DISCLAIMER: I don't own a thing. Period.
I wish I did.
A Matter of Time
"Checkmate."
It was a Sunday night in the Gryffindor dormitory and Ron was playing chess with himself. Hermione was reading a thick book and Harry was trying to finish a History of Magic essay due on the next day.
Hermione made a sound between a sigh and a snort and looked up at Ron. "Ron, what is the point of playing chess with yourself? You'll win anyway, and you could be doing something useful, for a change."
Ron heaved a huge fake sigh. "My dear Hermione, the point's not winning, it's playing while learning. Don't you have some book to read?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you were more observant, you would realise I am reading right now!" she said scathingly. "Honestly, not only have you got the emotional range of a teaspoon, your vision goes only as far as your nose."
Ron frowned and changed the subject. "What're you reading, anyway?" he enquired. "Hogwarts, a History? Really Hermione, you've read that a million times."
Hermione huffed. "I'm reading the Potions book that Snape set us. You do realise that an essay on this book is due in two days, don't you?"
Ron looked up in surprise. "Really?"
Hermione sighed, rolled her eyes, and looked back down to her book.
Harry watched the two of them out of the corner of his eye.i I have to get them together/i, he thought.i There's only half a school year left until we leave, and those two still don't realise./i
He stared down at his History of Magic essay. "Five more inches..." he muttered. Harry had no idea why he had to do a ithree and a half foot/i essay on "The 1436 Rebellion of the Czech Werewolf Society". He heard Hermione come up behind him and turned his head.
"Just write a short evaluation at the end," she suggested kindly, "Binns likes that. He said it makes the essay more complete."
Harry blinked. "When did he say that?" he asked, annoyed that for so many years he could have added an evaluation and gotten a better mark.
Hermione sighed. "Third year. You two had better start listening, N.E.W.Ts are coming up."
Harry nodded and scribbled a few words down as Hermione sank into her armchair next to the fire.
"Remember third year, when I had to use a Time-Turner? I'm starting to regret not keeping it. It would be so exhilarating to go back in time again." she thought aloud.
Ron sighed. "If only life were like that, Hermione..."
Ron had come over to sit next to her. Harry found it mildly amusing to watch them as they sat together. iIt'd make a pretty good family portrait.../i he thought, and finished the essay with a flourish.
"I'll leave you two lovebirds at it, I'm going to sleep. Night."
Ron's ears reddened at Harry's choice of words and Hermione blushed, leaving Harry feeling quite satisfied with his day's work.
center*~*~*/center
Harry tiptoed across the Common Room and ran down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Dumbledore had indeed elaborated in the decorations this winter; sparkling ice sculptures added to the decor of the large Christmas trees. Holly and mistletoe was hung all around the entrances (unfortunately for Harry, he was caught under the door with a first-year Slytherin girl) and white confetti (or was it snow?) lazily drifted down, landing in people's hair, in drinks, on meals, and on Neville's iMimbulus Mimbletonia/i. Harry munched on a piece of toast and watched as Ginny came into the Hall.
"Mo-or-orning," she yawned, and watched with mild interest as the iMimbulus Mimbletonia/i squirted out a jet of slime when a thick white clump landed on it. "Where's Hermione and my abominable brother?" she asked as an afterthought.
Harry smirked. "Last time I saw them, they were asleep next to each other on a couch in the Common Room. I didn't quite want to disturb them..."
Ginny giggled and chewed on a slice of bacon. "It's really stupid, you know. They know they like each other but they're too proud to admit it." she said through the meat.
Harry frowned. "When are they going to irealise/i, though? It'd be horrible if the school year ended and they still weren't together. They've got to get together SOONER or later!" The last bit was accompanied with a hearty bang of Harry's fist on the table.
Ginny blinked as plates shuddered in the aftermath of the small explosion. "Well," she considered, "I suppose it's all in a matter of time."
Hermione and Ron had indeed been enraged. Harry had to duck to avoid a stream of red sparks that flowed out of a temperamental Hermione's wand. The trio had been iquite/i preoccupied, that is, until that evening. A chattering crowd was gathered around a bulletin board near Gryffindor Tower. Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited unil the crowd had dispersed to read the announcement, and, when he saw it, Ron went pale.
centerbTo all Hogwarts students:/b/center
centerThe Headmaster has decided to reward the school's hard work with an informal Yule Ball. All students from fourth year to seventh are pemitted to come. Any first to third years who wish to attend must have been asked by a fourth to seventh year beforehand.
Dress robes are compulsory. Any colour is fine, however, the Headmaster begs for the seventh year young man who wore bright orange and the sixth year young lady in neon green at our last Yule Ball to wear the same dress robes./center
Sincerely
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Head
Ron turned to the other two. "Another Yule Ball?" he asked, flabbergasted. "Dear God, no!"
Harry gave a small smile. "Er... Ron, I don't think you're going to like what I'm asking you, but... " Harry hesitated.
"What? You know you can trust me!" Ron said.
Harry continued in a rush. "Dotinkicangoballwitorister?"
Hermione sighed as she looked at Ron's bewildered face, then translated for Harry. "He said, do you think he can go to the Ball with your sister?"
Ron blinked, as if digesting the information. "We-ell... do you promise that you won't hurt her, make her sad, step on her feet and look at other girls as if you fancy them?"
Harry nodded.
"YOU BLOODY WILL PROMISE BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE YOUR BODY IS FOUND MANGLED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE!" Ron finally exploded.
Hermione looked grumpy. "You should go by what I said at the end of fourth year's Yule Ball, Ron." she muttered enigmatically, and then entered the portrait hole.
Ron turned to Harry. "What does she mean?" he asked, looking confused.
Harry grinned and made his way past Ron, leaving him in a very puzzled state of mind.
I wish I did.
A Matter of Time
"Checkmate."
It was a Sunday night in the Gryffindor dormitory and Ron was playing chess with himself. Hermione was reading a thick book and Harry was trying to finish a History of Magic essay due on the next day.
Hermione made a sound between a sigh and a snort and looked up at Ron. "Ron, what is the point of playing chess with yourself? You'll win anyway, and you could be doing something useful, for a change."
Ron heaved a huge fake sigh. "My dear Hermione, the point's not winning, it's playing while learning. Don't you have some book to read?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you were more observant, you would realise I am reading right now!" she said scathingly. "Honestly, not only have you got the emotional range of a teaspoon, your vision goes only as far as your nose."
Ron frowned and changed the subject. "What're you reading, anyway?" he enquired. "Hogwarts, a History? Really Hermione, you've read that a million times."
Hermione huffed. "I'm reading the Potions book that Snape set us. You do realise that an essay on this book is due in two days, don't you?"
Ron looked up in surprise. "Really?"
Hermione sighed, rolled her eyes, and looked back down to her book.
Harry watched the two of them out of the corner of his eye.i I have to get them together/i, he thought.i There's only half a school year left until we leave, and those two still don't realise./i
He stared down at his History of Magic essay. "Five more inches..." he muttered. Harry had no idea why he had to do a ithree and a half foot/i essay on "The 1436 Rebellion of the Czech Werewolf Society". He heard Hermione come up behind him and turned his head.
"Just write a short evaluation at the end," she suggested kindly, "Binns likes that. He said it makes the essay more complete."
Harry blinked. "When did he say that?" he asked, annoyed that for so many years he could have added an evaluation and gotten a better mark.
Hermione sighed. "Third year. You two had better start listening, N.E.W.Ts are coming up."
Harry nodded and scribbled a few words down as Hermione sank into her armchair next to the fire.
"Remember third year, when I had to use a Time-Turner? I'm starting to regret not keeping it. It would be so exhilarating to go back in time again." she thought aloud.
Ron sighed. "If only life were like that, Hermione..."
Ron had come over to sit next to her. Harry found it mildly amusing to watch them as they sat together. iIt'd make a pretty good family portrait.../i he thought, and finished the essay with a flourish.
"I'll leave you two lovebirds at it, I'm going to sleep. Night."
Ron's ears reddened at Harry's choice of words and Hermione blushed, leaving Harry feeling quite satisfied with his day's work.
center*~*~*/center
Harry tiptoed across the Common Room and ran down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Dumbledore had indeed elaborated in the decorations this winter; sparkling ice sculptures added to the decor of the large Christmas trees. Holly and mistletoe was hung all around the entrances (unfortunately for Harry, he was caught under the door with a first-year Slytherin girl) and white confetti (or was it snow?) lazily drifted down, landing in people's hair, in drinks, on meals, and on Neville's iMimbulus Mimbletonia/i. Harry munched on a piece of toast and watched as Ginny came into the Hall.
"Mo-or-orning," she yawned, and watched with mild interest as the iMimbulus Mimbletonia/i squirted out a jet of slime when a thick white clump landed on it. "Where's Hermione and my abominable brother?" she asked as an afterthought.
Harry smirked. "Last time I saw them, they were asleep next to each other on a couch in the Common Room. I didn't quite want to disturb them..."
Ginny giggled and chewed on a slice of bacon. "It's really stupid, you know. They know they like each other but they're too proud to admit it." she said through the meat.
Harry frowned. "When are they going to irealise/i, though? It'd be horrible if the school year ended and they still weren't together. They've got to get together SOONER or later!" The last bit was accompanied with a hearty bang of Harry's fist on the table.
Ginny blinked as plates shuddered in the aftermath of the small explosion. "Well," she considered, "I suppose it's all in a matter of time."
Hermione and Ron had indeed been enraged. Harry had to duck to avoid a stream of red sparks that flowed out of a temperamental Hermione's wand. The trio had been iquite/i preoccupied, that is, until that evening. A chattering crowd was gathered around a bulletin board near Gryffindor Tower. Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited unil the crowd had dispersed to read the announcement, and, when he saw it, Ron went pale.
centerbTo all Hogwarts students:/b/center
centerThe Headmaster has decided to reward the school's hard work with an informal Yule Ball. All students from fourth year to seventh are pemitted to come. Any first to third years who wish to attend must have been asked by a fourth to seventh year beforehand.
Dress robes are compulsory. Any colour is fine, however, the Headmaster begs for the seventh year young man who wore bright orange and the sixth year young lady in neon green at our last Yule Ball to wear the same dress robes./center
Sincerely
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Head
Ron turned to the other two. "Another Yule Ball?" he asked, flabbergasted. "Dear God, no!"
Harry gave a small smile. "Er... Ron, I don't think you're going to like what I'm asking you, but... " Harry hesitated.
"What? You know you can trust me!" Ron said.
Harry continued in a rush. "Dotinkicangoballwitorister?"
Hermione sighed as she looked at Ron's bewildered face, then translated for Harry. "He said, do you think he can go to the Ball with your sister?"
Ron blinked, as if digesting the information. "We-ell... do you promise that you won't hurt her, make her sad, step on her feet and look at other girls as if you fancy them?"
Harry nodded.
"YOU BLOODY WILL PROMISE BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE YOUR BODY IS FOUND MANGLED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAKE!" Ron finally exploded.
Hermione looked grumpy. "You should go by what I said at the end of fourth year's Yule Ball, Ron." she muttered enigmatically, and then entered the portrait hole.
Ron turned to Harry. "What does she mean?" he asked, looking confused.
Harry grinned and made his way past Ron, leaving him in a very puzzled state of mind.