, we tested hr to see if she was feeling well," said Ron with a sigh, "and she failed dismally."
"I wonder what's wrong," commented Harry thoughtfully. "She's been acting like that for over two months." Ron sniggered uncontrollably.
"Well, the not caring about schoolwork is new," Harry admitted. "At least where we're concerned. She works as hard as ever in class."
"I don't have any clue, though," sad Ron. "Should we ask Ginny? She usually knows." Ron coughed, although it sounded more like poorly disguised laughter. "I mean," he said hastily, seeing the look on Harry's face, "if she's pining for you, then Ginny'd probably understand!"
But Ginny didn't seem to be in the library.
"Well- what about Parvati and Lavender?" suggested Harry, gesturing to the whispering pair a few tables away, apparently not as interested in homework as they were in Witch Weekly. Ron nodded. They grabbed their things and ran over.
""Hey, Parvati!" Harry called. "Lavender!" They looked up, startled. "We want to ask you something!"
They stopped in front of their table and lowered their voices to confidential whispers.
"Do you know what's been the matter with Hermione?" asked Harry quietly. Parvati and lavender giggled. Ron rolled his eyes, standing as far as possible from the table as possible while still being able to hear them, which wasn't very far. Girls are more practiced gossipers than boys.
"Ooh, isn't it obvious?" squealed Parvati gleefully.
"Hermione's in love!" whispered Lavender, struggling to keep her voice down. They broke into suppressed laughter. Madam Pince looked up sharply.
They fought to contain themselves.
"Who is it?" asked Ron urgently.
""I wish I knew," pouted Lavender.
"Ginny knows," added Parvati, "but she won't tell us." The girls looked a bit miffed by that small fact.
"Ron frowned. "Oh," he said flatly, completely drained of all excitement. "Right. Guess we should go, then." He turned around and began quickly walking towards the exit, Harry at his heels. "Well, mate," he said to Harry as they left the library, "I guess we'll have to find Ginny." He sighed and looked up at the ceiling as though waiting for divine intervention to, well, intervene. "I wish I knew who it was," he groaned.
Harry nodded sympathetically, then grinned. "I just hope it's not Nev-"
"Harry! Ron!" called a voice from behind them. They spun around. Neville Longbottom was running towards them, panting. He stopped to catch his breath, then said, "Both of you are wanted in the Headmaster's office. McGonagall told me to tell you."
Ron looked nervous, and sort of pale. "McGonagall?"
Neville nodded furiously, then added slowly, "And Snape."
Ron and Harry both blanched. "That can't be good," Harry croaked, feeling like a tremendous weight had dropped into his stomach. Ron nodded weakly.
Neville looked sorry for them. "Sorry. I've got to finish my homework, but tell me if I can help!" He said, then turned and ran to their common room, waving.
"He'd better be careful, or he'll trip," muttered Ron.
Ron and Harry stood still for a moment. Then, Ron said, "I really hope this isn't bad."
"We've been doing well in class," Harry mentioned angrily, but at the words his expression changed to something a bit more pensive.
"Maybe it's an Order thing!"
Ron brightened considerably. "Maybe they've finally decided to tell us someth-"
They crashed into two people while headed around the corner to the staircase.