Disclaimer: I am not Joanne Rowling, or a representative of Scholastic, Bloomsbury, or Warner Bros. I know it's sad, but I think I'll make it through. These characters belong to the people who get paid.
A/N: This is my not first attempt at a Harry era/Marauder era fic, but it is my first decent attempt. Be warned: this is not AU, at least at the moment. If I decide to launch into the realm of endless possibilities, I'll let you know. If I get tired of writing this fic, I will let you know. I will not leave you hanging but—I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.
CHAPTER ONE: The Purple Potion
Fierce footsteps pounded through the second floor corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An angry brunette ran for cover in an empty classroom, where she could hide behind desks with her wand at the ready. All she needed to do was wait for him to walk in.
A smaller girl flew through the door of the classroom and dove under a desk. She swore with words only a girl with older brothers would know as she reached for her wand.
"Ginny?" the brunette whispered.
"Hermione?" the smaller girl answered back.
"What are you doing here?" they chorused.
"Malfoy," Hermione growled. She mentally ran through a list of hexes that could make the boy itch for a week.
The redhead snorted. "Malfoy's a piece of cake. Four angry Ravenclaws aren't so easy to fend off."
"How did you get four Ravenclaws mad?" Hermione asked. She knew she shouldn't have been in awe, but awe was the only word that came to mind.
"For some reason, they don't like being slipped Canary Creams just before Quidditch practice. I've had the Keeper chasing me about the halls all morning." She picked a yellow feather off her robes and waved it at Hermione.
"But I thought whoever ate the Canary Creams molted and went back to normal," Hermione replied in confusion.
"Turns out that if you use a Stunning Spell on the pastries before they're eaten, the effects can last for nearly an hour." Ginny giggled raucously as her devious prank.
Hermione groaned. "Tell me you haven't shared this information with Fred and George."
"I owled them as soon as I figured it out," Ginny replied with a smirk.
Rustling could be heard outside of the classroom. The girls quieted and watched to see which of their foes opened the door. As it creaked open, they counted to three and jumped up to meet the opponent, hexes flying without a single thought.
Cho Chang fell back from the door, a rather unfortunate pair of bat wings sprouting from her face. As she squealed and ran off down the corridor, the Gryffindors giggled and congratulated each other on the victory.
"Think you're so smart, besting a Ravenclaw?" drawled the familiar tones of Draco Malfoy. "Just wait until Professor Umbridge sees what you've done."
"What? Are you too afraid to take on two Gryffindors alone, Malfoy?" Ginny taunted.
Hermione picked up the taunt, hoping that Umbridge would come as Malfoy tried to hex them. "Are you sure the Sorting Hat chose properly? I think I'm sensing a misplaced Hufflepuff." She hated to degrade another House by insulting Malfoy, but at this point she was willing to do anything to get rid of the damned Inquisitorial Squad.
Malfoy's pale cheeks pinked at the insinuation. "Oh, I've got something special just for you, Granger. " He pulled a vial from his pocket and whispered into his hand. The vial glowed gold then red and finally purple. He whispered a second short incantation as Hermione began to feel nerves taking over. She exchanged a distrusting look with Ginny.
"Expell—" the younger girl began, but she was cut off by the sound of breaking glass and the slamming of the door. A purple haze began to fill the room. The girls did their best not to inhale, but it was no use. The vapors overcame them and they slipped out of consciousness.
". . . Black is not going to stay another night in this infirmary. He is well rested and in need of schooling, not the molly-coddling you provide here." A snappish male voice unfamiliar to Hermione's ears rang through the room. She awoke slowly, only vaguely aware of the throbbing headache that was settling in.
"I do not molly-coddle, Mr. Potter! I give these students the best care they can receive outside of St. Mungo's. If I say that Sirius Black is still unable to attend class, then he is still unable to attend class." An extremely familiar female voice cut through the air with a ring of authority Hermione knew well. She relaxed into her bed, comforted by the familiarity of the Hospital Wing. At least Malfoy wouldn't be able to hex her without going through Madame Pomfrey first.
She awoke hours later and opened her eyes for the first time since she'd fallen unconscious in the empty second floor classroom. The Hospital Wing looked blissfully secure and Umbridge free. A few other beds were occupied, but she wasn't surprised. Cho would probably be in need of plastic surgery after the Bat-Bogey Hex Ginny had kindly thrown.
Hermione sat up slowly, willing her head not to pound as she looked around the beds for Ginny. As her eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting, she found her friend sound asleep in the next bed.
"Ginny! Gin!" she whispered. She leaned over as far as she dared. "Ginny!"
The redhead opened drowsy eyes. "What, Herm?"
"How long have we been in here?"
Ginny rolled over, taking in the room with tired interest. "I dunno. Did that potion knock us out?"
"I think so."
"I'm going to curse Malfoy to hell and back the next time I see his slimy little face," Ginny growled.
"Look on the bright side. Madame Pomfrey stands between us and Umbridge."
A grunt told Hermione that Ginny didn't particularly care as she was exhausted and in need of several more hours of sleep. Hermione sighed and slipped back under the sheets, resting her throbbing head against the crisp infirmary pillow. A brief thought crossed her mind about the dream she'd had as she awakened the first time, but like most dreams, it slipped away as she fell back into a deep slumber.
A/N: Critical reviews are welcomed! Oh, and does anyone know Ginny's birthday or Hermione's parents' names? Those would be extremely helpful as I don't have access to the books at the moment.