Seven Reasons Not to Love

Seven Reasons Not to Love

Part One - Falcon's Perch

Hermione was concerned. Very concerned. She glanced at her watch, seeing it was now almost 2.30am. The Gryffindor common room had long been abandoned, and she was pacing up and down, waiting. She flung herself down into an armchair and stared at the embers in the fireplace. They glowed gently, setting the room in contrast between the deep shadows, and long, thin blocks of red light. This was definitely the latest he'd ever been. Perhaps something had happened, he'd been acting oddly all week. She jumped up and resumed pacing, deciding if he weren't back by three she'd go to Harry.

However, just then, the portrait hole opened and Ron stepped through. He swayed slightly as if drunk, but then straightened and made a move towards the staircase. Relief flooded her. And it drained straight through her when she saw his face. It was apparent the moment he had spotted her; the flash of some emotion she couldn't place in his eyes.

"Ron! Harry and I have been so worried, where've you been? Are you okay?" she said, rushing to him anyway. He looked her in the eyes, silent a moment before speaking.

"Of course I am. You don't have to wait up for me, Hermione. I'm not a child!" he said flatly, his voice raised as though angry, but completely devoid of the feeling.

"What? But Ron, we were concerned...you were supposed to be here to..."

"I know, I know! Stop it. Just go to bed, and in future keep your noses out," he said. He fixed her with a look that was so unlike Ron that she took an involuntary step backwards. Then he walked off towards the staircase without another word. Hermione stared after him, her mouth slightly open before she let out a sound of indignation and stalked back to her own dormitory. Ron would regret speaking to her in that way in the morning. He'd likely apologise straight away.

Back in her dormitory she lay down and pulled her purple duvet over herself, shivering slightly as she did. Closing her eyes, she saw the image of Ron stepping back through the portrait hole, the look of emptiness that she saw in his eyes. His toneless voice playing in her mind. Hermione shifted and turned so she could see out of the window through the gap in her drapes. The night was fairly clear, and she could see the moon just behind a wispy strand of cloud that floated by. Something was wrong, she was sure of it.

The next morning, Hermione woke slowly. She'd slept badly, dreaming constantly of searching for something. Whatever it was she could never find it.

"Morning Hermione," Lavender said cheerfully as Hermione flung her legs over the side of the bed. "You slept later than usual today, you feeling okay?"

"Sure, I'm fine thanks Lavender."

"Okay. I'll see you later then, I'm going to breakfast now," she said and disappeared from the room.

As she dressed she recalled the reason she'd been up so late. Running her brush through her hair she wondered if Ron and Harry had been looking for her. Well, Ron sure had some apologising to do now. She and Harry had been so worried. She frowned. It wasn't like Ron to disappear like that, or to so completely dismiss her. She lay the brush down, deciding her appearance wasn't going to change no matter how many times she tried to flatten her hair, and made her way down into the common room.

On reaching the room, Hermione saw Harry sat in the corner by the fire, waiting. But he was alone. Almost completely, as there were only two other people still in the common room.

"Hi Hermione," Harry said, looking up from his book.

"Hi, where's Ron? Is he avoiding me?"

"What? No, I don't think so. He just went on to breakfast. Said he was starving. What makes you think he's avoiding you?"

"Last night, he didn't get back until nearly three. Then he was all weird with me, when I tried to tell him that we were worried." She watched Harry, his expression of surprise indicating he had no idea. "Have you spoken to him this morning?" she asked.

"Yes," Harry stood and they both started towards the portrait hole. "He didn't say you fought."

"Well we didn't exactly. He just told me that you and I should butt out."

"That's odd. He didn't say anything to me," Harry said, stepping out of the common room. Hermione frowned. What was Ron doing?

After that, they descended the stairs in silence, until they could see the entrance to the great hall. There were a few teachers gathered there, ushering the students in, all looking harassed. Hermione paused.

"Wonder what's going on," she muttered. She and Harry exchanged quizzical glances before hurrying towards the hall. Hermione stepped up level with Professor McGonagal.

"Professor, what's..."

"Miss Granger, please go into the hall like all the other students and then you'll find out," the professor said shortly, giving Hermione a little push.

"Must be something important," Harry said as they turned off towards the Gryffindor table. They had barely taken three steps when an unwelcome, yet familiar voice spoke from behind them.

"Well, well. Look at that. Potter without his full entourage. What on earth is the world coming to?" Malfoy said, his voice thick with sarcasm like coke with too much syrup. Hermione turned to face him, surprised to see that he was flanked by more than just Crabbe and Goyle this time.

"Shove off, Malfoy. I don't care what you want," Harry said without turning. Malfoy laughed softly.

"I'd have thought you'd have realised by now Potter, that it's no longer about what I want with you." He paused, Hermione supposed for dramatic effect. At this Harry turned and Malfoy leant forwards slightly. He whispered, but each word was perfectly clear, "We answer to a higher authority."

"Do I look like I care?" Harry said, folding his arms. Hermione followed suit.

"You threats are just words, Malfoy," she added. When she spoke, they all looked at her. Almost staring directly at her, and she felt a shiver of unease.

"You should care, Harry Potter," Malfoy said, still staring at Hermione. She looked him in the eye. His expression was cold and blank, just like Ron's had been yesterday. "One would think under the circumstances, you'd be a lot more concerned." Malfoy glanced from Harry back to Hermione. She let her arms drop gradually, uncomfortable with his intense stare. The group behind Malfoy sniggered. Hermione wanted to say something to make him look away, but then he smirked crookedly, turned and walked away.

Hermione realised she'd been holding her breath. She exhaled slowly, letting the tension she hadn't noticed building up go. She was struck suddenly with the intensity of that gaze; how such icy grey starkness could contain such power. How she could feel weak and threatened by his simply implying a threat. She shuddered and turned away. Harry had been watching Malfoy go back to the Slytherin table. Only once he and all his cronies were seated did Harry turn and head over to his table with her.

"Are you okay, Harry?" she asked, more out of habit than actually needing to ask it.

"Fine. How about you?" They exchanged glances and Hermione opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Was she okay? Should she tell Harry how threatened she felt just then? She averted her gaze.

"I'm okay."

Hermione sat beside Harry at the Gryffindor house table, making a point of not speaking to Ron who was sat on Harry's other side. Out of the corner of her eye she could see he was staring across the table, not even looking her way. She looked away, narrowing her eyes in irritation. Ron was an idiot.

"Students! If I could have your attention!" Dumbledore's authoritative voice called out over the hall. The hall hushed almost immediately, and all heads turned towards the teachers' desk. Hermione leant on the table, propping her chin up on her hand. There was no doubt that Dumbledore had some news for them, and Hermione was sure it wasn't good. His eyes seemed flattened, without hope almost.

"It is my grave duty to inform you all that last night in the early hours of the morning an illegal spell was performed in the castle. It is unclear who performed it, and why, but I assure you all there is an investigation going on this minute to ascertain that. Secondly, it is unfortunate that I must report one of our pupils has gone missing. If any of you has any information concerning the whereabouts of Miss Luna Lovegood then please speak with your Head of House. Thank you. And now to less troublesome things." Dumbledore finished and sat down to eat breakfast, immediately turning to talk to professor McGonagal.

Hermione turned to find Harry already looking at her. His expression was grim, and she could see the beginnings of guilt there. Harry was already suspecting the worst, and placing the blame upon himself. Just like he always did.

"Wow. That's bad. I hope Luna's okay," he said quietly, turning to his toast.

"I'm sure she'll be found. No one knows You-Know-Who is to blame yet," she said, picking at her cereal. Harry dropped the toast.

"He never said that. I never said that."

"I know. I thought you'd assume...that everyone...sorry." She didn't look at him, and they both sat in a moment's awkward silence, when Ron suddenly got up and walked away. So suddenly it was as thought he'd been summoned. Hermione and Harry both stared after him, and then looked at each other.

"Ron!" Harry called. Ron paused and turned. "Where are you going?" At this question Ron seemed to look blank for a second, as though he didn't know. But then he spoke.

"I left my bag in the library. Yesterday," he said, before walking away from them. Hermione sighed, throwing down her spoon.

"What is going on with him?" she said, more as a rhetorical question than one requiring a response.

"Don't know, but that sure wasn't Ron as he usually is."

"Do you think he's in trouble, Harry?"

"I don't know. Why wouldn't he have told us?"

They sat again in silence, staring at the exit Ron had left through. Then, with a sigh Harry too rose.

"Come on then. Let's go get our stuff. I'll see what Ron says in transfiguration." He set off, Hermione following closely behind.

They did not, however need to wait until transfiguration for Harry to talk to Ron, as they met him in the common room. Both Harry and Hermione collected their bags in silence, exchanging equally concerned looks at the way Ron was staring out of the window, almost pointedly ignoring them.

"Ron, are you okay?" Harry asked, carefully approaching.

"Fine thanks," Ron said, monotone. Hermione felt a pang of irritation.

"It's obviously not okay, Ron. Why are you ignoring us?" She crossed her arms. Ron turned to face them, his eyes narrowed.

"If I say it's okay, then it is, Hermione. Perhaps you should get off your high perch sometime and stop watching over everyone. You have no right to." And with that he stalked out of the room. Harry looked at her again, his expression showing concern equal to her own. She was now sure something was wrong, and it wasn't a trivial something either.