It was their seventh and last year at Hogwarts. Harry Potter, Hermione
Granger, and Ronald Weasley stood before the large oak front doors.
Hermione sighed and took a step forward. The boys followed her through the
doors, into the Great Hall, and to the Gryffindor house table. Most of the
other students had already taken their seats and were waiting for the
welcoming speech from Professor Albus Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall
brought out the Sorting Hat and stool, but Harry's mind was wandering as
the timid first years were sorted into one of the four houses. Harry
shifted uncomfortably on the bench and let his green eyes trail down the
table. Someone was missing!
"Ron, where's Ginny?" He questioned, turning to face his friend.
But Ron only shrugged. He told Harry that Ginny had been with some of her sixth year friends on the train, but he hadn't seen her since they left Platform 9 ¾. Hermione shot Harry a knowing look, causing him to blush...while Ron remained oblivious! The welcome feast happened in a loud blur of food, drink, friends, and announcements. The three friends stood up and stretched before exiting the Great Hall. They walked in a row to the Gryffindor Common Room. "Hippogriff talon," Hermione told the picture of The Fat Lady and the portrait-hole swung open. Ron stepped aside to allow her in first. A pale crimson flushed her cheeks as she mumbled a quiet "thank you" to him. Harry was the last to enter, but the first to head upstairs to his dorm. About an hour later, Harry vaguely heard Ron come into the room and pull his bed hangings closed. In another bed, Neville Longbottom was snoring loud enough that it seemed he would wake the whole castle, alive and dead!
Soon, Harry and Ron were both enveloped in a deep, dreamless sleep.
:§:-:§:-:§:
Early the next morning, Ron and Harry met Hermione down in the Common Room. Class schedules had been handed out the day before, and the seventh year Gryffindors had joint Potions with, of course, the Slytherins first thing in the morning.
"Please find your seats quickly class," Professor Severus Snape's voice drawled behind Hermione, "I have seen those little stories being passed around the school, Granger. You know, the ones in which we-" He made a disgusted noise "-we 'fall in love' and eventually get married!" Snape was furious. "So, Miss Granger...do you have something to say for yourself?" A look of pure venom flashed in his cruel, cold, and seemingly bottomless eyes.
Ron glanced at the Slytherins, who were snickering behind their hands, and sputtered wordlessly in horror. Harry appeared shocked, then let out one loud bark of laughter.
Hermione made a choking sound. "Yes Sir, I have something to say. I've seen them too and it is just heinous! Ugh, who's writing them?" She spat, meeting her Potions Masters snake-like gaze, "But if you find out who it is, Professor, please make them pay for it!" A note of panic and displeasure was detectable in her voice.
The boys saw Pansy Parkinson nudging another girl who had short black hair and chestnut eyes. They were giggling and shoving a stack of parchment into their schoolbags with a mischievous glint in their eyes. Ron tried to tell them off, but was stopped by a gentle hand on his knee.
It's OK Ron, just ignore the stories...they sure as hell aren't true." It was Hermione.
Ron nodded, throwing the Slytherin girls another dirty look. She chewed on her bottom lip until Ron flashed her an encouraging grin and she smiled back, although somewhat weakly.
Class went on in the usual manner: Snape docking house points from the Gyffindors and giving them to the Slytherins, Neville ruining his potion, and the usual Slyth-trio mocking the Gryff-trio. When Potions finally came to an end, Ron carried Hermiones belongings, as well as his own, to Transfiguration. Harry was stunned, and also confused by his friends' behavior...but he chose to say nothing of it.
Halfway to their fourth class that day, the ebony-haired Slytherin girl from Potions walked past Hermione and Ron.
"Hello, Mrs. Snape," She hissed, "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Stephanie Scott."
Hermione could not decide if the girls voice held that hint of friendliness that it seemed, despite the infuriating comment she had made. Ron dropped their stuff and a low growling sound came from his throat, but she held him back from harming Stephanie.
"He-hello Stephanie. I do not know who is writing those horrendous stories, but I can assure you that I will never be the future-bride of our Potions Master!" Hermione said, her voice slightly rising in volume and pitch.
A mischievous smile curled Stephanie Scott's lips upwards, "I know who it is..."
She turned and headed the other way, her hips swaying gently. Ron caught sight of a bunch of written-on parchment protruding from Stephanie's bag as she walked off. His jaw dropped and he silently promised to stop that Slytherin girl from destroying Hermione completely. Hermione and him picked up their supplies and continued on to the next class... :§:-:§:-:§: The final class ended after what seemed to Harry like an eternity. He separated from his two close friends and went off in the direction of the Library. Madam Pince nodded in greeting as he entered, but Harry's eyes were elsewhere. Standing in front of one of the bookshelves, was Ginny Weasley. Harry did a double take, blinking a couple of times. Yeah, that heavenly figure was Ginny, but god was she different!
"G-Ginny..." Harry half-said, half-asked.
The girl turned and smiled at Harry, a flush creeping into her cheeks.
"Hey Harry!" She giggled, jogging over to him.
He stuttered, "Uh...hiya-a Ginny!" "Something wrong?" Her smile faded. Harry shook his head, "Nope." Ginny's lips turned upwards in another smile. She gestured to a table and Harry followed her to it. They sat across from one another. For a while, the two of them chatted about their summer, and Harry found himself studying Ginny completely. He noticed things about her that he had never before seen. Ginny just went on and on and on, never acknowledging his sudden interest in her. So Harry continued to listed to-and stare at-her. Later that night found Harry and Ginny in the Common Room alone. Finally, Ginny announced that she was going up to bed. Before he knew what he was doing, Harry grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and planted a kiss on the side of her mouth. She blushed deeply and gazed confusedly at Harry, who was still holding onto her shoulders. "S-sorry..." He apologized and dropped his hands away from her body. Then he quickly spun around and leapt up the stairs to his dorm, leaving Ginny standing in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room in a pleasantly shocked state. Moments later, Ginny was on her way to her dorm room. She pushed open the door, quietly slipped out of her clothes, dressed in a nightgown, and slid under the scarlet covers on her bed. After pulling the hangings closed around the bed, she lay in the dark with thoughts of Harry Potter dancing through her mind. Sleep claimed her after awhile and all was silent throughout Hogwarts.
But Ron only shrugged. He told Harry that Ginny had been with some of her sixth year friends on the train, but he hadn't seen her since they left Platform 9 ¾. Hermione shot Harry a knowing look, causing him to blush...while Ron remained oblivious! The welcome feast happened in a loud blur of food, drink, friends, and announcements. The three friends stood up and stretched before exiting the Great Hall. They walked in a row to the Gryffindor Common Room. "Hippogriff talon," Hermione told the picture of The Fat Lady and the portrait-hole swung open. Ron stepped aside to allow her in first. A pale crimson flushed her cheeks as she mumbled a quiet "thank you" to him. Harry was the last to enter, but the first to head upstairs to his dorm. About an hour later, Harry vaguely heard Ron come into the room and pull his bed hangings closed. In another bed, Neville Longbottom was snoring loud enough that it seemed he would wake the whole castle, alive and dead!
Soon, Harry and Ron were both enveloped in a deep, dreamless sleep.
:§:-:§:-:§:
Early the next morning, Ron and Harry met Hermione down in the Common Room. Class schedules had been handed out the day before, and the seventh year Gryffindors had joint Potions with, of course, the Slytherins first thing in the morning.
"Please find your seats quickly class," Professor Severus Snape's voice drawled behind Hermione, "I have seen those little stories being passed around the school, Granger. You know, the ones in which we-" He made a disgusted noise "-we 'fall in love' and eventually get married!" Snape was furious. "So, Miss Granger...do you have something to say for yourself?" A look of pure venom flashed in his cruel, cold, and seemingly bottomless eyes.
Ron glanced at the Slytherins, who were snickering behind their hands, and sputtered wordlessly in horror. Harry appeared shocked, then let out one loud bark of laughter.
Hermione made a choking sound. "Yes Sir, I have something to say. I've seen them too and it is just heinous! Ugh, who's writing them?" She spat, meeting her Potions Masters snake-like gaze, "But if you find out who it is, Professor, please make them pay for it!" A note of panic and displeasure was detectable in her voice.
The boys saw Pansy Parkinson nudging another girl who had short black hair and chestnut eyes. They were giggling and shoving a stack of parchment into their schoolbags with a mischievous glint in their eyes. Ron tried to tell them off, but was stopped by a gentle hand on his knee.
It's OK Ron, just ignore the stories...they sure as hell aren't true." It was Hermione.
Ron nodded, throwing the Slytherin girls another dirty look. She chewed on her bottom lip until Ron flashed her an encouraging grin and she smiled back, although somewhat weakly.
Class went on in the usual manner: Snape docking house points from the Gyffindors and giving them to the Slytherins, Neville ruining his potion, and the usual Slyth-trio mocking the Gryff-trio. When Potions finally came to an end, Ron carried Hermiones belongings, as well as his own, to Transfiguration. Harry was stunned, and also confused by his friends' behavior...but he chose to say nothing of it.
Halfway to their fourth class that day, the ebony-haired Slytherin girl from Potions walked past Hermione and Ron.
"Hello, Mrs. Snape," She hissed, "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Stephanie Scott."
Hermione could not decide if the girls voice held that hint of friendliness that it seemed, despite the infuriating comment she had made. Ron dropped their stuff and a low growling sound came from his throat, but she held him back from harming Stephanie.
"He-hello Stephanie. I do not know who is writing those horrendous stories, but I can assure you that I will never be the future-bride of our Potions Master!" Hermione said, her voice slightly rising in volume and pitch.
A mischievous smile curled Stephanie Scott's lips upwards, "I know who it is..."
She turned and headed the other way, her hips swaying gently. Ron caught sight of a bunch of written-on parchment protruding from Stephanie's bag as she walked off. His jaw dropped and he silently promised to stop that Slytherin girl from destroying Hermione completely. Hermione and him picked up their supplies and continued on to the next class... :§:-:§:-:§: The final class ended after what seemed to Harry like an eternity. He separated from his two close friends and went off in the direction of the Library. Madam Pince nodded in greeting as he entered, but Harry's eyes were elsewhere. Standing in front of one of the bookshelves, was Ginny Weasley. Harry did a double take, blinking a couple of times. Yeah, that heavenly figure was Ginny, but god was she different!
"G-Ginny..." Harry half-said, half-asked.
The girl turned and smiled at Harry, a flush creeping into her cheeks.
"Hey Harry!" She giggled, jogging over to him.
He stuttered, "Uh...hiya-a Ginny!" "Something wrong?" Her smile faded. Harry shook his head, "Nope." Ginny's lips turned upwards in another smile. She gestured to a table and Harry followed her to it. They sat across from one another. For a while, the two of them chatted about their summer, and Harry found himself studying Ginny completely. He noticed things about her that he had never before seen. Ginny just went on and on and on, never acknowledging his sudden interest in her. So Harry continued to listed to-and stare at-her. Later that night found Harry and Ginny in the Common Room alone. Finally, Ginny announced that she was going up to bed. Before he knew what he was doing, Harry grabbed Ginny by the shoulders and planted a kiss on the side of her mouth. She blushed deeply and gazed confusedly at Harry, who was still holding onto her shoulders. "S-sorry..." He apologized and dropped his hands away from her body. Then he quickly spun around and leapt up the stairs to his dorm, leaving Ginny standing in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room in a pleasantly shocked state. Moments later, Ginny was on her way to her dorm room. She pushed open the door, quietly slipped out of her clothes, dressed in a nightgown, and slid under the scarlet covers on her bed. After pulling the hangings closed around the bed, she lay in the dark with thoughts of Harry Potter dancing through her mind. Sleep claimed her after awhile and all was silent throughout Hogwarts.