Chapter 2.
"Come on, Harry! What's taking so bloody long?" called Ron impatiently from below the stairs.
"I'm coming!" an annoyed Harry called back.
"If you're trying to make your hair lies flat, Harry, you are wasting your time!" shouted Seamus and then quickly ran out of the room when Harry dashed out from the dormitory after him. Ron grabbed him when he passed.
"Cut it out, Harry, if we are going to hade any time in Hogsmead before its time to get back, we has to leave now".
"Yeah, yeah" muttered Harry. "Coming Hermione?"
They both turned to the girl sitting on the armrest on one of the armchairs, looking amused. "Yes, because we just have been waiting for you all morning," said Hermione.
Harry stuck childishly out his tongue as an answer but then laughed and swung his arm around her shoulders. The trio caught up with Seamus and Dean just outside the portrait hole and by the gate they met Lavender and Parvati who accompany them to Hogsmead.
It was a beautiful day with bright sunlight and everybody was in a good mood. It was still early October and the leaves were shifting in beautiful colours. Sometimes a small whirlwind took some of the fallen leaf with it and danced around the group.
Hermione was so full of energy that she skipped besides her friends and they had trouble keeping up with her. She had always loved the autumn and when it was such a glorious day, who could not? The wind played with her long hair and tugged playfully at her jacket.
"You really are full of yourself today, aren't you?" laughed Ron when she flung herself against his back with her arms around his shoulders, demanding that he carried her piggyback.
"I'm just glad that we are finally outside and away from the castle for a while," she said. "Please Ron?" She used the sweetest voice she could and knew it would work on him.
Ron groaned. "All right, but not to long. My back will punish me later otherwise".
"What? You think I am heavy?" she asked with an insulted voice.
"No, of curse your not," said Harry teasingly. "Ron's just weak".
"Then you can carry her," said Ron but hooked his arms around Hermione´s knees at the same time.
"Hermione, you are sixteen years old, don't you think you are a bit too old for that kind of stuff?" asked Lavender scornfully but Hermione didn't care. Everybody knew that Lavender was jealous of Hermione's close relationship (as a friend) with Ron because she was in love with the redhead. Ron knew about it but he wasn't in love with her so he didn't act on it.
"Where is Ginny?" asked Seamus and looked at Ron.
"I don't know. Maybe with Luna?"
"She said that she will meet us at the tree broomsticks for lunch so I guess she is already in Hogsmead," said Harry.
"It that Moody?" asked Hermione surprised and pointed straight into the forest where a dark figure sneaked around the trees.
"Yeah, it is," said Harry sulkily. "Dumbledore told me that someone was going to stalk me today for my one safety". Harry gesticulated wildly with his arms and almost knocked Seamus in the face.
"I'm sorry Harry," said Hermione with compassion and told Ron to put her down. "But you shouldn't let that affect you. We are finally having a break from school and nothing is going to ruin it!" She mimicked Harry's wildly gesture and struck Ron on the back of his head.
"Yaeh, that's right, Hermione!" said Seamus loudly. "We should celebrate this with a butter bear!"
"Yeah! And the last one to the tree broomsticks pays for them!" screamed Ron and bolted towards the village with Seamus, Harry and Hermione running after him. The other found them selves a little to mature for such child plays.
Harry won of course, that really was becoming a living fact that no one could beat Harry when it came to speed. It didn't matter if it was on the ground or in the air, he always won. Hermione knew that she was the one who lost the race but Seamus claimed that he was the last one, she knew that the guys would feel bad if she was the one to pay for all the butter bears and pay for them selves anyway so what's the point of argue?
"Four butterbeer, please!" called Seamus to Madame Rosmerta and they all took a seat by their usual table by the windows so that Ginny would find them when she arrived.
"What are those creeps looking at?" spat Ron suddenly, making everyone follow his fuming gaze.
Two black cloaked figures sat by one of the tables by the door to the bathroom. Their faces were obscured with the cowl of their cloaks, exception of their mouths. The table in front of them was empty of any glasses or goblet and they didn't really seem interested in getting any ether. They just sat there, not moving an inch and they seemed to be staring non stop at the small group of teenagers by the window. Hermione shuddered.
"Perverts!" muttered Seamus in disgust.
"Don't call them that!" said Hermione annoyed. "You don't know what they could be looking at so don't jump on conclusions".
"Yeah, yeah," muttered Seamus not really caring.
"Here you go, four butter beers," said Madame Rosmerta smiling and placed the cups on the table. "And one chocolate cake for you," she added and placed a brown cake in front of Ron who looked confused at her.
"I haven't ordered a cake".
"Well, somebody did it for you then," said Madam Rosmerta uninterested. When Ron continued to look confused she added; "Maybe somebody though you needed some sweets?"
"Lavender," stated Harry grinning.
"Oh no!" moaned Ron disgruntled. "Why can't she take the hint that I'm not interested in her? Why doesn't she leave me alone?"
"At least you don't have to share a dormitory with her," said Hermione. "You should see the way she looks at me sometimes when I talk about you. It's like she wants to kill me in my sleep!"
"Aaaah, you talk about me with the girls?" said Ron jokingly and put a hand over his hart. "I'm touched Hermione".
"Well, we talk about all the boys when we have girl talks, Ron. Even Draco Malfoy," said Hermione.
Harry choked on his butter beer. "You talk about Draco Malfoy! Why?"
"Because he is not that bad looking," teased Hermione, knowing that it would drive the boys insane with such talk about that particular Slytherin.
"Are you nuts?" cried Ron inflamed.
"No, just attentive," said Hermione simply. "Every girl in Hogwarts thinks Malfoy is hot but nobody with a brain would touch him because he is a down right bastard!"
"Now that's my girl!" called Ron approvingly and raised his beer. "A toast for all the girls in Hogwarts with a brain!"
"Cheers!" They all hit their cups against the others and then drank to it before laughing.
"Well, I guess it's a waste to throw it away," said Ron and took the chocolate cake.
"Maybe she's put a love potion in it?" whispered Seamus to Hermione as they watched Ron eagerly took a bite.
The same second as Ron's teeth touched the cake, it exploded. Hermione screamed and put her arms around her head as bits flew all over the table, hitting everybody in the vicinity.
"What the fuck?" screamed Ron furiously, standing up to wipe the chocolate of his face and clothes.
Hermione took one look at him and burst out laughing. Soon Harry and Seamus followed her and they where all laughing so much that their stomach hurt and tears rolled from Hermiones eyes.
"Hey, it's not funny!" snarled Ron from the other side of the table, still picking pieces of the cake from his hair and robes.
"Course it was, Ron," said Harry. "You should have seen your face!"
"Oh yeah, hilarious. Wait until I get my hands on that girl!"
"That's exactly what she wants, Ron," said Hermione logical and wiped her face with a napkin. "Just ignore her and she will give up in time".
"I don't know about that, Hermione," said Seamus grinning like a fool. "Lavender can be very persuasive when she wants to be".
"Don't start Seamus!" exclaimed Hermione, standing up. "Move over, I need to go to the bathroom to clean up".
Harry got up to let her pas by. On her way to the bathroom she couldn't help but notice that the two figures, who were still sitting stock still by the door, seemed to be looking at her when she passed them. But of coures she couldn't be sure as they still had their hoods up.
She took one look in the bathroom mirror and almost burst out laughing again. She looked like she had the worst case of freckles ever! And not just on the face, but also on her hair and clothes. Smiling she bent over the sink and started washing her face clean again. As it was only cake it wasn't hard to remove. Soon she dried up and turned around to look at her self in the mirror to see if she had missed something.
Her eyes grew and a scream almost escaped her throat before a cloth was put over her mouth and nose and the scream died quickly. One of the hooded creatures reached out and grabbed her tightly around her neck to make sure that she couldn't turn her head around and escape the cloth. She had no choice but to breathe in the fumes from the potion on the cloth and almost immediately felt the effect. Her legs gave out and she fell straight into the arms of the other creature.
Before she lost consciousness she looked up and saw two pointed teeth in the mouth of her capture.
And a huge thanks to MaidofManyNames, my beta reader:D