Chapter Three

Ron slowly came up to Hermione who was dozing in a chair by the fire place. "Dinner's ready 'Mione, if you want I'll save some for ya, ok?"

"Yes please, I'd like to eat later." said Hermione, even though she was hungry. What she was planning to do was take a tray with dinner up to Harry and she would stay and eat with him, and maybe even get him to talk to her. So far, it was the only way she could think of getting to spend some time with him, to get him to give in and have a good solid cry. Yes that is what she'd do.

"Okay Hermione, I'll get mum to put some aside for you, and how's Harry by the way?" suggested Ron, trying to sound uninterested, but wanting to get her to talk about him. He'd been thinking that Hermione had been spending an awful lot of time with Harry and was getting jealous. Ron did not like Hermione in that way, oh no, and he made sure that it was clear. But…was he sure…?

Hermione snuck down to the kitchen a few hours later, while everyone else was in the sitting room, watching Fred and George demonstrate their newly discovered joke shop materiel, wondering where Mrs. Weasley was, knowing she would not approve of their joking about and putting on a slightly public demonstration of their unruly talents.

The kitchen was dark other than the glowing embers in the grate of the stove. Hermione moved slowly around the room, careful not to make any noise as to draw attention to where she was and what she was doing. As she was searching for her dinner, she heard a noise in the pantry, so slowly, Hermione made her way over, taking her wand out as she came closer and then pushed the door open only to see Mrs. Weasley crying over some mashed potatoes. She was startled to see Hermione so she stood up quickly and lost her balance, stepping on the plate and ruining the potatoes.

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry….uh…that was your dinner, an…and Harry's. Oh Hermione, I'm so worried about him, what can I do, he wont let me talk to him, I don't even know where he is…what can I do?" pleaded Mrs. Weasley as she and Hermione collected the pieces of shattered plate with their wands.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm sure he'll be fine, he just needs some time to sort things out on his own. If you want, I'll make us some more dinner and take it up to him. Why don't you join everyone else in the sitting room, I hear Fred and George are putting on quite a performance." laughed Hermione, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Yes, yes, good idea dear, you do that now, I'll see you tomorrow then, have a good sleep." replied Mrs. Weasley absent mindedly.

As she left, Hermione made up some more food with her wand and started up the stairs to the room where Harry was hiding out.