A/N: This is Beater 2 of the Wimbourne Wasps and our round 2 was to write about a particular subject that we were given. I had to write about a person that hated the subject. Prompts and subject listed below.
Prompts:
#1: (word) hangover
Subject: Astronomy
Like Shooting Stars
Word Count: 1,009
The pain that surged through Hermione's head felt worse than any hangover she had experienced. Even though she had only experienced that particular feeling once, she knew it well enough to know that she didn't want to feel it again. As she started to sit up slowly, she silently wished that it was a hangover instead of whatever this was.
She had been staring at the stars for hours in a small spot near a bridge just close enough to the gates of the school. She still couldn't find the ones that she was responsible for finding on her map. The longer it took her, the more frustrated she became. She was extra frustrated that she couldn't find the stars from the comfort of the Astronomy Tower, as it was double booked, and that she had to sit outside in the nippy autumn air. She hadn't even remembered to bring her blanket.
"This is complete bullocks!" she shouted into the cold, crisp night.
She had never been this frustrated over an assignment, and she had never stayed up so late just to finish something she hated to begin with. She couldn't understand why she decided to pursue a higher level of Astronomy after her O.W.L.S. She had never had any trouble with it at first but now she was responsible for finding stars and planets that she believed to have been made up for the purpose of a class.
"Why are you out here so late?" a deep, sleepy voice echoed from behind her.
"How did you know I was out here?" she countered.
"That's not really answering my question," he said, coming to sit down next to her.
Ron spread the blanket over their laps as he sat down. Ron knew that she had been getting frustrated with her assignments for the past couple of weeks and it wasn't something that he was used to. He had never had to worry about Hermione when it came to school, but he knew that she was taking on more than she could handle. She never had trouble with anything. However, it seemed that her concentration was fading without explanation.
"I can't find this star," she growled, tapping her wand to her knee to keep the light from going out.
"What's the star?" Ron questioned.
"Please, as if you could find this star. I've been looking for hours." She gave a deep, throaty laugh that mocked the boy sitting next to her.
"The least you could do is let me take a look," Ron demanded, snatching the map from her hands.
He looked for a mere second before looking up at the clear, navy sky full of stars. He looked through the telescope that she had positioned at a certain level and snorted. He pointed to a star that seemed to resemble it, and Hermione's half-smile faded from her face.
"Is this the star you've been looking for?" he questioned, looking over at her crimson cheeks.
Hermione grabbed the map and looked into her telescope quickly before letting out a rather loud screech. She pushed her telescope over and threw the map into the grass next to her before falling backwards onto plush green lawn.
"This is an utter nightmare!" she shouted, closing her eyes.
She had to breathe in deeply just to keep herself from crying out of frustration. She was exhausted to have sat out in the cold to study for hours only to have someone, who had been out there for less than five minutes, find the same star without trouble. What made it worse was that the person to find the star was Ron Weasley. This is the same Ron Weasley that didn't make it to the N.E.W.T.S level that Hermione had made it to.
"I think you're trying too hard," he said, lying back on the same comfortable section of grass that she was lying in.
"I think I hate this subject," she whispered.
"You hate a subject? That's uncanny." He laughed.
"I mean it! I've been up for hours, Ronald! I can't stand this subject! I should just tell Professor Sinistra that I give up," Hermione shouted, rubbing her tired eyes.
"Now, see here," Ron started, "this is not the Hermione Granger that I've come to know. The Hermione Granger that I know would never give up on a subject that might seem a little too hard, and she definitely wouldn't let something this simple get to her!"
Hermione just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"While that may be so, I'm just too stressed to handle so much at one time. I'm taking extra classes, I'm spending all of my time in the library, and I can't even find one simple star in this sea of millions. I just need to lighten my load," she informed Ron, sitting up slowly to retrieve her map.
"What about using the Time-Turner?" Ron questioned, whispering as if someone was around them.
"I don't want to use that for everything. I used it so much in the past that I was starting to rely on it."
"I think you need to come up with a study plan," Ron said.
Hermione just looked over at the red headed, freckled boy that had shown up with a blanket to check on her - all while wearing his pajamas. She had never seen this side of him before, and she found it quite handsome on him.
"When did you become so helpful?" Hermione asked, surprise infusing her tone.
"I guess I have you to thank for that," he smirked, sitting up.
"It still doesn't change the fact that I'm starting to hate this subject," Hermione informed him, turning to look at him with a frown.
"I wasn't trying to get you to change your mind. I was just telling you that I know you're better than someone who gives up," he winked, standing up to head back towards the castle.
She may have hated the subject but she loved that she had someone to believe in her throughout it all.