Chapter 1: Something Different
Harry put his quill down and tightened his fingers, the muscles hurting from writing the long essay for Snape. He flipped through his books with his other hand while he flexed his fingers. He looked up at Ron on the other side of the table, he wasn't having much luck either.
"You know, Harry," Ron said, snapping his book shut. "I don't know why Snape gives us this stuff! I mean, he knows that none of us will ever use it! Come on!" Ron picked up his parchment and pointed at random potion names.
"When the bloody hell am I ever going to use a herpe-removal potion?" he said, turning a bit red. "Well, you never know who you'll run into in Hogsmeade!" Harry laughed. Ron mocked laughed, and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked, picking up his quill. "I'm not doing this anymore. Snape can shove it!" Ron picked up his books and parchment.
"But it's due tomorrow!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yeah, right. I'll finish later. See ya, Harry." Ron turned to leave the library, and Ginny passed him on her way in.
"Hey, Harry!" Ginny said, sitting down across from him.
"Hi, Ginny," he said, not looking up, write furiously.
"How was practice?" he said wincing slightly. He had missed practice to finish his essay for Transfiguration the day before.
"Oh it was good. We're trying a new maneuver now. Pretty difficult," she said. Harry looked up and was about to tell her he was busy, but he didn't. Ginny looked somehow, very different.
"Ginny, you look different. New look, or.." he asked, turning a bit red. "Oh, not really, Harry." She laughed.
"I didn't do anything. I mean, nothing out of the ordinary." She smiled. "I can see you're busy though," she said, beginning to stand up.
"Oh no! It's ok," he said, closing his books. "I'm done." He smiled, and stood up. "What's for dinner?"
They walked back down to the Great Hall together, talking about Quidditch. "You know, the Cannons got a new Seeker? Parkins? He's amazing!"
When they entered the Hall, Ginny and Harry found Ron sitting across from Hermione, who had her books propped open against her juice jug. "You know Hermione, you don't have to re-write the Potions essay. It's fine." Ron said between bites of steak.
"I know, I'm just afraid this is a big deal, you know? I mean, Snape's making such a big deal out of it!" she said not looking up, taking a bite out of her pumpkin pasty. Ron shook his head and continued eating.
"Hey guys," Harry said, sitting beside Hermione, Ginny sitting across from him. "Oh, hi Harry," Hermione said looking up. "Did you finish your essay?" she asked. "Um...I'm almost done actually. I just got a little tired, you know? There's only so much hemorrhoid ointment I can take." He said. He took a pumpkin pasty off of Hermione's plate, and she glanced sidelong at him, smiling.
When they were finished, they all went back to the Common Room and lounged about. "Ron! You're not even halfway done with your essay!" Hermione said over his shoulder. Ron sighed, and mock poked her with his quill.
"Well, it's kind of hard to write with a squawking bird over me, jeeze.." he said, looking back to his paper. Hermione shook her head, and walked over to a chair by the fireplace. Harry finished his essay and stood up, stretched, and sat back down.
"Damn, that's long!" he said, rolling up his parchment and sticking it back in his bag. "You're done? Good, Harry," Hermione said smiling. "Do you think you could help me study for my Ancient Runes test tomorrow? It's pretty vigorous." Harry agreed and walked over to the fireplace.
About two hours later, Ron stood up, and got ready to go to bed, but Harry stopped him. "Hey Ron, come here." He said. There were the only two left in the Common Room. "A trip to Hogsmeade is coming up. Do you think you could," Harry stopped.
He couldn't believe he was about to ask his best friend this. "Ask Ginny if she'd come with me to the Three Broomsticks?" Harry winced for Ron's reaction. It didn't come. A smiled pealed across Ron's face, and he turned a bit red.
"Of course! I've been waiting to ask you if you liked her!" Ron laughed, and slapped Harry on the back. Harry wasn't sure how to act. How had he known? It had never occurred to Harry really until today? Harry shrugged and got ready to leave. "Wait a minute," Ron said, behind Harry as he was about to go up the steps.
"You own me a favor.." Ron said slyly. "Uh...what do you want?" Harry said, turning slowly. Ron's face was turning very red, but he continued to smile. Harry thought he looked like the Kool-Aid guy, only not fat and made of plastic.
"Well," Ron got close to Harry, in case others heard apparently. "I would really like you to talk to Hermione." He said. Harry could tell Ron's mouth was dry because he saw the skin pealing on his mouth. "Hermione?" Harry said in disbelief.
"Yeah, is that bad?" Ron asked in a protective voice. "I just want to, ya know, walk around Hogsmeade with her." He said, defensively. "I really like her Harry." He said, looking down. Harry couldn't believe it. Why hadn't he told him before?
"Um..Ron, that's weird!" He blurted out. "Why? I just want to know something.." he said. "What?" "Not from you, you git!" He yelled. "Ok, OK! Calm down. I'll talk to her." He said.
The next day, Harry awoke feeling odd. He felt a tremendous weight on him, but it shouldn't have been that big of a deal. I mean, he just had to talk to her.
After Transfiguration.. "Hermione, wait," Harry said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I want to talk to you."
She waited for him, and they exited the room together. "What's up Harry? Are you ok?" she asked, she seemed worried. "Oh yeah, I'm fine," he lied.
"I wanted to ask you something." He said, wiping the back of his neck. "Sure," she said, unsure.
"Well, there's a Hogsmeade trip coming up, and I wanted to know if.." he stopped. Hermione had stopped walking and stared at Harry. "Yeah," she said in a quiet voice. "If you'd.."
Hermione seemed to stop breathing. "If you'd go on a date with, uh, Ron." He said, looking away. Hermione's mouth dropped a little, but she quickly closed it. "Ron..?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, he wants to talk, I guess.." Harry didn't know what Ron wanted, he just kept thinking about Ginny. "Well, Harry.." Her expression changed a bit, she seemed sad. "Sure, I'll go with Ron." She nodded, looking past Harry. She seemed to be reassuring herself.
"I will." "Great!" Harry said. Wasn't so bad, he thought. "See ya!" he sped off for Defense Against the Dark Arts, leaving Hermione standing in the hallway.
Harry put his quill down and tightened his fingers, the muscles hurting from writing the long essay for Snape. He flipped through his books with his other hand while he flexed his fingers. He looked up at Ron on the other side of the table, he wasn't having much luck either.
"You know, Harry," Ron said, snapping his book shut. "I don't know why Snape gives us this stuff! I mean, he knows that none of us will ever use it! Come on!" Ron picked up his parchment and pointed at random potion names.
"When the bloody hell am I ever going to use a herpe-removal potion?" he said, turning a bit red. "Well, you never know who you'll run into in Hogsmeade!" Harry laughed. Ron mocked laughed, and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked, picking up his quill. "I'm not doing this anymore. Snape can shove it!" Ron picked up his books and parchment.
"But it's due tomorrow!" Harry exclaimed.
"Yeah, right. I'll finish later. See ya, Harry." Ron turned to leave the library, and Ginny passed him on her way in.
"Hey, Harry!" Ginny said, sitting down across from him.
"Hi, Ginny," he said, not looking up, write furiously.
"How was practice?" he said wincing slightly. He had missed practice to finish his essay for Transfiguration the day before.
"Oh it was good. We're trying a new maneuver now. Pretty difficult," she said. Harry looked up and was about to tell her he was busy, but he didn't. Ginny looked somehow, very different.
"Ginny, you look different. New look, or.." he asked, turning a bit red. "Oh, not really, Harry." She laughed.
"I didn't do anything. I mean, nothing out of the ordinary." She smiled. "I can see you're busy though," she said, beginning to stand up.
"Oh no! It's ok," he said, closing his books. "I'm done." He smiled, and stood up. "What's for dinner?"
They walked back down to the Great Hall together, talking about Quidditch. "You know, the Cannons got a new Seeker? Parkins? He's amazing!"
When they entered the Hall, Ginny and Harry found Ron sitting across from Hermione, who had her books propped open against her juice jug. "You know Hermione, you don't have to re-write the Potions essay. It's fine." Ron said between bites of steak.
"I know, I'm just afraid this is a big deal, you know? I mean, Snape's making such a big deal out of it!" she said not looking up, taking a bite out of her pumpkin pasty. Ron shook his head and continued eating.
"Hey guys," Harry said, sitting beside Hermione, Ginny sitting across from him. "Oh, hi Harry," Hermione said looking up. "Did you finish your essay?" she asked. "Um...I'm almost done actually. I just got a little tired, you know? There's only so much hemorrhoid ointment I can take." He said. He took a pumpkin pasty off of Hermione's plate, and she glanced sidelong at him, smiling.
When they were finished, they all went back to the Common Room and lounged about. "Ron! You're not even halfway done with your essay!" Hermione said over his shoulder. Ron sighed, and mock poked her with his quill.
"Well, it's kind of hard to write with a squawking bird over me, jeeze.." he said, looking back to his paper. Hermione shook her head, and walked over to a chair by the fireplace. Harry finished his essay and stood up, stretched, and sat back down.
"Damn, that's long!" he said, rolling up his parchment and sticking it back in his bag. "You're done? Good, Harry," Hermione said smiling. "Do you think you could help me study for my Ancient Runes test tomorrow? It's pretty vigorous." Harry agreed and walked over to the fireplace.
About two hours later, Ron stood up, and got ready to go to bed, but Harry stopped him. "Hey Ron, come here." He said. There were the only two left in the Common Room. "A trip to Hogsmeade is coming up. Do you think you could," Harry stopped.
He couldn't believe he was about to ask his best friend this. "Ask Ginny if she'd come with me to the Three Broomsticks?" Harry winced for Ron's reaction. It didn't come. A smiled pealed across Ron's face, and he turned a bit red.
"Of course! I've been waiting to ask you if you liked her!" Ron laughed, and slapped Harry on the back. Harry wasn't sure how to act. How had he known? It had never occurred to Harry really until today? Harry shrugged and got ready to leave. "Wait a minute," Ron said, behind Harry as he was about to go up the steps.
"You own me a favor.." Ron said slyly. "Uh...what do you want?" Harry said, turning slowly. Ron's face was turning very red, but he continued to smile. Harry thought he looked like the Kool-Aid guy, only not fat and made of plastic.
"Well," Ron got close to Harry, in case others heard apparently. "I would really like you to talk to Hermione." He said. Harry could tell Ron's mouth was dry because he saw the skin pealing on his mouth. "Hermione?" Harry said in disbelief.
"Yeah, is that bad?" Ron asked in a protective voice. "I just want to, ya know, walk around Hogsmeade with her." He said, defensively. "I really like her Harry." He said, looking down. Harry couldn't believe it. Why hadn't he told him before?
"Um..Ron, that's weird!" He blurted out. "Why? I just want to know something.." he said. "What?" "Not from you, you git!" He yelled. "Ok, OK! Calm down. I'll talk to her." He said.
The next day, Harry awoke feeling odd. He felt a tremendous weight on him, but it shouldn't have been that big of a deal. I mean, he just had to talk to her.
After Transfiguration.. "Hermione, wait," Harry said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I want to talk to you."
She waited for him, and they exited the room together. "What's up Harry? Are you ok?" she asked, she seemed worried. "Oh yeah, I'm fine," he lied.
"I wanted to ask you something." He said, wiping the back of his neck. "Sure," she said, unsure.
"Well, there's a Hogsmeade trip coming up, and I wanted to know if.." he stopped. Hermione had stopped walking and stared at Harry. "Yeah," she said in a quiet voice. "If you'd.."
Hermione seemed to stop breathing. "If you'd go on a date with, uh, Ron." He said, looking away. Hermione's mouth dropped a little, but she quickly closed it. "Ron..?" she asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, he wants to talk, I guess.." Harry didn't know what Ron wanted, he just kept thinking about Ginny. "Well, Harry.." Her expression changed a bit, she seemed sad. "Sure, I'll go with Ron." She nodded, looking past Harry. She seemed to be reassuring herself.
"I will." "Great!" Harry said. Wasn't so bad, he thought. "See ya!" he sped off for Defense Against the Dark Arts, leaving Hermione standing in the hallway.