Cover Lesson

I looked up from the textbook as a loud cheer spread across the classroom. Next to me, Ron and Harry were having a particularly vicious fake-wand fight, which I was trying my hardest to ignore. It would have been easier if half the class weren't egging them on.

As Professor Moody had suddenly fallen "ill" (we all knew he was investigating his suspicions – once an auror, always an auror), our DADA class was being covered by Professor Flitwick. After he had explained the work to be done ("write detailed notes on the effects of the Imperius Curse"), the class gradually became more and more distracted as it became clear that Flitwick didn't mind what we did. I suspected that his charms lessons had got to him.

After 15 minutes of work, Ron had turned to me.

"I'm bored," he'd said.

"Well, we have to write, Ron, he only gave us this lesson!" I'd replied, trying not to let on how much it meant to me that he'd turned to me rather than Harry.

"You're right," he said. I turned to him, surprised. "We only have an hour. I'm never going to get this finished. Help?" He gave me a smile that melted my heart. I kept a straight face though – I wasn't going to let him win that easily.

"You aren't exactly making much effort, are you?" I responded scathingly, pointing to the paragraph on his parchment. I turned back to my already foot-long notes.

"I would be if you helped me…" I heard him mutter under his breath as he yanked parchment away from me. I blushed furiously, and tried to hide it by holding the textbook in front of my face.

Bad idea.

I finished the paragraph, and looked up to find Ron pulling a fake wand out of his bag, Harry's already in his hand. Despite my outward exasperation for the things, I had to agree that they were brilliant fun to use. I turned back to the textbook –once those boys started, nothing I said could stop them.

"Hey, look," Seamus whispered to Dean. "Harry's got the fake wand out again. Five sickles he wins."

"You're on," Dean replied. "Ron's got a tin parrot, he'll beat Harry hands down."

Gradually, more of the class looked over as the fight got more vicious. A crowd began to gather around the table. I sighed, knowing I would never get this work finished in the lesson. There was just too much racket.

"Die, Harry, die!" Ron yelled as he swiped his parrot in Harry's direction.

"Never!" replied the Boy Who Lived, whacking his rubber haddock against the parrot.

This continued for some time while I tried to keep writing my notes. But after a spectacular move from Harry that trapped Ron's wand against the desk, I sighed, stood up and whispered into Ron's ear. He gave me a grin that made my legs turn to jelly. Still grinning, he flipped the parrot over and severed Harry's haddock with its tin beak to tumultuous applause.

Everyone cheered, money changed hands, and Harry gave an almighty groan as Ron punched his hand in the air victorious.

That is, before Harry tackled him and started to wrestle him on the floor, to the approval of the ring of spectators.

I packed up as the bell went, marking the beginning of lunch. Boys, I thought to myself.

A/N

Hope you enjoyed that, this was inspired by my very own (you guessed it) cover lesson. As this is only my second work, any comments you have will be much appreciated, so please, review!

Happy fanficcing,

Musical Ravenclaw :)