Ron and Kira walked placidly around the quidditch field. Ron was fingering the necklace she had gotten him for Christmas in a distracted fashion. The spherical emerald stone gleamed brightly in the sun and you could see the world reflected in its clear surface. Kira and Ron had taken to walking at least for an hour everyday during the break, and this was the last day before everyone came back from winter break. They finally meandered back to the Ravenclaw common room, standing in front of the entrance, like they did every day previous, not really wanting to leave.
“I am really glad you and Harry made up Ron,” smiled Kira playing with his tie.
“We didn’t really make up, but I guess we are okay,” responded Ron, getting a little annoyed with her so bent on them making up. If he wanted to be mad at Harry, what should she care?
“Good,” she grinned, her eyes finally meeting his, “I am going to miss you Ron, once everyone gets back I mean.”
“We’ll still see each other I’m sure…” replied Ron his sentence trailing off, as she kissed him. She finally pulled away and he sadly watched her disappear into the common room, wishing everyday that she wasn’t a Ravenclaw. He walked back to his own common room in a thoughtful state. No one ever expected Ron to get a girlfriend, he was so tactless and unfeeling they said. What did Kira see in him? He wasn’t the famous Harry Potter, not really smart, or very talented in quidditch. Maybe it was because he was normal that she liked him. Why did he like her? She was pretty and fairly smart, at least better in potions. She was wicked on a broomstick, even if she wasn’t on her house team. Most importantly she liked him, it was about time someone appreciated Ronald Weasley.
***
Meanwhile Harry and Hermione were in the common room in deep discussion about Harry’s latest dream. He seemingly had been unable to keep his mind clear at night, and was having the same dream night after night. Only learning a little bit every time.
“Harry I don’t understand how you could have gotten so weak all of a sudden,” persisted Hermione, “Are you sure you are not purposely opening your mind?”
Harry tried to avoid her gaze but looked as innocent as possible and lied, “Of course I’m not, after what happened last year? I would never nearly get us or Sirius killed again.” He hated lying to her but he would have hated it even more to tell her the truth and have her be disappointed in him.
“And you still don’t know who this girl is?” asked Hermione edgily.
“I told you a thousand times, I think I know her but I never get to see her face,” replied Harry.
“Okay, well what does she look like?” inquired Hermione pointedly trying to figure out this puzzle, her mind clearly focused on the problem at hand.
“She has long black hair a lot like Cho’s, and she is kneeling but I think standing up she would be fairly tall, small figure…I don’t know,” exclaimed Harry impatiently. Hermione looked at him raising her eyes in either surprise or disgust, it was hard to tell which, he hadn’t mentioned Cho’s name in a long time.
“So that narrows it down to about thousands of people,” said Hermione finally.
“What to you want me say?” asked Harry getting annoyed.
“Nothing,” sighed Hermione, “I just want to know what it means. And you aren’t going to tell Sirius…”murmured Hermione looking at him hopefully. Harry didn’t respond but cast her a furtive glance.
“I’m not going to say anything, you have my word, as much as I wish you didn’t,” she told him answering his ugly look.
“Thanks,” he said and after that followed an awkward pause, he moved towards her but then pulled back disappearing out of the common room. Hermione let out the breath she was holding.
***
In the next few weeks school resumed as normal, and as it had turned out N.E.W.T classes had really just begun. Harry and Hermione struggled, and because of the exhausting schedule Harry couldn’t empty his mind at night and puzzling dreams still filled his head, not to mention Snape picking at his personal thoughts, which was Harry’s only motivation to keep trying at Occlumency. For now he was able to keep Snape out of his most secret desires, and out of the puzzling dreams he had been having. So far the only people who knew about the dreams were Ron and Hermione.
Harry and Ron had proceeded on better terms but there was still a hole, in their once airtight relationship, which had yet to be fixed. Neither Harry nor Ron could figure out what was causing this gap, whether it was words still left unsaid or just an unseen presence forcing them to see the other’s most dishonorable qualities, it was hard to say.
After January, Hermione had stopped meeting with Lupin on the account of impending circumstances at the Order and the fact that she had finally accomplished what she had needed to get done. And since the masquerade she hadn’t had any relapses from the unforgivable curse preformed upon her; which was a relief to Ron and Harry.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team had gone undefeated with one game remaining against Slytherin. Malfoy of course had been rallying support in the other two houses against Gryffindor for the final match that was still a couple weeks away. Poor Ron couldn’t go anywhere in the halls without being reminded that it was a miracle that they had actually won last year. This self-consciousness caused Ron to start performing poorly at scheduled practices, no matter how many times Harry reminded him that he was better then that. After one particularly horrifying practice, Ron took off in a huff, and even though Harry tried going after him, Ron apparently did not want to be caught.
It didn’t take very long for February to roll around, and talk of Valentine’s Day starting buzzing around the school. Couples were made and broken and every one of them was the talk of the school. Harry found all of this hard to ignore, and then when Lavender and Parvati started asking him whom he was taking to Hogsmeade for Valentine’s Day, Harry had to shrug them off with an “I don’t know”. But what really drove Harry over the edge was when Sirius started pestering him.
“What are you all going on about?” Harry asked him exasperatedly, “It’s not a big deal. It’s a stupid holiday, it’s not even a good one, I mean we don’t even get out of school for it.”
“Sounds like someone is defensive,” responded Sirius, “no need to get haughty with me.”
“I am not defensive! There is nothing to be defensive about,” Harry retorted aggressively.
“Mhmm,” mocked Sirius, “well when you finally get it together let me know.”
“I hope you weren’t like this to my dad,” remarked Harry coolly.
“Don’t worry I was, I bugged him about Lily for ages. He never heeded me until 7th year. He always seemed a bit annoyed really,” said Sirius looking a bit puzzled. Harry tore out the room exasperated, having nothing more to add.
***
Though he just about went crazy with all the speculations and accusations, Friday finally came and the week was over. Like their normal routine, Hermione and Harry lazily leaned over their books, sitting on the couch, at a little past eleven that night, trying to absorb information on glateous root and it’s affect on the human immune system. Harry’s attention diverted as Hermione slumped over and closed her eyes. He thought nothing of it, except for that he was the one to usually give up first.
“Come on Hermione it’s only eleven right? You’re making me tired, oh but it has been a long week. We do have all day tomorrow I suppose” he acknowledged, she didn’t respond or look up but she started shaking her head slightly. “Are you okay?” he asked her frowning and touching her arm. At this motion she started sobbing uncontrollably, Harry’s arm retracted immediately a little frightened by the sudden outburst.
“Hermione?” he asked cautiously, but before he could say anything else she turned towards him on the couch and her book fell to the floor, her eyes flooded with tears and she started speaking in exasperated tones.
“Oh Harry I’m so sorry, I didn’t do it on purpose, I…didn’t know…. I’m such a horrible person, I…I…I shouldn’t have said anything and I did…I couldn’t help it…oh Harry it …it…it hurt so much. I tried…I tried to make it go away but I’m not as str…strong as you are…I wish I would have died instead…. please Harry….” Now all that came out of her mouth were incoherent words and phrases. Harry was at a loss for words he had no idea what she was talking about, and didn’t know if he should.
“Hermione,” he said gently pulling her into an awkward embrace, but this seemed to make things worse, and she only cried harder. He held her; tears dampening the front of his shirt, until she finally calmed down now only shaking and breathing shallowly. He glanced at the clock, it was nearing midnight, and he had no idea what was happening and was afraid to ask. He looked down at her, her closed eyes were quite swollen from crying and strands of hair clung to her face. Harry noticed that her breathing had become normal and her body unwound becoming less uptight. And it took him a whole couple minutes after that to realize that she had fallen asleep. Harry tensed up at first not knowing what to do, but then relaxed, realizing that maybe this is what was right in front of him. His mind closed and shut down; releasing all the fears he once had and enjoyed the moment he did have.
***
Hermione flushed brightly, covering her face with her hands, after Harry reviewed the events of the night before to her and Ron. They were sitting on the quidditch pitch and Harry and Ron were dressed in their quidditch uniforms early for another practice before the big game against Slytherin.
“That doesn’t sound too rational for Hermione,” noted Ron, “It doesn’t really make sense.”
“Now you know how I feel,” agreed Harry, “Do you know what you meant Hermione?” Hermione looked up at him, scanning his face like she was searching for her answer there.
“No I don’t,” she said thoughtfully, Ron didn’t believe that for a minute.
“How could you not know, you still said it, and it was obviously something from your mind or heart or whatever…how could you not know?” asked Ron exasperatedly.
“I just don’t know Ron,” replied Hermione crossly, and glaring at him intently. Ron backed off, using the fact that the team had come up behind them as an excuse. Before she left, Hermione grabbed Harry’s arm, pulling him off to the side.
“Thanks for helping me like that Harry,” said Hermione lucidly staring at the ground.
“It was nothing, you would have done the same for me or Ron right?” replied Harry shrugging it off, “just don’t work too hard today, we’ll be around later.”
***
“Where is he?” asked Hermione pacing around the common room fretfully.
“Don’t worry ‘Mione, I’m sure it’s nothing,” replied Ron, rolling his eyes at her. He was lounging placidly on the couch, though he appeared docile, he was starting to get a little edgy too. Harry had been gone for two hours since practice ended, without any sign of reappearing.
“So, were you surprised waking up this morning?” asked Ron twirling his necklace around his finger.
“Shh,” hissed Hermione indicating her head towards the other students in the common room. She rushed beside him kneeling on the floor and then nodded.
“Oh, but I do wish I could remember what happened, I’m sure was such a twit,” said Hermione frowning slightly.
“You have to be a little excited right? I mean if you had taken a moment to realize where you were,” responded Ron laughing at her girlishness.
“Oh, it was nothing, I’m sure you would have done the same,” responded Hermione brushing stray hairs out of her eyes.
“Oh sure, but I wouldn’t have been quite so comfortable this morning,” snickered Ron staring at Hermione who blushed furiously now.
“Oh Ron stop it,” pleaded Hermione standing up again to resume pacing, when Harry walked, rather, staggered through the portrait hole.
“Where have you been Harry?” demanded Hermione immediately not taking notice at the poor shape he was in.
“Yeah, you look like hell mate,” joined Ron who was taken aback as well, and sat up.
Harry look completely wasted, like he had just played the whole seasons worth of Quidditch games in one day under horrifying conditions.
“Snape,” sighed Harry collapsing on the floor next to the fireplace, with what looked like his last burst of energy. “He attacked my mind in the hallway when I was coming back from the shower. He told me I had to always be ready for Voldemort’s attacks and that I can’t just be expecting them. So after he completely read my entire mind in the hall, he dragged me to the dungeons and made me work until I could block him. He took everything I had, it’s a miracle I made it back.”
“I wonder why he did that,” pondered Hermione, gazing thoughtfully past Harry.
“Because he’s an evil git,” tried Ron looking completely disgusted.
“How many times to I have to tell you that Dumbledore trusts him! Something must be happening, something big,” murmured Hermione so softly that Ron had to join them on the ground to hear. Harry just passed her a pained look, and Ron still didn’t look convinced.
“Don’t be such an idiot Ron, you know she’s right,” came the voice of a tall redheaded fifth year. Ginny gazed down upon them, “Snape wouldn’t have done that to Harry without reason, even if he did enjoy it.” Ron glared at his sister, but couldn’t deny that she knew what she was talking about.
***
Hermione was practicing her Transfiguration assignment at a little after noon on Sunday, in the common room. She had complete silence seeing as how everyone had gone to Hogsmeade for the romantic getaway before Valentine’s Day on Monday. Harry had fallen asleep and still hadn’t woken up from his event with Snape from the night previous. Ron had of course taken Kira to Hogsmeade to celebrate their anniversary and for Ron to somehow sneak away and get her a Valentine’s Day gift. Hermione sighed at the thought and continued her work, he wand was midair and she had just opened her mouth to say the incantation, when Harry tore down the stairs in extreme panic.
“Hermione!” he yelled after he saw her, her eyes opened wide in concern but before she could ask him what was wrong, the deadly words had already breathlessly fallen from his mouth. “The girl, from my dream…Voldemort’s servant…. its Kira!”