Earlier that day.
Because of his family situation, Harry Potter hadn't been granted permission to visit Hogsmeade. As a result, there was no way he should have been seen anywhere near the village.
But as the saying goes—wizards are not easily confined by rules.
Ron was sitting inside the Three Broomsticks, sipping a Butterbeer, when a familiar voice suddenly whispered in his ear. Startled, he glanced around in confusion.
It wasn't until someone poked him in the arm that Ron realized it wasn't his imagination.
"Ron, it's me—Harry."
"Harry? How did you—"
"Keep your voice down. I snuck out. Don't let anyone see me."
At Harry's warning, Ron quickly cast a glance around the pub.
Forcing himself not to look toward the source of the voice, Ron immediately realized what was happening—Harry must have been using his Invisibility Cloak. He hadn't expected him to actually go that far just to come to Hogsmeade.
Still, that didn't explain how Harry had even managed to get out of the castle.
"How did you get out of Hogwarts? Don't tell me you've learned to Apparate?"
"Of course not. It's thanks to this map George and Fred gave me that I was able to sneak out."
"A map? What map?"
Ron couldn't see him, but Harry's tone carried unmistakable excitement.
"Ron, you won't believe this—there are seven secret passages hidden inside Hogwarts that lead outside the castle! We've been there for three years and never noticed them!"
"...Passages that lead out of Hogwarts?"
It was Harry's first time in Hogsmeade, and he looked around with open fascination, completely unaware of the strange flicker in Ron's expression.
By the time Harry turned his attention back to him, that look was gone.
"By the way, where's Hermione? Weren't you with her?"
Though he asked, Harry didn't seem to expect a real answer. The tension between Ron and Hermione wasn't exactly subtle, and Harry was well aware of it.
But to his surprise, Ron actually answered.
"Hermione? I think she went toward the Shrieking Shack."
"The Shrieking Shack? I remember—there's a passage there, isn't there?"
If Ron could have seen him, he would have noticed Harry pulling a slightly worn piece of parchment from inside his robes. The old map was covered in countless markings and notes—it had to be the same map Harry had just mentioned.
...
This wasn't Ron's first time using the Invisibility Cloak with Harry.
Though Ron technically didn't need it—since he was allowed to be in Hogsmeade—he somehow ended up slipping beneath the cloak anyway.
The two of them vanished into thin air and trudged carefully toward the Shrieking Shack...
Crunch. Crunch.
Even though they tried to step quietly, the sound of boots pressing into snow betrayed their presence—along with the trail of footprints they left behind. Anyone observant enough would have easily noticed the prints appearing out of nowhere.
Fortunately, no one had spotted them yet.
And so, Harry and Ron arrived at the Shrieking Shack.
"Huh? Isn't that...?"
"Malfoy? What's he doing here?"
"That's strange. Listen, Ron—let's be careful. Don't let him see us."
Crouched behind a tree, they watched Draco intently, completely unaware of the large black dog lying silently nearby.
Harry's expression held a mix of confusion and anticipation—the thrill of someone on the verge of uncovering a secret.
Ron, on the other hand, was unusually quiet.
"Looks like he's waiting for someone... but why here?"
"Ron, do you think—wait! Look over there. Isn't that Hermione?"
Though he phrased it like a question, Harry's voice was certain. He had already recognized the figure sitting on the bench.
It was indeed their friend, Hermione Granger.
As confusion washed over them, Draco also seemed to notice the girl sitting there.
"Look—Malfoy's walking over."
"Don't tell me... Hermione's the one he was waiting for?"
"But... why?"
Harry's mouth fell open in disbelief.
He'd noticed before that Hermione sometimes acted a bit differently toward Draco, but this—this was the first time he'd seen them interact like this. Meeting secretly, no less.
Draco sat down beside her, and instead of pulling away, Hermione leaned her head gently against his shoulder. The quiet, intimate gesture made Harry nearly burst out from behind the tree to demand an explanation.
But it wasn't Harry who moved—it was Ron. Instead of anger, however, Ron reached out and grabbed Harry's arm.
"Wait, Harry. Someone else is coming."
Harry squinted toward the new figure. "Is that... Lockhart? What's he doing here?"
With Lockhart's sudden appearance, the scene before them grew even more tangled and mysterious.
So then, who exactly was Malfoy waiting for?
...
A faint murmur of voices reached her ears.
The air carried a familiar scent.
'Lupin is a werewolf? Sirius Black?'
'Whose voice is that...?'
Still half-dreaming, Hermione frowned slightly. She thought she heard Draco speaking.
At first, she assumed it was part of a dream—but the steady thump of his heartbeat and the clarity of his voice soon made her realize she was very much awake.
And with that realization came a rush of embarrassment.
She had only meant to sit and read quietly by herself.
So why, in the blink of an eye, was her book somehow resting in his lap... and why was she leaning against him, asleep?
Completely at a loss, Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, pretending not to notice anything—and hoping he wouldn't either.
But as Draco's low conversation continued, curiosity got the better of her, momentarily distracting her from the awkwardness of their situation.
Then, suddenly, the voices stopped—someone else had appeared.
The abrupt silence jolted Hermione back to awareness, and she became painfully conscious of her position once again.
Not knowing what else to do, she continued to feign sleep, convincing herself it was the best course of action.
As for how she was going to get out of this situation... she decided not to think about that just yet.