The Thunder in My Heart

The Marauders

Hermione smiled to herself as the door of the bedroom next to hers clicked to. One thing Headmistress McGonagall had ensured was that it was fairly difficult to sneak between or out of the year-eight dorm rooms. It had made her shake her head in amusement about that night that Harry and Draco had crept out to Hogsmeade, Harry had been so careful to cast a silencing spell on their feet and had completely forgotten about his door.

So, perhaps it was her innate 'Prefect' nature, or simply that she was a Gryffindor, perhaps it was seven years of hanging around with Harry, or just that she knew that Harry was in the kitchen and it was Draco's door that had just creaked closed, but which ever reason, inquisitiveness got the better of her. She waited a few minutes to ensure neither men were returning to their rooms immediately, before turning her door handle and stepping out into the corridor. At least she was intelligent enough to cast a 'Muffliato' on her door first.

Her heart was thumping slightly more rapidly than usual as she peeked into the common room. She rolled her eyes at herself, she should be used to covert operations by now. But Hermione couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she watched Draco led Harry from the kitchen area to the sofa by the fire, and then levitate the bottle of Firewhiskey and their tumblers of ice towards them.

Perfect! It meant they were settling in for a while and she might just have enough time to sneak into Harry's room.

She turned around and had to flatten herself against the wall quickly before she got entangled in Draco's duvet as it swept out of his room and flew towards the two men. She felt Crookshanks rub against her legs and when she looked down, he stared up at her, unblinkingly, almost challenging her. He then turned away from her with his tail held high and flicking slightly before he disappeared around the end of the sofa to jump up and join the two men. She scowled when she saw that they were at opposite ends of the sofa and not snuggled up together, one of these two seriously needed to make a move soon. She would have groaned aloud but didn't dare make a noise, particularly as she was sure she could hear someone else quietly shuffling around their room further down the corridor.

Hermione carefully sidled along the passageway until she reached Harry's room where she cautiously tried the door handle. It was locked, of course, but she knew it was worth trying: sometimes Harry was too trusting for his own good.

She pointed her wand and wordlessly unlocked the door with an 'Alohomora'. Again, casting another 'Muffliato' because she was sure Harry's door was the worst for creaking loudly, she pushed open the door and stepped into his room, allowing the door to silently click shut behind her.

She wrinkled her nose, it smelt of teenage boys. She'd have to have a quiet word with Harry and probably the house-elves too that looked after the year eights. Casting a 'lumos', she glanced around the room. She shook her head in a very Molly Weasley fashion at the mess, then frowned, conscious that she would probably not be experiencing Weasley weekends and Molly's mannerisms for a long time. It made her heart sink a bit. Though not so much about Ron, she realised, no, more that she would miss the family very much, they had all been such a big part of her life and now that was cut off by Ron's brutish obstinance and lack of awareness for her own feelings. She sighed, letting her shoulders drop in the process. For the first time, she actually thought she was truly better off without him.

Determined not to delay her mission any further, she held her wand out and muttered 'Accio map!'.

Nothing happened.

She tried 'Accio Marauder's Map!'

Again, nothing.

She nearly tried 'Accio parchment!' but stopped in her tracks when she thought about what that might result in.