(Disclaimer: Harry Potter is sadly, not mine…. All I own is my trusty guitar and amplifiers)

(A/n: sorry there wasn't much drama in the first chapter…..at all….but the drama is about to be pouring out for the rest of the fic. So, if you would please, humor me…)

The next day of lessons came and went, and the time had come for Harry and Hermione to go to Slughorn's meeting.

They bade Ron goodbye (well, Harry bade him goodbye, Hermione just planted one on him) and they set off for the meeting.

Soon after arriving, they noticed that they were the only ones there. Not even Slughorn himself was there.

Harry and Hermione were standing in Slughorn's empty classroom, waiting for some sign of life.

" What d'you suppose…." Said Hermione after about three minutes.

" Where the hell is everyone?" said Harry. Their voices echoed through the empty room.

Suddenly, the door started to open, and he walked in.

Draco Malfoy.

His pointy little face twisted into a wicked smile as he spotted the two of them.

" So, it's potty and the mudblood. I should've guessed you two would get together." He said

" We're here for another one of these stupid meetings, you ass!" Harry practically shouted

Malfoy was about to fire back when Slughorn came through the door

" Ah, so, you actually made it to one of my meetings, potter." He said it with resent in his voice.

Slughorn did not sound like himself.

Though it was obvious that he was not exactly pleased with Harry making excuses to miss his meetings, he was never mean about it.

The meeting passed with not much happening. But Slughorn was unusually cross with Harry.

It was around eleven when Slughorn announced that it was time for everyone to get back to their dormitories and get to bed.

Harry and Hermione where about to leave when Slughorn asked Hermione for a quick word.

" Sure professor. I'll catch up with you, o.k. Harry?"

"Sure." He responded as he left.

But she did not catch up with Harry. She was nowhere to be found until the next morning.

"Where were you last night?' Harry asked her as she sat down at the table for breakfast.

She looked like she had been up very late, due to the bags under her eyes.

" Oh…um…I had to help professor Slughorn with something…" she answered.

" With what?" asked Ron

" Just something…it's nothing important…" she said.

" what?" asked Harry.

She looked worn and tired.

"Just nothing…" she repeated.

This was worrying Harry. Since when did she keep secrets from them?

" If it's nothing, why can't you tell us, Hermione?" asked Ron.

" I'm sorry" she started " I didn't realized I had give you both a report on everything I do!"

she was looking harassed, now.

" Hermione, we just wanted to know what happened…" Harry started.

" well, it's none of your business what I do!" she shouted at them.

And at that, she picked up her bag and left in a huff.

Harry wasn't sure, but he thought he saw tears streaming down her face as she left.

Harry and Ron just sat there, looking at each other, at a loss for words.