Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Harry Potter. They belong to the beautifully talented J.K. Rowling. Also, this story contains discipline spankings of teenagers. If that's not your thing, please do not continue reading.
Author's Note: I've had the idea for this story running around my head for a while now. I'm stuck on my other story currently, so I thought this would be a nice change of pace. This was originally going to be a one shot, but it became a bit too long, so it will be at least two chapters (possibly three). But I do not plan to continue the story after that. I hope you enjoy it. =)
"Mischief Not Quite Managed"
Mrs. Weasley's heart began to race. She had looked everywhere, and there was no sign of any of them. Oh, just wait till I get my hands on them, she thought darkly, making her rounds again.
"Fred, George, have you seen Harry, Ron, and Hermione? I can't find them anywhere!" she asked her twins.
"Not since we told ickle Ronnie to put our stuff back. Imagine, he was trying to get away with not buying any of it!" Fred said.
"Maybe they're in the back room, Mum. Have you checked there?" George added.
"Twice. But I'll look again."
Mrs. Weasley had just taken another peek in the back room when Hagrid had called her.
"Where 'ave you lot bin? We've bin lookin' all over for yeh!" Hagrid scolded as Molly walked over.
"Yes, where have you been?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her tone icy.
"We were in the back, Mum," Ron said, though Molly noticed he was shifting his weight nervously.
"Are you sure you looked properly, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked politely.
"Yeah, Mrs. Weasley, we were just—"
"Do not insult my intelligence, you three! I have been scouring this entire store looking for you! Do not tell me I simply overlooked you!" Mrs. Weasley scolded. She knew they were up to something, and she wasn't going to let it pass. The three teenagers began to spout more excuses, but Molly Weasley would have none of it.
"Enough! We are going home now. You have until that time to tell me the truth; otherwise, it will be that much worse for you all," she said, wagging her finger at each of them.
Mrs. Weasley ordered the three into the den and made them sit next to each other on the sofa. She then crossed her arms and glared at them, waiting. In the end, it was Hermione who finally came clean and told Mrs. Weasley everything. Hermione was terrified of Mrs. Weasley at this moment, but more importantly, she respected the plump mother of seven. She knew they weren't going to get away with what they had done; Mrs. Weasley had raised Fred and George, after all. She knew all the tricks.
"I am extremely disappointed in all of you," Mrs. Weasley scolded.
"Mrs. Weasley, please, it was my fault. Don't blame Ron and Hermione, they didn't do anything wrong," Harry said, hanging his head.
"Harry, don't be stupid! We're just as much to blame!" Hermione argued.
"You wouldn't have gone if I hadn't made you follow me! I could have gone alone," Harry retorted.
"You didn't make us do anything, Harry Potter! We're your friends! We'll stick with you no matter what! We followed because we love you, and you won't ever be alone!" Hermione said, tears brimming in her eyes. Harry could just be so stupid sometimes, and it made her want to scream!
"Hermione's right, mate," Ron said, turning pink. It was the only thing he could say; he wasn't great with talking about his feelings.
Harry looked at his friends and felt a wave of love and gratitude wash over him. They had stuck by him for six years now, and he knew they loved him, but he still wasn't used to having people he could depend on, no matter what. He kept expecting the ball to drop and for them to wise up and realize they were better off without him. Harry could feel a lump forming in his throat and couldn't make himself say what he really wanted to, that he loved them too.
"Alright, listen up!" Mrs. Weasley said, grabbing the kids' attention again. "Firstly, I am forever grateful that Ron has found such good friends as you, Hermione and Harry. You two are as good as my own children and I love you both. And I'm glad that you all stick together and support one another. That's important, especially now. But, you three made a horrible decision today. I didn't think I needed to remind you of the seriousness we're facing right now, but clearly I was wrong. You-Know-Who is back, and it is dangerous for you lot to be wandering around alone! Especially you, Harry!"
The three teenagers were all squirming uncomfortably from the scolding. Hermione was crying softly to herself, and the boys looked like they weren't far off. Mrs. Weasley continued.
"I would never forgive myself if something ever happened to any of you. I'm upset with all of you, for deliberately disobeying and putting yourselves in needless danger. And for what? To see what a classmate was up to? Was it worth it?"
"But Mrs. Weasley, Malfoy is up to something!" Harry said.
"That may be, but it's really none of your concern, Harry! You need to learn to keep your head down and don't concern yourself with things that don't concern you!" Mrs. Weasley chided. Harry looked like he was about to argue, so Mrs. Weasley cut him off.
"Do you three agree that what you did today was wrong?" she asked. Hermione was the first to nod her head, followed by Ron.
Harry looked at his friends and felt guilty. He sighed and said, "I know I was wrong, Mrs. Weasley, but I still don't think you should be angry with Ron and Hermione."
"They could have stopped you, or went to get Hagrid, but they didn't. They chose to go along with you, so they are in the wrong as well," Mrs. Weasley said simply.
"But, Mrs. Weasley—"
"I've said my peace, and you three know what you did was wrong and why. Now, I'm sorry, but I have to punish you. Accio slipper!" Mrs. Weasley said, catching the worn leather-soled slipper that flew to her.
"Mum, no! Please, not that!" Ron begged, his eyes going wide with fear. He had a feeling this was coming, but he had been hoping it wouldn't. He hated that slipper, even more than his mother's wooden hairbrush. It never failed to turn him into a blubbering mess.
"No arguments from you, Ronald Weasley, unless you want to take a trip out to the shed with your father afterwards!" Mrs. Weasley warned. Ron shut up immediately. As much as he hated the slipper, it was nowhere near as much as he dreaded the trip to the shed. He had only been taken out there once, forced to bend over a workbench as his father whipped his bare arse with his belt for what felt like ages. Once was enough for a lifetime.
"Boys, pick a corner and put your nose in it. Hermione, you're first," Mrs. Weasley said, moving a straight-backed chair to the middle of the room. The boys immediately went to stand in two corners, their noses practically touching the walls. Hermione gulped and shakily stood, making her way uneasily to Mrs. Weasley's side.
"Pants down, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley ordered, her voice firm, but gentle. Hermione visibly paled and turned uncertainly towards the boys.
"They won't look dear, unless they have no concern for their bottoms," Mrs. Weasley said, making sure the boys heard her. Hermione nodded.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley," the girl all but whispered. Still, she obediently unzipped her pants and slid them down to her knees. Hermione could feel her face turning red, and she desperately wanted this all to be over quickly.
Sensing Hermione's discomfort, Mrs. Weasley guided the girl over her lap. Hermione wrapped her fingers around the chair legs and prepared herself for what was to come.
Mrs. Weasley took a moment to shift Hermione in the best position in terms of the girl's comfort as well as for her aim. She then quickly took Hermione's underwear down to her knees. Hermione gasped as she felt herself being bared and squeezed her eyes shut.
Mrs. Weasley took a deep breath before lifting the slipper. Exhaling slowly, she brought the slipper down in the middle of Hermione's bottom. She saw Hermione's milky skin turn a slight pink where the slipper had landed, and raised her arm again. Hermione winced when the first blow landed and sucked in her breath. The slipper stung more than a hand would, but not as much as a hairbrush.
The second landed in much the same spot as the first. "Ow!" Hermione cried out, unable to help herself.
Mrs. Weasley began to methodically cover the girl's bottom, from the very fullest parts down to the sit-spots and start of thighs. Having raised seven children, Mrs. Weasley was a skilled spanker. She knew how to make a child's bottom feel well punished without leaving harmful bruises.
Hermione's bottom was beginning to burn, and it took all of her self-control not to reach back to protect herself. "Ow! Ow! Ouch! Mrs. Weasley, I-I'm—ouch!—so s-sorry! Ow!" Hermione cried.
"I know you are, dear," was all Mrs. Weasley said as she continued the spanking. She was on number eighteen now. Hermione was crying steadily, and her bottom was by now a bright pink, so Mrs. Weasley increased the strength of the spanks slightly. She believed in giving a child twice as many spanks as their age, as well as spanking just hard enough to get them to completely let go and sob their hearts out. She wasn't cruel and did not like to hear them cry, but she knew it was important for them to feel sufficiently punished and have a good cry in order to let go of their guilt and feel completely forgiven.
Mrs. Weasley administered the next eight spanks all to Hermione's sit-spots, and they were probably the hardest so far. Hermione cries turned to sobs.
"OW! Ouch! Please Mrs. Weasley, not so—OW! OW!—so—AH!—h-hard—Ouch! Ouch! Ow!"
Mrs. Weasley's heart broke to hear Hermione crying so, but she knew it was what the girl needed. "Almost over, Hermione," she said as she brought the slipper down for the twenty-seventh time.
"OWWWW!" Hermione cried. She was sobbing uncontrollably and she wanted nothing more than for this punishment to be over. She had lost count of how many times Mrs. Weasley had hit her, but she knew it was now more than two-dozen.
"Please, Mrs. Weasley, please—OW!—stop! I-I've learned my—Ow!—lesson! Ouch! I-I'm sooooooorry!"
Mrs. Weasley landed numbers thirty-one-and-two quickly, wanting to end Hermione's punishment as fast as she could. The girl's bottom was now a dark red color, and while Mrs. Weasley was sure it throbbed now, she also knew it would have no lasting effects.
"Shhh, it's all over now, Hermione," she said in a soothing voice as she carefully replaced Hermione's knickers to their proper place. Just as she would with any of her biological children, Mrs. Weasley began to rub small circles in the girl's back in an effort to help her calm down.
"You may get up whenever you are ready, dear," Mrs. Weasley said several moments later, her hand still rubbing Hermione's back.
Hermione sighed. She was still crying, but less so now. Her bottom ached, but her conscience felt ten times better. Mrs. Weasley's scolding had gotten to Hermione and made her feel horrible about her actions. She had been naughty and been punished for it, for which she was grateful. It was a swift, not to mention painful, way of dealing with her misbehavior. But now it was over and Hermione no longer felt guilty. Besides, it was nothing worse than what her own mother would have done in the same situation. Smiling, Hermione realized she had two mothers who loved her enough to make sure she grew into a responsible young woman.
Hermione began to push herself up, and Mrs. Weasley immediately helped her stand. She noticed that the girl was smiling slightly as she pulled her pants up.
As soon as Hermione finished redressing, she threw her arms around Mrs. Weasley. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, for treating me like a daughter," she whispered into the maternal ear.
Molly Weasley wasn't prepared to hear that from Hermione, but she was touched. She felt the tears welling up and hugged the girl back tightly, landing a wet kiss to her cheek in the process. Pulling back so she could look the girl in the eyes, she said, "You're as good as one, Hermione. I love you. But if you ever do something like this again, I won't hesitate to put you over my knee."
Smiling, Hermione nodded her head. "I know, Mrs. Weasley. And I'm sorry for worrying you today," she said, casting her eyes down for a moment.
"All forgiven, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, reaching out to caress Hermione's cheek once. "Now, change places with Harry."