For what itÕs worth
Chapter One
A/N and Disclaimer: I own nothing. Most of everything is from JKR but the title is from a song by Buffalo Springfield. And I know itÕs fluff but I like fluff :-) This is the second version of For what itÕs worth because the first didnÕt have punctuation. Hope it works!
Ron looked over at Hermione. She was glaring down at her A.A. homework. A pile of crumpled parchment lay beside her, covered with scribbles and crossings-out. He grinned smugly. Advanced Arithmancy was one of the only classes Hermione had trouble with. What Harry and Ron found especially amusing was that Ron took to A.A. like Harry had taken to Quidditch.
Getting up, he walked over to stand behind her and peered over he shoulder at the parchment. Hermione glanced up at him and, seeing his smug grin, scowled and poked him in the ribs.
ÒI know I know!Ó she glared at him ÒYou already know how to do this and you got perfect on the test. Now go away and let me work.Ó
Putting on a deeply hurt expression Ron leaned over and said in an aggrieved tone ÒI was just going to show you that if you carry the numerator over here you can use the Multiplic charm he taught us last class.Ó
Hermione followed his pointing finger, murmuring the numbers and charms under her breath. When Ron had finished she carefully wrote out her answer and turned to look at him.
ÒHow did you know?Ó she asked, half-wonderingly.
Ron looked modest ÒI just - Ò Hermione cut him off Òknow. I get it! So now thatÕs done what do you want to do?Ó
Ron looked out the window at the pelting rain. ÒBit of a wet night to go anywhere. As if we ever doÓ he joked
Hermione looked worried ÒPoor Harry! HeÕs got Quidditch practice in this!Ó
ÒWell it is his fault.Ó Ron pointed out ÒHeÕs Quidditch captain now and makes the practices. In my opinion, though, heÕs making the team do twice as many practices as Oliver Wood did.Ó Hermione immediately came to HarryÕs defense.
ÒYou know that he feels he has to prove himself to the team. He thinks they have to win this year or people will think heÕs no good.Ó
Ron nodded and opened his mouth to speak. Just as he did, however, Harry crawled through the portrait hole. He was soaking wet and covered in mud. Shivering convulsively he sat down with them as close to the fire as he could.
ÒWet night eh, Harry?Ó Ron asked in a cheery voice. Hermione gave him a reproachful look that said clearly ÔdonÕt bother him, heÕs cold, wet and tiredÕ. Ron grinned back. ÒSo did you practice Quidditch or mud wrestling?Ó he asked.
Harry shot an angry look at him but was too busy wringing out his cloak to do anything. Hermione however threw his Arithmancy book at him. It sailed past his head and landed with a thump on the floor behind him.
ÒMissed me, missed me now you gotta. . .Ó his voice trailed off, ÒUh ohÓ he muttered.
ÒNow I gotta what?Ó asked Hermione, eyes sparkling with mischief. Ron refused to answer, his face beet red.
ÒCÕmon Ron, finish the rhyme.Ó Harry cajoled, barely containing his laughter.
ÒNowyougottakissme.Ó Ron mumbled hurriedly. Harry and Hermione burst into laughter. Ron sat blushing furiously. Hermione, still laughing, got up and stood in front of him. ÒWell?Ó she demanded. Ron shot a furious scowl at Harry, who hurriedly tried to stifle his laughter.
As Hermione moved over to sit next to Ron, Harry tried to quietly slip out of the room. He would bet his Firebolt that their friendly prank kiss would make at least one of them realize that they were meant for each other. He didnÕt want to have anything to do with stopping that from happening. Ron saw him go and glared a warning to Harry, telling him without words that heÕs better get back in there and sit down. Harry shook his head and laughed silently, seeing what Hermione was doing.
She had picked up RonÕs papers and quill and was writing something that looked suspiciously like ÔI, Ron Weasley, think Fle-Õ. She had gotten this far before Ron saw what she was doing and grabbed the parchment.
ÒHermione! What are you doing?Óhe groaned, blushing again. ÒNow IÕll have to write this out again.Ó
ÒNonsense.Ó said Hermione. ÒDisapperium.Ó the marks faded away. ÒNow if you donÕt let me to live up to your dare IÕll write it again and this time finish it. And make it permenantÓ she instructed Ron, who was looking at her as if she was crazy. Harry didnÕt blame him. Hermione was acting unusually - assertive-, like she had already realized her feelings for a certain redhead, he understood suddenly. Hopefully this would make the redhead realize his feelings for a certain female friend of his.
Climbing out of the portrait hole, Harry didnÕt see what ended up happening between Ron and Hermione but then, he didnÕt really want to. Outside he ran into Fred and George about to enter the common room.
ÒWait, Fred, George, hang on a moment -Ó Harry called. The twins turned and looked at him. ÒWhat is it Harry?Ó said Fred.
ÒYeah,Ó continued George. ÒWe were just about to play an absolutely wicked prank on Ron. You see, you know how our little Ronny and the lovely Hermione . .Ó he left his sentence trail off suggestively. Harry stifled laughter.
ÒThatÕs what I was going to tell you. SomebodyÕs beaten you to them.Ó Harry almost split himself laughing at the look of surprise and horror that flashed across the twinÕs faces. Then they too burst into laughter.
ÒSo where were you going, Harry me lad?Ó Fred asked, noting his muddy appearance and Firebolt. ÒPractice is over.Ó
ÒWell I donÕt really know.Ó Harry replied ÒI wanted to give them some privacy so I didnÕt get a chance to clean off and now I canÕt go back in. How did you get so clean in the first place anyway? Last I checked you were as muddy as the rest of us.Ó
George shot a look at Fred ÒWell yÕsee Harry-Ó he started. ÒJust never you mind.Ó finished Fred. ÒItÕs none of your business.Ó
Harry shrugged, it wasnÕt really that important to him. ÒI suppose IÕll go up to the owlrey and. . . uh. . .or maybe go to the library and. . .uh. . . ok I have no idea.Ó
Fred and George looked at each other, and then at Harry, taking in his still wet and muddy appearance. They seemed to reach some agreement because they looked back at each other and nodded. ÒWeÕll tell him.Ó said George.
ÒTell me what?Ó Harry asked.
ÒUh, Harry, what would you say if we told you we knew something?Ó Fred asked. Harry laughed ÒI wouldnÕt be surprised! I suspect you know a number of things that youÕre not going to tell me.Ó Fred shuddered at the thought of his precious secrets slipping away. George laughed though.
ÒToo right Harry. But we are going to let you in on one of our little secrets. WeÕre Prefects.Ó HarryÕs jaw dropped. ÒYou?Ó he gasped. Fred looked annoyed.
ÒBut -but what about all that Percy stuff? His pin and - you never wanted to be Prefects! You donÕt have pins either! And -Ó Fred cut him off.
ÒAll right., all right donÕt go shouting about it. We still donÕt want anyone to know. I mean the shame would be terrible. But when Dumbledore decides heÕs going to give you something you don't have much choice in the matter.Ó
ÒAnyway the long and short of it is, we are prefects. We have the prefects treatment but with the students anonymity.Ó George finished. Harry snorted, he doubted there was any one in the school who didnÕt know the Weasley twins on sight and all about them. ÒSo what does this have to do with me?Ó he asked.
ÒWe were getting to that. Ò George said ÒAs well as the drawbacks there are certain - extras.Ó
ÒLike a private bath and uh. . other things.Ó said Fred. ÒSo in the humanitarian spirit we are going to let you wash and dry in our bathroom. Just donÕt tell anyone.Ó Harry nodded, he should have thought of that himself. Although he didnÕt think he would tell Fred and George that he already knew about the Prefects bathroom. Flanked by the two WeasleyÕs Harry was led to the same statue of Boris the Bewildered.
ÒMinty green.Ó said George. Harry suppressed a sigh, he wouldnÕt have been able to get in even if he had thought of it. Now he was glad he hadnÕt told Fred and George.
ÒIn yÕget Harry. I think weÕll go back to the common room and check on our brother. He might need our expertise.Ó George winked conspiratorially. Harry grinned and slipped through the door.
As Fred and George walked back down the corridor, had this been a comic book a small but brilliant light bulb would have gone off above FredÕs head. As it was he just turned to George with an excited look on his face. ÒSince Ron and Hermione are now out of our grasp, Ò he started. George finished his sentence ÒHarry is the last of the trio. Shall we do what I think weÕre going to do?Ó
Fred nodded. ÒGinnyÕs had quite an infatuation of him for sometime now hasnÕt she? I do believe two of the younger WeasleyÕs are about to hook up with the man and woman of their dreams.Ó The slightly evil grins on each boyÕs face were identical.
ÒVery good idea, if I do say so myself.Ó GeorgeÕs grin spread even wider. ÒShall we see if Ginny is in the common room. We might want to give her the message Harry sent.Ó
ÒWhat messa- oh! Indeed, lets.Ó Fred agreed and heads bent in the way so many Hogwarts residents knew as trouble brewing, they headed back to Gryffindor tower.