I know it's late, but please RRFF!

Chapter 36 - The Half-Blood Prince

Adie had bid her friends farewell after breakfast. Harry and Ron had a free period, whereas Hermione had double potions with Slughorn. She, on the other hand, had charms and spent the entire double bewitching an alarm clock so that it ran half a second slower, but it had to have jumped an hour ahead: whilst keeping it hovering at precisely ten feet in the air. It was hard, but she was the first person to manage it and Flitwick awarded her with ten house points. She saw her friends again later that evening in the common room.

"Hey...whoa Hermione what happened to you?"

Her friend was sweating, her hair at least four times bushier than normal, her uniform astray. Hermione lifted her head from the arm of the sofa and glared, before smacking it off one of the pillows. In search if answers, the blonde turned to her other friends. Harry was looking rather smug, and Ron was chuckling.

"What happened?"

"Well, we got forced to do potions...such fun."

Ron chuckled and continued for Harry.

"Yeah mate, but let's not forget that you completely whooped Hermione at making that potion...what was it called again?"

Hermione's muffled voice answered.

"Draught if Living Death."

Adie stared at Harry. No one in the history of anything would've expected Hermione to be beaten in a class.

"Nice one!"

Harry grinned cheekily.

"Yeah and I got this as well."

He pulled something from his pocket, and Adie noticed on his lap a rather battered, old potions book. But then her attention was drawn to the tiny bottle filled with faint yellow liquid.

"What is it?"

Again Hermione answered grumpily.

"Felix Felicis."

"Felix Fe-whatis?"

Hermione sat up, looking ready to pounce...with the bushy hair...it was quite terrifying.

"Fe-li-cis!"

"Ok ok keep your hair on!"

Harry and Ron sniggered.

"And what does Felix Fe-LI-CIS do?"

"It's a good luck potion."

Adie's eyes widened and she shuffled forward.

"Really?"

"Mhm, Slughorn said it would make anything Harry does succeed!"

"Awesome!"

Suddenly Harry jumped up.

"Oh no, I have to go!"

His friends looked after him as he ran out of the portrait hole. Ron looked to Adie who shrugged.

"He's going to see Dumbledore, remember?!"

"Geez Hermione, get a grip."

She shot up out her seat and stormed off to the girls dorm. Ron blew a long slow whistle.

"Too much?"

Adie nodded.

"Lil bit."

...

The next day everyone was up early in Gryffindor Tower. Quidditch Trials. Ron had vanished quickly, in an attempt to hide his nerves. Harry had later said bye to Hermione and Adie, before making his way down to the Quidditch pitch. Hermione had calmed down from yesterday and walked slowly with her friend.

"How do you think Ron will get on?"

Adie looked over and pondered her answer.

"He'll be great, I mean he has been practicing all summer for this."

Hermione nodded and smiled.

"True. Not to mention Fred and George dropped by a couple of times to help him."

Adie stopped short at the mention of George's name as a stab of pain washed over her. He hadn't written...he hadn't done anything. Hermione frowned.

"Alright what is going up between you two? Because before you saw him you were all lovey dovey, and now you look like you're on the verge of a panic attack."

Adie looked at her feet, kicking a stone as she walked.

"I said that I loved him..."

Hermione squealed in shock and delight.

"Awwww!"

"No not aww. He didn't say it back..."

Saying it made it hurt all the more. Hermione ceased her jumping up and down.

"He did what?"

Adie looked up.

"He didn't say it back."

"Well did you give him the time to?"

Adie stopped again, had she? If she had stayed a second longer, would he have said it?

"See, you don't know! He might write you a letter or something! Don't give up yet, because we, and by we I mean everyone, knows that he loves you. You're an adorable couple."

Adie tried to smile, but it faltered on her face. Surely by now George would've of told her that he loved her, if he did. Maybe his silence meant that he didn't want to speak to her anymore. The thought made her stomach turn nauseous, but she faked a smile for her friend.

"Thanks Hermione."

The pair continued in into the stadium, just in time to see the newbies take to the air. Ron slipped a little, and Adie smirked as Hermione edged forward on the bench. Concern filled her eyes, but it soon vanished after he caught himself.

"Whoo go on Weasley!"

"Yeah Ron!"

"Go o Cormac!"

Adie whispered in Hermione's ear.

"Don't look now, but McLaggen is checking you out."

Her friend drifted her eyes over in tune to see the smirk splay over Cormac's face. Soon they were distracted by the game at play.

"Go Ginny!"

They clapped as their friend wove and dodged quick as a whippet. It was obvious she had been practising as well. She ducked low to the ground, dangerously close, but then swooped high and took a shot for McLaggen goal. He kicked it away with disturbing ease, as he did with every other that came to him.

Then it was Ron's turn. Adie whistled and Hermione clapped as he saved his first goal. He managed to do the same with all his others, by barely moving his hands from the wood of the broom. Then he slipped forward and off his broom.

"Bloody hell!"

Adie filled in Ron's line as she covered her mouth with her hands, waiting to see what would happen. Thankfully he managed to climb back on. A final shot, from Ginny, came flying towards Cormac. Hermione muttered into her hand, though Adie heard it clearly.

"Confundus."

His broom dodged the goal, allowing the ball to fly past and score. The boy looked about angrily and Hermione smirked. Ron saved his final goal and the person to go the most wild, was, oddly enough, Lavender Brown.

"Isn't he brilliant?"

Her voice was breathless and awed as she looked for someone to reply to her question. She clapped wildly, and Adie noticed a weird, venomous look fill Hermione's eyes. Was that a hint of jealousy she detected?

Later, in the common room, Ron was discussing his win. Adie was lying in front if the fire, tossing a Remembrall into the air, Hermione was reading the Daily Prophet, whilst Harry was absorbed in his potions book.

"He's got a bit of a thing for you Hermione, Cormac."

They all looked up at Ron, who was sat proudly on the sofa now that he'd been labelled Gryffindors new keeper. Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"He's vile."

Harry lent over Adie's legs to speak to Hermione.

"Have you ever heard of this spell? Sectumsempra?"

Hermione frowned and Adie tossed the Remembrall a little lower so she could raise her head.

"Whattywhatpra?"

"No I haven't. And if you had any shred of self-respect, you'd hand that book in!"

Ron snorted.

"Not bloody likely. He's top of the class. He's even better than you Hermione. Slughorn thinks he's a genius."

That caused her to bristle.

"I'd like to know whose that book was. Let's have a look."

Harry shot up and dashed back.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Uh...the binding is fragile."

Adie, who'd stood up chuckled.

"The binding is fragile?! Really mate?"

She grabbed the book from behind and tossed it over his head to Ginny. He glared as she opened it and read the inked name.

"Who's the Half-Blood Prince?"

"Who?"

Ginny lowered the book.

"That's what it says, this book is property of the Half-Blood Prince."

After watching his pleading face for a moment longer, Ginny tossed it back to him. Harry caught it and then retreated to his dorm. Ron shook his head.

"Well that was weird."

Look out for 2 more chapters :3 TTFN