Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter were excused from classes the rest of the day, to Snape's dismay. But to all his protests, McGonagall would just respond "Well Severus, it's either they come with us now or they break curfew later. Which do you prefer?" Ron thought Snape would have preferred breaking curfew, at least then he could put the two Gryffindors in detention. But no such luck while McGonagall was around.
"So, how can you be certain they are there?" Snape said in a slimy voice as the four waited for a staircase to face the right direction.
"Last night while on patrol I saw a robe go in that direction, but when I turned the corner they were gone. Where else could they have gone?" McGonagall started marching up the staircase. Half way through it started turning back in the wrong direction (this staircase had a reputation of going the wrong way if you stepped on it too roughly) but McGonagall just slapped the railing and said "You're not going to do this to me today!" The stairs instantly went back on course.
Not Even inanimate objects disobey McGonagall, Ron thought to himself. He couldn't say which he felt more, a greater sense of respect or a greater sense of fear.
"Did you ever think that they just went down the other side of the corridor?" Snape asked, trying to poke holes in her theory. Ron actually sympathized with him on this. He resented it. But if Hermione was really was in the Room of Requirement it would be near impossible to get her out.
"No Severus, I actually haven't thought they could have turned around," McGonagall said sarcastically. Ron could practically hear her eyes rolling, "Of course I thought that was a possibility! But Mrs. Norris was on the other end of the hall. And no student in their right mind would face Mrs. Norris head on."
Both Harry and Ron could agree with that. No one, not even Fred and George, would face that demon cat. It was probably the most feared and equally most hated thing in this school.
Well, until Umbridge showed up.
Finally they reached the 7th floor corridor. It took pulling Ron out of a fake step as he tripped on the back of Snape's cloaks, and passing a joyful Peeves who was pelting the group with chalk, but they finally made it.
"Now what?" Harry asked it, but it was on everyone's mind. What to do?
"Can we…ask for them?" Ron threw the idea out. McGonagall didn't appear to notice, but Snape certainly did.
"No Mr. Weasley. The Room of Requirement wants specifics. If you don't know exactly what you want then it will give you nothing. If you can get that through your abnormally thick skull of yours, maybe we can get somewhere," Snape said in his most professional you-are-an-idiot voice. It was quite a voice, but it did get a lot of practice.
"It was just an idea," the ginger mumbled to his feet.
"We'll have to send them a message," Minerva said suddenly but in a most certain way.
"And, if I may pry Professor, how do you intend on doing that?" Snape's slimy voice asked. He sounded like he wanted to kill everyone right on the spot for their blatant stupidity.
Ron and Harry had no doubt he would have either, if McGonagall didn't explain herself.
"Think about it Severus. Surely a smart man like you can figure it out!" McGonagall almost laughed at the confused look on the Slytherin's face. Almost.
She left Snape to boil in his own frustration at the world and walked over to the wall where a door would appear for those who asked for it.
With a sharp flick of her wand and a smile on her face silver mist sprouted out and formed into the silver wispy form of a full patronus.
"Find Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, give them the message," McGonagall stated plainly.
The three others watched as the silver tabby cat bounced away and right into the wall. Instead of crashing like a normal cat the silver tabby floated ever so gracefully through the solid bricks and onto the other side.
What was waiting on the other side no one could be sure, though all had their guesses.
"How long will it take to find them?" Harry asked, still gaping at the wall where a cat once stood.
"Depends on how deep they are. My patronus could wander for a while before coming to the right room."
"But Professor, isn't there just one room?" Ron asked. That's how he always thought of it, just one room that shape shifted. Like an inanimate animagus.
"No one really knows. It is impossible to get in while others are inside unless you have the same desire, and the certainly implies there is only one room. But how can we really be sure? Also, there may be enchantments on the room those two managed to get trapped in," McGonagall sighed, turned on her heal, and peered over her square glass frames with a disciplinary glare students knew so well. "This does not, however, excuse you two from being so late to class!"
Harry and Ron sighed. Of course she remembered.
"Detention, both of you, tomorrow. You will be accompanying me on the search for the missing students. Dinner, and then right to my office," And before giving any further explanation, Professor McGonagall marched down the halls and back to her waiting transfiguration students.
Snape turned and stared at the boys with toxic eyes of a true snake, "Well, since you are excused from classes, I'll give you both the homework assignment now. 4 1/2 foot essay on the properties of lavender, the potions it is in, and a detailed description on how it acts in each potion. Due Friday," and with a flush of billowing cloaks Snape was gone.
"That git!" Ron turned and kicked the brick wall.
"Now we really have to find Hermione," Harry started pacing down the corridor and to the Fat Lady. Ron slowly limped behind him.
"Why is that?" Ron asked. Harry mumbled the password ("Mandrake Roots") and instantly slumped into the worn sofa in front of the fire pit.
"How do you expect us to write that much on lavender and pass without Hermione here to help?" Harry threw down his bags and pulled out parchment and a quill.
Ron, nursing an injured foot, groaned in realization. Snape knew they wouldn't be passing this without their best friend.
His personal revenge was set in motion. And all the Gryffindors could do was wait and worry about the fate of their bushy hair friend.
At lest they had classes of the rest of the day. Harry and Ron didn't even break for lunch. Why they were so invested in this essay Snape gave them, not even they knew. Never before have they bothered. He didn't deserve quality work from them, as Ron liked to think.
But this was different. This was a challenge, could these two numskulls actually pass without Hermione's guidance. And with nothing else to do until tomorrow, why not own up to that challenge?
Yet, despite running back and forth between the library and the common room, the hours of endless research, and the endless devotion to their work, the boys could just not get the amount of length they needed.
"Look at this! I've written everything I could as I big as I could get away with, and I still have a foot and a half to go!" Ron complained as he measured out a very long essay indeed.
"Snape knows it's impossible to write this much on one stupid ingredient!" Harry threw is quill down onto the table. He too lacked a sufficient amount of this essay.
People were already starting to filter in to the common room. Exhausted students who wanted to drop off their bags or take a quick cat-nap before dinner. Or cause havoc.
"And how are the under class men today?" Fred said as he plopped down next to Harry.
"Shove off," Ron growled as George sat on the other side of Harry.
"Oh, not very friendly, are we? So, Hermione reject you today?" George patted Ron's knee in fake concern. Ron threw a bottle of ink at his face. But George ducked on time and instead the bottle went flying out of an open window.
"Oh Ron, Hagrid's gonna make you pay for that," Fred clicked his tongue and George shook his head disappointedly.
"It's not my fault! You ducked!" Ron shouted in furious protests.
"Now he's putting the blame on others!"
"You think we would have had a better brother,"
"We tried to be good role models,"
"We thought there was hope yet when he became a Gryffindor,"
"But alas, our efforts were in vain," the twins finished. Both smiled identical evil grins as Ron flushed.
"Speaking of Hermione," Fred said suddenly, "Where is our little know-it-all?"
"Ya, that one prefect that actually does something about our crazy shenanigans?" George looked around the common room as if he expected to see her spying from somewhere.
Harry and Ron let a glance pass between them. McGonagall sent them a message a little while ago.
Don't tell anyone. That was all it said. But like they needed an explanation. So what do they tell people?
"Uh…she felt bad, so she wanted to go get some rest. You know, she can't be sick for classes- and…you know stuff like that," Ron struggled to find the right words as Harry shot him glances of encouragement.
But George and Fred, the best liars in the whole school that weren't Slytherins, called him out right away.
"No way! Not while you two are sitting here working! Hermione would never miss an opportunity to get something done with you guys!" Fred pointed at the essays that were still at least a foot too short.
"So where is she really?" George whispered, "Out on a romantic date? Perhaps with a certain not-so-romantic Slytherin?" George raised his eyebrows as Ron tripped over his words and, if possible, blushed even more then before. So it was Harry who did the talking this time.
"No, she just wanted to get some rest. Is that too hard to believe?" Apparently it was. Both twins squinted and Harry had two pairs of identical blue eyes studying him. It was kind of unnerving.
"You can deny it all you want-"
"But we shall get to the bottom of this-"
"And when we do-"
"You will be sorry," And with that the twins left their brother and his best friend and headed down to dinner, heads bent in muffled conversation.
Ron watched his brothers' retreating backs and let out a long sigh of relief. McGonagall would have transfigured him into a dung beetle if those two found out.
But if the twins find out on their own, and they learn that Ron was hiding information that Hermione was locked in a room…with Draco Malfoy! It would be the end of his world.
Now Ronald Weasley was unsure what to fear most.