Hey there! My name is Theresa and this is my first official Fan Fiction post. That's about it. Enjoy!
April 1st, 1996
Whirling around as a burning, bubbling, boiling rage seared across her stomach Hermione Jean Granger glared with ferocity at the stunned red head before her. Fury flashed across her usually warm brown eyes as she marched forward, her head held high. Looking him directly in the face she came to a stop just within arm's reach.
"If you think for a single minute that you could get away with this you pompous, overgrown prick than you are completely mental!"
Never, not once, had she been so angry, so furious, so completely out of control of her own emotions. Not when Draco Malfoy called her a Mudblood on a biweekly basis, not when Severus Snape had claimed nothing was wrong as her teeth grew to ridiculous proportions, not even when Ron had insinuated that she couldn't get a date to the Yule Ball. Nothing, not one thing, could compare to the temper that flared up inside her as her gaze caught upon the wreckage that was the library. Lowering her voice to a deadly volume she calmed herself to an icy chill and gave the boy before her a sharp smile.
"The next time you think it's funny to ruin a sanctuary of learning with your increasingly pathetic and dimwitted pranks remember that I write to your mother frequently." Her eyes danced with a sweet vengeance as fear flicked in his own. Taking another step forward she smiled almost too sweetly before dropping the façade and sneering in a very Slytherin manner. Lucius Malfoy himself would have found it difficult not to be proud. "Now you will either clean up every single particle of mess you made, no matter the form. Or I will personally see to it that you receive that nastiest howler this school has ever had the misfortunate of hearing. Do you understand me, Mr. Weasley?"
She turned on her heel, fuming, as he nodded mutely. Of all the foul loathsome little twits she had ever met she had never, not once, suspected the twins, people who she grudgingly admired, to do something so absolutely atrocious. But setting off a modified dungbomb in the library! Now that was just going too far. She could not, would not let them get away with it.
Pushing past a group of startled looking Hufflepuffs the brunette turned a corner and smacked into Ronald.
"Oh Merlin's Sag-" Biting her tongue as her hand flew up to her smarting nose Hermione turned a steely gaze on her second best friend.
"And where, might I ask, where you? We were supposed to go on patrol ten minutes ago! I've been waiting in the library for a half hour!" Possibly it wasn't nearly as big of a deal as she was making it. But the fact that her favorite place in the entirety of Hogwarts needed to be closed for at least an entire day had put her in a mood that no proper language could describe.
Ron, apparently too confused as to why he was being yelled at, simply staid still. It seemed that he believed if he didn't move, she would be unable to see him and thus unable to further shout at him. After glaring for a moment longer as if she expected him to come up with an excuse Hermione rolled her eyes upwards sharply. She was surrounded by fools. She hadn't the foggiest of clues how she'd managed to remain relatively undisturbed by it up until this point.
"Never mind. We needn't patrol here. There are already professors." Hermione ignored the confused look that brushed over Ron's face as she waved her hand in the air absentmindedly.
"The Hufflepuffs have been complaining that someone or something is making an awful ruckus down in the dungeons. I suggest we start there." It wasn't really a suggestion but more of an order that Ron, surprisingly insightful for once in his life, obeyed without question. Leaving him quietly trailing behind her Hermione sunk into her own thoughts with venom. It was one thing to destroy the library. It was another to destroy the library not two months before O.W.L.s. Didn't they realize she had to study? Didn't they realize everyone had to study? They couldn't be that oblivious could they? Surely not. Not when they could invent something as brilliant as a dung bomb that exploded a purple jelly substance everywhere with such force that several book cases were knocked over.
Hermione lifted her fingers to her temples, rubbing small circles into them in a futile attempt to ease her pounding headache. No matter the circumstances she couldn't help a small part of herself from being impressed. The magic it must have taken to pull off their trick astounded her. She hadn't thought them smart enough. Although, considering their Skiving Snackboxes and the rate at which they sold, she really should have stopped underestimating them awhile ago... Bugger.
And really, she should have known they were up to something when they'd entered the library in the first place. If there was a single room in the whole of Hogwarts the Weasley twins knew little to nothing about that one was it.
Rounding a corridor without much thought to the direction Hermione signed inwardly. She really shouldn't have yelled at George. Fred was as much to blame; plus, she now remembered with a twinge of guilt, it was their birthday. A wrinkle creased between bushy brows and for a moment she almost halted. Going back would sooth the itchy sensation running up her spine. Unfortunately, Hermione could already see their self-assured smirks, which made her want to scream. No. Apologizing was out of the question. Besides, it wasn't as if they didn't bounce back from any and all insult or injury like they were made of elastic.
Feeling slightly, although not completely, better about her decision the bushy haired brunette glanced behind her only to be greeted with the sight of a sulky looking Ron. Instant regret flushed across her face and with it a light blush. Heat rose up in her cheeks as Hermione slowed to a stop.
"Ron?"
As he glanced up she almost wished he hadn't. A nasty combination of hurt, anger and distrust shone from his eyes. Lowering her head to the floor as he stared she raised a hand came up to brush a particularly fly away strand out of her face.
"I'm sorry..." She mumbled before looking up, straightening her spine and giving him what she hoped was the right smile.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. I just.." Her lips pursed as her hands rose to cup her hips, "Did you see what they did! Those terrible brothers of yours blew up the library!" Voice rising to an almost unbearable level Hermione began to pace back and forth. Waving her hands about in a renewed flash of anger, or perhaps sheer disbelieving shock, she ranted. Words spilled from her without thought or hesitation and Ron, standing with his hands in his pockets began to chuckle.
"THEY RUINED THE LIBRARY! Books everywhere! Purple sludge covering everything! The entirety of the history of magic section in relation to the goblin uprisings of 1612 and the eighteenth century destroyed! I mean it's possible Madam Pince can save most of them and I'm sure none of those books are especially rare considering there are multiple copies but-" Hermione came to an immediate stop as Ron burst into a fit of side splitting laughter. Turning toward him with the intention to snap that it wasn't in any way funny she caught sight of his face and couldn't help but snort herself. Even she had to admit that her inability to accept that Fred and George thought such a thing was acceptable was at least a bit amusing. Attempting to hold on to her animosity Hermione tried and failed not to smile.
"No! Ron, it isn't funny! They ruined the library!" By the time her sentence ended the fifth year was clutching her second best friend with one arm while the other wrapped around her middle.
"It isn't funny!" Her halfhearted pleas might not attract Ron's attention but they attracted other's.
"Miss Granger? What is the meaning of this?" Darting up as the disapproving tones reached her ears Hermione straightened her skirt hastily, pushing Ron as she did so.
"Nothing at all, Professor McGonagall. We were just on our way down to the dungeons when Ron made an amusing joke. We'll just be going... I'm so sorry we disturbed you. It won't happen again." An innocent, apologetic smile slipped onto her face. Tipping her head politely Hermione snatched Ron's sleeve and forcibly dragged the still giggling red head away before more damage could come.
The familiar sensation of disappointment flooded into her as she glanced back to catch McGonagall's suspicious gaze. Smiling back weakly Hermione lowered her lashes and poked Ron.
"Come on... We've got to patrol or we'll both get detention for abandoning our Prefect duties." It wasn't necessarily true but it did the trick as Ron's smile slipped from his face immediately.
"Blood hell Hermione! You could have mentioned that a bit earlier!"
Shrugging a single slim shoulder Hermione simply put on an apologetic smile and picked up their pace.
"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" Hope surged into her voice as she looked up and sideways to see his reaction. Thankfully he smiled with an offhanded shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets as he did so.
"Yeah. I guess. We all know how mental you are about your books." Wrinkling her nose at his grin Hermione bumped her side into his and shook her head, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Maybe tonight wouldn't be so bad after all...