For those that have read 'Shooting the Breeze' and wanted the rest of the [back]story. It will be separated into four or five parts, posted as I finish them ... which could be by the end of the day. -DragonsBane1611
1 : Weasleys Under The Weather
"All I have to do is get past McGonagall with – ah – without – AH – without …" He sneezed loudly, red fringe falling into his eyes.
"Bless you. Honestly, Ronald, you should be in bed," Hermione hissed.
Harry had to agree and nodded.
"Honeydukes is getting in the premiere shipment of Dr. Coconutter's Blue Brains today," Ron explained, wiping his puffy, red eyes.
Hermione's lip curled, "Who?"
"Dr. Coconutter, the mad muggle candy maker."
He sneezed again and shook himself a little afterward.
"We can bring you back a Blue Brain," Harry offered.
"Yeah. Dr. Nuttacutter's no reason for you to be out in this weather with that cold," Hermione scolded, handing him a handkerchief from her bag.
"Coconutter and I'm fi…HAH-CHEE!" Ron nearly doubled over with exertion and Harry grabbed his arm to hold him steady.
"You sure you're alright?
"I'm fine."
Hermione looked at him skeptically, but, surprisingly, said nothing.
"Uh-oh," Ron muttered, stopping suddenly, his friends taking a few steps without him before retreating to his side.
"What? What is it?" the girl questioned.
"I'm going to sneeze again. I can feel it."
Harry rolled his eyes and said dryly, "Again? You're just going to be one big sneeze before the day's out."
"Get it out and let's get on with it," Hermione ordered.
"It won't come out. It's right here," he motioned to his nose, "but it's not coming."
"Oh, for the love of …" she sighed, hands on her hips.
"Make me sneeze. Tickle me."
Harry's eyes widened and he backed away quickly, shaking his head, "Huh-uh, not me, mate."
"Do what?!"
"Tickle me," the red-head repeated, rubbing his nose, tears welling in his eyes.
"I will not," she declared, scandalized.
"Not with your hands, Hermione. A quill. You're you, aren't you? Surely you have a quill with you," Ron said, his voice thick with congestion as he dropped his hands to his side. "Tickle my nose."
Grumbling to herself, she retrieved a quill and held it to his face. Harry snorted loudly, covering his mouth with his hand and turning away.
Hermione took her hand back, "Ludicrous."
"No, you almost got it, I think," he told her, grabbing her hand and bringing it back to his nose.
"Do it yourself, Ron, this is silly."
"Are you mad?! Tickle myself?! Now that's silly. Please, tickle."
Sighing in exasperation, she went about her work while he scrunched up his as if to squeeze it out physically.
"Hey, Harry," Neville greeted, appearing nearby with Luna and Ginny. Looking around the chuckling teen, he said, "Hey, Ro …" but stopped and cocked his head to the side. Ginny made a face somewhere between befuddlement and disgust, though, Luna seemed to take the sight in as though it were normal practice for one to have a quill playing about a friend's nose.
"What in God's name?" the youngest Weasley blurted out, her voice somewhat hoarse.
"Well, it's obvious isn't it?" Luna began. "Your brother is suffering from a nasal infestation of quill mites and his girlfriend is trying to coax them back into their habitat."
Ron and Hermione stopped what they were doing to look at her with wide eyes. Harry continued to giggle, and in an unsuccessful attempt to control himself, he snorted a second time. Neville and Ginny, however, raised their eyebrows in vague interest.
"It's not quill mites," Ron argued, his nose twitching.
"I am not his girlfriend," Hermione corrected haughtily.
"What's the hold up?" Professor McGonagall called from across the room, noticing students filing around the group of six.
"Quick!" he ordered and the girl jumped, tickling quickly. Luna pulled her own quill from her bag and started coaxing mites for herself.
Ron batted her away, "I don't need – ah – I don't nee – ah…" Hermione put her quill in her bag and moved out of the line of fire quickly.
"Potter …"
Harry stopped laughing and nudged Ron.
"Hurry, mate, she's coming."
"Ah …"
"… Granger …"
"Ah …"
The other five watched the poorly teen as he continued to try to sneeze and time seemed to slow.
"… and Mister Weas …"
"AH …"
"… ley …"
"… CHOOOO!" he sneezed so violently, his right foot left the ground.
Professor McGonagall jumped at the sound, but recovered quickly, closing the distance between them with a stern look.
"To your dormitory this instant. You're not leaving this castle in your current state."
"But!"
"Now, Mr. Weasley."
"But!"
"Don't make me get Madame Pomfrey. Or I could owl your mother."
Ron's mouth snapped shut as his shoulders slumped and he turned toward the stairs without another word.
"Kindly accompany him, Ginny," the professor said.
"Yes, Professor," the girl obliged, quietly, clearing her throat and following after her brother.
"We'll wait for you," Hermione called, but the other shook her head.
"No, I'm not going in. I just came to see you off. I'll see you when you get back," she managed with a wave.
"She said she wasn't feeling well, either," Neville told Harry and Hermione. "Some kind of cough."
"And the potion she's taking makes her head a bit light," Luna added. "I've been waiting for it to come off all morning after one of her fits."
"For what to come off?" Harry asked, making a face.
"Her head."
Neville and Harry gaped at the blonde but Hermione jumped in front of them and loudly suggested, "To Hogsmeade, then?"
"Sounds lovely," Luna chimed in, pocketing her quill and drifting toward the doors.