Here is a short story about Ernie Macmillan and Susan Bones. In 'Dumbledore's Army Reads...' Chapter 6, I mentioned that Ernie and Susan were going out. This is how Ernie first asked her out on a date.

I hope you enjoy it. Please read and review.

Ernie Macmillan stared blankly at the empty parchment in front of him. He had been unable to pay attention in Charms and he couldn't even remember what homework Flitwick had set. They had only been back at Hogwarts for a week and he was already struggling to concentrate in any of his classes.

With a groan, he turned to his best friend, Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was furiously scribbling his Muggle Studies Essay,

"Why did you even do muggle studies?" Ernie asked, rolling his parchment up and leaning into the squashy armchair.

Justin looked up with a grin,. "Easy marks." He answered. "And it's fun. I don't know why other muggleborns don't do it." He glanced down at his work again. "You wizards haven't got a clue about muggles."

Ernie snorted. "If you remember, you're a wizard too."

Justin ignored him, finishing with a flourish of his quill. "Finished charms yet?"

Ernie scowled. "What do you think? Charms homework annoys me as much as the Daily Prophet."

Justin sighed after a few minutes of awkward silence. He preferred to just avoid the topic of Harry Potter and the stories in the Prophet. "You know, sometimes I wish I'd taken Ancient Runes, but then I find out that the topic we're doing this term is Household Appliances and their uses and I remember that I need at least one guaranteed O."

"You're pretty much guaranteed an O in charms too." Ernie mumbled. "You done your Charms yet?" He asked, a glance at his own empty parchment filling him with guilt.

Justin nodded. "I did it on Wednesday. You know, when we got it."

"Can I see it?"

Justin smiled. "Sorry, I left it in the dorm."

"And you can't fetch it?"

"No. I need to hunt down Longbottom as he borrowed Magical Herbs and Fungi and I want it so I can read up on the use of asphodel."

Justin stood up, clapped Ernie on the shoulder and walked out of the common room. With a grimaced, Ernie scanned the room, annoyed at the lack of fifth years. Most of them were down in the library.

With a blush, he spotted Susan Bones sitting alone by the window, a parchment spread across the table and the Standard Book Of Spells across her knees. She was mumbling under her breath, occasionally reaching up to adjust her glasses or push her strawberry blonde hair away from her face.

Susan Bones was pretty. Not extraordinarily beautiful, but pretty. Her wavy hair just reached her shoulders and was pulled back by a think hairband. She wore a simple, pastel-yellow t-shirt and a brown cardigan, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows.

With one final scan of the room, he grabbed his parchment and strode over.

"Susan." He said pompously, smiling when she looked up at him. "I was just wondering what the Charms homework was."

Susan beamed at him. "Actually Ernie, I'm doing it right now."

He looked down, noting that she hadn't written much. "Well, what is it?"

"Don't you remember?" she teased. "I thought I saw your eyes glaze over during the lesson."

Uncharacteristically, Ernie flopped down opposite her. "My eyes glaze over every charms lesson. I can't help it."

Susan nodded. "I'm the same with History of Magic."

"I think everyone is."

Susan laughed. "I sit next to Anthony Goldstein in it. You know, the Ravenclaw? He pays attention for the whole lesson."

"But he's odd." Ernie said. "Since I became a prefect, I've perfected my 'looking like I'm listening' look. I first tried it successfully during Umbridge's speech."

Susan grinned, her eyes darting to the recently polished badge clipped to his shirt. "I didn't know you were prefect. I thought it was Justin."

Ernie shook his head and then they shared a smile.

Pulling his eyes away, he stared at her essay once again. "Cheering Charms and their uses in society." He read, frowning.. "Didn't we do this in third year?"

Susan nodded. "It's a recap. I didn't even know Cheering Charms had uses."

Ernie grinned. "Shall we do it together, then?"

"Fine." She agreed, watching him unravel his parchment. "But don't take all the credit."

"How can you say that?" he gasped, pulling out his 'Charms Encyclopaedia' that Hannah had given him as a joke the previous year. "We might be able to find it's uses in here."

They spent awhile in silence, each scanning their books. Ernie frowned down at the pages. "Apparently, Cheering Charms can be used as temporary relief for people who have been subjected to Dementors for a long time, such as released Azkaban prisoners."

Susan stared at him as he scribbled a quick paragraph. "Can I see?" she asked.

"Why? Do you think I'm making it up?" he joked, pretending to be affronted. He smiled. "Of course you can see it."

She laughed, reaching over for the book as he passed it over. As she grabbed it, her fingers brushed his. Ernie ignored it, but a quick glance up revealed Susan to have turned a deep pink.

"Thanks." She muttered.

"No problem." Ernie replied.

The rest of the work was done in silence, Susan's sock-clad feet occasionally brushing his legs. When he was finished, he rolled his parchment up, stood up and returned to his armchair, hearing a mumbled 'See you, Ernie' from Susan.

He sat in the comfy armchair, looking at Susan across the room. A soft smile was crossing her face as she read the Encyclopaedia for a while longer before folding her parchment up and removing her glasses.

He looked up with a start when he felt someone sit next to him.

"Susan Bones?" asked Justin, smirking, his Herbology textbook in his right hand. "She's nice." Ernie ignored him, stuffing the parchment into his school bag. Justin grinned. "If you care, I heard Hannah tell Neville that Susan thinks you're cute."

"And since when do you listen to Hogwarts gossip?" Ernie asked, looking back over at Susan. She was staring out the window, rolling the quill between her fingers.

"I figured Hannah was a trustworthy source." Justin said. "What do you think?"

Ernie turned pink and Justin chuckled. When he thought about it, he did rather like Susan and she had been cute, blushing whenever she touched him.

"Maybe." He answered slowly. "But I've never asked a girl out before."

"Ask her out?" repeated Justin gleefully. "I was just wondering if you thought she was cute."

Ernie ignored him once again, now twiddling his thumbs. "How do you ask a girl out?"

Justin shrugged. "It wasn't so bad when I asked Millicent Bulstrode out."

"Millicent Bulstrode?" gaped Ernie, his jaw falling open.

Justin laughed. "Ernie, I think I'll stick with my own species, I think a troll is just too hard to have a relationship with."

"That was mean, Justin." The boys looked up to see Susan standing next to them, the Encyclopaedia in her hand.

"I'm just telling the truth." Justin chuckled, amused by Ernie's bright red face. "And Ernie here wanted to tell you something."

"Oh?" said Susan, her eyes twinkling.

Ernie blinked, looking angrily at Justin. "Susan." He stammered. Asking her out seemed rather daunting. "I...I mean... You're pretty."

She turned red whilst Justin sniggered. "What he meant to say, Susan," Justin started, smiling. "Was that, as Prefect, he will find out the Hogsmeade days before anyone else." Susan looked confused. "This means," he continued. "That he can ask you out before anyone else."

"Is that really what you wanted to say?" Susan asked, her eyes wide.

"No." Protested Ernie, watching as her face fell. "Well, yes, sort of."

"Sort of?" sniggered Justin.

"I mean, I wouldn't mind knowing whether or not you could go to Hogsmeade with me, whenever it is." He said. "And, I will know the dates before anyone else but Hogsmeade's are around the same time every year so I don't really have an advantage to other guys or anything, but if I ask you now, I''m still asking you before anyone else..."

Justin interrupted him by placing a hand over his mouth. "Yes or no, Susan." He said. "I'd answer now, before he starts rambling again."

Susan nodded. "Yes." She said, beaming. "I can go with you to Hogsmeade."

With that, she walked away.

Ernie turned to Justin, eyebrows furrowed. "So did that mean she'll go with me or that she's available?"

Justin shrugged.