A/N: I know it has been a while since I have updated any of my other stories but I have been busy in university since September. Thank god I am on my last week, with my last exam on Friday. After this I will be writing and updating more frequently. Thank you for all who have been reading my stories, I love you all. Please comment on my first Dramione story and send your love!
"How about this Ronald," Hermione stood in front of the redhead with her hands on her hips. "You do your own work instead of looking over my shoulder? Then you can hand in your own work to see how well it stands." Ron's face went from being flushed, at being caught red-handed copying Hermione's homework, to white at the thought of having to hand in his own homework. It was not a huge secret that the only reason he was able to complete the first two years was because he looked off her homework. She stared down at him with a defiant look; daring him to speak.
Ron looked down at the paper and quill in his hands for a moment before looking up at Hermione with a low burning fire in his eyes. "Well I'm sorry," he said loudly. "I'm sorry that I am not as smart as you and that I need help with assignments."
"There is a difference between asking for help and blunt copying, Ronald!" Hermione blew a strand of wavy hair off her forehead. "This has nothing to do with how smart you are." She planted her hands on her hips and surveyed the boy sitting on the edge of his seat in front of her. "No, it is about you being irresponsible, lazy arsed, boy who can't think for himself." She took a deep breath before turning on her heel and stomping as she began making her way out of the Gryffindor common room.
A minute passed before she heard the falling of footsteps coming after her quickly as she made her way through the room, dodging the looks she was receiving from other students in her house, and her temper got the better of her. Without realizing what she was doing Hermione's fingers grasped the handle of her wand and whipped around, robes whirling around her, as she pointed it in the face of her follower, curse at the tip of her tongue.
"Hermione!" Harry stood in front of her, emerald eyes widened with worry behind his glasses, as he stood there holding his hands up in surrender.
Hermione paused for a moment before putting her wand back. "I'm so sorry Harry." She stood there for a second looking at her best friend before turning and continuing through the common room door. She felt the brush of Harry's robe against her arm as he caught up to her in the corridor. They continued to walk down the corridor silently.
"Look Hermione," Harry began as they turned the corner. "If I were in the same position as you I would have probably done the same thing." He snorted as she looked up at him, disbelief covering her face. "Alright I probably would have punched him." He smiled as Hermione laughed a little.
"You know Harry, sometimes I wish I could just punch him in the face."
"Well you pulled your wand on me, so what's the difference?"
Hermione paused a moment before replying. "I think the difference is I don't want to physically hurt him. I just want to scare him." She looked over at Harry before continuing. "A punch will be forgotten in the long run, maybe a bruise will show for a period of time, but the sight of seeing someone pull their wand on you, someone who you know and trust, you really have no idea if they are going to go through with the curse or not. That is something that is not easily forgotten."
"True but actually feeling the force of your fist collide with their face is a great feeling too." Harry grinned at his best friend before looking at her with a slight frown on his face. "If that had been Ron following you instead of me, would you have cursed him?"
"Yes." Harry looked at her in shock. "Oh, for goodness sakes Harry! I would have probably thrown some minor curse at him, probably Petrificus Totalus and then Silencio." Hermione smiled at him. "I may be angry but I would not curse him into oblivion!"
"You scared me Hermione," Harry told her as he grinned, shaking his head. "So what are you going to do now?"
"What do you mean?"
"You left him there, scared out of his mind, and you are not going to do anything to him?"
Hermione smirked. "Of course I am going to do something to him." She twirled her wand around before making it light up so the pair could see as they made their way through the dark hallways back to the Gryffindor common room. As they walked they discussed their classes and Harry complimented Hermione on being able to hold her own against the mounting piles of homework the Professors have been giving out to their students recently. Hermione just smiled and said, "I don't procrastinate. That is what the library is for, Harry."
"What's up your sleeve?" Harry asked as they rounded the final corner before they would be in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. He had been watching Hermione thinking about what she would be dishing out to Ron as they walked. He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder gently. "Hermione?"
Hermione shook her head as she was pulled from her thoughts that had overtaken her. "Hmm?" She asked slightly dazed. "Pardon?"
"What's up your sleeve?" Harry repeated as they stood there in the dim-lit hallway. "I know you very well, Hermione, and I right now I can see you've got something up your sleeve."
"I'm going to put a stop to his cheating for once and for all." Hermione stated adamantly. Harry arched his eyebrow. "Can you bring me all Ron's papers and quills down from your dorm when we get into the room? Surely everyone would be getting ready for bed by now, if not sleeping." Not knowing what else to do and curiosity getting the better of him, Harry agreed. "Fantastic. Let's meet back up in twenty minutes? That should be plenty of time for everyone to leave the common room I would imagine."
Twenty minutes later two figures stood in front of a large window at one of the larger study desks situated to the side of the common room. A small heap of quills and papers had been dumped onto its surface and the two teens were staring at them. Just as Hermione had figured, the common room was dark as no students were there mingling with their friends. They had all left to go to their dormitories to get ready for bed before having to get up for classes the next morning. The large moon cast its light through the window, onto the desk so the pair was in no need of using their wands in order to produce light.
"So do we do this all in one go or do we do it all individually?" Harry asked while looking at the assortment of quills and paper in front of them.
Hermione bit her lip before making the decision. "I would imagine that the professors at exam time would do this amass because there are so many exams happening. That would make sense right?"
"Right. Plus they have to do the papers as well," Harry reminded his long-time friend. "They would want to get this over and done with as fast as possible." Hermione nodded and picked up the spell book that had been sitting beside her and opened it. Taking one last look at it both she and Harry took a step back from the desk and she pointed her wand at it. Whispering the words for the anti-cheating spell she turned to Harry and smiled.
"Let the madness of Ronald Weasly begin." Bidding Harry goodnight Hermione tiredly climbed the staircase to the girls' dormitories and changing from her robes into her pyjamas before falling into bed, letting a deep sleep surround her, with a smile on her face.
The next morning Hermione sat up in bed and stretched, trying to get the kinks out of her spine, before sliding her slippers on. Wandering over to the wardrobe containing all her clothing she stood there deciding before she pulled out a pair of black jeans along with a black hoodie and a pale purple shirt. Slipping into her clothing she got onto her hands and knees to look under her bed for the black flats she had worn sometimes ago. Spotting them she pulled them back into the light of the sun and slipped them on just as Ginny appeared.
"Morning, 'Mione," Ginny said as she sat on the messy bed, giving her best friend a quick and silent appraisal of her clothing. "You look nice today."
"Thanks," Hermione grinned as she pulled a brush through her frizzy hair.
"I saw Harry this morning," Ginny told her while watching Hermione. "He told me what you guys pulled last night."
Hermione sighed. "I am just tired of Ron cheating by looking over my shoulder or getting me to correct his homework every time we are assigned something." She pulled her hair to the side, beginning to braid it, and turned towards Ginny. "So I put an anti-cheating spell on his papers and quill, so what?"
"Hermione, come here. I'll French braid your hair for you." Ginny motioned when she realized that Hermione would be at the braid forever, her mouth going faster than her hands. "And bring your brush too." Gratefully Hermione let go of the braid before grabbing the brush and climbing onto the bed next to her best friend. "We both know that Ronald is going to be mad when he figures out something has been done with his stuff."
"I couldn't care less Gin," Hermione told her as she let Ginny brush her hair out. "I know his temper and what is the worst that can happen? Sure he will be mad at me for a while, maybe a week or two, but surely he will realize that it is all for the best." She sighed. "Besides, you should have seen how angry he was last night when I refused to let him look at my homework."
Ginny chuckled. "I am happy that you stood up for yourself."
"I should have done so a long time ago, I reckon." Hermione bit her lip as Ginny attacked a knot that had formed in her hair. "Geeze, Ginny, that hurt."
"Sorry Hermione," Ginny replied as she kept working with the brush. "It is just your hair is so thick and, well, frizzy!" Hermione laughed as she reached back to pat Ginny's knee. They sat there silently for a few more minutes before Ginny handed Hermione the brush she had been working with. "I am glad someone has stood up to Ron but I also know that when he gets mad he does not think about what he is doing. Though I am sure you realized that."
"I have but I know that I can handle whatever he throws at me," Hermione replied confidently. She reached up to touch her hair just as Ginny pulled the last of it into the hair elastic. "Ginny, thank you, you did a wonderful job!"
"Anytime," Ginny grinned before pulling herself off the bed. "C'mon, it's almost breakfast. I can almost smell all the great food!" Pulling on Hermione's arm in excitement, Hermione laughed at her friend's glee, the two girls left the room laughing as they headed towards the Great Hall.
"You know, it feels good to stand up to Ron," Hermione told Ginny as they made their way towards the Great Hall. "I think last night I came to realize he has been taking advantage of me. "As she talked Hermione failed to notice that a blonde Slytherin was listening into their conversation.
Ginny laughed as the girls linked arms. "Now he actually has to do the work he's always complaining about. You know I don't think you could have done this at a better time, Hermione." She brushed a strand of her red hair from her face. "You guys are all thirteen! At least Harry has grown up and is doing his homework, but Ron? It's nothing different at home. Mum is always getting after him to do chores and stuff but he does nothing." Hermione turned to Ginny in amazement. "I'm serious 'Moine. That kid does diddlysquat." The blonde eavesdropper wanted to hear more but instead passed through the doors.
Hermione grinning turned to Ginny with a bright smile as they sat down at the Gryffindor table and raised her pumpkin juice in a toast. "To new beginnings!" Clinking their glasses together they set about enjoying their Saturday.
Settling down in one of the chairs by the fire place with a large muggle book in her lap and a large cup of tea Hermione sighed in contentment. A few minutes later Ginny sat down across from her in another chair with her own cup of tea. The girls exchanged small grins before Hermione went back to paging through her book and Ginny watched the flickering fire. Several minutes went by without either of the girls talking and only the low key murmuring from the rest of the house could be heard.
"So what are you reading?"
Hermione looked up from her book in mild surprise. "Ginny, since when have you taken an interest in my reading?"
Ginny shrugged. "I guess I need more to do Hermione, I've finished my homework and I am bored."
"Well I have some more books upstairs in my bookshelf in my room. Would you like to look through them?" Hermione asked as she carefully placed the bookmark back between the creamy pages of her book.
"Sure. I know you've got some pretty interesting books," Ginny commented as the two girls stood up. "Do you have any more muggle books? Are they different from wizarding books?" Soon Hermione was happily chatting away to Ginny about the different types of muggle books and how they are different as the girls made their way up to Hermione's room. Spending a few minutes picking through the books in Hermione's personal collection, Ginny finally picked out five that she found interesting, and the girls made their way back down to the common room. As they got closer to the bottom of the stairs the girls could hear a ruckus becoming louder. Looking at each other cautiously they stepped into the room only for Hermione to be suddenly slammed against the wall by an enraged redhead.
"What did you do to my quils and paper, Hermione." Ron asked, breathing hard, as he squeezed Hermione's wrists painfully above her head. "I know you did something." Behind Ron, Hermione could see Harry opening his mouth but she gave him a look.
"Ronald let me go." Hermione told him as she began struggling.
"Did you do something to my quils and paper?"
"Yes." Hermione admitted with gritted teeth. "I prevented you from being an idiot and cheating off of everyone in the house."
Ron released Hermione's wrists and took a step back, panting. "You are such a bitch Hermione." The room was completely silent except for the crackling of the fire. All eyes focused on the fight brewing between two thirds of the Golden Trio.
The name hit Hermione hard, but she didn't let it show, and she gulped quietly. "Really Ron, I am a bitch for making you think." She would never admit this but the Ron she was seeing right now was scaring her. Much scarier than the troll that had caught her in the first floor bathroom during first year. "I am just tired of having you looking off of my paper and getting the marks for doing something you did not put any effort into, so I decided to stop it." A loud slap echoed through the room. If the room had been quiet before now it was deadly silent. No one who witnessed the slap Ron gave Hermione would have ever imagined something like that happening, especially between them. They were too shocked about the first slap that when Ron slapped her again it was moments before anyone reacted.
At once Seamus, Harry, and both the Weasley twins came between the pair, while someone ran to get a professor, Ginny tried to pull Hermione into a hug but the brunette refused and ran through the crowd and out of the room, into the hallways, blinded by her tears.