Harry Potter was having One of Those Days. And it was all because of Hermione. He... wasn't sure what was going on with her, and that was driving him barmy.

... She wasn't upset.

Harry knew how to deal with an Upset Hermione, and that was usually with a drawn wand. Hexing (or threatening to, in the usual order of Ron Weasley) seemed to generally fix the situation. Harry wasn't deluded enough to think that Hermione Granger needed his wand, or anything of the sort. It was just showing he cared.

Hermione was practically squirming in her seat.

Something was wriggling through her head, and he wanted to know what. Right now, not after class.

Still, he had to admit, watching her was amusing. It was like she had ideas running through her head, whirling the other ones away.

Hang a jot - he knew that look. That was the look of I should write this down.

Except - and here's the strange thing - she wasn't. Her fingers flexed, as if she would grab a quill, and then she didn't.

Okay, so whatever was worrying her like a tattered bone wasn't schoolwork. Maybe wasn't something safe to leave lying around, either. Harry didn't like this, he didn't like it one bit. He wanted to pull her aside in the hallway, but... she had other classes to go to, and he didn't want to seem like he cared... too much. He did, but he didn't want it to look that way.

Was she in trouble? She didn't look worried, but what sort of thing makes Hermione Granger that curious, and can't be written down?

Weeks ago (before Lavender Brown), Harry had had a routine - sit with Hermione one day, and Ron the next. Now, no one wanted to sit near Ron, except Parvati. (Lavender, of course, was more likely to sit on Ron). Harry was quite frankly surprised that Snape hadn't come swooping down to reprimand them. He probably hadn't done because he realized that the rest of the Gryffindors would clap.

"Hermione," Harry said, as he sat down - to no response. She was so busy thinking that she wasn't even paying attention. Unacceptable. Harry reached out and flicked her nose.

"Ow!" Hermione said, blinking her way back to reality. "That hurt! What was that for?"

"Just... getting your attention," Harry said, trying for a rogueish smile.

He figured it failed, when Hermione gave him a downright scaly look, and asked crossly, "Alright. What did you need me for?"

Harry mentally winced at the phrasing. She was his friend, wanting to be around her didn't mean he needed her for something... Swallowing back the protest (she probably didn't mean it that way), Harry swallowed and asked, "What's going on with you? You've spent the entire day like someone spanked your arse cherry red."

For a second, Hermione looked askance at his choice of metaphor - and then she simply mouthed, "Later."

"What? Why?" Harry asked, now suddenly completely unsure as to what's going on.

In a more normal voice, Hermione said, "It's complicated. I'll explain later."

Now, Harry knew he wasn't always the most observant person ever. But even he knew that when a girl says "it's complicated" - she doesn't really mean that. He spent the rest of the meal pondering it (as Hermione had returned to thinking about whatever-it-was, and staring at her was only giving him a headache).

He had just pulled a substantial piece of treacle tart onto his plate, when Hermione gathered her things, stood up, and left.

She hadn't even said goodbye.

Something was going on.

Harry Potter finished his tart, and headed up to the library. Odds were, that Hermione just needed to doublecheck something...

...

Except

...

Hermione wasn't at the library.

That, in of itself, of course wasn't that unusual. However, a nettled Hermione not at the library? That was... almost inconceivable.

The Map.

[a/n: And we now interrupt your regularly scheduled Pottering for "What Granger and Malfoy are doing."

Do leave a review. Harry drives himself crazy with possibilities when he can't get answers.

And yes, Malfoy and Hermione were both too busy with their gazes turned inward to notice Harry Potter going practically out of his mind.

Harry, for his own part, is lucky he didn't have Potions. Snape's vindictive enough to assign detentions if Potter's normally not paying attention.]