'yes?' Ron said, looking up from his tex book wearily. He was sitting on the floor, propping himself up against the armchair Hermione usually sat in. The one that he always fought over, but at the moment, he couldn't be bothered to haul himself up from the floor. The book was no help to him at all, and he had decided that he'd get more out of it if he were just to stare at the word "cat" on the page. He was never going to pay attention to it anyway, even though Hermione kept insisting that he had to, no matter what. Stuff it, he thought, it's never going to help.

'No, I said rain, not Ron. It's really lashing down out there.' Hermione was stood by the window, looking out at the almost dark view from the window. The Forest was looking very different to her now, knowing that there was a huge relative of Hagrid's making itself a nest in there.

'oh...right...' Ron murmered and let his head fall back onto the seat of the chair. 'I wish I had your brain, Hermione. I cant concentrate.'

'no you dont...' he mumbled. Girls brains were by far more complicated than boys, and she didnt even have to look that up. she turned around and walked slowly towards him. 'are you tired? You look it.'

'cheers, Hermione. Just the help I need!' Ron said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. she sighed and rolled her eyes at him and plonked herself down on the couch. 'come over here; I'll see what I can do.' She patted the sofa cushion next to her. Ron simply turned his head towards her and gave her a look which read "do I have to?".

'Now.'

'Oh fine, but if I fall asleep, I'm going to kill you for making me move.'

'what, in your dream?' she snorted as he scowled, heaving himself up off the floor and dragging his feet over to the couch. 'Now, what are you having trouble with?' she looked at the book and found that he was only an page 2. Her expression dropped into a wearing look that only she could pull off.

'cat...' Ron murmered and closed his eyes. Hermione almost smiled; she liked it when he closed his eyes...he looked quite-

'RON!' Hermione jabbed him in the side with her elbow. He shot up, his back rigid, but his eyes were still half closed. 'for merlin's sake, ronald! You're only on the paragraph about turning a cat into a mouse?'

'wuzrongwidat?' he said, slouching again.

'it's the first paragraph on page two. Page two, Ronald! It's taken you almost an hour to read a page? Its a fairly small book as well!'

He had fallen asleep. Hermione was angry now. She pulled him by the arm and turned his head to face her. He was shattered.

Suddenly, thunder rolled loudly across the sky. His eyes shot open in shock as lightning flashed warningly at them. He frowned... 'Harry should be back by now! It's almost quatre to nine! His detention's only half an hour.'

'you're right.' Hermione's face was mingled up with anxiety and exasperation at Ron. 'should we wait down here?'

'I want to, but I think I might fall a-'

Then, a tree crashed to the floor, skimming Hagrid's hut by about a metre. Both of them jumped at the sound, as several others began to fall down, too. Ron now seemed wide awake, and he stood up to have a look out of the window. Hermione got up slowly and whispered 'I dont think he likes the rain...'

' I do.' Ron smiled slightly.

'me too.' Hermione replied, and they stood, staring out of the window, waiting for their best friend to come back.