Chapter 4: Missing
Near dinner time, Harry waited for Hermione and Ron in the Entrance Hall.
"Harry!" Hermione said, slightly breathless, running down the last few marble steps.
"Have you seen Ron?" Harry asked her, as she embraced him gently and kissed his cheek. Ron told him he would meet him in the Entrance Hall, but he still wasn't here yet.
"No, I thought he was with you." She answered, pulling away from him and looking at him curiously.
"No, I haven't seen him since our last class, a little while ago." Harry said slowly, looking down at Hermione and mirroring her curious face.
"How many times does Ron show up late for a meal?" Harry thought to himself. He saw Hermione's facial features turn into a worried look, and he froze.
"Ah well, I'm sure he'll catch up!" Harry said, shrugging slightly and taking Hermione's hand as they walked into the Great Hall together.
He didn't want to worry her, or himself for that matter. But the way things were lately, one could never be too careful...
Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Common room, Parvati's thoughts swam. She sighed, gazing into the crackling fire. What was she to do? She had feelings for two people at the same time! Her mind began to spin, as her thoughts began to eat away at her.
First, there was Ron. Ah yes, Ron. His blue eyes that reflected the firelight, when they spent endless hours, laughing in the common room. His ears, that seemed to turn the colour of his flaming red hair, when he was nervous or angry. His strong arms, that seemed to embrace you when you were feeling sad or alone.
But then, there was Harry. His magnificent smile, that seemed to light up the room. His wonderful laugh, that rang sweetly in her ears. His jet black hair, that never seemed to want to lay flat. His strong, frim body that he had developed from all those years of Quidditch. His kind spirit, and his will to do good.
She was truly torn, as she sat there, thinking of pros and cons for each of them, only to mentally rip them up in her head and start again.
Suddenly, her head leaped up from her hands. She had finally decided who she liked more. She thought she might even love him. Her heart did a little summer-salt in her in her chest, as a grin spread across her face.
She then sighed, feeling slightly depressed. Her shoulders slumped downwards, as she lacked on her effort to keep them up. A pout broke across her face as she began to wonder how she was going to tell him she liked someone else.
"I'll get him to meet me in the library. He has to know..." She muttered solemnly to herself.
She knew what she was doing was wrong. She knew that this would crush Ron, but she had to do it.
She had to be with Harry, at all costs.
* * *
Hermione and Harry finished their dinner and made their way back up to the Common room. Harry made it first, halting in
front of the fat lady and saying the password to her. She swung open, letting him and Hermione enter.
"So, where do you think Ron could be?" Hermione asked, with a hint of worry, sitting beside Harry on the couch.
"I'm sure he'll turn up," Harry said, looking around the common room and spotting a peice of parchment on a table nearby. His curiousity got the better of him and he hopped up, walked over to the table, and picked up the parchment. He unfolded it and realized that it was addressed to him, it read:
Hey Harry,
I just have to pop down to the library, I should be back shortly! Don't start your homework without me!
-Ron
"That's odd. Ron left me a note." He said, walking back over to Hermione and sitting down. He gave her the note and watched as her eyes darted across the page.
"Oh, then we have nothing to worry about." She said, folding up the note and leaving it beside her on the couch.
"Yeah, he should be back shortly." Harry said, putting his arm around Hermione...
Ron was at the library waiting for Parvati. "She said it was urgent, that can't be a good!" A little voice in his head spoke up.
"Yeah, but I mean... It can't be anything too bad. You trust Parvati!" Another voice spoke up against his head, his heart. Ron sighed.
"Hey R-r-r-r-on," Parvati stammered. She sat down beside him, watching him nervously.
"Hey Parvati, what's wrong?" He said soothingly.
"Ron, we need to talk." She said more confidently.
"What about?"
"Well, there's no easy way for me to say this..." She paused hesitantly.
"Oh great! Now your for it!" The voice that was his head spoke up yet again.
"Oh give her a CHANCE!" His heart argued.
"Ron, I'm breaking up with you. I like someone else -- It's not you, it's me."
Ron's face turned red in embarrassment, his head began to spin. He wanted to drop dead right there, or at least get rid of the pain that was now engulfing him.
"Yell at her! Don't let her get away with this, you GIT!" His head roared.
"Calm down, this was bound to happen sooner or later..." His heart yet again disagreed. Ron settled on his own answer.
"How could you?" He said calmly, but with so much passion. This unnerved Parvati. "I loved you Parvati, I loved you... There, I said it!" Ron got up and walked away, completely washing his hands of the current situation.
"What was I thinking?" Parvati whispered quietly to herself. "Ron wait!" She called after him, but it was no use, he was gone...
* * *
Later that night, Harry and Hermione were still sitting in the common room, waiting for Ron.
"We better get some sleep, Herm. I'm sure Ron will turn up later," Harry whispered, kissing her head, as a few second year boys walked passed, chuckling and whispering at Hermione curled up beside Harry on the couch. Harry caught sight of them and stuck his tongue out in their direction, that shut them up as they scurried away.
"Harry," she looked up at him dazedly, "Tomorrow is Saturday..."
"Oh yeah! I must be day-dreaming a little too much," Harry sighed, chuckling slightly into Hermione's chestnut curls.
"Have you seen Ron at all since our last class today?" Hermione asked, worry building up in the pit of her stomach.
"No, it's weird, he's never missed a meal," he answered, looking slightly curious, "But I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Harry shrugged.
"True," Hermione agreed, shrugging slighty, as well. "Don't you have Quidditch practice tomorrow?" She asked, putting her head back on his shoulder.
"Yeah, our first one this year! Stupid weather conditions," Harry scoffed, for Quidditch had been canceled, due to heavy rain and wind storms. He had never imagined that Hogwarts would stop Quidditch for a rainstorm, but he had to admit, it was worse then the rainstorm that raged on during one of their other Quidditch matches in third year. Harry sighed, It was the first week of November already, time had flown by so fast, and they were nearly finished their first term.
"Just a little over one more month, and we're free! Well atleast for the Christmas holidays..." Harry chuckled softly. "Herm, are you staying for Christmas?" He added enthusiastically.
"Of course! My parents are going on a holiday without me!" She said, pretending to be offended "They're going skiing in Ontario, they're going to rent a cabin. I don't want to go, it's freezing in Canada!" Hermione added, shivering slightly. She was making up excuses, but she knew that deep down, she just didn't want to leave Harry.
"Yeah, I suppose your right." Harry sighed, his mind now thinking of all of the fun he, Ron and Hermione were going to have over the up-coming holiday.
* * *
Early the next morning Harry woke up, realizing he was again in Hermione's bed. He sat up and saw her on the edge of the bed, staring intently at him. Her lips broke into a sweet smile when she saw him sit up.
"Did I sleep on the armchair again?" Harry sighed, blushing slightly.
"Maybe." Said Hermione, in a tone that automattically gave the answer away.
"Were you watching me sleep?" He raised his eyebrow sarcastically.
"No!" Hermione tried to hold back the look of guilt, that so badly wanted to burst onto her face, and the laughter that wanted to errupt from her lips, but she couldn't even if she tried. She burst into giggles looking down at his 'oh-don't-lie-to-me-Hermione' face.
Harry blushed a deeper red. "Why were you watching me?"
"Because," said Hermione, knowing that what she was about to say next, was going to mortify him. "You look so CUTE when you sleep!" She put an emphisis on the word 'cute', which made Harry cringe.
"I'm not cute! I'm rugged and manly!" He said, puffing out his chest.
Hermione giggled even louder, falling to the floor and rolling around.
"Okay, okay... You can get up now! You don't have to make it THAT obvious that I was exaggerating!" Harry sighed, slumping his shoulders, as he watched her roll around in fits of giggles.
She got back up, still chuckling softly, as he laid back down. She laid down beside him, resting her head on the same spot on his chest. "What are we going to do today?"
"I don't know, but I've been wondering, I haven't seen much of Ron lately, where is he?"
* * *
Ron woke up in a cold, dreary room, with bars on the windows and door. Strips of light poured through them, blinding his vision. As he sat up, he slowly recalled the events of last night.
He was hoping that whatever foul creatures were in the forest would finish him off. He just kept walking deeper into the heart of the forest, despite his conscience practically screaming at him to go back.
And, that was when he felt a spell hit him from behind. He had fallen to the ground, was knocked into unconsciousness, and now he was here - wherever 'here' was.
He stood up, dusting himself off and taking in his surroundings. The room was unusually cold and damp. The stone walls reeked with mildew, as spiders and other insects crawled along the floor in packs. The only light was the blinding sun, which shone into the room in bars from the window.
"Damnit!" Ron said aloud to himself in frustration. His voice echoed through the stone chamber, as he stood by the wall and gave it an almighty kick with his foot. A searing pain burst through his foot, ran up his leg, and he gasped in pain a second later, stumbling slightly. He was louder then he had intended to be, for now a dark cloaked figure was walking his way.
"He wants to see you." The mysterious person said in a cold whisper.
"Who are you? What do you want with me!? Who's 'He'?!" Ron yelled, getting scared as the person unlocked the barred cell with his wand. He grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him out of the room, continuing to drag him around the corner and down the hall.
* * *A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the story so far! Anyway, I would really like it of you all would review! The more you review, the faster I post! Please people, I really want your input! It's very important to me! Anyway, hopefully I'll be updating very soon!