Note: Thank you for your kind replies and kudos. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I am hoping to be able to write longer chapters this weekend when I have more time in the day. Hopefully, I can get a few more out to you before the weekend too.
Harry Potter elbowed Hermione and leaned in trying to hear the conversation. "What ya planning Hermione?"
"Nothing." She quickly responded while trying to listen in to the conversation next to her.
"It's nothing? Since when, do you 'get on' with the girls?" Harry replied.
"Yea, blimey, you always got your nose stuck in a book ignoring the world." Ron Weasley interjected into the conversation before continuing to stuff food into his mouth at a steady pace.
"Study group stuff. Nothing you will be interested in." She answered in hopes that Harry would drop the subject, so she could listen in to the girls again.
Harry smirked and leaned in to whisper to her. "Fine then, but if you need help with your…" he winks at her, "study group homework…just ask." Taking a swig of his pumpkin juice he winked again at her and sat back to begin a conversation with Ron again.
Relieved, Hermione shifted slightly and tried to listen in while watching Professor McGonagall having a conversation at the head table. Her eyes lingered on the professor. Black hair in a tight bun, square-rimmed glasses that gave her to look like a strict person. However, if a person was to look deeper they would notice that the flowing green velvet robe that matched the piercing green eyes gave away a fierce personality and fiery disposition that the professor hid well. Hermione was so deep in thought it took her a minute to register that her beloved professor was smiling at her. Startled with a slight blush, she looked away and leaned into the group of girls to hide her blush from her professor.
"What do you mean you got detention?" Fay barked towards Lavender after swallowing her bite of food and joining the group huddle of girls around the table. "Madam Pince busted you huh?"
Lavender dropped her head as she nodded. "I barely made it two steps toward the Restricted Section before her vulture-like talons landed on my shoulders, freezing me in place. I swear she is an Animagus, a vulture no less! I swear when you tick off that woman her eyes sink in and her nose gets more hooked as you look at her."
"Lavender! Have you gone mental? Shush!" Hermione loudly whispered towards her. "Someone will hear you. And you still don't need to prove anything about the professor."
"Yes! I do and now I must prove it. I must crack on then! Never let it be said that Lavender Brown doesn't know or find the truth! You will help me won't you Hermione." Lavender added with a smug grin. "I will find a way and it still stands to meet in Tra..."
"Hello Ladies, how are you this afternoon?" Professor Minerva McGonagall greeted the group.
"Hello, Professor." The girls echoed together a reply.
"Are you prepared and excited for Hallowe'en this year? We are having a special event after the feast this year." The professor mentioned with a gentle smile directed towards Hermione.
"Yes, professor. It's the most anticipated feast of the year I heard." Fay acknowledged and looked towards Lavender with a smirk. "How about you professor?"
"It will be a busy time, hence the reason I am bothering you ladies. I was wondering if a few of you might be interested in helping behind the scenes with the gaming festivities after the feast? This will be the first time after a good amount of years that Hogwarts will be extending the festivities back to the sweets and gaming added to the entertainment at the end." She explained still smiling and extending her gaze to the other girls. "In fact, Headmaster Dumbledore has granted permission for a special few students to research some of the ancient games that we might use this year. For the life of me, I do not understand why the books are in the Restricted Section of the library, but I will grant two students permission to the section for a few hours tonight only to find the information. Is anyone interested?"
"I'm in." Lavender quickly answered. All her problems have just been answered.
"I'm in." Fay Dunbar answered.
"I will do it!" Hermione answered with a squeak of her voice.
"Me too!" The ginger girl added in unison with Parvati Patil.
Minerva McGonagall threw her head back in a deep laughter. "Only two students please."
The girls looked at each other waiting for someone to take the lead and determine which two it would be. Finally, Fay spoke up and stated firmly sniggered hard.
"I think Hermione and Lavender should be the two since Hermione knows her way around the library and Lavender just asked for her help with learning how to research in the library."
Both girls swung their head around towards the lanky brown-haired girl giving her a cursing glare.
"Great! It's settled then. Ladies, please meet with me after Transfiguration class this afternoon and I will have your passes ready for you. Now please keep in mind this is the Restricted Section of the library, so you will only be given two hours to research. Please do not make Headmaster Dumbledore and myself regret opening this opportunity to you." Professor McGonagall took a quick second to smile at her most favorite and studious student before nodding firmly and walking back to the head table.
"Wow, we couldn't be luckier Hermione. The answer just dropped in our laps!" Lavender beamed with happiness. "The only downside so far is that we will need to wait until after class to get the spell. But, hey it worked in our favor."
"You mean your favor," Hermione grumbled. "How did you wrap me in this? I offered to help with the festivities not look for a forbidden spell to cast on a professor. You really should drop it, Lavender. Do you really need to know her preferences? Why don't you just ask her?"
The girls gasped in unison at Hermione. "Ask her?" Lavender sported a cry of disbelief. "That's like asking for detention for the rest of our stay at Hogwarts!"
"Exactly!" Hermione responded harshly.
"Would you fancy a flutter, that Professor McGonagall leans towards more of the feminine persuasion?" Harry Potter interjected into the conversation surprising the girls with a laugh. "I would take that bet. So, how about it Hermione?" He winked at her. He knew her secret since she divulged it to him in an accident recently over a conversation about finding a boyfriend while at Hogwarts. She belted out without realizing that a girlfriend would be more her style if she wasn't here to study and extend her education in any way possible.
"No, Harry! It is no one's business what her proclivities are, especially not yours." Hermione growled out.
Harry guffawed and patted Hermione on the back gently. "Come on Hermione, you are not just a little curious?" He leaned in and whispered trying not to snigger at her. "I know you fancy the fair ladies. Y'know it might be useful to have an adult to talk to sometimes about it."
"Harry Potter!" Hermione gasped when she realized that all the other girls were looking at her with a new light in their eyes.
"You fancy the girls! You don't look at me do you?" Lavender interjected with a slight bit of fear in her voice.
"No, I am too young to think about such things and as you know my studies are more important to me. And as for you Harry Potter, No! I…. Oh! All right! Yes. I want to know." She blushed a deep red.
Everyone around the table busted out laughing.
"Well then! It looks like we have some mission ladies." Harry smiled deviously. "Bets anyone?"