Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot and perhaps a few OC's.
Chapter 1
"Oh, thank you Neville! You didn't have to give me anything." It was the Head Girl's birthday today and don't you know, it meant that Hermione Granger was now 18.
She opened the wooden box that Neville had lay before her. Inside contained a single quill and a bottle of ink. She lifted the quill up to examine it. "Neville! This must of cost a fortune! This feather is that of a Swan's!"
He nodded sheepishly. "It doesn't matter Hermione, I thought you would like it and you do so the cost means nothing." His face was set to serious. Unknown to Hermione but to everyone else's knowledge, Neville had a huge crush on her ever since the first day she helped him in Potions class.
She opened the bottle of ink and dipped the quill in breaking in the new tip. She grabbed a bit of wrapping paper and wrote her name on it. The ink turned from black to purple.
"Why did it turn purple Neville?" Harry, glancing over Hermione's shoulder, asked as he lifted the bottle to inspect it.
"Oh, um, just a minute." Neville seemed to be searching for something on his body. "I know I put it somewhere. Ah ha! There it is!" He handed a small folded up piece of parchment to Harry. Harry opened it and read aloud.
"This bottle contains mood changing ink. When the writer changes moods, the ink will change as well. Let's see here. Purple is happy." Harry read to everyone and then watched as Hermione started writing again. The ink now turned yellow. Harry glanced at the parchment again. "Yellow is curious. Hermione you know that curiosity killed the cat, right?" He chuckled and handed her the paper.
She read over all the colors and then stood to give Neville a hug. Embracing him she felt him tense. "Thank you Neville, its wonderful."
"Your…your…um your welcome." He stammered and gently squeezed back.
"Alright our turn now!" Ginny exclaimed and lifted something from the table. It was Harry's invisibility cloak. It had been hiding her final present.
"What in the name of Merlin is that contraption!" Hermione exclaimed as she began to step closer and examine it.
"Its your new broom of course!" Ron picked it up and began fooling with the metal piece. "See here is your handle bars and this is your seat. We got the idea from one of dad's muggle books on 'bicycles'. We figured it would be much easier for you to fly with us if you felt comfortable." Ron smiled at the his talk of flying. He had just been made Quidditch Captain this year.
"Oh no! I am not going flying on anything! I will not! Especially on something that you two built! I could possibly die!" Hermione exaggerated.
"It won't break or nothing Hermione. We made sure to take it to the shop in Hogsmeade to have it specially made! We didn't touch it. We just gave them the idea and actually they loved it! They are going to start making more and sell them soon. Harry and I have got our names on it too! We make money off of every sale!" Ron and Harry looked like kids in a candy store. They thought about all the galleons they would make. Harry wasn't thinking of the money though he was excited about having his name added to the Inventor's List at this years Wizarding Science Convention.
"The brooms official name is the Haron Bolt. After mine and Harry's name and the bolt is the generic broom code."
"That's brilliant! Congratulations the both of you." She hugged them both and turned back towards the broom. "Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it out."
"That's the spirit Hermione!" Ginny smiled and held up three brooms from behind the sofa. "Let's go!"
"Now? I didn't mean right this minute. I have to study! We have a huge Transfiguration test on Monday!" Hermione backed slowly away from them holding up her hands. They surrounded her and backed her into the wall. Ginny grabbed her wrist and the boys took the brooms. "See ya later Neville!"
They burst out the portrait and ran with Hermione towards the Quidditch Pitch. They were lucky, it was Thursday and no one was around. This was their free period and everyone else was taking classes.
"Alright now. Let's get this baby ready!" Harry lifted the bars up and locked them in place and then set it to hover at waist height for Hermione. "On you go. Just like riding a bike, you never forget."
Hermione catiously got on the broom and after a few moments kicked off into the air. The others followed suit and soon they were trying to catch up to her.