"Harry, I was thinking, you should probably just skip tonight's D.A.
meeting. I can run it," said Hermione.
"Why do you think I should skip it?"
"You've got a really hard Transfiguration test tomorrow."
"So? You do too."
"But I've already studied."
"You always say you can never study too much."
"Well, you need to study and I already know the information. One of us has to run the meeting."
"What's your real reasoning? You plotting something without me?" He locked eyes with her, hoping to get an honest answer.
There was a pause before she broke away from his gaze and said, "You look tired is all. Almost sick. It's not healthy." She looked very upset, near tears.
"It'd really make you feel better if I didn't come?" he asked.
She nodded. "We care about you, Harry."
"Who's this 'we'?"
"Your friends. That's who. We care. I care, Ron cares, Ginny and Neville care. Luna cares."
Harry's face turned slightly pink.
"Harry, take a look at yourself." She took out a small mirror and made Harry gaze into it. He saw that there were deep shadows under his eyes and his face was rather drawn and pale. "You aren't healthy. Get some rest and don't run yourself into the ground like this. If I lose my best friend . . ." She shrugged and Harry could see the pain in her face.
"Okay. Alright, Herms. I'll stay here and be a good little boy."
She gave him a hug and followed the others who were on their way to the meeting.
He sighed. At least his suspicions were confirmed. It was him they'd been talking about on Wednesday. It fit in with the fact that Hermione had been offering him more help than usual the last few days on his homework and Ron had insisted they end practice early. (Ron had asked, "Harry, I'm exhausted. Aren't we done yet?" several times before Harry gave in).
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Harry found himself restless again. It was barely nine. They should be back at any moment. He paced in the common room. Why weren't they back yet? Harry heard a muffled voice and was surprised to find it came from his pocket.
He pulled out the magic mirror and gazed at it.
He had stuck it in his pocket earlier, just after Hermione had left. Hoping that they might let him in on the meeting that way.
Luna's face stared back at him. "We've got news."
"I'll be right there."
"No. Don't come."
"Why shouldn't I come?" He wondered if there was something they didn't want him to know. Odds were, there probably was something.
"Because Hermione and Ron don't want you to come."
"I'm coming." He started for the door.
"I don't want you to come."
This made him stop again. "Why not?"
Luna seemed oblivious to the hurt tone in his voice. "Because we have things to discuss and we don't want you here. Promise me, Harry."
"What?"
"Promise me you won't come. All of us discussed it and decided you'd be least likely to break a promise to me. Swear it, Harry."
"I . . .I . . ." he faltered. He really wanted to know what was going on. He could promise and break his promise. No, that's wrong. Why was it wrong? He'd broken promises before. But not to Luna. He couldn't stand here and lie to her. It was wrong. Very wrong. He didn't meet her eyes as he muttered, "I will."
"Harry, look me in the eyes and say it."
He didn't want to be he brought his eyes back to the mirror and Luna's eyes locked with his. He couldn't escape her stare. He gulped. "I promise I'll stay here."
"Good. We'll tell you the news in the morning."
"You'd better."
"Maybe we'll tell you the news if you don't have an attitude problem." Luna's face vanished from the mirror and Harry was left staring at a reflection of himself. He glowered and stuffed the mirror back in his pocket. Was it possible for the circles around his eyes to have gotten worse in the last 2 hours?
He started pacing again and glaring at anyone who looked at him. Several first years shivered or gave slight screams and ran away when he glared at them. He took one of the chairs in front of the fire and fell into a drowsy sleep, unaware that Ron and the other Gryffindors from the D.A. had just entered the common room and tiptoed by him carefully so as not to wake him-Hermione conjured a blanket as she passed and draped it over him.
A/N: Okay, so what did you think? Was anybody wondering when I was going to bring back those mirrors and let somebody actually use them? *guilty*I forgot about them 'til I wrote this chapter actually. I'll post the next chapter when I get some reviews. For now, it's preview time!
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Harry stomped over pulled open the hangings of Ron's bed and took his blanket from him and repeated his question loudly, "WHY didn't any of you wake me up?" He then proceeded to open the hangings around Neville, Seamus, and Dean's beds, letting in a lot of early morning light they were in no mood to face.
"Why do you think I should skip it?"
"You've got a really hard Transfiguration test tomorrow."
"So? You do too."
"But I've already studied."
"You always say you can never study too much."
"Well, you need to study and I already know the information. One of us has to run the meeting."
"What's your real reasoning? You plotting something without me?" He locked eyes with her, hoping to get an honest answer.
There was a pause before she broke away from his gaze and said, "You look tired is all. Almost sick. It's not healthy." She looked very upset, near tears.
"It'd really make you feel better if I didn't come?" he asked.
She nodded. "We care about you, Harry."
"Who's this 'we'?"
"Your friends. That's who. We care. I care, Ron cares, Ginny and Neville care. Luna cares."
Harry's face turned slightly pink.
"Harry, take a look at yourself." She took out a small mirror and made Harry gaze into it. He saw that there were deep shadows under his eyes and his face was rather drawn and pale. "You aren't healthy. Get some rest and don't run yourself into the ground like this. If I lose my best friend . . ." She shrugged and Harry could see the pain in her face.
"Okay. Alright, Herms. I'll stay here and be a good little boy."
She gave him a hug and followed the others who were on their way to the meeting.
He sighed. At least his suspicions were confirmed. It was him they'd been talking about on Wednesday. It fit in with the fact that Hermione had been offering him more help than usual the last few days on his homework and Ron had insisted they end practice early. (Ron had asked, "Harry, I'm exhausted. Aren't we done yet?" several times before Harry gave in).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
Harry found himself restless again. It was barely nine. They should be back at any moment. He paced in the common room. Why weren't they back yet? Harry heard a muffled voice and was surprised to find it came from his pocket.
He pulled out the magic mirror and gazed at it.
He had stuck it in his pocket earlier, just after Hermione had left. Hoping that they might let him in on the meeting that way.
Luna's face stared back at him. "We've got news."
"I'll be right there."
"No. Don't come."
"Why shouldn't I come?" He wondered if there was something they didn't want him to know. Odds were, there probably was something.
"Because Hermione and Ron don't want you to come."
"I'm coming." He started for the door.
"I don't want you to come."
This made him stop again. "Why not?"
Luna seemed oblivious to the hurt tone in his voice. "Because we have things to discuss and we don't want you here. Promise me, Harry."
"What?"
"Promise me you won't come. All of us discussed it and decided you'd be least likely to break a promise to me. Swear it, Harry."
"I . . .I . . ." he faltered. He really wanted to know what was going on. He could promise and break his promise. No, that's wrong. Why was it wrong? He'd broken promises before. But not to Luna. He couldn't stand here and lie to her. It was wrong. Very wrong. He didn't meet her eyes as he muttered, "I will."
"Harry, look me in the eyes and say it."
He didn't want to be he brought his eyes back to the mirror and Luna's eyes locked with his. He couldn't escape her stare. He gulped. "I promise I'll stay here."
"Good. We'll tell you the news in the morning."
"You'd better."
"Maybe we'll tell you the news if you don't have an attitude problem." Luna's face vanished from the mirror and Harry was left staring at a reflection of himself. He glowered and stuffed the mirror back in his pocket. Was it possible for the circles around his eyes to have gotten worse in the last 2 hours?
He started pacing again and glaring at anyone who looked at him. Several first years shivered or gave slight screams and ran away when he glared at them. He took one of the chairs in front of the fire and fell into a drowsy sleep, unaware that Ron and the other Gryffindors from the D.A. had just entered the common room and tiptoed by him carefully so as not to wake him-Hermione conjured a blanket as she passed and draped it over him.
A/N: Okay, so what did you think? Was anybody wondering when I was going to bring back those mirrors and let somebody actually use them? *guilty*I forgot about them 'til I wrote this chapter actually. I'll post the next chapter when I get some reviews. For now, it's preview time!
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Harry stomped over pulled open the hangings of Ron's bed and took his blanket from him and repeated his question loudly, "WHY didn't any of you wake me up?" He then proceeded to open the hangings around Neville, Seamus, and Dean's beds, letting in a lot of early morning light they were in no mood to face.