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I Don't Want To Be Alone by DistinctVagueness [Reviews - 6]

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6. Missing
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After finishing their Butterbeers, Harry and Ron left The Three Broomsticks and set off on their way back to the castle for dinner. Hermione hadn’t returned after storming angrily out of the pub and they just assumed they’d see her at the Gryffindor table when they got back.

Frustrated, Ron shoved his hands in his pockets. "It’s just, all last year she was been dropping hints, y’know? Even Ginny told me Hermione had admitted it to her that she likes me."

"That’s odd," remarked Harry.

"What is?"

"Since when does Ginny tell you that stuff?"

"Oh, I threatened to tell Mum that it was her who flew Charlie’s old broom into a tree. She still thinks it was George."

"Ah."

"Anyway, I thought she’d be happy if I made the first move."

"Well, it was kind of unexpected. You could have asked her to go to Hogsmeade or something with you next weekend, instead of springing on her like that. You know Hermione, she likes to be prepared about everything."

"A little spontaneity wouldn’t kill her."

They walked in silence for a few minutes as they made their way through the Hogwarts grounds, pausing to wave at Hagrid who was sitting on the steps of his hut with Fang. The half-giant waved back, grinning broadly.

"I reckon we should go to Hagrid’s on Friday after classes," suggested Harry. "We haven’t been to see him since we got back and I don’t think Hermione has either."

"Weird," commented Ron. "I was talking to her in Potions before about the same thing."

"So?"

"Well, she got all offended with me so I assumed she’d already gone down there and thought we were neglecting Hagrid or something."

"Maybe she did. Wouldn’t be unlike her would it?"

"That’s not what was weird, Harry. She kept getting a strange look on her face and turning away from me. And she kind of looked across at Snape and he, well, nodded at her."

"Why?"

"I dunno. It’s not exactly typical of Snape to make it appear like he’s noticed her."

"Why didn’t I see any of this?"

"Because you were mopping up the spills from darling Draco’s cauldron," Ron snorted.

"Oh yeah," said Harry, pulling a face.

"We’ll ask her at dinner." Ron shrugged silently puzzling over the afternoon events as they entered the castle.

But Hermione wasn’t at dinner and an unoccupied place was laid at the Gryffindor table. However, nobody noticed her absence. It wasn’t unusual for her to skip a meal so she could get in maximum studying time and then make up for it later with a quick snack from the school kitchens.

Harry and Ron shrugged off her non-appearance and settled down to eat, Ron throwing the occasional comment about his encounter with Hermione into the conversation until he was told to shut up by Seamus, who was sitting close by, throwing agitated glances in Lavender’s direction. Incidentally, she was carrying on a long, rather loud exchange of Seamus’s many faults with Callie at the end of the table. Harry shared a sympathetic look with the raven-haired girl who obviously wanted to cast a quick Silencing Charm.

Harry was pretty surprised. Lavender and Seamus had seemed a pretty solid couple since Christmas of last year. But nothing surprised him more, than when an unwelcome guest at the Gryffindor table stopped behind him and cleared his throat obviously.

Harry turned in his seat, whilst shoving a large potato into his mouth. He nearly swallowed it whole, when he found the menacing form of Professor Snape shadowing his chair.

The pensive, pallid-faced Potions Master raised one perfectly arched, sadistic eyebrow at him. Harry stared back at him, avoiding the feeling of intimidation the man normally cast down on anyone to be graced with his presence.

"Where is Miss. Granger?"

Harry frowned, Ron answered for him. "Why d’you want to know?"

"That, Mr. Weasley, does not concern you. May I add, perhaps before opening your mouth in future, you empty it first? Two points from Gryffindor for your obvious, and disgusting lack of manners." The Slytherin sneered before he turned his attention back to the Gryffindor seeker. "Again, Mr. Potter, where is Miss. Granger?"

"No idea. She could be in the library, I suppose."

Snape nodded curtly and before Harry could echo Ron’s question, he had strode away from the table and out of the doors.

Severus left the library, the door slamming shut behind him. Hermione wasn’t there and hadn’t been seen there at all, according to Madam Pince. He mentally kicked himself. How could he have let her unearth that tidal wave of emotion and guilt and then allow her to leave, with it fresh in her mind? He grimaced and continued to sweep down the corridor at a brisk pace, almost knocking down a frightened-looking first year.

The next place to look would obviously be Gryffindor Tower. He sighed. He would have to ask Minerva. Irritated, he made his way up to that part of the castle and accosted her just as she was about to enter the portrait hole.

"A word, Minerva?" he asked nodding his head over to a lonely spot, which was out of earshot of the steady stream of Gryffindor students, lazily making their way towards their common room.

Minerva looked up at his voice and crossed over to where he was standing. "Yes, Severus?"

"Could you possibly find Miss. Granger for me? I’d like a word with her."

She looked at him curiously. "Any particular reason?"

"I need to tell her something about her…" He thought quickly. Tell her what? His mind remained blank. He wasn’t about tell her what Hermione had been through, especially without her permission.

"Her Potions work?"

"Yes…yes, that’s it."

She regarded him coldly, "I will see if she’s in her dormitory. I must ask you to only keep her a few minutes."

"Of course."

Minerva stepped behind the portrait and made her way through the common room. A group of first years were reading the notice board, while the rest were sitting around, talking, doing homework and playing a game of Gobstones.

Quickly, she climbed the stone steps, until she found herself at a door at the top of the tower. The seventh year girl’s dormitory. She turned the handle and stepped inside.

Three of the girls were inside. Lavender was braiding Parvati’s hair while Erica read aloud from a Muggle magazine.

"Okay…question three. Do you prefer- a, the boy next door, b, the rebel, c, the science geek or d, the se-Professor!" All three girls jumped and Erica closed the magazine with a snap.

Minerva nodded to her, "Miss Stout. I don’t suppose any of you have seen Miss. Granger?"

"Hermione?" answered Lavender. " Not since…well, Potions class before lunch. She wasn’t here this morning either."

"She did not sleep in the dormitory?"

Lavender went red as Erica and Parvati glared at her.

"I see. If you see her, please tell her that Professor Snape wishes to speak to her."

She left the room, but before the door closed, she heard Parvati’s voice.

"You keep telling her she should get out more, and the minute she does it, you go running to McGonagall!"

"I didn’t go running…"

Minerva shook her head and wiped the small smile from her face before entering the common room. Girls would be girls, she thought, strangely out of character. Though she didn’t approve of any of her House being out of bed when they shouldn’t be, she decided not to comment. It looked as if Miss. Granger was becoming more herself again.

Severus paced the hallway. The thought that he wasn’t entirely sure what he was going to say to Hermione when she came out had just occurred to him. Was he overstepping the thin line of trust that lay between them already, by visiting the tower like this?

In answer, the portrait slid aside. Minerva was now facing him.

"I’m sorry, but she’s not here Severus."

He paused, wondering if he’d heard her correctly. "She’s not there?"

"No. Perhaps you might try the library?"

"I’ve already been there."

"Well, maybe you could talk to her tomorrow."

"Where else would she be?"

"I do not expect Hermione to tell me her exact location at every minute of the day, Severus. Is it really that important?"

Severus wasn’t listening. His mind scanned all the possible places that Hermione could be. Where he had gone.

"The grounds," he said, half to himself.

"Pardon?"

Snape didn’t reply, his footsteps swept soundlessly across the floor as he made his way towards the doors that led to the grounds.

Minerva frowned at his retreating back and left the portrait also, but in the opposite direction.

Albus Dumbledore was setting the Hogwarts seal onto the back of an envelope when Minerva McGonagall emerged from the staircase that led to his quarters.

He smiled at her whilst attaching it to the outstretched leg of a large, superior-looking barn owl. "Good evening, Minerva." The owl took flight and soared through his window.

She looked back at him seriously. "I wish to talk to you, Albus. About Severus."

"Anything in particular?"

"He came to see me this evening. He was looking for Hermione Granger, about her Potions work, apparently. But…I don’t think that was quite the reason."

"Why do you doubt his intentions?"

"I’m not sure, Albus. It seemed to be more than that. He had the strangest look in on his face when I told him I didn’t know where Miss. Granger was."

Dumbledore slowly raised himself from the chair. "He was looking for Miss. Granger?"

"Yes."

"Did he say where he was going?"

"The grounds, I think. He said she wasn’t in the library."

The Headmaster left his desk and walked over to where Fawkes, a magnificently coloured phoenix, was perched on a tall bookcase.

"If you wouldn’t mind, Fawkes?" The bird shook itself and untucked its wings.

"If you happen to see Severus, make sure he knows I want to see him."

"Why is he really looking for her, Albus?

The phoenix flew through the window and Dumbledore watched his path as he circled the grounds. Then he turned back to the Gryffindor Head of House. "You should sit down, Minerva. I don’t imagine he’ll be long."

Indeed he wasn’t. Not less than five minutes later, the phoenix swooped through the window, landing on Dumbledore’s shoulder, singing dolefully.

"You could not find her?" he asked the bird. Fawkes became silent.

Dumbledore fingered his long, white beard thoughtfully. Then, Snape emerged from the staircase, his dark robes thrown askew and his raven-like hair clinging to the few beads of perspiration still lingering on his forehead.

"Tell that bloody bird, nobody appreciates being swooped down on without warning." Snape sneered at the offending creature.

Ignoring him, Dumbledore asked, "Did you find her, Severus?"

Snape shook his head, wordlessly in frustration.

Dumbledore sighed.

"Perhaps we should enlist the aid of the portraits and resident ghost, Headmaster?" McGonagall asked looking between the two worried wizards, confusion clearly written on her face.

"That would be wise," responded Dumbledore.

The witch heaved a sigh. "Would somebody please tell me, what is going on here? And may I ask, where is Miss. Granger?"

"Minerva, I rather think that you ought to sit down for this." Dumbledore said, the twinkling merriment strangely absent from his blue eyes.


Thanks to beta Angel.


I Don't Want To Be Alone by DistinctVagueness [Reviews - 6]

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