Masked [Dramione]

4 - The Astronomy Tower

"It's not like Ron to skip lunch..." Hermione expressed to Harry worridly as she stirred her tomato soup around the bowl. Ron had bolted ahead after potions so neither of them actually caught sight of where he went. Hermione just assumed he had rushed off to the great hall but she had been there for fifteen minutes and there was still no sight of him.

"It's not like Ron to skip a meal at all, let alone lunch." Harry agreed, with a similar worried tone. "Even at Fred's funeral he spent most of the wake by the food table."

"I know, I had to drag him away in the end." Hermione laughed softly, remembering the day. "Do you think he's okay, Harry?"

"I honestly don't know... How about we finish our lunch and then go look for him, yeah?"

Even though she was still really annoyed at him, she was also worried. She loved him a lot, but whether it was just as a friend was a question that had been going round in her head for a while. 

"Are you okay?" Harry asked, noticing her vague expression as she continued to stir the soup.

"I will be." She looked up at him with a forced a smile. He put his glass of pumpkin juice down on the table and placed his hand upon hers, looking her in the eye.

"Of course you will. You're Hermione Granger!"

"Thanks." She laughed gently and this time it was genuine.

"Now eat up. We have a red-haired friend to find!"

*

The pair of them had a free period after lunch, as did Ron, so they knew he wouldn't be in any classes.

"If you were Ron where would you go?"

"Well normally I would say wherever there is food, but we can rule that one out." Harry responded smiling. "He's not with Neville or Seamus because I saw them in the great hall and he wouldn't be with Ginny, she has transfiguration after lunch."

"He definitely won't be in the library either."

"Unless he was looking for you?"

"I doubt it..."

"Okay, well I'm thinking he's either gone down to Hagrid's or he's at the top of the astronomy tower."

"Do you want to check Hagrid's?" Hermione suggested.

"Alright. If he's not there I'll meet you in the tower, if he is there then I'll bring him to you."

"So either way, I wait in the tower until you arrive?"

"Basically, yeah." Harry laughed.

"Okay, I'll see you there."

Hermione turned on her heels and made her way towards the Astronomy tower whilst Harry buttoned up his jacket and walked out of the large doors in to the snow covered courtyard.

As soon as Hermione opened the door at the bottom of the Astronomy tower stairs she felt the icy draught hit her cheeks and adjusted her scarf so that is covered her neck completely. Close to the top of the spiral staircase she caught sight of a pair of feet close to the railings which overlooked the entire grounds and the mountains that surrounded. As soon as she stepped on to the wooden floor at the top of the stairs it creaked, causing the other person in the tower to turn around suddenly.

"Fancy meeting you here."

"Malfoy?" She gasped, not expecting to bump in to him at all.

"Did you follow me here?" He smirked, turning his body completely and leaning with his back against the railing.