I am so numb to everyone. The last couple of days have passed me in a daze. I simply go from class to class now, sometimes in the company of my friends, sometimes not. It feels like the world had stopped spinning. Everything, everything that has made me smile and laugh and cry and feel, is gone now. Now all I feel is this terrible worry, a worry I can't suppress.

Where are you, Harry?

You must be so scared. You must be wondering what we all think of you. Do you think we're all mad at you? Do you think that we'll not be able to look at you?

Surely you know better than that. Surely you know that all we want is for you to be safe. Safe and back with us. Then we can work on understanding. Then we can work on everything, Harry Potter.

And, yes, sometimes I do think I hate you. Sometimes I think how about how stupid you've been, to let things build up so much that you've killed someone. It makes me sick, thinking of my best friend as a murderer. But you matter more to me than that. Surely you're clever enough to know that.

"Granger," A voice pierces through my thoughts. "Snap out of it."

"Malfoy," I say curtly.

These prefect rounds are killing me, especially when I'm with the devil himself. He's so happy that you're gone, Harry, so happy that sometimes I want to kill him. But I won't lose control, like you did, Harry. Because one of us have to be strong.

I walk beside Malfoy now. He whistles a strange tune. The swagger on him. Arrogant git. I could slap him… again.

"So, Granger, any luck on the Pothead search?"

I ignore him. He is smirking.

"I'll take that as a 'no' then," he says confidently.

"A wise move, Malfoy."

"What if I told you, that I know where he is?"

"I wouldn't believe you."

"Not even if I had proof?"

"It'd want to me hard core evidence."

I'd love to see Harry again but I can't believe this little creep in front of me.

"I'll give you your hard core evidence, if you give me a blow job."

Pause. Silence. Then – WHAM!

I guess I can lose it just as much as you, Harry. I've just, wait for it, not slapped but punched Draco Malfoy in the mouth.

"This isn't funny," I storm at him. "Harry's disappearance is serious! This is different, it's not as if he's some insignificant creep like you, Malfoy, he's the Boy-That-Lived and, if you knew anything, anything about the-the prophecy, then you'd know how important he is!"

I'm red and flushed and I hate him as much as he hates me. He's made me so angry. I run away from him though because I know, from the look on his face, that this isn't third year. That he isn't a little boy anymore. That he was going to hurt me back there. With or without his goons present. That he might hurt me still.

"GRANGER!"

He's right behind me! Merlin, I'm actually scared. I'm running quicker than I can remember running before. I jump over the lose step on the stairs and lose my footing.

"Ahh!" One terrible moment I'm frozen in mid air, staring down, thinking, "Oh, this is just great" and then I'm clattering down with my body slamming off each step, too confused and dizzy to really feel the pain.

I'm at the end of the stairs now and I can feel the pain now. I try to move but everything feels broken. This must be what it's like, when you fall off your broom the whole time, Harry. The only sound that's coming out of my mouth is a long moan.

Malfoy runs down to me and kneels down. "You all right, Granger?"

Oh yes, Malfoy, I'm bloody brilliant. I just feel down a long run of stairs. But that's enough about me, how are you?

All I mutter through my moan is, "…Git."

I'd like to pass out or something dramatic like that but I don't. I can't move too well though.

"C'mon Granger, I'd better take you to the Hospital Wing." He says this so reluctantly. As if it's his duty. As if he's the noble one. Git.

You think he'd do something nice and romantic and carry me but, no, he helps me up with one arm and, awkwardly, lets me kind of lean on him. I can hardly walk and he's useless.

I swear if he makes one remark about how he's just had a bath, I'll curse him into oblivion. But he doesn't. He groans a bit but otherwise is quiet. Which is just as well because I'm too tired and sore to be doing some verbal hustling with him.

"Hermione! What- what are you doing?" Ron appears out of nowhere.

"She fell down a stairs, Weasley, don't worry. Your girlfriend is not losing interest in you yet. Here, can you take her? She's quite heavy."

Ron tries to get my (painful) arm around his neck to support my weight but he's even more useless than Malfoy, and much more uncoordinated. I stagger and nearly fall.

"Merlin, Weasley, what kind of an attempt was that? C'mon, I'll take her on this side and you try… do something helpful… on that side."

Now the three of us are staggering through the hallway, receiving all sorts of odd glances. The Slytherins aren't too hostile towards Malfoy, as he passes. They know that he's prefect and that he wants to be Head Boy and so he has to help out his fellow students, no matter what house they're from. Even Gryffindor.

"Hermione, Malfoy didn't have anything to do with you falling, did he? Because, if he did, I'll…"

But I know Ron getting involved would not solve anything. I have to act grown up now. "No, I-I was just tired."

Malfoy is at my other side, looking at me, but I avoid his eyes. It wasn't for him, it was for Ron and surely he knows that.

We reach the Hospital Wing and, finally, I get to lie down on a bed. Everyone's fussing over me. By the time I look, Malfoy's gone but Ron's still there, looking tired and sort of bored. He's worried about me though. He should be in bed by now – he'll be tired in the morning and we have a Potions Test first thing in the morning.

"Broken arm, Miss Granger, and a twisted ankle. But you've bruised yourself all over. I'm afraid you're going to be in a bit of pain. I recommend you stay here tonight and maybe even for tomorrow. A bit of rest could do you wonders – you look very tired."

"But we have a Potions test-"

"I'm sure Professor Snape will let you catch up. Now, now, Miss Granger, I have decided. That will be all."

Sour and put out, I say good night to Ron, assure him I'm was all right, and try to get some sleep.

Pansy is in the hospital too. She came this morning. Wonderful, because now all her Slytherin buddies keep coming in and laughing at me, when visiting her. Everyone's heard about klutzy Hermione Granger, falling down the stairs. Only I know it was Malfoy's fault.

And him, of course. Which I guess is why he has come to see me.

I have my curtains closed so Pansy won't be able to hear. The thought of her being madly jealous that he's in talking to me when he came to visit her cheers me up a bit and is why I don't kick him out immediately.

"I feel almost partly responsibility," he says as way of a greeting.

"Funny that, I wonder why."

"Yes, well, I thought… I thought, in ways of making things equal again, with the hate equal on both sides with no injuries, I'd do you a favour."

"And what's that?" I am scornful.

"I don't know where Potter is, I admit, but I do know one thing. And I'll tell you this without even the tiniest blow job."

"For Merlin's sake, what is it?"

"Potter… he's not with the Dark Lord. Wherever he is, the Dark Lord doesn't have him or doesn't know where he is. He's also looking for him."

"And my proof?" I ask harshly. "How do I know you know this?"

He pulls up his sleeve and there's the Dark Mark. Draco Malfoy is a Death Eater! Don't ask me why I'm surprised.

"Think about it. If the Dark Lord had Potter, would I not be bragging about it? What reason would I have to tell you this lie?"

I consider him, thinking hard and then I accept it. It's a relief to know, Harry, that wherever you are, you're not with Voldemort.

"But then where is he?" I say out loud.

Malfoy shakes his head. He does not know.

And neither do I.

I still not sure which pairing I'm aiming at. I doubt there'll be Ron/Hermione, maybe some Draco/Hermione and Harry/Hermione. Damn, I just can't decide. Suggestions?