Authors: xDorianGrayx and Lynsangelic1
Spoilers: All is fair game
Disclaimer: We are obviously not JK or Warner so we don't own the characters; this is purely for non-profit fun. Please email us before you sue us. Also the chapter title is from a Jack off Jill song called 'Fear of Dying' from 'Clear Hearts, Grey Flowers' on Risk Records.
Chapter One: I'm not afraid of happy endings, I'm just afraid my life won't work that way
"To be honest with the both of you I thought these incidents would have stopped occurring by now. You are both practically adults, yet you insist on acting like children. Naturally I have overestimated you, a bad trait I admit, but I did think you would be past these silly tiffs by now. Boys, this is your seventh and final year at Hogwarts and I want you to promise me that you will try at least to be civil towards each other. Whatever rift began with you in your first year ends in your seventh. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"Yes, Professor."
"And you, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Right, now why don't you go and join everyone else. It sounds like you've missed the sorting and the school song, but dinner is still to be served. Off you go."
Professor McGonagall leaned against the pillar at the foot of the Grand Staircase and sighed. They hadn't even been back a day and already Potter and Malfoy had clashed. It had gotten worse this past year, she had observed, Harry especially was losing his temper more and more with Draco. If only they could become friends, they were so very alike if you looked past the surface, then maybe Draco wouldn't... no she could not bring herself to think about what might become of the Slytherin boy after his time at Hogwarts.
She sighed again and looked towards the Great Hall where the feast had definitely begun. How much longer could she do this for? Albus seemed to never tire of new students, new faces, new lives ready to be moulded, but she was getting tired. She was putting on a brave face, but she had been doing this for too long. The idea of a tiny cottage in the middle of nowhere seemed to appeal now more than ever.
..............................................................................................................................
"Fuck him, fucking tosser, fucking... fuck!"
"Harry, there are first years right there." Hermione gestured down the table towards a group of nervous looking youngsters who were only picking at their food despite being obviously hungry.
"What, had you never heard a naughty word when you were eleven, Hermione?"
"Well... that's not my point, and don't make fun of me. It's not my fault you and Malfoy had another run in."
"And it's mines is it?"
"Would you two just quit it already. We haven't even been back two hours and you're bickering."
"We are not bickering, Ronald," pitched in Hermione. "I was just reminding Harry that there are first years present and he should keep his bad language to a minimum."
"Please, Hermione, don't give me a fucking lecture, I just finished getting one from McGonagall; 'be civil towards each other'... blah blah fucking blah!"
"Harry!"
"Would you two just shut up and eat your dinner before it's stone cold."
Harry and Hermione both looked at Ron and then at each other, silently agreeing a truce to please their friend. Harry loaded his plate with anything that came to hand and tucked in, every so often pausing to look up and glare across the hall at a certain Slytherin blond.
.........................................................................................................
Draco stabbed viciously at a new potato on his plate. He would chase it around for a bit with his fork, then catch it in some nook and stab at it for a while until it escaped again.
"Wishing it was someone's head, darling?" came a whisper in his right ear.
"Yours. And don't call me that," Draco cockily threw back at the dark- haired boy sitting next to him.
"I've missed you this summer. Where on earth have you been?"
"Hiding from you, Blaise, you fag."
"Takes one to know one," Blaise smiled back at Draco.
Draco took a stab at the potato, caught the edge of it and sent it flying across the hall into a Ravenclaw girl who looked slightly miffed at being hit by some mystery object and so stabbed the boy next to her with her fork. Blaise rolled his eyes and looked at Draco.
"Remember being that young?"
"I was never that young."
"Oh yes, I forgot. Draco Malfoy, oh so grown up, doesn't even know what he wants. Is he gay, is he straight? Does he like to fuck girls or boys?"
"That's you, Blaise, not me. I know exactly what I am."
"And wouldn't daddy be proud with a faggot for a son. Besides I know what I want and so do you."
"Fuck off."
"Oh, Draco, when will you stop being so proud and give in to the fact that you want me too."
"Because I don't. Because I'm too good for you and you know it. I don't fuck dirty half-breeds with whores for mothers."
For a second this threw Blaise and he stumbled. "Well... you used to."
"And I've learned the error of my ways. Move on, Blaise. Go back to what you're good at; fucking silly girls."
"You'll never have a fuck again, Draco, no-one's good enough for a Malfoy."
Blaise turned away from Draco and took a long drink from his goblet. Draco stared at his back; he couldn't believe he had once cared what this boy thought. He didn't care what anyone thought anymore, not even his father. He could say anything to anyone and it didn't matter because he didn't care. But something was bothering him, and had been since he had arrived at Hogwarts. It definitely wasn't Blaise. Perhaps he had forgotten something; no matter though since his mother would owl it. It didn't seem to be that though. Draco distractedly chased another potato around his plate until it was time to retire to the house common rooms.
..............................................................................................................................
Harry threw himself down into one of the armchairs by the fire and kicked off his trainers. Ron and Hermione were away settling first years into their dorms and so Harry had some time to himself without Hermione pestering him, or Ron pestering her about why she had hardly seen him over the summer. Ron and Hermione being a couple had been weird to begin with, but it was a good thing, Harry had concluded. They were so worried at first that Harry would be jealous, but he wasn't, not at all. Hermione was so high-maintenance, Harry couldn't deal with that. Friends were hard enough to keep without having to consider a girlfriend.
Just then Ron came down the stairs and took up a chair at the fire with Harry. He also kicked off his shoes and rubbed at his eyes.
"Long day, huh?"
Ron smiled weakly at Harry. "You could say that."
"So what's up?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that, the way you flew off at Malfoy today? He barely looked at you, Harry."
"You weren't even there."
"Yeah, but Hermione was."
"Been having little, cosy chats about me again have we?"
"C'mon, don't be like that."
Harry looked at his best-friend. "I'm sorry, Ron, it's just—"
"Long day."
"Something like that."
The two boys smiled at each other as Harry stretched himself out over his chair. "So, new D.A. Professor again, eh."
"Yeah," replied Ron trying to smooth down the hair around his face. "What was it again? Eldridge... something Eldridge."
"Sinise, Sinise Eldridge," said Hermione as she bounded down the stairs to join them. "Auror from the Ministry. I thought that at least would have interested you, Ron." She perched herself on a pouf and turned to Harry continuing to speak. "Well, Harry, you were right. Some of those girls have horrible foul mouths on them. You won't believe what one of them just said!"
"Don't tell me, it may corrupt my fragile mind!"
"'Fragile mind'! Nothing about your mind is fragile, Harry Potter! Half the train heard what you called Malfoy today and that doesn't come from a 'fragile mind'."
"Half the train heard and somehow I missed it," complained Ron.
"Good thing too, I may have corrupted your 'fragile mind', Ron," Harry laughed and Hermione joined in.
"Ha ha, very funny, lets laugh at Ron and his home made woolly jumpers and—"
"Oh c'mon, Ron, if you can't joke with your best mates then who can you joke with?" Harry asked whilst still laughing.
"Well... my mind is not fragile..." Ron trailed off caught up in his friends' laughter as he gave into the joke.
..............................................................................................................................
"Belladonna."
The Slytherin common room door swung open to allow Draco Malfoy, followed by a heard of anxious first years, in. They headed down further into the bowels of the castle through a dimly lit passage and arrived at a green and silver underground palace. A few of the first years gasped and Draco openly rolled his eyes at them.
"This is the common room. I'm sure it's a bit nicer than what some of you are used to, but don't nick anything, someone will notice. Anyway, boys' dorms are down that way and girls' that way. If you have any problems don't ask me, there are other prefects."
Draco made his way towards a sofa by the fire but was stopped by one of the first year boys.
"You're Lucius Malfoy's son, aren't you?"
"And?" Draco replied lazily, trying to get around the kid.
"My father knows your father."
"Look, my father knows a whole bunch of people."
"They're friends."
"My father doesn't have 'friends'."
"Maybe we should be friends too?"
Draco burst out laughing, and then stopped very abruptly. He lowered his face to the boy's level. "You really think I'm going to be friends with a first year? Off you go now, it's past your bedtime." He stepped around the boy, who quickly left for the dorms, and threw himself down onto one of the leather sofas.
"Got yourself a fan there, Draco."
"Hello, Pansy. How was your summer?"
"Lovely, thanks. Missing you lots though." She sat down on the sofa opposite Draco and propped one foot up on the coffee table between them, making sure to give him a view right up her skirt.
Draco sat up in the sofa and looked Pansy in the eye. She put on her fake 'I'm upset' look which caused Draco to roll his eyes for about the millionth time that day.
"You're so moody. It's not becoming you know. No-one wants a boy with a frown, Draco Malfoy."
"Then stop chasing me around. I can't get laid with you on my tail constantly. People assume that we're a couple, and I know that's what you want. It's disgusting. Go fuck Blaise, he's easy, so I hear."
"Silly boy, we Parkinsons never settle for second best."
"Well you should because you'll never get any better."
"You're a bastard, you know that, Draco." Pansy snapped her legs together and stuck her tongue out at Draco as a parting gesture before heading down to the girls' dorms.
"And you're so very mature," Draco muttered to himself.
"Talking to yourself, darling?"
"Fuck off, Blaise. I thought I made myself perfectly clear over dinner."
"As clear as you always do, then come and shag me anyway."
"It's over, Blaise, it was just sex."
"Of course it was... want some more?" Blaise sat down on the coffee table, his legs between Draco's, his hand playing with his own shirt buttons. This made Draco feel bothered. He could easily resist a proposition from Pansy, but Blaise, he was different. Blaise knew how to make Draco feel hot, he knew what he liked, and what he couldn't resist, and that's what made him hard to resist. Draco swallowed hard and focused on Blaise's face. It was perfect, yet scathing. He could have anyone he wanted, yet he chose to torment Draco. Draco stared at him with dead eyes. He wasn't hot anymore; he was cold, stone cold like the dead. He leaned forward into Blaise making for his smirking face, but ending at his ear. He brushed the other boy's crotch with his fingers and whispered into the ear. "Go fuck Pansy, she's easy, so I hear," before heading back out the common room.
...........................................................................................................................
Hermione reached the top of the stairs to the Gryffindor common room entrance and threw her bag down in front of the Fat Lady.
"Hard first day, dear?" The Fat Lady asked, fanning herself. Hermione looked up at her and smiled.
"No. Just an exhausting one what with the travelling and the first years and then getting to sit down for all of five minutes before having to go to my meeting with Dumbledore," she sighed. "Have a nice summer?"
"You know, you're the first person to ask me that," the Fat Lady said, beaming back down at Hermione. "Yes, child, I had a fabulous summer. I went up to some friends of mine in paintings I hadn't visited for a while. Caught up on gossip over a spot of tea... "
The Fat Lady squinted and bent down in her frame to see the badge gleaming on Hermione's sweater. "Ah... so you're the new Head Girl. This year I wasn't kept in the loop about all the announcements," she added huffily, "but ever since I saw you as a first year I knew you were going to be Head Girl."
"Thanks," Hermione nodded, "but I'd really like to get inside to bed."
"Yes of course. Password?"
"Fluxweed."
"Sleep well, dear," the Fat Lady said as Hermione picked up her bags and walked through, behind the painting, to the common room. Everyone was already inside, laughing and catching up on what they had been up to over summer. She saw Ron and Harry still over by the fireplace, now talking to Seamus and Dean. Before she could speak, Ron saw her and ran over, lifting her up and hugging her.
"I've hardly seen you all day!" Ron whispered in her ear as he put her back down.
"I've been with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall; Head Boy, Head Girl stuff," she explained.
"I've missed you," Ron said, smiling, stepping forward to kiss her gently. "I've hardly heard from you all summer."
"France, with parents. The usual," she explained quickly, as she saw Harry over Ron's shoulder.
"I assume Malfoy was there," Harry growled.
"France?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"No, the Head meeting. And yes, he was there." Hermione directed her comment sharply at Harry. "The fighting, Harry... really. It's Seventh year. That should be below you now."
"Below me? I think I was perfectly justified. Just because Malfoy's Head Boy now doesn't—"
"It's just going to get you into—"
"Trouble, yes, yes I know," Harry finished. His face softened and he cocked his head to the side. "Missed you over summer."
Hermione grinned and hugged Harry tightly. "Missed you too. But I am Head Girl now," she warned, pulling back, "so keep out of trouble. Seriously, Harry, I don't want to give my best friend a detention."
"I'll try," Harry half-heartedly shrugged with a smile on his lips.
"Harry, why... why don't you go look at Dean's new box of Zonko Cherry Dung Bombs?" Ron suggested, nodding towards the boys by the fire.
"But I've already seen—"
"Why don't you go look again?" he suggested again, in a harder tone.
"Oh, yes," Harry smiled and nodded. "Good idea, Ron." Harry rolled his eyes and left Ron and Hermione alone.
"Cherry dung bombs?" Hermione questioned.
"Dung bombs disguised as cherries; one of Fred and George's inventions."
"I should report—" she started before Ron cut her off with a kiss.
"Ssh. So, I was thinking, do you want to go for a walk in the grounds? It's not lights out yet. I mean, I've not seen or spoken to you in months."
"Ronald Weasley, it never was speaking to me you were particularly interested in," Hermione half scolded, raising an eyebrow.
"That's not true!" Ron protested.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!" he squeaked defensively. "So... you want to?"
"Um... that would be nice, but I'm exhausted. I just want to go to bed," Hermione said slowly. "Bit of a headache coming on as well. Too much for one day."
"Yeah... sure."
"I'm sorry," she apologised, holding herself close to his chest.
"No it's fine. Honestly, you go sleep," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "I'll see you at breakfast."
She picked up her bags and kissed him on the cheek. "Night, Ron."
"Night, Hermione," he sighed as he watched her go up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.
......................................................................................................
Spoilers: All is fair game
Disclaimer: We are obviously not JK or Warner so we don't own the characters; this is purely for non-profit fun. Please email us before you sue us. Also the chapter title is from a Jack off Jill song called 'Fear of Dying' from 'Clear Hearts, Grey Flowers' on Risk Records.
Chapter One: I'm not afraid of happy endings, I'm just afraid my life won't work that way
"To be honest with the both of you I thought these incidents would have stopped occurring by now. You are both practically adults, yet you insist on acting like children. Naturally I have overestimated you, a bad trait I admit, but I did think you would be past these silly tiffs by now. Boys, this is your seventh and final year at Hogwarts and I want you to promise me that you will try at least to be civil towards each other. Whatever rift began with you in your first year ends in your seventh. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"Yes, Professor."
"And you, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Right, now why don't you go and join everyone else. It sounds like you've missed the sorting and the school song, but dinner is still to be served. Off you go."
Professor McGonagall leaned against the pillar at the foot of the Grand Staircase and sighed. They hadn't even been back a day and already Potter and Malfoy had clashed. It had gotten worse this past year, she had observed, Harry especially was losing his temper more and more with Draco. If only they could become friends, they were so very alike if you looked past the surface, then maybe Draco wouldn't... no she could not bring herself to think about what might become of the Slytherin boy after his time at Hogwarts.
She sighed again and looked towards the Great Hall where the feast had definitely begun. How much longer could she do this for? Albus seemed to never tire of new students, new faces, new lives ready to be moulded, but she was getting tired. She was putting on a brave face, but she had been doing this for too long. The idea of a tiny cottage in the middle of nowhere seemed to appeal now more than ever.
..............................................................................................................................
"Fuck him, fucking tosser, fucking... fuck!"
"Harry, there are first years right there." Hermione gestured down the table towards a group of nervous looking youngsters who were only picking at their food despite being obviously hungry.
"What, had you never heard a naughty word when you were eleven, Hermione?"
"Well... that's not my point, and don't make fun of me. It's not my fault you and Malfoy had another run in."
"And it's mines is it?"
"Would you two just quit it already. We haven't even been back two hours and you're bickering."
"We are not bickering, Ronald," pitched in Hermione. "I was just reminding Harry that there are first years present and he should keep his bad language to a minimum."
"Please, Hermione, don't give me a fucking lecture, I just finished getting one from McGonagall; 'be civil towards each other'... blah blah fucking blah!"
"Harry!"
"Would you two just shut up and eat your dinner before it's stone cold."
Harry and Hermione both looked at Ron and then at each other, silently agreeing a truce to please their friend. Harry loaded his plate with anything that came to hand and tucked in, every so often pausing to look up and glare across the hall at a certain Slytherin blond.
.........................................................................................................
Draco stabbed viciously at a new potato on his plate. He would chase it around for a bit with his fork, then catch it in some nook and stab at it for a while until it escaped again.
"Wishing it was someone's head, darling?" came a whisper in his right ear.
"Yours. And don't call me that," Draco cockily threw back at the dark- haired boy sitting next to him.
"I've missed you this summer. Where on earth have you been?"
"Hiding from you, Blaise, you fag."
"Takes one to know one," Blaise smiled back at Draco.
Draco took a stab at the potato, caught the edge of it and sent it flying across the hall into a Ravenclaw girl who looked slightly miffed at being hit by some mystery object and so stabbed the boy next to her with her fork. Blaise rolled his eyes and looked at Draco.
"Remember being that young?"
"I was never that young."
"Oh yes, I forgot. Draco Malfoy, oh so grown up, doesn't even know what he wants. Is he gay, is he straight? Does he like to fuck girls or boys?"
"That's you, Blaise, not me. I know exactly what I am."
"And wouldn't daddy be proud with a faggot for a son. Besides I know what I want and so do you."
"Fuck off."
"Oh, Draco, when will you stop being so proud and give in to the fact that you want me too."
"Because I don't. Because I'm too good for you and you know it. I don't fuck dirty half-breeds with whores for mothers."
For a second this threw Blaise and he stumbled. "Well... you used to."
"And I've learned the error of my ways. Move on, Blaise. Go back to what you're good at; fucking silly girls."
"You'll never have a fuck again, Draco, no-one's good enough for a Malfoy."
Blaise turned away from Draco and took a long drink from his goblet. Draco stared at his back; he couldn't believe he had once cared what this boy thought. He didn't care what anyone thought anymore, not even his father. He could say anything to anyone and it didn't matter because he didn't care. But something was bothering him, and had been since he had arrived at Hogwarts. It definitely wasn't Blaise. Perhaps he had forgotten something; no matter though since his mother would owl it. It didn't seem to be that though. Draco distractedly chased another potato around his plate until it was time to retire to the house common rooms.
..............................................................................................................................
Harry threw himself down into one of the armchairs by the fire and kicked off his trainers. Ron and Hermione were away settling first years into their dorms and so Harry had some time to himself without Hermione pestering him, or Ron pestering her about why she had hardly seen him over the summer. Ron and Hermione being a couple had been weird to begin with, but it was a good thing, Harry had concluded. They were so worried at first that Harry would be jealous, but he wasn't, not at all. Hermione was so high-maintenance, Harry couldn't deal with that. Friends were hard enough to keep without having to consider a girlfriend.
Just then Ron came down the stairs and took up a chair at the fire with Harry. He also kicked off his shoes and rubbed at his eyes.
"Long day, huh?"
Ron smiled weakly at Harry. "You could say that."
"So what's up?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that, the way you flew off at Malfoy today? He barely looked at you, Harry."
"You weren't even there."
"Yeah, but Hermione was."
"Been having little, cosy chats about me again have we?"
"C'mon, don't be like that."
Harry looked at his best-friend. "I'm sorry, Ron, it's just—"
"Long day."
"Something like that."
The two boys smiled at each other as Harry stretched himself out over his chair. "So, new D.A. Professor again, eh."
"Yeah," replied Ron trying to smooth down the hair around his face. "What was it again? Eldridge... something Eldridge."
"Sinise, Sinise Eldridge," said Hermione as she bounded down the stairs to join them. "Auror from the Ministry. I thought that at least would have interested you, Ron." She perched herself on a pouf and turned to Harry continuing to speak. "Well, Harry, you were right. Some of those girls have horrible foul mouths on them. You won't believe what one of them just said!"
"Don't tell me, it may corrupt my fragile mind!"
"'Fragile mind'! Nothing about your mind is fragile, Harry Potter! Half the train heard what you called Malfoy today and that doesn't come from a 'fragile mind'."
"Half the train heard and somehow I missed it," complained Ron.
"Good thing too, I may have corrupted your 'fragile mind', Ron," Harry laughed and Hermione joined in.
"Ha ha, very funny, lets laugh at Ron and his home made woolly jumpers and—"
"Oh c'mon, Ron, if you can't joke with your best mates then who can you joke with?" Harry asked whilst still laughing.
"Well... my mind is not fragile..." Ron trailed off caught up in his friends' laughter as he gave into the joke.
..............................................................................................................................
"Belladonna."
The Slytherin common room door swung open to allow Draco Malfoy, followed by a heard of anxious first years, in. They headed down further into the bowels of the castle through a dimly lit passage and arrived at a green and silver underground palace. A few of the first years gasped and Draco openly rolled his eyes at them.
"This is the common room. I'm sure it's a bit nicer than what some of you are used to, but don't nick anything, someone will notice. Anyway, boys' dorms are down that way and girls' that way. If you have any problems don't ask me, there are other prefects."
Draco made his way towards a sofa by the fire but was stopped by one of the first year boys.
"You're Lucius Malfoy's son, aren't you?"
"And?" Draco replied lazily, trying to get around the kid.
"My father knows your father."
"Look, my father knows a whole bunch of people."
"They're friends."
"My father doesn't have 'friends'."
"Maybe we should be friends too?"
Draco burst out laughing, and then stopped very abruptly. He lowered his face to the boy's level. "You really think I'm going to be friends with a first year? Off you go now, it's past your bedtime." He stepped around the boy, who quickly left for the dorms, and threw himself down onto one of the leather sofas.
"Got yourself a fan there, Draco."
"Hello, Pansy. How was your summer?"
"Lovely, thanks. Missing you lots though." She sat down on the sofa opposite Draco and propped one foot up on the coffee table between them, making sure to give him a view right up her skirt.
Draco sat up in the sofa and looked Pansy in the eye. She put on her fake 'I'm upset' look which caused Draco to roll his eyes for about the millionth time that day.
"You're so moody. It's not becoming you know. No-one wants a boy with a frown, Draco Malfoy."
"Then stop chasing me around. I can't get laid with you on my tail constantly. People assume that we're a couple, and I know that's what you want. It's disgusting. Go fuck Blaise, he's easy, so I hear."
"Silly boy, we Parkinsons never settle for second best."
"Well you should because you'll never get any better."
"You're a bastard, you know that, Draco." Pansy snapped her legs together and stuck her tongue out at Draco as a parting gesture before heading down to the girls' dorms.
"And you're so very mature," Draco muttered to himself.
"Talking to yourself, darling?"
"Fuck off, Blaise. I thought I made myself perfectly clear over dinner."
"As clear as you always do, then come and shag me anyway."
"It's over, Blaise, it was just sex."
"Of course it was... want some more?" Blaise sat down on the coffee table, his legs between Draco's, his hand playing with his own shirt buttons. This made Draco feel bothered. He could easily resist a proposition from Pansy, but Blaise, he was different. Blaise knew how to make Draco feel hot, he knew what he liked, and what he couldn't resist, and that's what made him hard to resist. Draco swallowed hard and focused on Blaise's face. It was perfect, yet scathing. He could have anyone he wanted, yet he chose to torment Draco. Draco stared at him with dead eyes. He wasn't hot anymore; he was cold, stone cold like the dead. He leaned forward into Blaise making for his smirking face, but ending at his ear. He brushed the other boy's crotch with his fingers and whispered into the ear. "Go fuck Pansy, she's easy, so I hear," before heading back out the common room.
...........................................................................................................................
Hermione reached the top of the stairs to the Gryffindor common room entrance and threw her bag down in front of the Fat Lady.
"Hard first day, dear?" The Fat Lady asked, fanning herself. Hermione looked up at her and smiled.
"No. Just an exhausting one what with the travelling and the first years and then getting to sit down for all of five minutes before having to go to my meeting with Dumbledore," she sighed. "Have a nice summer?"
"You know, you're the first person to ask me that," the Fat Lady said, beaming back down at Hermione. "Yes, child, I had a fabulous summer. I went up to some friends of mine in paintings I hadn't visited for a while. Caught up on gossip over a spot of tea... "
The Fat Lady squinted and bent down in her frame to see the badge gleaming on Hermione's sweater. "Ah... so you're the new Head Girl. This year I wasn't kept in the loop about all the announcements," she added huffily, "but ever since I saw you as a first year I knew you were going to be Head Girl."
"Thanks," Hermione nodded, "but I'd really like to get inside to bed."
"Yes of course. Password?"
"Fluxweed."
"Sleep well, dear," the Fat Lady said as Hermione picked up her bags and walked through, behind the painting, to the common room. Everyone was already inside, laughing and catching up on what they had been up to over summer. She saw Ron and Harry still over by the fireplace, now talking to Seamus and Dean. Before she could speak, Ron saw her and ran over, lifting her up and hugging her.
"I've hardly seen you all day!" Ron whispered in her ear as he put her back down.
"I've been with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall; Head Boy, Head Girl stuff," she explained.
"I've missed you," Ron said, smiling, stepping forward to kiss her gently. "I've hardly heard from you all summer."
"France, with parents. The usual," she explained quickly, as she saw Harry over Ron's shoulder.
"I assume Malfoy was there," Harry growled.
"France?" Ron asked, puzzled.
"No, the Head meeting. And yes, he was there." Hermione directed her comment sharply at Harry. "The fighting, Harry... really. It's Seventh year. That should be below you now."
"Below me? I think I was perfectly justified. Just because Malfoy's Head Boy now doesn't—"
"It's just going to get you into—"
"Trouble, yes, yes I know," Harry finished. His face softened and he cocked his head to the side. "Missed you over summer."
Hermione grinned and hugged Harry tightly. "Missed you too. But I am Head Girl now," she warned, pulling back, "so keep out of trouble. Seriously, Harry, I don't want to give my best friend a detention."
"I'll try," Harry half-heartedly shrugged with a smile on his lips.
"Harry, why... why don't you go look at Dean's new box of Zonko Cherry Dung Bombs?" Ron suggested, nodding towards the boys by the fire.
"But I've already seen—"
"Why don't you go look again?" he suggested again, in a harder tone.
"Oh, yes," Harry smiled and nodded. "Good idea, Ron." Harry rolled his eyes and left Ron and Hermione alone.
"Cherry dung bombs?" Hermione questioned.
"Dung bombs disguised as cherries; one of Fred and George's inventions."
"I should report—" she started before Ron cut her off with a kiss.
"Ssh. So, I was thinking, do you want to go for a walk in the grounds? It's not lights out yet. I mean, I've not seen or spoken to you in months."
"Ronald Weasley, it never was speaking to me you were particularly interested in," Hermione half scolded, raising an eyebrow.
"That's not true!" Ron protested.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!" he squeaked defensively. "So... you want to?"
"Um... that would be nice, but I'm exhausted. I just want to go to bed," Hermione said slowly. "Bit of a headache coming on as well. Too much for one day."
"Yeah... sure."
"I'm sorry," she apologised, holding herself close to his chest.
"No it's fine. Honestly, you go sleep," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "I'll see you at breakfast."
She picked up her bags and kissed him on the cheek. "Night, Ron."
"Night, Hermione," he sighed as he watched her go up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.
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