Chapter twenty-two - 'I thought he snuck off with you to do things I don't want to know about!'
"Have you seen Harry anywhere?" Ginny asked pushing across the common room to find Ron.
"No, not since the match, I thought he snuck off with you to do things I don't want to know about?" Ron sighed turning around.
"No, I haven't seen him since he left to have a shower." Ginny snapped back, whacking her older brother across the arm.
"Oh, well you don't think he's gone to talk to err, you know?" Ron explained giving a knowing look.
"No I don't think so. But if he had where would he have gone?"
"To sit with Hedwig?" Ron shrugged well used to Harry wondering off for one thing or another now. If you didn't already know where he was going the boy did have a habit of being some-what untraceable these days.
"Oh well I'll go up there and have a look but if you see him will you please tell him I'm looking for him. And don't roll your eyes at me like that, if he's not with me and he's not with you and Hermione's sat over there reading then where the hell is he?"
"Fine go look up the tower while it's still early evening and I'll go look in the lads dormitory and bathrooms and stuff." Ron sighed back turning to the stairs and disappearing off up the stairs.
"Mr Potter is looking tired." Dobby squeaked picking up the empty old school bag.
"Yeah well I've been flying today haven't I. Only just managed to finish the match properly, it's a good job we won, but we can easy loose the tournament if I muck up much more." Harry sighed leaning against the doorway to the kitchens.
"Well Mr Potter should have some rest for a while. He is very tired and Dobby is worried about him. Dobby thinks Mr Potter should go to bed now. He knows you were up late last night reading again and thinks it's not doing Mr Potter any good."
"Yeah I guess. I'll go to bed now. But only because Dobby knows what's best!' Harry replied quietly with a half hearted smile.
'You're too good to Mr Potter he doesn't deserve all the attention he gets off you, but he's very grateful for it. If it wasn't for Dobby Mr Potter would probably be so thin he'd have wasted away by now."
"Dobby just likes to see Mr Potter well. Dobby must go now, he has to do his jobs." Dobby squeaked as Harry gently patted him on the head and turned to go back to the common room where he bumped into Ginny still looking for him.
"Where've you been Harry, I've been looking every where for you?"
"Oh I went to talk to Dobby about some stuff.'
'Err, what did you think to the match? Think I should of caught the snitch sooner so we'd won by a bigger margin." Harry explained taking a hold of Ginny's empty hand absentmindedly.
"Yeah well, we still won and now's not the time to be worrying about daft things like that Harry. We're having a party in the common room and you've hardly shown ya' face yet." She grinned leading the way to the party and deliberately taking Harry to a different side of the room from where Ron and Hermione were sat talking.
"Oh Harry there you are, here have some cake."
"It was a brilliant match wasn't it Harry."
"The way Todd saved that second goal was brilliant!"
"Harry, what you planning as you're next brilliant tactic?"
"Err, dunno." Harry mumbled back trying to smile along with the sea of faces spinning slightly around him.
"Oh well I'm sure it'll be ace!"
"You're nearly as good as Wood Harry!"
"Well you're a better flyer but still he was a good captain wasn't he!"
"Harry you look a bit pale." Ginny whispered quietly in his ear attempting to pull him away from the crowd and to a comfy seat with her.
"No I'm fine Ginny, I'm just tired." Harry mumbled back letting himself be dragged away from the crowd then quickly trying to let go of her started to move towards the stairs.
"Harry where you going? Come sit down?" She called as Harry continued to pull in the other direction.
"No, I wanna go to bed Ginny. I'll see you in the morning." He half snapped drawing a few people's attention to him.
"Harry?" She asked feeling hurt he was so determined to get away from her, all she wanted to do was sit down for a while because he looked pale.
"Look just piss off for a bit will ya, I wanna go to bed and I can't be doing with you at the moment!" Harry snapped loudly letting go of Ginny and pushing his way past Dean up the stairs and on to his bed.
"What's got into him?" Dean wondered as Ron started moving across the room to see why Ginny had just pushed past him and ran up to the girls room.
"Dunno he looks dreadful though." Neville whispered back seeing Ron coming towards them.
"What's he bloody well gone and done now?" Ron snapped.
"He err, sort of told her to piss off and went to bed." Dean explained carefully seeing Ron's face go slightly redder.
"Maybe he's just tired." Neville put in hopefully.
"Maybe, what the... Oh crap, I knew it was a bad idea them two dating. The minuet an argument breaks out what am I supposed to do?" Ron snapped looking from Neville to Dean for some sort of answer but neither of them were quiet sure what to say.
"Maybe just leave him be until morning. If he's tired then you'll only end up scrapping again with him."
"Fine, but I might end up sleeping down here tonight." Ron grumbled disappearing into the crowd again.
"Mr Potter are you ok?" Dobby squeaked suddenly appearing in the corridor next to Harry as he staggered along towards him.
"Yes I'm fine Dobby, I was just looking for Gryffindor tower again. I fancied going to bed. You couldn't poke me in the right direction could you?" Harry asked quietly squinting down the corridor and then turning to squint in the opposite direction they both seemed exactly the same to him.
"Err, yes. But has Mr Potter been wondering around all night since he last saw Dobby?"
"Err, well I've been up a while but still, could you just help me get to bed please I'm ever so tired Dobby." Harry explained swaying slightly onto Dobby's head.
"Don't you worry Mr Potter, you're not well. Dobby will see to every thing. Dobby is a good house elf."
"Hmm, oh yes Dobby is a good house elf, he looks after Mr Potter.' Harry mumbled staggering slightly as Dobby took him by the hand and started leading him down a corridor that was unbeknownst to Harry the wrong direction for Gryffindor tower.
'Oh Dobby this is comfy. I'm just going to lay down for a minuet and close my eyes. Do you mind making sure I wake up in time?.." Harry yawned flopping down into the bed Dobby had prepared and laying still, as Dobby pulled the blanket up to him.
"Mr Potter must drink this it will do him good." Dobby squeaked lifting a little bottle up and pouring it easily down Harry throat.
"Hmm that tastes nice Dobby. But you're not to tell anybody I'm having a little nap here. I don't want people... knowing..." He mumbled making Dobby sigh a little. He'd been given a direct order so wasn't capable of disobeying it. He never allowed himself to disobey Harry Potter.
"Yes Mr Potter, Dobby will look after Mr Potter and see's that he gets better."
"Ginny, I'm going to ask you something and I don't want any details just a straight forward answer. Ok?"
"Ok." Ginny replied putting her book down with an I'll-put-up-with-you sigh.
"Have you and Harry been skipping lesson's today to make up or something?"
"Err, no Ron, I haven't and I haven't seen him at all since last night when he grumped off!" She sighed sure she couldn't be that bad a girlfriend to make Harry so miserable he can't stand the sight of her, but she was struggling to think of another reason for him abandoning her like this.
"What you neither? I've been looking everywhere for him this morning and its dinner time and I can't find him anywhere, he hasn't been in any of his lesson's or anything." Ron explained pacing around a bit just as Hermione came rushing in.
"Hagrid's not seen him either. Where could he have got to?" She panted standing next to Ginny who was now beginning to look much more worried.
"Oh, we can look on the map." She quickly put in looking pleased with herself.
"No I've looked I can't find him on it anywhere. That's why I thought he might have gone down to Hagrid's or something and into the forest for some reason."
"Well we'll have to go tell someone then." Hermione decided firmly picking up her bag and striding to the door.
"Who? I mean if he's doing something he shouldn't be then he'll get in a load of trouble." Ginny whispered following along with Ron quickly.
"Who cares, we're worried about him and he's never gone missing like this before. He's skipped three lessons this morning." Ron snapped striding along with Hermione still very annoyed that his sister seemed to be there.
"Oh, Professor!" Hermione called seeing McGonagall striding along in the opposite direction.
"There you are. I would like a word with you two." She explained fuming at the ears while seeming very, very still.
"Oh what about, we were just coming to find you?" Hermione replied a little unsure as to why she would look so furious with them.
"In here you three.' She snapped yanking open the door to an empty classroom and waiting for the three to file in.
'Now which one of you knows why on earth Mr Potter has taken to skipping lesson's all of a sudden?" She snapped leaning back against the table slightly with her hands crossed firmly over her chest.
"Oh, well, that's what we were coming to see you about." Hermione started to explain calmly sure she hadn't done anything wrong so didn't need telling off.
"Well does he have a good excuse, I hope he is at least quarrelling with Death Eaters or something very serious to miss so many lessons." She continued then waited quickly for some sort of reply.
"We don't know. He's been missing since really early this morning we think. He often gets up first thing and goes to sit with Hedwig for breakfast. But then he never turned up to his first lesson. We had a double with Professor Snape and he just took points away from Gryffindor and ignored me every time I tried to explain to him that we had no idea where he is." Ron explained steadily getting crosser as he did but at least he managed to refer to his teacher as Professor snape.
"And then we went looking for him all over at break but Ron thought he might have just skipped the lesson because it was with Professor Snape and we hoped he turn up in his next lesson." Hermione continued.
"But he never did and I couldn't come up with an excuse to get out the lesson to try and find him. We've been looking all over the place for him over dinner. We thought he might have gone down to see Hagrid or something."
"But he hasn't seen him either today. The only person we haven't tried is Dobby but we don't know how to find him. He wasn't in the kitchens." Hermione finished as McGonagall's face steadily turned very subtly from anger to very subtle worry.
"Well I think it's time to get the headmaster involved. Are you sure this is everything, you haven't edited any facts at all? When was the last time you all saw him for sure?"
"Well last night, he seemed a bit tired so went up to bed early. I went up and checked and he was definitely there about midnight when me and Neville went to bed." Ron explained firmly looking at McGonagall.
"Hmm.' She pondered then striding over to the fireplace pulled out a small pouch from her pocket and through it at the fire calling clearly into it.
'Professor Dumbledore, I believe we have a problem and I require your assistance." She stepped back and after a minuet Dumbledore himself stepped gracefully out the fireplace.
"Yes Mirvenna?" He asked politely then turning to see Hermione, Ron and Ginny looking very worried to her left immediately realised this had something to do with Harry.
"Mr Potter is missing. He hasn't been seen properly since about midnight last night." She explained quickly.
"Have you checked everywhere?" He asked calmly.
"Everywhere he would normally go. Harry's not that reckless he wouldn't just skip lesson's for no reason." Hermione explained quickly with the agreement of everyone.
"No, he is missing a meeting with myself at this moment. We shall try the house-elves. They are very active after midnight and I hope one of them may have seen something." Puling out his wand Dumbledore flicked it and suddenly a rather large house elf appeared. He was still very small compared to a human but for a house elf Hermione had never seen one so big.
"Balin, one of our student's is missing since last night. Who is currently cleaning the Gryffindor common room?"
"I was last night with Dobby, Master."
"Very well. Did you see Harry Potter leave at any time?"
"No, but if it is Mr Potter that is missing. Master would do better to speak with Dobby. He takes it upon himself to watch over Mr Potter and refuses to allow any other house elf to do his cleaning."
"Thank-you Balin. You can go now." Dumbledore replied politely, then with a low bow Balin left. With another flick of his wand, Dobby appeared before Dumbledore hanging onto a rather simple looking house elf, clearly they'd been struggling over something before but both quickly bowed towards Dumbledore as soon as they saw him.
"Dobby, have you seen Mr Potter since last night." Dumbledore asked softly. Dobby however unlike the still house elf next to him or the stiff and proper Balin, suddenly covered his ears squealing.
"Dobby is not allowed to say, Mr Potter has told him not to and Dobby will not go against Mr Potter." At this he scrunched up his eyes and continued to shake his head from side to side as hard as he could.
"Dobby, I am your master here. If you know where Harry Potter is you must tell me." Dumbledore continued firmly.
"Yes, Dobby is knowing where Mr Potter is, Dobby has been taking care of him. Dobby is worried about Mr Potter and has been keeping him safe." He squealed shaking his head more vigorously now.
"Where Dobby? We need to know where he is, and if Harry Potter is not well then he should go to the hospital wing." At this though Dobby suddenly stopped shaking his head stood up normally to face the smaller house elf.
"Dobby hopes he shall not regret this. Will Pip help Dobby punish himself later for going against Mr Potter?' Pip the smaller simple looking house elf as a reply grinned and nodded his head vigorously up and down before Dobby allowed himself to continue.
'Dobby will take you to Mr Potter." He squeaked rushing to the door and flicking it open with his fingers. Scuttling down the corridors very quickly the rest of the human's easily strode after them up the stairs and down a deserted secret passageway until they reached a very familiar corridor.
"Oh, is he in the room of requirement?" Hermione suddenly wondered aloud as Dumbledore and McGonagall both realised this would be easily somewhere where they wouldn't be able to find Harry however often they looked.
"Dobby shall be quick.' He squealed as they stood to watch Dobby scuttle back and forth across the opening to the secret doorway. As he did he quickly pushed it open and ran into check Harry was indeed safe and sound and actually fast to sleep. As Dumbledore moved into the room what he met was really rather something.
The room had transformed itself into a small sunny meadow, with a gentle breeze and long reedy grass. The walls and ceiling were lined with what seemed to be blue sky and fluffy white clouds and in the centre, was a large bed with what Dumbledore knew, must be the softest sheets and mattress imaginable. Laid on it, rapped in the white cotton sheets was Harry, half dressed in his school uniform. He was fast to sleep and clearly dreaming about something very pleasant as his mouth and lips formed the softest smile imaginable and his forehead was the smoothest it had ever been since he was a sleeping baby in his mothers arms, nothing was going to disturb him in this state and Dobby was loathed to ruin it for him.
'Must Dobby wake Mr Potter up now?" He asked standing by the bed and looking satisfactorily up at Harry's gently sleeping form in his little awing way.
"Yes Dobby please wake Harry Potter up." Dumbledore explained as Hermione and Ron looked on enviously at Harry in his peaceful sleep. It had been a very long time since they'd seen him looking so calm and they both thought it would be a shame to wake him but Dumbledore knew far better than to leave Harry like this for too long.
Dobby however, reluctantly bent down to pick up a bottle from the side of the bed and jumping quickly up on the bed to gently pour the contents down Harry's throat. Getting off and standing to face Dumbledore and the others, they waited for Harry to slowly begin to stir.
"It will take a few minuets for Mr Potter to wake up from his sleep." Dobby squeaked looking a little upset now.
"Dobby, why did you bring Harry Potter here?" Dumbledore asked curiously, even for Dobby this was very peculiar behaviour, kidnapping a student and putting him to sleep wasn't something he normally did.
"Mr Potter found Dobby last night and he looked very tired and didn't seem to know where he was. Dobby just wanted Mr Potter to get some rest so brought him here. Dobby thought he could look after Mr Potter better here so put him in a sleep for several hours. Dobby was just trying to help Mr Potter, as he hasn't been behaving very well these past few weeks. He's always tired and Dobby thinks he should take more time to rest. He shouldn't have to work so hard when he isn't well."
"Very well Dobby. Your intentions were at least amiable. Has he been in here since last night?"
"Yes since about two o'clock this morning sir. Dobby had to leave him to do his jobs but Mr Potter has been very safe. Dobby did not allow him to go down to see Hagrid this morning like he wanted to by himself when he did not seem well enough." Dobby explained a little defiantly as he was determined to prove that he had done nothing wrong in essence and was only trying to be a good caring house elf to Mr Potter.
"Hmm. Where am I?' Harry asked sitting up slowly rubbing his face, stretching his arms a bit and searching around for his glasses as he opened his eyes hazily.
'Why are you all looking at me like that? Oh, hello Dobby." He replied feeling utterly refreshed and content now, as he looked around at the rather odd but beautiful surroundings. He loved soft warm breezes on his face and this was perfect, however odd it felt to be inside.
"Are you aware Harry that you've been missing for nearly twelve hours?" McGonagall half snapped, half explained in her odd manner that seemed to command a truthful answer from even her most difficult of students.
"I haven't been asleep that long have I? I'm sure I remember going up to bed after the match?" He wondered racking his brain for some sort of answer but at the moment it seemed too content with the brilliantly soft bed to remember anything important.
"Yes Potter you have. Did you ask Dobby to put you in a deep sleep, or did he do it by himself?" McGonagall continued firmly.
"Well I didn't ask him to but I am glad he did. I've been horribly tired recently and I feel wonderful now." Harry replied calmly yawning a little and looking around at the grass as it seemed to waft from side to side in the none existent breeze. He longed to stroke it a bit but with everyone watching he knew it would just have to wait until later.
"Well Harry, as you seem completely unawares as to coming here and that Dobby seems to only have had the best of intentions. Then I do not feel any punishments are in order. However, in future Harry, do not allow you self to get so utterly tired as to sleep through nearly the entire school day." Dumbledore explained with the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice that only McGonagall seemed to notice.
Harry however, sat up better now on his bed, rolled out from the sheets and started to pull his tie and over robes back on, stuffing his feet into his shoes and followed Ron and Ginny to the door with Hermione.
"You four should return to your lessons now and Harry, make sure you catch up the missed work." McGonagall added firmly before turning to walk away with Dumbledore.
"Dobby is sorry he caused you so much trouble. He was only trying to help, but he will go iron his hands now." Dobby squeaked somberly, Harry however was annoyed, every body seemed to think he'd done a bad thing, particularly Dobby.
"No Dobby. What have I told you about ironing your hands, and banging your head between things? You were only trying to help and I'm glad. I feel much, much better now and want you to go and nit some socks. I know you like doing it and I don't want you punishing yourself. Don't make me command you Dobby." He added quickly seeing Dobby brighten up a bit more now. He could nit Mr Potter some socks that looked like the room he'd just been sleeping in.
"Aww!" Pip complained sadly letting his ears droop down limply.
"Dobby must go now Mr Potter, but he will come bring you some breakfast tomorrow morning if you would be liking it again."
"Na, not tomorrow Dobby, I should really go show my face at least once this month. But I'll be up in the owlry some time soon so come say hello if you're not too busy."
"Ok. Bye then Mr Potter."
"Bye Dobby." At this he and Pip quickly turned around and popped away from them.
"So you've had us all worried about you for hours and hours and you're laying around in bed napping." Ron sighed deliberately standing in Ginny's way as she went to touch Harry's hand. Moving quickly around she slipped in on the other side next to Hermione.
"Aww, have you been worried about me ickle Ronny?" Harry laughed tweaking Ron's cheek and laughing as he felt the familiar soft fingers of Ginny slipping in with his.
"Piss off. And yes we were. We hadn't seen you for ages and well, you know how Hermione gets some times." He explained with a soft knowing look as Harry merely nodded subtly back.
"What, what do you mean, you know how Hermione gets Ron? How do I get?" She insisted as they headed quickly back to the common room.
"Nothing, Hermione." Harry sighed a little dreamily.
"Shunt you be in a lesson or something?" Ron snapped turning round towards Ginny as she walked along with them.
"So should you!" She retorted turning square on back to Ron.
"Yeah well, we can get away with it, so why don't you trudge along to lesson and leave us alone." He snapped.
"Ron try and be nice. You'll only cause another argument." Harry put in softly not wanting to have his little bit of bliss ruined by Ron's annoyance at his sister.
"Don't care, you've got a lesson with me now and I've been trying to talk to you for ages. Now bog off Ginny, you can come have him later when I'm finished."
"I'm not a thing Ron." Harry complained looking a little longingly at Ginny as Hermione merely rolled her eyes.
"Yeah well, I'm making sure you share you're time out more equally these days. That's all." He snapped a little less but still looking really quiet evilly at his sister, who was attempting to stand her ground, but unfortunately after Harry was so horribly rude to her last night, although he couldn't remember doing it, she decided now might not be a good time to make him step in to defend one of them.
"Fine, well I'm off then. Glad you're ok Harry!" She snapped back turning on her heel before Harry could do or say anything to help her.
"What do you have to be like that for?" Harry snapped whacking Ron around the arm as soon as Ginny was out of sight.
"Good riddance. She hangs around too much and she's so annoying. I've had to put up with her all day and to be honest she should be in her lesson."
"SO should you!" Hermione added firmly, checking she had everything and disappearing off to her own lesson.
"Come on, I hant got me bag." Harry grumbled climbing the stairs to there common room.
"Why'd he have to come wake me up anyway, I was having a lovely dream about fish and making sandwiches on a hill and it was the first time I've slept like that in like, ever." Harry half grumbled digging around for his stuff.
"I dunno, if you were fine, I can't understand why we couldn't just leave you there until the end of the day. Like we're gonna miss much in this next lesson anyway." Ron grumbled sitting on the bed while Harry quickly shoved a few things in his bag.
"Yeah, but we better go though Dumbledore will go mad if I deliberately start missing lessons." Harry replied softly as they left the tower and headed towards the already underway lesson.
"I've already been warned you'd be late Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, please take your seats and follow the instructions on the board."
"Next time I get to lay in that weird meadow and sleep and you can be the one stuck in Snape's lesson." Ron grumbled pulling out his text book and some parchment.
"For someone who spent nearly a whole day last week sleeping you're looking ever so tired again Harry." Hagrid asked passing Harry a cup and sitting down with Ron.
"Yeah well I've had a lot of Quidditch on recently and stuff."
"No more than usual though." Ron wondered as Harry started to pour himself another cup of tea.
"Ahhgh!" He suddenly cried out as hot scolding tea splashed out on his hand.
"Not to worry Harry stick you're 'and in this cold water. Take' sting out." Hagrid explained shoving Harry's painfully hot hand in an equally painfully cold bucket. Hermione quickly mopped up the table and Ron poured the rest of the cup for him.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking what I was doing that was all." He mumbled quickly and apologetically.
"Any way, of course he's going to get tired the way you lot are about Quidditch, it's not wonder you wear yourselves out. I'm tired just watching you!" Hermione explained declining a biscuit from Hagrid.
"She's got a point. You're taking this captain stuff dead seriously Harry." Ron put in surprising both Hagrid and Hermione at his apparent calmness on the whole subject.
"I guess but hay, half of Gryffindor will murder me if we loose the tournament by too much and the other half will do it if we loose at all." Harry sighed supping at his tea placidly.
"Just don't go getting yourself in that sort of a state again Harry. Dobby's right, you're getting thin again Harry." Hermione explained looking at him carefully.
"No I'm not! I've always been a bit skinnier than Ron so stop getting at me about it! It's his fault anyway for growing so much and making me look small again." Harry snapped quickly looking away from the other three and watching the ravens outside.
"Well you'll grow again and catch me up won't ya', you always do." Ron shrugged not noticing the odd look on both Hagrid's and Hermione's faces even if they weren't aimed at anything in particular.
At this Hermione merely sighed and decided there was very little point in tackling Harry at the moment about is lack of food habits if he was going to be so stubborn. She would just have to try again a bit later when he was in a better mood. But that was the problem. He was never in a particularly good mood these days. Yes, he'd stopped arguing with Ron and yes, it wasn't like he went looking for confrontation, but he rarely smiled these days and when he did, Hermione was sure it was forced in some way.
"So Harry, have you had any more brilliant idea's about Quidditch practice recently?" Hagrid asked brightly eager to keep the conversation going well as he'd nothing else to do that afternoon and was hoping to spend more time with the three of them than he had been doing.
"No not really. I don't know what to do about it any more. Nothing seems to work out too well these days."
"I'm sure things will pick up soon though Harry. You're good at Quidditch even I can see that and I only go to the matches to be supportive." Hermione tried to add in any sort of attempt to make Harry more jolly but it didn't seem to be working, until Harry forced himself to get it together more however tired he felt.
"Yeah well thanks Hermione. I'm glad you come to watch. Any way it's not as if we can do any worse than the Slytherins now is it?" He tried to smile and Ron quickly jumped on the joke anything to run Draco down.
"Yeah I mean there best players were the two beaters and the goalie and two out of three of em have left and I heard Falcon has been banned from the next two matches for causing fights. Apparently Hooch caught him trying to snap some third years legs from Hufflepuff before the last march." He explained chirpily.
"Well I should think so, behaving like that, I caught him the other day trying to set fire to Fangs tail. He wouldn't come out from under the house all evening." Hagrid grumbled putting his cup down a little bit too firmly.
"Does that hurt Harry?" Hermione asked as Harry looked down at his hand and finally noticed that it was in fact really rather red roar and beginning to sting somewhat.
"It's ok, it'll mend easy enough!" He shrugged.
"You sure Harry, why didn't you say it was hurting ya before?" Hagrid grumbled in his softest way possible.
"Yeah I'll be fine. I've had worse injury's on this arm anyway." He continued to shrug but Hagrid wasn't going to give in that easily, so after three attempts to put something soothing on it, he walked Harry up to the hospital wing and forced him to sit down while Madam Pomfy sorted it out as part of his scolded hand had started to bleed from him rubbing at it.
"Oh, hello Hermione. Err, what you doing?" Sirius asked sitting down on the bed and after being highly pleased that Harry had finally got in touch with him, seemed a little confused to see Hermione sitting opposite him on what he assumed was Harry's bed.
"I haven't got long, Harry will go nuts if he finds out I've done this, but he's so bloody stubborn and Ron's stuck his head in the ground to be an arse again!"
"Err, well. Err, what's the matter?" He wondered what on earth she was doing and was slightly suspicious that, that was a boy's washing he could see hanging up in the background.
"Harry's not well and he's been a stubborn git about it. Can you give him a bit of nudge and make him go do something about it?"
"A nudge?" Sirius asked blankly.
"I dunno, talk to him or something, he's just terribly run down that's all and well, he usually listens to you!"
"He does?" Sirius continued blankly.
"Yes of course he does Sirius, now I'll give him a kick to get in touch soon so try and think of something to say, but I have to go now before he gets back from pretending to eat and well, it'll be best you don't tell him I've spoken to you."
"Err what?"
"Crap he's coming back early. Err. Bye Sirius." She quickly put the mirror down and hid it back in the paper bag between Harry's mattress and bed standing up to look natural just in time for Neville to walk in.
"What are you doing in here?" He asked dropping his bag heavily on the bed and looking curiously at Hermione. It wasn't exactly uncommon to see her up here but it was odd to see her here on her own.
"Don't ask me and I won't be able to lie to you about it. But if you tell Harry I've been up here I'll tell everyone how much you fancy Luna!"
"How the hell do you know that?"
"I know your puppy dog eyes, now keep quiet and everything will be fine." She snapped quickly heading to the door and out the common room as she bumped into Harry and Ron having a polite somewhat forced conversation about Potions homework.
"Oh hello boy's you back from dinner?"
"Yeah obviously." Ron replied in his normal sarcastic tone.
"What's the matter with you? You look all pink in the cheeks." Harry wondered looking carefully at her as they headed to go sit down by the fireplace in their usual spot for homework and such like.
"Oh never mind.' She shrugged looking around to the see the common room still near enough empty. Leaning over to pick up her books Hermione continued to whisper.
'Have you spoken to Sirius recently?"
"Why?"
"Just wondered how things were that was all." She shrugged pulling her book open to find the correct page.
"Well no, but I suppose I should soon. Not got much to say really nothing much has happened here." Harry decided absentmindedly rubbing at his knuckles again in his sleeves and looking a bit vacant.
"Oh well, just wondered." Hermione shrugged hoping she's planted enough of an idea into his head to get him to talk to Sirius soon.
It didn't really work to well, as it took several days for her to put the idea into Harry's head but eventually four days later, late on in the evening on his way back from the library Harry sat down to talk to his godfather not exactly sure what it was he wanted to say other than ask how he was and weather or not he'd murdered Kresher or not yet.
"Oh hello Harry." Sirius asked forcing himself to be brighter now he'd got half a sight of Harry sitting down with Hedwig.
"Hello Sirius. Err, how've you been?" Harry mumbled slightly.
"Not to bad Harry, bit board but that's nothing new."
"What about Tonks and Lupin? Still squabbling?" Harry continued slowly in the hopes Sirius would have something more to say this time.
"I'm not sure, she's at work a lot these days and he's got a few things on at the moment so either they're avoiding each other or avoiding me together." He explained flicking at a hole in the sofa for something to fidget with.
"Oh well. Hermione sez hello, she was wondering if you'd noticed the weather getting warmer there at all."
"No well, not here because it's a bit of a doggy area but right across the rest of London, Tonks has been telling me how annoyingly warm it's getting in the middle of the day."
"But not where you are?"
"Well to be honest, I usually sleep in the middle of the day anyway. I'm only ever remotely useful in the evening.' He explained getting himself together to ask about what Hermione suggested without hopefully dropping Hermione in it somewhat.
'I heard you spent a day sleeping in a field recently?"
"How'd you here about that?" Harry suddenly asked a little suspicious.
"McGonagall tells me about you every now and then, and she happened to mention the other day, how you had everybody worrying about you again." He explained casually that only worked because his face was so good at doing a lack of facial expression.
"I would have told ya Sirius. But I was just having a nap, it's nothing much to worry about." Harry tried to explain too quickly.
"I know, well, you're fine now aren't you? But what ya doing sleeping through the day, Harry? I mean personally, I'd skip as many of Slimey areshole's lessons as possible but that doesn't mean you should. I want you to do as well as you can, even in his stupid lessons." Sirius began somewhat sarcastically and appropriately angrily and then ended with a somewhat parenting tone. If Harry wasn't so fed up he'd probably have found the change quiet amusing as it was hardly subtle the amount of effort he had to put in.
"Yeah, I know he stuck me in detention for that. Had me cleaning trophies for hours and would probably have left me there all night if McGonagall hadn't come to take me up to her office to pick up some homework up. It's bloody crap. Dobby sticks me in a deep sleep because he thinks I don't get enough sleep and then I end up spending hours and hours in detention and catching up homework so it's near enough a complete waste of time. I might wait until the weekend and get him to do it again for me. See if I can't sleep a Saturday off or something."
"Oh so it was Dobby that put ya to sleep. I wondered why they wouldn't have been able to find you, if you were just napping in the common room or something."
"Yeah well he adores me doesn't he! He's done me some wonderful socks recently with clouds on."
"Clouds on?"
'God are we talking about socks now!' Sirius grumbled to himself, he was supposed to be asking about Harry being run down so badly and instead he's letting himself be pushed about to talk about anything else.
"Yeah, well every time something happens to me, he nits me a pair of colourful socks these days to remind me what happened."
"What an odd little elf?"
"Yep, he's completely nuts but brilliant in his own little way. Did wonders getting the dragon's blood Draco dropped on me, out me favourite t-shirt. I mean, how many people can you say that about, it usually just catches fire when you put it in water." Harry explained brightening up a bit now he remembered about happier things.
"Well not all of 'em are as bad as Kresher I suppose. How've you been recently, you looked a bit thin last time Remus saw you?" Sirius asked carefully.
After finally coming to grips with Hermione talking at him for a few minuets then leaving him, he'd decided that really, she wouldn't do it if there wasn't something to worry about and if he's been stubborn with them, then he'd be a hundred times worse with Sirius he was sure.
"Why do people keep asking me that? I'm not thin Sirius, I'm just a bit on the malnourished side that's all. Mainly because of years of crappy Dursley food, so I'm gonna be a bit slow at growing aren't I?" Harry snapped as Sirius could merely look away and put up with it.
Whatever Harry said to him he didn't listen, every time he saw his godchild, he still thought Harry looked thin and sometimes even a little gaunt when they talked in the dark evenings like now. He'd convinced himself it was just bad lighting but the more he heard other people mention it the more he worried that Harry didn't eat enough.
"I'm sorry Harry, I just worry about you that's all. Now tell me about Quidditch or something. I haven't heard about it in a while so I'm assuming its going ok."
"Yeah I guess. It's a bit hard though, I can't really fly and watch them all at the same time but it's going ok. Luckily half the Slytherin players have been banned for a few matches so that's helpful. I mean dirty arrogant tricks aside some of em are actually rather good at stopping goals." Harry explained.
The conversation continued like this for only about quarter of an hour before Harry headed up to the common room to find only a handful of people sitting around.
Sitting down with Ginny and Hermione while Ron was still doing his Charms homework with Neville in the dormitory, steadily people started to go to bed early tonight and by about half ten, Harry was sat with Ginny in one corner of the common room quiet alone and listening to her chatting away happily. When they were down to only two lads struggling to do there homework for tomorrow in one corner and Hermione happily sat at the main table by herself working, Ron came down looking for Harry.
"Please don't cause an argument." Harry whispered to Ginny as Ron moved quickly over and sat firmly down next to Harry to start a conversation ignoring his sister completely.
"How did you manage to get your Charms work done so quickly?" He asked a little grumpily still sure Dumbledore had at least been giving him extra help with his homework on occasion even if he had accepted that it wasn't on everything.
"I didn't Ron. After blowing several boxes to pieces I thought it best to leave it till tomorrow." Harry explained with a sigh doing wonders for Ron's bad mood that Harry hadn't mastered it as quickly as he'd first thought.
"Well, I think I've sort of got the hang of it but I'll help you Saturday if ya want." He offered as nicely as he could with his sister sat there.
"Well its Hogsmade visit Saturday Ron but thanks, can I borrow your feather and mallet coz mine sort of caught fire yesterday."
"Oh ok. Well, that was really quiet spectacular blowing it up like that in the middle of the lesson!"
"Yeah well I wasn't thinking straight." The grandfather clock in the corner chimed twelve and the two boys gave in to go to bed reminding Harry some what of what he and Ron had been like at times. But as Ginny opened her mouth to speak, Hermione sniffed an argument brewing and moved over next to Ron try and defuse it quickly.
"So Ron are you thinking about going to bed some time soon?" Ginny asked firmly keeping her voice level.
"I was going to ask you the same thing. Mum wouldn't like it you stopping up all hours of the night."
"Mum really doesn't care about me." Ginny snapped bitterly back.
"Maybe that's because she's heard how you're a bit of a tramp!" Ron snapped back as he received a hefty slap from Hermione for being such an idiot.
"Ron. She's not a tramp!" Harry argued back now. However much he hated family fudes like this one between the Weasley's, he was sure it wasn't ever going to be fair calling his girlfriend a tramp when he was still sat there to listen.
"Well it's true, she worked her way around half the common room." Ron continued as Hermione merely gave in to go back to her books and Ginny started to go ever so warm as she clutched her rather thin, but shockingly powerful sometimes wand.
"I haven't worked my way around half the common room. Just coz no girl will ever look at your ugly face doesn't mean I'm a tramp." She snapped. Sill sat down only because Harry had taken to suddenly grabbing hold of her waist to keep her there.
"Yeah you have, you've been at it with everyone else in our dorm alone. Fred and George got so sick of hearing stuff about you they roped people in to spy on ya and tried to get Bill to get Fleur to get you to stop behaving like such a trollop."
"Ron don't call her a trollop!" Harry shouted back, as Ginny and Ron both got to their feet fuming at one on other. Hermione just looked a bit nervous while Harry looked particularly confused by the situation, they weren't actually thinking of dueling were they?
"She is a trollop, no wonder our demented mother can't stand her any more!" Ron continued unaware by how dangerous this conversation could get now Ginny firmly had her wand out. Hermione came rushing over to Harry from her side of the room deliberately avoiding the glares from both Ron and Ginny.
"Do something Harry, this could get really out of hand." She whispered quickly looking on anxiously now Ron too had yanked his wand out his pocket to hold it out in front of him ready.
"Like what?" Harry asked back, annoyed she couldn't think of anything either, why should it be left up to him to sort it out, he wasn't a Weasley and he never will be.
"Step in the way before one of 'em starts dueling." She continued turning to Harry when suddenly they heard Ginny bellow a spell out.
"Are you nuts, get between them pair when they look like this!" At this though Hermione accept, that Harry did have a point, if he got in the way there was probably a ninety percent chance they'd just blast him out the way and carry on arguing.
"HETTI UNIR!" Thick slimy green gung shot out the end of Ginny's wand coating Ron's legs so he could barely move but only struggle against it as it cooled and set rock hard holding him in place.
Ron though having had this spelled used on him more than once, quickly heated the gel so it became dry and flaky before standing back up to think of something to throw back at her.
"Expelliarmous!" He bellowed back angrily. But Ginny was quick, regardless of what anybody ever said about her, out of all the Weasley children when it came to dueling, she was surprisingly the best. Particularly when she was in a bad mood, like now.
Deflecting the spell she quickly sent a flock of paper birds at him which Ron fortunately burnt with a fire spell before they could start causing too much damage and shot a ball of icy water at his sister while he was attempting to put the carpet out.
"Harry do something!" Hermione continued to whisper looking up at Harry who was watching on just as anxiously.
"Do what Hermione?" He complained back.
"Get in the way or something. Both of em care about you there not gonna risk hurting you I'm sure."
"I'm not getting between them two, they're both completely barmy!" Harry hissed back again as the two siblings started chasing each other around the room while throwing all sorts of jinx's at each other. Ron's burning ball of dung though hit the carpet missing Ginny easily and set the rug on fire so Harry and Hermione quickly rushed over to that side of the room to put it out. Both aware that if they started making too much noise it would wake the rest of Gryffindor tower and cause a whole new load of problems when McGonagall got involved.
"Stop fighting you two, your only gonna cause more problems." Harry attempted to explain standing up properly from the burnt rug and looking from Ron to Ginny and not sure if he could really bare the sight of them both so angry with each other. Who the hell was he supposed to choose to side with? They were being ridicules he was sure, but that didn't help his current situation.
"Harry stay out of this!" Ron shouted back and as Harry quickly looked to Ginny's hot angry calculating face, it seemed clear that she agreed with him at least on this point.
"No, I don't want you two fighting! Stop trying to bleeding well hex each other!" He added shouting himself now.
Neither seemed to really pay much attention to him and continued the duel.
"What do we do?" Hermione whispered sure she heard someone stir up in the girl's dormitory.
So it was up to Harry to stop the fight. What could he do? Interfere take one of the sides and probably loose the other forever? Start throwing spells at the pair of them and try and out match both of them. Lift them both up in the air and hope it shocks them into submission.
'That might work.' Harry mumbled in his head,
'But what was the spell for putting them down with?'
He wondered when all of a sudden without warning, Ron and Ginny lifted upside down up into the air. Both forced into dropping there wands and were thrown against the opposite walls before Harry had even grabbed his wand.
"What did you do?" Harry asked hurriedly seeing the two crumpled bodies and looking at Hermione's blank expression.
"I didn't do anything. Go see if Ginny's ok." She replied rushing forward to Ron as he tried to pull himself right from the crooked upside angel he was at now.
"Ginny are you ok?" Harry asked softly helping Ginny up to standing and deliberately holding her back before she could start up the rest of the argument.
"I'm fine Harry, get out me way? She complained pushing forward in an attempt to get out of Harry's grasp and towards Ron who was equally struggling against Hermione.
"No Ginny, no more fighting!" Harry decided firmly holding her back.
"He called me a whore!" She snapped back looking really quiet upset now as she stopped struggling against Harry's hug.
"Shuush! I know but he did, he didn't mean it.' Harry tried to explain but there was something about the way Ron was glaring at them both that showed that actually, he probably did.
'I don't think you are. I think you're sweet when you're not trying to pull your brother to pieces." Harry finished turning her away from Ron's angry face to face his and saw the tears start forming in her eyes.
"I was so worried about you before when you went missing and he was so horrible to me! He's always horrible to me! And so's mum, she hates me, and Fred and George only tease me and, and no body in my family cares about me any more. Dad's so busy with the ministry and stuff for Dumbledore. I know he tries to spend time with me but it's never for very long, and mum always comes in and causes a row or something. I hardly get to see him at all these days. And I never see Bill and Charlie anymore. Bill promised me I could come see him and Phlegm more, but mum hates her so much so she never comes with him anymore to see me." It was obvious she was really quiet upset but Harry didn't know what to do. He didn't really have a family and although he knew he missed having his mother around. He couldn't remember enough about her to know what he was missing.
"See Ron she's really upset!" Hermione hissed firmly in Ron's ear as he slowly started to see, not only how affection Harry was with his sister but actually, how upsetting it must be for her stuck in the middle of it all and be completely ignored by all the Weasley's.
Although he found it a bit of a joke sometimes the way his mother had sort of moved her frustration of Fred and George straight past him and on to her. He was beginning to realise that months and months of his mothers anger at the situation things were in, were being pushed onto Ginny and was perhaps just too much for one little person to cope with.
At least Fred and George always had each other to talk to and be friendly with. They were never separated. Even now when they had there own flat they actually chose to have a pokey little living room so they could fit two double comfy beds in to the bed room next to each other.
"And now Ron hates me too, coz he's stupid and thinks I'm trying to take you away from him. But I'm not, I just don't have many of my own friends because they just don't know what it's really like. Only Luna talks to me and she's so odd sometimes, it's hard to understand what she's trying to say and I can never talk about just normal girly stuff."
"I know Ginny you're lonely, that's why I try and spend more time with you at dinner and stuff. Ron just doesn't understand that's all and I know he doesn't hate you, that's why he's giving me so much grief. He doesn't want me upsetting you. That's why he's always been a bit of an idiot about whoever you dare go and talk to, he doesn't think they're good enough for you." Harry tried to explain as Ginny's little sob's started to burst out into full on tears on Harry's little chest.
Harry really wasn't sure what else he could say so merely hugged up warmly to her in the hopes she'd feel a bit better and stop crying. He didn't like seeing her lonely at dinner and in the library, so always made Hermione come sit with him and her when they were supposed to be doing work. Hermione had just assumed Harry felt like both doing his homework and flirting with what basically had been his girlfriend for several months now, but it was only until now did she realise that actually, he felt a bit sorry for her on her own and didn't like seeing her upset.
Hermione didn't know it, but Harry did. It was the first reason he'd started spending time with her because he wanted to see her happy and not looking so lonely, everything else just grew out of that after he'd finally ended up kissing her back at Sirius's.
"Ginny I don't hate you! And mum'll come round eventually. She still likes Harry. And well, I just don't want to loose him again that's all. And she prefers Harry to the rest of us so that'll give you brownie points." Ron tried to explain, coming over to put an arm on Ginny's shoulder and turn her to him. But at the moment, she merely cried harder and hugged up to Harry even more.
"Ron maybe we should go to bed it's gone one in the morning now." Hermione decided coming over too, relieved that at least they'd stopped arguing.
"No not until she stops crying. I don't like seeing you upset Ginny. Its true Ginny, I've been giving Harry so much grief recently because I'm worried about you. Sod him, he can look after himself but your still me annoying little sis and you always will be." Ron began again taking a proper hold of Ginny's shoulders to try and hug her himself.
"Oi!" Harry half snapped but this only made Ginny half laugh a little sob and turn properly to Ron rubbing her eyes a bit with one of her sleeves.
"Really. You care about me more than you do him?" She asked shakily looking to see Ron's silly freckled face.
"Well I wouldn't go that far, I still prefer hanging around with him than me annoying little sister. But if I really had to choose between you, there's a very good little possibility I'd pick you over him.'
'Provided I'm alright, course." He added before Ginny finally let go of Harry completely (much to his annoyance, he liked hugging Ginny however upset she was) and grabbed hold of Ron tightly to hug him instead (much to Ron's annoyance who just wasn't used to it yet as Hermione seemed to have taken to hugging Harry more when she was upset than him).
"Do you really not hate me Ronny?" Ginny asked again still hugging up to him for fear he might suddenly say no.
"Yeah I don't hate you, but I will if you keep calling me Ronny."
"And you really think mum will eventually come round?"
"Yeah eventually but don't hold ya breath or anything, ya know how stubborn she can be and you aren't exactly the perfect daughter.' Ron replied having a go at sort of patting her back a bit like Harry was gesturing behind her.
'Bit like you really." He added half heartedly before Ginny quickly let go of him (much to his relief) and slapped him playfully on the arm.
"Oi, I'm not as stubborn as her!" She complained before slipping in around Harry's waist for a bit of a cuddle (much to his pleasure) before Ron could say anything else.
"Well maybe not that bad, and I suppose Hermione's far worse than you most the time. She never bleeding well shuts up sometimes.' Ron added with a bit of a grin and attempting to duck Hermione's book only to be hit by it on the re-bound.
'Ow!"
"Harry, how did you break us apart?" Ginny asked sweetly looking up at Harry a bit and moving her lips a bit closer to his neck.
"Dunno Ginny, wasn't thinking properly, I just wanted you two to stop fighting that was all."
"Really?" Hermione asked a little confused by how Harry had actually managed to break the two up as it certainly hadn't been her.
"Harry's just cleaver really isn't he." Ginny half whispered kissing Harry gently on the cheek to see him blush a bit.
"Ron I think it's time we went to bed." Hermione added seeing Harry's little cheeky grin and sure it was totally inappropriate for in front of Ron.
"Yeah alright, I don't wanna look 'em doing that." Ron decided turning to head to their dormitory as Hermione started to hers.
"And don't be at that stuff too long, we've got homework to finish tomorrow!" He added clearly just before he reached the stairway.
"Good, I can give you a proper kiss now." She grinned leaning up to give him quiet rightly, a proper long kiss that Harry at least really didn't want to end. Ginny however after scrapping with Ron for so long was actually really rather tired, so soon headed up to bed before Harry, who quickly found Ron snoring loudly on his bed half dressed and completely fast to sleep.
It took ages for Harry to get to sleep that night, he just lay there half awake thinking about all sorts of things near enough all to do with Ginny and occasionally Ron if he ever worked out what Harry was thinking about. Eventually though, he drifted off to sleep completely forgetting how he'd managed to lift them both up and throw them against the wall without actually holding his wand in his hand or thinking properly.
"Morning you?" Harry whispered in Ginny's ear as he came down to sit at breakfast between Ron and Ginny.
"Morning." She smiled back as Hermione rolled her eyes at the couple from opposite the table and disappeared behind the morning paper.
"Apparently no-body has any idea how the carpet in the common room got burnt but some of the house elves are gonna come up and fix it tomorrow night." She half laughed as Harry grinned back at her and Ron forced himself to be completely engrossed in his porridge.
"You two are lucky no one came down to see you, otherwise I bet the pair of you would have ended up in hours of detention, squabbling like that." Hermione added firmly putting her paper down and starting on some toast like Harry.
Thinking that really it wasn't a very good idea to carry on his inappropriate train of thought with Ginny, Harry too became more interested in his breakfast before finally starting up a conversation with Ron despite Ginny's little fingers slipping there way around to sit on the inside of his knee.
"Do you think Draco's getting a bit ragged around the edges?"
"What?" Ron replied quickly swallowing his food sure he hadn't heard that quiet question properly.
"No seriously, he looks really rather pathetic these days. More than usual. And the only half decent crap he's come out with lately is that Hermione's highlights make her look pasty and thin in the face."
"Hermione's got highlights?" Ron asked taking another look at Hermione properly while Ginny rolled her eyes at Hermione and kept her mouth about Ron's frankly quiet appalling tact.
"Yeah, well he just seems more pathetic than normal that's all. I was wondering why."
"I wouldn't let it bother you too much Harry, just be glad he's not up your arse and hope he gets bumped off be death eaters soon like I do." At this Harry could merely shrug and agree before going back to his own breakfast.
"You two still coming to the library for a bit then?" Hermione asked brightly checking her bag and finishing her pumpkin juice.
"Yeah course, gotta get this stuff finished." Harry replied giving up on his second slice of toast and having a drink himself.
"You can come find us at break if you want." Ron added leaning over Harry to talk to Ginny who after a moment's red anger at being told what she could and could not do, gave in and agreed to come find them later before heading off to her own lesson when they reached the main hallway.
"See I told you, I was going to try and be nice to her." Ron explained as they started up towards the Library. Neither Harry nor Hermione knew what to say to this because although it was obvious Ron was trying to be nice, despite having absolutely no tack in how to go about it.
Still, Harry couldn't blame him for trying and several hours later when Harry and Ron had decided they'd hardly made much of a dint in their homework Ginny returned this time with Luna who quickly headed off down the library in search of book on Vampires.
"Did you have a nice morning?" Harry asked softly ignoring his homework for a bit.
"Well, not so bad, just Herbology and then Charms next."
"Don't remind me we've got that this afternoon and I still can't get it too work right." Ron half grumbled deliberately listening for anything he might actually find a pleasant way of commenting on.