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There was just too much work! Frustration and anger now filled his once sweet and gentle emerald eyes. The brunette balled his long elegant fingers into a fist and slammed it hard on the old oak table breathing deeply. Why was school so hard? It was his final year at Hogwarts and he wasn't going to screw it up.

"Harry?" He could tell by the gentle tones in her voice, only ones you would use with those closest that Hermione was behind him. "Harry, is everything alright?"

He sighed, he didn't want her to worry about him right now, or worse make him an all day study schedule. She came over to the table and sat down next to him. Resting her hand on his shoulder the kind touch made him jump, she frowned. This gesture was supposed to be warm and comforting, he had made it seem like she had tried to harm him. Why was he suddenly so jumpy?

"What's wrong," she lowered her voice, "Is it ... you know who?"

"Hermione, it isn't anything that would threaten your or anybody else's safety." He finally looked up at her and smiled, she still looked concerned. "Look Hermione I'm fine."

Somebody behind them cleared their throat trying to get their attention sounding rather annoyed. They turned to face the direction the noise came from and came face to face with a huffy Madam Pince.

"I'm going to ask you two to either leave or speak quieter because you are distracting others in the library that are here to study and read. This is your only warning." She raised an eyebrow and spun on her heal, heading back to her desk.

Harry turned back to face the books piled in front of him. Hermione turned toward the table, lifted her head up high and straightened her back. She looked over at Harry, who was now frantically searching for his book bag which he had somehow lost under all the books, and realized her hand was still on his shoulder. She immediately removed it from his arm and laid both hands in her lap. Sighing, he surfaced from the ocean of books with his book bag.

"Let's go. I get the feeling we're not wanted here." He grabbed the strap of his book bag and dragged it out of the library. Hermione followed, like a loyal dog would its master. She pushed her way through the beautifully carved mahogany doors and stepped into the hallways that would normally take her breath away because of its sheer beauty, but today it didn't. It was raining outside so much it was as dark as night, and the warm carefree laughter that usually filled these hallways had been replaced with a cold dead silence. A shiver ran up and down her spine, she could feel the goose bumps rising. Harry stopped and turned to face her.

"Are you coming?" He chuckled, feeling better now that he was out of the library. "Hermione, what's wrong?" Taking a closer look at his friend he could tell she was uncomfortable and scared by her surroundings. He had known her too long to think anything else no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"I'm fine." She smiled, but her eyes betrayed her, one glance into them was like one glance into her very soul. He knew her every thought and feeling through those eyes and she wasn't happy.

"What's wrong?" Taking in a long breath she closed her eyes and sighed, this always made her feel better.

"It's not right;" her eyes were still closed tightly, "Hogwarts doesn't feel like Hogwarts right now. There aren't any people outside because it's raining, no one's in class because it's Christmas Vacation, the only people in the hallway right now are you and me. It is day but it is dark, too dark, to think it to be day. I'm sorry but that says slasher movie to me. Don't you find the setting unnerving? At least just a little?"

He had never even let that thought pass his mind, but now that she had mentioned it he realized she was right. Dragging his book bag, he stepped closer to her and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Open your eyes Hermione." She did and saw Harry starting right back with his hopelessly messy hair and his silly glasses. If you could take those away you'd be able to see his perfect jewel eyes and his smile was so bewitching. The only imperfection on the boys face was the scar that had brought him fame and misery that he would never be able to run from. "We're just gonna go back to the Common Room. There's no way anybody can get us in there okay. You'll be safe." She nodded.

He bent down and pulled the strap of his book bag up over his shoulder. When he pulled himself back up Hermione seemed more confident. They began to silently walk down the corridors. As both of them passed the moving pictures the hair on his neck stood up. He finally realized his hands were clenched so tightly around the strap of his book bag that his knuckles were white, so he let go relaxing his arm, letting it sway back and forth as he walked. Neither of them talked to each other for what seemed like forever, until they saw the familiar smiling face. She sat there in her frame as happy as she could be in her garden sipping tea, wearing her shiny silk dress. Setting down the fine blue china, she swallowed the tea that was in her mouth and sighed.

"Mmm ... That's good tea. Oh right, password?"

"Red Cap." Hermione said it as calmly as she could manage to get her voice to sound at the moment. The painting swung out to reveal the hole in the wall that would lead to the Gryffindor Common Room. They both stepped through into the crimson room with the brightly colored furniture surrounding the fireplace whose flames were dancing happily and burning brightly. Hermione sighed with relief as she heard the portrait shut softly behind them. She stood there a moment staring at her feet. Looking up she found Harry had already made himself comfortable on one of the couches. She walked to the overstuffed couch and sat down next to him.

"Is this better?"

She looked over at him and smiled. "Yes. Thank you for bringing me back here. I probably would have stayed there frightened like a deer caught in headlights." He looked up and smiled.

"Glad I could help."

They both sat back watching the flames put on their show in the fireplace. Harry had been so angry earlier at himself for letting the work pile up the way it did, the teachers for giving him all this work and the world because he's a hormonal teenager, but all this stress that he was sure would be with him forever disappeared. Why? Why did it just seem to get up and walk away?

/Okay Harry let's see when did the weight of the world leave your shoulders? I was sitting in the library doing potions homework when ... /

He sighed. "Shit."