Alarm Clock

Harry needs help. It was Ron who said it, not me. Yes, it was a most blatant thing to say, but the words rung in my head like an alarm clock. I couldn't turn it off, though. I tried and tried to ignore it, but so what? My conscience was getting the best of me.

Harry needs help. There it goes again. This time I heard it while I was writing my potions essay. Another alarm was ringing inside me, too. A stronger, egotistical alarm. N.E.W.T.S. It was what I lived off of these days. It made me feel self-assured in a way. I fed off the thought instead of feeling guilty about skipping lunch. The only thing that it couldn't make me do is reduce my remorse about Harry.

I was way beyond the minimum for the essay, but did I care? No, and I didn't care that it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and that everyone was at Hogsmeade. My friends did try to take me, and I think the conversation went something like this:

"Come on, we're going to Hogsmeade." That was Harry sounding slightly optimistic. That's right, he's not the touchy, temperamental fifteen-year-old anymore. He's the incredibly hey-I'm-down-in-the-dumps-twenty-four-seven-so-just-leave-me-alone-and-let-me-brood-okay? sixteen-year-old.

"I've got to finish my potions essay. It's due on Wednesday." Well, four days isn't alot of time, okay?

Ron said, "You said we'd go." Did I?

"I can't. I don't think I'll enjoy it either, not with all this work left." Ron then stared at me disapprovingly. When has that ever happened?

"Fine," he finally said, "We'll have fun without you. And we won't bring you anything from Honeydukes, either." Good old Ron. Of course, I didn't believe that he wasn't going to get me anything from Honeydukes. He always does. So they went, which left me to go to the library. A part of my mind was on the essay, the other part was hoping that Ron could cheer Harry up.

I worked until I was done with my potions essay. Evening was approaching, but everyone was probably still at Hogsmeade. I took out my potions book and started memorizing the ingredients for a Skin Dullifying potion. I memorize the ingredients to all potions, in case I need to think of the ingredients in an emergency. Don't ask me why I would need to know the Skin Dullifying potion in an emergency. That's just how I am. Do you know what my biggest fear is? No, it's not getting a 99% on a test. Or, well, it sort of is. My biggest fear is being left helpless. I hate the thought of not being prepared when I could have been prepared. I guess that's why I am the way I am.

I looked over the ingredients a few times and then closed the book to see if I memorized them.

Stewed horned slugs. The sun was setting, everyone should be back from Hogsmeade now.

Sneezewort. I can hear people come into the common room. Should I go down and meet Harry and Ron? I admit that I haven't spent as much time as I should with them lately. I knew I should have because Harry really needed it. Instead Ron has tried to take care of him. Ron has been acting angry at me lately, because I'm scared to stray from my books. The truth is that I'm scared to stray from my books because I'm afraid to face Harry. I wanted him to get help, but I didn't want to be distracted because of him. Am I really that selfish?

Rat tails, bezoar, daisy roots and...and what came after daisy roots? I chose to go down and meet them, my guilt overriding my stubborn dedication to school for the first time in a long time.

Daisy roots and... Harry and Ron weren't in the common room, but a lot of noise was coming from the boys' dorms, so I went to go and see what was up. It seemed that all the Gryffindor boys were in the Sixth Years' dorm, judging by the racket. I squeezed into the room. Everyone was yelling and wooting. I looked to the bed on the left, which was Ron's bed. No one was there.

Daisy roots and... I went unnoticed by the crowd. Everyone was looking towards Harry's bed, but I couldn't see over the heads. Curse all their teenage growth spurts. I heard whispers from the crowd. "Don't know how they got hold of them...from Hogshead I suspect." What was going on?

I finally managed to squeeze through to the front. Harry and Ron were sitting on the floor next to Harry's bed. Both of them were holding bottles of Firewhisky. Harry had his right arm around Ron's shoulders, and they were both grinning up at the crowd. I couldn't tell if they were drunk, but they had definetely missed when taking a few sips, because some of the Firewhisky had spilled onto the floor. They smiled at me sheepishly when they saw me. I was going to yell at them, but communication just wasn't possible with all these people here. I took a few minutes to measure up how much Firewhisky had spilt onto the floor and how much was left in the bottles. They barely drank any!

I needed to get these people out of here. I cleared my throat and yelled out to the crowd. Nobody heard me. I jumped onto Harry's bed and screamed, "Excuse me, may I have your attention!" Everyone quieted.

"Thank you. The show's over. I would like for everyone to leave this dorm now. And please do it as quickly and efficiently as possible as I'm the only prefect that's still sober, so that I don't have any problems." Everyone left, still talking, and sending glances towards Harry and Ron. Seamus, Dean, and Neville just sort of stood around, not really sure what to do. I ignored them. I jumped off the bed and glared at Harry and Ron.

"What do you think you're doing? And I expect a straight answer as the two of you are certainly not drunk." I crossed my arms and stared down at them. They stared back at me, frowning. They quickly exchanged glances, got up, and walked out the door. I whirled around to Neville.

"What happened at Hogsmeade?" I demanded. Neville shrugged. I looked at Seamus and Dean. They didn't know either. Great, I'll have to go and find out myself. I ran down to the common room. Where we they? I asked the Fat Lady. Harry and Ron had left Gryffindor Tower. I ran down the stairs, my eyes alert, but I couldn't find them. I went all the way down, until I heard the doors going outside from the Entrance Hall, open and close. They were going outside. I went to the Entrance Hall, and out the great double doors.

It was dark outside, and I couldn't see where they were. I finally saw them, walking briskly towards the shining lake.

"Ron! Harry!" I yelled running after them. Ron glanced back. He grabbed Harry's arm, or hand, I couldn't tell, and they walked faster towards the lake. I understood now. They were doing this to annoy me. Ron was getting me back for not going to Hogsmeade with them. There was no other explanation. I slowed my steps. I guess he really meant it this time, when he got mad at me for not spending any time with them.

I walked the rest of the way to the lake. Ron and Harry were just sort of sitting around, probably waiting for me.

"Look, guys, I'm sorry." I said, sitting down next to them. My legs were exhausted from all the running, and my muscles were tightening up. Ron's face was pale from the moonlight reflected from the water onto his face. I couldn't see Harry's face, though, it was covered by a shadow. Ron looked at me.

"Sorry for what?"

"For, I don't know, dumping you guys for my books I guess." Harry shifted from where he was sitting and I could see his face now. I thought I saw him grin. Ron smiled at me.

"We kind of dumped you, too. Didn't we, Harry?"

"Oh yes..." Harry said, stroking Ron's arm. I stared at them. They stared back, expecting a reaction.

"Guys, don't do this to me." I moaned. They laughed. It wasn't an okay-everything-is-alright-now kind of laugh. It was too sarcastic for that. Apparently, they were still mad at me. Ron put his arm around Harry's shoulders. I jumped up.

"Please, stop it." I couldn't take this anymore. They didn't say anything, but stared at me curiously, wondering what I'll do. I had to do something drastic. Something that will make them forgive me instantly. I considered jumping into the lake.

"I'm going to jump," I said, moving to the edge of the lake. They didn't move. Either they didn't believe that I was going to jump or they didn't care. I had to risk it. I shivered against the wind. The water was probably freezing. I sighed. I would only do such a childish thing for Ron and Harry. I took a deep breath and jumped. The water was so cold that I felt my bones go numb.

I let myself sink until I stopped and waited. No one came. I am such an idiot. I forgot that they know that I can swim. Maybe I should pretend that the giant squid got me.....no, I'll just have to get out and talk to them. I swam back up to the surface where Harry and Ron were waiting for me. They were so composed that you would have thought that they had been playing cards the whole time. My arms ached by the time I got to the surface. I put my arms on the edge and tried to pull myself up. Ron and Harry pulled me out after watching me struggle for a few moments. I have some great friends, don't I?

I sat shivering and with my teeth chattering. My hair was matted and wet. I felt desperate. What was I going to do?

Ron and Harry had stopped fooling around and were now looking at me seriously.

"Look, Hermione," Ron said, "You haven't been helping at all, since the year started. You've been avoiding us. And you weren't there when we both needed to help Harry." So this was what this was about. Harry needs help. There went my alarm clock again. I looked at Harry.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I really did need you and Ron, even if I haven't been acting like it."

"So," Ron said, "I wanted to find a way to distract him...." Harry blushed.

"Wait," I said, "You weren't doing this just to annoy me?"

"I don't know. Maybe I was. I told myself I was. I liked that reason better than serving as a distraction for Harry." I sighed in relief. I think everything's ok. I think my friends are normal.

But then I frowned again. "You know, I could have thought of better distractions." This time Harry and Ron both grinned. I stopped.

"Uh, no, that's not what I meant." They laughed.

"We know," Ron said. "That's why he...we needed you. I was going to see if playing Quidditch instead this afternoon would have done better, but I couldn't risk it." He gestured towards Harry. "Doesn't he just speak suicidal teenager."

"Hey!" Harry said. Now, it was my turn to laugh.

"So everything's alright now?" I said.

"Yup, everything's normal." Harry said.

"Will you have us back, Hermione? I don't think I could stand it if you are constantly double-timing us with your books." Ron said. I grinned happily.

"Of course, don't feel bad that my books are hotter than you guys, because they'll never replace you." We stood up and I grabbed both of them around the necks and hugged them. I felt their fingers touch behind my wet back. I broke away and looked at them.

"Just kidding," Harry said.

We walked back up to the castle. Besides the fact that I was wet and freezing and that I would probably get a cold and my hair would be completely messed up tomorrow morning, everything was alright now. Plus, the stupid alarm clock stopped.