A/N - so it begins . . . . muahahaha, thanks to my reviewers (you know who you are) i am slowly getting to the chapters i havn't written yet, so sorry if i dont update every two days, but i will udpate everywekk, usually friday or saturday night. Hope you like this chapter, it shows the more responsible side of Ron's personality.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Harry quickley strolled (what he attempted to be) back to where Ron was sitting, stuffing his face with food.

"Ron! Ron! Let's go" Harry grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off his seat.

"Hey! What's the big deal?"

"Come on, I'll tell you in a minute" From the staff table, Snapes eyes did not leave the scurrying two, hustling out of the hall.

"Dumbledore, I see some suspicious activity, two young boys, Potter and Weasley, why am I not surprised, leaving the hall"

"yes, yes Severus, trust them"

"That's something out of the ordinary" said McGonagal from under her breath.

"Harry! Why are you doing this? What's going on?"

"Hermione is in danger"

"Of what? A cold?"

"No Ron, she didn't turn up to the meeting"

"Yes she did, We saw her at the quidditch pitch"

"That's the thing Ron, the meeting wasn't at the pitch"

"Then why did she get the note"

"I don't know, but hopefully she is still there"

Harry and Ron sprinted out the front doors to be met by a gust of freezing cold air and enclosing darkness

"Lumenus" The end of Harry's wand lit up, spreading the area directly around them with yellow warmth. Ron pulled his wand out of his pocket and did the same, making it slightly easier for the two to see their way around the grounds. As they reached the pitch Harry looked around helplessly, unable to see her, falling to the only method he could think of.

"Hermione, where are you!"

"Harry" Ron said quietly pulling on Harry's arm

"Hermione!"

"Harry" Ron said slightly louder, frustration rising in his voice.

"Hermione!"

"For gods sake Harry she's not bloody here!"

Harry slumped into the first row of chairs, panting and rocking back and forth, his hands up to his face.

"She'll turn up, she's probably back at the common room right now finished some work or something"

"No Ron, something is wrong, I can feel it"

"Don't be stupid, let's go back to the Castle and we'll see if she is there and if not we'll tell one of the teachers, they'll know what to do" Harry reluctantly pulled himself up and walked with his head hanging low back to the Castle, a million thoughts running through his head, too fast for him to capture them.

As Harry walked down the hall against the flow of rushing people he attempted to turn back to the doors, only to be straightened by Ron. They finally reached the common room and whispering the password 'This is my common room so get out' walked in hoping to see Hermione sitting in one of the many arm chairs, immersed in a book – but no.

"Ron, we should go back out and look for her"

"Harry, we're not going to find her now, at this time. She's probably having a meeting with Dumbledore or something"

Harry was surprised that Ron was making more sense than usual.

"Your Right, if she's not back tomorrow we'll ask around if anyone has seen her"

Ron went into his room and dragged out his trunk full of hand-me-down books with tattered covers and ripped insides.

"Which homework is more important? The Transfiguration or the Potions?"

"Transfigiration"

"But I can't afford to get detention from Snape, not again"

"Then potions"

"But McGonagall will kill me if I don't get that spell right"

"Bloody hell Ron, make up your mind!" There was a deafening slience as Ron considered his options.

"Transfiguration it is, wait, that's not due till the end of the week! Score! No homework!"

"What about potions?"

"Yeah, forgot about that"

"And herbology, and care of magical creatures"

"You see Harry, homework is like an egg, when done, it's good but it is possible to over-do-it. So it's better to be safe than sorry, and leave it raw"

"You eat eggs raw?"

"No, I'm making a comparison Harry"

"Yeah, I got that" Harry slumped down in the nearest chair, ready to sleep away his worry's when he was struck by a thought and straightened up in his chair

"What time is it?"

"7:55, why?"

"I've got to be somewhere, see you in a little while, don't wait up"

"I won't, wait Harry! Wait" Harry turned around half way through a bound and answered

"Yeah?"

"You are not looking for Hermione are you?"

"No, it didn't even cross my mind"

"Harry"

"No really, I'm telling someone something"

"Okay then, see ya" Ron said sceptically.

"Ron"

"yeah?"

"What's the password to the prefect common room?"

"Blue Bubbles, why?"

"Just curious"

"Bye"

"Yeah" Ron stood for a moment looking at the back of the portait where Harry had just escaped. Unfortunately for him, his inability to put tow and two together may one day cost him the loop in an illaberate scam, but until them, he would remain, naive.

Harry sprinted out of the common room and down the corridor, passing many other students trying to get back to their common rooms before curfew began at 8:00. He ran up a flight of stairs then down the other one after realizing it had turned in the minute he had took to scale it. Harry quickly got back on track when he saw Malfoy and his two minions dawdling towards him.

"Just what I need"

"Potter" He said disguisted, he really was quite good at putting it on

"Malfoy"

"So you're meeting with your liitle friends after cerfew tonight I heard"

"What are you on about Malfoy?"

"In the abandoned toilets hey? At eight-thirty?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know Potter, but then again, I wouldn't be surprised" Malfoy gave him a very convincing smirk and continued on.

"What was that?" Harry said to himself, then thinking about what Malfoy said it made sense. But he swore he wouldn't do anything unless he found Hermione. Harry kept running keeping an eye out for any teachers or other students who would hassle him on his way. Finally he reached the Prefect common room. There was a painting of a past Head Boy across the entrence. Ron had told him about it so many times.

"Blue Bubbles" He whispered to the sophisticated boy reminding him of Percy in some twisted way.

"Welcome in, you are new"

"Aaaah, yeah", he quickley scuttled through the hole and into the common room. He saw Ginny sitting in one of the lounge chairs.

"Oh, hello Harry" she said startled

"Aaaarr hi Ginny"

"Ron's not here if that's . . ."

"No, I'm looking for someone else, is Viktor in?"

"You mean that exchange student? The one with the nice hair and very hot bod? No, I haven't seen him for a while, why?" Harry was suddenly stopped in his tracks, almost discusted at what he had just heard, but more confused than anything, than anyone could say such things about Viktor Krum. Especially some one who had once liked him. He shook his head then realised exactly what Ginny had said.

"You really have changed, aaarr thanks any way, can I go in?" He said pointing at the door which lead to Viktor's room.

"Ha, if you really want" She turned back to the fire with a scowl on her face.

"Sorry about that Ginny, thanks for the invitation" He walked up the stairs and into the cold dark room. It was covered in pictures and articles of Hermione and her latest achievements. Harry stood amongst the pictures surrounding him, disgusted and upset. He turned to look at each of the walls, slowly taking in the room around him. In some of the pictures Hermione was sleeping but in most she looked as though she had been tortured with images, but when her eyes met Harry they lit up and she waved. Harry reluctantly waved back, feeling stupid waving to an article picture. He felt slightly uncomfortable with all those pictures looking at him from every angle so he made his search quick.

"Where is it, where?" The pictures looked puzzled and started thinking. Harry looked around the room, there was a dark, wooden dresser in one corner covered in small ornaments, most likely achievements from his quiddich career. In the opposite corner stood his trunk, filled with his books and school things, then there was the expected double poster bed, in each of the dorms. As Harry searched the room with his eyes, not wanting to waste time, he failed to find what he was looking for. He couldn't find the stop watch, the one Viktor brought every where with him. The pictures stopped thinking and pointed to a small box in the corner of the room, on top of the dresser. Harry walked over to it. He picked up the box and opened it, empty. There was no watch here. Viktor did it. Harry knew it was him.

Harry said goodbye to Ginny and sprinted back to his common room. He saw Snape slowly crossing the corridors and ducked behind walls at the last moment, and returning to his journey as soon as he could.

"Mr Potter" Snape yelled seeing Harry as he skidded around the corner

"I should have known" Harry ignored him and made his way to the painting of Godric Gryffindor and spoke

"My room get out"

"Come on Harry, you can do better than that"

"My common room, out!"

"Harry Potter"

"Just let me in!" The painting opened and Harry rushed inside. Ron was asleep at the desk.

"Ron"

"Nah, my bertie botts get you bloody hands off them"

"Ron!"

"Neeh" He squirmed in his chair so Harry decided to his discomfort, he'd find Hermione on his own.

please r&r