March 1994

"Hermione, can we please just talk?" Ron asked, cornering his friend a few days after his birthday.

"Are you going to mock me because I don't want to participate in the animagus tradition?" Hermione asked pointedly.

"Merlin, woman! We didn't mean it like that! It's just… it's really important to Harry, yeah? This is one of those things he can share with his dad and he wants us to be there, too. Whatever your animal is, it can't be worse than the Rat Bastard. Or Neville. I promise," Ron tried to explain.

"I… I don't want to do this amazing thing, this complex magic, and have it… The animal itself it's bad, it's actually quite useful. It's just insulting for me," Hermione explained, suddenly exhausted.

"Then just study it with us and when it comes time for you to change, you can stop or change on your own or what have you. Just come back. We need you," Ron begged.

"No you don't," Hermione said, focusing on her notes instead of her need to cry.

"What?" Ron asked, flabbergasted.

"You don't need me. Well, for anything more than the brain," Hermione amended.

"What?" Ron asked again, shocked.

"And you must not even need me for that, what with you surviving the term thus far without my tutoring," Hermione continued.

"Um…. I'll be back. Don't leave. It'll make it that much harder to find you later," Ron said, before rushing from the room.

Hermione rolled her eyes and watched Ron leave. Shaking her head in disbelief, she turned back to her assignments, determined to be ahead on fourth year before the end of school. She lost track of time, not fully believing that Ron would come back, so when the door to her sanctuary burst open for a second time, all she had to say was, "I'll eat later, Fred."

"We'll circle back to that," Ron's voice sounded, shocking the poor witch.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked bluntly, staring where Ron was grasping Harry's upper arm.

"He's apologizing for being a git," Ron said, giving Harry a bit of a shake.

"Not until she apologizes first," Harry demanded.

"I'm sorry I called your family tradition stupid. I shouldn't have said it and I realized immediately that it was rude. I didn't mean it like you think," Hermione said, looking Harry in the face.

"Then why didn't you apologize sooner?" Harry demanded.

"You weren't speaking to me," Hermione said with a shrug. "Also, just because I knew I was wrong didn't mean I was ready to apologize."

"I hate when you're brutally honest," Ron said, face palming.

"Why weren't you ready?" Harry said at the same time.

"Because, Harry, you were only focused on you and how this affected you. You weren't listening to anyone else. I was sorry about what I said, but I wasn't sorry enough to listen to you say 'you should have listened to me,'" Hermione replied.

"This is getting us nowhere and I have a potions essay due tomorrow. Harry, Hermione is sorry she insulted your family. Hermione, Harry is sorry he hurt your feelings and is generally a prat to literally everyone he meets. Now, shake hands and let's be done with this," Ron demanded.

Harry and Hermione both looked a bit put out at Ron's overly simplified, if not accurate, assessment of the situation. After about three seconds they rolled their eyes, shook hands, and put the whole mess behind them.

"Alright, it's time for supper. Let's go," Ron said, breaking the tension. They all laughed and Hermione, for the first time in weeks, ate supper in the Great Hall with her friends.


The rest of March passed in a flurry of papers, classes, and exams. Neville and Draco were relieved that this fight, at least, had resolved itself. There was another storm brewing on the horizon, however, and soon, the battlelines were drawn again.

Late in March, Harry and Draco came to the sudden realization that they would be competing for the Quidditch Cup. On top of it being an intense house rivalry game, there was the fact that it was Wood's last chance to win. Draco was pissed that Harry had a Firebolt and he wasn't allowed one until after he won. He had to 'prove he was a better player' and that 'he didn't need a new broom when he had a perfectly good one up at the school.' Mothers.

Harry was confident not only in his broom, but in his ability to play Seeker. He knew he was skilled at the position and Draco would have a hard time keeping up. The problem came when Harry decided to make sure everyone in Hogwarts knew how confident he was in his abilities. It was all he talked about for days. Teachers, students, and even Professor Snape were subjected to the Harry Potter variety hour. The only time he settled down was on Thursday nights, when Professor Lupin taught him how to handle dementors.

Draco didn't know what to do. All of his friends were Gryffindors. He didn't have Slytherin friends, he has Slytherin lackies. He didn't have friends from other houses either; he found Hufflepuffs disconcerting and Ravenclaws ruthless in the most unappealing way. So, he was afraid, come April, that he wouldn't have any friends to speak of. He wasn't sure Harry would forgive him if Slytherin won, and he was sure he wouldn't forgive Harry if Gryffindor won. Then there was how Ginny would view the whole situation. Sometimes, he reflected, athletics sucked.

"Draco, why are you pouting?" Hermione asked, plopping down next to him, waiting for class to start.

"I'm worried about the Quidditch match next month. I don't want everyone to hate me afterwards," Draco confided.

"Why would we hate you?" Hermione asked, genuinely confused.

"It's Quidditch, 'Mione. Someone's feelings will get hurt," Draco said with an eyeroll.

"Mine won't. I mean, yes, I'll be thrilled if Gryffindor wins, but then there will be a huge celebration in the common room, and it'll go on for days, and I'll be over the win before the night's over. If Gryffindor loses… well, I'm going to see if the Sorting House can switch me to Ravenclaw like it originally it originally wanted," Hermione said with a shrug.

"Why Ravenclaw!?" Draco exclaimed. "They're all self-righteous with a side of backstabbing. Why would you want that?"

"I'm not cut out for Hufflepuff. And there are certain things standing between me and Slytherin house. So that leaves Ravenclaw. Gryffindor will be unbearable if they lose. Although, I assume Slytherin will be the same way," Hermione replied.

"So, you'll still be my friend after?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. And so will Neville. I'll make him," she smirked.

"Thanks, 'Mione, you're the best," Draco said, giving her a genuine smile.

Hermione was not so sure her relationship with Harry James Potter was going to last, though. As Easter Hols approached, she felt like punching the git.

"C'mon, Aunt Minnie, can't you just push back the assignment?" He wheedled in Transfiguration. "Think of the Cup."

"Please, Moony! Please no homework. Don't you want me to carry on my father's tradition of success? Think of Prongs, Moony!" He begged in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"Um… Eye of Newt?" He answered in Potions, too afraid to broach the subject.

"Harry! We've had enough! You have to quit talking about the Quidditch match. We're tired of it all! I can't believe you won't just shut up!" Hermione screamed.

"Hermione, it's the most important thing of the year!" Harry argued.

"No! It's not! It's the most important thing in your year! I still have finals to pass! I still have to make it out of this year without facing down Voldemort for you!" Hermione lashed out.

"That was hostile," Ron noted, watching the witch storm away. "At least she didn't punch anyone."


April 1994

"Here, Fred. For trying to take care of me, even if you shouldn't," Hermione said, blushing and handing Fred a present. "Happy birthday."

"Wow!" Fred exclaimed, ripping the box open. "Muggle prank box!"

"I thought you could modify them. Don't reinvent the wheel and all," Hermione shrugged.

"You're bloody brilliant," Fred said in awe.

"George has the matching book, just so you know," Hermione informed him. He just grinned.


Draco and Harry looked at one another from across the table. Both were in their Quidditch uniforms and refusing to look at the other.

The twins had started a pool to see who would win.

"Just play like you always do," Ginny said to both of them as she came and sat next to Draco. "Whoever wins, wins."

"One of us is going to be hated, no matter what, Ginny." Harry said forking his eggs before looking up and staring at her and her chosen seat. "Who are you cheering for exactly?"

This caught the whole table's attention. Maybe even other students around them. "I'm not cheering for either of you. I'm cheering for my House."

"So Harry," Fred told her before standing up. "Come on, mate. We've got work to do."

Harry nodded and winked at Ginny before standing and walking down to the pitch with the rest of the team.

The weather was peaceful, calm. Perfect for Quidditch. Oliver Wood was pacing up until the moment they needed to mount their brooms. The whole school was here, waiting to see who would get their victory.

"Remember, two hundred points stands between us and the Cup," Oliver told his team before flying to his position.

The balls were off and the game begun.

It started off like any other game. The crowd cheering, all of the beaters playing a little dirtier than normal. Draco and Harry waited, slowly circling the pitch as the game went on.

Both teams knew what was riding on this game as Slytherin scored the first ten points. Harry stiffened and Oliver Wood was being reprimanded for using foul language on the Quidditch Pitch.

The game went on. Both teams going back and forth. Harry had seen the Snitch once before, but wouldn't go after it. It wasn't until Katie Bell put Gryffindor ahead by fifty points did Harry start actively seeking the Snitch. When he did, Draco was right behind him. They raced through the Chasers fighting one another to the bottom of the pitch. They were neck and neck until Harry finally spoke.

"Remember, Ginny is excluded." Harry said, reaching for victory.

"Deal," Draco said, slowing his broom ever so slightly as Harry reached for the Snitch.

Gryffindor Wins.


"Okay, you three have made up. Tell me why you're still hiding out around here?" Fred asked several weeks later. He was tired of not seeing the bookworm around. It was too much like last year. He didn't like it when she disappeared. He couldn't keep an eye on her, and wow wasn't that a bit stalker-ish?

"I've already told you, I need the silence to work. Now, please take these notes and leave me in silence," she said, handing him a stack of notes, along with a bag of quills.

"What's all this, then?" He asked, taking the stuff skeptically.

"You're self-inking quills. Only prototype 17 was anywhere near effective. Don't worry, I've labeled each pen and carefully documented the usability, comfort, and overall pros and cons. You'd do well to read the notes before trying to create more, let alone begin mass production," Hermione said, shooing him to the door with her quill.


"When. Does. She. Eat?" Fred asked, pinning Ron to the wall by his throat. George was sitting on Harry, pinning him to the ground.

"I…. I…" Ron stuttered, unable to talk with his air supplies cut off.

"He can't talk like that!" Harry said, earning himself a cuff to the back of the head. Fred let the pressure up a bit.

"I don't know," Ron wheezed out.

"It's your job to know! You are responsible for her and Ginny!" Fred said, slamming him back into the wall.

"Oi! I tried okay! I tried to take care of Ginny last year! Besides, she had three other brothers here who could have tried paying attention to her in the first place!" Ron shouted, getting his steam back.

"Oi, we're not here about that! We covered that over the summer! When does Hermione eat?" George asked, ruffling Harry's hair forcefully.

"We don't know! We're not lying. We're not hiding anything. And why the hell do you care?" Harry said, trying to flip his hair into place.

"We care because it's been nearly three weeks since anyone has seen her in the Great Hall period. The house elves in the kitchens say she isn't visiting them either. So, where is she?" Fred asked again.

"If that's what you lot are squabbling about, I'll tell you what's going on," Ginny said, walking in on her brothers… and Harry, whatever Harry was to her. "I bring her food during our study sessions. Otherwise, she doesn't eat. 'Digestion slows down brainwork,' she says. 'I'll eat when I'm caught up,' she says. You get used to it."

"Di-digestion slows down brain work? Is that even a real thing?" Fred asked.

"Apparently. She can't work for at least an hour after she eats," Ginny said, shrugging. "Anyway, final exams are in two weeks. She'll eat when she get's hungry. Stop worrying about it. She doesn't have a problem, you're just scary aware of her."

Fred didn't reply to that. He just dropped Ron to the ground and left the room, unsure of how to handle Ginny's pronouncement. George, ever faithful, and totally aware of what his twin didn't know, followed.


Final exams came, as they must, and they were muddled through to the best of each student's abilities. Fred and George, who were sitting their O.W.L.s, split their desiree tests up, not wanting to Exceed Expectations, as it were. Hermione found out at the end of the last year that she could sit exams for courses she didn't take, providing she was prepared for the test. Harry and Ron weren't interested. Quidditch was over, so that meant the year was over for them. Ginny was just happy that she could sit the second year tests with full knowledge that she would beat those Ravenclaw wankers that tormented Luna so. She and Luna would get top marks, she knew. Afterall, Luna and Ginny were now inseparable… and planning the perfect prank. With Peeves. Just wait until those vicious girls saw this.


Gabs: I'm sorry. I was going to help Kat end this book this chapter. But it got out of hand. Fred and Hermione had feels. Draco and Hermione had other kinds of feels. I'm sorry. Also, the thing about digestion is true. Can't think for hours after I eat.

Kat: Now everyone is super confused about the ships...oops.

Gabs: I'm perfectly aware of what is going on. I know what I meant.

Kat: I'm not… wha? I will take credit for the crappy editing skills. My brain is fried at this point in time.

Gabs: Is that because you wrote a paper on grammar this week?

Kat: Two papers, discussion board posts, questions for this coming week, a puppy that is teething, a jealous dog and a cat who I want to snuggle with but is spending time in the glorious weather outside and not with me. Oh! and a rewrite because my flash drive is lost to the world. Anyone else have a shitty week?

Gabs: Fluffers! I want to spend time with Fluffy! He's adorbs! I miss his furry face! In any event (before we ramble about pets all night) we own nothing!

Kat: Review and love us.

XOXO

Gabs & Kat