Harry and Hermione walked into the great hall the next morning, a cursory nod sent to the gloomy Hagrid.

'Will you tell me what happened yesterday now?' she quietly asked as they sat down. He got out his notebook, setting it next to his plate and then got a couple of slices of toast and spooned some scrambled egg onto the one. 'Hurry up, I've been waiting since yesterday!' she hissed.

Sighing, he got his pen and wrote, 'Did you want me to tell you or did you want to work it out?' He had her hooked and he knew it.

'I'll work it out,' she said, taking a pot of strawberry jam.

Harry ripped out a few sheets from his notebook and wrote a sentence on each before folding them up and titling them "first clue," "second clue" and so on. Once done, he handed them to Hermione, who pocketed them.

Rather than going to the library, to do the homework they would have done yesterday evening, they returned to the common room. It was nearly empty, most still eating, but quiet enough and they took up their usual seat on the far side by one of the few windows.

'Okay, so what I think happened was that, after leaving Hagrid's, you rushed off to get your cloak. Using that, you got Norbert out and hid him in the castle somewhere. At ten, you left to go get him and take him to Charlie, who flew in to meet you in one of the classrooms on the top floor, but I'm not sure which one. After that, you came back and ran into Filch when he was chasing me.'

He shook his head and scribbled, 'Not even close.'

She drooped. 'Well, what bit is wrong? I thought you might meet him outside, but it seemed much more risky.'

'All of it – I'd say check the first clue,' he wrote.

'Really?' she muttered, pulling out the pile of paper and opened the first.

She read, 'Nothing happened yesterday.'

It didn't make any sense, to her, as she knew something must have happened, otherwise Norbert would have been discovered or Harry wouldn't have been hiding in his dorm or he wouldn't have gone for a late night stroll. An odd thought popped into her head, one which said he didn't do anything, but someone else did.

'You were a distraction, while someone else was rescuing Norbert!'

He levelled his hand and tilted it from side to side, replying, 'Why did I go out last night then?'

She pouted, pondering. 'You didn't have your cloak when you came back, so you lent it to whoever was helping to get Norbert to Charlie.' Shaking his head, he held up two fingers. 'Second clue it is then.'

The slip asked, 'Where was Hedwig?'

'Hedwig?' Hermione postulated, herself confused. 'She was there though…' Running over yesterday, she added, 'No, she returned a bit after I finished the letter to Charlie. Wasn't she just out hunting?' He shook his head. 'So you had her take him another letter, but before mine?' A nod. 'Okay, now why would you do that? To tell him who would be handing over Norbert, where and when?'

He hesitated before writing, 'Yes, but not what you think.'

'Okay, so you told Charlie something. Since the one I sent was about doing something as soon as possible and nothing happened yesterday, yours was telling him to ignore mine and meet whoever wherever whenever you said?'

'Focus on the first part,' he jotted.

'You just told him to ignore mine?' He nodded. 'But if he ignored it, then he would have only come today, thinking he'd meet Hagrid.' His smile snapped it into place. 'That's why you could only tell me now, because Norbert was still here last night!'

Laughing, he gestured down with his hands and she understood, calming herself. 'You know where he started and where he finished, now where was he between?' he wrote.

'Whoever helped you could have taken him anywhere! I mean, I guess it would have to be a room that no one ever uses and would need to be kind of soundproof.' He held up three fingers. 'Really, you think I need a third clue to get this? Don't you have faith in me?' she swatted him when he shook his head. 'Meanie.'

The clue asked her, 'Why couldn't you find me?'

'But, I did find you?' she uncertainly questioned.

'Fred said my room mates told McGonagall where I wasin front of you in the hall.'

She grumbled, adding, 'I would have found you sooner if you didn't hide in such a stupidly obvious place.' The meaning of the clue started sinking in. 'Of course, when you lose something, it's always in the last place you expect it to be! But, the last place I would expect to find Norbert would be in Snape's office and I don't think you'd keep him there.'

He was shaking his head though. 'You're going off track. Go back to the clue.'

'Well,' she said for time, 'You were, erm, not really hiding and I was only looking for where you'd be hiding. I mean, it's a bit like when my gran can't find her glasses until someone tells her they're on top of her head.' He was concurring, willing her on. 'So, if Norbert was doing the same, he'd be where no one expected him to be, because they thought he'd be hiding somewhere else…' It struck her and she couldn't help but laugh. 'You didn't put him back in Hagrid's, did you?'

Harry shrugged, writing, 'My partner in crime did, but yeah, he took Norbert out before Snape got in and put him back when Snape left.'

'That's why you wanted Hagrid to stay away as much as he could, so no one would have a reason to go back to his hut. So, you were a distraction to make sure they thought Norbert was inside the castle.'

'So far so good. You've got Norbert down, now why did I leave the tower?'

She thought about it for a bit, but didn't get anywhere, so he held up five fingers. 'Not clue four?' He shook his head.

It read, 'Why didn't I arrange a midnight meeting with Charlie?'

'Well, I was having a real problem trying to think where you could be. I mean, I first went to astronomy tower, but Professor Sinistra was there and I wasn't really sure of anywhere else. I mean, no matter where it would have been really risky.'

He smiled and held up four fingers. She read, 'Why did I get you to send a note with Hedwig?'

'Oh,' she muttered, 'I… I'm not sure.' Thinking back over his general plan of action thus far, she gingerly asked, 'It was to put them off the truth, right?' He nodded. 'Okay, so that means you wanted them to know. Of course! You wanted them to think we'd get Norbert out sooner, so then Hagrid could get him out really easily today!'

Harry chuckled at her, once again, escalating proclamations. He wrote, 'Right, now quiet down a bit. I was hoping someone would catch you, but never mind.'

Blushing at her own lack of discretion, Hermione pondered that latest puzzle piece and how it related to him being out and about. 'You weren't wearing your cloak when Filch caught you, so something must have happened to it.' He shook his head. 'But... you had it when you left and wouldn't have been caught if you had it. Unless... you wanted to be caught?' He nodded and she bit her lip, replaying the entire conversation so far. 'You wanted to be caught, so that they would know you had snuck out and so think Norbert was no longer here.'

He gave her two thumbs up and she melted into a grin. 'I wanted to be caught by Snape, but he was guarding the foyer and I didn't know any other ways outside so he could get me on the way back in. Filch was good enough though.'

'I just wish you'd show this sort of thinking in class, Mr Potter. The only thing left now is to tell me who your accomplice was.'

'Only after you tell me why you came looking for me,' he wrote.

She cringed, having realised how stupid she had been. 'Ron noticed you were missing and I told him you'd gone to see Madam Pomfrey. I, erm, thought I should warn you.' He couldn't help but laugh. 'What's so funny about that? I was only trying to be helpful!'

Gathering himself, he penned, 'You knew I was coming back and could've told me when I did. Also a little strange you brought Ron for company to find me.'

'I did not! Well, err, Mrs Norris started chasing me and I tried to get back, but Ron knocked us over when he was getting out.' Her face dropped. 'Now... now I've got a detention! Me, a detention! Professor McGonagall is going to be so upset with me.'

She jerked her hand back when Harry took it in his own and started massaging it, causing him to retreat back himself.

He started scrawling, but she hastily interrupted, quietly saying, 'Sorry, I didn't mean to jump, but I wasn't expecting it, that's all.'

Finishing it, he handed it over. 'Sorry, I saw some mum's do that when their kid was crying or upset and it seemed to help calm them down.'

'Thanks,' she muttered, 'I was going a bit crazy, but I'm a bit, well, scared. I... I've never been in trouble before.'

True to Filch's word, the trio of Gryffindors received their detention slips from an unamused McGonagall, along with a loss of a hundred points between them – something Hermione took especially hard. They had a few pointed stares and snarls, until Harry kindly reminded them that Hermione had single-handedly earned a hundred points in her first term of school, while he had contributed to the quidditch wins of four-hundred points from the two matches. Of course, Ron still got a few glares, but the twins assured everyone their little brother wouldn't make the same mistake again, though it wasn't clear if they meant the sneaking out or the getting caught.

The twenty-first, and the night of their detention, arrived and began with Harry knocking on the groundskeeper's door a bit before ten in the evening.

'Harry, Hermione! Welcome, welcome. Guess I should be calling yer Mr Potter and Miss Granger for this. Mr Weasley, come in, we'll be off in a bi'.'

Ron, unprepared, found himself on the floor, having his face licked enthusiastically by Fang upon entering. Harry took pity and scratched the hound behind his ear, calming him down and letting Ron recover.

The little humour helped Hermione calm a little and she asked, 'When are we going, Hagrid?'

'We're jus' waiting on someone tha'll be joining us in the forest.'

She wondered who it was, until she realised who it most likely was. 'Malfoy?'

Harry and Ron snapped to attention. Hagrid grinned, replying, 'Aye.'

'That pompous big-head? Why's he coming?' Ron asked.

Hagrid replied, 'He's got detention with me,' while Harry wrote a quick note.

He handed it to Hermione, who read, 'I thought I was the pompous big-head?' She smiled, a little giggle escaping.

A knock on the door sounded and Hagrid herded the three of them over. Opening it, the final member of their group stood there, quickly changing from a blank expression to, what Harry thought was, a well-practised sneer.

'So, Potter, Granger and Wesley, stopping by for tea are we?' Malfoy asked, stepping to the side while the group emerged.

'It's Weasley,' Ron spat.

Draco snapped his fingers, his voice taking an air of condescension as he said, 'Oh of course. Forgive me, but my father has taught me from a young age to only remember the names of important people.'

'Now, now, Mr Malfoy, none of that. Mr Potter, Miss Granger, Mr Weasley and you will be joinin' me in a walk aroun' the Forbidden Fores'.'

He blanched. 'But... Students aren't allowed in there.' The intonation made it more of a question than a statement.

'Don't worry, no 'arm will come to yer. The centaurs keep most of the bad stuff away from this par' of the fores' and sticking close to me and Fang will keep the res' away.' He finished his statement by pulling a massive crossbow from his back, sliding a bolt into place.

Despite his own fear, Ron jabbed, 'What's the matter, Malfoy?Scared of a few little animals? Maybe a bunny or a squirrel?'

'Not at all,' he replied, resuming his stiff posture and repeated the rehearsed retort, 'I merely do not wish to be in trouble over a technicality at a later date.'

'I've been doing this for years, firs' time with firsties for a while though. Still, jus' don't do anything stupid and we'll be back out in an hour or so. If yer get lost, send up some sparks and wait where yer are. Stay on the paths or yer'll find some of the plants aren' as tame as the ones in 'erbology. Las'ly, don't use the lumos spell – it'll attract the wrong sorts like moths to a flame. Any questions?'

They shook their heads in unison and Hagrid set off to a gap in the trees with a grunt. Though he was merely walking, the large strides set the children at a gentle jog to keep up. Each was thankful for the strong moonlight streaming through the branches overhead.

Deeper and deeper they went, with only the creature cacophony to accompany them. Every now and then, Hagrid would slow and examine tracks or signs of a disturbance. However, none seemed to worry him until Fang started whimpering over a trail of a glinting silver liquid.

'Oh my,' Hagrid quietly said.

'Wh-what is it?' Hermione asked.

He gulped before replying, 'Unicorn blood.' None knew what to do with that information. 'Doesn' look like another animal did i' though.'

'What do you mean?' She again asked.

'See, there's only two marks lef' here. The crescents from the unicorn, bu' the other looks like footprints.' He knelt down, dipping a finger into the start of the stream, rubbing the blood between his thumb and forefinger. 'Fresh too.' Standing back up, his crossbow became purposefully held aiming in front of him. 'Stay sharp, only the wrong sor' of people hunt unicorns.'

Understandably more nervous, the group moved at a slower speed, Hagrid putting a little more distance between himself and the students. He kept a keen eye on the trail ahead.

'Sp-sp-' Ron sputtered, colour draining from his face. 'Spider!' he screamed, turning and running through some shrubs.

'Dammit,' Hagrid cursed, turning on the spot. 'Back down the path, wai' for me to get yer and use fire if anythin' comes,' he shouted, shoving aside the greenery like it wasn't there. They started back, only stopping when startled by Hagrid roaring, 'Firenze!'

Hermione, Harry and Draco jogged down the path, eager to move swiftly without tripping on the encroaching vines and roots. However, it wasn't fast enough as they heard the light pattering behind them.

Harry slipped his wand out and slowed his step, falling behind the other two. He half turned, securing an eye on their hunched pursuer. Repeating those movements Hermione and he had practised, a gentle golden sheet burst into life. Hermione's distilled wisdom flickered in his mind, getting him twisting around and shifting his weight onto his front foot, awaiting the impact.

'Harry?' Hermione asked, pausing to look behind, only to be met by Harry waving his arm onwards. 'Harry,' she whispered, not knowing what to do and so simply complied, as she always did when things were happening too fast for her to process them.

Even braced, the impact nearly threw Harry, but the petty defence managed to bounce the creature back before buckling. The little time it bought was worth it, in Harry's opinion, but he felt nearly drained to exhaustion from holding it against that thing.

Winded, he eyed anything he could see while shifting wand swished and flicked, a rock darting in the air and into the leg then chin of the shade. It gave him a few more seconds, seconds he knew could give Hermione enough time, while the phantom howled.

A branch this time, only he brought it to head level. A pain started up, like pulling a muscle -a pounding inside of him. The stalker swatted aimlessly at the obscuring foliage and Harry quickly released it. Swiftly switching to a bare branch lying on the floor, he raised it enough to trip the miscreant, not that he could have managed it any higher, the internal ache intensifying.

There were no sounds of footsteps from behind him, which Harry took to mean Hermione had put a decent bit of distance between them in the short delays he brought. Taking a risk, he closed his eyes and focused everything he could on a moment of blinding light.

Seeing spots, Harry turned and ran as fast as he dared, keeping his feet high and scrambling up whenever debris caught him. His legs burning, knees bleeding, insides in spasms, he broke through into a small clearing, a mixture of relief and dread when he saw Hermione, hoping someone could save her.

Then his eyes closed, time drifting on.

'Oh Harry, please wake up.'

It was a familiar voice; a quiet, withdrawn, feminine, begging voice. He didn't know how long he had been asleep for, as he didn't even realise he had been asleep.

Feelings returned to limbs he forgot he had. Pain from his legs and feet was numbed by the contact he felt in his hand. Gently, he squeezed, eyes opening a crack.

Hermione let out a long breath. 'You had me so worried Mr Potter, so very worried,' she muttered, a tear spilling down her cheek before dropping onto his hand. Before the next one fell, he lifted his lead-like arm and brushed it away. Looking up at him, she couldn't help but return his smile, because she recognised it as a smile of relief and she thought it fitting to wear her own.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered closed again, falling back into a deep sleep.

'You can be so stupid, you know,' she whispered.

'Honestly,' Pomfrey said, slipping a potion down his throat, 'Only a Potter could come into my infirmary so battered and bruised and only be unconscious from magical exhaustion. Then again, it was only scrapes this time, so I guess I could cut him slack.'

She plumped up his pillows and applied an antiseptic salve to the scratches on his arms. Hermione lost herself for a moment, wondering what the different creams were for and nearly asking, but she held her tongue.

'He's going to be fine, Miss Granger, so either get in one of the beds or go up to your dorm. Before you ask, I do not permit people to share beds and I never will.'

Blushing, Hermione hastily took a neighbouring bed, softened by magic. It made her wonder why Harry was always so keen to get out, considering their own beds weren't close to as comfy as this. Then again, she had been present for some of the healer's more imaginative threats and couldn't blame the boy.

Hermione took in a calming breath. It was the last Saturday in March and she knew the deadline was fast approaching, so she couldn't put it off any longer. 'Harry,' she managed in a steady voice, before blurting, 'Did you want to stay at my house for Easter?'

Only afterwards did she realise she might have gone overboard as most of the common room had turned to face them, some of the older girls cooing.

'I mean,' she quietly said, her skin tinted red, 'We have a week off at Easter and I was wondering if you wanted to stay with me and my parents for it. I've already asked them and Professor McGonagall and they said it was fine, but you don't have to if you don't want to. I just thought you might like to meet my parents and have a bit of time away from the castle and-'

She hadn't realised she had been rambling, nor that she had slowly lowered her head and started fiddling with her hands. Meanwhile, Harry had nodded, only to sigh when she missed it, so he interrupted her by tapping one of her hands. Resuming eye contact, her blush deepened, as reality settled in, and he nodded again. Something akin to a squeal escaped her while she jumped up. She paused, very aware of Harry waving his hand in front of her face.

He pulled out his little notebook and pen, noting, 'Calm down so I can thank you.'

'Oh, right,' she muttered. 'Got a bit carried away, didn't I?' she added with a nervous laugh after.

'Just a little,' he wrote, a reassuring smile in place.

She leant back, sinking into the soft cushions. 'You're going to love it! My parents don't get much work around Easter, so one of them is home all day, sometimes both. Last year, we went on picnics and to the movies - three times in one week! Maybe we could even go camping; daddy said we could if the weather was good, but that was before you were coming, so I should probably check… What?'

Harry had been staring at her with that smile she couldn't place, so she responded by pouting. After a quick shake, having realised what she meant, he noted, 'Sorry, it's just really nice to see you so happy.'

'You mean that?' He nodded. 'You know, I'm trying very hard not to hug you right now.'

Scrawling a reply, he ripped out the page and handed it to her. 'You'll have to catch me first.'

Looking up, Harry had already dived into action, heading towards the portrait hole. 'Mr Potter, get back here!'

The rest of the common room dissolved into snickers and giggles while she bound after him. Despite her best effort, he was simply too fast, much too fast, and it didn't take long for her to completely lose sight of him. Guessing at where he was heading, since they often took this specific route, she soon found herself panting outside the library.

'He went that way,' Susan offered upon exiting, Hannah and Neville with her, pointing towards the staircase that led to the great hall and foyer.

'Th-anks,' Hermione wheezed before setting off at a noticeable slower pace. Reaching halfway down the stairs, she managed to get a glimpse of Harry before he slipped out into the early afternoon sun. On her second wind, she ploughed on, refraining from uttering a rather tame curse under her breath when she saw how much of a lead he had built.

Still, defeat wasn't something she was prepared to give into so easily. Briskly walking, she followed his distant body in the opposite directionof the lake, relieved as he was seemingly growing while the distance decreased.

After nearly completing a circuit of the castle, he snuck around a large rock by the lake. Though it obscured him from sight, there was no way he could slip away from where he was without her noticing – unless he dived into the lake itself, but given it was chilly and he was wearing a baggy pair of jeans and shirt, she thought it highly unlikely he would.

Determined to reclaim some of her lost dignity from the chase, she waited a minute to soothe her breathing and stalked around the side, listening for any sign of him trying to frighten her. All she could hear was the gentle lapping of water and tapping that must have been Harry.

'Boo!'

She found herself stunned rather than what she had hoped for.

'Boo yourself,' Susan said, Hannah, Neville and Harry grinning beside her, all sitting on a patchwork quilt of crimson and buttercup-yellow with a black trim.

'But..?'

Susan stood up and took her hand, pulling her over and down to complete the circle of five. 'Really, Hermione, you should be used to Harry pulling this kind of thing by now.'

'But..?' she again asked, her brain lagging.

Shaking her head, Susan answered, 'Harry told us to get down here on his way and he led you all the way around so we could without you seeing us.'

Harry passed over a short note. 'You mentioned your parents taking you on a picnic. We don't have food, but we do have friends and a transfigured blanket, will that do?'

'Yes, Mr Potter, this will do,' she sternly stated, though she was rejoicing inside. Before she started at Hogwarts, she didn't have any friends; at Christmas, she thought she only had one friend; now, she had four friends, six if she counted Lavender and Parvati. It hadn't occurred to her before, but now that it had, it was wonderful.

'Not that I don't like peaceful silences or sitting around doing nothing, but did anyone have an idea of what to do?' Susan asked.

'W-we,' Neville stuttered, 'could skip stones?'

Quietly, Hannah added, 'Erm, I don't know what that is.'

'Neither do I. Could you tell us, or show us, Neville?' Susan asked.

'Sure,' he mumbled. Slowly, he pushed himself up, taking a few steps towards the lake. He picked up a flat rock and took a deep breath in, trying to forget that people were watching him, before whipping his arm. The stone went a bit high and he cringed, thinking he had messed it up, but it struck the surface and bounced back up, skimming the water a few more times before dropping below.

'Wow, Neville, that was awesome,' Hannah said.

'Is it hard to do?' Hermione asked.

Blushing at the praise Hannah gave, he answered Hermione, 'N-not really. You just need to get a f-flat stone and throw it across. It d-doesn't work if you throw it too high, but it can't be th-that hard if I can do it, can it?'

They weren't sure what to say, so Susan stepped up, having her own go. It only skipped the once, but it was enough to fill her with glee. 'I did it! I mean, it wasn't as good as yours Neville, but I did it!'

'You get b-better after doing it a bit.'

Harry finished off a little message, discretely handing it to Neville when the others stepped up the lake-edge. 'I'm rubbish at herbology. Hermione can't fly a broom to save her life. Snape can't wash. Dumbledore is insane. No one is perfect.'He continued on to join the girls, his own attempt failing miserable while Neville clenched the note in his hand.

Author notes

I'm not too sure what to say about this chapter. Harry's cunning plan is one of such great cunning that I hope I gave it justice while keeping Hermione in character as intelligent, but not omniscient nor infallible. Poor Harry has had to be quite grown up recently, so a little burst of childhood was long overdue in my opinion. These last few chaptershave mainly been about Hermione's growth of character and the next couple should show it, along with a bit from Neville and some more John.

Unstorily, a quick chapter at four days, so might still be hope for a biweekly updating schedule - if I stick to my writing times that is. I'm also wondering if I'm beingoptimal. My current goals are 5k words per chapter and a Wednesday/Saturday release, but with some mini-arcs being less or more, I'm wondering if chapters should be defined by story rather than word count. Also wondering if my Hagrid-speech actually adds or detracts from the story by requiring "translation". Anyway, those aren't important thoughts in the grand scheme of things, but are food for my thoughts and any views are appreciated.

So until next time (I'm hoping for Thursday or Friday), good luck with the nargles!

Edit: Pointed out by a reviewer, half the chapter was randomly italicised, which is annoying as my local copy wasn't and reuploads had the same problem. I'll double check future chapters to make sure the same doesn't happen.