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Chapter Two: "No Sleep Tonight"
Ron rushed over towards the Fat Lady, and waited for her to open the door. However, after waiting several seconds, Ron realized that the Fat Lady had dozed off. "Psst. Wake up!"
The Fat Lady stirred. She slowly opened her eyes, and then yawned. "Yes, Ronald?" she asked, yawning again. She then rubbed her eyes.
Ron tapped his foot impatiently. "I need to go out."
The Fat Lady gave Ron a suspicious look. "Where, might I ask, are you going at such a late time? You do realize it's past your bedtime, I assume."
Ron rolled his eyes. "You didn't question Hermione when she went out, did you? I want to go out as well. What difference does it make whether its Hermione or me?"
The Fat Lady laughed. Ron was getting more irritated by the moment. Hermione was probably out of site by now. There was no use in going out now. Filch would probably just catch him, and he already had detention from McGonagall.
"You know what?" Ron snapped. "Just forget it. I have a question, instead. Where is Hermione going?"
The Fat Lady shrugged. "No clue. She's probably gone off somewhere to read in quiet."
Ron scoffed. The Fat Lady was being useless, like usual. He decided that he should probably just go to bed. The next day, however, Ron would pretend to fall asleep in the common room and see if Hermione was sneaking off. He'd be sure to follow her that time. He had a feeling there was something that Hermione was hiding from Harry and him.
Ron turned around and headed up to bed. First, he'd confront Hermione in the morning. If she denied leaving her room, then he'd follow her.
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"Ginny, you were out at the pitch for hours!" Ron yelled, "You watched the Slytherins for hours and you don't have any information for me that we could use against them?"
Ginny sighed. She really didn't have time for Ron's ranting. The Slytherin Quidditch practice was starting in ten minutes. Ginny wanted to settle down under her favorite tree and watch the practice. Maybe this time she'd even pick up some of the Slytherin strategies for Ron. If she could pay attention, that is.
"Yeah, Ron. I'll go over there now," Ginny answered impatiently, "And I swear I'll get some information for you."
Ron sighed. He still looked slightly angry. "Sorry for yelling, Gin. I just want to win the Quidditch cup. It's my last year here, after all."
Ginny laughed. "Ron, the team's great. We'll win no matter what, all right? Now let me go spy on the team."
Ron smiled slightly, but didn't say anything else. Ginny grabbed her textbook and walked as fast as she could towards the pitch. Once she neared the pitch, however, Ginny slowed down her pace. She didn't want it to seem as though she was rushing to watch the practice.
As Ginny settled down under the tree, and opened her textbook, Draco came over. Ginny pretended as though she hadn't seen him, and continued to read through her textbook.
"Here again, Weasley?" he smirked, stopping right in front of Ginny. Ginny looked up, her heart fluttering. This was the best thing Ron had ever asked her to do.
"Homework," Ginny managed to say. Deep breath, Gin, she prompted herself. Ginny took a deep breath, trying to calm down her heart. Her pulse was racing, and her heart was thumping faster than usual.
"It's funny," Draco remarked, "That you have to do your homework whenever the Slytherins are holding Quidditch practice. I don't exactly think it's coincidence."
Ginny flushed. How was she supposed to respond to that? "Well, uh, the sun is in a uh nice position," Ginny mumbled. She could swear that her face was now the same flaming red as her hair.
Draco laughed. "I have to get back to practice. I'm assuming I'll talk to you tomorrow, then? You'll probably be here during practice again."
Ginny smiled slightly. "I might have plans."
Draco scoffed. The wind had started to pick up, and his blonde hair was swaying slightly. Ginny smiled to herself. She was having a conversation with Draco. Whether it was a pleasant conversation or not, it was still a conversation. "You and your imaginary boyfriend?"
Ginny turned scarlet. She was thoroughly embarrassed. She already had Ron and Hermione pointing out how she had no boyfriend. She didn't need her crush, Draco, to point it out as well. "So maybe I haven't exactly been out much lately. How does that affect you?"
Draco shrugged. "Just saying. When you said that you might have plans, I thought you might have a guy in your life."
Ginny gave him a look. "One thing is for sure. You sure need a new girl in your life. I mean come on, Pansy Parkinson? She might as well rename herself the Squealer. God, her squeals are so high pitched."
Draco laughed. Ginny gave him a small smile. For a few minutes, she sat there and he stood there in comfortable silence. Ginny looked up into his emerald eyes and realized that he was staring right back at her.
"Draco, are we going to practice or not?" Goyle called, "Stop flirting with Gryffindors. You already have a girlfriend."
Draco sighed, looking away from Ginny. "I'm coming in a second, Goyle. I'm just trying to figure out why Ginny's here."
Draco looked back at Ginny with a halfhearted smile. "So then, I'll see you tomorrow, right? That is, if you don't have any other plans."
Ginny grinned. "I think I can make time in my busy life to come here tomorrow. Practice is at the same time, right?"
"Yeah. Same time."
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"Hey Hermione," Ron exclaimed a little too enthusiastically. It was time he figured out what was going on.
Hermione and Harry both turned around. Harry waved to Hermione, but Hermione just smiled slightly. There were bags under her eyes, and it was obvious that she got no sleep the night before.
"Hermione, you look exhausted," Ron commented, giving her a knowing look. Hermione flinched a little, and avoided Ron's glance.
"Yeah, I had trouble sleeping," Hermione said weakly. Then, she added teasingly, "Nightmares about you, Ron."
Ron scoffed. "Very funny, Hermione. Are you sure you even went to sleep yesterday? You haven't looked like this in a long time."
Hermione gave Ron a look, and Ron knew that Hermione was trying to tell him to drop the subject. He couldn't drop it, though. He had to find out what she was up to.
"Ron, drop it," Harry said warningly. Ron glared at Harry. Wasn't Harry the slightest bit curious about where Hermione was sneaking off? Unless… Harry knew where Hermione was going?
Hermione checked her watch. "I have to go," she said abruptly. Before Harry and Ron could ask here where she was going and say goodbye, she had already disappeared down the hallway.
"It's lunch, Harry," Ron muttered angrily, "Where could she be sneaking off to? I'm going to go find out."
Harry shook his head and grabbed Ron's arm. "Ron, let her do whatever she wants. She didn't tell us for a reason."
"You probably know where she's going," Ron told Harry accusingly.
Harry shook his head. "Honestly, I don't. Ron, I think you're being slightly immature."
"Hermione might be running around with some guy, and you don't even care!" Ron shouted angrily, "I thought you cared, Harry."
Harry stammered. "I… I do care, Ron… just only as her friend."
"Well you're her friend, aren't you?" Ron demanded, "Ask her where she's been then!"
A second later, Lavender Brown came running towards Ron and Harry. Ron and Harry stopped bickering, and watched her as she neared them.
"Harry! Ron!" Lavender yelled, panting, "Come quickly!"
She took off down the hallway at such a fast pace, that Ron and Harry had to run to keep up with her.
"What is it, Lavender?" Harry asked, breathing heavily, "What's going on?"
Lavender stopped so suddenly, that Ron crashed into Harry. Once Ron was back on his feet, Lavender said, eyes wide with fear and activity, "It's Hermione."