Hey guys, Sorry about the wait,
I am trying to get chapters up as fast as I can, and its sorta working..lol. I want to thank everyone for their fabulous reviews! It makes me feel so good. I started writing this story a while ago, and then I revised it, and now its just growing so wonderfully. It's amazing really. This chapter is not completed quite yet, but I wanted to post it up to make u guys happy, since I know I am gonna be busy for a while, and prolly won't be able to finish it for a bit. So just keep checking back for more..okay? Thanks so much!! Much love, jaimi
Hermione felt a soft poke in her side. She stirred, wanting to stay in her wondrous dream. The dream in which Ron hadn't embarrassed her in front of Viktor, the dream in which she hadn't run away like a coward. The dream where Viktor hadn't left looking disgruntled upset and horrified. But it had all happened. She felt the light poke again and finally gave in to opening her eyes. She found her self wincing from the bright light issuing from the fireplace. She must have fallen asleep in the common room. Once Hermione's eyes focused, she realized that a timid looking Gryffindor was standing beside her.
"Sorry, just off to bed, thanks for waking me," Hermione muttered, making her way towards the Girls' staircase.
"Hermione....Hermione Granger?"
It was more of a question, an uncertainty that made Hermione's brain tingle. There was distress in the girl's voice.
"Yes?" she prompted the girl, stepping closer to her.
"Well, you're a prefect, and...well I thought you should know..."
"What is it?" Hermione asked, her voice demanding.
"Well, Ginny Weasley is missing."
Hermione blinked several times trying to make sense of what this girl had said.
"Ginny?" she breathed, "Ginny's missing?"
"She didn't come up to bed, and it's nearly one o'clock in the morning," the girl told her wringing her hands nervously.
"What about the loo, did you check the loo?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, she isn't there," the girl cried.
Hermione's heart began to leap. She'd been waiting for the day when odd disappearances would begin to happen. She'd been waiting for Voldemort to strike again; she just never thought it would begin with Ginny. She heard her own breath start coming out in gasps. She needed to remain calm. There was a logical explanation to everything. She just hoped the explanation wasn't Voldemort and his Deatheaters – like Malfoy. When Hermione thought of him as a possibility, she gasped loudly and stumbled back. She shook her head, remembering the dark corridor, the taste of blood in her mouth, the pounding headache and Ron's deep voice.
"No," she said out loud, shaking her head.
There had to be a better explanation. Perhaps Ginny was still with Dean. There was only one way to find out.
"Go back to bed," she told the girl, "I will find Ginny, don't worry."
The girl nodded, and made her way slowly back up the steps.
As soon as Hermione knew she was gone, she dashed as fast as she could across the common room, and up the boys' stairs. She counted the doors, as she ran quickly. Finally she stopped at the right door. She listened. It was quiet. She took a deep breath and slowly turned the door handle. She winced as it creaked loudly.
"Lumos," she heard Harry mutter.
She watched his shadow reach up and pull back the scarlet hangings from around his bed, and point his wand cautiously at the door. Hermione froze.
"Harry," she hissed, "It's just me."
"What are you doing here?" he asked lowering his wand.
"Why are you pointing your wand at people who come through the door? What if it was one of your dorm mates?" Hermione asked walking towards him.
"They are all here," he told her, motioning to the other beds.
Across from him, Neville was lying on his stomach snoring softly. Beside that Dean Thomas was murmuring, Seamus was smiling and brushing his face as if something were tickling it, and finally Hermione's eyes rested on Ron, who's left arm and right leg were over hanging the bed. He snored contently into his large pile of drool.
She glanced at Harry worriedly, it had seemed like he'd been expecting somebody to burst through the door. She stared into his eyes, and her worst fear was confirmed. He was waiting for Voldemort to.
"Harry...have you had any dreams lately?" she asked awkwardly.
He groaned, and turned away from her. Immediately she felt guilty. She knew how he must feel, everyone watching him, looking to him for answers about Voldemort.
"If you came up here to use me as your personal radar device Hermione, then I think you should go back to bed," he said coldly.
"Harry," Hermione whimpered, looking at Dean in his deep slumber, "Ginny's missing."
Harry stared up at her from his bed, what had she just said? He stood up quickly,
"What?" he cried, she tried to sush him but he continued, "What do you mean?"
"She didn't come to bed Harry," Hermione whispered, glancing nervously around the room.
Harry felt his heart plunge. He had found out. He must have. He let his face fall as guilt ripped through him. It was a familiar painful guilt that he felt every time he passed a Hufflepuff in the hall, every time he passed the secret passage to the Whomping Willow, or rummaged through his trunk and came across the broken mirror. Except this time, it was much worse. This time his heart cried out more loudly than it ever had. He hadn't loved Cedric, and his love for Sirius was nothing like the way he felt for Ginny. Harry cried out in frustration, and all he could think about was her face, and the tears that he had seen her cry, knowing that she thought he didn't love her, when it was practically the only thing he could feel anymore. She was the only part of him that hadn't gone numb with pain and hatred. He knew he should have told her how he felt, but this was exactly the reason why he didn't want to. He didn't want him to find out. He didn't want Voldemort to go after her. She was innocent, beautiful and important. She was everything Harry needed, but couldn't have, and he knew that Voldemort would go to any lengths to get rid of her.
"Harry," Hermione whispered once again placing a hand on his arm, "She could still be in the castle, this may not mean what we think it does."
Hermione was thinking the same thing? He looked up at her.
"There has to be a logical explanation Harry, give me the invisibility cloak and I will go look around for her," Hermione told him.
"I am coming with you," Harry insisted.
"No!" Hermione said loudly.
He glared at her.
"Voldemort knows that you love to play the hero Harry, and I am not trying to discredit you, but I care about you as much as a care for Ginny, and I can't let you go walking into another trap."
"Hermione I can't let you go alone either, you're not pure blooded, why, Voldemort would love to get his hands on you."
"Can you two please stop bickering," Ron muttered, sitting up slowly and rubbing his temples.
Suddenly his eyes popped open.
"Hermione?" he cried as the realization struck, "What are you doing here?"
"Harry you're not going," Hermione insisted, reaching for his trunk.
"Who are you to tell me?" Harry asked his eyes narrowing as he caught her hand before she reached the trunk.
"I am your friend Harry, and I am more rational than you. Doesn't this remind you a lot of...last year?"
"I do not care, he can kill me if he wants to Hermione, but I need to make sure she is safe...I can't have another person dying because of me."
"Harry it's not your fault that Sirius and Cedric died! Why can't you just understand that? And if...if Voldemort does have Ginny, it's not your fault either. You can't let him kill you, I won't let him kill you or her, I am smart, and I am strong, I can find her, okay?"
"No, you're not strong enough for him," Harry told her.
"Can somebody please explain to me why Hermione is here in the middle of the night, having an argument with you?" Ron asked.
"Just stay!" Hermione said firmly.
"No!"
"Why can't you just let me find her?"
"Because, it's to dangerous for you to go on your own,"
"But it's not dangerous for you to go on your own?"
"No, that's not it Hermione,"
"Well then please Harry, enlighten me, why is it that it's okay for you to walk into a death trap, but I can't?"
"Guys this is the most bizarre conversation I've ever heard!" Ron cried.
They still ignored him.
"Because Hermione, this is my fault, and my problem,"
"How? She is my friend to Harry."
"Because Hermione, I fell in love with her," Harry cried angrily.
As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn't. Hermione's eyes filled with understanding. He knew she was working it out. Working out that it was his entire fault, because he loved Ginny. He looked to the floor feeling her eyes wash over him. He didn't want to look Ron's way either.
"Harry..." she whispered.
"CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?" Ron yelled.
"SHHHH!" Harry and Hermione both hissed.
"Look Hermione, someone needs to go find her now, every second that we waste, could be a second to late."
"Let's go together then."
Harry reached for the trunk with his numbing fingers. He rummaged around and saw his pale face and startling green eyes reflecting back at him from a piece of broken mirror. He felt his throat tighten. He swallowed the lump down quickly, and tugged on his invisibility cloak. He felt Hermione close her hand around his, and she gave it a light squeeze. He looked up at her, allowing the tears of anger, hatred and fear come to the surface. He was so afraid. He was so afraid of fear.
"We'll find her," Hermione whispered, with a forced smile, "I promise,"
"Don't make promises that you cannot keep," Harry said dryly.
With that he pulled the invisibility cloak around the two of them, shoved his wand in his back pocket and began to make his way to the door.
"Wait just a second!" Ron cried, jumping out of bed and grabbing his wand, "Who's missing?"
Harry watched Hermione close her eyes slowly, and bite her lip. She reached for the edges of the invisibility cloak and pulled it away from her.
"Ron," she said quietly stepping towards him, "Ginny...Ginny's missing."
"What?" he cried blinking furiously.
She could see his right hand gripping his wand tightly.
"Ron, she could be fine, we are going to go look for her," Hermione whispered.
"Vo..Vol..de...mort?" Ron asked hoarsely.
Hermione's teary eyes answered his question silently.
I am trying to get chapters up as fast as I can, and its sorta working..lol. I want to thank everyone for their fabulous reviews! It makes me feel so good. I started writing this story a while ago, and then I revised it, and now its just growing so wonderfully. It's amazing really. This chapter is not completed quite yet, but I wanted to post it up to make u guys happy, since I know I am gonna be busy for a while, and prolly won't be able to finish it for a bit. So just keep checking back for more..okay? Thanks so much!! Much love, jaimi
Hermione felt a soft poke in her side. She stirred, wanting to stay in her wondrous dream. The dream in which Ron hadn't embarrassed her in front of Viktor, the dream in which she hadn't run away like a coward. The dream where Viktor hadn't left looking disgruntled upset and horrified. But it had all happened. She felt the light poke again and finally gave in to opening her eyes. She found her self wincing from the bright light issuing from the fireplace. She must have fallen asleep in the common room. Once Hermione's eyes focused, she realized that a timid looking Gryffindor was standing beside her.
"Sorry, just off to bed, thanks for waking me," Hermione muttered, making her way towards the Girls' staircase.
"Hermione....Hermione Granger?"
It was more of a question, an uncertainty that made Hermione's brain tingle. There was distress in the girl's voice.
"Yes?" she prompted the girl, stepping closer to her.
"Well, you're a prefect, and...well I thought you should know..."
"What is it?" Hermione asked, her voice demanding.
"Well, Ginny Weasley is missing."
Hermione blinked several times trying to make sense of what this girl had said.
"Ginny?" she breathed, "Ginny's missing?"
"She didn't come up to bed, and it's nearly one o'clock in the morning," the girl told her wringing her hands nervously.
"What about the loo, did you check the loo?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, she isn't there," the girl cried.
Hermione's heart began to leap. She'd been waiting for the day when odd disappearances would begin to happen. She'd been waiting for Voldemort to strike again; she just never thought it would begin with Ginny. She heard her own breath start coming out in gasps. She needed to remain calm. There was a logical explanation to everything. She just hoped the explanation wasn't Voldemort and his Deatheaters – like Malfoy. When Hermione thought of him as a possibility, she gasped loudly and stumbled back. She shook her head, remembering the dark corridor, the taste of blood in her mouth, the pounding headache and Ron's deep voice.
"No," she said out loud, shaking her head.
There had to be a better explanation. Perhaps Ginny was still with Dean. There was only one way to find out.
"Go back to bed," she told the girl, "I will find Ginny, don't worry."
The girl nodded, and made her way slowly back up the steps.
As soon as Hermione knew she was gone, she dashed as fast as she could across the common room, and up the boys' stairs. She counted the doors, as she ran quickly. Finally she stopped at the right door. She listened. It was quiet. She took a deep breath and slowly turned the door handle. She winced as it creaked loudly.
"Lumos," she heard Harry mutter.
She watched his shadow reach up and pull back the scarlet hangings from around his bed, and point his wand cautiously at the door. Hermione froze.
"Harry," she hissed, "It's just me."
"What are you doing here?" he asked lowering his wand.
"Why are you pointing your wand at people who come through the door? What if it was one of your dorm mates?" Hermione asked walking towards him.
"They are all here," he told her, motioning to the other beds.
Across from him, Neville was lying on his stomach snoring softly. Beside that Dean Thomas was murmuring, Seamus was smiling and brushing his face as if something were tickling it, and finally Hermione's eyes rested on Ron, who's left arm and right leg were over hanging the bed. He snored contently into his large pile of drool.
She glanced at Harry worriedly, it had seemed like he'd been expecting somebody to burst through the door. She stared into his eyes, and her worst fear was confirmed. He was waiting for Voldemort to.
"Harry...have you had any dreams lately?" she asked awkwardly.
He groaned, and turned away from her. Immediately she felt guilty. She knew how he must feel, everyone watching him, looking to him for answers about Voldemort.
"If you came up here to use me as your personal radar device Hermione, then I think you should go back to bed," he said coldly.
"Harry," Hermione whimpered, looking at Dean in his deep slumber, "Ginny's missing."
Harry stared up at her from his bed, what had she just said? He stood up quickly,
"What?" he cried, she tried to sush him but he continued, "What do you mean?"
"She didn't come to bed Harry," Hermione whispered, glancing nervously around the room.
Harry felt his heart plunge. He had found out. He must have. He let his face fall as guilt ripped through him. It was a familiar painful guilt that he felt every time he passed a Hufflepuff in the hall, every time he passed the secret passage to the Whomping Willow, or rummaged through his trunk and came across the broken mirror. Except this time, it was much worse. This time his heart cried out more loudly than it ever had. He hadn't loved Cedric, and his love for Sirius was nothing like the way he felt for Ginny. Harry cried out in frustration, and all he could think about was her face, and the tears that he had seen her cry, knowing that she thought he didn't love her, when it was practically the only thing he could feel anymore. She was the only part of him that hadn't gone numb with pain and hatred. He knew he should have told her how he felt, but this was exactly the reason why he didn't want to. He didn't want him to find out. He didn't want Voldemort to go after her. She was innocent, beautiful and important. She was everything Harry needed, but couldn't have, and he knew that Voldemort would go to any lengths to get rid of her.
"Harry," Hermione whispered once again placing a hand on his arm, "She could still be in the castle, this may not mean what we think it does."
Hermione was thinking the same thing? He looked up at her.
"There has to be a logical explanation Harry, give me the invisibility cloak and I will go look around for her," Hermione told him.
"I am coming with you," Harry insisted.
"No!" Hermione said loudly.
He glared at her.
"Voldemort knows that you love to play the hero Harry, and I am not trying to discredit you, but I care about you as much as a care for Ginny, and I can't let you go walking into another trap."
"Hermione I can't let you go alone either, you're not pure blooded, why, Voldemort would love to get his hands on you."
"Can you two please stop bickering," Ron muttered, sitting up slowly and rubbing his temples.
Suddenly his eyes popped open.
"Hermione?" he cried as the realization struck, "What are you doing here?"
"Harry you're not going," Hermione insisted, reaching for his trunk.
"Who are you to tell me?" Harry asked his eyes narrowing as he caught her hand before she reached the trunk.
"I am your friend Harry, and I am more rational than you. Doesn't this remind you a lot of...last year?"
"I do not care, he can kill me if he wants to Hermione, but I need to make sure she is safe...I can't have another person dying because of me."
"Harry it's not your fault that Sirius and Cedric died! Why can't you just understand that? And if...if Voldemort does have Ginny, it's not your fault either. You can't let him kill you, I won't let him kill you or her, I am smart, and I am strong, I can find her, okay?"
"No, you're not strong enough for him," Harry told her.
"Can somebody please explain to me why Hermione is here in the middle of the night, having an argument with you?" Ron asked.
"Just stay!" Hermione said firmly.
"No!"
"Why can't you just let me find her?"
"Because, it's to dangerous for you to go on your own,"
"But it's not dangerous for you to go on your own?"
"No, that's not it Hermione,"
"Well then please Harry, enlighten me, why is it that it's okay for you to walk into a death trap, but I can't?"
"Guys this is the most bizarre conversation I've ever heard!" Ron cried.
They still ignored him.
"Because Hermione, this is my fault, and my problem,"
"How? She is my friend to Harry."
"Because Hermione, I fell in love with her," Harry cried angrily.
As soon as he said it, he wished he hadn't. Hermione's eyes filled with understanding. He knew she was working it out. Working out that it was his entire fault, because he loved Ginny. He looked to the floor feeling her eyes wash over him. He didn't want to look Ron's way either.
"Harry..." she whispered.
"CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?" Ron yelled.
"SHHHH!" Harry and Hermione both hissed.
"Look Hermione, someone needs to go find her now, every second that we waste, could be a second to late."
"Let's go together then."
Harry reached for the trunk with his numbing fingers. He rummaged around and saw his pale face and startling green eyes reflecting back at him from a piece of broken mirror. He felt his throat tighten. He swallowed the lump down quickly, and tugged on his invisibility cloak. He felt Hermione close her hand around his, and she gave it a light squeeze. He looked up at her, allowing the tears of anger, hatred and fear come to the surface. He was so afraid. He was so afraid of fear.
"We'll find her," Hermione whispered, with a forced smile, "I promise,"
"Don't make promises that you cannot keep," Harry said dryly.
With that he pulled the invisibility cloak around the two of them, shoved his wand in his back pocket and began to make his way to the door.
"Wait just a second!" Ron cried, jumping out of bed and grabbing his wand, "Who's missing?"
Harry watched Hermione close her eyes slowly, and bite her lip. She reached for the edges of the invisibility cloak and pulled it away from her.
"Ron," she said quietly stepping towards him, "Ginny...Ginny's missing."
"What?" he cried blinking furiously.
She could see his right hand gripping his wand tightly.
"Ron, she could be fine, we are going to go look for her," Hermione whispered.
"Vo..Vol..de...mort?" Ron asked hoarsely.
Hermione's teary eyes answered his question silently.