.
.
The library was quiet. Silence has suspended its spine-tingling muzzle over the room, and every piece of sound disappeared and died in its unforgiving clutches. The static noise in his ears muffled the whispers of his own heartbeat and the sound of his breathing.
Harry had been reading the same sentence for over half an hour. It was already afternoon. He had spent the night before sitting in his bed, unable to shut an eye. His mind was empty, after burying her body. He didn't feel scared like he thought he should be, and he didn't feel guilty even though he murdered his friend. His feelings and emotions were being sucked into a hole that was left in his soul by something strange and sinister.
His soul was being consumed.
"Are you okay?" he snapped back into reality. Ron was waving his hand in front of his face. His lips were moving, and he was saying something, but Harry couldn't comprehend.
"Umm," he cupped his face and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "Yeah, sorry. I am a little tired. Hadn't slept well."
"You look out of it," Ron commented, looking mildly concerned. "I have been talking to you for the last 10 minutes."
"Sorry," Harry hurried to apologize. "What were you saying?"
Ron paused and stared at him as if contemplating. Someone dropped a book on the ground, and the sound distracted both of them. They stared at the first-year student, who looked at Harry with awe and then ran away into the row of shelves.
The younger students were still staring at him star-struck from time to time.
"Well?" he tried not to glare at Ron, but annoyance slipped into his tone.
"I can't find Hermione," Ron said, scratching his head. "She wasn't at any of the classes. She wasn't in the common room. Ginny hasn't seen her, neither any of the girls. I have looked for her everywhere."
"She might be in the Room of Requirement," Harry said quickly, hoping for Ron to scram as soon as possible.
"But she would tell us, no?"
"We are not her parents," Harry gritted his teeth. "She might be just away for personal space. We all are struggling, Ron."
"I know... It's just that she had never just disappeared. I have a bad feeling about this."
