It was rare that two top students both lacked answers, explanations, and ideas. Neither of the two were comfortable with the fact that a solution wasn't found yet, and therefore there was tension in the room like a rubber band pulled all the way back. "I haven't the slightest idea." And what does he do after that? He stays seated, and waits as if I'll just come up with the answer myself! I don't know what to do either! It's like he doesn't care, or he does, but just doesn't want to strain himself too much by thinking of ways to escape.

Draco and Hermione started to fire ideas to each other. Some of the ideas were reasonable, some were wistful, and a few of them were just annoying and only suggested by Draco so he could purposefully tick Hermione off.

"We could try to see if there's a concealment charm."

"It could be behind the tapestries."

"Maybe if we tried to open the statues?"

"How about we just start yelling and see if anyone hears us?"

But no matter what they thought of, nothing worked.

As they thought about their plans for getting out of the room, Hermione started to fiddle with her necklace, and then her watch.

"Merlin!"

"What?" said a very surprised Draco, who clearly did not expect the outburst from Hermione.

"Do-you-realize-what-time-and-day-it-is?"

"Uh, no, but it shouldn't be anything later than 2 in the morning, we got in here pretty late but it's not like we've been in here that long."

"It's November 24th, and it's well past 6 o'clock!"

"In the morning?"

"No! In the evening!"

The silence lasted as long as it took for the message to sink in. They'd been in the room for close to 24 hours, yet it seemed as if it hadn't been more than five since they got there. It was bad enough that they were stuck in the stupid room, but time seemed to have disappeared from them. How might that have happened?

"Does this mean that we don't age?" said Draco smugly, "Because I would kill to look this good forever."

This caused the rubber band of tension to slap Draco across the face.

"WE ARE TRAPPED IN A ROOM WITHOUT ANY MEANS OF GETTING OUT, AND A LACK OF AWARENESS FOR TIME, AND ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IS HOW GOOD YOU LOOK?"

"Pretty much."

But this was the wrong answer for Draco to choose because all it did was add more red to his slightly stinging face. Hermione's hand withdrew and she looked momentarily shocked, then angry again. Apparently she couldn't stay sympathetic for Malfoy that long.

Outraged at being slapped in the face twice by Hermione, Draco started to charge at her, and with a jump, she started screaming.

"AHHHHHH!" Hermione bolted to the other side of the room with Malfoy on her heel.

"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT YOU LITTLE MOODBLOOD!"

The chase continued and Hermione leaped over the chair as Draco followed close behind. They were circling each other around the larger statue now, Draco like a hunting bird, and Hermione like a scared creature, praying that it would see another day.

"HOW DARE YOU SLAP ME?"

"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME DISCRIMITIVE NAMES? ARE YOU A FIRST YEAR OR WHAT?"

"I JUST SAY IT HOW IT IS, BUT WHAT YOU DID WAS UNCALLED FOR."

At this Hermione gave a war cry and lunged at Malfoy, desperately trying to claw away her enemy of the past four years.

But at that moment, a silver light flashed, breaking the two apart in surprise, and revealed a cat patronus.

"Miss Granger, and Mr. Malfoy, if you get this message, please respond to me as quickly as possible," said the cat in McGonagall's voice.

"It's McGonagall! She knows that we're stuck in here! She can help us get out!" Hermione's attitude suddenly changed from angry to excited. I'm going to get out of here and I'll never have to see Malfoy again! This thought made her so delighted that she got off the floor and stopped trying to rip Malfoy's hair out.

"One problem Granger, how are we supposed to communicate with her? We can't just write her a letter," Malfoy said sarcastically.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to send a patronus back."

"Get at it then! Stop wasting my time and send a message back!" Malfoy was far beyond irritated, Hermione had just tried to tear him to pieces, and suddenly, she was acting all cheery.

"I-I ca-I can't." Her good attitude diminished and all that was left was a look that matched a puppy when it's been discovered for eating up several shoes.

"What do you mean you can't? You're the smartest witch of our age! You should know everything!"

"I-I'm flattered that you think I know everything, but I've never been able to master a patronus, Harry is the only one who has accomplished it."

Draco stood glaring at Hermione for a moment, as if daring her to say something else, which she did, "I know that you'd like this moment to gloat, so go ahead, conjure a patronus, make it fly back to McGonagall with a plea to get us out, while accusing me of getting into this mess."

After a long pause, and a deep breath from Draco, he finally said, "I can't make one either."

Shit.