Hermione sat hunched over her Potions homework; the only sound the rapid scratching of her quill in the common room. She paused for a second, flipping through her book looking for the third use of radish stone. Her hand absentmindedly twirled her hair as she tried to concentrate. She glanced up. Ron was looking at her oddly, obviously giving up on his own homework. "Ron, what's wrong?" she asked closing her book with a thud. He sighed, crossing his arms. "Harry freaked out at me again during Divination. He claimed he had a dream that he purposely threw a quaffle at my head and killed me." Hermione smiled slightly, relieved she didn't do anything to upset him. "Ron, I wouldn't take it personally. Harry's just going through some things...er, as usual." He shrugged, placing his head in his hands. Hermione shot a smile at him, hoping to cheer him up. Sometimes she regretted having two angry teenage boys as her best friends. She abandoned her attempt to cheer up Ron and got out a new piece of parchment. She wrote: Dear Viktor,
It's been so long since I've seen you! How have you been? My first week of school went well and... "What are you writing?" Ron asked rather accusingly. "It's a letter if you must know," Hermione stated in a would be casual tone. "Vicky still?!" "Just because he's male doesn't mean there's anything going on between us! A guy and a girl can be friends without feelings for each other. Look at us..." There was a moment of awkward silence as Ron found a sudden interest in his shoelaces. "Right," he added a few seconds too late to sound convincing. Although they still had their occasional fight, Hermione noticed something different about Ron. He had matured miles since she first met him and finally stopped insulting Crookshanks in their seventh year. Then again, it had only been a week. Hermione had noticed things different about herself as well. Even though seventh year was very important to her, it took a backseat to what was happening outside of Hogwarts. She realized for the first time while staring into the dying fire that life would be completely different in less than a year. She'd be out of Hogwarts, away from her friends and the comfort of her books and facts. Hermione finished up her letter, neatly folding it and tucking it in her pocket. Ron suddenly got up from his squashy armchair and sat on the floor near Crookshanks. He tentatively pet him as he turned his flattened face. The enormous ginger cat purred as Ron scratched his ears. "I guess you aren't bad for being so ugly," Ron said in amazement. That cat snapped and jumped on Ron trying to bite at his neck. "Crookshanks!" Hermione yelled jumping up. She struggled with the cat for a few seconds, trying to pry it off Ron who was shrieking on the floor. Crookshanks scampered off up the stairs towards the dormitory looking quite proud. Ron was holding his neck, wincing. "Oh Ron, I'm so sorry... it's quite unlike him, honestly." She grabbed her wand off the chair and stopped the bleeding. "Oh err....it's okay." Hermione just noticed how close she was to Ron, both of them sitting on the rug. She thought for a moment of getting up and going to bed, but it felt strangely right sitting right where she was.
It's been so long since I've seen you! How have you been? My first week of school went well and... "What are you writing?" Ron asked rather accusingly. "It's a letter if you must know," Hermione stated in a would be casual tone. "Vicky still?!" "Just because he's male doesn't mean there's anything going on between us! A guy and a girl can be friends without feelings for each other. Look at us..." There was a moment of awkward silence as Ron found a sudden interest in his shoelaces. "Right," he added a few seconds too late to sound convincing. Although they still had their occasional fight, Hermione noticed something different about Ron. He had matured miles since she first met him and finally stopped insulting Crookshanks in their seventh year. Then again, it had only been a week. Hermione had noticed things different about herself as well. Even though seventh year was very important to her, it took a backseat to what was happening outside of Hogwarts. She realized for the first time while staring into the dying fire that life would be completely different in less than a year. She'd be out of Hogwarts, away from her friends and the comfort of her books and facts. Hermione finished up her letter, neatly folding it and tucking it in her pocket. Ron suddenly got up from his squashy armchair and sat on the floor near Crookshanks. He tentatively pet him as he turned his flattened face. The enormous ginger cat purred as Ron scratched his ears. "I guess you aren't bad for being so ugly," Ron said in amazement. That cat snapped and jumped on Ron trying to bite at his neck. "Crookshanks!" Hermione yelled jumping up. She struggled with the cat for a few seconds, trying to pry it off Ron who was shrieking on the floor. Crookshanks scampered off up the stairs towards the dormitory looking quite proud. Ron was holding his neck, wincing. "Oh Ron, I'm so sorry... it's quite unlike him, honestly." She grabbed her wand off the chair and stopped the bleeding. "Oh err....it's okay." Hermione just noticed how close she was to Ron, both of them sitting on the rug. She thought for a moment of getting up and going to bed, but it felt strangely right sitting right where she was.
